In the late 19th century, several friends and Freemasons embarked on a strange endeavor -- creating their own secret society for the purpose of studying magic. While the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn may sound bizarre and obscure today, its existence had a profound impact on later, similar groups and systems. But what exactly was it? Perhaps more importantly -- did any of this magic work?

A caller asks about the true motivations of the Minerva Research Initiative. A listener living in India provides their perspective on a possible information war at play in India's ongoing farmer protests. A Conspiracy Realist asks whether they should be concerned about what happens to their genetic info after they submit it to a commercial gene mapping company. All this and more in this week's listener mail segment.

Eisenhower warned the public about the rise of the military-industrial complex back in his 1961 farewell address, and over the decades the public has become increasingly aware of the potential for corruption in the close relationship between the military and the private defense industry. But have you heard of the military-entertainment complex? It's the reason you see the US military in so many action films, and the reason Uncl...

Today the far-flung Pacific archipelago of Hawaii remains the newest, most distant state in the United States. But not so long ago, it was an independent country all its own, with an ancient culture, community, and monarchy. In today's episode, Super Producer Codename: Doc Holliday and special guest Dana Schwartz dive into the disturbing story of a vast conspiracy, exploring how plantation owners and the US government orchestra...

John Parsons Wheeler III -- Jack to his friends -- was a mover and shaker in the Defense industry. Over the course of his career he worked with three different Presidential administrations, and also built a reputation for his tireless charity work. So how can we explain the strange series of events that led to his untimely death, his body discovered in a landfill? Tune in to learn more.

When an unprecedented series of winter storms left millions of people throughout Texas struggling to survive without electricity or clean water, local authorities scrambled to get the lights back on--and to find a scapegoat. What exactly happened? What is it about Texas in particular that made the state so vulnerable to this weather, and what happens next? Tune in to learn more.

Massive protests continue across India as farmers fear the government has betrayed them in the service of large corporations. It appears Edvard Munch hid a secret message on the canvas of his iconic painting, 'The Scream.' And it seems multiple airplane engines are failing mid-flight, prompting authorities to raise concern about possible future accidents. All this and more in this week's Strange News.

From formula to pureed carrots, baby food is a massive -- and necessary -- industry. Each year millions upon millions of families search for the best, most nutritious food to feed their children, and there's no shortage of advice from experts and parents alike. However, it appears there's a secret to this industry: Numerous baby food products contain ingredients parents can't see on the label, including contaminants lik...

The movement known as Falun Dafa or Falun Gong began in China in the 1990s, and today people across the planet consider themselves practitioners. Adherents claim this combination of meditation, breathing exercises, mindfulness and moral philosophy is a path to enlightenment -- but the government of China disagrees. For decades Chinese authorities have considered Falun Gong a dangerous, subversive element. Since 1999 the government ...

A caller asks the gang to explore more of the larger dilemmas posed by social media censorship. A listener writes in to shed more light on the ongoing Mattress Firm enigma. An email about more augmented reality games inspires the gang to speculate about the increasing role of AR outside of gaming -- what happens when it becomes part of everyday life? All this and more in this week's listener mail.

Adrenochrome-- it's a real substance, and one sold openly online to labs with the proper paperwork. It's also mentioned in numerous works of literature, from Huxley's "The Doors of Perception" to Hunter S. Thompson's "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" and more. But what exactly is it? Why do people believe it's a sinister, evil drug used by hopelessly addicted elites in the worlds of finance, polit...