Boo_ep609

[TRANSCRIPT]
0:00:00 - (Jethro): So I want to tell you about the skull of doom.
0:00:04 - (Kat): I already love this.
0:00:06 - (Jethro): In the annals of the mystical, in the unexplained few artifacts, I'm sorry, annals, will ignite the imagination quite like the Mitchell Hedges crystal skull, known by some as the skull of doom.
0:00:23 - (Kat): Are we talking about, like, indian a Jones crystal skull?
0:00:26 - (Jethro): Exactly right.
0:00:27 - (Kat): Okay. This is a real thing.
0:00:29 - (Jethro): It's a real thing. The artifact is a life size replica of a human skull carved from transparent quartz crystal. And it's been a subject of intense scrutiny and, well, legend for a long time, decades. And the subject kind of treads the line between science and paranormal.
0:00:49 - (Kat): Oh, okay.
0:00:50 - (Jethro): The saga began in the early 20th century, precisely 1924, with a british explorer named F. A. Mitchell Hedges, a man whose life was a big adventure, kind of like Indiana Jones kind of stuff. He, along with his daughter Anna, ventured deep into the central american rainforests, to the ruins of Lubantin, which is in modern day Belize, a once glorious city of the ancient mayan civilization.
0:01:21 - (Kat): I love this shit.
0:01:22 - (Jethro): The discovery unfolded amid the falling stones of flubantin, and that area is renowned for its construction without the use of mortar. We've seen this type of, I guess you would call it masonry or stone laying, where the stones are so precisely cut that they do not need mortar.
0:01:41 - (Kat): Like in the pyramids. And I say the pyramids, like, there aren't pyramids everywhere, but, yeah, I mean, egyptian pyramids. Sorry.
0:01:46 - (Jethro): And also Machu Picchu, which we're going.
0:01:49 - (Kat): To probably this year.
0:01:51 - (Jethro): And I'm very excited, as legend goes, which has been handed down over the decades. Anna was the one who found the skull buried beneath an altar in one of the site's many crumbling temples on her 17th birthday.
0:02:05 - (Kat): It was so cool.
0:02:07 - (Jethro): Now, this skull, crafted with incredible precision, it defies the capabilities of ancient tooling. The skull's jawbone is articulated, which suggests an advanced understanding of both art and anatomy by its creator. And the craftsmanship suggests that it was not the product of just casual labor, but a deliberate and skilled effort. But where did it come from and who made it?
0:02:37 - (Kat): Are you going to suggest aliens?
0:02:39 - (Jethro): I'm just reporting what. I'm not saying anything. According to Anna Mitchell Hedges, she believes that the relic dates back 3600 years, tying it to the ancient mayan civilization. She says that it was once. Her theory is, was it once in the possession of a mayan high priest, serving as an instrument of spiritual power? It was not merely ornamental, but an active participant in rites and rituals of the people of the time, whose understanding of the cosmos was deeply intertwined with spirituality.
0:03:18 - (Jethro): Now, this artifact is a marvel of artistic and technical craftsmanship that has not been fully explained by modern science. It's carved from a single block of pure, clear quartz.
0:03:32 - (Kat): Wow.
0:03:32 - (Jethro): And it demonstrates a level of detail and precision that is staggering, particularly when you consider that it's said to have been made centuries ago, perhaps millennia. The skull's creation. It would be a demanding task, even with contemporary technology, let alone the tools that they had during the height of the mayan empire. Quartz crystal, known for its hardness on the moss scale.
0:03:56 - (Kat): The moss scale?
0:03:58 - (Jethro): Yeah. It's a scale that determines hardness of items. This is a solid seven out of ten. So that presents significant challenges to sculptors. The fact that both the mandible and the cranium of the skull were fashioned from the same block of quartz means that whoever created it had not only a remarkable skill level, but an in depth understanding of the material itself. The interlocking nature of the pieces suggests an advanced knowledge of mechanics and anatomy, as well as an ability to plan and execute a complex vision.
0:04:38 - (Kat): Right. I'm just trying to think about how that might work, and already I'm like, I don't know. I might abandon this project.
0:04:46 - (Jethro): Yeah, I know. I've got an entire house full of half finished projects because I get discouraged partway through. I have these grand visions. I'm going to make this bookcase, and it just ends up being like an awkward looking footstool that's not quite finished.
0:05:01 - (Kat): I love footstool.
0:05:03 - (Jethro): The proportions of the skull are nearly identical to that of a small human cranium, which reflects a sophisticated grasp of human anatomy. And the intricate details, the subtle ridges along the temporal bones, the precise curvature of the cheekbones, the anatomically correct indentations and protrusions all suggest a method of production that would necessitate steady hands, a meticulous eye, a great deal of patience, and some sort of modern technology.
0:05:34 - (Jethro): And since this kind of quartz is known to shatter under too much pressure, whoever did this would have had to employ a very gentle, painstaking technique, likely using abrasives to grind the crystals into shape. And that would have taken forever. And then you factor in the fact that this skull is polished beyond belief. Achieving such a smooth, shiny surface on quartz crystal requires progressively finer abrasive materials and could take countless hours of laborious hand polishing. So where did it come from? The theories range from ancient civilizations with a lost high technology to the possibility of a 19th century masterpiece. In the 1970s, a team of experts from Hewlett Packard, one of the world's leading technology companies conducted a series of tests to determine the skull's properties and origin.
0:06:32 - (Kat): Hewlett Packard.
0:06:34 - (Jethro): Yeah, Hewlett Packard.
0:06:36 - (Kat): I really thought that they were just kind of like printer people.
0:06:39 - (Jethro): Hewlett Packard's been around since the Cold War. You'll find this interesting. Hewlett Packard won its first big contract in 1938 to provide the HP 200 A, a low distortion frequency oscillator for Walt Disney's production of the animated film Fantasia. They've been around for nearly 100 years in various forms. Of course, we think of them as the printer people or computers or whatever, but, yeah, they were involved in a lot of cutting edge technology dating way back.
0:07:10 - (Kat): That is interesting.
0:07:12 - (Jethro): So in the experts from Hewlett Packard tried to determine the skull's properties and origins. Researchers were immediately struck by the artifact's exquisite detail and the absence of any discernible marks that would typically be left by modern carving tools. This suggested that the skull was not crafted with equipment known to be in use after the industrial revolution, which further deepened the mystery surrounding its creation.
0:07:42 - (Jethro): The team marveled at the skull's optical properties as well. Made from a type of clear quartz known as rock crystal, the skull demonstrated a level of precision that would be incredibly difficult to achieve without modern tools. The crystal's prismatic nature, which would ordinarily cause light to fracture into rainbows, was somehow bypassed in the skull's construction, allowing for a clarity that seemed almost intentional in its design.
0:08:13 - (Kat): So, like, the way that it was cut keeps it from refracting.
0:08:17 - (Jethro): Yeah.
0:08:17 - (Kat): Wow.
0:08:18 - (Jethro): So that it's completely clear.
0:08:20 - (Kat): But do we know if that was on purpose? We can't know.
0:08:23 - (Jethro): No, we can't know. But the precision in which it was made suggests that it was intentional in its design. And despite the advances in technology and the expertise of the Hewlett Packard team, the skull's exact age and provenance remains unknown because there were no carbon based materials in the skull from which they could draw radiocarbon dates.
0:08:47 - (Kat): I was going to ask about that.
0:08:48 - (Jethro): And the quartz itself could not be dated using geologic methods. While the craftsmanship was clear, the skull's place in history, according to Hewlett Packard, still remained a giant question mark. Now, adding to the controversy, other researchers have cast doubts on the skull's supposed ancient mesoamerican origins. These skeptics point to the lack of conclusive evidence tying the skull to the archaeological context of a pre columbian civilization.
0:09:16 - (Jethro): They argue that the skull's design and features are more consistent with european artistic influences of the 19th century.
0:09:26 - (Kat): However, well, it's not a painting. It's not an art piece. It's a replica. So all you'd have to do is have a skull. And there you go.
0:09:37 - (Jethro): And it is true that during this time, there were people that were manufacturing crystal skulls as ornamentation, but none with the precision and accuracy. They don't even hold a candle to the skull of doom.
0:09:54 - (Kat): And what year did Anna uncover it?
0:09:57 - (Jethro): 1927.
0:09:58 - (Kat): That was a big year for hoaxes.
0:10:00 - (Jethro): Are you thinking of a particular hoax from 1927?
0:10:04 - (Kat): No, it's just the 20s seem very hoaxy to me.
0:10:07 - (Jethro): You mean, like roadside carnival kind of stuff?
0:10:10 - (Kat): Well, I was thinking of the Cardiff giant, but I guess that was years before, in the mid 18 hundreds. So still, 20s are hoaxy.
0:10:18 - (Jethro): The skull is said to possess healing properties, with Anna and others claiming that it has the mysterious abilities to cure ailments and restore health through its interaction with individuals as well as animals.
0:10:32 - (Kat): So we have a healing skull that we've known about since the 1920s, and yet we still have sick people. It's so weird.
0:10:42 - (Jethro): The process of such healings remain shrouded in mystery, some suggesting that the skull's crystalline structure harmonizes with the vibrational energies of the human body. And that promotes, like, a balance and a feeling of well being balancing your chakra. But beyond physical healing, the skull is reported to be a vessel of prophetic vision, like a crystal ball. Those who have spent time in its presence have reported experiencing vivid visions, some of which are said to be glimpses into the past, while others, premonitions of future events.
0:11:21 - (Jethro): These visions are often described as being remarkably clear, as if the skull acts as a screen upon which the images are projected. Perhaps the most unsettling are the claims that the skull harbors the power to cause death.
0:11:35 - (Kat): Right. Well, it's called the skull of death.
0:11:38 - (Jethro): Skull of doom. Yes.
0:11:39 - (Kat): Okay. Sorry.
0:11:40 - (Jethro): This aspect of the legend speaks to a more primal fear, suggesting that it could be a conduit for lethal energies or curses. But there's been no examples of that.
0:11:53 - (Kat): Well, what's interesting, and we were talking about this the other day during the inbox of oddities, is that sometimes we feel like people can bring the evil out in things or bring the good out in things. So maybe that's what the skull is doing, is just amplifying what's brought to it, rather than being itself a skull of healing or a skull of death.
0:12:16 - (Jethro): It could very well be. And the healing powers of crystals and gems is not a new idea. Witnesses have also described a variety of auditory phenomena, from ethereal chimes to whispers, which suggest another worldly connection. The skulls have been said to at times start glowing, and some believe the skull harnesses and amplifies spiritual energy, which manifests as an eerie luminescence in the right conditions. Additionally, the skull is often mentioned in conjunction with a network of similar crystal skulls, kind of like Indiana Jones.
0:12:54 - (Jethro): According to some psychics and paranormal researchers, these skulls form a matrix of knowledge, each one a repository of wisdom from a lost age. They theorize that when they're all united, these crystal skulls could unlock secrets to the universe or awaken collective consciousness. Think Indiana Jones.
0:13:14 - (Kat): I was thinking fifth element, but okay, yeah, that too.
0:13:18 - (Jethro): Its mystery continues to captivate the imagination, and it serves as a focal point for discussions on paranormal phenomena and ancient civilizations. Whether these powers are real or the product of human imagination, the legends surrounding the Mitchell hedge's crystal skull are a big part of its allure. They raise questions about the boundaries between the physical world and the spiritual realm, and they challenge our understanding of ancient civilizations and their legacies. It's important to understand the cultural and historical context here.
0:13:50 - (Jethro): Crystal skulls have been a part of mesoamerican lore, where they are often associated with death and rebirth. The ancient maya and aztec civilizations had a thing for skulls, which were seen as symbols of regeneration. However, none of the other crystal skulls found have matched the precision and detail of the Mitchell hedges skull, making it unique in its class. So where does that leave us?
0:14:17 - (Kat): It's cool.
0:14:18 - (Jethro): It's cool. Whether it's an ancient mesoamerican artifact endowed with mystical powers or an incredible masterpiece from the 19th century, the truth is, we don't know. What's undeniable is whether it's a portal to an ancient wisdom repository or a testament to the artistry of a forgotten craftsman. The Mitchell hedges crystal skull remains one of the most fascinating enigmas in the world.
0:14:45 - (Kat): And it's cool.
0:14:46 - (Jethro): It is beautiful to look at. My source information. The mystery of the crystal skulls by Chris Morton and Sarah Lewis Thomas. Archaeology magazine, the Smithsonian magazine, National Geographic, and the enigma of the Crystal skulls, a BBC documentary. And now that thing in the middle. Matt Llewellyn was packing his groceries into his car in the parking lot of the Anchorage costco when suddenly ravens swooped in and stole a short rib from his cart.
0:15:22 - (Jethro): In an interview with the Anchorage Daily News, he said, I literally took ten steps away and turned around. But two ravens came down and instantly grabbed one out of the package, ripped it off, and flew off with it. He said, I think they know what they're doing. This isn't the first time, they're very fat, so I think they've got a whole system there, but apparently this happens all the time. Anchorage resident Tamara Josie said.
0:15:50 - (Jethro): These ravens are calculating. One just kept waiting for an opportunity to steal a melon out of my cart. They're very dedicated to their mission, she added. So if you're ever traveling in Alaska, beware of the grocery stealing ravens of Anchorage. Somebody sent us an email and said, hey, guys, I am extremely disappointed that there's not more interesting subject matter involving hermit crabs on your show.
0:16:17 - (Kat): I get it.
0:16:17 - (Jethro): So here are some very strange habits that are attributed to hermit crabs. Did you know that hermit crabs live in empty shells for protection and can change shells as they grow?
0:16:31 - (Kat): Hermit crabs occasionally gather in groups to exchange shells, creating a shell swapping party where they try on each other's different shells.
0:16:43 - (Jethro): It's like a swap meet. Hermit crabs scavenge and clean the environment by consuming decaying matter, which I saw a movie one time where they pulled a body from the river and. Yeah, lots of hermit crabs. Oh, clinging gave me nightmares.
0:17:03 - (Kat): Yeah, well, you don't like things stuck to other things anyway.
0:17:06 - (Jethro): No.
0:17:07 - (Kat): Speaking of their shells, though, hermit crabs can take vacations from their shells. So they might leave their shell and go and explore another shell, but then come back to their original shell later.
0:17:21 - (Jethro): What if another crab has moved in, though? Do they have like a shell dispute?
0:17:25 - (Kat): Like, is there litigation?
0:17:26 - (Jethro): Yeah, like little crab litigation.
0:17:29 - (Kat): I don't know.
0:17:29 - (Jethro): Or maybe they do rock, paper, scissors for it. Some would call that a shell game.
0:17:35 - (Kat): The color of a hermit crab shell can actually affect its popularity during the shell swapping parties. So you want to make sure you're bright, you want to make sure you're bold, you want to make sure you're standing out queen when you're at your shell swapping party, because you are a fantastic hermit crab slut and you deserve the best shell.
0:17:58 - (Jethro): I didn't realize this, but some hermit crabs can live for decades.
0:18:02 - (Kat): Yeah.
0:18:03 - (Jethro): That's crazy.
0:18:04 - (Kat): Yeah. And hermit crabs use their sense of smell to recognize each other.
0:18:09 - (Jethro): During courtship, male hermit crabs perform a dance to attract females, showcasing their suitability as mates. And I'm picturing the crab from little mermaid.
0:18:21 - (Kat): Of course you are.
0:18:22 - (Jethro): What was his name?
0:18:23 - (Kat): Sebastian.
0:18:24 - (Jethro): Sebastian. Yeah. I'm picturing Sebastian from the little mermaid. Like doing a soft shoe. They're an ancient group of animals with a lineage dating back about 500 million years.
0:18:38 - (Kat): Wow. I love hermit crabs. They're very cool and they carry water in their guild chambers that helps them keep, like, juicy while they're scootling around on land because they're land and water animals, so they have to be able to stay hydrated. It's important. It's almost like they're a crab camel. They're so cool. I love them.
0:18:59 - (Jethro): So there you go. By request, box of oddities giving you crabs.
0:19:03 - (Kat): Wait, that's not. Someone sent me a picture of a little tiny bearded dragon with no feet. And it says that the pet store dropped him off at this vet's office because his feet fell off, and one of the staff adopted him and named him Lieutenant Dan.
0:19:21 - (Jethro): Lieutenant Dan. See, I love that.
0:19:25 - (Kat): I love that.
0:19:25 - (Jethro): I love that. Gary Sinise has the lieutenant Dan Band.
0:19:29 - (Kat): Yeah. And all of the proceeds go to veterans stuff, right?
0:19:35 - (Jethro): Yeah. It's incredible.
0:19:36 - (Kat): I love that. I also learned recently that Jimmy Kimmel has a really cool company that helps set up, like, fishing camps to teach people how to fish in third world nations. Third world nations. That's so cool.
0:19:50 - (Jethro): That's very cool. Maggie sends us this. Hey, there. Just had to share a fun experience that I had. I've been listening a long time and am so thankful I came across your podcast. You make long drives and doing dishes for a whole family by hand. Not only bearable, but enjoyable. I'm an occupational therapist in school. I can't tell you how exciting it is to say that to somebody and know that they know what that means.
0:20:13 - (Jethro): This almost never happens. Last month, I was working with a student, and we were building pyramids out of gumdrops and toothpicks, as one does.
0:20:21 - (Kat): Absolutely.
0:20:22 - (Jethro): When they excitedly started talking to me about Egypt, I couldn't catch it all, but I got something about the weighing of hearts. I was a little confused, but happy. This student, who does not often prefer to communicate verbally, was feeling inspired and excited to tell me about something that they obviously were very interested in. Later that day, I was listening to your latest episode and heard about the weighing of hearts and put it all together.
0:20:53 - (Jethro): I have a sneaky suspicion this student's family must also be fellow freaks. And I just wanted to let you know that your stories spark interest, inspiration, and connection in humans of all types and abilities.
0:21:05 - (Kat): Oh, my gosh. I love that.
0:21:07 - (Jethro): Thank you for doing what you do best, Mags. Thanks, Mags. That's wonderful. Yeah. That means a lot to us. We have a very, very special person in our family that we love very dearly that has benefited from occupational therapy.
0:21:24 - (Kat): Yeah. And yet he still hasn't gotten a job.
0:21:27 - (Jethro): Well, he's four. When all the other podcasts get together at a dinner party. We're the podcast that sits with our legs crossed by the fireplace and listens politely. This is the box of oddities.
0:21:42 - (Kat): Percival Lowell. Great name. Let's get that right out of the way.
0:21:46 - (Jethro): Percival Lowell Percival. Okay. He's the Lowell Observatory guy, right? He was an astronomer.
0:21:53 - (Kat): That's exactly correct. He was an american astronomer and mathematician, known for a lot of things, really, but mainly for his studies of Mars. Percival is a great example of how sometimes the things that make us incredible thinkers can also make us very, very wrong, but still awesome.
0:22:16 - (Jethro): The only reason I know anything about this guy is because Carl Sagan went way into his biography during the Cosmo series and also in his book, Cosmos. Fascinating guy.
0:22:30 - (Kat): Carl Sagan or Percival law?
0:22:32 - (Jethro): Well, both of them.
0:22:33 - (Kat): Okay.
0:22:33 - (Jethro): Yeah.
0:22:34 - (Kat): Percival was born March 13, 1855, into a prominent family in Boston. That's in Massachusetts, which is in the states. Growing up in Boston and attending the prestigious noble and Greenow school, Percival Lowell had a privileged youth. He continued his education at Harvard, where he delved into mathematics. But it was during his time at Harvard that Lowell's interest shifted toward the night sky. He was intrigued by astronomy, and Percival's passion deepened through his travels to Europe and the Far east, exposing him to diverse cultures and the celestial wonders acknowledged there.
0:23:17 - (Kat): These experiences ignited a fascination with the stars and the planets. And after completing his formal education, Percy, as I've always called him, continued his independent research and exploration of astronomy, shaping the early stages of his lifelong dedication to the field. His exposure through his travels and the celestial beauty of various locations contributed to his unique perspective that he brought to his astronomical pursuits.
0:23:46 - (Kat): And this early foundation played a crucial role in shaping his trajectory toward becoming a prominent astronomer and establishing the Lowell.
0:23:57 - (Jethro): Observatory, which I've been to, by the way.
0:24:00 - (Kat): You have?
0:24:00 - (Jethro): Yeah.
0:24:01 - (Kat): Tell me everything.
0:24:02 - (Jethro): It's in Arizona. And it's an observatory.
0:24:05 - (Kat): Was he there?
0:24:06 - (Jethro): No, not that old. Which reminds me, I was there on opening day. I got a commemorative button.
0:24:16 - (Kat): Oh, awesome. In 1894, Percy established the observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, and his goal was studying planetary astronomy. His primary focus was on Mars, and he published several books, including one called Mars, which is not the most creative title I've ever heard of, but it works. That was. In 1895, he proposed the existence of a network of canals on the martian surface. Lowell firmly believed in the existence of intelligent life on Mars as he observed intricate canal like structures through his telescope on the planet's surface.
0:24:59 - (Kat): His theory suggested that an advanced martian civilization constructed these canals to transport water from the polar ice caps to the equatorial region. In a desperate effort to endure the planet's increasingly arid conditions.
0:25:14 - (Jethro): I remember seeing his hand drawn maps of the canal system. It's pretty fascinating.
0:25:21 - (Kat): Percy or Perlow, his fascination with the idea of a declining martian civilization engaged an unwinnable conflict, intriguing the public and inspiring thinkers like H. G. Wells to ponder the potential differences in martian life and evolutionary progress. Motivated by this vision, Lowell dedicated both his fortune and his efforts to Mars study. After thoughtful site selection, he established this observatory in Flagstaff. And he proposed the now discarded theory of a dying Mars hosting intelligent beings constructing planet wide irrigation.
0:26:01 - (Kat): He believed that these canals supported cultivated vegetation via ice cap melt water. But it wasn't just his idea. This idea was built upon the earlier work of Giovanni Shia Pirelli, who observed deep trenches meandering across the red planet's surface in the 19th century.
0:26:22 - (Jethro): Yes, in this. I remember from what Carl Sagan was saying that this guy had observed trenches in Mars and he just called them channels. But the italian word for channel, yes, is canali or something like that, which suggests intelligent design.
0:26:46 - (Kat): Right.
0:26:47 - (Jethro): I love that. That's amazing.
0:26:49 - (Kat): That was going to be my next point. And I love that you knew that already, is that sometimes language affects how we understand and perceive things and that affects culture and that affects so much else. Anyway, it's neat. So his ideas were fueled by Giovanni Shia Pirelli. And then Lowell's ideas fueled speculation about the possibility of intelligent life on Mars. Although his claims were controversial even in his time, his theories, though, inspired public fascination and contributed to the popular imagination regarding extraterrestrial life.
0:27:27 - (Kat): I mean, the early 19 hundreds was rife with, guess what? Lives on Mars.
0:27:33 - (Jethro): Yeah. Well, that's true. And Tesla.
0:27:36 - (Kat): Right.
0:27:37 - (Jethro): Claimed that he had received radio signals from, he thought, Mars. And this was a time when there weren't really radio signals.
0:27:46 - (Kat): Right.
0:27:47 - (Jethro): It's pretty incredible. It really is.
0:27:49 - (Kat): Lowell's work laid the groundwork for future Mars exploration. And that Mars exploration ended up debunking Lowell's work, which is really kind of neat. So even though he was wrong, his work was so important in what we know now. The conclusion that there is currently no known life on Mars has evolved over time through advancements in space exploration and scientific understanding. Observations and data from various missions have contributed to this consensus.
0:28:19 - (Kat): One pivotal moment was the viking mission. In the 1970s, the Viking Landers conducted experiments to search for signs of microbial life on Mars. But they were inconclusive. And the scientific community remains cautious about its interpretation of the data. Pretty much the consensus is, yeah, probably not especially canal building life.
0:28:41 - (Jethro): Well, yeah, canal building.
0:28:43 - (Kat): Life, maybe like life, sure. Or, you know, frozen, cutting down a tree and then some green stuff comes out. X files kind of life.
0:28:52 - (Jethro): There are some very intriguing photographs of the surface of Mars, which would imply there are some kind of structures there of intelligent design. Of course. The famous martian face that looks like the egyptian pharaoh. Also the pyramids of Mars.
0:29:11 - (Kat): Yeah. Hills. Yeah. No, that's true. There are those things.
0:29:17 - (Jethro): I think it's a fascinating idea that perhaps we are the Martians, that we originally evolved on Mars when it was habitable. And scientifically that's been proven to be true. There was water on Mars and an atmosphere at one point.
0:29:32 - (Kat): Do you think a chunk of Mars made its way to Earth and we evolved from that?
0:29:36 - (Jethro): Well, that's possible, but I'm thinking more like we probably blew ourselves up on Mars and had to move.
0:29:43 - (Kat): Oh, yeah. Okay.
0:29:46 - (Jethro): It's too complicated to get into right now, but there is evidence that something violent took place there at one time, whether it was natural or otherwise. But there are high levels of radiation in areas of Mars, which I find interesting.
0:30:02 - (Kat): Well, anyway, the absence of conclusive evidence for life combined with the harsh environmental conditions there, has led scientists to the current consensus that Mars is not hospitable to known forms of life. But, again, known forms of life.
0:30:18 - (Jethro): Right. And known forms of life. Today, there's a plan to introduce some sort of dark, growing moss on the ice caps, the polar ice caps of Mars, which would attract heat and over many years, could melt that ice, replenish some of the water supply, and help rebuild the atmosphere.
0:30:44 - (Kat): Well, that's neat.
0:30:45 - (Jethro): I want to go to Mars.
0:30:46 - (Kat): I know you do. It is important to note that the search for life on Mars is ongoing, and future missions are planned. Moving on to Perlo and planet X, Percy conducted an extensive mathematical analysis of Uranus's orbit in the early 20th century. Stop it. Cut it out. He attributed orbital irregularities to an unseen planet beyond Neptune, and he calculated its likely position. So in 1905, he orchestrated a systematic search for this hypothetical planet, documented in its 1915 publication, memoir on a transneptunian planet employing cameras to capture images of the sky. Over time, observers scrutinized these photographs for signs of planetary movement. And Pur, who passed away in 1916, bequeathed a million dollar fund for the ongoing search for Planet X, sparking a legal dispute with his widow because she didn't think that it was worth spending a million dollars to find an unknown planet.
0:31:57 - (Jethro): You know what? If I were her, I would probably feel the same way.
0:32:00 - (Kat): What?
0:32:00 - (Jethro): Yeah.
0:32:01 - (Kat): Despite the legal battle depleting most of the funds. The observatory persisted in the pursuit, and Pluto was eventually discovered at the Lowell Observatory. It was confirmed by Clyde Tombaugh in 1930, and his efforts to find the 9th planet built upon Lowell's theory, marking a continuation of the observatory's dedication to exploring the outer reaches of the solar system. Further observations did show that the object now called Pluto was not heavy enough, though, to affect Neptune's orbit. And though Pluto was much smaller than suspected, our 9th planet is still very much appreciated and respected today. The end.
0:32:43 - (Jethro): What you heard about Pluto, that's messed up, right?
0:32:46 - (Kat): In 1896, soon after Purr had acquired a new 24 inch refracting telescope and installed it at his flagstaff observatory, the controversial astronomer began studying Venus. When Lowell narrowed the telescope's aperture, he observed an enigmatic dark spot on the planet's surface, accompanied by spoke like structures. Now, despite Venus'dense atmosphere, which was thought to be impenetrable optically, these markings appeared to be on the surface.
0:33:19 - (Kat): Additionally, these features consistently appeared to be facing Earth, suggesting synchronous rotation with the sun, a notion conflicting with other observations. Most perplexing was the fact that no one else aside from Lowell, could discern these peculiar markings. So he's moved on from Mars and its channels, and he's got this great idea about this magnificent planet Pluto, and now he's focusing on Venus, and he's found that there are really unique, spoke like patterns on Venus.
0:33:57 - (Kat): Unfortunately, only one other person, one of his assistants, was able to see anything that even slightly resembled what he was describing. Later, it was suggested that what Lowell likely saw were the blood vessels on his own eyeballs. This phenomenon is known as the telescope effect or spurious discoloration. Percy Lolo frequently studied the planet high in the daytime sky.
0:34:26 - (Jethro): What? He studied it while he was high, probably.
0:34:29 - (Kat): But when it was in the daytime.
0:34:30 - (Jethro): Sky, high up, no wonder his eyes were bloodshot.
0:34:34 - (Kat): Using a telescope with a lens diameter of under three inches to minimize the impact of the turbulent atmosphere. And this configuration reduced the exit pupil to a pinhole of less than zero, 5 mm. Essentially, he transformed the telescope into a colossal ophthalmolope, similar to those employed by optometrists for eye examinations.
0:34:58 - (Jethro): Wow.
0:34:59 - (Kat): So, the science behind this revolves around the optics of telescopes and the human eye. And telescopes, especially in the late 19th century, were prone to various imperfections that could create artificial artifacts. Additionally, of course, human eyes can introduce distortions in the observed image due to its own structure and limitations. So when observing celestial objects, it's crucial to account for these potential sources of error when reporting unusual or unexpected observations.
0:35:30 - (Kat): When everyone else says, yeah, I don't see that, Percy.
0:35:35 - (Jethro): You might go, what's the one common denominator here?
0:35:39 - (Kat): What's that all about?
0:35:41 - (Jethro): My eyesight.
0:35:42 - (Kat): Now, the Lowell Observatory is still operating today, and it was named one of Time magazine's 100 most important places in 2011. Today, it's home to the Discovery Channel telescope and a recognized research institute, as well as a tourist destination, as you know. What did you do there at the Lowell Observatory?
0:36:03 - (Jethro): Just one on a.
0:36:04 - (Kat): You observed?
0:36:04 - (Jethro): Yeah, I observed the observatory. I also went to the observatory. It's outside of Tucson, way outside of Tucson, in the desert called kits peak. And that was built, I don't know, mid century, maybe, something like that. At the time, Tucson was a small pueblo, but now it's a major metropolitan area. So the light pollution has really affected KITT's peak and its ability to observe.
0:36:34 - (Kat): That sucks.
0:36:34 - (Jethro): Yeah, it does.
0:36:35 - (Kat): I mean, it's good for Tucson.
0:36:37 - (Jethro): Yeah. Not so good for KITT's peak. Or maybe it's Kit Peak. I don't know.
0:36:41 - (Kat): It's like St. KITT. St. KiTTs. St.
0:36:45 - (Jethro): I don't know. But, yeah, it's very, very cool.
0:36:49 - (Kat): Percival Lowell's inaccuracies, like the belief in martian canals, highlight the evolving nature of science. While he may have been mistaken in certain observations, his work laid the groundwork for advancements in astronomy. And his dedication and contributions, even if flawed, spurred further investigation and learning, emphasizing that scientific progress often involves building upon both successes and mistakes. It really is about the curiosity and the desire to learn, not necessarily the being right.
0:37:24 - (Kat): In this way, he remains an incredible achiever. I give him gold stars across the board. In the broader context of scientific exploration.
0:37:33 - (Jethro): I've always been fascinated with Percival Lowell and the whole Mars story and how it kind of evolved out of a mistranslation of a word. And really, that gave birth to science fiction.
0:37:49 - (Kat): Yeah. You remember the story we talked about years ago, where the newspaper reported that there was a colony living on Mars that included, like, giant bat people? And, I mean, it was wild. So, no, we're not always right, but we're always learning. And that's what's important. I got my information from space, Britannica, the Smithsonian and amusing planet.
0:38:17 - (Jethro): Jack sent us an email suggesting we do this story. So, thanks, Jack. We're going to take you back to the 1920s, to the bustling city of Los Angeles. A time where there stood a cluster of charming little cottages that were known as Jane's village. J-A-N-E-S. Jane's village. These adorable cottages were the talk of the town. They were nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountains, and they had gabled roofs and arched doorways and trowel swept stucco walls.
0:38:55 - (Jethro): They were considered a unique time capsule of that era. Little did anybody know that this entire village was built on deception and that the man behind it was a master con artist named Elijah Paul James.
0:39:12 - (Kat): Ooh.
0:39:14 - (Jethro): E. P. Janes had hypnotic gray green eyes and a gift of gab. He came from a long line of evangelical missionaries, but chose a different life path. His name in the 1920s in Los Angeles was on everybody's lips, and his cottages were selling faster than he could build them. But just as he announced plans to construct 1000 more, he vanished.
0:39:43 - (Kat): Ep Janes, had he been paid in advance?
0:39:46 - (Jethro): Oh, we're getting to that.
0:39:48 - (Kat): Okay.
0:39:49 - (Jethro): Ep Janes. No. Famed architect, as many people believed. In truth, he was a high school dropout with a knack for tricking people. His journey as a con artist began when he peddled miracle cures, desert farmland, and defective mail order tires.
0:40:08 - (Kat): Mail order tires?
0:40:10 - (Jethro): Yeah. These schemes earned him multiple lawsuits and even a federal indictment. He was born in New York. In 1877, James started his dubious career as a traveling soap salesman when his soap venture failed to make ends meet. Yes.
0:40:27 - (Kat): Was his soap business a big lie?
0:40:32 - (Jethro): Jokes. So he ventures to, ironically, a place called soap lake in central Washington. And claiming that the lake's oddly foamy waters possessed miraculous healing powers, he began selling the water to those suffering from various ailments.
0:40:50 - (Kat): I mean, it was probably just polluted.
0:40:52 - (Jethro): It was probably just polluted. He built a barn shaped bottling plant and a house called Rock Castle, constructed from rounded boulders acquired through deceitful transactions with local farmers. He also began dabbling in real estate, buying arid land, just desert land. And he would plant trees to give the illusion of abundant underground water. He would then sell these parcels to unsuspecting homesteaders, only to be convicted of land fraud shortly after that. So he flees Washington, and he goes back to Manhattan, where he orchestrated a nationwide mail order scam, selling high quality tires that were nothing more than flimsy retreads.
0:41:39 - (Kat): I don't understand how mail order tires seems like a good idea to anyone.
0:41:44 - (Jethro): I don't know.
0:41:45 - (Kat): How is that the best option for you?
0:41:46 - (Jethro): So he's under federal indictment, and he claimed ignorance. He said that his bosses were responsible. Even though he had no bosses, he was able to escape. Once again, severe consequences. I just like the term defective mail order tires. Soon after, James opened his own garage in Queens, where he continued to deceive customers by reviving worn out tires, by dipping them in a coating and carving treads on them to make them look new.
0:42:14 - (Jethro): And he put bogus logos on it.
0:42:17 - (Kat): How is this easier than honest work?
0:42:19 - (Jethro): I don't know. However, a twist of fate came when the garage burned down in a massive fire that consumed an entire city block.
0:42:28 - (Kat): See? He was smited.
0:42:29 - (Jethro): Yeah, well, I don't know. He got an insurance claim out of it, and before anybody could catch up with him, he took the money and fled to California, where he would embark on his grand building spree to create Jane's village.
0:42:42 - (Kat): Jane's village. Here we are.
0:42:43 - (Jethro): For this next scam, he chose Altadina, an unincorporated rural community just northeast of Los Angeles. The area's clean air, secluded location, low taxes, and growing population drew him in again. This was in the 20s.
0:42:59 - (Kat): Hoaxy. It's a hoaxy time.
0:43:02 - (Jethro): In just a few months, Jane had sent scores of construction workers to newly carved lots where they hastily assembled a house a day. Altadina did not require building permits then, so blueprints were not even filed. Janes had incorporated english cottage elements into the design, including nested gables and steep roofs with composite shingles, and he tirelessly promoted his properties. He would employ people who had cars, and he would emblaze on the side of them EP Janes, builder of fine homes and they would just drive around in the city. He also sponsored the EP Jane's concert hour on the new Warner Brothers radio station. At night.
0:43:48 - (Jethro): Janes even renamed the real estate page of a local newspaper to the EP Jane's section. And he would fill it with glowing reviews of his products. He would also recommend different tradesmen. He would criticize greedy landlords. And also he would promise things like in ground sprinklers and 56 electrical outlets per home, as well as meticulously landscaped grounds. In the fall of 1925, Jane's village became the sensation, became a sensation as 50,000 curious onlookers swarmed the three bedroom home model showcased in his home's beautiful expo.
0:44:29 - (Jethro): However, his grand plans hit a snag when Altadina residents voted down a bond measure in January of 26. And this bond would have provided paved roads, sidewalks, and sewers, which Jane's had assured potential buyers were coming.
0:44:46 - (Kat): Aha.
0:44:47 - (Jethro): So a few months later, torrential rains left Jane's streets in deplorable condition. And that's when he suddenly disappeared, leaving behind 200 unfinished houses. Some of these houses would never be completed. Some were, but not until after World War II, due to design variations and lack of permits. Altadina heritage can only confirm 160 of these cottages as officially built by EP Janes. However, it's believed that there are several hundred more with his distinctive pointy roofs.
0:45:21 - (Kat): This makes me think of arrested development. It's very living in a model home.
0:45:26 - (Jethro): Yeah. Jane's disappearance foreshadowed a real estate crash that hit the area hard in 1927. Many of his buyers defaulted on their mortgages, including his father in law, who had bought several of these plots.
0:45:41 - (Kat): Oh, no.
0:45:42 - (Jethro): Whether these homeowners stopped making payments due to unfinished houses or other reasons is uncertain, but in September, James quietly filed for bankruptcy. But where did he go? Well, he fled to Honolulu, where he continued the same scam, affordable cottages resembling those that he had built in California, with a slogan, why pay rent? He once again lured potential buyers with little or no money down.
0:46:08 - (Jethro): Authorities soon charged him with zoning violations, such as failing to file blueprints, install sidewalks, and provide adequate spacing between structures, which could have resulted in $1,000 fine and a year in prison. But one balmy night, instead of facing these charges, James boarded a steamer bound for San Francisco, leaving behind his extravagant hilltop mansion. And he explained his abrupt departure away by claiming that he had an urgent need to transport his furniture to the mainland for reupholstering.
0:46:47 - (Jethro): Yeah, I'll be back for my trial, but I got to get my ottoman reupholstered.
0:46:53 - (Kat): Listen, this foot rest is almost done, okay?
0:46:57 - (Jethro): Today, the average price of an original Jane's home, even though it's tiny and only has one bathroom, goes for about a million bucks.
0:47:06 - (Kat): Because of the story behind it or because California?
0:47:11 - (Jethro): Well, I think a little bit of both. Admirers often will just drive through the neighborhood because they are, they're very cute looking houses, and they were actually pretty well constructed. So what became of Ep Jane's? He spent his final years on the run, residing in a nondescript tract house in San Diego, where he succumbed to cancer in 1940. His ashes went unclaimed, eventually resting in the popper section of a municipal cemetery. And as Atlas obscura put it, in death, Ep Janes had secured his forever home with no money down, landscaping included, as he always believed, why pay rent? I got my information from a tremendous article in Atlas Obscura also janesvillage.com,
0:48:02 - (Jethro): pasadenaviews.com. And thanks to Jack for sending the suggestion.
0:48:06 - (Kat): Do you have any pictures of the homes?
0:48:08 - (Jethro): Yes.
0:48:08 - (Kat): Oh, my gosh, it is so cute, isn't it?
0:48:11 - (Jethro): It's tiny, but it's very cute and very well built. At least the ones he finished. If you're interested to see that and learn a little bit more of, ah, history of Jane's village, janesvillage.org is a good is a good source.