1 00:00:04,160 --> 00:00:07,520 Speaker 1: Welcome to Aaron Menke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of 2 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio and Grimm and Mild. Our world is full of 3 00:00:14,560 --> 00:00:18,520 Speaker 1: the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, all 4 00:00:18,560 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: of these amazing tales right there on display, just waiting 5 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:28,920 Speaker 1: for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. 6 00:00:36,800 --> 00:00:40,400 Speaker 1: Ernst Johanna Schmidt was obsessed. Now. The subject of his 7 00:00:40,479 --> 00:00:44,280 Speaker 1: obsession was not particularly well understood by his friends and family, 8 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:47,720 Speaker 1: and Ernest thought that they could afford to be more understanding. 9 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:50,479 Speaker 1: After all, he was hardly the first person in history 10 00:00:50,479 --> 00:00:54,040 Speaker 1: to form this particular interest. The topic on his mind 11 00:00:54,240 --> 00:00:57,360 Speaker 1: had fascinated the likes of Aristotle and Pliny the Elder, 12 00:00:57,680 --> 00:01:01,640 Speaker 1: it stumped Freud, and captured the imagination of the ancient Egyptians. 13 00:01:02,000 --> 00:01:05,000 Speaker 1: And yet most people he encountered outside of work, they 14 00:01:05,080 --> 00:01:08,560 Speaker 1: just viewed it as well a little strange. You see, 15 00:01:08,640 --> 00:01:12,919 Speaker 1: Ernst was interested in eels. Specifically, he wanted to know how, where, 16 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:16,919 Speaker 1: and when they reproduced. This seemed innocuous as a question, 17 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:20,280 Speaker 1: but it had troubled scientists for centuries. That's because for 18 00:01:20,480 --> 00:01:23,000 Speaker 1: most of history, no one had ever caught a young 19 00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:27,240 Speaker 1: eel or witnessed eels mating. The slippery creatures seemed to 20 00:01:27,319 --> 00:01:32,680 Speaker 1: lack genitalia altogether, making sexual reproduction impossible. So then where 21 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:35,480 Speaker 1: did all the eels come from? Did they spring fully 22 00:01:35,520 --> 00:01:39,400 Speaker 1: formed from the entrails of the earth as Aristotle suggested, 23 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:42,679 Speaker 1: or was there something else going on? Part of the 24 00:01:42,720 --> 00:01:45,679 Speaker 1: mystery was solved in the eighteen seventies, when Ernst was 25 00:01:45,760 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: just a teenager. Scientists discovered that eels undergo several major 26 00:01:49,920 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 1: metamorphosies throughout their life. Think of a caterpillar and a butterfly, 27 00:01:54,080 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: or the face huggers and xenomorphs of the alien franchise 28 00:01:57,800 --> 00:02:00,720 Speaker 1: that different stages looked like completely different creatures, but they 29 00:02:00,720 --> 00:02:03,920 Speaker 1: were the same animal from different points in life. In 30 00:02:03,960 --> 00:02:06,760 Speaker 1: the case of the European eels, they hatch as larvae, 31 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 1: later transformed into small, translucent glass eels, and eventually become 32 00:02:11,160 --> 00:02:14,440 Speaker 1: the much larger yellow eels. It isn't until their final 33 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 1: silver stage that the eels develop sex organs and become 34 00:02:17,960 --> 00:02:21,600 Speaker 1: capable of mating. But here's the really strange parts and 35 00:02:21,639 --> 00:02:25,079 Speaker 1: the thing that interested Earnst the most. Just before European 36 00:02:25,080 --> 00:02:28,480 Speaker 1: eels mature into their final stage, they leave their homes 37 00:02:28,520 --> 00:02:32,320 Speaker 1: in rivers, lakes, and lagoons and disappear into the ocean. 38 00:02:32,720 --> 00:02:35,960 Speaker 1: Some will even travel thousands of miles across land or 39 00:02:36,120 --> 00:02:39,400 Speaker 1: straight up the walls of dams to reach saltwater. And 40 00:02:39,480 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 1: this explains my early scientists struggled with the eel question 41 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,600 Speaker 1: for so long. All the eels capable of mating were 42 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:49,399 Speaker 1: somewhere deep in the ocean where no humans would encounter them. 43 00:02:49,639 --> 00:02:52,920 Speaker 1: Where exactly they went to procreate was anyone's guests. But 44 00:02:53,120 --> 00:02:55,399 Speaker 1: Ernst was determined to put the mystery to bed once 45 00:02:55,480 --> 00:02:58,280 Speaker 1: and for all. Starting in nineteen oh four, he embarked 46 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: on several marine expeditions in the Mediterranean Sea and the 47 00:03:02,000 --> 00:03:05,360 Speaker 1: Northern Atlantic Ocean. He trawled the ocean floor in search 48 00:03:05,400 --> 00:03:08,840 Speaker 1: of larval eels and found that the older, larger specimens 49 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:11,639 Speaker 1: were always closest to the coast. They got smaller the 50 00:03:11,720 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 1: deeper into the ocean he went, and he soon realized 51 00:03:14,360 --> 00:03:17,519 Speaker 1: that the eels were leading him to a single origin point. 52 00:03:18,040 --> 00:03:20,799 Speaker 1: It took him over twenty years of searching, but through 53 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:23,639 Speaker 1: trial and error, Ernst finally found what he was looking for. 54 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:26,679 Speaker 1: A small section of the Atlantic Ocean known as the 55 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: Sargasso Sea turned out to be the origin point for 56 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:34,120 Speaker 1: all European and American eels in the world. Along the 57 00:03:34,160 --> 00:03:37,720 Speaker 1: way his understanding of the eel life cycle deepened, Ernst 58 00:03:37,800 --> 00:03:40,240 Speaker 1: learned that eels can live for over one hundred years, 59 00:03:40,440 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: and that's as they mature in gross sexual organs, their 60 00:03:43,320 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 1: stomachs dissolve. Their final swim can cover a distance of 61 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 1: six thousand miles, and during that time the eels survive 62 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:55,360 Speaker 1: off their existing fat reserves, slowly starving to death. Scientists 63 00:03:55,360 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: today believe that they die soon after mating, which makes 64 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:01,560 Speaker 1: sense with the lack of an opera's stomach. Strangely, the 65 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 1: new larval eels that hatch from their eggs swim back 66 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:07,000 Speaker 1: to the same parts of the world their parents came from. 67 00:04:07,240 --> 00:04:10,280 Speaker 1: How they know where to go is still a mystery. 68 00:04:10,400 --> 00:04:13,800 Speaker 1: So Ernest's discovery didn't answer every question, and it actually 69 00:04:13,880 --> 00:04:16,680 Speaker 1: created plenty of new ones. But the weirdest thing about 70 00:04:16,680 --> 00:04:20,480 Speaker 1: what he found might be this one unusual fact. That 71 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:22,839 Speaker 1: section of the ocean all the eels are coming from 72 00:04:23,360 --> 00:04:26,080 Speaker 1: it just so happens to be the center of the 73 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: Bermuda triangle. Some friendships withstand the test of time through 74 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:47,720 Speaker 1: life's ups and downs, and despite major differences, there are 75 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:51,440 Speaker 1: pairs whose bonds go down in history. Often these friendships 76 00:04:51,480 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 1: are born out of unexpected circumstances, and that's how our 77 00:04:55,040 --> 00:04:59,159 Speaker 1: story today begins. In eighteen fifty, a young woman named 78 00:04:59,160 --> 00:05:02,960 Speaker 1: Florence visited the city of Athens. As she roamed the Parthenon, 79 00:05:03,080 --> 00:05:06,080 Speaker 1: she noticed some boys bullying a young girl. They made 80 00:05:06,080 --> 00:05:09,039 Speaker 1: fun of her unusual appearance, but they didn't just call 81 00:05:09,080 --> 00:05:11,640 Speaker 1: her names. It seems that they were going to hurt her. 82 00:05:12,279 --> 00:05:15,240 Speaker 1: Florence hurried over to the scene and chewed the boys away. 83 00:05:15,680 --> 00:05:17,960 Speaker 1: As she dusted the girl off, she tried to figure 84 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 1: out who she was there with, and that's when she 85 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:23,240 Speaker 1: realized that this girl had no family and nowhere to live. 86 00:05:24,000 --> 00:05:27,120 Speaker 1: Florence wasn't the type to abandon someone in need. She 87 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:29,440 Speaker 1: was from a wealthy family and so she had plenty 88 00:05:29,480 --> 00:05:31,680 Speaker 1: to give. She decided to take the girl back to 89 00:05:31,720 --> 00:05:34,359 Speaker 1: her home country of Britain. The girl seemed happy to 90 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:37,080 Speaker 1: go with her, but there was more trouble on the horizon. 91 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:40,200 Speaker 1: They arrived back in Britain by ship, and the motion 92 00:05:40,440 --> 00:05:43,000 Speaker 1: terrified the little girl. To add to that, the ship 93 00:05:43,040 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 1: didn't carry any food that the girl could stomach. As 94 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:49,159 Speaker 1: the journey went on, she began to starve. Meanwhile, Florence 95 00:05:49,200 --> 00:05:51,840 Speaker 1: suffered from sea sickness, so she struggled to take care 96 00:05:51,880 --> 00:05:54,360 Speaker 1: of the girl herself, and because others on the ship 97 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:57,120 Speaker 1: were uncomfortable with how different this girl was from them, 98 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:01,000 Speaker 1: Florence had no one to help her fortune. Florence worked 99 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:03,840 Speaker 1: as a nurse, and she was highly skilled at her job, 100 00:06:04,200 --> 00:06:06,880 Speaker 1: so she managed to make herself well and then found 101 00:06:06,880 --> 00:06:09,080 Speaker 1: a way to feed the girl, and finally they arrived 102 00:06:09,080 --> 00:06:11,279 Speaker 1: in Britain and Florence took the girl under her wing. 103 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:14,520 Speaker 1: Soon enough, Florence noticed that the girl didn't exactly know 104 00:06:14,600 --> 00:06:17,760 Speaker 1: how to behave in polite British society. For one, the 105 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:20,880 Speaker 1: girl had grown pretty attached after Florence rescued her from 106 00:06:20,880 --> 00:06:24,880 Speaker 1: that attack in Athens, so in return, she became overly protective. 107 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: If anyone ever got too close to Florence while the 108 00:06:27,320 --> 00:06:29,440 Speaker 1: girl was around, she would try to scare them off, 109 00:06:29,680 --> 00:06:31,640 Speaker 1: and this only added to the fact that people were 110 00:06:31,640 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 1: put off by the girl's appearance alone. Florence struggled to 111 00:06:35,160 --> 00:06:37,560 Speaker 1: fix this behavior. Along the way, she was able to 112 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 1: teach the girl to Curtsey, something that all young girls 113 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:42,240 Speaker 1: were expected to do. At the time, and this at 114 00:06:42,320 --> 00:06:45,000 Speaker 1: least endeared her to people who would otherwise be offended 115 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:48,640 Speaker 1: by her more let's just say aggressive tendencies, and this 116 00:06:48,760 --> 00:06:53,159 Speaker 1: girl's captivating stare also didn't hurt. She had wide, discerning eyes, 117 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:56,599 Speaker 1: which soon became known all around town, and this was 118 00:06:56,640 --> 00:06:59,440 Speaker 1: one reason for the name that Florence gave her, Athena, 119 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: the Greek god us associated with wisdom. The name was 120 00:07:02,920 --> 00:07:05,160 Speaker 1: also a nod to the city where they first met. 121 00:07:05,720 --> 00:07:09,279 Speaker 1: Over time, Athena learned to behave herself. Florence started taking 122 00:07:09,320 --> 00:07:12,520 Speaker 1: her everywhere she went, and people found this a little odd. 123 00:07:12,800 --> 00:07:15,880 Speaker 1: Florence was renowned as a healthcare worker and Athena was 124 00:07:15,960 --> 00:07:19,560 Speaker 1: just different, but Florence didn't care what they thought about it. 125 00:07:19,640 --> 00:07:21,960 Speaker 1: She would even bring Athena to work with her, and 126 00:07:22,040 --> 00:07:25,680 Speaker 1: this is how Athena learned to take after Florence's caretaking abilities. 127 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 1: As the story goes, one day, Florence had to change 128 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:32,160 Speaker 1: a burn victim's bandages. She brought Athena with her, and 129 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:34,800 Speaker 1: at first the patient was confused to see Athena there. 130 00:07:35,040 --> 00:07:37,720 Speaker 1: They had never seen someone like her in a hospital before, 131 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 1: but they had more important things to think about, because 132 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:44,800 Speaker 1: having their bandages changed was extremely painful. As Florence worked, 133 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: the patient winced and writhed. Florence did everything she could 134 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 1: to comfort them, but it felt impossible, and then Athena 135 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:54,920 Speaker 1: started showing the patient her curtsies. For a moment, both 136 00:07:54,920 --> 00:07:58,080 Speaker 1: the patient and Florence were surprised, but then the patient 137 00:07:58,120 --> 00:08:02,640 Speaker 1: seemed to calm down. Performance was the perfect distraction from 138 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 1: their pain. Realizing what she was doing, Athena went on 139 00:08:06,440 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 1: to perform some dance moves and this really cheered the 140 00:08:09,200 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 1: patient up. Soon Florence was finished with the bandages, and 141 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:15,480 Speaker 1: Athena's behavior that day was a reminder of the impact 142 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 1: that true care and compassion can have. Florence started bringing 143 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:22,560 Speaker 1: Athena to work with her every day after that. Like 144 00:08:22,560 --> 00:08:25,720 Speaker 1: the burn victim, many of her patients were initially confused 145 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:28,960 Speaker 1: and maybe even a little annoyed that Athena was there, 146 00:08:29,320 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 1: but she quickly won them over with her quirks and charm. 147 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:35,080 Speaker 1: The way she made patients feel calm and comfortable was 148 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:38,160 Speaker 1: a huge help to Florence. Their life together went on 149 00:08:38,240 --> 00:08:41,240 Speaker 1: like this for four years, and then in eighteen fifty four, 150 00:08:41,559 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 1: the War in Crimea broke out because of Florence's superb 151 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:47,679 Speaker 1: nursing skills she was called to serve. She was ready 152 00:08:47,720 --> 00:08:50,520 Speaker 1: and willing, but there was one major downside. She would 153 00:08:50,520 --> 00:08:53,720 Speaker 1: have to leave Athena behind. War, of course, was no 154 00:08:53,800 --> 00:08:56,440 Speaker 1: place for a girl so small and unaware of the world, 155 00:08:56,760 --> 00:09:00,439 Speaker 1: but Florence reminded herself that it was only temporary. Before leaving, 156 00:09:00,520 --> 00:09:03,559 Speaker 1: Florence racked her brain for the best place to keep Athena, 157 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:06,319 Speaker 1: and finally she landed on a solution, the attic at 158 00:09:06,320 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: her family's house. Florence didn't love the idea, but it 159 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:11,800 Speaker 1: was the best one she had, and her family agreed 160 00:09:12,040 --> 00:09:14,600 Speaker 1: an attic was a good place for someone like Athena. 161 00:09:14,679 --> 00:09:18,839 Speaker 1: After all, Athena was an owl. Now it broke Florence's 162 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:21,800 Speaker 1: heart to leave Athena behind. Caring for Patience was much 163 00:09:21,840 --> 00:09:24,840 Speaker 1: different without her, but Florence's work during the war earned 164 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 1: her unparalleled recognition. Even back home in Britain, people heard 165 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:32,160 Speaker 1: everything that she had accomplished there, and no one was surprised. 166 00:09:32,400 --> 00:09:38,199 Speaker 1: After all, she was the famed nursing pioneer Florence Nightingale. Unfortunately, 167 00:09:38,280 --> 00:09:41,720 Speaker 1: owls don't have the same lifespan as humans. After Athena 168 00:09:41,760 --> 00:09:45,240 Speaker 1: passed away, Florence couldn't part with her beloved pet, and 169 00:09:45,280 --> 00:09:48,360 Speaker 1: so she had her taxidermied. Athena may not have gone 170 00:09:48,400 --> 00:09:51,200 Speaker 1: down in history like Florence, but her legacy still lives 171 00:09:51,200 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 1: on today because Athena's nine inch tall body can still 172 00:09:54,640 --> 00:09:58,840 Speaker 1: be seen in the Florence Nightingale Museum. An enduring testament 173 00:09:59,480 --> 00:10:07,560 Speaker 1: to a cure friendship. I hope you've enjoyed today's guided 174 00:10:07,600 --> 00:10:11,000 Speaker 1: tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on 175 00:10:11,040 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the show by visiting 176 00:10:14,200 --> 00:10:18,800 Speaker 1: Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was created by me 177 00:10:19,000 --> 00:10:22,600 Speaker 1: Aaron Mankey in partnership with how Stuff Works. I make 178 00:10:22,679 --> 00:10:26,199 Speaker 1: another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, 179 00:10:26,280 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 1: book series, and television show, and you can learn all 180 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:33,360 Speaker 1: about it over at the Worldoflore dot com. And until 181 00:10:33,400 --> 00:10:35,640 Speaker 1: next time, stay curious.