Conspiracy theories

In the 1st century B.C.E., competition between Roman senators was stiff — even deadly. When a politician named Catiline learned he'd been knocked out of the running, he organized a coup to overthrow the Roman government entirely. And let's just say, he didn't end up getting his way. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the 15th century, the Medicis were the most powerful banking family in Italy. Members of a rival banking family known as the Pazzi attempted to overthrow them but failed. What would the world look like today if the Medici line had ended in 1478? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Imagine living with a secret so big, if anyone were to find out, it would change everything. From love affairs and fake identities to heists and murder — do you think you could take a secret like that to the grave? Discover the most explosive things people have admitted to just moments before the end in the new Spotify Original from Parcast, Deathbed Confessions. Listen to an exclusive clip from the first episode right here, then search and follow “Deathbed Confessions” to hear more. New episodes air weekly! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Remember, remember the 5th of November? You might remember it differently had Guy Fawkes and his team successfully blown up Parliament back in 1605. For two weeks, Conspiracy Theories is examining what happened when secret plots brought the world to the brink of monumental change — then backfired. Don't miss the rest of this four-part series, running through the end of July! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In 1944, a group of Adolf Hitler's top-ranking officials devised a plot to kill the Nazi leader and end his reign for good. But things didn't exactly go as planned... For the next two weeks, Conspiracy Theories is examining what happened when secret plots brought the world to the brink of monumental change — then backfired. Don't miss this four-part series, running through the end of July!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

During World War II, hidden power stations below Grand Central Station may have been the target of a Nazi attack. A hidden tunnel might still be reserved for U.S. government officials. And reports suggest that police have orchestrated — and covered up — brutal acts of violence within the storied station. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's an American icon, and an important piece of United States history. When Grand Central Station opened its doors in 1913, it stood as an opulent monument to ingenuity. But the glittering surface covered decades of complicated history, and more than a few winding secrets… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Among his many high-profile roles, Franklin still managed to keep some affairs out of the public eye. The figurative and literal skeletons hiding in his closet posed many questions: Was Franklin a serial killer? Did he serve as a double agent during the Revolutionary War? And how far would he go to cover up his sexual escapades? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

He's famous for being a Founding Father and a groundbreaking inventor. But behind his electric experiments, Benjamin Franklin kept dark secrets not taught in the history books — stories marked with adultery, betrayal, manslaughter, and possible treason. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This summer, sift through the files of America's most covert organization in a special collection from Parcast Network. From secret alliances to global cover-ups, uncover the cold, hard facts and unproven theories surrounding the CIA. Listen to a clip from the first episode here, on the domestic mind control program known as Project MK-Ultra. Then search and follow “Conspiracy Theories: CIA Edition” for declassified episodes every Thursday. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Twenty years after NASA landed the first rover on Mars, theorists believe there's more to the Red Planet than reported. Has NASA uncovered hints of an ancient civilization? Did our ancestors receive help from the Martians? Or better yet, is man already colonizing Mars?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the ancient Egyptians to 16th-century scientists to NASA today — fascination with the Red Planet spans thousands of years. But Mars holds endless mysteries. How close are we to finding them out?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Centuries after his death, Nostradamus is still a household name, but his accuracy, methods, and reputation are all up for debate. What do we know about how he made his prophecies, and how does he get connected to modern global crises — including 9/11 and the COVID-19 pandemic? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The deaths of kings. The makings of popes. Famines of entire civilizations. Nostradamus became famous in the 16th century for his predictions of the future. But was he nothing more than a con man?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After the mysterious death of his father in 1993, Michael Jordan retired unexpectedly. The decision sparked rumors of mob connections, gambling addictions, and covered-up suspensions that NBA fans are still trying to get to the bottom of.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Was the 1985 NBA draft lottery rigged? Facing disillusioned fans and dwindling TV viewers, NBA commissioner David Stern changed how the draft was done. Goodbye coin toss, hello televised lottery. But some fans think he did more than change the rules — he bent them.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When do conspiracy theories stop being theories? Today's episode visits real accounts of deadly misconduct committed at scale by governments and businesses. Poisoned alcohol, contaminated medicine, mind control experiments — in every case, the truth came out… eventually.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Reptile overlords. Pizzagate. QAnon. What makes conspiracy theories so alluring, and why are some more unshakeable than others? Today's episode breaks down the driving forces behind false narratives, and what happens when true believers take extreme actions.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Even expert primatologists can't agree on whether Bigfoot exists. Is it all a hoax, or is the creature more intelligent — or cosmic — than we give it credit for? Maybe there really is undeniable evidence that could lay the sasquatch question to rest… but it's being squashed by government agencies. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's the most-glimpsed creature that doesn't exist. A mysterious ape-man whose legends date back centuries. But while the stories shift and morph, some elements remain the same: The giant footprints. The rancid smell. The hairy, humanoid shape. And the lingering question — if Bigfoot isn't real, why does he keep showing up?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

They say a Bonesman is for life… Their secret bond might have led to the creation of another clandestine organization: the CIA. Some even wonder if it was the Bonesmen who ordered the hit on JFK. But these might just be a few small steps in a master plan for a new world order. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Formed at Yale in 1832, a fraternal secret society counts media moguls, CIA operatives, even U.S. presidents in its roster. But with only 800 living members, those odds seem too good to be true — which is why some wonder if Skull and Bones is part of a plan for world domination. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In April 2021, Bitcoin hit its all time high of over 60K per coin — and it's still growing. While Bitcoin's creator still remains in the shadows, there are whispers that the cryptocurrency will one day replace the U.S. dollar as the world's global currency. Although some fear it will lead to the apocalypse… since Bitcoin was seemingly predicted in the Bible. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

An enigmatic creator. A much-hyped cryptocurrency. Bitcoin might be paving the way for a financial revolution, but critics say the digital dollar is a perfect cloak for criminals and cybercrimes.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

RFID tags have become a paper-thin, barely detectable building block of our economy — but they aren’t without controversy. Skeptics cite concerns over data theft and privacy violations, while rumors of a Bill Gates-funded government plot to implant chips in people exploded in 2020. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

A spy device developed during the Cold War has evolved into ubiquity, used for everything from tracking cow medications to locating nuclear materials. But when companies began using the technology to gain intel on their customers, consumer and privacy groups sounded the alarm — igniting fears of unprecedented surveillance and even associations with the antichrist.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wayne Simmons had a dramatic 27-year career with the CIA taking down cartels and busting arms smugglers — or did he? The ex-CIA military analyst and cable news star stands accused of being a fraud. Hosted by the reporter who broke the story, Impostors follows the investigation into who Wayne Simmons really is… Hero, or conman? Impostors is a Spotify Original from Parcast. Produced by Topic Studios and Transmitter Media. Hosted by Alex French. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After boarding a plane to visit her estranged husband in 1986, Marcela Basteri disappeared. Her whereabouts are still a mystery. Some believe she suffered a psychotic break, or abandoned her family to start a new life. But others point to a different theory: the mother of the famed Luis Miguel was murdered.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As one of Mexico’s biggest pop stars, Juan Gabriel’s talent and rags-to-riches story were legendary. But despite his fame, he was able to keep an astonishing number of secrets — ones that resulted in speculation over his life and death, and a fight over his vast estate.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

To this day, no one knows what made Berenger Saunier so incredibly wealthy. Some believe he uncovered ancient treasure from the Knights Templar. Others claim he held secrets about Jesus Christ. Maybe the priest was nothing more than a conman with a side hustle. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Every year, thousands of people flock to a tiny French village to solve an ancient mystery. A 19th-century priest acquired a massive fortune while renovating a local parish, but was it treasure — or knowledge — that garnished him with such wealth?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is the threat posed by global warming as imminent as it seems? Is it possible that corporations are manipulating data (and exploiting our fears) to make an extra buck? And how likely is it that humans aren’t to blame after all? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the last century, the fossil fuel industry has exploded. Carbon emissions are at an all time high. Wildfires and hurricanes are on the rise. Our planet's temperature is heating up at an exponential rate. But is global warming a misunderstood phenomena — and is it too late to turn back the clock?  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The world looked on in shock when an assassin shot Pope John Paul II in May 1981. The official story was that a crazed lone gunman was to blame, but some theories suggest the attack may have been part of one of the biggest international coverups of all time…  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1917, three children in Fatima, Portugal received a series of prophetic messages that were kept secret for decades — first at the behest of the heavenly message-giver, and then by the Vatican itself. When all three secrets were finally revealed, they made for an apocalyptic story of war, destruction… and redemption.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Over the centuries, a stash of secret documents kept by priests ballooned into millions of documents. Known as the Vatican Secret Archive, it’s rumored to contain the world’s largest collection of pornography, proof of Jesus Christ, and even predictions of the end of the world.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, Vatican City is known as an elegant seat of divine power and prestige. But the centuries-long history of the Vatican is marked by bloodshed, corruption — and more secrets than the Church would like to admit.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When it comes to government surveillance, most people likely have little to hide. But did a partnership with Silicon Valley unlock unprecedented levels of personal data? And how effective was the PRISM program at catching terrorists after all? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the aftermath of 9/11, the government-approved PRISM surveillance program was meant to help keep America safe from terrorist attacks. But NSA contractor Edward Snowden blew the whistle in 2013, implicating an invasive system that spied with impunity on everyday citizens. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

During the Cold War, many believed the Soviet’s greatest weapon was fear. Did they fake a UFO landing in New Mexico to terrify Americans? Or were they actually equipped with highly advanced aircraft that was only confused for — or inspired by — alien technology? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Meteor crashes with no remains, metallic objects over small villages, and jellyfish creatures hovering above city centers... These were just a few UFO sightings within the Soviet Union in the last century. Did the USSR cover up the truth about its extraterrestrial visitors? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

CIA agent Kermit Roosevelt led a covert operation to overthrow Iran's Prime Minister in 1953. But Operation Ajax didn’t go according to plan. Theories about it continue to this day, ranging from whether Roosevelt went rogue and hatched his own plan, to what Iranian politics would look like today without foreign intervention. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Iran nationalized its oil fields, a seminal coup erupted in 1953. It appeared to be a spontaneous revolution — but many began to wonder if it had in fact been engineered by international intelligence agencies in order to reclaim the oil industry. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

New Coke was one of the biggest commercial flops in American history, and a massive success for Coca-Cola. Executives collected huge bonuses while original Coke sales spiked. Which leads some to wonder: Was New Coke's failure the plan all along? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1886, an Atlanta-area pharmacist created an American institution: Coca-Cola. Seven years later, their rival, Pepsi, debuted. Since then, the soda giants have battled for market dominance. How far would they go to come out on top? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

19th century author Mary Shelley is known for penning the classic horror novel, Frankenstein. But many contest her authorship. Were Mary and other female authors victims of a sexist industry? Or was there more going on behind the scenes? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye has been held as a seminal book of required reading in America. But after multiple acts of violence were linked back to it, people wondered if the text could incite people to do malicious things… Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dracula wasn’t the only frightful fiction conjured by Irish author Bram Stoker… In this retelling of “The Judge’s House,” a Cambridge student is overcome with curiosity — then dread — as he faces an evil man’s terrifying legacy. Listen to Part 1 right here, then search “Haunted Places: Ghost Stories” to hear Part 2, when the Judge himself comes calling…  Haunted Places: Ghost Stories is a Spotify Original from Parcast. Every Thursday, find a new tale of terror from some of history’s greatest authors. Listen free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On April 3rd, 1996, the weather in Croatia wasn't great — but it wasn't bad enough to explain why experienced Air Force pilots crashed into a mountain. Many suspect that Ron Brown's flight was sabotaged by a terrorist organization, the Croatian government, or maybe even by the Clintons themselves. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In 1996, during a trade mission to Croatia, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Ron Brown and 34 other passengers died in a plane crash — one that seemed too bizarre to chalk up to an accident. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many experts believe the world will run out of oil in the next 30 years, and some people think the looming scarcity inspired unconscionable acts — like the Iraq War in 2003. But there might be massive reserves under our feet that oil companies don't want you to know about.