Guest comedian Lee Camp joins the hosts to discuss various topics, including the disappearance of capes, a bank robbery with distracting lists, humorous news articles, a performance with a dummy grab box, the argument against women's suffrage, false scientific claims, and humorous proposals. They also touch on death, burning libraries, poor quality papers, and an apology from one of the speakers.
Chinese men were smuggled into the United States by hiding them in coffins, leading to their arrest.
A vocal opponent of women's suffrage was contradicted by the weight of his own brain after his death.
Deep dives
Smuggling Chinese men in coffins into the United States
A group of smugglers devised a new method of smuggling Chinese men into the United States. The men were placed in pine coffins with a concealed airhole and forged death certificates. The coffins were shipped from Nebraska to Maine, with the supposed corpses attracting no suspicion. However, upon inspection, the coffins were found to contain live men, leading to their arrest.
Controversy over male and female brain sizes
Professor Bishop of London, a vocal opponent of women's suffrage, claimed that the average male brain weighed 1,350 grains compared to the average female brain's weight of 1,260 grains. However, after Professor Bishop's death, it was discovered that his own brain only weighed 1,255 grains, less than the average female brain, contradicting his earlier claims.
Innovative entertainment at a local event
At a local event, an intriguing entertainment act was presented. An arm of a live young woman was concealed behind a dummy resembling an African-American woman. The dummy extended its arm, and people could insert a nickel into its hand, which in turn would place the coin into the mouth of the dummy. The participant could then reach into the dummy's pocket and retrieve a prize. It was a popular attraction for both children and adults.
Outlandish theories about stopping the earth
An article mentions a writer in a magazine proposing an eccentric idea that the earth should be suddenly stopped to generate extreme heat, reaching more than 190,000 degrees. The article suggests that anyone attempting to stop the earth in such a manner should face severe consequences. While seemingly absurd, this theory attracted attention and sparked discussions among readers.