WEBVTT - Listener Mail: Here There Be Dragons 0:00:02.960 --> 0:00:05.280 Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, a production of 0:00:05.360 --> 0:00:10.479 My Heart Radio. Hey, welcome to Stuff to Blow your 0:00:10.480 --> 0:00:13.760 Mind listener Mail. My name is Robert Lamb and I'm 0:00:13.840 --> 0:00:16.600 Joe McCormick, and we're bringing you the messages that you 0:00:16.680 --> 0:00:19.560 have sent us. Uh So, this episode is going to 0:00:19.640 --> 0:00:23.159 feature some responses to our episodes about the Shannhaijing, the 0:00:23.200 --> 0:00:26.240 Classics of the Mountains and Seas or the I guess 0:00:26.239 --> 0:00:28.400 that's singular the Classic or the Cannon of the Mountains 0:00:28.400 --> 0:00:31.960 and Sees, our episode about the bonds eye Tree, our 0:00:32.040 --> 0:00:35.320 episode about stolen heads and stolen brains. It's gonna be 0:00:35.360 --> 0:00:38.000 a lot of fun. All right, Well, let's let's kick 0:00:38.120 --> 0:00:41.240 right in to uh to full gear on this listener 0:00:41.240 --> 0:00:49.800 mail episode. Here comes the robot, Here comes the listener mail. Okay, 0:00:50.200 --> 0:00:52.120 should I do this one from? I can do this 0:00:52.159 --> 0:00:54.640 one from Alexandra if you want to go for it, Okay. 0:00:55.080 --> 0:00:58.840 Alexandra writes in about the Shannhaijing, says, Hi, guys, I 0:00:58.920 --> 0:01:01.440 was listening to the episode about the Shanhaijing, and I 0:01:01.520 --> 0:01:04.800 wanted to say I really empathized with the childhood I 0:01:04.880 --> 0:01:09.520 believe dragons existed feeling you mentioned and wanted to share why. 0:01:09.800 --> 0:01:12.840 I come from Krakow, Poland, which used to be Poland's 0:01:12.880 --> 0:01:16.800 capital for many centuries, and our local mythical slash folklore 0:01:16.840 --> 0:01:20.920 symbol is a dragon. We have a beautiful castle Vovl, 0:01:21.360 --> 0:01:25.520 located on Jurassic limestone on the bank of the Visa 0:01:25.800 --> 0:01:29.800 or the Vistula River, and there is a legend saying 0:01:29.800 --> 0:01:32.640 a dragon used to live in a cave below the castle. 0:01:33.200 --> 0:01:35.680 The basic version of the legend I always heard goes 0:01:35.720 --> 0:01:39.120 like this, no night could slay the beast. When a 0:01:39.160 --> 0:01:42.959 local cobbler, Draftevka, showed up, he said he had a 0:01:42.959 --> 0:01:46.279 trick in mind. He got a sheep carcass and filled 0:01:46.319 --> 0:01:51.080 it with sulfur. The dragon, tricked by Drafteva's work, ate 0:01:51.120 --> 0:01:54.280 the sheep and suddenly felt very, very thirsty because of 0:01:54.320 --> 0:01:57.920 the sulfur. He started drinking from the Viswa river and 0:01:58.080 --> 0:02:02.080 drank and drank and drank until he finally burst, and 0:02:02.160 --> 0:02:07.080 thus Drutevka became a hero. Tadah, Yeah, good legend. I 0:02:07.120 --> 0:02:09.320 think it operates on the assumption that a dragon is 0:02:09.400 --> 0:02:11.600 much like a dog. Like it does not stop to 0:02:11.720 --> 0:02:14.400 taste its food. It just wolve, sit down. The goal 0:02:14.440 --> 0:02:16.320 is to get it down the gullet as fast as 0:02:16.360 --> 0:02:18.880 possible so it wouldn't be thrown off by the scent 0:02:18.960 --> 0:02:22.160 of sulfur. It's just going to swallow that sheep. Alexander 0:02:22.200 --> 0:02:24.600 goes on, But it's just a legend. Why would I 0:02:24.600 --> 0:02:28.480 believe it? Well, there's an actual limestone cave under the 0:02:28.560 --> 0:02:32.680 castle now a tourist attraction, and it's called Dragon's Den, 0:02:32.919 --> 0:02:35.960 which I believe in Polish is a smokee Sha Yama, 0:02:36.440 --> 0:02:40.000 Alexander says. There's even a really cool metal dragon sculpture 0:02:40.080 --> 0:02:43.600 that breathes fire next to the entrance. Now that sounds 0:02:43.600 --> 0:02:46.880 like some burning man stuff. Uh. There is also an 0:02:46.880 --> 0:02:51.000 ancient bone hanging on the cathedral located on the Vavel Hill, 0:02:51.520 --> 0:02:54.960 said to be the Dragon's bone, So how could that 0:02:55.040 --> 0:02:58.200 be just false? All the proof is there. Why would 0:02:58.200 --> 0:03:01.359 somebody just lie about dragon? Uh? And then there is 0:03:01.400 --> 0:03:05.440 a little tongue sticking out emoticon. Thanks for reminding me 0:03:05.520 --> 0:03:07.959 of that feeling, and thanks for the amazing podcast. Love 0:03:08.000 --> 0:03:11.320 listening to you. Stay safe and healthy, Alexandra. Well, I 0:03:11.360 --> 0:03:14.960 looked at the photograph of the bone hanging there and uh, 0:03:15.040 --> 0:03:18.520 yeah it looks legit. Yeah, what is that? Actually? It 0:03:18.560 --> 0:03:21.079 looks like a large kind of tongue shape. Maybe it's 0:03:21.080 --> 0:03:24.160 a rib bone. Yeah, I mean well, one's mind instantly 0:03:24.160 --> 0:03:27.880 goes to like whales, um something something of that nature 0:03:27.919 --> 0:03:36.280 for sure. M yeah, I wonder what that is. All right, 0:03:36.360 --> 0:03:38.480 here's another one for us. This one comes to us 0:03:38.480 --> 0:03:41.720 from Erica. Erica writes high There. I was recently introduced 0:03:41.760 --> 0:03:43.560 to your podcast and I'm loving it. Thank you for 0:03:43.600 --> 0:03:46.320 reminding me what interesting conversation like sounds like in the 0:03:46.360 --> 0:03:49.280 midst of a pandemic. I'm sure you get lots of mail, 0:03:49.320 --> 0:03:50.880 so I forgive me while I learned out a bit 0:03:50.920 --> 0:03:53.560 and share a few thoughts that were sparked by the 0:03:53.600 --> 0:03:56.000 few episodes I've listened to so far. I'll keep it 0:03:56.080 --> 0:03:59.200 as brief as possible. While I was listening to Monsters 0:03:59.200 --> 0:04:01.800 of the shan Haiji, you talked about how the Italian 0:04:01.840 --> 0:04:05.040 words for Dante's demons sound more interesting to English speakers 0:04:05.040 --> 0:04:09.480 than the translations. Um like malacota sounds better than evil tale. 0:04:09.960 --> 0:04:12.400 I think this is why many people find watching films 0:04:12.400 --> 0:04:14.960 in their original language with subtitles so much better than 0:04:15.000 --> 0:04:19.360 a dub bad lip reading. Aside, by using subtitles, you're 0:04:19.400 --> 0:04:22.560 able to retain the original sounds of the dialogue while 0:04:22.640 --> 0:04:25.480 understanding the meaning in your native language. I was a 0:04:25.560 --> 0:04:28.320 latecomer to anime because growing up I'd never seen it 0:04:28.360 --> 0:04:31.200 in the original Japanese, and I generally loathed the sound 0:04:31.320 --> 0:04:35.200 of the American voice actors chosen to dub those shows. Now, though, 0:04:35.240 --> 0:04:37.720 I really enjoy watching Japanese anime and listening to the 0:04:37.720 --> 0:04:40.000 cadence of the language, which for me is up there 0:04:40.040 --> 0:04:44.279 with Italian in terms of phonetic beauty. One thing that 0:04:44.360 --> 0:04:47.080 struck me when I started watching anime was that when 0:04:47.160 --> 0:04:50.720 characters perform magic, they would often use English or German 0:04:50.800 --> 0:04:53.680 for spell casting. I'm really fascinated by this. What does 0:04:53.720 --> 0:04:56.360 magic sound like to people in different parts of the world. 0:04:56.800 --> 0:04:59.039 For English speakers, I think it's pretty fair to say 0:04:59.080 --> 0:05:02.000 that Latin is the fual magic language. In addition to 0:05:02.080 --> 0:05:05.480 the hocus pocus that evolved from listening to religious services 0:05:05.480 --> 0:05:08.520 in Latin for many centuries, Latin is a language known 0:05:08.600 --> 0:05:12.960 only to the elite learned. It has the lyricism of Italian, 0:05:13.240 --> 0:05:16.839 and it's something from the distant past when wizards, dragons, ETCETERA. 0:05:17.040 --> 0:05:19.960 Quote used to exist. As you mentioned, you believed as 0:05:19.960 --> 0:05:23.599 a kid in the Monsters episode, But what is it 0:05:23.640 --> 0:05:26.800 that makes mouth sounds sound magical to people from other 0:05:26.839 --> 0:05:29.400 parts of the world. Then I got to thinking about 0:05:29.400 --> 0:05:34.039 how Token invented Elvish to sound beautiful, and contrasting with that, uh, 0:05:34.200 --> 0:05:37.400 and contrasting that with Klingon, which is meant to sound warlike. 0:05:37.800 --> 0:05:40.400 And I just had to email you to unload these 0:05:40.400 --> 0:05:44.279 thoughts on someone and hope that you know about some 0:05:44.400 --> 0:05:47.080 kind of study that's been done on this. Unrelated to that. 0:05:47.120 --> 0:05:49.719 I'm listening to your podcast Brain and Head Theft Part 0:05:49.800 --> 0:05:54.080 one while I was between chapters on Worms by this 0:05:54.440 --> 0:05:58.120 w y R M s by Orson Scott Card. Uh. 0:05:58.160 --> 0:06:00.279 There's so much in that book that links up with 0:06:00.320 --> 0:06:02.599 what you were talking about in that episode that it 0:06:02.640 --> 0:06:05.120 was actually a little creepy. You made it this far 0:06:05.240 --> 0:06:07.600 through the email. Thanks for reading. I'm excited that there 0:06:07.600 --> 0:06:10.080 are so many more of your podcasts I have yet 0:06:10.120 --> 0:06:13.920 to hear. B Well, Erica, Oh thanks Erica. Well, yeah, 0:06:14.040 --> 0:06:16.160 a lot of interesting ideas here. I don't know if 0:06:16.160 --> 0:06:19.679 i'd ever put that together before about in the English 0:06:19.760 --> 0:06:24.600 speaking world, Latin being a very common convention for for 0:06:24.640 --> 0:06:27.279 the language of magic, and yeah, I think that would 0:06:27.279 --> 0:06:30.840 probably have a lot to do with Latin being the 0:06:30.960 --> 0:06:35.400 scholarly lingua franca of medieval Europe and and Renaissance Europe. 0:06:35.440 --> 0:06:38.400 So at the time when alchemists would have been writing, 0:06:38.440 --> 0:06:41.240 you know, they're there occult tomes. I think probably a 0:06:41.279 --> 0:06:43.480 lot of these tombs would have been written in Latin 0:06:43.600 --> 0:06:46.680 because it was the language of elite learning and scholarship, 0:06:47.240 --> 0:06:50.599 even though nobody actually liked spoke it. Yeah, yeah, I 0:06:50.600 --> 0:06:52.960 mean you see some other languages thrown in the mix, 0:06:53.080 --> 0:06:57.920 like especially post Exorcist, you see Aramaic thrown around a lot. 0:06:57.960 --> 0:07:00.600 Anytime you have a demon they're probably gonna be then 0:07:00.600 --> 0:07:03.400 they may be speaking in Aramaic. Uh if you can, 0:07:03.600 --> 0:07:07.080 you know, wing it um, But you know other I 0:07:07.120 --> 0:07:09.120 guess other ancient languages can work as well. But it 0:07:09.160 --> 0:07:11.280 does make me wonder. You know, we touched in recent 0:07:11.360 --> 0:07:16.600 weird hol cinema on um Chinese black magic films, and 0:07:16.760 --> 0:07:21.360 I wonder what languages, uh like Chinese films turned to, 0:07:21.720 --> 0:07:24.920 or what languages Japanese films turned to, especially if they're 0:07:24.960 --> 0:07:29.640 historic and scope you know, UM be interested to find out. 0:07:29.720 --> 0:07:32.280 Of course, thinking back to our episode on the the 0:07:32.320 --> 0:07:35.400 Oily Maniac, I guess in that movie. I don't recall 0:07:35.400 --> 0:07:37.640 exactly how the magic worked in that movie, but that 0:07:37.680 --> 0:07:40.360 was a movie about the the magic of outsiders of 0:07:40.400 --> 0:07:43.280 other cultures. So it makes perfect sense that you would 0:07:43.320 --> 0:07:47.320 potentially use um a language like a non Chinese language 0:07:47.320 --> 0:07:48.880 in that scenario. So I wonder if there's a lot 0:07:48.880 --> 0:07:51.520 of that stuff going on. But on the subject of 0:07:51.560 --> 0:07:54.240 cling on, uh, we we'll have to come back to 0:07:54.320 --> 0:07:56.840 that because I I've long been interested in doing an 0:07:56.840 --> 0:08:03.240 invention style episode on invented language, oh straight up created languages, 0:08:03.360 --> 0:08:07.080 the reasons for them, uh, you know, entertainment or otherwise, 0:08:07.320 --> 0:08:10.280 and what some of the best examples are. So that's 0:08:10.320 --> 0:08:12.440 that's still on the list of possible episodes to do 0:08:12.480 --> 0:08:15.560 in the future. It's interesting that I think one of 0:08:15.560 --> 0:08:19.280 the last episodes that we did of the dedicated Inventioned 0:08:19.280 --> 0:08:22.400 podcast before we moved into this feed is um. It 0:08:22.520 --> 0:08:25.560 was that we did invented words. But of course inventing 0:08:25.560 --> 0:08:27.680 a word is very different than trying to invent an 0:08:27.800 --> 0:08:30.680 entire language with its own rules and lexicon and grammar 0:08:30.720 --> 0:08:34.600 and everything. And I wonder if could it be possible 0:08:34.640 --> 0:08:37.760 that an invented language would ever really catch on or 0:08:37.840 --> 0:08:41.120 is that pretty much just not ever going to happen. Yeah, 0:08:46.480 --> 0:08:48.640 all right, are you ready for this next message about 0:08:48.720 --> 0:08:51.959 stolen heads and stolen brains? Let's have it. This is 0:08:52.000 --> 0:08:54.720 from Sophie. Sophie says, dear stuff to blow your mind. 0:08:54.920 --> 0:08:58.800 Obligatory but true sentence about being longtime listener, first time caller. 0:08:59.360 --> 0:09:02.200 Uh in your head slash brain to parter. This week, 0:09:02.240 --> 0:09:06.440 the name Jeremy Bentham rang recognition bells in my mind. Hey, 0:09:06.720 --> 0:09:10.000 isn't that? But I wasn't certain until you mentioned him 0:09:10.080 --> 0:09:14.600 still being at University College London today. Upon reflection, this 0:09:14.640 --> 0:09:17.720 would imply there being multiple men who decided they ought 0:09:17.800 --> 0:09:20.880 to have their bodies preserved to hang around in perpetuity. 0:09:20.920 --> 0:09:24.000 But honestly, humans do far stranger things all the time. 0:09:24.679 --> 0:09:27.680 My first encounter with Jeremy Bentham was as a complete 0:09:27.720 --> 0:09:32.120 surprise during our orientation tour several years back. I was 0:09:32.160 --> 0:09:34.760 doing a semester abroad at u C l s Art School. 0:09:35.120 --> 0:09:37.920 Our first day was the whole group before we scattered 0:09:37.960 --> 0:09:40.320 to the many programs, So the tour guide made sure 0:09:40.360 --> 0:09:43.920 to lead the pile of unsuspecting American college students to 0:09:44.000 --> 0:09:47.040 the literal dead founder to tell us all about him 0:09:47.120 --> 0:09:50.280 and U C. L our culture, being one of shunning 0:09:50.320 --> 0:09:54.160 contact with death meeting, Mr Bentham was somewhat arresting. Despite 0:09:54.160 --> 0:09:57.360 his genial demeanor in the pictures you see online. I 0:09:57.400 --> 0:10:00.160 can assure you he's rather more unsettling in per and 0:10:00.480 --> 0:10:03.839 especially when he's been sprung on you. The tour guide 0:10:03.840 --> 0:10:06.960 went on to explain that a requirement for accessing the 0:10:07.120 --> 0:10:10.360 endowment under his name is that he be in attendance 0:10:10.400 --> 0:10:13.840 at all requisite meetings. Thus we got to contemplate the 0:10:13.880 --> 0:10:18.360 tableau of quiet, serious board meeting attendees patiently waiting as 0:10:18.400 --> 0:10:21.559 a very dead Jeremy Bentham in his glass case gets 0:10:21.559 --> 0:10:25.840 wheeled in ideally with amusingly squeaky wheel sound effects or 0:10:25.880 --> 0:10:29.319 something that at least amused me. I don't believe they 0:10:29.360 --> 0:10:32.080 explained that his head was elsewhere and why, and was 0:10:32.200 --> 0:10:35.160 unsure if you encountered this reason for his preservation or 0:10:35.160 --> 0:10:37.880 evidence for it in your research. They are not mutually 0:10:37.880 --> 0:10:41.600 exclusive pieces of lore necessarily. Although I do remember being 0:10:41.640 --> 0:10:45.319 told about the wax face, I genuinely don't remember if 0:10:45.320 --> 0:10:48.000 they clarified that it was all wax, as what I 0:10:48.120 --> 0:10:52.400 gleaned was wax over his skull and an increasing urge 0:10:52.440 --> 0:10:56.040 to make for the exit, never to return. As an aside, 0:10:56.040 --> 0:10:59.040 I would presume I have a relatively strong reaction and 0:10:59.080 --> 0:11:02.640 that most visitors are far less unnerved. I imagine as 0:11:02.640 --> 0:11:06.120 a regular student, I would either avoid his hallway whenever possible, 0:11:06.520 --> 0:11:10.760 or become desensitized. As it sounds most are, given that 0:11:10.800 --> 0:11:14.600 they've taken to stealing bits of him. I know, I 0:11:14.679 --> 0:11:17.600 know being uh, I know being there for only six months, 0:11:17.640 --> 0:11:21.640 I was somewhat inured, but barely. I have very strong 0:11:21.760 --> 0:11:25.439 hyper empathy, a terrifically active imagination, and probably am a 0:11:25.520 --> 0:11:30.080 hyper visualizer. I have autism, contributing to my high empathy 0:11:30.120 --> 0:11:33.199 and my difficulty in turning it off, and my family 0:11:33.240 --> 0:11:37.240 slash friends, and I suspect I also have mirror synesthesia 0:11:37.280 --> 0:11:40.840 added on for obvious reasons. It's easy to generate strong 0:11:41.040 --> 0:11:43.880 visceral imagery and difficult to put it to one side. 0:11:44.240 --> 0:11:46.319 My brain is rather a live wire, and I can 0:11:46.360 --> 0:11:49.440 be tickled on the face from across the room. Much 0:11:49.480 --> 0:11:52.520 to my dismay, my plan to respectfully never go near 0:11:52.600 --> 0:11:55.320 dear Jeremy again was foiled by his placement at a 0:11:55.320 --> 0:11:59.200 critical intersection of hallways. The only way to the school's 0:11:59.200 --> 0:12:03.319 supply store was a set of lovely stairs directly by him. 0:12:03.360 --> 0:12:05.960 I cannot recall there being an alternate route while I 0:12:06.040 --> 0:12:08.480 was there, and would always brace myself for the trip, 0:12:08.800 --> 0:12:11.800 desperately attempting not to make eye contact with his surreal 0:12:11.960 --> 0:12:15.320 piercing gaze as I speed walked by him. With about 0:12:15.320 --> 0:12:17.640 the success we all have when trying not to think 0:12:17.679 --> 0:12:21.360 about the purple polar bear, I e. None. I suppose 0:12:21.400 --> 0:12:24.199 I was lucky that their art supply selection was largely 0:12:24.240 --> 0:12:27.600 insufficient for my mediums of choice, and I was tragically 0:12:27.640 --> 0:12:31.600 forced to seek art stores off campus. Conveniently enough, they 0:12:31.640 --> 0:12:35.240 contain no dead people. According to a recent article by 0:12:35.240 --> 0:12:38.240 the school, he's been relocated to a student center since 0:12:38.320 --> 0:12:42.439 I attended, which hopefully is a nicer location for all involved. 0:12:42.679 --> 0:12:45.040 He's an important icon they no doubt wish to keep 0:12:45.080 --> 0:12:47.920 accessible to visitors in the u c L community, but 0:12:48.000 --> 0:12:52.240 also need to maintain proper collections, protocols, slash environment, and 0:12:52.280 --> 0:12:56.520 apparently significant security. So I imagine finding the ideal balance 0:12:56.600 --> 0:12:59.520 is difficult. Maybe the new site will prevent more head 0:12:59.559 --> 0:13:02.040 theft if the meat jerky head is kept with the 0:13:02.080 --> 0:13:05.080 body now, or maybe his head will be like the 0:13:05.160 --> 0:13:08.840 gavel goat statue of U c L Time will tell 0:13:08.920 --> 0:13:11.040 no doubt. I'm not sure what the gavel goat is. 0:13:12.160 --> 0:13:15.840 It sounds fun. Thank you so much for your time 0:13:15.840 --> 0:13:18.760 and also your research. I appreciate a good citation so 0:13:18.800 --> 0:13:21.480 you can add me to the unofficial petition of your fans. 0:13:21.720 --> 0:13:23.920 Hoping your new home will return to us a mother 0:13:23.960 --> 0:13:29.040 ship website with that good good robost tagging and source linking. Sincerely, Sophie, 0:13:29.440 --> 0:13:32.040 Well Sophie, I, I really appreciate that final note. I 0:13:32.280 --> 0:13:35.040 don't know how much hope you should hold out for that. 0:13:35.600 --> 0:13:37.920 I believe the gavel goat, by the way, is a 0:13:37.960 --> 0:13:43.600 traditional Christmas display erected uh in Gavel, Sweden. Some some 0:13:43.600 --> 0:13:49.200 some some very swift online research seem to provide that answer, 0:13:49.240 --> 0:13:51.760 but who knows. There could be multiple gavel goats out there. 0:13:51.920 --> 0:13:53.760 Oh that's a good look and goat. It's got big 0:13:53.760 --> 0:13:56.040 old horns that make it look like a basket with 0:13:56.080 --> 0:14:04.040 a big handle. Yeah all right, here's another bit of 0:14:04.040 --> 0:14:07.360 listener mailison comes to us from Michelle. Oh and just 0:14:07.400 --> 0:14:10.960 to clarify something, this next message mentions in the subject 0:14:11.040 --> 0:14:13.800 line that it is about Haydn and the head theft 0:14:13.800 --> 0:14:15.920 of Franz Joseph Hayden that we talked about in part 0:14:15.960 --> 0:14:18.400 one of braindon Head Theft, Hi, Robert and Joe. I 0:14:18.400 --> 0:14:20.840 loved your episode on head and Brain Theft. It made 0:14:20.840 --> 0:14:23.640 me reminisce about my favorite teacher. I played violin in 0:14:23.680 --> 0:14:26.200 elementary school, but wasn't great at it and didn't love it. 0:14:26.480 --> 0:14:28.600 On my first day of middle school, the orchestra teacher 0:14:28.640 --> 0:14:31.000 asked for two people to switch to to to base, 0:14:31.280 --> 0:14:34.480 so I jumped at the chance without telling my parents beforehand. Luckily, 0:14:34.520 --> 0:14:37.440 they felt bad bass playing was vastly better than bad 0:14:37.520 --> 0:14:40.840 violin playing, and we're okay with it. The teacher loved 0:14:40.840 --> 0:14:42.960 to tell us stories about the composers we were playing. 0:14:43.000 --> 0:14:45.720 He told us about the Surprise Symphony being written because 0:14:45.760 --> 0:14:49.240 his benefactor kept falling asleep during concerts, and about the 0:14:49.280 --> 0:14:53.120 Farewell Symphony, which involves musicians leaving the stage as the 0:14:53.200 --> 0:14:56.960 last movement progresses until it's only two violinists because the 0:14:57.040 --> 0:15:00.200 orchestra had been stuck there longer than they expect did, 0:15:00.360 --> 0:15:03.000 and Hyden wanted to give his benefactor the message that 0:15:03.040 --> 0:15:05.480 they wanted to go home. But now that I've learned 0:15:05.480 --> 0:15:08.280 about Hyden's head theft, I think my teacher left out 0:15:08.320 --> 0:15:10.120 the best story of all. I can't think of a 0:15:10.160 --> 0:15:12.520 better story to get middle schoolers into classical music than 0:15:12.600 --> 0:15:16.160 something as gory as decapitation and missing heads. I'm still 0:15:16.160 --> 0:15:18.840 playing the bass in local community orchestras back when we 0:15:18.880 --> 0:15:21.960 could still have those, and I'll never look at a 0:15:22.320 --> 0:15:25.080 hide and piece the same way again. He's always been 0:15:25.080 --> 0:15:27.120 one of my favorites, and I'll enjoy them all the 0:15:27.160 --> 0:15:29.920 more now once we are all allowed to play in 0:15:29.960 --> 0:15:33.040 groups again. Also in response to Robert's comments about cats 0:15:33.040 --> 0:15:35.760 and food names, my cat growing up was called pancake 0:15:35.880 --> 0:15:38.320 because my parents got her when she ran under our 0:15:38.320 --> 0:15:41.040 car and they almost smashed her flat as a pancake. 0:15:41.400 --> 0:15:43.560 Thanks again, you guys have been keeping me going through 0:15:43.600 --> 0:15:47.040 these weird times. Thanks Michelle, rob How does pancake stack 0:15:47.120 --> 0:15:49.880 up in your in your cat food names? I think 0:15:49.880 --> 0:15:53.600 pancake is a perfect name for a cat, because Smith 0:15:53.640 --> 0:15:56.480 there was a there was an ignoble prize winning paper, 0:15:56.560 --> 0:16:00.000 wasn't there about how cats are neither solid nor look 0:16:00.040 --> 0:16:04.080 quid there Um, let's say you forget the details of that. 0:16:04.200 --> 0:16:07.840 But but as they their shape is in flux, sometimes 0:16:07.840 --> 0:16:10.960 they are flat like a pancake. Yes, that ignoble paper 0:16:11.200 --> 0:16:14.960 was about the rayology of cats. Reology being the field 0:16:14.960 --> 0:16:19.200 of physics that studies how how fluids and liquids flow. 0:16:20.280 --> 0:16:23.280 Uh so, and and cats, I mean, I think one 0:16:23.320 --> 0:16:25.600 would be hard pressed to argue that they do not flow. 0:16:27.080 --> 0:16:38.000 Let the Let the cats flow. Okay. This next message 0:16:38.040 --> 0:16:41.480 comes from Zolt. Zolt said, Oh, and it's about our 0:16:41.520 --> 0:16:45.360 episodes on sinkholes. Results says, Hi, Robert and Joe, I'm 0:16:45.400 --> 0:16:48.440 writing regarding your recent episodes on sinkholes. You mentioned that 0:16:48.560 --> 0:16:52.320 various sources of waters, such as wells or rivers, often 0:16:52.320 --> 0:16:55.560 serve as sacred or spiritual sites for locals. I thought 0:16:55.600 --> 0:16:58.920 i'd mentioned an example. Sacred or holy wells are quite 0:16:58.920 --> 0:17:02.160 common in Hungary. One can often come across them while 0:17:02.440 --> 0:17:06.520 while hiking in the countryside. These natural wells supposedly possess 0:17:06.600 --> 0:17:10.959 healing power, with stories of magical recoveries from various illnesses 0:17:10.960 --> 0:17:15.320 and disabilities, with the healing power often attributed to patron saints. 0:17:15.840 --> 0:17:18.399 The sacred nature of these wells is often discovered or 0:17:18.400 --> 0:17:21.879 confirmed by the appearance of a saint or very often 0:17:22.000 --> 0:17:25.480 the Virgin Mary in the vicinity. There are more wild 0:17:25.600 --> 0:17:28.879 stories too, such as a healing well being created by 0:17:28.920 --> 0:17:32.440 a lightning strike. Interestingly, I noticed that these wells are 0:17:32.480 --> 0:17:36.359 often nearby other religious sites, such as small chapels or 0:17:36.440 --> 0:17:41.240 calvary hills. Maybe people attributed certain religious significance to areas, 0:17:41.440 --> 0:17:43.679 or it was just easier to make a pilgrimage to 0:17:43.720 --> 0:17:46.800 the same general place to fulfill all their religious needs 0:17:46.840 --> 0:17:50.920 instead of going all over the forest one stop shop. Uh. 0:17:51.080 --> 0:17:55.000 Calvary hills, otherwise known as crosswalks if you're not familiar, 0:17:55.160 --> 0:17:57.920 are also pretty interesting. UH. They are usually a hill 0:17:57.960 --> 0:18:01.440 with at least thirteen stations of crosses along a path 0:18:01.840 --> 0:18:04.399 that people hike up on around Easter time as a 0:18:04.440 --> 0:18:08.080 form of pilgrimage. Each cross along the path represents one 0:18:08.200 --> 0:18:11.560 stage that Christ goes through during his crucifixion, with three 0:18:11.560 --> 0:18:14.440 crosses on the top of the hill. Usually, these hills 0:18:14.440 --> 0:18:17.280 are barely a few hundred meters above sea level, but 0:18:17.320 --> 0:18:19.720 they still tie back to the idea of sacred mountains 0:18:19.720 --> 0:18:23.520 as well. Anyway, thanks for all your good work, zolt PS. 0:18:23.600 --> 0:18:26.320 I'm loving the Weird House Cinema episodes. I found a 0:18:26.400 --> 0:18:28.600 few movies that I enjoyed quite a lot that I 0:18:28.640 --> 0:18:31.199 didn't even know existed before. Well, if you find a 0:18:31.240 --> 0:18:33.400 few movies that you enjoy quite a lot in that mix, 0:18:33.440 --> 0:18:35.840 that you you're doing pretty pretty well. I mean, I 0:18:35.880 --> 0:18:40.560 don't think to think we we love all of them. Well, 0:18:40.560 --> 0:18:42.880 maybe the spirit of Weird House Cinema is that we're 0:18:42.880 --> 0:18:45.800 exploring movies that are always fun to talk about whether 0:18:45.920 --> 0:18:48.760 or not they're fun to watch. True, Yeah, and finding 0:18:48.960 --> 0:18:51.480 finding the things to love even in films that are 0:18:51.920 --> 0:18:55.080 sometimes very uneven. I would say that's that's also a 0:18:55.080 --> 0:19:02.080 court of the spirit of the thing. All right. This 0:19:02.080 --> 0:19:04.679 one comes to us from Toronto. Hi, Robert and Joe. 0:19:04.720 --> 0:19:06.520 I'm a big fan of the show and have been 0:19:06.520 --> 0:19:08.240 for ages. I have to say I am joined the 0:19:08.280 --> 0:19:11.719 new format of the show with more content and variety. Okay, 0:19:11.760 --> 0:19:14.040 maybe except Weird Al Cinema. I think I'm not ready 0:19:14.080 --> 0:19:17.760 for that yet. I was listening to your episode on 0:19:17.840 --> 0:19:20.800 Bonds Eyes, and when you mentioned the story of the 0:19:20.840 --> 0:19:23.720 stolen Bonds Eyes and the plea for them to be returned, 0:19:23.760 --> 0:19:26.119 I thought that I had heard that before. Furthermore, I 0:19:26.160 --> 0:19:28.880 thought I remembered a happy ending to it. Sure Enough, 0:19:28.920 --> 0:19:32.000 a quick search of in my podcast library brought me 0:19:32.080 --> 0:19:35.560 to an episode from Stuff You Missed in History Class six. 0:19:37.720 --> 0:19:39.920 By the way, not sure if I found them through 0:19:40.000 --> 0:19:42.800 you or vice versa, but also a great podcast. I'll 0:19:42.880 --> 0:19:45.480 quote from from there, and this is the thirty two 0:19:45.720 --> 0:19:49.439 minute scond mark. The museum put out a call on 0:19:49.480 --> 0:19:52.720 social media for the returning, promising that they would not 0:19:52.800 --> 0:19:56.280 ask any questions. They were just afraid that these irreplaceable 0:19:56.320 --> 0:19:59.600 trees would die without proper care. Three days after the theft, 0:19:59.760 --> 0:20:03.720 that trees reappeared in the museum's driveway and uh. Then 0:20:03.760 --> 0:20:07.240 they also included a link to a Smithsonian mag dot 0:20:07.280 --> 0:20:12.880 com article to stolen Bonsai trees mysteriously returned Washington Museum. Um. Anyway, 0:20:12.960 --> 0:20:15.080 they continue, I thought I would give you the good 0:20:15.119 --> 0:20:18.680 news best regards train no ps the explanation of one 0:20:18.720 --> 0:20:21.880 of you regarding why cutting onions from pole to pole 0:20:22.200 --> 0:20:24.440 to cry less was pure stuff to blow your mind. 0:20:24.680 --> 0:20:29.080 Can't wait to test it? Is it gonna be your 0:20:29.080 --> 0:20:32.159 first time cutting an onion that way? Me or the listener? 0:20:32.359 --> 0:20:34.600 No to the listener to uh, to train o or 0:20:34.680 --> 0:20:37.119 to toronto. I apologize that I don't know how to 0:20:37.119 --> 0:20:40.200 pronounce your name t r A n O. Uh. Well 0:20:40.200 --> 0:20:42.399 that's funny. I I hope you enjoyed the poll to 0:20:42.440 --> 0:20:44.400 poll cutting I mean pulled a pole. Cutting of onions 0:20:44.800 --> 0:20:46.919 is something I recommend in all kinds of scenarios. I 0:20:46.920 --> 0:20:49.240 mean they're there are different reasons that you cut onions 0:20:49.240 --> 0:20:51.199 in different directions, but one of the main ones that 0:20:51.240 --> 0:20:54.440 I would say is that if you want the onions 0:20:54.520 --> 0:20:57.760 to kind of fall apart over cooking, cut them cross 0:20:57.800 --> 0:21:00.840 wise into the ring shapes, because and you're you're sharing 0:21:00.960 --> 0:21:02.840 more of the cells and they're just going to fall 0:21:02.880 --> 0:21:05.480 apart more, especially if you're like braising them or cooking 0:21:05.480 --> 0:21:08.119 them in liquid. If you want them to retain their shape, 0:21:08.160 --> 0:21:10.639 more cut and pull to pull, because then you're cutting 0:21:10.680 --> 0:21:13.200 along with the direction of the long cells, you're sharing 0:21:13.320 --> 0:21:15.879 less of them. There's just gonna be less falling apart 0:21:15.880 --> 0:21:18.919 as the cooking goes on. All right, tip tips we 0:21:18.960 --> 0:21:21.840 can all use right there. Sorry, this is this has 0:21:21.880 --> 0:21:25.320 been onion news. You can use. But anyway, regarding the 0:21:25.359 --> 0:21:27.959 subject of your message, I really do appreciate hearing that 0:21:28.000 --> 0:21:37.080 the bonsai trees were returned. That's that's that's heartwarming. Alright, 0:21:37.119 --> 0:21:39.760 looks like we have some more bonds eye listener mail. Yeah, 0:21:39.800 --> 0:21:42.720 this one comes from Matt. I think Matt has written 0:21:42.720 --> 0:21:47.119 to the show several times before about agricultural scientific topics 0:21:47.160 --> 0:21:49.440 and Matts emails are always good. Matt says, Good day, 0:21:49.440 --> 0:21:52.919 Fellas love the episode on bonsai trees, particularly since you 0:21:53.000 --> 0:21:56.639 delved briefly into several biotechnology topics. I just wanted to 0:21:56.680 --> 0:21:59.159 add a couple of bits to the conversation as you 0:21:59.240 --> 0:22:02.840 described the green revolution and the dwarf ization of major 0:22:02.880 --> 0:22:06.879 crops was indeed a tremendous agricultural leap. You were also 0:22:06.960 --> 0:22:10.159 right on the topic of lodging. Remember this is the 0:22:10.240 --> 0:22:13.960 issue where lodging is where crops end up falling over 0:22:14.040 --> 0:22:16.680 like the stalk bends near the ground, and this causes 0:22:16.720 --> 0:22:19.520