Segment from Alternative Facts, Falsehoods and Delusions

The Ugliest Little Mermaid

Ed speaks to historian James “Jay” Cook about the story of P.T. Barnum’s Fiji Mermaid and how a little deception went a long way.

The Great Moon Hoax

Matthew Goodman tells Ed why Americans believed fantastical stories of life on the moon published by the New York Sun in 1835. They also explore how the “Great Moon Hoax” – as it became known – changed American journalism.

00:11:33

The Ugliest Little Mermaid

Ed speaks to historian James “Jay” Cook about the story of P.T. Barnum’s Fiji Mermaid and how a little deception went a long way.

00:07:22

Sweet Little Lies

Geoff Bunn helps tell the story of the lie detector and its surprising roots in pulp fiction.

00:10:48