Podcast · Tech & Science
by William Blake Smith · English · Tech & Science
The show where we watch the 1970s TV show "In Search Of..." and look at possible explanations the producers didn't consider.
17 Aug 2026 · 2 hr 20 min
Jeb and Blake go in research of... MOON MADNESS! Does the full moon drive people mad? Will this episode drive your hosts mad? Was In Search Of... not able to afford a fact-checker in season five? SO MANY QUESTIONS! This is our Halloween Episode for season five. This is our TIME TRAVEL episode for season five. This is... MOON MADNESS. Nimoy Fashion Alert: Extended show notes freely available on our Patreon Site.
S5 · E5 · 24 Jul 2026 · 2 hr 3 min
⚠️ Heads up: this episode opens with combat footage from the Tet Offensive and includes graphic descriptions of battlefield injury, a child in medical crisis, and animal experimentation. If you or someone you know is struggling, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is available by call or text at 988.⚠️ Jeb and Blake look at the birth of NDE research: a field of study with a significant footprint in the metro-Atlanta area. Rats are bothered. Soldiers are wounded. Canadian teens are frozen. ...and we're here to talk about all of it. 📺 Episode Summary Despite the title, this one isn't really…
S5 · E4 · 28 May 2026 · 1 hr 48 min
Note: This episode briefly touches on the topic of suicide. If you or someone you know is struggling, please contact the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. Blake and Jeb crash headlong into S05E04 of In Search Of... on the topic of Daredevil Death Wish. Episode Summary This In Search Of episode asks a surprisingly straightforward question for this show: what drives daredevils to risk their lives? Rather than chasing aliens or cryptids, the episode plays it remarkably straight - functioning more as a documentary about stunt performers than the paranormal-adjacent fare…
S5 · E3 · 3 May 2026 · 2 hr 10 min
Jeb and Blake tackle In Search Of...'s S05E03 topic of Lee Harvey Oswald. Episode Summary This In Search Of episode examines the assassination of President John F. Kennedy through the lens of (at the time this aired) newly discovered acoustic evidence and Cold War intrigue. Rather than accepting the Warren Commission's conclusion that Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone, the episode presents "new evidence" suggesting a conspiracy involving multiple gunmen, potential Soviet involvement, and even the extraordinary theory that the man killed by Jack Ruby may not have been the real Lee Harvey Oswald.…
S52 · E2 · 20 Apr 2026 · 1 hr 52 min
Blake and Jeb discuss ISO's coverage of FAITH HEALING. The episode goes to places new and old. Jeb gives us historical context. Blake gets angry. Nimoy wears a lab coat. EXTENSIVE Show Notes on our free Patreon page
S5 · 8 Mar 2026 · 56 min
Weirdumentary has a forward by Stephen Bissette who wrote a book also likely to be of interest to listeners: Cryptid Cinema (affiliate link) (A follow-up to that book is under construction and will include research by your's truly about the "4-walling" tour of the PGF.) I linked to Feral House's page for Weirdumentary above at the request of Gary. If you're curious about their catalog, we talked with their owner recently about monstrous food and they also produced Al Ridenour's new book about Carnival. This is not a complete list of the films in the book - and it also covers a few TV series…
S5 · E1 · 29 Jan 2026 · 3 hr 12 min
Show less Jeb and Blake kick off Season 5 of In Search Of... by researching UFO COVERUPS! Links: UFO Crash at Roswell Catalina UFO Footage and Reddit discussion of same Twilight Zone - A Small Talent for War Malmstrom UFO Incident Obit for Col. Donald Burggrabe Peter Gersten "the UFO Lawyer" Raymond Fowler Col. Robert Friend - and obit Jesse Marcel Sr. NASA Lifting Body Northrop Flying Wing Doak VZ-4 (not a saucer!) Avrocar Jupiter II (Lost in Space) Nimoy Fashion Alert! UFO Crash Sites in New Mexico: There is a lot of Top Secret in this episode: Col Donald Burggrabe Raymond Fowler Peter…
S4 · E24 · 9 Dec 2025 · 2 hr 28 min
Blake and Jeb go In Research Of PAST LIVES with Leonard Nimoy. Subjects include reincarnation claims, past-life regression therapy, and some truly baffling Nimoy wardrobe choices. Link to YouTube Episode (while it lasts) Topics we cover include: Nimoy wandering a Los Angeles graveyard in a strange quasi-military sport coat, and Blake's detective work tying the filming location to Evergreen Cemetery in Boyle Heights. The famous Pollock twins case from Hexham, England, where two girls were said to be the reincarnations of their deceased sisters — and how later research complicates the story.…
S4 · E22 · 19 Jul 2025 · 1 hr 49 min
Jeb and Blake ponder Atlantis and "healing holes" in the waters off the coast of Bimini. (Weirdly this is almost literally true as Blake ended up actually in Bimini just a week before this ep released. More on that soon.) Links for Shownotes: Roby Yonge on "The Beatles Paul is Dead" Neptune Memorial Reef "Psychic" Irene Hughes Bimini Wall Edgar Cayce Beachrock The Healing Hole More on the crystal ball from 2010 (Cayce related) Nimoy Fashion Alert: Other interesting images from the episode: Hemingway's Healing Hole: Robey Yong and Irene Hughes re-enact their experiences. Doc Raymond Brown and…
14 Jul 2025 · 1 hr 19 min
Flashback to January 2018: In this episode of MonsterTalk , we return to discussion of the Ultraterrestrial Hypothesis (UTH) and what seems to be its growing influence in paranormal circles. It's been used to explain UFOs, mothman, bigfoot, fairies, dogman, ghosts and many other phenomena which defy scientific demonstrability. Now it crops up again in a new film event titled Alien Intrusion which turned out to be a stealth evangelical creationist film which suggests that aliens and UFOs are actually demonic. We are joined by MonsterTalk alum Joe Laycock, Natasha Mikles and Jeb Card to…
S4 · 8 Jun 2025 · 2 hr 42 min
This is part 2 of our 2-part coverage of The Mothman Prophecies movie. If you haven't listened to Part-1, please turn over the record and start again . Additional show notes available (for free) on our Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/posts/s4-bonus-mothman-129987183
S4 · 8 Jun 2025 · 2 hr 17 min
This is part 1 of our 2-part coverage of The Mothman Prophecies movie. This is in lieu of S04E21 (see below) but we hope you enjoy the content and after part 2, we return to our regularly scheduled episodes list. "So... Air Disasters Predictions , Jeb? What do you think we'll get?" Well it turned out to be more than we expected. During our research for this episode we ran into a bit of a puzzle. It turns out that one of the key figures in the episode is still alive and has become an important figure in the world of conspiracy and out of an abundance of caution for our own sanity (as regards…
S4 · E20 · 19 Feb 2025 · 1 hr 47 min
Jeb and Blake go in search of John the Baptist's resting place. Content Warning: Human remains on screen. Discussion of murder. Beheading John the Baptist (wiki) Salome (play) In 2018 the murder of Bishop Epiphanius took place and rocked the religious community -- not important for this episode but it popped up a lot in my searching. San Silvestro "head" shown in intro Same - but wiki article Nimoy Fashion Alert (NFA Wardrobe consulting by The Hogtown Rake , Pedro Mendes) The "head" of John the Baptist at San Silvestro: Art historian Michael Patroconni (Petroccione?) I think Jeb and I found…
S4 · E19 · 14 Dec 2024 · 2 hr 41 min
Blake tries to talk Jeb off the ledge as we return to the classic theme of "ancient astronauts" in this throwback episode titled: Earth Visitors . Some links relevant to our discussion: Dejah Thoris (character) MUFON/Harzan scandal Roman Dodecahedrons (archaeology) Frank Frazetta Boris Vallejo We mention Zecharia Sitchin . Research suggests humans grow more neurons than did Neanderthals. A bunch of this episode comes from the work of Maurice Chatelain, who we shall refer to as "Shadowlane." His book Our Cosmic Ancestors sports one of the more interesting book covers we've seen while…
S4 · E18 · 18 Oct 2024 · 1 hr 50 min
Jeb and Blake head out to sea in research of the mystery of what happened to the crew of The Mary Celeste. Links: The Dei Gratia Nimoy Fashion Alert (NFA Wardrobe consulting by The Hogtown Rake , Pedro Mendes) Attorney Fred Flood In 1913, The Strand Magazine provided an alleged survivor's account from one Abel Fosdyk, supposedly Mary Celeste 's steward. The Mary Celeste (1913 article) Per "WhatTheFont" website identifier, that font is (appropriately): JOLLY ROGER ! Meanwhile on Skull Hut Island... Pop Culture: Dead Calm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mystery_of_the_Mary_Celeste Read it,…
S4 · E17 · 12 Sep 2024 · 2 hr 6 min
Jeb and Blake go into the jungles of California and France in search of WILD CHILDREN! This episode of ISO contains a lot of disturbing content and our commentary is laced with expletives, hence the Explicit tag. Tarzan is raised by a fictional ape species known as The Mangani The story of Mowgli is LOOOOSELY based on the real-life person Dina Sanichar . Frequently referenced ERB Zine article Ian Jackson obituary News coverage of David as adult (BBC) 2021 update on David 1985 story about search for "wild children" (and Sham Dev/Shamdeo) Christopher Hitchens on Mother Theresa Japanese…
S4 · E16 · 25 Aug 2024 · 2 hr 30 min
How could Vincent have been a creative genius - yet also "insane?" Jeb and Blake take a look at Nimoy's very personal thoughts about this question. This episode deals with the topic of self-harm and suicide. If you're struggling with thoughts of self harm, please get help immediately. You can reach trained and empathetic counselors (in the USA) by dialing 988 or 1-800-273-TALK. We care about our listeners and want you to be around for many years to enjoy life - and our work. Links for Show Notes: Nimoy's play VINCENT via Archive 81 Words - This American Life on the DSM The Book of Kells…
S4 · E15 · 31 Jul 2024 · 1 hr 48 min
Jeb and Blake learn all about the riveting world of stock certificates and inheritance law! It may not be the most mysterious episode of In Search Of... but it's certainly one of the episodes we watched. Show Notes: Orson Welles Critic Clip Lot 249 Texas Pacific Land trust 1980 article The big 2014 Business Insider article Pembroke: http://www.oldlongisland.com/2008/02/pembroke.html http://www.oldlongisland.com/2011/10/pembroke.html http://www.oldlongisland.com/2009/07/pembroke-american-architect.html Pembroke tour (video) Alice de Lamar Failed lawsuit Contemporary article about the case…
S4 · E14 · 30 Jun 2024 · 2 hr
Jeb and Blake are joined by Sharon Hill to get shook by the San Andreas Fault ! Understanding the Richter Scale (logarithmic) Link (Netflix) to Earthstorm docu series YT video clip featuring geologist Dr. Kerry Sieh Classic Budweiser commercial from the 70s The Salton Sea Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Nuclear activist Ray Vrana Peter Gros of Wild Kingdom San Andreas movie with The Rock (Amz affiliate link) Cover to guide for SF geological tour: Dr. Tim Hall - One of the founders of the San Andreas Fault Trail i n 1977. Featured in 2011 documentary available on YT. Dr. Kerry Sieh The very sexy…
S4 · E13 · 18 Jun 2024 · 2 hr 32 min
In order to understand In Search Of… The Dark Star , Jeb and Blake will first need to get Sirius; Sirius-B , that is! Links from this episode: Siris (A part of the Canis Major constellation) Jeb discussed a couple of evocative artworks: Appeal to the Great Spirit (Dallin) End of the Trail (Fraser) North African musket (Moukahla) Colonial Williamsburg Hoop Rolling Jacquard Loom Punched Cards technology The Hans Guggenheim art project Isaac Koi UFO archives The Tribal Eye BBC documentary series (YouTube) Regarding Temple, Puhairich, Young, and The Nine The Sirius Mystery by Robert Temple…
S3 · E12 · 29 May 2024 · 2 hr 27 min
Blake and Jeb look for the real location of Mt. Sinai, where Moses was supposed to have received the Ten Commandments from God.
S4 · E10 · 2 May 2024 · 2 hr 38 min
Jeb and Blake extinguish our cigarettes, put our trays in the upright position, and head out the back of the plane in search of the elusive skyjacker known as D. B. Cooper. Nimoy Fashion Alert - dimly lit corporate office edition. D. B. Cooper - Wikipedia The Pursuit of D. B. Cooper (Movie) - if you buy it on Amazon we get a few pennies. Recent Netflix series on D. B. Cooper Blake's friend Rick Ollerman offered some opinions on vintage round parachutes. Later we meet Nimoy outside where you can make out more of his ensemble. Of course this is an episode about D. B. Cooper - who for Jeb and…
S4 · E10 · 29 Mar 2024 · 2 hr 15 min
Jeb and Blake join Leonard Nimoy's search for Pompeii! (Well - is it really about finding Pompeii? Or is it about finding a possibly Christian cross in Pompeii? Tune in and find out!) Links: Depictions of the crucifixion in Medieval Art People debating the cross at Pompeii Christian graffiti at Pompeii House of the Faun - Pompeii About that "lost Legion" thing Discovery and rediscovery of Pompeii Giuseppe Fiorelli Terentius Neo Lupinar Villa of Mysteries Dinosyian Mysteries Greco-Roman Mysteries Thyrsus Nimoy Fashion Alert! Hey - it's NOT a Jumpsuit. We complain but there really is WAY too…
S4 · E9 · 23 Feb 2024 · 2 hr 20 min
Jeb and Blake track the last cryptozoology episode of the original In Search Of… as we join the late Peter C. Byrne in a search for "The Abominable Snowman." Imagining the Wild Man: Yeti Sightings in Folktales and Newspapers of the Darjeeling and Kalimpong Hills More on Tom Slick - MonsterTalk Monty Python "abattoir" sketch Searching for Sasquatch (affiliate link) Article about Byrne still "hunting" in his 90s. The Eternal Return Bigfoot Map Jeff Wayne's War of the Worlds (YouTube) Horror in the Heights - Kolchak Episode with Rakshasha NFA - "Proof of Life" Crevasse photo we mention from the…
S4 · E8 · 1 Feb 2024 · 2 hr 32 min
Jeb is right at home as we go In Search Of... Mexican Pyramids! Links from research Sacrifice City Great Pyramid of Cholula Templo Mayor Ruz' Palenque Dissertation The Christmas Robbery of the Century Secrets of the Maya Temple (1958) Museo (2018) movie about the robbery - affiliate link Mystery of the Meridas Ciudad Maya nightclub Music/Art film tied to the nightclub site Operation PBSuccess - CIA and Guatemala Mystery film we think MAY have sourced part of this episode. Director Jean Chartier Pyramid Comparison visual tool (wikipedia) Nimoy Fashion Alert! Jungle Cotton Blend edition: There…
S4 · 17 Dec 2023 · 1 hr 6 min
Dr. Joe Nickell recalls his experiences working on the Season 4 episode of In Search Of … dealing with The Shroud of Turin. note: This interview will be cross-posted to MonsterTalk. The interview contents will be identical, but the framing intro/outro will be unique to the respective shows. In Research Of… (Patreon) In Research Of (free feed) In Search Of… The Shroud of Turin (YouTube) Joe Nickell covered by The Daily Mail That's Incredible! segment on THE AMITYVILLE HORROR. (YouTube) Joe Nickell's website Joe's Amazon Author's Page (affiliate link)
22 Nov 2023 · 2 hr 51 min
Jeb and Blake unwrap the mystery of the shroud of Turin! (Which might, it turns out, be neither a shroud, nor from Turin - talk amongst yourselves!) Link to ISO on YouTube: While it lasts! The bucket brigade saves the shroud in re-creation... NFA - A return to "the Night Gallery?" Young Joe Nickell at work in Alan Landsburg's NYC apartment: The Rev. Francis Filas ( 1931 - 1985 - NYT OBIT ) Prescriptive Linguistics Descriptive Linguistics Overview of use of Christ in Medieval Art Secondo Pia, photographer who discovered the "negative effect" on Shroud. (also, dead ringer for Seth Myers) Just…
26 Aug 2023 · 2 hr 7 min
S04E06 - The Lost Colony of Roanoke The ISO team take us back to Colonial Virginia to investigate the cold-case of the lost colony of Roanoke. Jeb and Blake learn about armadas, plays, and rock diaries. Beach Action Nimoy Fashion Alert! The Money Shot... Blake thinks the ISO actor is giving off Keenan Wynn vibes. And we've already discussed the ties between Rod Serling, Leonard Nimoy, Night Gallery , and more, so the visual similarities to this scene and Planet of the Apes might not be 100% coincidence. The famous "Dare Stones" preserved with all the decor and pomp appropriate their…
S4 · E5 · 17 Jul 2023 · 1 hr 35 min
We're going to need a bigger boat! Jeb and Blake head to Australia to investigate the idea that Great White sharks are immortal! Links: 1977 San Diego article about Sea World's shark exhibit Article about weird things allegedly found inside sharks. Henri Bource - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_Bource Groo the Wanderer NFA - on the beach! Sharks are famous for their teeth - and Nimoy's have improved since season one as well. Nimoy just walking on the beach manages to attract a diver's audience. Diving pioneer and explorer, Hugh Edwards. Ray Keys at Sea World has lots of great shark…
S4 · E4 · 16 May 2023 · 2 hr 5 min
Jeb and Blake have a look at the Season 4 episode UFO AUSTRALIA which covers the Kaikoura UFO Sighting and the disappearance of Frederich Valentich. Retrospective of the Kaikoura UFO sighting Better version of the video than what is in the episode Westall UFO case (Blake mentioned - but is not in ep) Skeptical Inquirer (McGaha & Nickell) Transcript of the Valentich air traffic discussion Psychic Hippie Lawyer article Nimoy Fashion Alert shot on location at the San Fernando Aerospace Solar Observatory.
The show where we watch the 1970s TV show "In Search Of..." and look at possible explanations the producers didn't consider.
In Research Of is a English tech & science podcast from William Blake Smith. 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.
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