History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human...
Whoops! All Quizster, Part Two: A Ridiculous History of HowStuffWorks
Still reeling from a tragic loss in the greatest of games, Ben, Noel and Max square off with Jonathan Strickland AKA The Quizster in one last battle of wits before wiping the slate clean in 2025. Jonathan shares several important announcements, and the guys provide reminisce about the Ridiculous History of their (surprisingly long) careers in podcasting.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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42:38
Whoops! All Quizster, Part One: The Gang Reunites
After going off the grid for the better part of a year, Jonathan Strickland AKA The Quizster returns at the end of 2024, with several bones to pick. As he regales -- and/or tortures -- Ben, Noel and Max with a new quiz and an (apparently) in-depth exploration of vikings, the guys do their best to solve his devious puzzles. Spoiler: this one ends on a cliffhanger.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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40:23
CLASSIC: Maryland’s State Song was a Diss Track
On the first listen, Maryland's old state song sounds pretty innocuous. There's the usual lauding of the state, a refrain based on "O Tannenbaum" and so on. Yet the lyrics of this song refer to "Northern scum" and call for out and out war with various oppressors. So what gives? Join Ben and Noel as they dive into the strange origin story of "Maryland, My Maryland" in this week's Classic episode.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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39:45
How The (English) Alphabet Became A Thing, Part Two: Each Letter Has A Story
How did the English alphabet -- a strange agglomeration of curved and straight-lined symbols -- become a thing? In the second part of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max dive into the messy evolution of modern English, with a special shoutout to each letter of the current alphabet and a more than a little speculation about the future of written communication. ProTip: this is going to be hilarious a century or so from when we record it.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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48:13
How The (English) Alphabet Became A Thing, Part One: Writing Stuff Down Is A Bonkers Idea
Let's be honest: the concept of writing stuff down is both brilliant and insane. Right now, all around the world, countless people are scrawling or typing messages that may last long after the writer has passed from this mortal plane - in a way, reading your favorite dead authors can be like communication from beyond the grave! Add to this, language itself is pretty ridiculous. In the first part of this special two-part series, Ben, Noel and Max crack each other up with an exploration of how writing became a thing, tracing its prehistoric origins through the rise of English, all the way up to what we call "modern English" today.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.
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