Intro
Hello curious minds of the internet and welcome back to my podcast, Curio6yx, where curiosity meets discovery! I'm your host, Luca, and in this episode we'll ride the worlds record roller coasters, we will express our artistic self, we will add a citation to the most cited paper in history, we’ll explore a tomb with no buried corps, we will be swimming in soap, and at the end, we will die, in a way you’d not expect. So, without further ado, let's plunge into the boundless expanse that envelops our existence!
World’s record roller coasters
Today’s episode starts with a surge of adrenaline as we strap into the world's most exhilarating roller coasters.
As a child I was afraid of roller coasters and never rode one, until, after my second visit to a theme park, I decided I should overcome my fears and ride the biggest one as my first ride of the day. I was filled by adrenaline, and as soon as I got out of the roller coaster, I wanted to go for another ride.
A lot of theme parks have roller coaster, but not all of them are worthy of a mention. One interesting thing is that there isn’t a “best roller coaster overall”, there are several ones that hold different records. The fastest one in the world: the Formula Rossa reaches 240km/h at its top speed, but it’s not the tallest one, that record is held by Kindga Ka, being 140 meter tall. There’s The Smiler which has the most inversion, with 14 of them, and then there is the largest indoor one, being the Mindbender with a height of 44.2 meters. So, depending on what you’re looking for: speed, height or turns, you might want to visit a different theme park and ride the one that’s most appealing for you.
Paintception
Transitioning from heart-pounding rides to mind-bending art, let's explore the realm of "paintception." Picture intricate paintings from ancient India and Persia, in the Hindu and Mughal traditions, where animals and humans representations meld into a breathtaking masterpieces, creating a larger image within the painting. The earliest known example of composite painting is found in a Jain manuscript from the late 15th century, and it represent an amalgamation of an elephant and a horse. Those paintings have three prominent themes based on which composite painting were created. The first one include figures such as animals or objects, ridden by a human; int the second one, instead, the composite animal represented is not just made of humans figures but also of animals, plants, and at time, demons; the third type is similar to the second one, but always have a human head.
Most cited paper in history
As a curious reader, I stumbled upon the marshmallow experiment in my recent literary ventures, sparking a quest to uncover the most-cited paper. Surprisingly, it's not the marshmallow experiment but Lowry's Protein Assay, from Oliver H. Lowry, that reigns supreme, leaving an indelible mark on scientific discourse. With an outstanding number of 305,000 citations across all, as of 2014. Now with one more, thanks to this episode of the podcast. The study is about determining the total level of protein in a solution. The total protein concentration is exhibited by a color change of the sample solution in proportion to protein concentration, which can then be measured using colorimetric techniques. The paper was written in 1951.
Another interesting thing about papers, if you ever plan to write one is that to become one of the 10 most cited paper you’d need at least 40,000 citations, to reach the top 100 you’d need around 12,000 citation. These numbers were up to date in 2014, so not really recent.
Grant‘s tomb and its absence of buried corps
Our adventure takes a cryptic turn with Grant's Tomb, an imposing mausoleum nestled in the heart of New York. Far from the conventional resting places, this grand structure, officially known as the General Grant National Memorial, holds a peculiar secret—it houses no buried bodies. Instead, it serves as the eternal resting place of Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th president of the United States, and his wife Julia. Located in the Morningside Heights neighborhood of Upper Manhattan, New York, this classical domed mausoleum stands as a testament to Grant's legacy. Completed on April 27, 1897, coinciding with Grant's 75th birthday, the tomb is a marvel in its own right. Not only does it symbolise a significant chapter in American history, but it also challenges traditional burial norms with its crypt situated at ground level.
Soap lake
Hold on tight as we journey to Soap Lake in Washington, a slippery, soapy oasis formed by the ancient Missoula Floods. This lake is a meromictic soda lake which gets its name from the naturally occurring foam that gives its water a soapy appearance, and because the lake’s mineral-rich water have a slick, soapy feel. The lake is approximately 2 square miles, around 5.2 square kilometers in area and 70 feet, or 21 meters deep. The waters of the lake contains 23 different minerals, and water quality assays conducted since 1910 to test the mineral content of Soap Lake have shown that the mineral content of the lake has declined. It is yet unknown what causes the formation of foam in its waters, and since the decline of the minerals content has started, the presence of said foam is decreasing as well, to the point that nowadays it’s rare to see any, if not on windy days. Similar to the Dead Sea, the high mineral content of the lake makes its waters very buoyant.
Monastery death
Let’s finish this episode with a gran finale, by dying. Because, by definition, a person can be dead, without actually ceasing to exists. I’m talking about monastery death. But what is monastery death? Monastery death is a specific situation in which one person, by entering a monastery, is being declared dead (on paper, at least, for the law). All his or her possessions are to be inherited by his or her normal heirs or donated to the monastery or nunnery they entered. This common and civil laws back to the 18th century and were spread across England and France, with a similar concept in Germany as well. A form of monastery death is still part of the Catholic canon law. I don’t really know what being death constitute on the legal and common law perspective, but I guess you’d lose all your rights and duties, perhaps allowing you to not cast your votes on the next elections. But were elections a thing in the 18th century? This could be an answer we’ll answer in the next episode.