Let’s be serious: The Gong Show was a national phenomenon! Unfortunately like a lot of things in the 70’s, once a movie was made, the fad was over. This is true of The Gong Show Movie which was really a therapy session for creator and host Chuck Barris. So was his book “Confessions of a Dangerous Mind” which became a movie as well. It is safe to sa…

If you didn’t grow up in the 70’s, you have no concept of just how popular “The Gong Show” was. This was a daytime show that destroyed the ratings, and was unlike anything on television. It was basically a reverse talent show where the draw was a parade of terrible acts. They had some ringers sprinkled in, but the wild stunts are what is remembered…

We have been taught that Superman is the icon for truth, justice, and the American way. He is the ultimate superhero, and always does what it right. He is also an alien with more strength and power than anything we can imagine. There are no counters to him. Well except Kryptonite which is unbelievably rare. Besides that, there is nothing we can do …

Sir Ian Livingstone is a real knight, known as the “Knight of the Nerds”. Never has a moniker been more apt. Ian and his partner Steve Jackson were early fanatics of various complex strategy games. They turned this love into a paradigm changing company called “Games Workshop”. Thanks to an exclusive deal with Dungeons & Dragons creator Gary Gygax, …

How many people reading this have attempted to learn a new language? I know that I have stopped and restarted Spanish lessons twice in the past 3 years. The grammar rules are what kills it. How about a completely unique language, that is almost indistinguishable from English, but uses the exact same rules and even some of the same words? You are in…

One of the lucky breaks Eastman & Laird received was that Nintendo and Konami were looking for a new kind of game and the turtles came around at the perfect time. Not only was the NES game successful, but the sequel changed the way arcade games operated for a five year period. Listen as we discuss the meteoric rise of both the turtles and video gam…

1984 was a big year. Ghostbusters and Terminator were released, the events of George Orwell’s novel take place, and in a Massachusetts suburb, two comic artists accidentally created one of the biggest pop culture events in human history: the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. What started as a joke between friends has spawned numerous TV shows, movies, …

You may not think so, but the formula created by The Bad News Bears is still in use today! A rag tag group of kids, lead by an incompetent and troubled adult somehow manage to overcome their differences and beat the better funded team at whatever sport they are competing in. It is a tale as old as time, and this movie started the trend.…

Nothing says spring like the smell of freshly cut grass on a baseball diamond, and in my opinion, nothing says America quite like the baseball movie. Sure the sport gets credit as the national past time, but Hollywood is uniquely American. This week film critic Noah Gittell discusses the history of baseball movies, which starts with players being m…

Since the 50’s, no woman has captured the attention of little girls everywhere quite like Barbie. Sure she is only 11 inches tall and made of plastic, but influence is global. This week I talk with M. G. Lord, one of the foremost experts on his iconic fashion doll. When it comes to her history, she definitely has some interesting nuggets most peopl…

In America, one organization has seemingly been in control of every industry we have at some point and time in our history. That group is known collectively as The Mob. From prostitution, to running unions, to funding government officials, some form of organized crime has been in control since the Mayflower. We are going to talk about one such indu…

The U.S. government has a pretty straight-laced reputation, but did you know that in the 60’s and 70’s, the CIA and Army Intelligence funded research into psychic phenomena? They sure did, and it was approved because the belief was that the Soviets were also doing it. Then the Soviets started doing it because they heard […]…

Before we finish, Russell lets me ask one final question about how Psychic Phenomenon works.Daniel J. Glenn által

The U.S. government has a pretty straight-laced reputation, but did you know that in the 60’s and 70’s, the CIA and Army Intelligence funded research into psychic phenomena? They sure did, and it was approved because the belief was that the Soviets were also doing it. Then the Soviets started doing it because they heard […]…

We’ve discussed how to build your own underground bunker, but what if you let a company like Vault-Tek do that for you? In the world of Fallout, Vault-Tek is not the most trustworthy company. They blew up the entire world to eliminate their competition! While I do respect their hustle, it does leave the world in an irradiated mess. So in three hund…

We’ve discussed how to build your own underground bunker, but what if you let a company like Vault-Tek do that for you? In the world of Fallout, Vault-Tek is not the most trustworthy company. They blew up the entire world to eliminate their competition! While I do respect their hustle, it does leave the world in an irradiated mess. So in three hund…

Lemuria. If you are familiar with this place, you probably know it as a lost continent (akin to Atlantis), that was inhabited by higher beings who not live in the hollow Earth under Mt. Shasta in California. You may also believe that extraterrestrials seeded this continent with crystals before it sank to the bottom of […]…

There are very few characters that truly stand the test of time. Superman and Batman are almost 90, but there are peaks and valleys to their popularity. The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have been consistently in the spotlight since the mid-80’s, which is a feat in my opinion. As everyone knows, despite being 40 years old they are still technically …

History is littered with tragic events, things that change the course of your life. Some events have the magnitude to change the social order of the world itself. What if you could go back and right these wrongs? Who among us wouldn’t go back and stop 9/11, or prevent the holocaust? Well this week, we take a look at this very possibility. We were i…

Science Fiction has had a prolific run on television. I bet some of your favorite shows have elements of Sci-Fi in them whether you know it or not. Westworld, The Mandalorian, and Stranger Things are just a few of the blockbuster shows driving you to your tv set. If you go way back, before Lost, […]Daniel J. Glenn által

Have you ever wondered what would have happened if during major moments of your life you simply made a different decision? You know, went left instead of right? What would your life be like now? Well thanks to our old friend Quantum Physics, that decision happened, and that alternate reality exists. And if that life is better than the one you are i…

Fighting crime is a dangerous business. In the best of circumstances, you have keep your senses sharp, and maintain your focus at all times. Seeing your enemy and hearing their movements are vital to your success, but what if you can’t see or hear? What do you do then? Well for Daredevil who is blind, and Echo who is deaf, you weaponize your other …

An extraordinarily rare event is going to happen in 2024: Two periodical cicada broods will be emerging at the same time, covering both the South and the Midwest in large, droning insects for six weeks this summer. How rare are we talking here? How about once every 221 years level of rare? The last time […]…

He-Man is a Master of the Universe, and he is granted that status by The Power of Greyskull. But what is this power? We are a science show, so we believe there is no such thing as magic…or is there? Is magic it’s own force that bind the physics of Eternia? How can it turn a cowardly feline into Battle Cat? Also, what happens when the forces of scie…

The shark is the ultimate killing machine. It does three things: swim, eat, reproduce. It has a conveyor belt of teeth which basically makes it a large, living, underwater chainsaw. The only thing that would make it deadlier is to make it bigger. Enter the Megalodon, which was just like out great white sharks, except three times larger. I used the …

Edgar Allan Poe was the original Gloomy Gus right? Writing horror stories alone, in a dilapidated mansion, with only the company of a red-eyed raven to keep him sane. Most people probably believe his life was actually in black and white. Turns out this is NOT the case! He played flutes at parties, solved ciphers […]…

For any kid, the prospect of touring a magical chocolate factory is a dream come true, especially one whose secrets have been hidden for decades. If you are one of the lucky few with a Golden Ticket, your life will never be the same. See, Willy Wonka is not a run of the mill chocolatier: He is a magician who can make anything you can imagine out of…

Who among us hasn’t wanted to find a magical lamp complete with a resident Genie to give us three wishes? Heck, I would even take a monkey paw, knowing full well that I have to phrase things exactly right to avoid unintended dire consequences. Well this week, the Brain Trust assembles to discuss wishes, how […]…

Contrary to popular movies, most art crime is NOT perpetrate by some private art collector in order to enhance their collection. Oh well there is one notable exception: Pablo Picasso! Check out this bonus episode and learn how Picasso got wrapped up in the Mona Lisa caper, and what he actually had stolen.…

Just the mention of the name “Mona Lisa” sparks images of a cherub faced woman, half-smiling, hanging on a wall at the Louvre. This is true of almost EVERYONE on the planet, but that was not always the case. As a matter of fact, the Mona Lisa is kind of famous for being famous, and […]Daniel J. Glenn által

As a species, our main goal is to live forever, whatever that means. We will live for centuries in underground bunkers in a nuclear holocaust, we will freeze our bodies when we die with the hopes that one day we will be brought back to life, and we even store our DNA to make sure […]Daniel J. Glenn által