The Basement: Joseph Matheny | The Man Who Hacked Reality Before the Internet Existed

2026-06-01 · 174 min · 17 entities

episode page audio

Asserted relationships

→ hosted by The Why Files person

0.55

evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: The Why Files
→ discusses Society & Culture concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Society & Culture
→ discusses Science concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Science
→ discusses Documentary concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Documentary
→ discusses Life Sciences concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Life Sciences
→ discusses Fiction concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Fiction
→ discusses Science Fiction person

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Science Fiction
→ references mengotomars.com website

0.38

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "The Basement: Joseph Matheny | The Man Who Hacked Reality Before the Internet Existed": https://mengotomars.com./
→ references Whyfiles website

0.38

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "The Basement: Joseph Matheny | The Man Who Hacked Reality Before the Internet Existed": https://cowboycolostrum.com/WHYFILES.

Entities found in this episode

concepts 10

mentioned Society & Culture concept

0.50

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Society & Culture
mentioned Science concept

0.50

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Science
mentioned Documentary concept

0.50

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Documentary
mentioned Life Sciences concept

0.50

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Life Sciences
mentioned Fiction concept

0.50

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Fiction
discusses Society & Culture concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Society & Culture
discusses Science concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Science
discusses Documentary concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Documentary
discusses Life Sciences concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Life Sciences
discusses Fiction concept

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Fiction

websites 4

mentioned mengotomars.com website

0.45

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "The Basement: Joseph Matheny | The Man Who Hacked Reality Before the Internet Existed": https://mengotomars.com./
mentioned Whyfiles website

0.45

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "The Basement: Joseph Matheny | The Man Who Hacked Reality Before the Internet Existed": https://cowboycolostrum.com/WHYFILES.
references mengotomars.com website

0.38

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "The Basement: Joseph Matheny | The Man Who Hacked Reality Before the Internet Existed": https://mengotomars.com./
references Whyfiles website

0.38

evidence rules-v5
Link in episode "The Basement: Joseph Matheny | The Man Who Hacked Reality Before the Internet Existed": https://cowboycolostrum.com/WHYFILES.

persons 3

hosted by The Why Files person

0.55

evidence rules-v5
Feed author/publisher: The Why Files
mentioned Science Fiction person

0.50

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Science Fiction
discusses Science Fiction person

0.40

evidence rules-v5
Feed category: Science Fiction

Episode description as stored

For a limited time, our listeners get 50% off FOR LIFE, Free Shipping, AND 3 Free Gifts at Mars Men at https://Mengotomars.com. Get 25% off Cowboy Colostrum with code WHYFILES at https://cowboycolostrum.com/WHYFILES. Joseph Matheny invented something in 1989 that nobody had a name for yet. He called it a story. The internet called it the first alternate reality game. The Navy called him to ask how he did it. He turned them down. Tonight he's in the basement explaining how he built an early AI, game-mastered Robert Anton Wilson at Esalen, and why QAnon looks so familiar to him. Some things are better understood when you know how the trick works. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices