Futility Closet

After the Battle of Gettysburg, a dead Union soldier was found near the center of town. He bore no identification, but in his hands he held a photograph of three children. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow the efforts of one Philadelphia physician to track down the lost man's family using only the image of his children. We'll also sample a 9-year-old's comedy of manners and puzzle over a letter that copies itself. Intro: The mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska, is a cat named Stubbs. According to multiple sources, the 3rd Earl of Darnley, an eccentric bachelor, suffered from the delusion that he was a teapot. Sources for our feature on Amos Humiston: Mark H. Dunkelman, Gettysburg's Unknown Soldier, 1999. Mark H. Dunkelman, "Key to a Mystery," American History 32:2 (May/June 1997), 16-20. Errol Morris, "Whose Father Was He?" (parts 1-5), New York Times, March 29-April 5, 2009. Ronald S. Coddington, "At Gettysburg, Life Imitates Art," Military Images 34:3 (Summer 2016), 54-55. "Visit Recalls Wartime Story," Gettysburg, Pa., Star and Sentinel, Oct. 28, 1914. The full text of Daisy Ashford's The Young Visiters, including J.M. Barrie's preface, is on Project Gutenberg. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener TJ. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In 1968 British engineer Donald Crowhurst entered a round-the-world yacht race, hoping to use the prize money to save his failing electronics business. Woefully unprepared and falling behind, he resorted to falsifying a journey around the world. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the desperate measures that Crowhurst turned to as events spiraled out of his control. We'll also get some updates on Japanese fire balloons and puzzle over a computer that turns on the radio. Intro: The stones at Pennsylvania's Ringing Rocks Park chime like bells when struck with a hammer. Sand dunes that "sing" when walked upon are found at 35 sites around the world. In 1884 two scientists notated the sounds on a musical scale. Sources for our feature on Donald Crowhurst: Peter Nichols, A Voyage for Madmen, 2001. Nicholas Tomalin and Ron Hall, The Strange Last Voyage of Donald Crowhurst, 1970. Associated Press, "Briton Missing in Global Race," July 10, 1969. Associated Press, "Mystery Shrouds Lone Sailor's Fate," July 12, 1969. Associated Press, "Search Ends for Voyager," July 12, 1969. Associated Press, "Lost Yacht Racer Sent Fake Reports," July 25, 1969. Associated Press, "Log Shows Yachtsman Never Left Atlantic in Race Round World," July 28, 1969. AAP-Reuters, "Lost Sailor 'Stayed in Atlantic,'" July 28, 1969. "Mutiny of the Mind," Time 94:6 (Aug. 8, 1969), 59. Ed Caesar, "Drama on the Waves: The Life and Death of Donald Crowhurst," Independent, Oct. 27, 2006. Robert McCrum, "Deep Water," Guardian, April 4, 2009. Alex Ritman, "First Look: Colin Firth Cast Adrift as Ill-Fated Amateur Sailor Donald Crowhurst in 'The Mercy'," Hollywood Reporter, June 17, 2016. Listener mail: Bob Greene, "The Japanese Who Bombed Oregon," Chicago Tribune, July 18, 1988. Nicholas D. Kristof, "Nobuo Fujita, 85, Is Dead; Only Foe to Bomb America," New York Times, Oct. 3, 1997. Ross Coen, Fu-Go, 2014. James sent these additional links on Nobuo Fujita: Tatiana Danger, "Visit the Samurai Sword of the WWII Japanese Pilot Who Bombed Oregon," Roadtrippers, April 25, 2014. Larry Bingham, "Oregon Coast Trail Dedicated for World War II Bombing," Oregonian, Oct. 2, 2008. Finn J.D. John, "The Flying Samurai Who Attacked Oregon," Offbeat Oregon History, May 12, 2013. Finn J.D. John, "A Town's Special Friendship With Its Onetime Would-Be Destroyer," Offbeat Oregon History, May 18, 2013. William McCash, Bombs Over Brookings, 2005. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Doug Shaw. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Anna Jarvis organized the first observance of Mother's Day in 1908 and campaigned to have the holiday adopted throughout the country. But her next four decades were filled with bitterness and acrimony as she watched her "holy day" devolve into a "burdensome, wasteful, expensive gift-day." In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast, we'll follow the evolution of Mother's Day and Jarvis' belligerent efforts to control it. We'll also meet a dog that flummoxed the Nazis and puzzle over why a man is fired for doing his job too well. Intro: For its December 1897 issue, The Strand engaged three acrobats to create a "human alphabet." In 1989 researchers discovered a whale in the Pacific that calls at 52 hertz -- the only one of its kind. Sources for our feature on Anna Jarvis: Katharine Lane Antolini, Memorializing Motherhood: Anna Jarvis and the Struggle for the Control for Mother's Day, 2014. Katharine Lane Antolini, "The Woman Behind Mother's Day," Saturday Evening Post 288:3 (May/June 2016), 82-86. "Miss Anna Jarvis Has New Program for Mother's Day," The [New London, Conn.] Day, May 9, 1912. "The Forgotten Mother of Mother's Day," Milwaukee Journal, May 13, 1944. "Founder of Mother's Day Dies Penniless, Blind at 84," Pittsburgh Press, Nov. 26, 1948. Cynthia Lowry, "Woman Responsible for Mother's Day Died Without Sympathy for Way It Turned Out," Associated Press, May 4, 1958. Associated Press, "Mrs. Anna Jarvis Inspires 'Mother's Day' Observance," May 10, 1959. Daniel Mark Epstein, "The Mother of Mother's Day," Toledo Blade, May 3, 1987. Marshall S. Berdan, "Change of Heart," Smithsonian 38:2 (May 2007), 116-116. Jackie the parodic Dalmatian: "Hitler-Saluting Dog Outraged Nazis," World War II 26:1 (May/June 2011), 16. "Hitler-Mocking Dog Enraged Nazis, According to New Documents," Telegraph, Jan. 7, 2011. "Nazi Germany Pursued 'Hitler Salute' Finnish Dog," BBC, Jan. 7, 2011. Kirsten Grieshaber, "'Heil Rover!' Hitler-Imitating Dog Enraged Nazis," NBC News, Jan. 7, 2011. Nick Carbone, "Man's Best Fuhrer: Was Hitler-Saluting Dog a Threat to the Nazis?", Time, Jan. 9, 2011. Michael Slackman, "The Curious Incident of the Dog in Finland Who Was Trained to Give a Nazi Salute," New York Times, Jan. 11, 2011. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Steven Jones, who sent this corroborating link (warning: this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In 1961, Michael Rockefeller disappeared after a boating accident off the coast of Dutch New Guinea. Ever since, rumors have circulated that the youngest son of the powerful Rockefeller family had been killed by the headhunting cannibals who lived in the area. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast, we'll recount Rockefeller's story and consider the different fates that might have befallen him. We'll also learn more about the ingenuity of early sportscasters and puzzle over a baffled mechanic. Sources for our feature on Michael Rockefeller: Carl Hoffman, Savage Harvest, 2014. Associated Press, "Rockefeller's Son Killed by Tribes?", Nov. 19, 1971. Peter Kihss, "Governor's Son Is Missing Off Coast of New Guinea," New York Times, Nov. 20, 1961. United Press International, "Rockefeller to Join in Search for Missing Son," Nov. 20, 1961. United Press International, "Michael Rockefeller Had Been Told to End Quest for Native Trophies," Nov. 21, 1961. Associated Press, "Missionaries Join Rockefeller Search," Nov. 22, 1961. United Press International, "Searchers for Michael Rockefeller Pessimistic," Nov. 22, 1961. "Hope Wanes for Michael Rockefeller," St. Petersburg Times, Nov. 24, 1961. Milt Freudenheim, "Michael Rockefeller Unusual Rich Man's Son," Pittsburgh Press, Dec. 10, 1961. Barbara Miller, "Michael Rockfeller's Legacy," Toledo Blade, Sept. 2, 1962. Associated Press, "Young Michael Rockefeller Missing Almost 5 Years," Oct. 21, 1966. Mary Rockefeller Morgan, "A Loss Like No Other," Psychology Today, July/August 2012. Listener mail: A "synthetic cricket" game in Sydney in the 1930s, re-creating a game played in England: Paul D. Staudohar, "Baseball and the Broadcast Media," in Claude Jeanrenaud, Stefan Késenne, eds., The Economics of Sport and the Media, 2006. Walter Cronkite, A Reporter's Life, 1997. Modesto Radio Museum, "Baseball Games Re-Created in Radio Studios." Wikipedia, "Broadcasting of Sports Events" (accessed June 30, 2016). Media Schools, "History of Sports Broadcasting." This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Larry Miller. Here are three corroborating links (warning: these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Toward the end of World War II, Japan launched a strange new attack on the United States: thousands of paper balloons that would sail 5,000 miles to drop bombs on the American mainland. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast, we'll tell the curious story of the Japanese fire balloons, the world's first intercontinental weapon. We'll also discuss how to tell time by cannon and puzzle over how to find a lost tortoise. Sources for our feature on Japanese fire balloons: Ross Coen, Fu-Go, 2014. James M. Powles, "Silent Destruction: Japanese Balloon Bombs," World War II 17:6 (February 2003), 64. Edwin L. Pierce and R C. Mikesh, "Japan's Balloon Bombers," Naval History 6:1 (Spring 1992), 53. Lisa Murphy, "One Small Moment," American History 30:2 (June 1995), 66. Larry Tanglen, "Terror Floated Over Montana: Japanese World War II Balloon Bombs, 1944-1945," Montana: The Magazine of Western History 52:4 (Winter 2002), 76-79. Henry Stevenson, "Balloon Bombs: Japan to North America," B.C. Historical News 28:3 (Summer 1995), 22-23. Associated Press, "Japanese Balloon Bombs Launched in Homeland," May 30, 1945. Associated Press, "Japanese Launch Balloon Bombs Against United States From Their Home Islands," May 30, 1945. Associated Press, "Balloon Bombs Fall One by One for Miles Over West Coast Area," May 30, 1945. Russell Brines, "Japs Gave Up Balloon Bomb System After Launching 9,000 of Them," Associated Press, Oct. 2, 1945. "Enemy Balloons Are Still Found," Spokane Daily Chronicle, Feb. 5, 1946. Hal Schindler, "Utah Was Spared Damage By Japan's Floating Weapons," Salt Lake Tribune, May 5, 1995. Listener mail: Wikipedia, "Time Ball" (accessed June 16, 2016). Wikipedia, "Nelson Monument, Edinburgh" (accessed June 16, 2016). "One O'Clock Gun," Edinburgh Castle, Historic Environment Scotland. "Places to Visit in Scotland - One O'Clock Gun, Edinburgh Castle," Rampant Scotland. "Tributes to Castle's Tam the Gun," BBC News, Nov. 17, 2005. Sofiane Kennouche, "Edinburgh Castle: A Short History of the One O'Clock Gun," Scotsman, Jan. 27, 2016. Here's a time gun map of Edinburgh from 1861: "For every additional circle of distance from the Castle, subtract one second from the instant of the report of the 'Time-Gun' to give the exact moment of 1 o'clock." Additional details are here. "The Smallest Artillerist," San Francisco Call, June 20, 1895. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was devised by Sharon Ross. Here are two corroborating links (warning -- these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Over the span of half a century, Brooklyn impostor Stanley Clifford Weyman impersonated everyone from a Navy admiral to a sanitation expert. When caught, he would admit his deception, serve his jail time, and then take up a new identity. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast, we'll review Weyman's surprisingly successful career and describe some of his more audacious undertakings. We'll also puzzle over why the police would arrest an unremarkable bus passenger. Sources for our feature on Stanley Clifford Weyman: St. Clair McKelway, The Big Little Man From Brooklyn, 1969. Alan Hynd, "Grand Deception -- 'Fabulous Fraud From Brooklyn,'" Spokane Daily Chronicle, April 13, 1956. Tom Henshaw, "Bygone State Visits Marked by Incidents," Associated Press, Sept. 13, 1959. John F. Murphy, "Notorious Impostor Shot Dead Defending Motel in Hold-Up," New York Times, Aug. 28, 1960. Richard Grenier, "Woody Allen on the American Character," Commentary 76:5 (November 1983), 61-65. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Josva Dammann Kvilstad. Here are three corroborating links (warning -- these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In 1925, Kentucky caver Floyd Collins was exploring a new tunnel when a falling rock caught his foot, trapping him 55 feet underground. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow the desperate efforts to free Collins, whose plight became one of the first popular media sensations of the 20th century. We'll also learn how Ronald Reagan invented a baseball record and puzzle over a fatal breakfast. Sources for our feature on Floyd Collins: Robert K. Murray and Roger W. Brucker, Trapped!, 1979. Gary Alan Fine and Ryan D. White, "Creating Collective Attention in the Public Domain: Human Interest Narratives and the Rescue of Floyd Collins," Social Forces 81:1 (September 2002), 57-85. "Floyd Collins Is Found Dead," Madison Lake [Minn.] Times, Feb. 19, 1925. Associated Press, "Sand Cave Is to Be Grave of Explorer," Feb. 18, 1925. Associated Press, "Floyd Collins Will Be Left in Sand Cave for His Last Sleep," Feb. 18, 1925. Associated Press, "Ancient 'Floyd Collins' Found in Mammoth Cave," June 19, 1935. Ray Glenn, "Floyd Collins Trapped in Cave 35 Years Ago," Park City [Ky.] Daily News, Feb. 7, 1960. Carl C. Craft, "Floyd Collins Case Recalled After 40 Years," Kentucky New Era, Feb. 1, 1965. William Burke Miller, "40 Years Ago, World Prayed for Floyd Collins," Eugene [Ore.] Register-Guard, Feb. 11, 1965. Paul Raupp, "Floyd Collins Finds Final Resting Place," Bowling Green [Ky.] Daily News, March 26, 1989. Listener mail: Howard Breuer et al., "Dumb Criminals," People 81:1 (Jan. 13, 2014). Ronald Reagan, "Remarks at a White House Luncheon for Members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, March 27, 1981," The American Presidency Project. Ronald Reagan, An American Life, 1990. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Stephen Harvey. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

As recently as 1939, a London woman made her living by setting her watch precisely at the Greenwich observatory and "carrying the time" to her customers in the city. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll meet Ruth Belville, London's last time carrier, who conducted her strange occupation for 50 years. We'll also sample the colorful history of bicycle races and puzzle over a stymied prizewinner. Sources for our feature on Ruth Belville: David Rooney, Ruth Belville: The Greenwich Time Lady, 2008. Ian R. Bartky, Selling the True Time, 2000. Patricia Fara, "Modest Heroines of Time and Space," Nature, Oct. 30, 2008. Stephen Battersby, "The Lady Who Sold Time," New Scientist, Feb. 25, 2006. Carlene E. Stephens, "Ruth Belville: The Greenwich Time Lady," Technology and Culture 51:1 (January 2010), 248-249. Michael R. Matthews, Colin Gauld, and Arthur Stinner, "The Pendulum: Its Place in Science, Culture and Pedagogy," in Michael R. Matthews, Colin F. Gauld, and Arthur Stinner, eds., The Pendulum: Scientific, Historical, Philosophical and Educational Perspectives, 2005. Listener mail: Eric Niiler, "Tour de France: Top 10 Ways the Race Has Changed," Seeker, June 29, 2013. Julian Barnes, "The Hardest Test: Drugs and the Tour de France," New Yorker, Aug. 21, 2000. Race Across America. Wikipedia, "Race Across America" (accessed June 3, 2016). Wikipedia, "Trans Am Bike Race" (accessed June 3, 2016). Neil Beltchenko, "2014 Trans Am Race," Bikepackers Magazine, June 6, 2014. Trans Am Bike Race 2016. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Tommy Honton, who sent this corroborating link (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In 1919, Ohio businessman Arthur Nash decided to run his clothing factory according to the Golden Rule and treat his workers the way he'd want to be treated himself. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll visit Nash's "Golden Rule Factory" and learn the results of his innovative social experiment. We'll also marvel at metabolism and puzzle over the secrets of Chicago pickpockets. Sources for our feature on Arthur Nash: Arthur Nash, The Golden Rule in Business, 1923. (Undercover journalist Ruth White Colton's September 1922 article for Success Magazine is quoted in full in this book.) Jeffrey Wattles, The Golden Rule, 1996. Arthur Nash, "A Bible Text That Worked a Business Miracle," American Magazine 92:4 (October 1921), 37. "Golden Rule Plan at Clothing Mill Makes Profits for Owners," Deseret News, Dec. 16, 1920. "Golden Rule Nash Offers 7-Hour Day," Schenectady Gazette, July 4, 1923. "Arthur Nash, Who Shared With Employees, Is Dead," Associated Press, Oct. 31, 1927. The poem "Miss T." appears in Walter de la Mare's 1913 collection Peacock Pie: It's a very odd thing — As odd as can be — That whatever Miss T. eats Turns into Miss T.; Porridge and apples, Mince, muffins and mutton, Jam, junket, jumbles — Not a rap, not a button It matters; the moment They're out of her plate, Though shared by Miss Butcher And sour Mr. Bate; Tiny and cheerful, And neat as can be, Whatever Miss T. eats Turns into Miss T. This week's lateral thinking puzzle is taken from Henry O. Wills' memorably titled 1890 autobiography Twice Born: Or, The Two Lives of Henry O. Wills, Evangelist (Being a Narrative of Mr. Wills's Remarkable Experiences as a Wharf-Rat, a Sneak-Thief, a Convict, a Soldier, a Bounty-Jumper, a Fakir, a Fireman, a Ward-Heeler, and a Plug-Ugly. Also, a History of His Most Wondrous Conversion to God, and of His Famous Achievements as an Evangelist). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, 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 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

During wargames in Louisiana in September 1941, the U.S. Army found itself drawn into a tense firefight with an unseen enemy across the Cane River. The attacker turned out to be three boys with a toy cannon. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll revisit the Battle of Bermuda Bridge and the Prudhomme brothers' account of their historic engagement. We'll also rhapsodize on guinea pigs and puzzle over some praiseworthy incompetence. Sources for our feature on the "Battle of Bermuda Bridge": Elizabeth M. Collins, "Patton 'Bested' at the Battle of Bermuda Bridge," Soldiers 64:9 (September 2009), 10-12. Terry Isbell, "The Battle of the Bayous: The Louisiana Maneuvers," Old Natchitoches Parish Magazine 2 (1997), 2-7. Special thanks to the staff at the University of North Carolina's Wilson Library for access to the Prudhomme family records. Listener mail: Alastair Bland, "From Pets To Plates: Why More People Are Eating Guinea Pigs," The Salt, National Public Radio, April 2, 2013. Christine Dell'Amore, "Guinea Pigs Were Widespread as Elizabethan Pets," National Geographic, Feb. 9, 2012. Wikipedia, "Guinea Pig" (accessed May 20, 2016). David Adam, "Why Use Guinea Pigs in Animal Testing?", Guardian, Aug. 25, 2005. Maev Kennedy, "Elizabethan Portraits Offer Snapshot of Fashion for Exotic Pets," Guardian, Aug. 20, 2013. "How Did the Guinea Pig Get Its Name?", Grammarphobia, Dec. 22, 2009. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Tommy Honton, who sent these corroborating links (warning: these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In 1952, French physician Alain Bombard set out to cross the Atlantic on an inflatable raft to prove his theory that a shipwreck victim can stay alive on a diet of seawater, fish, and plankton. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll set out with Bombard on his perilous attempt to test his theory. We'll also admire some wobbly pedestrians and puzzle over a luckless burglar. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for our feature on Alain Bombard: Alain Bombard, The Voyage of the Hérétique, 1953. William H. Allen, "Thirst," Natural History, December 1956. Richard T. Callaghan, "Drift Voyages Across the Mid-Atlantic," Antiquity 89:345 (2015), 724-731. T.C. Macdonald, "Drinking Sea-Water," British Medical Journal 1:4869 (May 1, 1954), 1035. Dominique Andre, "Sea Fever," Unesco Courier, July/August 1998. N.B. Marshall, "Review: The Voyage of L'hérétique," Geographical Journal 120:1 (March 1954), 83-87. Douglas Martin, "Alain Bombard, 80, Dies; Sailed the Atlantic Alone," New York Times, July 24, 2005. Anthony Smith, "Obituary: Alain Bombard," Guardian, Aug. 24, 2005. John Scott Hughes, "Deep Sea in Little Ships," The Field, May 27, 1954. "Will This Be Another 'Kon Tiki'?" The Sphere, June 7, 1952. "Mishap And Survival At Sea," The Sphere, April 2, 1955. Bryan Kasmenn, "Teach a Man to Fish ...," Flying Safety 57:5 (May 2001), 20. Listener mail: National Public Radio, "In The 1870s And '80s, Being A Pedestrian Was Anything But," April 3, 2014. Wikipedia, "Edward Payson Weston" (accessed May 7, 2016). Wikipedia, "6 Day Race" (accessed May 7, 2016). This week's lateral thinking puzzle was adapted from the book Lateral Mindtrap Puzzles (2000). Here's a corroborating link (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In August 1980, an extortionist planted a thousand-pound bomb in Harvey's Wagon Wheel Casino in western Nevada. Unless the owners paid him $3 million within 24 hours, he said, the bomb would go off and destroy the casino. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the tense drama that followed and the FBI's efforts to catch the criminal behind it. We'll also consider some dubious lawn care shortcuts and puzzle over why a man would tear up a winning ticket. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for our feature on the Harvey's bombing: Jim Sloan, Render Safe: The Untold Story of the Harvey's Bombing, 2011. Adam Higginbotham, "1,000 Pounds of Dynamite," The Atavist 39. "5 Charged in Harveys Bombing," Associated Press, Aug. 17, 1981. "Five Suspects Arrested in Harvey's Extortion Bombing," Associated Press, Aug. 17, 1981. "Son Pitted Against Father in Harvey's Bombing Trial," Associated Press, Oct. 17, 1982. Robert Macy, "Ex-Freedom Fighter Found Guilty of Bombing Hotel," Telegraph, Oct. 23, 1982. Melinda Beck, "A Real Harvey's Wallbanger," Newsweek, Sept. 8, 1980. Phillip L. Sublett, "30 Years Later: Trail of Clues Led Authorities to Harvey's Casino Bombers," Tahoe Daily Tribune, Aug. 28, 2010. Guy Clifton, "35 Years Ago Today: The Bomb That Shook Lake Tahoe," Reno Gazette-Journal, Aug. 26, 2015. A brief FBI article about the case. Full text of the extortion note. Video discussion of the case by retired FBI special agent Chris Ronay (transcript): Listener mail: The imgur gallery with the German saboteur cache is here -- click the link "Load remaining 44 images" just above the comments to see the photo we mentioned. The book quoted by Stephanie Guertin is Weapons of the Navy SEALs, by Kevin Dockery, 2004. Video of workers spray-painting the ground in preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi. Malcolm Moore, "China Officials Caught Spray-Painting Grass Green in Chengdu," Telegraph, March 4, 2013. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Matt Sargent. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or Google Play Music or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In 1897, confused physician Edward J. Goodwin submitted a bill to the Indiana General Assembly declaring that he'd squared the circle -- a mathematical feat that was known to be impossible. In today's show we'll examine the Indiana pi bill, its colorful and eccentric sponsor, and its celebrated course through a bewildered legislature and into mathematical history. We'll also marvel at the confusion wrought by turkeys and puzzle over a perplexing baseball game. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for our feature on the Indiana pi bill: Edward J. Goodwin, "Quadrature of the Circle," American Mathematical Monthly 1:7 (July 1894), 246–248. Text of the bill. Underwood Dudley, "Legislating Pi," Math Horizons 6:3 (February 1999), 10-13. Will E. Edington, “House Bill No. 246, Indiana State Legislature, 1897,” Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science 45, 206-210. Arthur E. Hallerberg, "House Bill No. 246 Revisited," Proceedings of the Indiana Academy of Science 84 (1974), 374–399. Arthur E. Hallerberg, "Indiana's Squared Circle," Mathematics Magazine 50:3 (May 1977), 136–140. David Singmaster, "The Legal Values of Pi," Mathematical Intelligencer 7:2 (1985), 69–72. Listener mail: Zach Goldhammer, "Why Americans Call Turkey 'Turkey,'" Atlantic, Nov. 26, 2014. Dan Jurafsky, "Turkey," The Language of Food, Nov. 23, 2010 (accessed April 21, 2016). Accidental acrostics from Julian Bravo: Adventures of Huckleberry Finn:STASIS starts at line 7261 (“Says I to myself” in Chapter XXVI). Frankenstein:CASSIA starts at line 443 (“Certainly; it would indeed be very impertinent” in Letter 4).MIGHTY starts at line 7089 (“Margaret, what comment can I make” in Chapter 24). Moby Dick:BAIT starts at line 12904 (“But as you come nearer to this great head” in Chapter 75). (Note that this includes a footnote.) The raw output of Julian's program is here; he warns that it may contain some false positives. At the paragraph level (that is, the initial letters of successive paragraphs), Daniel Dunn found these acrostics (numbers refer to paragraphs): The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: SEMEMES (1110) Emma: INHIBIT (2337) King James Bible: TAIWAN (12186) Huckleberry Finn: STASIS (1477) Critique of Pure Reason: SWIFTS (863) Anna Karenina: TWIST (3355) At the word level (the initial letters of successive words), Daniel found these (numbers refer to the position in a book's overall word count -- I've included links to the two I mentioned on the show): Les Miserables: DASHPOTS (454934) Critique of Pure Reason: TRADITOR (103485) The Complete Works of William Shakespeare: ISATINES (373818) Through the Looking Glass: ASTASIAS (3736) War and Peace: PIRANHAS (507464) (Book Fifteen, Chapter 1, paragraph 19: "'... put it right.' And now he again seemed ...") King James Bible: MOHAMAD (747496) (Galatians 6:11b-12a, "... mine own hand. As many as desire ...") The Great Gatsby: ISLAMIC (5712) Huckleberry Finn: ALFALFA (62782) Little Women: CATFISH (20624) From Vadas Gintautas: Here is the complete list of accidental acrostics of English words of 8 letters or more, found by taking the first letter in successive paragraphs: TABITHAS in George Sand: Some Aspects of Her Life and Writings by René Doumic BASSISTS in The Pilot and his Wife by Jonas Lie ATACAMAS in Minor Poems of Michael Drayton MAINTAIN in The Stamps of Canada by Bertram W.H. Poole BATHMATS in Fifty Years of Public Service by Shelby M. Cullom ASSESSES in An Alphabetical List of Books Contained in Bohn's Libraries LATTICES in History of the Buccaneers of America by James Burney ASSESSES in Old English Chronicles by J. A. Giles BASSISTS in Tales from the X-bar Horse Camp: The Blue-Roan "Outlaw" and Other Stories by Barnes CATACOMB in Cyrano De Bergerac PONTIANAK in English Economic History: Select Documents by Brown, Tawney, and Bland STATIONS in Haunted Places in England by Elliott O'Donnell TRISTANS in Revolutionary Reader by Sophie Lee Foster ALLIANCE in Latter-Day Sweethearts by Mrs. Burton Harrison TAHITIAN in Lothair by Benjamin Disraeli Vadas' full list of accidental acrostics in the King James Bible (first letter of each verse) for words of at least five letters: ASAMA in The Second Book of the Kings 16:21TRAIL in The Book of Psalms 80:13AMATI in The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel 3:9STABS in The Acts of the Apostles 23:18ATTAR in The Book of Nehemiah 13:10FLOSS in The Gospel According to Saint Luke 14:28SANTA in The First Book of the Chronicles 16:37WATTS in Hosea 7:13BAATH in The Acts of the Apostles 15:38ASSAM in The Book of the Prophet Ezekiel 12:8CHAFF in The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans 4:9FIFTH in The Book of Psalm

In 1928, 199 runners set out on a perilous 3,400-mile footrace across America, from Los Angeles to Chicago and on to New York. The winner would receive $25,000 -- if anyone finished at all. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow the Trans-American Footrace, better known as the Bunion Derby, billed as the greatest footrace the world had ever known. We'll also learn some creepy things about spiders and puzzle over why one man needs three cars. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for our feature on the Trans-American Footrace: Charles B. Kastner, The Bunion Derby, 2007. "Mr. Pyle's Professional Bunion Derby," Pittsburgh Press, April 19, 1928. "Payne Wins First Prize in Pyle's Bunion Derby," Associated Press, May 27, 1928. "C.C. Pyle Hopes Bunion Derby to Net Him Profit," Ottawa Citizen, March 29, 1929. "Sport: Bunion Derby," Time, June 24, 1929, 58. "Bunion Derby' Hero Elected," Associated Press, Nov. 8, 1934. "Bunion Derby Director Dies," Associated Press, Feb. 4, 1939. "Mapping the Way," Runner's World, July 1992, 94. "Harry Abrams Is Dead at 87; Ran Across the Country Twice," New York Times, Nov. 28, 1994. Jack Rockett, "The Great 'Bunion Derby,'" Runner's World, Nov. 7, 2006. Laura Ruttum, "Endurance Racing: First Leg, the Bunion Derby," New York Public Library, April 2, 2010. Some footage from the race -- winner Andy Payne wears number 43: Listener mail: Kiona Smith-Strickland, "This Is How to Find the Spiders That Are Staring At You in the Dark," Gizmodo, Aug. 2, 2015. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Patrick Riehl. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In 1863 the residents of Sandy Cove, Nova Scotia, discovered a legless man on the shore of St. Mary's Bay. He spoke no English and could not tell them who he was or where he had come from. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story of "Jerome" and what is known or guessed of his past. We'll also learn about explosive rats in World War II and puzzle over a computer that works better when its users sit. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for our feature on Jerome: Fraser Mooney Jr., Jerome: Solving the Mystery of Nova Scotia's Silent Castaway, 2008. "The Mystery of the Man at Meteghan," St. John Daily Sun, Sept. 8, 1905. Harriet Hill, "Mystery Fascinates," Montreal Gazette, June 14, 1963. Andrea MacDonald, "Legless-Man Mystery Revealed," Halifax Daily News, Aug. 30, 2006. Brian Flemming, "Maritime Mysteries Still Enthrall," Halifax Daily News, Sept. 5, 2006. Noah Richler, "The Legless Castaway," Literary Review of Canada, March 1, 2009. Ian Cameron, "The Frozen Man of Queens County," Canadian Family Physician, August 2009. Listener mail: Wikipedia, "Explosive Rat" (accessed April 9, 2016). This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Jed Link, who sent this corroborating link (warning: this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Here are five new lateral thinking puzzles to test your wits and stump your friends -- play along with us as we try to untangle some perplexing situations using yes-or-no questions. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Here are the sources for this week's puzzles. In a couple of places we've included links to further information -- these contain spoilers, so don't click until you've listened to the episode: Hotel: Listener Paul Sophocleous Train: Listener Sean Gilbertson Safe (more information): Listener David White Robber (more information): Sharon Ross Murder: Paul Sloane and Des MacHale, Intriguing Lateral Thinking Puzzles, 1996 You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll take a tour through some oddities and unanswered questions from our research, including whether a spider saved Frederick the Great's life, a statue with the wrong face, and a spectacularly disaster-prone oil tanker. We'll also revisit the lost soldiers of World War I and puzzle over some curiously lethal ship cargo. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for this week's feature: The story about Frederick the Great is from Ebenezer Cobham Brewer's The Reader's Handbook of Famous Names in Fiction, Allusions, References, Proverbs, Plots, Stories, and Poems, 1899. The footnote about spiders and flashlights accompanies J.D. Memory's poem "The Eightfold Way, Lie Algebra, and Spider Hunting in the Dark" in Mathematics Magazine 79:1 (February 2006), 74. The case of the self-abnegating heir is cited as Beamish v. Beamish, 9 H.L.C. 274, 11 Eng. Rep. 735 (1861) in Peter Suber's 1990 book The Paradox of Self-Amendment. John Waterhouse's 1899 proof of the Pythagorean theorem appears in Elisha Scott Loomis' 1940 book The Pythagorean Proposition. My notes say it's also in Scientific American, volume 82, page 356. The story of the ill-starred oil tanker Argo Merchant is taken from Stephen Pile's 1979 Book of Heroic Failures. For an exceptionally well-reported history of the ship, see Ron Winslow's 1978 book Hard Aground. Physicist Leonard Mlodinow recounts the story of Antoine Lavoisier's statue in The Upright Thinkers (2015). A contemporary description of the unveiling is here, but it mentions nothing amiss. Ross Eckler addresses accidental acrostics in Making the Alphabet Dance, 1997. F.R. Benson's iambic ponging is mentioned in Jonathan Law, ed., Methuen Drama Dictionary of the Theatre, 2013. William Kendal's accomplished blanching is described in Eric Johns' Dames of the Theatre, 1975. In The Book of the Harp (2005), John Marson notes that Luigi Ferrari Trecate's Improvviso da Concerto (1947), for the left hand, is dedicated to harpist Aida Ferretti Orsini, described as grande mutilata di guerre. Mable LaRose's 1897 auction is recounted in Pierre Berton's The Klondike Fever, 2003, and Douglas Fetherling's The Gold Crusades, 1997. Listener mail: Here's the scene in which the dead of World War I arise in Abel Gance's 1919 feature J'Accuse: This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Price Tipping. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset.Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. Enter promo code CLOSET at Harry's and get $5 off your first order of high-quality razors. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Seemingly safe in northern New England, the residents of St. Albans, Vermont, were astonished in October 1864 when a group of Confederate soldiers appeared in their midst, terrorizing residents, robbing banks, and stealing horses. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story of the St. Albans raid, the northernmost land action of the Civil War. We'll also learn about Charles Darwin's misadventures at the equator and puzzle over a groundskeeper's strange method of tending grass. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for our feature on the St. Albans raid: Dennis K. Wilson, Justice Under Pressure: The Saint Albans Raid and Its Aftermath, 1992. Robin W. Winks, The Civil War Years: Canada and the United States, 1998. Stuart Lutz, "Terror in St. Albans," Civil War Times Illustrated 40:3 (June 2001). Rick Beard, "When the Rebels Invaded Vermont," New York Times, Oct. 17, 2014. "A Reminiscence of the St. Albans Raid," Montreal Daily Witness, April 5, 1878. "Confederate Raid on St. Albans, Vt.," Pittsburgh Gazette Times, Oct 21, 1914. "Leader of Raid on St. Albans, Vermont, Centre of Controversy at Champlain Celebration," Boston Evening Transcript, May 9, 1912. Edgar Andrew Collard, "Of Many Things ...," Montreal Gazette, March 28, 1969. "English View of the St. Albans Raid Case," Halifax Morning Chronicle, Jan. 24, 1865. Listener mail: Wikipedia, "Line-Crossing Ceremony" (accessed March 18, 2016). R.D. Keynes, ed., Charles Darwin's Beagle Diary, 2001. Jacqueline Klimas, "Navy Leaders Try to Stamp Out Hazing, But Many Sailors Question the Rules," Military Times, July 2, 2013. Wikipedia, "Plimsoll Shoe" (accessed March 18, 2016). This week's lateral thinking puzzle is from Paul Sloane and Des MacHale's 1998 book Ingenious Lateral Thinking Puzzles. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Early one morning in 1912, the residents of Villisca, Iowa, discovered a horrible scene: An entire family had been brutally murdered in their sleep. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the gruesome crime, which has baffled investigators for a hundred years. We'll also follow the further adventures of German sea ace Felix von Luckner and puzzle over some fickle bodyguards. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for our feature on the Villisca ax murders: Roy Marshall, Villisca, 2003. “Suspect Is Held for Ax Murders,” [Spokane, Wash.] Spokesman-Review, May 15, 1917. “Says He Killed Eight at God's Command,” New York Times, Sept. 2, 1917. “Tells of Killing Six With an Axe in 1912,” Associated Press, March 29, 1931. “Iowa Town Marks 90th Anniversary of Unsolved Ax Murders,” Associated Press, June 9, 2002. “Infamous Villisca Ax Donated to Villisca Historical Society,” Spencer [Iowa] Daily Reporter, Oct. 31, 2006. Listener Rini Rikka writes, "Doch is very hard to comprehend for someone who is just starting to learn German. Besides the main usage as a short answer, it has lots of other meanings that help shorten the speech a bit. Unfortunately for the non-natives, those other meanings cannot always be translated with the same word, but with some practice you'll get the feeling where and how to use it. If you'd like to read about it, here’s a good explanation of the word in English." This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener David White, who sent these corroborating links (warning: these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset.Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

On June 23, 1858, the Catholic Church removed 6-year-old Edgardo Mortara from his family in Bologna. The reason they gave was surprising: The Mortaras were Jewish, and Edgardo had been secretly baptized. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story of little Edgardo and learn how his family's plight shaped the course of Italian history. We'll also hear Ben Franklin's musings on cultural bigotry and puzzle over an unexpected soccer riot. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for our feature on Edgardo Mortara: David I. Kertzer, The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara, 1997. Bruce A. Boyer and Steven Lubet, "The Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara: Contemporary Lessons in the Child Welfare Wars," Villanova Law Review 45 (2000), 245. Steven Lubet, "Judicial Kidnapping, Then and Now: The Case of Edgardo Mortara," Northwestern University Law Review 93:3 (Spring 1999), 961. Donald L. Kinzer, "Review: The American Reaction to the Mortara Case, 1858-1859," Mississippi Valley Historical Review 44:4 (March 1958), 740-741. Alexander Stille, "How a Jewish Boy's Baptism Changed the Shape of Italy: The Notorious Kidnapping of Edgardo Mortara," Forward, Aug. 1, 1997. "Pope John Paul Faces Politics of Sainthood," Associated Press, Sept. 2, 2000. Ellen Knickmeyer, "Pope Moves Two Toward Sainthood," Spartanburg [S.C.] Herald-Journal, Sept. 4, 2000. Garry Wills, "The Vatican Monarchy," New York Review of Books, Feb. 19, 1998. Garry Wills, "Popes Making Popes Saints," New York Review of Books, July 9, 2013. Justin Kroll, "Steven Spielberg Boards Religious Drama ‘Edgardo Mortara’," Variety, April 17, 2014. Ben Franklin's "Remarks Concerning the Savages of North-America" was published in 1784 by Franklin's Passy Press in France. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Tommy Honton, who sent these corroborating links (warning: these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In 1862, slave Robert Smalls was working as a pilot aboard a Confederate transport ship in Charleston, S.C., when he seized a unique chance to escape. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow his daring predawn journey, which rescued 17 people from slavery and changed the course of South Carolina history. We'll also reflect on justice for bears and puzzle over a hijacker's surprising request. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for our feature on Robert Smalls: Andrew Billingsley, Yearning to Breathe Free: Robert Smalls of South Carolina and His Families, 2007. Kitt Haley Alexander, Robert Smalls: First Black Civil War Hero, 2001. Peggy Cooper Davis, “Introducing Robert Smalls,” Fordham Law Review 69:5 (April 2001), 1695. “Robert Smalls,” American National Biography Online, accessed Feb. 14, 2016. Henry Louis Gates Jr., “Which Slave Sailed Himself to Freedom?”, PBS.org (accessed Feb. 14, 2016). Micah White, “Black History Unsung Heroes: Robert Smalls,” biography.com, Feb 9, 2015. “Smalls, Robert,” History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives (accessed Feb. 14, 2016). Blain Roberts and Ethan J. Kytle, “Robert Smalls's Great Escape,” New York Times, May 12, 2012. Avis Thomas-Lester, “Civil War Hero Robert Smalls Seized the Opportunity to Be Free,” Washington Post, March 2, 2012. Amy Geier Edgar, “Bill Would Honor Black Pioneer in Business, Politics,” Associated Press, March 26, 2004. Listener mail: Todd Wilkinson, "What Do You Do With a Bear That Kills a Person?", National Geographic, Aug. 20, 2015. Sarene Leeds, "'Downton Abbey' Recap: Season 6, Episode 5," Wall Street Journal, Jan. 31, 2016. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Rini Rikka. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

A quarter million Frenchmen vanished in World War I, leaving their families no clue whether they were still alive. During these anxious years, a lone man appeared on a Lyon railway platform without memory, possessions, or identification. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the strange story of Anthelme Mangin, whose enigmatic case attracted hundreds of desperate families. We'll also consider some further oddities of constitutional history and puzzle over an unpopular baseball victory. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for our feature on Anthelme Mangin: Jean-Yves Le Naour, The Living Unknown Soldier, 2005. Martha Hanna, "The Tidal Wave of War," European History Quarterly 38:1 (January 2008), 93-100. Stefan Goebel, "Review: Beyond Discourse? Bodies and Memories of Two World Wars," Journal of Contemporary History 42:2 (April 2007), 377-385. Carole Blair, V. William Balthrop, and Neil Michel, "The Arguments of the Tombs of the Unknown: Relationality and National Legitimation," Argumentation 25:4 (November 2011), 449-468. "Unknown Soldier Claimed as Own by 15 Families," Reading [Pa.] Eagle, March 19, 1926. Minott Saunders, "Two Mothers Battle for Memoryless War Veteran," Ottawa Citizen, June 30, 1928. "French Derelict Is Unidentified," Eugene [Ore.] Register-Guard, July 2, 1928. Adam Nicolson, "A Living Ghost From the Trenches Whose Plight Confused a Nation Riven by Grief," Telegraph, Jan. 16, 2005. Listener mail: Hershey Community Archives, in particular the history of the Hershey bar. Wikipedia, Titles of Nobility Amendment (accessed Feb. 19, 2016). This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Keith Noto. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset.Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In the early days of English aviation, journalist C.C. Turner seemed to be everywhere, witnessing bold new feats and going on some harrowing adventures of his own. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll sample Turner's record of Edwardian aviation, including his own clumsy first attempt to fly an airplane and a record-setting balloon voyage to Sweden. We'll also ponder the nuances of attempted murder and puzzle over a motel guest's noisemaking. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for our feature on early aviation in England: Charles Cyril Turner, The Old Flying Days, 1927. Charles Cyril Turner, The Marvels of Aviation, 1917. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listeners J.C. and Brenna Lundberg, who found it in this collection. Sources for listener mail: Wikipedia, "Death of Sammy Yatim" (accessed Feb. 2, 2016). Diana Mehta, "Toronto Cop Found Not Guilty of Murdering Sammy Yatim, But Is Found Guilty of Attempted Murder," National Post, Jan. 25, 2016. Jillian Bell, "Forcillo Attempted Murder Verdict Explained," CBC News, Jan. 25, 2016. Alyshah Hasham, "Forcillo Guilty of Attempted Murder in Shooting Death of Sammy Yatim," Toronto Star, Jan. 25, 2016. Wendy Gillis and Alyshah Hasham, "'Mystery' Charge Only One That Sticks in Sammy Yatim Slaying," Toronto Star, Jan. 25, 2016. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In 1982, college sophomore Gregory Watson got a C on a term paper arguing that a long-forgotten constitutional amendment could still be ratified. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow his 10-year mission to prove his professor wrong and get the amendment added to the Constitution. We'll also learn an underhanded way to win a poetry contest and puzzle over how someone can murder a corpse. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. This week's feature on the 27th amendment was suggested by listener Steve Winters. Sources: Richard B. Bernstein, "The Sleeper Wakes: The History and Legacy of the Twenty-Seventh Amendment," Fordham Law Review 61:3, 497-557. John Heltman, "27th Amendment or Bust," American Prospect, May 30, 2012. "Historical Highlights: The 27th Amendment," History, Art & Archives, U.S. House of Representatives (accessed Jan. 17, 2016). "Amendment XXVII: Congressional Compensation," National Constitution Center (accessed Jan. 17, 2016). Richard L. Berke, "1789 Amendment Is Ratified But Now the Debate Begins," New York Times, May 8, 1992. Richard L. Berke, "Congress Backs 27th Amendment," New York Times, May 21, 1992. "Alumni Notes," The Alcalde, September-October 1992. Here's a video interview with Gregory Watson. Sources for our feature on underhanded poetry: "Anecdote Relative to Mr. Dryden," The Gentleman's and London Magazine, August 1763. William Montgomery Clemens, Mark Twain, His Life and Work: A Biographical Sketch, 1892. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener David Elliott, who sent this corroborating link (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In 1939, an ocean liner carrying 900 Jewish refugees left Nazi Germany seeking sanctuary in North America, but it was turned away by every nation it appealed to. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow the so-called "voyage of the damned" and the plight of its increasingly desperate passengers. We'll also discuss the employment prospects for hermits in Seattle and puzzle over the contentment of a condemned woman. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for our feature on the MS St. Louis: Gordon Thomas and Max Morgan Witts, Voyage of the Damned, 1974. Sarah A. Ogilvie and Scott Miller, Refuge Denied: The St. Louis Passengers and the Holocaust, 2006. C. Paul Vincent, "The Voyage of the St. Louis Revisited," Holocaust and Genocide Studies 25:2 (Fall 2011). American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, "The Story of the S.S. St. Louis (1939)" (accessed 01/10/2016). Robert Leiter, "Voyage of the Damned: Survivors of the Ill-Fated St. Louis Recall Their Bittersweet Journey," Jewish Exponent, June 17, 1999. United States Coast Guard, "What Was the Coast Guard's Role in the SS St. Louis Affair, Often Referred to as 'The Voyage of the Damned'?" (accessed 01/10/2016). Holocaust Online: Voyage of the St. Louis: Background Information Jessica Shepherd, "Message in Bottle From Voyage of the Damned," Evening Chronicle, Nov. 10, 2003. Listener mail: Levi Pulkkinen, "City of Seattle Looks to Pay $10,000 for Drawbridge Wordsmith," Seattle Post-Intelligencer, Jan. 14, 2016. Cara Giaimo, "Fleeting Wonders: Seattle Is Looking for a Poet to Live in a Bridge," Atlas Obscura, Jan. 18, 2016 Seattle's application forms for the positions: Writer/Poet Residency Lighting Artist Residency Atlas Obscura, Fremont Troll (accessed 01/23/2016). Wikipedia, Fremont Troll (accessed 01/23/2016). This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Maureen Day. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. Enter promo code CLOSET at Harry's and get $5 off your first order of high-quality razors. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In 1947, the price of a candy bar in British Columbia rose from 5 to 8 cents, and the local teenagers organized a surprisingly effective "strike" that soon spread across the country. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow Canada's unlikely "candy bar war," which gripped the nation for 10 days before ending with a surprising twist. We'll also take a grueling automobile ride across 1903 America and puzzle over the intentions of a masked man. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Our feature on Canada's candy bar war of 1947 was suggested by listener Randy Banderob. Sources: Tom Hawthorn, "From a Shop in Ladysmith, Chocolate Strike Affected Sales Across the Country," Globe and Mail, April 23, 2012. "Auld Lang Syne," Ladysmith-Chemainus Chronicle, May 4, 1977. "Putting Their Three Cents In," Ladysmith-Chemainus Chronicle, June 12, 2007. "'War' Fought Over Chocolate," Now, April 18, 2007. Dave Obee, "Candy Price Hike Sent Kids Into the Streets," Victoria Times-Colonist, Dec. 7, 2008. Travesty Productions, The Five Cent War. Burnaby History Tour: The Five Cent Chocolate War (accessed Jan. 3, 2016). Lenny Flank, "The 1947 Candy Bar Strike," Hidden History, July 28, 2015. Listener mail: Sources for our story on Horatio Nelson Jackson and his 1903 auto journey across the United States: Dayton Duncan and Ken Burns, Horatio's Drive, 2003. Horatio's Drive (DVD), 2003, written by Dayton Duncan, directed by Ken Burns. Here's a photo of Bud the transcontinental bulldog: Sources on Dwight Eisenhower and the Cross-Country Motor Transport Train: U.S. Federal Highway Administration, "Why President Dwight D. Eisenhower Understood We Needed the Interstate System" (accessed Jan. 15, 2016). David A. Pfeiffer, "Ike's Interstates at 50: Anniversary of the Highway System Recalls Eisenhower's Role as Catalyst," Prologue, Summer 2006. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Craig Murphy. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In the 1920s Bata Kindai Amgoza ibn LoBagola toured the United States and Europe to share the culture of his African homeland with fascinated audiences. The reality was actually much more mundane: His name was Joseph Lee and he was from Baltimore. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the curious story of this self-described "savage" and trace the unraveling of his imaginative career. We'll also dump a bucket of sarcasm on Duluth, Minnesota, and puzzle over why an acclaimed actor loses a role. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for our feature on Bata LoBagola: Bata Kindai Amgoza ibn LoBagola, LoBagola: An African Savage's Own Story, 1930. David Killingray and Willie Henderson, "Bata Kindai Amgoza ibn LoBagola and the Making of An African Savage's Own Story," in Bernth Lindfors, Africans on Stage: Studies in Ethnological Show Business, 1999. Alex Pezzati, "The Scholar and the Impostor," Expedition 47:2 (Summer 2005), 6. James Olney, Tell Me Africa: An Approach to African Literature, 2015. Louis Chude-Sokei, The Last "Darky": Bert Williams, Black-on-Black Minstrelsy, and the African Diaspora, 2005. John Strausbaugh, Black Like You: Blackface, Whiteface, Insult & Imitation in American Popular Culture, 2007. Bata Kindai Amgoza Ibn LoBagola papers, New York Public Library Archives & Manuscripts. Jim Christy, "Scalawags: Bata Kindai Amgoza ibn LoBagola," Nuvo, Summer 2013. Kentucky representative James Proctor Knott's derisive panegyric on Duluth, Minnesota, was delivered in the U.S. House of Representatives on Jan. 27, 1871. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Ben Snitkoff, who sent this corroborating link (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. Enter promo code CLOSET at Harry's and get $5 off your first order of high-quality razors. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Almost nothing was known about Australia's elusive lyrebird until 1930, when an elderly widow named Edith Wilkinson encountered one on her garden path one February morning. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow the curious friendship that evolved between Wilkinson and "James," which led to an explosion of knowledge about his reclusive species. We'll also learn how Seattle literally remade itself in the early 20th century and puzzle over why a prolific actress was never paid for her work. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for our feature on Edith Wilkinson and James: Ambrose Pratt, The Lore of the Lyrebird, 1933. Nicolae Sfetcu, The Birds' World, 2014. Jackie Kerin, Lyrebird! a True Story, 2012. "A.P.", "A Miracle of the Dandenongs," The Age, Feb. 13, 1932. A response from a reader. Anna Verona Dorris, "The Proud Aristocrat of Birdland," New Outlook, July-August 1956. Here's the full lyrebird video we excerpted on the show: More lyrebirds mimicking human technology on Futility Closet. Listener mail: Chicago links: "The Colorful Front-Gabled Italianate Homes at Damen and 33rd," Chicago Patterns (accessed Jan. 1, 2016). John McCarron, "Pilsen Comes Together to Preserve and Build," LISC Chicago's New Communities Program, May 3, 2007 (accessed Jan. 1, 2016). Down to Earth: 9 Stories Above Pilsen (accessed Jan. 1, 2016). Seattle links: A spite mound. The Denny regrade, 1909. Wikipedia, "Regrading in Seattle" (accessed Jan. 1, 2016). Matthew W. Klingle, "Reclaiming Nature: Flattening Hills and Digging Waterways in Seattle," in Building Nature: Topics in the Environmental History of Seattle and Spokane: A Curriculum Project for Washington Schools, Center for the Study of the Pacific Northwest, University of Washington Department of History (accessed Jan. 1, 2016). This week's lateral thinking puzzle is adapted from "Detective Shadow's" 2000 book Lateral Mindtrap Puzzles. Here's a corroborating link (don't click until you've listened to the episode). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll share seven oddities from Greg's research, from Arthur Conan Doyle's encounter with a perceptive Boston cabbie to a computer's failed attempts to rewrite Aesop's fables. We'll also hear boxer Gene Tunney's thoughts on Shakespeare and puzzle over how a man on a park bench can recognize a murder at sea. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for the items in this week's episode: Joseph Hatton, "Revelations of an Album," in The Idler, April 1897. Charles Dickens mentioned "MOOR EEFFOC" in an abandoned autobiography. Michael Quinion has a bit more at World Wide Words. Albert Pierce Taylor, Under Hawaiian Skies, 1922. "John Cazale," IMDb (accessed 12/23/2015). Ed Zern reviewed Lady Chatterley's Lover for Field & Stream in November 1959. John Strype, Ecclesiastical Memorials, Relating Chiefly to Religion, and the Reformation of It, 1822. Noel Williams and Patrik Holt, Computers and Writing: Models and Tools, 1989. Listener mail: "Yale Students Hear Tunney," Ottawa Citizen, April 24, 1928. "Lauds Gene Tunney," Lewiston [Maine] Daily Sun, July 11, 1929. This week's lateral thinking puzzle is from Jed's List of Situation Puzzles. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Here are six new lateral thinking puzzles to test your wits and stump your friends -- play along with us as we try to untangle some strange situations using only yes-or-no questions. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. This episode's puzzles were contributed by listeners David White and Sean Gilbertson and drawn from the following books: Edward J. Harshman, Fantastic Lateral Thinking Puzzles, 1996. Kyle Hendrickson, Mental Fitness Puzzles, 1998. Paul Sloane and Des MacHale, Intriguing Lateral Thinking Puzzles, 1996. David White sent two links to corroborate the third puzzle -- these contain spoilers, so listen to the episode before clicking. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In 1868, visiting Scotsman David Macrae was astonished to see Chicago transforming itself -- dozens of buildings were transplanted to the suburbs, and hotels weighing hundreds of tons were raised on jackscrews. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll follow the city's astounding 20-year effort to rid itself of sewage and disease. We'll also learn how a bear almost started World War III and puzzle over the importance of a ringing phone. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for our feature on the raising of Chicago: David Young, "Raising the Chicago Streets Out of the Mud," Chicago Tribune, date strangely withheld (retrieved Dec. 7, 2015). Robin Einhorn, "Street Grades, Raising," Encyclopedia of Chicago (accessed Dec. 6, 2015). Josiah Seymour Currey, Chicago: Its History and Its Builders, 1918. Alfred Theodore Andreas, History of Chicago: Ending With the Year 1857, 1884. David Macrae, The Americans at Home, 1870. There's a very extensive collection of contemporaneous news accounts here. Listener mail: Aaron Tovish, "The Okinawa Missiles of October," Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, Oct. 25, 2015. Wikipedia, "Norwegian Rocket Incident" (retrieved Dec. 12, 2015). Wikipedia, "Volk Field Air National Guard Base" (retrieved Dec. 12, 2015). Chris Hubbuch, "False Alarm: How a Bear Nearly Started a Nuclear War," La Crosse [Wis.] Tribune, Jan. 30, 2009. This week's lateral thinking puzzle is from Matthew Johnstone's 1999 book What's the Story? You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In 1942, Germany discovered a dead British officer floating off the coast of Spain, carrying important secret documents about the upcoming invasion of Europe. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe Operation Mincemeat, which has been called "the most imaginative and successful ruse" of World War II. We'll also hear from our listeners about Scottish titles and mountain-climbing pussycats and puzzle over one worker's seeming unwillingness to help another. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar of the Futility Closet website. Sources for our feature on Operation Mincemeat: Denis Smyth, Deathly Deception: The Real Story of Operation Mincemeat, 2010. Richard E. Gorini, "Operation Mincemeat: How a Dead Man and a Bizarre Plan Fooled the Nazis and Assured an Allied Victory," The Army Lawyer, March 2011, 39-42. Klaus Gottlieb, "The Mincemeat Postmortem: Forensic Aspects of World War II's Boldest Counterintelligence Operation," Military Medicine 174:1 (January 2009), 93-9. Gerald Kloss, "'Dead Man' Trick That Fooled Hitler," Milwaukee Journal, Jan. 28, 1954. "The Germans Fooled by False Documents," Montreal Gazette, April 30, 1954. Ewen Montagu, "The Debt the Allies Owe to the Man Who Never Was," Sydney Morning Herald, March 15, 1953. "Mourner for 'Man Who Never Was'", Glasgow Herald, Dec. 24, 1959. Listener mail: Highland Titles "Can You Really Become a Lord of the Scottish Highlands for Less than $50.00?", HG.org (retrieved Dec. 3, 2015). Links on mountain-climbing cats: Peter Glaser, "Die Katze, die das Matterhorn bestieg," Neue Zürcher Zeitung, July 6, 2015 (retrieved Dec. 3, 2015). "Hello Kitty? The Curious History of Cats Who Climb Mountains," One Hundred Mountains, Feb. 25, 2013 (retrieved Dec. 3, 2015). This week's lateral thinking puzzle is from Edward J. Harshman's 1996 book Fantastic Lateral Thinking Puzzles. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Many thanks to Doug Ross for the music in this episode. If you have any questions or comments you can reach us at [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In 1983, Soviet satellites reported that the United States had launched a nuclear missile toward Moscow, and one officer had only minutes to decide whether to initiate a counterstrike. In today's show we'll learn about some nuclear near misses from the Cold War that came to light only decades after they occurred. We'll also hear listeners' input about crescent moons and newcomers to India, and puzzle over the fatal consequences of a man's departure from his job. Sources for our feature on Stanislav Petrov and Vasili Arkhipov: Pavel Aksenov, "Stanislav Petrov: The Man Who May Have Saved the World," BBC, Sept. 26, 2013. Lynn Berry, "Russian Who 'Saved the World' Recalls His Decision as 50/50," Associated Press, Sept. 17, 2015. "Soviet Officer Honored for Averting Nuclear War," Toledo Blade, May 22, 2004. Mark McDonald, "Cold War, Cool Head," Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dec. 26, 2004. Ben Hoyle, "The Russian Who Saved the World," Southland Times, May 22, 2015, 7. Glen Pedersen, "Stanislav Petrov, World Hero," Fellowship, July/August 2005, 9. "JFK Tried to Drive Wedge Between Cubans, Soviets," Toledo Blade, Oct. 13, 2002. "Papers: Annihilation Narrowly Averted," Lawrence [Kan.] Journal-World, Oct. 12, 2002. "Revealed: Soviet Sub Almost Attacked in '62," Peace Magazine, January-March 2003, 31. Listener mail: The Museum of London's exhibition The Crime Museum Uncovered runs through April 10, 2016. Wordnik defines griffinism as "In India and the East, the state or character of a griffin or new-comer." This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Andrew H., who sent these corroborating links (warning -- these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In 1876, a gang of inept Chicago counterfeiters launched an absurd plot to steal the body of Abraham Lincoln and hold it for ransom. In today's episode of the Futility Closet podcast, we'll follow their comical attempts to carry out the bizarre scheme, and uncover the secret society that was formed afterward to protect Lincoln's corpse. We'll also puzzle over an overlooked way to reduce the odds of dying of a heart attack. Sources for our feature on Lincoln's bodysnatchers: Thomas J. Craughwell, Stealing Lincoln's Body, 2007. Bonnie Stahlman Speer, The Great Abraham Lincoln Hijack, 1997. John Carroll Power, History of an Attempt to Steal the Body of Abraham Lincoln, 1890. Thomas J. Craughwell, "A Plot to Steal Lincoln's Body," U.S. News, June 24, 2007. David B. Williams, "The Odd Reburials of Abraham Lincoln," Seattle Times, April 13, 2007. Ray Bendici, "Thomas J. Craughwell Discusses the Odd Plot to Steal Lincoln's Body," Connecticut Magazine, Nov. 12, 2013. Don Babwin, "Presidential Heist," Associated Press, May 13, 2007. This week's lateral thinking puzzle is adapted from a puzzle in Edward J. Harshman's 1996 book Fantastic Lateral Thinking Puzzles. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In 1939, as Germany was sending the people of Poland to labor and death camps, two doctors found a unique way to save their countrymen -- by faking an epidemic. In this week’s episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll learn about their clever plan, which ultimately saved 8,000 people. We'll also consider four schemes involving tiny plots of land and puzzle over why a library would waive its fees for a lost book. Sources for our feature on Eugene Lazowski: Damon Adams, "2 Doctors Used Typhus to Save Thousands in Wartime," American Medical News, July 5, 2004. Yoav Goor, "When the Test Tube Was Mightier Than the Gun: A Polish Doctor Out-Frightens the Nazis," Israel Medical Association Journal, 15:4 (April 2013), 198. Bernard Dixon, "Mimicry and More," British Medical Journal, Nov. 24, 1990. Mohammad Mooty and Larry I Lutwick, "Epidemic Typhus Fever," in Larry I. Lutwick and Suzanne M. Lutwick, Beyond Anthrax: The Weaponization of Infectious Diseases, 2009. Trevor Jensen, "Dr. Eugene Lazowski: 1913-2006," Chicago Tribune, Dec. 22, 2006. Listener mail: Cards Against Humanity, "Eight Sensible Gifts for Hanukkah." J. Craig Anderson, "Cards Against Humanity Buys Remote Maine Island, Calls It 'Hawaii 2'," Portland Press Herald, December 24, 2014. Sarah Hulett, "Inchvesting In Detroit: A Virtual Realty," NPR, March 4, 2010. Wikipedia, The Good Earth (Manfred Mann's Earth Band album). Weekend Telegraph, "Sitting on a Slice of the Good Earth," Sept. 23, 1995. Patrick Barkham, "What Greenpeace Could Learn From Manfred Mann About Saving the Environment," Guardian, July 5, 2015. Paul Evans, "Diversionary Tactics -- The Imaginative Campaigns Protecting the Countryside From Developers," Guardian, March 31, 2009. Wikipedia, "Alice's Meadow." This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Lawrence Miller. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In 1959, Texas journalist John Howard Griffin darkened his skin and lived for six weeks as a black man in the segregated South. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe his harrowing experience and what it taught him about the true state of race relations in America. We'll also ponder crescent moons, German submarines, and griffins in India and puzzle over why a man would be arrested for winning a prize at a county fair. Sources for our feature on John Howard Griffin: John Howard Griffin, Black Like Me, 1961. Robert Bonazzi, Man in the Mirror: John Howard Griffin and the Story of Black Like Me, 2010. Maurice Dolbier, "Blinding Disguise in South," Miami News, Oct. 15, 1961. Jerome Weeks, "'Black Like Me' Just One of Many Roles for John Howard Griffin," Dallas Morning News, Sept. 19, 1997. H.W. Quick, "He Finds Bias Blighting North, South," Milwaukee Sentinel, Jan. 16, 1964. Karen De Witt, "Oppressor Shown What Being Oppressed Is Like," Ottawa Citizen, Nov. 1, 1977. Ray Sprigle, In the Land of Jim Crow, 1949. Lucile Torkelson, "Writer Crosses the Race Barrier," Milwaukee Sentinel, Oct. 29, 1969. Research questions: Here's the image of the star and crescent: And here are the sources I've found that describe the German submarine rescue: Wolfgang Frank, The Sea Wolves, 1955. Arch Whitehouse, Subs and Submariners, 1961. Jacques Yves Cousteau, Captain Cousteau's Underwater Treasury, 1959. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Lawrence Miller. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

If you opened a box of Quaker Oats in 1955, you'd find a deed to one square inch of land in northwestern Canada. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story behind the Klondike Big Inch land giveaway, whose bizarre consequences are still being felt today. We'll also hear about a time traveler who visited the British Museum in 1997 and puzzle over why a prizewinning farmer gives away his best seed to his competitors. Sources for our feature on the Klondike Big Inch land promotion: Jack McIver, "The Great Klondike Big Inch Land Caper," Ottawa Citizen, March 27, 1975. "The Great Klondike Rush of '55," Ottawa Citizen, Dec. 8, 1955. "Sgt. Preston Inspired Great Yukon Land Deals," Reading (Pa.) Eagle, Jan. 1, 1987. Dave White, "Quaker Oats Klondike Deed Scam Still Sizzling," Yukon News, Jan. 26, 1990. "Cereal Giveaway Now a Pain," Montreal Gazette, May 12, 1971. "The Klondike Big Inch," yukoninfo, accessed 10/23/2015. John Robert Colombo, Canadian Literary Landmarks, 1984. Big Inch deeds can sometimes be found on eBay -- here are two that sold in March. Sources for our feature on Enoch Soames, time travel, and literary memory: Max Beerbohm, "Enoch Soames: A Memory of the Eighteen-Nineties," 1916. Teller, "A Memory of the Nineteen-Nineties," Atlantic, November 1997. Chris Jones, "The Honor System," Esquire, October 2012. The Flickr photo of Soames is here, and there's a bit more background here. This week's lateral thinking puzzles are from Paul Sloane and Des MacHale's 1996 book Intriguing Lateral Thinking Puzzles. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In the 1850s, settlers in western Nevada were cut off from the rest of the world each winter by deep snow. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll learn about their lifeline, Norwegian immigrant John Thompson, who for 20 years carried mail, medicine, and supplies through 90 miles of treacherous snowdrifts on a pair of homemade skis. We'll also hear listener contributions regarding prison camp escape aids in World War II and puzzle over how lighting a cigarette results in a lengthy prison sentence. Sources for our feature on Snowshoe Thompson: Alton Pryor, Classic Tales in California History, 1999. Erling Ylvisaker, Eminent Pioneers, 1934. Kay Grant, "'Snowshoe' Thompson: The Norwegian Who Mastered the Rugged Sierra Nevada to Deliver the U.S. Mail," Wild West 18:4 (December 2005): 10, 68-69. "'Snowshoe' Thompson Finally Gets His Due," Deseret News, May 15, 1976. Alan Drummer, "Miracle on Skis," Milwaukee Journal, March 1, 1985. Larry Walsh, "'Snowshoe' Thompson Knew How to Carry the Mail," Pittsburgh Press, Feb. 26, 1992. "Snowshoe Thompson," Carroll Herald, Dec. 22, 1886. Red Smith, "Snowshoe Thompson Would Have Chuckled," Ottawa Citizen, Feb. 18, 1960. Listener mail: Wikipedia, Snakes and Ladders. "Clutty and His Escape Devices," in Ian Dear, Escape and Evasion, 2004. H. Keith Melton, Ultimate Spy, 1996. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener David White, who sent these corroborating links (warning -- these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In 1910, four Alaskan gold miners set out to climb Mount McKinley, the highest peak in North America, to win a two-cent bar bet. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the surprising story of the Sourdough Expedition, a mountaineering effort that one modern climber calls "superhuman by today's standards." We'll also hear about a ghoulish tourist destination and puzzle over why a painter would blame himself for World War II. Sources for our feature on the Sourdough expedition: Bill Sherwonit, "The Sourdough Expedition," Alaska 68:4 (May/June 2002), 28. Jason Strykowski, "Impossible Heights: The Alaskan Miners Who Conquered Mount McKinley," Wild West 24:4 (December 2011), 20. Terrence Cole, ed., The Sourdough Expedition, 1985. W.F. Thompson, "First Account of Conquering Mt. McKinley," New York Times, June 5, 1910. Listener mail: The Telegraph has a photo of the mummies in the Capuchin catacombs in Palermo, Sicily. Wikipedia has a photo of Rosalia Lombardo, the immaculately preserved 2-year-old embalmed in 1920, and another appears here: Karen Lange, "Lost 'Sleeping Beauty' Mummy Formula Found," National Geographic News, Jan. 26, 2009 (accessed 10/10/2015). This week's lateral thinking puzzle is from Paul Sloane and Des MacHale's 2005 book Outstanding Lateral Thinking Puzzles. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

During World War II, the British Secret Service found a surprising way to help Allies in Nazi prisoner-of-war camps: They used doctored Monopoly sets to smuggle in maps, files, compasses, and real money. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story behind this clever ploy, which may have helped thousands of prisoners escape from Nazi camps. We'll also hear listeners' thoughts on Jeremy Bentham's head, Victorian tattoos, and phone-book-destroying German pirates and puzzle over murderous cabbies and moviegoers. Sources for our feature on MI9's use of Monopoly sets to help Allied prisoners escape during World War II: Philip E. Orbanes, Monopoly: The World's Most Famous Game -- And How It Got That Way, 2006. Ki Mae Heussner, "Get Out of Jail Free: Monopoly's Hidden Maps," ABC News, Sept. 18, 2009 (retrieved Sept. 27, 2015). Listener mail: Myths and legends surrounding Jeremy Bentham's auto-icon, from University College London. This week's lateral thinking puzzles are from Matthew Johnstone's 1999 book What's the Story? You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Felix von Luckner was a romantic hero of World War I, a dashing nobleman who commanded one of the last sailing ships to fight in war. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe Luckner's uniquely civilized approach to warfare, which won admiration even from his enemies. We'll also puzzle over how a product intended to prevent drug abuse ends up encouraging it. Sources for our feature on Felix von Luckner: Lowell Thomas, Count Luckner, The Sea Devil, 1928. Edwin P. Hoyt, Count von Luckner: Knight of the Sea, 1969. In all, Seeadler captured 16 ships totaling 30,099 tons between Dec. 21, 1916, and Sept. 8, 1917. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener David White, who sent these corroborating links (warning -- these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

"One-Eyed Charley" Parkhurst drove a stagecoach throughout California during the height of the Gold Rush, rising to the top of a difficult, dangerous, and highly competitive profession at its historic peak. Only after his death in 1879 at age 67 was it discovered that Charley was a woman. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast, we'll tell what's known of Charley Parkhurst's courageous and enigmatic life story. We'll also hear listeners' input on the legalities of an anti-Christian town and puzzle over a lucky driver and his passenger. Sources for our feature on Charley Parkhurst: Dan L. Thrapp, ed., Encyclopedia of Frontier Biography, 1991. Gloria G. Harris and Hannah S. Cohen, Women Trailblazers of California: Pioneers to the Present, 2012. Alton Pryor, Fascinating Women in California History, 2003. "Thirty Years in Disguise," New York Times, Jan. 9, 1880. Mark McLaughlin, "Sierra History: The Strange Tale of Stagecoach Driver Charley Parkhurst," Tahoe Daily Tribune, July 11, 2015. "The Secret of One-Eyed Charley," Palm Beach Post, June 29, 1958. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Jillian Caldwell, who sent these corroborating links (warning -- these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In 1854, English aristocrat Roger Tichborne disappeared at sea. Twelve years later, a butcher from Wagga Wagga, Australia, claimed he was the long-lost heir. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast, we'll tell the sensational story of the Tichborne claimant, which Mark Twain called "the most intricate and fascinating and marvelous real-life romance that has ever been played upon the world's stage." We'll also puzzle over why family businesses are often more successful in Japan than in other countries. Sources for our feature on the Tichborne claimant: Rohan McWilliam, The Tichborne Claimant: A Victorian Sensation, 2007. Robyn Annear, The Man Who Lost Himself: The Unbelievable Story of the Tichborne Claimant, 2011. This week's lateral thinking puzzle is from Paul Sloane and Des MacHale's 2014 book Remarkable Lateral Thinking Puzzles. There's a fuller explanation (with spoilers!) in Dan Lewis' Now I Know newsletter. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

What do René Descartes, Joseph Haydn, and Oliver Cromwell have in common? All three lost their heads after death. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast, we'll run down a list of notable corpses whose parts have gone wandering. We'll also hear readers chime in on John Lennon, knitting, diaries and Hitchcock, and puzzle over why a pilot would choose to land in a field of grazing livestock. Sources for our feature on posthumously itinerant body parts: Bess Lovejoy, Rest in Pieces: The Curious Fates of Famous Corpses, 2013. Edith Sitwell, English Eccentrics, 1993. I'd written previously about Descartes, Haydn, Cromwell, Bentham, Einstein, and Juan Perón. Thanks to listener Alejandro Pareja for the tip about Goya. Listener mail: Barney Snow's documentary about Gerald and Linda Polley is Where Has Eternity Gone? QI, "Knitting in Code." Douglas Martin, "Robert Shields, Wordy Diarist, Dies at 89," New York Times, Oct. 29, 2007. Listener Christine Fisher found Charles Thomas Samuels' interview with Alfred Hitchcock in Sidney Gottlieb's 2003 book Alfred Hitchcock: Interviews. It appeared originally in Samuels' 1972 book Encountering Directors. This week's lateral thinking puzzle is from Kyle Hendrickson's 1998 book Mental Fitness Puzzles. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Enter coupon code CLOSET at Harry's and get $5 off their starter set of high-quality razors. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In 1880, freethinking attorney George Walser tried a new experiment in the American heartland -- a community dedicated against Christianity, "the only town of its size in the world without a priest, preacher, saloon, God or hell." In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast, we'll tell the story of Liberal, Missouri -- its founding, its confrontations with its Christian neighbors, and its ironic downfall. We'll also puzzle over how a woman can suddenly be 120 miles away in just a few minutes. Sources for our feature on Liberal, Mo.: J.P. Moore, This Strange Town -- Liberal, Missouri: A History of the Early Years, 1880 to 1910, 1963. Lawrence O. Christensen, William E. Foley, and Gary Kremer, Dictionary of Missouri Biography, 1999. Tom Flynn, ed., The New Encyclopedia of Unbelief, 2007. Steve Everly, "History of Southwest Missouri Town Shows Triumph of Faith Over Skepticism," Nevada Daily Mail, Dec. 26, 2001. Marvin Vangilder, "Missouri Town Might Assure Stockton as Atheist Target," Associated Press, Sept. 4, 1963. "Necrology," Missouri Historical Review, July 1910. "Missouri Geography: Community Experiments," in Walter Barlow Stevens, Missouri the Center State: 1821-1915, Volume 2, 1915. George Henry Walser, The Life and Teachings of Jesus, 1909. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener David White, who sent these corroborating links (warning -- these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

In 1820, the Nantucket whaleship Essex was attacked and sunk by an 85-foot sperm whale in the South Pacific, a thousand miles from land. In this episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll tell the story of the attack, which left 20 men to undertake an impossible journey to South America in three small whaleboats. We'll also learn about an Australian athlete who shipped himself across the world in a box in 1964 and puzzle over an international traveler's impressive feat of navigation. Sources for our feature on the whaleship Essex: Owen Chase, Narrative of the Most Extraordinary and Distressing Shipwreck of the Whaleship Essex, 1821. Thomas Farel Heffernan, Stove by a Whale: Owen Chase and the Essex, 1981. Thomas Nickerson et al., The Loss of the Ship Essex, Sunk by a Whale, 2000. Nathaniel Philbrick, In the Heart of the Sea, 2000. Herman Melville, Moby-Dick, 1851. Adam Summers, "Fat Heads Sink Ships," Natural History 111:7 (September 2002): 40-41. David R. Carrier, Stephen M. Deban, and Jason Otterstrom, "The Face That Sank the Essex: Potential Function of the Spermaceti Organ in Aggression," Journal of Experimental Biology 205:12 (June 15, 2002), 1755-1763. Henry F. Pommer, "Herman Melville and the Wake of The Essex," American Literature 20:3 (November 1948): 290-304. Fourteen-year-old cabin boy Thomas Nickerson was at the helm at the time of the attack; he made this sketch later in life. "I heard a loud cry from several voices at once, that the whale was coming foul of the ship. Scarcely had the sound of their voices reached my ears when it was followed by a tremendous crash. The whale had struck the ship with his head directly under the larboard fore chains at the waters edge with such force as to shock every man upon his feet." Thanks to listener David Balmain (and David McRaney's "You Are Not So Smart" podcast) for the tip about penurious javelinist Reg Spiers' 1964 postal odyssey to Australia. Further sources for that segment: Jason Caffrey, "The Man Who Posted Himself to Australia," BBC World Service, March 6, 2015. Reg Spiers, "I Posted Myself in a Box From England to Australia," Financial Times, June 19, 2015. "Going East in a Coffin," Chicago Herald, Oct. 25, 1887. This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Jason Wood, who sent this corroborating link (warning -- this spoils the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Use this link to get video and audio lectures at up to 80 percent off the original price from The Great Courses. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

Here are four new lateral thinking puzzles to test your wits! Solve along with us as we explore some strange situations using only yes-or-no questions. Puzzles 1 and 2 are from Kyle Hendrickson's 1998 book Mental Fitness Puzzles and Jed's List of Situation Puzzles. Thanks to listeners Saber and Tommy Honton for puzzles 3 and 4. Here are two corroborating links -- these spoil the puzzles, so don't click until you've listened to the episode: Puzzle #3 Puzzle #4 You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Use this link to get video and audio lectures at up to 80 percent off the original price from The Great Courses. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar 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 [email protected]. Thanks for listening!

After taking part in the attack on Pearl Harbor, Japanese fighter pilot Shigenori Nishikaichi crash-landed on the isolated Hawaiian island of Niihau. In this episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll recount the six days of escalating drama that unfolded between the desperate pilot and the terrified islanders. We'll also hear a list of open questions from Greg's research and puzzle over why a man can't sell a solid gold letter opener. Sources for our feature on the Niihau incident: William Hallstead and Raymond Denkhaus, "The Niihau Incident," World War II 14:5 (January 2000), 38. Andrew Carroll, "A Japanese Pilot Brings World War II to Hawaii's Farthest Shore," American History 48:5 (December 2013): 29-30. Richard B. Frank, "Zero Hour on Niihau," World War II 24:2 (July 2009): 54-61. "U.S. Won First WWII Victory Just Days After Pearl Harbor," Associated Press, Dec. 27, 1991. One particularly gruesome account of the whipping of Emmanuel Dannan appeared in The Living Age in 1855: Accordingly, the man procured six whips -- the toughest kind of swamp willow -- which, by his own confession, were four feet in length, and as large at the butt as one's little finger and about 9 o'clock at night took Emanuel -- who still persisted in telling the truth -- to the loft of the cabin, and having stripped him to his shirt, wound that around his neck, and tied him up, by a cord, by both wrists, to a rafter, so that his feet but barely touched the ground. Here he whipped him for two hours, only resting at intervals to procure a fresh whip, or to demand of his victim that he should own that he told a lie. The boy's only answer was, 'Pa, I told the truth. Pa, I did not lie.' The girl [his sister, the only witness] said that Emanuel did not cry much; and it is probable that he fainted during a portion of the time, as the injuries upon his body, testified that there was not a spot, from the armpits to the ankles, large enough to place your finger upon, but was covered with livid welts; and that in very many places the skin was broken! In this account, which is explicitly directed "to the Sabbath school children of the United States," the foster father tries to "whip the lie out of" Emmanuel -- that is, persuade him to agree that he had imagined his mother's crime. In other tellings the lie is whipped into him -- he's urged to tell a cover story to protect his mother, and he cries, "Pa, I will not lie!" Sources for this week's lateral thinking puzzles: Kyle Hendrickson, Mental Fitness Puzzles, 1998. Erwin Brecher, Lateral Thinking Puzzles, 2010. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar 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 [email protected]. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks for listening!

In 1933, violinist Jelly d'Aranyi declared that the spirit of Robert Schumann was urging her to find a concerto that he'd written shortly before his death in 1856. In this episode of the Futility Closet podcast we'll describe the discovery of Schumann's lost violin concerto, as well as a similar case in which a London widow claimed to receive new compositions from 12 dead composers We'll also puzzle over how a man earns $250,000 for going on two cruises. Sources for our feature on Jelly d'Aranyi and Rosemary Brown: Joseph Macleod, The Sisters d'Aranyi, 1969. Erik Palmstierna and Adila Fachiri, Horizons of Immortality, 1938. Rosemary Brown, Unfinished Symphonies, 1971. Douglas Martin, "Rosemary Brown, a Friend of Dead Composers, Dies at 85," New York Times, Dec. 2, 2001. Michael Steinberg, The Concerto: A Listener's Guide, 1998. Nicolas Slonimsky, Slonimsky's Book of Musical Anecdotes, 1948. Here's the Schumann violin concerto played by Frank Peter Zimmermann, and here's a rather blurry interview with Rosemary Brown, in which she transcribes a composition for Beethoven. This week's lateral thinking puzzle is from Jed's List of Situation Puzzles. You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar 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 [email protected]. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks for listening!

In 1972, Air Force navigator Gene Hambleton was shot down over enemy territory in Vietnam, and a ferocious offensive beat back every attempt to rescue him. In today's show we'll learn how his lifelong passion for golf became the key to his escape. We'll also learn about a videogame based on the Dyatlov Pass incident and puzzle over why a military force drops bombs on its friends. Sources for our feature on Gene Hambleton: William C. Anderson, BAT-21, 1980. Darrell D. Whitcomb, The Rescue of BAT 21, 1998. George Esper, "Commando Team Snatches Downed Airmen From Midst of Enemy's Invasion Force," Associated Press, April 25, 1972. Dennis McLellan, "'Gene' Hambleton, 85; His Rescue Depicted in 'Bat-21' Books, Film," Los Angeles Times, Sept. 27, 2004. Listener mail: The full text of Arthur Conan Doyle's story "The Problem of Thor Bridge" is on Wikisource. The videogame about the Dyatlov Pass incident is called Kholat. (It's named after Kholat Syakhyl, the mountain on which the Dyatlov hikers pitched their tent.) This week's lateral thinking puzzle was contributed by listener Mike Martin. Here are two corroborating links (warning -- these spoil the puzzle). You can listen using the player above, download this episode directly, or subscribe on iTunes or via the RSS feed at http://feedpress.me/futilitycloset. Please consider becoming a patron of Futility Closet -- on our Patreon page you can pledge any amount per episode, and all contributions are greatly appreciated. You can change or cancel your pledge at any time, and we've set up some rewards to help thank you for your support. You can also make a one-time donation via the Donate button in the sidebar 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 [email protected]. You can also follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Thanks for listening!