Best Wondery Ballen Studios Podcasts (2025)

1
Defies Explanation 33:01

3d ago33:01

33:01

Today’s podcast will feature 2 stories about unexplainable phenomena. The audio from both of these stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast. Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos: #2 -- "Voices" -- I had to put a special disclaimer on this …

1
Nukes Below Zero 39:45

5d ago39:45

39:45

During the Cold War, the US built a secret underground city 100 feet under Greenland’s ice cap. It was disguised as a research facility but was actually meant as a site to launch missiles at Russia. The project failed and turned into a radioactive wasteland. But in the end, this classified military project accidentally revolutionized climate scienc…

1
Ep. 81 | Unraveling Bolero/Crossing Over 31:32

5d ago31:32

31:32

“Unraveling Bolero”: When a middle-aged scientist experiences unexpected success as an artist, it seems like little more than a surprising career change. But then, she becomes obsessed with interpreting a repetitive orchestral piece called “Bolero.” As her obsession deepens, her health takes a turn for the worse – and the cause has a surprising con…

1
Death of a Salesman (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE) 37:04

6d ago37:04

37:04

On a June night in 1997, Kathy Peters was asleep at her home in Mirror Lake, a quiet neighborhood of Sarasota, Florida. Around 3:45 AM, she was awakened by a strange noise. It was unlike anything Kathy had ever heard – a faint, eerie, rattling hiss. After a few seconds, the sound faded and Kathy tried to go back to sleep, but now she was too anxiou…

1
The Job Offer 28:40

10d ago28:40

28:40

Today’s story comes out of China, and it is a brutal story. There’s just no way to tell it without being sort of graphic, so with that in mind, this is definitely a mature audiences only type of story. That said, it is a fascinating story, and the ending is something that very few of you are going to see coming. It's going to feel kind of predictab…

1
The Fake Army That Fooled Hitler 35:42

12d ago35:42

35:42

As World War II raged on, America deployed its strangest weapon yet: a fake army. Known as the Ghost Army, this group of artists, architects, and actors used inflatable tanks and sound effects to deceive Hitler’s forces about the size and location of Allied troops on the attack. The Ghost Army's top-secret deception saved thousands of lives - but t…

1
Ep. 80 | Stigmata 22:31

12d ago22:31

22:31

When a little girl in Vietnam starts mysteriously bleeding from her scalp and hands, her doctors wonder if she’s faking it for attention – to make it seem like she’s experiencing stigmata, the wounds experienced by Jesus Christ in Christian scripture. The blood on the girl’s skin is real enough, but nobody is ever around when she starts to bleed. S…

1
You Can't Cross That Line (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE) 29:49

12d ago29:49

29:49

This is a special bonus episode of "You Can't" I’m going to tell two stories that prove that no matter what we think science can tell us about the natural world, the wilderness still holds secrets we cannot understand. For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channel just called "MrBallen" -- https://www.youtube.com/c/MrBallen I…

1
Introducing: Law & Crime’s LUIGI 5:39

13d ago5:39

5:39

When Luigi Mangione allegedly gunned down UnitedHealthcare’s CEO, the media called it a senseless crime. But online, a different story emerged—one of rage, reckoning, and a suspected killer turned folk hero. More than just a true crime podcast, LUIGI, hosted by Jesse Weber, dares to look beyond the crime and the accused to explore a cultural tippin…

1
The Good Neighbors (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE) 39:48

13d ago39:48

39:48

It was a frigid December day in a small logging town in Maine, roughly an hour’s drive from the US-Canadian border. And despite the falling snow, Christmas shoppers were out in full force. While most of the shoppers hurried from store to store, a small crowd had gathered in front of the police station. The shoppers watched as an officer stapled a p…

1
Stranger Than Fiction Vol. IX 31:02

17d ago31:02

31:02

Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. And today’s podcast features 3 stories that demonstrate that. The audio from all three stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast. Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos: #3 -- "The Oklahoma Proble…

1
Listen Now: Don't Cross Kat 5:56

18d ago5:56

5:56

Kat Torres has the insta-perfect life. She is rich, gorgeous and not ashamed to share it. Her posts about witchcraft and “alien baths” drew in over a million followers, all chasing the dream of a lifestyle like hers. But as she gathers more followers around her, the secrets beneath her fame grow darker and more dangerous. One woman sets out to brin…

1
The Russian Sleeper Agent Next Door 37:17

19d ago37:17

37:17

On the night of his 20th birthday, Tim Foley's world was turned upside down when the FBI stormed his home and arrested his parents. At first, it seemed like a terrible mistake. But soon, he learned the truth—his parents were not an ordinary suburban couple. They were Russian spies living a decades-long lie. Their arrest exposed a vast network of ""…

1
Ep. 79 | The Shining 27:03

19d ago27:03

27:03

In the early 1900s, a young woman gets a coveted job at a clock factory. But her work is interrupted when she feels terrible pain in her mouth. Soon, her whole jaw is rotting away. It’s up to her dentist to try and stop it. But his misguided moral judgements about the young woman’s life send him in the completely wrong direction. See Privacy Policy…

1
Listen Now: Don’t Cross Kat 5:52

20d ago5:52

5:52

Kat Torres has the insta-perfect life. She is rich, gorgeous and not ashamed to share it. Her posts about witchcraft and “alien baths” drew in over a million followers, all chasing the dream of a lifestyle like hers. But as she gathers more followers around her, the secrets beneath her fame grow darker and more dangerous. One woman sets out to brin…

1
Ice and Fire (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE) 34:05

20d ago34:05

34:05

On a night in March of 2017, a bonfire lit up the yard at a house party in Youngstown, Ohio. A group of friends in their 20s and 30s sat around the fire, drinking beer, talking, and having a good time. And as the night went on and they kept partying, they couldn’t imagine that this bonfire would soon help police solve one of the most horrific crime…

1
Unsolved 33:42

24d ago33:42

33:42

Today’s podcast will feature 2 borderline unbelievable stories that remain a mystery to this day. The audio from both of these stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast. Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos: #2 -- "The Quarterback" -- Famou…

1
Listen Now: Don’t Cross Kat 5:56

25d ago5:56

5:56

Kat Torres has the insta-perfect life. She is rich, gorgeous and not ashamed to share it. Her posts about witchcraft and “alien baths” drew in over a million followers, all chasing the dream of a lifestyle like hers. But as she gathers more followers around her, the secrets beneath her fame grow darker and more dangerous. One woman sets out to brin…

1
The Tuskegee Experiment 39:22

26d ago39:22

39:22

In 1972, Alabama farmer Charlie Pollard discovered a horrifying truth. For 40 years, he thought he was getting treatment for syphilis. Instead, he was part of a secret government study. Hundreds of Black men were denied medicine while doctors watched the disease destroy their bodies. The truth about this cruel experiment stayed buried until one whi…

1
Ep. 78 | The Unbearable Itch 29:04

26d ago29:04

29:04

A recovering heroin addict wakes up one morning with an odd sensation on one side of her head: a nagging, constant itch. No matter what she tries, it won’t go away. And eventually it gets so bad… she literally starts to lose her mind. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-s…

1
The Crawlspace (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE) 35:39

27d ago35:39

35:39

On a cold winter day in 2013, police officers rushed through the dense woods outside of a small town in Kentucky. They weaved their way through the trees, keeping their eyes peeled, and finally, one of them shouted out. He saw what they were looking for in the distance. The other officers quickly followed him into a clearing, and there, they saw a …

1
Medical Mysteries - "Blood Feast" 25:56

1M ago25:56

25:56

This story is a fan favorite from MrBallen's Medical Mysteries. One night in 1944, over 300 patients at a mental hospital in Oregon become violently sick after eating dinner. Many of them die. An investigation is quickly launched to determine the source of this deadly illness. Was there something wrong with the food itself? Or could it have been th…

1
The Plot to Kill George Washington 39:56

1M ago39:56

39:56

In the summer of 1776 as war with the British loomed over the American colonies, a shocking betrayal was brewing within General George Washington’s inner circle. His personal bodyguards were secretly plotting to kidnap him and end the revolution before it truly began. As tensions rose in New York, Washington raced to uncover the treachery in his ra…

1
Ep. 77 | The Sliver/Killer Style 25:07

1M ago25:07

25:07

“The Sliver”: After a man survives a terrible car accident with only a cracked vertebra, he feels grateful to have emerged relatively unscathed. But after undergoing surgery to fix the problem, his pain only grows worse – and soon, he’s on the verge of death. And there are only hours left to save him. “Killer Style”: A young man in Turkey leaves hi…

1
The Business of Death (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE) 34:00

1M ago34:00

34:00

In 2002, two days after Halloween, a police officer stepped out of a house in the small town of Navasota, Texas. He shielded his eyes from the early morning sunlight, then ducked under the band of yellow tape that surrounded the house. The officer had been working all night and really needed a break. So he went down to the sidewalk and lit a cigare…

1
Open Sea 31:44

1M ago31:44

31:44

Today’s podcast will feature 2 sailing horror stories. The audio from both of these stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast. Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos: #2 -- "Survivor’s Guilt" -- Sailors have many "customs of the sea," but the…

1
The Iran Contra Scandal 45:19

1M ago45:19

45:19

President Ronald Reagan faced two major problems in 1981. A Communist revolution had taken hold in Nicaragua. And in Lebanon, militants were holding American hostages. Reagan's team created a secret plan to solve both issues at once. It was highly illegal and it turned into one of the most shocking scandals in American history. The story connects u…

1
Ep. 76 | Stage Fright 26:13

1M ago26:13

26:13

When a high-achieving teenager suddenly starts to freeze up in social situations and her grades plummet, her mother tries to get her help. But doctors can’t explain why the girl is suddenly struggling to do ordinary things like talk. Before long, she’s a shell of herself… and her mother fears that soon there may be nothing left. See Privacy Policy …

1
Murder on Steroids (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE) 34:37

1M ago34:37

34:37

On a summer night In 2013, newlyweds Joe and Olga Connell walked into their condominium in Wilmington, Delaware. Joe flipped on the light and sat down on the couch, while Olga headed to the bedroom to get changed. Suddenly, Joe heard a loud scream. He got up, and ran down the hall to the bedroom. There, he found Olga sitting on the floor yelling an…

1
Vanished 36:55

1M ago36:55

36:55

Today’s podcast will feature 3 stories about people who vanished without a trace. The audio from all three stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast. Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos: #3 -- "Not Human" -- Child goes missing on an old lo…

1
Ep. 75 | Death from Above 25:27

2M ago25:27

25:27

In the town of Oakville, Washington, chaos erupts when mysterious blobs start falling from the sky – and anyone who touches them ends up in the hospital. As scientists struggle to understand what the blobs are, Oakville’s terrified residents are left to wonder if they’re the victims of a natural disaster… or a targeted attack. See Privacy Policy at…

1
America’s Human Test Subjects 43:40

2M ago43:40

43:40

The Cold War made America desperate for new weapons. The military looked beyond nuclear bombs into chemicals and drugs: LSD and Sarin gas. But first, they needed test subjects. They turned to their own soldiers and turned men into lab rats. Today’s episode explores two stories about these experiments and their lasting effects on the soldiers they t…

1
You Can't Leave That Way (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE) 29:52

2M ago29:52

29:52

This is a special bonus episode of "You Can't" Today's story is about a woman who goes missing from a psychiatric hospital in 1900. Now at first, this story will seem like a pretty ordinary missing person case. That is, until you reach the very end. Lets just say, this story has one heck of a plot twist. For 100s more stories like these, check out …

1
Helium Road (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE) 34:25

2M ago34:25

34:25

On a night in 2013, a woman in her 30s named Erin heard loud banging on her front door. She opened the door and saw her best friend Robin standing there. And she could tell right away that Robin was scared. She was shaking, tears were running down her face, and she had scratches on her arms. Erin led Robin inside to the couch, and asked her what wa…

1
Under the Bricks 27:35

2M ago27:35

27:35

In today’s story, you very likely will at some point go, “Okay, I know where this is going." But you won’t. Because the ending to this story is so random that it actually took 100 years to piece together what actually happened. Story name, preview & link to original YouTube video: #1 -- "Under the Bricks" -- It took 100 years to piece together what…

1
Operation Greylord: Chicago’s Corrupt Courts 40:35

2M ago40:35

40:35

In 1979, prosecutor Terry Hake made a bold choice. He agreed to go undercover for the FBI and report on widespread corruption in the Chicago courts. As he navigated a world of bribery and backroom deals, Hake risked everything to take down some of the most powerful figures in Cook County’s justice system. But the deeper he went, the more dangerous …

1
Ep. 74 | Sudden Insanity 25:01

2M ago25:01

25:01

When an elderly man in New Brunswick, Canada, dies from what seems to be rapid-onset dementia, his doctor believes he had a rare condition called Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease. But then, dozens of people around the area start experiencing the same awful symptoms, making the doctor fear he’s dealing with something entirely new… and completely terrifying…

1
The Mutant (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE) 33:24

2M ago33:24

33:24

On a day in 2001, a veteran homicide detective put on his gloves and stepped into a cluttered bedroom. He’d been working a murder case for months, but he still had no clear evidence pointing to any of his suspects. But a tip from an informant had led him to this bedroom, and he hoped he would find something useful. The detective searched the room, …

1
The Creature 31:22

2M ago31:22

31:22

Today’s podcast will feature 3 horror stories about people’s run-ins with unidentified beings. The audio from all three stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast. Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos: #3 -- "Saran Wrap" -- A credible parano…

1
Death of Che 37:17

2M ago37:17

37:17

In 1967, the CIA and Bolivian army joined forces to hunt down revolutionary leader Che Guevara through the Andes mountains. After leaving Cuba, Guevara and a small guerrilla force secretly entered Bolivia, aiming to spark a communist revolution across South America. But as his health failed and local support crumbled, Guevara's final mission — and …

1
Ep. 73 | Darkness in Donora 29:12

2M ago29:12

29:12

In the 1940s, the people of Donora, Pennsylvania fall prey to a deadly epidemic that destroys their lungs. Doctors suspect it has something to do with the fog that is constantly blanketing their town… but why now? They need to find an answer fast – before the darkness claims more victims. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and Californ…

1
Goodbye Uncle Jack (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE) 36:07

2M ago36:07

36:07

Late one afternoon in the summer of 2014, a pawnshop owner was updating his inventory logs when the bell above the front door jingled. A young couple walked inside and approached the counter. The man said he had a few items to sell, then opened a drawstring bag and dumped the contents onto the counter. A collection of gold chains, rings, and watche…

1
Something is in the Woods 33:23

2M ago33:23

33:23

Today’s podcast will feature 3 horrifying stories that will make you wonder who or what may be lurking in the forest. The audio from all three stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast. Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos: #3 -- "Pound Cak…

1
Ben Franklin: Secret Spy 41:44

2M ago41:44

41:44

Benjamin Franklin is known for his role as a Founding Father, inventor, and diplomat. But he had another role: spymaster. As the American colonies fought for independence against the British, Franklin traveled to Paris to help win French support. But as it turned out, he was entering a world of deception and intrigue. British spies lurked everywher…

1
Ep. 72 | 17 Doctors 20:43

2M ago20:43

20:43

During the COVID pandemic, a boy starts experiencing sudden, inexplicable bursts of pain. At first, his symptoms seem psychological – but then doctors say he may need brain surgery to fix the problem. That’s when the boy’s mother turns to a cutting edge technology to help her figure out what’s wrong with her son. Follow MrBallen's Medical Mysteries…

1
Sick Day (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE) 38:29

2M ago38:29

38:29

On a morning in 2002, a man in Indianapolis, Indiana woke up in a cold sweat. His hands shook as he tried to block out the images he’d seen in his sleep, but he knew these images would not just go away – they would keep haunting him until he did something about it. He got out of bed and walked to his phone. He dialed 9-1-1 and said he needed to tal…

1
Stranger Than Fiction Vol. VIII 34:06

2M ago34:06

34:06

Sometimes the truth is stranger than fiction. And today’s podcast features 3 stories that demonstrate that. The audio from all three stories has been pulled from our main YouTube channel, which is just called "MrBallen," and has been remastered for today's podcast. Story names, previews & links to original YouTube videos: #3 -- "Doctor WHO?" -- A f…

1
The D-Day Con 46:56

2M ago46:56

46:56

In the tense months leading up to D-Day, a daring plan was set in motion to mislead the Nazis about where and when the invasion would take place. British intelligence recruited a motley crew of double agents, including a Spanish chicken farmer, a Serbian playboy, and a temperamental Russian-French journalist. As conflicting loyalties, personal grud…

1
Ep. 71 | A Clean Break/Look, Don’t Touch 29:14

2M ago29:14

29:14

“A Clean Break” When a night out in Nepal leaves a tourist weak and hungover, he figures he’ll feel better after some rest and rehydration. But his stomach pain becomes unbearable, and he heads to the hospital. That’s when a doctor discovers a secret that the man didn’t even know he had. “Look, Don’t Touch” When dozens of children contract salmonel…

1
You Can't Run From This (PODCAST EXCLUSIVE EPISODE) 27:00

2M ago27:00

27:00

This is a special bonus episode of "You Can't" I’m going to tell two stories about two very different haunted places. And even though these stories take place decades apart – and involve wildly different people – the message of both is the same… crossing paths with ghosts can kill. For 100s more stories like these, check out our main YouTube channe…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Wondery Ballen Studios Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen