Historical Blindness

Historical Blindness is a podcast about history’s myths, mysteries, and misconceptions. By examining cases of outrageous hoaxes, pernicious conspiracy theory, mass delusion, baffling mysteries and unreliable historiography, host Nathaniel Lloyd searches for insights into modern religious belief and political culture. 

History
Politics
Religion
76
Patreon Release: PlyMYTH Rock
The myths surrounding the landing of the Pilgrims
12 min
77
Technological Angels: The Religious Dimension o...
A look at the syncretism of religious beliefs and UFO mythology
57 min
78
UFO Whistleblowers: An American Tradition, Part...
A look at the discredited Bob Lazar and his long debunked claims
116 min
79
UFO Whistleblowers: An American Tradition, Part...
A look at Bill Cooper, who went from UFO hoaxer to OG conspiracy wacko
88 min
80
UFO Whistleblowers: An American Tradition, Part...
What can the stories of previous UFO whistleblowers tell us about the credibility of those who recently testified before Congress?
65 min
81
Raging Against the Machine: Thoughts on Technof...
Thoughts on modern technology and concerns about its potential harms, looking at some historical examples that may offer insights
43 min
82
The Hunt for Lost Nazi Gold Trains
The reality and the myth of Nazi gold trains
38 min
83
The Piltdown Fraud: Fundamentalists' Favorite F...
The story of the Piltdown hoax
44 min
84
The Forging of the Crystal Skulls
A look at the fabled crystal skull forgeries.
40 min
85
The Source of the Fountain of Youth Myth
I trace the Eurasian legend of the Fountain of Youth to the New World and find that it afterward became a historical myth
38 min
86
The Search for Cities of Gold
A look at how the rumors of hidden cities of gold animated conquistadors in the 16th century
40 min
87
The Thrust of the Holy Lance of Longinus
I explore the rabbit hole that is the Holy Lance of Longinus
45 min
88
The Quest for the Truth of the Holy Grail
A look at the legend of the Holy Grail
60 min
89
The Hidden Ones: Sect of Assassins
The black legend of the Order of Assassins, a medieval sect of Islam known for their reliance on infiltration and murder
34 min
90
The Myth of the Thuggee Cult
A refutation of the myth that Thuggee strangler bandits in 19th-century India were a blood cult devoted to the worship of Kali
46 min
91
The Key to the Secrets of King Solomon (an Ency...
A look at the development of traditions that the biblical King Solomon was a master of black magic.
39 min
92
The Whereabouts of the Lost Ark of the Covenant
The legend of the Ark of the Covenant, theories about its possible resting place, and the claims of a variety of hoaxers and pseudoarchaeologists.
52 min
93
Infektion: Operation DENVER and the Engineering...
The KGB disinformation campaign to convince the world that the U.S. government engineered HIV as a bioweapon
68 min
94
Breaking News: The Hitler Diaries Fiasco
The story of the most egregious newspaper hoax of modern times: the Hitler Diaries.
43 min
95
The Specter of Hitler's Survival
Myths and conspiracy claims about Hitler escaping Berlin at the end of WWII
45 min
96
The Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping - Part Two: Ceme...
The capture and prosecution of Richard Hauptmann in the Lindbergh Kidnapping Case
55 min
97
The Lindbergh Baby Kidnapping - Part One: The ...
The Crime of the Century: the Lindbergh Kidnapping Case
47 min
98
The Business Plot - Part Two: The Bankers Gold ...
Fascist propaganda of the '20s and '30s helped drive a plot to stage a Fascist coup
57 min
99
The Business Plot - Part One: The Bonus Army
The story of a plot by the wealthy and powerful to supplant a rightfully elected president
46 min
100
A Very Historically Blind Xmas: The Iconic Christ
A discussion of Christmas iconography and images of Jesus Christ generally.
49 min