The Softbrains

In 2007, a 'Declaration of Reasonable Doubt' was released by scholars and actors alike and it stated that there was 'room for reasonable doubt about the identity of William Shakespeare.' This week Clarke takes us behind the curtain of the mysteries and misinformation that surrounded the life of Shakespeare. The speculation that he was not the author of his plays, his weird, illegible signature, and what the heck he actually even looked like. Justin brings us into more mysterious incidents,...

What was Central Park before it was the groomed, touristy lawns that we know today? Well, it was a shanty town and some rocks. Justin tells us how Central Park became one of the most famous parks in the world and the ups and downs throughout its history. Including the effect of FDR and the Great Depression, the hippies and the kinda secret Central Park Conservancy. And after you're done visiting the park... Have you ever wanted to be a unicorn? The sparkly rainbow kind, the furry rhino kind...

The Softbrains are back for Season 2 with a delicious mix of fast food and fresh fish. Clarke details the history and marketing of Mcdonalds that has made it the golden arched beast that we know today. Not only how they became so successful but how they maintained that success. She also touches on McDonalds' slogans, their on and off relationship with Disney and their run in with fraud. After talking about the Filet o' Fish, Justin takes us to fish filets, specifically cod filets....

Are you ready to get drunk and hungry? In this weeks episode of the Softbrains, Justin takes us down the Kentucky Bourbon Trail. He tells us exactly what this amber-coloured alcohol is made out of, its history and the weird rules and guidelines around its distillation. Bourbon barrels can't be re-used, so what do they do with them? BBQ sauce, wine, decoration in your grandmas basement. This delicious drink is just the start of this episodes journey into deliciousness. Clarke takes us on a...

In 1858, two ships headed for the search of the Northwest Passage disappeared. The Franklin Expedition is one of Canada's most enduring mysteries, it's the story of a determined wife, possible cannibalism, and a sprinkle of the paranormal. The HMS Erebus and the HMS Terror were discovered in 2014 and 2016, respectively, but the ships are still rife with mystery and suspicion. Clarke tells us all about how they got there, what happened and how the Canadian government is involved. On the...

Savant Syndrome, a condition where an individual excels in a specific skill like art, music or math. Only about 75 people in the world today are deemed as 'mega-savants,' but the syndrome is not without its drawbacks. Justin tells us all about how Savant Syndrome affects individuals like Kim Peek, a mega savant. The 1988 blockbuster hit, Rain Man was based on Kim Peek and his incredible ability to memorize everything that he read. Then Clarke shifts gears to the not-so-magical disappearance...

The Softbrains decided to do something a little bit different this week. We've been busy with a move to a different city and didn't have time to produce a full episode this time around SO instead, feel free to enjoy listening to us play the dated game of BATTLE OF THE SEXES. We'll be back to regularly scheduled programming next week but in the mean time, listen to Justin kick Clarke's ass in this sexist and prejudice board game.

Cowboy Bob was a notorious bank robber in the early 90's in Texas. He hit multiple banks in the Irving area and stole thousands of dollars. He always wore a 10 gallon hat, a beard and sunglasses and no one knew that under all that, it was actually a middle-aged woman named Peggy Jo Tallas. Clarke tells us all about Peggy Jo's story and the events that led to Cowboy Bob's final stand in 2005. Originally thought to be cultivated in Central America, Cocoa trees were actually domesticated first...

Detroit, 1920's, prohibition is in full swing and a juvenile street gang is started up by the Burnstein brothers. Abe, Joe, Raymond and Izzy call it 'the Purple Gang.' Justin details the purple gangs involvement in several turf wars, bootlegging and the laundry industry union. They controlled all of Detroit's vices and they were number one until the Collingwood Manor Massacre, then, things changed for the Burnsteins. North of Detroit, Clarke delves into Aurora or the Northern Lights. The...

Federal agents did everything they could to drive the Branch Davidians out of the Mount Carmel Centre in the 1993 Waco Siege. Recordings of rabbits being slaughtered, flash grenades, and finally, tear gas to drive out the David Koresh and his followers. In part two of the Waco Siege, Clarke details the events that resulted in the fire on April 19th, 1993 that would end with a total death count of 76 people. The Waco Siege is surrounded in mystery and unconfirmed conspiracies, as is the...

'Unwelcomed pests, invasive three Save yourselves is natures plea' Justin shares with us his poetic side in episode 25 of @thesoftbrains, he tells us all about the damage of three invasive species. The zebra mussels, dandelions and the Norwegian rat. They've spread all over the world, damaging and infiltrating human environments. And human intervention hasn't exactly been the most helpful. Speaking of human intervention, Clarke tells us all about the ways that intervention can go wrong....

The water bear, the moss piglet, the tardigrade has had many names in the past. And despite it's small microscopic stature it's one of the most resilient creatures on Earth. It has survived Earth's mass extinctions, extreme temperatures and even, space. Justin tells us all about these tiny little 'slow steppers' and how they can survive virtually anything. A big part of it is their ability to curl up into a dehydrated ball and hibernate for up to 120 years! Unlike the microscopic...

The life of Jackie Chan or Chan Kong-Sang is one full of Kung Fu, organized crime and softcore porn. This week, Clarke tells us all about Jackie Chan and his escapades over the years including working with Bruce Lee, releasing 20 musical albums and owning a Segway dealership. One of the most recognizable stars in the world, Jackie Chan has got to have one of the most interesting histories of Hollywood's greatest. Black Dolphin isn't just a black dolphin, it's also one of Russia's toughest...

Natural disasters happen, it is an inevitability of living on Earth. What we choose to do when presented with warning signs of impending doom can make the difference between life and death. In 1985, there was a small town named Armero in Columbia. It sat in the shadow of Nevado del Ruiz, also known as La Mesa de Herveo or Kumanday: an enormous albeit quiet stratovolcano. The Earth rumbled and smoke came forth, telltale signs of what was to come. Why did thousands of people die? In a...

Everyone remembers that famous scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark. The movie is finishing up, the bad guys just got their faces melted off, and the government worker is wheeling the lost ark into the depths of a huge warehouse. Or is it a huge warehouse? It's actually a painting on glass called a 'matte painting.' This week, Clarke dives into how matte paintings have been used in Star Wars, the Wizard of Oz and Harry Potter. She explains the genius of the artist Christopher Evans and how he...

Episode 20 of The Softbrains has arrived! This week, we get right into the swing of things with part 2 of Justin’s investigation into Board Game history. The largest game manufacturer in the world didn’t get there by just making games; they became more and more successful by buying out their direct competitors. We're talking about the big guys, Milton Bradley and Hasbro included. We also explore one of The Softbrains’ favourite topics – ocean life, in the form of Sixgill Sharks. In a world...

Ancient Egyptian tombs have been around for thousands of years and for thousands of years, they’ve sat empty and desecrated due to extreme grave robbing. Some pharaohs made it out relatively unscathed, like King Tut… but why? Why was King Tuts tomb so famous and virtually untouched? Ancient Egypt is also the birthplace of one of the oldest board games in the world, dating back thousands of years. Dice are also super old and used to be made of BONE. This episode has a ton of history and LOTS...

Greyhounds have been around for thousands of years. Humans have been racing them since 1876. Florida recently banned all dog racing in the recent US midterm elections. Thousands of dogs are set to be homeless or worse. After the greyhounds, the Softbrains made their way over to Cuba. Where there have been multiple incidents of mysterious 'sonic attacks' throughout the last two years coined the Thing or the Havana Syndrome. Both CIA officers and state department officials have been effected...

This week we talked about the MET Gala, how to conserve synthetic polymers according to the costume institute, nail health, Tippi Hedren's visit to a Vietnamese refugee camp and so much more! Spoiler alert, there's a dress made out of bird skulls and a woman with 28 foot long nails. The Softbrains podcast is available on all major podcast apps including iTunes, Spotify and Google Play. If you like what you hear follow us on all social medias @thesoftbrains

Ladies and Germs, Boys and Ghouls, welcome to The Softbrains Halloween Spooktacular Special! We have a fantastic treat for our listeners this week; everything is a little extra spooky, with some creepy topics, some disturbing stories, and thrilling tunes. We talk about torture devices, varying from the pear of anguish, the head crusher, and thumbscrews... Maybe a serial killer used them before they chopped up their victims and fed them to the public! Listeners beware, you're in for a scare!