Best Cryptology Podcasts (2026)

1
Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD) Part 2 Encore with How to ADHD, Black Girl Lost Keys, Jahla Osborne + more 1:37:09

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1d ago1:37:09

1:37:09

Did Part 1 leave you informed and now you need a pep talk? Get ready for an absolute banger of an encore episode with 5 experts: René Brooks of BlackGirlLostKeys.com, TEDTalk speaker and How to ADHD YouTuber Jessica McCabe and neuroscientist Dr. Jahla Osborne of University of Michigan. What is it like to get diagnosed? How do you know which medicat…

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Guadalcanal's Longest Fight with guest Dave Holland - Episode 535 1:11:25

2d ago1:11:25

1:11:25

This week Seth Paridon and Jon Parshall talk with their good buddy, Guadalcanal historian, Dave Holland. The guys get Dave to dig into his new book, Guadalcanal's Longest Fight: The Pivotal Battles on the Matinikau Front. Dave goes into just what made the Matinikau river the single most fought over section of territory on Guadalcanal and why Tenaru…

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Attention-Deficit Neuropsychology (ADHD) Part 1 Encore with Russell Barkley 1:40:25

8d ago1:40:25

1:40:25

Focus. Productivity. Relationships. Distraction. Neurodiversity. How do you know if you have ADHD? How can you get others to understand your ADHD brain? What are your treatment options and how can they help? In this encore of our wildly popular Part 1 episode, we talk racing thoughts, brilliant brains and the causes and effects of Attention-Deficit…

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The Fall of Singapore – Episode 534 1:34:03

9d ago1:34:03

1:34:03

This week Seth Paridon and Jon Parshall take a look at the fall of Singapore in February 1942. After having swept the battlefields from Singora to Muar of British, Australian, Indian, and Malaysian troops in his masterful campaign down the 500-mile-long Malayan island, Japanese General Yamashita stands poised just across the Strait of Johore from S…

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Ornithorhynchology (PLATYPUSES) with Tahneal Hawke 1:09:28

14d ago1:09:28

1:09:28

Duck bills. Beaver tails. Underground lairs. Eggs. Milk. Venom? A platypus has it all. Scholar, conservationist, and Ornithorhynchologist Dr. Tahneal Hawke is here to run through the baffling anatomy and answer all of our WHAT’S THE DEAL, WHAT EVEN *ARE* THEY questions, and chat about field work, evolution, how to spot a platypus, why you can’t hav…

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Q&A on the Pacific War Round 2 with special guest Bill Toti - Episode 533 1:34:40

16d ago1:34:40

1:34:40

This week Seth Paridon and Jon Parshall welcome back their buddy Captain Bill Toti to the show for another round of Pacific War Q&A with emcee Shawn Bergstrom. The guys get into the weeds on a variety of topics sent in by you guys. Hope we did well. Thank you, as always, for sending in the questions this go-round. You guys really know your stuff. M…

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Bonus Episode: Nutritional Microbiology (GUT HEALTH & DIET) with Miguel Freitas and Elaine Hsiao 48:21

17d ago48:21

48:21

The microbiome is back! In 2018, we chatted with Dr. Elaine Hsiao - a UCLA microbiome researcher– and learned all about the hot cauldron of your guts. In this 2025 update bonus, we chat again with Dr. Hsiao to get updates on the last 7 years of her research. We also stop by White Plains, New York to hang out with Dr. Miguel Freitas, lead nutritiona…

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Astrobromatology (SPACE FOOD) with Maggie Coblentz 1:11:05

22d ago1:11:05

1:11:05

Dehydrated eggs. Airborne tortillas. Pouches of chicken. Tang. Work up an appetite for space food with artist, designer and Astrobromatologist, Maggie Coblentz. She shares how the intersection of design and science led her skyward, doing experiments on zero G flights, and shipping miso into space. We also talk Martian gardening, stinky roommates, b…

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Pacific War Q&A Round 1 with special guest Bill Toti - Episode 532 1:27:57

23d ago1:27:57

1:27:57

This week Seth Paridon and Jon Parshall welcome back the OG, Captain Bill Toti to the show for our first of several Q&A episodes. As always, our emcee, retired US Army Major Shawn Bergstrom is with us as well. The guys tackle some of the more than 500 questions sent in (!) and cover all klinds of topics from the Philippines, to torpedoes, dinner gu…

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Pteridology (FERNS) with Fay-Wei Li 1:03:33

29d ago1:03:33

1:03:33

Fronds. Forest dwellers. Spores. Houseplants. Queer icons. We’ve got ferns. The charming and hilarious professor and author of “Ferns: Lessons in Survival from Earth’s Most Adaptable Plants,” Dr. Fay-Wei Li, tells me all about fern evolution, what ferns not to have in your house, the most expensive ferns, the tastiest ferns, mathematical mysteries,…

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The Invasion of Malaya - Episode 531 1:41:41

23d ago1:41:41

1:41:41

This week Seth Paridon and Jon Parshall dig into the morass that is the British “problem” in Malaya following the Japanese invasion. Just before the attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese launched the Invasion of Malaya, landing on several beaches and quickly moving inland. British colonial troop’s reaction to the Japanese advance was both slow and i…

1
NEW 2025 Interview: Genocidology (CRIMES OF ATROCITY) Part 2 with Dirk Moses 1:11:40

1M ago1:11:40

1:11:40

Note: if you haven’t already heard it, please start with our original, May 2024 episode with Dr. Moses: Genocidology (CRIMES OF ATROCITY) Part 1 A lot has happened since then, and author, scholar and genocide expert Dr. Dirk Moses was kind enough to return for a 2025 episode. We cover how public and legal sentiment has changed since our first episo…

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The Destruction of Force Z - Episode 530 1:32:41

1M ago1:32:41

1:32:41

This week Seth Paridon and Jon Parshall dig into the destruction of Force Z at the hands of the Imperial Japanese Navy's air arm. Sent as a deterrent to Japanese aggression in the area in December 1941 by Winston Churchill, Force Z was supposed to be the "big stick" of Royal Navy power in the Pacific. Comprised of HMS Prince of Wals and battlecruis…

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Bisonology (BUFFALO) Encore with various bisonologists 1:30:07

1M ago1:30:07

1:30:07

Bison bison! Not just something to holler into the sky, but also the scientific name for North America's majestic wild bovines. In this encore, we explore a beast that once roamed the plains in the tens of millions. What's up with their humps? On what occasion do they wear capes? What noises do they make? How many are out there? What are the best w…

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Preparations for the Invasion of Malaya - Episode 529 1:13:14

1M ago1:13:14

1:13:14

This week Seth Paridon and Jon Parshall take a look at the preparation for the Japanese invasion of Malaya in December 1941. The guys dig into the Japanese outlook on the region, the reasons for invasion, as well as the invasion plans. Digging into the personalities involved, Jon dishes out the goods on Brooke-Popham, Percival, Yamashita and others…

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Strigiformology (OWLS) Part 2 with R. J. Gutiérrez 1:11:12

2M ago1:11:12

1:11:12

We’re back with Dr. R.J. “Rocky” Gutiérrez to answer listeners’ questions on owls. How much wisdom lies behind those big, immovable eyes? Are owls good or bad omens? What’s their proclivity for snatching hats? Is The Staircase owl theory plausible? Is it ok to hoot back at them? What do you mean one of their toes is reversible? This episode’s got t…

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Invasion of Tarawa and Alexander Bonnyman Medal of Honor Footage - Episode 528 1:32:07

2M ago1:32:07

1:32:07

This week Seth Paridon and Jon Parshall dig into the archival footage shot by Norm Hatch and his crew for the invasion of Tarawa in November 1943. Thge guys dig into some of the personalities seen on screen like Herb Amey, Jim Crowe, Norm Hatch and Alexander Bonnyman. Towards the end of the episode Seth and Jon go through Alexander Bonnyman's Medal…

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Strigiformology (OWLS) Part 1 with R.J. Gutiérrez 55:22

2M ago55:22

55:22

OWLS. FINALLY. In no particular order: what’s up with their eyes, legs, hoots, feathers, silent flight, nests, folklore, necks, barfs, conservation status, and omens? Go take a walk or sit on a porch in the dusk and make friends with Rocky. Dr. R.J. “Rocky” Gutiérrez is a celebrated researcher, Professor Emeritus at the University of Minnesota, a l…

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The US Army at Pearl Harbor with John McManus - Episode 527 1:15:55

2M ago1:15:55

1:15:55

This week, Seth Paridon and Jon Parshall welcome their mutual buddy, John McManus to the show to discuss the role of the US Army at Pearl Harbor. Everyone knows what the Navy and Marine Corps did and went through during the Japanese attack on Oahu, but do you know the role of the US Army? Tune in to this episode and you will find out. The guys get …

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Historical Toxicology (OLD TIMEY POISONS) with Deborah Blum 1:14:13

2M ago1:14:13

1:14:13

Metal poisons. Odorless ones. Toxic plants. Iocane powder, arsenic, old lace, poisons as self-defense, black mirrors, Aqua Tofanas, movie myths, and the start of testing for that which ails or kills you: we’ve got Historical Toxicology with Pulitzer Prize-winning science author & chemistry connoisseur Deborah Blum. She wrote the beloved “Poisoner's…

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The Battle for Wake Island Part 2 - December 12-23, 1941 Episode 526 1:46:09

2M ago1:46:09

1:46:09

This week Seth Paridon and Jon Parshall take a look at the second part of the Battle for Wake Island, the Japanese invasion and American defense. The guys also dig into the details, focusing on the American relief effort planned by Admiral Husband Kimmel, the Japanese plans for a re-do, the Japanese landings and subsequent beat-down that the Marine…

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Critical Ponerology (WHAT IS “EVIL”?) with Kenneth MacKendrick 1:03:36

2M ago1:03:36

1:03:36

What is evil? Who is evil? Does evil exist? Who decides? Can we scream over turkey at grandma’s house? Let’s chat Critical Ponerology with scholar, professor, author of Evil: A Critical Primer, and a gem of a person, Dr. Kenneth MacKendrick of the University of Manitoba. He’s been teaching courses on the notion of evil for 25 years and it’s a much …

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The Battle for Wake Island-Part 1- December 8-11 Episode 525 1:40:09

2M ago1:40:09

1:40:09

This week Seth Paridon and Jon Parshall tackle the topic of the American defense of Wake Island. In this much-anticipated series of episodes, Seth and Jon take a look at why Wake was occupied in the first place, what it took to build Wake into a useful base, as well as the commanding officers, both American and Japanese. Finally, the guys get into …

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Bonus Episode: COCKROACH MILK with Joshua Benoit and Sinead English 27:51

2M ago27:51

27:51

Cockroach milk for Spooktober. STAY HERE. Don’t tell me you like haunted houses and slasher films but can’t listen to a lovely conversation about how cockroaches make milk to feed their young. It’s one of the most nutritious substances on Earth, and I own some. Sort of. Coem along for a brief and enthralling discussion from two researchers, Dr. Jos…

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Blattodeology (YES, COCKROACHES) with Dominic Evangelista 1:08:10

3M ago1:08:10

1:08:10

Dazzling colors. Remote habitats. Gentle parenting. Fantastic genitalia. And yeah, swimming through sewers to surprise you. It’s cockroaches and I promise you will find something to love about them in this chat with cockroach evangelist and Blattodeologist Dr. Dominic Evangelista. Which are the prettiest? Are roaches better at raising kids than you…

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Battle of Midway Archival Footage - Episode 524 1:29:51

3M ago1:29:51

1:29:51

This week Seth Paridon and Jon Parshall take a look at the archival footage shot just before and during the Battle of Midway from June 3-7, 1942. Some of the footage we go through here was shot in late May 1942 aboard USS Enterprise and shows such future Midway heroes such as Wade McClusky, Dusty Kleiss, Cleo Dobson and others. The guys then go thr…

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Haunted Hydrology (SPOOKY LAKES) with Geo Rutherford 1:13:08

3M ago1:13:08

1:13:08

Mudbank bones. River wrecks. Salty seas. Pink ponds. Poison dust devils. Steamy streams.. It’s Haunted Hydrology with your favorite Spooky Lakes ambassador, the artist and author Geo Rutherford who is widely known as Geodesaurus. Geo covers the dark history of The Great Lakes, a stump that controls the weather, the what and why of a good lagoon, th…

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Raising the Fleet: Pearl Harbor Salvage Operations - Episode 523 1:13:52

3M ago1:13:52

1:13:52

By Jon Parshall, Seth Paridon

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Serpopsychology (WHAT’S CREEPY?) with Frank McAndrew 1:09:30

3M ago1:09:30

1:09:30

Are you creepy? How would you know? What’s “creepy” as opposed to scary or eerie? We talk to the pioneer of this research, Serpopsychologist, Dr. Frank McAndrew, a professor emeritus at Knox College. We chat: dates that give you the willies, Weary Willie the Clown, haunted dolls, college goths, dark alleyways, evolutionary neurobiology, what NOT to…

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Immediate Post Pearl Harbor America with Rich Frank Part 2 - Episode 522 57:07

3M ago57:07

57:07

This week Seth Paridon and Jon Parshall welcome back their mutual good friend, Rich Frank to talk about the after-effects of the Pearl Harbor attack here in the United States.The guys get into the fountains of rumors that sprang up from coast to coast telling of Japanese aircraft carriers in the Panama Cana Zone to Japanese paratroopers landing on …

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Revolutionology (REBELLIONS & SOCIAL CHANGE) with Jack Goldstone 1:30:26

3M ago1:30:26

1:30:26

Storming the Bastille. Facing off with tanks. Canceling a streaming subscription. We’re talking protests, boycotts, insurrections, and demonstrations. Scholar, professor, and actual real life Revolutionologist Dr. Jack Goldstone lays out the whys – and the hows. What revolts have been the gold standard? How has social media impacted social change? …

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Immediate Post Pearl Harbor America with Rich Frank Part 1 - Episode 521 1:00:45

3M ago1:00:45

1:00:45

This week Seth Paridon and Jon Parshall welcome back their good buddy historian Rich Frank to the show to talk about immediate post Pearl Harbor America. In the days and weeks after Japan's successful attack on Pearl Harbor and Oahu, the United States found itself in a strange new world. The news hit both FDR and the populace like a thunderbolt cau…

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Human Technomorphology (SWAPPING OUT BODY PARTS) with Mary Roach 57:48

4M ago57:48

57:48

Pigs with human kidneys. Iron lungs. Bionic prostheses. And bendable genitals. Mary Roach is here, and Alie is freaking out. Over the last two decades, this science icon has written seven New York Times bestsellers, including Stiff, Bonk, Gulp, and Packing for Mars. Her latest release, Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy is all about Human…