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 --> 00:00:11,600 Speaker 1: My Heart Radio. Hey, welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind. 3 00:00:12,080 --> 00:00:15,840 Speaker 1: Listener mail. My name is Robert Land and I'm Joe McCormick. 4 00:00:16,000 --> 00:00:17,600 Speaker 1: And this is the part of the week where we 5 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:19,840 Speaker 1: read back some of the messages that you've sent in 6 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: over the past couple of weeks, having to do with 7 00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:26,840 Speaker 1: episodes on Pacific Island navigation, queuing and waiting for things, 8 00:00:26,880 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 1: and uh oh, I think there's a good one on 9 00:00:28,800 --> 00:00:31,960 Speaker 1: Fatim morgana and some stuff about weird house cinema Rob 10 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:39,160 Speaker 1: do you want to do? This one from Chelsea Sure. 11 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 1: Chelsea says I was just listening to part two of 12 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:45,000 Speaker 1: the Waiting in Line episode and wanted to bring up 13 00:00:45,040 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 1: the schoolyard phenomenon of back cutting. This is ours when 14 00:00:48,000 --> 00:00:49,760 Speaker 1: the line exists and the cutter wants to be in 15 00:00:49,840 --> 00:00:51,920 Speaker 1: line next to a friend so they can chat during 16 00:00:51,920 --> 00:00:54,800 Speaker 1: the weight. The cutter asked to cut the friend, but 17 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:57,480 Speaker 1: the friend replies no, but you can back cut me, 18 00:00:57,920 --> 00:01:01,200 Speaker 1: and the cutter joins the line right in back of 19 00:01:01,240 --> 00:01:04,440 Speaker 1: the friend, hence back cut. I remember this as being 20 00:01:04,480 --> 00:01:06,960 Speaker 1: like a situation of like, uh, I will allow you 21 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:08,720 Speaker 1: to get in front of me, and then that person 22 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 1: obliges by letting you get in front of them, which 23 00:01:12,240 --> 00:01:16,160 Speaker 1: you know is not an honest way to go about things, 24 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:18,720 Speaker 1: of course not, but it it kind of matches up 25 00:01:18,760 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: with that sort of childhood level of figuring out how 26 00:01:22,000 --> 00:01:26,279 Speaker 1: to blatantly cheat and how to blatantly bend the rules 27 00:01:26,319 --> 00:01:29,360 Speaker 1: in your favor, uh in ways that that you know 28 00:01:29,480 --> 00:01:34,280 Speaker 1: aren't gonna fly outside of elementary school anyway. They continue. Thus, 29 00:01:34,400 --> 00:01:36,400 Speaker 1: the friend gets to hang out with their buddy without 30 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 1: changing their spot in the line. The cutter gets to cut, 31 00:01:39,480 --> 00:01:41,919 Speaker 1: and the person right behind them can't ultimately do anything 32 00:01:41,959 --> 00:01:45,319 Speaker 1: about it. The person behind may protest about being cut, 33 00:01:45,520 --> 00:01:48,160 Speaker 1: but the reply from the friend would be that they 34 00:01:48,200 --> 00:01:50,880 Speaker 1: didn't front cut you, they back cut me, and that 35 00:01:50,960 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: was the end of it. And I will add that 36 00:01:53,240 --> 00:01:55,240 Speaker 1: this is kind of ingenious and that we one of 37 00:01:55,240 --> 00:01:57,240 Speaker 1: the things we discussed in queuing is that it's the 38 00:01:57,240 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: person that immediately was cut in front of that has 39 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:04,840 Speaker 1: the most like responsibility of outrage. And you're already putting 40 00:02:04,840 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 1: them in a position where they're not going up against 41 00:02:07,160 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 1: one cutter, but a cutter and a co conspirator, So 42 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 1: they're already outnumbered in this scenario, right, And I think 43 00:02:13,760 --> 00:02:17,480 Speaker 1: it's interesting that we internalize that as thinking of uh 44 00:02:17,720 --> 00:02:22,040 Speaker 1: cutting in line as an offense primarily against the person 45 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: right behind you where you cut. In fact, it's affecting 46 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:28,760 Speaker 1: everybody else in line, right, everybody else behind that point 47 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:31,680 Speaker 1: in line has now been cut in front of UM. 48 00:02:31,720 --> 00:02:34,440 Speaker 1: But I think because of this social convention where it's 49 00:02:34,480 --> 00:02:37,839 Speaker 1: the person directly behind the intrusion point who has the obligation, 50 00:02:38,440 --> 00:02:40,919 Speaker 1: we somehow naturally see it as like purely an offense 51 00:02:40,960 --> 00:02:44,280 Speaker 1: against them personally. And yet obviously, I mean, like I 52 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: think from the rest of Chelsea's email, it's clear that 53 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:49,480 Speaker 1: even kids into it that there's something wrong with this. Yeah, 54 00:02:49,480 --> 00:02:51,160 Speaker 1: like you can easily get at control where if you 55 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:52,920 Speaker 1: joined the line and then you just announce that you 56 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 1: will now be back cutting everyone. You know, everybody can 57 00:02:56,000 --> 00:02:59,639 Speaker 1: backcut anyway. Yeah, they continue as the person behind them. 58 00:02:59,639 --> 00:03:02,720 Speaker 1: I'll aways felt conflicted because whether the cutter was right 59 00:03:02,919 --> 00:03:05,720 Speaker 1: before or right after their friend had no impact on 60 00:03:05,760 --> 00:03:07,760 Speaker 1: my way time, but having the cutter right in front 61 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:10,720 Speaker 1: of me felt like my special societal role as the 62 00:03:10,720 --> 00:03:14,320 Speaker 1: person immediately behind the cutter had been usurped by the friend. 63 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:17,680 Speaker 1: I had been cut and it had been sanctioned, and 64 00:03:17,680 --> 00:03:20,000 Speaker 1: there wasn't anything I could do about it. I think 65 00:03:20,040 --> 00:03:23,000 Speaker 1: this was more common with the popular kids, but I 66 00:03:23,080 --> 00:03:26,240 Speaker 1: may well have engaged in it myself despite not having 67 00:03:26,280 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 1: that many friends. None of us are the angels we 68 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: think we were. I grew up in California, and I'm 69 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 1: curious to know how widespread the term phenomenon is. I 70 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:37,520 Speaker 1: remember it being relatively common in elementary school, occasionally in 71 00:03:37,520 --> 00:03:40,120 Speaker 1: middle school, and non existent in high school. The bit 72 00:03:40,160 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 1: of child lord no cuts, no butts, no coconuts is 73 00:03:44,040 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 1: was also British common, and was extra amusing in elementary 74 00:03:47,280 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 1: school because of the butts homophone. But that is the 75 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 1: obvious best thing to grace an anti cutting poster. Keep 76 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:56,280 Speaker 1: up the good work, guys. I appreciate being engaged and 77 00:03:56,320 --> 00:03:58,440 Speaker 1: amused as you by you both as I walked my 78 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 1: dog into housework. I I'm not a fan of horror movies, 79 00:04:01,280 --> 00:04:05,240 Speaker 1: but the Weird House episodes are grade fine. Jesse ps. 80 00:04:05,280 --> 00:04:08,720 Speaker 1: Nearly every time Seth's full name is mentioned in the broadcast, 81 00:04:08,760 --> 00:04:12,520 Speaker 1: I repeat his name in my head is death. Nicholas Johnson, 82 00:04:12,920 --> 00:04:16,280 Speaker 1: his October alter ego haunts me year round. Oh well, 83 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:19,080 Speaker 1: that warms my heart. So I definitely got this when 84 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:22,000 Speaker 1: I was when I was in elementary school, but I 85 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:25,520 Speaker 1: don't remember being called back cutting. I remember the phrase 86 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:30,560 Speaker 1: front seat back seat. Did you ever encounter that? Um, 87 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:33,960 Speaker 1: I don't think I encountered that one. I think that's 88 00:04:34,000 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 1: more what you were talking about. It's like the person 89 00:04:35,920 --> 00:04:38,000 Speaker 1: cuts in front of their friend, and then their friend 90 00:04:38,040 --> 00:04:40,360 Speaker 1: cuts right back in front of them, so it's effectively 91 00:04:40,400 --> 00:04:42,920 Speaker 1: the same thing, somebody just getting behind you in line. 92 00:04:43,320 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 1: But anyway, the other thing you say, Chelsea, which I 93 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:47,960 Speaker 1: think is absolutely true, is yes, the popular kids are 94 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:50,640 Speaker 1: more likely to do this. Kids at the elementary school 95 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:54,760 Speaker 1: period are much more blatant about operating on the basis 96 00:04:54,839 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 1: of of thinking that they're elevated. Social status just grants them, right, 97 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:03,080 Speaker 1: It's that other people don't have people. Adults behave that 98 00:05:03,120 --> 00:05:05,200 Speaker 1: way too, but they try to sort of hide it 99 00:05:05,240 --> 00:05:07,400 Speaker 1: more than make it. They come up with systems of 100 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 1: making it look like that's not what's going on, right, 101 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:12,200 Speaker 1: And I think a part of this is sort of 102 00:05:12,240 --> 00:05:19,120 Speaker 1: the childhood awareness of how unfair systems exist, but then 103 00:05:19,279 --> 00:05:21,680 Speaker 1: they not getting the nuance of it, you know, like 104 00:05:21,839 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 1: the gross injustice has happen every day all day, but 105 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:28,719 Speaker 1: not all of them are out in the open. A 106 00:05:28,720 --> 00:05:32,000 Speaker 1: lot of the times they are hidden in ways that 107 00:05:32,080 --> 00:05:35,880 Speaker 1: are not apparent in this example of back cutting, speaking 108 00:05:36,080 --> 00:05:40,320 Speaker 1: of cutting based on on social status and and hierarchy, 109 00:05:40,800 --> 00:05:43,240 Speaker 1: I'm I wanna read this next message from Jordan's. So 110 00:05:43,440 --> 00:05:46,520 Speaker 1: Jordan's says, Dear Rob and Joe, I've been listening to 111 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:48,840 Speaker 1: the show for a couple of years, and I love 112 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:51,440 Speaker 1: being able to idly learn while I work. I've really 113 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:54,240 Speaker 1: enjoyed the recent series on queuing because well, I've never 114 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:56,240 Speaker 1: really given much thought to it. I know that I 115 00:05:56,320 --> 00:05:59,320 Speaker 1: typically hate doing it. I can't remember if you discussed 116 00:05:59,400 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 1: queuing and animals or I just missed it, but I 117 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:05,279 Speaker 1: have seen it performed in horses. I work on a 118 00:06:05,360 --> 00:06:09,479 Speaker 1: nonprofit wild horse rescue ranch in California, where we have 119 00:06:09,600 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 1: over a hundred in our care. On the hot summer 120 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:15,360 Speaker 1: days of the California desert, it's not uncommon to see 121 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:18,240 Speaker 1: a half dozen horses at a watering trough at once. 122 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:21,480 Speaker 1: While typically there is plenty of room for multiple horses 123 00:06:21,480 --> 00:06:23,719 Speaker 1: to access the water at once, I have witnessed a 124 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: line forming to get a drink. The difference is that 125 00:06:27,120 --> 00:06:31,000 Speaker 1: horses adhere to a very strict quote pecking order, and 126 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:33,960 Speaker 1: the one at the top gets to drink first, regardless 127 00:06:34,000 --> 00:06:36,480 Speaker 1: of when they join the queue, they go to the front. 128 00:06:36,960 --> 00:06:39,640 Speaker 1: In the case of line integrity you mentioned, if an 129 00:06:39,640 --> 00:06:42,640 Speaker 1: individual lower in the pecking order tries to line jump, 130 00:06:42,960 --> 00:06:45,479 Speaker 1: the one behind will almost always run them out of 131 00:06:45,520 --> 00:06:47,919 Speaker 1: the line, while the horses ahead seem to pay no 132 00:06:48,040 --> 00:06:50,800 Speaker 1: mind to what is going on behind them. It's very 133 00:06:50,839 --> 00:06:53,359 Speaker 1: interesting to see this play out with non human animals 134 00:06:53,400 --> 00:06:56,680 Speaker 1: and makes me think that perhaps queuing is more instinctual 135 00:06:57,000 --> 00:07:00,440 Speaker 1: than one may have originally thought. I have attached photo 136 00:07:00,480 --> 00:07:03,240 Speaker 1: of a line forming among our older residents for you 137 00:07:03,279 --> 00:07:06,200 Speaker 1: to check out, and then Jordan's does indeed attach a 138 00:07:06,240 --> 00:07:09,480 Speaker 1: photo here of what looks like four horses lining up 139 00:07:09,520 --> 00:07:12,360 Speaker 1: to get to a big container of water. Oh yeah, yeah, 140 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:15,280 Speaker 1: that's exactly what's going on here. This is yeah, great point. 141 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:17,920 Speaker 1: I would say. The big thing that's different between what 142 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:22,400 Speaker 1: you highlight here and and our queuing conventions is the 143 00:07:22,400 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 1: the principle that orders access. Obviously, in all kinds of 144 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:30,200 Speaker 1: animal system in like the Animal Kingdom, there will be 145 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: lots of ways of ordering access, but as you highlight 146 00:07:33,400 --> 00:07:37,160 Speaker 1: uh here, it tends to be a very just directly 147 00:07:37,240 --> 00:07:40,120 Speaker 1: and purely unfair pecking order based on some kind of 148 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: hierarchy that's understood by the horses, some kind of dominance thing, 149 00:07:43,840 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: whereas a lot of what we were talking about was 150 00:07:45,920 --> 00:07:48,880 Speaker 1: the social convention of first in, first out ordering. And 151 00:07:48,920 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 1: it doesn't matter if you get to the line and 152 00:07:50,920 --> 00:07:53,040 Speaker 1: you think you're better than everybody else in line, that 153 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 1: you know that they're not going to just say, oh, yeah, 154 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:57,000 Speaker 1: that's right, you're better than us. You can go to 155 00:07:57,040 --> 00:07:59,760 Speaker 1: the front. Oh. And then finally the end, Jordan's says, 156 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:01,480 Speaker 1: love the show, and I have to say, I really 157 00:08:01,520 --> 00:08:04,600 Speaker 1: missed regular Invention episodes. Keep up the great work, guys, 158 00:08:04,640 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 1: and much love from Cali. Um that I think that's California, 159 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:12,160 Speaker 1: not a person named Kelly c a l I. Uh, yeah, 160 00:08:12,520 --> 00:08:14,440 Speaker 1: I'm glad to hear it. Thank you, glad to hear 161 00:08:14,480 --> 00:08:16,640 Speaker 1: you liked the Invention episode. So we still do them 162 00:08:16,640 --> 00:08:19,280 Speaker 1: from time to time, just not every week because I 163 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 1: guess you note, Yeah, we can't offer regular Invention episodes, 164 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 1: but we can offer the next best thing, irregular Invention episodes. 165 00:08:26,120 --> 00:08:28,960 Speaker 1: Um and uh. And we actually have I believe we 166 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:31,160 Speaker 1: have an Invention episode coming up really soon, or at 167 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:33,160 Speaker 1: least we've been talking about doing one on a particular 168 00:08:33,200 --> 00:08:36,920 Speaker 1: invention topic, so they'll they'll keep We enjoy doing invention 169 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 1: based episodes, so they're they're definitely not going away. They 170 00:08:40,240 --> 00:08:52,199 Speaker 1: just they're in the rotation at this point, right, all right. 171 00:08:52,360 --> 00:08:55,880 Speaker 1: This one comes to us from Nan Nan Rights. Hi, 172 00:08:56,000 --> 00:08:57,720 Speaker 1: Joe and Robert. I've been a fan of the show 173 00:08:57,760 --> 00:09:00,000 Speaker 1: for a few years now and have especially enjoyed your 174 00:09:00,080 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 1: recent series on queuing. When you discussed the ambiguity involved 175 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 1: in most cases of line cutting, particularly taking another person's 176 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:09,000 Speaker 1: parking space, it made me reconsider a time when I 177 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:12,520 Speaker 1: confronted another driver who took my spot. I was waiting 178 00:09:12,520 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 1: to turn left into a parking space at Costco while 179 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:18,000 Speaker 1: a pedestrian cross my path and another driver turned into 180 00:09:18,000 --> 00:09:21,080 Speaker 1: my intended spot as his passenger looked at me and 181 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:25,360 Speaker 1: grin sheepishly. After I finally parked, I saw the family 182 00:09:25,400 --> 00:09:28,040 Speaker 1: from the other car and waddled my seven months pregnant 183 00:09:28,040 --> 00:09:30,640 Speaker 1: body over to them and chewed them out about their automotive. 184 00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:34,120 Speaker 1: Since the driver claimed he didn't see me, Your podcast 185 00:09:34,200 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 1: made me reconsider whether the other driver really hadn't seen me, 186 00:09:37,280 --> 00:09:39,880 Speaker 1: and whether I should have tried to be more genteel 187 00:09:39,920 --> 00:09:43,920 Speaker 1: in my approach despite my raging prenatal hormones. I didn't 188 00:09:44,000 --> 00:09:46,400 Speaker 1: run into the family again while inside the warehouse, which 189 00:09:46,480 --> 00:09:48,800 Speaker 1: leads me to believe I terrified them so much that 190 00:09:48,880 --> 00:09:51,960 Speaker 1: they left without finishing their shopping trip. After listening to 191 00:09:52,000 --> 00:09:55,240 Speaker 1: your discussion, I'll definitely try to slow my role moving 192 00:09:55,280 --> 00:09:58,880 Speaker 1: forward and acknowledge the ambiguity and line cutting situations. Thanks for, 193 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:01,960 Speaker 1: as always, for providing such interesting food for thought and 194 00:10:02,000 --> 00:10:06,559 Speaker 1: expanding my perspective on everyday situations. Always your fan. Now well, Nan, 195 00:10:06,880 --> 00:10:09,360 Speaker 1: glad to hear about your your broadening consciousness on this. 196 00:10:09,480 --> 00:10:11,880 Speaker 1: But also, you know, don't feel bad. We've all we've 197 00:10:11,880 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 1: all had moments obviously when when somebody does cut in 198 00:10:14,480 --> 00:10:18,079 Speaker 1: the parking lot. Even though you're you're like broader mind 199 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:21,160 Speaker 1: from a distance, you know, the the astral level consciousness 200 00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:23,400 Speaker 1: would look down on you and say, don't overreact in 201 00:10:23,400 --> 00:10:31,480 Speaker 1: the moment, it's hard not to. Yeah, alright. This next 202 00:10:31,520 --> 00:10:35,200 Speaker 1: message concerns both Fat Am Morgana which is a slightly 203 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:37,959 Speaker 1: older episode, and Weird House Cinema. This is this is 204 00:10:38,000 --> 00:10:40,920 Speaker 1: a great email. So this is from John, and John says, Hi, 205 00:10:41,040 --> 00:10:44,000 Speaker 1: Robert and Joe Uh. This email is about an older episode, 206 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:45,640 Speaker 1: but I was reminded of it the other day in 207 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: a funny way. Right now, I'm doing ecology work in 208 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:53,040 Speaker 1: a remote field camp in the Alaskan Arctic, right by 209 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:56,280 Speaker 1: the coast of the Beaufort Sea, where two miles from 210 00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:58,520 Speaker 1: the coast, But the tundra is flat enough that for 211 00:10:58,600 --> 00:11:00,520 Speaker 1: most of the summer we've been able to see the 212 00:11:00,640 --> 00:11:03,400 Speaker 1: sea ice on the Arctic Ocean as it stacks up 213 00:11:03,440 --> 00:11:07,000 Speaker 1: against the small barrier islands to the north. Anyway, as 214 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 1: a coworker and I were walking across the tundra to 215 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:12,560 Speaker 1: a study area, we started talking about the ice and 216 00:11:12,600 --> 00:11:15,400 Speaker 1: I had to recommend your Fati morgana episode to her. 217 00:11:15,960 --> 00:11:18,439 Speaker 1: Even though the sea ice only builds up to piles 218 00:11:18,480 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 1: about ten to twenty feet high against the barrier islands, 219 00:11:21,679 --> 00:11:23,720 Speaker 1: for much of the summer, I've been able to step 220 00:11:23,720 --> 00:11:26,199 Speaker 1: out of my tent, look north and see a Game 221 00:11:26,280 --> 00:11:30,240 Speaker 1: of Thrones style ice wall stretching across the coast. It 222 00:11:30,280 --> 00:11:34,040 Speaker 1: looks like a long, tall, white barrier separating the land 223 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:36,920 Speaker 1: from the ocean, like the supposed polar ice walls in 224 00:11:37,040 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 1: some flat Earther theories I've attached a picture of the 225 00:11:40,640 --> 00:11:44,000 Speaker 1: illusion for reference in front of one of our study areas. Yeah, 226 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:47,080 Speaker 1: this is really impressive this image. It does, in fact 227 00:11:47,120 --> 00:11:49,040 Speaker 1: look like a yeah, like a Game of Throne style 228 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:52,760 Speaker 1: ice wall. Yeah, the others are coming the optical illusions, 229 00:11:52,840 --> 00:11:56,280 Speaker 1: don't in there we also get islands stretched and floating 230 00:11:56,320 --> 00:11:59,360 Speaker 1: above the ground, a similar cloud wall to the west, 231 00:11:59,640 --> 00:12:03,680 Speaker 1: sun dogs, and even a vertical stretching of the Brooks 232 00:12:03,800 --> 00:12:06,640 Speaker 1: Range mountains to the south, resulting in what looks like 233 00:12:06,640 --> 00:12:10,640 Speaker 1: an Arctic version of Monument Valley. And another picture is attached, 234 00:12:10,880 --> 00:12:13,440 Speaker 1: and this one is even more interesting because it has 235 00:12:15,200 --> 00:12:17,840 Speaker 1: I don't know, I can't even describe what this looks like. 236 00:12:17,880 --> 00:12:20,600 Speaker 1: It they they're kind of stacked up and distorted vertically 237 00:12:20,679 --> 00:12:23,320 Speaker 1: with these ripples that look like, I don't know, big 238 00:12:23,360 --> 00:12:27,360 Speaker 1: tubes or waves coming out of the land. John goes on, 239 00:12:28,320 --> 00:12:31,040 Speaker 1: it's super cool to see how the high latitude optical 240 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:34,199 Speaker 1: effects can dramatically distort how things look, and, as you've 241 00:12:34,200 --> 00:12:37,559 Speaker 1: mentioned before, makes it easier to understand why sailors claim 242 00:12:37,600 --> 00:12:40,840 Speaker 1: to see fantastic things like castles floating above the horizon. 243 00:12:41,520 --> 00:12:44,720 Speaker 1: My coworker really enjoyed the episode because she also works 244 00:12:44,760 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 1: at McMurdo Station in Antarctica, where they sometimes see icebergs 245 00:12:48,880 --> 00:12:52,440 Speaker 1: and utility trucks flipped and molded like putty by tricks 246 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:55,480 Speaker 1: of the light. And then there are pictures attached to 247 00:12:55,600 --> 00:12:58,560 Speaker 1: Fatim Moorgana acting on the ice field and on utility 248 00:12:58,640 --> 00:13:04,079 Speaker 1: vehicles around McMurdo in Antarctica. Again looks very cool. And then, finally, 249 00:13:04,400 --> 00:13:06,880 Speaker 1: on a separate note, one of the minor challenges of 250 00:13:06,920 --> 00:13:10,200 Speaker 1: working up here is the constant sunlight interfering with sleep. 251 00:13:10,760 --> 00:13:14,360 Speaker 1: But You're weird House cinema episodes, while interesting, have helped 252 00:13:14,360 --> 00:13:16,800 Speaker 1: me drift off even when it's one am and still 253 00:13:16,880 --> 00:13:20,320 Speaker 1: light out. In particular, your Devil's Express episode has been 254 00:13:20,360 --> 00:13:25,160 Speaker 1: an excellent sleep aid on several brightly lit nights. Also, 255 00:13:25,480 --> 00:13:29,559 Speaker 1: my whole field crew watched Troll two together and absolutely 256 00:13:29,600 --> 00:13:32,920 Speaker 1: loved it. For several weeks this summer, a remote monitoring 257 00:13:32,960 --> 00:13:36,280 Speaker 1: device with the six digit code Nilbog kept watch over 258 00:13:36,280 --> 00:13:39,040 Speaker 1: the Arctic tundra, thanks in no small part to your 259 00:13:39,040 --> 00:13:42,240 Speaker 1: tireless b movie advocacy. Thanks for all the fun and 260 00:13:42,280 --> 00:13:46,520 Speaker 1: thought provoking conversations. Sincerely, John, look at that troll to 261 00:13:46,760 --> 00:13:49,800 Speaker 1: keeping people alive? Is this a life support device? Or 262 00:13:49,880 --> 00:13:53,400 Speaker 1: is it this maybe a piece of scientific keeping people 263 00:13:53,600 --> 00:13:58,680 Speaker 1: on on track on the job. I don't know. Um, 264 00:13:58,760 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 1: it's been a while since we've heard from someone who 265 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:03,319 Speaker 1: goes to sleep with the episode. These is our episodes 266 00:14:03,360 --> 00:14:06,080 Speaker 1: as sleep aid, and I'm always I'm always interested to 267 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:08,640 Speaker 1: hear that and glad that we, uh, we can help 268 00:14:08,679 --> 00:14:11,560 Speaker 1: you you know, achieve you know, proper level of sleep. 269 00:14:11,880 --> 00:14:14,680 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, totally. We would never take it personally. People 270 00:14:14,720 --> 00:14:17,080 Speaker 1: are always very nice. They're always like, I use your 271 00:14:17,080 --> 00:14:26,320 Speaker 1: episodes to sleep, but not because they're boring. All right, Well, 272 00:14:26,320 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 1: I'm want to close out with part of a listener 273 00:14:29,120 --> 00:14:33,120 Speaker 1: mail here from James. James rode in basically to share 274 00:14:33,160 --> 00:14:36,720 Speaker 1: with us UH an Atlantic article by Ed Young uh 275 00:14:36,760 --> 00:14:41,240 Speaker 1: and this one was about monitor lizards in Australia digging 276 00:14:41,240 --> 00:14:45,000 Speaker 1: incredible corkscrewed nests. I haven't read this one yet, but 277 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:47,720 Speaker 1: I'm gonna put it on the to read list. I 278 00:14:47,760 --> 00:14:51,080 Speaker 1: mainly wanted to read James's email, though, because he weighs 279 00:14:51,080 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 1: in on a on a popular intellectual pastime of hours 280 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:58,560 Speaker 1: and and uh pastime of our listeners trying to figure 281 00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:01,760 Speaker 1: out why Sean Conner Race character has a Scottish accent 282 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:06,760 Speaker 1: Ian Highlander solved the mystery? James, Well, James, James does 283 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:10,200 Speaker 1: have an interesting hypothesis. Year he says, uh quote also 284 00:15:10,280 --> 00:15:13,360 Speaker 1: Sean Connery Scottish accent in Highlander is from beheading a 285 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 1: Scottish immortal and acquiring his English language through the quickening 286 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:20,880 Speaker 1: accent and all, thank you for your fantastic podcast, James, 287 00:15:21,160 --> 00:15:25,080 Speaker 1: it's pretty good. Pretty good. I don't know. Yeah, well, 288 00:15:25,120 --> 00:15:27,440 Speaker 1: what is the quickening for if it is not for 289 00:15:27,560 --> 00:15:30,840 Speaker 1: acquiring things like like language? I don't know that This 290 00:15:30,920 --> 00:15:34,560 Speaker 1: also leads into what is the quickening for? Well, it's 291 00:15:34,600 --> 00:15:37,760 Speaker 1: about power and uh, you know, amassing that power? And 292 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:41,200 Speaker 1: I don't it's explained to the film. But but this 293 00:15:41,240 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 1: does bring up something I was thinking about just uh 294 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:48,040 Speaker 1: in the background the other day, and it's something I've 295 00:15:48,040 --> 00:15:51,720 Speaker 1: thought about before. The immortals in the Highlander movies. To 296 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:55,520 Speaker 1: what extent are they capable of change? Are they capable? 297 00:15:55,680 --> 00:15:58,720 Speaker 1: Did they have neuroplasticity? You know? Can they truly acquire 298 00:15:59,280 --> 00:16:02,600 Speaker 1: new language? Is or do they? Or is James right? 299 00:16:02,640 --> 00:16:05,480 Speaker 1: Do they only acquire these things through the quickening? Is 300 00:16:05,480 --> 00:16:09,360 Speaker 1: it only by absorbing the power and maybe to some 301 00:16:09,440 --> 00:16:13,080 Speaker 1: extent the intellect of others? That they are able to adapt. 302 00:16:13,160 --> 00:16:15,720 Speaker 1: Otherwise are they just always gonna because like the Kurgan, 303 00:16:16,280 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 1: the Kurgan is always the Kurgan. You don't get a 304 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:21,280 Speaker 1: sense that he's really changed much. He's just updated his 305 00:16:21,360 --> 00:16:23,640 Speaker 1: look a little bit and learned how to drive a vehicle, 306 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:28,000 Speaker 1: but otherwise he's he's still Kurgan to the core. See 307 00:16:28,000 --> 00:16:29,400 Speaker 1: that's a lesson to all of us. If you're not 308 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:31,840 Speaker 1: willing to learn, grow and change as an adult, you 309 00:16:31,880 --> 00:16:36,600 Speaker 1: become the Kurgan. Yeah, but that meanwhile, I mean Connor McCloud, 310 00:16:36,680 --> 00:16:38,920 Speaker 1: I mean, he since he's still the sweet lad he 311 00:16:38,960 --> 00:16:41,960 Speaker 1: always was. But I guess there is a sense that 312 00:16:42,000 --> 00:16:44,000 Speaker 1: he's grown and he's learned, you know, he's had to 313 00:16:44,040 --> 00:16:47,880 Speaker 1: wrestle with loss and move through it. Uh, certainly in 314 00:16:47,920 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 1: ways that the Kurgan never has had to. So uh 315 00:16:51,080 --> 00:16:55,400 Speaker 1: maybe that's ultimately what what what what the film is 316 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:58,040 Speaker 1: trying to say to us here? We are all right, 317 00:16:58,080 --> 00:17:00,400 Speaker 1: we're gonna go ahead and close the mailbag for today, 318 00:17:00,400 --> 00:17:02,160 Speaker 1: but we'd love to hear from you about any of 319 00:17:02,200 --> 00:17:05,920 Speaker 1: the topics we discussed here about recent episodes, upcoming episodes, 320 00:17:05,960 --> 00:17:08,600 Speaker 1: along past episodes. I mean, I don't know, fat A MORGANA. 321 00:17:08,600 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 1: I didn't even feel like that one was that old. 322 00:17:10,119 --> 00:17:12,359 Speaker 1: I feel like we just recorded that one. So I 323 00:17:12,440 --> 00:17:14,280 Speaker 1: was a little shocked to hear that one referred to 324 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:16,679 Speaker 1: as an older episode. But I guess that's just how 325 00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:19,479 Speaker 1: time works now. Yeah, I guess it's a few months 326 00:17:19,480 --> 00:17:23,200 Speaker 1: of this time. Yeah, I don't know. It depends on Eily. 327 00:17:23,240 --> 00:17:26,240 Speaker 1: It's all relative anyway, So right in let us know 328 00:17:26,320 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 1: we'd love to hear from you, huch, thanks as always 329 00:17:28,600 --> 00:17:31,600 Speaker 1: to our excellent audio producer Seth Nicholas Johnson. If you 330 00:17:31,600 --> 00:17:33,720 Speaker 1: would like to get in touch with us with feedback 331 00:17:33,760 --> 00:17:35,960 Speaker 1: on this episode or any other, to suggest a topic 332 00:17:36,000 --> 00:17:38,080 Speaker 1: for the future, just to say hello, you can email 333 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:41,000 Speaker 1: us at contact at Stuff to Blow your Mind dot 334 00:17:41,040 --> 00:17:50,399 Speaker 1: com Stuff to Blow Your Mind. It's production of I 335 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:53,400 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. For more podcasts for My Heart Radio, visit 336 00:17:53,440 --> 00:17:56,000 Speaker 1: the I Heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you 337 00:17:56,040 --> 00:17:57,280 Speaker 1: listen to your favorite shows.