The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong Whoa Baby
Feb 27, 2024
Delve into bizarre birth myths, starting with a 17th-century court case where a woman's dream was accepted as evidence of conception. Meet John Hill, the 18th-century provocateur who penned a spoof letter claiming virgin births were possible; his satirical experiments raised eyebrows about scientific credulity. Explore Civil War-era hoaxes like the infamous bullet-to-uterus legend. Discover how these outrageous tales have influenced medicine and popular culture, leaving a legacy of absurdity about where babies really come from.
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Dream Pregnancy That Fooled A Court
- Mark Chrysler recounts the 1637 Grenoble case where Magdalene d'Aubremont claimed pregnancy from a dream and the court accepted it.
- The tale spread widely and was later deemed likely a Carnival prank by the French parliament.
Ignorance Fueled Fertility Myths
- The episode frames birth as a centuries-old mystery that invited speculation and hoaxes.
- Unclear mechanisms of reproduction made fertility a recurring site for misinformation.
John Hill: Prolific, Brilliant, Hated
- Mark Chrysler tells John Hill's rise from apothecary to prolific writer and controversial public figure in 18th-century London.
- Hill wrote across disciplines and made important observations despite being widely hated by peers.
