PBS
Don’t Let Them In! The Urban Legends of Black-Eyed Children
An urban legend that exploits our fears of an obstructed gaze and the deeply unsettling idea that the youngest of our species are out to destroy us, the lore of Black-Eyed Children, or Black-Eyed Kids, is a modern construction. But the...
PBS
Leprechaun: From Gold-Loving Cobbler to Cultural Icon
Leprechauns are associated with St. Patrick’s Day and Irish culture, but do you know why? The jovial, red-haired little man dressed in green standing next to a pot of gold is a modern invention—the diminutive faerie folk was once more...
PBS
The Crazed Hunt for the Himalayan Yeti
Dr. Zarka examines the yeti’s origins, from Tibetan folklore and religion to the Westernized abominable snowman version. She explains how Buddhist beliefs, a series of intrepid 20th-century explorers, and a creatively translated word...
PBS
Fire Cat or Fire Cart? The History of Japan’s Kasha
Swooping down from the heavens on a fire ball, the Kasha drags the bodies of the dead to the underworld for a life of damnation. Most frequently depicted as a demonic, flaming cat, the kanji for ‘Kasha’ actually translates to “Fire...
PBS
What Happened During Our Scary Slumber Party
Light as a Feather, Stiff as a Board, Bloody Mary and Ouija are scary and entertaining rites of passage for kids and teens to participate in. But do these games actually work? And why do we love to scare each other so much at sleepovers?
PBS
The Evolution of Creepy Dolls
Maybe it’s the unblinking eyes, staring at you, emotionless, day and night. Or, perhaps it’s their small size acting as a cloak of innocence. Or their human-like appearance that makes them seem just slightly too real. However, you want...
PBS
The SCP Foundation: Declassified
Unlocking the Mysteries of SCP: From Secure, Contain, Protect to Unearth, Expose, Fascinate! Dive deep into the shadowy world of the SCP Foundation as we peel back the layers of secrecy surrounding these enigmatic entities. Discover the...
PBS
Uncovering the Enigma: Sasquatch Sightings
North America’s most famous cryptid, Sasquatch is a bipedal hairy humanoid with history pre-dating European colonization with numerous sightings even up to the present day. From cave paintings to video documentation, Sasquatch is a...
PBS
The Untold Secrets of Pokémon’s Monster Mythology
Pokémon are inspired by flora and fauna, science, religion, yokai and other supernatural beings. But the series is teeming with not just Japanese folklore, but versions of monsters from across the globe made cute with softened features.
PBS
Hero, Beast, or Both? The Complex Lore of the Centaur
Humans have domesticated animals as beasts of burden for thousands of years and the vital role horses play in the evolution of culture in particular has inspired countless equine folklore, but none are quite like the centaur.
PBS
Unicorns: Magical Icons or Violent Beasts?
Unicorns are all over the place in popular culture these days - movies, TV shows, toys, clothing and books for children and adults alike. But you might be interested to learn that the majestic, all-white horse with a spiralized horn on...
PBS
Was Púca the Nightmare Bunny That Inspired Donnie Darko?
Existing somewhere between boogeyman, scapegoat, and temperamental fae, the known trickster called Púca is an animal-spirit that was once dreaded across Ireland, the Channel Islands, and England.
PBS
The Wicked Feline Murder Floof, a Yule Cat Story
Christmas isn’t just a time for presents, cookies, and holiday cheer, but the hunting period of Iceland’s murderous monster feline, the Yule Cat. This giant, fluffy cat towers over buildings, roaming the snowy countryside for human...
PBS
How Chimaera Mythology Became Reality
The impossible, three-headed monster of Ancient Greek mythology, the Chimaera, may have started off as a fantasy, but today, the word “chimera” can be used to refer to anything that seems impossible. This includes the real-life,...
Curated Video
Native American Reservations, Explained.
How did Native Americans end up on Reservations? We explore the complicated relationship between the Indian Nations and the United States of America. Watch Tai Leclaire breakdown all you need to know about the Reservation system and why...
Curated Video
Why One Historic Indian Boarding School is Now...Good?
Join Tai Leclaire and experts as they explore the dark legacy of Indian boardings, the failures of modern education, and the trauma, misconceptions, and racism endured by Native Americans as a result. A People's History of Native America...
Curated Video
What Hollywood Gets Wrong About Native America
Why aren’t Native people– and their stories – ever the crux of your favorite films? From films used as a tool of genocidal propaganda, to award-winning Indigenous stories in Hollywood, how far has Indigenous media representation come and...
Curated Video
The Inconvenient Truth of Smokey Bear
This episode explores the importance of Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK), cultural burns and traditional land stewardship in combating climate change and why Indigenous knowledge was for too long overlooked. A People's History of...
Curated Video
The Truth Behind the Legend of Pocahontas
Tai Leclaire explores the deep-rooted connection between the myth of Pocahontas and the ongoing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit (MMIWG2S) crisis. A People's History of Native America episode 1
Curated Video
The Golden Ratio and Fibonacci Sequence in Music
Since the beginning of time Phi—also known as the golden ratio—has inspired the world around us. Have you ever noticed how some pieces of music just seem to make sense? From the notes and chords to the phrasing and dynamics, they can all...
Curated Video
How Composers Make Music Sound Scary
Why do so many horror film scores today sound similar to The Exorcist from 1973? A lot of that is thanks to Krzysztof Penderecki, a Polish composer whose music was used by director William Friedkin to score The Exorcist. Penderecki's...
Curated Video
Pitch Shifting in Music: From Chipmunks to Kanye
Have you heard the conspiracy theory that Nicki Minaj songs are just Jay-Z pitched up? Well that may not be true, but changing the pitch of their songs can create a hilarious effect. LA Buckner and Nahre Sol explore the history of how...
Curated Video
Is This Even Music? John Cage, Schoenberg and Outsider Artists
What is music? From John Cage to Legendary Stardust Cowboy, avant-garde artists have forever been pushing on the edges of what is considered music. Composers like Arnold Schoenberg, Harry Partch and outsider musicians like The Shaggs are...
Curated Video
The Metal Scream: From Nordic Vikings to Black Sabbath
Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin were some of the first bands to perform the metal scream, but the origin of screaming in music actually goes back a lot further to the Nordic Vikings.