1 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:05,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, a production of 2 00:00:05,360 --> 00:00:10,719 Speaker 1: My Heart Radio. Hey, welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind. 3 00:00:10,840 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 1: Listener mail. My name is Robert Lamb and I'm Joe McCormick. 4 00:00:14,800 --> 00:00:16,600 Speaker 1: And today we're going to read some of the messages 5 00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:19,880 Speaker 1: that you've sent in about things like the Universal Solvent, 6 00:00:20,720 --> 00:00:24,119 Speaker 1: Star Wars, Aliens, sargassum, seaweed. It's gonna be a lot 7 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:25,840 Speaker 1: of fun. Are you ready to jump right in, rob 8 00:00:26,079 --> 00:00:35,080 Speaker 1: Let's do it? Okay? This first message comes from Nathan Is. 9 00:00:35,240 --> 00:00:39,240 Speaker 1: It is about our episode on the Dissolver of Worlds, 10 00:00:39,320 --> 00:00:42,840 Speaker 1: the the Universal Solvent or the Alcahest from the History 11 00:00:42,880 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: of Alchemy, And Nathan writes, Dear Robert and Joe, I 12 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:49,920 Speaker 1: recently listened to your episode Dissolver of World's about the 13 00:00:49,920 --> 00:00:53,240 Speaker 1: search for a universal solvent. It reminded me of an 14 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:56,360 Speaker 1: old time radio show I used to listen to called 15 00:00:56,520 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: Lights Out. In the episode oxy Chloride X, a disgruntled 16 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:05,880 Speaker 1: chemistry student creates a chemical compound which eats through anything. 17 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:09,640 Speaker 1: As soon as it's created, it begins dissolving the chemistry 18 00:01:09,720 --> 00:01:13,120 Speaker 1: lab and eating through the ground below. Over the remainder 19 00:01:13,160 --> 00:01:16,040 Speaker 1: of the story, the whole caused by the chemical grows 20 00:01:16,160 --> 00:01:20,360 Speaker 1: larger both in depth and diameter, wreaking havoc worldwide. People 21 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:23,480 Speaker 1: even become terrified that it will eat through the entire earth. 22 00:01:23,800 --> 00:01:26,040 Speaker 1: I won't spoil the ending, but here's a link where 23 00:01:26,080 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 1: you can listen to it and find out for yourselves. 24 00:01:28,280 --> 00:01:30,280 Speaker 1: And Nathan links to a couple of versions of this 25 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: old radio show. Um, I'd be interested to hear you 26 00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:36,440 Speaker 1: talk about other science fiction old time radio shows in 27 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:40,040 Speaker 1: the same vein of your anthology of horror episodes around Halloween. 28 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: This is a good idea, Nathan says. Secondly, in the 29 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:46,640 Speaker 1: same episode Dissolver of Worlds, you talked about an alchemist 30 00:01:46,640 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 1: who believed everything in the universe was made of water 31 00:01:49,320 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: that was yonda Pista van Helmont. I wonder if this 32 00:01:53,280 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: was at all influenced by a similar hypothesis from the 33 00:01:56,160 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 1: Greek philosopher theories of Melitas, who lived in the sixth 34 00:02:00,320 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: century b c. Thanks for continuing to teach me about 35 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:07,960 Speaker 1: the world and the weird. Best wishes, Nathan. Well, thanks, Nathan. Yeah, 36 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:10,800 Speaker 1: this was a great email. So several things here. First 37 00:02:10,800 --> 00:02:13,400 Speaker 1: of all, I remember in that book I was reading 38 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 1: by Lawrence Prince, you pay about the history of alchemy. Uh, 39 00:02:17,520 --> 00:02:21,040 Speaker 1: the author did mention theories of melitas in the context 40 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:24,359 Speaker 1: of talking about Van Helmont's idea that at bottom, all 41 00:02:24,480 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 1: substances were made of water, just water in different forms. 42 00:02:28,240 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 1: But I don't know if you specified whether van Helmont 43 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: got that idea from theilies or not. But it wouldn't 44 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 1: surprise me because obviously alchemists were usually very concerned with 45 00:02:38,040 --> 00:02:42,239 Speaker 1: the thoughts of the natural philosophers of antiquity. On top 46 00:02:42,280 --> 00:02:45,600 Speaker 1: of that, you mentioned this oxy chloride X episode, and 47 00:02:45,960 --> 00:02:48,080 Speaker 1: I have to say that Seth also brought up the 48 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:50,360 Speaker 1: same episode to me. We were talking about this, I 49 00:02:50,360 --> 00:02:52,079 Speaker 1: think one day when we were sitting around waiting to 50 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:55,320 Speaker 1: record one of these episodes, and so, so maybe we 51 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:57,560 Speaker 1: can get a clip of one of these radio shows 52 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:01,920 Speaker 1: to play for you right now, CC Barrier, I've CC 53 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:05,799 Speaker 1: so and he mocks a chloride Oh good, good, you're 54 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:07,920 Speaker 1: working out just as I plan. Who's there? Who's that 55 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 1: working there? Professor? What do you do it? And after 56 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 1: all my warnings, you're just in time, professor, Yes, just 57 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:15,160 Speaker 1: in time to have you thrown out of the university. 58 00:03:15,200 --> 00:03:17,639 Speaker 1: What are you doing there? What is this messive equipment? 59 00:03:17,639 --> 00:03:21,359 Speaker 1: It's my miracle miracle. What are you talking about? My miracle? Insane? 60 00:03:21,560 --> 00:03:24,120 Speaker 1: Take it apart, all of it at once. Listen to 61 00:03:24,160 --> 00:03:27,200 Speaker 1: it bubbling. A beautiful sound, isn't it, Professor? Get apart, 62 00:03:27,680 --> 00:03:29,960 Speaker 1: empty outter a talk? No, I got to wait. Are 63 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: you mad? Turn out the burners, all right, I'll turn 64 00:03:32,760 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: them off, for it's no see where you are do it? 65 00:03:35,200 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 1: Put down that aid. I'll smash the bottle on your head. 66 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:39,240 Speaker 1: If you touch anything on the table, no, don't throw it. 67 00:03:39,480 --> 00:03:42,760 Speaker 1: Put the bottle of as down, stewart, please, my experiment, 68 00:03:43,080 --> 00:03:46,880 Speaker 1: my miracle, bubbling and boiling and stewing. It will work, Professor, 69 00:03:46,920 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: It's got to work. But but what is it? I 70 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:51,440 Speaker 1: told him, I create something that no other man has 71 00:03:51,800 --> 00:03:53,640 Speaker 1: I told him, and I will, Professor, you hear me, 72 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:57,080 Speaker 1: I will. But what a solvent? A solvent more powerful 73 00:03:57,120 --> 00:03:59,119 Speaker 1: than anything the world has ever known? What do you mean? 74 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: What are you talking about? I never actually listened to 75 00:04:01,800 --> 00:04:03,360 Speaker 1: this in full, but I'm gonna have to follow up 76 00:04:03,360 --> 00:04:05,600 Speaker 1: and do that after, after we're done today. And I 77 00:04:05,640 --> 00:04:09,080 Speaker 1: love your idea about covering old radio dramas like sci 78 00:04:09,120 --> 00:04:11,800 Speaker 1: fi and horror radio dramas for for some kind of 79 00:04:11,800 --> 00:04:15,320 Speaker 1: October content. I think that's fantastic. I will say, I 80 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:19,280 Speaker 1: actually don't know all that much old time radio drama, 81 00:04:19,600 --> 00:04:22,120 Speaker 1: but I have a good friend who is really into 82 00:04:22,160 --> 00:04:24,679 Speaker 1: that stuff, and he sent me several things to listen 83 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 1: to last year, one of which was a great Orson 84 00:04:28,279 --> 00:04:31,400 Speaker 1: Wells performance of the classic story The Hitchhiker, which was 85 00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:35,880 Speaker 1: eventually made into a Twilight Zone episode. Maybe I had 86 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:38,320 Speaker 1: to hear that in um in school at one point, 87 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:40,000 Speaker 1: now that you mentioned it, because I was about to 88 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:42,440 Speaker 1: say I don't really think I've heard much in the 89 00:04:42,480 --> 00:04:46,320 Speaker 1: way of of old timey radio shows either outside of 90 00:04:46,360 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 1: you know, some familiarity with war the Worlds and uh, 91 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:51,720 Speaker 1: you know, and some of the some of the classics, 92 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:55,279 Speaker 1: you know, like they the old like the Shadow and Shadow. Yeah, 93 00:04:55,440 --> 00:04:57,839 Speaker 1: but it stands to reason there's some good stuff mixed 94 00:04:57,839 --> 00:04:59,479 Speaker 1: in there. Yeah, so maybe we should have a look. 95 00:04:59,839 --> 00:05:02,080 Speaker 1: I think there was some really good radio drama on 96 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 1: the Colgate Hour alongside Roy Donk and stuff like that. 97 00:05:05,520 --> 00:05:08,919 Speaker 1: But also, um, there was a really good one my 98 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:12,520 Speaker 1: friend sent me that was an old horror radio drama 99 00:05:13,120 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 1: called ghost Hunt that was from a show called Suspense 100 00:05:16,800 --> 00:05:19,200 Speaker 1: that was about a radio host who if it was 101 00:05:19,240 --> 00:05:21,560 Speaker 1: made today, I guess it'd be a podcaster who was 102 00:05:21,640 --> 00:05:24,599 Speaker 1: like broadcasting from a haunted house that he's trying to 103 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:28,440 Speaker 1: stay in all night. Yeah, I mean, it's it's kind 104 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:31,120 Speaker 1: of interesting how you look at these old radio shows 105 00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:33,440 Speaker 1: and you see similar efforts to kind of do the 106 00:05:33,480 --> 00:05:35,920 Speaker 1: same thing, to reinvent the same thing in the podcast 107 00:05:35,960 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 1: Realm Today. Um. And then of course I think British listeners, 108 00:05:40,560 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 1: people who have listened to British radio would easily chime 109 00:05:43,360 --> 00:05:45,360 Speaker 1: in and say, well, yeah, we've been listening to to 110 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:49,560 Speaker 1: uh to audio narrations auto audio versions of various works 111 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:53,760 Speaker 1: for years. I mean, they're uh, I'm I'm reminded, especially 112 00:05:53,920 --> 00:05:58,960 Speaker 1: of the precursors to certain television shows that came out, 113 00:05:59,000 --> 00:06:01,240 Speaker 1: like I know, there's you know or who audio dramas, 114 00:06:01,320 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 1: and I think there was like a hobbit audio drama 115 00:06:05,120 --> 00:06:08,040 Speaker 1: stuff like that. But but also, but before you got 116 00:06:08,120 --> 00:06:10,800 Speaker 1: the TV show The Mighty Bush, the Mighty Bousch was 117 00:06:10,800 --> 00:06:15,720 Speaker 1: a radio program. Before Chris Morris put out his excellent 118 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:20,280 Speaker 1: dark comedy Jam. He put out Blue Jam, which is uh, 119 00:06:20,320 --> 00:06:25,680 Speaker 1: this kind of ambient electronic music slash dark comedy mash 120 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 1: up that works really well. And there are other examples 121 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:32,040 Speaker 1: of that kind of thing is that you can find too. Huh. Okay, well, 122 00:06:32,040 --> 00:06:34,240 Speaker 1: I can't promise anything, but Nathan, I think this is 123 00:06:34,279 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 1: a great idea. Rob and I will have to mull 124 00:06:36,080 --> 00:06:38,599 Speaker 1: it over and uh and see what we think come October. 125 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:46,159 Speaker 1: All right, here's another bit of alchemy. A listener mail 126 00:06:46,279 --> 00:06:49,440 Speaker 1: David writes in and responding to our discussion of the 127 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:53,720 Speaker 1: dissolver of Worlds, brings up the topic of black holes. Quote. 128 00:06:53,880 --> 00:06:56,320 Speaker 1: If you mix anything with a black hole, it'll break 129 00:06:56,360 --> 00:06:59,599 Speaker 1: everything down to the most elemental components, and eventually you 130 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:03,800 Speaker 1: will only have pure energy leftover Hawking radiation. Hear me 131 00:07:03,839 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 1: out if I try to imagine how a universal solvent 132 00:07:06,440 --> 00:07:09,159 Speaker 1: would work and what a jar of black holes would 133 00:07:09,200 --> 00:07:12,040 Speaker 1: look like to me, at least they seem like they 134 00:07:12,040 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 1: would both be identical. Black holes would reduce everything is mentioned, 135 00:07:15,760 --> 00:07:19,200 Speaker 1: but also gravity would cause it to eat through any 136 00:07:19,280 --> 00:07:22,160 Speaker 1: kind of jar and fall to the ground, where there 137 00:07:22,200 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 1: would just be a hole going through the earth until 138 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:29,000 Speaker 1: the black hole and Earth find a gravitational equilibrium, and 139 00:07:29,080 --> 00:07:31,800 Speaker 1: anything unfortunate to mix with the black hole would further 140 00:07:31,840 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 1: be reduced. Always enjoy your insight and helping me think 141 00:07:34,800 --> 00:07:38,080 Speaker 1: of things. Differently and making new connections to David actually 142 00:07:38,160 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 1: thought while we were recording this episode about like what 143 00:07:41,160 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: would be the closest thing to the idea of the 144 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 1: universal solvent, And maybe you could say that a black 145 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 1: hole is a kind of universal solvent. So David's on 146 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:51,960 Speaker 1: the same frequency here, but I'm not sure. Actually, uh, 147 00:07:52,560 --> 00:07:55,720 Speaker 1: it'd be interested for you know, listeners with physics knowledge 148 00:07:55,760 --> 00:07:57,760 Speaker 1: to write in about this. I'm not sure that if 149 00:07:57,800 --> 00:07:59,960 Speaker 1: you had a tiny, tiny black hole in a jar, 150 00:08:00,160 --> 00:08:02,880 Speaker 1: that it would actually eat through the jar, because I 151 00:08:02,920 --> 00:08:07,480 Speaker 1: recall reading some coverage of um people having concerns that 152 00:08:07,600 --> 00:08:11,840 Speaker 1: the large Hadron collider at CERN would create tiny black 153 00:08:11,880 --> 00:08:14,239 Speaker 1: holes and that these would just sort of turn into 154 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:16,680 Speaker 1: that universal acid they would eat up the whole world, 155 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:19,120 Speaker 1: and the response to that being that no, actually, if 156 00:08:19,120 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 1: you work out the physics on the creation of a 157 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:23,760 Speaker 1: microscopic black hole, that what it tends to do is 158 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:26,840 Speaker 1: actually just like dissipate. I don't know that for sure, 159 00:08:26,840 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 1: but I've read stuff along those lines, so maybe we 160 00:08:28,800 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 1: can revisit that in the future. All right. The next 161 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:39,640 Speaker 1: bit of listener mail is in response to the first 162 00:08:39,880 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 1: of our Star Wars Alien Necropsy episodes, but as we're 163 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:47,280 Speaker 1: recording this listener mail episode, only the first one of 164 00:08:47,320 --> 00:08:49,439 Speaker 1: those has aired, right, so I'm sure we've got a 165 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 1: lot more alien stuff coming in. All right, This comes 166 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:55,040 Speaker 1: from Nick. Nick says, Hi, guys, I love your most 167 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 1: recent podcast on the alien morphology seen in the Star 168 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:01,200 Speaker 1: Wars movies and franchises. When you were both talking about 169 00:09:01,440 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 1: space faring organisms and how they could possibly evolve in 170 00:09:05,040 --> 00:09:07,760 Speaker 1: the vacuum of space, it got me thinking what if 171 00:09:07,760 --> 00:09:11,840 Speaker 1: amino acids could be collected in places called lagrange points, 172 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:15,800 Speaker 1: or points where the gravitational pull between two bodies allows 173 00:09:15,840 --> 00:09:19,000 Speaker 1: for objects to remain in place. In fact, the Sun 174 00:09:19,040 --> 00:09:21,719 Speaker 1: and Earth have five different lagrange points that are used 175 00:09:21,760 --> 00:09:25,480 Speaker 1: for satellites to remain put while using very little fuel. 176 00:09:25,880 --> 00:09:28,680 Speaker 1: In theory, these areas would be present throughout the galaxy 177 00:09:28,720 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 1: and could act as a collector of amino acids and 178 00:09:31,400 --> 00:09:35,640 Speaker 1: eventually become a nursery for space faring organisms. Additionally, it 179 00:09:35,679 --> 00:09:38,080 Speaker 1: could be theorized that dark matter could also have the 180 00:09:38,120 --> 00:09:40,360 Speaker 1: same effect, as we know that dark matter has a 181 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:44,040 Speaker 1: gravitational pull, but since we don't know what comprises dark matter, 182 00:09:44,160 --> 00:09:46,240 Speaker 1: may or may not be suitable for life forms to 183 00:09:46,280 --> 00:09:49,200 Speaker 1: live in just a thought. Thanks for the great podcast, 184 00:09:49,240 --> 00:09:53,120 Speaker 1: and I look forward to hearing more episodes. Nick. Well, Nick, 185 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:55,000 Speaker 1: I'm not sure if what you say is viable or not, 186 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:57,319 Speaker 1: but I like the idea of stuff just collecting in 187 00:09:57,360 --> 00:10:00,120 Speaker 1: the lagrange points, kind of like in the Sargasso Sea, right, 188 00:10:00,160 --> 00:10:02,240 Speaker 1: there's currents all around it and things just kind of 189 00:10:02,360 --> 00:10:06,680 Speaker 1: drift into that still point in the middle. Yeah. Absolutely, 190 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:12,480 Speaker 1: And speaking of sargasm the Weed of Deceit, we also 191 00:10:12,600 --> 00:10:14,840 Speaker 1: heard from Jenna, who wrote writes in and says, while 192 00:10:14,840 --> 00:10:18,320 Speaker 1: listening to your Sargasm C episode, I was reminded that 193 00:10:18,440 --> 00:10:21,760 Speaker 1: z frank did a true facts video on frog Fish. 194 00:10:22,080 --> 00:10:24,720 Speaker 1: If you haven't already seen it, you should. It's delightful. 195 00:10:24,960 --> 00:10:27,719 Speaker 1: Here's the link, um, Yeah, and then the link is 196 00:10:27,760 --> 00:10:31,839 Speaker 1: to one of these z franc Um YouTube videos, which 197 00:10:31,840 --> 00:10:33,319 Speaker 1: I imagine a lot of you have seen. These are 198 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:37,720 Speaker 1: these are like documentary footage, but with somebody else, uh 199 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:41,280 Speaker 1: putting in this uh, this over the top narration, and 200 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 1: I think usually there's some some real facts in there, 201 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:47,520 Speaker 1: but also a bunch of comedic facts. Yeah, it's it's 202 00:10:47,559 --> 00:10:52,559 Speaker 1: basically comedy narration over over nature documentary footage. I mean, 203 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:54,880 Speaker 1: in the same kind of vein. It's a different person 204 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:56,480 Speaker 1: doing it, but the same kind of vein is the 205 00:10:56,600 --> 00:11:01,559 Speaker 1: much UH celebrated honey Badger viral video years ago. UH. 206 00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:04,400 Speaker 1: And in this case, it's talking about frog fish and 207 00:11:04,760 --> 00:11:08,080 Speaker 1: at one point brings up the sargassum frog fish. Uh. 208 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 1: The narrator, I guess this is the Z Frank guy. 209 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:12,800 Speaker 1: I was not familiar with this channel before, but I've 210 00:11:12,800 --> 00:11:15,439 Speaker 1: seen videos like this, and he points out that they 211 00:11:15,480 --> 00:11:17,480 Speaker 1: eat each other, and he says, it's kind of a 212 00:11:17,520 --> 00:11:20,000 Speaker 1: crappy life because they hang out in this seaweed that 213 00:11:20,080 --> 00:11:21,839 Speaker 1: they look like, and so it's kind of like if 214 00:11:21,920 --> 00:11:26,439 Speaker 1: lions looked like couches, like that analogy. But one thing 215 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:29,240 Speaker 1: I noticed is that the narrator doesn't just make comedy points. 216 00:11:29,240 --> 00:11:31,120 Speaker 1: A lot of what he does is he's just talking 217 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:33,640 Speaker 1: about a fish and then suddenly the fish will like 218 00:11:33,760 --> 00:11:36,320 Speaker 1: bite another thing's head off, and he'll just start laughing. 219 00:11:38,160 --> 00:11:40,920 Speaker 1: In a way. It's kind of reminiscent of the narration 220 00:11:40,960 --> 00:11:43,880 Speaker 1: we get at the beginning of that the blood water 221 00:11:43,920 --> 00:11:45,960 Speaker 1: is a doctor Z which of course we we discussed 222 00:11:46,120 --> 00:11:50,080 Speaker 1: uh around the same time on Weird House Cinema. Partially 223 00:11:50,120 --> 00:11:52,320 Speaker 1: related to this, I have to say that there's there's 224 00:11:52,320 --> 00:11:55,600 Speaker 1: a wonderful video that I've watched way too many times 225 00:11:56,360 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 1: where it's it's footage from a documentary. Here he's hosted 226 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:04,520 Speaker 1: by Brian Cox, not the the actor, but the the 227 00:12:04,520 --> 00:12:09,440 Speaker 1: the astrophysicist, wonderful science communicator. Uh, taking nothing away from him, 228 00:12:09,480 --> 00:12:12,440 Speaker 1: but in this video someone has dubbed over it doing 229 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 1: a Brian Cox impersonation, and it's hilarious because he's because 230 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:18,960 Speaker 1: he's saying stuff like you might think this is Earth, 231 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:22,320 Speaker 1: but it's not, it's Mars or something something that effect 232 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:26,480 Speaker 1: is just like way out there, um, astounding. So I 233 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:29,040 Speaker 1: don't know. So sometimes these sorts of gimmicks can work 234 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:36,520 Speaker 1: really well. All right, let's let's move on to a 235 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:39,920 Speaker 1: little Weird House Cinema listener mail while we're at it. 236 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:42,560 Speaker 1: Sounds great. Let's see do you want to take this 237 00:12:42,600 --> 00:12:45,160 Speaker 1: one from Katie or should I? Um? I I can 238 00:12:45,160 --> 00:12:48,920 Speaker 1: take this one, so Katie writes, Hi, Rob and Joe, 239 00:12:49,080 --> 00:12:51,560 Speaker 1: I love your show, and Weird House Cinema just makes 240 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:54,560 Speaker 1: it even better. I'm actually listening to an episode right now. 241 00:12:54,960 --> 00:12:57,719 Speaker 1: I know you mostly do adult movies um and she 242 00:12:57,840 --> 00:13:01,000 Speaker 1: means movies for grown ups. There um or green movies, 243 00:13:01,040 --> 00:13:06,080 Speaker 1: not especially game films, not not especially aimed at children. Um. 244 00:13:06,080 --> 00:13:08,640 Speaker 1: But she continues, but you did do the e Walk 245 00:13:08,720 --> 00:13:10,839 Speaker 1: movies once, which I loved, so I thought I might 246 00:13:10,880 --> 00:13:13,439 Speaker 1: suggest two movies for younger viewers that you may or 247 00:13:13,480 --> 00:13:16,760 Speaker 1: may not be familiar with. The first, and probably the 248 00:13:16,800 --> 00:13:20,080 Speaker 1: stranger of the two, is The five Thousand Fingers of 249 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:23,679 Speaker 1: Dr t NTE, which I believe has something to do 250 00:13:23,760 --> 00:13:26,640 Speaker 1: with Dr Seuss. And uh, and she is correct on this. 251 00:13:26,640 --> 00:13:28,280 Speaker 1: This was a Doctor SEUs was involved in this. I 252 00:13:28,280 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 1: think it would ended up being not not a project 253 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:33,559 Speaker 1: that that anyone involved in it was particularly happy with. 254 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:36,400 Speaker 1: But this did come up in my research about like 255 00:13:36,440 --> 00:13:40,680 Speaker 1: weird films from previous decades. Anyway, Uh, they I haven't 256 00:13:40,720 --> 00:13:43,959 Speaker 1: seen it, but our our listener has, and they continue quote. 257 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:46,360 Speaker 1: I remember watching this a number of times with my 258 00:13:46,400 --> 00:13:48,520 Speaker 1: best friend as a kid and loving it, even though 259 00:13:48,559 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 1: it is very strange and at times a little scary. 260 00:13:51,080 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 1: At some point in college I found a DVD copy 261 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 1: and so have seen it at least once as an adult, 262 00:13:56,240 --> 00:13:58,440 Speaker 1: but that was years ago. I keep meaning to show 263 00:13:58,480 --> 00:14:00,600 Speaker 1: it to my kids, but I haven't had a chance yet. 264 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:04,160 Speaker 1: It's about a boy who is resisting his piano lessons, 265 00:14:04,200 --> 00:14:06,880 Speaker 1: and somehow, maybe through a dream, gets taken to a 266 00:14:06,920 --> 00:14:11,360 Speaker 1: strange world or castle run by Dr to Willaker as 267 00:14:11,400 --> 00:14:15,440 Speaker 1: a prisoner. There are many other children being forced to 268 00:14:15,520 --> 00:14:19,240 Speaker 1: play the piano there, and then he has to escape. 269 00:14:19,480 --> 00:14:21,840 Speaker 1: This may not be exactly right, but it's as much 270 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:24,480 Speaker 1: as I can remember. Plot wise, this sounds similar to 271 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:26,880 Speaker 1: a goose Bumps book that I recall when they're one 272 00:14:26,920 --> 00:14:30,280 Speaker 1: about a sinister piano teacher. Well, you know, certainly the 273 00:14:30,920 --> 00:14:33,280 Speaker 1: way that we we think of our piano teachers sometimes 274 00:14:33,360 --> 00:14:36,600 Speaker 1: can can can lean towards the villainus, so it makes 275 00:14:36,600 --> 00:14:41,000 Speaker 1: sense anyway. They continue the second movie, The Return to Oz, 276 00:14:42,480 --> 00:14:44,760 Speaker 1: maybe a little two main stream, but I love it 277 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:47,400 Speaker 1: still today and it is definitely a little strange. It 278 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:49,400 Speaker 1: is sort of a mash up of the Next to 279 00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:52,400 Speaker 1: Oz books and has some delightful new characters and several 280 00:14:52,480 --> 00:14:56,360 Speaker 1: genuinely creepy moments, including an old time asylum and a 281 00:14:56,360 --> 00:14:58,840 Speaker 1: witch who takes off her head. I have shared this 282 00:14:58,880 --> 00:15:00,840 Speaker 1: with my kids as well. It was a sixth grade 283 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 1: class I taught years ago. Although at times they were 284 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:06,600 Speaker 1: a little worried, they were hooked. Anyway, Thank you so 285 00:15:06,760 --> 00:15:09,600 Speaker 1: much for all the wonderful listening. I don't have much 286 00:15:09,680 --> 00:15:12,080 Speaker 1: time right now to watch movies, so weird how cinema 287 00:15:12,200 --> 00:15:15,760 Speaker 1: is my portal into the strange b movie world. Thanks Katie. 288 00:15:16,720 --> 00:15:19,200 Speaker 1: Uh So, I've never seen all of Return to Oz, 289 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 1: but this is one that people have told me multiple 290 00:15:21,560 --> 00:15:23,760 Speaker 1: times I should watch and that they thought I would love. 291 00:15:23,800 --> 00:15:26,680 Speaker 1: And so I've seen some clips from it. I recall 292 00:15:26,720 --> 00:15:30,240 Speaker 1: it has some creepy pumpkinheads in it. Uh oh yeah, 293 00:15:30,240 --> 00:15:35,160 Speaker 1: people with wheels skates for hands. It's uh. I think 294 00:15:35,240 --> 00:15:37,200 Speaker 1: I saw it when I was younger, and it does 295 00:15:37,280 --> 00:15:40,840 Speaker 1: have a lot of weird stuff in it, and um uh, 296 00:15:40,880 --> 00:15:43,120 Speaker 1: you know it's and it's got It's got a pretty 297 00:15:43,120 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 1: decent cast too. It's got some interesting connections there. So 298 00:15:46,320 --> 00:15:50,120 Speaker 1: Dorothy played by Ferusa Bulk it is yep, and uh, 299 00:15:50,800 --> 00:15:52,680 Speaker 1: let's see who else is that. Gene marsh is in it. 300 00:15:52,960 --> 00:15:58,360 Speaker 1: Um uh. Brian Henson does a voice, so it's it's interesting. 301 00:15:59,080 --> 00:16:02,160 Speaker 1: It might be the sort of film to consider. Is 302 00:16:02,200 --> 00:16:05,080 Speaker 1: it in two mainstream? I don't know. We've we sometimes 303 00:16:05,120 --> 00:16:07,720 Speaker 1: asked that question about things we're considering for Weird House, 304 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:11,560 Speaker 1: because we don't have a firm definition of what exactly 305 00:16:11,640 --> 00:16:14,400 Speaker 1: a weird house cinema selection is I know there's at 306 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:17,960 Speaker 1: least one very mainstream children's movie that I have I've 307 00:16:17,960 --> 00:16:21,280 Speaker 1: been kicking around the idea of doing, but I haven't 308 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:23,760 Speaker 1: quite pulled the trigger on yet. I'd say the criteria 309 00:16:23,840 --> 00:16:26,480 Speaker 1: for weird house inclusion or not super solid. I mean, 310 00:16:26,640 --> 00:16:29,840 Speaker 1: we don't have hard boundaries, but but yeah, well, I 311 00:16:29,880 --> 00:16:32,320 Speaker 1: guess we do tend to the more obscure. But you know, 312 00:16:32,360 --> 00:16:34,320 Speaker 1: I don't know. We did a Star Wars movie. I 313 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:37,360 Speaker 1: mean it was He Walks, but that's about as mainstream 314 00:16:37,360 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 1: as you can get. True true. All right, So this 315 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:51,480 Speaker 1: next message came to us from James. This is a 316 00:16:51,640 --> 00:16:55,680 Speaker 1: follow up email he I think wrote in the last 317 00:16:55,760 --> 00:16:57,960 Speaker 1: Listener Mail episode. It was the one where he told 318 00:16:58,040 --> 00:17:02,120 Speaker 1: us about all those turbographics sixteen names, including the racing RPG, 319 00:17:02,360 --> 00:17:05,119 Speaker 1: which is still just that was just clanging around in 320 00:17:05,200 --> 00:17:07,960 Speaker 1: my head like a big copper kettle. Uh that that 321 00:17:08,040 --> 00:17:10,159 Speaker 1: you would like go to different towns and talk to 322 00:17:10,240 --> 00:17:13,200 Speaker 1: people and like talking I don't know, have a random 323 00:17:13,280 --> 00:17:16,600 Speaker 1: encounters for racing. That just sounds amazing. But anyway, he 324 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:19,000 Speaker 1: also said he was seeking out a copy of Frogs 325 00:17:19,160 --> 00:17:21,199 Speaker 1: or I think maybe he'd already gotten one, and so 326 00:17:21,240 --> 00:17:23,840 Speaker 1: he writes again. James says, Wow, thanks so much for 327 00:17:23,880 --> 00:17:26,560 Speaker 1: reading my letter in the latest Listener mail segment. That 328 00:17:26,680 --> 00:17:29,280 Speaker 1: totally made my day, and I look forward to showing 329 00:17:29,320 --> 00:17:31,320 Speaker 1: it off to my brother, who shares most of the 330 00:17:31,359 --> 00:17:34,360 Speaker 1: same memories. I think he's talking about the terbographic sixteen. 331 00:17:34,920 --> 00:17:38,760 Speaker 1: James says, I just finished watching Frogs last night. Between 332 00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:41,879 Speaker 1: the shots attempting to make geckos appear menacing and the 333 00:17:41,920 --> 00:17:45,359 Speaker 1: horrific acting, it elicited plenty of laughter and was well 334 00:17:45,359 --> 00:17:48,359 Speaker 1: worth the four dollar eBay purchase. I'm glad you brought 335 00:17:48,400 --> 00:17:51,359 Speaker 1: this odd little Jim to my attention. And then James 336 00:17:51,400 --> 00:17:55,000 Speaker 1: attaches a photo I suppose of his copy of Frogs 337 00:17:55,000 --> 00:17:57,200 Speaker 1: sitting on a table. I guess this is in his house, 338 00:17:57,480 --> 00:18:00,280 Speaker 1: but it's next to a gecko that I can tell 339 00:18:00,320 --> 00:18:02,680 Speaker 1: if that's like a plastic fake gecko or a real 340 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:04,800 Speaker 1: that looks real that looks like a real gecko. Uh. 341 00:18:04,920 --> 00:18:07,040 Speaker 1: And then behind the gecko, yeah, I guess this looks 342 00:18:07,040 --> 00:18:09,560 Speaker 1: like a gecko habitat sort of. There's like a place 343 00:18:09,600 --> 00:18:12,439 Speaker 1: with like a water bowl and things be strange if 344 00:18:12,440 --> 00:18:15,320 Speaker 1: that was fake. And then behind it there's a bunch 345 00:18:15,320 --> 00:18:17,760 Speaker 1: of art, and one of the pieces of art has 346 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:21,920 Speaker 1: this like cool looking gecko with sunglasses. Is this GEX 347 00:18:22,119 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 1: from those Gets video games? You remember these things? I 348 00:18:24,880 --> 00:18:26,960 Speaker 1: don't know. It looks like it's a Frogger poster based 349 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:30,520 Speaker 1: on the term above it, so maybe it was like 350 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:35,680 Speaker 1: a latter day Frogger video game poster. I'm I'm almost 351 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:38,159 Speaker 1: certain this character here is GEX. I mean, you should 352 00:18:38,160 --> 00:18:40,520 Speaker 1: google Gets if you don't. I don't. I never play 353 00:18:40,600 --> 00:18:42,639 Speaker 1: these games myself, but somehow I knew about them, and 354 00:18:42,680 --> 00:18:46,720 Speaker 1: maybe friends I knew had them. GEX is a lizard 355 00:18:47,560 --> 00:18:51,119 Speaker 1: game adventure hero who like makes wise cracks about TV. 356 00:18:51,440 --> 00:18:55,520 Speaker 1: He's like a stand up comedian geck action hero, and 357 00:18:55,640 --> 00:18:58,199 Speaker 1: it looks a little Pucci. Yeah, yeah, yeah, very Pucci. 358 00:18:58,280 --> 00:19:02,639 Speaker 1: Actually he's got sunglasses and they definitely pouchified him by 359 00:19:02,680 --> 00:19:05,440 Speaker 1: ten percent. So he'll jump on a big mushroom or 360 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:08,359 Speaker 1: something and then say, this reminds me of when the 361 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:11,200 Speaker 1: fawns jumped over the shark or I don't know, I 362 00:19:11,280 --> 00:19:12,920 Speaker 1: just made that up, but he he like, he makes 363 00:19:13,000 --> 00:19:15,280 Speaker 1: jokes about pop culture in a video game, which I 364 00:19:15,320 --> 00:19:18,720 Speaker 1: think was innovative at the time. Okay, yeah, I'm not 365 00:19:18,720 --> 00:19:20,879 Speaker 1: not really familiar with him. But but speaking of Frogs, 366 00:19:20,880 --> 00:19:24,400 Speaker 1: you know who else like the Frog's episode? My mom? Yeah, 367 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:26,560 Speaker 1: I think she can really. Yeah, she tends to skip 368 00:19:26,560 --> 00:19:28,480 Speaker 1: the Weird House sent in the episodes, but she was 369 00:19:28,480 --> 00:19:30,240 Speaker 1: telling me it's like I saw the Frogs one and 370 00:19:30,240 --> 00:19:33,199 Speaker 1: I saw that had Sam Elliott discussed in it. So 371 00:19:33,240 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 1: I listened to it and it was a lot of fun. 372 00:19:35,000 --> 00:19:37,720 Speaker 1: So who doesn't like Sam Elliott? Yeah, she has not 373 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:39,879 Speaker 1: seen the movie, but she expressed an interest in seeing 374 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:43,639 Speaker 1: it after having listened to the episode, So there you go. 375 00:19:44,119 --> 00:19:46,320 Speaker 1: I briefly brought up the idea of my wife that 376 00:19:46,359 --> 00:19:48,600 Speaker 1: maybe I could give a copy of Frogs to my 377 00:19:48,680 --> 00:19:52,960 Speaker 1: mom for Mother's Day, but that was shot down. Apparently 378 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:56,280 Speaker 1: that's not Mother's Day material that that particular movie. I 379 00:19:56,320 --> 00:20:03,239 Speaker 1: guess not. Hey, do you mind if I do this? 380 00:20:03,280 --> 00:20:06,359 Speaker 1: Next message also about Weird House Cinema from Mike. Here 381 00:20:06,640 --> 00:20:09,760 Speaker 1: go for it, alright, So let's see. Mike writes in 382 00:20:09,840 --> 00:20:12,040 Speaker 1: to say he he enjoyed our Weird House Cinema on 383 00:20:12,160 --> 00:20:16,200 Speaker 1: silent movies, and he talks about appreciating that we discussed 384 00:20:16,200 --> 00:20:19,200 Speaker 1: the importance of live music to accompany silent films back 385 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:22,119 Speaker 1: in the original time. Like. He shares a story of 386 00:20:22,119 --> 00:20:24,119 Speaker 1: when he was in college, he went to see the 387 00:20:24,160 --> 00:20:28,040 Speaker 1: movie Intolerance from nineteen sixteen and says it was It 388 00:20:28,080 --> 00:20:30,439 Speaker 1: was accompanied by piano, and he says it was a 389 00:20:30,480 --> 00:20:33,200 Speaker 1: lovely experience. He says the pianist was like a conduit 390 00:20:33,240 --> 00:20:36,120 Speaker 1: between the audience and the film part of and separate 391 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 1: from both simultaneously. But then he shares a personally anecdote, 392 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:42,719 Speaker 1: I wanted to read this part. Sometime after the showing 393 00:20:42,760 --> 00:20:45,959 Speaker 1: slash performance of Intolerance. I mentioned it to my grandmother 394 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:48,400 Speaker 1: and was treated to a story that I hold dear. 395 00:20:48,840 --> 00:20:51,920 Speaker 1: As a young woman in Rochester, New Hampshire, she played 396 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:55,320 Speaker 1: the piano for silent movies at the local theater. As 397 00:20:55,359 --> 00:20:58,720 Speaker 1: she accompanied a film one night, her attention drifted. She 398 00:20:58,880 --> 00:21:01,880 Speaker 1: was surprised when the audience started to laugh. No one 399 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:04,520 Speaker 1: had laughed at that film before. After a moment, she 400 00:21:04,600 --> 00:21:07,320 Speaker 1: realized that everyone was laughing because she was playing a 401 00:21:07,440 --> 00:21:11,280 Speaker 1: jaunty polka during a somber funeral scene. Never wanted to 402 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:13,760 Speaker 1: mind what people thought about her, she kept on playing, 403 00:21:13,840 --> 00:21:16,640 Speaker 1: bringing it back to a more appropriate tune. I love 404 00:21:16,720 --> 00:21:19,760 Speaker 1: this story because it captures both my grandmother's personality and 405 00:21:19,800 --> 00:21:23,160 Speaker 1: a particular movie going experience specific to the Silent Era. 406 00:21:23,520 --> 00:21:27,800 Speaker 1: Thanks for all you do, Mike. I've never considered this before, 407 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:29,959 Speaker 1: that you just have like a like a like a 408 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:33,359 Speaker 1: pianist improvising. I guess I always assumed they'd be playing 409 00:21:33,440 --> 00:21:36,600 Speaker 1: from sheet music that was timed to accompany the music, right, 410 00:21:36,640 --> 00:21:38,919 Speaker 1: But if they're improvising, yeah, who knows what they're going 411 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:40,959 Speaker 1: to make the movie feel like? Yeah? Or if there 412 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:44,280 Speaker 1: was some mix up with the sheet music, perhaps because 413 00:21:44,280 --> 00:21:46,360 Speaker 1: you could you could imagine a scenario where you had 414 00:21:46,359 --> 00:21:48,879 Speaker 1: the sheet music for a different film and it might 415 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:52,280 Speaker 1: and everything might line up well enough for a while 416 00:21:52,880 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 1: until you get to that section where you are playing 417 00:21:55,520 --> 00:22:03,719 Speaker 1: polka music over a funeral. Yeah, that's rough, Mike. Al Right, 418 00:22:03,760 --> 00:22:05,720 Speaker 1: here's another. Um. I guess this is kind of I 419 00:22:05,760 --> 00:22:07,480 Speaker 1: don't know if this is weird house related or just 420 00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:11,119 Speaker 1: movie related, but this one comes to us from Tom, Hi, Robert, 421 00:22:11,119 --> 00:22:14,200 Speaker 1: and Joe. I just finished listening to listener mail Fire 422 00:22:14,240 --> 00:22:17,600 Speaker 1: of Unknown Origins. The question came up, why does Sean 423 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:20,800 Speaker 1: Connery's character in Highlander have a Scottish accent? My take 424 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:26,120 Speaker 1: is Sean Connery's character probably learned English in Scotland if 425 00:22:26,160 --> 00:22:28,720 Speaker 1: he was from Egypt. He had to learn English somewhere else. 426 00:22:29,160 --> 00:22:31,879 Speaker 1: I love the podcast. I'm a field service engineer and 427 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 1: do a lot of windshield time. Your podcast keeps me 428 00:22:34,359 --> 00:22:38,480 Speaker 1: entertained and also educates me. So time well spent. Thanks again, Tom, 429 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:41,000 Speaker 1: And yes, Tom, this is a solid theory. I mean 430 00:22:41,720 --> 00:22:44,640 Speaker 1: why not. Yeah, Well, so I've I've got I've got 431 00:22:44,640 --> 00:22:47,280 Speaker 1: a counter theory though. I do think this is an 432 00:22:47,280 --> 00:22:50,199 Speaker 1: interesting possibility, and I appreciate you sharing it, Tom. But 433 00:22:50,280 --> 00:22:53,919 Speaker 1: one complication is that a language is not just built 434 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:57,000 Speaker 1: out of words, but actually built out of phonetic building 435 00:22:57,040 --> 00:22:59,679 Speaker 1: blocks that are the sub parts of words. You know 436 00:22:59,760 --> 00:23:02,399 Speaker 1: that the individual sounds you make with your mouth to 437 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:05,720 Speaker 1: make a word, and different languages build words out of 438 00:23:05,760 --> 00:23:09,680 Speaker 1: different sets of phonemes like the individual letter sounds. Often 439 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:12,399 Speaker 1: the differences are subtle enough that when we're used to 440 00:23:12,520 --> 00:23:15,359 Speaker 1: one language and we learn a new one, we build 441 00:23:15,440 --> 00:23:17,399 Speaker 1: the words of the new language not out of the 442 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:20,399 Speaker 1: same phonemes as a native speaker, but out of the 443 00:23:20,480 --> 00:23:24,160 Speaker 1: nearest approximation of those phonemes from our own native language. 444 00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:25,800 Speaker 1: So if you're an English speaker and you're trying to 445 00:23:25,880 --> 00:23:28,240 Speaker 1: learn French, I think a lot of times. At first, 446 00:23:28,520 --> 00:23:31,800 Speaker 1: you're you're going to be building the sounds. You're like 447 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:38,280 Speaker 1: approximating the sounds of French words based on English phonemes. 448 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:42,800 Speaker 1: So you're saying that Sean Connery's character and Highlander Ramiers 449 00:23:43,320 --> 00:23:46,720 Speaker 1: would not be speaking English with a Scottish accent. He 450 00:23:46,760 --> 00:23:51,400 Speaker 1: would be speeda king English with an ancient Egyptian accent. Well, 451 00:23:51,400 --> 00:23:53,520 Speaker 1: maybe not accent, but like, I don't know. I mean, 452 00:23:53,520 --> 00:23:56,679 Speaker 1: I guess if you're immersed long enough, then maybe because 453 00:23:56,920 --> 00:23:58,719 Speaker 1: I'm sure he's had plenty of time to get immersed, 454 00:23:58,760 --> 00:24:01,760 Speaker 1: maybe then you really do incorporate like the full range 455 00:24:01,760 --> 00:24:04,959 Speaker 1: of phonemes that a native speaker if that language, would use, 456 00:24:05,000 --> 00:24:07,920 Speaker 1: and then yeah, the accent is fully there. Uh So, 457 00:24:07,960 --> 00:24:09,880 Speaker 1: I guess it would depend on how long he's been 458 00:24:09,920 --> 00:24:13,359 Speaker 1: speaking English. You know. One thing that it makes me 459 00:24:13,440 --> 00:24:15,280 Speaker 1: wonder about, and I've probably wondered about this in the 460 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:19,000 Speaker 1: show so before, so apologies, but what is the nero 461 00:24:19,119 --> 00:24:22,639 Speaker 1: plasticity of an immortal in the Highlander world? You know, 462 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:26,399 Speaker 1: because on one level, their bodies don't really change, and 463 00:24:26,440 --> 00:24:29,679 Speaker 1: if and if they suffer injury like something, I don't know, 464 00:24:29,720 --> 00:24:32,080 Speaker 1: sometimes it seems like they heal sometimes maybe not, but 465 00:24:32,240 --> 00:24:34,119 Speaker 1: for the most part, you know, they have stayed the 466 00:24:34,160 --> 00:24:37,320 Speaker 1: same across the centuries. Yet, on the on the other hand, 467 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:39,720 Speaker 1: and yeah, and certainly I guess maybe they hold onto 468 00:24:39,760 --> 00:24:42,680 Speaker 1: old ideas like the Kuragan doesn't seem to have really evolved. 469 00:24:42,720 --> 00:24:44,560 Speaker 1: He hasn't really evolved that much when it comes to 470 00:24:44,640 --> 00:24:48,600 Speaker 1: his you know, his moral philosophy or anything. Uh. But 471 00:24:48,760 --> 00:24:51,680 Speaker 1: on the other hand, in order to survive across the centuries, 472 00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:54,680 Speaker 1: you would have to have a certain amount of neuroplasticity. 473 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:56,639 Speaker 1: You would have to you know, you'd have to be 474 00:24:56,720 --> 00:25:00,359 Speaker 1: able and willing to make drastic changes in your ability 475 00:25:00,400 --> 00:25:03,840 Speaker 1: to acquire new languages, new cultures, new technologies. Maybe what 476 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:08,280 Speaker 1: the quickening does is it undoes synaptic pruning so that 477 00:25:08,480 --> 00:25:11,320 Speaker 1: your brain is sort of reset to a childlike state 478 00:25:11,359 --> 00:25:14,560 Speaker 1: where you can have that incredibly protein neo plasticity you 479 00:25:14,600 --> 00:25:16,520 Speaker 1: see in a child's brain, where a child can just 480 00:25:16,560 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 1: acquire languages at a rate that's unimaginable to adults. Now, 481 00:25:21,320 --> 00:25:23,240 Speaker 1: this is the quickening that occurs when you be head 482 00:25:23,280 --> 00:25:25,679 Speaker 1: another immortal and will assume their power, or is this 483 00:25:25,760 --> 00:25:28,280 Speaker 1: the quickening thing where you're just running next to a horse. 484 00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:31,679 Speaker 1: I think it'd be the beheading, so you got you 485 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:34,880 Speaker 1: have to go behead another immortal every time you want 486 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:38,119 Speaker 1: to learn a new language, or actually be able to 487 00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:40,639 Speaker 1: pronounce all the dinosaur names if you haven't learned them before. 488 00:25:40,680 --> 00:25:44,440 Speaker 1: That kind of thing. Okay, makes sense. I like this theory. Yes, 489 00:25:45,200 --> 00:25:47,879 Speaker 1: all right. On that note, Carney, the mail body is 490 00:25:47,880 --> 00:25:50,159 Speaker 1: telling us that he has done. This is all the 491 00:25:50,240 --> 00:25:53,200 Speaker 1: listener mail for today. Of course, we still have other 492 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:56,000 Speaker 1: bits of listener mail we didn't have time to get to. Uh. 493 00:25:56,160 --> 00:25:58,880 Speaker 1: New listener mails coming in all the time, so keep 494 00:25:58,880 --> 00:26:00,800 Speaker 1: it coming. We read all of it, even if we 495 00:26:00,840 --> 00:26:03,359 Speaker 1: don't have a chance to read it all on the show. 496 00:26:04,160 --> 00:26:08,639 Speaker 1: We appreciate your your thoughts, your riffs, your suggestions for 497 00:26:08,640 --> 00:26:12,439 Speaker 1: the future, your you know, occasional corrections as needed, and 498 00:26:12,520 --> 00:26:15,800 Speaker 1: just in general, like your feedback, your experience with the 499 00:26:15,920 --> 00:26:18,760 Speaker 1: information that we're discussing. In the meantime, if you want 500 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:21,159 Speaker 1: to listen to other episodes of Stuff to Blow your 501 00:26:21,160 --> 00:26:23,720 Speaker 1: Mind Listener Mail, those come out on Monday, Core episodes 502 00:26:23,760 --> 00:26:27,119 Speaker 1: on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Weird how cent them on Fridays 503 00:26:27,160 --> 00:26:29,879 Speaker 1: and on the weekend. We have a little rerun for 504 00:26:29,920 --> 00:26:32,200 Speaker 1: you in the form of a vault episode. Huge thanks 505 00:26:32,240 --> 00:26:35,480 Speaker 1: as always to our excellent audio producer Seth Nicholas Johnson. 506 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:37,240 Speaker 1: If you would like to get in touch with us 507 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:40,040 Speaker 1: with feedback on this episode or any other, to suggest 508 00:26:40,040 --> 00:26:42,000 Speaker 1: a topic for the future, or just to say hello, 509 00:26:42,160 --> 00:26:44,880 Speaker 1: you can email us at contact that's Stuff to Blow 510 00:26:44,920 --> 00:26:54,359 Speaker 1: Your Mind dot com. Stuff to Blow Your Mind is 511 00:26:54,359 --> 00:26:57,119 Speaker 1: a production of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts my 512 00:26:57,119 --> 00:26:59,920 Speaker 1: heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, Apple podcast, 513 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:01,959 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.