Podcasts by The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong

The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong

Did you know that Europeans used to believe that sheep grew from Mongolian trees? Have you heard about the misbegotten discovery of a new form of water in the 1960s that set off a cold war arms race? Ever seen the gleaming Las Vegas hotel that accidentally shoots heat rays at poolside guests? The Constant is an audio history of getting things wrong. From ancient science to contemporary blunders, we take you on journeys of misadventure and misapprehension, filling your brain with juicy nuggets of the sometimes comical, sometimes tragical and always fascinating ways people mess things up.

Further podcasts by Mark Chrisler

Podcast on the topic Geschichte

All episodes

The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
What Goes Up (Pt 3) from 2022-02-08T08:00

On the third part of our survey of failed fliers, we've drawing from all walks of life: a peasant and a physicist, a cobbler and a surgeon, a locksmith and an archbishop, not to mention a pair of b...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
What Goes Up (Pt 2) from 2022-01-25T12:00

What do a professor, a heretic, a clockmaker, a barber, a cantor, a laborer, an architect, an alchemist and a couple of bonafide renaissance men all have in common? All of them tried to fly, and no...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
What Goes Up (Pt 1) from 2022-01-11T08:00

You've heard of The Wright Brothers, the first people to fly. Maybe you've heard of Alberto Santo Dumont, too. Arguably he managed to fly two years earlier. Perhaps you know The Montgolfier Brother...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Men of Stone (Pt 2) from 2021-12-21T06:00

Throughout the 19th Century, The United States was absolutely barraged by tales of petrified stone men: ancient giants, missing links, careless miners, unfortunate souls and one Civil War hero, Gen...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Men of Stone (Pt 2) from 2021-12-21T06:00

Throughout the 19th Century, The United States was absolutely barraged by tales of petrified stone men: ancient giants, missing links, careless miners, unfortunate souls and one Civil War hero, Gen...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Men of Stone (Pt 2) from 2021-12-21T06:00

Throughout the 19th Century, The United States was absolutely barraged by tales of petrified stone men: ancient giants, missing links, careless miners, unfortunate souls and one Civil War hero, Gen...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Men of Stone (Pt 1) from 2021-12-07T05:01

In 1897, a Montana prospector discovered something valuable in The Missouri River. Not gold, not silver, not even copper. It was the petrified body of a missing Civil War hero, General Thomas Franc...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
It's a Secret to Everyone, Too from 2021-11-30T05:01

Our second annual dive into the hidden world of The Constant Secret Feed.Continue your education via University of California Irvine now! (https://ce.uci.edu/?utm_source=TNM&utm_medium=podcast&utm_...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Something from Nothing from 2021-11-16T05:01

Be the most popular kid on the block with these fantastic new tricks! Produce bees from lions! Frogs from mud! Scorpions from bricks! This week we're taking on the oldest and most widely believed b...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Lucy Lightfoot from 2021-11-02T04:01

Lucy Lightfoot went missing in 1831, and was later found alive and well... in 1364. Listen to this episode through Vodacast here! (http://feed.vodacast.com/59793132/The%20Constant:%20A%20History%20...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Long Story Short (Pt 3) from 2021-10-19T04:00

A long story, made short, and then long again, is finally ready to end. Join us for part three, the story of one guy who singlehandedly solved the most difficult problem in human history. Sort of. ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Long Story Short (Pt 2) from 2021-10-05T12:12

In part two, we've got an enormous naval disaster, a long-shot con-job, some far-fetched inventions, and some of the most famous scientists to ever lived, all unified by that most difficult of huma...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Long Story Short (Pt 1) from 2021-09-21T12:02

Humanity has tackled a lot of hard problems over the last few thousand years--from medicine to physics to splitting tips. But the most difficult question we've ever answered is our subject this wee...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Trivial from 2021-09-07T04:00

Today we've got a potpourri of smaller stories: invasive bird spies! Cunning robberies! Booby traps! MULES! Listen in!Check out this show and all your other podcasts on Vodacast (http://www.vodacas...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Introducing: Suspect from 2021-09-01T12:23:12

A big Halloween party at an apartment complex in Redmond, Washington. Themed rooms and costumed partygoers. But by the end of the party, one of the hosts is dead. The police look to the partiers as...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Are Whales Fish? from 2021-08-24T04:00

In 1818, New York City was gripped by the trial of the century. At stake was $75, the regulation of a multimillion dollar industry, and the answer to the question on everyone's mind: were whales fi...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Walking on Sunshine from 2021-08-10T04:00

There is an episode of this show entitled "In The Air Tonight", but make no mistake: this episode is the "In The Air Tonight" of Constant episodes. Confused? You won't be, after this episode of... ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Holy Toledo Jefferson Correction from 2021-08-02T15:49:48

I made a big enough oopsie in the last episode, Holy Toledo, that I think it deserves a formal correction here. I hope you'll listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Holy Toledo from 2021-07-27T04:00

Ohio versus Michigan! It's a familiar rivalry. But this week, it's not a football game: it's a war, fought over the city of Toledo.Get 10% off your first month of online counseling by visiting: htt...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Map&Territory from 2021-07-13T04:00

A perfect map is a useless map, but imperfect maps are how myths get made. Get $75 credit to upgrade your job post at indeed.com/theconstantGet 10% off your first month of online counseling by visi...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Start Here (100th Episode!) from 2021-06-29T04:00

For our 100th episode, we're going back and remastering some of very first stories. If you're looking for a place to start listening, this is it. Get 10% off your first month of online counseling b...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
The Lead Age from 2021-06-15T04:00

Clair Cameron Patterson discovered the true age of the Earth, and in the process, the greatest environmental catastrophe in human history.Get 10% off your first month of online counseling by visiti...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
It's a Date from 2021-06-01T04:00

How old is the world? There're only fifteen or twenty ways to find out!Get $75 credit to upgrade your job post at indeed.com/theconstant (http://www.indeed.com/theconstant)Get 10% off your first mo...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Introducing The Vaping Fix from 2021-05-21T07:00

Two young Silicon Valley entrepreneurs set out to rid the world of smoking with an incredible new product. The device stands to disrupt the tobacco industry and make them rich, until it falls into ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Death Rays (Part Two (Electric Boogaloo)) from 2021-05-18T04:00

Here it is! The Big Bad Boys of Death Ray History: Axis vs. Allies, Marconi vs. Tesla, and barely anything about the mysterious Japanese WWII monkey shortage that is picking the inside of my brain ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Death Rays from 2021-05-04T04:00

This one does what it says on the tin: instantly kills you with a beam of indeterminate provenance! What other podcast can promise that? Aside from Roman Mars, obviously.Get 10% off your first mont...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Introducing In God We Lust from 2021-04-23T12:00

A woman named Becki is lounging by the pool at the Fontainebleau Hotel when she decides to proposition a strapping pool attendant. Go on a date with her...and her husband. What begins as an unconve...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Don't Know Much About History from 2021-04-20T04:00

Nobody paid much attention to Jean Hardouin in 1729 when he said that all of history was faked. But since then, his message has found a lot more receptive ears. Meet your newest conspiratorial frie...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
It's All a Lie from 2021-04-06T04:00

What if I told you everything you knew was a lie? Okay, well what if a 17th century French librarian told you everything you knew was a lie?Check out Don't Stop for Monkeys (https://dontstopformonk...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Zoo Story from 2021-03-23T04:00

On March 8th, 1874, the animals escaped from The Central Park Zoo. Check out Don't Stop for Monkeys (https://dontstopformonkeys.weebly.com/), or else.Get 10% off your first month of online counseli...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Crackpots from 2021-03-09T06:29

Some things are ordered and some are chaotic. This story is neither.Get $75 credit to upgrade your job post at indeed.com/theconstant (http://www.indeed.com/theconstant)Get 10% off your first month...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
On The Rocks from 2021-02-23T05:00

What do the modern flat earth movement, the history of animal experimentation, the invention of civil engineering, ballet, pantomime, and the first British robot all have in common?The Eddystone Li...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
How to Solve a Murder (Pt 3) from 2021-02-09T05:00

We no longer make people walk hot coals, or swim witches, or touch dead bodies. But everything we know about solving crime is still wrong.The National Registry of Exonerations (https://www.law.umic...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
How to Solve a Murder (Pt 2) from 2021-01-26T05:00

On part two of this three part series on forensics, we're bridging the gap, between the ancient and modern means of solving crimes. How did forensic science get into courts in the first place? And ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
How to Solve a Murder (Pt 1) from 2021-01-12T05:00

Fingerprints, DNA, blood spatter, ballistics. Before any of those forensic sciences, investigators and courts had a very different suite of tools for solving crime. On this episode, we're looking a...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Lick The Earth from 2020-12-15T05:00

For the last episode of 2020, we're returning to our fair city, Chicago, for the unlikely story of a hard-scrapple hobo who formed his own independent, autonomous district on the non-existent east ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
It's a Secret to Everybody from 2020-12-01T05:00

For The Constant's third birthday, here are three stories out of the secret feed. Medicinal gold, the story of theater's greatest Hamlet, and a melancholy Christmas tale, all for you. Visit https:/...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Deserted from 2020-11-17T05:00

In September of 1822, a ship carrying 70 immigrants left London bound for St. Joseph, a bustling city on The Mosquito Coast in the small Central American nation of Poyais. They were followed by hun...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Presidents in Bathtubs from 2020-11-03T05:00

How do you thread the needle between political and apolitical, frivolous and serious, fun and relevant, on this extremely stressful election day? I don't know, but here's an episode about president...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Gef from 2020-10-20T04:00

It's almost Halloween, so how's about a spooky bonfire tale. The spookiest story from the spookiest place we can think of. The story of Gef, The Talking Mongoose. Visit andstillivote.org (andstilli...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
1876 from 2020-10-06T04:00

This is the story of the worst American presidential election (so far). Get a free trial of The Great Courses Plus by going to​ https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/theconstant (https://www.thegreat...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
The Rest of The Story from 2020-09-22T04:00

In 1899 a plan was hatched. To start a war? To sell newspapers? Or to tear down The Great Wall of China?Get a free trial of The Great Courses Plus by going to​ https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/t...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
In The Air Tonight (I Can Feel It) from 2020-09-08T04:00

You know what you haven't heard enough about recently? How disease spreads. On this episode we finally circle back to the oft mentioned miasma theory, AKA Bad Air Make You Sick. Get a free trial of...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Run for Your Life from 2020-08-25T04:00

There was no Olympics this year, but it's almost the anniversary of the single worst event in the history of the games: The 1904 Olympic Marathon. Get a free trial of The Great Courses Plus by goin...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Apocalypse Now and Then from 2020-08-11T04:00

Some days it feels like we're living at the end of the world. And by "some days" I mean "literally every day ever". Take a ride with us through some of the best apocalypses to never happen! Check o...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Real Facts, and Beer from 2020-07-28T04:00

Here is a story about the city I love, Chicago.Get a free trial of The Great Courses Plus by going to:​ https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/theconstant (https://www.thegreatcoursesplus.com/theconst...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Reductio Ad Absurdum from 2020-07-14T04:00

The Earth is Flat! That is the conclusion that many ancient societies once drew. Then, in the 19th century, belief in the flat earth started to return, and in the last decade this easily disprovabl...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Fish Story from 2020-06-16T04:00

Sharks have been known to eat a lot of weird stuff. Fur coats, license plates, cannonballs, chicken coups, even a suit of armor. But the strangest thing ever found within the belly of a shark was.....

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
The Cold, Hard Truth, Pt 2 from 2020-06-02T04:00

Two men, two islands, two claims for The North Pole. In part two of The Cold, Hard, Truth we're looking at the expedition formed in the wake of Peary and Cook's battle for The Pole. An expedition f...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
The Cold, Hard Truth, Pt 1 from 2020-05-19T04:00

On September 7th, 1909, The New York Times announced that Robert Peary was the first person to ever reach The North Pole. But a week earlier, The New York Herald had said the same thing about Frede...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
The Airship from 2020-05-05T04:00

In December of 1909, the vice president of a Worcester Massachusetts steamfitting company decided he wanted to fly. This is his story. Get 10% off your first month of online counseling by visiting:...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Use The Accident from 2020-04-21T04:00

Here's a change of pace: what about stuff we got wrong for the better? On this episode we've got 13 short stories of mistakes that went right. From jazz to physics to chemistry to frozen dessert, w...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
True Crime from 2020-04-07T04:00

Hey! I think we invented a new kind of podcast this week! It's a crime story, but it's also true. We're calling it "True Crime". I think there might be a market for this!Get a free trial of The Gre...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Light and Shadow of American Life from 2020-03-24T04:00

In almost seventy episodes chronicling bad ideas and loopy frauds through the ages one name has come up again and again. From phrenology to mesmerism to a strange ghostly bowl of molasses, he's the...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
The Foolkiller Pt 5: The White Whale from 2020-03-10T04:00

Here we are. We've examined arctic explorers, secret armies, zany daredevils, Wisconsin whiz kids and so many more only to come up empty. This is the end of the rope. Can we solve the mystery of Th...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
The Foolkiller Pt 4: The Unusual Suspects from 2020-02-25T05:00

We're onto the long shots now: An Irish-American secret society bent on war with Canada, a kid genius out of Oshkosh and an Indiana shoe factory owner. With so few options left, one of them--surely...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
The Foolkiller Pt 3: The Man from The East from 2020-02-11T05:00

Amid all the confusing and contradictory reporting that accompanied the discovery of The Foolkiller submarine in 1915 Chicago, there are a handful of mentions of an "Eastern man". On this episode, ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
The Foolkiller Pt 2: Infinite Distress from 2020-01-28T05:00

A proper story has three acts, but the story of The Foolkiller submarine is missing two of them. Today, we're looking at act 2: the brief window of time during which we know where this giant steel ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
The Foolkiller Pt 1: Tears Falling from The Sky from 2020-01-14T05:00

In November of 1915, a submarine was found at the bottom of The Chicago River. It had been there for at least ten years, was 40 feet long, and contained the remains of a man and his dog. To this da...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
It's Wonderful Redux from 2019-12-30T20:48

For our last episode of 2019 and season 6, we're revisiting last year's Christmas episode. Stick around through the end to hear a tease for next season's big multi-part opening story, and check out...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
The Christmas Bullet from 2019-12-17T05:00

Throw on another yule log and gather round the fire For a new Constant episode is about to transpire It's a holiday one, though it contains little joy About a con named Christmas and his terrible p...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Perpetuum Mobile from 2019-12-03T05:00

Happy Second Birthday to The Constant! To celebrate, we're tackling the story that everyone advised Mark not to tell, that Mark himself failed over and over again to write: The Brownian Ratchet. An...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Suck and Blow from 2019-11-19T05:00

Everything you've ever learned about physics, chemistry, astronomy, and even biology, is wrong. That was the conclusion reached by Alfred Lawson, major league pitcher, avionics pioneer, populist po...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Necessity from 2019-11-05T05:00

In the first century BC, The Greek philosopher Carneades asked a question: is it moral to kill an innocent person to preserve your own life? Two thousand years later, a court in England settled the...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
The Curse from 2019-10-22T04:00

Did someone say "more mummies"? No? You didn't hear that? It sounded like "more mummies" but it was kind of muffled and droning? OH GOD WHAT'S THAT!? It's still October, and we're still being spook...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Chewing The Fat from 2019-10-08T04:00

In 2009, Peruvian police offered a disturbing solution to the murders of 46 people in the city of Trujillo. It was sensational, shocking and unbelievable. Yet, it was tied to a long, rich--and now ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
A Pain in The Glass from 2019-09-24T04:00

In April of 1954, Seattle was home to one of the weirdest events in American history: residents were gripped with fear as a mysterious force roamed the city, leaving hundreds of thousands of dollar...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
A Dreamcast Deferred from 2019-09-10T04:00

On 9/9/99 The Sega Dreamcast had the most successful product launch of literally any commercial product in history. It quickly came to dominate the market, outperforming all its competition. Less t...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
The Forty Six Dollar Man from 2019-08-27T04:00

While shooting an episode in a Carnival Funhouse, the production team of The Six Million Dollar Man made a gruesome discovery: a mummified human corpse, painted neon red and mistakenly hung from a ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Madagascar from 2019-08-13T04:00

This is the story of an island, and the worst thing to never happen there. Find our Patreon here (https://patreon.com/theconstant). Get 10% off your first month of online counseling by visiting htt...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
The Golden Episode from 2019-07-30T04:00

It's our fiftieth episode! Our golden anniversary! You know what we got you? The Lost City of Gold: El Dorado. We know, we shouldn't have. Seriously, we really shouldn't have. Find our Patreon here...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
The Right Stuff, The Wrong Way from 2019-07-16T04:00

We've got a lot to celebrate this week! Not only have we joined Hub&Spoke Audio Collective (https://www.hubspokeaudio.org/), but it's also a Constant Holiday. The Saint Day of Douglas Corrigan, who...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
For That Healthy Glow from 2019-07-02T04:00

In the early 1900s, people finally figured out what made water so healthy: radiation! This week we’re looking at some of the hundreds of terrifying products meant to give you that healthy glow, and...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Seeing is Believing from 2019-06-18T04:00

1903 was a year of boundless possibilities: the airplane, open heart surgery, Ford Motor Company, and--most importantly--n-rays. This new form of radiation could be gathered from The Sun and stored...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Shocking from 2019-06-04T04:00

This is the story of the greatest jailbreak ever attempted. Well, maybe not "greatest", but certainly "weirdest." It's also, somehow, the story of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. And one of science's ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Endlings from 2019-05-21T04:00

Martha died alone, becoming the first named member of an exclusive and terrible club: The Endlings. This episode we're tracking the history of the passenger pigeon, a bird that once darkened Americ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
The Gentle Hammer from 2019-05-07T04:00

Believing he was Jesus Christ, Laszlo Toth entered St. Peter's Basilica on May 21st, 1972 and took a hammer to Michelangelo's Pieta. What happened next would make the world wonder what separates a ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Snap, Crackle, Boom! from 2019-04-23T04:00

The Apocalypse fails to appear. A doctor goes to disturbing lengths to end masturbation. A millionaire spends his fortune dynamiting the sky. Breakfast is changed forever. The Constant is back. Che...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Is There Life on Mars? from 2019-03-05T05:00

Take a look at those star men, gazing at the night sky. Oh man, wonder if they'll ever know? on October 30th, 1938, Orson Welles and The Mercury Theatre on The Air unleashed the most infamous media...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Broadcasting The Barricades from 2019-02-26T05:00

This is the story of the first radio hoax. No, not that one. On January 16th, 1926, a Catholic priest took the mic at BBC Radio and threw all of England into panic with... a joke. Unfortunately, th...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
What's So Funny 'Bout Peace Ship and Understanding? from 2019-02-19T05:00

War! Good God, y'all. What is it good for? According to Henry Ford: Absolutely nothing. So in 1915 he launched a ship, bound for Europe, with a simple if outlandish mission: to end World War I. On ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Let's Kill Mike from 2019-02-12T05:00

How do you survive in 1932, when The Great Depression is at its peak and prohibition is in full force? How about a little insurance fraud? It's easy: all you need is an undertaker willing to fake a...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
GulliBottle from 2019-02-05T05:00

In January of 1749, a London advertisement promised an impossible show at The Haymarket Theatre: a full-grown man would jump into a wine bottle and, from within it, sing. You won't be surprised to ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
The Idea that Broke America from 2019-01-29T05:00

Mesmerism didn't stop with Mesmer. This week, we pick up where we left off, tracing the idea of animal magnetism to America, where it went through some... changes. Get ready for a whirlwind tour of...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Mesmerizing from 2019-01-22T05:00

What is this? Are you some kind of hypnotist? We're doing a deep dive into one of the single most fascinating mistaken ideas and the fascinating man who thought it up. This story has got it all: de...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
A Sticky Situation from 2019-01-15T05:00

Happy 100th birthday to one of the strangest disasters in American history: Boston's Great Molasses Flood. For our season 5 premiere, we're looking at the weird and deadly 35 foot tall wall of syru...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Join Us from 2019-01-08T05:00

New season begins Tuesday, January 15th. Join us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
It's Wonderful from 2018-12-24T09:00

On today's holiday special we're looking at a Christmas classic: It's a Wonderful Life. A movie that was almost never made, that was almost forever forgotten, and that almost missed its chance to c...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Introducing 'Safe for Work' from 2018-12-20T09:00

Just a couple of days before our Christmas special, here's a little gift for you: Safe for Work. Safe For Work is an advice show that reminds you that while your office may be crazy, you don’t have...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
No Ragrets from 2018-12-18T09:00

Alright, there are two ways this can go down. Scenario 1: Mark finds the story of the worst tattoo ever and feels heartened by it, going through with finally getting his own. Scenario 2: Mark finds...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Way to Go Again, Einstein! from 2018-12-11T09:00

Because you wonderful, amazing jerks helped reach our stretch goal, Mark's got a promise to fulfill. To explain that promise--and the title of this very show--we're rebroadcasting our season 1 fina...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered from 2018-10-30T08:00

It's Halloween and that means it's time for a spooky one. This week, for the last episode of our Kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/468920813/the-constant-a-history-of-getting-things...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
What The Fork? from 2018-10-23T08:00

Forks! A handier, less-controversial item would be difficult to imagine. Yet, for hundreds of years Europeans recoiled from the fork with a hilarious zeal: condemning anyone who used one to jokes, ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Typis and Errirs from 2018-10-16T08:00

To honor all the flubs of our first year, we're going down the rabbit hole of the worst typos and mistakes in history. From sacrilegious Bibles to doomed space missions to a certain cartoon Sailor ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Dis-Covered from 2018-10-09T08:00

In 1492 Columbus sailed the ocean blue. And then... well, that's the question. What exactly did this dude do? And where did the myth of Columbus come from? For the first episode of our new Kickstar...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
It's a Gamble from 2018-10-02T08:00

Four weeks, four new episodes. Starting Tuesday, October 9th. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Diabolical Devices of The Demon of Darkness from 2018-08-07T08:00

It was a dark and stormy night. A dark and stormy year, really. And it gave birth to a monster, a New Prometheus which descended upon the panicked world, leaving death and destruction in its wake. ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Make It Rain from 2018-07-31T08:00

In the late 19th century, Americans moved into the western states because of one simple phrase. But despite what you learned in junior high, it wasn't "manifest destiny." Today we're talking about ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
The Ox and The Shark from 2018-07-24T08:00

This week we're back at The Paper Machete for more political comedy, talking about Trump and Russia. Which is probably the last thing you need to hear more about, because the world is a confusing, ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Turks, Turks! from 2018-07-17T08:00

Without accidents, mistakes and foolishness, there would be no military history. Nearly every war ever fought was determined, to some large degree, by someone getting something wrong. Napoleon, Hit...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow from 2018-07-10T08:00

In 1926, the quiet, small-town of Kittanning, Pennsylvania was descended upon by a mob of salesmen and hucksters selling solutions to a peculiar problem: a mysterious and inexplicable epidemic of b...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Boom Town from 2018-07-03T08:00

In 1896 two trains, going full-speed, slammed into one another in the middle of the 2nd largest city in Texas. Just like they were supposed to. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Here Be Dragons from 2018-06-26T08:00

Through nearly all time, humankind believed in leviathans and krakens and mermaids. People didn't give up believing in sea monsters until the turn of the 20th century. Then, in 1925, one washed up ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
The Reflex from 2018-06-19T08:00

In the 1840's, a mysterious disease was running roughshod through a Viennese hospital, killing new mothers in terrifying numbers. On this, our season 3 premiere, we're looking at one of the greates...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Catchup from 2018-06-07T03:10:01

Season 3 begins June 19th. In the meantime, we'll be dropping a couple of these meta-ads. Hope you enjoy. Share, like, subscribe, rate, review and... catchup. Learn more about your ad choices. Vis...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Lord Morton's Mare from 2018-05-03T08:00

A fly bites, a sickness spreads, a horse is born, an idea returns. This week we attempt to correct an oversight. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Let's Talk About Sex, Babies from 2018-04-17T08:00

Did you ever wonder where babies come from? So did all these guys! But only one of them managed to figure it out. This week, for our season finale, the remarkable story of how we came to know the m...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
People This Isle from 2018-04-10T08:00

Look, out in the sea: it's an earthquake, it's a boat fire, it's a sea monster! It's a tiny, newborn volcanic island! In 1831, a small scrap of land suddenly formed in The Mediterranean. Lifeless, ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Everyone Loves a Mystery from 2018-04-03T08:00

Today the story of a mysterious grave in the foothills of Appalachia, and the two wannabe detectives that set about deciphering it. This episode is a little different than most. It's a personal sto...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Do Good Carefully from 2018-03-27T08:00

Here's something you don't see everyday: parachuting cats. It did happen, though. In the 1950s, The Royal Air Force airdropped parakitties onto the Island of Borneo. Why would they do such a thing?...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Everything Aristotle Said is Wrong from 2018-03-20T08:00

We give Aristotle a pretty hard time here at The Constant. But we can't hold an Aristotle-hating candle to the guy in this episode. A man whose distaste and distrust for Aristotle is responsible fo...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Ice and Fire and Fury from 2018-03-13T08:00

It started off as an innocent enough idea: what if the moon was made of ice? But from there it grew. Into an alternative-science, into a grand conspiracy theory and, finally, into one of the greate...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Bitcoin, Bitcoin, BITCOIN! from 2018-03-06T09:00

Would you like a serious deep-dive into the technical history of cryptocurrency? Too bad. That does sound like something we'd do, but instead we're giving you a political comedy piece by host Mark ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Shipwreckless from 2018-02-27T09:00

In 1867, The Eliza set out to sea with a fresh crew, a full hold and fair weather. Yet no one expected her to ever make land again. This episode we look at why, and why, throughout the 19th century...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Tidbits and Trimmings from 2018-02-14T00:37:32

While we work away on season 2, here's a few extra stories related to the content from season 1 that didn't make their way into the episodes. More art hoaxes! More diligent prime number seekers! Mo...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Way to Go, Einstein! from 2018-01-30T05:35:47

We could've called this show "Whoopsie!" or "Oops!" or "People Believe The Strangest Things." But instead, we called it "The Constant." On this, the season finale, we finally explain why. That mean...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Fire-Proof Lizards, Vegetable Sheep and Ball-Biting Beavers from 2018-01-23T11:00

Throughout time people have twisted the most humdrum of creatures until they were fantastical, bizarre, unbelievable monsters. From a logistically unfeasible hybrid to a self-castrating quarry, we'...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Take None of These and Call Me In The Morning from 2018-01-16T11:00

This week: a whirlwind history of bad medical practices, worse medical practices and medical practices that--while still pretty awful--looked fantastic by comparison. Western medical history began ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
We're Still Here from 2018-01-09T11:00

"Threatening the world with Famine, Plague and War: To Princes, Death! To Kingdoms, many Crosses; To all Estates, inevitable Losses! To Herdsmen, Rot; to Plowmen, hapless Seasons; To Sailors, Storm...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Art is Dead from 2018-01-02T11:00

You don't know this story. You don't know the killer. You don't know the victims. You don't know the artist and you don't know the artworks. But in 1998 Yugoslavia, a series of mutilated corpses sh...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Three Years of Sundays from 2017-12-26T11:00

It's difficult to honor the spirit of the season when you're making a show about mistakes, foibles and failures, but we've done our best. This week, the most uplifting story about prime numbers you...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
1% Inspiration from 2017-12-19T11:00

In the 1960's, scientists discovered a new form of water, kicking off millions of dollars of research, Nobel Prize consideration and a new Cold War arms race between the USA and USSR. This episode ...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
Why Do Birds Suddenly (Dis)Appear? from 2017-12-12T11:00

Have you ever wondered where birds go in the winter? Of course not. But throughout history, many people have. On this, the season premiere of The Constant, we dive into some of the incredible expla...

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The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong
You Gotta Fry a Few Eggs from 2017-12-06T02:34

A preview of things to come: this is our "stress test" mini episode to try to work out all the kinks. Music byLee Rosevere http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lee_Rosevere/  and Animeistrash Learn mo...

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