What happened when a naked man literally appeared out of thin air inside a couple’s apartment while they were getting ready for work?

[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/186102068" params="color=ff5500" width="100%" height="166" iframe="true" /]

This episode is brought to you by Loot Crate. Get 10 percent off your subscription by visiting LootCrate.com/Smart and entering the code SMART.

And by The Great Courses. Order Behavioral Economics or another course in this special offer and get 80% off the original price.

In this episode, two stories, one about a football game that split reality in two for the people who witnessed it, and another about what happened when a naked man literally appeared out of thin air inside a couple’s apartment while they were getting ready for work.

In story one, you’ll learn how, in 1951, a brutal game of football between Dartmouth and Princeton launched the modern psychological investigation into preconceived notions, models of reality, and how no matter our similarities we each see a different version of the truth depending on the allegiances and alliances we form as adults.

In story two, Devon Laird was brushing his teeth one morning when he heard a loud crash. Moments later, underneath a gaping hole raining insulation, a naked stranger was adjusting furniture in Laird’s living room… right before opening the door and running away. There was no explanation afterward, but plenty of speculation. You’ll learn how the brain prevents unexplainable events like that from scrambling your reality by inventing plausible stories that allow you to move on with your life (and you’ll learn how the bizarre truth behind the incident).

See show notes and subscribe to the podcast

Image: Shutterstock