Hunting Fireflies for Fun (and Profit)

FromRidiculous History

Start listening View podcast show

Hunting Fireflies for Fun (and Profit)

FromRidiculous History

ratings:

Length:

37 minutes

Released:

Aug 14, 2019

Format:

Podcast episode

Description

From the 1960s well into the 1990s, thousands of children in the United States were actually paid to hunt fireflies. Join the guys as they explore the strange story of Sigma and firefly hunting — and get surprised by an unexpected guest.
Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com

Released:

Aug 14, 2019

Format:

Podcast episode

Titles in the series (100)

History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by iHeartRadio.

Skip carousel

Ridiculous History: Trailer: History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by HowStuffWorks. by Ridiculous History
1 min listen
Waging War With Hallucinogenic Honey: Honey is popular around the world, and for good reason. This addictively sweet substance is a common ingredient in hundreds of recipes, and people historically believe it has medicinal properties in addition to, well, being delicious! But in certain areas by Ridiculous History
23 min listen
The Wild Hippos of Pablo Escobar: When notorious drug kingpin Pable Escobar died, he left behind a legacy of brutal crime, opulent living and, oddly enough, four hippos. Fast forward to the modern day, and experts estimate as many as 50 hippopotamuses may roam free in the lands around Esc by Ridiculous History
30 min listen
Ridiculous History: Episode Zero: History is beautiful, brutal and, often, ridiculous. Join Ben Bowlin and Noel Brown as they dive into some of the weirdest stories from across the span of human civilization in Ridiculous History, a podcast by HowStuffWorks. Here's a preview of our upcomi by Ridiculous History
9 min listen
When Scientists Hid Under Beds To Spy On Kids: Let's say you're a scientist -- how far would you go to carry out a study? Back in the 1930s, two intrepid researchers went into full spy mode, stalking college students in an effort to determine how they behaved when they didn't know they were being obse by Ridiculous History
36 min listen
When People Thought They Were Made of Glass: In 1422, King Charles VI died after ruling France for more than 40 years. He was also remembered as Charles the Mad, in part because he was convinced that his body was made of glass and would shatter upon contact with other people. This condition, known a by Ridiculous History
27 min listen
Who solves murders in Antarctica?: Antarctica is home to one of the most brutal climates on the planet, and the few humans living on this continent face profound isolation and cramped quarters. Often, tension rises as the months between supply runs pile up -- so what happens when something by Ridiculous History
26 min listen
Wharram Percy Versus The Undead: Humanity has always had a fascination with -- and fear of -- the dead. And when the small medieval village of Wharram Percy felt they might become victims of the undead, they took drastic, grisly action, committing an atrocity that would not be uncovered by Ridiculous History
27 min listen
Conquest via Bird Poop: One Island at a Time: If you land on a deserted island, you might be tempted to search for the basic stuff first -- food, water, shelter, and so on -- but don't forget to keep an eye out for guano! Why, you ask? Well, due to a relatively obscure law, the presence of guano on a by Ridiculous History
31 min listen
When (and why) did the US start calling its citizens consumers?: Today, the terms "citizen" and "consumer" are often used interchangeably by authors, journalists and politicians. To some experts, this shift has disturbing implications. But how important is a word? How did this switch occur, and why? by Ridiculous History
39 min listen
Does the US Confederacy still exist in Americana, Brazil?: At the close the US Civil War, tens of thousands of former Confederate families fled the US for a small city in Brazil, where they sought to continue living as they had in the days before the war. Tune in to learn more about the strange history of America by Ridiculous History
32 min listen
Butter: Protestantism's Secret Ingredient?: The Protestant Reformation remains one of the most significant cultural events in the Western world. Martin Luther's 95 Theses addressed numerous concerns with the Catholic church, including corruption and the practice of granting dispensations -- allowin by Ridiculous History
34 min listen
X-Rays, Songs and Soviets: The Stilyagi Story: Caught between the conflicting ideologies of the Cold War, Soviet teens were banned from collecting Western music -- smuggled records could be both rare and expensive. The solution? Discarded X-rays, also known as 'bone recordings'. Join the guys as they by Ridiculous History
30 min listen
Why do British lawyers wear wigs?: For centuries some lawyers and judges in the U.K. have worn distinctive wigs during court proceedings. But why? Join Ben and Noel as they explore the strange history of the peruke. by Ridiculous History
30 min listen
Why does the Guinness Beer Company Track World Records?: Odds are you've heard about the Guinness Book of World Records, the famous, often inaccurate compilation of various impressive, important, and ridiculous feats from people across the planet. But how did it come about? How on earth did a brewer become the by Ridiculous History
29 min listen
The Rotten, Sausagey Secret Origin of Botox: Today botox is one of the world's most well-known wrinkle treatments, as well as a go-to joke in the realm of pop culture. But where did this treatment come from, and what on Earth does it have to do with sausage? Join Ben and Noel as they trace the origi by Ridiculous History
30 min listen
Presidents Love Their Ridiculous Pets: It's no secret that, until very recently, US Presidents were known as huge fans of pets -- and they didn't limit themselves to cats and dogs! Join Ben and Noel as they explore some of the strangest pets in presidential history, from warhorses and cows to by Ridiculous History
32 min listen
How White America Tried to Destroy Chinese Restaurants: Today Chinese restaurants serve some of the most popular cuisine in the United States, with more than 41,000 restaurants scattered around the country. Yet in the 1900s these restaurants were so controversial that labor unions, hate groups and even politic by Ridiculous History
34 min listen
Did a real-life rainmaker almost drown San Diego?: Charles Mallory Hatfield considered himself a real-life rainmaker (or, as he preferred to describe himself, a 'moisture accelerator') and, when San Diego faced one of its most damaging droughts, Hatfield cracked a deal: He'd bring the water back to San Di by Ridiculous History
27 min listen
What's the deal with smashing cake at weddings?: Weddings are an ancient tradition, and over the millenia the various rituals associated with (theoretically) life-long partnership have evolved and changed. One ritual in particular became both prominent and controversial in the West: the act of newly-mar by Ridiculous History
27 min listen
Roald Dahl: Children's Author and Secret Agent: Today author Roald Dahl is best-known for his prolific writing career -- but, as it turns out, he lived an entirely different life before he ever put pen to paper to create children's stories. Learn more about Roald Dahl's earlier life as a fighter ace, a by Ridiculous History
37 min listen
When the Puritans Canceled Christmas: Nowadays Christmas is a globally-recognized holiday celebrated by millions of people, but in the past this wasn't the case. In fact, some groups of Christians detested the holiday, going so far as to ban it completely. So what led Puritans to ban one of t by Ridiculous History
27 min listen
Nazis, Churchill and Chocolate: When Lord Victor Rothschild first heard the news, he was incredulous -- surely Nazi Germany wasn't seriously planning to assassinate Winston Churchill with an exploding chocolate bar. However, Rothschild learned the intelligence reports were solid and was by Ridiculous History
26 min listen
Digging Up James K Polk (For the Third Time): The average American may not hear much about James K Polk in school today, but during his time in office the 11th U.S. President was responsible for a number of tremendously significant policy movements. Today he and his wife are interred in the Tennessee by Ridiculous History
33 min listen
What was the 'Great Stink' of London?: Every city has its drawbacks -- parking, for example, or crime, or the price of a decent pizza slice -- but in the 1800s London faced a particularly unusual and disgusting problem: the city literally stank. And this wasn't an occasional whiff of urine or by Ridiculous History
39 min listen
Ben Franklin Tried To Reinvent the Alphabet: For such a popular, well-known language, English is full of strange, seemingly arbitrary rules. Most people just accept these various idiosyncracies... but Benjamin Franklin was not most people. Tune in as Ben and Noel explore Franklin's strange quest to by Ridiculous History
28 min listen
When did ALL-CAPS type become YELLING?: You've seen them before, whether in a forwarded spam email, a strangely passionate Facebook post or a weirdly emphatic comment on your favorite website: THE DREADED ALL-CAPS TYPER. But where does this practice come from? How did everyone agree that typing by Ridiculous History
35 min listen
Baguettes and Vacation: France versus Bakers: You've probably heard that France takes its bread seriously -- but did you know France had specific laws governing the lives of bakers? For centuries the country regulated how and when bakers could close or take vacation. Although this may sound amusing n by Ridiculous History
24 min listen
The Strange History of Antarctic Fruitcake: Nowadays fruitcake is considered a stereotypical, often comical holiday punchline, but even in the modern day people across the planet can agree on at least one fruitcake fact: Those things are pretty darn durable! So how long could a fruitcake really las by Ridiculous History
27 min listen
That Time the US Built a Flying Aircraft Carrier by Ridiculous History
31 min listen

More Episodes from Ridiculous History

Skip carousel

CLASSIC: The Rotten, Sausagey Secret Origin of Botox by Ridiculous History
35 min listen
Books You Can't Read -- By Design! by Ridiculous History
44 min listen
La Maupin: The Swordfighting Opera Singer of France by Ridiculous History
59 min listen
CLASSIC: The Weird World of Meat Jell-O (A Gelatin Origin Story) by Ridiculous History
38 min listen
A History of Roller Coasters, Part Two: Higher, Faster, More Expensive by Ridiculous History
49 min listen
A History of Roller Coasters, Part One: Early Ups and Downs by Ridiculous History
46 min listen
CLASSIC: London Made a Train for the Dead by Ridiculous History
33 min listen
The Page-turning Evolution of the Encyclopædia Britannica by Ridiculous History
47 min listen
A Ridiculous History of Worcestershire Sauce by Ridiculous History
42 min listen
CLASSIC: Roald Dahl: Children's Author and Secret Agent by Ridiculous History
40 min listen
Micronations: How Liechtenstein Became A Country by Ridiculous History
37 min listen
Why Are There So Many Captain Marvels? by Ridiculous History
53 min listen
CLASSIC: When did ALL-CAPS type become YELLING? by Ridiculous History
37 min listen
Look at Us, Late to the Ridiculous History of Easter by Ridiculous History
47 min listen
Royal Deaths, Part Four: The Unfortunate Lives of Scottish Kings by Ridiculous History
34 min listen
The Delaware Wedge, Part Two: The Wedge and The Horn by Ridiculous History
31 min listen
The Delaware Wedge, Part One: A Tiny State with Massive History by Ridiculous History
28 min listen
Back to the Choo-ture: the Enduring Nostalgia of Model Trains by Ridiculous History
54 min listen
PEZ: Candy or Anti-smoking Aid? by Ridiculous History
42 min listen
Mobituaries with Mo Rocca, Part Two: What's Past is Prologue by Ridiculous History
43 min listen
Mobituaries with Mo Rocca, Part One: Mo Eulogizes The Pager by Ridiculous History
44 min listen
Awful Candy, Part Two: Peeps, Licorice, Wax Lips and More by Ridiculous History
29 min listen
Awful Candy, Part One: Tootsie Rolls Saved the War -- and Divided the World by Ridiculous History
31 min listen
It Is Literally Time For The Leap Year Episode by Ridiculous History
49 min listen
The Ridiculous History of Hot Sauce by Ridiculous History
56 min listen
CLASSIC: Why does the Guinness Beer Company Track World Records? by Ridiculous History
32 min listen
20 Questions: A Ridiculous Crossover, Part One by Ridiculous History
65 min listen
Tecumseh's Curse, Part Two: Boy, It's Tough to be President by Ridiculous History
56 min listen
Tecumseh's Curse, Part One: Rise of The Prophet by Ridiculous History
48 min listen
History Is Absolutely Riddled With Famous Mistranslations by Ridiculous History
49 min listen

Related podcast episodes

Skip carousel

Listener Mail: Creepy Dolls, Tornado Cash, and Sears in the Arms Trade by Stuff They Don't Want You To Know
53 min listen
How Did Gregor MacGregor Swindle People into Moving to a Country that Didn't Exist? by BrainStuff
5 min listen
Sexy Miss Trunchbull by Glowing Up
66 min listen
SYSK Selects: How Bonsai Works: For thousands of years people have been taking normal trees and forcing them into miniature. Learn all about the history and art of this strangely engrossing pastime in this classic episode. by Stuff You Should Know
56 min listen
89: "I Hope You Feel Better in Heaven" (Micah Costa & Jacob Pepe) by Youth Group Chronicles: Blind Reacting to Crazy Youth Ministry Stories
40 min listen
Camp WeWow - Spider Week Day 5: Spider-cise! by WeWow
14 min listen
7: A dangerous collection - history of the cabbage patch riots by Found Objects - a history podcast
48 min listen
Nude Man jumps into Pro Bass Shop Aquarium: \ A creative teenager uses a detailed resume and cover letter to convince her mother to allow her to own a Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy. A daughter in Mississippi surprises her dad with a cherished football card he once had to sell. The For... by 5 Good News Stories : Happiness and Fun
4 min listen
$Nude Man jumps into Pro Bass Shop Aquarium: \ A creative teenager uses a detailed resume and cover letter to convince her mother to allow her to own a Staffordshire Bull Terrier puppy. A daughter in Mississippi surprises her dad with a cherished football card he once had to sell. The For...$
Lincoln, Ivey and Grayson discover an unknown species in the Amazon Jungle ????‍?‍? by Short Stories for Kids: Bedtime ~ Car Time ~ Downtime
14 min listen
95: The Creepy Sword Kid (Micah Costa & Tim Stearns) by Youth Group Chronicles: Blind Reacting to Crazy Youth Ministry Stories
49 min listen
"STOP Watching Toy Unboxing Channels Before Christmas" Creepypasta: It's that time of year where kids look up the latest trends in toys. However you have to be careful what you find. CREEPYPASTA STORY►by Christian Wallis: https://www.reddit.com/user/Christian... Creepypastas are the campfire tales of the internet.... by CreepsMcPasta Creepypasta Radio
37 min listen
Kiki Andersen - Skydiving: Living young and wild and free, Kiki Andersen and her unlabeled boyfriend decide to jump out of a plane. They found a great deal on Groupon to skydive on a small farm in Virginia, what could possibly go wrong? Find out how everything comes out by... by My First Time
45 min listen
Were most of Disney's hit movies based on ancient Fairy Tales? by Who Smarted? - Educational Podcast for Kids
16 min listen
Skinwalker Ranch by Sinisterhood
130 min listen
The Rise of Haunted House Attractions by Stuff You Missed in History Class
33 min listen
Ep. 31 - Magic Cicadas by The Field Guides
58 min listen
Attack of the Aswang: How the CIA Used Vampires as Weapons of War by Ridiculous History
30 min listen
A Skeptic's Guide to Loving Bats: S8 E1: A Skeptic's Guide to Loving Bats by Overheard at National Geographic
31 min listen
76: The Goat Sacrifice (Isaiah Smallwood & Micah Costa) by Youth Group Chronicles: Blind Reacting to Crazy Youth Ministry Stories
28 min listen
96: The Mysterious Toe Popper (Sha Racks & Tim Stearns) by Youth Group Chronicles: Blind Reacting to Crazy Youth Ministry Stories
38 min listen
51: Oh What a Circus: Come one, come all! Behold as we uncover tasty circus and carnival factoids from under the big top: circus lingo, superstitions, and codes for danger. If so many people are scared of clowns, why are they an integral part of the circus? Join in on our... by Good Job, Brain!
47 min listen
Why Do Cicadas Live Underground?: This spring, up to a TRILLION cicadas will emerge across 16 states in the US, in an event that hasn't happened since 1803. Listen to learn all about these crazy insects! by Tumble Science Podcast for Kids
21 min listen
The Weird, Surprisingly Recent Origin of the Tooth Fairy by Ridiculous History
27 min listen
79: The Fake Terrorist Attack (Micah Costa & Buddy Jenkins) by Youth Group Chronicles: Blind Reacting to Crazy Youth Ministry Stories
29 min listen
Oklahoma Girl Scout Murders: In 1977, three young girls were killed at Camp Scott. Many obvious warning signs were ignored that could’ve prevented this tragedy. A suspect was arrested but questionable police work may have messed up the entire case. Most infuriating of all, parents... by Web Crawlers
43 min listen
Pete the Poltergeist: This week, we discuss one of the most popular poltergeist encounters in the UK. In Cardiff, Wales, in the 1980s, for almost 15 years, a lawn mower repair shop experienced excessive and consistent paranormal activity. Stones were thrown, wrenches... by Believing the Bizarre: Paranormal Conspiracies & Myths
63 min listen
The Albatwitch: Episode 18: The Albatwitch by Strange Familiars
59 min listen
KILLING TIME: BO$$ BABE: This week, the girls and the goth dig into the dark, predatory history of MLMs. They debate whether they love or hate water parks, read receipts, and clapping when the plane lands. Oh, and lots of trash talking Keith Ranierie! Please support the show by checking out our sponsors! Upstart: Find out how Upstart can lower your monthly payments today when you go to UPSTART.com/FIRSTDEGREE Slumber Cloud: Save 10% on your purchase when you go to www.slumbercloud.com and use our exclusive code: FIRSTDEGREE10 by The First Degree
51 min listen
Adventures in Family Values | 4 by Adventures of Cairo
14 min listen
Fri. 12/4 - When You Find Out You're a Meme by Cool Stuff Ride Home
15 min listen

Discover this podcast and so much more

Hunting Fireflies for Fun (and Profit)

Hunting Fireflies for Fun (and Profit)

Description

Titles in the series (100)

More Episodes from Ridiculous History

Related podcast episodes