534: DEEP DIVE: The Labyrinth Below: Derinkuyu's Ancient Mysteries

The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason is a compilation of pamphlets offering financial advice that were distributed by banks and insurance companies in the 1920s. The book presents timeless principles for managing your money in the form of “Seven Cures for a Lean Purse” (how to acquire wealth) and “Five Laws of Gold” (how to preserve and grow wealth).

The simple principles are illustrated by parables set more than 4,000 years ago in the wealthy city of Babylon. Clason’s message is that if you work hard, save, live within your means, and invest wisely, you can become wealthy.

Venture into the chilling world of unsolved mysteries with Ashleigh Kelly and Alaina Urquhart in the third episode of their gripping podcast, 'Morbid'. This particular episode pulls you into the timeless enigma of the Dyatlov Pass Incident, where nine experienced Russian explorers met implausible tragedy. Our charismatic hosts weave an atmospheric narrative of the chilling event, unravelling the multi-layered complexities of deviated itinerary, unsettling autopsy reports, and hasty escape attempts that make the incident macabrely fascinating.

Beyond the investigation, versatile hosts Ashleigh Kelly and Alaina Urquhart build a palpable connection with their audience, inviting them to contribute topics and continue the discourse on social media. They affirm their commitment to crafting a deeply engaging and interactive true crime podcast that resonates with their listeners, taking the narrative from mere recitation to an immersive mystery-solving experience for their followers, ensuring 'Morbid' is more than just a podcast; it's a community of curious minds unfolding the world's most eerie enigma.

In this episode of "Stuff You Should Know", co-hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant delve into the chilling account of the Hyatt Regency Skywalk disaster. Echoing through the annals of US history, this horrifying event claimed 114 lives and injured hundreds. Yet, the catastrophe was not simply a product of unfortunate circumstances, but a consequence of structural negligence. Clark and Bryant explore the events of that fateful day, from the immediate panic to the intense rescue operations and the subsequent investigation into the disaster's cause.

Their narrative isn't limited to the physical aspects of the disaster. In moving detail, they uncover the human narrative that seeped from the wreckage - tales of survival, bravery, loss, and community response. They reveal how the consequences rippled beyond the immediate victims impacting Kansas City, and even reshaping international regulations in civil engineering. In this compelling episode, listeners are invited to consider the profound, lasting impacts of the Hyatt Regency disaster.

Have you always wanted to understand the natural world but found science classes tedious and science textbooks difficult to understand? Author Bill Bryson can relate—that was his motivation for researching and writing A Short History of Nearly Everything. The book is an accessible overview of the natural sciences that describes not only the important discoveries but also the unknowns and controversies that still exist in the sciences, like the mystery of missing mass in the universe and the puzzling details of human evolution.

In this guide, we’ve organized key topics from Bryson’s book into a concise chronology covering the origins of the universe, the geologic history of planet Earth, and the history of life on Earth. We’ll also analyze the scientific issues that Bryson brings up in light of recent scientific papers and compare his perspective to that of scientists like Stephen Hawking.

Our human ancestors lived through the ice age, when a third of North America was covered by ice and woolly mammoths wandered the Earth. What was our continent really like in that not-so-distant period of geologic time? It may surprise you.

Dive into the depths of our planet with "Stuff You Should Know" hosts Josh Clark and Chuck Bryant as they skillfully unearth the history and significance of plate tectonics. From the foundational myths of figures like Helena Blavatsky to the groundbreaking scientific contributions of Alfred Wegener, they explore the tumultuous journey toward accepting the theory that profoundly changed our understanding of Earth's dynamic crust. This episode not only charts the early conception of continental drift but also pays homage to the indomitable curiosity that propels scientific discovery.

The conversation ventures into the present-day mechanics of tectonic movements, detailing the monumental role they play in sustaining Earth's habitability. The duo elucidates how shifting plates shape our landscapes, influence global climates, and even craft cultural narratives, including our storytelling and speculative future geological formations like 'Pangea Proxima.' The hosts' engaging narrative transcends geological discussion, unexpectedly delving into the realm of pet nutrition and the credibility of veterinary expertise, further demonstrating their commitment to addressing listener curiosities and fostering an invaluable educational experience.

Dive into the enthralling history of New York City's water system with Chuck Bryant and Josh Clark in a riveting episode of "Stuff You Should Know." Explore the transformation from 17th-century humble sources to today's state-of-the-art infrastructure that quenches the thirst of millions. Bryant and Clark, with the aid of Dave Ruzzo's extensive research, take you on a journey through the city's challenging past, from the Collect Pond to groundbreaking innovations like the Catskill and Delaware Aqueducts.

Through engaging storytelling and spirited dialogue, the duo uncovers the role of gravity in powering this modern marvel and reflects on the standout impact it has on New York's famous culinary traditions. They blend scientific explanation with cultural phenomena, including popular myths surrounding New York's bagels and pizza. Listen as they share not just facts and figures, but personal preferences and lively anecdotes that bring the tale of NYC's water system to life. The podcast goes beyond mere narration, fostering a connection with listeners by inviting discussions, sharing community stories, and reflecting on the deep ties between a city and its lifeblood.

Many new cities are being planned and built around the world. These cities give us the chance to start all over again in creating solutions for climate change, transportation, and space constraints. In Part II of our two-part series on cities of the future, we’ll explore how city designers are dealing with rising sea levels: by creating floating cities or relocating existing ones, seeking novel transportation arrangements, and getting around space constraints by building vertically or going under the sea. However, most of these solutions will only work for a limited number of people. We need to find ways to make sure that the world’s poorest don’t get left behind.

The Richest Man in Babylon by George S. Clason is a compilation of pamphlets offering financial advice that were distributed by banks and insurance companies in the 1920s. The book presents timeless principles for managing your money in the form of “Seven Cures for a Lean Purse” (how to acquire wealth) and “Five Laws of Gold” (how to preserve and grow wealth).

The simple principles are illustrated by parables set more than 4,000 years ago in the wealthy city of Babylon. Clason’s message is that if you work hard, save, live within your means, and invest wisely, you can become wealthy.

In The Silk Roads, historian Peter Frankopan identifies Central and Western Asia as the crossroads of human civilization, the birthplace of the world’s major religions, the battleground where the great empires of history rose and fell, and the garden from which today’s global economy first sprouted. He argues that understanding the East is crucial to our understanding of the world—particularly for Westerners who have lost this global perspective.

In ancient times, trade routes known as the Silk Roads first brought European merchants to the luxury markets of the East, enabling the flow of both material goods and ideas from East to West. According to Frankopan, the Silk Roads have always been history’s crucial connection point, spreading not just luxury goods like silk and spices, but also technology, religion, languages, cultures, ideologies, and even conflicts and diseases. In this guide, we explore Frankopan’s history of the Silk Roads, while also incorporating insights and feedback from other scholars to supplement his analysis.

What was the secret that kept ancient Greeks and early Christians from fearing death? In The Immortality Key, attorney and scholar Brian Muraresku argues that the origins of Christianity are rooted in the psychedelic rituals of ancient Greek life and that these rituals allowed people to embrace their mortality.

Presenting a decade’s worth of research and evidence, Muraresku delves into the origins of Christianity, its overlap with pre-existing pagan customs, and its eventual diversion. Along the way, he asks how we might glean some wisdom from those ancient traditions to reconsider the place of psychedelics in the modern world—can a transcendent experience provide a key to our immortality?

In this guide, we’ll discuss the evidence and arguments Muraresku presents about Christianity and its connection to Greek paganism, as well as his questions about what psychedelics have to offer humanity. We’ll also explore current research and varied viewpoints regarding the use of psychedelics for therapeutic purposes.