During WWII, one of the most daunting engineering challenges facing the military was how to design a bomb that could actually hit its intended target. University of Minnesota professor of psychology B. F. Skinner believed that he had the answer: the US could train pigeons to guide missiles. Aiding him in this Quixotic quest would be an unlikely partner: General Mills (yes, the cereal company).

Join us for the stranger-than-fiction story of "Project Pigeon," a top secret collaboration between General Mills, the US military, and one of the most influential psychologists of the 20th century. We'll explore how B. F. Skinner's quest to train pigeons to guide bombs led to everything from the development of one of the most important concepts in modern psychology, to the invention of the touch screen.

This week, the Witch of November has come stealin' again as we bring you the truly EPIC tale of a storm that was remembered for decades by residents of Minnesota’s North Shore as the “Storm of the Century.” An inland cyclone blew across Lake Superior on November 27th, 28th, and 29th of 1905, sinking 29 ships and claiming 36 lives.

This episode has everything, from the most harrowing shipwreck narratives we’ve ever heard, the heroic derring-do of a "human squirrel," Samoan kings, “horny-handed sons of toil,” and the origins of Split Rock Lighthouse. You won’t want to miss it.

[Content warning: tragic death, drowning, freezing to death]

minnesotaunknown.com

"The lake, it is said, never gives up her dead

When the skies of November turn gloomy..."

-Gordon Lightfoot, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald

Fifty years ago this week, the iron ore freighter S.S, Edmund Fitzgerald sank beneath the icy waters of Lake Superior, claiming the lives of 29 sailors.

In this episode, we recount her harrowing final voyage, and examine why, out of the hundreds of shipwrecks that have occurred Lake Superior, the Edmund Fitzgerald maintains such an enduring hold on popular memory and imagination.

A little tip—if you are somehow not already familiar with Gordon Lightfoot's iconic 1976 ballad, The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald, go and give the song a listen before starting this episode, as we reference the song gratuitously.

[Content warning: tragic death, drowning]

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You can find detailed show notes for this and all episodes at minnesotaunknown.com/podcast. We’ll post a link there to each episode along with features such as accompanying images, links to more info, and lists of sources cited.

If you have questions, comments, corrections, complaints, or compliments, or would like to suggest a topic for a future episode, please email us at info@minnesotaunknown.com. We’d truly love to hear from you.

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Podcast Credits:

Minnesota Unknown is produced, hosted, written, and researched by Hannah Norton, Josie Bergmann, and myself, Alex Weston. This episode was edited by me. Our theme song is by Union Shakedown. This episode is copyright 2025 by Minnesota Unknown, LLC. All rights reserved.