They are, by some standards, two of the most successful modern world religions.
In this episode we'll try to understand why that is, and what we can learn from Mormonism and Scientology about what it takes to start a successful world religion.
It is, by some standards, the most successful modern religion.
Discover how Scientology went from the pseudo-medical ideas of an out-of-luck science fiction writer to a religion that counts some of the world's most famous film stars among its believers.
In 1830, a young man named Joseph Smith Jr proclaimed that he had uncovered gold plates containing the true word of God.
Discover how Mormonism went from being considered a strange cult to becoming a mainstream religion with more followers than Judaism.
It's the world's Sin City, where fortunes and made and lost.
In this episode, you'll learn about the history of this unlikely city, from its early days as a desert oasis to its links with the Mafia, from eccentric entrepreneurs right through to atomic bombs.
Discover the story of what happened when an Italian engineer decided to build an island off the coast of Italy..and then declare it to be an independent country.
In the 1920s the boss of the Ford Motor Company, Henry Ford, attempted to build a huge rubber plantation in the Amazon jungle.
It didn't quite go to plan...
From black cats to Friday the 13th, superstitions exist in cultures all over the world.
Where do they come from? Why do so many people believe them? And is there any evidence to suggest that they are actually true?
It's the belief that the world is unstable and unpredictable, and that we should all be prepared for what happens when catastrophe strikes.
Learn about where this idea came from, what survivalists do, and why the USA is the world's survivalist capital.
It's the one inevitability in life, but it remains one of life's biggest unknowns.
In this morbid episode we discuss what happens when we die, how different cultures celebrate death, and what the future of death might look like.
You've heard of zoology, but you might not have heard about its pseudoscience cousin, cryptozoology, the subculture that attempts to prove the existence of mysterious animals from folklore and popular culture.
Is it really the most powerful secret society is the world?
Does it really control everything we do?
Or is it a conspiracy theory that has only a small basis in truth?
It's time for the true story of The Illuminati.
It's one of the biggest financial frauds in history, and involves bankers, politicians, Hollywood celebrities, and The Wolf of Wall Street.
It's time to find out what happened to the missing Malaysian billions.
The pirates of the 21st century don't have parrots and swords, but night-vision goggles and AK47s.
Discover why pirates have re-emerged, how they work, and what the effect of piracy is on the areas in which they operate.
It's one of Italy's oldest and largest criminal organisations, and its story is inextricably linked to the city of Naples.
In today's episode we tell the story of the Camorra: how it got to where it is today, how one of the biggest bosses was found hiding in an old lady's house, and why the new generation may not be as smart as the last.
You probably know about the invention of the light bulb, the telephone, and the aeroplane.
But do you know anything about the weird history of brandy, the microwave oven, viagra, velcro, or the stethoscope?
It's time to tell the unorthodox stories of how these five inventions were discovered.
It's one of the most isolated countries in the world, ruled by an authoritarian leader with a passion for horses and Guinness World Records.
It's time to find out about the weird and wonderful country of Turkmenistan.
It's a collection of the biggest, fastest, and weirdest things in the world.
But how much do you really know about The Guinness World Records?
Today we look at the story behind the book, and discover how an argument about a bird turned into one of the best selling books in the world.
Today we are taking a look at conspiracy theories.
Why people believe them, why they can be so seductive, and the damage that they can do.
We'll also take a look at three of the wackiest ones out there - from why people believe Disney made Frozen to why people think the dinosaurs built the pyramids.
