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
Eurowesterns (Entry 431.EZ0902)
3/5/2026
In which Futureling Robert educates John about Germany's all-time best-selling author—and fraudster—Karl May. Special appearance by Einstein. Certificate #23821.
Duration:01:12:28
Surrealist Prank Calls (Entry 1258.OB0102)
2/26/2026
In which Erin Dawson, a trans black metal musician who goes by the moniker Genital Shame, explores the nature of prank calls, their cultural significance, and Longmont Potion Castle. Certificate #50858.
Duration:01:26:38
Candlestick Park (Entry 179.EX3937)
2/19/2026
In which writer and podcaster Grant Brisbee reveals the history of baseball's worst stadium. Special appearance by Richard Nixon and The Beatles. Certificate #31484.
Duration:01:35:39
The Phantom Time Hypothesis (Entry 928.PR1027)
2/12/2026
In which various crackpots and Russians decide that three hundred years of the European "dark ages" simply didn't happen, and Ken doesn't want his eulogy to be vague. Certificate #22651.
Duration:01:43:59
Tama Bell Brass (Entry 1275.PR2225)
2/5/2026
In which author, music executive and host of the Identified podcast Nabil Ayers discusses selling used CDs, The Terminator, The Drum Doctor and more. Certificate #48391.
Duration:01:22:35
Second Missouri Compromise (Entry 1122.MA0624)
1/29/2026
In which Linus Chan explores American citizenship, the law, and the long shadow of the Missouri Compromise. Certificate #24581.
Duration:01:35:25
The History Bureau
1/22/2026
Duration:00:04:08
Neopets (Entry 831.EC0904)
1/22/2026
In which Futureling Kate tells John about the rise, fall, and attempted revival of a millennial obsession. Certificate #30063.
Duration:01:44:55
Thomas-Alexandre Dumas (Entry 386.DA1125)
1/15/2026
In which Futureling Richard Stephens tells of the rapid rise of a Revolutionary general through the military ranks, the challenges he faced as a person of color in a predominantly white society, and the decline of his legacy under Napoleon’s regime. Certificate #40773.
Duration:01:33:49
Glacier Girl (Entry 530.JB3822)
1/8/2026
In which a WWII fighter plane crashes on a Greenland ice sheet in 1942 and is painstakingly recovered and restored by a pilot over two decades. Certificate #25573.
Duration:01:32:48
Exiled to Sentosa (Entry 438.LU2319)
1/1/2026
In which a politician is banished to Singapore’s theme-park island, recounted by Nathan Jennings. Certificate #41799
Duration:01:50:26
E.A. Wallis Budge (Entry 161.IS1901)
12/26/2025
In which the illegitimate son of a Cornish housekeeper rises to the top of the British Museum Egyptology department. Featuring futureling and the host of the podcast Books of All Time Rose Judson. Certificate #43419.
Duration:01:32:32
Penn Cove Whale Capture (Entry 916.JB0712)
12/18/2025
Wherein dozens of Orca were kidnapped in an unspeakable scene and Christopher didn’t bring a laptop (and John didn’t have a camera yet). Certificate #41344.
Duration:01:18:17
Grit (Entry 551.PR1004)
12/11/2025
In which a plucky immigrant "printer's devil" creates a newspaper that puzzles and pays off generations of young American boys, and John avoids a chainsaw duel. Certificate #31682.
Duration:01:48:05
The Grand DARPA Challenge (Entry 543.PS5507)
12/4/2025
In which a government-backed desert race for unmanned vehicles ignites the technologies driving the autonomous future now creeping into our cities - with guest Andrew Miller. Certificate #49327
Duration:01:25:22
Jack Kirby’s Lost Art (Entry 688.DE2203)
11/27/2025
In which Jack Kirby, a titan of American pop culture, confronts the disappearance of thousands of pages of his original comic art—and the battle over his place in creating modern pop culture guided by guest host Joseph J. Darowski. Certificate #43383
Duration:01:16:28
New York to Nome (Entry 835.AC2710)
11/20/2025
In which two young Depression-era clerks break from their dull routines and embark on a canoe trip. Certificate #44688
Duration:01:45:00
(LIVE) New Coke (Entry 835.LK0538)
11/13/2025
In which three well-meaning Atlanta executives accidentally announce their surrender in the cola wars, and Ken reads a letter. Certificate #38738.
Duration:01:30:06
Pneumatic Tubes (Entry 955.JN0308)
11/6/2025
In which mail, cash, trash, passengers, burgers, and cats are sent zipping through vast networks on puffs of compressed air, and John would like to be sent a horny landscaper. Certificate #46257.
Duration:01:37:10
Management by Wandering Around (Entry 754.PS10740)
10/30/2025
In which a Wyoming-educated economist gets big in Japan by inventing modern business theory, and Ken wants to be able to wince on a call. Certificate #36485.
Duration:01:25:56