The Internet Says it’s True

Harry Kellar: The Real Wizard of Oz

Legend has it that Harry Kellar, a man who was once the most well-known magician in the world, was the inspiration behind the Wizard of Oz character in the popular L. Frank Baum children's books. In this episode, we learn a little bit about Harry Kellar, a little bit about the Wizard of Oz and a little bit about my wife, Alison!

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The Invention of WiFi and Hedy Lamarr

Was film star Hedy Lamarr responsible for the invention of wireless internet? In this episode, we find out about her amazing (and somewhat tragic) life and find out if the internet says it's true! Then we play a quiz game with Cameron Zvara!

 

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Mac and Cheese: Thomas Jefferson's Fault?

Apparently there's a legend that Founding Father and 3rd United States President, Thomas Jefferson introduced Macaroni and Cheese to America. Since I had never heard this before, I take to the Internet in this episode to see if it's true. Then I invite The Albino Rhino, Matt Gwinn, on the show to play a quick quiz!

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Who was John Doe? A History of the Generic Name

We're all familiar with the use of "John Doe" or "Jane Doe" as a placeholder name or when an identity is unknown. But where did the name come from? This week, we do a deep dive into the history of John Doe and find out who he really was - then do a quick quiz with podcaster Wize Otero! 

Bonus content is available on patreon.com/michaelkent

Overthrowing the Government: The Insurrection in Wilmington

There has been one successful coup d'état in American History - a successful violent overthrowing of a city government in 1898. Sadly, it's a story of violence, politics and white supremacy.  In this episode, we explore an unpleasant chapter of America's history that not many people know and then lighten the mood with a quiz at the end.

Bonus content is available at patreon.com/michaelkent

The End of the World: A Doomsday News Video

Throughout the 1980s, there were rumors that CNN had produced a video to be broadcast if the world was ending. More than 30 years later, a former intern from the news network was able to shed some light on the subject. In this episode, we explore the famed "CNN Doomsday Tape" and quiz Comedian and Screenwriter Jay Black!

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Introducing: The Internet Says it's True

We’re back for a second season and this time with a brand new name - I’m introducing “The Internet Says it’s True!”

Every week a listener calls in with something they’ve recently learned from the Internet and I do a deep dive to learn  all about it. It’s a show about learning new things. Sometimes they’re histories that we feel like we should have already known about like The hidden village under Central Park and sometimes they’re trivial things like the fact that the guy who invented Pringles was buried inside a Pringles can!

James Brown 1968: Healing a Nation’s Wounds (REBROADCAST of Episode 21)

I’m taking a few weeks off from the podcast, and since it’s Black History Month, I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight a few of the stories that I’ve done that honor the contributions and legacies of Black Americans. This week we’re going back to just a few weeks ago to Episode 21. Here’s “James Brown 1968: Healing a Nation’s Wounds”, originally broadcast on January 25th of this year.

I recently learned that historians credit a 1968 James Brown concert with saving the city of Boston from riots after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In this special episode, I tell the story of the Boston Garden Concert and how it almost never happened. Then we quiz my friend Josh Quillen.

The Black Swallow of Death: The Tale of Eugene Bullard (REBROADCAST of Episode 13)

I’m taking a few weeks off from the podcast, and since it’s Black History Month, I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight a few of the stories that I’ve done that honor the contributions and legacies of Black Americans.   This week I’m going back to the thirteenth episode of Tell Me What to Google. Here’s “The Black Swallow of Death: The Tale of Eugene Bullard”, originally broadcast on November 30 of 2020.

Not many Americans know about the first black fighter pilot, Eugene Bullard. He was one of the most decorated War Heroes in France, fought in two world wars, was a spy, a jazz drummer, a boxer...and he was an American. In this episode, we explore the history of this amazing man.

The Hidden Village Under Central Park (REBROADCAST of Episode 2)

I’m taking a few weeks off from the podcast, and since it’s Black History Month, I wanted to take this opportunity to highlight a few of the stories that I’ve done that honor the contributions and legacies of Black Americans. This week I’m going ALL the way back to the second episode of Tell Me What to Google. here’s “The Hidden Village Under Central Park”, originally broadcast on September 14 of 2020. 

Seneca Village was one of our nation’s first, free middle-class black communities. Its memory was nearly lost to history. In this podcast, we explore what happened to Seneca Village and speak with Nan Rothschild, Former Director of Museum Studies at Columbia University and a Research Professor at Barnard College, who has been studying Seneca Village since the mid 1990s.