Episodes

  • S04E20 - In Search of John the Baptist

    S04E20 - In Search of John the Baptist
    Feb 19 2025

    Jeb and Blake go in search of John the Baptist's resting place.

    Content Warning: Human remains on screen. Discussion of murder.

    Beheading John the Baptist (wiki)

    Salome (play)

    In 2018 the murder of Bishop Epiphanius took place and rocked the religious community -- not important for this episode but it popped up a lot in my searching.

    San Silvestro "head" shown in intro

    Same - but wiki article

    Nimoy Fashion Alert
    (NFA Wardrobe consulting by The Hogtown Rake, Pedro Mendes)

    The "head" of John the Baptist at San Silvestro:

    Art historian Michael Patroconni (Petroccione?)

    I think Jeb and I found this to be the most fun part of the episode:

    Gerald Larue obituary

    Herod Antipas (the Herod that executed JTB)

    Wadi El Natrun

    The Cave of John the Baptist
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    1 hr and 47 mins
  • S04E19 - Earth Visitors (Explicit)

    S04E19 - Earth Visitors (Explicit)
    Dec 14 2024
    Blake tries to talk Jeb off the ledge as we return to the classic theme of "ancient astronauts" in this throwback episode titled: Earth Visitors. Some links relevant to our discussion: Dejah Thoris (character) MUFON/Harzan scandal Roman Dodecahedrons (archaeology) Frank Frazetta Boris Vallejo We mention Zecharia Sitchin. Research suggests humans grow more neurons than did Neanderthals. A bunch of this episode comes from the work of Maurice Chatelain, who we shall refer to as "Shadowlane." His book Our Cosmic Ancestors sports one of the more interesting book covers we've seen while researching this show. He also wrote Our Ancestors Came from Outer Space. Maurice Chatelain's credentials appear to have been somewhat overstated in the episode. We'll be talking about several "Out of Place Artifacts" or OOPAs in this episode. Let's start with the "Boot Print" aka The Meister Print. (pictured below) See also this article by Glenn Kuban. Very compelling stuff. I guess. I mean it sort of looks like show print. This interesting looking skull also sent us down some research holes. The text of the episode seems to be talking about the Del Mar Skull but the image doesn't look like a close match. A lot of "shapes on the earth" are discussed. The shapes require you to do a lot of work. We'll get into that in the episode. But one is the Maltese Cross that is absolutely stunning, so long as you ignore that some of the points are hundreds of miles from the alleged anchor points and that the temples allegedly at each point were centuries apart. Skeptical response via CSICOP. Also - this is supposed to be a "pyramid" but seems to be more of what geometry wonks call a "triangle." I'm trying to find the type of terminal behind our statistician. And - behind the scenes I've managed to contact him and he assures me that the episode required many takes and that his students reported they made him sound like he believes in the whole ancient astronauts thing... More on this if I hear back from a rather lengthy email I sent him today (12/13/24). Read even more about the Monte Carlo Method! Vintage ad for the The Outer Space Connection. According to Scientific American, the idea that indigenous Americans were here for a very long time (from across the Bering sea) really kicked off in the 1930s. Read more about The Elephant Slab hoax. This montage of Kachina dolls really impressed Blake: Nimoy Fashion Alert! Native Jewelry Artist Preston Monongye Engineer Charles Ruggles Could he be LARPing J. Allen Hynek? Finally we get to the Cosa Artifact. And - of course, The Jupiter Menace (1982)
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    2 hrs and 41 mins
  • S04E18 In Search Of... The Ghost Ship

    S04E18 In Search Of... The Ghost Ship
    Oct 18 2024

    Jeb and Blake head out to sea in research of the mystery of what happened to the crew of The Mary Celeste.

    Links:

    The Dei Gratia

    Nimoy Fashion Alert
    (NFA Wardrobe consulting by The Hogtown Rake, Pedro Mendes)

    Attorney Fred Flood

    In 1913, The Strand Magazine provided an alleged survivor's account from one Abel Fosdyk, supposedly Mary Celeste's steward.

    The Mary Celeste (1913 article)

    Per "WhatTheFont" website identifier, that font is (appropriately): JOLLY ROGER!

    Meanwhile on Skull Hut Island...

    Pop Culture:

    Dead Calm

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mystery_of_the_Mary_Celeste

    Read it, it’s a time. Hammer film -Jeb

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Chase_(Doctor_Who)
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    1 hr and 50 mins
  • S04E17 - Wild Children (Explicit)

    S04E17 - Wild Children (Explicit)
    Sep 12 2024

    Jeb and Blake go into the jungles of California and France in search of WILD CHILDREN!

    This episode of ISO contains a lot of disturbing content and our commentary is laced with expletives, hence the Explicit tag.

    • Tarzan is raised by a fictional ape species known as The Mangani

    • The story of Mowgli is LOOOOSELY based on the real-life person Dina Sanichar.

    • Frequently referenced ERB Zine article

    • Ian Jackson obituary

    • News coverage of David as adult (BBC)

    • 2021 update on David

    • 1985 story about search for "wild children" (and Sham Dev/Shamdeo)

    • Christopher Hitchens on Mother Theresa

    • Japanese quadrupedal runner

    • The Green Children of Woolpit

    • Victor of Aveyron

    • Disturbing story of Genie - more neglected than feral

    NFA - Wild Children:

    It's supposed to be a Bear but it has some other possumbilities.
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    2 hrs and 6 mins
  • S04E16 - Vincent van Gogh

    S04E16 - Vincent van Gogh
    Aug 25 2024

    How could Vincent have been a creative genius - yet also "insane?"
    Jeb and Blake take a look at Nimoy's very personal thoughts about this question.

    This episode deals with the topic of self-harm and suicide. If you're struggling with thoughts of self harm, please get help immediately. You can reach trained and empathetic counselors (in the USA) by dialing 988 or 1-800-273-TALK.

    We care about our listeners and want you to be around for many years to enjoy life - and our work.

    Links for Show Notes:

    Nimoy's play VINCENT via Archive

    81 Words - This American Life on the DSM

    The Book of Kells

    Bullshit or Not? Was JTR really Nessie?

    Article on Jo Bonger

    The Golden Gate Quartet

    Weird Al's Skipper Dan (YouTube)

    Doctor Who clip of Vincent at the art gallery



    Early montage sequence shows:

    • Self Portrait (1888)

    • Starry Night (1889)

    • Vase with 15 Sunflowers (1888)

    • Bedroom at Arles (1888)

    • Night Cafe in the Place Lamartine in Arles (1888)

    • Encampment of gypsies with caravans (1888)

    • Langlois Bridge at Arles (1888)

    • Fishing boats on the beach at Saintes Maries

    • Wheat FIeld with Cypresses (1880)

    You can find all these and more at the online Van Gogh museum.

    Meanwhile...
    Could Manos be loosely based on Paul and Vincent?
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    2 hrs and 30 mins
  • S04E15 - The Missing Heir (Explicit)

    S04E15 - The Missing Heir (Explicit)
    Jul 31 2024

    Jeb and Blake learn all about the riveting world of stock certificates and inheritance law! It may not be the most mysterious episode of In Search Of... but it's certainly one of the episodes we watched.

    Show Notes:

    Orson Welles Critic Clip
    Lot 249
    Texas Pacific Land trust 1980 article
    The big 2014 Business Insider article


    Pembroke:
    http://www.oldlongisland.com/2008/02/pembroke.html
    http://www.oldlongisland.com/2011/10/pembroke.html
    http://www.oldlongisland.com/2009/07/pembroke-american-architect.html

    Pembroke tour (video)

    Alice de Lamar

    Failed lawsuit

    Contemporary article about the case

    Nimoy Fashion Alert (red-shift corrected)

    The case of the missing hair!

    Jeb was confounded by this man's barberian style choices.
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    1 hr and 48 mins
  • S04E14 - San Andreas Fault [EXPLICIT]

    S04E14 - San Andreas Fault [EXPLICIT]
    Jun 30 2024

    Jeb and Blake are joined by Sharon Hill to get shook by the San Andreas Fault!

    Understanding the Richter Scale (logarithmic)

    Link (Netflix) to Earthstorm docu series

    YT video clip featuring geologist Dr. Kerry Sieh

    Classic Budweiser commercial from the 70s

    The Salton Sea

    Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power

    Nuclear activist Ray Vrana

    Peter Gros of Wild Kingdom

    San Andreas movie with The Rock (Amz affiliate link)

    Cover to guide for SF geological tour:

    Dr. Tim Hall - One of the founders of the San Andreas Fault Trail in 1977. Featured in 2011 documentary available on YT.

    Dr. Kerry Sieh

    The very sexy VT52 from DEC.

    NFA San Andreas edition:

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    2 hrs
  • S04E03 - The Dark Star

    S04E03 - The Dark Star
    Jun 18 2024

    In order to understand In Search Of… The Dark Star, Jeb and Blake will first need to get Sirius; Sirius-B, that is!

    Links from this episode:

    Siris (A part of the Canis Major constellation)

    Jeb discussed a couple of evocative artworks:
    Appeal to the Great Spirit (Dallin)

    End of the Trail (Fraser)

    North African musket (Moukahla)

    Colonial Williamsburg

    Hoop Rolling

    Jacquard Loom

    Punched Cards technology

    The Hans Guggenheim art project

    Isaac Koi UFO archives

    The Tribal Eye BBC documentary series (YouTube)

    Regarding Temple, Puhairich, Young, and The Nine

    The Sirius Mystery by Robert Temple

    Editorial letter about Temple from The Observatory

    Dogon Shame by Phillip Coppens

    Griaule's Legacy: Rethinking "la parole claire" in Dogon Studies

    Pop Culture References (affiliate links):

    Conjure Wife - aka Burn Witch Burn

    Bewitched

    Bell, Book and Candle

    =====

    Images:

    The "orbit" of the Dogon dark star.

    Nimoy posing with a tribal mask - our initial NFA image.

    Later we get to see his legs in this seated NFA supplementary:

    Hans Guggenheim initially appears in just a vest and pants.

    Later, he too is in more of a Safari look, and has a professorial pipe as well.

    Dr Gary Chapman, Astronomer

    The man who first photographed Sirius B - Dr Lindenblad

    A little of the FORTRAN code that powers the orbit animation in the episode:


    We don't have enough information to know who made Nimoy's safari clothing, but if you want to try and track down a very close approximation, this example from J. Peterman's (est 1987) is as close a match as I've seen. You would still need to find it in a vintage shop because at present they don't sell these.
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    2 hrs and 32 mins