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The Box of Oddities

Airwave History
  • 4.8 (2.9K)
  • COMEDY
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

The Webby Award-winning “Box of Oddities" is a podcast that delves into the strange and mysterious aspects of our world, exploring topics ranging from bizarre medical conditions to unsolved mysteries, and from paranormal phenomena to strange cultural practices from around the world. With a focus on oddities, curiosities, and the macabre, each episode is a journey into the unknown, where hosts Kat and Jethro Gilligan Toth share their love for unusual stories and inject their humor and commentary. From the strange history of medical practices to chilling true crime stories, to natural (and unnatural) events, "The Box of Oddities" satisfies your thirst for the weird and the unusual, offering an informative and entertaining look into the dark and mysterious corners of our world. JIMMY KIMMEL, ABC-TV says, "Should you be the type who has an interest in weird stuff, this is a fun thing to allow in your head!"  “Truth is stranger than fiction, and the Box of Oddities is the strangest of all!” -SLUGGO, SIRIUS XM LITHIUM “Kat & Jethro wring humor from bizarre, macabre and perplexing places.” -BOSTON MAGAZINE

  1. The Body Beneath The Gas Station

    2H AGO

    The Body Beneath The Gas Station

    Sometimes history hides its secrets in the strangest places… like the bottom of a forgotten well. In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro uncover the chilling real-life mystery of the Woman in the Well—a century-old murder discovered when construction workers in Saskatoon accidentally unearthed human remains buried in a barrel deep beneath the earth. Using modern DNA technology and genetic genealogy, investigators finally revealed the victim's identity after more than 100 years, connecting a name to a long-lost story. Then the conversation turns to one of the strangest forms of human spectacle: the bizarre history of people being buried alive as endurance stunts, from carnival-era “human moles” to modern performers testing the limits of the human body. It’s a journey through bizarre history, unsolved mysteries, and the unsettling lengths people go for fame, faith, or curiosity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    39 min
  2. The Body Beneath The Gas Station

    1D AGO • SUBSCRIBERS ONLY

    The Body Beneath The Gas Station

    Sometimes history hides its secrets in the strangest places… like the bottom of a forgotten well. In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro uncover the chilling real-life mystery of the Woman in the Well—a century-old murder discovered when construction workers in Saskatoon accidentally unearthed human remains buried in a barrel deep beneath the earth. Using modern DNA technology and genetic genealogy, investigators finally revealed the victim's identity after more than 100 years, connecting a name to a long-lost story. Then the conversation turns to one of the strangest forms of human spectacle: the bizarre history of people being buried alive as endurance stunts, from carnival-era “human moles” to modern performers testing the limits of the human body. It’s a journey through bizarre history, unsolved mysteries, and the unsettling lengths people go for fame, faith, or curiosity.

    36 min
  3. Inbox Of Oddities #78

    3D AGO · BONUS

    Inbox Of Oddities #78

    Strange coincidences, mysterious encounters, and the oddly comforting idea that your dog might be greeting someone from beyond the hallway—this episode of The Inbox of Oddities dives deep into the wonderfully weird moments listeners can’t quite explain. Kat and Jethro share eerie listener stories, including a bus stop encounter that left someone puzzled for 15 years, a house photo that may contain a ghostly relative, and a loyal dog who appears to greet a late-night visitor after its owner’s father passed away. Along the way, they explore uncanny coincidences, bizarre dreams featuring shadowy figures, abandoned animals that inspire unforgettable names, and the strange reality that humans have explored only about 5% of Earth’s oceans—leaving most of our own planet an unsolved mystery. If you love weird facts, strange stories, and the unexplained corners of everyday life, this episode is packed with delightful oddities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    31 min
  4. Arsenic And Old Wallpaper

    5D AGO

    Arsenic And Old Wallpaper

    Victorian homes were supposed to be safe havens of comfort and refinement… but what if the most dangerous thing in the room was the wallpaper? In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro uncover the bizarre history of arsenic-laced green wallpaper that quietly poisoned Victorian households, causing mysterious headaches, illness, and even death while families admired their fashionable décor. Then, the show shifts from deadly décor to astonishing resilience with the remarkable true story of Susan La Flesche Picotte, the first Native American woman to earn a medical degree, who spent her life bringing healthcare to underserved communities on the Omaha Reservation. It’s a strange mix of bizarre history, hidden dangers, and inspiring real-life heroes—exactly the kind of odd, fascinating stories that make The Box of Oddities such a delightfully weird listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    34 min
  5. Frozen Pilot. Underground Conspiracies

    MAR 9

    Frozen Pilot. Underground Conspiracies

    In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro explore a chilling moment of Cold War history and descend into the strange world of underground conspiracy theories. First, American soldiers on a Korean War patrol stumble upon a crashed MiG-15 fighter jet frozen into a mountainside—its young pilot eerily preserved in ice, as if time itself simply stopped. Then the conversation tunnels into bizarre modern myths: secret Walmart tunnel networks, the alleged alien-linked Dulce Base beneath New Mexico, hidden passageways under Los Angeles, and mysterious facilities buried deep beneath Antarctic ice. What happens when real history, classified military activity, and human curiosity collide? Expect weird facts, bizarre history, and strange stories that blur the line between documented events and the conspiracies they inspire. If you love odd discoveries, Cold War mysteries, and underground legends, this episode is packed with curiosity-fueling intrigue. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    35 min
  6. The Great LEGO Spill, Killer Waves & Weird Wedding Rituals

    MAR 6 · BONUS

    The Great LEGO Spill, Killer Waves & Weird Wedding Rituals

    In this Box of Oddities bonus episode, “Freak Family Favorites,” Kat and Jethro dive into a wildly entertaining mix of listener mail, strange history, and bizarre real-world oddities that prove the world is far stranger than fiction. From mysterious rogue waves that can tower over ships to the bizarre story of the Great LEGO Spill of 1997, this episode explores the unpredictable forces of nature and the unexpected ways their effects ripple across the planet. You’ll hear how a massive rogue wave struck the cargo ship Tokyo Express, sending millions of LEGO pieces into the ocean, where they’ve been washing up on beaches around the world for decades—turning into an accidental global science experiment tracking ocean currents and plastic pollution. But that’s just the beginning. Kat and Jethro also explore the strange corners of history, including a jaw-dropping act of subtle protest during the World War II tribunal of Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo, when a Navy dental technician secretly engraved the phrase “Remember Pearl Harbor” in Morse code inside the dictator’s dentures. Along the way, the Freak Family joins the conversation with unforgettable listener stories—like the uncanny moment when a podcast fact about the largest living organism on Earth (a massive mushroom) suddenly appeared on the side of a passing truck, or the tale of a rescued goat that accidentally ended up named after Kat. And because no Box of Oddities episode would be complete without a dive into humanity’s wonderfully strange customs, Kat shares some of the most unusual wedding traditions from around the world—from couples being covered in spoiled food in Scotland to ceremonial arrow-shooting in China and even brides marrying trees to break ancient astrological curses. This bonus episode is packed with weird history, strange science, global traditions, and the delightfully bizarre stories that make the Freak Family one of the most unique podcast communities on Earth. If you love mysteries, curiosities, paranormal-adjacent history, and the wonderfully weird, this episode is your backstage pass to the strange world inside The Box of Oddities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    37 min
  7. Future Humans & The Amazon’s Boiling River

    MAR 5

    Future Humans & The Amazon’s Boiling River

    Episode 784: Future Humans, Urban Legends & the Amazon’s Boiling River Are UFOs actually… us? This week on The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro dive headfirst into one of the most unsettling and scientifically grounded UFO theories you’ve probably never seriously considered: what if “alien grays” aren’t extraterrestrials at all—but future humans traveling back in time? Drawing from the work of biological anthropologist Dr. Michael P. Masters and his “extratempestrial” hypothesis, we explore how reported alien anatomy—large craniums, smaller jaws, reduced musculature, oversized dark eyes—might align disturbingly well with projected human evolution. If technology continues to shape our bodies, if artificial environments replace natural selection, and if reproductive trends continue to decline (with documented sperm count drops of 50–60% since the 1970s), could humanity biologically transform within 50,000–100,000 years into something that looks eerily like the beings reported in UFO encounters? And if that’s the case… why would they come back? We unpack the reproductive crisis angle, the strange fixation on DNA in abduction lore, and the possibility that UFO “craft” aren’t spacecraft at all—but space-time manipulation devices. Is time travel actually the more conservative explanation compared to faster-than-light travel? What would survival look like for a technologically advanced but biologically fragile future civilization? Then, because we love tonal whiplash, we pivot to something equally bizarre but undeniably real: the legendary Boiling River of the Amazon. Deep in Peru’s rainforest flows Shanay-Timpishka, a river so hot it can nearly boil living creatures alive—reaching temperatures close to 200°F in certain stretches. Far from any volcano, this geothermal marvel has been documented by geoscientist Andrés Ruzo and remains steeped in Indigenous legend involving Yacumama, the great serpent spirit said to shape the waters. We explore the science, the myth, and why protecting “neat things” like a four-mile-long boiling river might matter more than we realize. From evolutionary biology to paranormal lore, from time machines to steaming rainforest rivers, this episode proposes one uncomfortable idea: If future humans are visiting us, they aren’t here to save us or punish us. They’re here because something survives… and something doesn’t. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    36 min
  8. Living Shadows and The Maura Murray Mystery

    MAR 2

    Living Shadows and The Maura Murray Mystery

    In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Kat and Jethro wander into two deeply unsettling mysteries—one quietly strange, the other heartbreakingly unresolved. First, we travel to Victorian London, where police reports, medical notes, and newspaper clippings from the late 19th century describe something profoundly wrong: shadows that didn’t behave. Ordinary people reported silhouettes that lingered after they moved, climbed walls, hesitated in hallways, or crossed rooms on their own. These weren’t ghost stories or sensational fiction. They appeared alongside lost umbrella notices and municipal complaints, filed under phrases like “unusual visual disturbances” and “irregular light phenomena.” For nearly two decades, these so-called “living shadows” were witnessed by sober, respectable individuals—including police officers—before vanishing from the historical record just as electric lighting replaced gas lamps. Why they appeared, and why they stopped, remains an eerie question with no official answer. Then, the episode shifts to one of the most haunting missing person cases in modern American history: the 2004 disappearance of Maura Murray. On a cold February night in rural New Hampshire, Maura’s car was found crashed into a snowbank on Route 112. She had spoken to witnesses moments earlier. By the time police arrived, she was gone. No confirmed sightings. No financial activity. No phone usage. Despite extensive searches involving local police, state police, the FBI, tracking dogs, and helicopters, Maura was never found. More than twenty years later, her case remains open, raising enduring questions about what happened in the critical minutes between the crash and the arrival of law enforcement—and whether she fled, was disoriented, or encountered the wrong person. Along the way, Kat and Jethro reflect on fear, perception, and those brief moments when reality seems to hesitate—when your brain knows something is wrong, but can’t yet explain why. Strange history, unresolved mysteries, and quiet moments of unease—this is The Box of Oddities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    36 min
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Hosts & Guests

4.8
out of 5
2,856 Ratings

About

The Webby Award-winning “Box of Oddities" is a podcast that delves into the strange and mysterious aspects of our world, exploring topics ranging from bizarre medical conditions to unsolved mysteries, and from paranormal phenomena to strange cultural practices from around the world. With a focus on oddities, curiosities, and the macabre, each episode is a journey into the unknown, where hosts Kat and Jethro Gilligan Toth share their love for unusual stories and inject their humor and commentary. From the strange history of medical practices to chilling true crime stories, to natural (and unnatural) events, "The Box of Oddities" satisfies your thirst for the weird and the unusual, offering an informative and entertaining look into the dark and mysterious corners of our world. JIMMY KIMMEL, ABC-TV says, "Should you be the type who has an interest in weird stuff, this is a fun thing to allow in your head!"  “Truth is stranger than fiction, and the Box of Oddities is the strangest of all!” -SLUGGO, SIRIUS XM LITHIUM “Kat & Jethro wring humor from bizarre, macabre and perplexing places.” -BOSTON MAGAZINE

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