
222 episodes

Your Brain on Facts Moxie LaBouche
-
- History
-
-
4.8 • 143 Ratings
-
Host Moxie LaBouche brings you a weekly half-hour of things you didn't know, things you thought you knew, and things you never knew you never knew.
Topics range from the history of nursing to the Balinese funeral rite David Bowie requested, from the origin of the Vulcan salute to the theft of Canada's strategic maple syrup reserve.
This is your brain on facts. yourbrainonfacts.com
-
Dread Pirate Misinformation
Finally, I get to the subtopic that launched not one but two episodes, the Gentleman Pirate Stede Bonnet, as well as the most interesting boring thing I could find and why science didn't get a handle on scurvy until nearly WWII.
(Apologies in advance because I was red-lining my mic throughout and I have no idea why -- I'd been doing VO jobs all day with no such issue.)
1-star review shirt! and shirt raising money for Ukraine Red Cross
01:03 Ye scurvy dog
08:27 Gratitude et al
11:30 The doldrums
15:49 Livestream for the Cure
17:46 The Gentleman Pirate, Stede Bonnet
Links to all the research resources are on the website.
Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Become a patron of the podcast arts! Patreon or Ko-Fi. Or buy the book and a shirt.
Music: Kevin MacLeod, -
Yaarrrr Brain On Facts
What started as a need to tell the real story of "Gentleman Pirate" Stede Bonnet has turned into a myth vs history two-parter! I love when that happens. Hear about pirate pensions, the makeup of the mariners, and civil unions on the seven seas. Special thanks to Charlie and Jesse over the in Brainiac Breakroom for help with the title.
1-star review shirt! and shirt raising money for Ukraine Red Cross
Links to all the research resources are on the website.
Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Become a patron of the podcast arts! Patreon or Ko-Fi. Or buy the book and a shirt.
Music: Kevin MacLeod, and Tabletop Audio
Calm History Podcast -
-
We Can't Have Nice Things - Radio Contests
It's the return of our occasional series, We Can't Have Nice Things. This week, we look at radio contest and promotions that went badly wrong, often at the draft stage. Free nude wedding anyone?
1-star review shirt! and shirt raising money for Ukraine Red Cross at yourbrainonfacts.com/merch
02:45 Radio Luxembourg's Ice Block Challenge
06:02 Bait & switch
10:12 Rules are rules
17:36 Review and news
20:40 No accounting for taste
22:15 Library of Chaos
27:27 Good, better, breast
30:08 Playing matchmaker
Links to all the research resources are on the website.
Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Become a patron of the podcast arts! Patreon or Ko-Fi. Or buy the book and a shirt.
Music: Kevin MacLeod, Bobby Richards .
-
Courthouse Rock
Not all heroes wear capes. Some wear leather jackets with chains, long hair, and lots of eyeliner! Today we look at three times heavy metal musicians said "We're not gonna take it" and defended the freedom of speech, but were they "Breaking the Law" and just "Howl(ing) at the Moon"?
0:42 Twisted Sister vs Congress
17:07 Reviews and news
19:58 Ozzy Osbourne's Suicide Solution
26:20 Judas Priest, Better Than You
28:28 Subliminal back-masking
1-star review shirt! and shirt raising money for Ukraine Red Cross at yourbrainonfacts.com/merch
Links to all the research resources are on the website.
Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs. Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Become a patron of the podcast arts! Patreon or Ko-Fi. Or buy the book and a shirt.
Music: Kevin MacLeod,
-
Gregor MacGregor
People used to say "If you believe that, I have some swampland in Florida to sell you," but they really should have said, "I have some lovely acres in the Republic of Poyais you can buy, but you have to act now!" Presenting one of my favorite con artists ever, the man who declared himself prince of a South American country that didn't exist, Gregor MacGregor (yes, that's really his name).
Links to all the research resources are on the website.
Hang out with your fellow Brainiacs.
Reach out and touch Moxie on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Become a patron of the podcast arts! Patreon or Ko-Fi. Or buy the book and a shirt.
Music: Kevin MacLeod,
Want to start a podcast or need a better podcast host? Get up to TWO months hosting for free from Libsyn with coupon code "moxie."
Remember back in episode 155, Hate to Burst your Bubble, we talked about, among other things, the Florida real estate boom and bust of the 1920s? It’s where we get the phrase, “if you believe that, I have some real estate in Florida to sell you.” 100 years before that, we could have been saying, “I have some acreage in Poyais to sell you.” Never been to Poyais? Trust me, it’s amazing. The weather is always perfect, sunny and warm. Located along the eastern coast of present-day Nicaragua and Honduras, the soil of Poyais is so fertile, you can get three harvests of corn a year. The trees are heavy with fruit and the forests teem with entrees in the form of game animals. If you look into the rivers, you’ll not only see water cleaner and more pure than you’ve ever seen in your life and more fish than you could hope to catch, but in the river bed, the sparkle of gold fills your eyes, not from flecks and dust, but nuggets as big as walnuts, just laying there, waiting for you to scoop them up. The only thing missing is settlers to develop and leverage its resources to the fullest. Wanna get your share? Better hurry; hundreds of people are investing all their savings in a piece of the perfect Poyais. All you have to do is [] to the Cazique or prince. Who is the prince of this equatorial new world paradise? A Scotsman named Gregor MacGregor.
Customer Reviews
ASMR plus wit and knowledge
Just the right balance of interesting facts and humor delivered with dulcet tones. Highly recommended.
Love the podcast and the audiobook
I’ve a been humble fan of Moxie’s podcast ever since I accidentally bumped into her pineapple episode. Admittedly I only follow 4 podcasts, but this is my absolute favorite.
Im also a fan of the audiobook. Personally, I can’t do regular books as they put me to sleep, so I rely solely on audiobooks for new inspiration. The audiobook version of this book follows Moxie’s usual format of finding the tiniest details about a topic while smoothly transitioning to similar ( just thought you should know) topics. I’m sure she’ll come out with a second book in the near future.
Treat Your Brain @#Moxie’sMillion
Your Brain on Facts was my second ever podcast! Moxie got me hooked on podcasts; I have been searching for another one that is as witty, warm, and packed with anymore amusing randomness. I have found some great podcasts, but only Your Brain on Facts is my coveted weekly treat!
Episode 172, ‘Best Served Loud,’ taught me Van Morrison really is my spirit animal. He recorded a day long filibuster of lists and assorted nonsense to chop up into the 36 songs owed to his record company. Done and dusted! Good stuff, Moxie.