Robert and Sophie continue to answer listener questions.

Robert and Sophie continue to answer listener questions.

There’s a reason the History Channel has produced hundreds of documentaries about Hitler but only a few about Dwight D. Eisenhower. Bad guys (and gals) are eternally fascinating. Behind the Bastards dives in past the Cliffs Notes of the worst humans in history and exposes the bizarre realities of their lives. Listeners will learn about the young adult novels that helped Hitler form his monstrous ideology, the founder of Blackwater’s insane quest to build his own Air Force, the bizarre lives of the sons and daughters of dictators and Saddam Hussein’s side career as a trashy romance novelist.

There’s a reason the History Channel has produced hundreds of documentaries about Hitler but only a few about Dwight D. Eisenhower. Bad guys (and gals) are eternally fascinating. Behind the Bastards dives in past the Cliffs Notes of the worst humans in history and exposes the bizarre realities of their lives. Listeners will learn about the young adult novels that helped Hitler form his monstrous ideology, the founder of Blackwater’s insane quest to build his own Air Force, the bizarre lives of the sons and daughters of dictators and Saddam Hussein’s side career as a trashy romance novelist.

Everything you don't know about History's greatest monsters

Behind the Bastards

Part Two: Behind the Bastards Q&A: 2026 Edition

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/79e51e42-e3db-4c6b-920a-b3d300006ade/transcript

Robert concludes the heroic story of a fake bomb detector that got forced on Iraq leading to hundreds of deaths.

Sources:

https://corruption-tracker.org/case/the-worldwide-fake-bomb-detector-scam

https://archive.is/ykgSC

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29459896

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29477894

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-23148375

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-23148375

https://archive.is/6pQv#selection-659.1-671.44

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-22380368

https://archive.is/qOXeu#selection-1625.1034-1633.368

https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-somerset-43900624

https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/the-bomb-detectors-that-didnt-work-in-baghdad/

https://archive.is/IctuY#selection-3735.0-3747.72

https://quackwatch.org/related/ideomotor/

https://www.maloriesadventures.com/blog/the-forgotten-story-of-the-radionics-scam-that-fooled-the-gilded-age/

https://mind.university/radionics-the-medicine-of-the-future-a-hoax-or-a-scientific-mystery/

https://educate-yourself.org/tjc/ruthdrownuntoldstory.shtml

https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-un-science-of-radionics/

https://centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/10/08135540/drown.pdf

https://www.kookscience.com/arch/Radionics.html

Robert concludes the heroic story of a fake bomb detector that got forced on Iraq leading to hundreds of deaths.
Sources:
<a href="https://corruption-tracker.org/case/the-worldwide-fake-bomb-detector-scam" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://corruption-tracker.org/case/the-worldwide-fake-bomb-detector-scam&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781753471082000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0VR4Y_b8qp8U5AGNzlW_YL">https://corruption-tracker.org/case/the-worldwide-fake-bomb-detector-scam</a>
<a href="https://archive.is/ykgSC" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://archive.is/ykgSC&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781753471082000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0KZug-JECS98CUXequKzjj">https://archive.is/ykgSC</a>
<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29459896" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29459896&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781753471082000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2DynrwD5aomXGgJc1xVreV">https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29459896</a>
<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29477894" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29477894&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781753471083000&amp;usg=AOvVaw083l_lP9nCbfu3gYvgIDdg">https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-29477894</a>
<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-23148375" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-23148375&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781753471083000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1tqntEOqod3sf-sm57GLkl">https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-23148375</a>
<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-23148375" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-23148375&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781753471083000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1tqntEOqod3sf-sm57GLkl">https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-23148375</a>
<a href="https://archive.is/6pQv#selection-659.1-671.44" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://archive.is/6pQv%23selection-659.1-671.44&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781753471083000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0EmdYGEM3QKk9PR9qWjD5j">https://archive.is/6pQv#selection-659.1-671.44</a>
<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-22380368" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-22380368&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781753471083000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3xxLAdPrXAik7skmQhDBkt">https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-22380368</a>
<a href="https://archive.is/qOXeu#selection-1625.1034-1633.368" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://archive.is/qOXeu%23selection-1625.1034-1633.368&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781753471083000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1mQyx8RdilqDy6ClsAGP4A">https://archive.is/qOXeu#selection-1625.1034-1633.368</a>
<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-somerset-43900624" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-somerset-43900624&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781753471083000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1VPo1hc9fwzAkSGyk69YV6">https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-somerset-43900624</a>
<a href="https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/the-bomb-detectors-that-didnt-work-in-baghdad/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/the-bomb-detectors-that-didnt-work-in-baghdad/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781753471083000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3Sws4VjD7EsDrwbEYRIkQM">https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/the-bomb-detectors-that-didnt-work-in-baghdad/</a>
<a href="https://archive.is/IctuY#selection-3735.0-3747.72" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://archive.is/IctuY%23selection-3735.0-3747.72&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781753471083000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0b7ATipQdr8imY9fsJC5D6">https://archive.is/IctuY#selection-3735.0-3747.72</a>
<a href="https://quackwatch.org/related/ideomotor/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://quackwatch.org/related/ideomotor/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781753471083000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1DYNs6PlXXSLelqpLh49s3">https://quackwatch.org/related/ideomotor/</a>
<a href="https://www.maloriesadventures.com/blog/the-forgotten-story-of-the-radionics-scam-that-fooled-the-gilded-age/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.maloriesadventures.com/blog/the-forgotten-story-of-the-radionics-scam-that-fooled-the-gilded-age/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781753471083000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0XN5ozZSfHT_kOATFhTg2J">https://www.maloriesadventures.com/blog/the-forgotten-story-of-the-radionics-scam-that-fooled-the-gilded-age/</a>
<a href="https://mind.university/radionics-the-medicine-of-the-future-a-hoax-or-a-scientific-mystery/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://mind.university/radionics-the-medicine-of-the-future-a-hoax-or-a-scientific-mystery/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781753471083000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0HLFTYHY2ke_-rPwSuHf3F">https://mind.university/radionics-the-medicine-of-the-future-a-hoax-or-a-scientific-mystery/</a>
<a href="https://educate-yourself.org/tjc/ruthdrownuntoldstory.shtml" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://educate-yourself.org/tjc/ruthdrownuntoldstory.shtml&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781753471083000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0o-ahYDZ7yfHs1X5fzgv45">https://educate-yourself.org/tjc/ruthdrownuntoldstory.shtml</a>
<a href="https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-un-science-of-radionics/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-un-science-of-radionics/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781753471083000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2KoDRUWxzhI4j2AX0zGMLR">https://www.vice.com/en/article/the-un-science-of-radionics/</a>
<a href="https://centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/10/08135540/drown.pdf" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/10/08135540/drown.pdf&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781753471083000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3Bhf62ggF7tVIPGZB7gI2o">https://centerforinquiry.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2019/10/08135540/drown.pdf</a>
<a href="https://www.kookscience.com/arch/Radionics.html" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.kookscience.com/arch/Radionics.html&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1781753471083000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3pLriVckPh7U0WmUsFE6YQ">https://www.kookscience.com/arch/Radionics.html</a>

Part Two: The Fake Bomb Detector Grift That Killed Hundreds

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/15b62ce4-dc9e-4315-8cb8-b46c0126760a/transcript

Robert sits down with Ed Zitron to discuss one of the deadliest fake tech products in history: the Gopher, a fake golf ball detector that became a fake bomb detector and got hundreds of people killed.

Robert sits down with Ed Zitron to discuss one of the deadliest fake tech products in history: the Gopher, a fake golf ball detector that became a fake bomb detector and got hundreds of people killed.

Part One: The Fake Bomb Detector Grift That Killed Hundreds

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/8068579a-eb50-4db8-b269-b46a01285432/transcript

Robert concludes the story of the rise and fall of an activist investor we can now admit was just Bill Ackman all along.

Robert concludes the story of the rise and fall of an activist investor we can now admit was just Bill Ackman all along.

Part Two: The Rise of the "Activist" Investor

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/e73c998e-6e60-432f-8610-ae210140c5b1/clips/e32a0bc4-4057-4c43-889c-b465015ef343/transcript

Part Two: Behind the Bastards Q&A: 2026 Edition

In 1 playlist(s)

Behind the Bastards

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips