For this final episode of the Futility Closet podcast we have eight new lateral thinking puzzles — play along with us as we try to untangle some perplexing situations using yes-or-no questions. Intro: Sears used to sell houses by mail. Many of Lewis Carroll's characters were suggested by fireplace tiles in his Oxford study. The sources for this week's puzzles are below. In some cases we've included links to further information -- these contain spoilers, so don't click until you've listened to the episode: Puzzle #1 is from Greg. Here are two links. Puzzle #2 is from listener Diccon Hyatt, who sent this link. Puzzle #3 is from listener Derek Christie, who sent this link. Puzzle #4 is from listener Reuben van Selm. Puzzle #5 is from listener Andy Brice. Puzzle #6 is from listener Anne Joroch, who sent  this link. Puzzle #7 is from listener Steve Carter and his wife, Ami, inspired by an item in Jim Steinmeyer's 2006 book The Glorious Deception. Puzzle #8 is from Agnes Rogers' 1953 book How Come? A Book of Riddles, sent to us by listener Jon Jerome. You can listen using the player above,  download this episode directly, or subscribe on  Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Many thanks to Doug Ross for providing the music for this whole ridiculous enterprise, and for being my brother. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

For this final episode of the Futility Closet podcast we have eight new lateral thinking puzzles — play along with us as we try to untangle some perplexing situations using yes-or-no questions. Intro: <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2011/09/26/home-made/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sears used to sell houses by mail.</a> Many of Lewis Carroll's characters were suggested by <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2011/09/27/sparks/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fireplace tiles in his Oxford study</a>. The sources for this week's puzzles are below. In some cases we've included links to further information -- these contain spoilers, so don't click until you've listened to the episode: Puzzle #1 is from Greg. Here are <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vitaly_Borker" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">two</a> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/28/business/28borker.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">links</a>. Puzzle #2 is from listener Diccon Hyatt, who sent <a href="https://www.bosshunting.com.au/motors/kimi-raikkonen-lotus/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this link</a>. Puzzle #3 is from listener Derek Christie, who sent <a href="http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/s8109.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this link</a>. Puzzle #4 is from listener Reuben van Selm. Puzzle #5 is from listener Andy Brice. Puzzle #6 is from listener Anne Joroch, who sent <a href="https://withberlinlove.com/2018/08/06/klein-glienicke-east-german-enclave/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> this link</a>. Puzzle #7 is from listener Steve Carter and his wife, Ami, inspired by an item in Jim Steinmeyer's 2006 book The Glorious Deception. Puzzle #8 is from Agnes Rogers' 1953 book How Come? A Book of Riddles, sent to us by listener Jon Jerome. You can listen using the player above, <a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_365.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe on <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mdXRpbGl0eWNsb3NldC5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Google Podcasts</a>, on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, or via the RSS feed at <a href="https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss</a>. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for providing the music for this whole ridiculous enterprise, and for being my brother. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

365-Lateral Thinking Puzzles

One of the most remarkable pilots of World War II never fired a shot or dropped a bomb. With his pioneering aerial reconnaissance, Sidney Cotton made a vital contribution to Allied planning. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe his daring adventures in the war's early months. We'll also revisit our very first story and puzzle over an unknown Olympian. Intro: Hall's Law holds that a group's social class is reflected in its members' initials. In 1814 Richard Porson wrote a sonnet to nothing. Sources for our feature on Sidney Cotton: Michael Smith, The Secret Agent's Bedside Reader: A Compendium of Spy Writing, 2019. Chaz Bowyer, Air War Over Europe: 1939-1945, 2003. David Marshall and Bruce Harris, Wild About Flying!: Dreamers, Doers, and Daredevils, 2003. "Spies in the Sky: The Secret Battle for Aerial Intelligence During World War II," Contemporary Review 294:1705 (June 2012), 249. Taylor Downing, "Spying From the Sky," History Today 61:11 (November 2011), 10-16. "Sidney's Sky Spies," Air Classics 37:12 (December 2001), 30. Walter J. Boyne, "Reconnaissance on the Wing," Air Force Magazine 82 (1999), 72-78. "Parkes Display Plane's Remarkable Career," Parkes [N.S.W.] Champion Post, Nov. 1, 2015. Jessica Howard, "Daughter Tells of Spy Who Loved Her," [Hobart Town, Tas.] Mercury, July 27, 2013. "007 Cotton Inspires Bond," Gold Coast Bulletin, Sept. 27, 2008. "Aussie Maverick Who Fooled Nazis," [Surry Hills, N.S.W.] Daily Telegraph, Nov. 9, 2002. Christopher Bantick, "Aussie Spy in the Sky," [Hobart Town, Tas.] Mercury, Nov. 2, 2002. Stephen Holt, "Oh, What a Lovely War," [Brisbane, Qld.] Courier-Mail, Oct. 19, 2002. David Morris, "The Real Bond - Revealed: 007 Was Actually a Queenslander," [Brisbane, Qld.] Sunday Mail, July 15, 2001. David Wroe, "The Original Spy in the Sky," [Melbourne] Age, June 8, 2000. "He Fought the R.A.F. as Well as the Enemy," Sydney Morning Herald, April 12, 1969. "The Cheeky Missions of a Young Spy-Flier Helped to Save Thousands of Allied Lives," Sydney Morning Herald, Feb. 9, 1969. "May Be the Wreckage of French Airplane," Morristown [Tenn.] Gazette Mail, July 15, 1927.  "Search for Lost Men Is to Be Discussed," New Britain [Ct.] Herald, July 14, 1927.  "Plans Search By Air For Nungesser, Coli," New York Times, May 26, 1927.  "Was Proserpine's Sidney Cotton the Real James Bond?" Breakfast, ABC, Sept. 19, 2021.  "Guide to the Papers of Frederick Sidney Cotton," Australian War Memorial (accessed Nov. 1, 2021). John McCarthy, "Cotton, Frederick Sidney (1894–1969)," Australian Dictionary of Biography, 1993. Listener mail: Norman Fraser,  "Sad Ending to Beautiful Betsy Wartime Mystery," [Brisbane] Courier-Mail, March 18, 2015.  "Beautiful Betsy," Monument Australia (accessed Nov. 13, 2021).  "Monto-Historical and Cultural," North Burnett, Queensland (accessed Nov. 14, 2021). "Cylinder, Iowa," Wikipedia (accessed Nov. 18, 2021). "The Skeleton in the Bale," Atlanta Constitution, Oct. 2, 1892. (Greg's blog piece is  here.) This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener S Wan. Here's a  corroborating link (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above,  download this episode directly, or subscribe on  Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

One of the most remarkable pilots of World War II never fired a shot or dropped a bomb. With his pioneering aerial reconnaissance, Sidney Cotton made a vital contribution to Allied planning. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe his daring adventures in the war's early months. We'll also revisit our very first story and puzzle over an unknown Olympian. Intro: Hall's Law holds that a group's social class is reflected in <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2011/10/20/overstuffed-monograms/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">its members' initials</a>. In 1814 Richard Porson wrote <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2011/10/15/sonnet-to-nothing/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a sonnet to nothing</a>. Sources for our feature on Sidney Cotton: Michael Smith, The Secret Agent's Bedside Reader: A Compendium of Spy Writing, 2019. Chaz Bowyer, Air War Over Europe: 1939-1945, 2003. David Marshall and Bruce Harris, Wild About Flying!: Dreamers, Doers, and Daredevils, 2003. "Spies in the Sky: The Secret Battle for Aerial Intelligence During World War II," Contemporary Review 294:1705 (June 2012), 249. Taylor Downing, "Spying From the Sky," History Today 61:11 (November 2011), 10-16. "Sidney's Sky Spies," Air Classics 37:12 (December 2001), 30. Walter J. Boyne, "Reconnaissance on the Wing," Air Force Magazine 82 (1999), 72-78. "Parkes Display Plane's Remarkable Career," Parkes [N.S.W.] Champion Post, Nov. 1, 2015. Jessica Howard, "Daughter Tells of Spy Who Loved Her," [Hobart Town, Tas.] Mercury, July 27, 2013. "007 Cotton Inspires Bond," Gold Coast Bulletin, Sept. 27, 2008. "Aussie Maverick Who Fooled Nazis," [Surry Hills, N.S.W.] Daily Telegraph, Nov. 9, 2002. Christopher Bantick, "Aussie Spy in the Sky," [Hobart Town, Tas.] Mercury, Nov. 2, 2002. Stephen Holt, "Oh, What a Lovely War," [Brisbane, Qld.] Courier-Mail, Oct. 19, 2002. David Morris, "The Real Bond - Revealed: 007 Was Actually a Queenslander," [Brisbane, Qld.] Sunday Mail, July 15, 2001. David Wroe, "The Original Spy in the Sky," [Melbourne] Age, June 8, 2000. "He Fought the R.A.F. as Well as the Enemy," Sydney Morning Herald, April 12, 1969. "The Cheeky Missions of a Young Spy-Flier Helped to Save Thousands of Allied Lives," Sydney Morning Herald, Feb. 9, 1969. "May Be the Wreckage of French Airplane," Morristown [Tenn.] Gazette Mail, July 15, 1927. <a href="https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82014519/1927-07-14/ed-1/seq-3/#date1=1777&amp;index=12&amp;rows=20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Search for Lost Men Is to Be Discussed,"</a> New Britain [Ct.] Herald, July 14, 1927. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1927/05/26/archives/plans-search-by-air-for-nungesser-coli-sidney-cotton-experienced.html?searchResultPosition=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Plans Search By Air For Nungesser, Coli,"</a> New York Times, May 26, 1927. <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/radio/tropic/programs/breakfast/how-proserpine-pilot-sidney-cotton-inspired-james-bond-character/13561072" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Was Proserpine's Sidney Cotton the Real James Bond?"</a> Breakfast, ABC, Sept. 19, 2021. <a href="https://www.awm.gov.au/collection/accessing-records-at-the-memorial/findingaids/private/cotton" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Guide to the Papers of Frederick Sidney Cotton,"</a> Australian War Memorial (accessed Nov. 1, 2021). John McCarthy, <a href="https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/cotton-frederick-sidney-9834" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Cotton, Frederick Sidney (1894–1969),"</a> Australian Dictionary of Biography, 1993. Listener mail: Norman Fraser, <a href="https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/gladstone/sad-ending-to-beautiful-betsy-wartime-mystery/news-story/72bb6c250a03e6c56491dfd5cd1c1e33" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Sad Ending to Beautiful Betsy Wartime Mystery,"</a> [Brisbane] Courier-Mail, March 18, 2015. <a href="https://monumentaustralia.org.au/themes/conflict/ww2/display/111010-beautiful-betsy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Beautiful Betsy,"</a> Monument Australia (accessed Nov. 13, 2021). <a href="https://www.northburnett.org/destinations/monto-historical-and-cultural" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Monto-Historical and Cultural,"</a> North Burnett, Queensland (accessed Nov. 14, 2021). <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cylinder,_Iowa?oldformat=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Cylinder, Iowa,"</a> Wikipedia (accessed Nov. 18, 2021). "The Skeleton in the Bale," Atlanta Constitution, Oct. 2, 1892. (Greg's blog piece is <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2014/03/09/the-skeleton-in-the-bale/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> here</a>.) This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener S Wan. Here's a <a href="https://www.si.com/olympics/2021/08/05/youngest-medalists-olympics-1900-mystery-french-coxwain" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> corroborating link</a> (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, <a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_364.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe on <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mdXRpbGl0eWNsb3NldC5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Google Podcasts</a>, on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, or via the RSS feed at <a href="https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss</a>. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

364-Sidney Cotton's Aerial Reconnaissance

In 1891, a mysterious figure appeared on the streets of London, dispensing pills to poor young women who then died in agony. Suspicion came to center on a Scottish-Canadian doctor with a dark past in North America. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the career of the Lambeth Poisoner, whose victims remain uncounted. We'll also consider a Hungarian Jules Verne and puzzle over an ambiguous sentence. Intro:  How can an investor responsibly divest herself of stock in a company that she feels has acted immorally? Lightning can vitrify sand into rootlike tubes. Sources for our feature on Thomas Neill Cream: Dean Jobb, The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream: The Hunt for a Victorian Era Serial Killer, 2021. Lee Mellor, Cold North Killers: Canadian Serial Murder, 2012. Joshua A. Perper and Stephen J. Cina, When Doctors Kill: Who, Why, and How, 2010. John H. Trestrail III, Criminal Poisoning: Investigational Guide for Law Enforcement, Toxicologists, Forensic Scientists, and Attorneys, 2007. Angus McLaren, A Prescription for Murder: The Victorian Serial Killings of Dr. Thomas Neill Cream, 1995. Paula J. Reiter, "Doctors, Detectives, and the Professional Ideal: The Trial of Thomas Neill Cream and the Mastery of Sherlock Holmes," College Literature 35:3 (Summer 2008), 57-95. Ian A. Burney, "A Poisoning of No Substance: The Trials of Medico-Legal Proof in Mid-Victorian England," Journal of British Studies 38:1 (January 1999), 59-92. Penelope Johnston, "The Murderous Ways of Dr Thomas Neill Cream," Medical Post 33:38 (Nov. 11, 1997), 47. Carolyn A. Conley, "A Prescription for Murder: The Victorian Serial Killings of Dr. Thomas Neill Cream by Angus McLaren," American Historical Review 99:3 (June 1994), 899-900. Philippa Levin, "Modern Britain -- A Prescription for Murder: The Victorian Serial Killings of Dr. Thomas Neill Cream by Angus McLaren," Canadian Journal of History 28:3 (December 1993), 595-597. E.H. Bensley,  "McGill University's Most Infamous Medical Graduate," Canadian Medical Association Journal 109:10 (1973), 1024. "A Crazy Poisoner," British Medical Journal 1:3302 (April 12, 1924), 670. Michael Dirda,  "A True-Crime Columnist Turns His Attention to Victorian-Era Serial Killer Thomas Neill Cream," Washington Post, Aug. 11, 2021. Evan F. Moore,  "New Book Details Canadian Serial Killer’s Murderous Legacy in Chicago and Beyond," Chicago Sun-Times, Aug. 10, 2021. Rick Kogan,  "Story of Serial Killer Dr. Thomas Neill Cream Takes You on a Grand, Gruesome, Historical Journey, With His Time in Chicago," Chicago Tribune, July 22, 2021. W.M. Akers,  "Getting Away With Murder, Literally," New York Times, July 13, 2021. "When Canada's 'Jack the Ripper' Serial Killer Struck in Ontario," Toronto Star, May 29, 2021. Marc Horne, "Doctor Who Had a Taste for Poison," Scotland on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008. Jill Foran, "The Evil Deeds of Dr. Cream," The [Winnipeg] Beaver 86:4 (August/September 2006), 16-22. "Coincidences Point the Finger at Cream as the Ripper," [Regina, Saskatchewan] Leader-Post, May 5, 1979. "The Violent and Sadistic Dr. Cream," [Regina, Saskatchewan] Leader-Post, April 28, 1979. "Poisoner Trailed Over Three Countries," Knoxville [Tenn.] Journal, Feb. 2, 1947. Ruth Reynolds, "When Justice Triumphed," [New York] Daily News, Feb. 2, 1947.  "His Last Letter," Waterloo [N.Y.] Advertiser, Dec. 9, 1892.  "Cream's Joke," Arizona Republican, Nov. 30, 1892. "Execution of Neill," [Cardiff] Western Mail, Nov. 16, 1892.  "Cream's Two Manias," Waterbury [Conn.] Evening Democrat, Nov. 16, 1892. "Execution of Neill, the Poisoner," Yorkshire Herald and the York Herald, Nov. 16, 1892.  "A Demon Strangled," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Nov. 15, 1892. "Cream's Many Crimes," Boston Globe, Nov. 15, 1892.  "Neill Cream Hanged," [Wilmington, Del.] Evening Journal, Nov. 15, 1892.  "Neill Will Hang," [Brockway Centre, Mich.] Weekly Expositor, Oct. 28, 1892.  "Neill Cream On Trial," [Wilmington, Del.] Evening Journal, Oct. 17, 1892.  "On the Grave's Brink," [Wilmington, Del.] Evening Journal, Aug. 9, 1892. "The South London Poisoning Cases," Berrow's Worcester Journal, July 2, 1892. "The Mysterious Poisoning of Girls," Reynolds's Newspaper, June 26, 1892. "Lambeth Poisoning Cases," Daily News, June 25, 1892. "Poisoning Mysteries," Lloyd's Illustrated Newspaper, June 19, 1892. Edward Butts, "Thomas Neill Cream," Canadian Encyclopedia, 2019. Listener mail: "Visit Norfolk Area Nebraska" (accessed Nov. 6, 2021). "Norfolk, Nebraska, United States," Encyclopaedia Britannica (accessed Nov. 6, 2021). City of Norfolk, Nebraska (accessed Nov. 6, 2021). Aaron Calvin,  "17 Words Only a True Iowan Knows How to Pronounce," Des Moines Register, Sept. 16, 2021. "How to Pronounce Vaillant," Forvo (accessed Nov. 4, 2021). This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Peter Quinn. You can listen using the player above,  download this episode directly, or subscribe on  Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

In 1891, a mysterious figure appeared on the streets of London, dispensing pills to poor young women who then died in agony. Suspicion came to center on a Scottish-Canadian doctor with a dark past in North America. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the career of the Lambeth Poisoner, whose victims remain uncounted. We'll also consider a Hungarian Jules Verne and puzzle over an ambiguous sentence. Intro: <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2011/10/19/the-divestiture-puzzle/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> How can an investor responsibly divest herself of stock in a company that she feels has acted immorally?</a> <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2011/10/28/frozen-fire/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lightning can vitrify sand into rootlike tubes.</a> Sources for our feature on Thomas Neill Cream: Dean Jobb, The Case of the Murderous Dr. Cream: The Hunt for a Victorian Era Serial Killer, 2021. Lee Mellor, Cold North Killers: Canadian Serial Murder, 2012. Joshua A. Perper and Stephen J. Cina, When Doctors Kill: Who, Why, and How, 2010. John H. Trestrail III, Criminal Poisoning: Investigational Guide for Law Enforcement, Toxicologists, Forensic Scientists, and Attorneys, 2007. Angus McLaren, A Prescription for Murder: The Victorian Serial Killings of Dr. Thomas Neill Cream, 1995. Paula J. Reiter, "Doctors, Detectives, and the Professional Ideal: The Trial of Thomas Neill Cream and the Mastery of Sherlock Holmes," College Literature 35:3 (Summer 2008), 57-95. Ian A. Burney, "A Poisoning of No Substance: The Trials of Medico-Legal Proof in Mid-Victorian England," Journal of British Studies 38:1 (January 1999), 59-92. Penelope Johnston, "The Murderous Ways of Dr Thomas Neill Cream," Medical Post 33:38 (Nov. 11, 1997), 47. Carolyn A. Conley, "A Prescription for Murder: The Victorian Serial Killings of Dr. Thomas Neill Cream by Angus McLaren," American Historical Review 99:3 (June 1994), 899-900. Philippa Levin, "Modern Britain -- A Prescription for Murder: The Victorian Serial Killings of Dr. Thomas Neill Cream by Angus McLaren," Canadian Journal of History 28:3 (December 1993), 595-597. E.H. Bensley, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1947014/pdf/canmedaj01570-0073.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "McGill University's Most Infamous Medical Graduate,"</a> Canadian Medical Association Journal 109:10 (1973), 1024. "A Crazy Poisoner," British Medical Journal 1:3302 (April 12, 1924), 670. Michael Dirda, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/true-crime-case-of-murderous-dr-cream-review/2021/08/11/1fd00dc0-f93d-11eb-8a67-f14cd1d28e47_story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "A True-Crime Columnist Turns His Attention to Victorian-Era Serial Killer Thomas Neill Cream,"</a> Washington Post, Aug. 11, 2021. Evan F. Moore, <a href="https://chicago.suntimes.com/2021/8/10/22617390/serial-killer-thomas-neill-cream-dean-jobb-jack-ripper-true-crime" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "New Book Details Canadian Serial Killer’s Murderous Legacy in Chicago and Beyond,"</a> Chicago Sun-Times, Aug. 10, 2021. Rick Kogan, <a href="https://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/books/ct-ent-murderous-dr-cream-book-kogan-20210722-q7tgzybw45hpnm2zebtkzibsca-story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Story of Serial Killer Dr. Thomas Neill Cream Takes You on a Grand, Gruesome, Historical Journey, With His Time in Chicago,"</a> Chicago Tribune, July 22, 2021. W.M. Akers, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/13/books/review/the-case-of-the-murderous-dr-cream-dean-jobb.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Getting Away With Murder, Literally,"</a> New York Times, July 13, 2021. "When Canada's 'Jack the Ripper' Serial Killer Struck in Ontario," Toronto Star, May 29, 2021. Marc Horne, "Doctor Who Had a Taste for Poison," Scotland on Sunday, Oct. 5, 2008. Jill Foran, "The Evil Deeds of Dr. Cream," The [Winnipeg] Beaver 86:4 (August/September 2006), 16-22. "Coincidences Point the Finger at Cream as the Ripper," [Regina, Saskatchewan] Leader-Post, May 5, 1979. "The Violent and Sadistic Dr. Cream," [Regina, Saskatchewan] Leader-Post, April 28, 1979. "Poisoner Trailed Over Three Countries," Knoxville [Tenn.] Journal, Feb. 2, 1947. Ruth Reynolds, "When Justice Triumphed," [New York] Daily News, Feb. 2, 1947. <a href="https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=142&amp;dat=18921209&amp;id=WbdRAAAAIBAJ&amp;sjid=_mgDAAAAIBAJ&amp;pg=1354,2997943&amp;hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "His Last Letter,"</a> Waterloo [N.Y.] Advertiser, Dec. 9, 1892. <a href="https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84020558/1892-11-30/ed-1/seq-1/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Cream's Joke,"</a> Arizona Republican, Nov. 30, 1892. "Execution of Neill," [Cardiff] Western Mail, Nov. 16, 1892. <a href="https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn94053256/1892-11-16/ed-1/seq-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Cream's Two Manias,"</a> Waterbury [Conn.] Evening Democrat, Nov. 16, 1892. "Execution of Neill, the Poisoner," Yorkshire Herald and the York Herald, Nov. 16, 1892. <a href="https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045604/1892-11-15/ed-1/seq-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "A Demon Strangled,"</a> Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Nov. 15, 1892. "Cream's Many Crimes," Boston Globe, Nov. 15, 1892. <a href="https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042354/1892-11-15/ed-1/seq-1/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Neill Cream Hanged,"</a> [Wilmington, Del.] Evening Journal, Nov. 15, 1892. <a href="https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn2006060001/1892-10-28/ed-1/seq-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Neill Will Hang,"</a> [Brockway Centre, Mich.] Weekly Expositor, Oct. 28, 1892. <a href="https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042354/1892-10-17/ed-1/seq-1/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Neill Cream On Trial,"</a> [Wilmington, Del.] Evening Journal, Oct. 17, 1892. <a href="https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn85042354/1892-08-09/ed-1/seq-1/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "On the Grave's Brink,"</a> [Wilmington, Del.] Evening Journal, Aug. 9, 1892. "The South London Poisoning Cases," Berrow's Worcester Journal, July 2, 1892. "The Mysterious Poisoning of Girls," Reynolds's Newspaper, June 26, 1892. "Lambeth Poisoning Cases," Daily News, June 25, 1892. "Poisoning Mysteries," Lloyd's Illustrated Newspaper, June 19, 1892. Edward Butts, "Thomas Neill Cream," Canadian Encyclopedia, 2019. Listener mail: <a href="http://visitnorfolkne.com/home/about-norfolk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Visit Norfolk Area Nebraska"</a> (accessed Nov. 6, 2021). <a href="https://www.britannica.com/place/Norfolk-Nebraska" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Norfolk, Nebraska, United States,"</a> Encyclopaedia Britannica (accessed Nov. 6, 2021). <a href="https://norfolkne.gov/government/city-information/about-norfolk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">City of Norfolk, Nebraska</a> (accessed Nov. 6, 2021). Aaron Calvin, <a href="https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2019/07/09/how-to-pronounce-iowa-words-madrid-nevada-towns-places-pronunciation-des-moines-people-talk-language/1582440001/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "17 Words Only a True Iowan Knows How to Pronounce,"</a> Des Moines Register, Sept. 16, 2021. <a href="https://forvo.com/word/vaillant/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"How to Pronounce Vaillant,"</a> Forvo (accessed Nov. 4, 2021). This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Peter Quinn. You can listen using the player above, <a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_363.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe on <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mdXRpbGl0eWNsb3NldC5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Google Podcasts</a>, on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, or via the RSS feed at <a href="https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss</a>. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

363-The Lambeth Poisoner

In 1856, a mysterious man appeared on the roads of Connecticut and New York, dressed in leather, speaking to no one, and always on the move. He became famous for his circuits through the area, which he followed with remarkable regularity. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the Leatherman, whose real identity remains unknown. We'll also consider the orientation of churches and puzzle over some balky ponies. Intro: Western Poland contains a grove of 400 pine trees that appear to have been deliberately bent. In 1902 Montgomery Carmichael published the life story of an imaginary man. Image: The Leatherman, photographed on June 9, 1885, by James F. Rodgers at the Bradley Chidsey House, Branford, Ct. Sources for our feature: Dan W. DeLuca, ed., The Old Leather Man: Historical Accounts of a Connecticut and New York Legend, 2008. Robert Marchant, Westchester: History of an Iconic Suburb, 2018. Jim Reisler, Walk of Ages: Edward Payson Weston's Extraordinary 1909 Trek Across America, 2015. Kathleen L. Murray, Berlin, 2001. Clark Wissler, The Indians of Greater New York and the Lower Hudson, 1909. Dave Zucker, "Who Was Westchester’s Mysterious and Legendary Leatherman?" Westchester Magazine, March 24, 2021. Jon Campbell,  "Mystery Man: Will Anyone Ever Know the Real Story Behind the Leatherman?" Village Voice, June 16, 2015. Steven R. Cooper, "Clues to the Past," Central States Archaeological Journal 58:3 (July 2011), 162-163. "Legend in Leather," Hudson Valley Magazine, March 11, 2010. Jim Fitzgerald,  "Wanderer From 1800s Gets More Peaceful NY Grave," Associated Press, May 25, 2011. Dan Brechlin,  "Leather Man Body May Yield Clues," [Meriden, Ct.] Record Journal, Jan. 3, 2011. "Would Leatherman Be Welcome Today?" New Haven Register, June 6, 2011. Pam McLoughlin, "Mystery Man," New Haven Register, Feb. 13, 2011. "Walker's Unusual Legend Is Told," Hartford Courant, Sept. 12, 2005. Steve Grant, "Final Journey Made to Resting Place of Legendary Wanderer," Hartford Courant, July 18, 1993. Steve Grant, "On the Road, Retracing the Leatherman's Path," Hartford Courant, June 20, 1993. Frances Phipps,  "A Man Known by All, and by None," New York Times, Sept. 23, 1984. "The Leather Man," [Meriden, Ct.] Journal, July 19, 1886. "A Leather-Clad Hermit," Burlington [Vt.] Free Press, April 7, 1870.  "Search For Clues Only Deepens 'Leatherman' Mystery," Morning Edition, National Public Radio, May 26, 2011. "Leatherman," Perception, WTIC-TV, Feb. 14, 1965. Listener mail:  "Orientation of Churches," Wikipedia (accessed Oct. 10, 2021). Patrick Arneitz et al., "Orientation of Churches by Magnetic Compasses?" Geophysical Journal International 198:1 (2014), 1-7.  "Brazil Nuts," ORAU Museum of Radiation and Radioactivity (accessed Oct. 10, 2021). "Natural Radioactivity in Food," EPA (accessed Oct. 14, 2021). "Brazil Nut," Wikipedia (accessed Oct. 16, 2021). G.V. Damiano, Hadhuch-Anti Hell-War: Monarchy's Victory; Constitution's Triumph; Tribute's Annihilation, 1922. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener James Venning. Here's a corroborating link (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above,  download this episode directly, or subscribe on  Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

In 1856, a mysterious man appeared on the roads of Connecticut and New York, dressed in leather, speaking to no one, and always on the move. He became famous for his circuits through the area, which he followed with remarkable regularity. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the Leatherman, whose real identity remains unknown. We'll also consider the orientation of churches and puzzle over some balky ponies. Intro: Western Poland contains a grove of 400 pine trees that appear to have been <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2011/10/24/the-crooked-forest/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">deliberately bent</a>. In 1902 Montgomery Carmichael published <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2011/10/23/invisible-man/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the life story of an imaginary man</a>. Image: The Leatherman, photographed on June 9, 1885, by James F. Rodgers at the Bradley Chidsey House, Branford, Ct. Sources for our feature: Dan W. DeLuca, ed., The Old Leather Man: Historical Accounts of a Connecticut and New York Legend, 2008. Robert Marchant, Westchester: History of an Iconic Suburb, 2018. Jim Reisler, Walk of Ages: Edward Payson Weston's Extraordinary 1909 Trek Across America, 2015. Kathleen L. Murray, Berlin, 2001. Clark Wissler, The Indians of Greater New York and the Lower Hudson, 1909. Dave Zucker, <a href="https://westchestermagazine.com/life-style/history/leatherman/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Who Was Westchester’s Mysterious and Legendary Leatherman?"</a> Westchester Magazine, March 24, 2021. Jon Campbell, <a href="https://www.villagevoice.com/2015/06/16/mystery-man-will-anyone-ever-know-the-real-story-behind-the-leatherman/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Mystery Man: Will Anyone Ever Know the Real Story Behind the Leatherman?"</a> Village Voice, June 16, 2015. Steven R. Cooper, "Clues to the Past," Central States Archaeological Journal 58:3 (July 2011), 162-163. <a href="https://hvmag.com/life-style/history/legend-in-leather/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Legend in Leather,"</a> Hudson Valley Magazine, March 11, 2010. Jim Fitzgerald, <a href="http://archive.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2011/05/25/wanderer_from_1800s_gets_more_peaceful_ny_grave/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Wanderer From 1800s Gets More Peaceful NY Grave,"</a> Associated Press, May 25, 2011. Dan Brechlin, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20110209201735/http://www.myrecordjournal.com/state/article_b14f5790-17b4-11e0-8342-001cc4c002e0.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Leather Man Body May Yield Clues,"</a> [Meriden, Ct.] Record Journal, Jan. 3, 2011. "Would Leatherman Be Welcome Today?" New Haven Register, June 6, 2011. Pam McLoughlin, "Mystery Man," New Haven Register, Feb. 13, 2011. "Walker's Unusual Legend Is Told," Hartford Courant, Sept. 12, 2005. Steve Grant, "Final Journey Made to Resting Place of Legendary Wanderer," Hartford Courant, July 18, 1993. Steve Grant, "On the Road, Retracing the Leatherman's Path," Hartford Courant, June 20, 1993. Frances Phipps, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1984/09/23/nyregion/a-man-known-by-all-and-by-none.html?searchResultPosition=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "A Man Known by All, and by None,"</a> New York Times, Sept. 23, 1984. "The Leather Man," [Meriden, Ct.] Journal, July 19, 1886. "A Leather-Clad Hermit," Burlington [Vt.] Free Press, April 7, 1870. <a href="https://www.npr.org/2011/05/26/136649653/leatherman-remains-a-mystery-even-in-death" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Search For Clues Only Deepens 'Leatherman' Mystery,"</a> Morning Edition, National Public Radio, May 26, 2011. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xuDuCJJ0SA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Leatherman,"</a> Perception, WTIC-TV, Feb. 14, 1965. Listener mail: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orientation_of_churches?oldformat=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Orientation of Churches,"</a> Wikipedia (accessed Oct. 10, 2021). Patrick Arneitz et al., <a href="https://academic.oup.com/gji/article/198/1/1/603576" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Orientation of Churches by Magnetic Compasses?"</a> Geophysical Journal International 198:1 (2014), 1-7. <a href="https://www.orau.org/health-physics-museum/collection/consumer/food/brazil-nuts.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Brazil Nuts,"</a> ORAU Museum of Radiation and Radioactivity (accessed Oct. 10, 2021). <a href="https://www.epa.gov/radtown/natural-radioactivity-food" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Natural Radioactivity in Food,"</a> EPA (accessed Oct. 14, 2021). <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazil_nut?oldformat=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Brazil Nut,"</a> Wikipedia (accessed Oct. 16, 2021). G.V. Damiano, <a href="https://digitalrepository.trincoll.edu/watkbooks/1/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hadhuch-Anti Hell-War: Monarchy's Victory; Constitution's Triumph; Tribute's Annihilation</a>, 1922. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener James Venning. Here's a <a href="https://issuu.com/libuow/docs/faith_of_steel" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">corroborating link</a> (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, <a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_362.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe on <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mdXRpbGl0eWNsb3NldC5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Google Podcasts</a>, on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, or via the RSS feed at <a href="https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss</a>. Please consider <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">becoming a patron of Futility Closet</a> -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the <a href="http://www.futilitycloset.com/support-us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Support Us</a> page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

362-The Leatherman

In 1616, British officer Nathaniel Courthope was sent to a tiny island in the East Indies to contest a Dutch monopoly on nutmeg. He and his men would spend four years battling sickness, starvation, and enemy attacks to defend the island's bounty. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe Courthope's stand and its surprising impact in world history. We'll also meet a Serbian hermit and puzzle over an unusual business strategy. Intro: Should orangutans be regarded as human? How fast does time fly? Sources for our feature on Nathaniel Courthope: Giles Milton, Nathaniel's Nutmeg: or, The True and Incredible Adventures of the Spice Trader Who Changed the Course of History, 2015. John Keay, The Honourable Company, 2010. Martine van Ittersum, The Dutch and English East India Companies, 2018. Sanjeev Sanyal, The Ocean of Churn: How the Indian Ocean Shaped Human History, 2016. Paul Schellinger and Robert M. Salkin, eds., International Dictionary of Historic Places, 2012. Daniel George Edward Hall, History of South East Asia, 1981. H.C. Foxcroft, Some Unpublished Letters of Gilbert Burnet, the Historian, in The Camden Miscellany, Volume XI, 1907. William Foster, ed., Letters Received by the East India Company From Its Servants in the East, Volume 4, 1900. Samuel Rawson Gardiner, History of England From the Accession of James I to the Outbreak of the Civil War, 1895. W. Noel Sainsbury, Calendar of State Papers, Colonial Series, East Indies, China and Japan, 1617-1621, 1870. Martine Julia van Ittersum,  "Debating Natural Law in the Banda Islands: A Case Study in Anglo–Dutch Imperial Competition in the East Indies, 1609–1621," History of European Ideas 42:4 (2016), 459-501. Geraldine Barnes, "Curiosity, Wonder, and William Dampier's Painted Prince," Journal for Early Modern Cultural Studies 6:1 (Spring-Summer 2006), 31-50. Barbara D. Krasner, "Nutmeg Takes Manhattan," Calliope 16:6 (February 2006), 28-31. Vincent C. Loth, "Armed Incidents and Unpaid Bills: Anglo-Dutch Rivalry in the Banda Islands in the Seventeenth Century," Modern Asian Studies 29:4 (October 1995), 705-740. Boies Penrose, "Some Jacobean Links Between America and the Orient (Concluded)," Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 49:1 (January 1941), 51-61. Jennifer Hunter, "Better Than the David Price Deal? Trading Nutmeg for Manhattan," Toronto Star, Aug. 8, 2015. Janet Malehorn Spencer, "Island Was Bargain for Britain," [Mattoon, Ill.] Journal Gazette, Feb. 22, 2013. Kate Humble, "The Old Spice Route to the Ends of the Earth," Independent, Feb. 12, 2011. Sebastien Berger, "The Nutmeg Islanders Are Aiming to Spice Up Their Lives," Daily Telegraph, Oct. 9, 2004. Clellie Lynch, "Blood and Spice," [Pittsfield, Mass.] Berkshire Eagle, Nov. 11, 1999. Kevin Baker,  "Spice Guys," New York Times, July 11, 1999. Robert Taylor, "How the Nutmeg Mania Helped Make History," Boston Globe, May 18, 1999. Giles Milton, "Manhattan Transfer," Sydney Morning Herald, April 10, 1999. Martin Booth, "All for the Sake of a Little Nutmeg Tree," Sunday Times, Feb. 28, 1999. Charles Nicholl, "Books: Scary Tales of an Old Spice World," Independent, Feb. 20, 1999. "Mr Sainsbury's East Indian Calendar," Examiner, March 18, 1871. "Courthopp, Nathaniel," Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 1885. Listener mail:  "Past Divisional Champs – Little League Baseball," Little League (accessed Oct. 6, 2021).  "Serbian Cave Hermit Gets Covid-19 Vaccine, Urges Others to Follow," Straits Times, Aug. 13, 2021. Matthew Taylor, "The Real Story of Body 115," Guardian, Jan. 21, 2004. Godfrey Holmes,  "Kings Cross Fire Anniversary: It's Been 30 Years Since the Deadly Fireball Engulfed the Tube Station," Independent, Nov. 18, 2017. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Tom Salinsky. You can listen using the player above,  download this episode directly, or subscribe on  Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

In 1616, British officer Nathaniel Courthope was sent to a tiny island in the East Indies to contest a Dutch monopoly on nutmeg. He and his men would spend four years battling sickness, starvation, and enemy attacks to defend the island's bounty. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe Courthope's stand and its surprising impact in world history. We'll also meet a Serbian hermit and puzzle over an unusual business strategy. Intro: <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2011/10/07/a-good-man/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Should orangutans be regarded as human?</a> <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2011/10/17/tock-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How fast does time fly?</a> Sources for our feature on Nathaniel Courthope: Giles Milton, Nathaniel's Nutmeg: or, The True and Incredible Adventures of the Spice Trader Who Changed the Course of History, 2015. John Keay, The Honourable Company, 2010. Martine van Ittersum, The Dutch and English East India Companies, 2018. Sanjeev Sanyal, The Ocean of Churn: How the Indian Ocean Shaped Human History, 2016. Paul Schellinger and Robert M. Salkin, eds., International Dictionary of Historic Places, 2012. Daniel George Edward Hall, History of South East Asia, 1981. H.C. Foxcroft, Some Unpublished Letters of Gilbert Burnet, the Historian, in The Camden Miscellany, Volume XI, 1907. William Foster, ed., Letters Received by the East India Company From Its Servants in the East, Volume 4, 1900. Samuel Rawson Gardiner, History of England From the Accession of James I to the Outbreak of the Civil War, 1895. W. Noel Sainsbury, Calendar of State Papers, Colonial Series, East Indies, China and Japan, 1617-1621, 1870. Martine Julia van Ittersum, <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/01916599.2015.1101216" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Debating Natural Law in the Banda Islands: A Case Study in Anglo–Dutch Imperial Competition in the East Indies, 1609–1621,"</a> History of European Ideas 42:4 (2016), 459-501. Geraldine Barnes, "Curiosity, Wonder, and William Dampier's Painted Prince," Journal for Early Modern Cultural Studies 6:1 (Spring-Summer 2006), 31-50. Barbara D. Krasner, "Nutmeg Takes Manhattan," Calliope 16:6 (February 2006), 28-31. Vincent C. Loth, "Armed Incidents and Unpaid Bills: Anglo-Dutch Rivalry in the Banda Islands in the Seventeenth Century," Modern Asian Studies 29:4 (October 1995), 705-740. Boies Penrose, "Some Jacobean Links Between America and the Orient (Concluded)," Virginia Magazine of History and Biography 49:1 (January 1941), 51-61. Jennifer Hunter, "Better Than the David Price Deal? Trading Nutmeg for Manhattan," Toronto Star, Aug. 8, 2015. Janet Malehorn Spencer, "Island Was Bargain for Britain," [Mattoon, Ill.] Journal Gazette, Feb. 22, 2013. Kate Humble, "The Old Spice Route to the Ends of the Earth," Independent, Feb. 12, 2011. Sebastien Berger, "The Nutmeg Islanders Are Aiming to Spice Up Their Lives," Daily Telegraph, Oct. 9, 2004. Clellie Lynch, "Blood and Spice," [Pittsfield, Mass.] Berkshire Eagle, Nov. 11, 1999. Kevin Baker, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1999/07/11/books/spice-guys.html?searchResultPosition=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Spice Guys,"</a> New York Times, July 11, 1999. Robert Taylor, "How the Nutmeg Mania Helped Make History," Boston Globe, May 18, 1999. Giles Milton, "Manhattan Transfer," Sydney Morning Herald, April 10, 1999. Martin Booth, "All for the Sake of a Little Nutmeg Tree," Sunday Times, Feb. 28, 1999. Charles Nicholl, "Books: Scary Tales of an Old Spice World," Independent, Feb. 20, 1999. "Mr Sainsbury's East Indian Calendar," Examiner, March 18, 1871. "Courthopp, Nathaniel," Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, 1885. Listener mail: <a href="https://www.littleleague.org/world-series/past-divisional-champs-little-league-baseball/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Past Divisional Champs – Little League Baseball,"</a> Little League (accessed Oct. 6, 2021). <a href="https://www.straitstimes.com/world/europe/serbian-cave-hermit-gets-covid-19-vaccine-urges-others-to-follow" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Serbian Cave Hermit Gets Covid-19 Vaccine, Urges Others to Follow,"</a> Straits Times, Aug. 13, 2021. Matthew Taylor, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/jan/22/transport.uk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Real Story of Body 115,"</a> Guardian, Jan. 21, 2004. Godfrey Holmes, <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/long_reads/kings-cross-fire-anniversary-30-years-tube-station-a8046751.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Kings Cross Fire Anniversary: It's Been 30 Years Since the Deadly Fireball Engulfed the Tube Station,"</a> Independent, Nov. 18, 2017. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Tom Salinsky. You can listen using the player above, <a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_361.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe on <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mdXRpbGl0eWNsb3NldC5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Google Podcasts</a>, on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, or via the RSS feed at <a href="https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss</a>. Please consider <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">becoming a patron of Futility Closet</a> -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the <a href="http://www.futilitycloset.com/support-us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Support Us</a> page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

361-A Fight Over Nutmeg

In 1904, adventure novelist H. Rider Haggard awoke from a dream with the conviction that his daughter's dog was dying. He dismissed the impression as a nightmare, but the events that followed seemed to give it a grim significance. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe Haggard's strange experience, which briefly made headlines around the world. We'll also consider Alexa's expectations and puzzle over a college's name change. Intro: Marshall Bean got himself drafted by reversing his name. An air traveler may jump into tomorrow without passing midnight.  "Bob, although he belonged to my daughter, who bought him three years ago, was a great friend of mine, but I cannot say that my soul was bound up in him," Haggard wrote. "He was a very intelligent animal, and generally accompanied me in my walks about the farm, and almost invariably came to say good morning to me." Sources for our feature on Haggard's nightmare and its sequel: H. Rider Haggard, The Days of My Life, 1923. Mrs. Henry Sidgwick, "Phantasms of the Living," Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research 86:33 (October 1922), 23-429. H. Rider Haggard, Delphi Complete Works of H. Rider Haggard, 2013. Peter Berresford Ellis, H. Rider Haggard: A Voice From the Infinite, 1978. C.L. Graves and E.V. Lucas, "Telepathy Day by Day," Bill Peschel, et al., The Early Punch Parodies of Sherlock Holmes, 2014. Harold Orel, "Hardy, Kipling, and Haggard," English Literature in Transition, 1880-1920 25:4 (1982), 232-248. "Spiritualism Among Animals" Public Opinion 39:18 (Oct. 28, 1905), 566. "Character Sketch: Commissioner H. Rider Haggard," Review of Reviews 32:187 (July 1905), 20-27. "Rider Haggard on Telepathy," Muswellbrook [N.S.W.] Chronicle, Oct. 8, 1904. "Case," Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 11:212 (October 1904), 278-290. "Mr. Rider Haggard's Dream," [Rockhampton, Qld.] Morning Bulletin, Sept. 24, 1904. "Has a Dog a Soul?" [Adelaide] Evening Journal, Sept. 21, 1904. "Spirit of the Dog," The World's News [Sydney], Sept. 10, 1904. "Thought-Telepathy: H. Rider Haggard's Dog," [Sydney] Daily Telegraph, Aug. 31, 1904. "Dog's Spirit Talks," The World's News [Sydney], Aug. 27, 1904. "Telepathy (?) Between a Human Being and a Dog," [Sydney] Daily Telegraph, Aug. 25, 1904. "Mr. Rider Haggard's Ghost Dog," Kansas City Star, Aug. 22, 1904. "The Nightmare of a Novelist," Fresno Morning Republican, Aug. 21, 1904.  "Psychological Mystery," Hawaiian Star, Aug. 20, 1904. H.S., "Superstition and Psychology," Medical Press and Circular 129:7 (Aug. 17, 1904), 183-184. "Canine Telepathy," [Montreal] Gazette, Aug. 10, 1904. "Telepathy (?) Between a Human Being and a Dog," Times, Aug. 9, 1904. "Haggard and His Dog," Washington Post, Aug. 7, 1904.  "Mr. Haggard's Strange Dream," New York Times, July 31, 1904. "Country Notes," Country Life 16:395 (July 30, 1904), 147-149. "Mr. Rider Haggard's Dream," Light 24:1229 (July 30, 1904), 364. "Telepathy Between Human Beings and Dogs," English Mechanic and World of Science 79:2053 (July 29, 1904), 567. John Senior, Spirituality in the Fiction of Henry Rider Haggard, dissertation, Rhodes University, 2003. Wallace Bursey, Rider Haggard: A Study in Popular Fiction, dissertation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1972. Morton N. Cohen, "Haggard, Sir (Henry) Rider," Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Sept. 23, 2004. Listener mail: "How to pronounce Akira Kurosawa," Forvo (accessed Oct. 1, 2021). Sarah Sicard,  "How the Heck Do You Pronounce 'Norfolk'?" Military Times, July 30, 2020. William S. Forrest, Historical and Descriptive Sketches of Norfolk and Vicinity, 1853. "Dubois, Wyoming," Wikipedia (accessed Oct. 1, 2021). "Our History," Destination Dubois (accessed Oct. 2, 2021). This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Tony Filanowski. Here's a corroborating link (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above,  download this episode directly, or subscribe on  Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

In 1904, adventure novelist H. Rider Haggard awoke from a dream with the conviction that his daughter's dog was dying. He dismissed the impression as a nightmare, but the events that followed seemed to give it a grim significance. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe Haggard's strange experience, which briefly made headlines around the world. We'll also consider Alexa's expectations and puzzle over a college's name change. Intro: <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2011/10/17/reversals/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Marshall Bean got himself drafted by reversing his name.</a> <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2011/10/30/snappy-new-year/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">An air traveler may jump into tomorrow without passing midnight.</a> "Bob, although he belonged to my daughter, who bought him three years ago, was a great friend of mine, but I cannot say that my soul was bound up in him," Haggard wrote. "He was a very intelligent animal, and generally accompanied me in my walks about the farm, and almost invariably came to say good morning to me." Sources for our feature on Haggard's nightmare and its sequel: H. Rider Haggard, The Days of My Life, 1923. Mrs. Henry Sidgwick, "Phantasms of the Living," Proceedings of the Society for Psychical Research 86:33 (October 1922), 23-429. H. Rider Haggard, Delphi Complete Works of H. Rider Haggard, 2013. Peter Berresford Ellis, H. Rider Haggard: A Voice From the Infinite, 1978. C.L. Graves and E.V. Lucas, "Telepathy Day by Day," Bill Peschel, et al., The Early Punch Parodies of Sherlock Holmes, 2014. Harold Orel, "Hardy, Kipling, and Haggard," English Literature in Transition, 1880-1920 25:4 (1982), 232-248. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=nHW4_FvAlCgC&amp;pg=PA566" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Spiritualism Among Animals"</a> Public Opinion 39:18 (Oct. 28, 1905), 566. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=KGwAAAAAYAAJ&amp;pg=PA20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Character Sketch: Commissioner H. Rider Haggard,"</a> Review of Reviews 32:187 (July 1905), 20-27. "Rider Haggard on Telepathy," Muswellbrook [N.S.W.] Chronicle, Oct. 8, 1904. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=gDYNAQAAIAAJ&amp;pg=PA278" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Case,"</a> Journal of the Society for Psychical Research 11:212 (October 1904), 278-290. "Mr. Rider Haggard's Dream," [Rockhampton, Qld.] Morning Bulletin, Sept. 24, 1904. "Has a Dog a Soul?" [Adelaide] Evening Journal, Sept. 21, 1904. "Spirit of the Dog," The World's News [Sydney], Sept. 10, 1904. "Thought-Telepathy: H. Rider Haggard's Dog," [Sydney] Daily Telegraph, Aug. 31, 1904. "Dog's Spirit Talks," The World's News [Sydney], Aug. 27, 1904. "Telepathy (?) Between a Human Being and a Dog," [Sydney] Daily Telegraph, Aug. 25, 1904. "Mr. Rider Haggard's Ghost Dog," Kansas City Star, Aug. 22, 1904. "The Nightmare of a Novelist," Fresno Morning Republican, Aug. 21, 1904. <a href="https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82015415/1904-08-20/ed-1/seq-4/#date1=1777&amp;index=0&amp;rows=20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Psychological Mystery,"</a> Hawaiian Star, Aug. 20, 1904. H.S., <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=tBoCAAAAYAAJ&amp;pg=PA183" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Superstition and Psychology,"</a> Medical Press and Circular 129:7 (Aug. 17, 1904), 183-184. "Canine Telepathy," [Montreal] Gazette, Aug. 10, 1904. "Telepathy (?) Between a Human Being and a Dog," Times, Aug. 9, 1904. "Haggard and His Dog," Washington Post, Aug. 7, 1904. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1904/07/31/archives/mr-haggards-strange-dream-a-dying-dog-tries-to-communicate-with-the.html?searchResultPosition=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Mr. Haggard's Strange Dream,"</a> New York Times, July 31, 1904. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=6UVOAAAAYAAJ&amp;pg=PA147" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Country Notes,"</a> Country Life 16:395 (July 30, 1904), 147-149. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=qErEOQzJVMUC&amp;pg=PA364" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Mr. Rider Haggard's Dream,"</a> Light 24:1229 (July 30, 1904), 364. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=sUA_AQAAMAAJ&amp;pg=PA567" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Telepathy Between Human Beings and Dogs,"</a> English Mechanic and World of Science 79:2053 (July 29, 1904), 567. John Senior, <a href="https://core.ac.uk/reader/145055690" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spirituality in the Fiction of Henry Rider Haggard</a>, dissertation, Rhodes University, 2003. Wallace Bursey, <a href="https://research.library.mun.ca/7159/5/Bursey_Wallace.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rider Haggard: A Study in Popular Fiction</a>, dissertation, Memorial University of Newfoundland, 1972. Morton N. Cohen, "Haggard, Sir (Henry) Rider," Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Sept. 23, 2004. Listener mail: <a href="https://forvo.com/word/akira_kurosawa/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"How to pronounce Akira Kurosawa,"</a> Forvo (accessed Oct. 1, 2021). Sarah Sicard, <a href="https://www.militarytimes.com/off-duty/military-culture/2020/07/30/how-the-heck-do-you-pronounce-norfolk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "How the Heck Do You Pronounce 'Norfolk'?"</a> Military Times, July 30, 2020. William S. Forrest, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=ZF5AAAAAYAAJ&amp;pg=PA44" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Historical and Descriptive Sketches of Norfolk and Vicinity</a>, 1853. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dubois,_Wyoming?oldformat=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Dubois, Wyoming,"</a> Wikipedia (accessed Oct. 1, 2021). <a href="https://duboiswyoming.org/our-history/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Our History,"</a> Destination Dubois (accessed Oct. 2, 2021). This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Tony Filanowski. Here's a <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=94962&amp;page=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">corroborating link</a> (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, <a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_360.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe on <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mdXRpbGl0eWNsb3NldC5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Google Podcasts</a>, on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, or via the RSS feed at <a href="https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss</a>. Please consider <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">becoming a patron of Futility Closet</a> -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the <a href="http://www.futilitycloset.com/support-us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Support Us</a> page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

360-Haggard's Dream

In 1945, a U.S. Army transport plane crashed in New Guinea, leaving three survivors marooned in the island's mountainous interior. Injured, starving, and exhausted, the group seemed beyond the hope of rescue. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the plight of the stranded survivors and the remarkable plan to save them. We'll also reflect on synthetic fingerprints and puzzle over a suspicious notebook. Intro: What's the shortest possible game of Monopoly if each player plays optimally?  Omen or crated inkwell. Sources for our feature on the Gremlin Special: Mitchell Zuckoff, Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II, 2011. Randy Roughton, "Impossible Rescue," Airman, Jan. 26, 2015. John Cirafici, "Lost in Shangri-La," Air Power History 58:3 (Fall 2011), 65. Sara Hov, "Lost in Shangri-La," Army 61:8 (August 2011), 70. Harrison T. Beardsley, "Harrowing Crash in New Guinea," Aviation History 10:2 (November 1999), 46. David Grann, "Plane Crash Compounded by Cannibals," Washington Post, May 22, 2011. Mitchell Zuckoff, "Escape From the Valley of the Lost," Calgary Herald, May 8, 2011. Mitchell Zuckoff, "In 1945, a U.S. Military Plane Crashed in New Guinea," Vancouver Sun, May 7, 2011. Brian Schofield, "A Tumble in the Jungle," Sunday Times, May 1, 2011. Mitchell Zuckoff,  "Return to Shangri-La," Boston Globe, April 24, 2011. "Wartime Plane Crash," Kalgoorlie [W.A.] Miner, Sept. 17, 1947. "Glider Saved Fliers, WAC in Wild Valley," [Hagerstown, Md.] Daily Mail, Aug. 14, 1945. Margaret Hastings, "Shangri-La Diary," Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, July 22, 1945. Bob Myers, "Rescued Wac Is En Route to Washington," [Binghamton, N.Y.] Press and Sun-Bulletin, July 9, 1945. "3 Crash Survivors Dramatically Rescued From New Guinea Valley by Glider Snatch Pickup," St. Louis Globe-Democrat, June 30, 1945. "New Guinea's 'Hidden Valley,'" St. Louis Globe-Democrat, June 28, 1945. "Survivors of Mishap in Shangri-La Valley Reach Their Rescuers," Birmingham [Ala.] News, June 20, 1945. "Two Airmen, Wac Await Rescue in Fantastic 'Hidden Valley,'" [Richmond, Va.] Times Dispatch, June 8, 1945. "Plan Rescue of Survivors of Crash in Shangri-La Dutch New Guinea," Del Rio [Texas] News Herald, June 8, 1945. Lynn Neary,  "A WWII Survival Epic Unfolds Deep In 'Shangri-La,'" All Things Considered, National Public Radio, April 26, 2011. Listener mail: Sophie Weiner,  "These Synthetic Fingerprint Gloves Can Unlock Your Phone," Popular Mechanics, Nov. 12, 2016.  "TAPS - Make Touchscreen Gloves Using a Sticker w/ Touch ID," Kickstarter.com (accessed Sept. 23, 2021). Nanotips (last accessed Sept. 23, 2021). Jon Porter,  "This Picture of Cheese Helped Send a Man to Prison for 13 Years," The Verge, May 24, 2021. Alex Mistlin,  "Feeling Blue: Drug Dealer's 'Love of Stilton' Leads to His Arrest," Guardian, May 24, 2021. Rob Picheta,  "Drug Dealer Jailed After Sharing a Photo of Cheese That Included His Fingerprints," CNN, May 25, 2021. Chaim Gartenberg,  "WhatsApp Drug Dealer Convicted Using Fingerprints Taken From Photo," The Verge, April 16, 2018. Chris Wood, "WhatsApp Photo Drug Dealer Caught by 'Groundbreaking' Work," BBC News, April 15, 2018. CSChawaii,  "CSC Presents Japanese Sign Language - Family" (video), Sept. 25, 2017. Ian Sample,  "Copying Keys From Photos Is Child's Play," Guardian, Nov. 14, 2008. Elinor Mills,  "Duplicating Keys From a Photograph," CNET, Nov. 19, 2008.  "KeyMe: Access &amp; Share Saved Keys" (accessed Sept. 25, 2021).  "KeyMe: Access &amp; Share Keys" (accessed Sept. 25, 2021). This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Bill Spencer. Here's a corroborating link (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above,  download this episode directly, or subscribe on  Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

In 1945, a U.S. Army transport plane crashed in New Guinea, leaving three survivors marooned in the island's mountainous interior. Injured, starving, and exhausted, the group seemed beyond the hope of rescue. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the plight of the stranded survivors and the remarkable plan to save them. We'll also reflect on synthetic fingerprints and puzzle over a suspicious notebook. Intro: <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2011/11/20/lightning-monopoly/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">What's the shortest possible game of Monopoly if each player plays optimally?</a> <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2011/11/23/spaghettibird-headdress/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Omen or crated inkwell.</a> Sources for our feature on the Gremlin Special: Mitchell Zuckoff, Lost in Shangri-La: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II, 2011. Randy Roughton, "Impossible Rescue," Airman, Jan. 26, 2015. John Cirafici, "Lost in Shangri-La," Air Power History 58:3 (Fall 2011), 65. Sara Hov, "Lost in Shangri-La," Army 61:8 (August 2011), 70. Harrison T. Beardsley, "Harrowing Crash in New Guinea," Aviation History 10:2 (November 1999), 46. David Grann, "Plane Crash Compounded by Cannibals," Washington Post, May 22, 2011. Mitchell Zuckoff, "Escape From the Valley of the Lost," Calgary Herald, May 8, 2011. Mitchell Zuckoff, "In 1945, a U.S. Military Plane Crashed in New Guinea," Vancouver Sun, May 7, 2011. Brian Schofield, "A Tumble in the Jungle," Sunday Times, May 1, 2011. Mitchell Zuckoff, <a href="http://archive.boston.com/lifestyle/articles/2011/04/24/return_to_shangri_la_a_daring_wwii_rescue_in_new_guinea/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Return to Shangri-La,"</a> Boston Globe, April 24, 2011. "Wartime Plane Crash," Kalgoorlie [W.A.] Miner, Sept. 17, 1947. "Glider Saved Fliers, WAC in Wild Valley," [Hagerstown, Md.] Daily Mail, Aug. 14, 1945. Margaret Hastings, "Shangri-La Diary," Pittsburgh Sun-Telegraph, July 22, 1945. Bob Myers, "Rescued Wac Is En Route to Washington," [Binghamton, N.Y.] Press and Sun-Bulletin, July 9, 1945. "3 Crash Survivors Dramatically Rescued From New Guinea Valley by Glider Snatch Pickup," St. Louis Globe-Democrat, June 30, 1945. "New Guinea's 'Hidden Valley,'" St. Louis Globe-Democrat, June 28, 1945. "Survivors of Mishap in Shangri-La Valley Reach Their Rescuers," Birmingham [Ala.] News, June 20, 1945. "Two Airmen, Wac Await Rescue in Fantastic 'Hidden Valley,'" [Richmond, Va.] Times Dispatch, June 8, 1945. "Plan Rescue of Survivors of Crash in Shangri-La Dutch New Guinea," Del Rio [Texas] News Herald, June 8, 1945. Lynn Neary, <a href="https://www.npr.org/2011/04/26/135710893/a-wwii-survival-epic-unfolds-deep-in-shangri-la" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "A WWII Survival Epic Unfolds Deep In 'Shangri-La,'"</a> All Things Considered, National Public Radio, April 26, 2011. Listener mail: Sophie Weiner, <a href="https://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/design/a23860/synthetic-fingerprint-gloves/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "These Synthetic Fingerprint Gloves Can Unlock Your Phone,"</a> Popular Mechanics, Nov. 12, 2016. <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/nanotips/taps-touchscreen-sticker-w-touch-id-ships-before-x?token=5b586aa6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "TAPS - Make Touchscreen Gloves Using a Sticker w/ Touch ID,"</a> <a href="http://Kickstarter.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kickstarter.com</a> (accessed Sept. 23, 2021). <a href="https://www.nanotips.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nanotips</a> (last accessed Sept. 23, 2021). Jon Porter, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2021/5/24/22451278/cheese-encrochat-drug-dealer-jailed-conviction" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "This Picture of Cheese Helped Send a Man to Prison for 13 Years,"</a> The Verge, May 24, 2021. Alex Mistlin, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/food/2021/may/24/feeling-blue-drug-dealers-love-of-stilton-leads-to-his-arrest" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Feeling Blue: Drug Dealer's 'Love of Stilton' Leads to His Arrest,"</a> Guardian, May 24, 2021. Rob Picheta, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2021/05/25/uk/drug-dealer-cheese-sentenced-scli-gbr-intl/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Drug Dealer Jailed After Sharing a Photo of Cheese That Included His Fingerprints,"</a> CNN, May 25, 2021. Chaim Gartenberg, <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/16/17242204/whatsapp-drug-dealer-caught-fingerprints-photo-message-wales-police" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "WhatsApp Drug Dealer Convicted Using Fingerprints Taken From Photo,"</a> The Verge, April 16, 2018. Chris Wood, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-43711477" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"WhatsApp Photo Drug Dealer Caught by 'Groundbreaking' Work,"</a> BBC News, April 15, 2018. CSChawaii, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBCP-yy0dn4&amp;ab_channel=CSChawaii" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "CSC Presents Japanese Sign Language - Family"</a> (video), Sept. 25, 2017. Ian Sample, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2008/nov/14/key-photograph-key-cutting" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Copying Keys From Photos Is Child's Play,"</a> Guardian, Nov. 14, 2008. Elinor Mills, <a href="https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/duplicating-keys-from-a-photograph/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Duplicating Keys From a Photograph,"</a> CNET, Nov. 19, 2008. <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=me.key.android&amp;hl=en_US&amp;gl=US" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "KeyMe: Access &amp; Share Saved Keys"</a> (accessed Sept. 25, 2021). <a href="https://apps.apple.com/us/app/keyme-access-share-keys/id663884543" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "KeyMe: Access &amp; Share Keys"</a> (accessed Sept. 25, 2021). This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Bill Spencer. Here's a <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=JSm8AAAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PT362" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">corroborating link</a> (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, <a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_359.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe on <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mdXRpbGl0eWNsb3NldC5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Google Podcasts</a>, on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, or via the RSS feed at <a href="https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss</a>. Please consider <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">becoming a patron of Futility Closet</a> -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the <a href="http://www.futilitycloset.com/support-us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Support Us</a> page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

359-Stranded in Shangri-La

In 1917, a New Jersey company began hiring young women to paint luminous marks on the faces of watches and clocks. As time went on, they began to exhibit alarming symptoms, and a struggle ensued to establish the cause. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story of the Radium Girls, a landmark case in labor safety. We'll also consider some resurrected yeast and puzzle over a posthumous journey. Intro: Joseph Underwood was posting phony appeals for money in 1833. The earliest known written reference to baseball appeared in England. Sources for our feature on the Radium Girls: Claudia Clark, Radium Girls : Women and Industrial Health Reform, 1910-1935, 1997. Ross M. Mullner, Deadly Glow: The Radium Dial Worker Tragedy, 1999. Robert R. Johnson, Romancing the Atom: Nuclear Infatuation From the Radium Girls to Fukushima, 2012. Dolly Setton, "The Radium Girls: The Scary but True Story of the Poison that Made People Glow in the Dark," Natural History 129:1 (December 2020/January 2021), 47-47. Robert D. LaMarsh, "The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women," Professional Safety 64:2 (February 2019), 47. Angela N.H. Creager, "Radiation, Cancer, and Mutation in the Atomic Age," Historical Studies in the Natural Sciences 45:1 (February 2015), 14-48. Robert Souhami,  "Claudia Clark, Radium Girls," Medical History 42:4 (1998), 529-530. Ainissa Ramirez, "A Visit With One of the Last 'Radium Girls,'" MRS Bulletin 44:11 (2019), 903-904. "Medicine: Radium Women," Time, Aug. 11, 1930.  "Poison Paintbrush," Time, June 4, 1928. "Workers From Factory May Get Federal Honors," Asbury Park Press, June 27, 2021. John Williams,  "Tell Us 5 Things About Your Book: Kate Moore's 'The Radium Girls,'" New York Times, April 30, 2017. Jack Brubaker, "Those 'Radium Girls' of Lancaster," [Lancaster, Pa.] Intelligencer Journal / Lancaster New Era, May 9, 2014. William Yardley,  "Mae Keane, Whose Job Brought Radium to Her Lips, Dies at 107," New York Times, March 13, 2014. Fred Musante,  "Residue From Industrial Past Haunts State," New York Times, June 24, 2001. Denise Grady,  "A Glow in the Dark, and a Lesson in Scientific Peril," New York Times, Oct. 6, 1998. Martha Irvine, "Dark Secrets Come to Light in New History of 'Radium Girls,'" Los Angeles Times, Oct. 4, 1998. Marc Mappen,  "Jerseyana," New York Times, March 10, 1991.  "Radium Poisoning Finally Claims Inventor of Luminous Paint After Fight to Harness Terrific Force of Atom," Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Nov. 25, 1928.  "Two of Women Radium Victims Offer Selves for Test While Alive," [Danville, Va.] Bee, May 29, 1928. "Death Agony From Radium," [Brisbane, Qld.] Daily Standard, May 15, 1928.  "To Begin Two Suits Against Radium Co.," New York Times, June 24, 1925.  "U.S. Starts Probe of Radium Poison Deaths in Jersey," Brooklyn Daily Eagle, June 19, 1925. Listener mail: Carolyn Wilke,  "How Do We Know What Ancient People Ate? Their Dirty Dishes," Atlantic, July 24, 2021. Chris Baraniuk,  "The Treasure Inside Beer Lost in a Shipwreck 120 Years Ago," BBC, June 22, 2021. Fiona Stocker,  "A Beer Brewed From an Old Tasmanian Shipwreck," BBC, Dec. 7, 2018. Mary Esch,  "Taste of History: Yeast From 1886 Shipwreck Makes New Brew," AP News, March 15, 2019. National Collection of Yeast Cultures.  "National Collection of Yeast Cultures," Wikipedia (accessed Aug. 29, 2021). "History of Missing Linck," Missing Linck Festival (accessed Sep. 3, 2021). "Missing Linck Festival Arrives … Finally!" The Gnarly Gnome, June 4, 2021. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Tim Ellis, who sent  this corroborating link (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above,  download this episode directly, or subscribe on  Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

In 1917, a New Jersey company began hiring young women to paint luminous marks on the faces of watches and clocks. As time went on, they began to exhibit alarming symptoms, and a struggle ensued to establish the cause. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story of the Radium Girls, a landmark case in labor safety. We'll also consider some resurrected yeast and puzzle over a posthumous journey. Intro: <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2011/11/21/antique-spam/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Joseph Underwood was posting phony appeals for money in 1833.</a> <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2011/11/20/first-base/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The earliest known written reference to baseball appeared in England.</a> Sources for our feature on the Radium Girls: Claudia Clark, Radium Girls : Women and Industrial Health Reform, 1910-1935, 1997. Ross M. Mullner, Deadly Glow: The Radium Dial Worker Tragedy, 1999. Robert R. Johnson, Romancing the Atom: Nuclear Infatuation From the Radium Girls to Fukushima, 2012. Dolly Setton, "The Radium Girls: The Scary but True Story of the Poison that Made People Glow in the Dark," Natural History 129:1 (December 2020/January 2021), 47-47. Robert D. LaMarsh, "The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women," Professional Safety 64:2 (February 2019), 47. Angela N.H. Creager, "Radiation, Cancer, and Mutation in the Atomic Age," Historical Studies in the Natural Sciences 45:1 (February 2015), 14-48. Robert Souhami, <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/176308BE870D651852B1B0544E7E487D/S0025727300064474a.pdf/div-class-title-target-target-clark-claudia-span-class-italic-radium-girls-women-and-industrial-health-reform-1910-1935-span-chapel-hill-and-london-university-of-north-carolina-press-1997-pp-xii-289-49-95-hardback-0-8078-2331-7-17-95-paperback-0-8078-4640-6-div.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Claudia Clark, Radium Girls,"</a> Medical History 42:4 (1998), 529-530. Ainissa Ramirez, <a href="https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1557/mrs.2019.278.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"A Visit With One of the Last 'Radium Girls,'"</a> MRS Bulletin 44:11 (2019), 903-904. "Medicine: Radium Women," Time, Aug. 11, 1930. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20081027220359/http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,731868,00.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Poison Paintbrush,"</a> Time, June 4, 1928. "Workers From Factory May Get Federal Honors," Asbury Park Press, June 27, 2021. John Williams, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/30/books/tell-us-5-things-about-your-book-kate-moores-the-radium-girls.html?searchResultPosition=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Tell Us 5 Things About Your Book: Kate Moore's 'The Radium Girls,'"</a> New York Times, April 30, 2017. Jack Brubaker, "Those 'Radium Girls' of Lancaster," [Lancaster, Pa.] Intelligencer Journal / Lancaster New Era, May 9, 2014. William Yardley, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/14/nyregion/mae-keane-who-painted-watch-dials-with-a-radium-mixture-dies-at-107.html?searchResultPosition=3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Mae Keane, Whose Job Brought Radium to Her Lips, Dies at 107,"</a> New York Times, March 13, 2014. Fred Musante, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2001/06/24/nyregion/residue-from-industrial-past-haunts-state.html?searchResultPosition=6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Residue From Industrial Past Haunts State,"</a> New York Times, June 24, 2001. Denise Grady, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1998/10/06/science/a-glow-in-the-dark-and-a-lesson-in-scientific-peril.html?pagewanted=all" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "A Glow in the Dark, and a Lesson in Scientific Peril,"</a> New York Times, Oct. 6, 1998. Martha Irvine, "Dark Secrets Come to Light in New History of 'Radium Girls,'" Los Angeles Times, Oct. 4, 1998. Marc Mappen, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1991/03/10/nyregion/jerseyana.html?searchResultPosition=5" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Jerseyana,"</a> New York Times, March 10, 1991. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/3474048/dr-s-von-sochocky-death-notice/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Radium Poisoning Finally Claims Inventor of Luminous Paint After Fight to Harness Terrific Force of Atom,"</a> Brooklyn Daily Eagle, Nov. 25, 1928. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5559067/women-radium-victims-offer-selves-for/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Two of Women Radium Victims Offer Selves for Test While Alive,"</a> [Danville, Va.] Bee, May 29, 1928. "Death Agony From Radium," [Brisbane, Qld.] Daily Standard, May 15, 1928. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1925/06/24/archives/to-begin-two-suits-against-radium-co-newark-attorneys-say-two-women.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "To Begin Two Suits Against Radium Co.,"</a> New York Times, June 24, 1925. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/5559220/us-starts-probe-of-radium-poison-deaths/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "U.S. Starts Probe of Radium Poison Deaths in Jersey,"</a> Brooklyn Daily Eagle, June 19, 1925. Listener mail: Carolyn Wilke, <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2021/07/ancient-food-dishes/619556/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "How Do We Know What Ancient People Ate? Their Dirty Dishes,"</a> Atlantic, July 24, 2021. Chris Baraniuk, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20210622-how-shipwrecked-yeasts-could-change-the-taste-of-your-beer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "The Treasure Inside Beer Lost in a Shipwreck 120 Years Ago,"</a> BBC, June 22, 2021. Fiona Stocker, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20181206-a-beer-brewed-from-an-old-tasmanian-shipwreck" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "A Beer Brewed From an Old Tasmanian Shipwreck,"</a> BBC, Dec. 7, 2018. Mary Esch, <a href="https://apnews.com/article/oceans-north-america-us-news-ap-top-news-ny-state-wire-3583b5a1836f478e939715a7ccfb2c9e" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Taste of History: Yeast From 1886 Shipwreck Makes New Brew,"</a> AP News, March 15, 2019. <a href="https://www.ncyc.co.uk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">National Collection of Yeast Cultures.</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Collection_of_Yeast_Cultures?oldformat=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "National Collection of Yeast Cultures,"</a> Wikipedia (accessed Aug. 29, 2021). <a href="https://www.missinglinck.com/history" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"History of Missing Linck,"</a> Missing Linck Festival (accessed Sep. 3, 2021). <a href="https://www.thegnarlygnome.com/2021/06/missing-linck-festival/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Missing Linck Festival Arrives … Finally!"</a> The Gnarly Gnome, June 4, 2021. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Tim Ellis, who sent <a href="https://www.heritagedaily.com/2020/03/the-passport-of-ramesses-ii/126812" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> this corroborating link</a> (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, <a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_358.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe on <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mdXRpbGl0eWNsb3NldC5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Google Podcasts</a>, on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, or via the RSS feed at <a href="https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss</a>. Please consider <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">becoming a patron of Futility Closet</a> -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the <a href="http://www.futilitycloset.com/support-us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Support Us</a> page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

358-The Radium Girls

The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 is remembered for its destructive intensity and terrible death toll. But the scale of the disaster can mask some remarkable personal stories. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the experiences of some of the survivors, which ranged from the horrific to the surreal. We'll also consider a multilingual pun and puzzle over a deadly reptile. Intro: In the 1600s, a specialized verb described the carving of each dish. The Earls of Leicester kept quiet in Parliament.  An iconic image: The quake toppled a marble statue of Louis Agassiz from its perch on the second floor of Stanford's zoology building. Sources for our feature: Malcolm E. Barker, Three Fearful Days, 1998. Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan-Witts, The San Francisco Earthquake: A Minute-by-Minute Account of the 1906 Disaster, 2014. Louise Chipley Slavicek, The San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906, 2008. Richard Schwartz, Earthquake Exodus, 1906: Berkeley Responds to the San Francisco Refugees, 2005. Gordon Thomas, The San Francisco Earthquake, 1971. Edward F. Dolan, Disaster 1906: The San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, 1967. William Bronson, The Earth Shook, the Sky Burned, 1959. Charles Morris, The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire: As Told by Eyewitnesses, 1906. Alexander Olson, "Writing on Rubble: Dispatches from San Francisco, 1906," KNOW: A Journal on the Formation of Knowledge 3:1 (Spring 2019), 93-121. Susanne Leikam, "The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire," Journal of Transnational American Studies 7:1 (2016). Penny Allan and Martin Bryant, "The Critical Role of Open Space in Earthquake Recovery: A Case Study," EN: Proceedings of the 2010 NZSEE Conference, 2010. Brad T. Aagaard and Gregory C. Beroza,  "The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake a Century Later: Introduction to the Special Section," Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 98:2 (2008), 817-822. Jeffrey L. Arnold,  "The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake: A Centennial Contemplation," Prehospital and Disaster Medicine 21:3 (2006), 133-134. "... and Then the Fire Was Worse Than the Earthquake ...," American History 41:1 (April 2006), 34-35. Andrea Henderson, "The Human Geography of Catastrophe: Family Bonds, Community Ties, and Disaster Relief After the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire," Southern California Quarterly 88:1 (Spring 2006), 37-70. Kristin Schmachtenberg,  "1906 Letter to the San Francisco Health Department," Social Education 70:3 (2006). Laverne Mau Dicker, "The San Francisco Earthquake and Fire: Photographs and Manuscripts From the California Historical Society Library," California History 59:1 (Spring 1980), 34-65. James J. Hudson, "The California National Guard: In the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906," California Historical Quarterly 55:2 (Summer 1976), 137-149. Michael Castleman and Katherine Ellison, "Grace Under Fire," Smithsonian 37:1 (April 2006), 56-60, 64-66. Jack London, "Story of an Eyewitness: The San Francisco Earthquake," Collier's Weekly (May 5, 1906), 107-13. "San Francisco and Its Catastrophe," Scientific American 94:17 (April 28, 1906), 347. Bob Norberg, "A City in Flames," [Santa Rosa, Calif.] Press Democrat, April 13, 2006. "The Ground Shook, a City Fell, and the Lessons Still Resound," New York Times, April 11, 2006. "Eyewitness to History," San Francisco Examiner, April 18, 1996. "The San Francisco Earthquake," [Beechworth, Victoria] Ovens and Murray Advertiser, June 23, 1906. "The Call-Chronicle-Examiner," [Hobart, Tasmania] Mercury, May 30, 1906. "Earthquake at San Francisco," Fitzroy City Press, May 25, 1906. "The San Francisco Earthquake," Singleton [N.S.W.] Argus, April 24, 1906.  "Flames Unchecked; Whole City Doomed," Richmond [Ind.] Palladium, April 20, 1906.  "Beautiful Buildings That Lie in Ruins," New York Times, April 20, 1906.  "The Relief of San Francisco," New York Times, April 20, 1906.  "Over 500 Dead," New York Times, April 19, 1906.  "Disasters Suffered by San Francisco," New York Times, April 19, 1906.  "City of San Francisco Destroyed by Earthquake," Spokane Press, April 18, 1906.  "Loss of Life Is Now Estimated at Thousands," Deseret Evening News, April 18, 1906. San Francisco 1906 Earthquake Marriage Project. Listener mail: "Virginia philology ...," New Orleans Daily Democrat, June 12, 1878.  "Many old English names ...," [Raleigh, N.C.] News and Observer, Sept. 20, 1890 "'Darby' -- Enroughty," Richmond [Va.] Dispatch, Nov. 26, 1902.  "A Virginian of the Old School," Weekly Chillicothe [Mo.] Crisis, Feb. 9, 1882. Leonhard Dingwerth, Grosse und mittlere Hersteller, 2008 Rachael Krishna, "Tumblr Users Have Discovered a Pun Which Works in So Many Languages," BuzzFeed, Feb. 2, 2016.  "The pun that transcends language barriers," r/tumblr (accessed Aug. 28, 2021). This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Michelle Carter. Here are two corroborating links (warning -- these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above,  download this episode directly, or subscribe on  Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

The San Francisco earthquake of 1906 is remembered for its destructive intensity and terrible death toll. But the scale of the disaster can mask some remarkable personal stories. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the experiences of some of the survivors, which ranged from the horrific to the surreal. We'll also consider a multilingual pun and puzzle over a deadly reptile. Intro: In the 1600s, <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2011/11/18/carving-verbs/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a specialized verb described the carving of each dish</a>. <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2011/11/21/the-right-moment/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Earls of Leicester kept quiet in Parliament.</a> An iconic image: The quake toppled a marble statue of Louis Agassiz from its perch on the second floor of Stanford's zoology building. Sources for our feature: Malcolm E. Barker, Three Fearful Days, 1998. Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan-Witts, The San Francisco Earthquake: A Minute-by-Minute Account of the 1906 Disaster, 2014. Louise Chipley Slavicek, The San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906, 2008. Richard Schwartz, Earthquake Exodus, 1906: Berkeley Responds to the San Francisco Refugees, 2005. Gordon Thomas, The San Francisco Earthquake, 1971. Edward F. Dolan, Disaster 1906: The San Francisco Earthquake and Fire, 1967. William Bronson, The Earth Shook, the Sky Burned, 1959. Charles Morris, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=1j0tAAAAYAAJ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire: As Told by Eyewitnesses</a>, 1906. Alexander Olson, "Writing on Rubble: Dispatches from San Francisco, 1906," KNOW: A Journal on the Formation of Knowledge 3:1 (Spring 2019), 93-121. Susanne Leikam, <a href="https://escholarship.org/content/qt0s11w0xw/qt0s11w0xw.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire,"</a> Journal of Transnational American Studies 7:1 (2016). Penny Allan and Martin Bryant, <a href="https://www.nzsee.org.nz/db/2010/Paper34.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Critical Role of Open Space in Earthquake Recovery: A Case Study,"</a> EN: Proceedings of the 2010 NZSEE Conference, 2010. Brad T. Aagaard and Gregory C. Beroza, <a href="https://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.484.8067&amp;rep=rep1&amp;type=pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake a Century Later: Introduction to the Special Section,"</a> Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America 98:2 (2008), 817-822. Jeffrey L. Arnold, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20180726070603id_/https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/A7DF43700B79FC968A3CB2F4EC88F7F3/S1049023X00003563a.pdf/div-class-title-the-1906-san-francisco-earthquake-a-centennial-contemplation-div.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "The 1906 San Francisco Earthquake: A Centennial Contemplation,"</a> Prehospital and Disaster Medicine 21:3 (2006), 133-134. "... and Then the Fire Was Worse Than the Earthquake ...," American History 41:1 (April 2006), 34-35. Andrea Henderson, "The Human Geography of Catastrophe: Family Bonds, Community Ties, and Disaster Relief After the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and Fire," Southern California Quarterly 88:1 (Spring 2006), 37-70. Kristin Schmachtenberg, <a href="https://www.socialstudies.org/system/files/publications/articles/se_7003118.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "1906 Letter to the San Francisco Health Department,"</a> Social Education 70:3 (2006). Laverne Mau Dicker, "The San Francisco Earthquake and Fire: Photographs and Manuscripts From the California Historical Society Library," California History 59:1 (Spring 1980), 34-65. James J. Hudson, "The California National Guard: In the San Francisco Earthquake and Fire of 1906," California Historical Quarterly 55:2 (Summer 1976), 137-149. Michael Castleman and Katherine Ellison, "Grace Under Fire," Smithsonian 37:1 (April 2006), 56-60, 64-66. Jack London, <a href="https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=24206" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Story of an Eyewitness: The San Francisco Earthquake,"</a> Collier's Weekly (May 5, 1906), 107-13. "San Francisco and Its Catastrophe," Scientific American 94:17 (April 28, 1906), 347. Bob Norberg, "A City in Flames," [Santa Rosa, Calif.] Press Democrat, April 13, 2006. "The Ground Shook, a City Fell, and the Lessons Still Resound," New York Times, April 11, 2006. "Eyewitness to History," San Francisco Examiner, April 18, 1996. "The San Francisco Earthquake," [Beechworth, Victoria] Ovens and Murray Advertiser, June 23, 1906. "The Call-Chronicle-Examiner," [Hobart, Tasmania] Mercury, May 30, 1906. "Earthquake at San Francisco," Fitzroy City Press, May 25, 1906. "The San Francisco Earthquake," Singleton [N.S.W.] Argus, April 24, 1906. <a href="https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn82015675/1906-04-20/ed-1/seq-1/#date1=1777&amp;sort=date&amp;rows=20&amp;words=1906" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Flames Unchecked; Whole City Doomed,"</a> Richmond [Ind.] Palladium, April 20, 1906. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1906/04/20/archives/beautiful-buildings-that-lie-in-ruins-structures-famous-the-world.html?searchResultPosition=17" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Beautiful Buildings That Lie in Ruins,"</a> New York Times, April 20, 1906. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1906/04/20/archives/the-relief-of-san-francisco.html?searchResultPosition=9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "The Relief of San Francisco,"</a> New York Times, April 20, 1906. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1906/04/19/archives/over-500-dead-200000000-lost-in-san-francisco-earthquake-nearly.html?searchResultPosition=3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Over 500 Dead,"</a> New York Times, April 19, 1906. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1906/04/19/archives/disasters-suffered-by-san-francisco-city-never-before-damaged-much.html?searchResultPosition=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Disasters Suffered by San Francisco,"</a> New York Times, April 19, 1906. <a href="https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn88085947/1906-04-18/ed-1/seq-1/#date1=1777&amp;sort=date&amp;rows=20&amp;words=1906" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "City of San Francisco Destroyed by Earthquake,"</a> Spokane Press, April 18, 1906. <a href="https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045555/1906-04-18/ed-1/seq-2/#date1=1777&amp;sort=date&amp;rows=20&amp;words=1906" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Loss of Life Is Now Estimated at Thousands,"</a> Deseret Evening News, April 18, 1906. <a href="https://www.sfgenealogy.org/1906/06index.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">San Francisco 1906 Earthquake Marriage Project.</a> Listener mail: <a href="https://www.newspapers.com//image/167690954/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Virginia philology ...,"</a> New Orleans Daily Democrat, June 12, 1878. <a href="https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn84024516/1890-09-20/ed-1/seq-2/#date1=1868&amp;index=0&amp;rows=20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Many old English names ...,"</a> [Raleigh, N.C.] News and Observer, Sept. 20, 1890 <a href="https://www.newspapers.com//image/77848074/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"'Darby' -- Enroughty,"</a> Richmond [Va.] Dispatch, Nov. 26, 1902. <a href="https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn89066350/1882-02-09/ed-1/seq-1/#date1=1868&amp;index=9&amp;rows=20" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "A Virginian of the Old School,"</a> Weekly Chillicothe [Mo.] Crisis, Feb. 9, 1882. Leonhard Dingwerth, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=nwhpagXq2BMC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Grosse und mittlere Hersteller</a>, 2008 Rachael Krishna, <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/krishrach/you-say-gato-i-say-cat" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Tumblr Users Have Discovered a Pun Which Works in So Many Languages,"</a> BuzzFeed, Feb. 2, 2016. <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/tumblr/comments/3sxz3v/the_pun_that_transcends_language_barriers/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "The pun that transcends language barriers,"</a> r/tumblr (accessed Aug. 28, 2021). This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Michelle Carter. Here are two <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_Filair_Let_L-410_crash" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">corroborating</a> <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna39781214" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">links</a> (warning -- these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, <a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_357.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe on <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mdXRpbGl0eWNsb3NldC5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Google Podcasts</a>, on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, or via the RSS feed at <a href="https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss</a>. Please consider <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">becoming a patron of Futility Closet</a> -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the <a href="http://www.futilitycloset.com/support-us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Support Us</a> page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

357-Scenes From an Earthquake

The modern strawberry has a surprisingly dramatic story, involving a French spy in Chile, a perilous ocean voyage, and the unlikely meeting of two botanical expatriates. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the improbable origin of one of the world's most popular fruits. We'll also discuss the answers to some of our queries and puzzle over a radioactive engineer. Intro: Williston Fish bequeathed everything. Philip Cohen invented an English contraction with seven apostrophes.  Sources for our feature on Amédée-François Frézier: Amédée-François Frézier, A Voyage to the South-sea, and Along the Coasts of Chili and Peru, in the Years 1712, 1713, and 1714, 1717. George McMillan Darrow,  The Strawberry: History, Breeding, and Physiology, 1966. James F. Hancock, Strawberries, 2020. R.M. Sharma, Rakesh Yamdagni, A.K. Dubey, and Vikramaditya Pandey, Strawberries: Production, Postharvest Management and Protection, 2019. Amjad M. Husaini and Davide Neri, Strawberry: Growth, Development and Diseases, 2016. Joel S. Denker, The Carrot Purple and Other Curious Stories of the Food We Eat, 2015. Adam Leith Gollner, The Fruit Hunters: A Story of Nature, Adventure, Commerce, and Obsession, 2013. Mary Ellen Snodgrass, World Food: An Encyclopedia of History, Culture and Social Influence From Hunter Gatherers to the Age of Globalization, 2012. Noel Kingsbury, Hybrid: The History and Science of Plant Breeding, 2011. Christopher Stocks, Forgotten Fruits: The Stories Behind Britain's Traditional Fruit and Vegetables, 2009. Stevenson Whitcomb Fletcher, The Strawberry in North America: History, Origin, Botany, and Breeding, 1917. Dominique D.A. Pincot et al., "Social Network Analysis of the Genealogy of Strawberry: Retracing the Wild Roots of Heirloom and Modern Cultivars," G3 11:3 (2021), jkab015. Marina Gambardella, S. Sanchez, and J. Grez,  "Morphological Analysis of Fragaria chiloensis Accessions and Their Relationship as Parents of F.× ananassa Hybrid," Acta Horticulturae 1156, VIII International Strawberry Symposium, April 2017. Chad E. Finn et al.,  "The Chilean Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis): Over 1000 Years of Domestication," HortScience 48.4 (2013), 418-421. Jorge B. Retamales et al.,  "Current Status of the Chilean Native Strawberry and the Research Needs to Convert the Species Into a Commercial Crop," HortScience 40:6 (2005), 1633-1634. J.F. Hancock, A. Lavín, and J.B. Retamales, "Our Southern Strawberry Heritage: Fragaria chiloensis of Chile," HortScience 34:5 (1999), 814-816. James F. Hancock and James J. Luby, "Genetic Resources at Our Doorstep: The Wild Strawberries," BioScience 43:3 (March 1993), 141-147. Wilson Popenoe,  "The Frutilla, or Chilean Strawberry," Journal of Heredity 12:10 (1921), 457-466. Liberty Hyde Bailey, "Whence Came the Cultivated Strawberry," American Naturalist 28:328 (1894), 293-306. Emily Tepe, "A Spy, a Botanist, and a Strawberry," Minnesota Fruit Research, University of Minnesota, June 11, 2019. "How Strawberries Grew Bigger: Plant History," Financial Times, Aug. 30, 2008. Steve Zalusky, "From 'Hayberry' to 'Strawberry': A Look at the History of the Delicious Fruit," [Arlington Heights, Ill.] Daily Herald, June 26, 2005. "The Modern Strawberry Owes Its Discovery to Ironic Incidents," Charleston [W.V] Daily Mail, March 30, 2005. Peter Eisenhauer, "The Berry With a Past," Milwaukee Journal, June 20, 1990. Eve Johnson, "Sweet Quest for Perfection: Juicy Story With Sexy Angle," Vancouver Sun, June 16, 1990. Listener mail:  Thanks to listener Patrick McNeal for sending this 1888 proof of the Pythagorean theorem by Emma Coolidge ("Department of Mathematics," Journal of Education 28:1 [June 28, 1888], 17). The proof is explicated in Robert and Ellen Kaplan's 2011 book Hidden Harmonies: The Lives and Times of the Pythagorean Theorem (pages 103-107). Tony O'Neill,  "Glenade Lake and the Legend of the Dobhar-chú," Underexposed, Dec. 4, 2017. Patrick Tohall, "The Dobhar-Chú Tombstones of Glenade, Co. Leitrim," Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 78:2 (December 1948), 127-129. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Brent Ulbert, who sent these corroborating  links (warning -- these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above,  download this episode directly, or subscribe on  Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

The modern strawberry has a surprisingly dramatic story, involving a French spy in Chile, a perilous ocean voyage, and the unlikely meeting of two botanical expatriates. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the improbable origin of one of the world's most popular fruits. We'll also discuss the answers to some of our queries and puzzle over a radioactive engineer. Intro: <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2011/11/28/a-unique-will/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Williston Fish bequeathed everything.</a> <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2011/11/29/the-less-said/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Philip Cohen invented an English contraction with seven apostrophes.</a> Sources for our feature on Amédée-François Frézier: Amédée-François Frézier, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=B8FCAQAAMAAJ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Voyage to the South-sea, and Along the Coasts of Chili and Peru, in the Years 1712, 1713, and 1714</a>, 1717. George McMillan Darrow, <a href="https://specialcollections.nal.usda.gov/speccoll/collectionsguide/darrow/Darrow_TheStrawberry.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> The Strawberry: History, Breeding, and Physiology</a>, 1966. James F. Hancock, Strawberries, 2020. R.M. Sharma, Rakesh Yamdagni, A.K. Dubey, and Vikramaditya Pandey, Strawberries: Production, Postharvest Management and Protection, 2019. Amjad M. Husaini and Davide Neri, Strawberry: Growth, Development and Diseases, 2016. Joel S. Denker, The Carrot Purple and Other Curious Stories of the Food We Eat, 2015. Adam Leith Gollner, The Fruit Hunters: A Story of Nature, Adventure, Commerce, and Obsession, 2013. Mary Ellen Snodgrass, World Food: An Encyclopedia of History, Culture and Social Influence From Hunter Gatherers to the Age of Globalization, 2012. Noel Kingsbury, Hybrid: The History and Science of Plant Breeding, 2011. Christopher Stocks, Forgotten Fruits: The Stories Behind Britain's Traditional Fruit and Vegetables, 2009. Stevenson Whitcomb Fletcher, The Strawberry in North America: History, Origin, Botany, and Breeding, 1917. Dominique D.A. Pincot et al., <a href="https://academic.oup.com/g3journal/article/11/3/jkab015/6117203" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Social Network Analysis of the Genealogy of Strawberry: Retracing the Wild Roots of Heirloom and Modern Cultivars,"</a> G3 11:3 (2021), jkab015. Marina Gambardella, S. Sanchez, and J. Grez, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Marina-Gambardella/publication/316708847_Morphological_analysis_of_Fragaria_chiloensis_accessions_and_their_relationship_as_parents_of_F_ananassa_hybrid/links/599eea34aca272dff134fa06/Morphological-analysis-of-Fragaria-chiloensis-accessions-and-their-relationship-as-parents-of-F-ananassa-hybrid.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Morphological Analysis of Fragaria chiloensis Accessions and Their Relationship as Parents of F.× ananassa Hybrid,"</a> Acta Horticulturae 1156, VIII International Strawberry Symposium, April 2017. Chad E. Finn et al., <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/257820296_The_Chilean_Strawberry_Fragaria_chiloensis_Over_1000_Years_of_Domestication" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "The Chilean Strawberry (Fragaria chiloensis): Over 1000 Years of Domestication,"</a> HortScience 48.4 (2013), 418-421. Jorge B. Retamales et al., <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/228662596_Current_Status_of_the_Chilean_Native_Strawberry_and_the_Research_Needs_to_Convert_the_Species_into_a_Commercial_Crop" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Current Status of the Chilean Native Strawberry and the Research Needs to Convert the Species Into a Commercial Crop,"</a> HortScience 40:6 (2005), 1633-1634. J.F. Hancock, A. Lavín, and J.B. Retamales, "Our Southern Strawberry Heritage: Fragaria chiloensis of Chile," HortScience 34:5 (1999), 814-816. James F. Hancock and James J. Luby, "Genetic Resources at Our Doorstep: The Wild Strawberries," BioScience 43:3 (March 1993), 141-147. Wilson Popenoe, <a href="https://ia800708.us.archive.org/view_archive.php?archive=/28/items/crossref-pre-1923-scholarly-works/10.1093%252Foxfordjournals.aob.a089774.zip&amp;file=10.1093%252Foxfordjournals.jhered.a102048.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "The Frutilla, or Chilean Strawberry,"</a> Journal of Heredity 12:10 (1921), 457-466. Liberty Hyde Bailey, <a href="https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/pdf/10.1086/275908" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Whence Came the Cultivated Strawberry,"</a> American Naturalist 28:328 (1894), 293-306. Emily Tepe, <a href="https://fruit.umn.edu/spy-botanist-strawberry" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"A Spy, a Botanist, and a Strawberry,"</a> Minnesota Fruit Research, University of Minnesota, June 11, 2019. "How Strawberries Grew Bigger: Plant History," Financial Times, Aug. 30, 2008. Steve Zalusky, "From 'Hayberry' to 'Strawberry': A Look at the History of the Delicious Fruit," [Arlington Heights, Ill.] Daily Herald, June 26, 2005. "The Modern Strawberry Owes Its Discovery to Ironic Incidents," Charleston [W.V] Daily Mail, March 30, 2005. Peter Eisenhauer, "The Berry With a Past," Milwaukee Journal, June 20, 1990. Eve Johnson, "Sweet Quest for Perfection: Juicy Story With Sexy Angle," Vancouver Sun, June 16, 1990. Listener mail: Thanks to listener Patrick McNeal for sending this 1888 proof of the Pythagorean theorem by Emma Coolidge (<a href="https://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifests/view/drs:434664213$17i" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Department of Mathematics,"</a> Journal of Education 28:1 [June 28, 1888], 17). The proof is explicated in Robert and Ellen Kaplan's 2011 book <a href="https://archive.org/details/hiddenharmoniesl0000kapl" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hidden Harmonies: The Lives and Times of the Pythagorean Theorem</a> (pages 103-107). Tony O'Neill, <a href="https://www.tonyoneill.org/2017/04/12/glenade-lake-and-the-legend-of-the-dobhar-chu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Glenade Lake and the Legend of the Dobhar-chú,"</a> Underexposed, Dec. 4, 2017. Patrick Tohall, "The Dobhar-Chú Tombstones of Glenade, Co. Leitrim," Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland 78:2 (December 1948), 127-129. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Brent Ulbert, who sent these <a href="https://www.livescience.com/39546-radon.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">corroborating</a> <a href="https://www.radonillinois.com/the-discovery-of-radon-in-homes-the-story-of-stanley-watras/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> links</a> (warning -- these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, <a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_356.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe on <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mdXRpbGl0eWNsb3NldC5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Google Podcasts</a>, on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, or via the RSS feed at <a href="https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss</a>. Please consider <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">becoming a patron of Futility Closet</a> -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the <a href="http://www.futilitycloset.com/support-us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Support Us</a> page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

356-A Strawberry's Journey

Forgotten stories from the pages of history. Join us for surprising and curious tales from the past and challenge yourself with our lateral thinking puzzles.

I can’t take the lifeless, monotone reading. There’s no inflection or affect at all. This guy manages to make fascinating historical events sound completely uninteresting.

Wanna like it but...

You all are wrong if you think it is bad but at least you said it in a nice way

Love the podcast

Futility Closet

Here are six new lateral thinking puzzles -- play along with us as we try to untangle some perplexing situations using yes-or-no questions. Intro: Ixonia, Wisconsin, was named at random. Ben Franklin harnessed the power of long-term interest to make large gifts to Boston and Philadelphia. The sources for this week's puzzles are below. In two places we've included links to further information -- these contain spoilers, so don't click until you've listened to the episode: Puzzle #1 is from listener Gabriel Bizcarra. Puzzle #2 is adapted from Paul Sloane and Des MacHale's 2014 book Remarkable Lateral Thinking Puzzles. Puzzle #3 is from Greg. Puzzle #4 is from listener Peter Quinn. Puzzle #5 is from Greg. Here are  two  links. Puzzle #6 is from Sharon.  Two  links. You can listen using the player above,  download this episode directly, or subscribe on  Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

Here are six new lateral thinking puzzles -- play along with us as we try to untangle some perplexing situations using yes-or-no questions. Intro: Ixonia, Wisconsin, was <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2013/01/29/good-enough-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">named at random</a>. Ben Franklin <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2013/01/19/a-penny-saved-4/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">harnessed the power of long-term interest</a> to make large gifts to Boston and Philadelphia. The sources for this week's puzzles are below. In two places we've included links to further information -- these contain spoilers, so don't click until you've listened to the episode: Puzzle #1 is from listener Gabriel Bizcarra. Puzzle #2 is adapted from Paul Sloane and Des MacHale's 2014 book Remarkable Lateral Thinking Puzzles. Puzzle #3 is from Greg. Puzzle #4 is from listener Peter Quinn. Puzzle #5 is from Greg. Here are <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/1456587/Two-versions-of-Gauguin-work-on-sale-at-same-time.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> two</a> <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2004/12/14/nyregion/art-gallery-owner-pleads-guilty-in-forgery-found-by-coincidence.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> links</a>. Puzzle #6 is from Sharon. <a href="https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2019/10/15/20915259/lost-wallet-bank-transaction-numbers-twitter" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Two</a> <a href="https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/good-samaritan-tracks-down-owner-of-lost-wallet-by-sending-message-through-1p-online-bank-transfers-a4261626.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> links</a>. You can listen using the player above, <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_278.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe on <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mdXRpbGl0eWNsb3NldC5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Google Podcasts</a>, on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, or via the RSS feed at <a href="https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss</a>. Please consider <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">becoming a patron of Futility Closet</a> -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the <a href="http://www.futilitycloset.com/support-us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Support Us</a> page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

278-Lateral Thinking Puzzles

In 1957, 14 boys from Monterrey, Mexico, walked into Texas to take part in a game of Little League baseball. What followed surprised and inspired two nations. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story of the Monterrey Industrials and their unlikely path into baseball history. We'll also have dinner for one in Germany and puzzle over a deadly stick. Intro: In a poetry contest, Mark Twain offered an entry of undeniable value. Lewis Carroll composed a bewildering puzzle about a pig. Sources for our feature on the Monterrey Industrials: W. William Winokur, The Perfect Game, 2008. Robin Van Auken, The Little League Baseball World Series, 2002. Lance Van Auken, Play Ball!: The Story of Little League Baseball, 2001. Jorge Iber, "Mexico: Baseball's Humble Beginnings to Budding Competitor," in George Gmelch and Daniel A. Nathan, eds., Baseball Beyond Our Borders: An International Pastime, 2017, 75–84. Jim Morrison,  "The Little League World Series' Only Perfect Game," Smithsonian.com, April 5, 2010. Ramona Shelburne, "Giant Steps: A 12-Mile Walk to a Small Texas Town Started a Little League Championship Run for a Team From Monterrey, Mexico. Fifty Years Later, Its Story Is Retold," Los Angeles Daily News, Aug. 26, 2007, S.1. Pablo Jaime Sáinz, "1957 Little League Champions Treated Like Heroes in San Diego," La Prensa San Diego, Nov. 24, 2010, 3. Ben Brigandi,  "Macias Returns to LLWS for Ceremony," Williamsport [Pa.] Sun-Gazette, Aug. 24, 2017. "Reynosa Little Leaguers Inspired by 1957 Mexico Champions," Associated Press, Aug. 26, 2017. Steve Wulf,  "As Williamsport Opened Its Arms to Mexico's Team, Its Players Embraced the Legacy of Their Predecessors From Monterrey," ESPN, Aug 18, 2016.  "Cinderella Club Wins LL Crown," United Press, Aug. 24, 1957. Michael Strauss,  "88-Pounder Hope of Monterrey in Little League Series Today; Angel Macias, Ambidextrous, Is Team's No. 1 Pitcher, Batter and Fielder," New York Times, Aug. 22, 1957.  "Little League World Series Opens With Big-Time Pomp," [Kittanning, Pa.] Simpson's Leader-Times, Aug. 21, 1957, 13. Michael Strauss,  "Macias Hurls Perfect No-Hitter As Monterrey Captures Series," New York Times, Aug. 24, 1957. Elaine Ayala,  "Movie, Book Look Back at 'Perfect' Little League Game," My San Antonio, Sept. 2, 2009. Reed Johnson,  "'The Perfect Game' Dodged Many Curveballs En Route to Big Screen," Los Angeles Times, April 20, 2010.  "Pitcher Has Perfect Game As Taiwan Advances, 18-0," New York Times, Aug. 24, 1979. Edward Wong,  "Baseball: Bronx Team Wins Opener On Almonte's Perfect Game," New York Times, Aug. 19, 2001. David Falkner,  "Boys' Baseball and Men's Memories," New York Times, Aug. 20, 1986. Marshall G. Most and Robert Rudd,  "A Less Than Perfect Game, in a Less Than Perfect Place: The Critical Turn in Baseball Film," Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture, 2011-2012, 180-195. "Inspired by Film, Mexico Wins Little Series," Salt Lake Tribune, Aug. 24, 1997, B.7. "First Perfect Game in 44 Years in Little League World Series: Bronx Pitcher Strikes Out 16 of 18 Batters," Ottawa Citizen, Aug. 19, 2001, B2. "Gómez Inspired by Story Behind 'The Perfect Game': Cuban Actor Saw Similarities Between Role and His Upbringing," [Chicago] Extra, April 28, 2010. Jeffrey Bair, "Little League World Series History Repeats Itself for Mexico With Dramatic, Last-Inning Victory," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Aug. 24, 1997, 18. Nancy Cleeland, "Two Cities That Are ... Going to Town; Monterrey: Exploits of Guadalupe Stir 40-Year-Old Memories of First Team to Wrest Little League World Series Title From U.S.," Los Angeles Times, Aug. 23, 1997, C, 1:5.  "1957 Little League Baseball World Series Champion, Angel Macias, to Be Enshrined Into the Little League Hall of Excellence," Little League, Aug. 4, 2017.  1957 Little League World Series line scores (accessed May 3, 2020). Baseball Reference, "Angel Macias" (accessed May 3, 2020). Listener mail: Jack Ritchie,  "A Square Foot of Texas," Good Housekeeping 148:3 (March 1959), 90-91, 109-114. (Protected under copyright; used by permission of the Jack Ritchie Estate and the Sternig &amp; Byrne Literary Agency.) Wikipedia, "Dinner for One" (accessed May 7, 2020). Stefanie Bolzen,  "Dinner for One: The British Comedy Germans Have Been Laughing at for Years," Guardian, Dec. 30, 2018. Joanna Robertson, "Dinner for One: English Comedy Spices Up German New Year," BBC News, Dec. 30, 2018. Travis M. Andrews,  "This British Comedy Sketch Is a Record-Breaking New Year's Eve Tradition in Germany. No One Knows Why," Washington Post, Jan. 4, 2017. The "Dinner for One" sketch. The "Dinner for One" sketch with the German introduction.  "Hermitage Remains Uninhabited This Year," Radio Salzburg, March 31, 2020 (translated from  the original).  "An AI's Prank Suggestions," Pluralistic, April 2, 2020.  "An AI's Idea of a Prank," AI Weirdness, April 1, 2020. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Miles, who sent this corroborating link (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above,  download this episode directly, or subscribe on  Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

In 1957, 14 boys from Monterrey, Mexico, walked into Texas to take part in a game of Little League baseball. What followed surprised and inspired two nations. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story of the Monterrey Industrials and their unlikely path into baseball history. We'll also have dinner for one in Germany and puzzle over a deadly stick. Intro: In a poetry contest, Mark Twain offered <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/10/07/literary-worth/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">an entry of undeniable value</a>. Lewis Carroll composed <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/12/30/swine-wave/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a bewildering puzzle about a pig</a>. Sources for our feature on the Monterrey Industrials: W. William Winokur, The Perfect Game, 2008. Robin Van Auken, The Little League Baseball World Series, 2002. Lance Van Auken, Play Ball!: The Story of Little League Baseball, 2001. Jorge Iber, "Mexico: Baseball's Humble Beginnings to Budding Competitor," in George Gmelch and Daniel A. Nathan, eds., Baseball Beyond Our Borders: An International Pastime, 2017, 75–84. Jim Morrison, <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-little-league-world-series-only-perfect-game-12835685/?no-ist" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "The Little League World Series' Only Perfect Game,"</a> <a href="http://Smithsonian.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Smithsonian.com</a>, April 5, 2010. Ramona Shelburne, "Giant Steps: A 12-Mile Walk to a Small Texas Town Started a Little League Championship Run for a Team From Monterrey, Mexico. Fifty Years Later, Its Story Is Retold," Los Angeles Daily News, Aug. 26, 2007, S.1. Pablo Jaime Sáinz, "1957 Little League Champions Treated Like Heroes in San Diego," La Prensa San Diego, Nov. 24, 2010, 3. Ben Brigandi, <a href="https://www.sungazette.com/sports/2017/08/macias-returns-to-llws%E2%80%88for-ceremony/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Macias Returns to LLWS for Ceremony,"</a> Williamsport [Pa.] Sun-Gazette, Aug. 24, 2017. <a href="https://apnews.com/18db6d5358814d5db266cfaacec4fb46" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Reynosa Little Leaguers Inspired by 1957 Mexico Champions,"</a> Associated Press, Aug. 26, 2017. Steve Wulf, <a href="https://www.espn.com/moresports/story/_/id/17337253/little-league-world-series-mexico-little-league-world-series-team-embraces-legacy-legendary-little-giants" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "As Williamsport Opened Its Arms to Mexico's Team, Its Players Embraced the Legacy of Their Predecessors From Monterrey,"</a> ESPN, Aug 18, 2016. <a href="https://cdnc.ucr.edu/?a=d&amp;d=MT19570824.2.86&amp;e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Cinderella Club Wins LL Crown,"</a> United Press, Aug. 24, 1957. Michael Strauss, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1957/08/22/archives/88pounder-hope-of-monterrey-in-little-league-series-today-angel.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "88-Pounder Hope of Monterrey in Little League Series Today; Angel Macias, Ambidextrous, Is Team's No. 1 Pitcher, Batter and Fielder,"</a> New York Times, Aug. 22, 1957. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23059970/little-league-world-series-opens-with/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Little League World Series Opens With Big-Time Pomp,"</a> [Kittanning, Pa.] Simpson's Leader-Times, Aug. 21, 1957, 13. Michael Strauss, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1957/08/24/archives/macias-hurls-perfect-nohitter-as-monterrey-captures-series.html?searchResultPosition=5" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Macias Hurls Perfect No-Hitter As Monterrey Captures Series,"</a> New York Times, Aug. 24, 1957. Elaine Ayala, <a href="https://www.mysanantonio.com/news/local_news/article/Movie-book-look-back-at-perfect-Little-League-845977.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Movie, Book Look Back at 'Perfect' Little League Game,"</a> My San Antonio, Sept. 2, 2009. Reed Johnson, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-apr-20-la-et-game-20100420-story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "'The Perfect Game' Dodged Many Curveballs En Route to Big Screen,"</a> Los Angeles Times, April 20, 2010. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1979/08/24/archives/pitcher-has-perfect-game-as-taiwan-advances-180.html?searchResultPosition=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Pitcher Has Perfect Game As Taiwan Advances, 18-0,"</a> New York Times, Aug. 24, 1979. Edward Wong, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2001/08/19/sports/baseball-bronx-team-wins-opener-on-almonte-s-perfect-game.html?searchResultPosition=3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Baseball: Bronx Team Wins Opener On Almonte's Perfect Game,"</a> New York Times, Aug. 19, 2001. David Falkner, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1986/08/20/sports/boys-baseball-and-men-s-memories.html?searchResultPosition=4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Boys' Baseball and Men's Memories,"</a> New York Times, Aug. 20, 1986. Marshall G. Most and Robert Rudd, <a href="https://scholarworks.boisestate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1084&amp;context=communication_facpubs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "A Less Than Perfect Game, in a Less Than Perfect Place: The Critical Turn in Baseball Film,"</a> Cooperstown Symposium on Baseball and American Culture, 2011-2012, 180-195. "Inspired by Film, Mexico Wins Little Series," Salt Lake Tribune, Aug. 24, 1997, B.7. "First Perfect Game in 44 Years in Little League World Series: Bronx Pitcher Strikes Out 16 of 18 Batters," Ottawa Citizen, Aug. 19, 2001, B2. "Gómez Inspired by Story Behind 'The Perfect Game': Cuban Actor Saw Similarities Between Role and His Upbringing," [Chicago] Extra, April 28, 2010. Jeffrey Bair, "Little League World Series History Repeats Itself for Mexico With Dramatic, Last-Inning Victory," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Aug. 24, 1997, 18. Nancy Cleeland, "Two Cities That Are ... Going to Town; Monterrey: Exploits of Guadalupe Stir 40-Year-Old Memories of First Team to Wrest Little League World Series Title From U.S.," Los Angeles Times, Aug. 23, 1997, C, 1:5. <a href="https://www.littleleague.org/news/1957-little-league-baseball-world-series-champion-angel-macias-enshrined-little-league-hall-excellence/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "1957 Little League Baseball World Series Champion, Angel Macias, to Be Enshrined Into the Little League Hall of Excellence,"</a> Little League, Aug. 4, 2017. <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100728104149/http://www.littleleague.org/series/history/scores/1957line.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> 1957 Little League World Series line scores</a> (accessed May 3, 2020). Baseball Reference, <a href="https://www.baseball-reference.com/bullpen/Angel_Macias" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Angel Macias"</a> (accessed May 3, 2020). Listener mail: Jack Ritchie, <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2020-05-18-podcast-episode-296-ritchie.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "A Square Foot of Texas,"</a> Good Housekeeping 148:3 (March 1959), 90-91, 109-114. (Protected under copyright; used by permission of the Jack Ritchie Estate and the Sternig &amp; Byrne Literary Agency.) Wikipedia, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dinner_for_One" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Dinner for One"</a> (accessed May 7, 2020). Stefanie Bolzen, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2018/dec/30/dinner-for-one-german-television-new-years-eve" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Dinner for One: The British Comedy Germans Have Been Laughing at for Years,"</a> Guardian, Dec. 30, 2018. Joanna Robertson, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-46620852" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Dinner for One: English Comedy Spices Up German New Year,"</a> BBC News, Dec. 30, 2018. Travis M. Andrews, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2017/01/04/the-most-popular-comedy-sketch-youve-never-heard-of/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "This British Comedy Sketch Is a Record-Breaking New Year's Eve Tradition in Germany. No One Knows Why,"</a> Washington Post, Jan. 4, 2017. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b1v4BYV-YvA&amp;t=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The "Dinner for One" sketch.</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVd_VLO9xcc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The "Dinner for One" sketch with the German introduction.</a> <a href="https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=de&amp;tl=en&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fsalzburg.orf.at%2Fstories%2F3041858%2F" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Hermitage Remains Uninhabited This Year,"</a> Radio Salzburg, March 31, 2020 (translated from <a href="https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?hl=&amp;sl=de&amp;tl=en&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fsalzburg.orf.at%2Fstories%2F3041858%2F&amp;anno=2&amp;sandbox=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> the original</a>). <a href="https://pluralistic.net/2020/04/02/eff-livestream-today/#janelle-shane" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "An AI's Prank Suggestions,"</a> Pluralistic, April 2, 2020. <a href="https://aiweirdness.com/post/614209593176899584/an-ais-idea-of-a-prank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "An AI's Idea of a Prank,"</a> AI Weirdness, April 1, 2020. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Miles, who sent <a href="https://twitter.com/tshieber/status/944272347510558722?s=17" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this corroborating link</a> (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, <a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_296.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe on <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mdXRpbGl0eWNsb3NldC5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Google Podcasts</a>, on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, or via the RSS feed at <a href="https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss</a>. Please consider <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">becoming a patron of Futility Closet</a> -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the <a href="http://www.futilitycloset.com/support-us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Support Us</a> page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

296-The Little Giants

In 1896, Norwegian immigrant Helga Estby faced the foreclosure of her family's Washington farm. To pay the debt she accepted a wager to walk across the United States within seven months. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow her daring bid to win the prize, and its surprising consequence. We'll also toast Edgar Allan Poe and puzzle over a perplexing train. Intro: The Dutch and French words for kidney are reversals of one another. In Japan, Douglas Adams encountered a new conception of persistence. Sources for our feature on Helga Estby: Linda Lawrence Hunt, Bold Spirit: Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America, 2007. Margaret Riddle, "Estby, Helga (1860-1942)," HistoryLink, Sept. 23, 2011. Stefanie Pettit, "Helga Estby a Walking Tale," Spokesman Review, July 9, 2015, S.8. Pia Hallenberg Christensen, "Cross-Country Walk Inspires Women," [Spokane, Wash.] Spokesman Review, May 3, 2008, B.1. Chris Rodkey, "Women Get No Mileage From Cross-Country Trek," Los Angeles Times, July 13, 2003, A.27. Linda Duval, "The Forgotten Walk: Helga Estby's Hike Across America," [Colorado Springs, Colo.] Gazette, June 8, 2003, LIFE1. Dan Webster, "A Feat Nearly Forgotten," [Spokane, Wash.] Spokesman Review, April 27, 2003, F1.  "Mrs. Helga Estby," Spokane Daily Chronicle, April 21, 1942.  "A $10,000 Walk," Saint Paul Globe, June 2, 1897, 3.  "From Spokane to New York," San Francisco Call 79:157 (May 5, 1896), 4. Listener mail: Ian Duncan,  "New Poe Toaster Takes Up a Baltimore Tradition," Baltimore Sun, Jan. 17, 2016. Keith Perry,  "New Spate of Attacks by Sleeping Gas Gang, Caravanners Warned," Telegraph, Sept. 1, 2014. Joel Gunter, "Jenson Button Robbery: Are French Burglars Really Using Has?", BBC News, Aug. 7, 2015. Sarah Hilley,  "Holiday Couple Gassed and Robbed," Swindon Advertiser, Aug. 15, 2007.  "Gassed When Wild Camping," Motor Home Fun, March 31, 2009.  "Travelling In France - Warning," Caravan Talk, Aug. 16, 2007. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Colin Sommers, who sent this corroborating link (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above,  download this episode directly, or subscribe on  Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

In 1896, Norwegian immigrant Helga Estby faced the foreclosure of her family's Washington farm. To pay the debt she accepted a wager to walk across the United States within seven months. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow her daring bid to win the prize, and its surprising consequence. We'll also toast Edgar Allan Poe and puzzle over a perplexing train. Intro: The Dutch and French words for kidney are <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/12/05/symmetry/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">reversals of one another</a>. In Japan, Douglas Adams encountered <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/12/01/edifice-complex/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a new conception of persistence</a>. Sources for our feature on Helga Estby: Linda Lawrence Hunt, Bold Spirit: Helga Estby's Forgotten Walk Across Victorian America, 2007. Margaret Riddle, <a href="https://www.historylink.org/File/9926" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Estby, Helga (1860-1942),"</a> HistoryLink, Sept. 23, 2011. Stefanie Pettit, "Helga Estby a Walking Tale," Spokesman Review, July 9, 2015, S.8. Pia Hallenberg Christensen, "Cross-Country Walk Inspires Women," [Spokane, Wash.] Spokesman Review, May 3, 2008, B.1. Chris Rodkey, "Women Get No Mileage From Cross-Country Trek," Los Angeles Times, July 13, 2003, A.27. Linda Duval, "The Forgotten Walk: Helga Estby's Hike Across America," [Colorado Springs, Colo.] Gazette, June 8, 2003, LIFE1. Dan Webster, "A Feat Nearly Forgotten," [Spokane, Wash.] Spokesman Review, April 27, 2003, F1. <a href="https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1338&amp;dat=19420421&amp;id=B9dXAAAAIBAJ&amp;sjid=UfUDAAAAIBAJ&amp;pg=4216,4827675&amp;hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Mrs. Helga Estby,"</a> Spokane Daily Chronicle, April 21, 1942. <a href="https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn90059523/1897-06-02/ed-1/seq-3/#date1=1789&amp;index=0&amp;rows=20&amp;words=Estby+Helga&amp;searchType=basic&amp;sequence=0&amp;state=&amp;date2=1963&amp;proxtext=%22Helga+Estby%22&amp;y=0&amp;x=0&amp;dateFilterType=yearRange&amp;page=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "A $10,000 Walk,"</a> Saint Paul Globe, June 2, 1897, 3. <a href="https://cdnc.ucr.edu/cgi-bin/cdnc?a=d&amp;d=SFC18960505.2.39&amp;e=-------en--20--1--txt-txIN--------1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "From Spokane to New York,"</a> San Francisco Call 79:157 (May 5, 1896), 4. Listener mail: Ian Duncan, <a href="https://www.baltimoresun.com/maryland/baltimore-city/bs-md-ci-new-poe-toaster-20160116-story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "New Poe Toaster Takes Up a Baltimore Tradition,"</a> Baltimore Sun, Jan. 17, 2016. Keith Perry, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/11068184/New-spate-of-attacks-by-sleeping-gas-gang-caravanners-warned.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "New Spate of Attacks by Sleeping Gas Gang, Caravanners Warned,"</a> Telegraph, Sept. 1, 2014. Joel Gunter, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-33821661" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Jenson Button Robbery: Are French Burglars Really Using Has?"</a>, BBC News, Aug. 7, 2015. Sarah Hilley, <a href="https://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/1620809.holiday-couple-gassed-and-robbed/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Holiday Couple Gassed and Robbed,"</a> Swindon Advertiser, Aug. 15, 2007. <a href="https://www.motorhomefun.co.uk/forum/threads/gassed-when-wild-camping.11223/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Gassed When Wild Camping,"</a> Motor Home Fun, March 31, 2009. <a href="https://www.caravantalk.co.uk/community/topic/14926-travelling-in-france-warning/?tab=comments#comment-123093" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Travelling In France - Warning,"</a> Caravan Talk, Aug. 16, 2007. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Colin Sommers, who sent <a href="https://www.nasa.gov/missions/shuttle/f_slowtrain.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this corroborating link</a> (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_282.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe on <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mdXRpbGl0eWNsb3NldC5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Google Podcasts</a>, on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, or via the RSS feed at <a href="https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss</a>. Please consider <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">becoming a patron of Futility Closet</a> -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the <a href="http://www.futilitycloset.com/support-us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Support Us</a> page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

282-Helga Estby's Walk

In 1932, Yorkshireman Maurice Wilson chose a startling way to promote his mystical beliefs: He would fly to Mount Everest and climb it alone. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow Wilson's misguided adventure, which one writer called "the most incredible story in all the eventful history of Mount Everest." Well also explore an enigmatic musician and puzzle over a mighty cola. Intro: The Sanskrit epic poem Shishupala Vadha contains a palindrome that can be read in any of four directions. Type designer Matthew Carter offered a typeface for public buildings that comes with its own graffiti. Sources for our feature on Maurice Wilson: Dennis Roberts, I'll Climb Mount Everest Alone: The Story of Maurice Wilson, 2013. Scott Ellsworth, The World Beneath Their Feet: Mountaineering, Madness, and the Deadly Race to Summit the Himalayas, 2020. Geoff Powter, Strange and Dangerous Dreams: The Fine Line Between Adventure and Madness, 2006. Sherry B. Ortner, Life and Death on Mt. Everest: Sherpas and Himalayan Mountaineering, 2001. Maurice Isserman, Stewart Angas Weaver, and Dee Molenaar, Fallen Giants: A History of Himalayan Mountaineering From the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes, 2010. Conrad Anker, The Call of Everest: The History, Science, and Future of the World's Tallest Peak, 2013. Jon Krakauer, Into Thin Air, 1998. Eric Shipton, Upon That Mountain, 1943. Martin Gutmann, "Wing and a Prayer," Climbing, Dec. 6, 2010. Robert M. Kaplan,  "Maurice Wilson’s Everest Quest," Quadrant, June 18, 2016. T.S. Blakeney,  "Maurice Wilson and Everest, 1934," Alpine Journal 70 (1965), 269-272. John Cottrell, "The Madman of Everest," Sports Illustrated, April 30, 1973. Audrey Salkeld, "The Struggle for Everest," Climbing 188 (Sept. 15, 1999), 108-116. Colin Wells, "Everest the Mad Way," Climbing 224 (Sept. 15, 2003), 40-44. Troy Lennon, "Deadly Lure of Being on Top of the World," [Surry Hills, N.S.W.] Daily Telegraph, May 26, 2006, 74. Ed Douglas, "Rivals Race to Solve Everest Body Mystery," Guardian, May 15, 2004. Graham Hoyland, "The Complete Guide to: Mount Everest," Independent, May 10, 2003. Nick Ravo,  "Charles Warren, 92; Introduced Top Sherpa to Everest Climbers," New York Times, May 3, 1999. Eric E. Shipton,  "Body of Climber Found on Everest," New York Times, March 23, 1936.  "Perishes in Effort to Scale Everest," [Hendersonville, N.C.] Times-News, July 27, 1934, 4.  "Briton Perishes High on Everest," New York Times, July 20, 1934.  "The Eccentric Everest Adventurer," Inside Out, BBC One, Sept. 24, 2014. Listener mail: Wikipedia, "Sixto Rodriguez" (accessed April 27, 2020). David Malitz,  "'Searching for Sugar Man' Documentary Rediscovers Musician Sixto Rodriguez," Washington Post, July 26, 2012. Alexis Petridis, "The Singer Who Came Back From the Dead," Guardian, Oct. 6, 2005. Greg Myre,  "In Tragic Twist to Poignant Tale, Oscar-Winning Director Commits Suicide," Parallels, National Public Radio, May 14, 2014. Geoffrey Macnab,  "Searching for Sugar Man (12A)," Independent, July 27, 2012. Wikipedia, "Franz von Werra" (accessed April 29, 2020). Luis Rees-Hughes et al.,  "Multi-Disciplinary Investigations at PoW Camp 198, Bridgend, S. Wales: Site of a Mass Escape in March 1945," Journal of Conflict Archaeology 11:2-3 (2016), 166-191.  "Story of German POW to Escape Captivity in Britain Disclosed After 94 Years," Telegraph, Feb. 11, 2011. David J. Carter,  "Prisoner of War Camps in Canada," Canadian Encyclopedia, June 17, 2015. Robin Quinn,  Hitler's Last Army: German POWs in Britain, 2015. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Paul Heitkemper, who sent  this corroborating link (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above,  download this episode directly, or subscribe on  Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

In 1932, Yorkshireman Maurice Wilson chose a startling way to promote his mystical beliefs: He would fly to Mount Everest and climb it alone. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow Wilson's misguided adventure, which one writer called "the most incredible story in all the eventful history of Mount Everest." Well also explore an enigmatic musician and puzzle over a mighty cola. Intro: The Sanskrit epic poem Shishupala Vadha contains a palindrome that can be read <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2015/09/20/ancient-wordplay/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">in any of four directions</a>. Type designer Matthew Carter offered a typeface for public buildings that <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2015/09/22/no-waiting-3/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">comes with its own graffiti</a>. Sources for our feature on Maurice Wilson: Dennis Roberts, I'll Climb Mount Everest Alone: The Story of Maurice Wilson, 2013. Scott Ellsworth, The World Beneath Their Feet: Mountaineering, Madness, and the Deadly Race to Summit the Himalayas, 2020. Geoff Powter, Strange and Dangerous Dreams: The Fine Line Between Adventure and Madness, 2006. Sherry B. Ortner, Life and Death on Mt. Everest: Sherpas and Himalayan Mountaineering, 2001. Maurice Isserman, Stewart Angas Weaver, and Dee Molenaar, Fallen Giants: A History of Himalayan Mountaineering From the Age of Empire to the Age of Extremes, 2010. Conrad Anker, The Call of Everest: The History, Science, and Future of the World's Tallest Peak, 2013. Jon Krakauer, Into Thin Air, 1998. Eric Shipton, Upon That Mountain, 1943. Martin Gutmann, <a href="https://www.climbing.com/news/wing-and-a-prayer/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Wing and a Prayer,"</a> Climbing, Dec. 6, 2010. Robert M. Kaplan, <a href="https://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2016/06/maurice-wilson-everests-everlasting-amateur/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Maurice Wilson’s Everest Quest,"</a> Quadrant, June 18, 2016. T.S. Blakeney, <a href="https://www.alpinejournal.org.uk/Contents/Contents_1965_files/AJ%201965%20269-274%20Blakeney%20Maurice%20Wilson.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Maurice Wilson and Everest, 1934,"</a> Alpine Journal 70 (1965), 269-272. John Cottrell, <a href="https://vault.si.com/vault/1973/04/30/the-madman-of-everest" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Madman of Everest,"</a> Sports Illustrated, April 30, 1973. Audrey Salkeld, "The Struggle for Everest," Climbing 188 (Sept. 15, 1999), 108-116. Colin Wells, "Everest the Mad Way," Climbing 224 (Sept. 15, 2003), 40-44. Troy Lennon, "Deadly Lure of Being on Top of the World," [Surry Hills, N.S.W.] Daily Telegraph, May 26, 2006, 74. Ed Douglas, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/may/16/everest.nepal" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Rivals Race to Solve Everest Body Mystery,"</a> Guardian, May 15, 2004. Graham Hoyland, "The Complete Guide to: Mount Everest," Independent, May 10, 2003. Nick Ravo, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1999/05/03/world/charles-warren-92-introduced-top-sherpa-to-everest-climbers.html?searchResultPosition=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Charles Warren, 92; Introduced Top Sherpa to Everest Climbers,"</a> New York Times, May 3, 1999. Eric E. Shipton, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1936/03/23/archives/body-of-climber-found-on-everest-maurice-wilson-perished-in-1934-in.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Body of Climber Found on Everest,"</a> New York Times, March 23, 1936. <a href="https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn86063811/1934-07-27/ed-1/seq-4/#date1=1789" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Perishes in Effort to Scale Everest,"</a> [Hendersonville, N.C.] Times-News, July 27, 1934, 4. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1934/07/20/archives/briton-perishes-high-on-everest-making-forbidden-ascent-alone.html?searchResultPosition=3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Briton Perishes High on Everest,"</a> New York Times, July 20, 1934. <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/insideout/yorkslincs/series3/everest_mountaineering_climb_maurice_wilson.shtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "The Eccentric Everest Adventurer,"</a> Inside Out, BBC One, Sept. 24, 2014. Listener mail: Wikipedia, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sixto_Rodriguez" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Sixto Rodriguez"</a> (accessed April 27, 2020). David Malitz, <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/searching-for-sugar-man-documentary-rediscovers-musician-sixto-rodriguez/2012/07/25/gJQAUS8VBX_story.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "'Searching for Sugar Man' Documentary Rediscovers Musician Sixto Rodriguez,"</a> Washington Post, July 26, 2012. Alexis Petridis, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/music/2005/oct/07/popandrock1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Singer Who Came Back From the Dead,"</a> Guardian, Oct. 6, 2005. Greg Myre, <a href="https://www.npr.org/sections/parallels/2014/05/14/312455705/in-a-new-twist-to-a-poignant-tale-oscar-winning-director-found-dead" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "In Tragic Twist to Poignant Tale, Oscar-Winning Director Commits Suicide,"</a> Parallels, National Public Radio, May 14, 2014. Geoffrey Macnab, <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/films/reviews/searching-for-sugar-man-12a-7979636.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Searching for Sugar Man (12A),"</a> Independent, July 27, 2012. Wikipedia, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franz_von_Werra?oldformat=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Franz von Werra"</a> (accessed April 29, 2020). Luis Rees-Hughes et al., <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/15740773.2017.1357900" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Multi-Disciplinary Investigations at PoW Camp 198, Bridgend, S. Wales: Site of a Mass Escape in March 1945,"</a> Journal of Conflict Archaeology 11:2-3 (2016), 166-191. <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/history/britain-at-war/8317792/Story-of-German-PoW-to-escape-captivity-in-Britain-disclosed-after-94-years.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Story of German POW to Escape Captivity in Britain Disclosed After 94 Years,"</a> Telegraph, Feb. 11, 2011. David J. Carter, <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/prisoner-of-war-camps-in-canada" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Prisoner of War Camps in Canada,"</a> Canadian Encyclopedia, June 17, 2015. Robin Quinn, <a href="https://www.google.com/books/edition/_/k8YTDQAAQBAJ?hl=en&amp;gbpv=1&amp;bsq=reich" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Hitler's Last Army: German POWs in Britain</a>, 2015. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Paul Heitkemper, who sent <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-pepsi-briefly-became-the-6th-largest-military-in-the-world-2018-7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> this corroborating link</a> (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_295.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe on <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mdXRpbGl0eWNsb3NldC5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Google Podcasts</a>, on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, or via the RSS feed at <a href="https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss</a>. Please consider <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">becoming a patron of Futility Closet</a> -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the <a href="http://www.futilitycloset.com/support-us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Support Us</a> page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

295-An Unlikely Attempt on Everest

When Maria Marten disappeared from the English village of Polstead in 1827, her lover said that they had married and were living on the Isle of Wight. But Maria's stepmother began having disturbing dreams that hinted at a much grimmer fate. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story of the Red Barn, which transfixed Britain in the early 19th century. We'll also encounter an unfortunate copycat and puzzle over some curious births. Intro: In 1859, a penurious Henry Thoreau donated $5 to a college library. Georges Perec rendered "Ozymandias" without the letter E. Sources for our feature on the Red Barn: James Curtis, The Murder of Maria Marten, 1828. Shane McCorristine, William Corder and the Red Barn Murder: Journeys of the Criminal Body, 2014. Lucy Worsley, The Art of the English Murder: From Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes to Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock, 2014. James Moore, Murder at the Inn: A History of Crime in Britain's Pubs and Hotels, 2015. Colin Wilson, A Casebook of Murder, 2015. Maryrose Cuskelly, Original Skin: Exploring the Marvels of the Human Hide, 2011. Henry Vizetelly, The Romance of Crime, 1860. "Trial of William Corder for the Murder of Maria Marten," Annual Register, 1828, 337-349. James Redding Ware, Wonderful Dreams of Remarkable Men and Women, 1884. Jessie Dobson,  "The College Criminals: 4. William Corder," Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England 11:4 (1952), 249. Richard Grady,  "Personal Identity Established by the Teeth; the Dentist a Scientific Expert," American Journal of Dental Science 17:9 (1884), 385. Harry Cocks, "The Pre-History of Print and Online Dating, c. 1690-1990," in I. Alev Degim, James Johnson, and Tao Fu, Online Courtship: Interpersonal Interactions Across Borders, 2015. Sarah Tarlow, "Curious Afterlives: The Enduring Appeal of the Criminal Corpse," Mortality 21:3 (2016), 210–228. Ruth Penfold-Mounce, "Consuming Criminal Corpses: Fascination With the Dead Criminal Body," Mortality 15:3 (August 2010), 250-265. "The Trial of William Corder, for the Wilful Murder of Maria Marten, Etc.," 1828. "The Trial, at Length, of William Corder, Convicted of the Murder of Maria Marten," 1828. "An Accurate Account of the Trial of William Corder for the Murder of Maria Marten," 1828. "The Trial of William Corder at the Assizes, Bury St. Edmunds," 1828. "Dream Testimony," Notes &amp; Queries 52, Dec. 27, 1856. Paul Collins, "The Molecatcher's Daughter," Independent on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2006, 20. Peter Watson, "Alternatives: Natural Barn Killer," Guardian, Feb. 19, 1995, 23. Jonathan Kay, "Lessons From a Molecatcher's Daughter," National Post, Jan. 9, 2007, A17. Michael Horsnell, "Red Barn Murderer Finally Laid to Rest," Times, Aug. 18, 2004, 10. Max Haines, "The Red Barn Murder," Sudbury [Ontario] Star, Aug. 16, 2003, D.11. Maryrose Cuskelly, "Of Human Bondage," Australian, June 3, 2009, 18. "Gruesome Murder Still Has the Power to Fascinate," East Anglian Daily Times, Oct. 28, 2013. "True Crime From the 1820s: Shades of Capote," Weekend Edition Saturday, National Public Radio, Oct. 28, 2006. Colin Wilson, "A Murder Mystery: Why Do Some Killings Dominate the Headlines?", Times, Jan. 28, 2006, 25. Pamela Owen, "The Day Murder Became a National Obsession," The People, Sept. 22, 2013, 34. Stephanie Markinson, "Dark History," Yorkshire Post, Jan. 10, 2020, 7.  "Collection Articles: The Trial, at Length, of William Corder, Convicted of the Murder of Maria Marten," British Library (accessed Feb. 2, 2020). Alsager Richard Vian, "Corder, William," Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Vol. 12. Alsager Vian, "Corder, William," Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Sept. 23, 2004. Listener mail: Malcolm Gladwell,  "Safety in the Skies," Gladwell.com, Oct. 1, 2001. Hugh Morris,  "The Strangest Stories From the Golden Age of Plane Hijacking," Telegraph, July 5, 2019. Thom Patterson,  "How the Era of 'Skyjackings' Changed the Way We Fly," CNN, Oct. 2, 2017.  "Three Cheeseburgers and a Rental Car," Fear of Landing, July 26, 2019. Wikipedia, "D. B. Cooper" (accessed Feb. 4, 2020). Joni Balter,  "Attorney: Hijacker Couldn't Hurt Anyone," UPI, Jan. 21, 1983.  "Man Killed in Attempted Hijacking on Coast," UPI, Jan. 21, 1983. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by both Ronald Gainey and Chris Zinsli, based on an item they heard on the podcast 99% Invisible. Here are  four additional  corroborating  links (warning -- these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above,  download this episode directly, or subscribe on  Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

When Maria Marten disappeared from the English village of Polstead in 1827, her lover said that they had married and were living on the Isle of Wight. But Maria's stepmother began having disturbing dreams that hinted at a much grimmer fate. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story of the Red Barn, which transfixed Britain in the early 19th century. We'll also encounter an unfortunate copycat and puzzle over some curious births. Intro: In 1859, a penurious Henry Thoreau <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/12/01/priorities-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">donated $5 to a college library</a>. Georges Perec rendered "Ozymandias" <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/12/22/ozymandias-without-es/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">without the letter E</a>. Sources for our feature on the Red Barn: James Curtis, The Murder of Maria Marten, 1828. Shane McCorristine, William Corder and the Red Barn Murder: Journeys of the Criminal Body, 2014. Lucy Worsley, The Art of the English Murder: From Jack the Ripper and Sherlock Holmes to Agatha Christie and Alfred Hitchcock, 2014. James Moore, Murder at the Inn: A History of Crime in Britain's Pubs and Hotels, 2015. Colin Wilson, A Casebook of Murder, 2015. Maryrose Cuskelly, Original Skin: Exploring the Marvels of the Human Hide, 2011. Henry Vizetelly, The Romance of Crime, 1860. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=vyoC1-IOyW0C&amp;pg=337" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Trial of William Corder for the Murder of Maria Marten,"</a> Annual Register, 1828, 337-349. James Redding Ware, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=vRoHAAAAQAAJ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wonderful Dreams of Remarkable Men and Women</a>, 1884. Jessie Dobson, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2377557/pdf/annrcse00269-0049.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "The College Criminals: 4. William Corder,"</a> Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England 11:4 (1952), 249. Richard Grady, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6043188/pdf/amjdentsci81143-0001.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Personal Identity Established by the Teeth; the Dentist a Scientific Expert,"</a> American Journal of Dental Science 17:9 (1884), 385. Harry Cocks, "The Pre-History of Print and Online Dating, c. 1690-1990," in I. Alev Degim, James Johnson, and Tao Fu, Online Courtship: Interpersonal Interactions Across Borders, 2015. Sarah Tarlow, "Curious Afterlives: The Enduring Appeal of the Criminal Corpse," Mortality 21:3 (2016), 210–228. Ruth Penfold-Mounce, "Consuming Criminal Corpses: Fascination With the Dead Criminal Body," Mortality 15:3 (August 2010), 250-265. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=HhxXAAAAcAAJ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Trial of William Corder, for the Wilful Murder of Maria Marten, Etc.,"</a> 1828. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=shBcAAAAQAAJ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Trial, at Length, of William Corder, Convicted of the Murder of Maria Marten,"</a> 1828. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=cUDw7ut9RK4C" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"An Accurate Account of the Trial of William Corder for the Murder of Maria Marten,"</a> 1828. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=iLVgAAAAcAAJ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Trial of William Corder at the Assizes, Bury St. Edmunds,"</a> 1828. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=VaVDAQAAMAAJ&amp;pg=PA515" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Dream Testimony,"</a> Notes &amp; Queries 52, Dec. 27, 1856. Paul Collins, "The Molecatcher's Daughter," Independent on Sunday, Nov. 26, 2006, 20. Peter Watson, "Alternatives: Natural Barn Killer," Guardian, Feb. 19, 1995, 23. Jonathan Kay, "Lessons From a Molecatcher's Daughter," National Post, Jan. 9, 2007, A17. Michael Horsnell, "Red Barn Murderer Finally Laid to Rest," Times, Aug. 18, 2004, 10. Max Haines, "The Red Barn Murder," Sudbury [Ontario] Star, Aug. 16, 2003, D.11. Maryrose Cuskelly, "Of Human Bondage," Australian, June 3, 2009, 18. "Gruesome Murder Still Has the Power to Fascinate," East Anglian Daily Times, Oct. 28, 2013. "True Crime From the 1820s: Shades of Capote," Weekend Edition Saturday, National Public Radio, Oct. 28, 2006. Colin Wilson, "A Murder Mystery: Why Do Some Killings Dominate the Headlines?", Times, Jan. 28, 2006, 25. Pamela Owen, "The Day Murder Became a National Obsession," The People, Sept. 22, 2013, 34. Stephanie Markinson, "Dark History," Yorkshire Post, Jan. 10, 2020, 7. <a href="https://www.bl.uk/collection-items/the-trial-at-length-of-william-corder-convicted-of-the-murder-of-maria-marten" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Collection Articles: The Trial, at Length, of William Corder, Convicted of the Murder of Maria Marten,"</a> British Library (accessed Feb. 2, 2020). Alsager Richard Vian, <a href="https://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Corder,_William_(DNB00)" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Corder, William,"</a> Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900, Vol. 12. Alsager Vian, "Corder, William," Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Sept. 23, 2004. Listener mail: Malcolm Gladwell, <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20141218130651/http://gladwell.com/safety-in-the-skies/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Safety in the Skies,"</a> <a href="http://Gladwell.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gladwell.com</a>, Oct. 1, 2001. Hugh Morris, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/travel-truths/golden-age-of-hijacking/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "The Strangest Stories From the Golden Age of Plane Hijacking,"</a> Telegraph, July 5, 2019. Thom Patterson, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2017/08/02/us/us-airline-hijackings-1970s-declassified/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "How the Era of 'Skyjackings' Changed the Way We Fly,"</a> CNN, Oct. 2, 2017. <a href="https://fearoflanding.com/accidents/three-cheeseburgers-and-a-rental-car/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Three Cheeseburgers and a Rental Car,"</a> Fear of Landing, July 26, 2019. Wikipedia, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/D._B._Cooper?oldformat=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"D. B. Cooper"</a> (accessed Feb. 4, 2020). Joni Balter, <a href="https://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/01/21/Attorney-Hijacker-couldnt-hurt-anyone/5733411973200/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Attorney: Hijacker Couldn't Hurt Anyone,"</a> UPI, Jan. 21, 1983. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/21/us/man-killed-in-attempted-hijacking-on-coast.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Man Killed in Attempted Hijacking on Coast,"</a> UPI, Jan. 21, 1983. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by both Ronald Gainey and Chris Zinsli, based on an <a href="https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/mini-stories-volume-8/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">item</a> they heard on the podcast 99% Invisible. Here are <a href="https://www.lanl.gov/museum/news/newsletter/2017/2017-01/science-question-babies.php" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> four</a> <a href="http://www.atomicheritage.org/location/los-alamos-nm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">additional</a> <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=caw5BAAAQBAJ&amp;pg=PA41&amp;lpg=PA41&amp;dq=los+alamos+po+box+birth+certificate+1663&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=Jqid_9AFkF&amp;sig=ACfU3U2gsNPp8mktNH0lgCnK3IkayqByWA&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi5uuuZjfjmAhVKMt8KHaPEDCgQ6AEwD3oECAkQAQ#v=onepage&amp;q=los%20alamos%20po%20box%20birth%20certificate%201663&amp;f=false" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> corroborating</a> <a href="https://www.dol.gov/owcp/energy/regs/compliance/public_reading_room/deeoic_training/DOE_Info_Sessions/PDFs/LANL.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> links</a> (warning -- these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_284.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe on <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mdXRpbGl0eWNsb3NldC5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Google Podcasts</a>, on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, or via the RSS feed at <a href="https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss</a>. Please consider <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">becoming a patron of Futility Closet</a> -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the <a href="http://www.futilitycloset.com/support-us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Support Us</a> page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

284-The Red Barn

In 1942, Manitoba chose a startling way to promote the sale of war bonds -- it staged a Nazi invasion of Winnipeg. For one gripping day, soldiers captured the city, arrested its leaders, and oppressed its citizens. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe If Day, which one observer called "the biggest and most important publicity stunt" in Winnipeg's history. We'll also consider some forged wine and puzzle over some unnoticed car options. Intro: In 1649 Claude Mellan carved a portrait of Jesus with a single line.  A pebble discovered in southern Africa may be the earliest evidence of an aesthetic sense among our ancestors. Sources for our feature on If Day: Jody Perrun, The Patriotic Consensus: Unity, Morale, and the Second World War in Winnipeg, 2014. Darren Sean Wershler-Henry, Guy Maddin's My Winnipeg, 2010. Michael Newman, "February 19, 1942: If Day," Manitoba History 13 (Spring 1987), 27-30. Graham Chandler,  "If Day: The Occupation of Manitoba," Legion Feb. 1, 2017. Ted Burch,  "The Day the Nazis Took Over Winnipeg," Maclean's, Sept. 10, 1960. "Winnipeg Is 'Conquered,'" Life 12:10 (March 9, 1942), 30-32. "Tips for Spotting Nazis," National Post, May 10, 2019. Tristin Hopper, "Rare Photos From 'If Day' — The Time Winnipeg Staged a Full-Scale Nazi Invasion of Itself," National Post, Feb. 21, 2019. Don Pelechaty, "Remembrance Day Memories of 1942," Central Plains Herald-Leader, Nov. 9, 2017, A.17. Mike Huen, "'If Day' Currency Blast From the Possible Past," Winnipeg Free Press, June 30, 2017, E3. Christian Cassidy, "When War Came to Winnipeg: 75 Years Ago, City Staged Bold and Hugely Successful Publicity Stunt," Winnipeg Free Press, Feb. 19, 2017, 1.  "75 Years Ago, Winnipeggers Said 'What If?", Winnipeg Free Press, Feb. 17, 2017. Karen Howlett, "Fundraiser Sees Winnipeg Invaded by Fake Nazis," Globe and Mail, Feb. 19, 2014, A.2. Alexandra Paul, "When War Came to Winnipeg," Winnipeg Free Press, Feb. 19, 2012, A.4. Ron Robinson, "The Day Nazis Came to Winnipeg," National Post, June 21, 2008, A.23. "George Waight, 93 Was Banker, Actor," Toronto Star, Dec. 17, 1985, B5. "George Waight, Bank Executive, Was Actor," Globe and Mail, Dec. 17, 1985, A.14.  "Nazi Army's 'Invasion' of Winnipeg Remembered," Regina [Saskatchewan] Leader-Post, March 4, 1985, A5.  "If Day," University of Manitoba Digital Collections. Listener mail: Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Wolfgang Beltracchi" (accessed Feb. 22, 2020). Christopher Goodwin,  "Wolfgang Beltracchi: A Real Con Artist," Times, May 10, 2014. "Convicted Forger Claims He Faked 'About 50' Artists," BBC News, March 7, 2012. Ben Kenigsberg,  "Review: 'Beltracchi: The Art of Forgery' Tells How a Swindler Fooled the World," New York Times, Aug. 18, 2015. Wikipedia, "Rudy Kurniawan" (accessed Feb. 22, 2020). Ed Cumming,  "The Great Wine Fraud," Guardian, Sept. 10, 2016. Tatiana Schlossberg,  "Wine Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years for Defrauding Clients," New York Times, Aug. 7, 2014. William K. Rashbaum and Matt Flegenheimer,  "Renowned Wine Dealer Accused of Trying to Sell Counterfeits," New York Times, March 8, 2012. "Third of Rare Scotch Whiskies Tested Found to Be Fake," BBC News, Dec. 20, 2018.  "Whisky Sour? Rare or Fake Scotch Exposed by Carbon-Dating," Reuters, Dec. 20, 2018. Mindy Weisberger,  "Nuclear Fallout Exposes Fake 'Antique' Whisky," LiveScience, Jan. 27, 2020. David Williams,  "Scottish Scientists Use Radioactive Isotopes From Old Nuclear Tests to Find Counterfeit Whisky. More Than 40 Percent of What They Tested Is Fake," CNN, Jan. 24, 2020. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Brian Voeller, who sent these corroborating  links (warning -- these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above,  download this episode directly, or subscribe on  Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

In 1942, Manitoba chose a startling way to promote the sale of war bonds -- it staged a Nazi invasion of Winnipeg. For one gripping day, soldiers captured the city, arrested its leaders, and oppressed its citizens. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe If Day, which one observer called "the biggest and most important publicity stunt" in Winnipeg's history. We'll also consider some forged wine and puzzle over some unnoticed car options. Intro: In 1649 Claude Mellan carved a portrait of Jesus <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/11/17/turn-turn-turn-2/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">with a single line</a>. <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/11/24/the-makapansgat-pebble/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> A pebble discovered in southern Africa</a> may be the earliest evidence of an aesthetic sense among our ancestors. Sources for our feature on If Day: Jody Perrun, The Patriotic Consensus: Unity, Morale, and the Second World War in Winnipeg, 2014. Darren Sean Wershler-Henry, Guy Maddin's My Winnipeg, 2010. Michael Newman, <a href="http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/mb_history/13/ifday.shtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"February 19, 1942: If Day,"</a> Manitoba History 13 (Spring 1987), 27-30. Graham Chandler, <a href="https://legionmagazine.com/en/2017/02/if-day-the-occupation-of-manitoba/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "If Day: The Occupation of Manitoba,"</a> Legion Feb. 1, 2017. Ted Burch, <a href="https://archive.macleans.ca/article/1960/9/10/the-day-the-nazis-took-over-winnipeg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "The Day the Nazis Took Over Winnipeg,"</a> Maclean's, Sept. 10, 1960. <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=ck4EAAAAMBAJ&amp;pg=PA30" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Winnipeg Is 'Conquered,'"</a> Life 12:10 (March 9, 1942), 30-32. "Tips for Spotting Nazis," National Post, May 10, 2019. Tristin Hopper, "Rare Photos From 'If Day' — The Time Winnipeg Staged a Full-Scale Nazi Invasion of Itself," National Post, Feb. 21, 2019. Don Pelechaty, "Remembrance Day Memories of 1942," Central Plains Herald-Leader, Nov. 9, 2017, A.17. Mike Huen, "'If Day' Currency Blast From the Possible Past," Winnipeg Free Press, June 30, 2017, E3. Christian Cassidy, "When War Came to Winnipeg: 75 Years Ago, City Staged Bold and Hugely Successful Publicity Stunt," Winnipeg Free Press, Feb. 19, 2017, 1. <a href="https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/multimedia/fp-slideshow/winnipeggers-say-what-if-75-years-ago-414146553.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "75 Years Ago, Winnipeggers Said 'What If?"</a>, Winnipeg Free Press, Feb. 17, 2017. Karen Howlett, "Fundraiser Sees Winnipeg Invaded by Fake Nazis," Globe and Mail, Feb. 19, 2014, A.2. Alexandra Paul, "When War Came to Winnipeg," Winnipeg Free Press, Feb. 19, 2012, A.4. Ron Robinson, "The Day Nazis Came to Winnipeg," National Post, June 21, 2008, A.23. "George Waight, 93 Was Banker, Actor," Toronto Star, Dec. 17, 1985, B5. "George Waight, Bank Executive, Was Actor," Globe and Mail, Dec. 17, 1985, A.14. <a href="https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KbBVAAAAIBAJ&amp;sjid=e0ANAAAAIBAJ&amp;dq=if-day%20winnipeg&amp;pg=2462%2C788118" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Nazi Army's 'Invasion' of Winnipeg Remembered,"</a> Regina [Saskatchewan] Leader-Post, March 4, 1985, A5. <a href="https://digitalcollections.lib.umanitoba.ca/islandora/search/%22If%20Day%22?type=edismax" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "If Day,"</a> University of Manitoba Digital Collections. Listener mail: Encyclopaedia Britannica, <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Wolfgang-Beltracchi" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Wolfgang Beltracchi"</a> (accessed Feb. 22, 2020). Christopher Goodwin, <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/wolfgang-beltracchi-a-real-con-artist-7qlrfd2tcvr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Wolfgang Beltracchi: A Real Con Artist,"</a> Times, May 10, 2014. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-17283458" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Convicted Forger Claims He Faked 'About 50' Artists,"</a> BBC News, March 7, 2012. Ben Kenigsberg, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/19/movies/review-beltracchi-the-art-of-forgery-tells-how-a-swindler-fooled-the-world.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Review: 'Beltracchi: The Art of Forgery' Tells How a Swindler Fooled the World,"</a> New York Times, Aug. 18, 2015. Wikipedia, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudy_Kurniawan?oldformat=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Rudy Kurniawan"</a> (accessed Feb. 22, 2020). Ed Cumming, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global/2016/sep/11/the-great-wine-fraud-a-vintage-swindle" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "The Great Wine Fraud,"</a> Guardian, Sept. 10, 2016. Tatiana Schlossberg, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/08/nyregion/wine-dealer-sentenced-to-10-years-for-defrauding-clients.html?searchResultPosition=2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Wine Dealer Sentenced to 10 Years for Defrauding Clients,"</a> New York Times, Aug. 7, 2014. William K. Rashbaum and Matt Flegenheimer, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/09/nyregion/wine-dealer-accused-of-trying-to-sell-counterfeits.html?searchResultPosition=3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Renowned Wine Dealer Accused of Trying to Sell Counterfeits,"</a> New York Times, March 8, 2012. <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-business-46566703" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Third of Rare Scotch Whiskies Tested Found to Be Fake,"</a> BBC News, Dec. 20, 2018. <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-scotland-whisky/whisky-sour-rare-or-fake-scotch-exposed-by-carbon-dating-idUSKCN1OJ1V8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Whisky Sour? Rare or Fake Scotch Exposed by Carbon-Dating,"</a> Reuters, Dec. 20, 2018. Mindy Weisberger, <a href="https://www.livescience.com/nuclear-bomb-carbon-fraudulent-whiskey.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Nuclear Fallout Exposes Fake 'Antique' Whisky,"</a> LiveScience, Jan. 27, 2020. David Williams, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/24/world/scotch-counterfeit-test-scn-trnd/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Scottish Scientists Use Radioactive Isotopes From Old Nuclear Tests to Find Counterfeit Whisky. More Than 40 Percent of What They Tested Is Fake,"</a> CNN, Jan. 24, 2020. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Brian Voeller, who sent these <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autorack#Vert-A-Pac_and_Stac-Pac" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">corroborating</a> <a href="https://www.core77.com/posts/27432/Unlikely-Ways-They-Used-to-Transport-Cars-by-Train" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> links</a> (warning -- these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_286.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe on <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mdXRpbGl0eWNsb3NldC5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Google Podcasts</a>, on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, or via the RSS feed at <a href="https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss</a>. Please consider <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">becoming a patron of Futility Closet</a> -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the <a href="http://www.futilitycloset.com/support-us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Support Us</a> page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

286-If Day

Ben Franklin

As a young man, Benjamin Franklin drew up a "plan for attaining moral perfection" based on a list of 13 virtues. Half a century later he credited the plan for much of his success in life. In this episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll explore Franklin's self-improvement plan and find out which vices gave him the most trouble. We'll also learn how activist Natan Sharansky used chess to stay sane in Soviet prisons and puzzle over why the Pentagon has so many bathrooms. Sources for our segment on Benjamin Franklin's 13 virtues: Benjamin Franklin, Autobiography, 1791. Gordon S. Wood, The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin, 2005. Dinah Birch, ed., The Oxford Companion to English Literature, 2009. Here's Franklin's list of virtues:  Temperance. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation. Silence. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation. Order. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time. Resolution. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve. Frugality. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing. Industry. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions. Sincerity. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly. Justice. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty. Moderation. Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve. Cleanliness. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation. Tranquillity. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable. Chastity. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation. Humility. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.  And here's a sample page from his "little book":   Related: As an exercise in penmanship, the teenage George Washington copied out "110 rules of civility and decent behavior in company and conversation," and Thomas Jefferson once sent a  "decalogue of canons for observation in practical life" to the new father of a baby boy. Listener mail: Human rights activist Natan Sharansky's use of mental chess to keep himself sane in Soviet prisons is detailed in his 1988 memoir Fear No Evil and in this BBC News Magazine article. Greg's research queries: The authority on jumping up steps at Trinity College, Cambridge, seems to be G.M. Trevelyan, who became Master there in 1940. In his Trinity College: An Historical Sketch (1972), he writes: It is a well-authenticated Trinity tradition that Whewell, when Master, jumped up the hall steps at one leap, a feat that is very seldom accomplished even by youthful athletes. Sir George Young told his son Geoffrey Young that he had actually witnessed this performance; Sir George said that the master, in cap and gown, found some undergraduates trying in vain to accomplish the feat. He clapped his cap firmly on his head, took the run, and reached the top of the steps at one bound. In a letter to the Times on March 16, 1944, he writes, "On a recent visit to Cambridge, General Montgomery, on entering the Great Court at this college, pointed to the hall steps and said to me, ‘Those were the steps my father jumped up at one bound.’ The general’s father, Henry Hutchinson Montgomery, afterwards Bishop, was an undergraduate at Trinity from 1866 to 1870. He came here from Dr Butler’s Harrow with a great reputation as a runner and jumper." He adds, "Now we have a fully authenticated case of which I had not heard. Bishop Montgomery himself told his son the general, and the story was often told in the family. The general has asked me to send the facts to you in the hope that publication may elicit further facts." I don't know whether he ever received any. As far as I can tell, Swiss criminologist Karl-Ludwig Kunz's essay "Criminal Policy in Duckburg" was published only in a 2009 collection titled Images of Crime 3: Representations of Crime and the Criminal, which I can't seem to get my hands on. The fullest discussion I've been able to find in English is  this brief 1998 article from the Independent. The program to distribute bananas to Icelandic children in 1952 is mentioned in science writer Willy Ley's 1954 book Engineers' Dreams. The credit "Diversions by Irving Schwartz" in the 1966 movie The Sand Pebbles is mentioned (but not really explained) in this 2007 Telegram obituary of character actor Joseph di Reda. MIT historian T.F. Peterson's 2003 book Nightwork: A History of Hacks and Pranks at MIT says that the legend IHTFP ("I hate this f---ing place") "has been unofficially documented in both the U.S. Air Force and at MIT as far back as the 1950s." This MIT page traces it as far back as 1960 and gives dozens of euphemistic variants. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was submitted by listener Paul Kapp. You can listen using the player above,  download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

As a young man, Benjamin Franklin drew up a "plan for attaining moral perfection" based on a list of 13 virtues. Half a century later he credited the plan for much of his success in life. In this episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll explore Franklin's self-improvement plan and find out which vices gave him the most trouble. We'll also learn how activist Natan Sharansky used chess to stay sane in Soviet prisons and puzzle over why the Pentagon has so many bathrooms. Sources for our segment on Benjamin Franklin's 13 virtues: Benjamin Franklin, <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/20203/20203-h/20203-h.htm#IX" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Autobiography</a>, 1791. Gordon S. Wood, The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin, 2005. Dinah Birch, ed., The Oxford Companion to English Literature, 2009. Here's Franklin's list of virtues: <ol> <li>Temperance. Eat not to dullness; drink not to elevation.</li> <li>Silence. Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself; avoid trifling conversation.</li> <li>Order. Let all your things have their places; let each part of your business have its time.</li> <li>Resolution. Resolve to perform what you ought; perform without fail what you resolve.</li> <li>Frugality. Make no expense but to do good to others or yourself; i.e., waste nothing.</li> <li>Industry. Lose no time; be always employ'd in something useful; cut off all unnecessary actions.</li> <li>Sincerity. Use no hurtful deceit; think innocently and justly; and, if you speak, speak accordingly.</li> <li>Justice. Wrong none by doing injuries, or omitting the benefits that are your duty.</li> <li>Moderation. Avoid extreams; forbear resenting injuries so much as you think they deserve.</li> <li>Cleanliness. Tolerate no uncleanliness in body, cloaths, or habitation.</li> <li>Tranquillity. Be not disturbed at trifles, or at accidents common or unavoidable.</li> <li>Chastity. Rarely use venery but for health or offspring, never to dullness, weakness, or the injury of your own or another's peace or reputation.</li> <li>Humility. Imitate Jesus and Socrates.</li> </ol> And here's a sample page from his "little book": Related: As an exercise in penmanship, the teenage George Washington copied out <a href="http://www.futilitycloset.com/2008/09/02/washingtons-rules/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"110 rules of civility and decent behavior in company and conversation,"</a> and Thomas Jefferson once sent a <a href="http://www.futilitycloset.com/2007/11/27/jeffersons-commandments/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "decalogue of canons for observation in practical life"</a> to the new father of a baby boy. Listener mail: Human rights activist Natan Sharansky's use of mental chess to keep himself sane in Soviet prisons is detailed in his 1988 memoir Fear No Evil and in <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-25560162" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this BBC News Magazine article</a>. Greg's research queries: The authority on jumping up steps at Trinity College, Cambridge, seems to be G.M. Trevelyan, who became Master there in 1940. In his Trinity College: An Historical Sketch (1972), he writes: It is a well-authenticated Trinity tradition that Whewell, when Master, jumped up the hall steps at one leap, a feat that is very seldom accomplished even by youthful athletes. Sir George Young told his son Geoffrey Young that he had actually witnessed this performance; Sir George said that the master, in cap and gown, found some undergraduates trying in vain to accomplish the feat. He clapped his cap firmly on his head, took the run, and reached the top of the steps at one bound. In a letter to the Times on March 16, 1944, he writes, "On a recent visit to Cambridge, General Montgomery, on entering the Great Court at this college, pointed to the hall steps and said to me, ‘Those were the steps my father jumped up at one bound.’ The general’s father, Henry Hutchinson Montgomery, afterwards Bishop, was an undergraduate at Trinity from 1866 to 1870. He came here from Dr Butler’s Harrow with a great reputation as a runner and jumper." He adds, "Now we have a fully authenticated case of which I had not heard. Bishop Montgomery himself told his son the general, and the story was often told in the family. The general has asked me to send the facts to you in the hope that publication may elicit further facts." I don't know whether he ever received any. As far as I can tell, Swiss criminologist Karl-Ludwig Kunz's essay "Criminal Policy in Duckburg" was published only in a 2009 collection titled Images of Crime 3: Representations of Crime and the Criminal, which I can't seem to get my hands on. The fullest discussion I've been able to find in English is <a href="http://www.independent.ie/world-news/cartoon-crime-soars-but-mickey-reforms-454688.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> this brief 1998 article from the Independent</a>. The program to distribute bananas to Icelandic children in 1952 is mentioned in science writer Willy Ley's 1954 book Engineers' Dreams. The credit "Diversions by Irving Schwartz" in the 1966 movie The Sand Pebbles is mentioned (but not really explained) in <a href="http://www.telegram.com/article/20070618/OBIT/706180312/0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this 2007 Telegram obituary of character actor Joseph di Reda</a>. MIT historian T.F. Peterson's 2003 book Nightwork: A History of Hacks and Pranks at MIT says that the legend IHTFP ("I hate this f---ing place") "has been unofficially documented in both the U.S. Air Force and at MIT as far back as the 1950s." <a href="http://www.mit.edu/people/mjbauer/ihtfp.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This MIT page</a> traces it as far back as 1960 and gives dozens of euphemistic variants. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was submitted by listener Paul Kapp. You can listen using the player above, <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_43.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">on iTunes</a> or via the RSS feed at <a href="http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset</a>. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our Patreon page</a> you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

043-Ben Franklin's Guide to Living

After a severe fever in 1776, Rhode Island farmer's daughter Jemima Wilkinson was reborn as a genderless celestial being who had been sent to warn of the coming Apocalypse. But the general public was too scandalized by the messenger to pay heed to the message. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story of the Public Universal Friend and the prejudiced reaction of a newly formed nation. We'll also bid on an immortal piano and puzzle over some Icelandic conceptions. Intro: When identical images of a tower are placed side by side,  the towers appear to diverge. In 2002, Erl E. Kepner patented a one-sided coffee mug. Sources for our feature on the Public Universal Friend: Paul B. Moyer, The Public Universal Friend: Jemima Wilkinson and Religious Enthusiasm in Revolutionary America, 2015. Herbert Andrew Wisbey, Pioneer Prophetess: Jemima Wilkinson, the Publick Universal Friend, 1964. Catherine A. Brekus, Strangers and Pilgrims: Female Preaching in America, 1740-1845, 2000. Michael Bronski, A Queer History of the United States, 2011. Joel Whitney Tibbetts, Women Who Were Called: A Study of the Contributions to American Christianity of Ann Lee, Jemima Wilkinson, Mary Baker Eddy and Aimee Semple McPherson, 1978. Stafford Canning Cleveland,  History and Directory of Yates County, 1873. Lewis Cass Aldrich, History of Yates County, N.Y., 1892. Wilkins Updike, James MacSparran, and Daniel Goodwin, A History of the Episcopal Church in Narragansett, Rhode Island, Volume 1, 1907. Sharon Betcher, "'The Second Descent of the Spirit of Life from God': The Assumption of Jemima Wilkinson," in Brenda E. Brasher and Lee Quinby, eds., Gender and Apocalyptic Desire, 2014. Paul Buckley,  "The Public Universal Friend: Jemima Wilkinson and Religious Enthusiasm in Revolutionary America," Friends Journal 62:6 (June-July 2016), 38. Scott Larson, "'Indescribable Being': Theological Performances of Genderlessness in the Society of the Publick Universal Friend, 1776-1819," Early American Studies 12:3 (Fall 2014), 576-600. Shelby M. Balik, "The Public Universal Friend: Jemima Wilkinson and Religious Enthusiasm in Revolutionary America," Journal of the Early Republic 38:1, 157-160. Gwen Gosney Erickson, "The Public Universal Friend: Jemima Wilkinson and Religious Enthusiasm in Revolutionary America," Quaker History 106:1 (Spring 2017), 28-29. Beverly C. Tomek, "The Public Universal Friend: Jemima Wilkinson and Religious Enthusiasm in Revolutionary America," Journal of American History 103:3 (December 2016), 746–747. Charles Lowell Marlin, "Jemima Wilkinson: Errant Quaker Divine," Quaker History 52:2 (Autumn 1963), 90-94. Jeremy Rapport, "The Public Universal Friend: Jemima Wilkinson and Religious Enthusiasm in Revolutionary America," Early American Literature 52:1 (2017), 249-253, 267. Janet Moore Lindman, "From Salvation to Damnation: Popular Religion in Early America," Reviews in American History 45:4 (December 2017), 570-575. Margaret Bendroth, "Angry Women and the History of American Evangelicalism," Fides et Historia 34:2 (Summer 2002), 113. Samantha Schmidt, "A Genderless Prophet Drew Hundreds of Followers Long Before the Age of Nonbinary Pronouns," Washington Post, Jan. 5, 2020. Molly Worthen,  "A Tour Through the 'American Messiahs' of Our Past," New York Times, April 26, 2019. Greg Barnhisel, "The Book of Nonconformists: America Has Always Been a Home to Self-Styled Messiahs," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 7, 2019, E5. Chris Jennings, "The Prophets Among Us," Wall Street Journal, April 4, 2019, A15. Gary Craig, "'Friend' Fund Named in Suit Found Offshore," Rochester [N.Y.] Democrat and Chronicle, Jan. 7, 2007, A7.  "Life Story: The Public Universal Friend (1752–1819)," Women &amp; The American Story, New York Historical Society (accessed Feb. 25, 2020). Listener mail: Sonia Purnell, A Woman of No Importance, 2019. "Britain's Secret WWII Weapons Revealed," BBC News, Oct. 26, 1999. Patrick Sawer and Hannah Furness,  "From Garlic Chocolate to Exploding Animal Droppings: How Britain's Weird WWII Inventions Helped Fool the Nazis," Telegraph, June 1, 2017. Neil Johnston,  "Weird Weapons That Nobbled Nazis Revealed in New Book," Times, June 2, 2017. Wikipedia,  "Charles Fraser-Smith" (accessed Feb. 29, 2020). Wikipedia, "Q-Ship" (accessed Feb. 29, 2020). James Barron,  "Charles Fraser-Smith, Mr. Gadget For James Bond Tales, Dies at 88," New York Times, Nov. 13, 1992. Barry Fox,  "Review: Careful Carruthers, That Paper Clip Is Loaded," New Scientist, Aug. 14, 1993. Owen Mortimer,  "'Immortal Piano' Offered for Sale Online," Rhinegold Publishing, Jan. 20, 2020. Russian pianist Anatole Kitain performs the Adagio from Bach's Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major, BWV 564, on the Siena piano. eBay,  "Siena Pianoforte Immortal Piano Marchisio 1800's Sculpted By Bartalozzi &amp; Ferri," listing ended Feb. 5, 2020.  "Seized by Nazis, Found in Israel, 'Immortal Piano' Expected to Fetch $1m," Times of Israel, March 1, 2020.  "'Immortal Piano' Set for Israel Auction," ArtDaily, March 6, 2020. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Chris Pallant. Here's a  corroborating link (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above,  download this episode directly, or subscribe on  Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

After a severe fever in 1776, Rhode Island farmer's daughter Jemima Wilkinson was reborn as a genderless celestial being who had been sent to warn of the coming Apocalypse. But the general public was too scandalized by the messenger to pay heed to the message. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story of the Public Universal Friend and the prejudiced reaction of a newly formed nation. We'll also bid on an immortal piano and puzzle over some Icelandic conceptions. Intro: When identical images of a tower are placed side by side, <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/11/20/the-leaning-tower-illusion/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> the towers appear to diverge</a>. In 2002, Erl E. Kepner patented <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/11/18/inside-out/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">a one-sided coffee mug</a>. Sources for our feature on the Public Universal Friend: Paul B. Moyer, The Public Universal Friend: Jemima Wilkinson and Religious Enthusiasm in Revolutionary America, 2015. Herbert Andrew Wisbey, Pioneer Prophetess: Jemima Wilkinson, the Publick Universal Friend, 1964. Catherine A. Brekus, Strangers and Pilgrims: Female Preaching in America, 1740-1845, 2000. Michael Bronski, A Queer History of the United States, 2011. Joel Whitney Tibbetts, Women Who Were Called: A Study of the Contributions to American Christianity of Ann Lee, Jemima Wilkinson, Mary Baker Eddy and Aimee Semple McPherson, 1978. Stafford Canning Cleveland, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&amp;lr=&amp;id=9WJKAAAAYAAJ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> History and Directory of Yates County</a>, 1873. Lewis Cass Aldrich, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=b8cpAQAAMAAJ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">History of Yates County, N.Y.</a>, 1892. Wilkins Updike, James MacSparran, and Daniel Goodwin, <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=FGrGRfuDRxoC" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A History of the Episcopal Church in Narragansett, Rhode Island, Volume 1</a>, 1907. Sharon Betcher, "'The Second Descent of the Spirit of Life from God': The Assumption of Jemima Wilkinson," in Brenda E. Brasher and Lee Quinby, eds., Gender and Apocalyptic Desire, 2014. Paul Buckley, <a href="https://www.friendsjournal.org/public-universal-friend-jemima-wilkins/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "The Public Universal Friend: Jemima Wilkinson and Religious Enthusiasm in Revolutionary America,"</a> Friends Journal 62:6 (June-July 2016), 38. Scott Larson, "'Indescribable Being': Theological Performances of Genderlessness in the Society of the Publick Universal Friend, 1776-1819," Early American Studies 12:3 (Fall 2014), 576-600. Shelby M. Balik, "The Public Universal Friend: Jemima Wilkinson and Religious Enthusiasm in Revolutionary America," Journal of the Early Republic 38:1, 157-160. Gwen Gosney Erickson, "The Public Universal Friend: Jemima Wilkinson and Religious Enthusiasm in Revolutionary America," Quaker History 106:1 (Spring 2017), 28-29. Beverly C. Tomek, "The Public Universal Friend: Jemima Wilkinson and Religious Enthusiasm in Revolutionary America," Journal of American History 103:3 (December 2016), 746–747. Charles Lowell Marlin, "Jemima Wilkinson: Errant Quaker Divine," Quaker History 52:2 (Autumn 1963), 90-94. Jeremy Rapport, "The Public Universal Friend: Jemima Wilkinson and Religious Enthusiasm in Revolutionary America," Early American Literature 52:1 (2017), 249-253, 267. Janet Moore Lindman, "From Salvation to Damnation: Popular Religion in Early America," Reviews in American History 45:4 (December 2017), 570-575. Margaret Bendroth, "Angry Women and the History of American Evangelicalism," Fides et Historia 34:2 (Summer 2002), 113. Samantha Schmidt, "A Genderless Prophet Drew Hundreds of Followers Long Before the Age of Nonbinary Pronouns," Washington Post, Jan. 5, 2020. Molly Worthen, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/26/books/review/american-messiahs-adam-morris.html?searchResultPosition=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "A Tour Through the 'American Messiahs' of Our Past,"</a> New York Times, April 26, 2019. Greg Barnhisel, "The Book of Nonconformists: America Has Always Been a Home to Self-Styled Messiahs," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 7, 2019, E5. Chris Jennings, "The Prophets Among Us," Wall Street Journal, April 4, 2019, A15. Gary Craig, "'Friend' Fund Named in Suit Found Offshore," Rochester [N.Y.] Democrat and Chronicle, Jan. 7, 2007, A7. <a href="https://wams.nyhistory.org/settler-colonialism-and-revolution/settler-colonialism/public-universal-friend/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Life Story: The Public Universal Friend (1752–1819),"</a> Women &amp; The American Story, New York Historical Society (accessed Feb. 25, 2020). Listener mail: Sonia Purnell, A Woman of No Importance, 2019. <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/486391.stm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Britain's Secret WWII Weapons Revealed,"</a> BBC News, Oct. 26, 1999. Patrick Sawer and Hannah Furness, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/06/01/garlic-chocolate-exploding-animal-droppings-britains-weird-wwii/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "From Garlic Chocolate to Exploding Animal Droppings: How Britain's Weird WWII Inventions Helped Fool the Nazis,"</a> Telegraph, June 1, 2017. Neil Johnston, <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/weird-weapons-that-nobbled-nazis-revealed-in-new-book-p86g7f9dr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Weird Weapons That Nobbled Nazis Revealed in New Book,"</a> Times, June 2, 2017. Wikipedia, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Fraser-Smith?oldformat=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Charles Fraser-Smith"</a> (accessed Feb. 29, 2020). Wikipedia, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q-ship?oldformat=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Q-Ship"</a> (accessed Feb. 29, 2020). James Barron, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1992/11/13/world/charles-fraser-smith-mr-gadget-for-james-bond-tales-dies-at-88.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Charles Fraser-Smith, Mr. Gadget For James Bond Tales, Dies at 88,"</a> New York Times, Nov. 13, 1992. Barry Fox, <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/article/mg13918865-300-review-careful-carruthers-that-paper-clip-is-loaded/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Review: Careful Carruthers, That Paper Clip Is Loaded,"</a> New Scientist, Aug. 14, 1993. Owen Mortimer, <a href="https://www.rhinegold.co.uk/international_piano/immortal-piano-offered-for-sale-online/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "'Immortal Piano' Offered for Sale Online,"</a> Rhinegold Publishing, Jan. 20, 2020. <a href="y2u.be/Ewn_m8-VpJs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Russian pianist Anatole Kitain performs the Adagio from Bach's Toccata, Adagio and Fugue in C major, BWV 564, on the Siena piano.</a> eBay, <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/Siena-Pianoforte-Immortal-Piano-Marchisio-1800s-Sculpted-By-Bartalozzi-Ferri-/143364917004" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Siena Pianoforte Immortal Piano Marchisio 1800's Sculpted By Bartalozzi &amp; Ferri,"</a> listing ended Feb. 5, 2020. <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/seized-by-nazis-found-in-israel-immortal-piano-expected-to-fetch-1m/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Seized by Nazis, Found in Israel, 'Immortal Piano' Expected to Fetch $1m,"</a> Times of Israel, March 1, 2020. <a href="https://artdaily.com/news/121397/-Immortal-Piano--set-for-Israel-auction" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "'Immortal Piano' Set for Israel Auction,"</a> ArtDaily, March 6, 2020. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Chris Pallant. Here's a <a href="https://now.guidetoiceland.is/2019/03/14/nature-and-travel/travel-information/4-things-to-do-on-a-thursday-in-reykjavik/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> corroborating link</a> (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_287.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe on <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mdXRpbGl0eWNsb3NldC5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Google Podcasts</a>, on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, or via the RSS feed at <a href="https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss</a>. Please consider <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">becoming a patron of Futility Closet</a> -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the <a href="http://www.futilitycloset.com/support-us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Support Us</a> page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

287-The Public Universal Friend

In 1939, an ocean liner carrying 900 Jewish refugees left Nazi Germany seeking sanctuary in North America, but it was turned away by every nation it appealed to. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow the so-called "voyage of the damned" and the plight of its increasingly desperate passengers. We'll also discuss the employment prospects for hermits in Seattle and puzzle over the contentment of a condemned woman. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for our feature on the MS St. Louis: Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan Witts, Voyage of the Damned, 1974. Sarah A. Ogilvie and Scott Miller, Refuge Denied: The St. Louis Passengers and the Holocaust, 2006. C. Paul Vincent, "The Voyage of the St. Louis Revisited," Holocaust and Genocide Studies 25:2 (Fall 2011). American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, "The Story of the S.S. St. Louis (1939)" (accessed 01/10/2016). Robert Leiter, "Voyage of the Damned: Survivors of the Ill-Fated St. Louis Recall Their Bittersweet Journey," Jewish Exponent, June 17, 1999. United States Coast Guard, "What Was the Coast Guard's Role in the SS St. Louis Affair, Often Referred to as 'The Voyage of the Damned'?" (accessed 01/10/2016). Holocaust Online: Voyage of the St. Louis: Background Information Jessica Shepherd, "Message in Bottle From Voyage of the Damned," Evening Chronicle, Nov. 10, 2003. Listener mail: Levi Pulkkinen, "City of Seattle Looks to Pay $10,000 for Drawbridge Wordsmith," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Jan. 14, 2016. Cara Giaimo, "Fleeting Wonders: Seattle Is Looking for a Poet to Live in a Bridge," Atlas Obscura, Jan. 18, 2016 Seattle's application forms for the positions:  Writer/Poet Residency Lighting Artist Residency  Atlas Obscura, Fremont Troll (accessed 01/23/2016). Wikipedia, Fremont Troll (accessed 01/23/2016). This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Maureen Day. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. Enter promo code CLOSET at Harry's and get $5 off your first order of high-quality razors. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

In 1939, an ocean liner carrying 900 Jewish refugees left Nazi Germany seeking sanctuary in North America, but it was turned away by every nation it appealed to. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow the so-called "voyage of the damned" and the plight of its increasingly desperate passengers. We'll also discuss the employment prospects for hermits in Seattle and puzzle over the contentment of a condemned woman. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon page</a> you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for our feature on the MS St. Louis: Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan Witts, Voyage of the Damned, 1974. Sarah A. Ogilvie and Scott Miller, Refuge Denied: The St. Louis Passengers and the Holocaust, 2006. C. Paul Vincent, "The Voyage of the St. Louis Revisited," Holocaust and Genocide Studies 25:2 (Fall 2011). American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, <a href="http://archives.jdc.org/educators/topic-guides/the-story-of-the-ss-st.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Story of the S.S. St. Louis (1939)"</a> (accessed 01/10/2016). Robert Leiter, "Voyage of the Damned: Survivors of the Ill-Fated St. Louis Recall Their Bittersweet Journey," Jewish Exponent, June 17, 1999. United States Coast Guard, <a href="http://www.uscg.mil/history/faqs/St_Louis.asp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"What Was the Coast Guard's Role in the SS St. Louis Affair, Often Referred to as 'The Voyage of the Damned'?"</a> (accessed 01/10/2016). Holocaust Online: <a href="http://holocaustonline.org/significant-events/voyage-of-the-st-louis/background/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Voyage of the St. Louis: Background Information</a> Jessica Shepherd, "Message in Bottle From Voyage of the Damned," Evening Chronicle, Nov. 10, 2003. Listener mail: Levi Pulkkinen, <a href="http://www.seattlepi.com/local/article/City-of-Seattle-looks-to-pay-10k-for-drawbridge-6759033.php?cmpid=fbsocialflow#photo-9252884" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"City of Seattle Looks to Pay $10,000 for Drawbridge Wordsmith,"</a> Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Jan. 14, 2016. Cara Giaimo, <a href="http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/fleeting-wonders-seattle-is-looking-for-a-poet-to-live-in-a-bridge" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Fleeting Wonders: Seattle Is Looking for a Poet to Live in a Bridge,"</a> Atlas Obscura, Jan. 18, 2016 Seattle's application forms for the positions: <ul> <li><a href="http://www.seattle.gov/arts/writerpoet-residency" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Writer/Poet Residency</a></li> <li><a href="http://www.seattle.gov/arts/lighting-artist-residency" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lighting Artist Residency</a></li> </ul> Atlas Obscura, <a href="http://www.atlasobscura.com/places/fremont-troll" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fremont Troll</a> (accessed 01/23/2016). Wikipedia, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fremont_Troll" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fremont Troll</a> (accessed 01/23/2016). This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Maureen Day. You can listen using the player above, <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_91.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">on iTunes</a> or via the RSS feed at <a href="http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset</a>. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. Enter promo code CLOSET at <a href="https://www.harrys.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Harry's</a> and get $5 off your first order of high-quality razors. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

091-The Voyage of the Damned

In 1947, the price of a candy bar in British Columbia rose from 5 to 8 cents, and the local teenagers organized a surprisingly effective "strike" that soon spread across the country. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow Canada's unlikely "candy bar war," which gripped the nation for 10 days before ending with a surprising twist. We'll also take a grueling automobile ride across 1903 America and puzzle over the intentions of a masked man. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Our feature on Canada's candy bar war of 1947 was suggested by listener Randy Banderob. Sources: Tom Hawthorn, "From a Shop in Ladysmith, Chocolate Strike Affected Sales Across the Country," Globe and Mail, April 23, 2012. "Auld Lang Syne," Ladysmith-Chemainus Chronicle, May 4, 1977. "Putting Their Three Cents In," Ladysmith-Chemainus Chronicle, June 12, 2007. "'War' Fought Over Chocolate," Now, April 18, 2007. Dave Obee, "Candy Price Hike Sent Kids Into the Streets," Victoria Times-Colonist, Dec. 7, 2008. Travesty Productions, The Five Cent War. Burnaby History Tour: The Five Cent Chocolate War (accessed Jan. 3, 2016). Lenny Flank, "The 1947 Candy Bar Strike," Hidden History, July 28, 2015. Listener mail: Sources for our story on Horatio Nelson Jackson and his 1903 auto journey across the United States: Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns, Horatio's Drive, 2003. Horatio's Drive (DVD), 2003, written by Dayton Duncan, directed by Ken Burns. Here's a photo of Bud the transcontinental bulldog:  Sources on Dwight Eisenhower and the Cross-Country Motor Transport Train: U.S. Federal Highway Administration, "Why President Dwight D. Eisenhower Understood We Needed the Interstate System" (accessed Jan. 15, 2016). David A. Pfeiffer, "Ike's Interstates at 50: Anniversary of the Highway System Recalls Eisenhower's Role as Catalyst," Prologue, Summer 2006. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Craig Murphy. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

In 1947, the price of a candy bar in British Columbia rose from 5 to 8 cents, and the local teenagers organized a surprisingly effective "strike" that soon spread across the country. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow Canada's unlikely "candy bar war," which gripped the nation for 10 days before ending with a surprising twist. We'll also take a grueling automobile ride across 1903 America and puzzle over the intentions of a masked man. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon page</a> you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Our feature on Canada's candy bar war of 1947 was suggested by listener Randy Banderob. Sources: Tom Hawthorn, <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/from-a-shop-in-ladysmith-chocolate-strike-affected-sales-across-the-country/article4102040/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"From a Shop in Ladysmith, Chocolate Strike Affected Sales Across the Country,"</a> Globe and Mail, April 23, 2012. <a href="https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=364&amp;dat=19770504&amp;id=kzVOAAAAIBAJ&amp;sjid=vzADAAAAIBAJ&amp;pg=6660,1858145&amp;hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Auld Lang Syne,"</a> Ladysmith-Chemainus Chronicle, May 4, 1977. "Putting Their Three Cents In," Ladysmith-Chemainus Chronicle, June 12, 2007. "'War' Fought Over Chocolate," Now, April 18, 2007. Dave Obee, "Candy Price Hike Sent Kids Into the Streets," Victoria Times-Colonist, Dec. 7, 2008. Travesty Productions, <a href="http://www.travestyproductions.com/film_five_cent.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Five Cent War</a>. <a href="http://bobbea.com/treasure/vancouver/chocolatewar/chocolatewar.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Burnaby History Tour: The Five Cent Chocolate War</a> (accessed Jan. 3, 2016). Lenny Flank, <a href="https://lflank.wordpress.com/2015/07/28/the-1947-candy-bar-strike/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The 1947 Candy Bar Strike,"</a> Hidden History, July 28, 2015. Listener mail: Sources for our story on Horatio Nelson Jackson and his 1903 auto journey across the United States: Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns, Horatio's Drive, 2003. Horatio's Drive (DVD), 2003, written by Dayton Duncan, directed by Ken Burns. Here's a photo of Bud the transcontinental bulldog: Sources on Dwight Eisenhower and the Cross-Country Motor Transport Train: U.S. Federal Highway Administration, <a href="https://www.fhwa.dot.gov/interstate/brainiacs/eisenhowerinterstate.cfm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Why President Dwight D. Eisenhower Understood We Needed the Interstate System"</a> (accessed Jan. 15, 2016). David A. Pfeiffer, <a href="http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2006/summer/interstates.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Ike's Interstates at 50: Anniversary of the Highway System Recalls Eisenhower's Role as Catalyst,"</a> Prologue, Summer 2006. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Craig Murphy. You can listen using the player above, <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_90.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">on iTunes</a> or via the RSS feed at <a href="http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset</a>. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

090-The Candy Bar War

In 1935 a shark in an Australian aquarium vomited up a human forearm, a bizarre turn of events that sparked a confused murder investigation. This week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast presents two cases in which a shark supplied key evidence of a human crime. We'll also learn about the Paris Herald's obsession with centigrade temperature, revisit the scary travel writings of Victorian children's author Favell Lee Mortimer, and puzzle over an unavenged killing at a sporting event. Sources for our feature on the shark arm affair: Andrew Tink, Australia 1901-2001: A Narrative History, 2014. Dictionary of Sydney, "Shark Arm murder 1935," accessed March 5, 2015. "Arm-Eating Shark Bares Weird Killing," Pittsburgh Press, July 9, 1935. "Shark Gives Up Clue to Murder," Milwaukee Journal, July 9, 1935. "'Shark Arm' Murder Mystery Still Baffles Australian Police," Toledo Blade, Dec. 14, 1952. The 1799 episode of the Nancy's forged papers appears in (of all places!) Allan McLane Hamilton's 1910 biography The Intimate Life of Alexander Hamilton (Hamilton appeared for the United Insurance Company in the case). It's confirmed in Xavier Maniguet's 2007 book The Jaws of Death: Sharks as Predator, Man as Prey. Apparently both the "shark papers" and the shark's jaws were put on public display afterward and are now in the keeping of the Institute of Jamaica; I gather the case made a sensation at the time but has largely been forgotten. Sources for our feature on James Gordon Bennett and the "Old Philadelphia Lady": The International New York Times, "Oct. 5, 1947: Old Philadelphia Lady Said It 6,718 Times," Oct. 14, 2013. James B. Townsend, "J.Gordon Bennett, Editor by Cable," New York Times, May 19, 1918. Mark Tungate, Media Monoliths, 2005. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was submitted by listener Lily Geller, who sent this corroborating link (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). This episode is sponsored by our patrons and by Loot Crate -- go to http://www.lootcrate.com/CLOSET and enter code CLOSET to save $3 on any new subscription. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. And you can finally follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks for listening!

In 1935 a shark in an Australian aquarium vomited up a human forearm, a bizarre turn of events that sparked a confused murder investigation. This week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast presents two cases in which a shark supplied key evidence of a human crime. We'll also learn about the Paris Herald's obsession with centigrade temperature, revisit the scary travel writings of Victorian children's author Favell Lee Mortimer, and puzzle over an unavenged killing at a sporting event. Sources for our feature on the shark arm affair: Andrew Tink, Australia 1901-2001: A Narrative History, 2014. Dictionary of Sydney, <a href="http://dictionaryofsydney.org/entry/shark_arm_murder_1935" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Shark Arm murder 1935,"</a> accessed March 5, 2015. "Arm-Eating Shark Bares Weird Killing," Pittsburgh Press, July 9, 1935. "Shark Gives Up Clue to Murder," Milwaukee Journal, July 9, 1935. "'Shark Arm' Murder Mystery Still Baffles Australian Police," Toledo Blade, Dec. 14, 1952. The 1799 episode of the Nancy's forged papers appears in (of all places!) Allan McLane Hamilton's 1910 biography The Intimate Life of Alexander Hamilton (Hamilton appeared for the United Insurance Company in the case). It's confirmed in Xavier Maniguet's 2007 book The Jaws of Death: Sharks as Predator, Man as Prey. Apparently both the "shark papers" and the shark's jaws were put on public display afterward and are now in the keeping of the Institute of Jamaica; I gather the case made a sensation at the time but has largely been forgotten. Sources for our feature on James Gordon Bennett and the "Old Philadelphia Lady": The International New York Times, "Oct. 5, 1947: Old Philadelphia Lady Said It 6,718 Times," Oct. 14, 2013. James B. Townsend, "J.Gordon Bennett, Editor by Cable," New York Times, May 19, 1918. Mark Tungate, Media Monoliths, 2005. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was submitted by listener Lily Geller, who sent <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2011/02/07/133565050/weird-news-california-man-fatally-stabbed-by-rooster" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this corroborating link</a> (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). This episode is sponsored by our patrons and by Loot Crate -- go to <a href="http://www.lootcrate.com/CLOSET" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.lootcrate.com/CLOSET</a> and enter code CLOSET to save $3 on any new subscription. You can listen using the player above, <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_48.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">on iTunes</a> or via the RSS feed at <a href="http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset</a>. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our Patreon page</a> you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. And you can finally follow us on <a href="https://www.facebook.com/thefutilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/_FutilityCloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>. Thanks for listening!

048-The Shark Arm Affair

Samuel Taylor Coleridge

In 1926, a woman named Lillian Alling grew disenchanted with her life as a maid in New York City and resolved to return to her native Russia. She lacked the funds to sail east, so instead she walked west -- trekking 6,000 miles alone across the breadth of Canada and into Alaska. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast, we'll consider Alling's lonely, determined journey, compare it to the efforts of other long-distance pedestrians, and suggest a tool to plot your own virtual journey across the United States.We'll also learn the truth about the balloon-borne messenger dogs of 1870 Paris, ponder the significance of October 4 to Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and offer a chance to win a book in the next Futility Closet Challenge.

In 1926, a woman named Lillian Alling grew disenchanted with her life as a maid in New York City and resolved to return to her native Russia. She lacked the funds to sail east, so instead she walked west -- trekking 6,000 miles alone across the breadth of Canada and into Alaska. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast, we'll consider Alling's lonely, determined journey, compare it to the efforts of other long-distance pedestrians, and suggest a tool to plot your own virtual journey across the United States.We'll also learn the truth about the balloon-borne messenger dogs of 1870 Paris, ponder the significance of October 4 to Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and offer a chance to win a book in the next Futility Closet Challenge.

003-Extreme Pedestrians, Kangaroo Stew, and Samuel Taylor Coleridge

The American bomber Lady Be Good left North Africa for a bombing run over Italy in 1943. It wasn't seen again until 15 years later, when explorers discovered its broken remains deep in the Libyan desert. In this episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll review the strange history of the lost aircraft and trace the desperate last days of its nine crewmen. We'll also climb some twisted family trees and puzzle over the Greek philosopher Thales' struggles with a recalcitrant mule. Sources for our segment on the Lady Be Good: Mario Martinez, Lady's Men, 1995. Dennis E. McClendon, The Lady Be Good: Mystery Bomber of World War II, 1962. Above: The Lady Be Good as she was discovered 440 miles southeast of Benghazi, in remarkably good condition for a plane that had landed itself with one working engine and then lain in the desert for 15 years. The tires on the nose wheel and one of the main landing wheels were undamaged and fully inflated.  The crew:  William J. Hatton, pilot; Robert F. Toner, co-pilot; D.P. Hays, navigator; John S. Woravka, bombardier; Harold J. Ripslinger, flight engineer; Robert E. LaMotte, radio operator; Guy E. Shelley Jr., waist gunner; Vernon L. Moore, waist gunner; and S.E. Adams, tail gunner. Hatton, the leader, was probably the first to die. Five months before his posting to Libya, he had written to his mother, "There are about four places they can send me. Arizona, Idaho, and Spokane or Tacoma, Washington. I am sitting here waiting to see which one it is. I hope it isn't Arizona because I am tired of sand." Listener mail: Our Dec. 21 post "A Man His Own Grandfather," reprinting an 1868 item about a man whose stepdaughter marries his father, follows a similar post from 2009, "Proof That a Man Can Be His Own Grandfather," which includes a diagram. The song "I'm My Own Grandpa" was released by Lonzo &amp; Oscar in 1947. This cover version includes a diagram that explains the relationships:  Thanks to reader David Wright for sending a link to an article in Geneaology Magazine that traces the history of the idea, and to reader Mark Williamson for sharing his own convoluted family tree: My own mother was an only child, whose father died when she was 9 years old. Her mother then remarried an older man who had several children (and they went on to have several more together). My maternal grandmother's younger brother was in the military, and when home on leave fell in love with one of my mother's stepsisters, and they got married and had children of their own. So my grandmother's brother was my great-uncle, and his wife was my great-aunt, and their children were my second cousins, but he was also my uncle because he was married to my aunt (my mother's stepsister) and their children were my first cousins. And their father was also their great-uncle, since he was their grandmother's brother, and therefore their mother was their great-aunt since she was married to their great-uncle. And since they were their great-aunt's children, that made them their own second cousins. The first of this week's two lateral thinking puzzles was inspired by a chance encounter with N.L. Mackenzie's article "The Nastiness of Mathematicians" in the Pi Mu Epsilon Journal (vol. 9, no. 10, Spring 1994) while toiling at NC State this week. It's not certain that the story actually befell Thales; the same story is told in Aesop's fable "The Salt Merchant and His Ass." The second puzzle is drawn from Eliot Hearst and John Knott's excellent 2009 book Blindfold Chess and from Miguel Najdorf's New York Times obituary (warning: this spoils the puzzle). Hearst and Knott's website explains how Najdorf's longstanding record of 45 blindfold games played simultaneously was broken in 2011 by Marc Lang of Günzburg, Germany. Lang played 46 games and scored +25, =19, -2, as against Najdorf's astounding +39, =4, -2 in São Paulo in 1947. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

The American bomber Lady Be Good left North Africa for a bombing run over Italy in 1943. It wasn't seen again until 15 years later, when explorers discovered its broken remains deep in the Libyan desert. In this episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll review the strange history of the lost aircraft and trace the desperate last days of its nine crewmen. We'll also climb some twisted family trees and puzzle over the Greek philosopher Thales' struggles with a recalcitrant mule. Sources for our segment on the Lady Be Good: Mario Martinez, Lady's Men, 1995. Dennis E. McClendon, The Lady Be Good: Mystery Bomber of World War II, 1962. Above: The Lady Be Good as she was discovered 440 miles southeast of Benghazi, in remarkably good condition for a plane that had landed itself with one working engine and then lain in the desert for 15 years. The tires on the nose wheel and one of the main landing wheels were undamaged and fully inflated. The crew:  William J. Hatton, pilot; Robert F. Toner, co-pilot; D.P. Hays, navigator; John S. Woravka, bombardier; Harold J. Ripslinger, flight engineer; Robert E. LaMotte, radio operator; Guy E. Shelley Jr., waist gunner; Vernon L. Moore, waist gunner; and S.E. Adams, tail gunner. Hatton, the leader, was probably the first to die. Five months before his posting to Libya, he had written to his mother, "There are about four places they can send me. Arizona, Idaho, and Spokane or Tacoma, Washington. I am sitting here waiting to see which one it is. I hope it isn't Arizona because I am tired of sand." Listener mail: Our Dec. 21 post <a href="http://www.futilitycloset.com/2014/12/21/a-man-his-own-grandfather/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"A Man His Own Grandfather,"</a> reprinting an 1868 item about a man whose stepdaughter marries his father, follows a similar post from 2009, <a href="http://www.futilitycloset.com/2009/05/06/proof-that-a-man-can-be-his-own-grandfather/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Proof That a Man Can Be His Own Grandfather,"</a> which includes a diagram. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3CvRC4fAmk" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The song "I'm My Own Grandpa" was released by Lonzo &amp; Oscar in 1947.</a> This cover version includes a diagram that explains the relationships: Thanks to reader David Wright for sending a link to an <a href="http://www.genealogymagazine.com/grandpa.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">article</a> in Geneaology Magazine that traces the history of the idea, and to reader Mark Williamson for sharing his own convoluted family tree: My own mother was an only child, whose father died when she was 9 years old. Her mother then remarried an older man who had several children (and they went on to have several more together). My maternal grandmother's younger brother was in the military, and when home on leave fell in love with one of my mother's stepsisters, and they got married and had children of their own. So my grandmother's brother was my great-uncle, and his wife was my great-aunt, and their children were my second cousins, but he was also my uncle because he was married to my aunt (my mother's stepsister) and their children were my first cousins. And their father was also their great-uncle, since he was their grandmother's brother, and therefore their mother was their great-aunt since she was married to their great-uncle. And since they were their great-aunt's children, that made them their own second cousins. The first of this week's two lateral thinking puzzles was inspired by a chance encounter with N.L. Mackenzie's article "The Nastiness of Mathematicians" in the Pi Mu Epsilon Journal (vol. 9, no. 10, Spring 1994) while toiling at NC State this week. It's not certain that the story actually befell Thales; the same story is told in Aesop's fable <a href="http://www.gutenberg.org/files/21/21-h/21-h.htm#link2H_4_0054" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Salt Merchant and His Ass."</a> The second puzzle is drawn from Eliot Hearst and John Knott's excellent 2009 book Blindfold Chess and from <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/1997/07/17/arts/miguel-najdorf-87-famed-for-sparkling-chess-dies.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Miguel Najdorf's New York Times obituary</a> (warning: this spoils the puzzle). Hearst and Knott's website explains how <a href="http://www.blindfoldchess.net/blog/2011/12/after_64_years_new_world_blindfold_record_set_by_marc_lang_playing_46_games/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Najdorf's longstanding record of 45 blindfold games played simultaneously was broken in 2011 by Marc Lang of Günzburg, Germany</a>. Lang played 46 games and scored +25, =19, -2, as against Najdorf's astounding +39, =4, -2 in São Paulo in 1947. You can listen using the player above, <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_41.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">download this episode directly</a>, or <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">subscribe on iTunes</a> or via the RSS feed at <a href="http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset</a>. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon page</a> you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

041-The Tragic Tale of the Lady Be Good

In the 1920s Bata Kindai Amgoza ibn LoBagola toured the United States and Europe to share the culture of his African homeland with fascinated audiences. The reality was actually much more mundane: His name was Joseph Lee and he was from Baltimore. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the curious story of this self-described "savage" and trace the unraveling of his imaginative career. We'll also dump a bucket of sarcasm on Duluth, Minnesota, and puzzle over why an acclaimed actor loses a role. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for our feature on Bata LoBagola: Bata Kindai Amgoza ibn LoBagola, LoBagola: An African Savage's Own Story, 1930. David Killingray and Willie Henderson, "Bata Kindai Amgoza ibn LoBagola and the Making of An African Savage's Own Story," in Bernth Lindfors, Africans on Stage: Studies in Ethnological Show Business, 1999. Alex Pezzati, "The Scholar and the Impostor," Expedition 47:2 (Summer 2005), 6. James Olney, Tell Me Africa: An Approach to African Literature, 2015. Louis Chude-Sokei, The Last "Darky": Bert Williams, Black-on-Black Minstrelsy, and the African Diaspora, 2005. John Strausbaugh, Black Like You: Blackface, Whiteface, Insult &amp; Imitation in American Popular Culture, 2007. Bata Kindai Amgoza Ibn LoBagola papers, New York Public Library Archives &amp; Manuscripts. Jim Christy, "Scalawags: Bata Kindai Amgoza ibn LoBagola," Nuvo, Summer 2013. Kentucky representative James Proctor Knott's derisive panegyric on Duluth, Minnesota, was delivered in the U.S. House of Representatives on Jan. 27, 1871. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Ben Snitkoff, who sent this corroborating link (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. Enter promo code CLOSET at Harry's and get $5 off your first order of high-quality razors. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

In the 1920s Bata Kindai Amgoza ibn LoBagola toured the United States and Europe to share the culture of his African homeland with fascinated audiences. The reality was actually much more mundane: His name was Joseph Lee and he was from Baltimore. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the curious story of this self-described "savage" and trace the unraveling of his imaginative career. We'll also dump a bucket of sarcasm on Duluth, Minnesota, and puzzle over why an acclaimed actor loses a role. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon page</a> you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for our feature on Bata LoBagola: Bata Kindai Amgoza ibn LoBagola, LoBagola: An African Savage's Own Story, 1930. David Killingray and Willie Henderson, "Bata Kindai Amgoza ibn LoBagola and the Making of An African Savage's Own Story," in Bernth Lindfors, Africans on Stage: Studies in Ethnological Show Business, 1999. Alex Pezzati, <a href="http://www.penn.museum/documents/publications/expedition/PDFs/47-2/From%20the%20Archives.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Scholar and the Impostor,"</a> Expedition 47:2 (Summer 2005), 6. James Olney, Tell Me Africa: An Approach to African Literature, 2015. Louis Chude-Sokei, The Last "Darky": Bert Williams, Black-on-Black Minstrelsy, and the African Diaspora, 2005. John Strausbaugh, Black Like You: Blackface, Whiteface, Insult &amp; Imitation in American Popular Culture, 2007. <a href="http://archives.nypl.org/scm/20729" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bata Kindai Amgoza Ibn LoBagola papers</a>, New York Public Library Archives &amp; Manuscripts. Jim Christy, <a href="http://nuvomagazine.com/magazine/summer-2013/scalawags-lobagola" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Scalawags: Bata Kindai Amgoza ibn LoBagola,"</a> Nuvo, Summer 2013. Kentucky representative James Proctor Knott's <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=v4xCAQAAMAAJ" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">derisive panegyric on Duluth, Minnesota,</a> was delivered in the U.S. House of Representatives on Jan. 27, 1871. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Ben Snitkoff, who sent <a href="http://www.missionlogpodcast.com/where-no-one-has-gone-before/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">this corroborating link</a> (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_89.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">on iTunes</a> or via the RSS feed at <a href="http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset</a>. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. Enter promo code CLOSET at <a href="https://www.harrys.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Harry's</a> and get $5 off your first order of high-quality razors. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

089-An African From Baltimore

Nancy Drew

In 1896 a strange wave of airship sightings swept Northern California; the reports of strange lights in the sky created a sensation that would briefly engulf the rest of the country. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll examine some of the highlights of this early "UFO" craze, including the mysterious role of a San Francisco attorney who claimed to have the answer to it all.We'll also examine the surprising role played by modern art in disguising World War I merchant ships and modern cars, discover unexpected lions in central Illinois and southern England, and present the next Futility Closet Challenge.

In 1896 a strange wave of airship sightings swept Northern California; the reports of strange lights in the sky created a sensation that would briefly engulf the rest of the country. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll examine some of the highlights of this early "UFO" craze, including the mysterious role of a San Francisco attorney who claimed to have the answer to it all.We'll also examine the surprising role played by modern art in disguising World War I merchant ships and modern cars, discover unexpected lions in central Illinois and southern England, and present the next Futility Closet Challenge.

004-Mystery Airships, Marauding Lions, and Nancy Drew

Mary Celeste

In 1872 the British merchant ship Mary Celeste was discovered drifting and apparently abandoned 600 miles off the coast of Portugal. In this episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll review this classic mystery of the sea: Why would 10 people flee a well-provisioned, seaworthy ship in fine weather? We'll also get an update on the legal rights of apes and puzzle over why a woman would not intervene when her sister is drugged. Sources for our segment on the Mary Celeste: Paul Begg, Mary Celeste: The Greatest Mystery of the Sea, 2005. Charles Edey Fay, Mary Celeste: The Odyssey of an Abandoned Ship, 1942. J.L. Hornibrook, "The Case of the 'Mary Celeste': An Ocean Mystery," Chambers Journal, Sept. 17, 1904. Listener mail: George M. Walsh, "Chimpanzees Don't Have The Same Rights As Humans, New York Court Rules," Associated Press, Dec. 5, 2014. The opinion from the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division: The People of the State of New York ex rel. The Nonhuman Rights Project, Inc., on Behalf of Tommy, Appellant, v. Patrick C. Lavery, Individually and as an Officer of Circle L Trailer Sales, Inc., et al. "Orangutan in Argentina Zoo Recognised by Court as 'Non-Human Person'," Guardian, Dec. 21, 2014. Coffitivity "recreates the ambient sounds of a cafe to boost your creativity and help you work better." This week's lateral thinking puzzle was submitted by listener Nick Madrid. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

In 1872 the British merchant ship Mary Celeste was discovered drifting and apparently abandoned 600 miles off the coast of Portugal. In this episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll review this classic mystery of the sea: Why would 10 people flee a well-provisioned, seaworthy ship in fine weather? We'll also get an update on the legal rights of apes and puzzle over why a woman would not intervene when her sister is drugged. Sources for our segment on the Mary Celeste: Paul Begg, Mary Celeste: The Greatest Mystery of the Sea, 2005. Charles Edey Fay, Mary Celeste: The Odyssey of an Abandoned Ship, 1942. J.L. Hornibrook, "The Case of the 'Mary Celeste': An Ocean Mystery," Chambers Journal, Sept. 17, 1904. Listener mail: George M. Walsh, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/04/chimps-rights-humans_n_6269986.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Chimpanzees Don't Have The Same Rights As Humans, New York Court Rules,"</a> Associated Press, Dec. 5, 2014. The opinion from the New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division: <a href="http://decisions.courts.state.ny.us/ad3/Decisions/2014/518336.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The People of the State of New York ex rel. The Nonhuman Rights Project, Inc., on Behalf of Tommy, Appellant, v. Patrick C. Lavery, Individually and as an Officer of Circle L Trailer Sales, Inc., et al.</a> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/dec/21/orangutan-argentina-zoo-recognised-court-non-human-person" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Orangutan in Argentina Zoo Recognised by Court as 'Non-Human Person',"</a> Guardian, Dec. 21, 2014. <a href="https://coffitivity.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Coffitivity</a> "recreates the ambient sounds of a cafe to boost your creativity and help you work better." This week's lateral thinking puzzle was submitted by listener Nick Madrid. You can listen using the player above, <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_40.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">download this episode directly</a>, or <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">subscribe on iTunes</a> or via the RSS feed at <a href="http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset</a>. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon page</a> you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

040-The Mary Celeste: A Great Sea Mystery

On New Year's Day 1963, two bodies were discovered on an Australian riverbank. Though their identities were quickly determined, weeks of intensive investigation failed to uncover a cause or motive for their deaths. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story of the Bogle-Chandler case, which riveted Australia for years. We'll also revisit the Rosenhan study and puzzle over a revealing lighthouse. Intro: Alphonse Allais' 1897 Funeral March for the Obsequies of a Deaf Man is silent. In 1975 muralist Richard Haas proposed restoring the shadows of bygone Manhattan buildings. Sources for our feature on the Bogle-Chandler case: Peter Butt, Who Killed Dr Bogle and Mrs Chandler?, 2017. "A New Twist in the Case That Puzzled a Nation," Canberra Times, Sept. 3, 2016, 2. Damien Murphy,  "New Twist in Gilbert Bogle and Margaret Chandler Murder Mystery," Sydney Morning Herald, Sept. 2, 2016. Tracy Bowden,  "Two Women May Hold Answer to How Dr Gilbert Bogle and Margaret Chandler Died in 1963," ABC News, Sept. 2, 2016. Tracy Bowden, "Two Women May Hold Key to Bogle-Chandler Case," 7.30, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Sept. 2, 2016. Frank Walker,  "Deadly Gas Firms as Chandler-Bogle Killer," Sydney Morning Herald, Sept. 17, 2006, 41. D.D. McNicoll, "Riddle by the Riverside," Weekend Australian, Sept. 9, 2006, 21. Malcolm Brown, "The Gas Did It: Bogle-Chandler Theory Blames Toxic Cloud," Sydney Morning Herald, Sept. 8, 2006, 3. Anna Salleh, "Bogle-Chandler Case Solved?", ABC Science, Sept. 8, 2006. Michael Edwards, "Experts Divided Over Bogle Death Theory," PM, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Sept. 8, 2006. Lisa Power, "Daring Affairs Came to a Gruesome End," Daily Telegraph, Sept. 7, 2006, 28. Skye Yates, "New Year's Curse," Daily Telegraph, March 26, 2001, 63. Tony Stephens, "New Year Murder Theory in Bogle Affair," Sydney Morning Herald, Jan. 2, 1998, 6. Joseph Lose, "Lovers 'Poisoned', Not LSD; Bodies Found Neatly Covered," [Auckland] Sunday News, Jan. 28, 1996, 7. "Breakthrough in 30-year Murder Mystery," [Wellington, New Zealand] Sunday Star-Times, Jan. 21, 1996, A1. Jack Waterford, "Mystery Unsolved After 25 Years," Canberra Times, Jan. 1, 1988, 2. "Court Told of Close Association," Canberra Times, May 25, 1963, 3. "Chandler in Witness Box," Canberra Times, May 23, 1963, 3.  "Woman Called to 2-Death Inquest," The Age, March 1, 1963. Cameron Hazlehurst, "Bogle, Gilbert Stanley (1924–1963)," Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 13, 1993. Malcolm Brown, "Sweeney, Basil (1925–2009)," Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University (accessed March 2, 2020). Listener mail: Vaughan Bell,  "I Seem to Be What I'm Not (You See)," Lancet Psychiatry 7:3 (March 1, 2020), 242. Roderick David Buchanan, "The Great Pretender: The Undercover Mission That Changed Our Understanding of Madness," Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences 56:1 (Winter 2020), 52-53. Jennifer Szalai,  "Investigating a Famous Study About the Line Between Sanity and Madness," New York Times, Nov. 27, 2019. Emily Eakin,  "Her Illness Was Misdiagnosed as Madness. Now Susannah Cahalan Takes on Madness in Medicine," New York Times, Nov. 2, 2019. Hans Pols, "Undercover in the Asylum," Science, Nov. 8, 2019, 697. Gina Perry,  "Deception and Illusion in Milgram's Accounts of the Obedience Experiments," Theoretical &amp; Applied Ethics 2:2 (2013), 79-92. Hannah Dwan,  "Fighting Baseball on the SNES Had Some of the Funniest Names in Gaming," Telegraph, Oct. 5, 2017. Wikipedia, "MLBPA Baseball" (accessed March 7, 2020).   This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Steven Jones. Here's a corroborating link (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above,  download this episode directly, or subscribe on  Google Podcasts, on Apple Podcasts, or via the RSS feed at https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

On New Year's Day 1963, two bodies were discovered on an Australian riverbank. Though their identities were quickly determined, weeks of intensive investigation failed to uncover a cause or motive for their deaths. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story of the Bogle-Chandler case, which riveted Australia for years. We'll also revisit the Rosenhan study and puzzle over a revealing lighthouse. Intro: Alphonse Allais' 1897 Funeral March for the Obsequies of a Deaf Man is <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/11/04/full-credit/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">silent</a>. In 1975 muralist Richard Haas proposed <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2012/11/06/ghosts-of-new-york/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">restoring the shadows</a> of bygone Manhattan buildings. Sources for our feature on the Bogle-Chandler case: Peter Butt, Who Killed Dr Bogle and Mrs Chandler?, 2017. "A New Twist in the Case That Puzzled a Nation," Canberra Times, Sept. 3, 2016, 2. Damien Murphy, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/new-twist-in-gilbert-bogle-and-margaret-chandler-murder-mystery-20160901-gr6it3.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "New Twist in Gilbert Bogle and Margaret Chandler Murder Mystery,"</a> Sydney Morning Herald, Sept. 2, 2016. Tracy Bowden, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-09-02/two-women-may-hold-answer-to-bogle-chandler-case/7808820" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Two Women May Hold Answer to How Dr Gilbert Bogle and Margaret Chandler Died in 1963,"</a> ABC News, Sept. 2, 2016. Tracy Bowden, "Two Women May Hold Key to Bogle-Chandler Case," 7.30, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Sept. 2, 2016. Frank Walker, <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/deadly-gas-firms-as-chandler-bogle-killer-20060917-gdoeo2.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Deadly Gas Firms as Chandler-Bogle Killer,"</a> Sydney Morning Herald, Sept. 17, 2006, 41. D.D. McNicoll, "Riddle by the Riverside," Weekend Australian, Sept. 9, 2006, 21. Malcolm Brown, "The Gas Did It: Bogle-Chandler Theory Blames Toxic Cloud," Sydney Morning Herald, Sept. 8, 2006, 3. Anna Salleh, <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2006/09/08/1735996.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Bogle-Chandler Case Solved?"</a>, ABC Science, Sept. 8, 2006. Michael Edwards, "Experts Divided Over Bogle Death Theory," PM, Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Sept. 8, 2006. Lisa Power, "Daring Affairs Came to a Gruesome End," Daily Telegraph, Sept. 7, 2006, 28. Skye Yates, "New Year's Curse," Daily Telegraph, March 26, 2001, 63. Tony Stephens, "New Year Murder Theory in Bogle Affair," Sydney Morning Herald, Jan. 2, 1998, 6. Joseph Lose, "Lovers 'Poisoned', Not LSD; Bodies Found Neatly Covered," [Auckland] Sunday News, Jan. 28, 1996, 7. "Breakthrough in 30-year Murder Mystery," [Wellington, New Zealand] Sunday Star-Times, Jan. 21, 1996, A1. Jack Waterford, <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/101966899" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Mystery Unsolved After 25 Years,"</a> Canberra Times, Jan. 1, 1988, 2. <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/131720219/14514341" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Court Told of Close Association,"</a> Canberra Times, May 25, 1963, 3. <a href="https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/131719865" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Chandler in Witness Box,"</a> Canberra Times, May 23, 1963, 3. <a href="https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1300&amp;dat=19630301&amp;id=UcEQAAAAIBAJ&amp;sjid=1JQDAAAAIBAJ&amp;pg=4068,4990" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Woman Called to 2-Death Inquest,"</a> The Age, March 1, 1963. Cameron Hazlehurst, <a href="http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/bogle-gilbert-stanley-9534" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Bogle, Gilbert Stanley (1924–1963),"</a> Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 13, 1993. Malcolm Brown, <a href="http://oa.anu.edu.au/obituary/sweeney-basil-16953/text28836" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Sweeney, Basil (1925–2009),"</a> Obituaries Australia, National Centre of Biography, Australian National University (accessed March 2, 2020). Listener mail: Vaughan Bell, <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpsy/article/PIIS2215-0366(20)30030-4/fulltext" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "I Seem to Be What I'm Not (You See),"</a> Lancet Psychiatry 7:3 (March 1, 2020), 242. Roderick David Buchanan, <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/jhbs.22021" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"The Great Pretender: The Undercover Mission That Changed Our Understanding of Madness,"</a> Journal of the History of the Behavioral Sciences 56:1 (Winter 2020), 52-53. Jennifer Szalai, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/27/books/review-great-pretender-susannah-cahalan.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Investigating a Famous Study About the Line Between Sanity and Madness,"</a> New York Times, Nov. 27, 2019. Emily Eakin, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/02/books/susannah-cahalan-great-pretender.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Her Illness Was Misdiagnosed as Madness. Now Susannah Cahalan Takes on Madness in Medicine,"</a> New York Times, Nov. 2, 2019. Hans Pols, <a href="https://science.sciencemag.org/content/366/6466/697.summary" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Undercover in the Asylum,"</a> Science, Nov. 8, 2019, 697. Gina Perry, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/317914282_Deception_and_Illusion_in_Milgram's_accounts_of_the_Obedience_Experiments" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Deception and Illusion in Milgram's Accounts of the Obedience Experiments,"</a> Theoretical &amp; Applied Ethics 2:2 (2013), 79-92. Hannah Dwan, <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gaming/news/fighting-baseball-snes-had-funniest-names-gaming-meet-mike-truck/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Fighting Baseball on the SNES Had Some of the Funniest Names in Gaming,"</a> Telegraph, Oct. 5, 2017. Wikipedia, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MLBPA_Baseball?oldformat=true" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"MLBPA Baseball"</a> (accessed March 7, 2020). This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Steven Jones. Here's a <a href="https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Series/DeathInParadise" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">corroborating link</a> (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_288.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe on <a href="https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9mdXRpbGl0eWNsb3NldC5saWJzeW4uY29tL3Jzcw%3D%3D" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Google Podcasts</a>, on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a>, or via the RSS feed at <a href="https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://futilitycloset.libsyn.com/rss</a>. Please consider <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">becoming a patron of Futility Closet</a> -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the <a href="http://www.futilitycloset.com/support-us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Support Us</a> page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

288-Death at the Lane Cove River

Early one morning in 1912, the residents of Villisca, Iowa, discovered a horrible scene: An entire family had been brutally murdered in their sleep. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the gruesome crime, which has baffled investigators for a hundred years. We'll also follow the further adventures of German sea ace Felix von Luckner and puzzle over some fickle bodyguards. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for our feature on the Villisca ax murders: Roy Marshall, Villisca, 2003. “Suspect Is Held for Ax Murders,” [Spokane, Wash.] Spokesman-Review, May 15, 1917. “Says He Killed Eight at God's Command,” New York Times, Sept. 2, 1917. “Tells of Killing Six With an Axe in 1912,” Associated Press, March 29, 1931. “Iowa Town Marks 90th Anniversary of Unsolved Ax Murders,” Associated Press, June 9, 2002. “Infamous Villisca Ax Donated to Villisca Historical Society,” Spencer [Iowa] Daily Reporter, Oct. 31, 2006. Listener Rini Rikka writes, "Doch is very hard to comprehend for someone who is just starting to learn German. Besides the main usage as a short answer, it has lots of other meanings that help shorten the speech a bit. Unfortunately for the non-natives, those other meanings cannot always be translated with the same word, but with some practice you'll get the feeling where and how to use it. If you'd like to read about it, here’s a good explanation of the word in English." This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener David White, who sent these corroborating links (warning: these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset.Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

Early one morning in 1912, the residents of Villisca, Iowa, discovered a horrible scene: An entire family had been brutally murdered in their sleep. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the gruesome crime, which has baffled investigators for a hundred years. We'll also follow the further adventures of German sea ace Felix von Luckner and puzzle over some fickle bodyguards. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon page</a> you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for our feature on the Villisca ax murders: Roy Marshall, Villisca, 2003. <a href="https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1314&amp;dat=19170515&amp;id=bKZVAAAAIBAJ&amp;sjid=oeADAAAAIBAJ&amp;pg=4358,4853277&amp;hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“Suspect Is Held for Ax Murders,”</a> [Spokane, Wash.] Spokesman-Review, May 15, 1917. “Says He Killed Eight at God's Command,” New York Times, Sept. 2, 1917. “Tells of Killing Six With an Axe in 1912,” Associated Press, March 29, 1931. <a href="https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=894&amp;dat=20020609&amp;id=VyALAAAAIBAJ&amp;sjid=yFIDAAAAIBAJ&amp;pg=5097,1032169&amp;hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“Iowa Town Marks 90th Anniversary of Unsolved Ax Murders,”</a> Associated Press, June 9, 2002. <a href="https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1907&amp;dat=20061031&amp;id=ZAFHAAAAIBAJ&amp;sjid=sf0MAAAAIBAJ&amp;pg=6218,38987&amp;hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">“Infamous Villisca Ax Donated to Villisca Historical Society,”</a> Spencer [Iowa] Daily Reporter, Oct. 31, 2006. Listener Rini Rikka writes, "Doch is very hard to comprehend for someone who is just starting to learn German. Besides the main usage as a short answer, it has lots of other meanings that help shorten the speech a bit. Unfortunately for the non-natives, those other meanings cannot always be translated with the same word, but with some practice you'll get the feeling where and how to use it. If you'd like to read about it, <a href="https://yourdailygerman.com/2012/02/27/meaning-of-doch/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here’s a good explanation of the word in English</a>." This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener David White, who sent these <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Designated_survivor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">corroborating</a> <a href="http://mic.com/articles/132290/what-it-s-like-to-be-the-designated-survivor-for-the-state-of-the-union" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">links</a> (warning: these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_97.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">on iTunes</a> or via the RSS feed at <a href="http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset</a>.Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

097-The Villisca Ax Murders

Here are six new lateral thinking puzzles to test your wits and stump your friends -- play along with us as we try to untangle some strange situations using only yes-or-no questions. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. This episode's puzzles were contributed by listeners David White and Sean Gilbertson and drawn from the following books: Edward J. Harshman, Fantastic Lateral Thinking Puzzles, 1996. Kyle Hendrickson, Mental Fitness Puzzles, 1998. Paul Sloane and Des MacHale, Intriguing Lateral Thinking Puzzles, 1996. David White sent two links to corroborate the third puzzle -- these contain spoilers, so listen to the episode before clicking. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

Here are six new lateral thinking puzzles to test your wits and stump your friends -- play along with us as we try to untangle some strange situations using only yes-or-no questions. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patreon page</a> you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. This episode's puzzles were contributed by listeners David White and Sean Gilbertson and drawn from the following books: Edward J. Harshman, Fantastic Lateral Thinking Puzzles, 1996. Kyle Hendrickson, Mental Fitness Puzzles, 1998. Paul Sloane and Des MacHale, Intriguing Lateral Thinking Puzzles, 1996. David White sent <a href="http://www.howlermagazine.com/howler-radio-8-the-half-time-hero/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">two</a> <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2013/sep/05/harry-redknapp-played-fan-west-ham" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">links</a> to corroborate the third puzzle -- these contain spoilers, so listen to the episode before clicking. You can listen using the player above, <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_86.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">on iTunes</a> or via the RSS feed at <a href="http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset</a>. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

086-Lateral Thinking Puzzles

In 1932 a quartet of Bronx gangsters set out to murder a friend of theirs in order to collect his life insurance. But Michael Malloy proved to be almost comically difficult to kill. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll review what one observer called "the most clumsily executed insurance scam in New York City history." We'll also burrow into hoarding and puzzle over the value of silence. Intro: In May 1856 Abraham Lincoln gave a fiery speech of which no record exists. Calvin S. Brown argued that Thomas De Quincey modeled the third part of his 1849 essay "The English Mail-Coach" deliberately on a musical fugue. Sources for our feature on Michael Malloy: Simon Read, On the House: The Bizarre Killing of Michael Malloy, 2005. Deborah Blum, The Poisoner's Handbook, 2011. Karen Abbott,  "The Man Who Wouldn't Die," Smithsonian, Feb. 7, 2012. Isabelle Keating,  "Doctor and Undertaker Held in 'Murder Trust,'" Brooklyn Daily Eagle, May 12, 1933.  "Insurance Murder Charged to Five," New York Times, May 13, 1933.  "4 Murder Attempts Cited in Weird Insurance Plot," Altoona (Pa.) Tribune, May 13, 1933.  "Murder Plot Seen in Another Death," New York Times, May 14, 1933.  "Murder Inquiry Is Widened by Foley," New York Times, May 16, 1933.  "Six Are Indicted in Insurance Plot," [Washington D.C.] Evening Star, May 17, 1933.  "Indicted as Slayers in Insurance Plot," New York Times, May 17, 1933.  "4 on Trial in Bronx Insurance Slaying," New York Times, Oct. 5, 1933.  "4 Men Go on Trial in Old Insurance Plot," Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Oct. 18, 1933.  "Jury Weighs Fate of Four in Killing," New York Times, Oct. 19, 1933.  "Four Men to Die for Bronx Killing," New York Times, Oct. 20, 1933.  "Three Die at Sing Sing for Bronx Murder," New York Times, June 8, 1934.  "Murphy Goes to the Chair," New York Times, July 6, 1934.  "The Durable Mike Malloy," New York Daily News, Oct. 14, 2007. Max Haines, "Inept Gang of Murderers Found Barfly Michael Malloy Almost Indestructible," Kamloops [B.C.] Daily News, Feb. 23, 2008. Deborah Blum,  "The Strange Death of Mike the Durable," Women in Crime Ink, March 23, 2010. Listener mail: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), American Psychiatric Association, 2013. Fugen Neziroglu,  "Hoarding: The Basics," Anxiety and Depression Association of America (accessed April 27, 2018). Scott O. Lilienfeld and Hal Arkowitz,  "Hoarding Can Be a Deadly Business," Scientific American, Sept. 1, 2013. Ferris Jabr, "Step Inside the Real World of Compulsive Hoarders," Scientific American, Feb. 25, 2013. Homer and Langley's Mystery Spot Antiques:   This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener David Marrero, who sent  these  corroborating links (warning -- these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above,  download this episode directly, or subscribe on Apple Podcasts or  Google Play Music or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the Support Us page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

In 1932 a quartet of Bronx gangsters set out to murder a friend of theirs in order to collect his life insurance. But Michael Malloy proved to be almost comically difficult to kill. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll review what one observer called "the most clumsily executed insurance scam in New York City history." We'll also burrow into hoarding and puzzle over the value of silence. Intro: In May 1856 <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2014/06/23/lincolns-lost-speech/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Abraham Lincoln gave a fiery speech of which no record exists</a>. Calvin S. Brown argued that Thomas De Quincey modeled the third part of his 1849 essay "The English Mail-Coach" <a href="https://www.futilitycloset.com/2014/06/26/sound-and-sense/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">deliberately on a musical fugue</a>. Sources for our feature on Michael Malloy: Simon Read, On the House: The Bizarre Killing of Michael Malloy, 2005. Deborah Blum, The Poisoner's Handbook, 2011. Karen Abbott, <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-man-who-wouldnt-die-89417903/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "The Man Who Wouldn't Die,"</a> Smithsonian, Feb. 7, 2012. Isabelle Keating, <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2057969/doctor_and_undertaker_held_in_murder/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Doctor and Undertaker Held in 'Murder Trust,'"</a> Brooklyn Daily Eagle, May 12, 1933. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1933/05/13/archives/insurance-murder-charged-to-five-dr-fa-manzella-exalderman-accused.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Insurance Murder Charged to Five,"</a> New York Times, May 13, 1933. <a href="https://www.newspapers.com/clip/2058104/4_murder_attempts_cited_in_weird/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "4 Murder Attempts Cited in Weird Insurance Plot,"</a> Altoona (Pa.) Tribune, May 13, 1933. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1933/05/14/archives/murder-plot-seen-in-another-death-foley-finds-member-of-gang.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Murder Plot Seen in Another Death,"</a> New York Times, May 14, 1933. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1933/05/16/archives/murder-plot-inquiry-is-widened-by-foley-bronx-prosecutor-seeks.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Murder Inquiry Is Widened by Foley,"</a> New York Times, May 16, 1933. <a href="https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1933-05-17/ed-1/seq-4/#date1=1789&amp;index=1&amp;rows=20&amp;words=Malloy+Michael+murdering&amp;searchType=basic&amp;sequence=0&amp;state=&amp;date2=1963&amp;proxtext=%22Michael+Malloy%22+murder&amp;y=13&amp;x=7&amp;dateFilterType=yearRange&amp;page=1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Six Are Indicted in Insurance Plot,"</a> [Washington D.C.] Evening Star, May 17, 1933. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1933/05/17/archives/indicted-as-slayers-in-insurance-plot-five-charged-with-firstdegree.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Indicted as Slayers in Insurance Plot,"</a> New York Times, May 17, 1933. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1933/10/05/archives/4-on-trial-in-bronx-in-insurance-slaying-foley-calls-them-ruthless.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "4 on Trial in Bronx Insurance Slaying,"</a> New York Times, Oct. 5, 1933. <a href="https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=KOMhAAAAIBAJ&amp;sjid=TmQEAAAAIBAJ&amp;pg=5261,2067448&amp;dq=michael+malloy&amp;hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "4 Men Go on Trial in Old Insurance Plot,"</a> Sarasota Herald-Tribune, Oct. 18, 1933. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1933/10/19/archives/jury-weighs-fate-of-four-in-killing-gets-case-against-gang-accused.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Jury Weighs Fate of Four in Killing,"</a> New York Times, Oct. 19, 1933. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1933/10/20/archives/four-men-to-die-for-bronx-killing-jury-finds-them-guilty-of.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Four Men to Die for Bronx Killing,"</a> New York Times, Oct. 20, 1933. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1934/06/08/archives/3-die-at-sing-sing-for-bronx-murder-fourth-gets-2-weeks-reprieve-in.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Three Die at Sing Sing for Bronx Murder,"</a> New York Times, June 8, 1934. <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/1934/07/06/archives/murphy-goes-to-the-chair.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Murphy Goes to the Chair,"</a> New York Times, July 6, 1934. <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/durable-mike-malloy-article-1.226396" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "The Durable Mike Malloy,"</a> New York Daily News, Oct. 14, 2007. Max Haines, "Inept Gang of Murderers Found Barfly Michael Malloy Almost Indestructible," Kamloops [B.C.] Daily News, Feb. 23, 2008. Deborah Blum, <a href="http://womenincrimeink.blogspot.com/2010/03/strange-death-of-mike-durable.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "The Strange Death of Mike the Durable,"</a> Women in Crime Ink, March 23, 2010. Listener mail: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), American Psychiatric Association, 2013. Fugen Neziroglu, <a href="https://adaa.org/understanding-anxiety/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/hoarding-basics" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Hoarding: The Basics,"</a> Anxiety and Depression Association of America (accessed April 27, 2018). Scott O. Lilienfeld and Hal Arkowitz, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/hoarding-can-be-deadly-business/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> "Hoarding Can Be a Deadly Business,"</a> Scientific American, Sept. 1, 2013. Ferris Jabr, <a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/real-world-hoarding/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Step Inside the Real World of Compulsive Hoarders,"</a> Scientific American, Feb. 25, 2013. <a href="http://www.mysteryspotvintage.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Homer and Langley's Mystery Spot Antiques</a>: This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener David Marrero, who sent <a href="https://www.beatlesbible.com/1966/06/30/live-nippon-budokan-hall-tokyo/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> these</a> <a href="https://www.beatlesbible.com/1966/07/02/live-nippon-budokan-hall-tokyo-3/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> corroborating</a> <a href="http://features.japantimes.co.jp/beatles-in-budokan/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">links</a> (warning -- these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/futilitycloset/Futility_Closet_podcast_-_Episode_198.mp3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> download this episode directly</a>, or subscribe on <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast?id=842593579" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple Podcasts</a> or <a href="https://play.google.com/music/listen?gclid=CLGtmZ_EuswCFceCgQodaWMAYQ&amp;gclsrc=ds#/ps/I6ledmcdffiudaciw2stol3n7ji" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Google Play Music</a> or via the RSS feed at <a href="http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset</a>. Please consider <a href="http://www.patreon.com/futilitycloset" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">becoming a patron of Futility Closet</a> -- you can choose the amount you want to pledge, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation on the <a href="http://www.futilitycloset.com/support-us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Support Us</a> page of the Futility Closet website. Many thanks to <a href="http://dougross.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Ross</a> for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at <a href="mailto:podcast@futilitycloset.com">podcast@futilitycloset.com</a>. Thanks for listening!

198-The Man Who Wouldn't Die

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