1 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:07,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to tech Stuff, a production of I Heart Radios, 2 00:00:07,320 --> 00:00:13,680 Speaker 1: How Stuff Works. Hey there, and welcome to tech Stuff. 3 00:00:13,720 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: I'm your host, Jonathan Strickland. I'm an executive producer with 4 00:00:17,040 --> 00:00:18,760 Speaker 1: How Stuff Works and I heart Radio and I love 5 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:22,560 Speaker 1: all things tech. And today we're getting a real blast 6 00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:25,119 Speaker 1: from the past as well as a blast from the 7 00:00:25,239 --> 00:00:28,960 Speaker 1: fictional past. It is time for another classic episode of 8 00:00:28,960 --> 00:00:31,760 Speaker 1: tech Stuff, and in this episode, we're going to look 9 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:38,839 Speaker 1: at the speculative fiction sub category known as steampunk, the 10 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:43,559 Speaker 1: aesthetic that is based on a history that never was, 11 00:00:44,479 --> 00:00:48,639 Speaker 1: history of brass and copper and steam that ended up 12 00:00:48,920 --> 00:00:53,720 Speaker 1: never evolving beyond that technology, but influenced everything to come 13 00:00:53,760 --> 00:00:57,000 Speaker 1: after it. And this has sort of gone through a 14 00:00:57,080 --> 00:00:59,280 Speaker 1: little bit of a lull, I would say, over the 15 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:02,120 Speaker 1: last soveral years. For a while, it was very much 16 00:01:02,640 --> 00:01:06,120 Speaker 1: in fashion, at least in the speculative fiction world, in 17 00:01:06,240 --> 00:01:09,039 Speaker 1: science fiction conventions and that kind of thing. You don't 18 00:01:09,040 --> 00:01:12,200 Speaker 1: see it quite as much anymore, but there's still people 19 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:14,399 Speaker 1: who really cling to this and really enjoy it. I 20 00:01:14,440 --> 00:01:16,680 Speaker 1: happen to be one of them. Just about a pair 21 00:01:16,720 --> 00:01:19,160 Speaker 1: of sunglasses, they kind of fall into that aesthetic. So 22 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:22,560 Speaker 1: let's listen back on this episode, which originally aired on 23 00:01:22,600 --> 00:01:26,520 Speaker 1: August two thousand and twelve. So we wanted to talk 24 00:01:26,560 --> 00:01:30,160 Speaker 1: about steampunk, and one of our sister podcast, pop Stuff, 25 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:33,880 Speaker 1: has has addressed steampunk, but we thought we would talk 26 00:01:33,920 --> 00:01:36,720 Speaker 1: about steampunk as well, because we're doing this whole series 27 00:01:36,760 --> 00:01:41,039 Speaker 1: of episodes about technology that you reinvent, you know, in 28 00:01:41,080 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 1: some way, so it is different from what it originally was, 29 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 1: and and steampunk is is sort of an aesthetic approach 30 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:53,520 Speaker 1: to that it's and it's not confined solely to technology. 31 00:01:53,760 --> 00:01:56,440 Speaker 1: In fact, you would argue, I would argue that it 32 00:01:56,520 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 1: originally was a literary genre or sub honra and so 33 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: let's kind of talk about what it is before we 34 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:07,000 Speaker 1: get into any steampunk hacks that we have seen and 35 00:02:07,120 --> 00:02:15,520 Speaker 1: enjoyed on the interwebs. So you're familiar with some of 36 00:02:14,360 --> 00:02:21,239 Speaker 1: the the forefathers of modern science fiction. We're therefore there's 37 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:26,200 Speaker 1: many more than that, right, Well, it's f O R E. H. 38 00:02:26,360 --> 00:02:32,519 Speaker 1: So Jules Verne, Jules Verne, very famous author H. H. G. 39 00:02:32,639 --> 00:02:35,799 Speaker 1: Wells another one. Yes, Jules Verne and H. G. Wells 40 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:39,519 Speaker 1: together produced a lot of work that kind of serves 41 00:02:40,320 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: as a an inspiration for the steampunk movement. Yes, and 42 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:48,480 Speaker 1: if they had actually worked together around the world in 43 00:02:48,480 --> 00:02:50,760 Speaker 1: eighty days could have been accomplished with a time machine 44 00:02:50,800 --> 00:02:56,320 Speaker 1: and it wouldn't have taken around the world yesterday. So 45 00:02:57,040 --> 00:03:00,640 Speaker 1: uh sorry, but the time machine didn't only travel in 46 00:03:00,720 --> 00:03:03,800 Speaker 1: time but not in space. Wasn't that its thing? Anyway? 47 00:03:03,840 --> 00:03:07,880 Speaker 1: So the the the Yeah, so you'd have to have 48 00:03:07,919 --> 00:03:10,560 Speaker 1: it on the on the balloon, I guess nothing bad 49 00:03:10,600 --> 00:03:14,959 Speaker 1: could happen from that, right, So so the the the 50 00:03:15,080 --> 00:03:18,400 Speaker 1: aesthetic that Jules Vernon H. G. Wells kind of set 51 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:23,200 Speaker 1: is sort of what creates the foundation for steampunk. Steam 52 00:03:23,200 --> 00:03:29,840 Speaker 1: Punk in general takes a very Victorian era approach to technology. Yes, 53 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:35,360 Speaker 1: the idea is, what if during the Victorian era, uh, 54 00:03:35,560 --> 00:03:38,440 Speaker 1: tinkerers who have been able to build some of the 55 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:41,800 Speaker 1: more complex electronics and machinery that we have at our 56 00:03:41,800 --> 00:03:45,920 Speaker 1: disposal today, but with that Victorian aesthetic and the materials 57 00:03:45,920 --> 00:03:48,600 Speaker 1: that they would have used during that era. So you 58 00:03:48,640 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: get a lot of stuff with copper and brass and 59 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: uh and and sometimes things like vacuum tubes and stuff 60 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:58,960 Speaker 1: like that, although that's vacuum tubes earlier post Victorian, but anyway, 61 00:03:59,320 --> 00:04:01,720 Speaker 1: you get you get the lots of wood as well, 62 00:04:01,760 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: a lot of a lot of these materials that you 63 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:07,240 Speaker 1: would find in Victorian furniture and things like that would 64 00:04:07,320 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 1: be incorporated into this sort of technology of this this 65 00:04:12,360 --> 00:04:16,839 Speaker 1: fictional world, this world that could have been but wasn't. So. Yeah, 66 00:04:16,839 --> 00:04:19,840 Speaker 1: the Victorian area that we're talking about is the late 67 00:04:19,920 --> 00:04:24,800 Speaker 1: nineteenth century, so you know, around the eighteen eighties. There's 68 00:04:24,800 --> 00:04:27,720 Speaker 1: a lot of different literature that came out around that time, 69 00:04:27,800 --> 00:04:33,200 Speaker 1: eighteen eighties, eighteen nineties. Uh that that that really influences 70 00:04:33,240 --> 00:04:36,039 Speaker 1: the steampunk aesthetics. So some of it is some of 71 00:04:36,040 --> 00:04:39,159 Speaker 1: it is stuff that H. G. Wells and Jules Verne writing. 72 00:04:39,240 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 1: Some of it is stuff like uh sar Arthur Glendon Doyle, 73 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: the Sherlock Home stories. That that definitely influences a lot 74 00:04:46,839 --> 00:04:49,800 Speaker 1: of the steampunk aesthetic too. It's not just technology. It's 75 00:04:49,839 --> 00:04:52,480 Speaker 1: a lot of different things, but it's it's that feel, 76 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:57,000 Speaker 1: especially the feel that you would associate with something like 77 00:04:57,240 --> 00:05:01,760 Speaker 1: London during this era. Although steampunk, I would say steampunk 78 00:05:01,880 --> 00:05:07,719 Speaker 1: is kind of very much an English influenced um esthetic 79 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:11,120 Speaker 1: or movement, or at least Western European. Yeah. And the 80 00:05:11,160 --> 00:05:13,000 Speaker 1: reason why I say English is because a lot of 81 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:16,040 Speaker 1: the steampunk stuff I see is based off Victorian fashion 82 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:20,640 Speaker 1: or colonial fashion, the stuff that was done during that 83 00:05:20,839 --> 00:05:25,400 Speaker 1: late UH nineteenth century colonial era, like in in UH 84 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 1: in India. So you'll see a lot of steampunk that 85 00:05:29,440 --> 00:05:34,359 Speaker 1: takes design elements from that as well. But the the 86 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 1: idea of creating the sort of science fiction world based 87 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:41,240 Speaker 1: on the Victorian era of technology is a little more modern. 88 00:05:41,320 --> 00:05:45,560 Speaker 1: I mean, their inspiration comes from writers that we're writing 89 00:05:45,680 --> 00:05:49,320 Speaker 1: around that era, but later writers really kind of brought 90 00:05:49,320 --> 00:05:52,600 Speaker 1: that back up, like William Gibson and Bruce Sterling who 91 00:05:52,680 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: wrote The Difference Engine, which kind of brought this aesthetic 92 00:05:56,600 --> 00:05:59,359 Speaker 1: into UH, the idea of well, what if we take 93 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:04,040 Speaker 1: this basic form of technology and then go a different 94 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:08,039 Speaker 1: evolutionary path than what we actually in reality took. And 95 00:06:08,080 --> 00:06:11,120 Speaker 1: so this created this sort of idea of neo Victorian 96 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 1: UH technology, and you really think about you would have 97 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:21,440 Speaker 1: advances in certain areas but not advances in others, and 98 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:25,600 Speaker 1: it's really arbitrary where those advances are. So, for example, 99 00:06:25,920 --> 00:06:29,520 Speaker 1: in a steampunk world, you might have the equivalent of 100 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:33,760 Speaker 1: personal computer devices, even handheld computer devices, although they'd probably 101 00:06:33,800 --> 00:06:36,640 Speaker 1: be clunkier and made out of different materials than what 102 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:40,400 Speaker 1: our current ones are. But you might not have airplanes 103 00:06:41,440 --> 00:06:44,920 Speaker 1: because the blimps in dirigibles are incredibly popular with the 104 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:49,239 Speaker 1: steampunk crowd. It's this idea of this sort of world 105 00:06:49,320 --> 00:06:54,640 Speaker 1: of of luxury and uh, everything's a lot more. Uh, 106 00:06:54,680 --> 00:06:56,840 Speaker 1: it takes up a lot more space than what we're 107 00:06:56,880 --> 00:07:00,840 Speaker 1: typically used to. But I think the person who really 108 00:07:00,920 --> 00:07:05,479 Speaker 1: kind of nails why the steampunk aesthetic is so compelling 109 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:10,840 Speaker 1: to certain people is Mark Fraunfelder, who was a He's 110 00:07:10,840 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 1: the editor in chief of Make magazine and was the 111 00:07:13,880 --> 00:07:18,000 Speaker 1: co founder of Boing Boing. Yes, and he says the 112 00:07:18,520 --> 00:07:22,240 Speaker 1: Victorian era was the great age of the amateur, where 113 00:07:22,280 --> 00:07:25,600 Speaker 1: non professionals could contribute to the advancement of science. And 114 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:29,280 Speaker 1: because these amateurs were most often well healed gentleman, great 115 00:07:29,320 --> 00:07:32,560 Speaker 1: emphasis was placed on ornamental beauty in their equipment. So 116 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:36,440 Speaker 1: the idea here is that the average person with with 117 00:07:36,600 --> 00:07:40,600 Speaker 1: the right education would be able to make advances in 118 00:07:40,760 --> 00:07:45,320 Speaker 1: science and technology, whereas today you're talking about really specialized, 119 00:07:45,440 --> 00:07:49,280 Speaker 1: really advanced fields. Right, it feels like you have to 120 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 1: be part of a much larger project often in order 121 00:07:52,680 --> 00:07:55,120 Speaker 1: for you to make a big impact in those areas. 122 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:58,360 Speaker 1: It's not entirely true, but it's more true than not. 123 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:02,520 Speaker 1: So the Victorian era was a time where you could 124 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:04,720 Speaker 1: be on the cutting edge. You could be an average 125 00:08:04,760 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 1: person with a good education and be on the cutting 126 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 1: edge of science and technology at that time and thus 127 00:08:10,480 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 1: be able to make your own impact on it. So 128 00:08:13,160 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: that is one of the reasons why it's so compelling. 129 00:08:15,800 --> 00:08:22,000 Speaker 1: Also with the emphasis on ornamentation, so um, it's it's 130 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,400 Speaker 1: funny that you would bring that up. Was that, well, 131 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:27,440 Speaker 1: I mean one of the uh Now, one of the 132 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:30,560 Speaker 1: things that you'll find if you start looking for uh 133 00:08:30,640 --> 00:08:33,960 Speaker 1: steampunk and search engine on the computer, one of the 134 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:37,440 Speaker 1: first things you're going to find is uh clothing. There 135 00:08:37,480 --> 00:08:40,680 Speaker 1: are lots and lots of of well, i mean existing 136 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:44,160 Speaker 1: clothing that you know, I'm sure that people are really 137 00:08:44,160 --> 00:08:46,480 Speaker 1: excited about because they really wanted to make lots of 138 00:08:46,520 --> 00:08:49,640 Speaker 1: bowler hats but couldn't figure out why no one would 139 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:51,720 Speaker 1: buy them or top hats anymore, and all of a sudden, 140 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:55,120 Speaker 1: they're going. Steam has really increased the demand for certain 141 00:08:55,280 --> 00:09:01,640 Speaker 1: articles of clothing and vests and pocket watches. Watches are 142 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:04,800 Speaker 1: crazy and and some of these pieces of clothing don't 143 00:09:04,840 --> 00:09:09,160 Speaker 1: necessarily have any uh added ornamentation to them. They may 144 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:14,000 Speaker 1: very well, be essentially a Victorian costume, but then you 145 00:09:14,040 --> 00:09:17,480 Speaker 1: would might have a coutrement which makes that go beyond 146 00:09:17,679 --> 00:09:21,760 Speaker 1: a period costume and turn it more into steampunk. Yes. 147 00:09:21,800 --> 00:09:27,520 Speaker 1: For example, goggles seem extremely popular. Well they must requirement 148 00:09:27,640 --> 00:09:30,800 Speaker 1: with the steampunk costume. Um. Yes, And I'm not making 149 00:09:30,800 --> 00:09:34,000 Speaker 1: fun of anybody who who does steampunk and likes goggles. 150 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:38,640 Speaker 1: It just seems that they're ubiquitous and it's not. Uh, well, 151 00:09:38,679 --> 00:09:43,000 Speaker 1: you think about the early people who were driving or flying, Um, 152 00:09:43,280 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 1: they wouldn't have a windscreen necessarily. Yeah, so you you'd 153 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:48,959 Speaker 1: see that, you know, they'd have their their driving outfit 154 00:09:49,000 --> 00:09:51,240 Speaker 1: where they had the gloves and the hat with the 155 00:09:51,640 --> 00:09:55,320 Speaker 1: goggles to keep the dust out of your eyes. Very necessary. 156 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:58,760 Speaker 1: But the funny thing, and I I find this amusing, 157 00:09:58,880 --> 00:10:01,720 Speaker 1: but not again not in a making fun way, just 158 00:10:01,760 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 1: sort of, um, that's kind of funny sort of way. Um, 159 00:10:06,520 --> 00:10:09,439 Speaker 1: the people who some of the people who do who 160 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:14,920 Speaker 1: dress in the steampunk fashion embrace the the clothing, will 161 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:17,640 Speaker 1: you know, use unadorned goggles just sort of the same 162 00:10:17,720 --> 00:10:21,160 Speaker 1: kind of thing. But I've seen others that have really 163 00:10:21,200 --> 00:10:26,640 Speaker 1: modified them with brass fittings, hands, flares and things that 164 00:10:27,040 --> 00:10:29,800 Speaker 1: you know, really make them stand out, and they're they're 165 00:10:29,920 --> 00:10:32,760 Speaker 1: very large, and it's just it's kind of amusing to 166 00:10:32,760 --> 00:10:35,160 Speaker 1: me because I'm going, wow, you're really going out of 167 00:10:35,200 --> 00:10:37,800 Speaker 1: your way to draw attention to the goggles. Well, and 168 00:10:37,840 --> 00:10:39,839 Speaker 1: they might, they might have a fun they might have 169 00:10:39,880 --> 00:10:44,800 Speaker 1: attachments where they have different filters like glass exactly like 170 00:10:44,840 --> 00:10:47,920 Speaker 1: a like a magnifying lens that you can swivel in 171 00:10:48,160 --> 00:10:51,080 Speaker 1: or out of the way. Well, yeah, it's it's and 172 00:10:51,120 --> 00:10:53,400 Speaker 1: again there you have the idea of well, the practicality 173 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 1: would be if you are a tinkerer, then you would 174 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:57,880 Speaker 1: have this magnifying glass that you could see the very small, 175 00:10:57,880 --> 00:11:00,679 Speaker 1: intricate parts. You're doing all this work with their hands, 176 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:03,400 Speaker 1: at least in theory. You know. Now, a lot of 177 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:06,320 Speaker 1: the people who are into steampunk do not necessarily make 178 00:11:06,320 --> 00:11:09,360 Speaker 1: their own gear. But the folks who do, uh take 179 00:11:09,360 --> 00:11:11,640 Speaker 1: a lot of pride in it, you know, because again, 180 00:11:11,679 --> 00:11:15,080 Speaker 1: these are works not just of of technology or costume, 181 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:18,000 Speaker 1: their works of art. You know, there's there's artistry that 182 00:11:18,040 --> 00:11:22,080 Speaker 1: goes into this. Although there are those who will say that, 183 00:11:22,120 --> 00:11:23,520 Speaker 1: you know, there are plenty of people out there who 184 00:11:23,520 --> 00:11:25,760 Speaker 1: are into steampunk who what they'll do is they'll get 185 00:11:25,760 --> 00:11:28,120 Speaker 1: a costume to throw on a pair of goggles. They 186 00:11:28,160 --> 00:11:30,480 Speaker 1: might wear a necklace has a gear on it and boom, 187 00:11:30,520 --> 00:11:33,280 Speaker 1: it's steampunk. Uh. Then there are others who will go 188 00:11:33,360 --> 00:11:38,400 Speaker 1: into great detail on their costumes and incorporate these really 189 00:11:38,440 --> 00:11:42,080 Speaker 1: intricate pieces of equipment and even come up with very 190 00:11:42,240 --> 00:11:46,040 Speaker 1: uh whimsical names for for the things, because you know, 191 00:11:46,080 --> 00:11:49,840 Speaker 1: they're they're using that Victorian naming convention where it's almost 192 00:11:49,840 --> 00:11:53,840 Speaker 1: like Louis Carroll has named all of their items, where 193 00:11:53,880 --> 00:11:56,880 Speaker 1: it's it's this odd you know, nothing is nothing is 194 00:11:56,880 --> 00:12:00,720 Speaker 1: a simple device. They're all going to be uh adorned 195 00:12:00,720 --> 00:12:05,120 Speaker 1: with these very elaborate names. Um. Like, for example, instead 196 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:07,760 Speaker 1: of saying a computer, you might say that it is 197 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:12,920 Speaker 1: a manipulator of random information or something like that. Yeah, 198 00:12:12,960 --> 00:12:16,520 Speaker 1: it's um, you know, the the or you it's some 199 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:19,720 Speaker 1: variation on the difference engine. Because they're actually that's a 200 00:12:19,760 --> 00:12:22,840 Speaker 1: good example to say. If you've ever seen an picture 201 00:12:23,000 --> 00:12:27,600 Speaker 1: of the replica of Babbage's difference engine, people have actually 202 00:12:27,600 --> 00:12:33,560 Speaker 1: built the difference engine. Uh. It's a massive device made 203 00:12:33,559 --> 00:12:36,720 Speaker 1: out of brass and other medals, and you see all 204 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:39,719 Speaker 1: these gears and things that you turn, and that's how 205 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:44,440 Speaker 1: you work this this difference engine that speaks a lot 206 00:12:44,520 --> 00:12:47,880 Speaker 1: to the aesthetics of that Victorian era where you've got 207 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 1: you know, it doesn't need to look sleek. It can 208 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:55,520 Speaker 1: look complicated, complicated and even bulky, but it's done in 209 00:12:55,559 --> 00:12:59,680 Speaker 1: such a way that it's uh emphasizing the aesthetic not 210 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:03,440 Speaker 1: you know, it's not it doesn't look like a big 211 00:13:03,520 --> 00:13:07,199 Speaker 1: clunky piece of equipment ideally unless that was, of course 212 00:13:07,240 --> 00:13:11,120 Speaker 1: the intent from the big get go. But yeah, if 213 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:14,199 Speaker 1: you if you look up these devices, you'll often come 214 00:13:14,240 --> 00:13:19,520 Speaker 1: across names that are just uh, you know, really tongue 215 00:13:19,559 --> 00:13:22,800 Speaker 1: twisters and and you know there's usually an ether thrown 216 00:13:22,840 --> 00:13:26,360 Speaker 1: in there somewhere, like it uses it uses the ether. 217 00:13:26,559 --> 00:13:31,560 Speaker 1: This this nebulous source of energy. UM one uh, one 218 00:13:31,600 --> 00:13:35,280 Speaker 1: really cool thing about steampunk and it it could be 219 00:13:35,320 --> 00:13:38,760 Speaker 1: frustrating for somebody who's getting into it, UM who may 220 00:13:38,960 --> 00:13:43,959 Speaker 1: need a little bit more structure. Is that unlike other 221 00:13:44,640 --> 00:13:48,680 Speaker 1: um hobbyists and cost players and and you know, groups 222 00:13:48,880 --> 00:13:52,520 Speaker 1: of of that style, UM, you don't have like a 223 00:13:52,559 --> 00:13:55,520 Speaker 1: Star Trek universe or a Star Wars universe or a 224 00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:59,360 Speaker 1: Lord of the Rings. You don't have something that tells 225 00:13:59,440 --> 00:14:04,120 Speaker 1: you what is and what isn't steampunk. So for example, 226 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:09,040 Speaker 1: you have somebody who dresses in Victorian garb and they 227 00:14:09,080 --> 00:14:14,240 Speaker 1: are speaking uh, you know, English, with the the verbal 228 00:14:14,320 --> 00:14:18,800 Speaker 1: expressions that they might use in vernacular of the Yes, 229 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:22,520 Speaker 1: the vernacular of the time. However, Uh, they might have 230 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:27,120 Speaker 1: a uh, they might use a computer with brass fittings 231 00:14:27,600 --> 00:14:31,360 Speaker 1: and ornamentation on the front. Or they might carry ray 232 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 1: guns of the buck Rogers, talking like old style buck Rogers, 233 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:39,680 Speaker 1: you know, with the big bulgy stuff in the big 234 00:14:40,080 --> 00:14:44,760 Speaker 1: um cannab on the on the shooting end. So it 235 00:14:45,280 --> 00:14:48,560 Speaker 1: could be anything could be steampunk because there's not you're 236 00:14:48,600 --> 00:14:51,400 Speaker 1: not having to go, well, that's cannon or that's not cannon. 237 00:14:51,840 --> 00:14:54,160 Speaker 1: So it could be kind of anything you wanted to be. 238 00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:56,520 Speaker 1: If you if you look at um, like you know 239 00:14:56,600 --> 00:15:00,840 Speaker 1: what kind you know, Weather Industries, what the effects companies 240 00:15:00,840 --> 00:15:04,640 Speaker 1: that did fiction effects, They did the they did a 241 00:15:04,640 --> 00:15:08,920 Speaker 1: lot of the props for the Lord of the Rings movies. Um, 242 00:15:08,960 --> 00:15:14,040 Speaker 1: they have a division called Dr groad Boards uh and 243 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:17,400 Speaker 1: it's uh Dr gord Boards ray guns essentially, and these 244 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:23,160 Speaker 1: are yes, yes, beautiful devices, but these are all designed 245 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:28,200 Speaker 1: after that old science fiction aesthetic, which definitely is related 246 00:15:28,200 --> 00:15:32,560 Speaker 1: to steampunk, but it's not necessarily. It isn't isn't yeah, 247 00:15:32,640 --> 00:15:36,320 Speaker 1: because because some of the ideally the steampunk type stuff 248 00:15:36,640 --> 00:15:41,920 Speaker 1: should look like it's technology that runs on Victorian era resources, 249 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 1: thus the steam the steam power being far more common 250 00:15:46,480 --> 00:15:48,800 Speaker 1: than other forms. Chris and I have more to say 251 00:15:48,840 --> 00:16:00,280 Speaker 1: about steampunk, but first let's take a quick break. There 252 00:16:00,200 --> 00:16:04,040 Speaker 1: are other forms of this punk aesthetic too. There's diesel punk. Yeah, 253 00:16:04,080 --> 00:16:06,640 Speaker 1: I was gonna mentioned that you had done something on that. Yeah, 254 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:09,240 Speaker 1: diesel punk is is a slightly later era. It's usually 255 00:16:09,280 --> 00:16:14,120 Speaker 1: like World War One era technology aesthetic. So the aesthetic 256 00:16:14,200 --> 00:16:16,760 Speaker 1: is different the you know, and you would argue that 257 00:16:16,800 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 1: the whatever is running the technology is a different source 258 00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:21,800 Speaker 1: of energy, but it's the same sort of idea that 259 00:16:21,840 --> 00:16:24,760 Speaker 1: you're taking this aesthetic from a different time period and 260 00:16:24,800 --> 00:16:29,120 Speaker 1: applying it to modern day clothing, electronics, all sorts of stuff. 261 00:16:29,320 --> 00:16:31,880 Speaker 1: I have an example that I wanted to mention something 262 00:16:31,920 --> 00:16:35,520 Speaker 1: that I thought was really clever in the sense that 263 00:16:35,560 --> 00:16:38,200 Speaker 1: a lot of the steampunk projects you'll see are not 264 00:16:38,280 --> 00:16:45,160 Speaker 1: just beautiful but are also equally um impractical. But but 265 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:49,360 Speaker 1: they're impractical on purpose. They're not you know, it's practicality 266 00:16:49,440 --> 00:16:52,120 Speaker 1: was not part of the design element. So one of 267 00:16:52,160 --> 00:16:55,960 Speaker 1: those is what It's a project that was created by 268 00:16:56,080 --> 00:17:00,360 Speaker 1: John Knight, as in, uh, let's get up on horse 269 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:03,640 Speaker 1: and have a squire night. He created something that he 270 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:08,240 Speaker 1: calls the Electromagnetic Geospatial Globe and remote view with obligatory 271 00:17:08,280 --> 00:17:12,680 Speaker 1: goggles and goggles have to be in there. But this 272 00:17:12,760 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 1: is uh, this is his version of Google Earth and 273 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:18,800 Speaker 1: what it is. What what he can do is he 274 00:17:18,880 --> 00:17:22,439 Speaker 1: runs Google Earth on a computer and this globe, this 275 00:17:22,600 --> 00:17:26,840 Speaker 1: it looks like a big brass globe, is hooked up 276 00:17:27,080 --> 00:17:32,159 Speaker 1: to the computer. So as he uh moves a little 277 00:17:32,280 --> 00:17:37,879 Speaker 1: uh indicator on the physical globe, the virtual globe on 278 00:17:37,920 --> 00:17:43,159 Speaker 1: Google Earth will turn and show whatever point is in 279 00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:47,200 Speaker 1: focus on his indicator on the screen. So, in other words, 280 00:17:47,240 --> 00:17:52,159 Speaker 1: it's a way to navigate Google Earth using a physical globe. 281 00:17:52,760 --> 00:17:56,600 Speaker 1: And uh it's kind of an interesting um approach. It 282 00:17:56,840 --> 00:18:03,719 Speaker 1: again not necessarily practical, but definitely very visually arresting, very pretty. Uh. 283 00:18:03,880 --> 00:18:08,240 Speaker 1: There are a lot of really well known artists within 284 00:18:08,280 --> 00:18:11,199 Speaker 1: the steampunk world. UH. Two of them I wanted to 285 00:18:11,200 --> 00:18:14,000 Speaker 1: mention in particular, although there are lots and lots of them, 286 00:18:14,080 --> 00:18:17,320 Speaker 1: don't don't think that you know these are like the 287 00:18:17,520 --> 00:18:19,880 Speaker 1: end all be all but one of them in particular, 288 00:18:19,960 --> 00:18:24,280 Speaker 1: is known for his his work as as sort of 289 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:29,160 Speaker 1: a pioneer in the steampunk physical Let's make stuff space, 290 00:18:29,480 --> 00:18:33,359 Speaker 1: and that's Jake von Slat. Jake von Slat has done 291 00:18:33,400 --> 00:18:35,880 Speaker 1: lots and lots and lots of of projects where he's 292 00:18:35,920 --> 00:18:42,679 Speaker 1: taken either modern day technology and and put new stuff 293 00:18:42,720 --> 00:18:45,560 Speaker 1: on it to make it have a steampunk sort of aesthetic, 294 00:18:46,160 --> 00:18:51,760 Speaker 1: or has actually built steampunk style devices from the ground 295 00:18:51,880 --> 00:18:55,119 Speaker 1: up that do something that a modern device could do 296 00:18:55,560 --> 00:18:57,560 Speaker 1: in a totally different way. So he's he's taking both 297 00:18:57,600 --> 00:19:01,200 Speaker 1: approaches where he's altering something that exists now or building 298 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:04,320 Speaker 1: based upon the old methods of building. UM. He was 299 00:19:04,440 --> 00:19:07,840 Speaker 1: featured in in Make magazine actually a couple of years ago, 300 00:19:07,960 --> 00:19:10,480 Speaker 1: and I have an article on the site how Steampunk Works, 301 00:19:10,480 --> 00:19:13,359 Speaker 1: and I have some of his work on there as well. Uh. 302 00:19:13,359 --> 00:19:16,359 Speaker 1: He has a website called the Steampunk Workshop where he 303 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:19,440 Speaker 1: actually shows you if you want to build your own 304 00:19:19,480 --> 00:19:24,080 Speaker 1: steampunk devices, he has do it yourself guides on how 305 00:19:24,119 --> 00:19:26,360 Speaker 1: to do them. Now. For people who want to get 306 00:19:26,400 --> 00:19:28,639 Speaker 1: into this, you have to be really comfortable with using 307 00:19:29,280 --> 00:19:32,360 Speaker 1: things that allow you to work with metals like soldering 308 00:19:32,480 --> 00:19:35,280 Speaker 1: is really important. Uh. You might need you might need 309 00:19:35,320 --> 00:19:38,640 Speaker 1: access to special tools to be able to work metals 310 00:19:38,840 --> 00:19:40,720 Speaker 1: in a way so that you can shape them, and 311 00:19:41,560 --> 00:19:43,560 Speaker 1: not just metals, but would as well, you know, all 312 00:19:43,600 --> 00:19:47,640 Speaker 1: sorts of materials. So you're it's for someone who has 313 00:19:47,680 --> 00:19:51,280 Speaker 1: like a workshop space that has uh the ability to 314 00:19:51,400 --> 00:19:53,920 Speaker 1: use or the access to use these sort of tools. 315 00:19:54,600 --> 00:19:57,159 Speaker 1: It's not necessarily something that you can do just you know, 316 00:19:58,000 --> 00:20:00,639 Speaker 1: go home and fire up the website. Well cool, I'm 317 00:20:00,640 --> 00:20:04,879 Speaker 1: gonna make my own steampunk laptop now, because a lot 318 00:20:04,960 --> 00:20:09,639 Speaker 1: of this involves uh, finding things and curiosity shops or 319 00:20:09,920 --> 00:20:12,600 Speaker 1: antique shops or or even like you know, there used 320 00:20:12,600 --> 00:20:14,880 Speaker 1: to be a shop near where I live that sells 321 00:20:15,359 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: all sorts of old cabinet fittings, and you you could 322 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:21,960 Speaker 1: go to a place like that and sort through and say, oh, 323 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:23,840 Speaker 1: this has the look that I'm going for, and you 324 00:20:23,880 --> 00:20:26,200 Speaker 1: take that and you might repurpose it for something totally different, 325 00:20:26,240 --> 00:20:30,000 Speaker 1: Like instead of this being a cabinet handle, it's going 326 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 1: to be the corner the top left corner of a 327 00:20:33,040 --> 00:20:36,040 Speaker 1: computer display. That kind of thing. Well, you have to 328 00:20:36,040 --> 00:20:40,119 Speaker 1: be able to you know, manipulate that metal in whatever 329 00:20:40,119 --> 00:20:42,600 Speaker 1: way you may have to trim stuff off or reshape something. 330 00:20:42,920 --> 00:20:46,160 Speaker 1: So you may need some special tools for a lot 331 00:20:46,160 --> 00:20:49,720 Speaker 1: of these d I y projects, but he he actually 332 00:20:49,760 --> 00:20:52,720 Speaker 1: goes through what he does to to build out these things. 333 00:20:52,880 --> 00:20:57,119 Speaker 1: And another pretty well known artist in fact, I remember 334 00:20:57,119 --> 00:20:59,960 Speaker 1: seeing some of his work, uh in the sci fi 335 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:03,080 Speaker 1: series Where House thirteen. So Where House thirteen, you know, 336 00:21:03,160 --> 00:21:06,800 Speaker 1: you've got these these interesting pieces of technology that are 337 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:12,280 Speaker 1: inside artis office where he's got like a computer that 338 00:21:12,320 --> 00:21:15,680 Speaker 1: has these old typewriter keys instead of regular keys. Those 339 00:21:15,720 --> 00:21:18,760 Speaker 1: were built by a guy named Richard doc Nagy also 340 00:21:18,800 --> 00:21:22,479 Speaker 1: known as Data Manser and data Manswer has done some 341 00:21:22,600 --> 00:21:28,040 Speaker 1: really amazing work with custom keyboards, laptops, uh, desktop computers. 342 00:21:28,840 --> 00:21:31,320 Speaker 1: He's really created some neat stuff, and not just in 343 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:35,080 Speaker 1: the steampunk aesthetic. He's also branched out. He did some 344 00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:38,560 Speaker 1: in a sort of an Art Deco inspired approach as well. 345 00:21:38,840 --> 00:21:41,760 Speaker 1: So he's he's tried a couple of different things. He 346 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:47,520 Speaker 1: takes commissions um and his work is really really labor intensive, 347 00:21:47,560 --> 00:21:51,959 Speaker 1: so they are expensive things to buy. But on the 348 00:21:52,000 --> 00:21:55,280 Speaker 1: other hand, these are devices that are made by hand 349 00:21:56,320 --> 00:22:01,840 Speaker 1: from materials that are more expensive than plastic. So the 350 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:05,399 Speaker 1: expense is in not just the labor but also the 351 00:22:05,480 --> 00:22:07,520 Speaker 1: artistry that goes into it. So you know, you might 352 00:22:07,600 --> 00:22:11,040 Speaker 1: sit there and think, oh my gosh, that's a keyboard. 353 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:14,240 Speaker 1: I can't spend twe buying a keyboard from my computer. 354 00:22:14,560 --> 00:22:16,280 Speaker 1: But then you think, all right, when you factor in 355 00:22:16,359 --> 00:22:18,919 Speaker 1: the materials that went into it, how much time was 356 00:22:18,960 --> 00:22:21,920 Speaker 1: spent for him to track down all the different stuff 357 00:22:21,960 --> 00:22:24,560 Speaker 1: that he used to make it, and also just the 358 00:22:24,680 --> 00:22:27,960 Speaker 1: hours of of work that he puts into it, then 359 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:31,399 Speaker 1: you start figuring, Okay, now it's it's a work of 360 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:36,120 Speaker 1: art that I'm buying, not just a functional piece of technology. Yeah. Yeah, well, 361 00:22:36,119 --> 00:22:38,600 Speaker 1: I mean there are there are people who actually make 362 00:22:38,640 --> 00:22:44,760 Speaker 1: their living modifying people's living spaces. Um. I went to 363 00:22:44,960 --> 00:22:48,200 Speaker 1: a modern Victorian which is at mad vic dot com, 364 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:54,360 Speaker 1: and they basically remake people's homes into steampunk like environments. 365 00:22:54,640 --> 00:22:58,320 Speaker 1: Um you know, wood burning stoves and um, you know, 366 00:22:58,800 --> 00:23:02,560 Speaker 1: portholes and things you might see bad of the Nautilus, 367 00:23:02,600 --> 00:23:06,439 Speaker 1: big big gears that you would turn in order to 368 00:23:06,480 --> 00:23:09,120 Speaker 1: open the door instead of a regular door knob. Yes, yes, 369 00:23:09,160 --> 00:23:10,639 Speaker 1: I mean just that that kind of thing. And if 370 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:14,080 Speaker 1: you've got the either the ability to do it yourself 371 00:23:14,200 --> 00:23:18,240 Speaker 1: or the wherewithal to pay someone who knows what they're doing. Um, 372 00:23:18,320 --> 00:23:23,680 Speaker 1: you can do that too, but just in the creativity 373 00:23:23,800 --> 00:23:27,080 Speaker 1: that that's involved in doing that, and even even something 374 00:23:27,119 --> 00:23:29,160 Speaker 1: as simple as you know, the keyboards that you see 375 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:33,280 Speaker 1: with the typewriter keys instead of uh, computer keys. Um, 376 00:23:33,440 --> 00:23:36,880 Speaker 1: it's just kind of fascinating. I saw one computer desk 377 00:23:36,920 --> 00:23:40,760 Speaker 1: that had pipes behind it, or you know, at the 378 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:42,639 Speaker 1: back where it made it look sort of as the 379 00:23:42,920 --> 00:23:45,199 Speaker 1: as though the computer we're sitting in as part of 380 00:23:45,240 --> 00:23:48,520 Speaker 1: a pipe organ And it was just kind of cool. 381 00:23:48,640 --> 00:23:52,600 Speaker 1: The the idea behind that. We haven't run out steam yet, 382 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:55,480 Speaker 1: see what I did there. But before we get back 383 00:23:55,520 --> 00:24:06,000 Speaker 1: into the discussion, let's take another quick break. There's no 384 00:24:06,760 --> 00:24:09,240 Speaker 1: large company that I can think of that that makes 385 00:24:09,640 --> 00:24:14,640 Speaker 1: this stuff in in amounts that make it would make 386 00:24:14,640 --> 00:24:18,800 Speaker 1: it cheap for the average person to own one of these. 387 00:24:18,920 --> 00:24:20,840 Speaker 1: You know, this is all done by hand, but you 388 00:24:20,880 --> 00:24:23,720 Speaker 1: know you can also say, uh, you know, it's it's 389 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:27,280 Speaker 1: done custom work. Not everybody is going to own something 390 00:24:27,359 --> 00:24:30,080 Speaker 1: like this. Um, there are a lot of one of 391 00:24:30,119 --> 00:24:32,520 Speaker 1: the kind pieces out there. Yeah, and it's also an 392 00:24:32,560 --> 00:24:36,480 Speaker 1: opportunity for uh, for you know, the casual hacker to 393 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:40,560 Speaker 1: maybe try his or her hand at something like this. Yeah, 394 00:24:40,600 --> 00:24:42,920 Speaker 1: I mean this is you know, their plans and and 395 00:24:42,920 --> 00:24:44,840 Speaker 1: and things like this, and not all the projects are 396 00:24:44,840 --> 00:24:47,399 Speaker 1: super complex. And that's that's sort of again, that's the 397 00:24:47,400 --> 00:24:52,400 Speaker 1: whole point that uh that was made about the appeal 398 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:55,879 Speaker 1: of steampunk in the first places, that you are creating 399 00:24:56,280 --> 00:24:58,440 Speaker 1: something that's much more personal to you. You know, it's 400 00:24:58,480 --> 00:25:02,840 Speaker 1: not this mass produced piece of technology that looks exactly 401 00:25:02,880 --> 00:25:07,200 Speaker 1: like every single other version of that particular device, right 402 00:25:07,280 --> 00:25:10,440 Speaker 1: like every iPhone, like every iPhone four looks like every 403 00:25:10,440 --> 00:25:13,679 Speaker 1: other iPhone four until you put like a skin on 404 00:25:13,720 --> 00:25:16,080 Speaker 1: it or put a case around it or whatever. But 405 00:25:16,160 --> 00:25:18,160 Speaker 1: you know, on its own, they all look the same. 406 00:25:18,600 --> 00:25:21,600 Speaker 1: And it's this this approach to mass manufacturer that has 407 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:26,440 Speaker 1: created sort of a homogenized approach to technology, and this 408 00:25:26,480 --> 00:25:28,880 Speaker 1: is kind of a rejection of that, saying I want 409 00:25:28,960 --> 00:25:32,359 Speaker 1: something that has more personality to it. It's just that 410 00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:37,080 Speaker 1: this is a personality that evokes a very specific feel 411 00:25:37,240 --> 00:25:41,120 Speaker 1: and era. So it's interesting because every year that passes, 412 00:25:41,160 --> 00:25:44,800 Speaker 1: I think, okay, steampunk has gotta like that that fat 413 00:25:45,000 --> 00:25:48,240 Speaker 1: is got to be on the decline by now, because 414 00:25:48,920 --> 00:25:51,440 Speaker 1: there are artists who get into it and they're really 415 00:25:51,480 --> 00:25:53,879 Speaker 1: really active in it. For a couple of years and 416 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:55,720 Speaker 1: then some of them are saying, you know, I really 417 00:25:55,720 --> 00:25:58,040 Speaker 1: want to do other stuff. I had fun with that, 418 00:25:58,119 --> 00:26:00,840 Speaker 1: it was great, But as an artist, I want to grow, 419 00:26:00,920 --> 00:26:03,359 Speaker 1: so I want to try different things. So I often 420 00:26:03,400 --> 00:26:06,080 Speaker 1: expect to see that kind of trickled down to the 421 00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:11,879 Speaker 1: general uh steampunk niche. Like I was gonna say general public, 422 00:26:11,920 --> 00:26:16,040 Speaker 1: but really steampunk is a very specific niche of people. Um, 423 00:26:16,040 --> 00:26:19,520 Speaker 1: but so far that hasn't really happened. We'll have to 424 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:21,960 Speaker 1: keep our eyes open because I mean, I find it 425 00:26:22,000 --> 00:26:25,600 Speaker 1: a very compelling aesthetic myself. I really do like the 426 00:26:25,680 --> 00:26:28,480 Speaker 1: look of it and uh and and it does have 427 00:26:28,520 --> 00:26:32,840 Speaker 1: an interesting um impact on me emotionally when I see 428 00:26:32,880 --> 00:26:36,800 Speaker 1: something that's been really well designed and a very clever design. 429 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:39,840 Speaker 1: Because well designed and clever again doesn't necessarily mean that 430 00:26:39,880 --> 00:26:42,600 Speaker 1: the device is practical. Sometimes the more impractical it is, 431 00:26:43,400 --> 00:26:46,600 Speaker 1: the more enjoyable it is. That's true. That's true. Well, 432 00:26:46,640 --> 00:26:48,600 Speaker 1: I mean it's a it's a human thing, I think. 433 00:26:49,200 --> 00:26:58,040 Speaker 1: Um and yeah, I am fascinated by alternate histories and anachronisms. Um, 434 00:26:58,080 --> 00:27:01,240 Speaker 1: you know it. It's the what IF's if you will 435 00:27:01,960 --> 00:27:05,359 Speaker 1: um and just to imagine the like the what if 436 00:27:05,600 --> 00:27:09,440 Speaker 1: you know, you have a steam steampowered world with the internet. 437 00:27:09,680 --> 00:27:12,679 Speaker 1: You know, how could those things go together? You know, 438 00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:18,200 Speaker 1: handwriting messages and sticking them in pneumatic tubes? Right, yeah, yeah, 439 00:27:18,520 --> 00:27:21,320 Speaker 1: you know, my dad started writing a science fiction novel, 440 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:26,800 Speaker 1: uh that was based in a steampunk type world, and uh, 441 00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:29,800 Speaker 1: sadly he was one of those projects that never they 442 00:27:29,880 --> 00:27:32,879 Speaker 1: never completed. But it was funny because when he was 443 00:27:32,920 --> 00:27:37,240 Speaker 1: writing it, it was before steampunk had really become a thing. 444 00:27:37,680 --> 00:27:40,680 Speaker 1: Like there were some examples, early examples in the genre, 445 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:43,960 Speaker 1: and I think had he had he completed, it would 446 00:27:44,000 --> 00:27:46,960 Speaker 1: have been one of them. It certainly would have been 447 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:52,040 Speaker 1: an interesting addition to the library of literature that supports 448 00:27:52,119 --> 00:27:55,680 Speaker 1: this genre. Uh. Of course, we'll never know because it's 449 00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:57,720 Speaker 1: I mean, maybe one day he'll go back and finish it, 450 00:27:57,760 --> 00:28:00,679 Speaker 1: but by then it's gonna seem like he's following a 451 00:28:00,680 --> 00:28:02,560 Speaker 1: trend as opposed to being on the forefront of it. 452 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:06,200 Speaker 1: At least it's not another vampire book. You know. It's 453 00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:10,960 Speaker 1: funny you mentioned it's the steam powered vampires. There's sparkle, No, 454 00:28:11,119 --> 00:28:14,240 Speaker 1: not at all, not even a there's a steam powered 455 00:28:14,320 --> 00:28:16,720 Speaker 1: vampire that sparkles in the daylight, but he gets invited 456 00:28:16,760 --> 00:28:21,320 Speaker 1: to go to a wizard college. No with where wolves, right, 457 00:28:21,400 --> 00:28:23,160 Speaker 1: I wonder how many more I can fit in there. 458 00:28:23,720 --> 00:28:26,840 Speaker 1: There's a Chicago detective who's also a magician who shows 459 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:29,160 Speaker 1: up No, uh, none of this is true. And there's 460 00:28:29,200 --> 00:28:32,800 Speaker 1: a good cop in a bad cop right. And that 461 00:28:32,960 --> 00:28:35,960 Speaker 1: concludes another classic episode of tech Stuff. Hope you guys 462 00:28:36,040 --> 00:28:39,880 Speaker 1: enjoyed it. Obviously, since two thousand twelve, there's been a 463 00:28:39,920 --> 00:28:44,720 Speaker 1: lot more stuff in the steampunk world, although you could 464 00:28:44,840 --> 00:28:48,600 Speaker 1: argue it has been losing steam as of late. I 465 00:28:48,640 --> 00:28:52,800 Speaker 1: don't see quite as much in popular fiction that falls 466 00:28:52,800 --> 00:28:55,000 Speaker 1: into that category as I used to. I still see 467 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:58,480 Speaker 1: it now and then, just not everywhere. But if you 468 00:28:58,520 --> 00:29:02,480 Speaker 1: guys have any suggestion for future topics, whether they involve 469 00:29:02,560 --> 00:29:06,520 Speaker 1: speculative fiction or not, feel free to send them to 470 00:29:06,600 --> 00:29:09,360 Speaker 1: me the email addresses tech Stuff at how stuff works 471 00:29:09,400 --> 00:29:12,120 Speaker 1: dot com, or pop on over to our website that's 472 00:29:12,160 --> 00:29:15,280 Speaker 1: tech stuff podcast dot com. There you will find links 473 00:29:15,320 --> 00:29:18,720 Speaker 1: to our social media sites, so you can contact me 474 00:29:18,800 --> 00:29:22,280 Speaker 1: that way, or hey, pop on over to our our 475 00:29:22,320 --> 00:29:25,600 Speaker 1: online store. There's a link there over at tech stuff 476 00:29:25,600 --> 00:29:28,800 Speaker 1: podcast dot com, and every purchasing make at that store 477 00:29:29,040 --> 00:29:31,200 Speaker 1: goes to help the show. You can get tex Stuff 478 00:29:31,240 --> 00:29:34,840 Speaker 1: logo t shirts or coffee mugs or mouse pads or 479 00:29:35,040 --> 00:29:38,600 Speaker 1: all sorts of stuff, and we have some fun designs 480 00:29:38,600 --> 00:29:40,600 Speaker 1: over there, so go check that out and I will 481 00:29:40,640 --> 00:29:47,440 Speaker 1: talk to you again really soon. Tex Stuff is a 482 00:29:47,440 --> 00:29:50,200 Speaker 1: production of I Heart Radio's How Stuff Works. For more 483 00:29:50,240 --> 00:29:53,640 Speaker 1: podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the I heart Radio app, 484 00:29:53,800 --> 00:29:56,959 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.