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This live episode explores wind turbines, historic scientists, disappearing fog, and astronomical fines. The hosts discuss the history of wind energy, from the first megawatt-scale turbine erected in 1941 at Vermont's Grandpa's Knob to modern engineering feats like a 360-meter German turbine. They also examine the childhood hobbies and scientific breakthroughs of Royal Institution lecturer Humphry Davy, the global decline of fog and its ecological impacts, and a staggering Russian court fine levied against Google that outpaces the total GDP of the world.
Throughout the show, the hosts debate the effectiveness of fines as deterrents, sharing anecdotes about extreme traffic penalties, loudspeaker offenses on French trains, and bizarre historical rules governing Dutch windmills and English weather. Listeners get a mix of lesser-known historical anecdotes, such as Samuel Taylor Coleridge's reactions to laughing gas, paired with contemporary oddities like snowshoe hares struggling to camouflage in a warming climate.
The hosts introduce the episode and outline the format.
Discussion of the first megawatt-scale wind turbine at Grandpa's Knob and its historical context.
Exploration of Davy’s childhood experiments, lectures, and his later scientific achievements.
Examination of fog’s impact on agriculture, travel, and its decline due to climate change.
The hosts conclude with a final fact and a brief recap of the episode.
A humorous story about a man repeatedly fined for speeding in Europe is recounted.
A man was fined for spitting on a boating lake after wind blew grass into his mouth.
A Florida priest faced a massive fine for feeding homeless people in a rezoned area.
The hosts recount a light‑hearted tale of Freddie Flintoff being fined for being scared by a ghost.
The discussion turns to France’s reputation for fining people for minor infractions, especially on trains.
A humorous example of a French woman fined for her cat’s loud meowing on a train is shared.
The first megawatt-scale wind turbine was built in 1941 at a Vermont mountain called Grandpa's Knob. Although groundbreaking for its generation capacity, it lasted only two years before being severely damaged in a storm.
Windmill Language Signalsinsight
Dutch windmills historically used their sails as a visual communication system. Depending on the diagonal or vertical angle of the sails, millers could signal that the owner was stepping out briefly, announce a birth, or signal mourning.
Humphry Davy Childhood Talksstory
As a child, notable Royal Institution lecturer Humphry Davy would lock himself in his room and deliver hour-long talks to an audience of empty chairs. He also used phosphorescent chemicals to paint glowing monsters on his sisters' bedroom walls.
Humphry Davy hosted extensive laughing gas parties for prominent poets and intellectuals like Samuel Taylor Coleridge. While many enjoyed the sessions, Roget of thesaurus fame recorded finding the sensations overwhelmingly unpleasant and violent.
Studies show a significant global decrease in fog events since the 1970s, driven by rising ocean temperatures due to climate change. This reduction impacts agriculture that relies on fog moisture, such as California strawberry and lettuce crops.
A Russian court fined Google two undecillion rubles, an amount far exceeding the total GDP of the world and numbering more than all the atoms in the universe. The fine stems from restrictions placed on Russian state media channels.
“the first ever megawatt scale wind turbine was erected at a Vermont mountain called Grandpa's Knob.”
“And he had a bit of expertise in the field, and he built this wind turbine.”
“If you go even now to like the Midwest of America, and like in old movies and stuff, you see them, they're like bits of metal with tiny windmills on.”
“The first ever wind powered home was in 1887.”
“He was fined 121,000 euros. He'd been fined before, in 2018, he'd been fined 63,000 euros, and he'd been fined 95,000 in 2013”
“I think a fine for spitting... Oh, this is... Oh, wow.”
“They have very strict rules and they have lots of enforcement people.”
“A Florida priest was fined for feeding the homeless.”
Live from the Royal Institution, Dan, James, Anna and Andy discuss warmed fog, weird fines and wind farms. Visit nosuchthingasafish.com http://nosuchthingasafish.com for news about live shows, merchandise and more episodes. Join Club Fish for ad-free episodes and exclusive bonus content at apple.co/nosuchthingasafish http://apple.co/nosuchthingasafish or nosuchthingasafish.com/patreon http://nosuchthingasafish.com/patreon Edited by James Harkin Produced by Leying Lee Team includes Tara Dorrell, Joe Mayo and Ethan Ruparelia
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Speaker names marked are inferred from speaking time and the show’s known hosts — they are not voice-verified.
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