Listen Now

Mercy Otis Warren: Revolutionary Playwright, Historian, and Whistleblower July 4 Episode In researching the revolution so many names came up that even with my decades of love of history I had never heard. Mercy Otis is one. Which is surprising given how much she did during and after the revolution and the president’s who held her views in high regard. She not only wrote to presidents )who wrote back) but she published plays, pamphlets, and the first history of the revolution published by and American. Though the presidents admired (or mostly admired) her work she did have some critiques on them. She was anti slavery believing that such horrors were undermining to what the country was based on. She was angry at the treatments of the First Nations people and as you may expect was angered that there was no place for women in the new laws. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

A duck, a Rooster, and a sheep wander into a wicker basket. This is not a joke it is the start of our podcast and the beginning of the ability for humans to fly. 19 September 1783 at 1 PM a cannon blasts and our Heroes of the air walk and waddle their way into history in the courtyard of Versailles in front of 130,000 people including the Queen, Marie Antoinette and King Louis.Joseph and Étienne Montgolfier had spent the years earlier experimenting with hot air and in the beginning, laundry to develop their hot air balloon.Take a listen and find out how we began flying. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Beatrix Potter is beloved by so many of us for her darling illustrated children's books but did you know she was a scientist who changed the English landscape? It's time to learn all about this amazing woman, her love for animals, her brilliant scientific mind, and her love of nature. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our first black history month at 10-minute history podcast for kids! This week we are going to be taking a look at Elizabeth Jennings Grahm the woman who started the desegregation of the New York transportation system in the 1800’s. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Chess Playing Turk Automaton The magic trick that astounded the world was not made by a magician. It was not even intended to be a magic trick. It was a challenge and from the challenge one of the most interesting stories about magic and robots came to be. Maria Theresa of Austria had a performance planned for her court in 1769 to watch a demonstration of magnetic tricks. Her counselor, a Hungarian scientist Wolfgang Von Kempelen was unimpressed and said he could do better He returned in 1770 to perform, the creation took him six months. Created a life-size automaton. The Turkish chess player. He showed the court all of the mechanics. All the court saw was the gears and rods that would make the automaton move.  The automaton was wound up ready to play, and a member of the court was chosen to play chess against the automaton. The court reported to hearing whirrs and clicks as the automation moved its' pieces. The automaton nodded twice to signal the check and three times for checkmate off its' opponent. The chess-playing Turk Automaton gathered many famous challengers playing and defeating Benjamin Franklin and Napolean Bonaparte. Edgar Allan Poe wrote an essay about the automaton. Wolfgang was not a magician he was a naturalist, a scientist, an architect, and a hydraulic engineer. The automaton had a long “life” touring Europe and the Americas for 84 years. The device was later purchased in 1804 and exhibited by Johann Nepomuk Mälzel. Maazel installed a voice box in the automaton that would say check whenever it cornered its’ opponent's king.  Maazel set up the game with Napolean. It was said that the emperor, who ultimately lost, attempted to cheat multiple times with the automaton shaking its’ head and placing the chess piece back where it had been. How did a machine play chess? How did it account for variables and strategy? You are going to have to think outside the box to solve this puzzle.  If you did not guess don’t feel badly. This automaton confounded most of the world. The gears were a front. A hidden cabinet exited where a very small chess master could fit inside the secret compartment and play using puppeteering levers and dangling metal discs that were attracted to the magnets at the base of the chess pieces.  The chess masters who secretly operated it included Johann Allgaier, Boncourt, Aaron Alexandre, William Lewis, Jacques Mouret, and William Schlumberger, but the operators within the mechanism during Kempelen's original tour remain a mystery. The illusion was completely shattered when Maelzel died unexpectedly in 1838 and the automaton was taken by one of his creditors. The original automaton was destroyed in a fire but there are reproductions. John Gaughan spent a reported 120,000 to build his own version in 1984. It uses the original chess board which had not been destroyed in the fire. It ran not with a human chess master but with a computer running a chess program. Bibliography: Magic 1400’s-1950’s  Daniel, Noel Caveney, Mike Jay, Ricky and Steinmeyer Jim  Taschen Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Turk     Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Created by Name: John Joseph Merlin (1735-18030) Apprentice to James Cox.Musical inventor, created a museum called Merlin's Mechanical Museum in Princes Street In the 1760’s created something like inline skates but forgot a braking system, he tested these two-wheel skates at a party while playing a violin where he became closely acquainted with a large and expensive mirror.  and James Cox ( 1723-1800) An incredible businessman who reminds me of P.T Barnum. He ran the most expensive museum called the Cox museum. The goal of the museum was to attract royal patrons. The Swan was created by Merlin and Cox in 1773 The swan was described in a 1773 Act of Parliament as being 3 feet (0.91 m) in diameter and 18 feet (5.49 m) high. It is life-size The swan is no longer this tall which brings the question if there was a second swan that might be lost or stolen like the waterfall that was behind the swan that was stolen while the swan was on tour. The swan automata has a long and interesting history. It was exhibited at the Paris World’s Fair n 1867 and was bought and sold many times.  The swan was admired by Mark Twain during its’ display at the Paris International Exposition of 1864, ‘I watched the Silver Swan, which had a living grace about his movement and a living intelligence in his eyes - watched him swimming about as comfortably and unconcernedly as it he had been born in a morass instead of a jeweler’s shop - watched him seize a silver fish from under the water and hold up his head and go through the customary and elaborate motions of swallowing it...' When the crank is turned the swan looks around itself then preens its’ silver feathers. It then swings its’ head around searching for the silver fish in the waves of glass. When she finds her prey she swoops down grabbing the wriggling fish in her mouth Most recently restored 40 years ago, there are three separate clockwork motors. One is for the music, activating steel hammers that strikeout eight tinkling tunes. Another creates the illusion of the babbling brook and its darting fish. A series of camshafts, rollers, and levers rotate twisted glass rods on which seven fish are attached. During the restoration, it was discovered that instead of heading in the same direction, three of the fish were meant to swim forward, the rest backward. It is thought that three of the fish are from the 18th century and four from the 19th. Bowes bought the swan in 1873 for $318 roughly $32,000 today. Due to the current pandemic, it looks like the swan might need some more work. During normal times the museum had the swan’s feeding schedule set for 2 PM every day. Since the pandemic, the swan was shut down, once the museum reopened there seems to be a problem with starting the swan back up. Hopefully, this stunning automata will be back in working order soon! The swan can be visited at the Bowes Museum in County Durham Bibliography https://www.thebowesmuseum.org.uk/Collection/Explore-The-Collection/The-Silver-Swan# https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/robotic-silver-swan-has-fascinated-fans-nearly-250-years-180962024/ https://www.cultofweird.com/curiosities/silver-swan-automaton/ https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424127887324355904578159601753981708#:~:text=Bowes%20bought%20it%20in%201872,Clock%20in%20the%20Hermitage%2C%20St. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaques de Vaucanson Early Life: Jaques de Vaucanson was born in Grenoble, France in 1709  10th child to a poor family of glove makers Jaques wanted to become a clock maker as a child. His mother being very religious took Jaques to church with her. While she was in confession Jaques would watch the clock until he memorized its’ mechanisms to such perfection he was able to recreate it at home. When Jaques father died when he was seven he was sent to live and train with the Jesuits. It was a difficult place for Jaques and he did poorly unable to concentrate on lessons. He was even punished for having cogs and wheels to create a boat in his possessions. There was a stand off with the priests where he refused to learn until a teacher would help him make a boat that could cross the pond. After being punished a math teacher and monk decided to help Jaques.  Later he became reacquainted with his love of mechanics after meeting the surgeon Claude-Nicolas Le Cat this is where his love of anatomy came from that will feature in his work. At 18 he had his first automaton workshop in Lyon in 1727. Jaques created a robot that would serve the dinner and clear the table. Instead of being impressed one of the politicians found the robot to be an insult to the natural order and demanded the workshop to be destroyed. This era was the time of the robots. They were all the rage in the royal courts though were often classified as toys or games. Jaques was also greatly admired by the famous minds of his time. Voltaire even called him a "new Prometheus".  Robots:   The Flute Player The flute player while a marvel was Jaques first steps into creating not just a robot that would perform tasks but a robot that could imitate life. In 1737 the flute player was made as a life size Shepard that could play 12 songs. It is said that the flute player came to him in a fevered dream during a four month illness. Vaucanson had been told by a musician that the most difficult instrument to play and tune was a flute. The challenge was set and he decided to make an automaton that would not just mimic playing but would actually play the most difficult instrument. This is what made the flute player unique in a court full of interesting automata was that the machine was playing the music as if it were alive using fashioned lungs that created the breath, fingers that moved, and a mouth that created the shapes need to make the music. The robot was playing the flute in an approximation of how a human would. He also created a tambourine player and a pipe and drum player based on the same principles. The Digesting Duck: When attendance and money fell of from his musicians in 1739, Jaques turned to something entirely new, the digesting Duck. “…it was the same size as a living duck. It could drink, muddle the water with its beak, quack, rise and settle back on its legs and, spectators were amazed to see, it swallowed food with a quick, realistic gulping action in its flexible neck.” Gaby Wood It is important to say the duck would grab pellets from the hands of visitors, gulp the food down a tube where the pellets would be “digested” in the duck’s stomach and then the duck would poop out the food. The entire food cycle in a robot duck all to the hilarity and enraptured crowd of France. Research:  This Eighteenth-Century Robot Actually Used Breathing to Play the Flute By Kat Eschner SMITHSONIANMAG.COM  FEBRUARY 24, 2017  Living Dolls: A Magical History Of The Quest For Mechanical Life by Gaby Wood The Gaurdia Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Please Hit That Subscribe & Like. Remember, sharing is caring. Leonardo DaVinci’s Robots History Podcast for Kids. Robot Lion, first self-driving cart, and robot lion all from the 1400’s! Share and press like. Early Life: 1452- 1519 born into a challenging circumstance in Florence, Italy, but was given an apprenticeship at a painter's studio. Fishing reference. Robots: Leonardo’s Mechanical Knight:  The knight’s existence was discovered in 1957 by historian Carlo Pedretti. Designed 1495 wearing German-Italian armor. According to records, it is believed the knight was built and at a celebration for Duke Ludovico Sforza in the court of Milan. The knight worked via gear and pulley. 2002 the knight was rebuilt by robotics expert Mark Rosheim. The knight went on to NASA helping in designing the planetary exploration robots. Robotic Cart:  1478 the design was based on clock works with the power coming from wound up springs to regulate the cart’s drive mechanism. The direction or steering could be programmed with pegs put in round holes which would guide the carts directions to move at specific times. The drawing were found in the early 1900’s by Girolamo Calvi who dubbed the cart “Leonardo’s Fiat.” In 2004 a working replica was made in Florence at 1:3 scale. Take a look at these and then look up the Mars Land Rover. Recreations and Applications to Current Robotics:  Da Vinci Lions: According to records he built two automated lions for the French King Louis XII in 1509. It is said that one could rear up on their hind legs and present lilies (the flower of France). The second was a gift to Francois I when he visited, you guessed it Lyons (a city in France) in 1515. The King was so impressed with his new mechanical pet he offered Leonardo a permanent home in the French court. Unlike the cart and the knight, we have far more records of the lions. Michelangelo wrote on the second lion’s abilities and design. The lion was powered by a key capable of 10 steps before needing to be turned again.  In 2019 the lion was remade for The Italian Culture Institute in Paris. The lion was 10 feet long and 7 feet tall. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Name: Badīʿ az-Zaman Abu l-ʿIzz ibn Ismāʿīl ibn ar-Razāz al-Jazarī Early Life : Born 1136 CE Born in Upper Mesopotamia. Like his father, he served as chief engineer at Artuklu Palace. His book: The Book of knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Devices includes all we know of al- Jazari's life and only includes inventions he created himself. Wrote: The Book of Knowledge of Ingenious Mechanical Device descriptions of over fifty mechanical devices with instructions on how to build them. His book was so important because he wrote it with full instructions, not keeping any trade secrets, a DIY book. Famous Inventions: The camshaft: this invention is what truly makes something a programmable computer. These are not seen again in Europe until a few centuries later. While we will focus on his Automata he did invent ways to bring water up without electricity. Automata: Moving peacock driven by hydropower. Musical Robot Band: Remember the can system? Robotic musicians would float on the lake playing music according to which can was put in place. Why the lake? Water power or hydraulic power. Clocks: Elephant clock Castle clock: 11 feet high displayed zodiac, solar, and lunar orbits. The clock had five robot musicians 2 falcons that would drop balls into buses Best Website to view the book and an easy breakdown for teachers and homeschoolers https://aljazaribook.com/en/ Bibliography:Ben Kingsley describes Al-Jazari's Elephant Clock (1001 Inventions)[FILM] 1001 Inventions and the Library of Secrets - starring Sir Ben Kingsley (English Version) Al-Jazari: The Mechanical Genius by Salim Al-Hassani https://muslimheritage.com/al-jazari-the-mechanical-genius/ Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Lived: 1st century writing between 60-70 AD.  Was a student of Ctesibius a man believed to be the head of the Museum of Alexandria. It is thought he was a teacher and lecturer there as well. Historians believe this since his writings appear to be lecture notes. He was also inspired by Inspired by Philo of Byzantium (3 centuries before wrote about the use of trapped and compressed air) The museum was described to be a school that taught through experimenting and doing as well as by lecture. “Unusual blend of pure science with engineering . . . [and] applied technology . . . [where] much can be discovered through experiment.” Wrote: Automata, the Pneumatica, the Dioptra, the Catoprica and the Mechanical Hero used these techniques and expanded on them using water, steam, a need for the inventions, and a sense of humor. From amusing tabletops (Hercules stands with a bow on the ground is an apple in front is a tree with a servant. If one lifts the apple Hercules draws his arrow and servant begins to hiss.) In his treatise on pneumatics Hero outlines various birds that could move and sing according to which species they were be changing the pressure of air or water or the length of the tube. One of my favorites is the fountain surrounded by songbirds that would trill until an automaton owl would turn and notice them into still silence. Hero also created a programmable cart that was powered by a falling weight. The ability for the cart to be programmed was created by strings wrapped around the driving axel. Pay attention to the rest of the book and see how many inventors use this invention as a starting point. Hero is credited with the first robot which was used in his mechanical theatre. A theatre that ran a ten-minute play where actors, scenery, and sound were all mechanical and powered by gears and pullies.  “Using pegs projecting from the axle, Heron could vary how the rope was wound around the axle, allowing the robot to change direction and move along a pre-programmed course. This primitive mechanism is very similar to a modern binary computer language; old fashioned punch cards operated on exactly the same principle. Heron used the same system of ropes, cylindrical axles and knots to create a mechanical play of almost 10 minutes in length, including dropping metal balls onto a sheet of metal to resemble thunder.” Heron's Inventions, Martyn Shuttleworth Hero is credited with creating the world’s first:  Automatic Door Opener:  vending machine Steam engine: Described by NASA as a "rocket-like device," Hero's steam engine (called an aeolipile) was essentially: A hollow sphere that can rotate about an axis passing through antipodal points, because of steam flowing out through two bend pipes placed at its equator. In case you would like to build your own Hero gave detailed instructions on how to build one: Place a cauldron over a fire: a ball shall revolve on a pivot. A fire is lighted under a cauldron . . . containing water, and covered at the mouth by the lid . . . with this the bent tube . . . communicates, the extremity of the tube being fitted into the hollow ball. . . . Opposite to the extremity . . . place a pivot . . . resting on the lid . .. and let the ball contain two bent pipes, communicating with it at the opposite extremities of a diameter, and bent in opposite directions, the bends being at right angles . . . . As the cauldron gets hot it will be found that the steam, entering the ball . . . passes out through the bent tubes towards the lid, and causes the ball to revolve. Mechanical Puppet Theatre: Animated figures acted out a series of dramatic events, including the repair of Ajax's ship by nymphs wielding hammers, the Greek fleet sailing the seas accompanied by leaping dolphins, and the final destruction of Ajax by a lightning bolt hurled at him by the goddess Athena. Fire Engine: described by Heroas follows: Take two vessels of bronze [made] to fit . . . pistons fitted to boxes. Let the cylinders [be connected] by means of the tube and be provided with valves . . . within the tube end opening outwards from the cylinders. In the bases of the cylinders pierce circular apertures . .. covered with polished hemispherical cups . . . through which insert spindles . . . connected with the bases of the cylinders. . . . The centre of the pistons fasten the vertical rods . . . and attach to [a] . . . beam . . . branching into two arms . . . and provided with small pipes through which to force up water . . . [and] producing a water-jet by means of the compressed air. Fountain: •A standalone fountain that operates under self-contained hydro-static energy; now called Heron's fountain. Bibliography The Amazing Ancient Machines of Hero of Alexandria https://gizmodo.com/the-amazing-ancient-machines-of-hero-of-alexandria-1533213972 The pneumatics of Hero of Alexandria, from the original Greek. https://www.loc.gov/resource/rbc0001.2009gen41532/ Heron's Inventions Martyn Shuttleworth https://explorable.com/heron-inventions Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Archytas of Terentum First Drone mathematician, political leader (elected seven times), and philosopher Alive and active during the time of Plato. We know this because he sent a ship to rescue Plato from Syracuse. (not the city → this guy). We only have four fragments of Archytas' work. We mostly rely on writings that took place fifty years after his death to piece together his life. 350 B. C. The first self-propelled flying device Wooden mechanical dove capable of flapping wings and flying 200 Meters using compressed air and steam. These are second-hand reports and many believe pulleys and counterweights were used since the first wind up bird was not invented until a few hundred years later by Hero of Alexandria who will talk about next week-This is only a theory since all records of the event state that-the bird actually flew but with no drawings of the workings of the dove we have to take guesses. Until a clever person or child recreates this original drone using materials and techniques of the times to see what was possible. Bibliography A Brief History of Robot Birds The early Greeks and Renaissance artists had birds on their brains By Jimmy Stamp SMITHSONIANMAG.COM  MAY 22, 2013 Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy Archytas First published Thu Jun 26, 2003; substantive revision Tue Aug 23, 2016 Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today I want to talk about Elizabeth Jennings her story is about the importance of challenging systems A special thank you to Mo Rocca and his show Mobituaries for bringing Elizabeth Jennings to my attention and patching up a massive hole in my US. history education. Elizabeth Jennings-Grahm Born free in 1827 to a freeborn father and a mother who was born into slavery. Her father Thomas L. Jennings was the first black patent holder in 1821 for developing a new clothes Cleaning method. He was able to purchase his wife's freedom though under the abolition law of 1799 She remained an indentured servant until 1827. Elizabeth grew up with well politically-active parents. Elizabeth grew up to become a school teacher at New York African Free School-and was the organist at her church. During the 1850's the 'bus' was a horse-drawn wagon. These were not run by the city but by private companies that felt that they could refuse passengers or assign seating based on race. The rule was segregated carts or if no person objected then they could ride. On July 16, 1854 Jennings was running late for service at church. Elizabeth and her friend Sarah Adams got on the trolley and was ordered off. She refused bravely holding window sashes and then the conductors' coat as she was thrown off. She jumped back on the train only to be forcibly removed by a police officer. Her father took donations at church to sue the transportation company Third Avenue Railroad Company. Fredrick Douglas wrote about her case in his paper. The future president of the United States was her lawyer, Chester A Arthur. This is almost exactly one hundred years before Rosa Parks. with a jury of all white men, they ruled in favor of Elizabeth awarding her $250 about $8,000 today. She had asked for $500. Judge William Rockwell added 10 percent plus legal costs. This made the railway companies desegregate and began a ten-year process to full desegregation in 1865 of the New York public transportation system. Elizabeth continued teaching for thirty-five years. She did go on to start and operate one of the first kindergartens for black children out of her home in her later years. She died on June 5 1901. For a woman who used her bravery and her use of disobedience to challenge a corrupt system why have so many not heard her name? Thanks to a group of third and fourth graders from P. S. 361 lobbied in 2007 to name the street corner "Elizabeth Jennings Place" In 2019 Chirlane McCray announced a statue at Grand Central. please see our show notes for details or how you might help. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

For the start of black history month, we are going to head all the way back to the old west to meet a man who has been long thought to be the inspiration behind The Lone Ranger. Take a listen through and if you are familiar with the TV show or watched the latest movie let me know below what you think. Without any dispute Bass Reeves was one of the most feared lawmen of the west.  Born 1838 in Crawford County, Arkansas as a slave. The slave owner was Confederate Colonel George Reeves and during the war. There are conflicting accounts as to what happened but on record, he said to have left to ensure his safety and his freedom.   Bass Reeves escaped into Oklahoma territory where he found help and friendship amongst the Cherokee, Choctaw, Chickasaw, Creek, and Seminole First Nations Tribes. During his time with The First Nations Tribes, he learned the skills that would make him one of the best lawmen of the west. He learned to track, shoot, ride, and fluently speak five First Nations Languages. By the way, if I am using First Nations and Native incorrectly please email me. I did an extensive search but I am open to corrections. It is said that he left his master but that he went to the Union to fight. Other accounts have him moving to Arkansas to farm and marry Nellie Jennie (and have 11 children). Some accounts say both.  Bass Reeves started as US Marshal in Oklahoma and the Arkansas Territories in 1875. Bass Reeves was never taught reading. He was said to have memorized how the suspect’s name looked on the paper ad was able to match it with the warrant. He was never said to have arrested the wrong person. He was known for his relentless pursuits of criminals and while shot at many times was said to have never been hit by a bullet. He did come close having both his hat and belt shot off. His jurisdiction territory spanned seventy-five thousand square miles. It was said that when a deputy marshal rode out for a round trip of 800 miles a wagon and a cook who also served as a guard went along. This territory was supposed to be handled by 200 deputies unfortunately according to records only twenty to thirty worked at a time. In total Bass Reeves accounted for over 3,000 felons using disguises (a fellow criminal hunted and shot at by law enforcement, a woman, or a preacher). Taking them in as they say dead or alive. Though according to the numbers he made sure to state of just over 3,000 he only had to kill 14 and only in self-defense. After he retired at 67 he spent two years as a city policeman in Muskogee, Oklahoma. During those two years, there were no reported crimes in his new territory. Historians have an incredible benefit to Bass Reeves working life in that he would often be followed by newspaper reporters who would give eye witness accounts.  If you ever in the neighborhood go pay respects the bridge that crosses the Arkansas River named the Bass Reeves Memorial Bridge. One of my favorite depictions of Bass Reeves was on a short-lived but amazing sci fi show Timeless.    A thank you to Owlcation and the writer Readmikenow for a huge leg up on the structure of this episode References: CNN The Washinton Post The Muskogee Pheonix The Oklahoma City Weekly Times-Journal National Parks Service Key words Oklahoma History, Midwest History, Arkansas History     The Washinton Post   The Muskogee Pheonix   The Oklahoma City Weekly Times-Journal   National Parks Service   Key words Oklahoma History, Midwest History, Arkansas History Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pandora: The myth of Pandora can be read as a warning against artificial intelligence or AI. As the first AI being created (by Hephaestus) she did define the chaos of what AI can bring. In Hesiod’s Theogony Pandora is made as a response to Prometheus giving the human’s fire. Zeus seemed to think that was just a step too far in the human power direction and not enough in the all-mighty Zeus and God power line up.  So Zeus goes to his brilliant design and crafting god, Hephaestus, and asks him to create a woman. Depending on what you read she is made of earth or breathed into existence using fire. The other Gods and Goddesses circle round giving her intelligence, beauty, and of course curiosity. Her name means “all gifted or all giving”. She is also given a box and told NOT TO OPEN IT. The box contained the entirety of ills that can befall a civilization. Even if you have never heard the myth I bet you can guess what happens. After all of the horrible exits the box (or jar again depending on the reading) there is a tinkering sound. Pandora, I am guessing has a what else could go wrong attitude opens the box again. The tinkering sound is a ball of light which is hope. So much to unpack here but I think this myth is an important one. Artificial intelligence offers us incredible convenience, progress, and for many in the disabled community's quality of life and communication. But do you think can go wrong? As we invent do we also have a responsibility to see what pitfalls our progress might hold? If we know a cliff is coming perhaps we can create some safety protocols. From our last chapter, you were supposed to think up a robot to do a task. You were going to think of what the task would be and what you would need to program the robot to do and how its’ design would help it in its’ task. Now I would like you to think about what would you do with your robot to make sure it does what you want it to do but does not do what it is not programmed to?  Be sure to send this to us under our contact us at www.owlandtwine.com Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello everyone and this is our first week of robots the history! Robots, can you tell excited I am?Welcome to I can't believe this happened. We are going to start with ancient Greece and we're going, to begin with, the robot Talos.Links:HephaestusMinosZeusCreteColossus of RhodesDo You Want To Contribute? Did you find the wrong fact? Do you have the right one? Would you like to let me know what skills you would give your room protection robot? Click here Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hello everyone and welcome to I Can't Believe that Happened, a short history podcast for kids and curious adults.. Thank you so much for your patience. I know that was a really long break and I am sorry but I think that your patience is going to be worth it because I have been researching for a new season and that is going to be the history of robots.  I am so excited about this. I hope you are too. I was thinking, the history of robots we'd be going back to the 1950s and back to the Jetsons and if any of you were too young for the Jetsons see if you can head over to YouTube and find it. I hope you love Rosie as much as I did when I was a kid. We are actually going to be heading back to ancient Greece, and I know when you think ancient Greece, you are not thinking robots. That's what makes this so cool and I promise you there were robots in ancient Greece, and we have a lot of historical records to prove that.  It's really cool. I cannot wait to introduce you. We're going to be doing this in segments because this is a massive topic. I had no idea how big it was until I started to research. The first thing we are going to do is to look at the mythology of robots, and I know it's a history podcast we work in facts.  However, I think it is important to also understand where these facts came from and mythology like science fiction, like fairy tales is a way that we can dream about what doesn't exist yet. And it is really interesting to see what people dreamed of before they actually became a thing. So we will start with the ancient mythology of robots and then we will be going to go into the ancient world of Greece to meet the actual first robots.  After we will head over to medieval turkey to meet an incredible engineer , artist, and creative person who created some of the most beautiful and amazing and intricate automaton robots. I cannot wait for you to see the elephant clock. That was one of the coolest things I've ever seen and when we say medieval it's really interesting because we don't usually think a beautiful intricate clever witty funny things, but this is absolutely unreal.  If you go over to our website and you go look at the show notes or you go to or YouTube channel you'll get to see I'm going to post as many of these automaton robot videos as I can. Some of these automaton robots still exist, some of them have been built using the engineers notes and of those are stunning.  From the medieval world, we're gonna start moving into the courts the Royal Courts where engineers were patronized by the Royals and created some amazing things. So get ready to meet Leonardo da Vinci's working full-size knight. You will meet some very cool people one of my favorites were going to meet someone who invented roller skates.  Also, by the way, and helped stylize a system that really changed how things went from just one or two movements. To something that almost felt like alive. It's really cool. You'll get to meet all of these people and then we're going to move into the late 1800s and the early 1900s where automatons and robots became part of advertising.  They were in carnivals and boardwalks. They were also something that were sold often as dolls, so if you think about something that's more rudimentary like a music box you opened up and the ballerina spins, that's a very basic automaton, but some of these toys and the late 1800s. Were unreal and amazing what they could do.  So we'll get to meet them and then we're going to go up to the present day because you're going to see how even something that was invented as far back as the medieval era still influences our design today and how even NASA engineers look backwards to create things like the Mars Rover.  So, I hope you join us this is going to be a full year. I am only about three quarters or so I done with my research right now and I'm going to be making some books. I hope you enjoyed. Those and you can always buy them and go over to www.owlandtwine.com website and that's where everything from this podcasts to all of my illustrations, story telling games, and books that I have written and illustrated live.  Please go to the show notes by going to I Can’t Believe That Happened where I'll be posting and collecting as many of these videos as I can find so you can actually see these automaton robots in action. It is really amazing and cool. I hope you subscribed to the Podcast that would be really kind of you and if you have a few minutes and you'd like to do something very kind for the podcast.  I just run this on my own. I have not gotten advertisers yet, so it's really wonderful that you guys share this I would not have the Reach that I have It's amazing and humbling to see other countries and the reach that this podcast just had That's all thanks to you guys sharing and to your Facebook groups to your friends your family your teachers, that's been amazing.  Thank you so much. So if you have a few minutes anyone do something kind hit subscribe and share these episodes. I really appreciate it. There's one other thing. I really want to try this here and it's gonna be a complete experiment. So bear with me and see if this works out, but I wanted to play a game with everyone and I hope you're interested in trying this.  Every episode I am going to have one wrong Fact in the episode And what I'm hoping is that you guys will actually start researching some of the things I'm saying. And if you find that one wrong fact before the next episode comes out. I hope you'll go over to owl and twine.com and send me a message and let me know which fact I got wrong and what the real fact is.  So let me know what kind of prices you would like for that. I was thinking I would give your name out as a shout out on the next episode or we could even talk about maybe downloading some of the books that I have. I've written a bunch of kids in illustrate kids books.  Let me know. And had a www.owlandtwine.com and send me a little note and let me know what you think and what you would like to have done the most. I hope you enjoy this new game. I'm very curious to see how it will go. Have a great week everyone come back next week.  I will be talking to you about pretty much the world's first major robot security systems, so we're gonna meet Talos who was the robot security system for the ancient island of Crete, I'll see you all next week. Thank you so much and hit subscribe if you can. Take care. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jean- Eugene-Robert-Houdin- (December 7, 1805 – June 13, 1871)  “A magician is merely an actor playing the part of a magician.”  Jean was born in Blois France to a watchmaker.  His father was set on Robert becoming a lawyer. Robert was set on becoming a watchmaker. He had a job as a clerk in a law office for a short time where he spent most of his time tinkering with mechanical objects in the office than writing and copying. He was sent back to his father where he became an apprentice watchmaker. He never stopped making clocks and is credited with the invention of The Mystery Clock. In the 1820’s he saved his money to purchase a 2 column set of books, Treatise on Clockmaking, written by Ferdinand Berthoud. In a twist of fate upon returning home he discovered  Not the books he had saved for but a 2 volume set on magic called Scientific Amusements. The books had a fault. They explained the principle behind the trick but not how to perform the trick. Without the benefit of our modern magic, the internet. Robert went to take lessons from a local fair and party magician named, Maous from Blois (side note Maous from Blois was a foot doctor when not performing at parties).  Jean learned sleight of hand and dexterity but the most important lesson he learned was repetition and discipline. I have researched many magicians and a constant theme is they are never without their trade. If they are a card magician you will never see them without a deck that they are working with.  Jean also learned that it is crucial to still make money even while pursuing one’s passions. He opened a watchmakers shop and performed in his spare time. Jean met and married Josephe Cicle Houdin. He took her last name and hyphenated his Robert- Houdin in 1830. They moved to Paris where Jean worked in his father in laws watchmaking shop and he found a group of magicians at the shop Rue Richelieu. He married his love of mechanisms with an interest in automatons creating a singing bird, a dancer on a tightrope, and an automaton that wrote and drew. This was later sold to P.T. Barnum. Using his knowledge of engineering he created amazing props and made stories out of magic creating character plot tension and resolution in his acts. His props were nothing short of engineering marvels creating illusions that were not only beautiful but told stories from the growing an orange tree in a pot to the levitation of his son. His acts and his ability to create a narrative play from magic changed the way magic was performed to this day. Magic had become high entertainment and not a way for a magician to claim special powers. Magic was to awe and delight. It was an age of Darwin and reason and Houdin’s magic played into science and engineering of the age, not the superstition.  To further prove this point he did not dress as magicians had before. No long robes embroidered with strange symbols. He dressed as the members of his audience would have done. Coattails, top hat, and gloves  His first show was in his estimation a disaster. On July 3, 1845 he performed the “Soirees Fantastiques.” On the verge of a nervous breakdown he told a friend of his failure. His friend agreed with him. It was silly and ridiculous. This harshness gave Jean the kick up the backside he needed to try again. Jean had tremendous success both as an inventor of new and amazing illusions and by selling his magic tricks to other magicians. His style of having tricks build upon tricks to create a story is still used to this day. His influence on other magicians of his time and directly after can not be overstated. The most famous being Houdini who in 1891 took on the last name. In an interesting side not after he retired at 48 he was called upon by Napoleon the third to use his magic to pacify a tribe in Algeria. If you have ever seen a movie called Hugo you might have heard a few things that make you think of the movie. Here is why. In 1888 after his death, his widow sold his theatre to Georges Melies. A magician himself, though history mostly remembers him for his contributions to movie making and pioneering stop motion effects. Resources https://esoterx.com/2014/09/16/the-algerian-war-of-the-wizards-jean-eugene-robert-houdin-vs-the-marabouts/ https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1926-03132-001 http://www.ptbarnum.org/humbugs.html Magic Is Dead Ian Frisch Hiding the Elephant Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

visit www.owlandtwine.com to sign up for our newsletter and see the images discussed in the podcast. A for kids history podcast in 10 minutes. This week the emperor of America, Edward Norton. Hailed by the San Francisco Chronicle to the New York Times. Edward Norton was a visionary of the gold rush who made decrees from equal rights to building the Bay Bridge. Lauded as the only emperor to shed no blood. Emperor Norton the King of America Did you know America had a king? This is one of my favorite stories in history and it happened in San Francisco California in the late 1880’s. The reason this is one of my favorite tales from history is that usually when someone decides they are going to grab for power they are usually doing it for POWER. There is a fight of varying degrees of awful for everyone involved. This is not that story. Emperor Norton was a visionary and you will see his vision for this country and the state of California was ahead of its’ time. This is a story of a fortune lost, some very good ideas, a two VERY good dogs, and a dear friend named Mark Twain Joshua Norton was born in 1818 or 1819 in Britain migrating to San Francisco for the gold rush in 1849. He invested heavily in real estate growing a $40,000 investment into a quarter of a million dollars. Due to a bad deal in rice he became bankrupted and disappeared for a small while. When he came back he came bak in a big way. On September 17, 1859, a most unusual decree appeared in the San Francisco Bulletin newspaper. In grandiloquent fashion, the message stated, “At the peremptory request and desire of a large majority of the citizens…I, Joshua Norton…declare and proclaim myself Emperor of these United States.” It went on to command representatives from all the states to convene in the Bay Area, “to make such alterations in the existing laws of the Union as may ameliorate the evils under which the country is laboring.” The edict was signed, “NORTON I, Emperor of the United States.” Mr. Norton was usually dressed in an epaulette-adorned Navy coat, an ostrich feather-plumed hat and occasionally carrying a military saber, the delightfully eccentric “Emperor Norton I” He lived by the kindest of restaurants that would take the currency he made. Many of the citizens would bow and tourists would collect his currency as a keepsake. There were Emperor Norton dolls. Theatre owners would save him a seat for opening nights. San Francisco’s directory listed his occupation as Emperor. The San Francisco newspapers knew they had found gold and would print each of the emperor’s proclamations with great fanfare. . When an overzealous police officer once dared to arrest the Emperor on charges of vagrancy, the city’s newspapers responded with outrage. One writer defended him as a local institution, arguing, “since he has worn the Imperial purple [he] has shed no blood, robbed nobody, and despoiled the country of no one, which is more than can be said for his fellows in that line.” The Emperor was quickly released, and from then on, the city’s lawmen saluted whenever they encountered him on the street. In October 1859, declared, “fraud and corruption prevent a fair and proper expression of the public voice…in consequence of which, we do hereby abolish Congress.” "He's talking about how African-Americans should have the right to attend public schools, ride public streetcars. How the Chinese should be able to have their testimony heard in court," Lumea says. Norton also argued for the rights of Native Americans and against political corruption. (KQED) In the 1870’s he asked for funds to build a bridge between San Francisco and Oakland. The Bay Bridge was built in 1936. During Edward Norton’s reign Mark Twain worked as a journalist for the San Francisco papers. Mr. Twain was inspired by the emperor modeling the “king” in The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn after him. The emperor was said to spend his days in the library, playing chess, at religious services , or going for walks with the cities most famous dogs: Bummer and Lazarus. If you hav not yet heard I Can’t Believe That Happened episode on Bummer and Lazarus go to our show notes and click on the link. When Emperor Norton dies in 1880 he was hailed as far as The New York Times as The great emperor of America for more then 20 years. The headline of his obituary in the San Francisco Chronicle read, "Le roi est mort." More than 10,000 people attended his funeral. Resources https://www.history.com/news/the-strange-case-of-emperor-norton-i-of-the-united-states Emperor Norton’s Decrees http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist1/norton.html Bay Curious Podcast: America's Emperor, San Francisco's Treasure: Who Was Emperor Norton? https://www.kqed.org/news/11652705/americas-emperor-san-franciscos-treasure-who-was-emperor-norton Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hey all this is Monica from I can't believe that happened and I am so grateful for all of you coming back to the podcast it was a very long and unexpected but I try to have some exciting news I took the time because I was reading a book and I could really use your help on this it's at I will and Twine.com that's the website and I cannot live in some of the book it's also a game and I need as many people as possible to take a look at play the game and tell me what you like and don't like this is completely free if you go to the website www.owltwine.com it's right at the front if he just signed up with your email completely free I really just need to help with a lot of people try this out OK so on to the podcast I i am really excited I get to introduce you to one of my favorite magicians and women in history Adelaide Herman so Adelaide was born in london 1853 to call a fairly eccentric family she grew pretty much in the family museum which I i think if you kind of a cool thing ever I would love to live in our group and the museum she really had aspirations of becoming a dancer and she went about it and some of the stuff meeting with them ever heard usually you think oh I won't be a dancer I'm just gonna have to dance classes treats and aerialist that's like those amazing people in circuses that are up at the big tough and doing also it's a crazy things and that the five things in the air and then she rode in and going to miss pronounce this so please forgive me of the loss of goodness we're going to just Collett a bicycle if you look this up online you'll see that in the late 1800s there were these things are very close so we can make bicycles but they're a little bit more of a steam punk he does I need a very interesting look and I highly recommend going to Google taking a look so she can just write this shit kind of are used it as a way to do tricks is just incredible with how she just always had to perform she is amazing the skills become very important because she becomes a very important magician and before she becomes very important addition please forgive the snorting and snoring in the background of my pug decided she needed to be with me all day today so I'm never gonna be able to edit out that sound and I'm just picture a very cute little pug and the snoring starting sounds much cuter so all of his physicality is really important because she uses as the magicians assistant and then as one of the most important magicians in her own acts herself Adelaide finally got her dream to be a dancer and she moved to New York to be a part of a dance trip this is where is she needs Alexander Herman now he is considered a pretty important and fairly famous magician along with his brother and they had to separate thanks for going on when the United States and when you're off and switch he Alexander fell head over heels for Adelaide and it's really not hard to imagine why if you see her I'll have some pictures up on the show now so if you head over to to the website and take a look I'll have some pictures up of her she was it's not that she was beautiful if I think she's beautiful but there's just things so alive about her and she was so creative and so she's just so smart and yeah anyway sorry I digress but it's she's just incredibly lively DM they together created but we think of as the magician luck so if you're going to kind i like close your eyes and get a stock image of a magician in your head you kind of think the tall thin text Sido very serious long top man and that is what Alexander Herman like play now this is where I get a little squishy and details and I'm sorry it's it's really hard to explain because when you think of the Magicians Assistant you can think of the person is like oh look I'm pretty over here so you don't see the transitions over there and that was what she's doing and she's incredibly skilled she was coming up with a lot of the ask yourself that her husband performed and yes I'm sorry to skip a big part that they got married congratulations to them both in 1875 and it was such a big wedding that even the mayor of New York came I brought a lot of incredible artistic set ideas costuming and a sense of allusion to their act which is very different than the actress already performing they became incredibly famous and wealthy is an a lot of money KMan the problem is a lot of money went out more money would help them be amazing about summer coming in and it became a big grandpa when Alexander died unexpectedly she was left with tremendous stats and a show and as a woman in the routine 1800s I'm if you can't be? If she could continue to show on her own and Alexander's nephew stepped in and he said that you do the show with her they tried to but it did not go well just spoiler if it did not go well at all and they separated and seem like there's a lot of blood and that person leave at 11 stops not important except to say that she thought she needed to try will more time with another person to make this famous she took some time off and in 1899 she's has a solo and it is incredibly successful it is John dropping the amazing and she becomes be "on "queen of magic and the first really successful female magician so if the switch is at 46 and she comes on a world tour and she's not just famous for her magic and she's also famous as a fashion icon and I'm going to just drop in pictures of her costume design I i am a sucker for custom design and what she wore it really start him since a lot of it was going on at the time they said the word select famous female magician and Adelaide Herman would be really mad at me about that she was very clear that I am she said over and never again I should not be content until I'm recognized by the public as a leader in my profession and entirely irrespective of the question of sex so for the breakdown of that sentence if you are misunderstanding face of the words there is that she saying I just want to be none of the fast I do not want to be known as the best woman I don't even want my gender to be a part of the discussion I just wanna be known as the best illusionist magician ever Natalie played with a lot of our types like types of women and stories in her box and one for most famous ask was the Phantom bride and It! have these themes of loss and marriage and you could probably imagine that this is fairly personal to her after having lost her husband she would couldn't get hypnotized the bride the assistant and the body of the bride would raise up and ship has a Hulu can you be kind of thing over at the body to so there is no alarm wires or anything and she did that act if you times in a few different ways and she did the which illusion where she stumbled on the stage just as an old woman and I am should try to reach fire burning in the darkness it was your ride to the fire should diving to the freight flames and see it returned as a mean go sleep at all of this sounds like kind of like hokey but if you think about it during this time of those late 1800s early 1900s before television this to be a shocking and really needing to see the she performed all of these acts which was incredibly physical and she went on these massive world tours of shit who have until her 70s and 1926 there's a huge warehouse fire and that just destroyed everything she had all the props and when you are a magician your props are everything they are the illusions that they are creating are created by the props and these are incredibly expensive things to buy or have felt and everything was gone so you might notice that a lot of the times and I'm talking about a specific person in this podcast I usually choose them because they read they they don't let anything stop them and I admire that quality tremendously she's in her 70s she loses everything again for the second time in her life and she rebounds she she starts a new show and it's called magic Grace and music and it it it pretty well of me you could say the national of other artists your book shows her in final performing years she was she was really an amazing woman and she did pass away in February 1932 and still you know if you can if your imaginary Jill hear about her but it's important to remember I miss people know who Houdini is and was and they had very similar interests in and how they perform their magic of them and they were just as famous as each other so I just wanted to bring Adelaide Herman back out from the shadow so you were and please take a look at the senates I'll try to link as much as I can see you can see certain what I'm talking about and thank you so much for being so patient with me while I was writing and not posting these weekly I will try so hard to be better at posting these I'll try harder not to see him so much so the kind of thing y'all can do is side from going on signing up for reading Blackwater or Manor and Playing Blackwater Manor is to head over to Apple podcast leave us some stars and some reviews this is oh kind of a project of fun for me I'm just really excited history and I hope you guys enjoy this as well thank you so much I hope you will tune in next week and I can you know we don't every case at all for this podcast this is just something I do because I love history and resend it I love you for listening now and all I can think is that must be because you guys are getting some value from it and you're enjoying it and you're sharing it so if you could keep doing that that is just that means so much to me that do you enjoy this enough to share with friends and family are next month is going to be the Halloween month a.k.a. my favorite holiday ever so I can recovery so. From like the history of Halloween movies in the history of horror movies take history trick-or-treating and I'm at so I hope I see you next month and next week I i will think of something else really cool talk about next week www.owlandtwine.com Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Hazel Dorthy Scott born June 11, 1920 in Trinidad her parent: R. Thomas Scott a West African scholar from Liverpool and mother Alma long Scott a music teacher and classical pianist. Jazz and classical pianist Age 4 taken to New York as a musical prodigy 8 given a scholarship to Julliard when the start age is suppose to be 16 At 15 she started her own radio show and played with the Count Basie Orchestra As a teen performed piano and trumpet in her mothers all girl jazz band. In the mid 1930's she played at The Apollo Theater and Carnegie Hall. By 1945 she was making $75,000 a year or adjust for today $1 043, 762. In 1943 she began appearing as herself in many movies: I Dood It, something to shout About, The Heat is on, and Rhapsody in Blue Hazel Scott was the first black person to have a TV show: The Hazel Scott Show Hazel Scott was committed to civil rights. She kept full control of the optics of her Hollywood image from refusing 'singing maid’ parts to having 'final cut privileges.' She had full control of her wardrobe written into her contracts. She would not play in segregated venues. After leaving such a venue in Austin, Texas she said" Why would anyone come to hear me, a Negro, and refuse to sit beside someone just like me?" In Pasco Washington she sued a restraint for refusing her service. The victory of this lawsuit helped push through the Public Accommodations Act in 1953. The McCarthy era ended her career in America when she volunteered to testify to the house Un- America Activities Committee. After her statements of supporting a city council member her T.V. show was cancelled. Hazel Scott left the US in 1950's far Paris and did not return for 17 years Hazel Scott performed all the way up to a few months before she died. Resources https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/local/1981/10/04/hazel-scott-jazz-pianist-singer-dies/a6a2da7e-afc2-424c-af56-dac992e729e0/  https://www.npr.org/2011/06/10/137107329/hazel-scott-on-piano-jazz  https://www.blackpast.org/african-american-history/scott-hazel-1920-1981/  WIkipedia Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.