1 00:00:03,040 --> 00:00:06,080 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, a production of iHeartRadio. 2 00:00:10,039 --> 00:00:12,480 Speaker 2: Hey, welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind. Listener mail. 3 00:00:12,600 --> 00:00:15,200 Speaker 3: This is Robert Land, and this is Joe McCormick. And 4 00:00:15,240 --> 00:00:17,400 Speaker 3: it's Monday, the day of each week that we read 5 00:00:17,440 --> 00:00:21,600 Speaker 3: back some messages from the Stuff to Blow Your Mind mailbox. 6 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 3: If you've never gotten in touch before, why not give 7 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:27,360 Speaker 3: it a try. You can reach us at contact at 8 00:00:27,440 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 3: Stuff to Blow Your Mind. Any kind of mail is 9 00:00:29,920 --> 00:00:33,279 Speaker 3: fair game. Obviously, we like feedback on recent episodes. If 10 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 3: you have anything interesting you want to add to a 11 00:00:35,479 --> 00:00:39,880 Speaker 3: topic we have covered on the show, If you have questions, corrections, 12 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:42,960 Speaker 3: suggestions for new topics, or if you just want to 13 00:00:42,960 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 3: say hi, tell us your story, or just share something 14 00:00:45,840 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 3: generally interesting. Any of that's all right, send it on 15 00:00:49,159 --> 00:00:52,280 Speaker 3: to contact at stuff to Blow your Mind dot com. 16 00:00:52,680 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 3: All right, As we've been saying for a few weeks, 17 00:00:54,640 --> 00:00:57,040 Speaker 3: we've been working through all of the responses we got 18 00:00:57,040 --> 00:01:00,680 Speaker 3: to our series on childhood amnesia. Lots of people wanted 19 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:04,679 Speaker 3: to share their earliest childhood memories or other commentary on 20 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:07,959 Speaker 3: these episodes, and so of course we still have not 21 00:01:08,040 --> 00:01:10,560 Speaker 3: gotten near the bottom of all the messages we received 22 00:01:10,560 --> 00:01:14,120 Speaker 3: on that, but we're keeping on working through them, doing 23 00:01:14,160 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 3: a few at a time. So Rob, do you want 24 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:20,680 Speaker 3: to kick us off today? Reading this message from column 25 00:01:20,720 --> 00:01:23,679 Speaker 3: who has written in before and we have called him Calm. 26 00:01:24,720 --> 00:01:32,319 Speaker 2: Oh well I don't remember that. Well apologies. Column. Column 27 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:35,280 Speaker 2: rights then and says, hi, guys, thanks for reading out 28 00:01:35,319 --> 00:01:37,880 Speaker 2: my very short email about the orca looking after the 29 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 2: juvenile whale of another species. Oh yeah, that was just 30 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:43,199 Speaker 2: a week or two ago. Yeah, this is my third 31 00:01:43,200 --> 00:01:45,040 Speaker 2: time writing in, and I thought i'd give you some 32 00:01:45,160 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 2: help in pronouncing my name. It's spelled Colm, but is 33 00:01:49,760 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 2: pronounced column like there are three columns in this spreadsheet. 34 00:01:54,440 --> 00:01:58,000 Speaker 2: The Irish spelling is Colm, the Scottish spelling is c 35 00:01:58,200 --> 00:02:01,559 Speaker 2: A L l Um, and the England version is colin 36 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:05,360 Speaker 2: the old alien. Anyway, I wanted to tell you about 37 00:02:05,360 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 2: a very specific and very early childhood memory I have. 38 00:02:09,160 --> 00:02:11,560 Speaker 2: I was in my pram and I was being brought 39 00:02:11,600 --> 00:02:15,600 Speaker 2: around to our local corner shop by my mammy. Yes, 40 00:02:15,720 --> 00:02:18,680 Speaker 2: grown men in Ireland call their mom or mom mammy 41 00:02:18,720 --> 00:02:22,560 Speaker 2: their whole life. It's a small grocery shop that is 42 00:02:22,600 --> 00:02:25,040 Speaker 2: still there today. This was in late nineteen sixty nine 43 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:27,880 Speaker 2: or early nineteen seventy as it was cold outside, and 44 00:02:27,919 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 2: I remember being well tucked in and setting up in 45 00:02:30,720 --> 00:02:34,160 Speaker 2: the pram. My Mammy parked me up outside and went 46 00:02:34,200 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 2: in to get her shopping. I remember some kids hanging 47 00:02:37,280 --> 00:02:39,760 Speaker 2: around outside the shop and one of the boys was 48 00:02:39,800 --> 00:02:43,519 Speaker 2: eating crisps. You call them potato chips. This boy gave 49 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:45,760 Speaker 2: me a crisp, and what I remember is that I 50 00:02:45,800 --> 00:02:48,240 Speaker 2: had no teeth to chew it, and it felt hard 51 00:02:48,360 --> 00:02:51,520 Speaker 2: and salty against my gums. This leads me to believe 52 00:02:51,639 --> 00:02:54,960 Speaker 2: I must have only been between twelve and eighteen months old. 53 00:02:55,080 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 3: This is just such a British Isles first memory. It's 54 00:02:59,520 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 3: gotten risps, it's got a pram, It's got boys giving 55 00:03:03,080 --> 00:03:04,760 Speaker 3: you crisps at the corner grocery. 56 00:03:05,600 --> 00:03:10,880 Speaker 2: Yeah. Anyway, you both do trojan work, lads. Fair play 57 00:03:10,880 --> 00:03:13,200 Speaker 2: to you, and please do something about the subject of 58 00:03:13,280 --> 00:03:15,800 Speaker 2: lighthouses in the future. I mentioned it to Joe a 59 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:17,720 Speaker 2: couple of years ago, and he said it was a 60 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:20,320 Speaker 2: great idea. As far as I'm aware, you have never 61 00:03:20,360 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 2: covered the subject before, even in the Invention series. 62 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:26,120 Speaker 3: I think that's a great topic. Yeah, I guess we 63 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:27,359 Speaker 3: just never got around to it. 64 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:31,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, I don't know why not. Because I'm always I'm 65 00:03:31,080 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 2: like you, Joe. I mean, I'm always going on trips, 66 00:03:33,600 --> 00:03:36,680 Speaker 2: and I bet you often find yourself at strange lighthouses. 67 00:03:37,120 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 2: That's what that's what I do. It's like, there's a 68 00:03:39,240 --> 00:03:41,200 Speaker 2: weird lighthouse in the area, I'm gonna go see it. 69 00:03:41,280 --> 00:03:43,560 Speaker 3: So I wake up in the middle of the night. 70 00:03:43,640 --> 00:03:46,320 Speaker 3: I am standing on a rocky shoreline, staring up at 71 00:03:46,320 --> 00:03:49,520 Speaker 3: the lighthouse, and it's calling to me. It's saying something. 72 00:03:49,760 --> 00:03:52,680 Speaker 3: Do you hear it? What is it saying. It's saying, 73 00:03:52,840 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 3: put the mask on now. 74 00:03:56,280 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 2: Yes, we're so excited about the mask as we just 75 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:02,880 Speaker 2: we just recorded that episode this morning. 76 00:04:03,080 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 3: Oh. But also to summarize the end of column's message here, 77 00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:08,880 Speaker 3: he lets us know that he makes ambient music and 78 00:04:09,080 --> 00:04:13,520 Speaker 3: sends us a link to his band camp page. Of course, listeners, always, 79 00:04:13,520 --> 00:04:15,560 Speaker 3: if you make music, you are welcome to send it 80 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:18,280 Speaker 3: our way. We can't promise we'll always have time to listen, 81 00:04:18,320 --> 00:04:20,480 Speaker 3: but if we get a moment, we will do our best, 82 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,240 Speaker 3: and yeah, send us links to band camp pages. We 83 00:04:23,640 --> 00:04:27,160 Speaker 3: love music. We love band camp in particular as a 84 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:31,240 Speaker 3: music hosting website. I'm a pretty big fan, so yeah, I. 85 00:04:31,240 --> 00:04:32,920 Speaker 2: Listen to some of what he's in in. I like 86 00:04:32,960 --> 00:04:37,120 Speaker 2: the vibe. I love a nice ambient track. Lexicon of 87 00:04:37,200 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 2: sound dot bandcamp dot com. Well, thanks for writing in column. 88 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:43,800 Speaker 2: I love the suggestion, and of course I love this 89 00:04:45,000 --> 00:04:49,119 Speaker 2: tidbit of a very early childhood memory with the crisps. 90 00:04:53,839 --> 00:04:58,360 Speaker 3: Okay, This next message about childhood amnesia is from Jen, 91 00:04:58,560 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 3: who says, good morning, love the podcast does a fellow 92 00:05:01,440 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 3: science geek and trained neuroscientists, I have a few questions 93 00:05:05,480 --> 00:05:09,400 Speaker 3: about your research into childhood amnesia. One, how does the 94 00:05:09,440 --> 00:05:13,720 Speaker 3: growth of the brain impact childhood memories, especially the tripling 95 00:05:13,800 --> 00:05:16,920 Speaker 3: in size during the first year of life. And how 96 00:05:16,960 --> 00:05:22,760 Speaker 3: does the growth of subcortical hippocampus and cortical regions e g. Language, auditory, 97 00:05:22,880 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 3: visual motor areas also impact early memories. Well, Jen, I'm 98 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:30,039 Speaker 3: not sure of the full answer to your question, and 99 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:31,880 Speaker 3: it's been a few weeks now since our episode, so 100 00:05:31,880 --> 00:05:35,560 Speaker 3: I hope I'm remembering what I do remember correctly. But 101 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:39,520 Speaker 3: I do think it's commonly assumed that rapid structural development 102 00:05:39,640 --> 00:05:43,680 Speaker 3: in the young brain weakens the connections that form the 103 00:05:43,720 --> 00:05:48,039 Speaker 3: basis of long term memories. So whatever early episodic memories 104 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:52,800 Speaker 3: are made kind of fall prey to that expansion and 105 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:55,640 Speaker 3: development process you talked about, So I think this would 106 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:59,159 Speaker 3: entail both the rapid growth and the plasticity of the 107 00:05:59,200 --> 00:06:04,000 Speaker 3: young brain that probably directly undermines the stability of episodic 108 00:06:04,080 --> 00:06:06,920 Speaker 3: memories formed in early life. The metaphor we used in 109 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:10,080 Speaker 3: the episode, I'm still not sure if this is the 110 00:06:10,120 --> 00:06:14,359 Speaker 3: best metaphor. I'd be interested in getting feedback from more neuroscientists, 111 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:17,279 Speaker 3: But we were thinking about it sort of like trying 112 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:20,760 Speaker 3: to rebuild or renovate a house and moving into the 113 00:06:20,800 --> 00:06:23,279 Speaker 3: house at the same time. So you might be like 114 00:06:23,760 --> 00:06:26,880 Speaker 3: making memories in terms of setting up furniture and decorations 115 00:06:26,880 --> 00:06:29,039 Speaker 3: and a certain arrangement. But then if you have to 116 00:06:29,120 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 3: like rebuild the walls and rebuild a room and make 117 00:06:32,720 --> 00:06:34,919 Speaker 3: it bigger and add on new things to the house, 118 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:38,080 Speaker 3: you will probably also have to end up rearranging all 119 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 3: of the things you've moved in as the house is rebuild. Okay, 120 00:06:42,400 --> 00:06:45,760 Speaker 3: this is jens second question. Most of the events I 121 00:06:45,800 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 3: remember from childhood involved getting into some kind of trouble. 122 00:06:49,720 --> 00:06:52,240 Speaker 3: I do remember many happy times too, as well as 123 00:06:52,279 --> 00:06:55,760 Speaker 3: some moments within daily routines, but I cannot remember day 124 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:59,400 Speaker 3: to day routines at all. For example, when I got 125 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 3: up in the morning to go to school, did my 126 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:04,800 Speaker 3: mom fix me breakfast? Did I fix it myself? Who 127 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:08,000 Speaker 3: chose my clothes and helped me get dressed? During early 128 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:12,280 Speaker 3: primary years? I remember snippets from upper elementary school, much 129 00:07:12,400 --> 00:07:16,120 Speaker 3: like the research you reported supports and looking at old 130 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 3: photos jog sum memories. But I find it fascinating that 131 00:07:19,720 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 3: such daily, routine events occurring over years of my childhood 132 00:07:23,320 --> 00:07:27,800 Speaker 3: would be gone. Is it because they are routine and unimportant? 133 00:07:28,120 --> 00:07:30,880 Speaker 3: Is it because I was cared for, well fed and 134 00:07:31,000 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 3: dressed ie growing up in a secure, safe and comfortable environment, 135 00:07:35,520 --> 00:07:37,920 Speaker 3: Jen another good question. I don't know for sure, but 136 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:40,160 Speaker 3: this does connect to one of the things that we 137 00:07:40,200 --> 00:07:43,160 Speaker 3: talked about in our interview with David Eagleman, who is 138 00:07:43,160 --> 00:07:47,080 Speaker 3: a neuroscientist, and you know, when we were talking with him, 139 00:07:47,240 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 3: he brought up the idea that, of course, the brain 140 00:07:49,800 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 3: records fewer memories for event sequences that we perceive as 141 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 3: routine and mundane, and studies show the brain tends to 142 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:02,600 Speaker 3: increase the density of memory detail for events that are 143 00:08:02,960 --> 00:08:06,680 Speaker 3: unusual and or highly salient for some reason, maybe they 144 00:08:06,680 --> 00:08:11,760 Speaker 3: have intense social salience, or survival salience. Also, some of 145 00:08:11,760 --> 00:08:14,280 Speaker 3: the studies we looked at made it seem like events 146 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:18,440 Speaker 3: that are actively remembered more often are more likely to 147 00:08:18,440 --> 00:08:21,040 Speaker 3: be remembered for a longer time. They're less likely to 148 00:08:21,160 --> 00:08:24,320 Speaker 3: just fade away into nothingness, with the caveat being that 149 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:29,840 Speaker 3: revisiting memories through storytelling or reminiscing often introduces changes to them. 150 00:08:30,320 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 3: But that seems like at least a partial two part 151 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:37,000 Speaker 3: explanation for why mundane routine events would be remembered less. 152 00:08:37,360 --> 00:08:39,840 Speaker 3: You know, they're less likely to be recorded in detail 153 00:08:39,920 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 3: to begin with, because they're not these unusual or highly 154 00:08:43,480 --> 00:08:47,000 Speaker 3: salient events. And then second, routine events are not likely 155 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 3: to be revisited in memory very often, which makes them 156 00:08:50,440 --> 00:08:54,800 Speaker 3: more susceptible to fading over time. Again, as ral Julia 157 00:08:55,080 --> 00:08:57,480 Speaker 3: put it in the role of m Bison, for me, 158 00:08:57,600 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 3: it was Tuesday. 159 00:08:58,679 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 2: You know, yeah, I mean, I mean that's one of 160 00:09:01,800 --> 00:09:04,960 Speaker 2: the things about we've discussed before, like going on a vacation, 161 00:09:07,440 --> 00:09:11,120 Speaker 2: it messes with your routine or forces to take on 162 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:13,880 Speaker 2: new routines, and that routine may This may apply to 163 00:09:13,920 --> 00:09:16,240 Speaker 2: something as like, oh, well, on this trip, I'm going 164 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:18,719 Speaker 2: to read first thing in the morning, whereas usually I 165 00:09:18,760 --> 00:09:20,240 Speaker 2: don't have time. Usually I don't have time for that 166 00:09:20,240 --> 00:09:22,320 Speaker 2: that sort of thing. Or it can just be like, oh, well, 167 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:26,080 Speaker 2: I'm making my coffee here instead of instead of where 168 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:28,680 Speaker 2: I normally make it, I'm using a slightly different machine. 169 00:09:28,800 --> 00:09:33,200 Speaker 2: It introduces all of these novel factors and new factors 170 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:37,720 Speaker 2: and altered factors into indo your existing routines, and allows 171 00:09:37,720 --> 00:09:40,680 Speaker 2: the fostering of new routines, and therefore the whole trip 172 00:09:40,760 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 2: will then be more novel than you're just your average 173 00:09:43,360 --> 00:09:45,840 Speaker 2: daily week, even though you know, we find a lot 174 00:09:45,840 --> 00:09:48,600 Speaker 2: of comfort in routine. Yeah, it doesn't mean that the 175 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:50,840 Speaker 2: comfortable moments are as memorable. 176 00:09:50,720 --> 00:09:53,240 Speaker 3: But all that novelty means you're going to have way 177 00:09:53,280 --> 00:09:57,559 Speaker 3: more detailed memories about your vacation than you would an 178 00:09:57,559 --> 00:09:59,959 Speaker 3: equivalent length of time where you were just doing your 179 00:10:00,080 --> 00:10:04,280 Speaker 3: normal things staying home and working or whatever. Jen's third question, 180 00:10:04,880 --> 00:10:08,240 Speaker 3: what about our memory or lack of memory surrounding traumatic 181 00:10:08,280 --> 00:10:11,840 Speaker 3: events in childhood? How does our brain choose to block 182 00:10:12,080 --> 00:10:16,120 Speaker 3: or embed traumatic memories parentheses? This is a huge area 183 00:10:16,120 --> 00:10:19,479 Speaker 3: of research in recent years, and as a current elementary 184 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:22,240 Speaker 3: school teacher in a low income community, the impact of 185 00:10:22,280 --> 00:10:26,000 Speaker 3: trauma on behavior on behavior and cognition is an ever 186 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 3: present concern. Jen, I would say, yeah, that is. I 187 00:10:30,040 --> 00:10:32,400 Speaker 3: don't know, but that is a very interesting and very 188 00:10:32,400 --> 00:10:35,680 Speaker 3: important question. Finally, Jen says, most of the research I 189 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:39,520 Speaker 3: did as a neuroscientist involved language processing in adults and 190 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:43,880 Speaker 3: studying impacts of brain trauma on disruption in language. So 191 00:10:44,080 --> 00:10:47,079 Speaker 3: my knowledge of the memory literature is lacking and focused 192 00:10:47,120 --> 00:10:50,559 Speaker 3: on adult memory. Plus, since switching careers, I haven't kept 193 00:10:50,640 --> 00:10:53,120 Speaker 3: up with current research. I know there are several theories 194 00:10:53,240 --> 00:10:57,240 Speaker 3: of how our memories, especially episodic memories, are quote organized 195 00:10:57,360 --> 00:11:00,160 Speaker 3: or quote stored in the brain. So my last question 196 00:11:00,400 --> 00:11:04,200 Speaker 3: is how do these theories inform childhood amnesia? Thanks for 197 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:07,040 Speaker 3: reading this. I don't expect you to answer these questions. Phew. 198 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:09,920 Speaker 3: Well that's a load off, but rather raise them as 199 00:11:09,920 --> 00:11:12,480 Speaker 3: things to keep in mind as you work on future 200 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:15,760 Speaker 3: episodes of the topic. Well, this is kind of out 201 00:11:15,800 --> 00:11:17,720 Speaker 3: of order, isn't it now that we're reading this after 202 00:11:19,160 --> 00:11:21,920 Speaker 3: we finished the series. But yeah, this does raise important 203 00:11:21,960 --> 00:11:24,560 Speaker 3: questions and maybe we will return to the topic in 204 00:11:24,600 --> 00:11:27,559 Speaker 3: the future. This will give us more things to plow into. 205 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:30,520 Speaker 2: Absolutely, all right, what do we have next? Looks like 206 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:36,079 Speaker 2: we have some comments regarding our episode or episodes, I 207 00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:39,160 Speaker 2: guess at this point on the Telephone Game, right, So. 208 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:41,160 Speaker 3: Well, I guess. First of all, I want to summarize 209 00:11:41,240 --> 00:11:45,240 Speaker 3: multiple responses we got concerning the version of the telephone 210 00:11:45,320 --> 00:11:49,480 Speaker 3: game that you play by switching back and forth between 211 00:11:49,480 --> 00:11:52,760 Speaker 3: text and drawings. So the game might begin with a 212 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:56,520 Speaker 3: text phrase and then somebody has to draw that phrase, 213 00:11:56,960 --> 00:11:58,720 Speaker 3: and then the next player has to look at the 214 00:11:58,760 --> 00:12:01,800 Speaker 3: picture only and come up with what text that drawing 215 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:03,839 Speaker 3: is supposed to represent, and then you just go back 216 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:06,520 Speaker 3: and forth. Three Oh sorry, what. 217 00:12:06,920 --> 00:12:08,480 Speaker 2: I was just going to say? I think what the 218 00:12:08,520 --> 00:12:10,400 Speaker 2: title that we threw out there for it was something 219 00:12:10,440 --> 00:12:14,560 Speaker 2: like cat Vomit poop Machine or something like cat Yeah, yeah, 220 00:12:14,559 --> 00:12:17,360 Speaker 2: something just horrible that we just had to read multiple 221 00:12:17,360 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 2: times off of our notes. And it turns out there 222 00:12:19,480 --> 00:12:20,480 Speaker 2: were better names for this. 223 00:12:21,200 --> 00:12:24,760 Speaker 3: There are many names for it, So three different listeners 224 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:27,640 Speaker 3: told us three different names for it. Eric writes in 225 00:12:27,720 --> 00:12:32,000 Speaker 3: to say he knows this game as Telephone Pictionary. Lindsay 226 00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 3: says she has played a boxed version of this game 227 00:12:34,960 --> 00:12:39,840 Speaker 3: called Telestrations, and then Renata says she played an online 228 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:43,480 Speaker 3: version of this game called draw Sception. So it seems 229 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:45,720 Speaker 3: like the idea is so good it has come about 230 00:12:45,760 --> 00:12:47,880 Speaker 3: many times through conversion, evolution. 231 00:12:47,640 --> 00:12:51,400 Speaker 2: Bravo, yeah, or rebranding at least. I mean, all of 232 00:12:51,440 --> 00:12:54,800 Speaker 2: these titles are just far classier than what we were 233 00:12:54,800 --> 00:12:57,280 Speaker 2: dealing with. I like it draw sception especially. That's a 234 00:12:57,360 --> 00:13:07,040 Speaker 2: nice one, all right. Now here's one from Dan. Dan 235 00:13:07,160 --> 00:13:11,120 Speaker 2: writes in and says Kia Orra Robin Joe. I am 236 00:13:11,120 --> 00:13:14,440 Speaker 2: writing in response to your episode on the Telephone Game. 237 00:13:15,000 --> 00:13:18,200 Speaker 2: As my trade is in theater and comedy. Your discussion 238 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:21,480 Speaker 2: around the recounting of stories via oral tradition and the 239 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:25,040 Speaker 2: omission of detail via retelling got me thinking about the 240 00:13:25,040 --> 00:13:29,480 Speaker 2: stage play Mister Burns by Anne Washburn. The play deals 241 00:13:29,520 --> 00:13:31,800 Speaker 2: with many of those themes in a very clever and 242 00:13:31,880 --> 00:13:36,320 Speaker 2: funny way. The play is in three distinct acts. The 243 00:13:36,360 --> 00:13:40,760 Speaker 2: first is immediately after a series of simultaneous nuclear meltdowns 244 00:13:41,080 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 2: across the grid have reduced the United States to a 245 00:13:44,240 --> 00:13:48,960 Speaker 2: post electrical civilization. A small group of survivors sit around 246 00:13:48,960 --> 00:13:52,400 Speaker 2: a campfire and pass the time and reconnect to their 247 00:13:52,440 --> 00:13:56,120 Speaker 2: pre meltdown lives. They attempt to recall an episode of 248 00:13:56,280 --> 00:14:00,800 Speaker 2: The Simpsons, the spectacular Cape Fear episode. While some of 249 00:14:00,800 --> 00:14:03,559 Speaker 2: them weren't familiar with the show. We see others teaching 250 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:09,240 Speaker 2: the other individuals the material secondhand. No, No, it's excellent. 251 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:11,840 Speaker 2: And then he does the thing with his fingers or 252 00:14:12,120 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 2: and is it then that he steps on all of 253 00:14:13,760 --> 00:14:17,360 Speaker 2: the rakes. We watch them change a televised story into 254 00:14:17,400 --> 00:14:20,200 Speaker 2: an oral tradition, teaching the characters, the gags and the 255 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:22,600 Speaker 2: references initiating. 256 00:14:22,200 --> 00:14:24,800 Speaker 3: The acolytes love this already. 257 00:14:24,440 --> 00:14:27,520 Speaker 2: Yep, yep, yep, this sounds fun. The second act is 258 00:14:27,520 --> 00:14:30,160 Speaker 2: set approximately twenty years later. The group have become a 259 00:14:30,160 --> 00:14:33,920 Speaker 2: company of traveling players and travel the post electrical wasteland 260 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:37,840 Speaker 2: performing episodes of The Simpsons Live for Water, Coin and Food. 261 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 2: We see them rehearsing the couch gag at the start 262 00:14:41,160 --> 00:14:44,640 Speaker 2: of the episode and all dressed in costume as the 263 00:14:44,720 --> 00:14:48,920 Speaker 2: various characters, and see how the Simpsons characters are shifting 264 00:14:48,920 --> 00:14:53,600 Speaker 2: from cartoons to mythic archetypal characters. They're obsessed with getting 265 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:56,800 Speaker 2: it right. They even do ad breaks, and there's tell 266 00:14:56,840 --> 00:14:59,960 Speaker 2: that over in sector nineteen there's a guy who use 267 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:03,400 Speaker 2: to work on SNL. The final act, and the hardest 268 00:15:03,400 --> 00:15:05,960 Speaker 2: to pull off, is set seventy five years later. It 269 00:15:06,040 --> 00:15:09,360 Speaker 2: is the staging of what is, to all intents and purposes, 270 00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:13,520 Speaker 2: a religious ceremony where the personal history of the nuclear 271 00:15:13,600 --> 00:15:18,280 Speaker 2: disaster is superimposed onto the narrative of Cape Fear, and 272 00:15:18,360 --> 00:15:22,560 Speaker 2: the Simpson's characters become a representative rather than literal. For example, 273 00:15:22,800 --> 00:15:27,360 Speaker 2: mister Burns aptly becomes the fear of radiation, and add 274 00:15:27,360 --> 00:15:30,760 Speaker 2: in random Britney Spears lyrics you know that He's toxic 275 00:15:31,040 --> 00:15:34,280 Speaker 2: and eminem references you get an incredible glimpse of a 276 00:15:34,320 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 2: possible future of storytelling and myth making, all assembled from 277 00:15:37,880 --> 00:15:40,600 Speaker 2: pop culture. The characters in the play build their own 278 00:15:40,640 --> 00:15:44,040 Speaker 2: legends and ways to understand the world, ways to pass 279 00:15:44,080 --> 00:15:46,800 Speaker 2: on their oral history, to warn of the dangers of 280 00:15:46,840 --> 00:15:50,840 Speaker 2: going into nuclear facilities and the hazard of invisible radiation, 281 00:15:51,040 --> 00:15:55,640 Speaker 2: all through song, dance, plain, song, ceremony. The demons Itchy 282 00:15:55,720 --> 00:16:00,040 Speaker 2: and Scratchy, the everyman Homer and his beautiful family, the 283 00:16:00,160 --> 00:16:03,360 Speaker 2: law in order of Chief with them, and always always, 284 00:16:03,680 --> 00:16:08,320 Speaker 2: the encroaching minutes of a spindly nightmarish mister Burns. It's 285 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:09,840 Speaker 2: quite a ride, and if you get the chance, I 286 00:16:09,880 --> 00:16:12,240 Speaker 2: highly recommend it. Thanks for all you do. The show 287 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:13,760 Speaker 2: is a regular part of my week and I always 288 00:16:13,760 --> 00:16:15,160 Speaker 2: look forward to new episodes. 289 00:16:15,720 --> 00:16:19,640 Speaker 3: Dan, Wow, that sounds great. I think I would love 290 00:16:19,680 --> 00:16:20,120 Speaker 3: this play. 291 00:16:20,920 --> 00:16:24,880 Speaker 2: Yeah, that's that's that's inventive to keep an eye out 292 00:16:24,920 --> 00:16:30,120 Speaker 2: for anyone putting this on. And indeed, yeah, this is 293 00:16:30,160 --> 00:16:33,520 Speaker 2: a This is something that, like I said, probably capture 294 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:36,840 Speaker 2: my imagination the most in those episodes. It's the society 295 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 2: of oral transmission of things that that are culturally important 296 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:44,480 Speaker 2: and what happens to those things over time and something 297 00:16:44,520 --> 00:16:46,760 Speaker 2: like The Simpsons. I mean it is culturally important. You know, 298 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:48,520 Speaker 2: a lot of the things that we don't think of. 299 00:16:48,560 --> 00:16:51,880 Speaker 2: They're certainly not high culture, but they help us understand 300 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:56,440 Speaker 2: our lives that it helps us sort of take whatever 301 00:16:56,560 --> 00:17:00,920 Speaker 2: kind of challenges we're facing or Monday details of our 302 00:17:00,960 --> 00:17:03,920 Speaker 2: life and kind of like cast it into some sort 303 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:07,600 Speaker 2: of maybe not sacred form, but at least some sort 304 00:17:07,600 --> 00:17:11,959 Speaker 2: of like humorous and timeless form that corresponds with the 305 00:17:12,359 --> 00:17:14,800 Speaker 2: with the saga of the Simpsons. Now, as with any 306 00:17:14,840 --> 00:17:18,080 Speaker 2: religious text, there are a lot of books that are 307 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:19,800 Speaker 2: gonna end up being thrown out. I think, you know, 308 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:23,520 Speaker 2: I'm not a Simpson's completest. I think there's a lot 309 00:17:23,560 --> 00:17:27,000 Speaker 2: of stuff that you're gonna end up cutting in order 310 00:17:27,040 --> 00:17:28,760 Speaker 2: to have a nice concise scripture. 311 00:17:29,080 --> 00:17:33,440 Speaker 3: Cape fears are gooding to work from, though, Yeah yeah, okay. 312 00:17:33,560 --> 00:17:36,560 Speaker 3: This next message is a short response to our Vault 313 00:17:36,640 --> 00:17:41,080 Speaker 3: episodes on the Vegetable Lamb of Tartary. This is from Cindy. 314 00:17:45,119 --> 00:17:50,240 Speaker 3: Cindy says, I submit to you the vegetable ram of Tartary. 315 00:17:51,160 --> 00:17:54,639 Speaker 3: Picture and link to real included below. I think this 316 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:57,920 Speaker 3: is a screen grab from Instagram. Cindy says, I really 317 00:17:57,920 --> 00:18:00,119 Speaker 3: listened to the Vault episodes on the Vegetable Lamb, and 318 00:18:00,160 --> 00:18:03,960 Speaker 3: then Amy Sidaris posted this video. Decided the coincidence was 319 00:18:04,000 --> 00:18:06,200 Speaker 3: too great not to share. Thanks for all the great 320 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:09,200 Speaker 3: podcast episodes. They keep me entertained as I progress through 321 00:18:09,240 --> 00:18:12,199 Speaker 3: my day. Cindy, what we're looking at here is like 322 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:17,800 Speaker 3: an outdoor grill that that has a ram with curling 323 00:18:17,840 --> 00:18:20,480 Speaker 3: horns that might be made of like carrots or peppers 324 00:18:20,560 --> 00:18:23,200 Speaker 3: or something. But the ram's body with all the wool 325 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:25,960 Speaker 3: is a head of cauliflower and it looks really good. 326 00:18:26,600 --> 00:18:29,640 Speaker 2: Yeah it is. This looks nice. I remember seeing this 327 00:18:30,359 --> 00:18:34,600 Speaker 2: on Amy Sedaris's Instagram. She's one of the few celebrity 328 00:18:34,640 --> 00:18:37,680 Speaker 2: types that I followed because her Instagram game is on point. 329 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:39,879 Speaker 2: But I didn't put that together. I didn't think, ah, 330 00:18:39,960 --> 00:18:42,360 Speaker 2: vegetable ram of Tartari here very solid. 331 00:18:42,400 --> 00:18:45,320 Speaker 3: Thanks for sharing, Cindy, as I'm not on the GRAM 332 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:46,960 Speaker 3: so I never would have seen this otherwise. 333 00:18:47,680 --> 00:18:49,920 Speaker 2: All right, shall we dive into a little weird house 334 00:18:49,960 --> 00:18:53,439 Speaker 2: cinema listener mail? Oh? Yes, this first one comes to 335 00:18:53,520 --> 00:19:02,600 Speaker 2: us from Carl Sennen, says Dear Robin Joe, thanks for 336 00:19:02,600 --> 00:19:06,320 Speaker 2: featuring the nineteen fifty three House of Wax. This is 337 00:19:06,359 --> 00:19:09,240 Speaker 2: one of the first I remember well do a lock 338 00:19:09,359 --> 00:19:12,520 Speaker 2: to its three D effects and vincent price. I really 339 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:15,639 Speaker 2: liked learning that it featured several actors and actresses that 340 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:18,280 Speaker 2: I later liked, but had no idea who they were 341 00:19:18,320 --> 00:19:21,400 Speaker 2: at the time. The scenes I remember the most were 342 00:19:21,480 --> 00:19:26,000 Speaker 2: when Professor Jared drops Burke's body down an elevator shaft 343 00:19:26,119 --> 00:19:29,359 Speaker 2: and when he swings with the grappling hook to Kathy's window, 344 00:19:29,720 --> 00:19:33,399 Speaker 2: both with max three D jump scare effect. Also I 345 00:19:33,440 --> 00:19:36,840 Speaker 2: remember the paddleball sequences, But over the years I lost 346 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:39,840 Speaker 2: the association with House of Wax. Maybe my nine year 347 00:19:39,880 --> 00:19:42,880 Speaker 2: old mind was trying to make sense of an otherwise 348 00:19:42,920 --> 00:19:45,919 Speaker 2: somewhat random but fun insertion in the plot. 349 00:19:46,480 --> 00:19:48,800 Speaker 3: When you're nine. It's like, you see the thing where 350 00:19:48,800 --> 00:19:51,320 Speaker 3: he like fits that he like knocks the three different 351 00:19:51,359 --> 00:19:53,720 Speaker 3: balls from the paddleballs into his mouth all at the 352 00:19:53,760 --> 00:19:56,560 Speaker 3: same time, and you're just like that, is that unique 353 00:19:56,600 --> 00:19:58,480 Speaker 3: to this or is that just something adults do? 354 00:20:00,720 --> 00:20:02,600 Speaker 2: Or is this the first movie. It's like, I guess 355 00:20:02,600 --> 00:20:05,240 Speaker 2: all movies have this. You're gonna want to have somebody 356 00:20:05,280 --> 00:20:08,359 Speaker 2: doing paddleball tricks during the middle of the movie just 357 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:11,280 Speaker 2: to keep things rolling. Remember that scene in The Godfather 358 00:20:11,400 --> 00:20:13,479 Speaker 2: where a guy comes out with a pair of paddle balls. 359 00:20:13,680 --> 00:20:17,359 Speaker 3: Yeah, exactly. Yeah, We're in the middle of Solaris and 360 00:20:17,440 --> 00:20:19,840 Speaker 3: here comes the paddleballs. The balls go in the mouth, 361 00:20:19,920 --> 00:20:23,120 Speaker 3: the three in the mouth, all in a row, all. 362 00:20:23,080 --> 00:20:26,480 Speaker 2: Right, Carl continues here. At that age, I related much 363 00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:29,879 Speaker 2: more to the Professor Jared character than any others, and 364 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:32,440 Speaker 2: was rooting for him all the way to the tragic end. 365 00:20:33,080 --> 00:20:36,240 Speaker 2: Price's portrayal of him really brought out the pathos and 366 00:20:36,320 --> 00:20:40,879 Speaker 2: sympathy for his character with formative me As for Vincent Price, 367 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:43,760 Speaker 2: he was a favorite of my parents, dad, especially later on. 368 00:20:43,840 --> 00:20:46,200 Speaker 2: We had a coffee table book about him that I enjoyed. 369 00:20:46,440 --> 00:20:50,200 Speaker 2: He was quite a refined art expert, epicurean and enophile. 370 00:20:50,480 --> 00:20:53,520 Speaker 2: That means he was a connoisseur of wines, and that 371 00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:56,639 Speaker 2: part helped me appreciate the finer things of life to 372 00:20:56,720 --> 00:20:59,960 Speaker 2: this day. Later, he got me interested in Edgar Allan Post, 373 00:21:00,160 --> 00:21:03,040 Speaker 2: one of my favorite authors and poets. Another reason I 374 00:21:03,080 --> 00:21:05,880 Speaker 2: remember this movie so much is that it was one 375 00:21:05,960 --> 00:21:09,080 Speaker 2: of the few in my early years that we saw 376 00:21:09,160 --> 00:21:12,359 Speaker 2: in a proper theater. Growing up in a small Nebraska town, 377 00:21:12,440 --> 00:21:15,280 Speaker 2: we attended many movies, but usually at the drive in theater, 378 00:21:15,880 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 2: which was way more practical for our family of six 379 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:21,760 Speaker 2: on a tight budget. I really enjoy most weird house 380 00:21:21,760 --> 00:21:25,399 Speaker 2: cinema reviewed movies. I've collected several of them based on 381 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:29,000 Speaker 2: your deep dives, but this one was extra special, so 382 00:21:29,119 --> 00:21:31,520 Speaker 2: many thanks. Now I need to screen it again, hoping 383 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:34,960 Speaker 2: I won't be disappointed in its quality without the three 384 00:21:35,080 --> 00:21:38,879 Speaker 2: D enhancement and with my adult perspective, but I'll enjoy 385 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:42,679 Speaker 2: following the actors more. Best car. Oh and we have 386 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:45,160 Speaker 2: an almost immediate follow up from Karl, so I'll read 387 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:48,280 Speaker 2: this as well. Dear Robin Joe, Again, I just finished 388 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:51,600 Speaker 2: House of Wax, presumably the rewatch here, and I must 389 00:21:51,640 --> 00:21:56,240 Speaker 2: say I certainly misremembered a lot in these seventy intervening years. 390 00:21:56,320 --> 00:21:59,280 Speaker 2: The scares I remember were not at all that scary, 391 00:21:59,320 --> 00:22:01,919 Speaker 2: and the story was more interesting than I remember. I 392 00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:04,879 Speaker 2: think maybe the three D made some effects better in 393 00:22:04,960 --> 00:22:08,640 Speaker 2: the immersive theater experience or something. I also got the 394 00:22:08,680 --> 00:22:12,840 Speaker 2: window entrance wrong. It was Sue, not Kathy. Anyway, I 395 00:22:12,880 --> 00:22:15,040 Speaker 2: did enjoy it and we'll probably watch it again. Just 396 00:22:15,080 --> 00:22:17,000 Speaker 2: wanted you to know that it was a great trip 397 00:22:17,040 --> 00:22:19,280 Speaker 2: down memory lane and a good example of a kid's 398 00:22:19,280 --> 00:22:23,040 Speaker 2: imagination running them up to generate new impressions of past events. 399 00:22:23,320 --> 00:22:29,200 Speaker 2: And the paddleball guy was amazing. Carl. Thanks Carl, Well 400 00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:32,359 Speaker 2: that's great again. I love anytime we get to hear 401 00:22:32,400 --> 00:22:34,240 Speaker 2: about people who got to see any of these movies 402 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:37,400 Speaker 2: in the theater, be the older or more recent films. 403 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:40,480 Speaker 2: And you know, this is spot on about Vincent Price. 404 00:22:40,480 --> 00:22:43,280 Speaker 2: I think the Vincent Price element that he brings is 405 00:22:43,280 --> 00:22:47,440 Speaker 2: that he makes just about any villain he plays likable 406 00:22:47,480 --> 00:22:50,320 Speaker 2: on some level, even no matter how far they lean 407 00:22:50,400 --> 00:22:55,199 Speaker 2: into making them dastardly. It's just his portrayal is so alive, 408 00:22:55,280 --> 00:22:59,080 Speaker 2: it's so charismatic. He'll win you over, at least to 409 00:22:59,119 --> 00:23:01,760 Speaker 2: some extent. Maybe he'll cross the lines. Character crosses the 410 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:04,280 Speaker 2: line at some point in the movie. But you know, 411 00:23:04,359 --> 00:23:06,320 Speaker 2: also a lot of the films he goes in, there's 412 00:23:06,320 --> 00:23:09,600 Speaker 2: a certain balance of camp that allows you to go 413 00:23:09,640 --> 00:23:12,320 Speaker 2: ahead and root for the villain because you're able to 414 00:23:12,600 --> 00:23:15,720 Speaker 2: separate yourself from it. So yeah, even is he's about 415 00:23:15,760 --> 00:23:18,399 Speaker 2: to cover Sue and Wax, you know, you're still at 416 00:23:18,480 --> 00:23:19,840 Speaker 2: least halfway rooting for him. 417 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:22,600 Speaker 3: You know, maybe he was right to do that, Maybe 418 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:27,720 Speaker 3: we all should be turned into wax materials. But no, Yeah, 419 00:23:27,760 --> 00:23:30,440 Speaker 3: like I said in the Weird House episode, I mean, yeah, 420 00:23:30,480 --> 00:23:33,960 Speaker 3: that's the Vincent Price magic. Even as Prince Prospero in 421 00:23:34,080 --> 00:23:36,080 Speaker 3: Mask of the Red Death, the character is supposed to 422 00:23:36,080 --> 00:23:40,399 Speaker 3: be just cruelty, decadence and wickedness incarnate, and yet you 423 00:23:40,480 --> 00:23:42,120 Speaker 3: still you kind of like him. 424 00:23:42,640 --> 00:23:43,120 Speaker 2: Yeah. 425 00:23:43,240 --> 00:23:44,639 Speaker 3: All right, Well, I think we got to wrap it 426 00:23:44,720 --> 00:23:47,080 Speaker 3: up there for today, but we've got plenty more messages 427 00:23:47,119 --> 00:23:51,480 Speaker 3: to read when Listener Mail comes around again next week. 428 00:23:52,119 --> 00:23:54,240 Speaker 2: That's right. And when does it come around, Well, it 429 00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:59,840 Speaker 2: arises from the miss every Monday, that's when listener mail. 430 00:23:59,880 --> 00:24:04,000 Speaker 2: Or but hey, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, that's when when 431 00:24:04,000 --> 00:24:06,760 Speaker 2: you'll encounter our core episodes of Stuff to Blow Your Mind. 432 00:24:07,080 --> 00:24:10,360 Speaker 2: On Wednesdays, a monster fact or an artifact creeps into 433 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:13,320 Speaker 2: the scenario, and by Friday while there's no stopping a 434 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:17,320 Speaker 2: weird House cinema episode from rampaging across the feed. 435 00:24:17,600 --> 00:24:21,200 Speaker 3: Huge thanks to our audio producer JJ Posway. If you 436 00:24:21,240 --> 00:24:23,360 Speaker 3: would like to get in touch with us with feedback 437 00:24:23,359 --> 00:24:25,720 Speaker 3: on this episode or any other, to suggest a topic 438 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:28,160 Speaker 3: for the future, or just to say hello, you can 439 00:24:28,200 --> 00:24:31,040 Speaker 3: email us at contact at stuff to Blow your Mind 440 00:24:31,240 --> 00:24:38,240 Speaker 3: dot com. 441 00:24:38,359 --> 00:24:41,320 Speaker 1: Stuff to Blow Your Mind is production of iHeartRadio. For 442 00:24:41,400 --> 00:24:44,200 Speaker 1: more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the iHeartRadio app, 443 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:47,119 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.