1 00:00:04,120 --> 00:00:07,480 Speaker 1: Welcome to Aaron Manke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of 2 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:14,480 Speaker 1: iHeartRadio and Grimm and Mild. Our world is full of 3 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:18,440 Speaker 1: the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, all 4 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:22,639 Speaker 1: of these amazing tales right there on display, just waiting 5 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:28,880 Speaker 1: for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. 6 00:00:36,680 --> 00:00:39,800 Speaker 1: Clara was having a moment. Over the course of one summer, 7 00:00:39,800 --> 00:00:43,080 Speaker 1: She'd gone from a complete unknown to the hottest socialites 8 00:00:43,120 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: in Europe, from Amsterdam to Paris. Her name was on 9 00:00:46,640 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 1: every tongue. Royals and aristocrats waited patiently to meet her. 10 00:00:51,320 --> 00:00:54,680 Speaker 1: Crowds would gather wherever she went out in public, rich 11 00:00:54,800 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 1: or poor, royal or commoner. Everyone wanted a glimpse of 12 00:00:58,520 --> 00:01:01,880 Speaker 1: the beauty from India, with the large, gentle eyes and 13 00:01:01,920 --> 00:01:05,080 Speaker 1: the prominent nose. It didn't hurt that Clara had a 14 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 1: sob story to melt even the coldest of hearts. She 15 00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:11,280 Speaker 1: was born in the Indian state of Assam. In seventeen 16 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:13,920 Speaker 1: thirty eight. When she was barely a month old, her 17 00:01:13,959 --> 00:01:17,520 Speaker 1: mother was murdered. Fortunately, Clara was adopted by a man 18 00:01:17,560 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: from the Netherlands who turned out to be a director 19 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:24,080 Speaker 1: of the Dutch East India Company in West Bengal. Clara 20 00:01:24,120 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 1: grew up on his estate in Kolkata. She had free 21 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 1: reign of the grounds, with valets to see to everything 22 00:01:29,920 --> 00:01:33,360 Speaker 1: she needed, But as she grew her busy adoptive father 23 00:01:33,520 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: struggled to keep her occupied. So he did what any 24 00:01:36,560 --> 00:01:39,320 Speaker 1: affluent eighteenth century father would have done when they wanted 25 00:01:39,360 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: to get their teen daughters out of their hair. He 26 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:44,680 Speaker 1: sent Clara on a grand tour of Europe. At what 27 00:01:44,760 --> 00:01:48,400 Speaker 1: a tour it was. In July of seventeen forty one, 28 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: after months at sea, Clara stepped on the dry land 29 00:01:51,680 --> 00:01:54,200 Speaker 1: in the port city of Rotterdam. As soon as she 30 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:57,600 Speaker 1: was off the ship, people couldn't stop staring. The Dutch 31 00:01:57,600 --> 00:02:00,680 Speaker 1: had never seen anyone like her before. By them, she 32 00:02:00,920 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: was a symbol of the exotic East, where their spices 33 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,120 Speaker 1: and textiles came from, but where they had never imagined 34 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 1: traveling themselves. After the Netherlands, Clara traveled to Antwerp, Brussels, 35 00:02:12,480 --> 00:02:15,639 Speaker 1: and Hamburg. In Berlin, she met King Frederic the Second 36 00:02:15,639 --> 00:02:19,280 Speaker 1: of Prussia. In Vienna, she was introduced to Emperor Francis 37 00:02:19,320 --> 00:02:22,680 Speaker 1: the First and Empress Maria Theresa. She even stayed with 38 00:02:22,760 --> 00:02:25,920 Speaker 1: Louis the fifteenth at his estate in Versailles. Then it 39 00:02:25,960 --> 00:02:29,720 Speaker 1: was on to Paris, Rome and London. Because she spent 40 00:02:29,800 --> 00:02:32,480 Speaker 1: so much time on the road, a special carriage was 41 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,280 Speaker 1: constructed to carry her from city to city. It had 42 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:37,640 Speaker 1: a single small window in the side so that the 43 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:40,440 Speaker 1: public could peek in at her for a price. In 44 00:02:40,440 --> 00:02:44,160 Speaker 1: addition to royals and aristocrats, Clara met a steady stream 45 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:47,799 Speaker 1: of artists. She was immortalized in etchings, engravings, and even 46 00:02:47,919 --> 00:02:50,960 Speaker 1: a clay model. In seventeen forty nine, she was painted 47 00:02:51,000 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 1: by the French Rococo artist Jean Baptiste Ooudri, and in 48 00:02:54,720 --> 00:02:59,120 Speaker 1: seventeen fifty one by Pietro Longhi. Clara was also popular 49 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:01,960 Speaker 1: with scientists and naturalists who had never had the chance 50 00:03:02,040 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 1: to study someone of her ancestry. Sketches and paintings of 51 00:03:05,800 --> 00:03:10,120 Speaker 1: her made their way into anatomical atlases and textbooks. She 52 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 1: became the subject of songs and poems. Her face was 53 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:17,280 Speaker 1: printed on trinkets and memorabilia and sold to the adoring public. 54 00:03:17,720 --> 00:03:20,359 Speaker 1: One of the most popular pieces was a golden clock 55 00:03:20,560 --> 00:03:23,720 Speaker 1: held up by a figurine of Clara standing on top 56 00:03:23,800 --> 00:03:27,840 Speaker 1: of music box. Clara's tour ended up lasting far longer 57 00:03:27,880 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: than most young socialites. She spent decades in Europe and 58 00:03:31,480 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: never again returned to India. While she was given ample 59 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:38,560 Speaker 1: rest between appearances, the constant traveling inevitably took its toll. 60 00:03:38,920 --> 00:03:41,880 Speaker 1: Clara developed a skin condition and had to have fish 61 00:03:41,920 --> 00:03:44,000 Speaker 1: oil rubbed all over her body to keep it from 62 00:03:44,080 --> 00:03:47,160 Speaker 1: drying out. She also injured her nose while traveling in 63 00:03:47,200 --> 00:03:51,680 Speaker 1: Italy around seventeen fifty, although it eventually healed. Not much 64 00:03:51,760 --> 00:03:54,920 Speaker 1: is known about Clara's death Sadly, besides the fact that 65 00:03:54,960 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 1: she passed away during a series of appearances in London 66 00:03:58,120 --> 00:04:01,480 Speaker 1: in seventeen fifty eight. Lived a long life and by 67 00:04:01,480 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 1: most accounts, had been relatively comfortable, but it seems likely 68 00:04:04,880 --> 00:04:08,560 Speaker 1: that she was also lonely. Clara might have been surrounded 69 00:04:08,560 --> 00:04:11,520 Speaker 1: by friends and fans, but she didn't have anyone who 70 00:04:11,560 --> 00:04:14,680 Speaker 1: could really relate to her experience. From the moment she 71 00:04:14,800 --> 00:04:18,120 Speaker 1: arrived in Europe until her death, she never saw another 72 00:04:18,200 --> 00:04:21,760 Speaker 1: face like hers. I don't mean just anyone else from India. 73 00:04:22,040 --> 00:04:24,640 Speaker 1: Clara was kept away from other members of her own 74 00:04:24,640 --> 00:04:28,560 Speaker 1: species because there's something that maybe I should have mentioned before. 75 00:04:29,080 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 1: Clara was a rhinoceros. The mysteries of outer space have 76 00:04:47,200 --> 00:04:50,160 Speaker 1: fascinated humankind for as long as we have been around. 77 00:04:50,400 --> 00:04:54,320 Speaker 1: Islamic astronomers mapped the stars, Copernicus discovered the Sun was 78 00:04:54,360 --> 00:04:57,560 Speaker 1: the center of our universe, and Isaac Newton is at 79 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:01,920 Speaker 1: least credited with discovering gravity. Today, many believe the secrets 80 00:05:01,920 --> 00:05:05,080 Speaker 1: of our very existence are held among the stars. They 81 00:05:05,120 --> 00:05:07,880 Speaker 1: wonder where do our souls go after we die? What 82 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:11,480 Speaker 1: even is a soul? These are big questions, but the 83 00:05:11,520 --> 00:05:15,360 Speaker 1: elements in our bodies were originally formed in stars. After all. 84 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:19,000 Speaker 1: Others turned to the stars for more concrete answers about 85 00:05:19,120 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 1: our existence, like can we survive on Mars? But before 86 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:27,440 Speaker 1: billionaires set to colonize entire planets, scientists took an unusual 87 00:05:27,440 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 1: approach to studying how the human body works in space. 88 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:35,280 Speaker 1: In nineteen seventy two, the National Aeronautics in Space Administration 89 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:39,400 Speaker 1: NASA prepared its launch of Skylab three, the third in 90 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:42,960 Speaker 1: a series of American research missions into space. Keeping the 91 00:05:42,960 --> 00:05:46,560 Speaker 1: tradition from Skylabs one and two, NASA invited high school 92 00:05:46,600 --> 00:05:50,359 Speaker 1: students nationwide to propose experiments. One of those chosen was 93 00:05:50,360 --> 00:05:54,200 Speaker 1: thought up by a Massachusetts student named Judith miles. Judith 94 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:58,159 Speaker 1: had read some National Geographic reports about drug research, specifically 95 00:05:58,200 --> 00:06:02,839 Speaker 1: the effects of certain drugs on spider's central nervous systems. Now, 96 00:06:02,880 --> 00:06:06,159 Speaker 1: you might be wondering why spiders, why not something like 97 00:06:06,279 --> 00:06:10,320 Speaker 1: mice or monkeys. Well, as it turns out, NASA experiments 98 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:13,480 Speaker 1: on spiders date back to nineteen forty eight, when a 99 00:06:13,560 --> 00:06:17,280 Speaker 1: Swiss pharmacologist named Peter n Witt teamed up with the 100 00:06:17,320 --> 00:06:21,120 Speaker 1: administration to study the effects of caffeine and phetamines and 101 00:06:21,200 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 1: even LSD on spider's nervous systems. These eight legged web 102 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:28,520 Speaker 1: weavers were thought as the ideal test subjects because of 103 00:06:28,560 --> 00:06:31,800 Speaker 1: their webs, which could provide a visual depiction of the 104 00:06:31,839 --> 00:06:35,080 Speaker 1: states of their command center. But young Judith took this 105 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:37,680 Speaker 1: step further. She knew that a spider's sense of its 106 00:06:37,680 --> 00:06:40,440 Speaker 1: own body weight was an important factor in its web 107 00:06:40,520 --> 00:06:43,320 Speaker 1: making ability, and so she wondered what would a web 108 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:46,880 Speaker 1: look like when made in microgravity? And her question was 109 00:06:46,920 --> 00:06:50,360 Speaker 1: compelling enough for NASA to find two cross spiders, feed 110 00:06:50,400 --> 00:06:53,240 Speaker 1: them a meal of one housefly each, load them into 111 00:06:53,240 --> 00:06:56,200 Speaker 1: glass cages about fifteen inches long and one inch deep, 112 00:06:56,279 --> 00:06:59,719 Speaker 1: and then launched them into space. Oh but not before 113 00:06:59,760 --> 00:07:05,400 Speaker 1: name them too, Arabella and Anita. Upon arriving in the thermosphere, 114 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:08,680 Speaker 1: the spiders did nothing. They hid in the corners of 115 00:07:08,720 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 1: their cages. Actually, reports on the exact timing vary, but 116 00:07:12,240 --> 00:07:14,600 Speaker 1: the crew didn't see them for at least a day. 117 00:07:15,080 --> 00:07:17,600 Speaker 1: They checked in often, especially since they had to man 118 00:07:17,640 --> 00:07:20,920 Speaker 1: the lights that simulated daytime and nighttime for the spiders. 119 00:07:21,360 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 1: As they waited for Arabella and Anita to show any 120 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:27,520 Speaker 1: sign of life, the two legged astronauts got their bearings. 121 00:07:28,400 --> 00:07:32,840 Speaker 1: Skylab was split into two levels, separated by cross hatched beams. 122 00:07:33,160 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 1: A center beam ran straight across, so the crew could 123 00:07:35,600 --> 00:07:38,160 Speaker 1: pull themselves from one side of the workshop to the other. 124 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 1: But once in microgravity, they realized that pushing off the 125 00:07:41,840 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 1: walls and swimming through the air was much more efficient 126 00:07:45,400 --> 00:07:49,000 Speaker 1: or at least more fun. At some point, though, science 127 00:07:49,080 --> 00:07:53,200 Speaker 1: pilot Owen Garriot got antsy. He propelled himself to Arabella's 128 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 1: cage and tried to shake her out of her hiding spot, 129 00:07:56,320 --> 00:07:59,800 Speaker 1: and once dislodged, Arabella bounced around like an early aught 130 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:03,280 Speaker 1: screensaver until she managed to grab onto some mesh near 131 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:06,280 Speaker 1: the edge of her cave. There she froze, and she 132 00:08:06,400 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 1: stayed that way until Garriot floated away. No one was 133 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 1: around to witness the moment Arabella got back up. Footage 134 00:08:13,200 --> 00:08:16,160 Speaker 1: shows the grueling process she endured before Gariot and the 135 00:08:16,200 --> 00:08:20,320 Speaker 1: rest of the crew found her first space web. In microgravity, 136 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:23,720 Speaker 1: she was barely able to repel, connect and walk along 137 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:27,440 Speaker 1: the lines. She lost her grip and went tumbling multiple times. 138 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:30,480 Speaker 1: Often she hit the wall of her cage and lay defeated, 139 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:33,680 Speaker 1: And in the end, her finished webs just resembled the 140 00:08:33,679 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 1: ones that were made by Peter Witz drug spiders, saggy 141 00:08:36,960 --> 00:08:40,480 Speaker 1: strands that varied in thickness, nothing like those taut even 142 00:08:40,520 --> 00:08:43,280 Speaker 1: webs that we see here on Earth. But by day 143 00:08:43,320 --> 00:08:46,679 Speaker 1: three in space, Arabella realized how the rules had changed. 144 00:08:46,920 --> 00:08:50,000 Speaker 1: Instead of repelling, she connected short lines within the inch 145 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:53,360 Speaker 1: of space between the cage walls, forming a sort of bridge. 146 00:08:53,559 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 1: This allowed her to keep her footing while she measured 147 00:08:56,120 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 1: out small spirals with her hind legs. It was like 148 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:02,440 Speaker 1: she noticed the labs crosshatches and figured that something like 149 00:09:02,520 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 1: that might work for her. By the time Garriot returned 150 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:08,760 Speaker 1: to check on Arabella, she had finished her first web. 151 00:09:09,200 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 1: This web gave some interesting insights into Arabella's thought process. 152 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 1: Its shape and structure were solid. However, she decided not 153 00:09:16,920 --> 00:09:19,680 Speaker 1: to use trapping silk like she would on Earth. This 154 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:22,320 Speaker 1: tells us that instead of trying and failing over and 155 00:09:22,400 --> 00:09:25,400 Speaker 1: over to weave a complete web in one go, she 156 00:09:25,480 --> 00:09:30,559 Speaker 1: simply laid a foundation. The lesson resonated with Earthlings. Footage 157 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:33,760 Speaker 1: of Arabella aired on CBS Morning News, and a few 158 00:09:33,800 --> 00:09:37,640 Speaker 1: other high profile news outlets also cover the story. Anita 159 00:09:37,760 --> 00:09:40,920 Speaker 1: also wove her first web shortly after Arabella, but it 160 00:09:40,920 --> 00:09:45,440 Speaker 1: seems that Arabella's tenacity captured more attention. It seems none 161 00:09:45,480 --> 00:09:49,480 Speaker 1: were more taken with Arabella than Owen. Garriot reports mentioned 162 00:09:49,480 --> 00:09:52,840 Speaker 1: that he requested to keep her alive longer than originally planned. 163 00:09:53,160 --> 00:09:56,920 Speaker 1: I assumed that the crew did the same for Anita. Eventually, 164 00:09:56,960 --> 00:10:00,760 Speaker 1: both spiders died in space, most likely due to dehydration, 165 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:03,480 Speaker 1: and both their bodies have been displayed at the National 166 00:10:03,520 --> 00:10:07,079 Speaker 1: Air and Space Museum and elsewhere where onlookers could gaze 167 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:10,359 Speaker 1: upon their small bodies the same way those early astronomers 168 00:10:10,400 --> 00:10:13,880 Speaker 1: gazed upwards toward the sky, wanting to know just a 169 00:10:13,920 --> 00:10:21,520 Speaker 1: little bit more about themselves. I hope you've enjoyed today's 170 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:25,120 Speaker 1: guided tour of the cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free 171 00:10:25,200 --> 00:10:27,880 Speaker 1: on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about the show by 172 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:32,959 Speaker 1: visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show was created by 173 00:10:33,000 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 1: me Aaron Mankey in partnership with how Stuff Works. I 174 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:40,520 Speaker 1: make another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, 175 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:43,560 Speaker 1: book series, and television show, and you can learn all 176 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 1: about it over at the Worldoflore dot com. And until 177 00:10:47,679 --> 00:10:51,400 Speaker 1: next time, stay curious.