The Cold War Vault

EP36: The Korean Balloon Blow-Up

On this current events episode, we look at all of the ins, outs, ups, and downs of the Korean Balloon Crisis of June 2020 and speculate about the potential reasons for such an overreaction to what has been happening regularly since at least 2004. Something strange is afoot!

EP35: The Soviets Go House Hunting

When the Soviet ambassador started looking for a new embassy, he couldn't have known it would take decades. This episode looks at the various games each side played as the United States and the Soviet Union built new embassies, spying on each other in wild ways...all the while.

EP34: Coronavirus and the New Cold War

A current events episode. How does a global crisis reveal even more clearly the new Cold War with Communist China? Let's explore it together, shall we? I'm going to take heat for this episode. So please support the show. 

EP33: Mulholland's Magic Manual

Not Quite "Science and the CIA," but definitely a sequel to those last couple of episodes, this show deals with a subproject of MKULTRA called "Magic Manual." Long thought to just be a myth in the walls of the CIA, the "Magic Manual" written by famed magician John Mulholland for the MKULTRA program finally surfaced in an unrelated archive. This episode will look at how the CIA put the tricks of stage magic to work, from Sidney Gotlieb's LSD experiments to the exfiltration of KGB agents. Trick your friends and disappear your enemies! 

EP32: Coronavirus and Conspiracy

In this very special episode, we'll look at the very real world examples of times that biological weapons have slipped the grip of their government handlers and posed a risk to all humankind.

EP31: Science and the CIA, Part 2 - MKULTRA and Midnight Climax

This episode delves into the origin and realities of the sometimes mundane (and sometimes insane) world of MKULTRA and particularly its most lurid episode: Subproject 42, also known as Operation Midnight Climax. Sex and the CIA. This time on the Cold War Vault.

EP30: Science and the CIA, Part 1 - The Curious Case of Frank Olson

In 1953, a CIA experiment with LSD triggered deep depression in a Department of Defense biochemist. Dr. Frank Olson committed suicide - or was murdered - a few days later. This story is a lense through which we will delve into the shadowy history of the CIA's experimentation with psychedelic drugs and mind control.

EP29: Fearmonger Fridays Iran War Edition

Fearmonger Fridays brings a little information and sanity to the recent events in the Persian Gulf, reminding everyone that it's not as bad as they make it sound...until it is. Then it's too late.

EP28: The Missiles of October, Part Five

In the years since the Cuban Missile Crisis, new facts have been revealed that shed light on just how close the crisis came to spiraling out of control. In this final episode of the series, we will explore a few of those incidents and revelations and wonder, what might have been?

EP27: The Missiles of October, Part Four

The most dangerous day of the Cuban Missile Crisis was also its last day. There was no cooling-off period. It was going to burn out, or it was going to explode. Saturday just sucked.