Brain Junk

During the 13th century, in the part of the world that would become Germany, husbands and wives could settle marital disagreements with an elaborate battle that used clubs and rocks. It was a drastic argument resolution of last resort. Amy explains all.

Show Notes:

In 1476 Hans Talhoffer wrote a manual on various kinds of combat. One of his chapters had illustrations with examples of men and women dueling. It is thought that his depictions of marital duels were common but by no means universal.

Luckily, we found a video where you can see his illustrations in action.

[embed]https://youtu.be/uH9Eqzcejws[/embed]

 
Show Notes:
It's tough to find illustrations that we are allowed to share here, so visit the links and get the whole scoop. You can also check out Medieval Justice: Cases and Laws in France, England and Germany, 500-1500 on Google Books if you'd really like to dig in!
Marital Duels Neatorama.com
Marital Duels-futilitycloset.com
Medieval Justice: Cases and Laws in France, England and Germany, 500-1500

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Trace dug deep for this animal symbiosis extravaganza. Frogs and tarantulas, blind snakes and owls; it's so so good.

Show Notes:

Bonus content: an article with a sound recording of screech owls.

Some info on blind snakes from the Smithsonian

Skip in to :28 for the frog CLIMBING UNDER the tarantula.

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In 1836, the Belville family began their business of selling time. It started with Ruth Belville's father and passed down to his daughter, Ruth. She sold time until 1939. Give it a listen, you know you want to learn more.

Show Notes:

Ruth Belville at the Greenwich clock.

Visit the museum that has Ruth Belville's watch.

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There might be longer names, but Hubert Blaine Wolfeschlegelsteinhausenbergerdorff Sr. probably comes the closest. Amy reads it all. Because there's more. SO MUCH MORE to his very long name.

 

Show notes:

Wikipedia Record for Longest Personal Name 

    *Visit Wikipedia for a great picture of Hubert holding his birth certificate. 

Mental Floss Record for Longest Personal Name Used

The longest name in it's full form 

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia.

Creative Commons License

 

His Name as it appeared on ID: 

Hubert Blaine Wolfe­schlegel­stein­hausen­berger­dorff Sr

 

 

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In the movie Good Will Hunting, Will is a janitor at MIT--he solves some impossible math problems and shocks the professors. That origin story is taken straight from real life (sort of). George Dantzig was a brilliant mathematician who got his start when he was late to class one fateful day and solved some math problems nobody thought could be solved.

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In this time of COVID19 and staying at home (if you happen to be at home with more than just yourself) you might be finding family harmony is getting a little rough around the edges. Amy has the perfect solution for you, the Scottish tradition of the Isle of Discussion.

 

The Isle of Discussion, or Eilean a' Chomhraidh can be seen on the left. Disputants were left on the island to settle their differences over whiskey and cheese. 

Show Notes

https://vinepair.com/articles/scotland-island-discussion-whisky/

https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/scottish-island-where-highland-clans-buried-their-dead-243491

 

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In 1930, the Kutol company came up with a putty to clean coal dust off of walls. Impending bankruptcy forced them to shift gears to find news ways of making a profit. A new company was formed and Play-Doh was born.

Show Notes:

Trace's Mom's Most Excellent Play dough recipe:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup salt
• 2 cups water
• 2 Tablespoons neutral oil
• 3 teaspoons cream of tartar
• a few drops of the food coloring of your choice
• Add everything to a saucepan and stir while cooking over medium low heat until it forms a ball. When the dough comes together, knead when it is cool enough to touch to smooth.
• Keep sealed in plastic when not in use.

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brainjunkpodcast.substack.com

Margaret and Matilda Roumania Peters were sisters and tennis champions in the 1930s, long before Serena and Venus Williams. While still in high school, they were recruited by Tuskegee University's tennis coach, Cleve Abbott.

The Peters sisters were accepted into the Tuskegee Hall of fame in 1977.

Margaret and Matilda: Tennis doubles champions

Blackpast.org Pete & Repeat

theroot.com Before Venus and Serena

thegeorgetowndish.com Honoring Pete & Repeat



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It's one of those episodes where you think you know where your research is leading and then it takes a sharp right turn. Trace follows a trail from shoving boulders downhill to the 18th century sport of hoop rolling.

P.S. Trace mentions in the beginning of the episode a video she'd seen on Instagram of guys rolling a giant boulder. That vid has since been removed. In many cases, trundling is illegal--people can cause immense damage to natural spaces and also put lives at risk. This episode is fun, but please, do not rock trundle.

Show Notes:

There's some bad language in the Youtube Video--but this is trundling that you must see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6L_EZHPwFI

Skip forward to 27 seconds to see the rock go!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poLBGJLLeDg


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The science of how bubbles work changes a bit when they go into space. Amy explains why.

Show Notes: 

These show notes are super cool. Click all the links and watch all the videos. You'll go down a space bubbles worm hole into fluid dynamics and it's great!

 

Wired.com Bubbles in space video

Watch an astronaut play with bubbles and antacid in space. Worth waiting through the commercial. 

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLCeAD6Z6FI

Science Focus: Can you blow a bubble in space?

ISS Water In Space

USGS Water In Space

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFLo07H2p8U

Watering plants in space is tricky with no gravity to pull the water down into the soil.

Image Courtesy NASA

I didn't talk about these videos, but they're fun!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bCK5wFHZG5o

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_-7PmG_RYE

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit brainjunkpodcast.substack.com