Creepy Crawlers and Creepy Callers | 538

This week on Hysteria 51, we're dealing with two things nobody wants unexpectedly crawling into their lives: 3,000 tarantulas and the ghosts of dead people. And somehow, the spiders might be the less disturbing story. First, airport authorities in Peru bust a bizarre wildlife smuggling operation involving thousands of live tarantulas stuffed into dirty socks and packed in suitcases. Because apparently, the international spider black market doesn't believe in breathable packaging. Nothing says "vacation nightmare" quite like $1.7 million worth of eight-legged stowaways. Then, scientists take ghost hunting to a whole new level with a psychomanteum, a darkened mirror chamber designed to summon encounters with the dead. And when 24 out of 30 participants report sensing something supernatural, things get seriously spooky. Are ghosts real, or is staring into a mirror in the dark just a terrible hobby? From tarantula trafficking and suspicious socks to ghostly encounters and paranormal science, this week's weird news proves the world is stranger than fiction, and significantly harder to explain to airport security. News Stories Mentioned: Wiggly Socks Extreme Corn Maze Email us your favorite WEIRD news stories: [email protected] Leave Us A Voicemail: 773-669-7277 Support the Show Get exclusive content & perks as well as an ad and sponsor free experience at https://www.patreon.com/Hysteria51 from just $1 Shop Be the Best Dressed at your Cult Meeting! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hysteria51?ref_id=9022 See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.