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To The Best Of Our Knowledge

the Legend of Sarah Winchester

Sarah Winchester (born 1840) was the heiress to the Winchester Estate with a 50% holding of the Winchester Repeating Rifle Company. She used her vast fortune to construct a mansion for 38 consecutive years.

Popular legend held that she was cursed by all those who were killed by Winchester rifles. The only way to alleviate her suffering was to continue to add on to her mansion, filling it with strange sealed rooms and staircases and corridors leading nowhere. Pamela Haag tells her tale and gives it some meaning beyond a mere ghost story.

To The Best Of Our Knowledge

The United States of Paranoia

Conspiracy theories are like mushrooms. They pop up everywhere -- from celebrity Twitter feeds to the campaign trail. They can be crazy, hilarious, and weirdly convincing. But even the most wacko conspiracy theories are worth taking serious. To explain why, here's Steve Paulson talking with Jesse Walker, author of "The United States of Paranoia."

To The Best Of Our Knowledge

Salman Rushdie on Kashmir

Kashmir, India was an earthly paradise until recently, combining great physical beauty with a tolerant lifestyle.

To The Best Of Our Knowledge

Sonic Sidebar: Godzilla

When you talk about Japanese popular culture, there's one name that towers above all others.  Literally.  Godzilla.  The giant green lizard recently became an official Japanese citizen.  William Tsutsui knows all there is to know about this larger-than-life movie star; he's the author of "Godzilla on My Mind."

To The Best Of Our Knowledge

Timothy James Castle on "The Perfect Cup"

Timothy James Castle is the author of "The Perfect Cup: A Coffee-Lover's Guide to Buying, Brewing and Tasting." He tells Jim Fleming how to brew a perfect cup of coffee.

To The Best Of Our Knowledge

Steve Paulson Reports on Edward Abbey

Steve Paulson prepared this report on the life of Edward Abbey, who's book changed the way people thought about the earth.

To The Best Of Our Knowledge

Stephen Kuusisto on "Eavesdropping"

Writer Stephen Kuusisto is blind. He talks of what he remembers about visiting the seashore and a stable in Finland as a child.

To The Best Of Our Knowledge

Trevor Paglan on "I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have To Be Destroyed By Me"

Trevor Paglan is the author of "I Could Tell You But Then You Would Have To Be Destroyed By Me." That's the Latin translation of a patch designed for a top secret Navy air testing station.

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