Things I Learned Last Night

Join Jaron and Tim for this special live edition of Things I Learned Last Night recorded live on the podcast stage at Boulevardia 2022 in Kansas City, MO. In this episode, learn about the history, technique, and competition circuit for beatboxing with up-and-coming entertainer musicbyskippy. 

For tickets, music, and more check out: https://www.musicbyskippy.com

For info about Boulevardia, visit: https://boulevardia.com

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The ocean is one of the earth's most precious resources. However, like many of the resources on earth, capitalism has not treated them well. For that very reason, Russ George has devised a plan to revitalize the ocean. His controversial theory is called Ocean Pasteurization. To replenish the ecosystem of the world's oceans, George plans to dump iron into the seas to feed plankton and cause an artificial bloom of plankton. Though Russ has acquired a wide array of investors and supporters, many others think he is causing more harm than good. At the end of the day, we do not know what the impact of such an endeavor would be on the ocean ecosystem. So, what would you say he is a hero or villain?

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Antarctica is one of the most mysterious places on the planet. Few people in the world have ever or will ever step foot on this massive slab of ice. Due to the lack of experience with this strange continent, many conspiracy theories have been born around the area. One of the first and most prolific, Antarctic explorers is US Navy Rear Admiral Richard E. Byrd. Not only did Boyd take a few trips to the continent, but he took the largest single group of individuals with a 4700-person fleet. This mission, however, was cut short. The reason for the change is up for debate, and there have been some wild theories as to the reason. Operation High Jump might be one of the craziest things to happen.

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In the 1980's Tacoma, Washington, faced a stark increase in gang activity. The hilltop neighborhood was a particularly active subset of the city and became a hub for the illegal drug trade in the town. However, when one Army Ranger bought a home in the neighborhood, he took matters into his own hands. Sergeant Bill Foulk installed security cameras and began confronting the gangsters during drug deals. After weeks of this behavior, the crips decided to retaliate. They had no clue that Foulk was an Army Ranger and called a dozen of his Ranger buddies to help defend his home. A 10-minute shootout involving over 300 rounds and about 30 individuals from the crips and the US Army Rangers ensued. Known now as the Ash Street Shootout, the event became a catalyst in the way officers handled local policing.

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The early days of the internet were truly the wild west. Anyone with the means to post to the world wide web could upload whatever they wanted and leave it out there to the world. That is precisely what inspired Julian Assange to create Wikileaks. The now infamous site was envisioned to be a place where whistleblowers could anonymously leak sensitive information into a platform that would verify and publicize the information. The website gained notoriety for leaking a few very significant sets of documents that were particularly bad for the United States government. Since then Assange has lived a rather precarious life and now faces extradition to the US for trial. The precedent being set in this case could be significant.

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Since the first humans took their first breath, we have been trying to subvert the forces of death. But, to date, no one has successfully unlocked the keys to eternal life. At least, no one has publicly discovered the key to endless life. Legends of fantastic figures that found the secret have captivated people for longer than we've been writing. The Count of St Germain is one such mythic figure. This historical figure has long been the subject of stories of everlasting life. For hundreds of years, people have claimed to have encountered the man who, on paper, died 238 years ago.

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On a hot summer day in 1954, a man arrived at Tokyo Haneda Airport. Since the man came on an international flight, he was required to show his passport to be stamped. Upon viewing the man's passport, officials were shocked to find the country that issued the passport was called Taured, a country that does not exist. Furthermore, the man was shocked when he attempted to show his country's location on a map because the location that he called home was not Taured on this map. As quickly as the confusion began, the man from Taured disappeared. Now we're left to decipher the situation. Was this just a hoax, or did the Japanese TSA encounter an inter-dimensional traveler?

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Today flying is one of the safest forms of transit that exists. Out of the millions of flights every year, only about 30 of those result in an accident in the US, and very few result in any serious injury. However, this hasn't always been the case. In recent history, regulations on air travel were much laxer and allowed for a far greater rate of failure. On Christmas Eve 1971, Juliane Koepcke witnessed how dangerous air travel can be when her plane broke apart in mid-air and plummeted 10,000 feet into the Amazon rain forest. Defying all odds, Koepcke survived the fall. Unfortunately for Juliane, it was an out-of-the-frying pan into the fryer sort of a situation. She awoke after the crash to find herself stranded in the heart of the Amazon rainforest. Her story has inspired for decades.

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Since the start of the internet, forums have been a strange place. Something about allowing people anonymity brings out the worst in humanity. The effect was in full display for Reddit user Religion of Peace. Known for running one of the most nefarious and controversial subreddits in the platform's history, the user garnered an almost mythic status during his time on Reddit. Many users had encountered one of Religion of Peace, often referred to as Milo, and one of his infamous rants. However, the story became much more interesting after Milo died. A series of internet sleuthing led to the possible uncovering of an underground assassin ring hidden in plain sight.

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In 1991, eight people walked in a large glass dome in the Arizona desert. Camera crews captured the group as they disappeared into the void. The structure was built by billionaire Ed Bass who hoped to use the facility for research into what it would take to build a colony on an alien world. The philanthropist enlisted a crew of four men and four women to spend two years locked inside the biosphere without any contact with the outside world. In the most American of ways, the event was broadcast to the world. Biosphere 2 became the world's first reality tv show, and just like every reality tv show, it was dramatic.

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