WEBVTT - 9 Head-Spinning Facts About Carousels

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<v Speaker 1>You're listening to Part Time Genius, the production of Kaleidoscope

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<v Speaker 1>and iHeartRadio.

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<v Speaker 2>Guess what, Mengo, what's that?

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<v Speaker 1>Well?

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<v Speaker 2>So, did you know that there's a double a baseball

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<v Speaker 2>team with a name inspired by carousels?

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<v Speaker 1>I mean I didn't, but now I'm curious.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it's in the title of this that this episode

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<v Speaker 2>is all about carousels. So I knew I was going

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<v Speaker 2>to lead with something related to that. But the team

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<v Speaker 2>used to be the Binghamton Mets, but in twenty sixteen

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<v Speaker 2>it was actually renamed the Binghamton Rumble Ponies. See Binghamton,

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<v Speaker 2>New York has given itself the prestigious title of carousel

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<v Speaker 2>Capital of the World. Shockingly, no one had claimed that,

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<v Speaker 2>and this was thanks to its six antique Merrigo rounds.

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<v Speaker 2>I love that. You just need six to make the

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<v Speaker 2>capital of the world.

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<v Speaker 1>So what's the story there?

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<v Speaker 2>Well, as usual, it traces back to an eccentric rich guy.

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<v Speaker 2>This guy George F. Johnson, who was a wealthy shoemaker

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<v Speaker 2>who lived, of course in Binghamton, and he donated not one,

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<v Speaker 2>not two, but six Merrigo rounds to local parks between

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<v Speaker 2>the years nineteen nineteen and nineteen thirty four. Now, these

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<v Speaker 2>antique hand carved carousels are actually kind of rare nowadays.

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<v Speaker 2>They're only about one hundred and fifty in the United

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<v Speaker 2>States and Canada combined, so having six of them in

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<v Speaker 2>one town is pretty special. In fact, all six are

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<v Speaker 2>on the National Register of Historic Places, and Johnson's original

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<v Speaker 2>condition when he donated the pieces was that writers wouldn't

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<v Speaker 2>be charged defeat, which still holds true today. So that

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<v Speaker 2>park's pretty cool. So in twenty sixteen, when the local

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<v Speaker 2>New York Mets affiliate needed a new name and a

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<v Speaker 2>new logo, a carousel horse was the perfect muse. Now,

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<v Speaker 2>even more specifically, the person who submitted the name suggestion

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<v Speaker 2>was inspired by a story written by Binghamton University professor

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<v Speaker 2>Livez Rosenberg, so her children's book The Carousel. Not surprising

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<v Speaker 2>it's called The Carousel is about horses on a merry

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<v Speaker 2>go round who sleep during winter and come alive during

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<v Speaker 2>the spring.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh, much like the sport of baseball. That's right, Okay, yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>I think I need a Binghamton Rumble Ponies hat though

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<v Speaker 1>I was thinking the same thing.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, it's time for a field trip out there. But

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<v Speaker 2>before we hop on a bus to Binghamton. We have

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<v Speaker 2>eight more facts about carousels, so let's dive in. Hey,

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<v Speaker 2>their podcast listeners, welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm Will

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<v Speaker 2>Pearson and as always I'm joined by my good friend

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<v Speaker 2>Mangesh hot Ticketter and over there in the booth as

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<v Speaker 2>our PALIN producer Dylan Fagan. He's trying to see what

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<v Speaker 2>he was eating, but he's eating a stack of eggo ware.

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<v Speaker 1>So many egos in there, and I'm all for Dylan

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<v Speaker 1>starting the day off right, but that feels excessive.

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<v Speaker 2>That is a lot of egoes, But I do love

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<v Speaker 2>how Dylan always does his research. Now, egos were invented

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<v Speaker 2>by this incredible food inventor named Frank Dorsu, who basically

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<v Speaker 2>took a carousel engine and he made this rotating device.

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<v Speaker 2>So what happened is the batter would squeeze out and

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<v Speaker 2>it would move and settle and be cooked under this

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<v Speaker 2>rotating hood, all based on a carousel design. I don't

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<v Speaker 2>know why this came up with, you know that came

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<v Speaker 2>from that. But egos, just for the record, were originally

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<v Speaker 2>called froffles or frozen waffles, but the ego name was

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<v Speaker 2>just catchier.

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<v Speaker 1>That makes sense.

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<v Speaker 2>I love that so will.

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<v Speaker 1>One of my favorite memories is of your family coming

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<v Speaker 1>up to New York and hanging out with my family. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>when Henry was just I think three, maybe four, we

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<v Speaker 1>all wandered down to the Jans carousel in Brookenbridge Park

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<v Speaker 1>and your kids were just these incredible mature carousel and zus.

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<v Speaker 1>And I remember seeing like, like your younger kid just

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<v Speaker 1>like smiling and holding balloon and fist pumping and uh.

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<v Speaker 1>And you know, your older kid was obviously very comfortable

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<v Speaker 1>on it, and my son, Henry just had his eyes

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<v Speaker 1>closed and was screaming and had both his hands over

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<v Speaker 1>both the ears.

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<v Speaker 2>I think this is one of those things where when

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<v Speaker 2>you were a frustrated parent, you remember the whole incident

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<v Speaker 2>a little differently. I love that you describe my kids

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<v Speaker 2>as as mature carousel enthus their natural they the whole

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<v Speaker 2>thing just so well behaved. But that's pretty that's pretty fantastic.

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<v Speaker 2>But all right, well, why don't we start at the

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<v Speaker 2>very beginning with how carousels were invented? Because I know

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<v Speaker 2>you spent some time look into this definitely.

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<v Speaker 1>So there have been various types of rotating devices and rides,

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<v Speaker 1>and this is dating back to at least five hundred

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<v Speaker 1>CE in places all across the world, so this means

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<v Speaker 1>everywhere from the Islamic Empire, Europe, Latin America, even India.

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<v Speaker 1>The word carousels started to be used around the mid

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<v Speaker 1>seventeenth century, and it referred to a demonstration in which

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<v Speaker 1>men on horseback performed these synchronized maneuvers on the field. Now,

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<v Speaker 1>the term was likely derived from similar words in both

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<v Speaker 1>Spanish and Italian, which meant little war, and it referred

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<v Speaker 1>to a game involving rings or clay balls. But the

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<v Speaker 1>true direct carousel predecessor was a training tool for knights,

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<v Speaker 1>and these devices emerged in France it was about sixteen eighty.

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<v Speaker 1>They had a pole in the middle that could be

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<v Speaker 1>rotated by a person or an animal like a horse,

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<v Speaker 1>and knights sat on these legless wooden horses and they

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<v Speaker 1>were attached to the pole, and while the carousel was

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<v Speaker 1>moving around, the men could practice using spears by trying

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<v Speaker 1>to catch metal rings.

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<v Speaker 2>That actually sounds kind of fun.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah, it is, as long as you were the knight

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<v Speaker 1>and not the person moving the point.

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<v Speaker 2>That's a fair point. I can tell you that the

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<v Speaker 2>carousels we know and love today really started taking off

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<v Speaker 2>in the eighteen sixties, when once powered by steam engines

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<v Speaker 2>actually came onto the scene. So before that there were

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<v Speaker 2>plenty of different versions, but they were limitted by the

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<v Speaker 2>fact that they had to be operated by people or

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<v Speaker 2>animals like you were describing now. Also, the mid nineteenth

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<v Speaker 2>century was when we saw the first rideable horses moving

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<v Speaker 2>up and down as the carousel went around. So this

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<v Speaker 2>so called Golden Age of carousel took place in the

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<v Speaker 2>United States between the eighteen nineties and the nineteen twenties. Now,

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<v Speaker 2>in the wake of the Industrial Revolution, people had more

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<v Speaker 2>free time and one popular new pastime was visiting the

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<v Speaker 2>trolley park, which was a park located at the end

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<v Speaker 2>of a trolley line that often had a carousel. So

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<v Speaker 2>during this time the country had up to three thousand

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<v Speaker 2>hand carved and hand painted merrygo rounds in operation, and

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<v Speaker 2>the carousels were massive, very intricate compared to the ones

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<v Speaker 2>that the world had previously seen, and it became this

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<v Speaker 2>real art form. So this was also when the merrygo

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<v Speaker 2>round artisans began expanding into other members of the animal kingdom,

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<v Speaker 2>so giraffes, tigers, and this was a game changer. You

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<v Speaker 2>had goats, you had camels. I mean, the list goes

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<v Speaker 2>on and on, and this lures that many more kids

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<v Speaker 2>to the rides. There now one fun fact from this

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<v Speaker 2>golden age. A young Dwight D. Eisenhower lived across the

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<v Speaker 2>street from a factory that made carousels in Abilene, Kansas,

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<v Speaker 2>and its supposedly as a teenager around the year nineteen

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<v Speaker 2>oh six, that the future president had a job sanding

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<v Speaker 2>carousel horses at that factory.

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<v Speaker 1>I love that it sounds both whimsical and like something

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<v Speaker 1>that's so old timey.

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<v Speaker 2>Yeah, yeah, definitely definitely quite a summer job. But not

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<v Speaker 2>when you come across much these days, because, as we know,

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<v Speaker 2>all the golden ages must come to an end, and

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<v Speaker 2>in this case, the golden age of the carousel couldn't

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<v Speaker 2>keep pace after the invention of, of course, the roller coaster.

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<v Speaker 1>Well, now that we've covered some carousel history, it feels

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<v Speaker 1>like a good time to talk terminology.

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<v Speaker 2>And I've always wondered what.

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<v Speaker 1>The difference is between a merry go round and a

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<v Speaker 1>carousel same and it turns out there is none.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, is that end of episode?

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<v Speaker 1>You can use either term to refer to the ride, though,

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<v Speaker 1>of course, carousel can be used more broadly to describe

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<v Speaker 1>things like luggage carousels and airport. According to Merriam Webster,

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<v Speaker 1>the word carousel has been in use since sixteen fifty,

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<v Speaker 1>while merry go round was introduced in seventeen twenty nine.

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<v Speaker 1>That said, there are plenty of words Americans have used

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<v Speaker 1>to describe carousels over the years. That includes things like

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<v Speaker 1>the flying horses, the whirligig, the flying Dutchmen, Kelly's goats,

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<v Speaker 1>spinning ginny hobby horses, steam circus, and carry as alls.

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<v Speaker 1>And that's just in the US and England. They've also

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<v Speaker 1>been called roundabouts, tilts, and gallopers.

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<v Speaker 2>Okay, that's a lot of names. Actually, speaking of the British,

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<v Speaker 2>did you know that there's a pretty significant difference between

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<v Speaker 2>carousels in England or gallopers as you mentioned, and then

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<v Speaker 2>the ones we have here in the States.

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<v Speaker 1>Yeah. In England, departs are delivered by lorries to build them,

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<v Speaker 1>and in the US they're delivered by.

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<v Speaker 2>Cross right, it's very very good, Mago, but no. Traditionally,

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<v Speaker 2>carousels in England rotate clockwise, and in most other countries

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<v Speaker 2>they go counterclockwise, which just seems so weird. Like I

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<v Speaker 2>don't even know one thing. If they went in the

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<v Speaker 2>other direction, I don't know that I could handle it.

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<v Speaker 2>Apparently this is because the British take horseback riding very

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<v Speaker 2>seriously and it's improper for an equestrian to get on

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<v Speaker 2>a horse from the right side, so by having their

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<v Speaker 2>carousels face clockwise, riders are less likely to make that mistake.

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<v Speaker 1>I had no idea there were rules about getting on

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<v Speaker 1>a horse, but I do like thinking about international carousels,

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<v Speaker 1>so here a quick few facts about them. Paris has

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<v Speaker 1>beautiful double decker carousels, like the one in montmart with

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<v Speaker 1>hand painted city scapes. In Germany you can find carousels

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<v Speaker 1>with beer steins and pretzels instead of horses, and Japan

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<v Speaker 1>features ultra modern carousels with anime characters or led light shows.

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<v Speaker 2>Fun.

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<v Speaker 1>But I looked up, like, what are the absolute all

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<v Speaker 1>star carousels that you have to go on in the world,

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<v Speaker 1>and these are a few of them. So one is

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<v Speaker 1>the House on the Rock carousel in Wisconsin. It's the

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<v Speaker 1>world's largest indoor carousel. It features two hundred and sixty

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<v Speaker 1>nine animals, but not a single horse.

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<v Speaker 2>WHOA that sounds intentional.

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<v Speaker 1>They also have over one hundred and eighty mannequin angels

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<v Speaker 1>floating from the ceiling. Of course, you know, it sounds

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<v Speaker 1>like a fever dream. And then there's the La Carousel

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<v Speaker 1>Desmond Marine in Nanta's, France, and this sounds insane because

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<v Speaker 1>it's a three level mechanical marine carousel. It's got squids, submarines,

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<v Speaker 1>deep sea fish, crabs and boats. It is twenty five

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<v Speaker 1>meters tall and supposedly it's like riding through Jules Burns's imagination.

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<v Speaker 1>And then there's the Banksy be Amusement Park, which was

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<v Speaker 1>you know, only there in twenty fifteen, but it was

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<v Speaker 1>a deliberately disturbing carousel. It had a butcher mannequin, there

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<v Speaker 1>was a carousel operator asleep at the control. It was

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<v Speaker 1>quote a brutal satire of capitalism and fairytale nostalgia. Wow.

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<v Speaker 1>And then my favorite one is the Old Goat Carousel,

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<v Speaker 1>which is on Goat Island in Oregon, and it features

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<v Speaker 1>quirky wooden goats with hand knit saddles. I loved, and

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<v Speaker 1>the bonus weirdness is that there was a rumor that

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<v Speaker 1>real goats once powered it.

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<v Speaker 2>I love that they were quirky wooden goats, right like

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<v Speaker 2>just not those normal old wooden goats you sometimes see.

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<v Speaker 2>All right, Well, I don't know how many people will

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<v Speaker 2>go travel to visit these carousels, but they do sound intriguing.

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<v Speaker 2>So we'll be back with a few more carousel facts

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<v Speaker 2>after a quick break, including tales of a giant Panda,

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<v Speaker 2>Abraham Lincoln's Face, and Catcher and the Rye. What a

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<v Speaker 2>trio there, so stay tuned. Welcome back to Part Time Genius,

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<v Speaker 2>where today we're taking a spin around the wonderful world

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<v Speaker 2>of carousels. Now quick reminder, if you like what you're hearing,

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<v Speaker 2>be sure to subscribe to the show on your favorite

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<v Speaker 2>podcast app, leave us a nice rating, a review, and

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<v Speaker 2>share the episode with a friend. We definitely appreciate it,

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<v Speaker 2>and hope so will they so well.

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<v Speaker 1>Something I was thinking about while we were researching this

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<v Speaker 1>episode was carousels in media, and I remember this part

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<v Speaker 1>from Jadie Salinger's novel Catcher and the Ride holding Coffield

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<v Speaker 1>is watching his sister Phoebe on the Merry Go Round

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<v Speaker 1>and the quote goes quote, Then the carousels started, and

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<v Speaker 1>I watched her go round and round. All the kids

0:12:20.840 --> 0:12:22.960
<v Speaker 1>tried to grab for the gold ring, and so was

0:12:22.960 --> 0:12:25.480
<v Speaker 1>old Phoebe, and I was sort of afraid she'd fallen

0:12:25.520 --> 0:12:28.320
<v Speaker 1>off the goddamn horse, but I didn't say or do anything.

0:12:30.360 --> 0:12:32.480
<v Speaker 2>I have to admit I have not thought about that

0:12:32.520 --> 0:12:35.439
<v Speaker 2>book in a very long time, and I do not

0:12:35.559 --> 0:12:36.920
<v Speaker 2>remember that there was a carousel.

0:12:37.320 --> 0:12:40.079
<v Speaker 1>I have not remember that either. But that quote made

0:12:40.120 --> 0:12:43.960
<v Speaker 1>me wonder why older carousels had rings and why there

0:12:43.960 --> 0:12:46.480
<v Speaker 1>aren't anymore. And I learned that carousels used to have

0:12:46.520 --> 0:12:48.839
<v Speaker 1>a shoot next to them, which was attached to a

0:12:48.920 --> 0:12:51.880
<v Speaker 1>kind of arm that dispensed rings, and people riding towards

0:12:51.920 --> 0:12:54.880
<v Speaker 1>the outside of the carousel could reach over and try

0:12:54.880 --> 0:12:58.160
<v Speaker 1>to grab a ring as they were moving by. If

0:12:58.200 --> 0:13:01.720
<v Speaker 1>they got one, the rig dispenser would refill, allowing the

0:13:01.760 --> 0:13:03.640
<v Speaker 1>next person to try to grab one. And most rings

0:13:03.640 --> 0:13:05.920
<v Speaker 1>were made of a material like steel or iron, but

0:13:06.520 --> 0:13:09.120
<v Speaker 1>often in the bunch of rings there was one single

0:13:09.200 --> 0:13:11.760
<v Speaker 1>gold ring or one brass ring, and the lucky person

0:13:11.760 --> 0:13:14.120
<v Speaker 1>who grabbed that special ring could cash it in for

0:13:14.160 --> 0:13:14.960
<v Speaker 1>a free pride.

0:13:15.200 --> 0:13:16.600
<v Speaker 2>I mean, to be honest, it feels like you'd get

0:13:16.640 --> 0:13:18.840
<v Speaker 2>so dizzy just trying to win that free ride.

0:13:19.040 --> 0:13:21.840
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, it's definitely a young person's game. Speak of which

0:13:21.880 --> 0:13:25.880
<v Speaker 1>this brass ring feature actually created jobs. Carosel operators needed

0:13:26.000 --> 0:13:28.960
<v Speaker 1>quote ring boys who took all the rings returned to

0:13:29.000 --> 0:13:31.240
<v Speaker 1>a big barrel after the ride and put them back

0:13:31.320 --> 0:13:34.880
<v Speaker 1>into the ring feeder. The problem was people stole the

0:13:34.960 --> 0:13:38.520
<v Speaker 1>rings and especially the brass ones, so they oftentimes kept

0:13:38.559 --> 0:13:41.040
<v Speaker 1>them as souvenirs instead of redeeming them for a free ride.

0:13:41.080 --> 0:13:44.200
<v Speaker 1>So these ring replacements could cost a Merry Go Round

0:13:44.200 --> 0:13:47.520
<v Speaker 1>operator thousands of dollars in a single season, and those

0:13:47.600 --> 0:13:50.119
<v Speaker 1>rise and costs eventually made the rings obsolete.

0:13:50.720 --> 0:13:52.520
<v Speaker 2>That is a shame. And I feel like that kind

0:13:52.559 --> 0:13:54.320
<v Speaker 2>of happens every once in a while, like stuff gets

0:13:54.360 --> 0:13:56.760
<v Speaker 2>too expensive and the world becomes a little less fun.

0:13:56.840 --> 0:13:58.080
<v Speaker 2>You know what I mean? Mego, I don't mean to

0:13:58.080 --> 0:13:59.240
<v Speaker 2>take it down, but no.

0:13:59.280 --> 0:14:00.640
<v Speaker 1>It's why we can't have nice runing.

0:14:01.800 --> 0:14:03.920
<v Speaker 2>This is very true, all right. So as a resident

0:14:03.920 --> 0:14:06.480
<v Speaker 2>of Brooklyn, Mango, you probably know that Brooklyn is the

0:14:06.520 --> 0:14:09.640
<v Speaker 2>home to the Merrygo Round hotspot, which is, of course

0:14:09.720 --> 0:14:13.440
<v Speaker 2>Coney Island, which once had a staggering twenty four steam

0:14:13.559 --> 0:14:17.040
<v Speaker 2>driven carousels. It even became known for its Coney Island

0:14:17.120 --> 0:14:19.760
<v Speaker 2>style of Merrygo Round, which meant a ride that was

0:14:19.880 --> 0:14:24.560
<v Speaker 2>especially ostentatious and bejeweled. Of course. Now, one Coney Island carousel,

0:14:24.640 --> 0:14:27.400
<v Speaker 2>the El Dorado, was forty two feet tall and had

0:14:27.440 --> 0:14:31.880
<v Speaker 2>three levels of rotating platforms, each moving at a different speed,

0:14:31.920 --> 0:14:33.840
<v Speaker 2>which would make it just weird to look at. But

0:14:34.200 --> 0:14:36.840
<v Speaker 2>today there's only one Merrigo round left in Coney Island,

0:14:36.880 --> 0:14:39.240
<v Speaker 2>the B and B Carousel, which is on the National

0:14:39.280 --> 0:14:42.640
<v Speaker 2>Register of Historic Places. It was almost sold back in

0:14:42.640 --> 0:14:45.520
<v Speaker 2>two thousand and five, but an anonymous buyer stepped in

0:14:45.560 --> 0:14:48.080
<v Speaker 2>to purchase it and donate it to the city. It

0:14:48.120 --> 0:14:51.080
<v Speaker 2>was then sent to Ohio for restoration, which is where

0:14:51.120 --> 0:14:53.400
<v Speaker 2>a big discovery was actually made.

0:14:53.880 --> 0:14:55.760
<v Speaker 1>So tell me what this discovery is.

0:14:55.720 --> 0:14:58.320
<v Speaker 2>All right? So the carousel was built in nineteen oh nine,

0:14:58.360 --> 0:15:01.800
<v Speaker 2>which was the centennial of Abraham Lincoln's birthday and the

0:15:01.920 --> 0:15:05.160
<v Speaker 2>year the Lincoln penny was first minted. Now, the carver

0:15:05.320 --> 0:15:09.120
<v Speaker 2>of the BnB horses, Marcus Charles Iliens, honored the occasion

0:15:09.160 --> 0:15:11.600
<v Speaker 2>by carving Lincoln's face into the side of one of

0:15:11.600 --> 0:15:15.320
<v Speaker 2>the horses. Aliens had been described as the Michelangelo of

0:15:15.400 --> 0:15:19.440
<v Speaker 2>horse carving. It's so weird that I never thought of.

0:15:19.440 --> 0:15:22.120
<v Speaker 2>Of course, you know, there's a carousel sculptor who is

0:15:22.240 --> 0:15:24.520
<v Speaker 2>more famous than the others, Yeah, like one who's an

0:15:24.560 --> 0:15:27.760
<v Speaker 2>artistic genius, the Michelangelo of them. That's exactly right. Well,

0:15:27.800 --> 0:15:30.440
<v Speaker 2>what's interesting is that there are three big schools of

0:15:30.480 --> 0:15:35.520
<v Speaker 2>carousel design, Like the Philadelphia school is more realistic and naturalistic,

0:15:35.920 --> 0:15:38.600
<v Speaker 2>the Coney Island school is the more gaudy and festive

0:15:38.640 --> 0:15:41.560
<v Speaker 2>as you might assume, like gold leaves and jewels, and

0:15:41.600 --> 0:15:44.600
<v Speaker 2>then there's the country fair style, which is more functional

0:15:44.680 --> 0:15:48.760
<v Speaker 2>and easy to transport, So not really that ornad I guess. Anyway,

0:15:48.800 --> 0:15:51.680
<v Speaker 2>Aliens was a genius and the artist behind ten different

0:15:51.760 --> 0:15:55.240
<v Speaker 2>Coney Island carousels. But this horse had been painted over

0:15:55.360 --> 0:15:58.400
<v Speaker 2>so many times that the carving of Lincoln was completely

0:15:58.440 --> 0:16:01.480
<v Speaker 2>covered up, so without restoration work and it would have

0:16:01.480 --> 0:16:04.720
<v Speaker 2>been lost forever. Now the Lincoln is fully visible, and

0:16:04.720 --> 0:16:07.000
<v Speaker 2>it's such a rare and unique piece that no rider

0:16:07.040 --> 0:16:09.320
<v Speaker 2>is actually allowed to sit on the horse, and it's

0:16:09.560 --> 0:16:11.040
<v Speaker 2>commemorated with a plaque there.

0:16:11.320 --> 0:16:13.840
<v Speaker 1>First of all, I love that there's like a Philadelphia

0:16:13.880 --> 0:16:18.040
<v Speaker 1>style of mery gorounds, which is just amazing. But I

0:16:18.040 --> 0:16:20.280
<v Speaker 1>also love that there's one horse you can't ride at

0:16:20.280 --> 0:16:22.240
<v Speaker 1>Coney Allen because it's there to honor Lincoln.

0:16:22.440 --> 0:16:23.600
<v Speaker 2>Lincoln's faces on it.

0:16:24.120 --> 0:16:27.200
<v Speaker 1>Yeah, so we have talked a lot about the past,

0:16:27.280 --> 0:16:29.720
<v Speaker 1>so let's step into the present day and I'm talking

0:16:29.720 --> 0:16:33.080
<v Speaker 1>about solar powered carousels, which have been around since two

0:16:33.160 --> 0:16:36.880
<v Speaker 1>thousand and five. Well known one is the Speedwell Foundation

0:16:37.040 --> 0:16:41.000
<v Speaker 1>Conservation Carousel. It's at the Smithsonian's National Zoo in Washington,

0:16:41.080 --> 0:16:43.840
<v Speaker 1>d C. It was completed in twenty twelve, and thanks

0:16:43.880 --> 0:16:47.080
<v Speaker 1>to its one hundred and sixty two solar panels, it

0:16:47.120 --> 0:16:50.200
<v Speaker 1>has a net zero impact on the zoo's energy consumption.

0:16:50.720 --> 0:16:53.640
<v Speaker 1>But probably my favorite detail about this carousel is that

0:16:53.680 --> 0:16:56.640
<v Speaker 1>instead of traditional horses, riders can choose from a more

0:16:56.720 --> 0:17:00.480
<v Speaker 1>eclectic array of animals. So you can ride on naked

0:17:00.520 --> 0:17:04.160
<v Speaker 1>mole rat oh nice, a cuttlefish, a blue crab, or

0:17:04.280 --> 0:17:05.280
<v Speaker 1>a yellowjacket. Oh.

0:17:05.320 --> 0:17:05.840
<v Speaker 2>I love those.

0:17:05.960 --> 0:17:08.560
<v Speaker 1>The creators also made a point to feature endangerous fecies

0:17:08.640 --> 0:17:10.600
<v Speaker 1>like a giant panda, so it's a pretty cool way

0:17:10.640 --> 0:17:12.920
<v Speaker 1>to enjoy a fun ride while keeping.

0:17:12.600 --> 0:17:15.040
<v Speaker 2>The environment in mind. I love that mix of animals,

0:17:15.560 --> 0:17:17.520
<v Speaker 2>all right. Well, from the present day, I'll take it

0:17:17.680 --> 0:17:21.199
<v Speaker 2>one step further into the future of carousels. So in

0:17:21.200 --> 0:17:23.800
<v Speaker 2>two thousand and nine, the Brooklyn Art Combine known as

0:17:23.840 --> 0:17:28.560
<v Speaker 2>the Madagascar Institute created an experimental jet powered carousel. It

0:17:28.600 --> 0:17:30.879
<v Speaker 2>didn't have a platform, It only had two seats. They

0:17:30.920 --> 0:17:33.080
<v Speaker 2>kind of dangled from this center pole, so it didn't

0:17:33.080 --> 0:17:36.120
<v Speaker 2>really look like a normal carousel and it definitely didn't

0:17:36.160 --> 0:17:39.600
<v Speaker 2>work like one either. So riders received jet engine packs

0:17:39.600 --> 0:17:43.399
<v Speaker 2>to wear, and igniting them caused the ride to go around.

0:17:43.240 --> 0:17:45.040
<v Speaker 1>Which sounds kind of dangerous.

0:17:45.640 --> 0:17:49.080
<v Speaker 2>Well, that is very true. The Madagascar Institute made this

0:17:49.119 --> 0:17:52.439
<v Speaker 2>wild contraption for a gadget off festival. When they tested

0:17:52.440 --> 0:17:54.320
<v Speaker 2>it out, they put up a sign that read caution,

0:17:54.800 --> 0:17:57.560
<v Speaker 2>this may kill you. That's a good warning, you know.

0:17:57.600 --> 0:17:59.600
<v Speaker 2>It's good to know that. It feels like you shouldn't

0:17:59.600 --> 0:18:02.159
<v Speaker 2>get on. I wouldn't.

0:18:02.480 --> 0:18:05.040
<v Speaker 1>Well, I am going to give you today's trophy for

0:18:05.080 --> 0:18:06.760
<v Speaker 1>that one. I never thought you could start a simple

0:18:06.800 --> 0:18:10.040
<v Speaker 1>episode about carousels and end up on a jet fueled

0:18:10.080 --> 0:18:15.240
<v Speaker 1>and possibly lethal ride. This world is full of surprises, Mango.

0:18:15.359 --> 0:18:17.840
<v Speaker 2>You should know that by now. But that's all for today.

0:18:18.160 --> 0:18:20.520
<v Speaker 2>We'll be back next week with another brand new episode.

0:18:20.520 --> 0:18:22.680
<v Speaker 2>In the meantime, you can find us at part Time

0:18:22.720 --> 0:18:25.520
<v Speaker 2>Genius on Instagram or Blue Sky, and you can leave

0:18:25.600 --> 0:18:27.920
<v Speaker 2>us a message on our hotline three O two four

0:18:27.960 --> 0:18:31.359
<v Speaker 2>oh five five nine two five. Ask us a question,

0:18:31.480 --> 0:18:34.239
<v Speaker 2>suggest a topic, give us any feedback. Whatever it is,

0:18:34.320 --> 0:18:37.240
<v Speaker 2>we would love to hear from you, but from Dylan Gabe,

0:18:37.280 --> 0:18:39.639
<v Speaker 2>Mary Mango and me, thank you so much for listening.

0:18:52.640 --> 0:18:55.960
<v Speaker 1>Part Time Genius is a production of Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio.

0:18:56.440 --> 0:19:00.800
<v Speaker 1>This show is hosted by Will Pearson and Me Mongaysh

0:19:00.840 --> 0:19:05.320
<v Speaker 1>and research by our goodpal Mary Philip Sandy. Today's episode

0:19:05.359 --> 0:19:08.359
<v Speaker 1>was engineered and produced by the wonderful Dylan Fagan with

0:19:08.400 --> 0:19:11.920
<v Speaker 1>support from Tyler Klang. The show is executive produced for

0:19:12.040 --> 0:19:15.680
<v Speaker 1>iHeart by Katrina Norvel and Ali Perry, with social media

0:19:15.720 --> 0:19:19.840
<v Speaker 1>support from Sasha Gay, trustee Dara Potts and Viney Shorey.

0:19:20.520 --> 0:19:25.000
<v Speaker 1>For more podcasts from Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app,

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<v Speaker 1>Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.