Omnibus
HowStuffWorks
Every week, Ken Jennings and John Roderick add a new entry to the OMNIBUS, an encyclopedic reference work of strange-but-true stories that they are compiling as a time capsule for future generations.
Location:
United States
Genres:
History Podcasts
Networks:
HowStuffWorks
Description:
Every week, Ken Jennings and John Roderick add a new entry to the OMNIBUS, an encyclopedic reference work of strange-but-true stories that they are compiling as a time capsule for future generations.
Language:
English
Episodes
The Principality of Sealand (Entry 987.IS6022)
4/18/2024
In which a self-crowned prince founds his own nation on a tiny piece of concrete in the North Sea, complete with commando raids, and Ken is only in favor of 3-D awards. Certificate #6611,
Duration:01:13:07
Stickball (Entry 1225.MK0608)
4/11/2024
In which a village pastime for Sussex dairymaids gets urbanized into an exciting neighborhood pick-up sport in American inner cities, and John wants to pick the bittle up. Certificate #13472.
Duration:01:05:46
Bioplastics (Entry 124.EZ3629)
4/4/2024
In which attempts to replace petrochemical plastic with corn and sawdust face fatal challenges of scale and efficiency, and Ken has never made a Prius. Certificate #32944.
Duration:01:13:52
The Push Button (Entry 1012.DE0611)
3/28/2024
In which the influence of spinet pianos and telegraph keys produces a satisfying new device interface for the electric age, and John thinks aliens just want a cuddle. Certificate #42007.
Duration:01:15:01
Jersey Barriers (Entry 671.IS5714)
3/21/2024
In which the development of guardrail and concrete divider technology makes highway driving massively safer over the decades, and Ken lies under oath in a deposition. Certificate #40991.
Duration:01:16:34
Joanna Southcott's Box (Entry 673.GN4910)
3/14/2024
In which twenty-four bishops refuse to open the secret prophecies that will save Britain from war and banditry, and John wants to be called "Dicebox." Certificate #49596.
Duration:01:33:54
Episode 590: Vanity Plates (Entry 1383.EC1208)
3/7/2024
In which car registration numbers become modes for personalized creative expression and eventually a multimillion-dollar commodity, and Ken does not say "auto." Certificate #37808.
Duration:01:30:09
Episode 589: The Earth from Space (Entry 391.GN0115)
2/29/2024
In which centuries of inaccurate illustrations of our planet are abruptly upended by satellites and awestruck astronauts, and John never drew spaceships, just Japanese fighter planes. Certificate #35817.
Duration:01:15:24
Episode 588: The Food Pyramid (Entry 487.MT0611)
2/22/2024
In which budget-conscious Swedes rearrange American ideas about nutritious eating, and Ken is pretty sure M&Ms are not getting smaller. Certificate #54063.
Duration:01:21:53
Episode 587: The Guano Islands Act (Entry 554.PS10407)
2/15/2024
In which we celebrate 167 years of Americans being able to claim any island they like as long as it has enough bird poop on it, and John thinks you can dip a pole in liberty. Certificate #39867.
Duration:01:06:29
Episode 586: The Great Idaho Beaver Drop (Entry 548.JL0202)
2/8/2024
In which a remote part of Idaho solves its beaver dam problem with some surplus parachutes and an even more remote part of Idaho, and Ken applies the transitive property to mules and culverts. Certificate #31297.
Duration:01:20:55
Episode 585: Naturism (Entry 827.GE0225)
2/1/2024
In which German health nuts give the world the idea of social nude recreation before the Nazis can tell them not to, and John thinks of something that is better than itching. Certificate #53668.
Duration:01:19:27
Episode 584: The Ice Trade (Entry 615.PS14717)
1/25/2024
In which the ponds of New England become the wellspring of a new worldwide web of perishable foods, and Ken learns that gum is a forest treat. Certificate #23725.
Duration:01:11:19
Episode 583: Einstein's Brain (Entry 399.JB1909)
1/18/2024
In which the estate of the century's greatest scientist becomes a $200 million enterprise even as his brain tissue languishes in a cider box, and John compares it to pastrami. Certificate #21917.
Duration:01:17:32
Episode 582: Warren Miller (Entry 789.IS5707)
1/11/2024
In which a ski bum with dad jokes explores new frontiers of film distribution and extreme sports, and Ken is a water machine. Certificate #48941.
Duration:01:18:28
Episode 581: Yu-Mex (Entry 1455.1C1408)
1/4/2024
In which the rift between two Communist dictators leads to a blooming of mariachi culture in the fertile soil of the Balkans, and John is baffled by Vietnamese karaoke. Certificate #46465.
Duration:01:09:32
Episode 580: Prodigies, Failed (Entry 990.LK0240)
12/28/2023
In which the smartest people in the world bloom early but often struggle to live up that promise later in life, and Ken's phone thinks he lives at the zoo. Certificate #50285.
Duration:01:20:07
Episode 579: The Eggnog Riot (Entry 398.RO1313)
12/21/2023
In which a late-night Christmas party in a West Point barracks gets out of hand, almost changing the course of the Civil War, and John is not anti-Julius. Certificate #32683.
This episode is sponsored by Squarespace: Head to https://www.squarespace.com/omnibus to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code OMNIBUS.
Duration:01:21:46
Episode 578: The Caning of Charles Sumner (Entry 180.PR2314)
12/14/2023
In which tensions over slavery and its westward expansion boil over into an assault on the floor of the United States Senate, and Ken does not have a single cloak. Certificate #46116.
Duration:01:08:52
Episode 577: Legal Baby Names (Entry 710.LK0160)
12/7/2023
In which governments around the world deliberate on how creatively parents may name their children, and John thinks "Tilden" sounds like a kind of cheese. Certificate #26934.
This episode is sponsored by Squarespace: Head to https://www.squarespace.com/omnibus to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain using code OMNIBUS.
Duration:01:26:53