1 00:00:03,760 --> 00:00:08,000 Speaker 1: Our world is full of the unexplainable, and if history 2 00:00:08,039 --> 00:00:11,200 Speaker 1: is an open book, all of these amazing tales are 3 00:00:11,320 --> 00:00:14,680 Speaker 1: right there on display, just waiting for us to explore. 4 00:00:16,200 --> 00:00:28,400 Speaker 1: Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. If there's one thing 5 00:00:28,440 --> 00:00:31,240 Speaker 1: we can't change, it's the weather. It does whatever it 6 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:34,159 Speaker 1: wants to, and all we can do is grin and Barrett. 7 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 1: Florida will always face hurricanes in the summer, the Minnesota 8 00:00:38,320 --> 00:00:41,760 Speaker 1: can plan on sub zero winters every January. In February, 9 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:47,520 Speaker 1: and Iran, where temperatures can reach up to one degrees fahrenheit, 10 00:00:47,920 --> 00:00:51,320 Speaker 1: high winds are a given. These winds, which can gust 11 00:00:51,360 --> 00:00:53,920 Speaker 1: as high as seventy miles an hour or more, kick 12 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:57,800 Speaker 1: up sand and dust, resulting in some pretty devastating sandstorms. 13 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: When that happens, day turns tonight as the sand sweeps 14 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:06,200 Speaker 1: through towns, knocking over trees, taking out power lines, and 15 00:01:06,400 --> 00:01:10,959 Speaker 1: swallowing cars or even people. They're a deadly nuisance, but 16 00:01:11,040 --> 00:01:13,720 Speaker 1: also a fact of life, and it's been that way 17 00:01:13,760 --> 00:01:16,399 Speaker 1: for thousands of years. But if you look at the 18 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:18,600 Speaker 1: top of an old wall in the small village of 19 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: nash Defan, you'll see how the Iranian people have learned 20 00:01:21,760 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: to live with these dust ups and how they've used 21 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:28,560 Speaker 1: them to drive innovation. The town's name is appropriate to 22 00:01:29,080 --> 00:01:32,920 Speaker 1: nash de Fan translates roughly as storms sting. The winds 23 00:01:32,959 --> 00:01:35,839 Speaker 1: that blow there can be powerful and damaging, but nash 24 00:01:35,920 --> 00:01:38,520 Speaker 1: Defan has found a way to harness them into something 25 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:42,479 Speaker 1: more constructive. The people there built sixty five foot tall 26 00:01:42,680 --> 00:01:46,200 Speaker 1: vertical windmills that look more like revolving doors than an 27 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:49,720 Speaker 1: energy source, and there's a reason for their unique design. 28 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:54,400 Speaker 1: The windmills were constructed on a vertical access, unlike the 29 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:57,480 Speaker 1: kinds of windmills were used to seeing in America, ones 30 00:01:57,520 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: with a large fan spinning at the head of its hour. Instead, 31 00:02:01,680 --> 00:02:04,760 Speaker 1: long planks were arranged side by side and fastened to 32 00:02:04,800 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: the post like boat paddles standing up, and then arranged 33 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:11,160 Speaker 1: around a single tall column. When the wind blows, the 34 00:02:11,200 --> 00:02:15,120 Speaker 1: paddles catch the air and turn the central post. This 35 00:02:15,160 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: does two things. First, the array of windmills slows the 36 00:02:19,040 --> 00:02:23,000 Speaker 1: wind down, throttling its speed through a bottleneck. The village 37 00:02:23,040 --> 00:02:25,080 Speaker 1: on the other side is spared from the worst of 38 00:02:25,120 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 1: any storms passing through, saving them from the usual devastation. 39 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 1: And second, grindstones beneath the columns turn as well, grinding 40 00:02:34,639 --> 00:02:38,280 Speaker 1: grain into flour. And these devices that use power derived 41 00:02:38,320 --> 00:02:41,760 Speaker 1: only from the wind are impressive. They possess no extra 42 00:02:41,840 --> 00:02:46,560 Speaker 1: motors or turbines, functioning only on what nature provides. But 43 00:02:46,639 --> 00:02:50,000 Speaker 1: it doesn't look like Iran's deep dive into alternative energy 44 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:53,240 Speaker 1: will last much longer. No, they won't be switching to 45 00:02:53,360 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 1: natural gas or fossil fuels. It's just that there's only 46 00:02:56,800 --> 00:02:59,760 Speaker 1: one man who maintains the windmills, and no one has 47 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:03,360 Speaker 1: for to follow in his footsteps when he's gone. Because 48 00:03:03,360 --> 00:03:06,000 Speaker 1: of that, out of the hundreds that used to stand there, 49 00:03:06,040 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 1: only a handful are still around today. It's hard for 50 00:03:09,720 --> 00:03:12,280 Speaker 1: just one man to keep them all operating after all, 51 00:03:12,639 --> 00:03:17,239 Speaker 1: especially since they're made of wood, clay, and straw. Oh 52 00:03:17,440 --> 00:03:21,680 Speaker 1: and they're also over a thousand years old. Yes, these 53 00:03:21,800 --> 00:03:25,280 Speaker 1: vertical access windmills, a design used in state of the 54 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:29,119 Speaker 1: art wind turbines coming out of research companies today, got 55 00:03:29,160 --> 00:03:33,280 Speaker 1: their starts in ancient Persia around five a d. They 56 00:03:33,320 --> 00:03:36,040 Speaker 1: still work just as they did back then too. It's 57 00:03:36,160 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 1: just a shame that they'll probably disappear in a few 58 00:03:38,600 --> 00:03:43,480 Speaker 1: years unless someone volunteers to take over their maintenance. It's 59 00:03:43,480 --> 00:03:45,680 Speaker 1: not clear what will happen to the village when they 60 00:03:45,680 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 1: eventually fall apart. Perhaps they'll build new versions in their place, 61 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: ones made of metal and plastic that can withstand higher 62 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 1: wind speeds and generate power for the village. But it 63 00:03:56,560 --> 00:04:00,400 Speaker 1: won't be the same that any of these artifacts still existed, 64 00:04:00,480 --> 00:04:03,960 Speaker 1: all as a testament to their construction and the ingenuity 65 00:04:04,080 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: of the people who built them. After all, the old 66 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:11,440 Speaker 1: cliche has never been more true. They sure don't make 67 00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:29,360 Speaker 1: them like they used to. Don't shoot the messenger. It's 68 00:04:29,360 --> 00:04:32,400 Speaker 1: a common saying with a simple meaning. Don't blame the 69 00:04:32,440 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 1: person bearing the bad news for simply doing their job. Unfortunately, 70 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:40,240 Speaker 1: that's exactly what happened to two American scientists working in 71 00:04:40,279 --> 00:04:45,520 Speaker 1: Peru back in Eno. No, they weren't shot, don't worry. 72 00:04:45,920 --> 00:04:50,000 Speaker 1: They just wanted someone to listen to their advice. They 73 00:04:50,000 --> 00:04:52,320 Speaker 1: were working in the an Cash region of Peru on 74 00:04:52,360 --> 00:04:55,200 Speaker 1: the western edge of the country. Within that area as 75 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: a town called Young Guy nestled in among the mountains. 76 00:04:58,760 --> 00:05:01,680 Speaker 1: Although small, the town boasts a population of over ten 77 00:05:01,720 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 1: thousand people and it holds a place in history as 78 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 1: the site of a major battle during the War of 79 00:05:07,200 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 1: Confederation in eighteen thirty nine. Also, thanks to an American 80 00:05:11,560 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 1: archaeologist named Thomas Lynch, were aware of evidence from ten 81 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:17,640 Speaker 1: thousand years ago that Young Guy was one of the 82 00:05:17,680 --> 00:05:23,160 Speaker 1: original locations where American agriculture began. But the town's history 83 00:05:23,320 --> 00:05:26,559 Speaker 1: hides a darkness beneath the surface, one that had gone 84 00:05:26,680 --> 00:05:31,279 Speaker 1: unspoken for eight years before the unthinkable happened. David Burnet's 85 00:05:31,360 --> 00:05:36,479 Speaker 1: and Charles Sawyer were American geologists studying the nearby mountains there. Specifically, 86 00:05:36,480 --> 00:05:39,680 Speaker 1: they were focused on hores Garan, the highest peak in Peru, 87 00:05:39,839 --> 00:05:43,159 Speaker 1: which towered over Young Guy from less than ten miles away. 88 00:05:44,279 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: While they were there, they noticed something concerning about the mountain, 89 00:05:47,880 --> 00:05:51,599 Speaker 1: specifically one section of it. If the vertical slab on 90 00:05:51,640 --> 00:05:54,520 Speaker 1: the north side ever collapsed, it would crush the town 91 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:57,440 Speaker 1: beneath it. So the scientists took their findings to the 92 00:05:57,480 --> 00:06:01,680 Speaker 1: local newspaper, which published their report it. Now, you would 93 00:06:01,720 --> 00:06:05,040 Speaker 1: think that might have sparked some kind of investigation or 94 00:06:05,080 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 1: even an evacuation. The number of potential casualties was unthinkable. 95 00:06:09,880 --> 00:06:14,320 Speaker 1: Somebody had to listen, except nobody did. They never got 96 00:06:14,360 --> 00:06:18,080 Speaker 1: the chance. The Peruvian government got wind of the geologist's 97 00:06:18,160 --> 00:06:21,719 Speaker 1: reports and ordered them to print a retraction. What they'd 98 00:06:21,720 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 1: proposed was impossible. It would cause mass panic and chaotic riots, 99 00:06:26,800 --> 00:06:29,599 Speaker 1: and if the two men wouldn't listen, they'd be arrested. 100 00:06:30,040 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 1: So rather than face jail time, Burns and Sawyer fled 101 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:36,880 Speaker 1: the country, never to speak of their findings to anyone again, 102 00:06:37,400 --> 00:06:40,080 Speaker 1: and that was it. For years, the town of Young 103 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:43,400 Speaker 1: Guy went on about its business without fear. Maybe those 104 00:06:43,440 --> 00:06:46,919 Speaker 1: scientists had just been wrong. After all, Harress Groan was 105 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:50,000 Speaker 1: an enormous mountain peak that had been there for eons. 106 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:54,360 Speaker 1: It wasn't going anywhere anytime soon. And then, in May 107 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:58,720 Speaker 1: of nineteen seventy, eight, years after publishing their predictions, an 108 00:06:58,720 --> 00:07:02,640 Speaker 1: earthquake occurred around three o'clock in the afternoon. It started 109 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:05,600 Speaker 1: off the coast of Peru and devastated the entire and 110 00:07:05,760 --> 00:07:09,640 Speaker 1: Cash region, including the town of Young Guy. Roads collapsed, 111 00:07:09,960 --> 00:07:13,800 Speaker 1: buildings were reduced to rubble, and all communications were destroyed. 112 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:16,720 Speaker 1: But perhaps worst of all was what happened to the 113 00:07:16,760 --> 00:07:21,280 Speaker 1: northern wall of Horrescuran. That vertical slab the geologist had 114 00:07:21,320 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 1: warned everyone about did fall. The resulting avalanche sent more 115 00:07:25,320 --> 00:07:28,800 Speaker 1: than fifty million cubic meters of glacial ice, rock and 116 00:07:28,880 --> 00:07:32,720 Speaker 1: snow down the mountain, an unstoppable del uge that buried 117 00:07:32,800 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 1: young guy. Over twenty thousand souls were lost that day. 118 00:07:37,360 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 1: Most of the bodies were never recovered. The government declared 119 00:07:41,120 --> 00:07:45,400 Speaker 1: the town a national cemetery and prohibited workers from excavating 120 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:49,720 Speaker 1: in the area. We may never know what might have 121 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:52,840 Speaker 1: happened if the government had actually listened, or how many 122 00:07:52,960 --> 00:07:55,160 Speaker 1: lives might have been spared if the town had been 123 00:07:55,160 --> 00:07:59,280 Speaker 1: evacuated earlier rather than a mass grave. The demise of 124 00:07:59,280 --> 00:08:02,480 Speaker 1: the city have just been an interesting footnote to one 125 00:08:02,520 --> 00:08:06,120 Speaker 1: of the worst natural disasters to ever strike the region, 126 00:08:06,920 --> 00:08:09,280 Speaker 1: but it sadly turned out to be much more than that, 127 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:12,560 Speaker 1: due to the inaction and denial from the people at 128 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:16,760 Speaker 1: the top who could have helped the most. Instead, it 129 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:21,000 Speaker 1: will go down as perhaps the greatest preventable disaster and history, 130 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:29,160 Speaker 1: predicted by two men who just wanted to help. I 131 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:32,720 Speaker 1: hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. 132 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:36,160 Speaker 1: Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about 133 00:08:36,160 --> 00:08:40,720 Speaker 1: the show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show 134 00:08:40,920 --> 00:08:44,199 Speaker 1: was created by me Aaron Manky in partnership with how 135 00:08:44,280 --> 00:08:47,840 Speaker 1: Stuff Works. I make another award winning show called Lore 136 00:08:48,080 --> 00:08:51,720 Speaker 1: which is a podcast, book series, and television show and 137 00:08:51,760 --> 00:08:54,000 Speaker 1: you can learn all about it over at the world 138 00:08:54,000 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 1: of Lore dot com. And until next time, stay curious.