June 4, 2019 • 9 mins
Some amazing things last forever, while others are here for just a moment. Either way, they are always curious, and worthy items to visit in the Cabinet.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Our world is full of the unexplainable, and if history
is an open book, all of these amazing tales right
there on display, just waiting for us to explore. Welcome
to the Cabinet of Curiosities. Southern Chile is a miracle
(00:29):
of nature. Bordered by the Bio Bio River and the
Andes Mountains. The Zona Sir the Southern Zone, runs along
Chile's lower western coast. It's home to lakes as blue
as the sky, steaming hot springs, and dense rainforests. It's
idyllic northern area is known to be well suited for
raising livestock, and cattle can often be seen grazing in
(00:51):
green fields with snow capped mountains off in the distance.
Like I said, idyllic. As for the human population, Chile
is made up of people from all over. Many come
from Europe, including Italy, Germany and Spain. There is also
an extensive indigenous population consisting of nine different groups, the
(01:12):
largest being the Mapuche, who have lived there since six BC.
But they weren't the first. The prevailing theory among historians
and archaeologists has been that humans first came to the
Americas through the bearing straight roughly thirteen thousand, five hundred
years ago, Following packs of big game like mastodon and bison,
(01:33):
they traveled down through North America and spread out across Canada,
the United States, and down into South America. These early
travelers were known as the Clovis, and we have evidence
of their presence by way of the spearheads they left behind.
But the problem with any theory is that it can
be easily challenged, which is exactly what happened. In nineteen
(01:57):
a veterinary student visiting Chile was explored in an area
known as Monte Verde, on the banks of the Chinchwapee Creek,
not far from the Pacific Ocean. Some locals showed the
student a bone fragment they discovered after logging in the
area had eroded much of the soil away. They thought
it was a cow bone, The student, though, I wasn't
so sure. After being tested and verified, the fragment was
(02:21):
determined to be far more unique than a simple cowbone.
It belonged to a gompher there, a prehistoric animal bearing
a strong resemblance to modern day elephants. But unrelated news
of the discovery made it back to American professor Tom
de la Haye, who happened to be teaching at a
university in Chile. He had a feeling there was something
(02:41):
bigger brewing under the soil, so he and a team
of archaeologists organized a dig, and they found a lot
more than just one bone. Surprisingly, everything below the surface
was preserved better than they had expected. The environment had
flooded thousands of years ago, and the peat or decaying
the agetation that filled the area had prevented bacteria from
(03:03):
eating away at the artifacts. As they dug, hearts, both
large and small, began to appear. Little by little, the
soil was brushed away and the remains of other animals
saw sunlight for the first time in millennia. Large wooden
posts from about a dozen huts were unearthed, as well
as a footprint, hides used for clothing, and a piece
(03:25):
of meat with d n A still preserved inside. That
was how scientists were able to tell the kind of
game that had been hunted and consumed in the area,
But the site's contents didn't align with the current theory
on how humans had migrated to Monteverde and other parts
of the coast. The roughly people who had lived there
on that site hadn't come through the bearing straight and
(03:47):
worked their way south to Chile. They had traveled by
boat down the west coast until finally stopping at Monteverde.
These early settlers built tools from rocks and clamshells. They
thrived in a way other cultures could not, well, in
a way modern scientists and anthropologists couldn't conceive of. Because,
of course, humans have always been resourceful and adaptive, sometimes
(04:10):
taking the harder route for a greater payoff, and this
culture was old. The settlement and items found under the
soil predate the Mapuche in the area by almost sixteen
thousand years. They predate the original North American settlers by
over a thousand. Their existence turns everything we thought we
knew about human migration on its head. Who were these
(04:33):
travelers and what happened to them? We may never know.
Some curiosities, it seems, have yet to be answered. Germany
(04:56):
and nearby Austria have produced some of the most brilliant
minds of all time. Albert Einstein, mathematician Carl Frederick Gouss,
and composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozarts are among the region's most
influential and revered individuals. Within their time on Earth, they
each made immeasurable contributions to science, math, and the arts,
(05:17):
and those contributions have gone on to inspire others to
continue their work. However, some of the more intelligent folks
from that part of Europe did not go on to
great acclaim. They did not change the face of music
or make earth shattering discoveries, but that didn't mean they
weren't extraordinary in their own right. These people were able
to capitalize on that intelligence and go far in life
(05:40):
as scholars rather than creators. One such scholar was Jean
Philippe Barattier. He was born near Nuremberg in seventeen twenty
one and seemed destined to lead a life dedicated to learning.
His father, a French Protestant minister, only spoke Latin to him,
his mother only spoke French, and their evan's communicated only
(06:01):
in High Dutch. He spent his time reading the Bible,
both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Well reading
is putting it lightly. He read them in Greek, then
spent years translating them into Latin and Hebrew. In fact,
due to his upbringing and his passion for learning, he
was able to speak all of those languages fluently. His
(06:22):
translation work earned him recognition among his contemporaries, including English
dictionary author Dr Samuel Johnson, as well as the prolific
writer and philosopher Voltaire. There wasn't a subject Jean Philippe
couldn't conquer, and that thirst for knowledge earned him a
Master's of Arts when he was only fourteen years old.
A prodigy, if there ever was one, he'd lived a
(06:45):
life fuller than most. Unfortunately, poor Jean Philippe suffered from
a condition that had rendered his body frail, though his
mind only grew sharper with each passing day. Those translations
of the Greek Bible, he completed them when he was
only eight years old. He was even inducted as a
life member of the Berlin Royal Academy, where he studied
nautical longitude. However, the pressure of his numerous studies proved
(07:08):
too much for his system to take, and at nineteen
years of age, he passed away. The nature of his
condition was never known. Jean Philippe was not the only
young genius of the era. There was another just like
him named Christian Heinrich Heineken, also known as the infant
scholar of Luebeck. Born the same year as John Philippe,
(07:29):
Christian spoke perfect German at only ten months of age.
By the time he was one, he was reading the
Pentateuch or the first five books of the Torah. He
started reading the Old and New Testaments when he turned two,
and by the time he turned three he'd finished them
in Latin. Not unlike Jean Philippe. At three years old,
he wrote his own history of Denmark. The King of
(07:51):
Denmark invited him to read it before the courts, which
he accepted graciously. Everyone loved him. They were charmed by
his intelligence as such young age, and spread word of
his talents all over Europe. He became what some might
call a minor celebrity. Christians family decided to tour Europe
with their son as their star attraction. It was around
(08:13):
this time when his mother began to wean him off breastfeeding,
and christians health problems bubbled to the surface. As he
gave up his mother's milk, he started eating more grains,
unknowingly corrupting his tiny system. Christian suffered from Celiac disease
before anyone knew what it was. Without a proper diagnosis.
He passed away at only four years old, a tragic
(08:35):
end to an incredible little boy with limitless potential. But
don't feel too bad. Christian saw his death coming. True
to his sharp wit, he predicted it would happen months
before it finally did. But knowing him, I wouldn't expect
anything less. I hope you've enjoyed today's guide, a tour
(09:00):
of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts,
or learn more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast
dot com. The show was created by me Aaron Mankey
in partnership with how Stuff Works. I make another award
winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series,
and television show, and you can learn all about it
(09:22):
over at the World of Lore dot com. And until
next time, stay curious.
Our world is full of the unexplainable, and if history
is an open book, all of these amazing tales right
there on display, just waiting for us to explore. Welcome
to the Cabinet of Curiosities. Southern Chile is a miracle
(00:29):
of nature. Bordered by the Bio Bio River and the
Andes Mountains. The Zona Sir the Southern Zone, runs along
Chile's lower western coast. It's home to lakes as blue
as the sky, steaming hot springs, and dense rainforests. It's
idyllic northern area is known to be well suited for
raising livestock, and cattle can often be seen grazing in
(00:51):
green fields with snow capped mountains off in the distance.
Like I said, idyllic. As for the human population, Chile
is made up of people from all over. Many come
from Europe, including Italy, Germany and Spain. There is also
an extensive indigenous population consisting of nine different groups, the
(01:12):
largest being the Mapuche, who have lived there since six BC.
But they weren't the first. The prevailing theory among historians
and archaeologists has been that humans first came to the
Americas through the bearing straight roughly thirteen thousand, five hundred
years ago, Following packs of big game like mastodon and bison,
(01:33):
they traveled down through North America and spread out across Canada,
the United States, and down into South America. These early
travelers were known as the Clovis, and we have evidence
of their presence by way of the spearheads they left behind.
But the problem with any theory is that it can
be easily challenged, which is exactly what happened. In nineteen
(01:57):
a veterinary student visiting Chile was explored in an area
known as Monte Verde, on the banks of the Chinchwapee Creek,
not far from the Pacific Ocean. Some locals showed the
student a bone fragment they discovered after logging in the
area had eroded much of the soil away. They thought
it was a cow bone, The student, though, I wasn't
so sure. After being tested and verified, the fragment was
(02:21):
determined to be far more unique than a simple cowbone.
It belonged to a gompher there, a prehistoric animal bearing
a strong resemblance to modern day elephants. But unrelated news
of the discovery made it back to American professor Tom
de la Haye, who happened to be teaching at a
university in Chile. He had a feeling there was something
(02:41):
bigger brewing under the soil, so he and a team
of archaeologists organized a dig, and they found a lot
more than just one bone. Surprisingly, everything below the surface
was preserved better than they had expected. The environment had
flooded thousands of years ago, and the peat or decaying
the agetation that filled the area had prevented bacteria from
(03:03):
eating away at the artifacts. As they dug, hearts, both
large and small, began to appear. Little by little, the
soil was brushed away and the remains of other animals
saw sunlight for the first time in millennia. Large wooden
posts from about a dozen huts were unearthed, as well
as a footprint, hides used for clothing, and a piece
(03:25):
of meat with d n A still preserved inside. That
was how scientists were able to tell the kind of
game that had been hunted and consumed in the area,
But the site's contents didn't align with the current theory
on how humans had migrated to Monteverde and other parts
of the coast. The roughly people who had lived there
on that site hadn't come through the bearing straight and
(03:47):
worked their way south to Chile. They had traveled by
boat down the west coast until finally stopping at Monteverde.
These early settlers built tools from rocks and clamshells. They
thrived in a way other cultures could not, well, in
a way modern scientists and anthropologists couldn't conceive of. Because,
of course, humans have always been resourceful and adaptive, sometimes
(04:10):
taking the harder route for a greater payoff, and this
culture was old. The settlement and items found under the
soil predate the Mapuche in the area by almost sixteen
thousand years. They predate the original North American settlers by
over a thousand. Their existence turns everything we thought we
knew about human migration on its head. Who were these
(04:33):
travelers and what happened to them? We may never know.
Some curiosities, it seems, have yet to be answered. Germany
(04:56):
and nearby Austria have produced some of the most brilliant
minds of all time. Albert Einstein, mathematician Carl Frederick Gouss,
and composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozarts are among the region's most
influential and revered individuals. Within their time on Earth, they
each made immeasurable contributions to science, math, and the arts,
(05:17):
and those contributions have gone on to inspire others to
continue their work. However, some of the more intelligent folks
from that part of Europe did not go on to
great acclaim. They did not change the face of music
or make earth shattering discoveries, but that didn't mean they
weren't extraordinary in their own right. These people were able
to capitalize on that intelligence and go far in life
(05:40):
as scholars rather than creators. One such scholar was Jean
Philippe Barattier. He was born near Nuremberg in seventeen twenty
one and seemed destined to lead a life dedicated to learning.
His father, a French Protestant minister, only spoke Latin to him,
his mother only spoke French, and their evan's communicated only
(06:01):
in High Dutch. He spent his time reading the Bible,
both the Old Testament and the New Testament. Well reading
is putting it lightly. He read them in Greek, then
spent years translating them into Latin and Hebrew. In fact,
due to his upbringing and his passion for learning, he
was able to speak all of those languages fluently. His
(06:22):
translation work earned him recognition among his contemporaries, including English
dictionary author Dr Samuel Johnson, as well as the prolific
writer and philosopher Voltaire. There wasn't a subject Jean Philippe
couldn't conquer, and that thirst for knowledge earned him a
Master's of Arts when he was only fourteen years old.
A prodigy, if there ever was one, he'd lived a
(06:45):
life fuller than most. Unfortunately, poor Jean Philippe suffered from
a condition that had rendered his body frail, though his
mind only grew sharper with each passing day. Those translations
of the Greek Bible, he completed them when he was
only eight years old. He was even inducted as a
life member of the Berlin Royal Academy, where he studied
nautical longitude. However, the pressure of his numerous studies proved
(07:08):
too much for his system to take, and at nineteen
years of age, he passed away. The nature of his
condition was never known. Jean Philippe was not the only
young genius of the era. There was another just like
him named Christian Heinrich Heineken, also known as the infant
scholar of Luebeck. Born the same year as John Philippe,
(07:29):
Christian spoke perfect German at only ten months of age.
By the time he was one, he was reading the
Pentateuch or the first five books of the Torah. He
started reading the Old and New Testaments when he turned two,
and by the time he turned three he'd finished them
in Latin. Not unlike Jean Philippe. At three years old,
he wrote his own history of Denmark. The King of
(07:51):
Denmark invited him to read it before the courts, which
he accepted graciously. Everyone loved him. They were charmed by
his intelligence as such young age, and spread word of
his talents all over Europe. He became what some might
call a minor celebrity. Christians family decided to tour Europe
with their son as their star attraction. It was around
(08:13):
this time when his mother began to wean him off breastfeeding,
and christians health problems bubbled to the surface. As he
gave up his mother's milk, he started eating more grains,
unknowingly corrupting his tiny system. Christian suffered from Celiac disease
before anyone knew what it was. Without a proper diagnosis.
He passed away at only four years old, a tragic
(08:35):
end to an incredible little boy with limitless potential. But
don't feel too bad. Christian saw his death coming. True
to his sharp wit, he predicted it would happen months
before it finally did. But knowing him, I wouldn't expect
anything less. I hope you've enjoyed today's guide, a tour
(09:00):
of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts,
or learn more about the show by visiting Curiosities podcast
dot com. The show was created by me Aaron Mankey
in partnership with how Stuff Works. I make another award
winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series,
and television show, and you can learn all about it
(09:22):
over at the World of Lore dot com. And until
next time, stay curious.
Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities News
Host
Aaron Mahnke
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