1 00:00:00,200 --> 00:00:27,560 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of iHeartRadio. Welcome back to 2 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: the show, Ridiculous Historians. Thank you, as always so much 3 00:00:30,840 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: for tuning in. Let's give it up for the man, 4 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:36,000 Speaker 1: the myth, the super producer, mister Max Williams. 5 00:00:37,720 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 2: Maybe the World's Fair of super producers. We're going with it. 6 00:00:41,640 --> 00:00:48,440 Speaker 1: It's funny because the world is objectively unfair. So we're 7 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:52,000 Speaker 1: doing this fair. Yeah, we're doing an episode about the 8 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 1: World's Fair, a two part episode. Thanks to our newest 9 00:00:55,880 --> 00:01:01,080 Speaker 1: research associate, the one and only Ren We hope you're listening. 10 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 1: We've got to get a good nickname, a moniker for 11 00:01:04,520 --> 00:01:07,120 Speaker 1: you in the ridiculous universe. I got a good one. 12 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 3: How about Renaissance Fair, Renaissance Renfest, Renifest. That is good now, 13 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:17,320 Speaker 3: new year, new research assistant associates extraordinaire. 14 00:01:17,600 --> 00:01:17,839 Speaker 1: Man. 15 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:22,679 Speaker 3: She really knocked it out of the park, the fair grounds. 16 00:01:22,319 --> 00:01:25,880 Speaker 1: The expo on. Yeah, no chumpson the squad, as we 17 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:28,600 Speaker 1: like to say, those are the dulcet tones of mister 18 00:01:28,680 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: Noel Brown. I am Ben Bollen. Yeah, I've been. I've 19 00:01:33,720 --> 00:01:37,680 Speaker 1: been going as Ben from earlier. I like that. Thanks Man, 20 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:41,800 Speaker 1: Good to have you back by. So we were still 21 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:44,880 Speaker 1: here never left. Zell said, don't call it a come back. 22 00:01:45,640 --> 00:01:48,800 Speaker 1: This is weird. This is one of the first ideas 23 00:01:48,840 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: Red pitched to us, and we absolutely loved it. Noel, 24 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:55,400 Speaker 1: have you ever been to a World Expo? No? 25 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:59,920 Speaker 3: I haven't, But there's a really great, very weird, kind 26 00:01:59,920 --> 00:02:04,200 Speaker 3: of creepy pasta internety film called We're All Going to 27 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:08,080 Speaker 3: the World's Fair Yes, by Jane Schoenbren who also this 28 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:10,560 Speaker 3: year or last year came out with the fantastic and 29 00:02:10,680 --> 00:02:15,200 Speaker 3: very Lynchian film I saw the TV glow. It has 30 00:02:15,200 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 3: nothing to do with the World's Fair, but that's the 31 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:18,079 Speaker 3: only World's Fair I've been to. 32 00:02:18,960 --> 00:02:21,560 Speaker 1: Is that fu Well? The World's Fair is the friends 33 00:02:21,600 --> 00:02:25,880 Speaker 1: we made along the way, as we would say here, 34 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:30,720 Speaker 1: but technically, if you're not doing fun improv rules and 35 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:33,640 Speaker 1: you're looking at the facts. The World's Fair started in 36 00:02:33,840 --> 00:02:38,080 Speaker 1: eighteen fifty one. You may wonder where it went In 37 00:02:38,120 --> 00:02:41,239 Speaker 1: the modern day. It's still around some version of it. 38 00:02:41,240 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: It's called the World Expo, and when it first started 39 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 1: and the way it builds itself in the modern day, 40 00:02:49,280 --> 00:02:55,720 Speaker 1: it's a global showcase for It's like the first adult 41 00:02:56,080 --> 00:03:01,000 Speaker 1: science fair, right, the first big collective ted talk. 42 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 3: It's like a comic con for like science and technology 43 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 3: and the stuff of the future. 44 00:03:06,520 --> 00:03:08,720 Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, it's very Epcot Center. 45 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:09,200 Speaker 4: You know. 46 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 1: Wow. 47 00:03:10,520 --> 00:03:13,280 Speaker 3: Now, if you want to cheat, I have been to 48 00:03:13,360 --> 00:03:16,240 Speaker 3: a World's Fair, because I've been to Epcot Center. And 49 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:18,720 Speaker 3: we're gonna get into what that means a little bit 50 00:03:18,760 --> 00:03:22,560 Speaker 3: further along in the episode. Yes, sir, good foreshadowing. 51 00:03:22,120 --> 00:03:24,080 Speaker 2: And if I can jump in real quick, I was 52 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:28,160 Speaker 2: in Spokane two falls ago, and I don't know, Spokane, 53 00:03:28,240 --> 00:03:31,760 Speaker 2: Washington is the smallest city to ever have a World's Fair. 54 00:03:31,800 --> 00:03:33,360 Speaker 1: Well, it's a world it was an expo at the 55 00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:36,360 Speaker 1: time two falls ago. No, we're staying with that with 56 00:03:36,520 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: Max two falls ago. Do you are you one of 57 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 1: those people? Do you like measure time by just the 58 00:03:42,560 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 1: passage of cultural seasons? 59 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:48,280 Speaker 2: Well, here's the funny thing is there's actually two waterfalls 60 00:03:48,320 --> 00:03:51,640 Speaker 2: in downtown Spokane that the World's Fair was built around. 61 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:58,160 Speaker 2: Now you get where I'm going. I didn't totally do well, 62 00:03:59,120 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 2: but yeah, it's it's really cool because they have a 63 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:03,600 Speaker 2: lot of stuff. I mean, Spokane's a very beautiful city. 64 00:04:03,600 --> 00:04:05,560 Speaker 2: It's not a large city at all, but they have 65 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 2: these two this river with multiple waterfalls going through downtown 66 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:11,920 Speaker 2: and all around it. They have all the stuff about 67 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 2: the World Expo, and it's like super cool. 68 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:17,400 Speaker 1: Look at that's awesome. Super Cool is the defining phrase 69 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 1: of the World's Fair for sure. 70 00:04:19,279 --> 00:04:23,919 Speaker 3: These World's Fair World expos have generated some pretty notable 71 00:04:24,240 --> 00:04:29,000 Speaker 3: accomplishments in science and engineering architecture, things like the Eiffel 72 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:32,279 Speaker 3: Tower in eighteen eighty nine, the Golden Gate Bridge in 73 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:36,000 Speaker 3: nineteen thirty nine, the space needles speaking of Washington in 74 00:04:36,120 --> 00:04:37,160 Speaker 3: nineteen sixty two. 75 00:04:37,720 --> 00:04:42,920 Speaker 1: Mm. Yeah, the telephone as imagined by Alexander Graham bell 76 00:04:43,279 --> 00:04:48,960 Speaker 1: Is seventy six eighteen seventy six. Nikola Tesla did some things, 77 00:04:49,080 --> 00:04:52,159 Speaker 1: and one of those was the AC electric system in 78 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:56,520 Speaker 1: eighteen ninety three, and of course the RCA television set 79 00:04:56,680 --> 00:05:00,159 Speaker 1: in nineteen thirty nine. All of the things we us 80 00:05:00,560 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 1: mentioned came from World's Fairs. But wait, as Billy May's was, 81 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: wont to say there's more. Billy May is good. He's 82 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:16,960 Speaker 1: a very World's Fair kind of cat. 83 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 3: I wonder if any of his inventions were ever debuted 84 00:05:19,200 --> 00:05:21,440 Speaker 3: at any World expos. I'm gonna say they were mainly 85 00:05:21,480 --> 00:05:23,880 Speaker 3: relegated to late night's infomercials. 86 00:05:24,080 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 1: I you know, I will diplomatically, I will diplomatically say 87 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:32,719 Speaker 1: they're perhaps a different league. 88 00:05:32,960 --> 00:05:35,159 Speaker 3: Now, that's true, Ben, But this is not to say 89 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 3: that the World's Fair did not generate some stupid technology 90 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 3: as well. 91 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:41,400 Speaker 1: And I don't mean like stupid cool. It has been 92 00:05:41,440 --> 00:05:42,359 Speaker 1: like stuff that did. 93 00:05:42,200 --> 00:05:45,360 Speaker 3: Not land and did not have lends, as we say, 94 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:48,479 Speaker 3: but quite a few inventions that very much did in 95 00:05:48,520 --> 00:05:52,480 Speaker 3: our household names today, like the Rubik's cube. That's not 96 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 3: how my brain works. I will never be able to 97 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:55,479 Speaker 3: solve a Rubik's cube. 98 00:05:55,480 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 1: And that's okay to ketch up, yeah right, ketchup on 99 00:05:59,520 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 1: fries as Because there were a lot of Dippin' dots 100 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:08,640 Speaker 1: level snack innovations that occurred at the World's Fair. We 101 00:06:08,839 --> 00:06:12,839 Speaker 1: also knew we also know the history of the Rubik's 102 00:06:12,839 --> 00:06:15,480 Speaker 1: cube thanks to an earlier show we did called Stuff 103 00:06:15,480 --> 00:06:20,160 Speaker 1: of Genius. But to your earlier point about inventions that 104 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:24,720 Speaker 1: didn't quite catch on for one reason or another, the 105 00:06:24,760 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 1: World's Fair is a great game of what iffery. You know, 106 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:32,839 Speaker 1: it's a great hey look at this, what could this do? 107 00:06:33,320 --> 00:06:36,760 Speaker 1: And sometimes it does amazing things like a television or 108 00:06:36,760 --> 00:06:40,880 Speaker 1: a telephone, And then sometimes you get electro the cigarette. 109 00:06:40,440 --> 00:06:43,760 Speaker 3: Smoking robot, I mean electro the robot would have been 110 00:06:43,800 --> 00:06:47,120 Speaker 3: good enough. I guess people really loved cigarettes at that 111 00:06:47,200 --> 00:06:50,039 Speaker 3: point in history and they needed to have the robots 112 00:06:50,040 --> 00:06:53,159 Speaker 3: smoking a sig in order to identify with it or something. 113 00:06:53,360 --> 00:06:58,520 Speaker 1: I don't know. It reminds me of the Great Mechanical Turk, 114 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:04,880 Speaker 1: which was itself ridiculous history. Sure. Yeah, Anyway, what we're 115 00:07:04,880 --> 00:07:07,360 Speaker 1: saying is there's a lot going on at the World's Fair. 116 00:07:07,440 --> 00:07:09,800 Speaker 1: If you get a chance to visit a modern day 117 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:13,520 Speaker 1: world Expo, please please do and tell us about it. 118 00:07:14,680 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 1: These events, especially the first one, they resulted in the 119 00:07:19,600 --> 00:07:23,680 Speaker 1: invention of countless machines and products and then, perhaps even 120 00:07:23,720 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 1: more importantly, design methods civilization uses today. But there was 121 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:33,680 Speaker 1: a geopolitical aspect to this that cannot be ignored. This 122 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 1: got you immediate attention as a country. Well, it's very 123 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 1: much like the Olympics in that respect. There's a host country. 124 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 3: It's a way of showcasing cultural pride, national pride, and 125 00:07:44,920 --> 00:07:50,640 Speaker 3: a very very public and internationally viewed kind of platform. 126 00:07:50,760 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: Right, one hundred percent. Yeah, you nailed it, and old 127 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:57,600 Speaker 1: because the magnitude of this of a World's Fair is 128 00:07:57,720 --> 00:08:01,160 Speaker 1: up there with the Olympics, it's an inter national event. 129 00:08:01,280 --> 00:08:05,600 Speaker 1: And like just like how people pitched their country or 130 00:08:05,600 --> 00:08:09,360 Speaker 1: their city for the Olympics, today, nations across the world 131 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:14,320 Speaker 1: we're competing to get the honor to host the World's Fair. 132 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:17,880 Speaker 1: And to be clear, the World's Fair is not like 133 00:08:19,360 --> 00:08:22,800 Speaker 1: it's not like a music festival, it's not like Burning Man. 134 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:26,640 Speaker 1: It doesn't last for it doesn't last for just a 135 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 1: long weekend like a comic con or Dragon Con here 136 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:34,800 Speaker 1: in Atlanta. It lasts for months at a time. And 137 00:08:35,640 --> 00:08:39,720 Speaker 1: because it lasts for so long, in comparison to other 138 00:08:39,840 --> 00:08:43,559 Speaker 1: global events, it gets a lot of visitors. 139 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 3: Right, and nations from around the world, just like the 140 00:08:47,280 --> 00:08:51,360 Speaker 3: Olympics have competed for the honor of hosting this event 141 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:56,280 Speaker 3: with the highest record attendance of around seventy three point 142 00:08:56,400 --> 00:09:00,880 Speaker 3: five million visitors for a single expo. And we're talking today, 143 00:09:00,920 --> 00:09:03,120 Speaker 3: you know about the history of the World's Fair, but 144 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:06,000 Speaker 3: also just kind of about some really notable instances of 145 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 3: World's Fairs. And I would say though, Ben, that you know, 146 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:12,400 Speaker 3: to my observation, world's fairs don't quite hold the same 147 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:15,600 Speaker 3: prominence that they used to. Or the World Expo like 148 00:09:15,640 --> 00:09:17,720 Speaker 3: it feels like the Olympics still very much have that 149 00:09:17,760 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 3: cachet in the world's eyes, you know, on it kind 150 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:23,200 Speaker 3: of vibe, But I don't really hear so much about 151 00:09:23,200 --> 00:09:24,920 Speaker 3: the World expos as much today. 152 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:29,880 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's not as if ABC or CBS or CNN 153 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:35,800 Speaker 1: are providing twenty four to seven live coverage of a 154 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:39,240 Speaker 1: World Expo. But at the height, going back to the 155 00:09:39,320 --> 00:09:42,680 Speaker 1: number you mentioned there, at the height of attendance, seventy 156 00:09:42,720 --> 00:09:46,080 Speaker 1: three point five million visitors. If we take a moment 157 00:09:46,400 --> 00:09:50,080 Speaker 1: to think that through, that means that if all those 158 00:09:50,240 --> 00:09:54,400 Speaker 1: visitors formed a country, there would be more people there 159 00:09:54,960 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 1: than the population of let's see Thailand, the population of 160 00:09:59,600 --> 00:10:02,839 Speaker 1: the United A Kingdom, and the population of France, as 161 00:10:02,840 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 1: well as wow, many others. It's a ton of people, 162 00:10:06,559 --> 00:10:09,040 Speaker 1: is what we're saying even now. 163 00:10:09,440 --> 00:10:11,760 Speaker 3: Absolutely, and speaking of countries, you know, this was an 164 00:10:11,760 --> 00:10:14,760 Speaker 3: opportunity for smaller countries to kind of make a name 165 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:17,679 Speaker 3: for themselves and get out there on the international stage 166 00:10:18,080 --> 00:10:21,960 Speaker 3: in terms of showcasing their contributions to industry, because there 167 00:10:21,960 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 3: are certainly, even to this day, incredible technological innovations that 168 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:29,760 Speaker 3: come from what we might consider much smaller, less quote 169 00:10:29,800 --> 00:10:31,880 Speaker 3: unquote prominent countries yeah. 170 00:10:32,160 --> 00:10:34,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, And we have two versions of the importance of 171 00:10:35,000 --> 00:10:41,040 Speaker 1: the World's Fair, two I think complementary descriptions. According to 172 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:46,199 Speaker 1: associate professor at the University of Arizona, Lisa Shrink, international 173 00:10:46,240 --> 00:10:51,080 Speaker 1: expositions have acted as mirrors of concurrent political, cultural, and 174 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:54,480 Speaker 1: technological conditions of the times in which they were held, 175 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:59,280 Speaker 1: by attracting governments, companies, and other organizations from across the 176 00:10:59,320 --> 00:11:03,760 Speaker 1: globe interested in promoting national identities. We'll see the problem 177 00:11:03,760 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 1: with that later. Celebrating culture and showcasing scientific, technological, economic, 178 00:11:08,880 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 1: and social progress. Well, maybe we go in comparison, we 179 00:11:14,080 --> 00:11:16,960 Speaker 1: go to the summation by our friend Ren. 180 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:20,840 Speaker 3: Absolutely Reren points out that the goal of any World's Fair, 181 00:11:20,960 --> 00:11:23,320 Speaker 3: kind of like you know, capitalism, is to have the 182 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:28,800 Speaker 3: each one, each subsequent instance be more successful, more Wow Factory, 183 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:32,480 Speaker 3: you know, have seen more growth of audience and innovation 184 00:11:32,600 --> 00:11:36,040 Speaker 3: and technology than the last, which is, you know, pretty 185 00:11:36,080 --> 00:11:40,120 Speaker 3: difficult to sustain, like forever, but it's a noble goal. 186 00:11:40,360 --> 00:11:45,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, very capitalist. Also, I'm writing down I'm writing down 187 00:11:45,679 --> 00:11:48,040 Speaker 1: Wow Factory. I think that's a great band name. 188 00:11:48,559 --> 00:11:50,200 Speaker 3: I didn't even do that on purpose, But you're writing 189 00:11:50,240 --> 00:11:54,600 Speaker 3: Wow Factory. That's kind of funny accidental portmanteau. I don't 190 00:11:54,640 --> 00:11:56,840 Speaker 3: know what you call that, but thanks Ben, I appreciate that. 191 00:11:57,320 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 1: And let's talk about the cadence of occurrences. There are 192 00:12:01,920 --> 00:12:07,640 Speaker 1: five years between expositions right now. Before the year two thousand, 193 00:12:07,720 --> 00:12:12,360 Speaker 1: there was a smaller space between each distinct World's Fair 194 00:12:12,520 --> 00:12:19,280 Speaker 1: or World's Expo, so countries often found themselves scrambling on 195 00:12:19,440 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 1: every front. First off, how do we decide what visitors 196 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:27,480 Speaker 1: will like? How do we get seventy three zero point 197 00:12:27,520 --> 00:12:31,560 Speaker 1: five million people to visit our neck of the global woods. 198 00:12:31,880 --> 00:12:35,920 Speaker 1: And then also, just as importantly, how on earth are 199 00:12:35,960 --> 00:12:39,800 Speaker 1: we going to build and afford the infrastructure for all 200 00:12:39,840 --> 00:12:42,840 Speaker 1: these people, the hotels, the roads, the transport. 201 00:12:43,240 --> 00:12:47,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, and not to mention the just sort of bizarre 202 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:51,080 Speaker 3: structures that are often built around the sites of these things. 203 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:52,680 Speaker 3: Like a lot of times, I think when people picture 204 00:12:52,679 --> 00:12:55,520 Speaker 3: a World's Fair, they picture sort of like that Epcot 205 00:12:55,559 --> 00:12:59,640 Speaker 3: Center kind of or but you know, looming in the background. 206 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:01,640 Speaker 1: Or other sort of futuristic structures. 207 00:13:01,679 --> 00:13:03,920 Speaker 3: So there's a whole lot of Yeah, there's a lot 208 00:13:03,920 --> 00:13:06,479 Speaker 3: of installation, and these are like in and of themselves, 209 00:13:06,559 --> 00:13:10,120 Speaker 3: these kind of technological art installations that are meant to 210 00:13:10,240 --> 00:13:13,160 Speaker 3: demonstrate this level of like future thinking. 211 00:13:13,240 --> 00:13:17,240 Speaker 1: Well said, yeah, and so we're telling you this. It 212 00:13:17,400 --> 00:13:23,440 Speaker 1: may seem like a ridiculously ambitious enterprise, which it definitely is. 213 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:30,120 Speaker 1: But get this, fellow Ridiculous historians, sometimes these countries pulled 214 00:13:30,120 --> 00:13:32,280 Speaker 1: it off. In the first part of this series, we're 215 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:35,079 Speaker 1: going to talk about a couple World's fairs that we're 216 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:39,960 Speaker 1: able to be what we would call successful, and in 217 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:45,160 Speaker 1: a later episode we'll talk about some that diplomatically put 218 00:13:45,760 --> 00:13:50,080 Speaker 1: we're not quite there kind of a little bit, you know, 219 00:13:50,280 --> 00:13:54,120 Speaker 1: like like Burn said, man's reach must exceed as grasp 220 00:13:54,160 --> 00:13:55,439 Speaker 1: else what's a heaven for? 221 00:13:56,040 --> 00:13:58,679 Speaker 3: Well, and also something dimension in terms of, you know, 222 00:13:58,920 --> 00:14:03,720 Speaker 3: pooping the oracle bed. As with many old timey events 223 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:07,800 Speaker 3: and displays of nationalistic pride, we run into it all 224 00:14:07,800 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 3: the time. 225 00:14:09,000 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 1: We are certainly going. 226 00:14:10,160 --> 00:14:15,840 Speaker 3: To see some I don't know, colonizing kind of racists, 227 00:14:16,880 --> 00:14:20,760 Speaker 3: very backwards attitudes on full display at some of these 228 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:23,080 Speaker 3: early world's fairs. Some examples that we've actually covered in 229 00:14:23,080 --> 00:14:26,080 Speaker 3: full episodes in the past on Ridiculous History. 230 00:14:26,080 --> 00:14:31,480 Speaker 1: Yes, one hundred percent, things like the disastrous Olympics that 231 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:34,520 Speaker 1: were held at a World's Fair once upon a time, 232 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:42,400 Speaker 1: and things like the oh, the absolutely unclean exhibition of 233 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:46,280 Speaker 1: indigenous peoples as though they were somehow not human. 234 00:14:46,720 --> 00:14:49,760 Speaker 3: Yeah, like some sort of macabre petting zoo, very very 235 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:50,480 Speaker 3: very weird stuff. 236 00:14:50,480 --> 00:14:52,040 Speaker 1: And we did a whole episode on that in the 237 00:14:52,120 --> 00:14:52,640 Speaker 1: early days. 238 00:14:52,680 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 3: So we will touch on that again because I think 239 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 3: it's important just to sort of contextualize some of this stuff. 240 00:14:56,480 --> 00:14:59,040 Speaker 1: But we're not going to get too into the weeds 241 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:02,880 Speaker 1: on that stuff. So I guess first things first, right, Yes, 242 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:07,359 Speaker 1: first things first, by which we mean the Great Exhibition 243 00:15:07,960 --> 00:15:13,160 Speaker 1: London eighteen fifty one, this London town. Yes, this is 244 00:15:13,240 --> 00:15:18,040 Speaker 1: held in the super humbly named Crystal Palace. It looks 245 00:15:18,080 --> 00:15:22,840 Speaker 1: like a Kaiju level greenhouse. It's a glass and iron structure. 246 00:15:23,240 --> 00:15:26,240 Speaker 1: It's in the center of Hyde Park and it is 247 00:15:26,360 --> 00:15:31,480 Speaker 1: open from May to October of eighteen fifty one. Over 248 00:15:31,880 --> 00:15:36,160 Speaker 1: one third of the population of England shows up at 249 00:15:36,200 --> 00:15:36,800 Speaker 1: some point. 250 00:15:37,400 --> 00:15:42,640 Speaker 3: Unbelievable. It boasted some of the most important innovations of 251 00:15:42,720 --> 00:15:48,280 Speaker 3: the Victorian era, including electric telegraphs, things like microscopes, a 252 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:53,600 Speaker 3: very early version of the fax machine aka the facsimile machine, 253 00:15:53,600 --> 00:15:56,760 Speaker 3: a way of transmitting texts you know, over telephone lines, 254 00:15:57,680 --> 00:16:00,880 Speaker 3: a revolving lighthouse light, which I guess I just would 255 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:02,520 Speaker 3: have thought that had been around for ages. 256 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 1: But yeah, this is a long time ago, but I 257 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 1: would have thought it was older than this. No, ship's 258 00:16:06,320 --> 00:16:08,000 Speaker 1: just wrecked if they came the wrong way. 259 00:16:08,720 --> 00:16:11,880 Speaker 3: Yeah, exactly, there's there's there's what what is he? What's 260 00:16:11,920 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 3: the what's the line from lineos, there's something in the lights? 261 00:16:14,000 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 3: There's magic in the light. Check out that film. 262 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:22,000 Speaker 1: I will always remember that strangely charged conversation about beans. 263 00:16:22,440 --> 00:16:26,080 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, yeah, which, why'd you spill your beans? Anyway? 264 00:16:26,160 --> 00:16:26,960 Speaker 1: Check out the lighthouse. 265 00:16:27,000 --> 00:16:30,720 Speaker 3: That's if you're checking out Nos Faratu in theaters now 266 00:16:30,840 --> 00:16:33,320 Speaker 3: we're not sponsored, but definitely go back and check out 267 00:16:33,360 --> 00:16:36,240 Speaker 3: that offering from mister Robert Eggers as well. 268 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:39,520 Speaker 1: Did you see nos Faratu? I did? Ben I did? 269 00:16:39,600 --> 00:16:42,400 Speaker 1: What did you think of nos Faratu I? I liked it? 270 00:16:43,040 --> 00:16:48,640 Speaker 1: My girlfriend described it as a cinematically horny oh but 271 00:16:48,840 --> 00:16:51,720 Speaker 1: for sure as a as a fan of folklore without 272 00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:54,720 Speaker 1: spoiling it. Eggers did his research. 273 00:16:54,760 --> 00:16:56,600 Speaker 3: He always does, and I feel like what Eggers is 274 00:16:56,640 --> 00:17:00,120 Speaker 3: so good at is sort of like making very like 275 00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:06,040 Speaker 3: tense and dramatically engaging displays of this folklore where you 276 00:17:06,080 --> 00:17:07,920 Speaker 3: really feel like you're living in it and it's not 277 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:10,800 Speaker 3: just some sort of dated, dusty story, Like it feels 278 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:13,359 Speaker 3: very you know, inhabited, and like these are real people, 279 00:17:13,440 --> 00:17:15,199 Speaker 3: but they very much still have the umami of that 280 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:17,960 Speaker 3: folklore that he uses as you know, source material. 281 00:17:18,240 --> 00:17:20,040 Speaker 1: Back in the days when you and I used to 282 00:17:20,119 --> 00:17:23,920 Speaker 1: party nol before we got old, I remember we would 283 00:17:23,960 --> 00:17:27,239 Speaker 1: hang out for a solid I think it was a 284 00:17:27,320 --> 00:17:31,639 Speaker 1: month and a half. We were just evangelizing for the Witch. 285 00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:35,639 Speaker 1: How great it was, I thought in the theaters three times. 286 00:17:35,640 --> 00:17:39,560 Speaker 3: Sorry, we's got sideestracked by that revolving lighthouse light. Another 287 00:17:40,080 --> 00:17:43,720 Speaker 3: innovation from this first World's Fair was an early version 288 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:47,640 Speaker 3: of a submarine. Let's just reiterate this is eighteen fifty one. Yeah, 289 00:17:47,760 --> 00:17:50,639 Speaker 3: A lot of this stuff to me either feels like 290 00:17:50,680 --> 00:17:52,960 Speaker 3: the lighthouse light, like maybe I would have thought it 291 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:55,040 Speaker 3: was invented earlier than this, But some of this stuff 292 00:17:55,400 --> 00:17:57,639 Speaker 3: feels very kind of forward thinking, like the idea of 293 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:00,399 Speaker 3: an early submarine before the nineteen hundreds of that as 294 00:18:00,440 --> 00:18:01,640 Speaker 3: a much more modern innovation. 295 00:18:01,840 --> 00:18:06,160 Speaker 1: Yeah, again, this is like an adult science fair. That's 296 00:18:06,440 --> 00:18:09,880 Speaker 1: one of the easiest ways to compare it to modernity. 297 00:18:10,560 --> 00:18:13,480 Speaker 1: We have to shout out, of course Eggers, but also 298 00:18:13,840 --> 00:18:19,000 Speaker 1: our good friend Professor Rachel big Spinach Lance who hipped 299 00:18:19,040 --> 00:18:22,960 Speaker 1: us to the early days of submarines and underwater explosions. 300 00:18:23,080 --> 00:18:26,800 Speaker 1: Check out that episode as well. In the Hunley episode 301 00:18:26,960 --> 00:18:29,159 Speaker 1: was yeah, yeah about it very early. 302 00:18:29,240 --> 00:18:31,840 Speaker 3: Again, I think I probably had a similar reaction on 303 00:18:31,840 --> 00:18:34,679 Speaker 3: that episode where we were talking about wooden submarines and 304 00:18:34,760 --> 00:18:38,080 Speaker 3: like Civil War era submarines, and I'm like, I did 305 00:18:38,119 --> 00:18:39,200 Speaker 3: not know that was a thing. 306 00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:40,560 Speaker 1: So do check out that episode. 307 00:18:40,560 --> 00:18:42,359 Speaker 3: And I think we're going to have big Spinach back 308 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:46,080 Speaker 3: for another episode this year very soon. 309 00:18:46,480 --> 00:18:48,840 Speaker 1: Yeah, it'd be great. Her dance card is pretty full, 310 00:18:48,840 --> 00:18:51,640 Speaker 1: but let's see if we could get her. Also, yeah, 311 00:18:51,760 --> 00:18:55,600 Speaker 1: civil War submarines. I can't remember the wood to metal ratio, 312 00:18:55,680 --> 00:19:01,320 Speaker 1: but I can recall the inventor of the World's Fair, 313 00:19:01,520 --> 00:19:05,800 Speaker 1: or you could say maybe the ideator of it. It's 314 00:19:05,840 --> 00:19:10,560 Speaker 1: a guy named Prince Albert. He famously married his cousin, 315 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:12,119 Speaker 1: Queen Victoria. 316 00:19:12,280 --> 00:19:16,199 Speaker 3: And he's the same Prince Albert that also famously had 317 00:19:16,200 --> 00:19:17,600 Speaker 3: an interesting piercing. 318 00:19:19,080 --> 00:19:23,760 Speaker 1: That's maybe a different episode. I'm not sure who named 319 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:26,359 Speaker 1: it that. I'd love to hear. The etymology as an 320 00:19:26,359 --> 00:19:29,280 Speaker 1: etymology nerd, No, I think it is. 321 00:19:29,480 --> 00:19:32,919 Speaker 3: Yeah, so there's a piercing called a Prince Albert, but 322 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:35,960 Speaker 3: from him, I think so, dude, like. 323 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:38,359 Speaker 1: He popped his Australia and then said let's have a 324 00:19:38,400 --> 00:19:42,320 Speaker 1: science fair. I think. I mean, the timeline is unclear, 325 00:19:42,800 --> 00:19:43,560 Speaker 1: but I. 326 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:46,359 Speaker 2: Feel like it is him too, Like I think it is. 327 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:48,800 Speaker 3: I think he literally had this piercing and so they 328 00:19:48,880 --> 00:19:49,880 Speaker 3: named it after him. 329 00:19:50,280 --> 00:20:01,760 Speaker 1: Amazing, amazing. This is the guy who in I guess 330 00:20:01,760 --> 00:20:06,240 Speaker 1: he's a great innovator. In addition to piercings, he is 331 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 1: the one who pitched this concept, this great exhibition bringing 332 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:18,200 Speaker 1: technological innovation to the public, democratizing science in a very 333 00:20:18,280 --> 00:20:23,520 Speaker 1: real way. And this happens as the Industrial Revolution is 334 00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:29,159 Speaker 1: still reverberating through the world. And you know, the Industrial 335 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:32,640 Speaker 1: Revolution started in England. So he's great casting for this. 336 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:35,600 Speaker 2: Also to jump in here real quick, this is from 337 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:39,960 Speaker 2: Google's AI. There is no evidence that Prince Albert, Queen 338 00:20:40,040 --> 00:20:44,600 Speaker 2: Victoria's husband, had a penal piercing. The name Prince Albert 339 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:46,960 Speaker 2: for the piercing comes from the belief that he did, 340 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:48,040 Speaker 2: so it is named after him. 341 00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:55,600 Speaker 4: Seeking in Phona and he's fallen knowledge. 342 00:20:55,800 --> 00:20:57,760 Speaker 1: It's just for you right now here. 343 00:20:58,920 --> 00:20:59,879 Speaker 4: The fact. 344 00:21:01,480 --> 00:21:06,240 Speaker 2: There was also a drawn animation of the piercing that 345 00:21:06,400 --> 00:21:08,679 Speaker 2: is real, childlike, and then you look at it for 346 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:09,280 Speaker 2: a second. 347 00:21:09,040 --> 00:21:11,840 Speaker 1: Like, oh, that's what that is. We're looking at here? Yeah, 348 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:13,600 Speaker 1: So I think we're a. 349 00:21:13,560 --> 00:21:15,680 Speaker 3: Family show, so we need to we don't need to 350 00:21:15,680 --> 00:21:18,680 Speaker 3: go into detail about what this piercec thing is in Australia. 351 00:21:19,160 --> 00:21:20,320 Speaker 1: Australia, you get it. 352 00:21:20,320 --> 00:21:21,919 Speaker 3: But I also saw, Sorry I had to get too 353 00:21:21,960 --> 00:21:25,040 Speaker 3: sidetrack with Prince Albert's chunk, but I also saw that 354 00:21:25,080 --> 00:21:27,960 Speaker 3: there was a type of ring that was meant to 355 00:21:28,080 --> 00:21:32,040 Speaker 3: secure the male genitals to the pant leg that he 356 00:21:32,160 --> 00:21:34,439 Speaker 3: was also known for being fond of. Whether or not 357 00:21:34,480 --> 00:21:38,679 Speaker 3: that actually penetrated his old fella is up for debate. 358 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:43,080 Speaker 1: This may be fan fiction from the Prince Albert stands 359 00:21:43,160 --> 00:21:45,840 Speaker 1: at some point, but you know, whether it's a Richard 360 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 1: gear Hamster story, again we're a family show, or whether 361 00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 1: it's historical fact, we do go. We can confirm that 362 00:21:53,359 --> 00:21:58,080 Speaker 1: Prince Albert led to or led to charge for London's 363 00:21:58,119 --> 00:22:02,800 Speaker 1: Great Exhibition, and did so because of the context of 364 00:22:02,840 --> 00:22:07,960 Speaker 1: the Industrial Revolution. We know that the public was as 365 00:22:08,000 --> 00:22:12,000 Speaker 1: a group adjusting to this new way of life. Sudden changes, 366 00:22:12,119 --> 00:22:16,040 Speaker 1: a lot of ups, a lot of downs. Agriculture is 367 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:18,040 Speaker 1: leaving a lot of farmers homeless. 368 00:22:18,080 --> 00:22:20,520 Speaker 3: Frankly, you know, it's interesting. We could almost say that 369 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:25,320 Speaker 3: we are currently living in something similar to the Industrial 370 00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:28,399 Speaker 3: Revolution in terms of the way artificial intelligence and machine 371 00:22:28,480 --> 00:22:31,520 Speaker 3: learning is starting to kind of balloon out of control 372 00:22:31,680 --> 00:22:35,560 Speaker 3: and have the potential to literally remove certain human. 373 00:22:35,320 --> 00:22:37,920 Speaker 1: People jobs that have existed for a very long time. 374 00:22:38,000 --> 00:22:41,239 Speaker 3: So it's it's a very similar kind of struggle, and 375 00:22:41,320 --> 00:22:43,440 Speaker 3: it doesn't seem like the powers that be in our 376 00:22:43,520 --> 00:22:46,720 Speaker 3: era are particularly interested in making people feel. 377 00:22:46,560 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 1: Better about it. 378 00:22:47,359 --> 00:22:49,520 Speaker 3: So in this era, it did feel like they were 379 00:22:49,520 --> 00:22:52,119 Speaker 3: trying to educate the public as to how this was 380 00:22:52,119 --> 00:22:54,920 Speaker 3: a good thing and how it wasn't necessarily going to 381 00:22:54,960 --> 00:22:58,080 Speaker 3: mark the end of human you know work. 382 00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:05,199 Speaker 1: Yeah, unlike AI writing programs, mechanized agriculture does work, and 383 00:23:05,240 --> 00:23:07,680 Speaker 1: it did work at this point, right. It was very 384 00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:12,080 Speaker 1: much a John Henry situation for a lot of traditional 385 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:16,800 Speaker 1: rural farmers in England, and they knew they had to 386 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:20,639 Speaker 1: go to factories, a job that didn't really exist before. 387 00:23:21,240 --> 00:23:26,359 Speaker 1: This was quite intimidating. If we go to Professor Emeritus 388 00:23:26,480 --> 00:23:32,639 Speaker 1: Robert Riddell over at Montana State University. We see exactly 389 00:23:32,680 --> 00:23:37,040 Speaker 1: what you're describing. This professor agrees with us, agrees with 390 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:42,040 Speaker 1: your point, saying, there's nothing certain about the direction industrialization 391 00:23:42,240 --> 00:23:44,919 Speaker 1: is going. So what's the future going to look like? 392 00:23:45,280 --> 00:23:48,679 Speaker 1: And that's the question these folks are trying to answer 393 00:23:48,800 --> 00:23:51,440 Speaker 1: for the public at London's Great Exhibition. 394 00:23:51,840 --> 00:23:55,240 Speaker 3: Right, there's literally a new career path that has been 395 00:23:55,320 --> 00:23:59,080 Speaker 3: more or less invented overnight, these factory jobs that people 396 00:23:59,119 --> 00:24:02,200 Speaker 3: who have spent their lives and generations perhaps and families 397 00:24:02,640 --> 00:24:05,960 Speaker 3: working on family farms. They need to be educated about 398 00:24:06,000 --> 00:24:09,840 Speaker 3: what these jobs look like, what they mean for their lives, 399 00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:13,480 Speaker 3: and how they fit into this new industrialized society. So, 400 00:24:13,880 --> 00:24:15,600 Speaker 3: you know, it is a bit of a pr move 401 00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:18,440 Speaker 3: as well, because they don't want to alienate the workers 402 00:24:18,560 --> 00:24:21,400 Speaker 3: entirely because they need them, you know. And by they 403 00:24:21,480 --> 00:24:23,600 Speaker 3: I mean you know, the powers that be in the government, 404 00:24:23,680 --> 00:24:26,000 Speaker 3: you know, represented by somebody like Prince Albert. 405 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:31,600 Speaker 1: And at this Great Exposition, companies are able to show 406 00:24:31,640 --> 00:24:37,120 Speaker 1: the public machines that would have otherwise remained secreted behind 407 00:24:37,320 --> 00:24:41,680 Speaker 1: factory walls. It's kind of like if Lockheed opened skunk 408 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:44,639 Speaker 1: Works and you could just show up the skunk works 409 00:24:44,880 --> 00:24:47,520 Speaker 1: and see all the spy planes that won't be public 410 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:51,639 Speaker 1: for a few decades. Yeah. It was a real wow factory. Yes, yes, 411 00:24:51,800 --> 00:24:53,560 Speaker 1: And they were going for. 412 00:24:53,680 --> 00:24:57,960 Speaker 3: Like aweing the public into getting on board with industrialization 413 00:24:58,080 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 3: and be like, wow, what a look at the poss abilities. 414 00:25:00,840 --> 00:25:02,879 Speaker 3: I would love to work in a factory that seems 415 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:03,600 Speaker 3: totally chill. 416 00:25:03,880 --> 00:25:06,240 Speaker 1: M Yeah, that's a big part of it. The other 417 00:25:06,320 --> 00:25:09,840 Speaker 1: part is they build just I love this science project 418 00:25:09,960 --> 00:25:15,400 Speaker 1: comparison because these companies, these companies are building little tiny 419 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:20,200 Speaker 1: Kwai replicas of their machines and showing the public, hey, 420 00:25:20,520 --> 00:25:23,440 Speaker 1: here's how this works. Guess what, we have a life 421 00:25:23,440 --> 00:25:26,240 Speaker 1: size one and there you can be a part of 422 00:25:26,280 --> 00:25:29,520 Speaker 1: the magic. Right. And their concurrent goal is not just 423 00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:34,159 Speaker 1: to reassure people about their own personal future, but also 424 00:25:34,280 --> 00:25:40,359 Speaker 1: to reassure people that the stuff made by these machines, 425 00:25:40,480 --> 00:25:44,919 Speaker 1: these new processes, will be trustworthy, will be dependable, and 426 00:25:45,040 --> 00:25:47,240 Speaker 1: will work. I didn't even think about that. 427 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:49,199 Speaker 3: There. There was a lot of distrust just in like 428 00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:51,960 Speaker 3: the quality of these wares and what it would mean 429 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:55,119 Speaker 3: for like, you know, people's everyday lives with goods and 430 00:25:55,160 --> 00:25:56,320 Speaker 3: products that they were used to. 431 00:25:57,640 --> 00:26:03,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, and at the time the exhibition itself was profitable. 432 00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:08,080 Speaker 1: It generated one hundred and eighty six thousand British pounds, 433 00:26:08,240 --> 00:26:12,000 Speaker 1: which means it's time for the inflation calculator. 434 00:26:11,720 --> 00:26:17,280 Speaker 4: And a dude a boom boom, all right, that would 435 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:21,760 Speaker 4: be twenty one million, nine hundred forty three thousand, four 436 00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:25,760 Speaker 4: hundred and fifty pounds and fifty one pence in today's money. 437 00:26:25,880 --> 00:26:29,400 Speaker 1: Or I think we should do the US equivalent and 438 00:26:29,440 --> 00:26:35,520 Speaker 1: a dude and a boot twenty eight million, forty thousand, 439 00:26:35,640 --> 00:26:39,560 Speaker 1: four hundred and thirty eight dollars and twenty three cents. 440 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:45,160 Speaker 3: So about the grosses of a modern like minor blockbuster, 441 00:26:45,520 --> 00:26:48,479 Speaker 3: you know, not even really a blockbuster. That thirty million, 442 00:26:48,520 --> 00:26:51,480 Speaker 3: depending on the budget, would be considered a moderate success 443 00:26:51,520 --> 00:26:54,919 Speaker 3: for like, you know, a mids tier budget type film. 444 00:26:55,240 --> 00:27:00,480 Speaker 3: So financially, yes, agreed, financially good for good for the 445 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:07,480 Speaker 3: United Kingdom, good for England. However, England may have lost 446 00:27:07,720 --> 00:27:11,600 Speaker 3: some points even though it's their own home game, because 447 00:27:11,720 --> 00:27:15,080 Speaker 3: this was an international thing. We got other European well 448 00:27:15,480 --> 00:27:20,240 Speaker 3: it's international in that other European countries had their flexes 449 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:23,960 Speaker 3: out on display. Yeah, England is an exactly known for 450 00:27:24,040 --> 00:27:28,520 Speaker 3: their design flare and that was sort of really hit 451 00:27:28,600 --> 00:27:32,480 Speaker 3: home at this World's Fair because the French really excelled 452 00:27:32,640 --> 00:27:35,679 Speaker 3: in terms of style, you know, and and form of 453 00:27:35,720 --> 00:27:39,119 Speaker 3: some of these new creations, these new industrial products. Also, 454 00:27:39,240 --> 00:27:42,679 Speaker 3: we know the Germans have continue to have a reputation 455 00:27:42,760 --> 00:27:49,359 Speaker 3: for their very precise engineering and machining skills. The Americans 456 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:53,240 Speaker 3: during this World's Fair really excelled in terms of what 457 00:27:53,280 --> 00:27:58,400 Speaker 3: we're pretty good at still today, large scale manufacturing. Quantity 458 00:27:58,640 --> 00:28:01,400 Speaker 3: over quality. But still you gotta love the quantity. 459 00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:03,919 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, if we if we take it to a 460 00:28:04,000 --> 00:28:09,680 Speaker 1: design nerd kind of comparison, so imagine the French make 461 00:28:10,160 --> 00:28:16,960 Speaker 1: a revolutionary, beautiful cursive R, right, and the Germans make 462 00:28:17,160 --> 00:28:24,199 Speaker 1: a incredibly precise, perfectly measured capital yes serifh capital R 463 00:28:24,240 --> 00:28:27,600 Speaker 1: and block letters. And then the Americans go, here you go, 464 00:28:27,680 --> 00:28:31,720 Speaker 1: we got a thousand RS. We made a thousand letter RS. 465 00:28:32,040 --> 00:28:35,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, one hundred or so, or like one massive R 466 00:28:35,320 --> 00:28:37,600 Speaker 3: that dwarfs all the other RS. 467 00:28:37,920 --> 00:28:39,520 Speaker 1: But Prince Albert wasn't having this. 468 00:28:39,800 --> 00:28:42,880 Speaker 3: He was determined for England to rise to the occasion, 469 00:28:43,000 --> 00:28:45,880 Speaker 3: especially since it's on their home term, so he threw 470 00:28:46,040 --> 00:28:51,120 Speaker 3: some money from his estate into a scholarship to support 471 00:28:51,320 --> 00:28:56,560 Speaker 3: young innovators, essentially a way to help them advance careers 472 00:28:56,600 --> 00:28:58,920 Speaker 3: in science and research. 473 00:28:59,120 --> 00:29:04,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, what we would call the STEM disciplines today, science, technology, engineering, math. 474 00:29:05,200 --> 00:29:09,040 Speaker 1: You can still get a research fellowship from the Royal 475 00:29:09,040 --> 00:29:15,160 Speaker 1: Commission for the exhibition of eighteen fifty one. However, visiting 476 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:18,600 Speaker 1: the Crystal Palace as it stood in eighteen fifty one 477 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:22,400 Speaker 1: is very difficult today. There was a conspiracy of foot. 478 00:29:22,920 --> 00:29:26,920 Speaker 1: There was a fire of unknown origin that demolished the 479 00:29:27,120 --> 00:29:30,280 Speaker 1: structure in nineteen thirty six. It was a big fire. 480 00:29:30,680 --> 00:29:35,040 Speaker 1: Within the space of thirty minutes, the entire structure, which 481 00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:39,040 Speaker 1: was like twenty five acres of iron and glass, ignited 482 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:41,080 Speaker 1: and it burned down. 483 00:29:41,080 --> 00:29:43,840 Speaker 3: Through the How do you burn down something made of 484 00:29:43,920 --> 00:29:45,360 Speaker 3: iron and glass? 485 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:47,680 Speaker 1: Well, yeah, I guess you need fire to make glass 486 00:29:47,720 --> 00:29:51,560 Speaker 1: and iron. That's true. What is it like? Jet fuel 487 00:29:51,600 --> 00:29:55,080 Speaker 1: doesn't melt steel beams and all that stuff. That's where 488 00:29:55,120 --> 00:29:55,640 Speaker 1: it started. 489 00:29:55,880 --> 00:29:59,200 Speaker 3: Hell of a fire though, right, thank goodness, gracious, Yeah, 490 00:30:00,040 --> 00:30:00,600 Speaker 3: where it started? 491 00:30:00,680 --> 00:30:03,400 Speaker 1: Is there a conspiracy afoot? That's what's going on here? Well, 492 00:30:03,480 --> 00:30:07,600 Speaker 1: no one is. A Historians still don't agree on how 493 00:30:07,720 --> 00:30:12,200 Speaker 1: the fire began, so we could call it a conspiracy, 494 00:30:12,240 --> 00:30:14,800 Speaker 1: but really it's more a mystery, I guess. 495 00:30:14,800 --> 00:30:17,080 Speaker 3: To me, though, I'm just interested in the conspiracy of 496 00:30:17,160 --> 00:30:21,920 Speaker 3: like how what what could have fueled such a fire? 497 00:30:22,280 --> 00:30:23,920 Speaker 3: You know, and you know what I mean, Like it's 498 00:30:23,920 --> 00:30:26,160 Speaker 3: not is there? I guess there's wood inside, But it 499 00:30:26,160 --> 00:30:29,760 Speaker 3: seems like they were really focusing on the building materials 500 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:32,840 Speaker 3: as being glass and steel. So just what actually caught 501 00:30:32,880 --> 00:30:35,880 Speaker 3: fire to create the kind of blaze that would consume 502 00:30:36,640 --> 00:30:39,840 Speaker 3: glass and steel. I'm sorry, maybe I'm not being helpful here. 503 00:30:39,920 --> 00:30:42,280 Speaker 1: No, no, there were two huge boles, there were two 504 00:30:42,440 --> 00:30:46,840 Speaker 1: huge elm trees that also caught a blaze that would 505 00:30:46,880 --> 00:30:49,360 Speaker 1: have helped. And there was a ton of stuff inside. 506 00:30:49,400 --> 00:30:53,720 Speaker 1: We have to remember twenty five acres worth of the 507 00:30:53,720 --> 00:30:56,520 Speaker 1: best things humans could come up with at the time. 508 00:30:57,040 --> 00:31:01,120 Speaker 3: Well, while you can't, unfortunately, due to the aforementioned fire, 509 00:31:01,480 --> 00:31:05,600 Speaker 3: visit the Crystal Palace in England anymore. It was demolished 510 00:31:05,640 --> 00:31:08,680 Speaker 3: in nineteen thirty six. You can hang with Winnie the 511 00:31:08,720 --> 00:31:12,560 Speaker 3: Pooh and pals at the Crystal Palace buffet in Walt 512 00:31:12,680 --> 00:31:16,440 Speaker 3: Disney World there in Florida, where you can get Mickey 513 00:31:16,480 --> 00:31:19,600 Speaker 3: Mouse shaped churo waffles. I know a lot of Disney 514 00:31:19,600 --> 00:31:21,960 Speaker 3: folks that are so stoked about all of the food 515 00:31:22,000 --> 00:31:22,680 Speaker 3: offerings in. 516 00:31:22,760 --> 00:31:24,320 Speaker 1: Disney, and it is good. 517 00:31:24,320 --> 00:31:28,120 Speaker 3: There's some good stuff country fried chicken with gravy and 518 00:31:28,200 --> 00:31:30,520 Speaker 3: something called a sunrise Marcaritah. 519 00:31:30,600 --> 00:31:34,840 Speaker 1: It sounds delightful. Yeah, all classic Victorian era British fair. 520 00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:40,640 Speaker 1: Thank you read. So let's fast forward all to the 521 00:31:40,680 --> 00:31:46,760 Speaker 1: World's Columbian Exposition, which is held in Chicago. 522 00:31:47,480 --> 00:31:52,440 Speaker 3: Okay, I'm confused. Not Columbia, no South Carolina or South America. 523 00:31:59,160 --> 00:32:02,680 Speaker 3: Hosted in Chicago, Illinois, from May first to October thirtieth, 524 00:32:02,800 --> 00:32:06,920 Speaker 3: eighteen ninety three. It was held on the four hundredth 525 00:32:07,480 --> 00:32:12,760 Speaker 3: anniversary of Christopher Columbus's voyage, technically the four hundred and 526 00:32:12,840 --> 00:32:16,520 Speaker 3: first depending you know, there's some slight discrepancies I think 527 00:32:17,320 --> 00:32:21,120 Speaker 3: in the historical accounts of his journey to the Americas. 528 00:32:21,160 --> 00:32:24,200 Speaker 3: Of course, that's where the Colombian part comes in. 529 00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:28,360 Speaker 1: Yeah, and we're jumping around in time because we want 530 00:32:28,440 --> 00:32:32,640 Speaker 1: to tell you about this one as it was, for 531 00:32:32,680 --> 00:32:35,960 Speaker 1: the most part considered a win in the world of 532 00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:42,080 Speaker 1: world's fairs. At expos. It happened after the Paris or 533 00:32:42,120 --> 00:32:45,920 Speaker 1: Parisian World's Fair, which occurred in eighteen eighty nine. This 534 00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:51,640 Speaker 1: is the one where our cursive r comparison really comes 535 00:32:51,680 --> 00:32:55,840 Speaker 1: into play because the World's Fair in Paris in eighteen 536 00:32:55,880 --> 00:33:01,280 Speaker 1: eighty nine was praised for the innovations in architecture and design, 537 00:33:01,800 --> 00:33:06,000 Speaker 1: specifically a thing called the Eiffel Tower. At that point, 538 00:33:06,320 --> 00:33:11,320 Speaker 1: it was the tallest acknowledged man made structure. I'm being 539 00:33:12,280 --> 00:33:15,320 Speaker 1: a little careful with our caveats there for sure. 540 00:33:15,320 --> 00:33:17,520 Speaker 3: And this took place the previous World's Fair I think 541 00:33:17,560 --> 00:33:21,680 Speaker 3: you mentioned so Chicago and their planning committee really felt 542 00:33:21,680 --> 00:33:25,960 Speaker 3: the pressure to outdo France, at least in terms of 543 00:33:26,080 --> 00:33:31,320 Speaker 3: architectural accomplishment, so they tapped a super well regarded architect 544 00:33:31,400 --> 00:33:35,400 Speaker 3: named Frederick law Olmsted. He actually designed Central Park in 545 00:33:35,440 --> 00:33:39,520 Speaker 3: New York City. They tapped him to create plans for 546 00:33:39,640 --> 00:33:43,880 Speaker 3: an even more elaborate and grand exhibition terrace. And again 547 00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:45,200 Speaker 3: when we were talking at the top of the show 548 00:33:45,240 --> 00:33:49,200 Speaker 3: about all of these on site, you know, wonders and marvels, 549 00:33:49,400 --> 00:33:51,560 Speaker 3: I mean, correct me if I'm wrong, then, but the 550 00:33:51,600 --> 00:33:54,760 Speaker 3: World's Fair where the Eiffel Tower was unveiled, that would 551 00:33:54,760 --> 00:33:57,880 Speaker 3: have taken place directly around where the Eiffel Tower is today. 552 00:33:57,920 --> 00:34:00,440 Speaker 3: Like it was, the real thing that was on at 553 00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:03,080 Speaker 3: the World's Fair created for the World's Fair. 554 00:34:04,360 --> 00:34:07,960 Speaker 1: I believe that's correct. And now now to the earlier 555 00:34:08,040 --> 00:34:12,840 Speaker 1: point about always attempting to have the newest, the biggest, 556 00:34:12,960 --> 00:34:19,000 Speaker 1: the best, most interesting world's fair. We see the city 557 00:34:19,040 --> 00:34:22,160 Speaker 1: pride of Chicago and the national pride of the US 558 00:34:22,600 --> 00:34:27,120 Speaker 1: coming into play, just as you noted, and well, we're 559 00:34:27,160 --> 00:34:29,399 Speaker 1: gonna make time for a little bit of a dark 560 00:34:29,520 --> 00:34:34,319 Speaker 1: side about the so called white city. This guy Olmsted, 561 00:34:34,920 --> 00:34:39,279 Speaker 1: he's just awesome at what he does, and so it's 562 00:34:39,360 --> 00:34:43,319 Speaker 1: no surprise that the planning committee there in Chicago is 563 00:34:43,400 --> 00:34:46,560 Speaker 1: deferring to him. And they say, well, Freddy, where should 564 00:34:46,640 --> 00:34:50,520 Speaker 1: we do our World's Fair. We can't let these French 565 00:34:50,600 --> 00:34:55,760 Speaker 1: folks show us up. So Olmsted says, all right, here's 566 00:34:55,760 --> 00:34:59,120 Speaker 1: what we're gonna do. We're gonna go to Lake Michigan 567 00:34:59,800 --> 00:35:02,520 Speaker 1: and and we're going to do that because this will 568 00:35:02,520 --> 00:35:06,960 Speaker 1: give a water source for all these canals and pools 569 00:35:07,239 --> 00:35:10,000 Speaker 1: that we have to build. And they said, what canals 570 00:35:10,080 --> 00:35:12,160 Speaker 1: pools And he said, yeah, that's part of it. I'll 571 00:35:12,200 --> 00:35:15,760 Speaker 1: take questions at the end. I'm doing canals and pools. 572 00:35:15,920 --> 00:35:19,640 Speaker 1: He was like, when Rick explains weird heist to Morty 573 00:35:19,680 --> 00:35:23,040 Speaker 1: and Rick and Morty they ran into this other problem. 574 00:35:23,480 --> 00:35:29,960 Speaker 1: Chicago's soil, for any fellow nerds, is mostly clay, which 575 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:34,320 Speaker 1: means it absorbs water way more easily than other types 576 00:35:34,360 --> 00:35:39,320 Speaker 1: of soil, which means it was a nightmare to build 577 00:35:39,400 --> 00:35:41,240 Speaker 1: this thing around Lake Michigan. 578 00:35:41,200 --> 00:35:45,080 Speaker 3: Right Because while like Michigan was super aesthetically pleasing and 579 00:35:45,120 --> 00:35:48,200 Speaker 3: a great site for this on paper, with all of 580 00:35:48,239 --> 00:35:50,719 Speaker 3: the water able to be supplied to water plants and 581 00:35:50,760 --> 00:35:53,759 Speaker 3: fill these canals, it was a nightmare for building construction 582 00:35:53,880 --> 00:35:55,920 Speaker 3: because the water kept getting absorbed. 583 00:35:56,600 --> 00:36:02,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, exactly. So It's kind of like how people actually 584 00:36:02,600 --> 00:36:07,040 Speaker 1: building Frank Lloyd Wright houses would complain about the sustainability, 585 00:36:08,400 --> 00:36:11,360 Speaker 1: you know, the esthetics, And I love that you're mentioning 586 00:36:11,400 --> 00:36:16,239 Speaker 1: that the aesthetics are always easier to idate than the 587 00:36:16,600 --> 00:36:18,440 Speaker 1: actual engineering. Right. 588 00:36:18,480 --> 00:36:21,800 Speaker 3: Well, that's why I think the best architectures have a 589 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:25,239 Speaker 3: appreciation of both. It is like a perfect kind of 590 00:36:25,239 --> 00:36:27,360 Speaker 3: crystallization of form and function. 591 00:36:27,640 --> 00:36:31,280 Speaker 1: We mean, architecture at its best. Architecture at its best 592 00:36:31,360 --> 00:36:35,359 Speaker 1: is frozen Poetry one percent. And I haven't seen it yet, Ben, 593 00:36:35,400 --> 00:36:37,520 Speaker 1: but just another quick movie thought. 594 00:36:38,080 --> 00:36:40,120 Speaker 3: There is a film that is just now getting wide 595 00:36:40,160 --> 00:36:43,200 Speaker 3: released early this year in twenty twenty five called The Brutalists, 596 00:36:43,920 --> 00:36:47,439 Speaker 3: which is a three hour epic. It's apparently like there 597 00:36:47,480 --> 00:36:52,360 Speaker 3: will be blood level American story of industry and perseverance, 598 00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:54,040 Speaker 3: and may be a little bit of the ills of 599 00:36:54,120 --> 00:36:57,399 Speaker 3: capitalism thrown in there. But I'm really excited to see 600 00:36:57,400 --> 00:36:59,440 Speaker 3: this film. I think it's going to kind of hit 601 00:36:59,480 --> 00:37:01,360 Speaker 3: home the kind of stuff that we're talking about that 602 00:37:01,440 --> 00:37:02,919 Speaker 3: we appreciate in architecture. 603 00:37:03,520 --> 00:37:08,719 Speaker 1: And our Chicago committee, they have their idea man, right, 604 00:37:09,200 --> 00:37:12,960 Speaker 1: they have their ultimate thought bringer, and now they have 605 00:37:13,080 --> 00:37:15,560 Speaker 1: to say, now they have to figure out how they 606 00:37:15,600 --> 00:37:19,279 Speaker 1: bridge the gap of idea to reality. So they talked 607 00:37:19,280 --> 00:37:23,040 Speaker 1: to a local architect of the time, Daniel Burnham, and 608 00:37:23,080 --> 00:37:26,480 Speaker 1: they say, all right, can you design some plans for 609 00:37:26,600 --> 00:37:30,239 Speaker 1: the buildings we'll have at the fair. We're asking you 610 00:37:30,719 --> 00:37:37,520 Speaker 1: because you've already done some interesting work. Burnham had reached 611 00:37:37,520 --> 00:37:42,040 Speaker 1: some breakthroughs with the idea of floating raft foundations that 612 00:37:42,080 --> 00:37:46,319 Speaker 1: would help address the poor soil conditions in Chicago. He 613 00:37:46,400 --> 00:37:52,279 Speaker 1: made these crazy smart hybrid structural systems that leverage the 614 00:37:52,400 --> 00:37:56,200 Speaker 1: latest of material technology that was available in the late 615 00:37:56,239 --> 00:38:04,160 Speaker 1: eighteen hundreds, and with Burnham helping to make this, Olmsted 616 00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:08,480 Speaker 1: Guy's vision a reality. It still took a small army 617 00:38:08,600 --> 00:38:13,000 Speaker 1: to build the midway. Twelve thousand men. Over twelve thousand 618 00:38:13,040 --> 00:38:16,920 Speaker 1: men build this collection of buildings. They've got a long 619 00:38:17,080 --> 00:38:21,040 Speaker 1: pool at the center. This is what becomes called the 620 00:38:21,160 --> 00:38:25,200 Speaker 1: White City, and it's called that because they save money 621 00:38:25,280 --> 00:38:27,920 Speaker 1: on the paint. It's just all white plaster. 622 00:38:27,760 --> 00:38:31,920 Speaker 3: On the whole white slaster facades, kind of crown molding 623 00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:34,680 Speaker 3: kind of vibes. So with the construction of the White 624 00:38:34,719 --> 00:38:39,200 Speaker 3: City well underway, there's still something they haven't fully dealt with, 625 00:38:39,239 --> 00:38:42,479 Speaker 3: which is how to light this thing up. 626 00:38:42,880 --> 00:38:45,600 Speaker 1: So that leads us headlong. 627 00:38:45,440 --> 00:38:48,440 Speaker 3: Into what is known as the Battle of the Currents 628 00:38:48,480 --> 00:38:53,880 Speaker 3: between Thomas Edison, the aforementioned and Nikolai Tesla, both inventors 629 00:38:53,880 --> 00:38:59,720 Speaker 3: who had figured out how to harness and distribute electricity, 630 00:39:00,160 --> 00:39:03,920 Speaker 3: but each had their own very specific and proprietary methods 631 00:39:03,960 --> 00:39:07,480 Speaker 3: for doing this, which required kind of like a large 632 00:39:07,480 --> 00:39:12,160 Speaker 3: scale buy in because it requires building infrastructure with that 633 00:39:12,280 --> 00:39:16,520 Speaker 3: kind of wiring in mind. We've got Tesla's AC alternating 634 00:39:16,560 --> 00:39:19,920 Speaker 3: current and Edison's DC direct current. 635 00:39:20,560 --> 00:39:25,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, ed look Edison was a bully, There's no way 636 00:39:25,680 --> 00:39:31,200 Speaker 1: around it. He launched a huge campaign, a smear campaign, 637 00:39:31,280 --> 00:39:37,600 Speaker 1: really against Tesla's AC concept. However, Tesla won the day 638 00:39:37,840 --> 00:39:43,240 Speaker 1: in this case because AC Electricity proved that you could 639 00:39:43,600 --> 00:39:48,400 Speaker 1: use his techniques and his discoveries to safely transmit power 640 00:39:48,560 --> 00:39:53,000 Speaker 1: over long distances to a large number of end receivers 641 00:39:53,080 --> 00:39:57,200 Speaker 1: a large amount of population. So that's why AC is 642 00:39:57,239 --> 00:40:01,320 Speaker 1: still the industry standard for power grids to exactly. 643 00:40:01,400 --> 00:40:03,800 Speaker 3: So as for the Eiffel Tower, back to the Eiffel Tower, 644 00:40:03,880 --> 00:40:05,720 Speaker 3: there was a young architect by the name of George 645 00:40:05,760 --> 00:40:10,200 Speaker 3: Washington Gale Ferris Junior, who also had a bit of 646 00:40:10,200 --> 00:40:13,040 Speaker 3: an answer as to the illumination problem. 647 00:40:13,120 --> 00:40:15,719 Speaker 1: Right, and you know, we talked about the name. 648 00:40:15,600 --> 00:40:18,440 Speaker 3: Of the huge area where all of the exhibitions take 649 00:40:18,480 --> 00:40:22,280 Speaker 3: place as the midway. We're using kind of fair terminology. 650 00:40:22,400 --> 00:40:24,880 Speaker 3: I mean, it's a concept that I think everyone understood. 651 00:40:25,080 --> 00:40:27,120 Speaker 3: Another thing that people might think of when it comes 652 00:40:27,200 --> 00:40:31,160 Speaker 3: to a county fair or a state fair are things 653 00:40:31,239 --> 00:40:34,080 Speaker 3: like you know, frying every type of food you can imagine, 654 00:40:34,080 --> 00:40:39,920 Speaker 3: but also certain types of fair rides like the fairest wheel. 655 00:40:41,200 --> 00:40:45,920 Speaker 1: Stuff of changes returns a good Yeah, this is all true. 656 00:40:46,360 --> 00:40:49,760 Speaker 1: And one of the most beautiful things about the world's 657 00:40:49,760 --> 00:40:54,840 Speaker 1: fairs or world expos in general is they always bring 658 00:40:54,960 --> 00:40:59,320 Speaker 1: these notable innovations. It's a great drawing board, right, A great, 659 00:41:00,760 --> 00:41:04,759 Speaker 1: a great cavalcade of what iffery. The eighteen ninety three 660 00:41:04,920 --> 00:41:08,440 Speaker 1: World's Fair there in Chicago introduced the public to things 661 00:41:08,520 --> 00:41:14,040 Speaker 1: like Wrigley's chewing gum, instant pancake mix, the automatic dishwasher, 662 00:41:14,760 --> 00:41:17,000 Speaker 1: the zipper. I got one of those on me right now. 663 00:41:18,440 --> 00:41:20,880 Speaker 3: Well cool, Yeah, and it hasn't gotten really hasn't been improved, 664 00:41:21,520 --> 00:41:23,800 Speaker 3: and they still kind of break. I actually was putting 665 00:41:23,800 --> 00:41:26,400 Speaker 3: on a zip up hoodie this morning only to realize 666 00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:29,239 Speaker 3: the zipper was completely shot, and so that thing is 667 00:41:29,280 --> 00:41:29,719 Speaker 3: dead to me. 668 00:41:29,840 --> 00:41:30,760 Speaker 1: But isn't that funny? 669 00:41:30,920 --> 00:41:34,399 Speaker 3: Things like the zipper have not exactly been improved upon 670 00:41:34,600 --> 00:41:38,400 Speaker 3: since their invention, since their introduction, Yeah, because they work it. 671 00:41:38,440 --> 00:41:41,360 Speaker 1: We love it when stuff works. There's also a dark 672 00:41:41,440 --> 00:41:46,880 Speaker 1: side to the White City because one of the most 673 00:41:47,000 --> 00:41:52,480 Speaker 1: notorious common and serial killers in American history was active 674 00:41:53,040 --> 00:41:58,320 Speaker 1: in Chicago during the Colombian Exposition in eighteen ninety three. 675 00:41:58,600 --> 00:42:05,440 Speaker 1: Herman Webster Mudget, known as doctor Henry Howard Holmes or H. H. Holmes. 676 00:42:05,640 --> 00:42:10,719 Speaker 1: One time or twice in a couple lazy halloweens, I 677 00:42:10,840 --> 00:42:12,920 Speaker 1: dressed up as the guy. And I'll tell you know, 678 00:42:13,520 --> 00:42:17,080 Speaker 1: one person recognized the costume, and that person wanted to 679 00:42:17,120 --> 00:42:19,319 Speaker 1: hang out with me, and they made me uncomfortable. 680 00:42:20,080 --> 00:42:20,480 Speaker 4: That's right. 681 00:42:20,719 --> 00:42:21,960 Speaker 1: I do recall this, Ben. 682 00:42:22,200 --> 00:42:25,040 Speaker 3: You can read all about this in The Devil in 683 00:42:25,080 --> 00:42:29,319 Speaker 3: the White City Murder, Magic and Madness, which tells this 684 00:42:29,480 --> 00:42:34,160 Speaker 3: sordid tale of the dark side of the Chicago World's Fair. 685 00:42:34,719 --> 00:42:38,880 Speaker 1: And we should note there was an adaptation, a film 686 00:42:38,920 --> 00:42:42,920 Speaker 1: adaptation of The Devil in the White City starring Leo DiCaprio, 687 00:42:42,920 --> 00:42:47,359 Speaker 1: directed by Scorsese. The book itself me yeah, yeah, really 688 00:42:47,400 --> 00:42:50,880 Speaker 1: a true story. This is out or they're working on it. 689 00:42:51,440 --> 00:42:54,480 Speaker 1: I believe it came out in twenty fifteen. Why have 690 00:42:54,520 --> 00:42:56,239 Speaker 1: I not heard it? Oh no, wait wait, it was 691 00:42:56,400 --> 00:42:59,960 Speaker 1: going to come out and then they tried to make 692 00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:05,520 Speaker 1: get a television adaptation. It's not out. You're correct, it's 693 00:43:05,560 --> 00:43:07,239 Speaker 1: not and just really quickly too. 694 00:43:07,400 --> 00:43:09,040 Speaker 3: On the cover of the of the book of the 695 00:43:09,080 --> 00:43:11,920 Speaker 3: novel by Eric Larson, it has a really great photo 696 00:43:12,080 --> 00:43:14,879 Speaker 3: of the Midway I guess of this Chicago World's Fair. 697 00:43:15,040 --> 00:43:16,560 Speaker 3: And you know what it looks like, Ben, It looks 698 00:43:16,600 --> 00:43:20,480 Speaker 3: like the National Mall in Washington, d C. Which flecting 699 00:43:20,560 --> 00:43:22,719 Speaker 3: cool and that central kind of thing and then the 700 00:43:22,760 --> 00:43:25,359 Speaker 3: giant looming you know, structure at the end. 701 00:43:26,120 --> 00:43:29,360 Speaker 1: It is pretty impressive. Yeah, and The Devil in the 702 00:43:29,360 --> 00:43:33,799 Speaker 1: White City is technically historical nonfiction. Don't let that put 703 00:43:33,840 --> 00:43:37,839 Speaker 1: you off, folks. That is an official ridiculous history book recommendation. 704 00:43:38,360 --> 00:43:42,919 Speaker 1: What a banger, mister Larson if you're listening. Also, big 705 00:43:42,960 --> 00:43:46,880 Speaker 1: fans of In the Garden of Beast and Isaac Storm. 706 00:43:47,440 --> 00:43:51,080 Speaker 1: Haven't read every book this guy's written, but loved everyone 707 00:43:51,600 --> 00:43:54,400 Speaker 1: I read and. 708 00:43:53,520 --> 00:43:55,719 Speaker 3: Ben those are great recommendations because my goal this year 709 00:43:55,760 --> 00:43:57,480 Speaker 3: is to read at least one book. 710 00:43:57,920 --> 00:43:59,719 Speaker 1: Oh, I've got one for you that you might like. 711 00:44:00,040 --> 00:44:01,560 Speaker 1: I'll add it to my list. I've got two and 712 00:44:01,600 --> 00:44:03,799 Speaker 1: now three on it thus far. Oh okay, So I 713 00:44:03,920 --> 00:44:04,640 Speaker 1: recently joke. 714 00:44:04,480 --> 00:44:05,920 Speaker 3: I'm gonna try to read more than one book, but 715 00:44:05,920 --> 00:44:07,360 Speaker 3: I just have been really bad at reading. 716 00:44:07,160 --> 00:44:10,960 Speaker 1: Lately, so I and listening to an audiobook counts as reading. 717 00:44:11,320 --> 00:44:14,360 Speaker 1: I hold that, however, it is best for people to 718 00:44:14,480 --> 00:44:19,719 Speaker 1: digest information. One book recommendation that I know you will 719 00:44:19,760 --> 00:44:24,440 Speaker 1: dig it's so poetic. There's this MIT professor of physics 720 00:44:24,440 --> 00:44:27,719 Speaker 1: and creative writing named Alan Lightman, and he wrote a 721 00:44:27,760 --> 00:44:32,160 Speaker 1: book called Einstein's Dreams. I recently reread it and I 722 00:44:32,640 --> 00:44:36,560 Speaker 1: thought of you and our pal Matt Fredericks. It's just 723 00:44:36,640 --> 00:44:39,560 Speaker 1: beautiful all it is. There's not even a spoiler here, 724 00:44:39,640 --> 00:44:42,440 Speaker 1: and I know we're on a tangent, but all it is. 725 00:44:42,480 --> 00:44:47,240 Speaker 1: NOL is a series of dreams that a young Albert 726 00:44:47,280 --> 00:44:50,959 Speaker 1: Einstein has while he's working as a patent clerk. He's 727 00:44:51,000 --> 00:44:54,640 Speaker 1: followed asleep at work, and in each of his dreams 728 00:44:55,000 --> 00:45:00,160 Speaker 1: he finds a new theory of time. It's incredible poetry, man, 729 00:45:00,320 --> 00:45:02,640 Speaker 1: that does sound like poetry. I just put it down 730 00:45:02,640 --> 00:45:04,359 Speaker 1: on my list of which I also have. I'll give 731 00:45:04,360 --> 00:45:04,680 Speaker 1: you these. 732 00:45:04,800 --> 00:45:07,120 Speaker 3: A book called Orbital that I heard discussed on a 733 00:45:07,160 --> 00:45:10,680 Speaker 3: podcast recently. Apparently it's just a really poetic and kind 734 00:45:10,719 --> 00:45:14,640 Speaker 3: of dreamy depiction of being in space. And then a 735 00:45:14,680 --> 00:45:17,439 Speaker 3: novel called Lazarus Man by Richard Price was followed several 736 00:45:17,520 --> 00:45:20,760 Speaker 3: characters in Harlem in the wake of a building collapse, 737 00:45:21,000 --> 00:45:23,680 Speaker 3: and it's apparently quite tense and very well written. 738 00:45:23,840 --> 00:45:24,880 Speaker 1: And the guy's written a ton. 739 00:45:24,719 --> 00:45:27,239 Speaker 3: Of other stuff that have been adapted into films to 740 00:45:27,280 --> 00:45:28,560 Speaker 3: my understanding. 741 00:45:28,400 --> 00:45:32,480 Speaker 1: Awesome and speaking of fantastic writing, Thanks again to our 742 00:45:32,520 --> 00:45:37,240 Speaker 1: research associate Red. This is part one of the World's Fairs. 743 00:45:37,280 --> 00:45:40,600 Speaker 1: We're telling you the inspiring parts, but we wanted to 744 00:45:40,760 --> 00:45:45,200 Speaker 1: mention the darker sides, the HH Holmes stuff, the colonialism, 745 00:45:45,520 --> 00:45:50,759 Speaker 1: because we're foreshadowing part two, where we get to some 746 00:45:50,840 --> 00:45:55,879 Speaker 1: of the world's fairs that did not have ideal outcomes. 747 00:45:56,040 --> 00:45:57,480 Speaker 1: Let's call it that one. 748 00:45:57,480 --> 00:45:59,680 Speaker 3: Hundred percent, and I very much look forward to getting 749 00:45:59,719 --> 00:46:00,799 Speaker 3: into those with. 750 00:46:00,920 --> 00:46:04,560 Speaker 1: You, sir. Huge thanks from my end as well to 751 00:46:04,760 --> 00:46:05,360 Speaker 1: our brand. 752 00:46:05,200 --> 00:46:10,359 Speaker 3: New research associated Extraordinariy wren renfest Jones. You know we're 753 00:46:10,360 --> 00:46:12,640 Speaker 3: gonna would shop that nickname, but I'm just gonna throw 754 00:46:12,680 --> 00:46:13,759 Speaker 3: it out there for now. I think you did a 755 00:46:13,760 --> 00:46:16,480 Speaker 3: really fantastic job on these episodes. 756 00:46:17,160 --> 00:46:20,600 Speaker 1: Big big thanks, of course to our super producer, the 757 00:46:20,600 --> 00:46:24,280 Speaker 1: one and only mister Max Williams. Big thanks to Alex 758 00:46:24,360 --> 00:46:28,120 Speaker 1: Stijajuana Williams, who composed this slap and bop you're hearing 759 00:46:28,200 --> 00:46:29,160 Speaker 1: at the end of the show. 760 00:46:29,560 --> 00:46:32,719 Speaker 3: Indeed, huge thanks to Jonathan Strickland the Quizzler, A J. 761 00:46:32,840 --> 00:46:36,319 Speaker 3: Bahamas Jacobs the Puzzler He's Jeff Goes, and christopherraciotis here 762 00:46:36,320 --> 00:46:39,880 Speaker 3: in spirit, and of course Ben, big thanks to you, buddy. 763 00:46:39,920 --> 00:46:41,360 Speaker 3: This is a lot of fun. It's really good to 764 00:46:41,400 --> 00:46:43,760 Speaker 3: be back in the new year with some ridiculous history. 765 00:46:44,400 --> 00:46:48,040 Speaker 1: Yes, big, big thanks to Rachel, Big Spinach, Lance or 766 00:46:48,200 --> 00:46:51,399 Speaker 1: big Spinach. Thanks to you, Professor, Thanks to our rude 767 00:46:51,440 --> 00:46:55,440 Speaker 1: dudes of ridiculous crime check them out. Big thanks to 768 00:46:55,600 --> 00:46:59,319 Speaker 1: everyone for tuning in join us for part two. No 769 00:46:59,440 --> 00:47:03,160 Speaker 1: big thanks to you, Bud oh Man. You're welcome. We'll 770 00:47:03,200 --> 00:47:04,240 Speaker 1: see you next time, folks. 771 00:47:11,080 --> 00:47:14,880 Speaker 3: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 772 00:47:15,000 --> 00:47:17,120 Speaker 3: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.