The Mind Blown Podcast

#70 - Jack the Ripper Part 1: London's Nightmare Begins

Melanie Avalon and Scott Emmens step into the gaslit horror of 1888 Whitechapel, where fear reigned and a nameless killer stalked the night. In Part 1 of their Jack the Ripper series, they trace the gruesome murders that shook London to its core, and the chilling letters that taunted police and the press. Signed with "blood," boasting of slaughter, and mocking investigators, these messages only deepened the mystery. Were they the work of the real Ripper… or a cruel hoaxer feeding the frenzy? Enter the fog and follow the trail of London’s most infamous killer.

#69 - The Psychology of Fear: Why We Crave Being Scared, And How To Hack It

Melanie Avalon and Scott Emmens plunge into the electrifying world of fear, unraveling the paradox of why humans are the only species that actively seek it out. From haunted houses and horror films to the terrifying thrill of roller coasters, discover how this “benign masochism” works in our brain. Explore the amygdala’s lightning-fast alarms, the hippocampus’s haunting memories, and the prefrontal cortex’s tug-of-war with terror. Learn why adrenaline makes time feel like it slows down, why goosebumps are a leftover survival trick, and why we sometimes freeze instead of fight or flee. And so much more!

#68 - The Sallie House: America’s Most Haunted Home?

Melanie Avalon and Scott Emmens explore one of America’s most haunted homes: the infamous Sallie House in Atchison, Kansas. So terrifying that visitors must sign a waiver before stepping inside, this unassuming residence has become ground zero for ghost hunters, skeptics, and thrill seekers alike. From chilling EVP recordings to violent scratches that appear out of nowhere, the Sallie House has left countless people shaken and scarred. But what’s really behind the activity? Is it the spirit of a child reaching out… or something far more sinister hiding in plain sight?

#67 - Taste Trickery: Food Hacks & Flavor Illusions

Melanie Avalon and Scott Emmens take you inside the strange, sneaky, and utterly fascinating world of food tricks. From the airplane mystery of why tomato juice tastes amazing at 35,000 feet to why stale chips can sound fresh with the right crunch soundtrack, this episode reveals the bizarre science behind every bite. Discover how music can literally change the flavor of cheese, why wine drinkers are fooled by color, and how hidden biochemical pairings turn oysters and champagne into explosive “umami bombs.” Get ready to question everything you thought you knew about taste, hunger, and flavor itself.

#66 - Triangles Part 3: The Bermuda Triangle: Lost Planes & Ghost Ships

Melanie Avalon and Scott Emmens plunge into the chilling legend of the Bermuda Triangle, the mysterious stretch of ocean between Miami, Bermuda, and Puerto Rico where planes vanish, ships go silent, and whole crews disappear without a trace. From Flight 19, the squadron of five bombers that flew straight into oblivion in 1945, to the eerie ghost ship Carroll A. Deering found abandoned with meals uneaten, to Columbus himself recording strange lights and compass failures, the Triangle has fueled both fear and fascination for centuries. Was it storms, magnetic anomalies, or something far stranger?