1 00:00:02,960 --> 00:00:05,360 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind, production of My 2 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:10,880 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hey, welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind. 3 00:00:10,920 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: A listener mail. My name is Robert Lamb and I'm 4 00:00:14,080 --> 00:00:16,439 Speaker 1: Joe McCormick. Agin. It's Monday, the day of the week 5 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:18,760 Speaker 1: that we generally bring back some of the messages you 6 00:00:18,880 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 1: have sent us, So Rob, if you don't mind, I 7 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:24,639 Speaker 1: think I'm gonna get started with this message from long 8 00:00:24,680 --> 00:00:27,800 Speaker 1: time correspondent Jim in New Jersey about our episode on 9 00:00:27,960 --> 00:00:37,120 Speaker 1: the Stargazer in the Well. Jim rights, Robert, Joe, and 10 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: Seth when you mentioned well astronomy and refresher for those 11 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:44,600 Speaker 1: who it may have been a bit with the episode. 12 00:00:44,600 --> 00:00:47,400 Speaker 1: We we talked in that episode about the long standing 13 00:00:47,440 --> 00:00:49,559 Speaker 1: belief that a person could stand at the bottom of 14 00:00:49,560 --> 00:00:52,120 Speaker 1: a well or at the bottom of a toll hollowed 15 00:00:52,120 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: out tower, and for some reason this would allow them 16 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: to see the stars in the daytime. We decided that 17 00:00:58,440 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: there doesn't seem to be any dents. That's actually true, 18 00:01:01,200 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 1: but for some reason a lot of people thought that. Anyway, 19 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:07,720 Speaker 1: Jim says, when you mentioned well astronomy, I was sure 20 00:01:07,840 --> 00:01:13,200 Speaker 1: you'd tell my favorite well astronomy story. How Aratasthanes measured 21 00:01:13,240 --> 00:01:16,440 Speaker 1: the size of the Earth using a well. The well 22 00:01:16,680 --> 00:01:20,119 Speaker 1: at Saini in Egypt, and Saini is the place Uh 23 00:01:20,360 --> 00:01:24,400 Speaker 1: also at other times known as as one Uh. Saini 24 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:28,160 Speaker 1: in Egypt is on the tropic of Cancer. At noon 25 00:01:28,319 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 1: on the summer solstice, if one looks into a well 26 00:01:31,360 --> 00:01:34,720 Speaker 1: at sain E, one sees a reflection of the Sun 27 00:01:34,840 --> 00:01:39,720 Speaker 1: at the bottom, since it's directly overhead. Eratasthanes measured the 28 00:01:39,840 --> 00:01:44,680 Speaker 1: angle of a shadow cast by a vertical rod in Alexandria. 29 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:48,120 Speaker 1: Assuming parallel rays of light from the sun, he could 30 00:01:48,120 --> 00:01:53,120 Speaker 1: easily determine the arc on a circle from Saini to Alexandria. Then, 31 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: with knowledge of the distance between the two places, he 32 00:01:56,280 --> 00:02:00,160 Speaker 1: could calculate the size of the Earth. His results were 33 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,720 Speaker 1: within about one percent of the actual size. I wonder 34 00:02:03,760 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: how he felt when he realized that the Earth was 35 00:02:06,200 --> 00:02:09,959 Speaker 1: so much larger than their known parts. Students in different 36 00:02:09,960 --> 00:02:14,040 Speaker 1: schools could replicate this with the flagpoles at their schools. 37 00:02:14,080 --> 00:02:16,760 Speaker 1: All that would be needed are two schools several hundred 38 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 1: miles north or south of each other, that is, mostly 39 00:02:19,960 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 1: on the same longitude. They would measure the angle of 40 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: the shadow cast by their flagpoles when the sun is 41 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:28,799 Speaker 1: at its highest in the sky. By comparing the angles 42 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,799 Speaker 1: and with knowledge of the distance between the two schools, 43 00:02:31,840 --> 00:02:35,360 Speaker 1: they should be able to reproduce similar results. Jim in 44 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:38,720 Speaker 1: New Jersey. Uh, yeah, Jim, this is a great story. 45 00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:41,000 Speaker 1: And this is one of my favorite stories of somebody 46 00:02:41,040 --> 00:02:45,799 Speaker 1: figuring out figuring out something way before you might imagine 47 00:02:45,840 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 1: they had the tools to do so. So this is 48 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: an ancient Greek figure correctly calculating the size of the 49 00:02:51,720 --> 00:02:54,760 Speaker 1: Earth just by looking at shadows cast by objects under 50 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 1: the sun. Yeah, very interesting. Speaking of that Star Gazer 51 00:02:59,880 --> 00:03:02,679 Speaker 1: and Well episode, we had at least one person to 52 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:04,919 Speaker 1: reach out and say, say, oh, did you guys cover 53 00:03:05,040 --> 00:03:09,640 Speaker 1: that because it was mentioned on the Josh Brolin Amazon 54 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 1: sci fi Western series Outer Range. And this apparently like 55 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:17,640 Speaker 1: the episode of Outer Range that came out that week 56 00:03:18,120 --> 00:03:20,760 Speaker 1: that there's a character who has a bit where they're um, 57 00:03:21,120 --> 00:03:24,040 Speaker 1: they're referencing the story of you know, astronomer falling down 58 00:03:24,080 --> 00:03:27,359 Speaker 1: a well because they're looking up at the at the sky. Um. 59 00:03:28,440 --> 00:03:31,160 Speaker 1: But the funny thing is that my wife and I 60 00:03:31,240 --> 00:03:34,360 Speaker 1: are watching this series, but we were not current on it, 61 00:03:34,480 --> 00:03:36,839 Speaker 1: so we had not actually gotten to that episode yet 62 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 1: it just happened to be I guess a weird one 63 00:03:38,240 --> 00:03:41,440 Speaker 1: of those weird accidents where we happened to be covering 64 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:43,960 Speaker 1: this topic just as it is referenced on a major 65 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,440 Speaker 1: television show. I didn't even know what that show was, 66 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 1: so I had no idea. Yeah, it's a it's it's interesting, 67 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:52,760 Speaker 1: it's got some weird music, and Will Patton plays a 68 00:03:53,680 --> 00:03:55,800 Speaker 1: like a crazy rancher guy, and there's a lot of 69 00:03:55,800 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: fun in it. So I would recommend it on on 70 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:08,440 Speaker 1: the two counts nice. All right, Here is one that 71 00:04:08,480 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: comes to us from who is from Steve. Steve is 72 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:15,480 Speaker 1: talking about the world Turtle. Just a shout out and 73 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:18,800 Speaker 1: thank you for the delightful Monster Fact episode called Tortara 74 00:04:18,880 --> 00:04:23,640 Speaker 1: a Pokemon. I have long been enamored with turtles, turtle myths, 75 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:27,200 Speaker 1: and turtle hybrid monsters. My son is the same age 76 00:04:27,200 --> 00:04:30,280 Speaker 1: as yours, and I enjoyed listening to your Pokemon expert speak. 77 00:04:30,360 --> 00:04:32,839 Speaker 1: He did an excellent job. Thank you. I'll pass it 78 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,680 Speaker 1: on to him. I was so glad you mentioned that 79 00:04:35,720 --> 00:04:39,200 Speaker 1: the turtle hybrid from the original Avatar the Last Airbender anime. 80 00:04:39,680 --> 00:04:42,120 Speaker 1: You guys covered all the main turtle bases and even 81 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:45,440 Speaker 1: referenced a few that are new to me. These legends 82 00:04:45,480 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: reminded me of my favorite passage from Stephen Hawkings classic 83 00:04:48,680 --> 00:04:51,839 Speaker 1: A Brief History of Time. A well known scientists, some 84 00:04:52,000 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 1: say it was Bertrand Russell once gave a public lecture 85 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: on astronomy. He described how the Earth the orbits around 86 00:05:00,800 --> 00:05:02,840 Speaker 1: the Sun, and how the Sun in turn orbits around 87 00:05:02,880 --> 00:05:05,920 Speaker 1: the center of a vast collection of stars called our galaxy. 88 00:05:06,440 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 1: At the end of the lecture, a little old lady 89 00:05:08,440 --> 00:05:10,119 Speaker 1: at the back of the room got up and said, 90 00:05:10,320 --> 00:05:13,039 Speaker 1: what you have told us is rubbish. The world is 91 00:05:13,080 --> 00:05:15,359 Speaker 1: really a flat plate supported on the back of a 92 00:05:15,400 --> 00:05:19,160 Speaker 1: giant tortoise. The scientists gave a superior smile before applying, 93 00:05:19,480 --> 00:05:23,000 Speaker 1: what is the tortoise standing on? You're very clever, young man, 94 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:26,240 Speaker 1: very clever, said the old lady. But it's it's turtles 95 00:05:26,279 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 1: all the way down. Amusing as this story is, I 96 00:05:29,160 --> 00:05:31,440 Speaker 1: feel it bears repeating that many of these stories and 97 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:36,000 Speaker 1: legends might have been intended to function metaphorically rather than 98 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:39,760 Speaker 1: be accepted as literal truths. The examples you shared involved 99 00:05:39,800 --> 00:05:43,719 Speaker 1: a broad spectrum of visualizations, ranging from poetic conceptualization to 100 00:05:43,760 --> 00:05:46,880 Speaker 1: the kind of good, clean imaginative fun one can experience 101 00:05:46,960 --> 00:05:49,359 Speaker 1: reading a science fiction novel or a translation of an 102 00:05:49,360 --> 00:05:52,880 Speaker 1: ancient mythological story. All of these forms have the potential 103 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 1: to take one momentarily out of the mundane into the 104 00:05:55,800 --> 00:05:59,040 Speaker 1: realm of possibility. Even in the natural world. It takes 105 00:05:59,040 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 1: inspiration in an magination to develop theories which can be 106 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:07,000 Speaker 1: tested as useful or misleading explanations of existential phenomenon. Your 107 00:06:07,040 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 1: inclusion and celebration of both kinds of thought is what 108 00:06:09,640 --> 00:06:11,920 Speaker 1: really set stuffed about your mind apart. May you live 109 00:06:12,040 --> 00:06:16,840 Speaker 1: long and podcast ever more. Steve Turtles all the way down, 110 00:06:17,120 --> 00:06:19,360 Speaker 1: you know, going back to the story about Bertrand Russell 111 00:06:19,480 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 1: or whoever it was, I years ago started making jokes 112 00:06:23,920 --> 00:06:26,760 Speaker 1: saying X all the way down on the podcast, and 113 00:06:26,760 --> 00:06:29,200 Speaker 1: then I noticed other people too. And I don't know 114 00:06:29,240 --> 00:06:31,400 Speaker 1: if that's just a coincidence or if I picked up 115 00:06:31,400 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 1: on other people just using that as a meme without 116 00:06:34,440 --> 00:06:38,440 Speaker 1: realizing it. But yeah, now probably people have heard a 117 00:06:38,600 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 1: joke of that format or that phrase turned into a 118 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:44,960 Speaker 1: meme without understanding what the origin is. You know, they've 119 00:06:44,960 --> 00:06:47,680 Speaker 1: heard somebody say, oh, it's uh, you know, it's it's 120 00:06:47,720 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 1: TikTok all the way down or something crabs all the 121 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:52,960 Speaker 1: way down, something like that. But that is that is 122 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:56,119 Speaker 1: the origin of that phrase. There's also a subtle angle 123 00:06:56,160 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 1: to that story that I really like, which is that 124 00:06:58,200 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 1: it illustrates the way that uh, having a ready made 125 00:07:04,320 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 1: phrase in your language for something can easily uh cause 126 00:07:10,080 --> 00:07:13,720 Speaker 1: you to to sort of skip over assessing the logical 127 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 1: consistency of what you're talking about, because to say the 128 00:07:17,120 --> 00:07:19,640 Speaker 1: phrase all the way down means going all the way 129 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:22,560 Speaker 1: to the bottom. But this is used in the sentence 130 00:07:22,640 --> 00:07:26,680 Speaker 1: to cause you to, uh, just don't worry about the bottom, 131 00:07:26,720 --> 00:07:35,280 Speaker 1: you know, alright. This next message is in response to 132 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 1: our series called Fire from the Rocks. These were episodes 133 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 1: about naturally fueled flames, things like coal seam fires and 134 00:07:42,960 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 1: natural gas field fires and auto igniting minerals and and 135 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:50,880 Speaker 1: things like that. So this is from Daniel. Daniel says, Hi, 136 00:07:51,000 --> 00:07:53,440 Speaker 1: my name is Daniel. I'm a forty seven year old 137 00:07:53,520 --> 00:07:57,080 Speaker 1: radio broadcast or of twenty years in Australia. I listened 138 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:00,440 Speaker 1: to all your shows and loved the stuff on Burning Mountain. 139 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 1: I was there in n for a family holiday when 140 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 1: I was thirteen. Image attached. I'm the kid with the 141 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:11,360 Speaker 1: striped shirt. It was a weird moonlike ominous atmosphere which 142 00:08:11,440 --> 00:08:14,000 Speaker 1: stunk of sulfur. I would love to shoot part of 143 00:08:14,000 --> 00:08:16,280 Speaker 1: a sci fi movie there, anyway, keep it up and 144 00:08:16,280 --> 00:08:20,520 Speaker 1: I love the show. Cheers, Daniel, and so Robbie attached 145 00:08:20,560 --> 00:08:22,800 Speaker 1: this photo for you to look at. But Daniel, in 146 00:08:22,840 --> 00:08:25,160 Speaker 1: the photo, I see you're actually walking around on the 147 00:08:25,200 --> 00:08:27,680 Speaker 1: ground on the bar patch, and I think, I don't 148 00:08:27,680 --> 00:08:29,320 Speaker 1: know if you're allowed to do that today. But there 149 00:08:29,400 --> 00:08:32,440 Speaker 1: is an observation deck in the more recent photos I've seen, 150 00:08:32,480 --> 00:08:35,280 Speaker 1: which leads me to believe that at least the park 151 00:08:35,320 --> 00:08:37,160 Speaker 1: is trying to get people to stay up on the 152 00:08:37,200 --> 00:08:41,200 Speaker 1: deck rather than walking on the scalded area. Uh. And 153 00:08:41,240 --> 00:08:43,800 Speaker 1: I wonder if you were walking on the bear patch, 154 00:08:43,840 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: the sculpted area, like, how hot was the ground or 155 00:08:46,400 --> 00:08:49,720 Speaker 1: was it any hotter than than the the you know, 156 00:08:49,800 --> 00:08:57,079 Speaker 1: the part that still had grass on it. All right, 157 00:08:57,160 --> 00:08:59,600 Speaker 1: here's another one. This one comes to us from Nabil 158 00:09:00,160 --> 00:09:03,199 Speaker 1: and it is titled The Gates of Hell. Hi, Robert 159 00:09:03,200 --> 00:09:07,040 Speaker 1: and Joe, your recent episodes on long burning fires reminded 160 00:09:07,080 --> 00:09:12,280 Speaker 1: me of an existing fire located in Turkmenistan in the 161 00:09:12,440 --> 00:09:17,200 Speaker 1: Kharkom Desert. A fiery crater about sixty nine meters two 162 00:09:17,800 --> 00:09:22,000 Speaker 1: six feet in diameter and thirty deep, has been burning 163 00:09:22,040 --> 00:09:26,400 Speaker 1: since nineteen The Darvaza gas Crater, also known as the 164 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:29,600 Speaker 1: Gates of Hell, is a burning natural gas field collapsed 165 00:09:29,600 --> 00:09:34,320 Speaker 1: into a cavern near dar Vasa, Turkmenistan. It is believed 166 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:37,560 Speaker 1: that Soviet geologists intentionally set it on fire in nineteen 167 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:40,480 Speaker 1: seventy one to prevent the spread of methane gas, and 168 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:43,280 Speaker 1: it is thought to have been burning continuously ever since. 169 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:45,760 Speaker 1: It was estimated that the gas would burn out within 170 00:09:45,760 --> 00:09:48,400 Speaker 1: a few weeks, but it has instead continued to burn 171 00:09:48,440 --> 00:09:50,880 Speaker 1: for more than fifty years and is expected to keep 172 00:09:50,920 --> 00:09:54,719 Speaker 1: on burning. Images of this fiery crater are worth looking up. 173 00:09:54,760 --> 00:09:57,880 Speaker 1: I have attached some below, and then yes, slow and 174 00:09:57,920 --> 00:10:03,120 Speaker 1: behold some wonderful images of this crater. I imagine that 175 00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 1: a lot of you out there have probably seen these before. 176 00:10:05,120 --> 00:10:10,240 Speaker 1: They frequently pop up in like image galleries of of 177 00:10:10,320 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 1: impressive sites around the world, um nabile and ins and 178 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:16,480 Speaker 1: out there by saying, big fan of the show, I 179 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 1: really enjoy the wide array of topics covered, especially such 180 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:22,680 Speaker 1: topics that wouldn't usually get attention elsewhere. Keep up the 181 00:10:22,720 --> 00:10:25,400 Speaker 1: great work. Yeah, thanks Nabile. Yeah, this is a really 182 00:10:25,400 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 1: interesting site, and I'm sure it looks even cooler in 183 00:10:28,040 --> 00:10:39,559 Speaker 1: the dark. I think, yeah, it seems too okay. I 184 00:10:39,559 --> 00:10:42,839 Speaker 1: guess next Well, after this next message, we're gonna be 185 00:10:42,840 --> 00:10:45,160 Speaker 1: getting into weird house cinema, but this one will form 186 00:10:45,160 --> 00:10:49,000 Speaker 1: a nice bridge. So Drew writes in about the Fire 187 00:10:49,040 --> 00:10:54,199 Speaker 1: from the Rocks episodes, subject line Centralia, pop Culture, missed connection, 188 00:10:54,880 --> 00:10:58,199 Speaker 1: Drew says, Hi, Rob and Joe, longtime listener, first time writer. 189 00:10:58,559 --> 00:11:00,840 Speaker 1: I love the mix of topic that you guys cover 190 00:11:00,960 --> 00:11:04,959 Speaker 1: and how you incorporate research, history, mythology, and pop culture. 191 00:11:05,360 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 1: I wanted to point out another film or video game 192 00:11:08,160 --> 00:11:12,400 Speaker 1: reference related to the town of Centralia, Pennsylvania. Centralia is 193 00:11:12,440 --> 00:11:15,280 Speaker 1: said to be a partial inspiration for the town in 194 00:11:15,320 --> 00:11:19,600 Speaker 1: the video game series and later film Silent Hill. The 195 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:23,559 Speaker 1: games started as a horror suspense series, similar to the 196 00:11:23,600 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 1: first couple of Resident Evil games. Not sure if it's 197 00:11:26,360 --> 00:11:28,719 Speaker 1: too recent or mainstream a movie for a Weird House 198 00:11:28,720 --> 00:11:31,960 Speaker 1: Cinema episode, but could be an interesting one to tackle 199 00:11:32,000 --> 00:11:34,280 Speaker 1: in the future. Appreciate all you do with the pod. 200 00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:37,200 Speaker 1: Thank you, Drew. Oh, I mean it is Christoph gonz 201 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:40,040 Speaker 1: I'd love to talk about the Gons at some point 202 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:43,040 Speaker 1: on the show this. This is funny because I have 203 00:11:43,120 --> 00:11:49,839 Speaker 1: a very very specific memory, a lucid memory about someone thinking, uh, 204 00:11:50,320 --> 00:11:52,760 Speaker 1: Silent Hill was weird, because I saw this in the 205 00:11:52,760 --> 00:11:54,680 Speaker 1: theater with a friend of mine when it came out, 206 00:11:55,360 --> 00:11:59,480 Speaker 1: and a girl in the theater near me answered her 207 00:11:59,520 --> 00:12:04,040 Speaker 1: telephone while the movie was playing, and what I remember 208 00:12:04,040 --> 00:12:07,280 Speaker 1: her saying was in a very East Tennessee accent. She 209 00:12:07,480 --> 00:12:10,040 Speaker 1: was like, she was like, I'm in a movie. Yeah, 210 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:17,920 Speaker 1: it's weird, it's weird. I remembered having some fun weird elements, 211 00:12:17,920 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 1: and it had a great pyramid head in it, so yeah. 212 00:12:22,400 --> 00:12:24,280 Speaker 1: I I have not thought about that film and a while. 213 00:12:24,280 --> 00:12:26,160 Speaker 1: I haven't played one of those games that forever, but 214 00:12:26,200 --> 00:12:30,040 Speaker 1: I remember really loving Silent Hill too, especially and being 215 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:32,360 Speaker 1: really drawn into the setting. I don't remember anything about 216 00:12:32,400 --> 00:12:34,760 Speaker 1: mining in it, but I remember there being like, you know, 217 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:37,800 Speaker 1: it's a weird wizard prison under the town and you're 218 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:40,800 Speaker 1: trying to figure out how that loops into everything else 219 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:45,320 Speaker 1: and some locked doors. I actually never played any of 220 00:12:45,360 --> 00:12:46,840 Speaker 1: these games, so I know a bit, but all my 221 00:12:46,880 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 1: friends were into them at a time when I didn't 222 00:12:48,920 --> 00:12:51,120 Speaker 1: have the PlayStation or whatever. I would have needed to 223 00:12:51,120 --> 00:12:53,760 Speaker 1: play this, but all my friends loved it. And uh, 224 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:55,640 Speaker 1: I know, one of the things about at least the 225 00:12:55,640 --> 00:12:57,439 Speaker 1: first game, maybe some of the later ones too, is 226 00:12:57,480 --> 00:13:00,480 Speaker 1: that everything's covered in fog, Like you can't and see 227 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:02,600 Speaker 1: very far ahead of you in that right, rob, like 228 00:13:02,720 --> 00:13:06,000 Speaker 1: a lot of fog. And and I wonder if that's 229 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:09,600 Speaker 1: something that was originally a technological limitation that later got 230 00:13:09,640 --> 00:13:13,640 Speaker 1: rhet coon into a piece of the setting for its 231 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:18,120 Speaker 1: own purposes. Like originally, if you have fog everywhere, you 232 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:21,079 Speaker 1: don't have to do do as much render distance well 233 00:13:21,160 --> 00:13:24,760 Speaker 1: when you're you know, creating the polygons in the environment. 234 00:13:25,280 --> 00:13:27,000 Speaker 1: But of course I guess that turns into its own 235 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:29,480 Speaker 1: scary atmospheric thing, which works well in a horror game. 236 00:13:29,720 --> 00:13:31,760 Speaker 1: And then later you could say, oh, yeah, that's because 237 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:33,720 Speaker 1: of all the fumes coming up from the ground. There's 238 00:13:33,720 --> 00:13:37,000 Speaker 1: actually a coal seam fire in this town. So I 239 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:39,959 Speaker 1: always like things like that, you know. I was actually 240 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:43,360 Speaker 1: just speaking of of ghastly leaking up from the ground 241 00:13:43,360 --> 00:13:47,200 Speaker 1: and tying into our last listener mail that we read there. 242 00:13:47,240 --> 00:13:52,200 Speaker 1: I was reading in Yokai Attack by Hiroko Yoda and 243 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:55,920 Speaker 1: Matt Altum, and there's a bit on one of the 244 00:13:56,000 --> 00:14:00,520 Speaker 1: yokai named Koonaki Gigi, which is like the little old 245 00:14:00,559 --> 00:14:02,719 Speaker 1: man in the encounter. He's like a he looks he 246 00:14:02,760 --> 00:14:04,360 Speaker 1: may look like a baby, but he's an old man 247 00:14:04,520 --> 00:14:06,680 Speaker 1: and if you pick him up, he grows in size 248 00:14:06,720 --> 00:14:10,319 Speaker 1: and crushes you. Um. But in in that book, the 249 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 1: author's point to a possible explanation for this being linked 250 00:14:15,440 --> 00:14:21,520 Speaker 1: to methane fumes from decomposing organic material, Like people go 251 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:23,440 Speaker 1: out on the foot into a like a really rich 252 00:14:23,560 --> 00:14:27,240 Speaker 1: forest environment, they're overcome by the methane fumes and then 253 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:33,200 Speaker 1: they hallucinate. Uh, Kannaki Gigi here, that's brutal. Yeah, I 254 00:14:33,240 --> 00:14:35,720 Speaker 1: haven't researched it further, so I don't know if there's 255 00:14:35,880 --> 00:14:38,880 Speaker 1: how robust that theory is. Uh, But it's a fun 256 00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:41,680 Speaker 1: little yokai, like like many of the okai yokai are 257 00:14:41,720 --> 00:14:45,160 Speaker 1: so much fun. Also, now that I know about this 258 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:48,240 Speaker 1: link to the Silent Hill Games, that means there's a link, 259 00:14:48,320 --> 00:14:51,080 Speaker 1: a clear link between the Silent Hill Games and the 260 00:14:51,120 --> 00:14:53,680 Speaker 1: film Nothing But Trouble. And I think this is how 261 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:55,680 Speaker 1: you bring the Silent Hill Games back. We haven't had 262 00:14:55,720 --> 00:14:58,640 Speaker 1: a proper Silent Hill game in a while. They need 263 00:14:58,640 --> 00:15:02,280 Speaker 1: to join together the Nothing but Trouble universe and the 264 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:07,560 Speaker 1: Silent Hill Universe into one cohesive video game experience. Dan 265 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:18,000 Speaker 1: Ackroyd's next venture, pyramid Head Vodka. All right, well let's 266 00:15:18,040 --> 00:15:21,440 Speaker 1: get into weird house cinema here. Here's one. This one 267 00:15:22,080 --> 00:15:25,240 Speaker 1: concerns Planet of the Vampires. And I think we'd asked 268 00:15:25,240 --> 00:15:27,800 Speaker 1: the question, well, what are some of the best planets 269 00:15:27,840 --> 00:15:32,000 Speaker 1: surface sets ever to be featured in a science fiction film? 270 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:35,640 Speaker 1: So James writes in and says, Hi, guys, I'm going 271 00:15:35,680 --> 00:15:39,000 Speaker 1: to redefine best here to best at being a set. 272 00:15:39,520 --> 00:15:42,800 Speaker 1: I nominate the generic cave set from Deep Space nine, 273 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:45,880 Speaker 1: referring to Star Trek The Space nine. Uh. The set 274 00:15:45,920 --> 00:15:48,720 Speaker 1: itself is okay. It's a decent job of fiberglass and 275 00:15:48,800 --> 00:15:53,000 Speaker 1: stucco for a weekly spinoff show. What it lacks in glamour, 276 00:15:53,080 --> 00:15:56,280 Speaker 1: it makes up in persistence. It is the hardest working 277 00:15:56,360 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 1: cave in show business. Every Deep Space nine episode involving 278 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:04,480 Speaker 1: anything remotely underground uses that same set. They change the 279 00:16:04,560 --> 00:16:07,520 Speaker 1: lighting of what they scatter on the floor, and the 280 00:16:07,600 --> 00:16:09,800 Speaker 1: camera angles, but once you see it, you can't un 281 00:16:09,800 --> 00:16:12,920 Speaker 1: see it. I never noticed when watching the original show, 282 00:16:12,960 --> 00:16:17,240 Speaker 1: but when you can binge watch something you notice these things. 283 00:16:17,600 --> 00:16:20,160 Speaker 1: Most sci fi does this to some extent, but I 284 00:16:20,200 --> 00:16:23,920 Speaker 1: think that that set is in as many episodes as 285 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:26,400 Speaker 1: it isn't in. They do a really good job of 286 00:16:26,400 --> 00:16:28,760 Speaker 1: disguising it for the first few seasons, but by the 287 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:30,440 Speaker 1: end of the show they are just adding a few 288 00:16:30,480 --> 00:16:34,720 Speaker 1: alien knickknacks and some side lighting or something well, not spectacular. 289 00:16:34,760 --> 00:16:37,840 Speaker 1: If we rank it on cost per entertainment unit, this 290 00:16:37,960 --> 00:16:41,640 Speaker 1: has most sets beat. Possibly the only thing to beat 291 00:16:41,680 --> 00:16:45,240 Speaker 1: it in that department isn't a set but this thing. 292 00:16:45,640 --> 00:16:48,000 Speaker 1: Oh and then James links to a video that I 293 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:52,400 Speaker 1: went and watched that is a massive compilation of every 294 00:16:52,400 --> 00:16:54,880 Speaker 1: movie and TV show, including a lot of Star Trek 295 00:16:54,920 --> 00:16:58,600 Speaker 1: episodes that use this random sci fi set piece of 296 00:16:59,000 --> 00:17:02,160 Speaker 1: It's like these two metal housings with a tube in 297 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:05,119 Speaker 1: between them, and they seem to be shooting red lasers 298 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:08,080 Speaker 1: back and forth, but inside the tube. Oh wow, yes, 299 00:17:08,160 --> 00:17:09,560 Speaker 1: I'm I'm looking at this now. It shows up in 300 00:17:09,560 --> 00:17:13,480 Speaker 1: the Last Starfighter. Oh yeah, Dan o'herley, he and Monster 301 00:17:13,600 --> 00:17:16,480 Speaker 1: makeup going like, oh what are you doing? And then 302 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:18,720 Speaker 1: it's just that thing behind him. Yeah, it looks like 303 00:17:18,760 --> 00:17:21,600 Speaker 1: we had some incredible whole TV show in there. Oh 304 00:17:21,680 --> 00:17:25,320 Speaker 1: my goodness. Uh yeah, I've definitely seen this thing before, 305 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:27,680 Speaker 1: but I've never really put it together that it is 306 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:30,600 Speaker 1: showing up in other shows, including Star Trek the Next Generation. 307 00:17:30,880 --> 00:17:35,560 Speaker 1: It's crucial to defeating Zoo in the Code and Armada. Well, 308 00:17:35,680 --> 00:17:40,560 Speaker 1: speaking of Star Trek TV series planet surface sets again, 309 00:17:40,640 --> 00:17:43,160 Speaker 1: I don't want to be unkind because I know a lot. 310 00:17:43,240 --> 00:17:46,480 Speaker 1: I know everybody loves uh Star Trek the Next Generation, 311 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:48,840 Speaker 1: and I know I would probably love it too if 312 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:51,159 Speaker 1: I made it far enough in the series. But I, 313 00:17:51,600 --> 00:17:54,679 Speaker 1: as I've admitted on the show multiple times before, I 314 00:17:54,720 --> 00:17:57,600 Speaker 1: sort of like tried the first season and couldn't really 315 00:17:57,600 --> 00:18:00,520 Speaker 1: get further than that. Uh. And one of the things 316 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:03,200 Speaker 1: that I found most hilarious about it was the planet 317 00:18:03,240 --> 00:18:05,840 Speaker 1: surface sets, many of which to me appeared to be 318 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:10,840 Speaker 1: like what looked like a nineteen eighties like family portrait 319 00:18:10,920 --> 00:18:14,200 Speaker 1: photos studio full of potted plants and just shooting people 320 00:18:14,240 --> 00:18:18,720 Speaker 1: from the knees up so you don't see the pots. Yeah. Yeah, um, 321 00:18:19,119 --> 00:18:21,520 Speaker 1: I don't remember the earlier the first season that much. 322 00:18:21,560 --> 00:18:23,440 Speaker 1: The main thing I remember about the first season from 323 00:18:23,600 --> 00:18:25,359 Speaker 1: back when I was watching all these in junior and 324 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:29,640 Speaker 1: I is that the the the the the uniforms look 325 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:32,280 Speaker 1: a lot rougher that first season. There seemed to be 326 00:18:32,320 --> 00:18:35,680 Speaker 1: some huge advancements that were made in subsequence of seasons 327 00:18:35,680 --> 00:18:41,080 Speaker 1: regarding just how um authentic the costumes look like. They 328 00:18:41,119 --> 00:18:44,120 Speaker 1: looked like the actors were maybe more comfortable in them, 329 00:18:44,320 --> 00:18:46,840 Speaker 1: though I've also read that the the the actors were 330 00:18:46,840 --> 00:18:51,560 Speaker 1: just sort of uniform universally uncomfortable in those outfits for 331 00:18:51,640 --> 00:18:54,440 Speaker 1: like the whole run of the series. So I don't know. Yeah, 332 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:56,240 Speaker 1: but it comes back to something we've talked about before 333 00:18:56,280 --> 00:18:58,120 Speaker 1: in the show. In your science fiction, if you've got 334 00:18:58,119 --> 00:19:02,240 Speaker 1: a good looking jumpsuit, done matter, I guess how comfortable 335 00:19:02,280 --> 00:19:04,480 Speaker 1: it is. But if it looks good, a good jumpsuit, 336 00:19:04,600 --> 00:19:08,120 Speaker 1: a good uniform will go a long ways towards creating 337 00:19:08,560 --> 00:19:12,359 Speaker 1: this feeling of some some future society. Oh yeah, there's 338 00:19:12,400 --> 00:19:15,640 Speaker 1: there's Planet of the Vampires right there. Those those uniforms 339 00:19:15,720 --> 00:19:20,560 Speaker 1: that Planet of the Vampires look uh, agreedient like they 340 00:19:20,720 --> 00:19:23,760 Speaker 1: they do not breathe. Those cur members are just cooking 341 00:19:23,800 --> 00:19:26,960 Speaker 1: in their own juices. Now, that is a cast that 342 00:19:27,359 --> 00:19:30,480 Speaker 1: had a lot of very attractive people in it, But 343 00:19:31,359 --> 00:19:33,160 Speaker 1: so this may explain it. But another thing I would 344 00:19:33,160 --> 00:19:37,359 Speaker 1: say is that nobody looks like severely awkward in those uniforms, 345 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:39,479 Speaker 1: and that is that is sometimes the case with your 346 00:19:39,520 --> 00:19:42,920 Speaker 1: sci fi uniforms. Uh. And I come back to Santa 347 00:19:42,960 --> 00:19:45,760 Speaker 1: Claus conquers the Martians in this The Martians had these outfits, 348 00:19:45,760 --> 00:19:48,320 Speaker 1: and some of the actors fill those outfits out enough, 349 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:51,640 Speaker 1: some look a little bit awkward in them. So that's 350 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:54,520 Speaker 1: always uh something as well, especially when you're dealing with 351 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:58,520 Speaker 1: alien outfits that are basically leotard's or some other kind 352 00:19:58,560 --> 00:20:01,960 Speaker 1: of you know, awkward costume that's going to ultimately make 353 00:20:02,040 --> 00:20:05,040 Speaker 1: all but the fittest of of of people on the 354 00:20:05,080 --> 00:20:07,600 Speaker 1: cast look a little silly. And then sometimes they're really 355 00:20:07,600 --> 00:20:10,159 Speaker 1: fit acts look ridiculous in them too, So you know, 356 00:20:10,720 --> 00:20:13,480 Speaker 1: nobody has ever looked awkward in a Star Trek episode. 357 00:20:13,840 --> 00:20:15,760 Speaker 1: Oh and by the way, all the all the Trekkies 358 00:20:15,800 --> 00:20:19,160 Speaker 1: who are you're now composing lists of the best Next 359 00:20:19,200 --> 00:20:22,160 Speaker 1: Generation episodes to send me? This has happened before, when 360 00:20:22,160 --> 00:20:24,200 Speaker 1: I've admitted this on the show before that I didn't 361 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:26,239 Speaker 1: make it past the first season. I know, I know 362 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:28,800 Speaker 1: there's good next Generation stuff. I'm not denying that. I 363 00:20:28,840 --> 00:20:31,520 Speaker 1: just haven't made it to it yet. So don't worry 364 00:20:31,600 --> 00:20:40,480 Speaker 1: I'm not I'm not slagging your favorite. Alright, looks like 365 00:20:40,520 --> 00:20:42,560 Speaker 1: we have one more Planet of the Vampires email you 366 00:20:42,560 --> 00:20:44,560 Speaker 1: want to get this one? Joe? Oh sure, this is 367 00:20:44,600 --> 00:20:48,119 Speaker 1: from Jim, not Jim in New Jersey. Different Jim, this 368 00:20:48,200 --> 00:20:51,760 Speaker 1: is a This is a two gym party today, Jim says, Hey, guys, 369 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:54,879 Speaker 1: I watched Planet of the Vampires over the weekend, fun 370 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:57,480 Speaker 1: weird house film. As always, I was struck in the 371 00:20:57,480 --> 00:21:00,479 Speaker 1: beginning of the film how much the planet they ended on, 372 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:04,679 Speaker 1: Aura looked like Neptune in nineteen sixty five. We hadn't 373 00:21:04,720 --> 00:21:07,280 Speaker 1: had fly by's yet to see what the outer planets 374 00:21:07,280 --> 00:21:09,520 Speaker 1: looked like. It would make more sense at the end 375 00:21:09,560 --> 00:21:11,600 Speaker 1: of the movie when they decided to come to Earth 376 00:21:11,840 --> 00:21:14,720 Speaker 1: if they were already in our Solar system their only 377 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:18,520 Speaker 1: problem Colon. Without the meteor rejector, they might have a 378 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:21,280 Speaker 1: rough time getting past the asteroid belt. Keep up the 379 00:21:21,280 --> 00:21:25,200 Speaker 1: great work, and thanks for all the great weird movies, Jim. Oh, 380 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:28,080 Speaker 1: thank you Jim. And that's a question I do not 381 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:30,280 Speaker 1: know the answer to. What is the what is the 382 00:21:30,320 --> 00:21:33,880 Speaker 1: actual chance of of running into a sizeable enough rock 383 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:37,040 Speaker 1: to have a problem. Uh, if you're flying a spaceship, 384 00:21:37,080 --> 00:21:39,480 Speaker 1: around in our Solar system, past past the orbit of 385 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:41,800 Speaker 1: mars Um. You know this has come up on the 386 00:21:41,840 --> 00:21:45,080 Speaker 1: show before, hasn't it discussing the distance between these objects 387 00:21:45,080 --> 00:21:48,280 Speaker 1: that that in many cases, like we we're dealing with 388 00:21:48,280 --> 00:21:53,520 Speaker 1: with rather large distances. So yeah, I don't know that, 389 00:21:52,600 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 1: uh that that our aliens here would have been in 390 00:21:55,800 --> 00:21:58,520 Speaker 1: tremendous risk. Though then again, I guess it would depend 391 00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:00,680 Speaker 1: partially on how fast you're going, because if you're going 392 00:22:00,760 --> 00:22:03,920 Speaker 1: really fast and you run into something even very tiny, 393 00:22:04,600 --> 00:22:08,120 Speaker 1: that could cause major damage, right right, Yeah, I guess 394 00:22:08,119 --> 00:22:11,359 Speaker 1: speed is a fact. Like it it's we're probably reading 395 00:22:11,359 --> 00:22:15,000 Speaker 1: too much into it, but I guess the meteor ejector 396 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:17,119 Speaker 1: it makes it seem like maybe this is so that 397 00:22:17,200 --> 00:22:22,680 Speaker 1: the the vehicle can travel at a speed uh sufficient 398 00:22:22,800 --> 00:22:26,359 Speaker 1: enough to make just about anything it might run into lethal. 399 00:22:26,920 --> 00:22:29,280 Speaker 1: So um, I don't know, I'm not sure where I 400 00:22:29,320 --> 00:22:32,040 Speaker 1: follow on this question. Yeah, the argus and the galley, 401 00:22:32,200 --> 00:22:34,760 Speaker 1: like they run into a paint chip or a little 402 00:22:34,800 --> 00:22:38,520 Speaker 1: speck of dust and it's a nuclear explosion. Yeah, So 403 00:22:38,560 --> 00:22:40,200 Speaker 1: I don't know, I have to think about this could 404 00:22:40,240 --> 00:22:42,280 Speaker 1: go either way on it, And then again, we've sent 405 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:46,360 Speaker 1: plenty of unscrewed probes past the orbit of Mars. We've 406 00:22:46,400 --> 00:22:50,280 Speaker 1: sent them through the asteroid belt, and I don't know 407 00:22:50,359 --> 00:22:53,960 Speaker 1: of any occasions where this has been a major problem, 408 00:22:53,960 --> 00:22:58,480 Speaker 1: So yeah, who knows what if the meteor ejector isn't 409 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:01,760 Speaker 1: really reject or sorry, it isn't really technology, but it's 410 00:23:01,800 --> 00:23:04,720 Speaker 1: just pure superstition. It's kind of like, uh, you know, 411 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:06,560 Speaker 1: they're being like a special piece of metal that all 412 00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:09,400 Speaker 1: the sailors on a ship have to touch that protects 413 00:23:09,440 --> 00:23:12,720 Speaker 1: them from evil omens and so forth there, like like 414 00:23:12,800 --> 00:23:16,800 Speaker 1: what's in that plastic binocular set is actually like a 415 00:23:16,880 --> 00:23:20,240 Speaker 1: pickled crows foot that a witch has put a blessing 416 00:23:20,320 --> 00:23:23,159 Speaker 1: on for them. Yeah. Yeah, we don't know a lot 417 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:27,040 Speaker 1: about how their culture operates, so it's possible as well. Okay, 418 00:23:27,080 --> 00:23:28,600 Speaker 1: I think that does it for this one. All Right, 419 00:23:28,600 --> 00:23:30,040 Speaker 1: we're gonna go and close it out then, but we'll 420 00:23:30,080 --> 00:23:31,800 Speaker 1: be back with more listener Mail in the future, so 421 00:23:31,920 --> 00:23:36,000 Speaker 1: keep it coming. Responses to today's episode of Listener Mail, 422 00:23:36,720 --> 00:23:39,200 Speaker 1: responses to past episodes of Stuff to Blow Your Mind 423 00:23:39,200 --> 00:23:41,959 Speaker 1: in Weird How Cinema, as well as recommendations for future 424 00:23:42,000 --> 00:23:44,959 Speaker 1: episodes of both Huge Thanks as always to our excellent 425 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:48,280 Speaker 1: audio producer Seth Nicholas Johnson. If you would like to 426 00:23:48,320 --> 00:23:50,760 Speaker 1: get in touch with us with feedback on this episode 427 00:23:50,840 --> 00:23:52,840 Speaker 1: or any other, to suggest a topic for the future, 428 00:23:52,880 --> 00:23:54,800 Speaker 1: or just to say hello, you can email us at 429 00:23:54,920 --> 00:24:05,280 Speaker 1: contact at stuff to Blow your Mind dot com. Stuff 430 00:24:05,320 --> 00:24:07,520 Speaker 1: to Blow Your Mind is a production of I Heart Radio. 431 00:24:07,880 --> 00:24:10,000 Speaker 1: For more podcasts for my heart Radio, visit the i 432 00:24:10,040 --> 00:24:12,840 Speaker 1: heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to 433 00:24:12,880 --> 00:24:13,719 Speaker 1: your favorite shows.