Things I Learned Last Night

Imagine you woke up one morning to find the sky is full of circular, triangular, and cylindrical objects darting to and fro in an apparent struggle for aerial supremacy. You might immediately think that you were witnessing an alien invasion. Maybe you'd assume you were hallucinating. But, imagine this happened while you were living in the year 1561. That's exactly what happened to the people of Nuremberg, Germany. The 1561 Sky Battle, also known as the 1561 celestial phenomenon over Nuremberg, excited the imaginations of those who saw it. Whereas our cultural conditioning would lead us to assume it was a fleet of UFOs, the locals on that day thought it was a warning of the impending judgment of God. Regardless of the interpretation, the event is a rather curious one that lacks an obvious explanation. At least, it lacks 100% proof of any of the prevailing theories.

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What are the names that come to mind when you think of bank robbers? For many, names like Bonnie & Clyde, John Dillinger, and maybe even certain GTA V characters fill the mind. However, these robbers don't even scratch the surface. While, technically, not a bank robber, John Ruffo conned a few dozen banks out of more than $350 million. His case is the most expensive bank fraud in American history. What's more, he got away with it.

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Marathon runners are a rare breed of humans. Few hobbies involve wheezing for miles and shopping for shirts that won't rub your skin off. Every year a new challenger appears for these hobbyists to overcome. However, there has never been a more formidable foe for the marathon runner than the Barkley Marathons. This infamous race tests not just its runner's physical endurance but also their mental fortitude. It's a marathon built on the intent that only 1% of runners will complete it. It's a race not for the faint of heart; this is the Barkley Marathons.

Things I Learned Last Night is an educational comedy podcast where best friends Jaron Myers and Tim Stone talk about random topics and have fun all along the way. If you like learning, and laughing a whole lot while you do, then you’ll love TILLN. Watch or listen to this episode today!  

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Moving into a new home can be stressful. In the best-case scenario, the new neighbors are helpful or maybe distant, depending on how social of a person you are. But we've all been in that scenario where our neighbors aren't exactly the type of people we wanted to live near. However, noisy or rude neighbors are nothing to the neighbor that the Broaddus family endured after moving into their New Jersey home in June of 2014. While many neighborhoods come complete with a neighborhood watch, this quiet street included its own watcher.

The startling true story tells of a family tormented by a stalker who communicated with the family through a series of letters left in their mailbox. Despite the family's efforts, the police, and multiple private investigators, no one ever revealed the true identity of the watcher.

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These days just about anyone can tell you a thing or two about Scientology. Most of the public exposure to the church of Scientology has come from Leah Remini's documentary series on Netflix. Even though the average person knows the church, few understand exactly what it does or from where it came. Scientology's members' secrecy and financial actions have led most to label it a cult. It is a label that is fitting. Despite this fact, followers hail the founder for his revolutionary new way of thinking. Against all odds, and despite any accreditation, L Ron Hubbard managed to found his own religion. An endeavor that made him very wealthy.

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Thanks to the Marvel Cinematic Universe, the idea of other universes, timelines, and dimensions has become mainstream. We've all become well-versed in the possibility of other worlds out there. But how realistic is the idea? Some serious thinkers believe that the sort of universe in the MCU is possible. M Theory is a subset of string theory that seeks to explain all of the other possible dimensions and what is possible. Spoiler alert, there are 11 dimensions.

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Imagine a theme park that surveyed the history of the United States while being shaped like the continental United States. How could that not excite you? In the '60s, the US of A was all the rage in the US, and C.V. Wood saw the hype as an opportunity to capitalize on patriotism. The disgraced Disney Park manager somehow landed a 13-million dollar investment from one of New York's most prolific real estate investors to build the park. Unfortunately, much like his previous attempts at park design, Wood's endeavor would prove a monumental failure. Freedomland met the same fate as the trash in the landfill on which it stood.

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Point Pleasant. If you chose to stop for gas in Point Pleasant, you might be shocked to see a 12-foot-tall metallic statue of the mythological creature known as Moth Man. Both because it's shocking that a town would erect such a statue on their main crossroad and because it's an utterly terrifying statue. Nestled on the West Virginia and Ohio border, Point Pleasant boasts scenic views of the Ohio River and the Western Appalachian Mountains. The town is host to a long history dating back to the United States' earliest days. However, it was one event on the night of November 16th, 1966, that lives on in infamy for the people of Point Pleasant. It was the day the Moth Man first arrived.

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Few places have sparked as much public intrigue as Skinwalker Ranch. Dubbed as the most paranormally active place in America, the ranch has books and tv shows in its honor. We can learn much by looking at the ranch owners over the years. When did that haunting begin? What is the nature of the hauntings? Most importantly, what do UFOs have to do with it? The history goes back long before the United States itself. Native Americans tell of legends of terrifying creatures whose names they wouldn't even say aloud. Today we investigate if the stories might be true or just an unbelievable cash grab.

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The life story of the man who helped found the Jet Propulsion Laboratory is one that anyone would assume is full of intrigue. That is precisely the case with Jack Parsons, one of the lead members of the Guggenheim Aeronautical Laboratory which led to the founding of JPL. However, for Jack, his scientific exploits are some of the least exciting points of his life. Parsons dealing with the occult and a few notable, perhaps questionable, colleagues led to his expulsion from the organization he helped found. Eventually, the very thing that brought him success became his downfall.

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