PODCAST · news
Elsewhere
by Tyler Cooper
Most explainer podcasts treat international news like vegetables your mom made you eat. Tyla Cooper actually makes geopolitics interesting. The former high school teacher turned globe-trotting storyteller breaks down complex world events like he's talking to his smartest friend over coffee, not reading from a Wikipedia page.Every episode tackles one major story happening right now, from trade wars to border disputes to political shake-ups that actually matter. Cooper connects the dots between seemingly random events across continents, using the kind of weird analogies and real-world examples that stick in your brain long after you've finished listening. Think less CNN anchor, more that one teacher who made history class actually fun.You'll walk away understanding not just what happened, but why it matters for your world. Cooper spent three years backpacking through 40 countries asking locals the questions most journalists never think to ask, and that perspective shows up in every
Episodes
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The $2.3 Trillion Heist: How America Really Conquered Iraq
What if the Iraq War wasn't really about weapons of mass destruction, but the largest economic heist in modern history? Tyler Cooper breaks down how America didn't just invade Iraq in 2003-it completely rewired the country's entire economy to benefit U.S. corporations. We're talking about a $2.3...
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How Big Cereal Convinced Americans That Cookies Are Breakfast
What if the most important meal of the day is actually dessert in disguise? Tyler Cooper reveals how Big Cereal pulled off one of history's most successful con jobs, convincing three generations of Americans that sugar-coated cookies and frosted pastries count as a healthy breakfast. 🎯 What…
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China's $17 Trillion Secret: How They Beat America in 40 Years
What if China's entire economic miracle was actually a 40-year chess game that America never saw coming? In this episode, Tyler Cooper breaks down how a nation went from making $307 billion to $14.7 trillion in four decades, and why most people completely miss the strategy behind it. 🎯 What…
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What My 6AM Food Anxiety Taught Me About Breaking Bad Habits Forever
Ever stare at your kitchen at 6AM feeling genuine dread about breakfast? Tyler Cooper did for years, until one morning panic attack over toast changed everything. What he discovered about breaking the breakfast habit loop applies to literally any bad habit you're trying to kick. This isn't…
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How GameStop Broke Wall Street (Explained with Pokémon Cards)
Remember when your friend tried to explain GameStop and you just nodded along pretending to understand? Tyler Cooper breaks down the most insane financial story of our generation using something way simpler: Pokémon cards. Turns out Wall Street's biggest meltdown makes perfect sense when you…
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How American Businessmen Stole an Entire Country in 1893
What if I told you that 162 Marines and 13 businessmen could steal an entire country? In 1893, American sugar barons pulled off one of history's most audacious land grabs, overthrowing the Hawaiian Kingdom in a single day. Tyler Cooper breaks down how Queen Liliuokalani lost her throne to a…
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Why People Think the World is Flat
What if 2% of Americans still believe something that ancient Greeks figured out 2,500 years ago? Tyler Cooper digs into the surprisingly modern phenomenon of flat Earth beliefs and reveals why some people reject centuries of scientific evidence for a theory that started with a 1950s Englishman.…
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How America Stole Half of Mexico: The $15 Billion Land Grab Nobody Talks About
What if I told you the United States literally stole half of another country, paid almost nothing for it, and nobody talks about it? In this episode, Tyler Cooper breaks down how America grabbed 525,000 square miles of Mexican territory in less than a decade-a land grab worth over $15 billion in...
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800 US Military Bases: The $150 Billion Empire Nobody Talks About
What if I told you the US military has more overseas real estate than McDonald's has restaurants? Tyler Cooper breaks down America's 800+ military bases scattered across 70+ countries, revealing a $150 billion empire that quietly shapes global politics while most people don't even know it exists....
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What My First Galaxy Photo Reveals About Space Photography
What if I told you that a $5,000 setup sitting in someone's backyard can capture images of galaxies better than what NASA had 30 years ago? In this episode, Tyler Cooper reveals how amateur astronomers are routinely photographing celestial objects millions of light-years away with equipment you…
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How Justin Timberlake Escaped NippleGate While Janet Jackson's Career Died
Why did Justin Timberlake walk away from Super Bowl XXXVIII completely unscathed while Janet Jackson's career imploded? Tyler Cooper breaks down one of the most lopsided scandals in entertainment history, where 540,000 angry phone calls to CBS changed two lives in completely opposite directions....
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What Pokemon Teaches You About Learning Languages (Seriously)
What if learning a language was like beating Pokemon? That weird comparison just helped thousands of adults reach conversational fluency in half the time. Tyler Cooper breaks down the surprising science behind why treating language learning like a video game works better than traditional methods....
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Why People Think the World is Flat
Why do thousands of people still believe the Earth is flat in 2024? Tyler Cooper uncovers the psychology behind one of the internet's most persistent conspiracy theories, and the answer has nothing to do with intelligence. Spoiler alert: it's not about the science. It's about trust, community…
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Russia Is 6.6 Million Square Miles: Here's How They Actually Did It
Here's Russia staring you down from your world map, casually hogging 11% of all land on Earth. That red blob stretching across two continents didn't happen by accident. Tyler Cooper breaks down the wild 60-year sprint that took Russia from a medieval kingdom around Moscow to the Pacific Ocean,...
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How LA Created America's Most Infamous Homeless Camp (Skid Row Explained)
Ever wonder how a few city blocks in downtown LA became America's most concentrated homeless population? Tyler Cooper breaks down the shocking reality of Skid Row, where 4,000+ people live crammed into just 0.4 square miles. This isn't just about homelessness. It's about how policy decisions,...
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One Canal Controls 12% of Global Trade (And Has Nuclear Secrets)
What if I told you that one 120-mile waterway controls more of your daily life than your mortgage payment? Tyler Cooper breaks down why the Suez Canal isn't just a shortcut for ships, it's basically the world's economic jugular vein. And wait until you hear about the nuclear secrets buried in…
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The $3.2 Million Scam Hidden Inside Every McDonald's Ice Cream Machine
Ever wonder why McDonald's ice cream machines are always "broken"? Tyler Cooper pulls back the curtain on a $3.2 million scam that's been hiding in plain sight for decades. Spoiler: those machines aren't actually broken. What looks like mechanical failures is actually a corporate monopoly that's...
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Why NFTs Aren't Dead (And What Most People Still Don't Understand)
Remember when everyone said the internet was just a fad? NFTs are getting the same treatment right now, but Tyler Cooper breaks down why writing them off might be the biggest mistake you're making. Most people still think NFTs are just expensive JPEGs for crypto bros, but the reality is way more...
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The $47 Billion Shampoo Lie That's Ruining Your Hair
What if the $47 billion hair care industry has been selling you a lie for 50 years? Tyler Cooper breaks down why your daily shampoo routine might be doing more harm than good, and why millions are ditching the bottle for healthier hair. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • Why daily washing only became…
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Australia's 5,600km Secret: The World's Longest Fence Isn't For Humans
What if the world's longest fence wasn't built to keep countries apart, but to stop wild dogs from eating sheep? Tyler Cooper takes you inside Australia's mind-blowing engineering project that stretches 5,600 kilometers across the outback and costs $10 million every year to maintain. Most people...
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China's $1 Trillion Africa Takeover: What America Doesn't Want You to Know
What if I told you China now controls more African infrastructure than most African governments do? In the past 15 years, Tyler Cooper reveals how China quietly became Africa's biggest economic partner, pouring over $1 trillion into a continent that America largely ignored. This isn't just about...
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India vs China Border Conflict: How Nuclear Powers Fight Without Guns
Picture this: Two nuclear superpowers are literally beating each other with medieval weapons at 14,000 feet above sea level. Tyla Cooper breaks down the strangest military standoff on Earth, where India and China fight with sticks and stones because they promised not to use guns. 🎯 What You'll...
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Taiwan Crisis: How a 1940s Civil War Creates Today's Global Flashpoint
Taiwan might be a tiny island you've never visited, but it could literally trigger World War 3. In this episode, Tyla Cooper reveals how a 1940s civil war that technically never ended created today's most dangerous geopolitical powder keg. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • Why there was never a peace…
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How Switzerland Engineered Europe's Most Successful Country
Switzerland has more railway track per person than almost any country on Earth. But here's what most people don't know: those 3,200 miles of perfectly timed trains didn't just happen by accident. In this episode, Tyla Cooper reveals how Switzerland deliberately engineered their way from a...
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How America's First Government Failed: The Articles of Confederation Explained
Pop quiz: What if I told you the United States completely failed at its first attempt at government and had to start over from scratch? In this episode, Tyla Cooper reveals how America's original system was such a disaster that it almost destroyed the country before it even got started. 🎯 What...
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How Money Really Flows Into American Elections: Legal Loopholes Explained
Want to buy an American election? It'll cost you about $16 billion, and yes, it's completely legal. In this episode, Tyla Cooper breaks down the shocking loopholes that let billionaires pour unlimited money into politics while keeping voters in the dark until after they've cast their ballots. 🎯...
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How Billionaire Wealth Actually Works: Assets vs Cash Explained
Jeff Bezos is worth $170 billion, but he borrowed money to fund Blue Origin instead of just writing a check. Why would the world's richest person need a loan? In this episode, Tyla Cooper breaks down the mind-bending reality of billionaire wealth and why everything you think you know about having...
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How El Chapo Built a Mile-Long Prison Tunnel: Engineering Behind the Escape
In 2015, the world's most wanted drug lord vanished from Mexico's most secure prison through a tunnel so sophisticated it had an elevator, motorcycle tracks, and ventilation systems that put most buildings to shame. Tyla Cooper reveals how El Chapo's escape became the engineering marvel that...
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How Ships Hide in Ocean Dark Zones: The Technology Behind Illegal Fishing
Right now, there's a $20 billion shadow economy operating in complete darkness across our oceans. Ships carrying everything from stolen fish to smuggled weapons simply vanish from tracking systems, and until recently, nobody could do much about it. In this episode, Tyla Cooper reveals how new...
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How US Immigration Deportations Actually Work in 2026
ICE's budget jumped from $3 billion to over $8 billion in just 16 years, but here's what nobody talks about: 60% of their arrests are people with zero criminal record who've been living here an average of 13 years. Tyla Cooper breaks down why US deportation numbers are hitting record highs, and...
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How Gold Actually Works: The Psychology Behind 5,000 Years of Value
Here's something that'll blow your mind: every piece of gold on Earth came from exploding stars. Yet humans have been obsessed with this cosmic metal for 5,000 years straight. In this episode, Tyla Cooper breaks down why gold still runs the global economy and what that says about how our brains...
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How the Panama Canal Actually Works: Engineering Marvel Built on Human Sacrifice
The Panama Canal moves $270 billion worth of goods every year, but here's what they don't tell you: it's built on a foundation of 25,000 dead bodies and some seriously dirty politics. Tyla Cooper breaks down how this engineering marvel actually works and why its dark history still shapes global...
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How the Mormon Church Built a $293 Billion Financial Empire
Think the Mormon Church is just about Sunday services and missionaries? Think again. In this eye-opening episode, Tyla Cooper reveals how this religious organization quietly built a financial empire worth $293 billion that rivals the biggest corporations on Earth. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • How...
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Area 51: How the CIA's Secret Spy Plane Program Fooled the World
What if everything you thought you knew about UFOs was actually a government spy program hiding in plain sight? For decades, Area 51 has been the ultimate conspiracy theory playground, but Tyla Cooper reveals the CIA's brilliant deception that fooled millions of people into believing aliens were...
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How the $350B Bottled Water Industry Changed Your Mind About Tap Water
Here's the $8-per-gallon con job most Americans fall for daily. Tyla Cooper exposes how the $350 billion bottled water industry convinced you to pay 2,000 times more for something that flows from your kitchen faucet. The truth about water quality will make you question every plastic bottle you've...
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How Nuclear Weapons Actually Work: The Physics Behind Atomic Power
The Little Boy bomb dropped on Hiroshima packed the explosive power of 15,000 tons of TNT into a device the size of a garbage truck. That uranium core? About the size of a baseball. Tyla Cooper breaks down exactly how splitting atoms creates devastation on an almost incomprehensible scale, and…
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How Corporate Mergers Made Your Groceries More Expensive
Ever wonder why your grocery bill feels like a mortgage payment? Tyla Cooper reveals the shocking truth: four companies control most of America's meat supply, and they've been quietly jacking up prices while their profit margins soared 60% in just two years. This isn't about supply chains or...
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How North Korea Uses Architecture to Control Its Citizens
You know those overhead satellite shots that show every detail of a neighborhood? North Korea's government has spent 75 years designing their entire country like a prison you can see from space. In this episode, Tyla Cooper breaks down the shocking ways Kim Jong Un uses buildings, roads, and even...
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How Purchasing Power Actually Changed: 1955 vs 2025 Economic Reality
Your 1955 grandfather could buy a house, support a family, and save for retirement on one income. You can't. Tyla Cooper breaks down the numbers everyone gets wrong about purchasing power across seven decades. 🎯 What You'll Learn: • Why a 1955 minimum wage worker needed 58 hours to afford rent,...
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Congo's Resource War: How 200 Armed Groups Fight Over Minerals, Not Land
The Democratic Republic of Congo is bigger than Western Europe but nobody talks about the war that's been raging there for decades. While most conflicts are about territory, this one's different: over 200 armed groups are fighting for control of the minerals that power your smartphone. Tyla…
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How Military Satellites Actually Work in Modern Space Conflicts
Right now, China and Russia are quietly turning space into a battlefield while most of us think satellites just help with GPS. In this episode, Tyla Cooper breaks down how military satellites actually work in modern conflicts and why the "peaceful" space race ended years ago without anyone...
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How Boredom Actually Works: Your Brain's Signal System Explained
Your brain hurts when you're bored. Literally. Tyla Cooper breaks down the surprising science behind why scrolling makes everything feel pointless and how your mind is actually screaming for something that matters to you. Most people think boredom means they're lazy or need more entertainment....
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How Deep Sea Mining Works: The $16 Trillion Ocean Floor Rush
Picture this: a tiny Pacific island was once richer per capita than the United States, then went completely broke, and now they're betting everything on mining the ocean floor. Tyla Cooper breaks down Nauru's wild rise, fall, and their $16 trillion gamble that could reshape how we think about...
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How Finland Built Europe's Most Advanced Military Defense System
Finland has a 1,340-kilometer border with Russia - longer than the entire US-Mexico border - yet they sleep better at night than most European nations. How? Tyla Cooper reveals the wild story of how this Nordic country built the most advanced military defense system in Europe, one that has NATO...
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How Private Companies Make Money Off America's Welfare System
What if the companies hired to help people escape poverty actually make more money when they fail? Tyla Cooper exposes the uncomfortable truth about America's $750 billion welfare system and the private contractors who've turned government assistance into a profit machine. 🎯 What You'll Learn: •...
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How Proxy Wars Actually Work: The Hidden Mechanics of Modern Conflict
Russia's not fighting Ukraine directly. Iran's not battling Israel head-to-head. China's not shooting at Taiwan. But make no mistake: World War III is already here, it just looks different than we expected. In this episode, Tyla Cooper breaks down how major powers are fighting through smaller...
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How Military War Games Actually Work: Inside Combat Simulations
What if a $250 million war game changed the Pentagon's entire strategy? The Millennium Challenge 2002 simulation did exactly that, when retired Marine general Paul Van Riper shocked military leaders by "sinking" an entire U.S. fleet using unconventional tactics they hadn't prepared for. Tyla…
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South China Sea Disputes: How Ancient Claims Became Modern Conflicts
China claims 90% of the South China Sea based on maps that didn't exist until the 1940s. Now $3.4 trillion in global trade flows through waters that five countries say they own. In this episode, Tyla Cooper breaks down how worthless rocks became the world's most explosive territorial dispute. 🎯...
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How AI is Changing Modern Warfare: Speed, Strategy and New Challenges
What if the next war is decided in seconds, not months? Tyla Cooper breaks down how artificial intelligence is collapsing military decision-making from hours to mere moments, creating a completely new kind of warfare that most people don't even realize is happening right now. 🎯 What You'll…
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NEOM City: How Saudi Arabia is Building a $1 Trillion Desert Metropolis
Saudi Arabia just broke ground on the most expensive construction project in human history: a $1 trillion desert city that's literally reshaping an entire region. Tyla Cooper breaks down how NEOM is displacing ancient Bedouin communities while promising to house 9 million people in a structure...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Most explainer podcasts treat international news like vegetables your mom made you eat. Tyla Cooper actually makes geopolitics interesting. The former high school teacher turned globe-trotting storyteller breaks down complex world events like he's talking to his smartest friend over coffee, not reading from a Wikipedia page.Every episode tackles one major story happening right now, from trade wars to border disputes to political shake-ups that actually matter. Cooper connects the dots between seemingly random events across continents, using the kind of weird analogies and real-world examples that stick in your brain long after you've finished listening. Think less CNN anchor, more that one teacher who made history class actually fun.You'll walk away understanding not just what happened, but why it matters for your world. Cooper spent three years backpacking through 40 countries asking locals the questions most journalists never think to ask, and that perspective shows up in every
HOSTED BY
Tyler Cooper
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Elsewhere have?
Elsewhere currently has 223 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Elsewhere about?
Most explainer podcasts treat international news like vegetables your mom made you eat. Tyla Cooper actually makes geopolitics interesting. The former high school teacher turned globe-trotting storyteller breaks down complex world events like he's talking to his smartest friend over coffee, not...
How often does Elsewhere release new episodes?
Elsewhere publishes regularly with 223 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Elsewhere?
You can listen to Elsewhere on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Elsewhere?
Elsewhere is created and hosted by Tyler Cooper.
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