Endless Thread
Society & Culture
About
Untold histories, unsolved mysteries, and other jaw-dropping stories online and IRL. Hosted by Ben Brock Johnson & Amory Sivertson.
Episodes
- Ben Palmer's Brain
This episode of Endless Thread discusses comedian Ben Palmer's fake tip line for reporting immigrants. It examines the uncomfortable and disturbing, yet often funny, recorded conversations, and explores how Palmer maintains his deadpan del…
- Endless Thread presents "The Midnight Rebellion"
This is Chapter 1 of "The Midnight Rebellion," a climate fiction podcast from WBUR. The story follows Joule Watts-Green in a polluted, robot-infested world, with listener choices influencing the narrative. The episode introduces the settin…
- Extraordinary vs. Extra Ordinary
This episode of Endless Thread explores the online presence of "Ridiculoubs," a climber known for traversing peaks in distinctive footwear. It also features a segment on the Dull Women's Club, a Facebook group that focuses on celebrating e…
- Close Encounters of the Hexagonal Kind
This episode explores mysterious radio signals and Saturn's hexagonal storm. It features radio astronomer Yvette Cendes. The discussion delves into the potential origins of the signals and the nature of Saturn's massive storm.
- A Beige New World
Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson discuss the internet's preference for neutral color schemes, such as beige and taupe, and their influence on aesthetic and lifestyle trends. They are joined by TikTok creator Hayley DeRoche to discuss…
- How Afroman turned lemons into lemon pound cake
Hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Grace Tatter examine how rapper Afroman leveraged a police raid and subsequent defamation trial to achieve renewed viral success. The episode explores the timeline of these events and their impact on his career.
- Rewind: Digging Deep with TikTok's "tunnel girl"
Hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson revisit the viral story of "Tunnel Girl," a creator whose project to dig a tunnel system under her home faced significant internet attention and a stop-work order. This episode provides updates o…
- Beautiful, Terrible Internet
Hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson examine the viral spread of DOGE staffer video depositions following a removal order. They also discuss a Reddit-sourced productivity tip involving the concept of life as a television show.
- Sexy spines or literary red flags?
This episode of Endless Thread delves into the Reddit communities dedicated to analyzing people's bookshelves to infer personality traits. Producer Kalyani Saxena guides listeners through examples and shares her own bookshelf as a case stu…
- Digging Up Lily's Garden
This episode examines the bizarre 2019 marketing campaign for the mobile game Lily's Garden and how its dramatic advertisements differed from the actual gameplay. It explores the creative decisions and industry context behind the game's ma…
- What it's like to be undressed by Grok without your consent
Hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson speak with singer and activist Iona Fyfe about her experience after a sexualized deepfake of her was created using the AI chatbot Grok. The episode addresses the risks of image manipulation and n…
- Obscure music is good and nice!
Hosts Ben and Amory listen to obscure music recommended on Reddit and discuss how a TikTok original became a jingle for Dr. Pepper.
- Fresh, stale, or politics? The Melania doc's Rotten Tomatoes score, explained
The 'Melania' documentary has a significant difference between its critic score (10%) and audience score (90%) on Rotten Tomatoes. This episode explains how Rotten Tomatoes arrives at these scores, addressing concerns about potential score…
- Rewind: Love In Transition
This Endless Thread episode is a throwback to a 2018 show titled "Love in Transition." Hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson revisit the episode which explores the diverse ways people experience love.
- You're Wrong About the Satanic Panic
This Endless Thread episode examines the 1980s Satanic Panic, a period of widespread hysteria about devil worshippers. Host Sarah Marshall discusses the cultural factors behind this moral panic and considers how it might differ in the soci…
- Hot (and not) fruit takes
This Endless Thread episode discusses popular Reddit debates about fruit. Topics include the preferred temperature of fruit and the 'correct' way to peel a banana, with arguments for both antenna and bottom-up peeling.
- The Alpha Male Myth
This episode traces the origin of the "alpha" concept, popularized by biologist David Mech's 1970 book on wolves. The episode explores Mech's later recantation of the theory and questions the concept's validity, especially when applied to…
- The Anvillain
This episode of Endless Thread explores the viral claim of a man allegedly ordering and returning a 110-pound anvil from Amazon over an eight-month period. The hosts question the legitimacy of this scheme.
- Algospeak
This episode of Endless Thread, hosted by Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson, delves into algospeak with Adam Aleksic, examining how algorithms influence language. It discusses the origins and spread of terms like 'unalive' and 'goblin-…
- Rewind: Today You, Tomorrow Me: Why A Decade-Old Reddit Comment Still Resonates Today
This episode revisits a Reddit comment from 10 years ago about Justin, who was stranded with a flat tire and received life-changing help. The story highlights how a decade-old post continues to resonate.
- Encore: Never Gonna Give You Up
This episode investigates the origins of the "Rick Roll" meme, considering theories of its creation on 4Chan or through a prank call. It also examines the history of Rick Astley's song "Never Gonna Give You Up" and the meme's cultural impa…
- Lost Without You
This episode explores the impact of Google Maps at its 20-year mark, featuring stories from Hurricane Katrina survivors and insights from The Map Men on the complexities of modern mapping.
- Ukraine's expanding drone web
The episode discusses the significant evolution of drone warfare in Ukraine, highlighting the widespread use of wired, fiber-optic-tethered drones. These drones are employed for missions like dropping explosives on enemy soldiers and infra…
- Ruby Tandoh, the World's Best Lasagna,and how the internet is collectively changing what we all want to eat
Ruby Tandoh, author of 'All Consuming: Why We Eat the Way We Eat Now,' joins Endless Thread to explore how the internet shapes our culinary desires. The episode covers the history of sites like AllRecipes and modern TikTok food trends.
- Episodes we love: Sandwiches of History
Endless Thread revisits a conversation with Barry Enderwick, creator of "Sandwiches of History," to discuss his cookbook and prepare a 1958 triple-decker sandwich.
- Chiveman and a mountain of margarine
Endless Thread explores two bizarre Reddit food stories: 'Chivegate,' where a user's daily chive chopping is questioned, and a Redditor's unusual problem involving moving 13 two-thousand-pound pallets of margarine.
- Fryders and Alligator Alcatraz tours: When trolls get inventive
Endless Thread discusses inventive internet trolling, including a deep dive into rumors about a New Zealand dish and an exploration of Terri's Tourz, a purported tourist attraction offering tours of the Alligator Alcatraz detention center.
- Episodes we love: Lofi Girl
This episode of Endless Thread revisits a popular show about the YouTube livestream 'Lofi Girl.' The channel, featuring animated characters and study beats, has gained millions of views and spawned a universe of related content, memes, and…
- So Cute!
This Endless Thread episode discusses the widespread appeal of cuteness online, featuring insights from cuteness expert Joshua Paul Dale. It examines why 'cute' elements like Labubu dolls and emojis are so popular across various platforms.
- Episodes we love: Welcome to the Jam
This episode revisits the Space Jam website, which has remained online for nearly 30 years. Hosts Amory and Ben interview the team responsible for this digital artifact and discuss the unlikely story of its persistence.
- Endless Dread: Haunted Hayride
Endless Thread's 'Endless Dread' episode features spooky season content, including a real haunted hayride, internet stories, an auditory illusion, and a historical account of a vampire exhumation.
- Episodes we love: Artist Known
Endless Thread revisits a favorite episode about the iconic cover art for Madeleine L'Engle's "A Wrinkle in Time." The team investigates and identifies the illustrator of the 1976 paperback edition, solving a nearly 50-year-old mystery.
- Hidden Levels Ep. 6: Segagaga
This episode delves into SEGA developer Tez Okano's game, Segagaga, a self-parodying RPG/management simulator created during SEGA's challenging console war era. Released just before SEGA exited the hardware business, the game became a memo…
- Hidden Levels Ep. 5: Press B to Touch Grass
This episode of Endless Thread explores the evolving relationship between video games and nature. It discusses how new gaming technologies simulate natural experiences, blurring the lines between the virtual and real, and potentially impac…
- Hidden Levels: Surgical Precision (Side Quest)
Dr. James "Butch" Rosser pioneered minimally invasive surgery and aimed to demonstrate how video games could enhance surgical skills, challenging the negative perception of gamers.
- Hidden Levels Ep. 4: Machinima
This episode of Endless Thread explores machinima, movies filmed within video games. It covers the art form's 90s origins with groups like the Ill Clan, its 2000s popularity with series like Red vs. Blue, and its current resurgence in docu…
- Hidden Levels: Choose Your Player (Side Quest)
Stef Sanjati, a popular YouTube creator, discusses her journey with Waardenburg Syndrome and discovering her transgender identity, drawing parallels to the character customization and identity exploration found in video games.
- Hidden Levels Ep. 3: This Game Wants YOU
The U.S. Army turned to online gaming and eSports for recruitment, targeting the demographic of 13-28 year olds. This strategy evolved from the early 2000s game "America's Army," designed as a virtual Army experience, to today's Army eSpor…
- Hidden Levels Ep. 2: Stick It to 'Em
Amory explores the evolution of the joystick in Hidden Levels Ep. 2, tracing its journey from early aviation and 1970s video games to its modern applications in military and medicine.
- Hidden Levels Ep. 1: Mr. Boomshakalaka
This episode of "Hidden Levels" explores the impact of video games on the world, focusing on the 1993 arcade hit NBA Jam. It details the game's development, its digitized graphics, unique gameplay, and the creation of its famous announcer…
- Announcing 'Hidden Levels': how the videogame world has changed the world beyond videogames
Endless Thread and 99% Invisible launch a new series, 'Hidden Levels,' exploring the real-world influence of videogames, from auditory cues to social behaviors. The series is kicked off with a preview by Roman Mars and Ben Brock Johnson.
- A fork (still) in the road
This episode explores the impact of the Department of Government Efficiency's creation on federal employees, discussing restructuring and potential job reductions through the lens of the FedNews subreddit.
- Bridezillas and Quiz Traps
In this episode of Endless Thread, hosts Ben and Amory discuss Reddit stories about wedding-related pettiness and a teacher's innovative method for catching student cheating.
- Losing Our Marbles
This episode of Endless Thread investigates the 2020 disappearance of YouTube creator Jenna Marbles. It explores why her devoted fanbase still wonders about her whereabouts and well-being years later, delving into the mystery of one of You…
- Message In A Laptop
Noah Simmons found a homework assignment called "My Secret Place" on an old laptop. The essay's nostalgic description of childhood deeply affected hundreds of thousands online, prompting an investigation into its author and meaning.
- Encore: The Internet's Most Hated Bird
This encore episode of Endless Thread explores the public's negative perception of seagulls, contrasting it with the birds' intelligence and the alarming reality of declining gull populations. The show aims to offer a new perspective on th…
- Introducing "Jaws Island"
Endless Thread launches a new mini-series, "Jaws Island," to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the film "Jaws." Reporter Andrea Shea visits Martha's Vineyard, the filming location, and speaks with fans and cast members about the movie's…
- AI and Relationships, Part 2: AI Therapists and Bot Boyfriends
This episode delves into the use of AI in personal relationships, featuring stories of individuals who rely on AI for marital disputes, bedtime stories, and companionship, as explored by Rhiannon Williams.
- AI and Relationships, Part 1: Into the Woods
Amir Mizroch created a story based on his analysis and storytelling, leading to a discussion on AI, relationships, and digital connection.
- Bootcamp for Men: from betas to alphas
This episode of Endless Thread investigates the phenomenon of 'man camps,' expensive boot camps where men engage in intense activities aimed at redefining their masculinity.