The Box of Oddities

• The Universe Is On The Other Line

  In this special interview episode of The Box of Oddities, Jethro sits down with acclaimed science journalist Becky Ferreira—author of the new book First Contact: The Story of Our Obsession with Aliens. Together they explore humanity’s oldest question: Are we alone? Ferreira, whose work has appeared in The New York Times, WIRED, Popular Science, MIT Technology Review, and NPR’s Science Friday, guides us through the deep history of alien speculation—from ancient Greek and Roman philosophers to Hopi star-people traditions to the modern UAP debate. Jethro taps into his inner UFO enthusiast as they dive into:• Why ancient cultures believed the sky itself was communicating with them• The earliest “alien life” theories from Christian and Muslim scholars• The Fermi Paradox, Drake Equation, and what science gets wrong about “Where is everybody?”• Water worlds like Europa and Enceladus, and why alien life may be hiding inside dark interior oceans• Whether interdimensional phenomena at places like Skinwalker Ranch could explain UAP encounters• How humans might emotionally—and chaotically—respond if we picked up an alien signal• The surprising ways religion is preparing for extraterrestrial discovery• Whether we’ll make contact in our lifetime… and what form it might take Ferreira’s insights blend cutting-edge astronomy with anthropology, psychology, and the strange human tendency to project our own fears and hopes onto the stars. Equal parts science, myth, and cosmic mystery, this conversation asks why the idea of alien life has been with us since the beginning—and why we can’t stop looking up. Becky Ferreira’s book First Contact is available now in hardcover, ebook, and audiobook wherever books are sold. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Sphinx Secrets & Oddball Animals

  What lies beneath the Great Sphinx of Giza—and why does it continue to fuel global obsession? In this episode of The Box of Oddities, Jethro uncovers the strange history, disputed radar scans, ancient legends, and modern controversies surrounding the Sphinx. From Edgar Cayce’s “Hall of Records” prophecy to seismic anomalies beneath the limestone, this deep dive explores why some experts insist it’s just geology while others believe an untouched vault—or even a lost city—still waits beneath those ancient paws. Then, Kat flips the script on the animal kingdom with a celebration of Earth’s rule-breakers—creatures that defy everything we expect from their species. Meet the herbivorous jumping spider, the underwater-breathing diving bell spider, mudskippers that drown in water, axolotls that never grow up, the egg-laying electrified platypus, the “Jesus Christ” lizard that walks on water, the immortal jellyfish, and more. These misfit marvels prove evolution has a wonderfully weird sense of humor. If you love ancient mysteries, bizarre biology, strange science, and the delightfully unexpected, this episode delivers maximum oddity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Carnival Corpses & Swiss Ogres

  In this episode of The Box of Oddities, JG resurrects one of America’s strangest carnival legends: the so-called “Mummy of John Wilkes Booth.” What begins with a mysterious deathbed confession unravels into a 60-year sideshow tour involving embalmed drifters, Civil War conspiracy theories, broken limbs, arsenic preservation, and a carnival circuit that cashed in on America’s morbid curiosity. Was the assassin of Abraham Lincoln secretly living under an alias in Texas? Or was his mummified “corpse” just another brilliant piece of ballyhoo? JG digs into eyewitness accounts, bizarre examinations by 1930s physicians, and the odd legacy of Memphis lawyer Finis L. Bates—whose obsession might have created the blueprint for modern macabre tourism. Then, Kat travels to Bern, Switzerland, to explore one of Europe’s most unsettling—and surprisingly misunderstood—public monuments: the 16th-century Kindlifresserbrunnen, the “Child-Eater of Bern.” Is this towering baby-devouring ogre a warning rooted in antisemitism? A Renaissance reinterpretation of the Greek titan Cronus? Or simply a nightmare-inducing way to keep children from misbehaving? Kat dives into competing theories, Renaissance symbolism, and the long, strange history of fear-based folklore carved into stone. Stick around for weird Google search stats, existential cat-judgment queries, and why Icelandair may be your gateway to ogre-themed tourism. It’s history, horror, hilarity, and human oddness—exactly what you come here for. This Box contains the following ingredients: John Wilkes Booth mummy, Finis L. Bates, David E. George, carnival sideshow history, American oddities, Kindlifresserbrunnen, Child-Eater of Bern, Swiss folklore, Cronus statue, Renaissance sculpture, weird history podcast, bizarre monuments, true oddities. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Inbox Of Oddities #64

  This week’s Inbox of Oddities brings a rapid-fire mix of weirdness, heartfelt moments, and full-blown BoO Effects. A listener questions whether Kat’s chicken-arm pistol props make a rooster “half-cocked,” another finds community through the story of activist Brownie Mary, and someone offers a critical PSA about the flavor of gummy anatomy. We get a dream-driven BoO Effect involving an unsolicited testicle donation, a listener who spots cosmic parallels between Robert Temple and The Kybalion, and a powerful message from someone who found comfort in the show on the day her father passed. Plus, a musician shares a chilling paranormal encounter in a Salt Lake City apartment filled with sentient breezes, phantom smells, and one final eerie goodbye. Short, strange, heartfelt, and perfectly Freak Fam. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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• Donuts for the Dead

  In this chilling and hilarious episode of The Box of Oddities, Jethro unwraps the eerie legend of Albuquerque’s haunted KiMo Theatre and its resident ghost—a little boy named Bobby whose tragic death in a 1951 boiler explosion left more than scorch marks behind. From phantom footsteps to mysteriously vanishing donuts, discover why local performers never dare take the stage without leaving sweets for Bobby. Then, Kat dives headfirst into one of pop culture’s most persistent conspiracies: Is Elvis Presley really dead? From DEA badges and bathroom mysteries to witness protection plots and alien abduction theories, this deep dive separates fact from fever dream. Join The Box of Oddities for an unforgettable mix of history, hauntings, and hilarity, where the paranormal meets pop culture. This Box contains the following ingredients:KiMo Theatre ghost story, Albuquerque haunted theater, Bobby KiMo ghost, Elvis Presley conspiracy, Elvis is alive theory, haunted theaters, ghost legends, paranormal podcast, The Box of Oddities, Jethro and Kat Tabor, ghost stories, pop culture mysteries, Elvis death theories, weird history podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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