Learn about Harry Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle’s amity; how to keep a jack-o’-lantern fresh; and declaring sovereignty. The stories in this episode originally aired October 21, 2018 “Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini’s Friendship, How to Read Food Labels, Jack-O’-Lantern Maintenance, and Declaring Sovereignty” https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/arthur-conan-doyle-and-harry-houdini-s-friendship Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day withCody Gough andAshley Hamer. Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.
Learn about Harry Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle’s amity; how to keep a jack-o’-lantern fresh; and declaring sovereignty.
The stories in this episode originally aired October 21, 2018 “Arthur Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini’s Friendship, How to Read Food Labels, Jack-O’-Lantern Maintenance, and Declaring Sovereignty” https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/arthur-conan-doyle-and-harry-houdini-s-friendship
Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.
Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/a-historic-friendship-pumpkin-care-declaring-sovereignty
CODY: Hi! You’re about to get smarter in just a few minutes with Curiosity Daily from curiosity-dot-com. I’m Cody Gough.
ASHLEY: And I’m Ashley Hamer. Today, you’ll learn about the spooky friendship between Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle; and simple tricks for keeping your jack-o-lantern fresh longer. We’ll also answer a listener question about whether you can buy an island and declare it a sovereign nation. We originally ran these stories in October 2018, and they’re so perfect for the Halloween season, we remastered them just for you.
CODY: Plus, stick around for a brand-new recap segment at the end of today’s episode to hear our fresh takes on all of today’s stories. But right now? Let’s satisfy some curiosity.
RECAP
Hey, we’re back in 2021! Let’s do a quick recap of what we learned today. 1. ASHLEY: Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were very good friends — before they had a tempestuous falling out. They had both used mediums to communicate with deceased loved ones: Houdini with his parents, and Doyle with his son who died in World War I. Doyle had good experiences and became an advocate for Spiritualism, while Houdini did not. Still, they became fast friends, until Doyle’s wife performed a disaster of a seance for Houdini involving Houdini’s mother. CODY: Some friend. a. Mention dated JK Rowling & Elon Musk joke
b. M&S and Shat also
2. CODY: It’s unlikely that you could buy an island and declare it your own sovereign nation. You COULD try it with unclaimed land like in Antarctica, but getting other countries to recognize you would be a bit of a challenge. Sorry, libertarians.
3. ASHLEY: There are a few simple tricks for keeping your jack-o-lantern fresh longer. First, cut your hole in the BACK, not the top, because the stem actually delivers nutrients to the pumpkin. If it’s not cold outside, then wrap your pumpkin in plastic or stick it in the fridge when it’s not outside, to cut down on spoily germs. You can also smear the cut areas of the pumpkin with petroleum jelly like Vaseline to lock in moisture. And use electric lights when you can, because candles can cook the gourd. Happy Halloween! [ad lib optional]
ASHLEY: The writer for today’s first story was Reuben Westmaas.
CODY: Our managing editor is Ashley Hamer, who was the writer for the rest of the stories on today’s episode.
ASHLEY: Our producer and audio editor is Cody Gough.
CODY: [AD LIB SOMETHING FUNNY] Join us again tomorrow for a brand-new episode of Curiosity Daily to learn something new in just a few minutes.
ASHLEY: And until then, stay curious!