The Philadelphia Experiment is a bad movie from the 1980s, and also the conspiracy theory that refuses to die, despite virtually zero evidence of its occurrence. Learn all about this strange non-event in today's show.
AI Summary
In this episode of Stuff You Should Know, Josh and Chuck dive into the fascinating legend of the Philadelphia Experiment, a supposed 1943 Navy experiment that allegedly made the USS Eldridge completely invisible and caused it to teleport between Philadelphia and Norfolk, Virginia. They explore how this wild conspiracy theory originated from the letters of a troubled man named Carlos Allende to UFO author Morris Jessup, and examine the various explanations for what really happened versus the fantastical claims. The hosts unpack everything from Einstein's unified field theory to degaussing ships, revealing how mundane military procedures may have spawned one of the most enduring conspiracy theories of all time.
Barbarella
1968
1h 38m
★ 6.0
"What about Barbarella? Yeah, that was 70s or was it 60s? — Chuck brings up Barbarella as another example of a movie with a female lead, though they're unsure of the decade."
— Chuck
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
1977
2h 17m
★ 7.4
"he was actually the inspiration for the ufologist, Frenchman character in Close Encounters of the Third Kind — Josh explains that Jacques F. Valais was the inspiration for a character in Close Encounters of the Third Kind."
— Josh
Eddie and the Cruisers
1983
1h 35m
★ 6.7
"Michael Paray disappeared in Eddie and the Cruisers. Oh, was he in that? He was Eddie. — Josh mentions Michael Paray's starring role in Eddie and the Cruisers when discussing the actor from The Philadelphia Experiment."
— Josh
"stars of the cult classic show, Hey Dude — Referenced in podcast advertisement as a 90s TV show being discussed on another podcast."
Poltergeist
1982
1h 54m
★ 7.2
"Do you remember AOL instant messenger and the dial-up sound like poltergeist? — Referenced in podcast advertisement comparing dial-up internet sounds to the movie Poltergeist."
RoboCop
1987
1h 42m
★ 7.4
"And Robocop's partner. Yeah, Nancy Allen. — Discussion of Nancy Allen's role as RoboCop's partner when talking about the cast of The Philadelphia Experiment."
— Josh
"if you're a fan of Tron, you're going to her video drone — Josh compares the special effects in The Philadelphia Experiment to those in Tron."
— Josh
Working Girl
1988
1h 54m
★ 6.6
"Although a working girl, that was in the 80s. — Chuck mentions Working Girl as an example of a movie with a female lead in the 1980s."
— Chuck
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