1 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:29,160 Speaker 1: Into every episode of Ridiculous History, A little rain must fall. Hi, 2 00:00:29,360 --> 00:00:32,360 Speaker 1: I'm Ben. I'm no. Well that was nice, Ben, thanks 3 00:00:32,400 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 1: man like changing it up a little bit for the 4 00:00:34,600 --> 00:00:37,360 Speaker 1: for the opening and uh. We are joined as always 5 00:00:37,400 --> 00:00:40,720 Speaker 1: with our super producer, Casey Pegrum. He's on the ones 6 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:43,599 Speaker 1: and the twos, mainly just the ones. He just came 7 00:00:43,680 --> 00:00:45,920 Speaker 1: the twos just occasionally if he needs a little extra 8 00:00:46,040 --> 00:00:50,280 Speaker 1: push over the cliff. Um. Can I do a reading? Yeah? Please, 9 00:00:50,760 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: It's just just I love this. The first line in 10 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: this article from How Stuff Works by the very talented 11 00:00:56,960 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 1: Candice Gibson goes as such, I just think this is perfect. 12 00:01:03,080 --> 00:01:08,280 Speaker 1: Quaker born Charles Mallory Hatfield, tidy in appearance and straightforward, 13 00:01:08,280 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 1: with a salesman's bearing and a farm boy's self assuredness, 14 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:15,640 Speaker 1: made an eyebrow raising offer to the desperate city Council 15 00:01:15,880 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: of San Diego in nineteen fift and this is where 16 00:01:21,680 --> 00:01:24,200 Speaker 1: our story begins. Let's give you a little bit of 17 00:01:24,200 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: background about Charles Mallory Hatfield. Charles Mallory Hatfield was what 18 00:01:30,000 --> 00:01:34,920 Speaker 1: he preferred to call a moisture accelerator, a pluviculturist to 19 00:01:35,160 --> 00:01:39,120 Speaker 1: the average person at the time that meant he was 20 00:01:39,240 --> 00:01:42,679 Speaker 1: a rainmaker, or we should say he was a self 21 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:47,600 Speaker 1: proclaimed rainmaker. And San Diego at the time was in 22 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:52,880 Speaker 1: a really tough arid spot. Yes, they were in desperate 23 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:57,520 Speaker 1: need of rain to help refill the city's dwindling Marina reservoir. 24 00:01:58,080 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 1: So this meeting, as this scribed by Candice Gibson, took 25 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:07,360 Speaker 1: place in which Charles Mallory Hatfield offered up his services 26 00:02:07,520 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 1: to do just that, refill the city's reservoir. Mallory's fee 27 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 1: ten grand ten grants seems low for the magical gift 28 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:19,760 Speaker 1: of rain, but back in those days it equated to 29 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:23,240 Speaker 1: around two d and thirty thousand dollars um. And he 30 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:28,639 Speaker 1: would receive payment upon delivery of services, right because they 31 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:32,919 Speaker 1: were understandably skeptical, and then you know, the question would be, well, 32 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 1: what's to stop us from giving you ten thousand dollars? 33 00:02:36,560 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 1: And then just learning that you skipped down and he 34 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:44,440 Speaker 1: said pay on delivery. So that's why I think that's 35 00:02:44,440 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 1: what really convinced them total power move to, don't you think. 36 00:02:48,240 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 1: So they accepted his offer. However, they accepted it verbally, 37 00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:56,480 Speaker 1: was a smile and a handshake, and no one signed 38 00:02:56,520 --> 00:03:01,600 Speaker 1: anything on paper. Guaranteeing Mallory this ten large. But he 39 00:03:01,680 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 1: went about his business nonetheless. Yeah, apparently he had to 40 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:12,360 Speaker 1: his estimation, perfected a particular formula of cloud seating through 41 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:17,800 Speaker 1: seventeen other contracts with other known commercial organizations, as ranging 42 00:03:17,800 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: for cotton growers in Texas to mine operators in Alaska. 43 00:03:21,960 --> 00:03:25,000 Speaker 1: And what he developed was this technique. I guess it 44 00:03:25,000 --> 00:03:28,240 Speaker 1: was an early form of cloud seating. Now, this wasn't 45 00:03:28,280 --> 00:03:31,440 Speaker 1: the stuff of Kate Bush songs chronicling the eccentric pseudo 46 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:34,239 Speaker 1: science of Wilhelm Reich's attempts to harness the weather using 47 00:03:34,240 --> 00:03:41,000 Speaker 1: Oregon energy. Any Bush fans in the house, Casey's Villa Reich, 48 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:46,160 Speaker 1: William Reich fans too, I'm yeah, but cloud busting daddy. Yeah, 49 00:03:46,680 --> 00:03:49,440 Speaker 1: but no, it's not that. This is much more. There's 50 00:03:49,440 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: a touch more actual science involved here. Um So, As 51 00:03:53,320 --> 00:03:58,120 Speaker 1: Lauren Ricketts, a broadcast meteorologist with NBC four in Washington, 52 00:03:58,200 --> 00:04:01,040 Speaker 1: d C, puts it, cloud seating is form of weather 53 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 1: modification in which we can enhance precipitation development by using 54 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:09,120 Speaker 1: certain chemicals to create an environment within clouds that it's 55 00:04:09,160 --> 00:04:15,680 Speaker 1: conducive to forming precipitation, right, accelerating moisture almost And this 56 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:20,960 Speaker 1: sounds like it's a little pseudo science, right, But it 57 00:04:21,000 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 1: turns out that there have been multiple experiments with the 58 00:04:25,480 --> 00:04:31,039 Speaker 1: concept of affecting what the weather and specifically affecting clouds 59 00:04:31,080 --> 00:04:35,440 Speaker 1: through the use of substances like silver iodide or potassium 60 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: iodide and dry ice. Mallory seventeen times before he had 61 00:04:41,200 --> 00:04:46,599 Speaker 1: spoken with San Diego, had attempted to do something like this, 62 00:04:46,760 --> 00:04:50,840 Speaker 1: and uh, he stood by his results. He had a 63 00:04:50,839 --> 00:04:55,680 Speaker 1: cloud gathering formula that was comprised of twenty three substances. 64 00:04:55,760 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 1: At this point, the exact ratios or the identity of 65 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,400 Speaker 1: those substances is unfortunately lost to history. He took it 66 00:05:03,480 --> 00:05:08,359 Speaker 1: to his grave. By all accounts, whenever I hear somebody 67 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:12,320 Speaker 1: talking about, uh, secret ingredients, I always think of the 68 00:05:12,400 --> 00:05:16,839 Speaker 1: current trade secret ingredients, Like how the how Coca Cola 69 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:20,080 Speaker 1: has a secret recipe and the three people who know 70 00:05:20,160 --> 00:05:22,080 Speaker 1: it are not allowed to be on an airplane at 71 00:05:22,120 --> 00:05:25,039 Speaker 1: the same time, right, or like they maybe only one 72 00:05:25,080 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 1: person carries a piece or the ingredients. You know, you 73 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:29,320 Speaker 1: have to have all three of them in a room 74 00:05:29,360 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 1: at the same time, and they also have to turn 75 00:05:30,800 --> 00:05:34,279 Speaker 1: secret keys. And how we watched him many movies. Yeah, 76 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:37,440 Speaker 1: but this guy Mallory, he built this giant tower, right, 77 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:40,039 Speaker 1: it's like a wooden tower that he used to um 78 00:05:40,080 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 1: ionize the atmosphere. And I had a hard time finding 79 00:05:42,480 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 1: details about like did he pump it up? Did he 80 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:48,560 Speaker 1: did he shoot it? Yeah? What did you do? Check 81 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:51,120 Speaker 1: this out? Okay, So he builds this twenty foot tower 82 00:05:51,240 --> 00:05:54,960 Speaker 1: and it's in the woods east of town. And one 83 00:05:55,080 --> 00:05:57,599 Speaker 1: city official this is my favorite part, and this is 84 00:05:57,640 --> 00:06:01,599 Speaker 1: the least proven part of this whole Shenanigan uh. One 85 00:06:01,680 --> 00:06:07,600 Speaker 1: city official said that Mallory recited an incantation aimed at 86 00:06:07,640 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 1: ringing moisture from the air. Yeah. I didn't catch that detail. 87 00:06:12,800 --> 00:06:15,919 Speaker 1: That's also it's, you know, hearsay from a city official, 88 00:06:16,120 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 1: and we'll learn why they may not be the most 89 00:06:18,560 --> 00:06:23,280 Speaker 1: um objective witnesses in the story. We know that he 90 00:06:23,360 --> 00:06:27,480 Speaker 1: put these troughs on top of the tower, and that's 91 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:29,920 Speaker 1: where he put his mixture, Like he poured it into 92 00:06:29,920 --> 00:06:36,360 Speaker 1: these troughs and ignited it, creating smoke that drifted upwards. 93 00:06:36,400 --> 00:06:38,920 Speaker 1: And I was missing the delivery mechanism. And we talked 94 00:06:38,920 --> 00:06:42,840 Speaker 1: about the makeup of what they think his concoction might 95 00:06:42,880 --> 00:06:46,320 Speaker 1: have been. Well, We've just mentioned some of the operative 96 00:06:46,440 --> 00:06:49,560 Speaker 1: ingredients in cloud seating, but we haven't. We haven't made 97 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:53,120 Speaker 1: any guesses about this. Do you think there was maybe gunpowder? 98 00:06:53,440 --> 00:06:55,560 Speaker 1: There was, Yeah, that was speculated that it was gunpowder 99 00:06:55,640 --> 00:06:59,080 Speaker 1: and maybe hydrogen um. But whatever was in it, apparently 100 00:06:59,480 --> 00:07:04,680 Speaker 1: then the concoction it worked like like a lot, like 101 00:07:04,760 --> 00:07:08,159 Speaker 1: a lot a lot. Yes, yes, whether by miracle or 102 00:07:08,240 --> 00:07:12,160 Speaker 1: measurable quantitative science. It rained, It's poured. It was a 103 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:16,160 Speaker 1: biblical deluge. It occurred a few days. Were likely old 104 00:07:16,160 --> 00:07:20,840 Speaker 1: men that snored right it uh. It occurred just a 105 00:07:20,880 --> 00:07:25,760 Speaker 1: few days after Hatfield began his process. It was in 106 00:07:25,840 --> 00:07:30,800 Speaker 1: January and early February of nineteen sixteen that thirty inches 107 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 1: and estimated thirty inches of rain fell and Mission Valley flooded. 108 00:07:36,320 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 1: The San Diego River overflowed, entire farms and homes and 109 00:07:41,080 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 1: bridges and businesses were swept away. Can you picture the 110 00:07:45,520 --> 00:07:49,200 Speaker 1: city council just watching this from their offices and first 111 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: being like high fiving each other, and then just gradually 112 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,960 Speaker 1: the realization setting in. It's like, what have we done? 113 00:07:56,680 --> 00:08:00,480 Speaker 1: And I just picture Mallory rubbing his hands together. Mr 114 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:04,960 Speaker 1: Burns kind of fashion doing like an evil villain, Like, 115 00:08:05,160 --> 00:08:08,800 Speaker 1: is he a real life weather modification super villain or 116 00:08:08,880 --> 00:08:11,080 Speaker 1: is he kind of like the Mickey Mouse Wizard and 117 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:14,760 Speaker 1: Fantasia who makes the you know animates that one mop 118 00:08:15,160 --> 00:08:16,960 Speaker 1: You know, I like that a lot. I think I 119 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:18,800 Speaker 1: prefer to think of him as as the as the 120 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:21,960 Speaker 1: creepy guy watching from afar, as the chaos that he 121 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:25,320 Speaker 1: has unleashed devours the city. Uh, maybe he had a 122 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 1: big grudge against the city council of San Diego. Maybe 123 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:32,679 Speaker 1: maybe his like high school sweetheart broke up with him 124 00:08:32,679 --> 00:08:35,679 Speaker 1: and lived in San Diego. That's all pure speculation. I 125 00:08:35,760 --> 00:08:39,439 Speaker 1: just I don't want people to be villains, so well, 126 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:42,840 Speaker 1: whatever his motivations, Telephone lines snapped and washed away, the 127 00:08:43,000 --> 00:08:46,440 Speaker 1: roads and railroad tracks cracked under the pressure of all 128 00:08:46,480 --> 00:08:49,320 Speaker 1: of this water. But this was just the beginning, right, 129 00:08:49,520 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 1: There's more. It continued to just beat the hell out 130 00:08:52,960 --> 00:08:56,960 Speaker 1: of drought parched county, which was I think in maxed 131 00:08:57,000 --> 00:09:00,199 Speaker 1: out around thirty inches by the end of January, and 132 00:09:00,480 --> 00:09:03,560 Speaker 1: the reservoir, you know, it was mission accomplished. The reservoir 133 00:09:03,600 --> 00:09:07,560 Speaker 1: was full, but the lower Ote Reservoir couldn't contain all 134 00:09:07,600 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 1: of this water, and the dam broke and the water 135 00:09:10,640 --> 00:09:14,080 Speaker 1: is killed nearby residents. Estimates put that number it around 136 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:18,280 Speaker 1: between a dozen to fifty deaths, and farm animals and 137 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:24,000 Speaker 1: homes were destroyed. I mean, you know, yeah, there was 138 00:09:24,080 --> 00:09:29,960 Speaker 1: a there was a real and genuine loss of life. Unfortunately, Uh, 139 00:09:30,160 --> 00:09:37,000 Speaker 1: this quickly becomes obviously a disaster. But Mallory and you 140 00:09:37,040 --> 00:09:40,199 Speaker 1: have to you have to wonder how he broached this 141 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:45,439 Speaker 1: topic of conversation. So about that money. Yeah, so Mallory 142 00:09:45,520 --> 00:09:50,160 Speaker 1: walks out and walks up to city council and says, well, 143 00:09:50,200 --> 00:09:54,640 Speaker 1: I uh, I think my work here is done. And uh, 144 00:09:55,120 --> 00:09:57,520 Speaker 1: and they're saying, you know, people are dyeing and they're 145 00:09:57,520 --> 00:10:00,720 Speaker 1: probably still like soaking wet themselves. In the city council 146 00:10:00,720 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 1: people have to looked at him with like just dead eyes, 147 00:10:03,640 --> 00:10:07,440 Speaker 1: just like, hey, now you got some nerve turning up here, buddy. 148 00:10:10,200 --> 00:10:14,280 Speaker 1: So ordinarily, a lot of rain, right if you if 149 00:10:14,280 --> 00:10:17,439 Speaker 1: you're just guessing, it's understandable how we could think a 150 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:20,280 Speaker 1: lot of rain is good for a drought stricken area. 151 00:10:20,360 --> 00:10:23,680 Speaker 1: But the problem that occurs is that when there is 152 00:10:23,880 --> 00:10:28,720 Speaker 1: a drought and the soil itself is very dry, it 153 00:10:28,840 --> 00:10:33,040 Speaker 1: won't be able to absorb the rain exactly, and so 154 00:10:33,120 --> 00:10:36,199 Speaker 1: this means that instead of going into the ground, it's 155 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:39,480 Speaker 1: going across the ground. And that's how those buildings end 156 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 1: up washing away when the valley floods and the and 157 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:46,720 Speaker 1: the dams are broken, and this, you know, leads to 158 00:10:46,760 --> 00:10:50,120 Speaker 1: the loss of human life. Without knowing the specifics of 159 00:10:50,160 --> 00:10:52,920 Speaker 1: their conversation, it's fairly safe to say that the city 160 00:10:53,000 --> 00:10:58,200 Speaker 1: council members said, what the hell are you thinking, you monster? No, 161 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: we're not giving you in thousand dollars. Uh. And they 162 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:06,800 Speaker 1: thought that if they paid hat Field money for this, 163 00:11:07,760 --> 00:11:10,080 Speaker 1: first off, they'd be ridden out of office on a 164 00:11:10,160 --> 00:11:13,040 Speaker 1: rail at minimum. Well, they look like they co signed 165 00:11:13,040 --> 00:11:14,960 Speaker 1: the whole thing. And then they were complicit and they 166 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:18,800 Speaker 1: essentially paid a dude to like destroy their town, which 167 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 1: is which would probably go on their permanent council member record. 168 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:26,200 Speaker 1: That's going on your permanent record the time he tried 169 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:29,439 Speaker 1: to drown the city. That at the point of yeah, 170 00:11:29,600 --> 00:11:34,920 Speaker 1: so hat Field notices that people are infuriated and looking 171 00:11:35,120 --> 00:11:39,480 Speaker 1: for someone to blame, right, and he ditches town. He 172 00:11:39,600 --> 00:11:42,120 Speaker 1: lights out for the territories on his own, and then 173 00:11:42,280 --> 00:11:44,959 Speaker 1: he waits for the waters to settle, for the water 174 00:11:45,080 --> 00:11:50,120 Speaker 1: level to decrease, and after the water level decreases. Get this. 175 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:54,080 Speaker 1: He tries to take San Diego to court and he says, 176 00:11:54,120 --> 00:11:57,920 Speaker 1: I did what I said I would do. I should 177 00:11:57,960 --> 00:12:02,880 Speaker 1: be paid for my services. And this court case goes on, 178 00:12:03,480 --> 00:12:05,800 Speaker 1: It goes on for a year, it goes on for 179 00:12:05,880 --> 00:12:11,400 Speaker 1: five years, it goes on for twenty years. Eventually it's 180 00:12:11,440 --> 00:12:17,400 Speaker 1: dismissed and he never got a dime. Poor guy. It's 181 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:19,600 Speaker 1: tough to call. It's a tough call to make. Like 182 00:12:19,640 --> 00:12:23,040 Speaker 1: I said, I'm still kind of picturing him cackling, you know, 183 00:12:24,400 --> 00:12:28,280 Speaker 1: in his secret underground layer. Here's the weird part though, 184 00:12:28,920 --> 00:12:32,200 Speaker 1: It's even more complicated when we think that, well, did 185 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:36,800 Speaker 1: he ruin his life because he underestimated the impact of 186 00:12:36,960 --> 00:12:42,679 Speaker 1: his secret his secret concoction? Right? Well? Also, but like 187 00:12:43,080 --> 00:12:45,760 Speaker 1: when I first saw this article, I was like, is 188 00:12:45,800 --> 00:12:49,680 Speaker 1: that a thing? Is that is? You know, weather control? 189 00:12:49,679 --> 00:12:52,240 Speaker 1: I thought I thought we couldn't control the weather. It is. 190 00:12:52,480 --> 00:12:55,400 Speaker 1: It is absolutely a thing, but it is not by 191 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:58,319 Speaker 1: any means of precise science. I think that's that's where 192 00:12:58,440 --> 00:13:01,240 Speaker 1: my brain kind of like hit a wall with this. Okay, 193 00:13:01,240 --> 00:13:03,959 Speaker 1: so he had some stones, right, He came back to 194 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:06,600 Speaker 1: the city council and said, hey, where is my check 195 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:09,280 Speaker 1: and they laughed him out of the room. Court case 196 00:13:09,360 --> 00:13:15,120 Speaker 1: drug on. Ultimately he got nothing, but he wasn't like 197 00:13:15,280 --> 00:13:17,840 Speaker 1: lacking for work. I mean it's kind of a big deal. 198 00:13:17,920 --> 00:13:21,000 Speaker 1: Even though the city council didn't pay him or necessarily 199 00:13:21,080 --> 00:13:25,560 Speaker 1: openly co signed his activities, everyone knew that he was 200 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:27,520 Speaker 1: what he was doing. I mean, it was like, you know, 201 00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:30,000 Speaker 1: kind of an odd thing to have happened, and I 202 00:13:30,040 --> 00:13:33,600 Speaker 1: think it certainly turned some heads, right, and so his 203 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:39,120 Speaker 1: reputation got around and nations like Canada, Cuba, and even 204 00:13:39,200 --> 00:13:43,480 Speaker 1: Honduras helped, you know, sought him out for his you know, 205 00:13:43,600 --> 00:13:48,479 Speaker 1: supposed expertise um and so this you know, catastrophe ultimately 206 00:13:49,600 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 1: made a name for him and kind of boosted his career. 207 00:13:52,960 --> 00:13:59,120 Speaker 1: Uh though his usefulness kind of dwindled as water storage 208 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:02,520 Speaker 1: technology and more of a thing. Oh that's a good point. Yeah, 209 00:14:02,600 --> 00:14:07,439 Speaker 1: I didn't consider that, because as we learn more about 210 00:14:07,520 --> 00:14:13,480 Speaker 1: how to reuse, store, and collect water, maybe we don't 211 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:20,040 Speaker 1: need so many rainmakers in the world. But circumstances suggests 212 00:14:20,080 --> 00:14:24,800 Speaker 1: that Hatfield probably made the made an error and probably 213 00:14:24,920 --> 00:14:28,520 Speaker 1: wasn't taking in the droughts effect on the land and soil. 214 00:14:28,960 --> 00:14:34,160 Speaker 1: He was probably so fixated on proving that his technology worked, 215 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 1: that he didn't think about the ramifications of his actions. 216 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:39,080 Speaker 1: So that's what I'm saying that if you really think 217 00:14:39,120 --> 00:14:43,160 Speaker 1: it was he totally made this happen, like no, no question. Yeah, 218 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:45,520 Speaker 1: I think I think no question. Furthermore, I would go 219 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:50,320 Speaker 1: on to say that Hatfield's work paved the way for 220 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:53,360 Speaker 1: cloud seeing technology, but do you think we should explore 221 00:14:53,400 --> 00:14:58,080 Speaker 1: a little bit of his successors in this field? Absolutely? 222 00:14:58,120 --> 00:15:00,320 Speaker 1: Like I said, this is all kind of like really 223 00:15:00,320 --> 00:15:03,600 Speaker 1: fascinating to me, And before looking into this story, I 224 00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:06,160 Speaker 1: really did not think this was something that was was 225 00:15:06,200 --> 00:15:09,760 Speaker 1: achievable by by humans. So there's a lot of debate 226 00:15:10,040 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: about this stuff, not just in Hatfield's time, but in 227 00:15:14,200 --> 00:15:18,560 Speaker 1: the modern day and several decades. Before going back to 228 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 1: the meteorologists we mentioned earlier, Ricketts says that clouds that 229 00:15:23,120 --> 00:15:28,640 Speaker 1: are seated are getting about a five to increase in precipitation. 230 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:35,359 Speaker 1: So there precipitation potential is being enhanced, not necessarily magnified. 231 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:38,400 Speaker 1: You know, it's not going to be a hundred sure thing, 232 00:15:39,560 --> 00:15:47,160 Speaker 1: but modern governments are using this technology. Uh, China creates 233 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:50,040 Speaker 1: about fifty five billion tons of what they would call 234 00:15:50,160 --> 00:15:53,880 Speaker 1: artificial rain per year, and it costs about a hundred 235 00:15:54,040 --> 00:15:58,160 Speaker 1: and sixty eight million dollars per year to do this 236 00:15:59,160 --> 00:16:03,320 Speaker 1: at one point five billion one as of January twenties seventeen. 237 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:06,600 Speaker 1: We can use we being the human species, or I 238 00:16:06,600 --> 00:16:10,120 Speaker 1: guess technically also you, Casey and myself. We can use 239 00:16:10,800 --> 00:16:17,600 Speaker 1: cloud seating technology to influence the weather, but without being 240 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:22,440 Speaker 1: a meteorologist. I'm just reminded of every every sci fi 241 00:16:22,560 --> 00:16:27,680 Speaker 1: horror movie where somebody pipes up and says, you're meddling 242 00:16:27,680 --> 00:16:31,400 Speaker 1: with things you cannot possibly comprehend. The world's weather system 243 00:16:31,480 --> 00:16:34,440 Speaker 1: is so complex and interconnected that I feel like if 244 00:16:34,480 --> 00:16:39,400 Speaker 1: you if you influence something in one area, you're inevitably 245 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:45,000 Speaker 1: influencing things in the other parts of the world. China 246 00:16:45,240 --> 00:16:49,960 Speaker 1: famously used cloud seating technology in the two thousand eight Olympics. 247 00:16:50,400 --> 00:16:52,000 Speaker 1: I really did need to look into more of this stuff, 248 00:16:52,040 --> 00:16:55,200 Speaker 1: because this is so mystified. Apparently it's just the only 249 00:16:55,240 --> 00:16:57,440 Speaker 1: a thing and everybody knows about it except little me. No. 250 00:16:57,640 --> 00:16:59,560 Speaker 1: I I don't think a lot of people know about 251 00:16:59,560 --> 00:17:02,240 Speaker 1: it because it sounds like science fiction, that's I think 252 00:17:02,240 --> 00:17:03,960 Speaker 1: what it is. And the fact that there is sort 253 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:06,360 Speaker 1: of like a gray area and like, how do we 254 00:17:06,840 --> 00:17:10,520 Speaker 1: get specific results or how or just like in the 255 00:17:10,560 --> 00:17:14,720 Speaker 1: case of this, this story completely jack everything all to hell. 256 00:17:18,080 --> 00:17:24,000 Speaker 1: The US also is attempting cloud seating and still in California. 257 00:17:24,400 --> 00:17:29,800 Speaker 1: In two thousand and nine, in Sacramento, California, some people 258 00:17:29,800 --> 00:17:33,159 Speaker 1: had set up a tall metal platform with a crude 259 00:17:33,160 --> 00:17:38,119 Speaker 1: furnace and silver iodide solution that scientists were hoping would 260 00:17:38,240 --> 00:17:42,919 Speaker 1: provide relief from a drought. And we can only hope 261 00:17:42,960 --> 00:17:47,800 Speaker 1: that they had more reasonable results there. But according to 262 00:17:47,880 --> 00:17:50,719 Speaker 1: Arlen Huggins, who is a research scientist at the Desert 263 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:55,199 Speaker 1: Research Institute in Reno, what's going on in the US 264 00:17:55,520 --> 00:18:00,040 Speaker 1: concerning this sort of stuff is tiny in comparison. The 265 00:18:00,119 --> 00:18:03,320 Speaker 1: Chinese government has been working with cloud seating technology since 266 00:18:03,440 --> 00:18:06,200 Speaker 1: nineteen fifty eight when it was given to them via 267 00:18:06,240 --> 00:18:10,200 Speaker 1: the Russian government. That's fascinating. It's fascinating, but it's also 268 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:14,359 Speaker 1: kind of scary. You know. We also have experiments done 269 00:18:14,400 --> 00:18:18,600 Speaker 1: by the US in foreign countries with weather modification. Do 270 00:18:18,640 --> 00:18:22,760 Speaker 1: you think this could be potentially like used as a weapon, Absolutely, yeah, 271 00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:26,920 Speaker 1: or attempted to right now. I don't. The thing about 272 00:18:26,920 --> 00:18:28,680 Speaker 1: a weapon is you would want it to be able 273 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:31,080 Speaker 1: to be targeted. Is it like the movie Geo Storm 274 00:18:31,280 --> 00:18:34,400 Speaker 1: that's coming out. Is Geo Store about that? Well, it's 275 00:18:34,400 --> 00:18:36,840 Speaker 1: just about like a satellite that shoots the laser beam 276 00:18:36,840 --> 00:18:39,440 Speaker 1: and makes the weather all crazy, and you know it 277 00:18:39,520 --> 00:18:42,879 Speaker 1: turns you know, like California into the ice age and 278 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:45,520 Speaker 1: it looks terrible, but you know, kind of fun. Yeah, 279 00:18:45,680 --> 00:18:47,280 Speaker 1: is it? Are you gonna see it? I don't really 280 00:18:47,320 --> 00:18:50,760 Speaker 1: go out for the big you know, the big blocks. Yeah. Well, 281 00:18:50,840 --> 00:18:53,159 Speaker 1: especially like the disaster movies, it just doesn't seem like 282 00:18:53,160 --> 00:18:55,080 Speaker 1: fun to me. Although I really enjoyed Independence Day when 283 00:18:55,080 --> 00:18:57,680 Speaker 1: I was a kid. Here, maybe this is a good 284 00:18:57,680 --> 00:18:59,639 Speaker 1: place for us to wrap up. This is something I 285 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:02,879 Speaker 1: didn't know about. And when you talked about, when you 286 00:19:02,920 --> 00:19:07,040 Speaker 1: asked whether whether whether weather modification there we Go could 287 00:19:07,040 --> 00:19:11,959 Speaker 1: be used as a weapon, I thought, no, you know, 288 00:19:12,119 --> 00:19:17,439 Speaker 1: that's that's ridiculous. But the US government did not. During 289 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:24,360 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty seven through nWo, they had a weather modification 290 00:19:24,400 --> 00:19:29,120 Speaker 1: program in Southeast Asia called Operation Popeye. This was during 291 00:19:29,119 --> 00:19:34,840 Speaker 1: the Vietnam War and they were attempting to extend the 292 00:19:34,920 --> 00:19:39,320 Speaker 1: monsoon season over areas of the Ho Chi Minh Trail, 293 00:19:39,720 --> 00:19:43,840 Speaker 1: and they were hoping that this would support the efforts 294 00:19:43,960 --> 00:19:48,320 Speaker 1: of the US government in the area. Their objectives where 295 00:19:48,359 --> 00:19:52,840 Speaker 1: to be softened road surfaces, caused landslides along roadways, wash 296 00:19:52,840 --> 00:19:56,919 Speaker 1: out river crossings, and keep the soil saturated beyond the 297 00:19:57,000 --> 00:20:01,879 Speaker 1: natural time span. Their slogan that the fifty four Weather 298 00:20:01,920 --> 00:20:08,080 Speaker 1: Reconnaissance Squadron used was make mud not war. It's not 299 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:10,960 Speaker 1: as solid as that's still Yagi win from earlier Man, 300 00:20:11,160 --> 00:20:13,679 Speaker 1: make mud not war. I think there is not a 301 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:20,240 Speaker 1: better place to wrap up than with that quote. However, 302 00:20:21,000 --> 00:20:25,760 Speaker 1: we do have one more surprised and very happy to 303 00:20:26,440 --> 00:20:29,320 Speaker 1: be with you here today man, because this is a 304 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:33,080 Speaker 1: little bit of a milestone for us. Yeah, you specifically 305 00:20:33,119 --> 00:20:35,600 Speaker 1: you Man. I'm happy to be here with you two. Buddy, 306 00:20:36,200 --> 00:20:40,720 Speaker 1: we're doing our first listener mail. In our first of 307 00:20:41,119 --> 00:20:45,800 Speaker 1: two listener mails we received at the inbox ridiculous at 308 00:20:45,800 --> 00:20:49,080 Speaker 1: how stuff works dot Com. We've got one coming from Zachary, 309 00:20:49,359 --> 00:20:51,919 Speaker 1: he says Nolan Ben. My favorite thing that has been 310 00:20:51,960 --> 00:20:54,840 Speaker 1: repeated in history is the crazy amount of times people 311 00:20:55,040 --> 00:20:57,920 Speaker 1: have tried and failed to invade via the bak Dong 312 00:20:58,040 --> 00:21:01,840 Speaker 1: River in Vietnam. Eight China failed to invade, and then 313 00:21:01,920 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 1: in twelve eighty eight they tried and failed again. Both 314 00:21:05,320 --> 00:21:08,440 Speaker 1: times they were easily beaten by Vietnamese forces placing spikes 315 00:21:08,480 --> 00:21:11,480 Speaker 1: in the river during low tide and then watching Chinese 316 00:21:11,480 --> 00:21:14,240 Speaker 1: forces getting destroyed. Why am I laughing? This sounds horrendous, 317 00:21:14,280 --> 00:21:17,520 Speaker 1: but it's pretty smart and pretty ridiculous, um, watching Chinese 318 00:21:17,560 --> 00:21:20,919 Speaker 1: forces getting destroyed and then tried coming through in high tide. 319 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:23,920 Speaker 1: As for my favorite Chinese food, it's probably the amazing 320 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:26,560 Speaker 1: potato beef and rice dish I had when I studied 321 00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:29,960 Speaker 1: abroad in chin China. But I'm also a huge fan 322 00:21:30,200 --> 00:21:34,040 Speaker 1: of orange chicken. Love the show, Zack Um. I think 323 00:21:34,040 --> 00:21:35,920 Speaker 1: orange chicken was my pick. I think I said mall 324 00:21:36,040 --> 00:21:39,360 Speaker 1: orange chicken, Um, But I'm also all about more traditional 325 00:21:39,400 --> 00:21:43,120 Speaker 1: dishes like the amazing potato beef and rice dish mentioned 326 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:45,320 Speaker 1: here in this email. Thank you so much for writing 327 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:47,760 Speaker 1: in dude. Yeah, thanks so much, zach Um. When I 328 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:50,879 Speaker 1: first when I first brought up orange chicken, I was 329 00:21:50,960 --> 00:21:53,600 Speaker 1: just sort of, uh, it was. It was just sort 330 00:21:53,600 --> 00:21:58,800 Speaker 1: of picturing what would be on almost every Chinese menu 331 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:02,479 Speaker 1: in the West at least. And then yeah, and when 332 00:22:02,520 --> 00:22:06,480 Speaker 1: you pointed out mall orange chicken, it inspired me. I 333 00:22:06,520 --> 00:22:11,439 Speaker 1: got really close to grabbing some recently, but I was. 334 00:22:11,920 --> 00:22:14,720 Speaker 1: I was way laid in New York, so I had 335 00:22:14,760 --> 00:22:17,880 Speaker 1: some awesome hand pulled noodles. Did you go to Shans 336 00:22:17,880 --> 00:22:20,840 Speaker 1: Famous Foods? No? No? If you heard of this trip, yeah, yeah, 337 00:22:20,880 --> 00:22:23,240 Speaker 1: I've been there before. Listeners, if you ever in New York, 338 00:22:23,240 --> 00:22:25,199 Speaker 1: if you live in New York, Shan's Famous Foods. They 339 00:22:25,200 --> 00:22:26,919 Speaker 1: have these. The reason I brought it up in as 340 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:29,280 Speaker 1: the hand pulled noodles. Um, it is literally like in 341 00:22:29,359 --> 00:22:31,920 Speaker 1: a bowl. It's like a single noodle, but it's insane, 342 00:22:32,160 --> 00:22:34,200 Speaker 1: but it incorporates into this whole bowl of food and 343 00:22:34,240 --> 00:22:36,560 Speaker 1: they do like one with ground lamb and the spices. 344 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:39,600 Speaker 1: It's just it's what what's the I think? But it's 345 00:22:39,640 --> 00:22:42,200 Speaker 1: like kind of a different it's gotta it's it's almost 346 00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:45,280 Speaker 1: Indian qualities. Yeah, it's got almost a I would want 347 00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:50,479 Speaker 1: to say western region of the continent. Absolutely right, it's 348 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:53,960 Speaker 1: totally what it is bad. Uh. So, thank you so much, Zach, 349 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:56,800 Speaker 1: and I would love to hear more about your time 350 00:22:56,920 --> 00:23:03,320 Speaker 1: studying abroad. In the meantime, we have a second listener 351 00:23:03,320 --> 00:23:07,800 Speaker 1: mail from our friend Tom W who says, Bennell, Hello 352 00:23:07,840 --> 00:23:11,240 Speaker 1: from the Sunny city Berlin, Germany. I just found your 353 00:23:11,359 --> 00:23:15,040 Speaker 1: podcast ridiculous history. Really enjoyed it. Thank you. He says 354 00:23:15,080 --> 00:23:18,479 Speaker 1: he's gonna put it on his favorite list. He has 355 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:21,720 Speaker 1: a comment on the subject of butter tax and Germany 356 00:23:21,760 --> 00:23:25,000 Speaker 1: as follows. I'm retired here, says Tom in Berlin, and 357 00:23:25,040 --> 00:23:27,600 Speaker 1: there are certain says I have experienced in German which 358 00:23:27,640 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 1: I find very interesting. There's one saying that goes is 359 00:23:31,480 --> 00:23:34,879 Speaker 1: alas butter and it translates to it's all in butter. 360 00:23:35,280 --> 00:23:37,399 Speaker 1: I know it means it's all taken care of. But 361 00:23:37,520 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 1: during Martin Luther's days, butter was transported in barrels and 362 00:23:40,800 --> 00:23:43,440 Speaker 1: to avoid paying the full tax on the butter, porcelain 363 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:46,119 Speaker 1: was pushed into the butter when it was stopped for inspection. 364 00:23:46,440 --> 00:23:48,840 Speaker 1: The explanation for the butter was that it was packing 365 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:52,920 Speaker 1: material for safe transport of the porcelain. So it's like, oh, 366 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:57,040 Speaker 1: you can't tax the butter. It's essentially like a styrofoam 367 00:23:57,400 --> 00:24:00,440 Speaker 1: peanut thing. Uh. Speaking of the butter tax, as Tom, 368 00:24:00,440 --> 00:24:03,600 Speaker 1: there are also some other strange food tricks. For example, 369 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:06,560 Speaker 1: a meatless Days, the church reclassified the beaver as a 370 00:24:06,640 --> 00:24:10,240 Speaker 1: fish because the beaver swam. Therefore, beaver could also be 371 00:24:10,240 --> 00:24:13,719 Speaker 1: eaten on meatless days with a clear conscience. People who 372 00:24:13,800 --> 00:24:16,600 Speaker 1: had meat to eat started cooking meat on meatless days 373 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:19,400 Speaker 1: by wrapping the meat in dough. I believe they thought 374 00:24:19,440 --> 00:24:22,680 Speaker 1: God could not see what was inside the dough. And this, 375 00:24:22,920 --> 00:24:26,560 Speaker 1: says Tom, is how Rabbioli came about being popular. And 376 00:24:26,600 --> 00:24:29,280 Speaker 1: Tom gets the prize for the most uses of the 377 00:24:29,320 --> 00:24:33,040 Speaker 1: word meat in a single sentence. Uh. And Tom says 378 00:24:33,040 --> 00:24:35,680 Speaker 1: one final thing. The monks dug thousands of ponds throughout 379 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:37,760 Speaker 1: Europe in order to raise carp to be sold to 380 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:41,800 Speaker 1: the people. These ponds still exist today. All the best, Tom, 381 00:24:41,840 --> 00:24:44,040 Speaker 1: Thank you so much. Right in Tom, I think I 382 00:24:44,119 --> 00:24:47,479 Speaker 1: am going to launch It's all in butter as a 383 00:24:47,480 --> 00:24:49,920 Speaker 1: catchphrase here in English and see how it goes. Wish 384 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:52,040 Speaker 1: me luck, you know what I say, Ben, don't tell 385 00:24:52,040 --> 00:24:54,919 Speaker 1: me not to live just sitting putter, life's candy and 386 00:24:54,960 --> 00:24:57,359 Speaker 1: the son's a ball of butter. Don't bring around a 387 00:24:57,400 --> 00:25:02,880 Speaker 1: cloud to rain on mydiculous history parade. And this concludes 388 00:25:02,920 --> 00:25:06,359 Speaker 1: our listener mail. But as my good friend Ben would say, 389 00:25:06,480 --> 00:25:09,240 Speaker 1: but not our show, because we haven't been canceled yet. 390 00:25:09,320 --> 00:25:11,320 Speaker 1: We're new. It's a new show. I think we're doing well. 391 00:25:11,359 --> 00:25:13,919 Speaker 1: Thank you guys for listening and writing in and and 392 00:25:14,000 --> 00:25:16,680 Speaker 1: not being too overly pedantic. I think we've only gotten 393 00:25:16,760 --> 00:25:20,640 Speaker 1: one uh punchable email. Um, but no, just the one, 394 00:25:20,760 --> 00:25:22,720 Speaker 1: just the one. Everything else everyone has been lovely and 395 00:25:22,920 --> 00:25:25,280 Speaker 1: um you know you guys, if you like the show, um, 396 00:25:25,520 --> 00:25:28,120 Speaker 1: do to us a solid Go to iTunes and write 397 00:25:28,119 --> 00:25:30,679 Speaker 1: a review, give us like all the stars, and you know, 398 00:25:30,800 --> 00:25:34,000 Speaker 1: say that we're engaging and enjoyable to listen to or 399 00:25:34,160 --> 00:25:36,560 Speaker 1: or or whatever. Tell you, tell your friends we were 400 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:39,280 Speaker 1: good at jokes one time. The one time. Yeah, we 401 00:25:39,280 --> 00:25:42,200 Speaker 1: we might get there one day. Uh. And in the meantime, 402 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:45,679 Speaker 1: while you're online, you can find us on Facebook. You 403 00:25:45,680 --> 00:25:48,760 Speaker 1: can find us on Instagram, where you'll see all sorts 404 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:52,719 Speaker 1: of other equally ridiculous tidbits about human civilization. You can 405 00:25:52,760 --> 00:25:57,240 Speaker 1: find our latest pony themed vision board on Pinterest. Not 406 00:25:57,359 --> 00:26:00,840 Speaker 1: really you can. You can find our Lady re enactment 407 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:07,840 Speaker 1: Martin Luther's feces on four square? Is that a thing still? 408 00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 1: Four square? Is that? Is that a like a like 409 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:11,520 Speaker 1: a Yelp kind of thing? It was one of those. 410 00:26:11,600 --> 00:26:14,280 Speaker 1: It was one of the check in yes services that 411 00:26:14,400 --> 00:26:17,400 Speaker 1: just had you check in, which we recome with those 412 00:26:17,440 --> 00:26:21,000 Speaker 1: about that drove me crazy. Do I just essentially want 413 00:26:21,040 --> 00:26:23,359 Speaker 1: to tell every criminal on the planet that I'm not 414 00:26:23,440 --> 00:26:26,800 Speaker 1: at my house? Ben still has a live journal active 415 00:26:27,200 --> 00:26:29,080 Speaker 1: is one of the only remaining users, so you can 416 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:31,360 Speaker 1: check him out there um or you can just write 417 00:26:31,440 --> 00:26:34,000 Speaker 1: us an email at ridiculous at how stuff works dot 418 00:26:34,000 --> 00:26:36,520 Speaker 1: com and you know, maybe we'll read your email on 419 00:26:36,560 --> 00:26:39,200 Speaker 1: the show. Well, do you still have any MySpace or 420 00:26:39,240 --> 00:26:42,159 Speaker 1: friends serve pages? Up? Got a MySpace page? What do 421 00:26:42,240 --> 00:26:45,560 Speaker 1: you think about the idea of whether modification or or 422 00:26:45,720 --> 00:26:49,480 Speaker 1: cloud scene? You're so called rainmakers. Have you had any 423 00:26:49,560 --> 00:26:53,320 Speaker 1: experience with this? You can contact us we all the 424 00:26:53,359 --> 00:26:56,600 Speaker 1: social media my apartment only are just named, or you 425 00:26:56,640 --> 00:27:00,200 Speaker 1: can write to us directly at ridiculous at house up 426 00:27:00,200 --> 00:27:03,840 Speaker 1: works dot com. And most importantly, we really look forward 427 00:27:03,840 --> 00:27:07,879 Speaker 1: to joining you again for the next episode of Ridiculous History. 428 00:27:08,080 --> 00:27:08,640 Speaker 1: See there