Stuff You Missed in History Class
Hosted by Holly Frey and Tracy V. Wilson
Written by a model from the transcript; not yet reviewed.
In this behind-the-scenes minisode, Holly Frey and Tracy V. Wilson dive into the research and narrative loose ends behind two of their recent history topics: Sarah Weiss and her journeys to Mars, and the spooky history of screaming skulls. The hosts discuss the puzzling origins of Weiss's extensive 19th-century knowledge, the heavy letters exchanged with her husband Adolf and a psychical investigator, and how proto-science fiction writers like Edward Bulwer-Lytton fit into her spirit band. They also unpack the messy, unverified folklore surrounding historic skull legends, critiquing the pseudoscience and racism inherent in historical phrenological assessments.
Hosts introduce the episode and the YouTube Premium sponsor segment.
Various sponsors and product plugs interrupt the main discussion, including Burger King and AT&T.
Holly and Tracy introduce the episode’s focus on Sarah Weiss and Martian skulls.
The conversation shifts to the history of skulls, burial practices, and related folklore.
Questioning Psychic Martian Communicationsinsight
Tracy V. Wilson expresses skepticism about Sarah Weiss receiving genuine psychic communications from famous dead people on Mars, noting instead that Weiss demonstrated a working knowledge of 19th-century scholars and figures like Giordano Bruno.
Annoying Letters With Investigatorsdebate
The hosts debate the tedious nature of the correspondence between Weiss's husband Adolf and a psychical investigator named Heislop, noting how relentless follow-up questions would test anyone's patience.
Edward Bulwer-Lytton's Spirit Connectioninsight
Tracy V. Wilson explores why Edward Bulwer-Lytton appeared in Weiss's spirit band, pointing to his proto-sci-fi and occult horror works like The Haunted and the Haunters and Vril, The Power of the Coming Race.
Possible Kurt Vonnegut Literary Influencesinsight
Holly Frey draws a direct thematic comparison between Von Humboldt, one of Weiss's spirit guides, and the writing style of Kurt Vonnegut, speculating that Vonnegut may have read the obscure work.
Nicholas Brom's Penitently Burial Requeststory
Holly Frey shares a historical anecdote about an earlier Brom family member, Nicholas Brom, who requested in his early 1500s will to be buried inside a church floor so parishioners would walk over him as penance for murder.
Critique of Racist Skull Assessmentsdebate
The hosts sharply criticize historical accounts where medical students casually examined skulls to attribute negative moral or racial traits, exposing the deep roots of phrenological pseudoscience.
Unraveling Messy Historical Timelinesinsight
Holly Frey details how judges and local historians made massive logic leaps to match up family records with unverified skull lore, illustrating how easily historical timelines devolve into gobbledygook.
Tracy ponders how Sara Weiss knew some of the things she knew and whether her husband characterized her as less informed than she was. Holly talks about a possible relative of Theophilus Brome. See omnystudio.com/listener https://omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
6,486 words · 8 speakers
Speaker names marked are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
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