Midnight Facts for Insomniacs

Death, Misery, Folly, and Ponies: The Chilling History of Polar Exploration

Who was the first explorer to reach the North Pole? How about the South? It turns out that at least one of those answers is complicated, and although the controversy may never be laid to rest, plenty of would-be arctic conquerors were themselves laid to rest during the golden age of polar exploration. Join MFFI for the fascinating, brutal, bloody, pony-packed tale of the race for polar glory. 
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The Fiery, Pagan History of Halloween

Why do we wear costumes on Halloween? When did pumpkins and candy get involved? And how the heck do you pronounce "Samhain"?
Listen to find out...
~Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content.~Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD~Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com~Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word.~Follow us on INSTAGRAM

Lost Treasures: From Crown Jewels to Fabergé Eggs

After a series of deep-dive episodes chock full of useful information, the boys are back to form with an entirely off-the-rails and nonsensical romp through the history of some of the world's most famous, celebrated lost treasures. Pointless, silly fun. Enjoy!
~Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content.~Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD~Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com~Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word.~Follow us on INSTAGRAM

The Fascinating History of Personality Tests

Are personality tests accurate? How were they developed, how reliable is the science behind them, and which are most respected? Most importantly: which developers of personality tests were sexy MFers and which of them wrote erotic fiction about old men? Follow along to discover the strange history behind personality tests. 
~Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content.~Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD~Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com~Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word.~Follow us on INSTAGRAM

The Pirate, the Silk Road, and the Dark Web: Ross Ulbricht‘s Empire

Ross Ulbricht created the most notorious website in history when he launched the The Silk Road in 2011. An online marketplace for drugs, guns, poisons, and explosives, the Silk Road would become synonymous with the Internet's lawless new frontier: the so-called "Dark Web."
But what really IS the Dark Web? And how did a middle-class suburban kid become the notorious criminal kingpin known as the "Dread Pirate Roberts"?
Fire up your TOR browser and cover your digital tracks as you follow Shane and Duncan into the darkest depths of the web for a fascinating true story of drugs, contract killings, and betrayal.  
~Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content.~Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD~Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com~Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word.~Follow us on INSTAGRAM

Hunting for Easter Eggs: Secrets Hidden in Movies and Video Games

Ten episodes away from the big 1-0-0, the boys are hunting for the true origin story of the elusive video-game Easter egg. (Hint: Ready Player One got it wrong.) Follow along as Shane guides Duncan through some of the most famous, interesting, or pathetically failed examples of hidden content from movies and games. 
PS: is there an Easter Egg in episode 90? Guess you'll have to keep listening to find out...
~Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content.~Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD~Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com~Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word.~Follow us on INSTAGRAM

Common Misconceptions about Animals

Do bears really hibernate? What does the color green look like to a cat? And most importantly, is ice cream flavored with beaver butts? Find the answers to these and other essential animal-related questions in this week's episode of MFFI. 
In this episode:  
Do Bears Hibernate?
Are Bats Blind?
Can Dogs and Cats See Color?
Can Owls Spin Their Heads Around?
Are Penguins Monogamous?
Is Ice Cream Flavored With Beaver Butts?
Do Cats Love Milk?
Have Primates (Like Koko) Actually Learned Sign Language?
~Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content.~Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD~Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com~Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word.~Follow us on INSTAGRAM

Host Swap: Talking Slang

The word of the week is “tangent.“ This host-swap episode is supposedly about slang (like, for instance, “off the rails”), but it’s also about bees and legs and wives and Snoop D-O-Double-G. If you enjoy listening to the guys talk smack and ramble, enjoy. 
In this episode:  
Definition of Slang
History
Gig
Lit
23 Skidoo
Dumpster Fire
Salty
California Slang
Monkey's Uncle
The Bechdel Test
Inspo
Gucci
Mansplain 
Unplug
Ghost
~Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content.~Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD~Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com~Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word.~Follow us on INSTAGRAM

Unreal: The History and Secrets of Reality TV

Never say never. Shane swore that MFFI would never address the dreaded "K" family, but fate (and the Discord crew) had other plans. Join the boys for a fascinating dive into the putrid swamps of television history to learn how the scourge that is Reality TV conquered the entertainment world. 
In this episode:  
Reality Television VS Documentary Series
The Finances
SAG-AFTRA
Networks VS Production Companies
Writers Strikes
The History of Reality TV
American Family
Meet the Louds
Nummer 28
MTV
The Real World New York
Cast VS Editors
Expedition Robinson
Survivor Debuts
Types of Reality TV
Competition/Elimination Shows
Formatted Shows
Docu-Style Shows 
Soft Scripting
Story Narratives
Criticism and Controversy
Reality TV as Anthropological Experiment
Frankenediting
Joe Millionaire and the Slurp Heard Around the World
Liquor and Sexual Abuse Allegations
Product Placement
The Humiliation Factor/Shame TV
Tragedies
~Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content.~Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD~Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com~Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word.~Follow us on INSTAGRAM

Botched Coups and Failed Assassinations: The Bay of Pigs

You can’t win them all.
In 1961, America experienced the sting of its first truly humiliating public defeat, a debacle that played out in real time on the international stage. The bungled and bloody Bay of Pigs Invasion would mark the first major misstep of the Kennedy administration, and as “Operation Zapata” began to unravel in Cuba, the resulting scandal would undermine America’s carefully crafted image as a shining beacon of virtue.
In this episode:  
Fulgencio Batista
1933 Sergeants uprising
Mafia’s Playground
Fidel Alejandro Castro Ruz
Che Guevara
The Movement
The Moncada Army Barracks
26 of July movement
Granma Yacht 
Brain Drain
Dwight D Eisenhower
John Fitzgerald Kennedy
Operation Pluto
Phases One, Two, and Three
Operation Zapata
Sonic Booms
Brigade 2506
Carlos Rafael Santana Estevez
The Attack 
Mad Dog Flight
FAR T-33s
The Aftermath
Tractors 
Operation Mongoose
Poison Cigar
Exploding Mollusk
The Fountain Pen
Scuba Suit
Poison Pills
LSD Spray
Thallium Salts
~Become an Insomniac! Support the show on PATREON and unlock exclusive bonus content.~Join the community, chat with fellow insomniacs, and vote on episode topics via DISCORD~Send Shane and Duncan a message at midnightfactsforinsomniacs@gmail.com~Rep the show! Grab a tee or mug at the MIDNIGHT MERCH store and spread the word.~Follow us on INSTAGRAM