The Constant: A History of Getting Things Wrong

A sweep through alchemy’s strange history, from 18th century transmutation claims to ancient metallurgical roots. Tales of secretive recipes, coded language, and surreal allegories surface. The episode traces Greek, Egyptian and Arabic threads, the mercury-sulfur metal theory, and debates over origins and fraud. It ends by hinting at a startling origin story tied to colored powders.

A playful tour of the Brownian ratchet thought experiment and why tiny molecular jiggles cannot power forever-moving machines. Historical tales of overbalanced wheels, sealed-room demonstrations, and dramatic claims that gripped inventors and nations. Explanations of thermodynamics’ role in extinguishing perpetual motion dreams and how clever hoaxes and honest mistakes prolonged the fascination.

A dive into the 1944 Mattoon ‘gas’ scare and how reports spread across a small town. Tales of sweet smells, paralyzed victims, an alleged ape-man, and vigilante patrols. Examination of newspapers, call logs, wartime anxieties, and competing theories about leaks, suspects, and mass suggestion.

It's only an analogy if you want it to be. Visit our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. You too can get ad-free, early episodes, starting now!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠​​⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠      ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠BUY OUR MERCH, YOU FILTHY ANIMALS!⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ​  ​The Constant is part of the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Airwave Media⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ podcast network.​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​ ​​​​​Interested in advertising on The Constant? Email ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠sales@advertisecast.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get on board! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Confederate plots to capture a Union warship and covert schemes hatched from Canada. Bold boarding attempts, a seized steamer, and a frantic refueling fiasco that sparked local resistance. A failed network unravels under interrogation and international tension. Then a shift to Roaring Dan Seavey and tall tales of salvage, smuggling, chases, and legal confusion.

Dive into the intriguing world of Great Lakes piracy as timber becomes a treasure trove for poachers. Discover the tumultuous journeys of the USS Michigan and its midnight collision. Meet Isaac Watts Willard, a timber agent turned pirate hunter, battling against ruthless timber barons. Explore the rise of timber piracy and the shocking repercussions on the economy and navigation. From violent confrontations to Congressional lobbying, uncover the captivating saga of lawlessness and resource depletion on Lake Michigan.

Dive into the world of Great Lakes piracy with tales of Bill Johnston, a former loyalist turned rebel. Uncover how the beaver fur trade fueled lawlessness and the tactical use of small boats in warfare. Discover Johnston's daring escapes, sabotage plans, and the political turmoil post-war, including the challenges to British authority. You'll learn how Johnston became a Patriot commodore and the consequences that followed, leading to Canada’s shift towards self-government and the enduring legacy of piracy on the lakes.

Explore the dubious history of William Christmas, a man tangled in aviation fraud. Discover the wild schemes behind his failed aircraft and insane plans to kidnap the Kaiser. Then, dive into Frank Capra's rocky journey creating It's a Wonderful Life, from his struggles with production to the film's initial flops and eventual resurgence as a holiday classic. Uncover how this beloved tale transformed the lives of many, including Carolyn Grimes, showcasing the unseen value in ordinary people amid festive cheer.

Dive into whimsical tales featuring accidental discoveries and disastrous inventions! Learn about Perkin's serendipitous creation of mauve and its colorful impact. Critiques of ridiculous inventions, like the ill-fated parachute suit and the flawed flying car, reveal cautionary tales of ambition gone awry. Uncover the bizarre history of gold as a supposed cure-all, from toxic alchemical concoctions to the questionable gold ‘cure’ for alcoholism. Each story reveals how getting things wrong can illuminate the quirks of innovation!

Dive into the fascinating world of ephemeral history! Discover the intriguing story of 19th-century paper blankets and their cultural significance. Explore the lost art of Ice Age wood carvings and ponder Oxford's puzzling oath against Henry Simeonis. Learn about the mysteries of Byzantine Greek fire, the fragile legacy of ancient foods like garum, and the extinct herb silphium, which holds secrets of economic importance. Could silphium seeds be the inspiration behind the iconic heart symbol? Tune in for a whirlwind of historical curiosity!