Messy Minded Podcast

Messy Minded
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Messy Minded is a podcast for curious people with slightly chaotic minds. Hosted by Jess — researcher, overthinker, and your cartoon-brained friend — each episode dives into a weird, true story that hijacked her attention for the week. From internet scams and historical fraudsters to Viking settlers, liars, secret societies, and secession attempts, Messy Minded blends real research with offbeat storytelling. To start, you’ll get episodes on: The Founders of Iceland Lying Internet Scams US Secessions Attempts Secret Societies and more recently: The Digital Afterlife Axolotl’s and UAP’s! Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. 3 Sept

    The Great Emu War

    In this Messy Morsel, Jess explores the true story behind Australia’s Great Emu War, including the desperate former soldiers farming difficult land during the Great Depression, the military operation that became a national embarrassment, but also a fun story for ages! Have a strange, overlooked, or completely ridiculous true story you’d like Jess to research? Send it to MessyMindedPod@gmail.com. If it becomes an episode, you can be credited for the idea on the show. Follow Messy Minded for curious true stories, historical oddities, deep dives, Messy Morsels, and the occasional guest—with the odd side quest. Sources and further reading National Archives of Australia: Environmental issues from the not-so-distant past — “Emu wars”Murray Johnson, Journal of Australian Studies: “Feathered Foes”: Soldier Settlers and Western Australia’s “Emu War” of 1932Australian Geographic: Looking Back: Australia’s Emu WarsNational Library of Australia, Trove: “War on Emus,” October 21, 1932National Library of Australia, Trove: “Emu War,” November 7, 1932National Library of Australia, Trove: “Emu War Still On,” November 9, 1932National Library of Australia, Trove: “New Strategy in a War on the Emu,” July 5, 1953 Big thank you for the artist who allow us to borrow their talent for music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", The Mountain for "Quirky Sneaky Comedy" and "Quirky Sneaky", Hits Labs for "War Battle Military Drums" , and Geoff Harvey for "Busy Bees" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  2. 20 Aug

    The Georgia Guidestones

    Jess is joined by the ever-inquisitive Lolo to dig into the strange history of the Georgia Guidestones: the anonymous people who paid for them, the controversial messages carved into the stone, the conspiracy theories they inspired, and the still-unsolved bombing that finally brought them down. Who built the Georgia Guidestones—and what exactly were they trying to tell us? Music by: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", “Podcast Music good vibe” by Studio3DMusic, "Tension" by Alex Grohl, “Soft Music” by Hits Lab, "Funny and Weird" by epic_musictracks, and "Spellcraft" by Geoff Harvey Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  3. 6 Aug

    Ota Benga

    In 1906, Ota Benga—a young man from what is now the Democratic Republic of the Congo—was exhibited at the Bronx Zoo alongside primates. It sounds impossible. It isn't. We trace his story from the atrocities of the Congo Free State and the rubber boom to the rise of pseudoscience and one of America's most shameful public spectacles. It's a short episode, but it's one that stuck with me. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  4. 23 Jul

    Crack Babies | Messy Morsel

    In the 1980s and early '90s, America was warned about a coming "lost generation." The media told us that babies exposed to crack cocaine before birth would grow up violent, intellectually disabled, and destined for lives of crime. The phrase "crack baby" became part of our vocabulary almost overnight. But then... We stopped talking about them. Researchers, however, didn't. They followed these children for decades. In this Messy Morsel, Jess revisits one of the biggest medical and media scares of her childhood to ask a simple question: Whatever happened to those kids? Along the way, we'll explore how early science became front-page certainty, how fear can outrun evidence, and why the full story turned out to be far more complicated than anyone expected. As always, this episode discusses historical events and scientific research and is not intended as medical advice. Topics CoveredThe crack epidemic of the 1980sWhere the term "crack baby" came fromEarly medical studies and media coverageWhat decades of follow-up research foundFetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD)Poverty, bias, and the limits of early scienceWhy scientific understanding changes over timeSources & Further ReadingFrank, D. A., et al. (2001). Growth, Development, and Behavior in Early Childhood Following Prenatal Cocaine Exposure: A Systematic Review. Journal of the American Medical Association.Coles, C. D., & colleagues. Long-term studies on prenatal cocaine exposure and child development.National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA): Research on prenatal cocaine exposure.American Academy of Pediatrics: Guidance on prenatal substance exposure.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Information on Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs).If you enjoy curious true stories with the occasional odd side quest, follow Messy Minded wherever you get your podcasts. And if someone comes to mind while you're listening, share the episode with them. Word of mouth is still the best way for independent podcasts to grow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  5. 9 Jul

    The Odyssey

    This week on Messy Minded, we're setting sail into one of the greatest adventure stories ever told: Homer's Odyssey. Join me as we follow Odysseus, the clever King of Ithaca, on his legendary journey home after the Trojan War. Along the way we'll meet unforgettable figures from Greek mythology, including Circe, Polyphemus the Cyclops, the Lotus Eaters, the Sirens, Scylla and Charybdis, Calypso, Aeolus, Hermes, Athena, and Poseidon. We'll explore what these myths meant to the ancient Greeks, the symbolism hidden inside many of the stories, and why The Odyssey continues to influence literature, film, psychology, and popular culture nearly 3,000 years later. Along the way we'll also talk about: The Trojan HorseAncient Greek monsters and mythologyThe Underworld and TiresiasPenelope's famous weaving trickArgos, perhaps literature's most heartbreaking dogHospitality (xenia) in ancient GreeceWhy Odysseus is one of history's most complicated heroesHow later writers, including Madeline Miller, reimagined Circe and other mythological figuresWhether you're brushing up before Christopher Nolan's upcoming adaptation, revisiting a favorite classic, or just curious why everyone keeps talking about "being caught between Scylla and Charybdis," this episode has you covered. So grab an oar, avoid mysterious fruit, don't taunt Cyclopes, and maybe think twice before accepting wine from immortal witches. The Odyssey, Homer, Greek mythology, Odysseus, Iliad, Trojan War, Trojan Horse, Circe, Cyclops, Polyphemus, Sirens, Scylla, Charybdis, Calypso, Athena, Poseidon, Hermes, Lotus Eaters, Aeolus, Tiresias, Penelope, Telemachus, Argos, Greek gods, Greek monsters, ancient Greece, mythology podcast, literature podcast, Homer Odyssey explained, Epic poems, Epic poetry. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  6. 18 Jun

    The Holdouts: Last of Their Kind | Isolated Human Tribes

    In this episode of Messy Minded, Jess explores the fascinating, tragic, and sometimes hopeful stories of isolated peoples and first contacts. We travel from the remote forests of North Sentinel Island to the Siberian wilderness of the Lykov family, follow the final years of Ishi—the last known member of California's Yahi people—and examine the heartbreaking life of Ota Benga, a Congolese man displayed at the Bronx Zoo in 1906. Along the way we explore uncontacted tribes, Indigenous cultures, survival, colonialism, first contact, scientific racism, cultural loss, disease, and the question of whether modern civilization always improves the lives of the people it reaches. Featured stories include: • The Sentinelese of North Sentinel Island • The Man of the Hole (Tanaru Indigenous Territory, Brazil) • Ishi and the Yahi people of California • The Lykov family and Agafia Lykova • Ota Benga and the Bronx Zoo controversy • The Panará people of the Brazilian Amazon • Indigenous rights and land restoration • First contact disasters and survival stories • Uncontacted tribes and isolated peoples around the world This episode discusses colonial violence, racism, genocide, suicide, disease outbreaks, cultural destruction, and the long-term effects of forced contact. Major sources include: Lost in the Taiga by Vasily Peskov, Ishi in Two Worlds by Theodora Kroeber, Spectacle by Pamela Newkirk, and King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild, along with research from Survival International, Smithsonian Magazine, Instituto Socioambiental, historical newspaper archives, and anthropological publications. Messy Minded is a podcast for curious weirdos who love history, anthropology, strange true stories, forgotten people, and the messy parts of being human. Music by SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove, “Quirky Sneaky Mystery”, “Quirky Sneaky Comedy” Music by Dmitrii Kolesnikov, “Quirky Sneaky Comedy” by the mountain - Dmitrii Kolesnikov , "British Historical Drama" by Roman Dudchyk, “Old Tolcharo” by ArizonaGuide, “Kids Music” “Soft Music” by HitsLab and Levgen Poltavskyi. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  7. 4 Jun

    Year One Recap

    One year ago, Messy Minded began with a simple question: "How do podcasts go from a microphone to a stranger's ear?" That question led to Vikings, scammers, bog bodies, Olympians, secret societies, cursed objects, talking plants, questionable medical devices, alien discussions, and more side quests than any reasonable person should have followed. In this special one-year anniversary episode, Jess looks back at the first 32 episodes of Messy Minded, sharing favorite moments, memorable stories, and a few reminders of just how much both the podcast and its host have changed along the way. Whether you've been here since Episode One or you're discovering the show for the first time, this episode is a time capsule of curiosity, chaos, and questionable life choices. Thank you for listening, sharing, reviewing, commenting, and encouraging this little podcast over the past year. Thank you to our guests: Sam, Scott, Kate, Steph, Lolo, Will, Jenn, Rita, Ela Darling, Curtis Jenkins, and Professor Chris Impey. Here's to the first year of Messy Minded. Topics featured include: • Iceland and Viking exploration • Internet scams and deception • American secession movements • Secret societies • Olympic history and scandals • Bog bodies • Questionable medicine • Plant communication • Witness protection • Curses and folklore • Superstitions • The limbic system • ADHD • Digital afterlife and griefbots • Aliens and UAP discussions • Language, idioms, and much more Welcome to Messy Minded—a podcast for curious weirdos. Music credits: SoundPlusUS Label and Mr. Lex Oleksii Bezalov for "Spark Groove", “Quirky Sneaky Comedy” Music by Dmitrii Kolesnikov , catch 22music for "Yeah Baby Yeah", The Mountain for "Quirky Sneaky", Alex Grohl for "Tension", Comedy, Quirky, Sneaky music by Starostin, Nikita Kondrashev for "Cosy, Quirky, Comedy", and “Celtic Handmaiden” by Geoff Harvey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Year One Recap

  8. 21 May

    Spilling the Beans on Idioms

    Why do we say someone “barked up the wrong tree”? What does “beyond the pale” actually mean? Why were medieval people throwing armored gloves at each other? And why does the English language sound like it was assembled during a fever dream involving geese, shellfish, buckets, bullets, and bacon? In this episode of Messy Minded, Jess dives into the strange, funny, surprisingly dark origins of common English idioms — from battlefield surgery and public punishments to Shakespeare, medieval marketplaces, and chaotic goose behavior. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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About

Messy Minded is a podcast for curious people with slightly chaotic minds. Hosted by Jess — researcher, overthinker, and your cartoon-brained friend — each episode dives into a weird, true story that hijacked her attention for the week. From internet scams and historical fraudsters to Viking settlers, liars, secret societies, and secession attempts, Messy Minded blends real research with offbeat storytelling. To start, you’ll get episodes on: The Founders of Iceland Lying Internet Scams US Secessions Attempts Secret Societies and more recently: The Digital Afterlife Axolotl’s and UAP’s! Enjoy! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Messy Minded
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    41
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Jess Lorentz
  • Show Website
    Messy Minded Podcast