PODCAST · history
Your Brain on Facts
by Moxie LaBouche
Host Moxie LaBouche brings you a weekly half-hour of things you didn't know, things you thought you knew, and things you never knew you never knew. Topics range from the history of nursing to the Balinese funeral rite David Bowie requested, from the origin of the Vulcan salute to the theft of Canada's strategic maple syrup reserve. This is your brain on facts. yourbrainonfacts.com
Episodes
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Dumping out my purse (update on the podcast)
YBOF's gonna take a break for a month or two. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Episode 200, part 2!
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Episode 200!!!!
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Big, Bold Burglaries (ep 199)
How hard was it to steal the Mona Lisa? What does the word "ponzi" actually mean? Links to all the research resources are on the website. Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Become a patron of the podcast arts! Patreon or Ko-Fi. Or…
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Hidden Histories - Rosewood, Tulsa, Chicago (encore)
(Chronic health problems sometime require an encore performance of a past episode.) Hundreds dead, thousands homeless, entire communities wiped out, yet most of us have never heard of what happened in Rosewood 1923, Tulsa 1921, or Chicago 1919. Music by Kevin MacLeod Read the full script. Reach…
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Strange Currency (ep. 198)
What do limestone, leather, plastic and mulberry tree bark have in common? They've all been used to make money, plus lots of other materials besides! Join me for a quick jaunt around the world and through history and we look at a fraction of the history of currency. Shirt raising money for…
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Suspect Sustenance Stories (ep. 197)
Who was General Tsao of chicken fame? Where do Danish pastries come from? Is pad Thai actually Thai food? All that and more in this patron-voted episode! 1-star review shirt! and shirt raising money for Ukraine Red Cross Links to all the research resources are on the website. Hang out with your...
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Awfully Fond of You (ep. 196)
How did rubber ducks go from lumps of rubber that didn't even float to a cheerful childhood staple? Let's look at where they came from, where they're going, and why they keep showing up at violent political protests. 1-star review shirt! and shirt raising money for Ukraine Red Cross 00:38 Bit of...
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Dread Pirate Misinformation (ep 195)
Finally, I get to the subtopic that launched not one but two episodes, the Gentleman Pirate Stede Bonnet, as well as the most interesting boring thing I could find and why science didn't get a handle on scurvy until nearly WWII. (Apologies in advance because I was red-lining my mic throughout and…
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Yaarrrr Brain On Facts (ep. 194)
What started as a need to tell the real story of "Gentleman Pirate" Stede Bonnet has turned into a myth vs history two-parter! I love when that happens. Hear about pirate pensions, the makeup of the mariners, and civil unions on the seven seas. Special thanks to Charlie and Jesse over the in...
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D'oh! (no episode this week)
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We Can't Have Nice Things - Radio Contests (ep. 193)
It's the return of our occasional series, We Can't Have Nice Things. This week, we look at radio contest and promotions that went badly wrong, often at the draft stage. Free nude wedding anyone? 1-star review shirt! and shirt raising money for Ukraine Red Cross at yourbrainonfacts.com/merch 02:45...
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Courthouse Rock (ep.192)
Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear leather jackets with chains, long hair, and lots of eyeliner! Today we look at three times heavy metal musicians said "We're not gonna take it" and defended the freedom of speech, but were they "Breaking the Law" and just "Howl(ing) at the Moon"? 0:42 Twisted...
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Gregor MacGregor (ep. 190)
People used to say "If you believe that, I have some swampland in Florida to sell you," but they really should have said, "I have some lovely acres in the Republic of Poyais you can buy, but you have to act now!" Presenting one of my favorite con artists ever, the man who declared himself prince…
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Fell on Black Days: Sunday (ep. 189)
(Get Surfshark VPN at https://surfshark.deals/MOXIE - Enter promo code MOXIE for 83% off and 3 extra months free!) T-shirt for Ukraine, all proceeds and matching donation to Ukraine Red Cross at yourbrainonfacts.com/merch There are four Sundays a month, but more than a dozen days we call "Black...
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Tax and Taxonomy (ep. 188)
Who you gonna believe -- me or your lying eyes? Today we look at court cases where people try to avoid taxes by arguing that things aren't the things that they clearly are. 00:50 Tomato 08:18 Jaffa Cakes 17:48 Hydrox vs Oreo 37:40 X-Men Links to all the research resources are on the website. Hang...
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It Stinks! (your sense of smell, ep. 187)
Our Patrons have a nose for good topics, so today we 07:04 Smells and space 14:40 Ham-sniffer 21:17 It's the pits 30:48 Aromatherapy Links to all the research resources are on the website. Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Become a...
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Witty, Wild Women (ep 186)
Why did no one tell me about Moms Mabley?!! Hear about her and other 'living loud and proud' ladies (Dorothy Parker, Mae West, Tallulah Bankhead) on this International Women's Day. 01:00 Tallulah Bankhead 13:00 Mae West 23:00 Moms Mabley Links to all the research resources are on the website.…
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Dying for Your Art (ep. 185)
Voted on by our Patreon, we dive into the deadly side of sculpture, painting, ballet and more! 01:36 Blucifer 04:00 Get the lead out 10:00 Ballet blazes 20:45 Death by a thousand face 26:43 The Conqueror and the conquered Links to all the research resources are on the website. Hang out with your...
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Earth's Unsungest Heroes: Black Inventors, pt 4 (ep 184)
Necessity is the mother of invention and these inventions had real mothers! Hear about Black female inventors, the tribulations of research, and a story I didn't expect to find and couldn't pass up. 01:00 L'histoire 06:36 Martha Jones's corn husker 07:55 Mary Jones de Leon's cooking apparatus…
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Earth's Unsung-est Heroes: Black Inventors, pt. 3 (ep. 183)
Congrats to Hearts & Wheels, who won week 2 of #moxiemillion, by sharing the show to help it reach 1 million downloads this month! Necessity is the mother of invention and who was in a more necessitous position than victims of the Atlantic slave trade? You may revolutionize industries, but good...
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The African Queens (ep 182)
Congrats to Richard Enriquez, who won week 1 of #moxiemillion, by sharing the show to help it reach 1 million downloads this month! Cleopatra-schmeopatra! Hear the stories of three queens of Africa who should also be household names. Starring the clever queen Moremi, the fierce queen Amanirenas,...
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Gods and Monkeys (ep. 181)
With half the world's continents being home to a panoply of monkey species, it's no wonder the people of Center & South America, Asia, and Africa hold monkeys in high esteems as mythological and religious figures. Hear about Hanuman, howlers, Hapi, and a helluva lot more (and yes, Sun Wukong,...
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Cons, Scams, and Flim-Flams with Pretend (ep. 180)
Javier Leiva from Pretend did a podcast with me!!!! Like what you hear? Become a patron of the arts for as little as $2 a month! Or buy the book or some merch. We teach each other about: 03:10 a pig in a poke 06:30 salting a mine 10:00 melon drop 14:50 vanity awards 21:55 Baltimore stock-broker...
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Voice Over The Moon, pt 2 (ep 179)
How'd it go for the first BBC announcer with an accent? How much work can you get if you "make it" in voiceover? How much did the woman behind Siri make? And what's a pencil got to do with any of this? All this and more in part 2! Like what you hear? Become a patron of the arts for as little as…
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Voice Over the Moon, vol. 1 (ep. 178)
From a rogue radio operator, to Bugs Bunny, to the lady who recorded all the time and temperature message for the phone company, we look at some history and notable names in voicework (which is what I do for a living, hire me!) Like what you hear? Become a patron of the arts for as little as $2 a...
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Very New Year (ep. 177)
Happy new year! Or is it? It depends on which calendar you're using. Like what you hear? Become a patron of the arts for as little as $2 a month! Or buy the book or some merch. Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Music: Kevin MacLeod,...
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The Christmas Truce
Happy holidays to all my beautiful Brainiacs! Enjoy this bonus mini episode on a bit of history that, while not obscure, should be better-known (and taken to heart) by more people -- the WWI Christmas Truce. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Worst. Christmas Song. Ever. (ep. 176)
Voted on by our Patreon, we look at the what, how, and for-gods-sake-why of some of those most hated holiday songs! 02:40 Banned songs 08:09 Wonderful Christmastime 10:45 Chipmunks Song 16:36 Little Drummer Boy (Peace on Earth) Like what you hear? Become a patron of the arts for as little as $2 a...
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Take That to the Bank (ep. 175)
Strategic reserves -- everything from Canadian maple syrup to seeds -- are intended to stabilize prices or to help us survive, in both the short and long term. So what are we keeping and why? (and what happens if someone steals it?!) Like what you hear? Become a patron of the arts for as little…
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From Panto to Python (do-over, ep. 174)
From music hall to Red Dwarf, pantomime to Absolutely Fabulous, we look at the history of British comedy, the names, shows, and historical events that made it what it is today. Like what you hear? Become a patron of the arts for as little as $2 a month! Or buy the book or some merch. Hang out…
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This Land is Our Land (ep 173)
In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue, and it's been downhill for New World peoples ever since. Today we look at residential schools, the occupation of Alcatraz by Indians of All Tribes, the Oka crisis (aka the Mohawk resistance), and Sacheen Littlefeather's Oscar speech. YBOF Book; Audiobook...
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Best Served Loud (do-over, ep. 172))
A microphone is a good enough platform for getting back at people, but an entire recording studio is even better. Popular music is littered with songs getting back at an ex lover, from Waylon Jennings to Taylor Swift, but a fair number of the tracks you know by heart are actually clap-backs to…
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Amazing Races (do-over, ep. 171)
Quick, switch over to Vodacast to see the pictures I talk about in the episode! From using a train in a car race to marathon doping with deadly poison, there's far more excitement in racing than simply declaring a winner. YBOF Book; Audiobook (basically everywhere but Audible); Merch! Hang out…
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Secret Cities (do-over, ep 170)
Quick, switch over to Vodacast to see the pictures I talk about in the episode! We all lose things -- keys, wallets, patience -- but how do you lose an entire city? Hear the stories of three American towns built in a hurry but kept off the map, secure Soviet enclaves known by their post codes,...
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This Is (still) Halloween
♪♫This is Halloween! This is Halloween!♫♪ Supporters on our Patreon and fans in our FB group chose the topics for today's episode (plus now there's a sub-reddit): 01:35 sorting Dracula fact from fiction 07:49 how horror stars got their stars 20:01 when did clowns become scary 23:29 the history...
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Twins Remix (ep. 169)
Twins, synchronicity, science, anomalies, and dark mysteries. Support the show Merch, book Music by Kevin MacLeod Read the full script. Reach out and touch Moxie on FB, Twit, the 'Gram or email. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Shapeshifters (encore and personal update)
From Irish selkies to Japanese kitsune, from Navajo skin-walkers to Ethiopian werehyenas, there doesn't seem to be a culture in the world that doesn't have at least one shape-shifter in its folklore or mythology. Personal update: Hey, so can we talk for a minute? Come sit by the fire while I dump...
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Banned Book Bundle, with Oh No! Lit Class
Banned Books Week is an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Banned Books Week was launched in 1982 in response to a sudden surge in the number of challenges to books in schools, bookstores and libraries. Learn why parents objected to such diverse classics as I Know Why the Caged Bird...
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Summer Not-busters (ep 168)
For every Star Wars, there's a hundred middling films and outright flops. Plus, hear about movie so unlucky, they may actually have been cursed, in a sample of the Your Brain On Facts audiobook. Read the full script. Support the show. It's been quite a while since we got a review for the YBOF…
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Typo Negative (ep. 167)
The devil is in the details. This week, we look at how missing or inserted commas, forsaken hyphens, and flat-out typos have led to expensive chaos. Read the full script. Support the show. It's been quite a while since we got a review for the YBOF book. Can you take a sec and let us know what you...
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Be a Sport (ep. 166)
Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. The Olympic games have come and gone, but what kind of games have gone before? Today we look at events removed from the Olympics, like pistol dueling and poodle grooming, plus the legit legend that was Jim Thorpe. Read the full script. Support the show. It's...
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Pow Wow and Chow Chow (ep 165)
It's been quite a while since we got a review for the YBOF book. Can you take a sec and let us know what you thought? Voted on by our Patreon supporters, today we're looking at people you've probably heard of but might not know that much about, the bakingest people in America, the Pennsylvania...
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Everybody Complains about the Weather (ep. 164)
It's been quite a while since we got a review for the YBOF book. Can you take a sec and let us know what you thought? "Everybody complains about the weather, but no one does anything about it." - Charles Dudley Warren Except, sometimes, people do. Or at least they try. This week, we look at…
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Project Pigeon and Acoustic Kitty (ep. 163)
It's been quite a while since we got a review for the YBOF book. Can you take a sec and let us know what you thought? People have been using animals, making war, and using animals to make war for a long time now. Think Hannibal’s elephants, Roman war horses, k9 units in Vietnam. But for every...
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I Think That I Shall Never See (ep 162)
It's another one of those episodes where I take a seemingly mundane topic and splash around in its unappreciated awesomeness. This time -- trees! Read the full script. Reach out and touch Moxie on FB, Twit, the 'Gram or email. Music by David Fesliyan and Kevin McLeod. Learn more about your ad...
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Unsolved Poisonings (ep. 161)
This week, YBOF is going true crime as we look at a pitiless poisoning, a terroristic tampering, and some killer coffee. Read the full script. Reach out and touch Moxie on FB, Twit, the 'Gram or email. Music by David Fesliyan and Kevin McLeod. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit...
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Name, Rank, & VIN Number (ep. 160)
Smoke the tires with me today as we take on a trio of patronymic car creators and their pride & joy projects that failed spectacularly. *Yes, I know "VIN number" is redundant. Naming episodes can be trickier than you'd think. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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The Game of Life (and Death) (ep. 159)
Voted on by our Patreon supporters, we look at a game where losers would be put to death (or was it the winners?) and some baseball players playing for their lives. Read the full script. Today's sponsors: Love Letter. Moxie LaBouche Voiceovers, Military True Crime Addict and our MERCH! Reach out...
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Endlings, pt 2 - Animals (ep. 158)
Another topic voted on by our Patreon supporters, and added to by our listener FB group, this one turned into a two-parter on 'the last of their kind.' If you haven't check out the People episode, please do! Read the full script. Guest quote readers: Mike from Genuine Chit Chat and Steve from...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Host Moxie LaBouche brings you a weekly half-hour of things you didn't know, things you thought you knew, and things you never knew you never knew. Topics range from the history of nursing to the Balinese funeral rite David Bowie requested, from the origin of the Vulcan salute to the theft of Canada's strategic maple syrup reserve. This is your brain on facts. yourbrainonfacts.com
HOSTED BY
Moxie LaBouche
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Your Brain on Facts have?
Your Brain on Facts currently has 230 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Your Brain on Facts about?
Host Moxie LaBouche brings you a weekly half-hour of things you didn't know, things you thought you knew, and things you never knew you never knew. Topics range from the history of nursing to the Balinese funeral rite David Bowie requested, from the origin of the Vulcan salute to the theft of...
How often does Your Brain on Facts release new episodes?
Your Brain on Facts publishes regularly with 230 episodes available. Check the episode list for the typical release schedule.
Where can I listen to Your Brain on Facts?
You can listen to Your Brain on Facts 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 Your Brain on Facts?
Your Brain on Facts is created and hosted by Moxie LaBouche.
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