The Box of Oddities

By Kat & Jethro Gilligan Toth

The Webby Award-winning “Box of Oddities" is a podcast that delves into the strange and mysterious aspects of our world, exploring topics ranging from bizarre medical conditions to unsolved mysteries,... more

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How many episodes does The Box of Oddities have?

The podcast currently has 993 episodes available.

Best of The Box of Oddities

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: Black Holes, Nazis, & Fresh Baked Goods
Are We Living Inside a Black Hole? And Why You Should Never Trust a Nazi With a Plate Of Cookies. What if our entire universe is hiding inside a black hole? The James Webb Space Telescope has uncovered strange new clues about the early cosmos—including an ancient galaxy that appears far more developed than it should be and a mysterious imbalance in the way distant galaxies rotate. Then, meet the WWII interrogator who extracted secrets from hundreds of Allied pilots without threats or violence. His weapons were casual conversation, carefully placed misinformation…and sometimes a plate of cookies. How did prisoners reveal valuable intelligence without realizing they’d said anything at all? Two mind-bending stories involving cosmic mysteries, psychological manipulation, snack cakes, and the unsettling possibility that everything we know exists inside someone else’s patch of darkness. It’s The Box of Oddities! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 26, 202636min
Number 2: Freaks, Feathers, and Yellow Fever
A sideshow performer known as Koo-Koo the Bird Girl becomes one of the most unforgettable faces in Tod Browning’s 1932 film Freaks—yet the real Minnie Woolsey remains almost a mystery. We trace the strange, sad, and surprisingly human story behind the feathers, enormous glasses, and a few seconds of dancing that outlived nearly everything else known about her. Then: a young doctor named Stubbins Ffirth sets out to prove that yellow fever isn’t contagious by conducting one of history’s most stomach-turning medical experiments on himself. Plus, cow muffin bingo, lawnmower races, frog jumping, crab beauty pageants, and other wonderfully odd Labor Day traditions. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
September 02, 202640min
Number 3: The Boys Who Refused to Become Monsters
What happens when six teenage boys are stranded on a deserted island for more than a year? Forget Lord of the Flies. The true story of the boys of Ata reveals something far more surprising—and far more hopeful—about human nature. Then, during World War II, a Muslim family in Sarajevo risks everything to hide their Jewish neighbors from the Nazis. Nearly fifty years later, with Sarajevo under siege once again, an extraordinary act of courage comes full circle. Two remarkable true stories of survival, kindness, and ordinary people choosing to become the helpers when the world is at its worst. Also: pets may be angels, Kat encounters one at a drive-thru, and we celebrate five astonishing comebacks—including species once believed extinct. Come fly the freak flag with us as we explore the strange, the inspiring, and the beautifully unexpected. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 24, 202633min
Number 4: Inbox Of Oddities #97
Can you feel time passing—or taste pizza using only your imagination? This week, the Freak Family opens our eyes to the wildly different ways our brains experience the world, including one listener whose sense of time appears as a constantly shifting spectrum of colors. We also hear about an eerily timed Dolly Parton “Boo Effect,” an Australian linguistic injustice, sad nipple syndrome as bedroom conversation, and a deeply moving message about grief, hospice, dark humor, and permitting ourselves to feel it all. It’s heartfelt, hilarious, occasionally inappropriate, and brought to you entirely by the beautiful weirdos who fill our inbox. Keep flying that freak flag! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 28, 202625min
Number 5: Ten Dimes and One Very Stubborn House
What can ten dimes do? For Osceola McCarty, they represented a lifetime spent washing other people’s clothes—and a quiet act of generosity that would eventually change the lives of more than a hundred students. Discover how a Mississippi laundress who left school in the sixth grade saved a remarkable fortune and created an educational legacy that continues growing decades after her death. Then, when developers decided one stubborn little house stood in the way of progress, its owners refused to budge. What followed was a three-year standoff that left their home balanced atop a towering pillar of dirt in the middle of an enormous construction pit. It became one of China’s most famous “nail houses” and sparked a national debate over property rights, eminent domain, and how far powerful developers will go to hammer down the people standing in their way. Generosity measured in dimes and defiance measured in feet above a construction site. It’s The Box of Oddities! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
August 31, 202628min