Operation Midnight Climax iHeartPodcasts

Martha's Vineyard once was a place you could gossip with neighbors, shop for supplies, or play a cutthroat game of cards — all without saying a word. That's because it had a thriving Deaf community. Residents, Deaf and hearing alike, communicated with a unique version of sign language that predates ASL. But it's mostly forgotten today. 

Today we dig into Martha’s Vineyard Sign Language (MVSL) and the folks who are working to keep its history.

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On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, and Jason EnglishWritten by Joanna Sokolowski and Julia SmithAdditional Writing by Marisa BrownProduced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Josh ThaneMixing and Mastering by Baheed FrazierStory Editors are Abbey Stone and Marisa BrownResearch and Fact-Checking by Meredith Danko, Austin Thompson, Joanna Sokolowski, and Julia SmithOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason English

Oral history clips with Eric Cottle, Everett Poole, Sydney Harris, and Jane Slater are excerpted from interviews conducted with Linsey Lee, Martha's Vineyard Museum Oral History Curator. Courtesy of the Martha's Vineyard Museum. 

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Right now thousands of people are on a mathematical treasure hunt from the comfort of their home offices. Our own Zaron Burnett is one of them. Here's how you can join him — and compete for $50,000.

*On the Very Special Episodes podcast, we tell one incredible story each week. Follow us down a different rabbit hole every Wednesday.

Hosted by Dana Schwartz, Zaron Burnett, Jason EnglishWritten by Lucas ReillyProduced by Josh Fisher Editing and Sound Design by Emily MarinoffMixing and Mastering by Baheed FrazierResearch and Fact-Checking by Austin Thompson and Lucas ReillySpecial Thanks to Voice Actor Karl KeadleOriginal Music by Elise McCoyShow Logo by Lucy QuintanillaExecutive Producer is Jason English

Thanks for listening! You don't owe us any favors. But if you enjoy the show and want to do us one anyway, could you head over to your favorite podcast platform(s) and leave us a rating? 
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sidney Gottlieb thought he’d erased all traces of Operation Midnight Climax and MK-ULTRA from the government’s collective memory. While the world will never know the full extent of the CIA’s experimentation with LSD, an unlikely source revealed many of the victims. These breakthroughs came courtesy of George White, who testified from beyond the grave.

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As the walls closed in on Operation Midnight Climax, George White took lessons he’d learned from a world-class magician to explore the last uncharted frontier of the psychonaut — the general public. It’s how White would make San Francisco’s sanity disappear.

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After Frank Olson’s death in New York, George White had to move his whole operation to San Francisco. And the CIA added a twist: while they’d been occupied with using LSD as a mind-control drug, now they wanted him to weaponize sex.

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For 70 years, people have debated what happened to Frank Olson at the Hotel Statler. Did the CIA’s grand experiment with LSD lead to the sanctioned execution of a government employee? For George White, Frank Olson’s death would change everything.

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