Tell Me Something You Don't Know
A podcast where we explore curiosities without credentials. Presented to you by your factually adjacent hosts: Maddie & Sarah
Tell Me Something You Don't Know
Only With Wands
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Welcome to Tell Me Something You Don't Know, where we explore curiosities without credentials. We're your factually adjacent hosts, Maddie and Sarah. Every week we exchange random topics with just enough research to keep things interesting and slightly accurate. So lower your bars and let's learn something you never knew you wanted to know.
Should we turn off the video?
SPEAKER_00Because we've never done that before.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_02Real uncomfortable.
SPEAKER_01How are you? Good, doing swell, you know. Not a lot to report. I do feel that because we record every week, there's like not a whole lot that happens. We are not. We don't really have a whole lot to discuss. I mean, if you ask, you should. Okay, you ask me now. Sarah's got something to tell us. Welcome to Tell Me Something You Don't Know, where we explore curiosities without credentials. We're your factually adjacent hosts, Maddie and Sarah. Every week we exchange random topics with just enough research to keep things interesting and slightly accurate. So lower your bars and let's learn something you never knew you wanted to know. How are you? I'm so good. I organically will answer this question because it was so just naturally brought up. We are currently out at a cabin. So the reason that I feel like I especially have to say this out loud is that I'm in a locked room. It's also dinner time. So I was like, hey, uh, is it is now an okay time if I just like sneak off and record with Madison? And everyone kind of gave me the death stare. So because I have three boys that are also in this cabin, along with my mom and dad, and Madison's mom and dad, because we have the same mom and dad. Uh so we're told. And um, yeah, so it might be. I'm hoping I will be left alone in here, but it could be loud, and I apologize for any disruptions. Okay. Well, it sounds really great. How long are you guys there for? We're doing three nights, I think. Are you in at Gimli? Gimli. Yeah, we're in Gimli, which is like a very oh no. I started talking without knowing what I'm gonna say. Norwegian, maybe? What are Vikings? Is that Norwegian? What are Vikings? That's a good question. Definitely something Nordic. Norwegian. Oh, I was supposed to be like Nordic. That's it. But that's probably Norwegian, right? It's really the same thing. I think so. I think so. Let's answer this in real time. Where do Vikings come from? Yeah, tell us, tell us. We need to know. But how did they land? Okay, so an interesting tidbit is that Gimli is like one of the largest, whatever insert correct terminology here. One of the largest settlements outside of the country in which they are from. Serious? Isn't that nuts? Are you sure this is factual? I 80. Okay. That 80. If if that is true, my do they come from? Did you figure out? Okay, Scandinavia. Scandinavia. Is that a country? Oh no, it's a region. In Northern Europe, it encompasses.
unknownNo.
SPEAKER_01Okay, but not in Norway can show. Yeah, for sure. Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Okay, so Norway.
SPEAKER_00Did that we said at the front end? Jesus Christ.
SPEAKER_01I honestly can't remember, which is very concerning.
SPEAKER_02I think it's a Norwegian, I think I said. Norwegian.
SPEAKER_01You said Norwegian. Yes, yes, correct. You were from Norway.
SPEAKER_02If you're from Norway, you're Norwegian.
SPEAKER_00So, and if this is not correct, I'm gonna lol so hard. But it's about the largest settlement outside of Norway.
SPEAKER_01Ugh, the more I say it, the more it sounds wrong. However, I guess there's a princess of Norway, and she comes here every single year because they have a festival. The princess.
SPEAKER_02And for the record, for everybody who is listening, um, our five devoted listeners.
SPEAKER_00I love you all. Me too. Um truly.
SPEAKER_01I'm in the middle of Canada. Like I could not be further away. Well, that is why it is very interesting to me.
SPEAKER_02Like they would land on on, they would be like, We've come over the ocean blue, and then they'd be like, let's walk for 20 years. And then they probably were like, Wow, this is big.
SPEAKER_01I also just this seems good. I just feel like Vikings feels very old to me, like very, very, very old. Oh yeah, oh yeah. Canada to me doesn't feel I feel like it's yeah, that's true. I didn't even think about that. I didn't even think about that. Yeah, no, actual, there's like a Vik, it's like on their merch, like it's part of their merch here in this city. And I'm pretty sure Gimli is like a Norwegian word. Okay, well, isn't that nuts? That is nuts. When I hear Gimli, I think of Lord of the Rings hand what? Because he's uh because he's the dwarf. Gimli. He's like the best. Yeah, just one of the Googled meaning of Gimli and his little face is on here.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01We're gonna have to fact check this and report back next week because I need to really I need to uh know the truth about the situation. Okay, so please be advised. Please be advised. Real time, real time science. Uh, the name Gimli comes from Norse mythology, meaning heaven, paradise, or home of the gods. It translates roughly to the place protected from fire. Cool. That is very cool. So my quick fact check is that the Icelandic. Icelantic immigrants. Okay, because I was just, it says that the largest independent Viking settlement and Commonwealth outside of Norway was Iceland. That's really rude of you to do to me in real time.
SPEAKER_00So that's what we do here. That's the opposite of that's the opposite of what we do. You've got off. You've gone off script. You've gone both. Oh, you did so you did not just s and yes and me. You knowed me. Didn't I absolutely shut that down real quick? Wow. So sorry.
SPEAKER_01Oh wrong.
SPEAKER_00But also. Well, you know what? I would have liked everyone to take that as fact and spread it everywhere, far and wide.
unknownEverywhere.
SPEAKER_01I but that is still interesting. Um also I've only seen pictures I've never been, but it is a very beautiful lake in um Manitoba. Indeed. Who pray tell goes first? Yeah. It's me. Okay. I'm I'm excited. You know why? That was a weird way.
SPEAKER_00Sentence. Tell me. Tell me more. I put the wrong emphasis on the wrong syllable. Uh, because I am not excited about my topic. I don't know if you noticed, but I did not text you this week, being like, I'm so excited. So true.
SPEAKER_01So no, it's real nervous. It's so fair. I will say, I think Sarah and I, well, now we know she's at a cabin with family. So we both had a very busy weekend. I had a couple friends visiting me from Calgary and so lower the bars truly this time around, guys. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Although I am kind of I'm pretty excited about mine. No, because you didn't text me yours. Someone has to carry us. It's a 50-50 chance. So you know what? That's what works. How I got to this topic was basically I was thinking about how sad it is that like Hogwarts isn't real. Oh yes. I mean, honestly, sometimes it pops into my head randomly, and I'm just like, yeah, I think it's a thought many people have. It's just like really disappointing that that doesn't really exist. Obviously, Harry Potter, like, I do know quite a bit about it, because you know. And I so I know the things that have inspired the book, and like there's a lot of different moving parts, but I I was like, there are so many historical structures that are like giving that kind of cozy castle vibe. Okay. And I was like, I wonder, like, what if there's a real wizard school? I did go there. There isn't. No, they wouldn't tell us. They wouldn't tell us. They wouldn't tell us, but I was kind of hoping. I was like, is there anything like Hogwarts? Even just like a anyways, there's not. No, not even a little when a come up and a come down. Yeah, so I'm basically setting this up to be a horrible topic. Dangling all these could have been goods, and it's not that. And it's not that, and it's not that, and it's not that it's not that. But what I am going to talk to you about today is the oldest university in the world.
SPEAKER_02Whoa, in the world. Oh my gosh, where is it?
SPEAKER_01I'm jumping ahead probably, but I immediately Well, where do you where you take a yeah? Let me guess. Let me guess. Paris. No, but you're okay. To me to yell, sorry. Close, definitely. So it's in Italy. Um so yes, but it's in Bologna. Okay, yes. Yes, yes, yes. I did have to look up how to pronounce that. Um you did it right, I think. I I did. Well, I yeah, I hope. You just said you looked it up. I looked it up. I don't know why. But but because the spelling is the same as the um jelly meat. Yes. And I was like, there is no chance that this the name of this university is the University of Bologna. Unromantic, but also again disappointed that it is called the University of Bologna. Anyways, so I am going to talk to you today about the University of Bologna. However, before I dive into it, because it's just like some fun facts that are interesting about it, there is another un uh university technically that was the first one, but it doesn't have the structure that all universities we know of today are following the the University of Bologna. So the word Yeah, yeah. Before that, there is, and I I I I can't, but it is called the University of Al Karawien. Okay. Honestly, that sounded great. Like okay, I could it could be completely wrong. I have no idea, but it sounded really good. Okay, perfect, perfect. So it is located in Morocco. Um and it was there. That sounds nice. Me too. I have always wanted to go there. So the year is 857. Whoa. 857. That's not four numbers. No, it's not. That is correct. Um wow, so yes, yes, and it was eventually incorporated into Morocco's modern state university system where it was originally uh founded as like a mosque by a woman. Okay. So yeah, a little bit, a little bit liberty wizard like Fatima Alfiri, and it subsc subsequently became one of the leading spiritual and educational centers. Oh, what's happening? Did you just rub your hands? Are you laughing?
SPEAKER_00Um, you just said a word really funny. Subsequently. Subsequent words. Fucking shit. That's what we needed. Honestly, everything else can go terribly in this episode's a 10.
SPEAKER_01I hate, I hate when this happens, but there's no chance I can take it out. No, it's magic. It's magical. Also, I was like, are you rubbing your hands together? No, I'm winning quietly.
SPEAKER_00Oh my god, I'm uh okay. So lay on, tell me more about university.
SPEAKER_01Jesus fucking Chris. Okay, um, yeah, great. So as I was reading verbatim sentences, okay. Subsequently, it became one of the leading spiritual and educational centers of the Islamic golden age. Okay, in Morocco. Okay. Yes, but there is like a little bit of a disclaimer. I choose not to believe this. Okay. Since she was the first mentioned, since she was I don't like the direction this is going. I 100% believe it. Going back. Everyone, the patriarchy is just trying to tear her down because she starts looking great. But to me, many yeah, so basically, because obviously it's like so so long ago, she's not mentioned all that much. Um, and in fact, she is first mentioned many centuries after her death. So it's hard for people to substantiate all of this information. And many modern historians doubt her existence at all. What? Just didn't exist. Yeah, like so. Not only like, no, there's no chance that a woman founded this. And in fact, let's just erase her from history altogether. I what who made who make who just made up her name then?
SPEAKER_02Was just like bored one day and was like, yeah, Fedima.
SPEAKER_01Like, let's pretend she did that just for a a laugh. I saw that at the very end of the article, and I was like, Well, no, thank you. At the end of the article, even. Oh my gosh. Yeah, what a I was gonna be like, who wrote this article? I bet it was a man. Exactly. Okay, so moving into the actual university we're gonna talk about today. So, University of Bologna was founded in I Heard a Baby. Yeah, my or Sam just came in and was like, Dad! But please, please proceed. It's all good. So 1088, it is the oldest continuously operating university in the world altogether, known as the alma mater. So this is so this is this is where that comes from? Yes, yes. It coined the term university and remains one of the largest and most prestigious academic institutions in Europe, but that is where it comes from. So, alma mater, if you don't know, is Latin for nourishing mother of studies, which yep, love that, love that so a little bit more of the history. So prerequisites for the creation of this university appeared in 1000. Just saying that as a year is wild. When the traditions of studying Roman law began to revive the fundamentals of an indeload. Yep, yep. Wow, wow, which I think I think does make sense probably. Yeah, because yeah, because you're like, hey, we're human beings, we argue a lot. We're gonna do that. Oh, a lot, we're gonna have to argue. We're gonna need some structure up with that to know the laws and know how to argue efficiently. Otherwise, you're just walking around wiping Fatima off of the face of the earth, you know? Exactly. So, yes, the the in-depth study of law, by the way, if you didn't know, I certainly didn't, were laid by Ernerius. Okay, cold as hell. He sure do. He sure do. One of the first teachers and commentators of the code of laws of Justinian, which I don't again, this is just we're talking old school law. Like I don't the origin.
SPEAKER_02I wonder what they're doing right now in their graves with AI emerging. You know what I mean?
SPEAKER_01So pissed. Seems like you guys are really gonna just take an easy route for the rest of humanity. In 1088, which is the founding year of this university, he opened his public lectures. But one of the coolest things about this university is that it was originally created not as a corporation of professors, which like the disciples would be obeying as we like obviously kind of know it today, but as a corporation of students. So the students themselves elected the leaders and the lecturers. Oh, that's yes, for the people by the people. Yes, yeah, which I just think is really neat. So, and as I mentioned, it is uh it was at the center of the study of jurisprudence, which initiated the university, and then canon law introduced into the program following the 12th century, and then in the 13th century, it grew in terms of like what it taught, and then there was philosophy, liberal arts, sciences, Latin and Greek literature, and then medicine also. It is one of Europe's to this day, one of Europe's largest universities. It hosts roughly 90,000 students. Wow, that's wow, that's a lot. That's a lot, and it has 11 schools. So like today. Yeah. The university maintains over 1 million square meters of academic space. That's so many years. So many, including 24 libraries and 16 museums. There's actually, I wasn't gonna include it, but I'll mention it now. There's there's a lot of different, like, I guess like architectural structure structures that are that have been like kind of created over the centuries, uh, one of which is a wax museum. At first, when I saw the photos, I was like, oh my god, tell me, these are real human body parts from like the 13th century, but they're it's it is just wax. Still though, but still very cool. Yeah, and that wax museum still exists. So if you do go and see the university, which of course there's tours and stuff, um, you can see it. And it obviously considers its li its largest library a massive asset. It was founded in 1605 by Professor Aldrovondi, and it stores about 250,000 books and 1,350 period periodicals. I am purposely saying that wrong, however, I don't know how to say it right. So periodicals, periodicals. I mean, that does sound more studious, but it does periodic literally like the University of Bologna. But so pretty much, yeah. So I don't know what those are, but they sound important. Another very cool thing about this university is that it has something called the Glossator's tombs. And these are yes, and they're suspended tombs. So they're like what it's what do you mean? You have to you'd have to look up the okay, so look up glossatours, it's how it sounds. I hope tombs. Um, and the photos are they're not like it's basically like these massive raised tombs. Uh suspended seems like a weird word, but I do know why they use it. Uh but they do look very extravagant. Um, and they're prominently displayed outside two specific churches, like near the university, and they honor the early professors and scholars of the medieval stadium, which is the precursor to the modern university, basically. So these these old professors are literally buried at the university in these crazy yeah. Yeah. That's really cool. And they were so these scholars were known as glossitors. That's the name. Okay. Oh my god, I really probably am saying that wrong, and I've said it 15 times now, but anyways, they were named that because they wrote explanatory. Explanatory notes. Holy shit, can I talk? It's my favorite. Also, I did just quickly Google suspended tombs and what has come up because I just did suspended tombs and nothing else. And oh dark. That is interesting. In that for a future conversation. Yep. Because, like, I would love to know. Yes, basically, they're named that because they wrote explanatory notes of gloss A. So I so like quote unquote glossé ending in AE. I'm gonna assume that that's where the word glossary comes from. Absolutely. Yeah, so very cool. Some of the interesting people that studied at this university are, I don't know any of these, I know one person, or I've heard of one of these people, but they include poets Francesco Petrarch and Dante Alighieri. I'm sure that people do know who they are, otherwise, like, why would we be noting it in these articles? This person I have heard of, astronomer Nicholas Coppernicus. Coppernicus. I just know the last name because, well, I have a little bit more on him. And Pope Alexander the oh shit. Well, we know. We know that guy. Yeah, okay. Like one, two, or three or four, you know. Yeah, one of those. Yes, and then also the physician and occultist paras nope. How do you say that one? No, no, you said it right. I'm just very excited. Yeah, I love an occultist. Okay. The occult. Yeah, right. Paracellus. Paracellus, I think.
SPEAKER_02Yeah.
SPEAKER_01Some degree occulty. Yep, yep. And the writer Umberto Echo. I don't know who that is, but anyway. I don't know a single name that you just said. I I also think maybe his name's probably pronounced different, but uh Nicholas Copernicus studied canon law in Bologna and made early astronomical observations. You you would I think if you saw his name written out, you'd be like, oh. Anyway, he said Copernicus? There's no M. Oh, okay, okay. Cernicus. Then definitely not. Copernicus. Copernicus. Then yes, that's what it is. What did I say? Copernicus. Well, it's a demonstration of my fucking degree in uh, you know, English literature. So I love it. Um because it's magical. Okay, well, see, so you so you recognize the name. I do recognize that name, yes. Yes, okay. So early astronomical uh observations alongside the city scholars, ultimately shaping his theory that the sun is at the center of the universe. So just a cool. Example of like somebody who I was kind of hoping I was gonna hear like crazy, like I don't know, Michelangelo or like Leonardo da Vinci, but this was the only one that I that I kind of like had heard of. And I just think it's neat to know the places where people like just made these discoveries. Yes, it's always like interesting to hear a name that you in your brain have pinned somewhere specifically in history, and then like when there's context built out around that person, you're like, oh, yeah, wild. Like with the um sanitarium with Kellogg and the people who went there and that being close to the Victorian times. I'm like, what? Like Ford Motors was created in the Victorian times? Yeah, yeah. That's it. It is, it is. It's a very the origination of things is very fascinating. Another fun fact is that it the first salaried female teacher in a university taught at Bologna University. Love that. And her name is Laura Bassey, and she was the first woman to have a doctorate in science, and the second woman in the world to earn the doctor of philosophy degree. And then another this is kind of a callback, is in the 18th century, there were professors experimenting with animal electricity, which inspired Mary Shelley when she created the character of Victor Frank.
SPEAKER_02Mary Shelley Chick, she is like embedded.
SPEAKER_01She is embedded. Also, lots of questions about animal electricity, though. What big time? Maybe that's a topic for another show. That could be a topic in and of itself, I would assume. That doesn't seem like a quick note. It's weird. It's just weird that it's called because also like electricity didn't come into play until like when, Maddie? I love that you went into it though. I think what towards the end of the 19th century? Oh my god, I have no idea. I have no idea. Oh, I will get it. Like, I mean, I I know I can like picture human beings that like in the style clothes they would be wearing, but I don't know when it would be. I'm I'm real life looking it up. Um that's that's basically how I'm guessing is I'm trying to think of like, okay, well, it wouldn't have been what does this person look like? Yeah. Um they're wearing a dress and what? Oh, okay. Well, this is a stupid answer. I mean, full disclosure, I'm obviously doing like a quick AI search here, basically. But it's electricity was not invented as it is a naturally occurring phenomenon. But like obviously, I mean it's 600 BC. Tell that to Thomas Edison or whoever wait, his gravity isn't it? By the way, no, no, you're right. Which by the way, yes, and I too am right, because Thomas Edison developed the first practical commercially viable incandescent light bulb at the end of the 19th century. Well, not by it was 1879. Okay, well, that is towards the end. So anyway. But they have a bunch of like earlier, like like broad stroke definitions of what electricity, I guess, could be.
SPEAKER_02Well, yeah, I mean lightning is that's I mean, that's how he found it was lightning. So like, but still it is understanding it in a way.
SPEAKER_01But and how are you pairing it with animals? Anyways, it's it's very Frankenstein, which I suppose, which is has brought the point full circle. Yeah, yeah. But again, very interesting to hear, because like so, like JK Rowling, I know things that inspired her for Harry Potter, and it's cool to come across in a completely different topic, Mary Shelley, who I and I love Frankenstein, something that inspired her. I'm like, well, that's neat. These anyway, that's mine. That's my topic. And oh let me okay. Yeah, just a quick, just a cookie. But let me also say that if you I would look up pictures, highly recommend. And oh, you best believe I'm gonna be looking up pictures. So this is the full circle moment of the topic and how I opened it up, is it does in fact look very magical and like cozy and old and like and like massive, massive, like you would need, I don't even know how they're getting those books from the top, you know, like the biggest hall of a library, like all wooden and only gorgeous.
SPEAKER_02That's how, that's how, that's how you know, you know, that's how you know that you're a real one. You're a real one university. The only way you can do it is with a quick, what is the I was gonna say expeliamus, but that's not right.
SPEAKER_01No, Leviosa. What's uh Leviosa? Leviosaw, not saw. So amazing. I love it. Yeah, definitely a a left turn for sure. Have you ever read Lord of the Flies? Oh no. But I'm gonna tell you what it's about. So Okay, yeah. Well, oh well. Is that gonna ruin things for you? No, no. I do know what it's oh I I do like know a little bit about and I do know that it's like an older book, or at least from like mid-20th century. Like well, not 1954. Yeah, okay. I have looked it up a little bit because the story I'm gonna tell you today is about the real life, Lord of the Flies. What? Yes. So I'm gonna just tell you a little bit about the actual book, Lord of the Flies. So it was published in 1954 by William Golding, and the premise is relatively simple. A plane crashes and a group of schoolboys end up stranded on a desert island. And I'm also just thinking about my children who are boys and nowhere near being teenagers, but like just having an understanding of like boys, you know? Yes, no, that is that's so great. It's funny actually, because I so I saw this study once that was like left a bunch of boys, like school, like kids who are boys in a house just by themselves, and they just demolished it, like completely wrecked it, went nuts, and then they do the same thing, but with a group of girls, and it was like totally fine, like nothing was I'm like, yeah, that makes complete sense to me. Yeah, observing as an ant from afar, that checks out to me as well. And uh also I just don't know if maybe you're gonna tell me this, and or maybe I'm way off. But this also just instantly makes me think of Peter Pan and the lost boys. So interesting. Um I have no idea. That's a very good shoot. If that's something I missed, I'm gonna be very mad at myself because that is a really neat fact. If that's the thing, but I don't think that that's well, isn't that story oh shit. Yeah, I don't know. Isn't that older than this? I don't know what to do. You know what? I anticipate that that'll be a good little callback for the next episode. Good one, yeah. Cool. So, yes, these school by school buys end up on a desert island. They elect leaders, they make plans, they keep a signal fire burning, and but slowly things fall apart, groups form, fear spreads, violence escalates, and eventually boys start to die. And the island descends into complete and utter chaos. And the big sort of like idea and takeaway, and I think why it's studied in universities and in school, like I'm pretty sure it was on the reading list for high school. No idea why. I didn't I didn't manage to read it. I mean, I do have an idea, it's because I was not a stellar student, but um, is because it's basically asking the question of like what happens when civilization sort of disappears and you're just in this raw environment. Yes. So basically, and his answer to that is people become complete animals. Civilization isn't in fact what creates goodness. Oh yeah. Well that's that's it's an interesting that is interesting. Yeah. Yeah. His whole thing is it's civilization isn't what creates goodness, it's what restrains our darker instincts. So like twisty, which is kind of fun. Oh, I kind of like maybe agree with that. Anyways, continue. Yeah, yeah, yeah. It's like, you know. Oh, there's that movie out right now, actually, with um Rachel McAdams that's like Oh, I saw it! I just watched it. Yeah, me too. It was nuts. Yeah, I did cut you off to say, and then I must have muted myself. So sorry. Um, gonna still cut you off for a second time. I do it to you quite literally all of the time. So it's okay. You go ahead. You get yours when you need to.
SPEAKER_02Literally your whole life. No, it's not a joke. That's it's not. There's um there's some triggers in there that are probably deep wounds.
SPEAKER_00Yep.
SPEAKER_01It's not even just geo. It's like a mom, dad, and Sarah Burkins Maddie thing. We're really unpacking stuff. It's okay. I take a really long time to talk. Uh anyway, so case in point. I just wanted to say that because you saw that movie as well. So Rachel McAdams, my goodness, I did not, she didn't feel like Rachel McDadams to me. No, no. She likes like stripped down and was like, let me not care what my face looks like. Oh, for sure, in the beginning. Which is, I think, where it's yeah, it's like, whoa, you're actually really good. Yes, she was. And I also feel like she had like fun with it. I feel like she hurt well, and I watched interviews of her and like Dylan O'Brien afterwards, and like they're just best friends, which is funny.
SPEAKER_02Oh, I love uh nemesis's, nemesis's nemesis I.
SPEAKER_01Either way, it's either way. Um, but yeah, anyway, good movie. I enjoyed it, it was fun. Over to you. So, yeah, so the that book, the actual Lord of the Flies book was published in 1954, and this took place in 1965, so quite close in timing, um, and why it was so kind of like fascinating and gripping kind of globally, because this book was fascinating, gripping globally as well. Right. Okay, so now we are in Tonga. So this is a small island nation in the South Pacific. It's beautiful, it is remote, and in 1965, six teenage friends are bored, obviously, as boys like generally are when they can't be just acting a complete muck. The boys are between 13 and 16, and one night they decide they're going on an adventure. Again, just such a dude thing to do. Like, can you imagine well? I guess I would be like, oh, let's, but my adventure is not like hop in a boat and go sailing, that's for sure. So they don't have a boat, also, they decide to steal one.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_01So not great. So they don't really have a plan, obviously. They steal this boat, they don't have any maps, they don't really have a plan, they don't really have experience, just just full-blown confidence. Yep. All of a sudden a storm hits, and the boys they're out at sea, they make mistake number two, and they decide to just fall asleep. They're like, We're tired, this is getting chaotic. Defense mechanism, let's just take a nap. And while they're sleeping, the storm, oh, sorry, that makes them sound like complete fools. The storm actually rolls in while they are sleeping. So that seems like a significant uh difference. Yes. Um, and this is it's a huge storm. And by the time they actually wake up, things are terribly, terribly bad. The sail is destroyed, the rudder is broken, they have no way to steer, no way to navigate, no way to get home, and they are just basically at the mercy of the ocean, which, as we all know, is a terrifying place to be because the ocean is one of the scariest things on planet earth to me. Yeah, fair. So eight days they are out at sea. They definitely have no food. They have very, very little water. They're collecting rainwater when they can. So is when the heavens above decide to give them water, they collect it in like coconut shells, and they just try to survive and they're just watching the horizon, just waiting for either a boat or a land or anything.
unknownOkay.
SPEAKER_01Wait, how old? Did you say how old they were? Yep, 13 to 16. 13 to 16, okay, okay. Which is like quite young. It's very young. It's far too young to be so scared. Surviving moms and dads. Like, oh my God. They're so worried about them. Oh, you're such uh you're such a oh my gosh, I would just be beside myself. Anyway, yes. So after eight days, they finally see land and it's an island. So they're relieved. They're like, get us off this crazy ass boat that's falling apart. This is good. Like there's maybe there's people here. Let's this is better than what our current situation is. So as they get closer, they realize, and as they sort of like explore, they realize absolutely nobody lives there. So they're there completely by themselves. The island itself is called Atta, and it has a strange history, which I feel like could be probably its own episode. Nearly a century earlier, the people who lived there disappeared after being taken away by slave traders, which is obviously terrible. My goodness. They just come across an island, they're like, okay, we'll take these ones and then go and sell them. Cool. Just another example of phenomenal human history. Anyway, the island had been abandoned ever since, which means that the boys are completely alone. So the experiment begins.
SPEAKER_02Oh god.
SPEAKER_01Unlike the book Lord of the Flies, they do not fight, they do not form gangs, they don't start competing for resources. Instead, they organize immediately. They divide responsibilities, they assign people to food, they assign people to water, shelter, fire, everyone gets a job and everybody contributes. Um they did, of course, yeah, good boys. They did, of course, argue their teenagers and stranded on an island with no mom and dad to tuck them in at night. Obviously, they're gonna argue with each other. But they had a rule: whenever tension got too high, they separated. They took time apart, they cooled down, and then they came back together. So there was no violence, no fractions, nope, no factions creating. But they're all factions. No power struggles, just conflict and resolution. Honestly, that's all I try to teach my three children because talk about factions. I'm just basically like, everybody go to their rooms. Yeah, anyways. Um you can't tell that I'm in a tiny ass cabin with my just so many human bodies. Okay. So the fire. So this becomes one of the most. Can you hear the baby in the background? A little bit, yeah. But like distantly. Oh, he's getting closer. Um, okay. So this becomes one of the most incredible parts of the story. Can you hear everything that's happening right now? No, I can't. Like, I can tell. No, you're good to keep going, don't worry. Unless you feel you need to. No, no, I can, I can, I can power through, but it just seems very loud. Um, there he is. We're gonna have another feature of hat. Poor guy. I'm just like, I'm gonna go record, and it's like almost bedtime. Okay. So this becomes one of the most incredible parts of the story. So the boys decide their number number one priority is keeping the fire alive. So, not for warmth, not for cooking food or anything like that. I mean, obviously that's part of the reason, but the the key reason that they try to keep it alive or do keep it alive is for rescue purposes only. Oh. So every day someone tends to the fire, every night someone tends to the fire. They rotate responsibilities and they keep it burning for drum roll, please, more than a year. What are you serious? That's how that's a lot of wood and time and days away. That's crazy. That's I was reading the article and I'm like, wait, sorry. It feels like they like buried the lead. I'm like, that information should have been earlier on. Absolutely how long they were actually away. I thought it was gonna be like a month or something like that. So did I. It's crazy. All of a sudden, something kind of not catastrophic, but something significant happens. One of the boys falls from a cliff and it's really bad, but he survives. He breaks his leg, but of course, there's no hospitals, no doctors, no cast, no rescue. There's just nothing to help him except for each other. The others figure out how to set his leg themselves and create a splint. They take over his work, they feed him, they care for him, and they help him recover for months. Like it takes months and months and months for his leg to heal. And this is where like Lord of the Flies comparison completely falls apart because in Golding's version, like weakness basically becomes a liability. So they're like, Well, you like what value do you have to us now? Like, if you if we're having to feed you and care for you, then like what purpose do you have basically?
SPEAKER_02Um thank goodness, yeah, there is real humanity out there.
SPEAKER_01Um yeah, weakness becomes a reason to help. So they they care for him, and it's just a beautiful, you know, uh F you to Colton's version of the story where they descend into complete chaos. So the longer they stay, the more organized they become. They build shelters, collect rainwater, grow food, they exercise, they create routines, they even build a badminton court. So they're doing the dang thing, you know? They're thriving in this wild situation of 13 to 16-year-old boys. I'm shook that you don't that you start that you kick this off with being like, I don't love my topic. This is the craziest story I've ever heard. Like, what are we talking about? I think it's because I I was like, I think it's just because I researched it quickly. So it was like sink and gripping.
SPEAKER_02But now that we're now that we're rapping about it.
SPEAKER_01Okay, also for me, it's not also. Did you know that it was over a year or until the scary moment? No, no, no. Although, you know what I was thinking I was gonna do for this one? I was thinking I was just gonna blind enter in, like, give me something on this, and I was just gonna do it and we were gonna learn it together at the same time. But then I was like, that's risky. So I did read through it once it is, but that's kind of fun. Okay, okay. So yeah, so they basically are just thriving. And then 15 months later, a fishing boat spots smoke. So the the fire that they had committed to keeping going for a year for a year and some change. Isn't that crazy? It's nuts. So he spots smoke, and an Australian fisherman named Peter Warner investigates, and what he finds is astonishing. He finds six boys alive, healthy, working together, and he's aware of this group of boys because everyone assumed that they were dead. Like funerals were had, families had grieved. So he's like, What in the Sam Hill have I come across here? Like, this is insane. We had to get them home. Oh my goodness. And so that's my story. That's my story about the six boys and sort of, and again, like it happened. I think it was like 10 years after the book came out. So it that's it was like wild. Yeah, it's like a real life exact same-ish scenario. I mean, these boys stole a boat, so that's a serious karma lesson learned. Don't steal boats, you might end up deserted on the island for keeping a month, keeping a fire going for 15 months.
SPEAKER_02For 15 months, but you'll have badminton, so it won't be all bad.
SPEAKER_01But that actually is crazy because it's usually the other way around. Like it would be like something like this happens, and then 10 years later there's a book created inspired by the situation. So there, it's like jokes on you. I just love that it's the complete opposite. Like, I love that this book was created to like make you know people think and like discuss and you know, the civilization. And I mean, obviously, I think there's validity to it, clearly. Yes, yes, but I also think that it's so interesting and lovely to have something that like counteracts the worst, the worst case. The worst case in humanity and being like, oh yeah, we descend into chaos and just eat each other, basically. Yeah, no, absolutely. I mean I do not know if there's cannibalism in uh Lord of the Flies for for the record. That might be inaccurate. However, it's a good one. That's very good. It's okay. Maybe I won't doubt myself. Yeah, don't, man. Good job. I like it. I do want to read the book now as well because I feel like it's a little bit more. Oh, me too. I'm like, that sounds crazy. Yeah, that is. Wow, okay. Well, we did it. I feel like we gotta hop right off because you have to go listen. Like I said, I had death stairs, so I'm sure when I return out there, there will not be a glass of wine waiting for me. That is for sure. You can get your own wine. Right, my goodness. Thank you, everybody.
SPEAKER_02Um, thanks so much. See you next week. See you next week. Bye bye. Bye bye.