Oct 19, 2026 · 58 min · 25 segments
In today's first episode of Killer of the Week, explore the origins of Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber, in this deep dive into the psychology behind one of America’s most infamous domestic terrorists…
Vanessa RichardsonHostTristin EngelsGuestWhile Ted grappled with ideas about power, he didn't really have anyone to talk about it with, and it wouldn't be until after high school that he'd find a way to express himself.
At just 16 years old, he was headed to Harvard University, where he planned to study mathematics.
He quickly adapted to the academic level, but his age gap and poor social skills meant he was still pretty isolated.
Among the thousands of other students at Harvard, Ted still felt utterly alone.
He'd managed to form a few friendly acquaintances, people he shared meals with, but he usually listened more than he talked.
This gave him a lot of time to observe his peers, and there was one thing he couldn't help but notice.
Just like him, a lot of Ted's classmates had been forced onto the path toward high-tech innovation, and because of that, their whole lives were laid out ahead of them, but they'd never asked for any of it.
In fact, he believed technology was the scourge of the Earth, that it was killing the planet and killing people's mental health.
He fantasized about running off into the wilderness alone and leaving it all behind.
Then one day in the fall of 1959, Ted found something that would change his life forever.
The psychology department was running a study on how gifted young men responded to stress.
Ted didn't know the details of what the study would involve, but he knew it was being run by senior Harvard psychologist Dr. Henry Murray, who was well-known and respected.
Plus, it only required a few hours of his time each week, and it was paid.
ted thought the study could be beneficial for him maybe he'd meet like-minded peers if he got more involved with the psychology department maybe he'd even form a connection with a renowned researcher one who wasn't focused solely on technological advancement so ted signed up and pretty soon he was accepted he was eager to see what doors the study might open for him However, Ted had no idea that the goal of the study wasn't just to assess his mind, but to push it to its limits.
While Ted grappled with ideas about power, he didn't really have anyone to talk about it with, and it wouldn't be until after high school that he'd find a way to express himself.
At just 16 years old, he was headed to Harvard University, where he planned to study mathematics.
He quickly adapted to the academic level, but his age gap and poor social skills meant he was still pretty isolated.
Among the thousands of other students at Harvard, Ted still felt utterly alone.
He'd managed to form a few friendly acquaintances, people he shared meals with, but he usually listened more than he talked.
This gave him a lot of time to observe his peers, and there was one thing he couldn't help but notice.
Just like him, a lot of Ted's classmates had been forced onto the path toward high-tech innovation, and because of that, their whole lives were laid out ahead of them, but they'd never asked for any of it.
In fact, he believed technology was the scourge of the Earth, that it was killing the planet and killing people's mental health.
He fantasized about running off into the wilderness alone and leaving it all behind.
Then one day in the fall of 1959, Ted found something that would change his life forever.
The psychology department was running a study on how gifted young men responded to stress.
Ted didn't know the details of what the study would involve, but he knew it was being run by senior Harvard psychologist Dr. Henry Murray, who was well-known and respected.
Plus, it only required a few hours of his time each week, and it was paid.
ted thought the study could be beneficial for him maybe he'd meet like-minded peers if he got more involved with the psychology department maybe he'd even form a connection with a renowned researcher one who wasn't focused solely on technological advancement so ted signed up and pretty soon he was accepted he was eager to see what doors the study might open for him However, Ted had no idea that the goal of the study wasn't just to assess his mind, but to push it to its limits.
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