The Paranoid Strain

The Paranoid Strain

The podcast that explains why so many people believe ridiculous conspiracy theories.

Recent Episodes

New! Unidentified--Annie Jacobsen's folly, and Art Bell takes on Area 51
Feb. 3, 2026

New! Unidentified--Annie Jacobsen's folly, and Art Bell takes on Area 51

We continue the sad story of the very silly Stalin/Roswell story that the otherwise solid Annie Jacobsen decided was fit to print, and then we provide you with the minimum recommended daily requirement of Art Bell content, in...
New! Unidentified--Dirty bombs and dirty deeds at Area 51
Jan. 6, 2026

New! Unidentified--Dirty bombs and dirty deeds at Area 51

We continue our exploration of the (actual) history of Area 51, this time emphasizing some of the truly awful, irresponsible, and dangerous stuff that went on there--not just nuclear tests, but a simulated dirty bomb explosio...
New! Unidentified--U2. No, not that one. The spy plane.
Dec. 23, 2025

New! Unidentified--U2. No, not that one. The spy plane.

Merry Christmas, or Happy Hannukah, or like whatever you're into, folks. This time, we talk about Area 51's original raison d'etre , the notorious U2 spy plane. We learn how and why this odd-looking thing was built, how it pl...
New! Unidentified--Willem and I visit Area 51
Dec. 9, 2025

New! Unidentified--Willem and I visit Area 51

We put J Allen's story to bed, and begin our exploration of the most mysterious stretch of desert on earth, Area 51. This time, we learn what happened when show artist Willem UFO and I visited Rachel Nevada, the wide spot in ...