This American Life
This American Life
This American Life
875: I Hate Mysteries
1 hour 2 minutes Posted Nov 23, 2025 at 11:00 pm.
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Show notes
What’s in the box? What’s in the $%&ing box?!?
Prologue: A class of second graders is handed a sealed box with a mystery object inside. They are supposed to guess what it is, but the lesson goes off the rails. (8 minutes)
Act One: A man is hired along with a crew to dig a mysterious hole on the slopes of Mt. Shasta. The hole goes sixty feet down. But what are they looking for? (24 minutes)
Act 2: A sparkly mystery. One woman hopes the military-industrial complex is involved. (4 minutes)
Act Two: What happens when the full force of the federal government arrives on your block? (14 minutes)
Act Three: A comedian finds himself trapped in an uncomfortable mystery in the backseat of a cab. (4 minutes)