Superduperstitious

Wyatt Shell and Jake Withee

A podcast about the paranormal, the credibility of the creepy, and the science of the spooky: Superduperstitious is a comedy podcast that looks at the mysterious and scary world of the weird and says, "Wait. What?" Hosts Wyatt Shell and Jake Withee use their science backgrounds to tease apart possible explanations for unexplained, supernatural, and otherwise strange phenomena.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Subscribe Listen in podnod RSS feed Show website

20 episodes
Updated January 8
Explicit

Episodes20

Newest first

January 8 · 56 min
Episode 184 – I Know That You Twisted Again Like We Did Last Summer
Winter AND a new year? That can only mean one thing: it’s time for some creepy frozen lakes! Fulla dead people, these lakes. First up is a viral ghost story about Minnesota’s Lake Weller, and the ghostly radio signals that seem to be coming from its depths every winter. Ope! Jake and Wyatt then fumble the best chance anyone will ever get at a “76 Trombones” joke as they head to the Indian Himalayas to Roopkund! Also known as Skeleton Lake, you’ll NEVER GUESS what’s inside. And you’ll certainly never guess what happened there… EPISODE LINKS All-purpose show links Wyatt’s native plant biznass The show Jake writes Lake Weller Nature article about lakes vs. ponds Ice-penetrating radio waves Minnesota’s lake definition Database of every MN lake Roopkund Atlas Obscura article New York Times article NYT article without the paywall Haunted India blog post (for photos of Roopkund) BBC article (which includes even more photos) History Channel clip with William Shatner Riddles of the Dead episode from National Geographic Nature Communications article Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dec 4, 2025 · 1 hr 1 min
Episode 183 – Weird Circles, or “We Are Not Using the Title Wyatt Suggested Under Any Circumstances”
You ever see a perfect circle in nature and think, “Whoaaaa”? If so, this episode is for you! And if not, we’ll let you have this episode on a probationary basis! Talkin’ ’bout fairy circles – large, evenly spaced and perfectly round bare patches found in the grasses of the Namib Desert – and fairy rings, the eerie patterns of dead grass, extra luscious grass, or mushrooms, all three of which are almost certainly not caused by elf ejaculate. Almost. Brought to you by Japan: it’s less than half as far away as maps think! EPISODE LINKS Gaza GoFundMe All-purpose show links Fairy Circles Aerial view Closer view 1 Closer view 2 Right next to one Live Science article Perspectives in Plant Ecology, Evolution and Systematics review article Australian fairy circles Photos of Aussie fairy circles Fairy Rings Fairy ring examples 1 and 2 Example 3 (forest fairy ring) Example 4 (spookier forest fairy ring) UWM Extension article Toads and Toadstools, by Adrian Morgan IMA Fungus article Danish Undersea Rings The solution (and the photo) Up-close photo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 30, 2025 · 1 hr 2 min
Episode 182 – The 8th and 9th Annual Superduperstitious Halloween Spookstravaganza
Yeah I’m thinkin’ we’re back. Use promo code JAKEHALLOWEENGOOF for 15% off any order in our store before the end of November! The episode made us do this! EPISODE LINKS All-purpose show links: https://superduperstitious.com/links MUTUAL AID HUB: https://www.mutualaidhub.org/ Wyatt’s native plant biznass: https://www.myhomepark.com/ The show Jake writes: https://www.youtube.com/@BizarreBeasts Our shop, wherein you may use the aforementioned promo code: https://www.superduperstitious.com/shop Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
May 2, 2024 · 1 hr 12 min
Episode 181 – Back on Bugs
Maybe the real Havana syndrome was the friends we made along the way. EPISODE LINKS All-purpose show links: https://superduperstitious.com/links Four Phantoms website: https://www.fourphantoms.net/ Four Phantoms store: https://four-phantoms-brewing-company.square.site/ Wyatt’s story Episode 5: https://www.superduperstitious.com/episodes/5-hooked-on-sonics Episode 34: https://www.superduperstitious.com/episodes/34-bah-hum-buzz Episode 53: https://www.superduperstitious.com/episodes/53-potc-part-a-billion Episode 76: https://www.superduperstitious.com/episodes/76-mos-scotia Episode 142: https://www.superduperstitious.com/episodes/142-still-sounds-bad 60 Minutes Russian conspiracy: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/havana-syndrome-russia-evidence-60-minutes/ NIH Study: https://bit.ly/4a1Dyxp Scientific American article: https://bit.ly/3WnCzEv Jake’s stories Phantoms and Monsters 5/19/2023: https://bit.ly/3Urrpw7 Phantoms and Monsters 1/3/2023: https://bit.ly/3ws22Cd Phantoms and Monsters 1/9/2023: https://bit.ly/3wszhoW UFO Clearinghouse 1/16/2023: https://bit.ly/3y4dAfx UFO Clearinghouse 1/17/2023: https://bit.ly/4dADKXJ UFO Clearinghouse 2/7/2023: https://bit.ly/3UrrkIP Phantoms and Monsters 11/10/2023: https://bit.ly/3UwafO2 Phantoms and Monsters 1/19/2024: https://bit.ly/4dnHag7 Bald eagle basics: https://avianreport.com/what-is-the-bald-eagle-size/ Bald eagle comeback story: https://bit.ly/4aXDpMF Chicagoland eagle population growth: https://bit.ly/4aYRIRd Winter bald eagle migration: https://bit.ly/4dmkpJu Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 18, 2024 · 1 hr
Episode 180 – The 7th Annual Superduperstitious Halloween Spookstravaganza
STOP LOOKING AT THE DATE. Anyway, what a wild way for you to find out that Wyatt’s leaving the show. EPISODE LINKS All-purpose show links: https://superduperstitious.com/links Four Phantoms website: https://www.fourphantoms.net/ Four Phantoms store: https://four-phantoms-brewing-company.square.site/ Humanoid creature CCTV footage: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-xNlnmhjj0 Contact form: https://superduperstitious.com/contact Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Apr 7, 2023 · 49 min
Episode 179 – At the Mouth of (March) Madness, Part IV: SEMIFINALS AND FINALS
IT ALL COMES DOWN TO THIS. WHATEVER THE HELL THIS IS. EPISODE LINKS All-purpose show links: https://superduperstitious.com/links Four Phantoms website: https://www.fourphantoms.net/ Four Phantoms store: https://four-phantoms-brewing-company.square.site/ JOIN OUR CURSE EXPERIMENT HERE: https://forms.gle/vWJomLttdvXd7tmX7 The Gaykoslavie experience: https://englishrussia.com/2010/02/17/russian-gadget-hackwrench-religion/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 27, 2023 · 50 min
Episode 178 – At the Mouth of (March) Madness, Part III
As the WCCW creeps ever closer to crowning an ultimate victor, what new and exciting ways can we find to totally ruin your bracket? There’s only one way to find out! EPISODE LINKS All-purpose show links: https://superduperstitious.com/links Four Phantoms website: https://www.fourphantoms.net/ Four Phantoms store: https://four-phantoms-brewing-company.square.site/ FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE BRACKET HERE: https://superduperstitious.com/march-madness JOIN OUR CURSE EXPERIMENT HERE: https://forms.gle/vWJomLttdvXd7tmX7 I AM Come: https://vimeo.com/352872112 St. Germain: https://bit.ly/40B8SPd Heaven’s Gate logo: https://bit.ly/42GFp8x Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 17, 2023 · 53 min
Episode 177 – At the Mouth of (March) Madness, Part II
The utter ridiculousness continues as we round out the WCCW regionals with all 16 contestants in the Global and Planetary Divisions of the NCAAA. These words and letters all mean something and make sense! You’re in the right place and everything is fine! EPISODE LINKS All-purpose show links: https://superduperstitious.com/links Four Phantoms website: https://www.fourphantoms.net/ Four Phantoms store: https://four-phantoms-brewing-company.square.site/ FOLLOW ALONG WITH THE BRACKET HERE: https://superduperstitious.com/march-madness JOIN OUR CURSE EXPERIMENT HERE: https://forms.gle/vWJomLttdvXd7tmX7 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 13, 2023 · 59 min
Episode 176 – The Cordyceps-isode
It’s a whole episode about the biology of The Last of Us in an attempt to tap into the zeitgeist! What’s the deal with Cordyceps? Could this happen in real life? Are we doing SEO right?? *Originally scheduled for release BEFORE the start of our whole March Madness series EPISODE LINKS All-purpose show links: https://superduperstitious.com/links Four Phantoms: https://www.fourphantoms.net/ FILL OUT YOUR MARCH MADNESS BRACKET HERE: https://superduperstitious.com/march-madness Sources Basic fungal biology: http://bit.ly/3ZRi4ie Cordyceps controlling a cicada: https://youtu.be/FAVAVHAptyQ Cordyceps controlling a beetle: https://youtu.be/EBQNpyAdmfc Entomophthora muscae example: https://www.flickr.com/photos/anxoresua/6867594070 Entomophthora muscae and its released spores: https://bit.ly/3EV6pXJ Entomophthora muscae range map: https://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20m?kind=Entomophthora+muscae Snail with nematode parasite (PRETTY GROSS): https://youtu.be/Go_LIz7kTok Parasitic barnacle: https://youtu.be/sCvTHrzI-Sk Body temperature vs. fungi: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19827944/ Climate change is selecting for heat-resistant fungi: https://journals.asm.org/doi/full/10.1128/mBio.00061-10 Climate change is increasing fungal infections: https://www.wired.com/story/fungi-climate-change-medicine-health/ Not a lot of medical solutions: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6549129/ We breathe a lot of spores and it’s okay: http://bit.ly/3JusTkR Most fungi aren’t infectious: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5453709/ No spores for the show: http://polygon.com/entertainment/23562421/last-of-us-cordyceps-spores-tv-show-hbo Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 11, 2023 · 53 min
Episode 175 – At the Mouth of (March) Madness, Part I
No podcast about the strange and unusual would be complete without a month-long, four-part tournament of 32 different cults competing head to head! NOT ONE SUCH PODCAST. Here’s the first of those four parts! EPISODE LINKS All-purpose show links: https://superduperstitious.com/links Four Phantoms email: fourphantomsbeer@gmail.com Four Phantoms website: https://www.fourphantoms.net/ Four Phantoms store: https://four-phantoms-brewing-company.square.site/ FILL OUT YOUR MARCH MADNESS BRACKET HERE: https://www.superduperstitious.com/march-madness Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 7, 2023 · 2 min
March Madness: Something Wicked Stupid This Way Comes...
Our ultimate March Madness cult competition, the WCCW, begins March 9th! Submit your predictions here: https://www.superduperstitious.com/march-madness Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 18, 2023 · 59 min
Episode 174 – Home State Horrors (Part 5 of 25+)
Momo money, Momo problems. (Also Wyatt talks about Ohio.) EPISODE LINKS All-purpose show links: https://superduperstitious.com/links Four Phantoms email: fourphantomsbeer@gmail.com Four Phantoms website: https://www.fourphantoms.net/ Four Phantoms store: https://four-phantoms-brewing-company.square.site/ Jake’s story Missouri Folklore Society on Momo: https://missourifolkloresociety.truman.edu/home/society/notes/momo/ Legends of America: https://www.legendsofamerica.com/momo-monster/ Missouri Department of Conservation: http://bit.ly/3YG2Lc1 Columbia Tribune: http://bit.ly/3lMfift Old FATE Magazine article: http://bit.ly/3IyiKmR Momo song: https://missourifolkloresociety.truman.edu/files/2015/06/Momo-the-Monster.mp3 Wyatt’s stories Helltown: https://www.americanhauntingsink.com/helltown Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Feb 2, 2023 · 1 hr 3 min
Episode 173 – Ain't No Fins for Bats
Stuff dies all the time, and sometimes those dead things are weird looking! This is two of those times. Wyatt leads with the Rhodope skull, the mysterious bone specimen that folks were only too excited to immediately label an alien. And don’t get him STARTED on the Adygea skulls! Jake then hops on the alien train with the Kovahsi creature, also known as Kesha. What’s little and desiccated and doesn’t have wings, no matter how many publications say otherwise? Google Translate will save us! “Horn core” is pretty fun to say. And that’s about all I’ve got left in the tank for this episode description. EPISODE LINKS All-purpose show links: https://superduperstitious.com/links Four Phantoms email: fourphantomsbeer@gmail.com Four Phantoms website: https://www.fourphantoms.net/ Four Phantoms store: https://four-phantoms-brewing-company.square.site/ Wyatt’s stories Ancient Code: https://www.ancient-code.com/the-rhodope-skull-the-mysterious-cranium-of-a-real-life-alien/ Rhodope skull explained: http://bit.ly/3YeiCO9 Jake’s story Russian newscast video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UWUdNXrIX4 Image of Kesha: https://mustorage.blob.core.windows.net/images/2015/09/size-570x520.jpg Russian chupacabra article: https://www.fern-flower.org/en/news/mythical-chupacabra-boguchany-was-st Mysterious Universe article: https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2015/09/strange-tiny-being-puzzles-scientists-and-scares-russians/ Daily Mail article: http://bit.ly/3jmnBO3 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Jan 26, 2023 · 1 hr
Episode 172 – Lymph Bizkit
Boy howdy, if this were the sort of podcast that had separate seasons, this episode sure would be the start of a new one! But it isn’t, so it’s not. Instead, enjoy two timely takes on some pervasive immunity myths! If you want to eat a lime or something, that’s fine. EPISODE LINKS All-purpose show links: https://superduperstitious.com/links Four Phantoms email: fourphantomsbeer@gmail.com Four Phantoms website: https://www.fourphantoms.net/ Four Phantoms store: https://four-phantoms-brewing-company.square.site/ Jake’s story Lymph: https://www.scienceabc.com/pure-sciences/difference-between-blood-and-lymph.html Lymphatic system: https://theodora.com/anatomy/the_lymphatic_system.html Immune system overview: https://www.niaid.nih.gov/research/immune-system-overview Refuting the myth of “immunity debt”: https://bit.ly/3wtMdra Unraveling the logic: https://bit.ly/3kKt8hS RSV spikes: https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/research/rsv-net/dashboard.html Episode 107: https://www.superduperstitious.com/episodes/107-preventative-measures Transfer of immunity at birth: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12727640/ Recent strep throat deaths: http://bit.ly/3Dif05P COVID before RSV: https://twitter.com/DFisman/status/1602423960246829058 COVID’s effect on immune systems: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41590-021-01113-x Wyatt’s story Linus Pauling’s vitamin C madness: https://www.vox.com/2015/1/15/7547741/vitamin-c-myth-pauling Some of Pauling’s beliefs: http://www.paulingtherapy.com/ Cancer treatment claims: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC431183/ But actually no: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/384241/ For real, no: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25601965/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 31, 2022 · 1 hr 14 min
Episode 171 – The 6th Annual Superduperstitious Halloween Spookstravaganza (feat. Casey Simpson)
In which Wyatt firmly grips an apple for about two hours
Oct 21, 2022 · 55 min
Episode 170 – This Whole Episode Is an Ad (feat. Drew Phillips)
In spite of others’ efforts to the contrary, October just keeps happening! And so, too, do the guests (which are, yes, still of the special variety). The final guest before Halloween is none other than the founder of Four Phantoms, the groovy brewery in western Massachusetts that combines— you know what? You probably know all that by now. In that case, grab a beverage of your choosing, don’t get your leg exploded, and learn all about the man responsible for this dumb show having an actual sponsor! (And don't worry, there's ghosts AND science in this one.) EPISODE LINKS All-purpose show links: https://superduperstitious.com/links Four Phantoms email: fourphantomsbeer@gmail.com Four Phantoms website: https://www.fourphantoms.net/ Four Phantoms store: https://four-phantoms-brewing-company.square.site/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 13, 2022 · 1 hr 6 min
Episode 169 – Monster Movie Happy Hour
October continues! And the guests? Oh they’re special all right. This week, the boys are joined by two thirds of the delightful podcast Monster Movie Happy Hour! Listen to four nerds talk about the spooky media that brings them the most joy, from classics of the silver screen, to camp-tastic sci fi offerings of the more recent past. And be sure to follow the link below to check out the show! Get to know Scott Chesebrough, Dave Geister, and the unfortunately-dead-to-us Mary Challman as you enjoy a cocktail and learn what it truly means to be a monster kid. Cheers! EPISODE LINKS Monster Movie Happy Hour: http://www.monstermoviehappyhour.com/ All-purpose show links: https://superduperstitious.com/links Four Phantoms email: fourphantomsbeer@gmail.com Four Phantoms website: https://www.fourphantoms.net/ Four Phantoms store: https://four-phantoms-brewing-company.square.site/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Oct 6, 2022 · 1 hr 1 min
Episode 168 – Survival of the Storytelling-est (feat. Christa Adams)
Episode 168 – Survival of the Storytelling-est (feat. Christa Adams) October begins, and with it, a whole month of special guests! How else would we make this month stand out? This first episode features the fantastic Christa, who weaseled her way into a podcast appearance by sheer will! Luckily she makes up for it with a fantastic discussion of the anthropological functions of scary stories and storytelling in general. So don’t pretend like this isn’t still a science show! Grab some candy corn or whatever and buckle in, because October starts… a few days ago!! EPISODE LINKS All-purpose show links: https://superduperstitious.com/links Four Phantoms email: fourphantomsbeer@gmail.com Four Phantoms website: https://www.fourphantoms.net/ Four Phantoms store: https://four-phantoms-brewing-company.square.site/ Christa’s sources Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari: https://www.ynharari.com/book/sapiens-2/ The Deepest Well by Dr. Nadine Burke Harris: https://bit.ly/3M6sncw “The Last Human” (from Kurzgesagt): https://youtu.be/LEENEFaVUzU “When Time Became History” (from Kurzgesagt): https://youtu.be/CWu29PRCUvQ “hahahrawrrahaha” (Ian Malcolm remix by FLIPSHOT): https://soundcloud.com/flip-shot/hahahrawrrahaha Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 30, 2022 · 50 min
Episode 167 – It’s Not Too Hard to Get ’Em Back in if You Have Help
An episode coming out early?! That’ll be the day! And that day is in fact specifically today, as August Around the World reaches its exciting Caribbean conclusion. Put on absolutely all of the sunscreen and listen along! EPISODE LINKS All-purpose show links: https://superduperstitious.com/links Four Phantoms email: fourphantomsbeer@gmail.com Four Phantoms website: https://www.fourphantoms.net/ Four Phantoms store: https://four-phantoms-brewing-company.square.site/ RPM Fest: https://www.rpmfest.org/ Wyatt’s stories The douen: https://triniinxisle.com/2018/08/10/trini-folklore-douen/ More douen: https://bit.ly/3cvXyRa The Gloria Colita: https://mysteriousuniverse.org/2021/07/a-mysterious-vanishing-ship-in-the-caribbean/# What happened to the ship?: https://jaybusbee.substack.com/p/the-curious-case-of-the-missing-mobile Waves video: https://youtu.be/yLzgzvVxUV4 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Aug 25, 2022 · 1 hr
Episode 166 – There Is Nothing in This World to Call the Cockroach (feat. Emma Ozenbrook)
The month marches on, and still no Wyatt?? Luckily additional assistance can be found at this next stop of August Around the World: Ireland! Emma from Real Life Ghost Stories leads Jake on a tour of her homeland with a tale perfectly tailored to this show: a folkloric mystery with a very satisfying scientific conclusion! And also music and fairies – it’s the total package, really. Jake follows this with a bunch of cats. Have you encountered our lost cohost out there somewhere? If you see something, say something! But in the meantime, enjoy what is surely this week’s ONLY episode of Superduperstitious. EPISODE LINKS Real Life Ghost Stories: https://www.reallifeghoststoriespodcast.com/ All-purpose show links: https://superduperstitious.com/links Four Phantoms email: fourphantomsbeer@gmail.com Four Phantoms website: https://www.fourphantoms.net/ Four Phantoms store: https://four-phantoms-brewing-company.square.site/ RPM Fest: https://www.rpmfest.org/ Emma’s story Great Blasket Island: https://bit.ly/3CuEai1 “Port na bPúcaí” (fiddle version): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4i3QEkc4hTw “Port na bPúcaí” (vocal version): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8C5QqFapcuw Giving lyrics to the tune: https://bit.ly/3R6ljxR Jake’s stories Article from Joe.ie: https://bit.ly/3pG6N4n Alien Big Cats (the Irish Post): https://bit.ly/3PQe3VE The Beast of Oulart Hill: https://bit.ly/3KnjryK Video of the Beast: https://bit.ly/3R1yHU8 Lynx in Ireland??: https://www.wildireland.org/lynx Reintroducing lynx: https://bit.ly/3QQlkGj Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.