? You might think you’ve heard every wild story America has to offer — until you tune in to The Dollop. In this long-running comedy-history podcast, comedian Dave Anthony reads a real (and usually ridiculous) story from American history to his unsuspecting co-host Gareth Reynolds, whose off-the-cuff reactions are half the fun. The result is part lecture, part improv — and 100% chaos.

You could start with episode #607: John Murray Spear and His Machine. Spear was a 19th-century spiritualist who claimed to be in touch with a council of deceased inventors — Benjamin Franklin included — who instructed him to build a mechanical messiah. The episode dives deep into the era’s obsession with electricity, the rise of séance-fueled innovation, and one man’s attempt to birth a new savior from copper wires and magnets. Reynolds' real-time unraveling at the idea of “spiritual engineering” turns this already-unbelievable story into a hilarious dissection of belief, science, and scam. Come for the ghosts; stay for the absurdity.

WHERE TO LISTEN- You can listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube.

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