Futility Closet

In 1955, aliens from the planet Clarion contacted a Chicago housewife to warn her that the end of the world was imminent. Psychologist Leon Festinger saw this as a unique opportunity to test a new theory about human cognition. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow him inside a UFO religion as it approaches the apocalypse. We'll also try to determine when exactly LBJ became president and puzzle over some wet streets. Intro: There's a hexagon of cloud at Saturn's north pole. You're not as unpopular as you think you are. Sources for our feature on Leon Festinger: Leon Festinger, Henry W. Riecken, and Stanley Schachter, When Prophecy Fails, 1956. Leon Festinger, A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, 1957. Joel Cooper, Cognitive Dissonance: Fifty Years of a Classic Theory, 2007. Camille Morvan with Alexander J. O'Connor, An Analysis of Leon Festinger's A Theory of Cognitive Dissonance, 2017. Leon Festinger, "Cognitive Dissonance," Scientific American 207:4 (October 1962), 93-106. Stanley Schachter, "Leon Festinger," Biographical Memoirs, Vol. 64, National Academy of Sciences, 1994. R.B. Zajonc, "Obituary: Leon Festinger (1919–1989)," American Psychologist 45:5 (1990), 661-662. Michael S. Gazzaniga, "Leon Festinger: Lunch With Leon," Perspectives on Psychological Science 1:1 (2006), 88-94. Elliot Aronson, "Leon Festinger and the Art of Audacity," Psychological Science 2:4 (July 1, 1991), 213-221. Serge Moscovici, "Obituary: Leon Festinger," European Journal of Social Psychology 19:4 (July 1989), 263-269. Dion Scott-Kakures, "Unsettling Questions: Cognitive Dissonance in Self-Deception," Social Theory and Practice 35:1 (January 2009), 73-106. Stephen Cox, "An Experiment in Apocalypse," Liberty 24:11 (December 2010) 17-22. Louisa C. Egan, Laurie R. Santos, and Paul Bloom, "The Origins of Cognitive Dissonance: Evidence From Children and Monkeys," Psychological Science 18:11 (November 2007), 978-983. Merton S. Krause, "An Analysis of Festinger's Cognitive Dissonance Theory," Philosophy of Science 39:1 (March 1972), 32-50. Charles G. Lord, "Was Cognitive Dissonance Theory a Mistake?" Psychological Inquiry 3:4 (1992), 339-342. Betty M. Bayer, "Wonder in a World of Struggle?" Subjectivity 23:1 (July 2008), 156-173. Chris Mooney, "The Science of Why We Don't Believe Science," Issues 95 (June 2011), 27-32. Chris Bader, "When Prophecy Passes Unnoticed: New Perspectives on Failed Prophecy," Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion 38:1 (March 1999), 119-131. Lorne L. Dawson, "When Prophecy Fails and Faith Persists: A Theoretical Overview," Nova Religio 3:1 (October 1999), 60-82. Jon R. Stone, "Prophecy and Dissonance: A Reassessment of Research Testing the Festinger Theory," Nova Religio 12:4 (May 2009), 72-90. Michael Barkun, "The Occultist and the Spaceman," in Cathy Gutierrez, Handbook of Spiritualism and Channeling, 2015. Diana Tumminia, "How Prophecy Never Fails: Interpretive Reason in a Flying-Saucer Group," Sociology of Religion 59:2 (Summer 1998), 157-170. Robert W. Balch, Gwen Farnsworth, and Sue Wilkins, "When the Bombs Drop: Reactions to Disconfirmed Prophecy in a Millennial Sect," Sociological Perspectives 26:2 (April 1983), 137-158. Daniel Finkelstein, "Prosecutors Don't Know How Biased They Are," Times, Jan. 24, 2018, 27. Matthew Syed, "Trial and Error," New Statesman 144:5288 (Nov. 13-19, 2015), 28-31, 33. "Leon Festinger, 69, New School Professor," New York Times, Feb. 12, 1989. Adam Grant, "The Virtue of Contradicting Ourselves," New York Times, Nov. 14, 2015. Kristin Wong, "Why It's So Hard to Admit You're Wrong," New York Times, May 22, 2017. John Tierney, "Go Ahead, Rationalize. Monkeys Do It, Too," New York Times, Nov. 6, 2007. Listener mail: Simon Usborne, "The LBJ Missal: Why a Prayer Book Given to John F. Kennedy Was Used to Swear in the 36th US President," Independent, Nov. 16, 2013. "About the Constitution: Article II: Executive Branch," National Constitution Center (accessed Jan. 25, 2019). Scott Bomboy, "How JFK's Assassination Led to a Constitutional Amendment," Constitution Daily, Nov. 22, 2018. "Art & History: Vice President of the United States (President of the Senate)," United States Senate (accessed Jan. 25, 2019). "Art & History: John Tyler, Tenth Vice President (1841)," United States Senate (accessed Jan. 25, 2019). Wikipedia, "William Henry Harrison" (accessed Jan. 25, 2019). Wikipedia, "Presidency of John Tyler" (accessed Jan. 27, 2019). "John Tyler," whitehouse.gov (accessed Jan. 25, 2019). "Amendment XXV: Presidential Disability and Succession," National Constitution Center (accessed Jan. 25, 2019). This week's lateral thinking puzzle was devised by Greg. 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 1860 a party of explorers set out to traverse the Australian continent, but bad management and a series of misfortunes sent it spiraling toward tragedy. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story of the Victorian Exploring Expedition and its dramatic climax at Cooper's Creek. We'll also try to validate Archimedes and puzzle over an unlucky thief. Intro: In 1990 Jon Perez Laraudogoitia wrote a philosophy article that compelled its own acceptance. In 1976 architect Robert Venturi found a way to commemorate a house with no surviving description. Sources for our story on the Burke and Wills expedition: Alan Moorehead, Cooper's Creek, 1963. Sarah P. Murgatroyd, The Dig Tree, 2002. Dave Phoenix, Following Burke and Wills Across Australia: A Touring Guide, 2015. Ian Clark and Fred Cahir, The Aboriginal Story of Burke and Wills: Forgotten Narratives, 2013. A.W. Howitt, et al., "Exploring Expedition From Victoria to the Gulf of Carpentaria, Under the Command of Mr. Robert O'Hara Burke," Journal of the Royal Geographical Society of London 32 (1862), 430-529. The Diary of William John Wills. William John Wills, A Successful Exploration Through the Interior of Australia: From Melbourne to the Gulf of Carpentaria, 1863. Dave Phoenix, "Burke and Wills -- An Overview of the Expedition, Its Preparation, Planning and Outcomes," Queensland History Journal 21:8 (2012), 497. Jessica Campion, "Burke and Wills: Botany's Untold Success Story," Australian Geographic, July 27, 2011. Bernie Joyce and Doug McCann, "The Scientific Legacy of Burke & Wills," Australasian Science 32:5 (June 2011), 29-31. Sally Woollett, "Thiamine and the Dig Tree Tragedy," Chemistry in Australia 78:10 (November 2011), 4. John W. Earl and Barry V. McCleary, "Mystery of the Poisoned Expedition," Nature 368:6473 (April 21, 1994), 683. Deirdre Slattery, "If Burke Had Been a Naturalist ...: Telling and Re-Telling National Narratives," Australian Journal of Outdoor Education 8:2 (2004), 13-21. Peter Daszak, "A Last Waltz for Burke, Wills, and King," EcoHealth 13:4 (December 2016), 821–823. "Burke & Wills: From Melbourne to Myth," [Melbourne] Herald Sun, Sept. 24, 2002, 34. Carolyn Webb, "Exploring the Myth," The Age, Aug. 26, 2002, 3. "Memoirs of the Late Leaders of the Exploring Expedition," Sydney Morning Herald, Nov. 19, 1861, 2. "Memorandum on the Recent Journeys of Exploration Across the Continent of Australia," Sydney Morning Herald, Dec. 20, 1861, 7. "The Australian Exploring Expedition," North Wales Chronicle, Feb. 22, 1862. "Australian Explorations," Newcastle Courant, May 23, 1862. Richard Garnett, "Burke, Robert O'Hara," Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Sept. 23, 2004. C.A. Harris, "Wills, William John," Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Sept. 23, 2004. Burke and Wills Collection, National Museum Australia. Listener mail: Wikipedia, "Concentrated Solar Power" (accessed Jan. 17, 2019). Wikipedia, "Ivanpah Solar Power Facility" (accessed Jan. 17, 2019). Adam Clark Estes, "How the World's Largest Solar Plant Wants to Fix Its Fried Bird Problem," Gizmodo, Aug. 19, 2014. Associated Press, "BrightSource Solar Plant Sets Birds on Fire as They Fly Overhead," Aug. 18, 2014. Ian Sample, "Doubt Cast on Archimedes' Killer Mirrors," Guardian, Oct. 23, 2005. Jeremy Hsu, "Archimedes' Flaming Death Ray Was Probably Just a Cannon, Study Finds," Christian Science Monitor, June 29, 2010. Thomas W. Africa, "Archimedes Through the Looking-Glass," The Classical World 68:5 (February 1975), 305-308. Josh Clark, "What Was Archimedes' Death Ray?" How Stuff Works (accessed Jan. 17, 2019). "Archimedes Death Ray," student experiment, Product Engineering Processes, MIT, October 2005. "Archimedes Death Ray: Testing With MythBusters," Product Engineering Processes, MIT, October 2005. Renee Montagne, "Was Archimedes' Mirror Real?" Morning Edition, National Public Radio, July 25, 2018. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was devised by Sharon. 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 1978 two families hatched a daring plan to escape East Germany: They would build a hot-air balloon and sail it by night across the border. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow their struggles to evade the authorities and realize their dream of a new life in the West. We'll also shuffle some vehicles and puzzle over a perplexing worker. Intro: In 1993 Tom Peyer and Hart Seely found that Yankees announcer Phil Rizzuto's utterances can be cast as free verse. Jane Austen wrote three novels on a tiny table in her family's sitting room, subject to continual interruption. Sources for our story on the East German balloon escape: Jürgen Petschull, With the Wind to the West, 1980. John Dornberg, "Freedom Balloon," Popular Mechanics 153:2 (February 1980), 100-103, 150. Kate Connolly, "Film of Daring Balloon Escape From East Revives German Identity Debate," Guardian, Oct. 7, 2018. "Man Who Fled East Germany in a Homemade Balloon and Whose Story Was Made Into a Film Dies," Sunday Express, March 15, 2017. "Fleeing Communism in a Hot Air Balloon," BBC World Service, June 18, 2015. Donata Von Hardenberg, "Escaping the East by Any Means," McClatchy-Tribune Business News, Nov. 12, 2009. "Great Escapes," National Post, Nov. 7, 2009. Scott Dick, "Those Who Risked It All on a Flight to Freedom," Daily Telegraph, April 13, 2004. Alice Demetrius Stock, "Homemade Craft Made Daring Escape," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Aug. 3, 1995. Paul Martin, "The House at Checkpoint Charlie: A Little West Berlin Museum Celebrates the Ingenuity of Those Who Conquered the Wall," Chicago Tribune, Dec. 7, 1986. Victoria Pope, "Berlin Wall, 20 Years Later: People Still Try to Flee," Christian Science Monitor, Aug. 13, 1981. "East-West: The Great Balloon Escape," Time, Oct. 1, 1979. Michael Getler, "Harrowing Flight From East Germany," Washington Post, Sept. 28, 1979. "Eight Flee East Germany in Homemade Balloon," UPI, Sept. 17, 1979. "Günter Wetzel Und Peter Strelzyk," Haus de Bayerischen Geschichte Museum (accessed January 6, 2019). Günter Wetzel's website. Listener mail: Wikipedia, "Road Space Rationing" (accessed Jan. 10, 2019). Wikipedia, "Vehicle Restriction in São Paulo" (accessed Jan. 10, 2019). Reddit legaladvice (accessed Jan. 12, 2019). "I trained an AI to generate /r/legaladvice post titles, and it asks 'Is it legal for me to get in legal trouble?'," Reddit legaladviceofftopic (accessed Jan. 11, 2019). Wikipedia, "Keyforge: Call of the Archons" (accessed Jan. 10, 2019). "Archon Names," Fantasy Flight Games, Nov. 9, 2018. "The Amazing KeyForge Deck Names," Heavy Punch Games (accessed Jan. 19, 2019). Dave Lawrence posts lists of neural net outputs on his blog, Aardvark Zythum. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Peter Wilds, who sent this related 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!

Douglas Bader was beginning a promising career as a British fighter pilot when he lost both legs in a crash. But that didn't stop him -- he learned to use artificial legs and went on to become a top flying ace in World War II. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll review Bader's inspiring story and the personal philosophy underlay it. We'll also revisit the year 536 and puzzle over the fate of a suitcase. Intro: In 1872 Celia Thaxter published an unsettling poem about an iceberg. In 193 the Praetorian Guard auctioned off the Roman empire. Sources for our story on Douglas Bader: Paul Brickhill, Reach for the Sky, 1954. S.P. Mackenzie, Bader's War, 2008. Andy Saunders, Bader's Last Fight, 2007. Joel Ralph, "Their Finest Hour," Canada's History 95:6 (December 2015/January 2016), 22-31. Paul Laib, "Bader, Sir Douglas Robert Steuart," Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, May 19, 2011. A.W.G. English, "Psychology of Limb Loss," BMJ: British Medical Journal 299:6710 (Nov. 18, 1989), 1287. "Obituary," Journal of the Royal Society of Arts 130:5315 (October 1982), 750-751. The Douglas Bader Foundation. Neil Tweedie, "Tribute to a Very British Hero," Daily Telegraph, Aug. 10, 2001, 10. "Reaching for the Sky: Lady Bader Unveils Statue in Honour of Sir Douglas," Birmingham Post, Aug. 10, 2001, 6. "Who Really Shot Down Douglas Bader?" Daily Telegraph, Aug. 9, 2001, 23. Arifa Akbar, "In Memory of a Legendary Hero," [Darlington, UK] Northern Echo, Aug. 8, 2001, 8. "Sir Douglas Bader, Legless RAF Ace Who Shot Down 22 German Planes," Associated Press, Sept. 6, 1982, 1. "Sir Douglas Bader, World War II Ace," Associated Press, Sept. 5, 1982. Herbert Mitgang, "He Fought Sitting Down," New York Times, Nov. 17, 1957. "Legless British Pilot to Aid Veterans Here," New York Times, May 7, 1947. "Legless Air Hero Enters British Title Golf Event," New York Times, April 5, 1946. "Legless RAF Ace Honored," New York Times, Nov. 28, 1945. "Bader, Legless RAF Flier, Freed by Yanks in Reich," New York Times, April 19, 1945. "Germans Recapture Flier Bader As He Tries Out Those New Legs; Bader Is Caught Trying to Escape," New York Times, Sept. 29, 1941. "Bader Gets New Artificial Leg, But Escape Attempt Fails," [Washington D.C.] Evening Star, Sept. 29, 1941 A-4. "Legless Pilot Honored; Bader, Now War Prisoner, Gets Bar to Flying Cross," New York Times, Sept. 5, 1941. "Epic of Bader's Leg," New York Times, Aug. 21, 1941. "R.A.F., on Sweep, Drops Artificial Leg for Bader," New York Times, Aug. 20, 1941. "Bader Is Nazi Prisoner; Legless R.A.F. Ace Safe After Parachuting in France," New York Times, Aug. 15, 1941. "Bader, Legless R.A.F. Ace, Reported Missing," New York Times, Aug. 13, 1941. "Two British Air Force Aces, One Legless, Reported Missing," [Washington D.C.] Evening Star, Aug. 12, 1941, A-18. "10 Leading R.A.F. Aces Listed for Exploits," New York Times, Jan. 10, 1941. Bader with Flight Lieutenant Eric Ball and Pilot Officer Willie McKnight of No. 242 Squadron, Duxford, October 1940. Bader himself designed the squadron's emblem, a boot kicking Hitler in the breeches. Listener mail: Wikipedia, "Settlement of Iceland" (accessed Jan. 4, 2019). Wikipedia, "History of Iceland" (accessed Jan. 4, 2019). Wikipedia, "Papar" (accessed Jan. 4, 2019). Encyclopedia.com, "The Discovery and Settlement of Iceland" (accessed Jan. 4, 2019). Neil Schlager, Science and Its Times: Understanding the Social Significance of Scientific Discovery, 2001. Wikipedia, "Thule" (accessed Jan. 4, 2019). Wikipedia, "(486958) 2014 MU69" (accessed Jan. 4, 2019). NASA, "New Horizons Chooses Nickname for 'Ultimate' Flyby Target," March 13, 2018. "Is This the Reason Ireland Converted to Christianity?," Smithsonian Channel, June 26, 2014. Mike Wall, "How Halley's Comet Is Linked to a Famine 1,500 Years Ago," NBC News, Dec. 19 2013. Colin Barras, "The Year of Darkness," New Scientist 221:2952 (2014), 34-38. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Jeff King. 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 munitions ship exploded in Halifax, Nova Scotia, devastating the city and shattering the lives of its citizens. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow the events of the disaster, the largest man-made explosion before Hiroshima, and the grim and heroic stories of its victims. We'll also consider the dangers of cactus plugging and puzzle over why a man would agree to be assassinated. Intro: In 1989 an unmanned Soviet MiG-23 flew all the way from Poland to Belgium. In 1793 architect Sir James Hall fashioned a model of Westminster Abbey from rods of willow. Sources for our story on the Halifax explosion: John U. Bacon, The Great Halifax Explosion, 2017. Laura M. Mac Donald, Curse of the Narrows, 2005. Ken Cuthbertson, "The Horrors of the Halifax Explosion," Queen's Quarterly 125:4 (Winter 2018), 510-529. Joseph Scanlon, "Dealing With Mass Death After a Community Catastrophe: Handling Bodies After the 1917 Halifax Explosion," Disaster Prevention and Management 7:4 (1998), 288-304. Jesse N. Bradley, "The December 6, 1917, Halifax Explosion Was the Largest Man-Made Non-Nuclear Blast in History," Military History 19:5 (December 2002), 16. Chryssa N. McAlister et al., "The Halifax Disaster (1917): Eye Injuries and Their Care," British Journal of Ophthalmology, 91:6 (June 2007), 832-835. Meagan Campbell, "The Luckiest Man in Canada," Maclean's 130:2 (March 2017), 14-15. Marc Wortman, "A Newly Discovered Diary Tells the Harrowing Story of the Deadly Halifax Explosion," Smithsonian.com, July 14, 2017. Canadian Encyclopedia, "Halifax Explosion" (accessed 12/24/2018). "Halifax Explosion," Nova Scotia Legislature (accessed 12/24/2018). Bertram Chambers, "Halifax Explosion," Naval Review 8 [1920], 445-457. https://books.google.com/books?id=oKtAAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA445 "The Work of Rehabilitating Halifax," Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen's Magazine 64:2 (Jan. 15, 1918), 18. "The Halifax Disaster Brings the Hazards of War Close to American Citizens," Current Opinion 64:1 (January 1918), 4-6. "The Halifax Disaster of December 6, 1917, in Its Relation to Blindness," Proceedings, American Association of Instructors of the Blind 24th Biennial Convention, 55-58. Will Ashton, "Tales of a Forgotten Disaster: Before Hiroshima, There Was Halifax," Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 3, 2018, D-6. Ian Austen, "The Halifax Explosion and Au Revoir to Hi: The Canada Letter," New York Times, Dec. 8, 2017. Steve Hendrix, "Two Ships Collided in Halifax Harbor. One of Them Was a Floating, 3,000-Ton Bomb," Washington Post, Dec. 6, 2017. Ian Austen, "Century After Halifax's Great Explosion, City Marks Anniversary," New York Times, Dec. 6, 2017. Dean Jobb, "The Halifax Explosion Still Reverberates," Globe and Mail, Dec. 2, 2017, 27. Brett Bundale, "The Silence After the Blast: How the Halifax Explosion Was Nearly Forgotten," Canadian Press, Nov. 30, 2017. "Survivors Mark Halifax Explosion," North Bay [Ontario] Nugget, Dec. 7, 2005, A8. "Halifax Bomb Likely Relic of 1917 Explosion Bomb Found in Harbour Probably Came From Munitions Ship That Triggered Massive Halifax Explosion," [Moncton, N.B.] Times & Transcript, April 27, 1999. Graeme Hamilton, "Lost in a Flash: The 1917 Halifax Explosion," [St. Catharines, Ontario] Standard, Dec. 6, 1997, D12. "The Halifax Explosion," New York Times, May 23, 1995. "'Unholy Horror' of the Halifax Explosion," Ottawa Citizen, Dec. 6, 1992, E12. "Capt. Francis Mackey; Pilot of Vessel in the 1917 Halifax Explosion Dies," New York Times, Jan. 1, 1962. "Halifax Blast Recalled," New York Times, Dec. 7, 1955. "Joseph Quirk; Halifax Explosion Survivor Had Many Escapes From Death," New York Times, Jan. 15, 1940. "Prince of Wales Sees Halifax Ruins," New York Times, Aug. 19, 1919. "Commander Wyatt Held," New York Times, March 21, 1918. "Appeal for Halifax Blind," New York Times, Jan. 27, 1918. "Halifax Buries 200 Dead," New York Times, Dec. 18, 1917. "Fund for Halifax Blind," New York Times, Dec. 16, 1917. "Halifax Death Roll Is Fixed at 1,266," New York Times, Dec. 13, 1917. "Halifax Appeals for $25,000,000 to Aid Victims," New York Times, Dec. 10, 1917. "Americans Escape Death at Halifax," New York Times, Dec. 10, 1917. "Prevented Second Halifax Explosion," New York Times, Dec. 10, 1917. "German Citizens of Halifax Are Being Arrested," Berkeley (Calif.) Daily Gazette, Dec. 10, 1917. "Halifax Now Counts Its Dead at 4,000," New York Times, Dec. 9, 1917. "Richmond an Appalling Waste After Explosion and Fires," New York Times, Dec. 9, 1917. "Fragments Hurled 5 Miles," New York Times, Dec. 9, 1917. "The Halifax Horror," New York Times, Dec. 8, 1917. "Blizzard Adds to the Halifax Horror," New York Times, Dec. 8, 1917. "Carried 2,800 Tons of Explosives," New York Times, Dec. 8, 1917. "Call Scene Worse Than Battlefield," New York Times, Dec. 8, 1917. "Halifax Thought of German Shelling as Shock Came," New York Times, Dec. 7, 1917. "Disaster in Halifax Kills Thousand People," Daily Alaskan, Dec. 6, 1917. "Dead and Dying Line Streets of Halifax After an Explosion," Alaska Daily Empire, Dec. 6, 1917. "100 Years After the Great Halifax Explosion," Morning Edition, National Public Radio, Dec. 6, 2017. Listener mail: Stacey Leasca, "So Many Cacti Are Getting Stolen From Arizona's National Park, They're Being Microchipped," Travel + Leisure, March 24, 2018. Wikipedia, "Saguaro" (accessed Dec. 23, 2018). Snopes, "Death by Saguaro," Feb. 8, 2015. "Plant of the Week: Saguaro Cactus," University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service, Dec. 12, 2008. "Ariz. Man in Intensive Care After Being Pinned by 16-Foot Cactus," CBS News, June 22, 2012. Matthew Hendley, "Yuma Man Crushed by 16-Foot Cactus Lands in 'Ripley's Believe It or Not,'" Phoenix New Times, Sept. 13, 2013. Wikipedia, "Liquid-Crystal Display" (accessed Dec. 24, 2018). Mentour Pilot, "Which Pilot Sunglasses to Buy," Oct. 5, 2017. Captain Joe, "Why Pilots Can't Wear Polarized Sunglasses," Sept. 7, 2017. Kyle Wiens, "iPhones are Allergic to Helium," iFixIt.org, Oct. 30, 2018. "Does Helium Break iPhones," iFixit Video, Nov. 2, 2018. "MEMs Oscillator Sensitivity to Helium (Helium Kills iPhones)," Applied Science, Nov. 18, 2018. Listener Callie Bunker, her Christmas tree ship sweatshirt, and Chicago's commemorative plaque. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Peter Bartholomew. 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!

Here are six new lateral thinking puzzles -- play along with us as we try to untangle some perplexing situations using yes-or-no questions. The sources for this week's puzzles are below. In a few places we've included links to further information -- these contain spoilers, so don't click until you've listened to the episode: Puzzle #1 was contributed by listener Phil Moore. Here are two corroborating links. Puzzle #2 is from Jed's List of Situation Puzzles. Puzzle #3 is adapted from Edward J. Harshman's 1996 book Fantastic Lateral Thinking Puzzles. Puzzle #4 is from Greg. Here's a link. Puzzle #5 was inspired by an item on the podcast No Such Thing as a Fish. Here are two links. Puzzle #6 is from listener Dave Capozzi, who sent this link. 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. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at podcast@futilitycloset.com. Thanks for listening!

In 1950, four patriotic Scots broke in to Westminster Abbey to steal the Stone of Scone, a symbol of Scottish independence that had lain there for 600 years. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow the memorable events of that evening and their meaning for the participants, their nation, and the United Kingdom. We'll also evade a death ray and puzzle over Santa's correspondence. Intro: In the 1920s Massachusetts mechanical engineer Elis Stenman fashioned a house out of pressed newspaper. Julijonas Urbonas' Euthanasia Coaster is designed to kill its riders. Sources for our story on the Stone of Scone: Ian Hamilton, The Taking of the Stone of Destiny, 1991. Warwick Rodwell, The Coronation Chair and Stone of Scone, 2013. Ian Hamilton, "How We Stole the Stone of Scone," Life, May 14, 1951, 141-153. Antonia Kearton, "Imagining the 'Mongrel Nation': Political Uses of History in the Recent Scottish Nationalist Movement," National Identities 7:1 (March 2005), 23-50. H.J. Hanham, "The Scottish Nation Faces the Post-Imperial World," International Journal 23:4 (December 1, 1968). "Stone of Scone Thief Questions," Times, Dec. 21, 2015, 8. Victoria Ward, "Stone of Scone 'Should Not Automatically Be Loaned to England for Next Coronation,'" Telegraph, Dec. 20, 2015. "Kay Matheson: Obituaries Teacher and Ardent Nationalist Who Helped 'Reclaim' the Stone of Scone From Westminster Abbey," Daily Telegraph, July 15, 2013, 25. "Woman Who Took Stone of Destiny Back to Scotland Dies," BBC News, July 8, 2013. Olga Craig, "Ian Hamilton on Stone of Destiny: I Felt I Was Holding Scotland's Soul," Telegraph, Dec. 14, 2008. Auslan Cramb, "Stone of Destiny Is Fake, Claims Alex Salmond," Telegraph, June 16, 2008. Gillian Bowditch, "Stone Reunion in Hamilton's Destiny," Sunday Times, Nov. 4, 2007, 5. "Obituary of Gavin Vernon," Daily Telegraph, March 26, 2004, 29. "Took Part in Stone of Scone Theft," Montreal Gazette, March 26, 2004, E8. Joanne Laucius, "Repatriation of Stone of Scone Is a Story Prankster Scotsman Gavin Vernon Brought to Canada and Leaves Behind Upon His Death," CanWest News, March 25, 2004, 1. Jim Gilchrist, "Stone That Stole Nation's Heart," Scotsman, Dec. 9, 2000, 11. Michael Fry, "A Dark Date With Destiny," [Glasgow] Herald, Sept. 2, 1999, 19. Jack O'Sullivan, "Where Does the Real Stone of Scone Lie?", Independent, July 9, 1999. Michael White, "Stone of Scone Going Home After 700 Years," Guardian, July 4, 1996. Gillian Bowditch, "Unsolved Riddle of the Real Relic," Times, July 4, 1996, 1. Archibald Rollo, "The Christmas They Stole the Stone of Destiny," Vancouver Sun, Dec. 24, 1993, E1. "London Police Foil Effort to Take Stone of Scone," New York Times, Sept. 5, 1974. "Stone of Scone Put Back in Royal Chair in Abbey," New York Times, June 2, 1953. "Stone of Scone Guarded; Scotland Yard Takes Precaution at Westminster Abbey," New York Times, Dec. 26, 1952. "Scots Call for Stone of Scone," New York Times, April 28, 1952. "Medieval Tourney Urged," New York Times, March 29, 1952. "Stone of Scone Restored Quietly," New York Times, Feb. 27, 1952. "Stone of Scone Case Off," Associated Press, April 20, 1951. "Coronation Stone Back in London," New York Times, April 14, 1951. "Scots Press Drive to Keep Stone of Scone," New York Times, April 13, 1951. Clifton Daniel, "Scots Surrender Stone of Scone," New York Times, April 12, 1951. Clifton Daniel, "Stone of Scone Thieves Traced, But Scotland Yard Delays Arrests," New York Times, April 3, 1951. "Clue to Stone of Scone," New York Times, Feb. 1, 1951. "Stone Clue Stirs Scots," New York Times, Dec. 31, 1950. "Scotch on the Rock," New York Times, Dec. 31, 1950. "New 'Confession' in Stone of Scone Theft," New York Times, Dec. 30, 1950. "London Lake Is Dragged," New York Times, Dec. 29, 1950. "Wristwatch Held Abbey Theft Clue," New York Times, Dec. 28, 1950. "The Stone of Scone," New York Times, Dec. 27, 1950. "Theft of Stone of Scone Still Puzzle as Police Uncover Only 3 Initials," New York Times, Dec. 27, 1950. "Coronation Stone Is Stolen From Westminster Abbey," New York Times, Dec. 26, 1950. P.J. Philip, "Coronation Stone Is Back in Westminster," New York Times, April 9, 1946. Listener mail: Wikipedia, "Sarah T. Hughes" (accessed Dec. 8, 2018). Wikipedia, "First Inauguration of Lyndon B. Johnson" (accessed Dec. 8, 2018). Wikipedia, "Calvin Coolidge: Presidency" (accessed Dec. 10, 2018). Harry Rosehill, "The Walkie Talkie Death Ray Could Actually Have Killed Someone," Londonist, Nov. 23, 2018. Jiajie Zhu, Wolfram Jahn, and Guillermo Rein, "Computer Simulation of Sunlight Concentration Due to Façade Shape: Application to the 2013 Death Ray at Fenchurch Street, London," Journal of Building Performance Simulation, Nov. 22, 2018. Sixty Symbols, "How to Melt Cars and BBQ Pigeons," Sept. 4, 2013. Rose Palazzolo, "British Sculpture Could Fry Birds," ABC News, March 7, 2018. Davidson Institute, "Solar Furnace," Dec. 25, 2014 (turn on "CC" to see English captions). This week's lateral thinking puzzle was devised by Sharon based on an item in Dan Lewis' Now I Know newsletter. Here are three 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!

Polish educator Janusz Korczak set out to remake the world just as it was falling apart. In the 1930s his Warsaw orphanage was an enlightened society run by the children themselves, but he struggled to keep that ideal alive as Europe descended into darkness. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story of the children's champion and his sacrifices for the orphans he loved. We'll also visit an incoherent space station and puzzle over why one woman needs two cars. Intro: Elbert Hubbard and his wife decided on a final gesture aboard the sinking Lusitania. E.E. Cummings dedicated his 1935 collection of poetry to the 14 publishing houses that rejected it. Sources for our story on Janusz Korczak: Betty Jean Lifton, The King of Children, 1988. Adir Cohen, The Gate of Light, 1994. E.P. Kulawiec, ed., The Warsaw Ghetto Memoirs of Janusz Korczak, 1979. Marc Silverman, A Pedagogy of Humanist Moral Education: The Educational Thought of Janusz Korczak, 2017. Susan J. Berger, "The Children's Advocate: Janusz Korczak," American Educational History Journal 33:2 (2006), 137-142. Robert Leiter, "For the Sake of Children," Jewish Exponent, April 6, 2000, 59. Liba H. Engel, "Does School Reform Have Legs? The Flourishing of Janusz Korczak's Pedagogy in Modern Israel," Educational Forum 68:2 (Winter 2004), 170-179. Reinhold Boschki, "Re-Reading Martin Buber and Janusz Korczak: Fresh Impulses Toward a Relational Approach to Religious Education," Religious Education 100:2 (Spring 2005), 114-126. Liba H. Engel, "Experiments in Democratic Education: Dewey's Lab School and Korczak's Children's Republic," Social Studies 99:3 (May/June 2008), 117-121. Robert Leiter, "'Who Is That Man?' In the End, He Was the Comforter of Lost Children," Jewish Exponent, June 10, 2004, 32. Daniel Feldman, "Honoring the Child's Right to Respect: Janusz Korczak as Holocaust Educator," The Lion and the Unicorn 40:2 (April 2016), 129-143. Martha J. Ignaszewski, Kevin Lichtenstein, and Maya Ignaszewski, "Dr. Janusz Korczak and His Legacy," British Columbia Medical Journal 55:2 (March 2013), 108-110. Gabriel Eichsteller, "Janusz Korczak -- His Legacy and Its Relevance for Children's Rights Today," International Journal of Children's Rights 17:3 (July 2009), 377-391. Sara Efrat Efron, "Moral Education Between Hope and Hopelessness: The Legacy of Janusz Korczak," Curriculum Inquiry 38:1 (January 2008), 39-62. Aleksander Lewin and Agnieszka Bolczynska, "Janusz Korczak Is Greater Than His Legend: The Saint of All Creeds," Dialogue & Universalism 11:9/10 (2001), 75. Marie Syrkin, "The Saint in the Ghetto," New Republic 198:23 (June 6, 1988), 44. Yerachmiel Weingarten, "Janusz Korczak -- Living Legend of Warsaw," Canadian Jewish Chronicle, Dec. 8, 1944. Vivian Eden, "Korczak Controversy," Jerusalem Post, April 14, 1989, 7. Amy O'Brian, "Exhibit Honours Hero of the Holocaust," Vancouver Sun, Oct. 21, 2002, B2. Eva Hoffman, "My Hero: Janusz Korczak," Guardian, April 8, 2011. James MacDonald, "Himmler Program Kills Polish Jews," New York Times, Nov. 25, 1942. Gabrielle Glaser, "Warsaw Journal; Where Children Are Taught Survival," New York Times, May 30, 1992. Vincent Canby, "Of a Saintly Jewish Doctor in Poland Who Died at Treblinka," New York Times, April 12, 1991. Betty Jean Lifton, "Wajda's 'Korczak'; Human Values, Inhuman Time," New York Times, May 5, 1991. Stephen Engelberg, "Wajda's 'Korczak' Sets Loose the Furies," New York Times, April 14, 1991. Carolyn A. Murphy, "The King of Children," New York Times, Aug. 21, 1988. Geoffrey Wolff, "A Saint's Life in Warsaw," New York Times, July 31, 1988. Betty Jean Lifton, "Shepherd of the Ghetto Orphans," New York Times, April 20, 1980. James Feron, "Awarding of a West German Peace Prize Stirs Memories of a Wartime Martyr of the Warsaw Ghetto," New York Times, Oct. 1, 1972. "Parenting Advice From a Polish Holocaust Hero," Weekend All Things Considered, NPR, March 3, 2007. Listener mail: Annalee Newitz, "Movie Written by Algorithm Turns Out to Be Hilarious and Intense," Ars Technica, June 9, 2016. Dyllan Furness, "'Sunspring' Is an Absurd Sci-Fi Short Film Written By AI, Starring Thomas Middleditch," Digital Trends, June 10, 2016. Jacob Brogan, "An Artificial Intelligence Scripted This Short Film, But Humans Are Still the Real Stars," Slate, June 9, 2016. Amanda Kooser, "AI-Written Film 'Sunspring' a Surreal Delight, Upchucked Eyeball Included," CNET, June 13, 2016. "HAL 90210," "This Is What Happens When an AI-Written Screenplay Is Made Into a Film," Guardian, June 10, 2016. Max Woolf, "I trained an (actual) AI on the titles of BuzzFeed YouTube videos and it generated some *interesting* results," Twitter, Nov. 19, 2018. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener B Vann. 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 the late 1800s Chicago families bought their Christmas trees from the decks of schooners that had ferried them across Lake Michigan. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll meet Herman Schuenemann, known as "Captain Santa," who brought Christmas to the city for 30 years until a fateful storm overtook him. We'll also peruse some possums and puzzle over a darkening phone. Intro: In 1991 a Yale physician proposed naming toes. No one's quite sure how cats navigate. Photo: Herman Schuenemann, center, with W.K. Vanaman, left, and a Mr. Colberg aboard a Christmas tree ship in the Chicago River, 1909. Sources for our story: Fred Neuschel, Lives & Legends of the Christmas Tree Ships, 2007. Larry Peterson, "The Legend of the Christmas Ship," Wisconsin Magazine of History 96:2 (Winter 2012/2013), 28-39. Glenn V. Longacre, "The Christmas Tree Ship," Prologue 38:4 (Winter 2006), 6-12. Shannon Marie Lange, Chicago Shipwrecks: Disasters and Their Impact on Maritime Law, dissertation, Southern New Hampshire University, 2017. Fred Neuschel, "Sailors as Entrepreneurs in a Great Lakes Maritime Village," Northern Mariner 8 (1998), 65-82. Fred Hollister, "Loss of the Christmas Tree Schooner," Sea Classics 39:5 (May 2006), 50-55. Amy Meyer, "Rouse Simmons Mystery Still Relevant," [Manitowoc, Wis.] Herald Times Reporter, Nov. 1, 2015. Kevin Collier, "Is 'Christmas Tree Ship' a Ghost of Christmas Past?" TCA Regional News, Dec. 22, 2014. "Lake Michigan Almost Canceled Christmas," Battle Creek [Mich.] Enquirer, Nov. 30, 2014. Doug Moe, "Film Tells Tale of Christmas Tree Ship," Wisconsin State Journal, Nov. 29, 2013. John Gurda, "'Christmas Tree Ship' Went Down on the Lake 100 Years Ago," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dec. 1, 2012. Meg Jones, "Events Mark 100 Year Anniversary of Sinking of Christmas Tree Ship," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Nov. 22, 2012. Jordan Tilkens, "Centennial Celebration Commemorates Sunken Ship," [Appleton, Wis.] Post-Crescent, Nov. 22, 2012. Jordan Tilkens, "Two Rivers Museum Marks 100th Anniversary of 'Christmas Tree Ship' Sinking," Green Bay [Wis.] Press Gazette, Nov. 21, 2012. Tony Trowbridge, "When the Christmas Spirit Foundered in Chicago," Chicago Tribune, Nov. 11, 2012. Kristopher Wenn, "Smaller Stories Fill Christmas Tree Ship's History," [Manitowoc, Wis.] Herald Times, Nov. 18, 2007. Dennis McCann, "Christmas Tree Ship Surfaces in Memory," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Nov. 12, 2006. Mike Michaelson, "Algoma Remembers 19th-Century Christmas Tree Ships," [Arlington Heights, Ill.] Daily Herald, Nov. 21, 2004. Susan Smith, "89 Years Later ... ; Legend of Famed But Ill-Fated Christmas Tree Ship Revived," Wisconsin State Journal, Dec. 2, 2001. "Coast Guard Re-Enacts 'Christmas Tree' Voyages," Associated Press, Dec. 4, 2000. David Young, "The Fir Trade Separating Fact From Legend in Loss of Christmas Tree Ship," Chicago Tribune, Dec. 26, 1999. David Young, "A Tall Order Milwaukee Schooner Being Built to Meet a Solid Heritage," Chicago Tribune, Oct. 4, 1998. Margaret H. Plevak, "The Ship That Never Arrived Schooner Loaded With Yule Trees Vanished in Lake," Milwaukee Journal, Dec. 8, 1992. "Large Christmas Tree Crop," Michigan Manufacturer & Financial Record 14:24 (Dec. 12, 1914), 27. "Heart to Heart Talks," Successful Farming 12:12 (December 1913), 81. "Chicago Notes," Horticulture 18:18 (Nov. 1, 1913), 611. "Christmas Tree in Crepe; Mourning Recalls to Chicagoans Death of Lake Captain and Crew," New York Times, Dec. 26, 1912. "Has Christmas Tree Widow; Chicago to Be Supplied with Firs, Despite Schooner's Wreck," New York Times, Dec. 11, 1912. "Had Fifteen on Board," Lemmon [S.D.] Herald, Dec. 6, 1912. "Christmas Tree Ship Lost; Wreckage of Old Schooner Washed Ashore in Lake Michigan," New York Times, Dec. 5, 1912. "Vessel With 15 Men Lost," Rock Island [Ill.] Argus, Dec. 4, 1912. "To Greet Santa Claus," Fruit Trade Journal and Produce Record 46:10 (Dec. 9, 1911), 6. "Notes," American Florist 35:1174 (Dec. 3, 1910), 937. Listener mail: Wikipedia, "Opossum" (accessed Nov. 21, 2018). Wikipedia, "Powhatan Language" (accessed Nov. 21, 2018). Ann Gibbons, "Why 536 Was 'The Worst Year to Be Alive,'" Science, Nov. 15, 2018. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Saints: The Story of the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter Days: The Standard of Truth: 1815–1846, 2018. "Downing Street's Larry the Cat Gets a Helping Hand From Police," BBC News, Nov. 20, 2018. "Hilarious Moment Downing Street Policeman Knocks on Number 10 to Let Larry Cat In," Sun, Nov. 20, 2018. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Scott Richards. 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!

America's first national sports spectacle took place in 1823, when the North and South sent their best horses for a single dramatic race that came to symbolize the regional tensions of a changing nation. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story of the Great Match Race, which laid the foundations of modern American thoroughbred racing. We'll also ponder a parasite's contribution to culture and puzzle over a misinformed criminal. Intro: Quentin Tarantino's cast and crew left greetings to his editor in their work. The first subject in Anton Reicha's Fugue No. 18 is a single note repeated 34 times. Sources for our feature on the Great Match Race: John Eisenberg, The Great Match Race, 2006. Nancy L. Struna, "The North-South Races: American Thoroughbred Racing in Transition, 1823-1850," Journal of Sport History 8:2 (Summer 1981), 28-57. Paul E. Johnson, "Northern Horse: American Eclipse as a Representative New Yorker," Journal of the Early Republic 33:4 (Winter 2013), 701-726. Katherine Carmines Mooney, Race Horse Men: Slavery and Freedom at the Nineteenth-Century Racetrack, dissertation, Yale University, 2012. Richard Nash, "Joy and Pity: Reading Animal Bodies in Late Eighteenth-Century Culture," Eighteenth Century 52:1 (Spring 2011), 47-67. Michael S. Rosenwald, "Before Justify, There Was Eclipse and a Horse-Racing War Between North And South," Washington Post, May 19, 2018. Oswald West, "Famous Horses and Horsemen of the Pioneer Period," Oregon Historical Quarterly 46:2 (June 1945), 140-155. C.C. Colden, "The Great Match Race Between Eclipse and Sir Henry," Frank Forester's Horse and Horsemanship, 1857, 184-194. Max Farrand, "The Great Race -- Eclipse Against the World!" Scribner's Magazine 70:4 (October 1921), 457-464. "The Match Race," The Port Folio 16:255 (July 1823), 81-83. W.E. Beard, "The War of the Roses," Trotwood's Monthly 3:2 (November 1906), 178-189. "The Running Turf in America," Harper's New Monthly Magazine 241:41 (June 1870), 91-97. Famous Horses of America, 1877. James Douglas Anderson and Balie Peyton, Making the American Thoroughbred, 1916. Listener mail: Kevin D. Lafferty, "Can the Common Brain Parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, Influence Human Culture?" Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B: Biological Sciences 273:1602 (2006), 2749-2755. Jaroslav Flegr, "Influence of Latent Toxoplasma Infection on Human Personality, Physiology and Morphology: Pros and Cons of the Toxoplasma–Human Model in Studying the Manipulation Hypothesis," Journal of Experimental Biology 216:1 (2013), 127-133. Jaroslav Flegr, Marek Preiss, and Jirí Klose, "Toxoplasmosis-Associated Difference in Intelligence and Personality in Men Depends on Their Rhesus Blood Group but Not Abo Blood Group," PLoS One 8:4 (2013), e61272. M. Novotná et al. "Toxoplasma and Reaction Time: Role of Toxoplasmosis in the Origin, Preservation and Geographical Distribution of Rh Blood Group Polymorphism," Parasitology 135:11 (2008), 1253-1261. Jaroslav Flegr et al. "Neurophysiological Effect of the Rh Factor: Protective Role of the RhD Molecule Against Toxoplasma-Induced Impairment of Reaction Times in Women," Neuroendocrinology Letters 29:4 (2008), 475. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener John Levine. 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!