Endless Thread

4.4 (94)
TECHNOLOGY
UPDATED WEEKLY

Untold histories, unsolved mysteries, and other jaw-dropping stories online and IRL. Hosted by Ben Brock Johnson & Amory Sivertson.

14 HR AGO

You're Wrong About the Satanic Panic

In the 1980s, a moral panic swept across America. Parents, prosecutors, and talk show hosts became convinced that devil worshippers were hiding in plain sight, abusing children at daycares, performing ritualistic sacrifices, and corrupting the innocent. Sarah Marshall of You're Wrong About has a new podcast about this period of Satanic Panic called The Devil You Know. She talks to Ben and Amory about the cultural forces that turned unfounded fears into a nationwide hysteria, and how would the Satanic Panic might have unfolded differently in today's age of social media. Credits: This episode was produced by Amory Sivertson with assistance from Grace Tatter. It was co-hosted by Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson, and edited by Meg Cramer. Mix and sound design by Paul Vaitkus.

24 min
30 JAN

Hot (and not) fruit takes

What temperature do you like your fruit? What is the correct way to peel a banana? This week on Endless Thread, Ben and Amory cherry pick a couple of the hottest fruit debates taking place on Reddit. Show notes: My husband is mildly infuriated that I open a banana from the antenna side! (Reddit) CMV: The only correct way to peel and eat a banana is from the bottom. (Reddit) Microwaving fruit is the way to go (Reddit) I believe that fruit is better microwaved. (Reddit) This content was originally created for audio. An auto-generated transcript is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Heads up that some elements (i.e. music, sound effects, tone) are harder to translate to text.

21 min
23 JAN

The Alpha Male Myth

In 1970, a young biologist named David Mech published what could be the most consequential book on wolves ever written. At the time, The Wolf: The Ecology and Behavior of an Endangered Species, was the most complete collection of scientific knowledge on wolves money could buy, and it became best seller for Dave's publishers. But outside of the world of wolf biology, the book is also credited with unleashing a certain idea into our popular lexicon: The Alpha. The thing is, Dave made a mistake – and the alpha wolf, doesn't exist. This week on Endless Thread, Ben and Amory track down the origins of "the alpha," and whether this idea – which has been recanted by the very scientist who popularized it – has any legitimacy when talking about people. Show notes: The Myth of the Alpha Wolf (The New Yorker)* Do alpha males even exist? (The Guardian) Elon Musk Shares Theory That Only ‘Alpha Males’ Should Vote (Newsweek) This content was originally created for audio. An auto-generated transcript is available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. Heads up that some elements (i.e. music, sound effects, tone) are harder to translate to text.

26 min
16 JAN

The Anvillain

Fast-and-cheap shipping is now foundational to the American way of life, thanks in large part to Amazon Prime. Still, when producer Grace Tatter sees a video of a man claiming that he's continuously ordering and returning an 110-pound anvil from Amazon with no repercussions from the tech giant, she has questions. Is this legit, or is it a Wile E. Coyote-level scheme? Unlike an anvil, the answer can't be found online. Show notes: "this guy has been buying and returning 110lb anvils on Amazon for 8 months now" (Reddit) This man keeps buying and returning 110- anvils on Amazon (Fast Company) Johnbo's TikTok This episode was produced by Grace Tatter, and co-hosted by Grace Tatter, Ben Brock Johnson, and Amory Sivertson. It was edited by Meg Cramer. Mix and sound design by Emily Jankowski.

28 min
9 JAN

Algospeak

Adam Aleksic's Roman Empire is language, particularly how algorithms are changing the way we all use words. This week, Endless Thread gets algospeak-pilled and learns how "unalive" spread from a kids' Spider-Man cartoon to TikTok mental health communities trying to avoid censorship; what we're really saying when we say we're "goblin-core," and whether this all means we're "cooked." Show notes: Algospeak: How Social Media Is Transforming the Future of Language This episode was produced by Grace Tatter, edited by Meg Cramer, and co-hosted by Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson. Mix and sound design by Paul Vaitkus.

26 min
2 JAN

Rewind: Today You, Tomorrow Me: Why A Decade-Old Reddit Comment Still Resonates Today

10 years ago, Justin found himself on the side of the road with a blown out tire. Hours went by and no one stopped to help. But just as he was about to give up, something happened that changed Justin forever. This episode was originally published on Nov. 13, 2020.

24 min
26/12/2025

Encore: Never Gonna Give You Up

Who gets credit for starting a meme? Usually... nobody — they're made too quickly and organically. In the case of one of the most famous bait-and-switch memes of all time, the "Rick Roll," we may be looking at something experts call convergent evolution. Did the Rick Roll originate with a piece of code on the message board 4Chan, or with a prank call to a local sports show in Michigan? And why does the Rick Roll have such staying power? Is it codified in the DNA of the song itself? We explore the meme’s origin, the history of the song, "Never Gonna Give You Up," and its impact on both internet users during COVID-19 and on the performer himself. This episode was originally published on Oct. 08, 2021.

44 min
19/12/2025

Lost Without You

2025 marks 20 years of Google Maps — a tool that many of us would be, quite literally, lost without. We hear from New Orleanians who used Google Maps/Google Earth in its inaugural year to survey the damage to their homes following Hurricane Katrina. We also talk to the internet's Map Men, who ask whether "the best maps humanity has ever produced are simultaneously the worst maps for humanity?" in their new book, "This Way Up: When Maps Go Wrong (And Why It Matters)."

33 min

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Amory Sivertson

Host
Ben Brock Johnson

Host

4.4

out of 5

94 Ratings

I like it 👍

02/02/2025

Atticus3654

Great show, always easy to listen to and enjoyable.
Five stars of great vibes

06/06/2023

Jstar7743

Ben and Grace bring the joy despite the fog of war.
Manages to be both light and deep

21/02/2022

Towel ladykins

I was introduced to this podcast just recently through Decoder Ring and also Cautionary Tales and I have binged it since. I just love how they can diver to subjects sensitively, accessibly but also with nuance and academic thought. A new favourite podcast for me.
Biased agenda driven podcast.

03/07/2022

HaHaBhog

This isn’t information, it’s basically op-ed pieces in aural form. Why do people accept mindless drivel from uninformed hosts as good entertainment media? Latest ep on abortion is pathetic. A “smaller number of people” welcomed the overturning of Roe suggests that this is some tiny group of people. Polls show that the numbers of people who oppose abortion/support the ruling is around 40%. That’s not as insignificant or fringe as biased podcasts like this want to portray. This podcast COULD choose to do a show on the Reddits that offer pregnancy support (and maybe touch on the attacks on pregnancy crisis centres by pro-abortion fanatics), or Reddits that ask for basic rights for women like maternity leave and the vileness of companies preferring to fund abortions rather than support mothers. Or why not explore this pathological obsession with ending life and the denial of the first principle of the Constitution: why does the most prosperous society in the history of the world treat unexpected pregnancy as the most catastrophic event in a woman’s life? Why does culture repeatedly portray single mums as failures who cam achieve no happiness or fulfilment? Not to mention that the overriding of Roe is NOT going to suddenly make abortion illegal in the whole country. Or the actual shaky legal basis behind for Roe in the first place. But of course they need to pander to the “majority” who are as indoctrinated on this issue as they are. This has been an uninteresting podcast for a while now but def unsubscribing after this sad excuse of an episode.