Podcast · Tech & Science

Endless Thread

Untold histories, unsolved mysteries, and other jaw-dropping stories online and IRL. Hosted by Ben Brock Johnson & Amory Sivertson.

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 28 min
Latest: 9 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026 · 33 min

Remembering Brooke Eby

"Should I be joking at a time like this?" That's the question then 33-year-old Brooke Eby asked herself when she uploaded her first piece of TikTok comedy in 2022, about being diagnosed with a terminal illness. Brooke built an audience of hundreds of thousands of people who were rooting for, and laughing with, her. Sometimes it got weird. Brooke died due to complications with ALS earlier this month. She was 37. In 2025, she talked to Endless Thread hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson about how facing death changed her relationship with social media and online community. Show notes:…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

2 Oct 2026 · 25 min
Mixed signals: Nextdoor villains and the holiday you've never heard of
The internet is the great connector. Talk with nearly anyone at any time about anything. But that kind of freedom can lead to misunderstandings. Maybe your neighbors discover your cruder, less friendly persona online. Maybe a debate over holiday lore becomes a battle front. Endless Thread producers Grace Tatter and Frannie Monahan bring two stories to remind us that the internet is a morass of information that no one can ever control. Show notes: " How I became the villain of El Cerrito’s Nextdoor " (Oakland Review of Books) Bomellida FAQ (GitHub) This content was originally created for…
25 Sep 2026 · 16 min
The Haruhi problem
Get out your graphing calculators, because today's episode of Endless Thread is about a math problem. Specifically: wt(π1, . . . , πm) = m−1 ∑ i=1 wt(πi , πi+1) Now, pencils down. Stumped? So were mathematicians for decades. That is, until the equation was solved in a thread on 4Chan about watching the anime The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya. Show notes: A lower bound on the length of the shortest superpattern (oeis.org) Sa-Shi-Su-Se-So: The Secret of Japanese Cooking Basics (Umami Insider) This content was originally created for audio. An auto-generated transcript is available on Apple…
18 Sep 2026 · 33 min
Keeping the Lights on at a Video Game Cafe in Southern Yemen
Mo lives in Aden, an ancient city in southern Yemen. Built on a volcanic crater, it has castles and beaches set against mountains. It's beautiful. Like the rest of the country, it is also in the midst of an ongoing civil war. This summer, protests broke out over living conditions and basic services in the city -- like electricity, which can be shut off for 18 hours at a time. But despite these conditions, for the last five years, Mo has been fighting for a persistent dream of his –– a video game internet cafe for his neighborhood. This week on Endless Thread Ben and Amory tell the story of…
11 Sep 2026 · 29 min
Ear rumblers assemble!
Ben can make a roaring, rumbling sound with his ears that no one else can hear. He never thought much about it — whether only he could do this, or whether everyone could do this — until he discovered a subreddit called Ear Rumblers Assemble: a whole community devoted to the mysterious and understudied ability to voluntarily tense one of the miniscule muscles in our ears. We go into Ben's ear with Dr. Anand Devaiah, and raise questions about how everyone experiences the world differently and the enduring mysteries of the human body. Show notes: r/earrumblersassemble ( Reddit ) Thanks to…
4 Sep 2026 · 25 min
Encore: Owl pursuits
This episode was originally published on March 10, 2023. In 2022, freshmen at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill got a new neighbor: an owl. What wasn't clear was whether the owl was trying to befriend them, or catch them. Sometimes the owl seemed to be chasing students. Other times, it seemed to come in peace. A popular campus Instagram account reported that a woman had actually raised the owl herself. After she was spotted feeding it, the owl sightings stopped, much to the disappointment of students who'd come to consider it as a sort of mascot. Where had the owl come from,…
28 Aug 2026 · 26 min
Emily Kwong takes us to science camp
Grab your telescopes because this week on Endless Thread Ben and NPR Short Wave host Emily Kwong take us down two science-related internet wormholes. First, Emily introduces us to the intergalactic world of astronaut fan fiction, starring the crew of the 2026 Artemis II moon mission. Then, Ben takes us through the r/Science discourse on a new LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) study mapping an ancient Amazonian civilization. Show notes: Short Wave (NPR) Between change and upgrade (Artemis II fan fiction, Wattpad) Scientists Uncover Hundreds of Hidden Structures Beneath The Amazon…
21 Aug 2026 · 28 min
'Turn Bluetooth off, or we're turning around.'
The 190 passengers of a United Airlines flight from Newark, New Jersey to Palma de Mallorca, Spain had settled into their seats for their overnight flight when the captain gave an announcement: everyone had to turn off their Bluetooth devices — or he was going to turn around the plane. This confounded passengers, because Bluetooth is safe for airplanes. It stays enabled when devices are on airplane mode. United even encourages using Bluetooth headphones to connect to in-flight entertainment. What was going on? The flight crew couldn't say. So the passengers took to...where else? Reddit. Show…
14 Aug 2026 · 45 min
Fruit of the Loom: Horn of Lies
The brand Fruit of the Loom is almost ubiquitous in the world of underwear and casual wear. You have likely seen its logo, if not on your own body, on store racks or at least in ads. Now, in your mind's eye, picture it. What do you see? For years, countless people have been taking to the internet to share their memory of the Fruit of the Loom logo. A lot of them have the same memory – a basket, rather, a cornucopia of fruit. But they're all wrong. At least, Fruit of the Loom claims that is has never had a cornucopia in its logo and there is little concrete evidence to suggest that the brand…
7 Aug 2026 · 29 min
The internet is a perpetual stew
This week on Endless Thread it's a producer takeover with Grace Tatter and Kalyani Saxena serving up some delicious online stories. First, Kalyani digs into why the internet is so hungry for perpetual stews (a stew that is simmered and added on to in perpetuity). Then, Grace dishes on a listener conundrum about whether salty Reddit posts are worse for us than sweet ones. Show notes: ZAQ_Makes' Stewtheus (TikTok) Want to try perpetual stew? Some tips for avoiding foodborne illness (NPR) r/GirlDinnerDiaries (Reddit) Does Venting Your Feelings Actually Help? (Greater Good Magazine) Endless…
31 Jul 2026 · 24 min
Teach us how to Dougie
Long before TikTok dances, there was the Dougie. In 2010, Cali Swag District’s “Teach Me How to Dougie” went worldwide, and for the decade-plus since, people have been trying to learn the viral moves. More than 15 years later, a Korean TikTok creator went viral for doing the Dougie… badly. He claimed to be learning how to do the Dougie day-by-day – but his moves were so stiff and awkward, viewers from around the world – including Endless Thread producer Kalyani Saxena — were suspicious. Was @JBStarMax faking being bad at the Dougie? Kalyani presents her investigation to Ben and Amory. Show…
24 Jul 2026 · 35 min
The Lost Loophole
Kurt Gödel was a genius mathematician and logician, considered by many scholars to be as influential as Aristotle. He was also buddies with fellow geniuses Albert Einstein and Oskar Morgenstern, the co-creator of Game Theory. In 1947, Gödel told Morgenstern and Einstein he had identified an inner contradiction in the U.S. Constitution while studying for his citizenship test: the type of loophole that could plunge the United States into a dictatorship not unlike the Nazi regime Gödel had escaped when he immigrated from Austria. So, what was the loophole? Over the years, everyone from…
17 Jul 2026 · 38 min
How to Dim the Sun, from Marketplace's How We Survive
The climate crisis is escalating. We have to decarbonize our economy, but we’re moving too slowly. So, what’s the backup plan? This season of How We Survive is about engineering nature: large-scale interventions that could be our last hope. We’ll explore technology that could alter our weather patterns, transform our planet, and possibly save us all from the worst outcomes of the climate crisis. Or lead to catastrophic, unintended consequences. In this episode, host Amy Scott travels to the Bay Area to learn about a controversial solution to the climate crisis. It’s called solar…
10 Jul 2026 · 31 min
Socials for Sale
Most of us know the internet isn't a particularly private place. Yet there's a certain feeling of anonymity that comes with sharing online — our words and stories mixed in with millions of others. It's easy to think no one is watching. But your data isn't just vulnerable to prying eyes. It's for sale. And the government is buying it up to keep a closer eye on you — and all of us. This week, hosts Amory and Ben take a chilling look at how our social media is used for surveillance with Dell Cameron, an investigative reporter with WIRED covering privacy and national security. ICE Wants to Build…
3 Jul 2026 · 25 min
Encore: Adrián and the Whale
This episode was originally published on March 21, 2025. There are moments that define each of our lives. Some we can predict: graduations, marriages, births, deaths. Others? Not so much. And in the year 2025, when the stars aligned just so, you may have found that moment explode online. That's what happened to 23-year-old Adrián Simancas. Last year in Feb. 2025, Adrián was paddling the Straight of Magellan, with his father Dell, when the unimaginable happened: a humpback whale emerged from the water and engulfed him in its open mouth — and his father captured it all on video. Almost…
26 Jun 2026 · 25 min
Comfort maxxing on the interwebs
Sit back, relax and get cozy. As a matter of fact, why not put on your baggiest of clothes and burrow down in your snuggiest of blankets? This week on Endless Thread, Ben and Amory are comfy-maxxing. They'll discuss how the internet is delivering comfort right now, including a look at delicious foods from childhood and an intriguing tip on how to sleep better at night. Show notes: Calling all dad's... Whats your easy go to dinners?! (Reddit) What’s your favorite comfort food from your culture? (Reddit) My weird but effective sleep trick: pretend I’m a medieval peasant (Reddit) Amory's…
19 Jun 2026 · 23 min
Back to the Backrooms!
Once upon a dimly lit hallway, Ben and Amory stumbled onto a beloved brainchild of the internet: Backrooms. It began as a "creepypasta"— a horror story or concept that originates online and often becomes a meme — based on the idea of glitching into an inescapable prison of empty rooms. Back in 2020, Endless Thread discussed how this chilling kernel of internet lore migrated from 4chan to Reddit. Now, "Backrooms" is a major motion picture from A24. Amory and Ben take a little field trip to the theater to see the film and discuss how the concept holds up in the hands of Hollywood.
11 Jun 2026 · 37 min
Endless Thread on OnlyFans
Journalist Leon Neyfakh — known for the podcasts Slow Burn , Fiasco , and Backfired — wanted to know more about the massively popular and sprawling online ecosystem of OnlyFans. What are its nearly 400 million users really getting from it, and what can that tell all of us about relationships forged online? To find out, he teamed up with Gracie Canaan, a stand-up comedian and OnlyFans creator. Ben and Amory sat down with them at the WBUR Festival to hear all about their new podcast for Audible, OnlyFantasy , in which they examine this bustling digital marketplace of sex and emotions, and try…
4 Jun 2026 · 25 min
Leave a message after the beep
Jeremy Rellosa used to watch TV shows and movies from the '90s and revel in how the characters walked around untethered to a smartphone, with no expectations of constant connectivity. So he decided to run an experiment on himself: he'd live for at least two weeks without a smartphone. No Slack. No text messages. No Instagram or WhatsApp. If his friends, family, or boss wanted to reach him, they'd have to call him on his landline. Sure, landlines were the norm just a couple of decades ago. But in our always-online world, how feasible is the landline life, really? Ben and Amory call Jeremy up…
29 May 2026 · 26 min
The Church of Speedrun!
Try reading this description as fast as you can: Ben and Amory zoom through two internet stories connected to speed running, including a look at a mysterious object on Reddit and an online trend directed at the Church of Scientology. Show notes: Found in my son’s room (Reddit) Storming Scientology Buildings: TikTok Trend or Hate Crime? (The New York Times) What is a ‘Scientology speedrun’ and why is social media suddenly obsessed with it? (The Guardian)
22 May 2026 · 24 min
Endless Egg
Some Internet trends are temporary, but eggs are forever. Today, host Ben Brock Johnson serves up a story about a recipe that, according to the people of r/pickled, can't be beat, and producer Kalyani Saxena egg-splores online discourse around Korean mayak eggs, and why it matters which creators get credit for their popularity. Show notes: "Been a few years now. Figured I’d share my recipe." ( r/pickling ) The eggs so addictive authorities want to change their name ( The Sydney Morning Herald ) How a South Korean comfort food went global ( BBC ) "Marinade recipe" (@courtneylcook's TikTok)…
15 May 2026 · 27 min
Manifesting an online rom-com existence
Of all the internet communities in all the world, you walked into ours. Hosts Ben and Amory pay homage to the magic of chance encounters with producer Grace Tatter. Together, they explore the ways in which the internet fuels random yet delightful meetings between strangers online, from a website where you can impersonate ChatGPT to Craigslist's beloved Missed Connections page. Show notes: YourAISlopBores.Me What Craigslist’s missed connections are still good for (The Bold Italic) Credits: This episode was produced by Kalyani Saxena. Mix and sound design by Marquis Neal. It was edited by Meg…
8 May 2026 · 25 min
Ben Palmer's Brain
Comedian Ben Palmer set up a fake tip line for reporting immigrants in the United States suspected of not having legal status. He recorded the conversations, and things... got uncomfortable and, in some cases, disturbing. But for a lot of viewers, these calls were surprisingly funny. How does Ben Palmer withstand the awkwardness and maintain his deadpan delivery as he trolls unsuspecting Americans trying to get their neighbors deported? And how did he go from being your average stand-up comic, doing sets after his day job, to creating viral social commentary full-time? Show notes: He made a…
5 May 2026 · 21 min
Endless Thread presents "The Midnight Rebellion"
Introducing The Midnight Rebellion, a new climate fiction podcast from WBUR — a rollicking adventure to a flooded, robot-infested world where you choose what happens. When Joule Watts-Green steps into her mom’s mysterious machine, she’s swept off to a polluted city of tides. Streets are rivers, “tin-skins” shoot lightning, and everyone eats gooey Algae-Os. To get home, Joule must be brave, clever, and make friends. She may even discover how to save the world — with your help . Each chapter ends with a choice. YOU decide what’s next. This is Chapter 1. Triumph or failure, it’s up to you.…
1 May 2026 · 29 min
Extraordinary vs. Extra Ordinary
Ben and Amory take a hike with producer Grace, following the digital trail of "Ridiculoubs" — a mysterious climber who traverses the world's peaks in striking footwear. Then, Amory celebrates the beauty of daily life with the Dull Women's Club, a Facebook group with nearly 1.6 million members. Show notes: " Ridiculoubs" Reviews (Google Maps) Ridiculoubs (Instagram) Dull Women’s Club (Facebook) Dull Women’s Club celebrating the ordinary Sponsor message: EXCLUSIVE NordVPN Deal ➼ https://nordvpn.com/ENDLESS Try it risk-free now with a 30-day money-back guarantee
24 Apr 2026 · 33 min
Close Encounters of the Hexagonal Kind
Endless Thread goes to space! First, host Ben Brock Johnson goes deep on radio signals of unknown origin, with an assist from real-life radio astronomer and Reddit MVP Yvette Cendes, aka, Andromeda321. Then, producer Kalyani Saxena takes Ben down the metaphorical black hole of Saturn's hexagonal storm, a massive vortex twice the width of the Earth that's inspired internet conspiracy theories every bit as unweildy. Show notes: This storm never ends: Saturn’s north pole ( Reddit ) Cassini Images Bizarre Hexagon on Saturn ( NASA ) Cassini: Saturn's Perplexing Hexagon ( NASA ) Credits: This…
17 Apr 2026 · 28 min
A Beige New World
What's your favorite color? If you ask the algorithm, the answer is probably beige. The internet loves neutrals. Aesthetic coffee shop videos feature white walls and minimalist decor. Influencers film from houses decked out with all the beige fixings. When you shop online, you'll be presented with products in a wide range of bland colors — from eggshell, to taupe, to... slightly darker taupe. So where did all the color go? Hayley DeRoche, a librarian and writer known as SadBeige on Tiktok, has been watching this unfold for a while. Hosts Ben and Amory talk with Hayley about the internet's…
10 Apr 2026 · 21 min
How Afroman turned lemons into lemon pound cake
When you think of rapper Afroman, chances are his early 2000s hit song "Because I Got High" is already playing in your mind. More than two decades later, his music has once again broken containment. Host Ben Brock Johnson and Producer Grace Tatter dig into how Afroman turned a police raid and defamation trial into another moment of internet virality. Show notes: Afroman surveillance footage (Instagram) "These lemon poundcake shirts are going fast !!!" (Instagram) Cop Says Afroman's False 'Pedophile' Claim Caused Him To Quit Sheriff's Office (YouTube) Credits: This episode was produced by…
3 Apr 2026 · 29 min
Rewind: Digging Deep with TikTok's "tunnel girl"
In this throwback from the Endless Thread archives, hosts Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson revisit an episode from 2024. In 2022, a TikTok creator who identifies herself as "Kala" began digging. What followed was an increasingly viral series of TikToks chronicling the efforts of Kala, who some on the internet dubbed "Tunnel Girl," as she excavated and constructed a tunnel system under her suburban home. Her more than half-million followers watched and weighed in with support, suggestions and, at times, concern. That is, until a stop-work order halted the project in its tracks. Two years…
27 Mar 2026 · 29 min
Beautiful, Terrible Internet
Warning: This episode contains multitudes! Hosts Ben and Amory explore how viral clips of DOGE staffers' video depositions found a new life online after a judge temporarily ordered them removed. They also dabble in a Reddit thought exercise with a potentially dubious origin Show notes: DOGE staffer who flagged grants for 'DEI' struggles to define the term (The Independent) LPT: I started pretending my life is a TV show and it made me more productive (Reddit) Credits: This episode was produced by Kalyani Saxena and hosted by Ben Brock Johnson and Amory Sivertson. It was edited by Meg Cramer.…

About Endless Thread

Untold histories, unsolved mysteries, and other jaw-dropping stories online and IRL. Hosted by Ben Brock Johnson & Amory Sivertson.

Endless Thread is a English tech & science podcast from WBUR. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: WBUR
Language: English
Category: Tech & Science
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 28 min
Latest episode: 9 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1321060753
Rights: Copyright Trustees of Boston University

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