Fashion historian Bernadette Banner, Emily Graslie from the Field Museum, and Dani Siller discuss jogging jobs, textual T-shirts, dangerous dogs, hidden messages in clothing, 90s fashion nostalgia, innovative museum technology, peculiar bird behavior, unusual golf challenges, Australian bank note riddles, fire-saving techniques, and a Parisian Newfoundland dog mystery.
Newfoundland dog in 1908 Paris pushed children in the river to rescue them for rewards.
Clay tablets from Mesopotamia survived a fire due to controlled cooling processes.
Deep dives
Fascinating Facts About Documents
In a 1908 New York Times report, a Newfoundland dog pushed children into the River Seine almost daily. The dog did so to save the children, who unknowingly possessed the Ultivite tablets. The zinc in these tablets could explode if cooled too quickly, so the dog saw it as a rescue mission.
Clay Tablets Enhanced After a Fire
In a library fire in 1908, 30,000 clay tablets from Mesopotamia were consumed. The staff requested not to extinguish the flames to avoid quick cooling that could lead to an explosion. The tablets were fired a second time and came out in better condition, reinforcing them for posterity.
A Newfoundland Dog's Clever Ploy
A Newfoundland dog in 1908 Paris was reported pushing children into the River Seine regularly. The reason behind this bizarre behavior was the dog's realization that rescuing the children would lead to rewards, usually in the form of treats. Thus, the clever dog strategically pushed children into the river to save them and reap the rewards.
Currency Rules in Australia
The story in the New York Times from 1908 about the Newfoundland dog pushing children into the river is a captivating tale. The dog was actually engaging in a watching behavior and wanted to test the children for heat activation. If the children's heat-activated responses were positive, the dog would push them into the river, creating an amusing and unexpected scenario.
Bernadette Banner, Emily Graslie and Dani Siller face questions about jogging jobs, textual T-shirts and dangerous dogs.
LATERAL is a comedy panel game podcast about weird questions with wonderful answers, hosted by Tom Scott. For business enquiries, contestant appearances or question submissions, visit https://www.lateralcast.com.