00:00 The podcast discusses the history and impact of H.G. Wells' book "War of the Worlds," focusing on its portrayal of the breakdown of society and the exploration of humans' dominion over animals.

05:55 Orson Welles and his Mercury theater decided to adapt H.G. Wells' "War of the Worlds" for a radio broadcast in 1938, despite initial doubts from the cast and crew about its potential success.

10:44 Orson Welles made several changes to the original script of "War of the Worlds" to make it more believable and terrifying, including getting rid of the passage of time and stretching out the first two halves of the broadcast to go past the usual 30-minute mark, which added to the realism and made listeners more likely to believe it was real.

15:34 The broadcast of "War of the Worlds" began with an introduction that made it seem like a regular radio program, with live music from a hotel ballroom, which lulled listeners into a sense of complacency before the first news bulletin interrupted and gradually revealed the attack by Martians.

20:33 The announcer continues to provide updates on the Martian invasion, including the use of a flag of truce and the destruction caused by the Martians.

25:25 The reaction to the War of the Worlds broadcast included stories of shock, hysteria, and even people taking their own lives, and while Orson Welles initially apologized, he later admitted that he intended to scare people with the broadcast.

30:14 A study conducted by Cantrell, based on interviews with 135 people in New Jersey, claimed that six million people listened to the War of the Worlds broadcast and at least six of them were frightened or disturbed, leading to panic, terror, and even suicide attempts, but later research found that the methodology of the study was flawed and the number of people who actually heard the broadcast was much smaller, suggesting that the widespread panic was exaggerated and largely a myth.

35:36 A leading War of the Worlds scholar investigated the letters and cables that came in after the broadcast and found that the true reactions of people at the time were not as extreme as previously believed.

40:20 The reactions to the War of the Worlds broadcast were a mixed bag, with some people finding it scary and awesome, others making fun of those who fell for it, and only a small percentage actually panicking, mostly in New Jersey.

45:04 The idea that America fell into chaos and panic after the War of the Worlds broadcast in 1938 is largely a myth, as it was mostly a result of biased and lazy reporting, but a similar incident did occur in Ecuador in 1948 where people took to the streets in panic and an angry mob burned down a newspaper building, resulting in six deaths.

49:46 The hosts receive an email from a listener in the UK who has been binge-listening to the show for two years and has been recommending it to others, and they express their appreciation for the email and encourage the listener to keep writing in.