1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,640 Speaker 1: Guess what, mango? What's that? Well, so, I know I 2 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:05,000 Speaker 1: asked you if we could cover today's topic, but I 3 00:00:05,040 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: didn't tell you exactly why, And that's because I wanted 4 00:00:07,560 --> 00:00:10,240 Speaker 1: to save this story for you. So, uh, this actually 5 00:00:10,320 --> 00:00:13,880 Speaker 1: happened in a town a Silicaga, Alabama, my home state 6 00:00:13,880 --> 00:00:17,320 Speaker 1: of Alabama. And so this happen in nine A woman 7 00:00:17,400 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: named An Hodges was taking a nap on her couch 8 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:24,120 Speaker 1: when a softball sized chunk of meteorite crashed through her roof, 9 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:27,520 Speaker 1: came through the ceiling, bounced off a radio, and smacked 10 00:00:27,520 --> 00:00:31,400 Speaker 1: her right in the thigh. That is that but funny 11 00:00:31,480 --> 00:00:33,360 Speaker 1: the same Why is it so much funnier that hit 12 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:36,519 Speaker 1: her in the thigh? It is, isn't it? Yeah, I 13 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:39,080 Speaker 1: can't handle it anyway. There are photos online of this 14 00:00:39,159 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 1: giant bruise if you if you want to check this out. 15 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:43,960 Speaker 1: But so, there was an astronomer from Florida State. His 16 00:00:44,000 --> 00:00:46,560 Speaker 1: name is Michael Reynolds, and he was talking about how 17 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:48,800 Speaker 1: rare this occasion would be. Says, you have a better 18 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 1: chance of getting hit by a tornado, a bolt of lightning, 19 00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:55,120 Speaker 1: and a hurricane all at the same time than getting 20 00:00:55,200 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: hit by a meteor RTE. That's amazing. And apparently there 21 00:00:58,880 --> 00:01:01,320 Speaker 1: was a ton of controversy see after the fact about 22 00:01:01,400 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: who got to keep this rock. So so the public 23 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:06,759 Speaker 1: demanded that the government give the rock back to Anne, 24 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 1: and they finally complied, but then they were sued by 25 00:01:09,640 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 1: the landlady, who claimed it was her since it fell 26 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 1: on her property. What kind of person does this, This 27 00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 1: woman's been hit by a meteorite. I am right, And 28 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:21,760 Speaker 1: so Anne's argument was, though, that God intended for it 29 00:01:21,840 --> 00:01:24,720 Speaker 1: to hit me. After all, it hit me, That's what 30 00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:27,319 Speaker 1: she said. And so they settled out of court, and 31 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 1: the meteorite was eventually donated to the Alabama Museum of 32 00:01:30,360 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 1: Natural History and it's still on display there. So I'll 33 00:01:33,880 --> 00:01:35,880 Speaker 1: admit I had heard this story before, but what I 34 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:38,400 Speaker 1: didn't know is that there's actually a monument to it. 35 00:01:38,400 --> 00:01:41,039 Speaker 1: It commemorates the whole bizarre happening, and it's in front 36 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:43,959 Speaker 1: of the town hall in Silicago. And so that's why 37 00:01:44,000 --> 00:01:47,319 Speaker 1: we decided to do today's episode on nine weird statues 38 00:01:47,360 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: and monuments around the world. Let's get started, he their 39 00:02:08,320 --> 00:02:11,040 Speaker 1: podcast listeners, welcome the part time genius. I'm Will Pearson 40 00:02:11,080 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 1: and as always I'm joined by my good friend man 41 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 1: Guesh Ticketer and the man on the other side of 42 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:18,520 Speaker 1: the soundproof glass who's been standing perfectly still for what 43 00:02:18,639 --> 00:02:22,119 Speaker 1: like the last forty five minutes. I think I even 44 00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:24,799 Speaker 1: I saw him blink once, But that's about it. That's 45 00:02:24,800 --> 00:02:28,000 Speaker 1: our friend and producer Tristan McNeil. And also joining us 46 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:31,000 Speaker 1: by phone today is our researcher Gabe Lousier. Gabe, how's 47 00:02:31,040 --> 00:02:33,600 Speaker 1: it going going well? Thanks for having me back guys. 48 00:02:33,720 --> 00:02:35,520 Speaker 1: All right, Gabe has been trying to claim that the 49 00:02:35,560 --> 00:02:39,080 Speaker 1: weather in l A today is is Chris. I'm not 50 00:02:39,160 --> 00:02:41,359 Speaker 1: buying it. Yeah, I don't think they've ever experienced Chris. 51 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:44,880 Speaker 1: But alright, Gabe, So you've done your research on some 52 00:02:44,880 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: some monuments and statues around the world. Do you want 53 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: to take the first one? Yeah? Sure, Actually I have 54 00:02:51,240 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 1: another statue from Alabama to go along with yours. You guys, 55 00:02:56,440 --> 00:02:59,800 Speaker 1: bizarre statues out there, I guess, um. And this is 56 00:02:59,800 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 1: that it's a bullweevil monument in Enterprise, Alabama. And so 57 00:03:04,639 --> 00:03:06,960 Speaker 1: this is a marble statue of a Greek woman holding 58 00:03:07,000 --> 00:03:09,640 Speaker 1: a bowl above her head, and in the bowl there's 59 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 1: this fifty pound bronze bull weevil and the bull weevil 60 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: was actually added about thirty years ago after the statue 61 00:03:18,000 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 1: was originally dedicated, and it was erected because bullweevils have 62 00:03:22,440 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: this history of, you know, destroying cotton crops in the South, 63 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:28,400 Speaker 1: which back in the day it forced local farmers to 64 00:03:28,480 --> 00:03:31,080 Speaker 1: kind of branch out and try a new crop instead, 65 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:35,320 Speaker 1: and that was peanuts. So Coffee County in Alabama became 66 00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:38,440 Speaker 1: the largest producer of peanuts in the US. And it 67 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 1: also ended up planting and prospering from potatoes, sugarcane, sorghum, 68 00:03:42,760 --> 00:03:45,720 Speaker 1: and tobacco. And that's thanks in part to the bull 69 00:03:45,760 --> 00:03:49,080 Speaker 1: weevil kind of you know, disrupting the cotton trade. So 70 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 1: the dedication on the monument actually reads in profound appreciation 71 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:56,360 Speaker 1: of the bull weevil. And as far as anyone knows, 72 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,600 Speaker 1: it's the first and probably only monument to honor and 73 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,720 Speaker 1: add a cultural pest. And this is one I have 74 00:04:02,760 --> 00:04:05,120 Speaker 1: actually seen. I can verify this one. So if you, 75 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:08,200 Speaker 1: if you ever happen to be passing through Enterprise, Alabama, 76 00:04:08,280 --> 00:04:10,760 Speaker 1: make sure to check out the bowl weevil statue. Alright, 77 00:04:10,800 --> 00:04:14,760 Speaker 1: so two facts about weird statues or monuments from Alabama. Mango, 78 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:18,560 Speaker 1: do you have one from Alabama, No Russia, Okay, club, alright, 79 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:21,479 Speaker 1: what you got. So obviously there are a lot of 80 00:04:22,279 --> 00:04:26,840 Speaker 1: monuments out there that celebrate you know, great men, tyrants, ballplayers, whatever. 81 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:29,160 Speaker 1: But I don't know if that many monuments that are 82 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 1: there to bring warmth and comfort. But that's exactly what 83 00:04:32,839 --> 00:04:35,400 Speaker 1: local artists intended when they created this monument to the 84 00:04:35,560 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 1: radiator in Samara, Russia. Apparently it's in Russia because Russians 85 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 1: claimed the quote hot box, as the radiator was originally called, 86 00:04:43,080 --> 00:04:45,880 Speaker 1: was invented in St. Petersburg by this guy in eight 87 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:48,479 Speaker 1: before he took it to Germany and then the US. 88 00:04:48,600 --> 00:04:50,320 Speaker 1: But the best part of the whole thing is that 89 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: the sculpture isn't just some radiator on a pedestal. It 90 00:04:53,080 --> 00:04:55,359 Speaker 1: also has a cat sprawled out on a giant window 91 00:04:55,360 --> 00:05:00,640 Speaker 1: sill over. Russians also invented cats, so they yeah, I 92 00:05:00,680 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: didn't know that fact. That's really good. That's also not true, 93 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: all right, I've got one coming from Paris. So this 94 00:05:07,720 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: is a huge three D molding of the sculptor Caesar 95 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:14,280 Speaker 1: Baldachinie Thumb, and this was put up in nineteen sixty five. 96 00:05:14,800 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: It's over forty ft tall and weighs eighteen tons and 97 00:05:18,920 --> 00:05:20,919 Speaker 1: it's so out of place because it's actually right and 98 00:05:21,040 --> 00:05:23,320 Speaker 1: kind of the business district there in Paris. And then 99 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 1: you just turn the corner and there's this giant thumb. Well, 100 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 1: it turns out it's not the only one of baldachinie 101 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:31,600 Speaker 1: thumbs out there in the world. Turns out you can 102 00:05:31,640 --> 00:05:34,200 Speaker 1: find one at Olympic Park and Soul. There's another one 103 00:05:34,200 --> 00:05:36,640 Speaker 1: in Germany, and a couple others, you know, of different 104 00:05:36,720 --> 00:05:40,240 Speaker 1: sizes and uh and colors all around the world. Baldacinie 105 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:45,200 Speaker 1: thumbs just waiting to get hitchhiked exactly, alright, Gay, what 106 00:05:45,279 --> 00:05:47,080 Speaker 1: you got next? Alright, So for this one, we got 107 00:05:47,120 --> 00:05:50,280 Speaker 1: a head over to Riverside, Iowa, which is a real 108 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:54,279 Speaker 1: town that has a monument commemorating the future birth of 109 00:05:54,480 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 1: the fictional character Captain James T. Kirk from Star Trek 110 00:05:59,279 --> 00:06:02,560 Speaker 1: so I. According to the official Star Trek website, Kirk 111 00:06:02,640 --> 00:06:05,640 Speaker 1: will be born in Riverside, Iowa, on March twenty two, 112 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:09,680 Speaker 1: in the year two thirty three. But that's kind of 113 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 1: invented by the town itself, because the creator of Star Trek, 114 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:16,600 Speaker 1: Gene Roddenberry, he only ever specified that Kirk was born 115 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:20,719 Speaker 1: in a small town in Iowa. Riverside took advantage of 116 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:23,400 Speaker 1: that vague reference to you know, claim him as their own. 117 00:06:24,080 --> 00:06:25,760 Speaker 1: And so if you go into the town, there are 118 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:29,040 Speaker 1: plaques denoting where Captain Kirk will eventually, you know, grow 119 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:31,760 Speaker 1: up and do this or that, and even where he 120 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:34,640 Speaker 1: will be conceived. Apparently this is this is a joke 121 00:06:34,680 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 1: from a local bar owner. Wow, all right, that's pretty good. 122 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:41,360 Speaker 1: All right, mango, what's your next one? So? I wanted 123 00:06:41,400 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 1: to talk about this Abe Lincoln statue. And obviously they're 124 00:06:43,880 --> 00:06:46,400 Speaker 1: Abe Lincoln statues all over, but this one special because 125 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:49,760 Speaker 1: it's called Abe Lincoln talks to Perry Como. That's the 126 00:06:49,839 --> 00:06:52,440 Speaker 1: name is as well. Actually it's not the statue's real name. 127 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:55,279 Speaker 1: The real name is the Return Visit. And the statue 128 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:57,760 Speaker 1: is looking outside the place where Lincoln spent the night 129 00:06:57,800 --> 00:07:01,159 Speaker 1: putting his finishing touches on the Gettysburg address. But the 130 00:07:01,240 --> 00:07:03,279 Speaker 1: whole idea of behind the statue is to show a 131 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:06,680 Speaker 1: cool Lincoln chatting with modern day tourists. So the dude 132 00:07:06,720 --> 00:07:08,880 Speaker 1: he's talking to is wearing a white cable knit sweater 133 00:07:09,000 --> 00:07:11,360 Speaker 1: and a collared shirt and khaki cordroy is you know, 134 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:14,920 Speaker 1: the common man and Lincoln's just talking his ear off. 135 00:07:15,200 --> 00:07:16,760 Speaker 1: But the dude looks like a young version of that 136 00:07:16,800 --> 00:07:19,400 Speaker 1: singer Perry Como. So that's how the statue got nicknamed 137 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:23,080 Speaker 1: that ice. That does sound so cool. Actually, I have 138 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:25,920 Speaker 1: a Lincoln statue fact as well. This is weird alright. 139 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:29,360 Speaker 1: So this one is the Lincoln Watermelon Monument in Lincoln, Illinois. 140 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 1: And actually in nineteen fifty three, former Congressman Abraham Lincoln, 141 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 1: he had not been president yet, he visited a town 142 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:38,560 Speaker 1: in Illinois to help christen the town name, which was 143 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:40,880 Speaker 1: to be Lincoln, of course, and it was actually the 144 00:07:40,920 --> 00:07:43,360 Speaker 1: only town to be named after Lincoln while he was 145 00:07:43,400 --> 00:07:46,280 Speaker 1: still alive again, and this happened before he was even president. 146 00:07:46,840 --> 00:07:50,200 Speaker 1: But while he was visiting there, he poured watermelon juice 147 00:07:50,240 --> 00:07:53,120 Speaker 1: on the ground to baptize it. I don't really know why. 148 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 1: There are other reports that he spit watermelon seeds on 149 00:07:56,400 --> 00:07:58,480 Speaker 1: the ground to christen it. I've never heard of using 150 00:07:58,600 --> 00:08:03,600 Speaker 1: water homies to do this, but anyway, in nineteen sixty four, 151 00:08:03,640 --> 00:08:07,120 Speaker 1: the local kawanas and Lions and rotary clubs all united 152 00:08:07,160 --> 00:08:10,240 Speaker 1: in order to commission this steel sculpture of a watermelon 153 00:08:10,520 --> 00:08:13,480 Speaker 1: in order to mark this historic event. It's such a 154 00:08:13,680 --> 00:08:15,680 Speaker 1: strange things and I want to check this out. Soide, 155 00:08:15,720 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 1: that's pretty great, alright, Gabe, your last fact of the day. 156 00:08:18,680 --> 00:08:21,040 Speaker 1: What do you have? Al Right? So this this was 157 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:23,480 Speaker 1: a really weird one. And uh, it's a monument to 158 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 1: rats and mice that have been used in DNA research. 159 00:08:27,440 --> 00:08:30,040 Speaker 1: And uh, it's it's found over in Russia and it 160 00:08:30,120 --> 00:08:34,560 Speaker 1: was made by an artist named Andrei Karkovitch. And the 161 00:08:34,600 --> 00:08:38,800 Speaker 1: statue it depicts an anthropomorphic mouse wearing glasses and a 162 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:41,920 Speaker 1: little lab coat and he's he's knitting with strands of 163 00:08:42,000 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: DNA and uh it sits near Russia's Institute of Psychology 164 00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:50,840 Speaker 1: and Genetics, and the institute actually collected fifty thousand dollars 165 00:08:50,840 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: and donations to fund this statue. And according to them, 166 00:08:54,400 --> 00:08:57,280 Speaker 1: it commemorates lab animals who have been killed as a 167 00:08:57,320 --> 00:09:00,720 Speaker 1: part of our ongoing attempts to understand the nature and 168 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:04,200 Speaker 1: workings of d N. A. Wow, that's very sweet to 169 00:09:04,400 --> 00:09:07,120 Speaker 1: remember them in that way. And he said this is 170 00:09:07,160 --> 00:09:09,720 Speaker 1: in where where did you say it is in Russia? Uh? Yeah, 171 00:09:09,760 --> 00:09:16,280 Speaker 1: I didn't say on purpose, but no votes Cerberus. Okay, Well, 172 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:18,760 Speaker 1: that was a good final fact. From you, Gabe. Okay, Mango, 173 00:09:18,840 --> 00:09:21,400 Speaker 1: you got one more? Yeah, definitely. So I guess we're 174 00:09:21,440 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: all on some sort of Russia kick because they have 175 00:09:23,559 --> 00:09:26,040 Speaker 1: the best statues. But have you guys ever heard of 176 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:30,200 Speaker 1: the Enema statue? And Zella's no votes? I have not. 177 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:35,600 Speaker 1: But the Monument to Animals features a giant animal bulb. 178 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:39,880 Speaker 1: It's five ft and eight hundred pounds of bronze. Uh, 179 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:42,839 Speaker 1: and it's held up by three tiny angels. And so 180 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:45,600 Speaker 1: the angels are based off this bott of Chelly painting. 181 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:48,319 Speaker 1: And while the sculpture claims the work was designed with humor, 182 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:51,920 Speaker 1: the spot director who commissioned it disagrees, and if arts 183 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:54,280 Speaker 1: in the eye of the beholder, there's no irony hiding 184 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 1: and all that bronze. Wow, so we we We've covered 185 00:09:56,920 --> 00:09:59,880 Speaker 1: one that was dedicated to the radiator, and then the 186 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:02,720 Speaker 1: and gay did with about the the lab mice and rats, 187 00:10:02,800 --> 00:10:07,040 Speaker 1: and and now the Enema. Wow. What a collection of statues. 188 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:09,440 Speaker 1: That's that's pretty great. All right? Well, my last one 189 00:10:10,040 --> 00:10:12,680 Speaker 1: happens to be about one statue that is in the 190 00:10:12,679 --> 00:10:16,400 Speaker 1: world's largest sculpture park, or at least the world's largest 191 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:19,520 Speaker 1: sculpture park made by a single artist. There are two 192 00:10:19,600 --> 00:10:23,320 Speaker 1: hundred and twelve bronze and granite sculptures there in the 193 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 1: Vigilance Sculpture Park in Oslo, Norway. Now there is one 194 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:30,240 Speaker 1: specific one that's worth looking up, and it's called man 195 00:10:30,280 --> 00:10:33,000 Speaker 1: attacked by Genie. And I actually didn't know the plural 196 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:35,679 Speaker 1: of genie. Just has two eyes at the ends, you 197 00:10:35,720 --> 00:10:37,679 Speaker 1: know this. I didn't even know how to pronounce it 198 00:10:37,679 --> 00:10:38,960 Speaker 1: at first when I was looking at it. But this 199 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:41,080 Speaker 1: is why you need to look it up, because it's 200 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:45,240 Speaker 1: apparently this guy that's being attacked by these genie. But 201 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:47,719 Speaker 1: at the same time, what it really looks like is 202 00:10:47,760 --> 00:10:51,040 Speaker 1: just this naked man heroically fighting off four toddlers. So 203 00:10:51,840 --> 00:10:54,840 Speaker 1: you're gonna have to check this out. So anyway, well 204 00:10:54,840 --> 00:10:56,679 Speaker 1: those are facts of the day. But before we go, 205 00:10:56,840 --> 00:10:59,680 Speaker 1: we need to decide decide who's one today. What do 206 00:10:59,679 --> 00:11:03,520 Speaker 1: you guys think that meteor in the thigh? I think 207 00:11:04,600 --> 00:11:07,719 Speaker 1: just the word thigh, I think. Okay, I'm gonna give 208 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:09,640 Speaker 1: it to myself on this. Yeah, you can take the 209 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:11,800 Speaker 1: crown home. That's right, all right, Well, thank you guys 210 00:11:11,800 --> 00:11:14,640 Speaker 1: for listening. We'll be back with a full length episode tomorrow.