Midnight Facts for Insomniacs
A podcast of fascinating facts! What do extraterrestrial radio signals and a mushroom from Texas have in common? What is a “number station“ and why is it so spine-tinglingly creepy? Join comedians Shane Rogers and Duncan MacEwan for an entertaining and hilarious deep-dive into obscure facts from science, history and pop culture.
Episodes
In this chilling, thrilling, and revealing episode, MFFI explores the internet’s favorite collection of anonymous nightmares. From message boards to movie screens, the crowdsourced horror stories known as “creepypasta” have created legends, fueled obsessions, and, in one notorious case, inspired a real-life murder attempt. Follow along as Shane and Duncan unearth Slender Man, explore Candle Cove, and get lost in the B...
Which would be in your top 5? Tell us in the Discord...
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Access the entire back catalog of After Midnights, plus bonus episodes and video livestreams over at the brand new MFFI Patreon:
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Join the Midnight Masses!
Become an Insomniac by dropping a review, adding us on social media, and contacting us with episode ideas.
And we now have Midnight Merch! Show your Insomniac pride and pick up a te...
Back by popular demand (and dark ritual), this Halloween classic rises once more from the archives. Join Shane and Duncan for a deep dive into the strange, spooky origins of everyone’s favorite night of costumes, candy, and cultural confusion.
Lock the doors, light the jack-o’-lantern, and celebrate the season with this fan-favorite episode… now officially an annual tradition.
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Some objects are built with purpose. Others are built with ego, ambition…and a total disregard for scale. In this gargantuan episode, Shane and Duncan dive deep into the most colossal creations humans have ever unleashed on land, sea, and sky.
Prepare to meet the Seawise Giant, a ship so long it could cast shade on a city block. Marvel at Bagger 293, the German earth-eater that looks like it escaped from a kaiju movie. And brace yo...
It began with a shotgun, a missed shot, and a very nerdy debate.
In this record-breaking episode, Shane and Duncan track the origins of the Guinness Book of World Records, uncover the publishing quirks that made it a global phenomenon, and spotlight some of the most astonishing, hilarious, and downright unhinged feats ever committed to paper.
From competitive juggling to tattooed seniors a...
Some people collect coins. Others collect vomit bags, ventriloquist dummies, and an unsettling number of preserved penises.
In this bizarrely specific episode, Shane and Duncan dig into some of the strangest collections ever assembled, from thousands of bras to a lifelong bunny obsession. Follow along as the guys attempt to answer the age-old question: at what point does a hobby become a cry for help?
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Support the show by becoming a Midnight Minion, Menace, or Maniac, and unlock exclusive bonus content over at PATREON
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Chat with fellow insomniacs and vote on episode topics via DISCORD
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Join the Midnight Masses!
Become an Insomniac by dropping a review, adding us on social media, and contacting us with episode ideas.
And we now have Midnight Merch! Show your Insomniac pride and pick up a tee shirt or coffee mug to spread the...
Behind the desk, it was all smiles. Behind the scenes? Bloodbath.
This week, the gloves are off as Midnight Facts for Insomniacs dives into one of the pettiest showbiz showdowns of all time: the late-night talk show turf wars. From Carson’s couch to Conan’s catastrophe, MFFI unpacks the egos, betrayals, network screwjobs, and one very famous chin.
Three hosts. One desk. Zero chill.
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What do a disgraced pizza mogul, a Hollywood predator, a fugitive auto exec, and a guy who accidentally triggered a PR meltdown from a Coldplay Jumbotron have in common? Each one became the face of a very public corporate scandal.
This episode unpacks the downfall of John Schnatter, whose meltdown tanked Papa John’s; Harvey Weinstein, whose decades of abuse shook Hollywood to its core; Carlos Ghosn, the Nissan exec who escaped pr...
Every culture has traditions. Some honor the dead. Some feed the local monkey population. Some involve grown men in devil costumes leaping over rows of live infants.
In this episode, Shane and Duncan dive into the world’s weirdest festivals, from tomato-throwing mayhem to camel wrestling to an underwater concert.
Bring goggles. And maybe a helmet.
Grigori Rasputin was many things: a wandering mystic, a spiritual advisor to the Russian royal family, and according to persistent rumors, extremely difficult to kill. Was he actually a holy man with healing powers, or just a manipulative con artist who helped bring down an empire?
Most of what you think you know about Rasputin is wrong…but the truth is still pretty wild.
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The first episode covered the origins; now it’s time for the bloodbath. In part two of the Zizian cult series, Shane and Duncan unpack the chilling details of the group’s most violent acts: samurai swords, parricide, and a vegan warlord with delusions of grandeur. From the calculated murders to the dramatic downfall, this is the story of how an online ideology turned into a real-world body count.
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They preached compassion, practiced anarchy, and packed a samurai sword. In this episode, Shane and Duncan uncover the bizarre rise and explosive downfall of the Zizian cult—a fringe vegan collective turned militant commune. From utopian ideals to armed standoffs, it’s a tale of charisma, control, and a tugboat full of red flags.
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Support the show by becoming a Midnight Minion, Menace, or Maniac, and unlock exclusive...
From creatures that soar through moonlit skies with uncanny precision to those that hunt the forest in utter darkness, discover the fascinating adaptations that make these animals masters of the night.
Warning: Episodes may be irreverent, ridiculous, and/or mildly unhinged
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Support the show by becoming a Midnight Minion, Menace, or Maniac, and unlock exclusive bonus cont...
Join Shane and Duncan for a journey through the kaleidoscopic world of psychedelics...
Psilocybin (magic mushrooms), MDMA (ecstasy/molly), and LSD (acid)--once the darlings of counterculture--are now the focus of cutting-edge research into innovative therapies for anxiety and depression. In this irreverent host-swap episode, delve with Duncan into the science, the scandals, and the stories that make thes...
Sometimes the most dangerous place to be is on the clock.
This week, Shane and Duncan explore workplace events so disastrous that they reshaped industries and regulations worldwide. From the Texas City explosion that turned a harbor into a war zone, to the gas leak that exposed thousands to lethal chemicals, these aren’t just tragic accidents; they’re cautionary tales.
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Surviving a plane crash is one thing, but cutting off your own arm to escape a boulder? Whole different level. In this follow-up episode, Shane and Duncan are back with more jaw-dropping true stories of survival against impossible odds.
First up: the haunting ordeal of the sailors of the USS Indianapolis, who were left floating in shark-infested waters after one of the worst naval disasters in U.S. history. And finally: Aaron Ralst...
Stranded in the Andes. Lost in the jungle. Trapped in the desert with nothing but a questionable grasp of hydration. History is packed with jaw-dropping survival stories—some inspiring, some terrifying, and a few so ridiculous they strain credibility. In this episode, Shane and Duncan dive into the wildest tales of human endurance, sheer luck, and occasionally, just really poor life choices.
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It was the war to end all wars…until it wasn’t. In 1914, a tangled mess of alliances, ancient grudges, and questionable facial hair decisions erupted into one of the deadliest conflicts in human history. From the assassination that lit the fuse to the bizarre weapons and plot twists, this episode unpacks the chaos, carnage, and sheer absurdity of World War I.
Strap in for a deep dive into the Great War—...
Gloves on, mouthguards in—this week, Shane and Duncan are stepping into the ring to throw hands with the Sweet Science. How did a sport that started as an all-out brawl become a highly regulated, multi-billion-dollar industry? Who was the first true boxing superstar? And why do boxing matches always seem to spark as much controversy outside the ring as inside it? Lace up, listen in, and get ready for a heavyweight his...
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