447 – The Phallic Iceberg, Metric Time, and Other Acts of Committed Mischief

In this episode of BS Free MD, Drs. May and Tim Hindmarsh dive into a mix of absurdity, historical pranks, and societal skepticism, beginning with a fiery critique of medical establishment corruption and pandemic-era misinformation. They reflect on their own April Fools' prank from 2021, which convinced listeners for over a year that they were selected to go to the moon—complete with a fictional 'personal intimacy capsule'—highlighting how truth and satire can blur. The hosts then explore legendary April Fools' pranks, including Porky Bicker’s 1974 tire fire hoax on Mount Edgecumbe in Alaska and a decades-long penguin foot hoax in Clearwater, Florida, both of which relied on real-world context to feel credible. The conversation spirals into speculative territory with UFOs, government secrecy, and the idea that advanced technology may be hidden from the public—not by aliens, but by our own institutions. They conclude with a nostalgic deep dive into 'metric time,' a 1975 Canadian radio prank that exploited the real national shift to the metric system, turning a mundane policy change into a national joke. The episode blends humor, cynicism, and wonder, questioning what we believe and why.