InfoCast 5000
By Beren Mally
InfoCast 5000Aug 24, 2020
Dirty Bits: Hamburgers
The burger madness doesn't stop. More facts and stories between 2 podcasty buns to fill your appetite.
Ep. 57 Hamburgers: Round, Ground, Browned and Downed
Get a number 4 off the menu with us, open those choppers and earholes and listen the story of how this American staple got from the mongols to our mouths.
Dirty Bits: Rockets
Can't get enough rocket stories? We have explosion content for you this week, guest starring: Pigeons! Not sure what that means? We can't spoil the secrets for you all in the description! More tid bits behind rocket history coming at you! Russian revolutionaries! Failed Russian moon landing attempts! V-2 escapades! Dirty Bits!
Ep. 56 Rockets: The Final Frontier
Special guest: BJ from Medicine for the Dead podcast!
Lighting things on fire has always been fun, but its also how we got broke free of gravity's shackles and got ourselves to the moon. From the humble beginnings of bamboo and gunpowder to Nazi war secrets to cold wars, come with us as we travel across history to see how rockets got made!
Dirty Bits: Wigs
Looking for more wig on head action? You've come to the right place! This episode is chocked full of the wiggiest tales you could ever shake a a ball of fake hair at! From asian culture to the weaves of today, explore the bits and pieces we weren't able to fit into our normal script! Dirty Bits!
Ep. 55 Wigs: Get Wiggy With It
Dirty Bits: Laxatives
Heartfelt stories about poop that will touch your soul. You will laugh, you will cry, you will poop. This is dirty bits.
Ep. 54 Laxatives: Poison is our Friend
There was a time in human history when constipation was the number 1 scourge of society. This week we are taking a look at all the weird substances we used to ingest to get the old pipes churnin' and burnin'!
Taxidermy: Dirty Bits
Ep. 53 Taxidermy pt. 3: Akeley's Heel
Ep. 52 Taxidermy pt. 2: A Case of the Whimseys
Ep. 51 Taxidermy pt. 1: Arsenic is Forever
Worried about dry skin? Don't worry, the Infocast boys are here to provide you with one of the best youth-preserving techniques out there today! That's right, we are giving you the historical rundown of how you can keep looking your best after you expire. The ancient Egyptians may have been the first but what came after that? Listen and find out!
Dirty Bits: Refrigerators + The Blood Story
We'll spin you tales of refrigerator past, the rise and fall of icemakers, the return of the ice king, the harrowing tale of a mysterious pool of blood. Join us for our relaxed fit bits that didn't quite make it into the actual script, the dirty bits!
Ep. 50 Refrigerators: Cold Chain Logistics
Pop open that door for a midnight snack of historical factoids on how we got from harvesting dirty snow to the compressors and evaporators that keep our leftover pizza cold. Ruthless ice pirates, ruthlesser scientists, the world of refrigeration is full of players. Join us while we try to figure out why refrigerators exist!
Dirty Bits: Dice
Ep. 49 Dice: Dice, Baby
Dirty Bits: Monster Trucks
The proverbial dirty bits are down in the bog this time around! We've got a Gravedigger origin story, we look at how ESPN took off and some monster truck show calamities. Join us as we cross the finish line on our monster truck series.
Ep. 48 Monster Trucks pt. 2: Two Boys in a Bog
Climb up and strap in for our continuance on monster truck history! A new challenger has appeared! Mud will fly, exhaust will fume, trucks will truck!
Ep. 47 Monster Trucks: Mud, Sweat and Tears
What's that coming down the track? Is it an egg? No! It's a gigantic truck screaming through the dirt about to do a half-gainer backflip 30 feet in the air. We are starting at the origins of one of the most ridiculous and meticulously-engineered specimens of American culture this week: the monster truck!
It's a new year and we are back with a new season!
It's a trailer!
Let Infocast 5000 relieve the aches and pains of not knowing the history behind common objects, traditions, institutions. Discover why everything exists with Sam and Beren every Monday morning!
Dirty Bits: Werewolves
Ep. 46 Werewolves pt. 2: Never Cheat on A Werewolf
This week the boys finish their Halloween two parter by sharing how werewolves were viewed by medieval Europe , bringing you the highs, the lows, and everything in between . Just make sure you're never accused of were-wolfing , it doesn’t end well...
Ep. 45 Werewolves pt. 1: Womulus and Wemus
Join us as we journey into the howl-filled night to discover how deep werewolf lore actually goes. The Greeks and Romans loved these beasts and we'll find out why. We'll explore the origins of ancient, eldritch wolf gods that form what we know as modern werewolf mythology today. Welcome to spooky month here at Infocast 5000!
Dirty Bits: Handkerchiefs
What does it mean if Dave in accounting starts flossing himself with a handkerchief while staring at you? Explore the cryptic language of Victorian flirting with us and find out. We will also be going into the history of the paisley bandana, and last but not least, a very cursed commercial that's likely to get you in the right Spooktober mood. Throw the hanky on the floor because this week, we are getting dirty ya'll.
Announcement Regarding Older Episodes
In celebration of the fall harvest, we have decided to let magic gremlins eat some of our older episodes. If you wish to hear anything "vintage" please e-mail me at infocast5000@gmail.com and I will be happy to send you an MP3 of whatever it is you need to hear.
Love you all! Be safe! Thanks for listening!
Ep. 44 Handkerchiefs: One for Show , One to Blow
They are tokens of affection, effects of personal hygiene, deliverers of words that can inspire revolutions. Join us as well talk about how the humble handkerchief filled every one of these roles, and more! It may seem like an innocuous enough of an object, but there is important historical significance in the nose-blanket. Get out your fave hanky, wipe the tears from your eyes and get ready for another wild historical journey!
Intro music: Carbon Kin/Fangs to Prove
Outtro: Inossi/Midnight Drive
Dirty Bits: Mascots
We still have more tales to share with you as our journey into mascots reaches the final leg. We've covered sports history, but what about pancakes? We are discussing what makes Aunt Jemima such a controversial figure among breakfast tables everywhere! We are talking about a giant orange sewer monster known only...as Gritty! We are going into the tragic figure of Charles "Victory" Faust! Don't bother with the soap for this one listeners, these are very dirty bits indeed.
Ep. 43 Mascots pt. 2: Are You Not Entertained ?!
Welcome to the 20th century, where mascots turn from shamanic good luck charms to cute, fuzzy anthropomorphs ready to sell merch and dance for your entertainment. We are shining a light on what manifest destiny means to *ahem* certain football teams, and have a large serving of delicious, muppety goodness as well!
Ep. 42 Mascots part 1: The Caul of the Game
The ocean of silly, dancing mascots is deeper than you think. How exactly did the concept of a 'good luck' charm roll around? What were mascots before the muppetized versions we think of today? Join us, Infocasters, as we journey back in time where the world of mascots was both simultaneously horrifying and wondrous.
Ep. 41 Fairy Tales pt. 3: Hail the Monkey King!
We cap off our fairy tale exploration this week with a dive into a little known tale called Journey Into the West, one of the four great classical novels of Chinese literature. We will be talking about how this story has influenced media in both Asian and European-based worlds, narrative structure in myth, and, how someone goes about peeing on the Buddha's finger. Grab your galaxy-smashing staff and take a journey with us to the East when ancient China was a bit more...magical.
Ep. 40 Fairy Tales pt. 2: Coyote vs. the World
Welcome back to the world of fantasy and myth! We are taking a look at some Native American myth revolving around our favorite tricky dog: Coyote. How did this figure impact tribal creation stories? What are the roots behind casting such a mischievous figure in such an important role? Can a Coyote poop farther than a crow? All this answered and more on this weeks episode!
Intro music by: Carbon Kin
Flute music: Lonetreemusic
Outtro: Inossi/Midnight Drive
Ep. 39 Moonbounce: We Come To Scream in the BouncyHouse
Dirty Bits: Prosthetics
Elephant prosthetics! Knife hands! One-legged tap dancers! We are at the last "leg" of our prosthetics series but still have a bunch to share with you. Welcome to our relaxed fit where we go off script and get a lil' dirty!
Ep. 38 Prosthetics pt 4: Lt. Dan's Space Age Legs
Ep. 37 Prosthetics pt 3: Don't Let Your Babies Grow up to be Pirates
Yarr matey it's time for ye to come aboard because this episode is chocked full o' those dirty scoundrel pirates! We are exploring the literary influences that pushed iconic prosthetic characters into our media either through amazing deeds, or through treachery. If that weren't enough ya landlubber, we talk about Mr. Charles Dickens himself and how he may have influenced how we see amputees and veterans to this very day!
Ep. 36 Prosthetics pt 2: Gotz to Have it!
We are talking about 2 legends of the prosthetic world this week. One was a warrior-poet who was paid by the rich but gave back to the poor. The other was a surgeon who gave the gift of a second life to soldiers who had lost their limbs in battle. Travel back to medieval times (not the pizza joint) with Sam and Beren as we dig into the uplifting stories of what were generally dark times of human history.
Ep. 35 Prosthetics pt 1: One Toe in the Grave
Get in your mental hot air balloon because it's time to go back to ancient Egypt and set the record straight on just how important carved toes were to the development of prosthetics in modern society. If that weren't enough, we are also reading the escapades from one of the most badass roman soldiers ever to lose a hand in glorious battle. Part 1 begins today babies.
Intro music: Carbon Kin
Period music: Jimmy Free @ www.jimmyfree.club
Dirty bits: Handcuffs
This week we are talking electric cuffs to put a pep in the step of the binded and a pair of iron mitts designed to keep you from grasping anything beyond your current situation. Last round of handcuff history for ya'll, we are covering some things you may not have heard about yet.
Ep. 34 Handcuffs pt 2: Houdini's Butthole
B-b-back from the Victorian up to the modern we are talking about the handcuff stories you haven't heard about. Was Houdini actually magic? Is Japanese hard to pronounce? We are answering the real questions here by talking about the master escape artist himself, and a little BDSM to get you in the mood.
Ep. 33 Handcuffs pt 1: Off the Cuff
Dirty Bits: Tattoos
Put on them comfy sweatpants we are gonna relax and let our hair down a bit and talk about some aspects of tattoos we haven't covered yet. Personal tats, modern tattoo culture, prison tats, we got it all baby. Enjoy the extra content!
Ep. 32 Tattoos pt 4: Sex, Drugs & Sailors
Ep. 31 Tattoos pt 3: A Head of the Game
Ep. 30 Tattoos pt 2: Forbidden Ink
Ep. 29 Tattoos pt. 1: Naked Blue Warriors
Ep. 28 Hand Sanitizer
Ep. 27 Girl Scout Cookies
This week, listen to the soothing sounds of two drunk boys yelling about Girl Scout cookie conspiracies. There's a lot of dough at stake in that cookie business, where does it all go? When did little girls selling cookies become a thing or has it always been this way since the beginning of time? Git out yer big frosty glass of milk and trust no-one!
Ep. 26 Touchscreens
This week, Sam will touch your heart with the story behind the screen you use everyday. That's right critters, the harbinger of the robot apocalypse, the touchscreen, has been around for longer than you think. Not only are we talking about how they got here, but also how they work. Ch-ch-ch-check it!
Snow Plows: Infoshort 5000
Ep. 25 Coffins
That's right boys and ghouls, this week we are going into the creation behind one of the most traditional ways to bury the dead, and...um...some other questionable ways as well.