Conspiracy Theories

The world’s most controversial events, and the complex beliefs behind them. From Bigfoot sightings to bitcoin takeovers, alien landings to assassinations, who’s shaping the narrative — and why? Conspiracy Theories is a Spotify Podcast. New episodes Wednesdays.

Watch episodes and more on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@ConspiracyTheoriesPodcast

History
True Crime
Society & Culture
251
The Lost Tribes of Israel Pt. 1
The fate of the ten tribes of Israel has been a mystery for thousands of years. Some legends say they are trapped in a mythical land. One mysterious traveler in the 9th century CE claimed differently. All we know for sure is that the members of the ten tribes suffered invasion and exile before seemingly disappearing from history.
39 min
252
California’s Deadliest Wildfire
In November 2018, equipment from the largest utility provider in America sparked a fire that killed 86 people and destroyed thousands of homes.
43 min
253
The Fukushima Nuclear Disaster
In March 2011, the worst nuclear meltdown since Chernobyl took place in northern Japan. The incident was triggered by a natural disaster, but it was decisions made by the facility’s operators that led to such catastrophic damage.
42 min
254
The Flint Water Crisis
An emergency plan to cut costs in Flint, Michigan resulted in a contaminated water supply for the city’s residents. The water looked, tasted, and smelled foul – because it was tainted with toxic chemicals, harmful bacteria and lead from old pipes.
36 min
255
New York’s Toxic Love Canal
The Love Canal was supposed to be a suburban idyll. Instead, it became a dumping ground for chemical waste. After the land changed hands in the 1950s — from the Hooker Electrochemical Company to the Niagara Falls Board of Education — a school and 900 homes were built atop the toxic landfill.
34 min
256
Knights of the Golden Circle Pt. 2
After the Civil War, multiple caches of Confederate gold were discovered around the country. Were they buried by the Knights of the Golden Circle?
40 min
257
Knights of the Golden Circle Pt. 1
In 1854, as tensions between the American North and South were brewing, a physician named George Bickley called his closest friends to a secret meeting.
43 min
258
COINTELPRO Pt. 2
After a dozen major campaigns and thousands of planted bugs and wiretaps, COINTELPRO was finally exposed to the public. But the job of untangling its impact would take decades.
45 min
259
COINTELPRO Pt. 1
A secret intelligence project led by the FBI used illegal methods to spy on organizations and people from the mid-1950s to the early 1970s. It claimed to be acting in the name of U.S. security — but was it really?
50 min
260
Treasure Hunt: The Beale Papers Pt. 2
Finding Beale’s treasure would be the thrill — and payout — of a lifetime. Without the key to the ciphers, it doesn’t seem likely. But there could be other reasons the riches are never recovered…
41 min
261
Treasure Hunt: The Beale Papers Pt. 1
In 1818, a member of a hunting party in the American West spotted a glimmer on a hillside — gold. Two hundred years later, treasure hunters are still trying to locate the dug-up riches.
35 min
262
UFO Government Surveillance Pt. 2
A new wave of extraterrestrial discourse began in June 2021 after the release of the U.S. government’s UFO report.
45 min
263
UFO Government Surveillance Pt. 1
Ever since “flying saucer” entered the lexicon, the U.S. government’s public stance on UFO sightings was to doubt and debunk. But all that changed in 2017, with an explosive report on UFO intelligence. And again in June 2021, when the government acknowledged — for the first time in history — that some UFOs are truly inexplicable… and maybe even threatening.
46 min
264
Pearl Harbor Pt. 4: Codes & Cover-ups
In the final episode of our crossover special, we examine the theories suggesting the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor wasn’t a surprise to the U.S. government at all.
38 min
265
Pearl Harbor Pt. 3: Entering the Pacific Theater
In the hours, days, and weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japan’s forces coordinated a vast takeover of the Pacific. Back at home, Hideki Tojo’s reign as Prime Minister oversaw brutal wartime atrocities.
45 min
266
Pearl Harbor Pt. 2: "A Date Which Will Live in ...
In the summer of 1941, as hostilities between the two nations escalated, wartime negotiations officially broke down. Combat was imminent — but where?
40 min
267
Pearl Harbor Pt. 1: Hideki Tojo & Japanese Impe...
Eighty years ago, the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor by Japanese fighter planes devastated the U.S. and spurred the nation into war. Join us for a special crossover between Dictators and Conspiracy Theories where we’ll analyze the event from all sides, starting with the life of Japanese Prime Minister Hideki Tojo — a career militarist whose devotion to Japan thrust him into power.
45 min
268
Ancient Egypt: The Great Sphinx
There are so many unresolved mysteries surrounding the iconic monument, like whether it’s really a sphinx, and if it could be a relic from the lost city of Atlantis. We look at a stone beard, a story from Plato, and patterns of erosion to investigate.
39 min
269
Ancient Egypt: Pyramids
The Great Pyramids of Giza are some of the largest, most foreboding structures on the planet, but the mystery of how they were built still plagues historians today. Some Egyptologists think aliens provided advanced technology, while engineers see evidence they were ancient nuclear power plants.
42 min
270
Tobacco Industry Cover-up Pt. 2
Today, the health risks associated with smoking cigarettes aren’t a secret. But since the mid-1900s, researchers have pointed out the harmful effects of these cancer sticks.
39 min
271
Tobacco Industry Cover-up Pt. 1
In the 20th century, the mass production of cigarettes fueled a global addiction — but Big Tobacco had a problem. Cancer rates were skyrocketing, and smoking-related illnesses became the leading cause of preventable death in America. This is the story of how an industry in peril conspired to survive — by keeping generations of smokers in their grip.
40 min
272
Dyatlov Pass Pt. 2
The deaths of the Dyatlov Nine didn’t just seem bizarre — they seemed violent. What could explain the brutal injuries, missing tongue, radioactive clothing, and burnt trees?
40 min
273
Dyatlov Pass Pt. 1
In winter 1959, a group of experienced mountaineers went missing in a remote part of Siberia. When their bodies were eventually found, their injuries — and radioactive clothing — confounded investigators. The incident became one of Russia’s most enduring mysteries.
36 min
274
The Secret President
When President Woodrow Wilson suffered a paralyzing stroke in 1919, First Lady Edith Wilson stepped in to maintain order in the White House.
38 min
275
The Pope Who Got Pregnant
Around the 9th century C.E., a new pope rose to power. For years, the congregation was certain Pope John filled the role perfectly... until he went into labor during an Easter processional. Had a woman ascended to the papacy in secret?
35 min