Jotham Austin, II lives in Chicagoland with his wife and two sons. He has his PhD in Botany, and can be found taking electron micrographs of cells at The University of Chicago. His Rom-Com novella, “Tomorrow May Be Too Late” will be published as part of the romance anthology, “Askew Ever After,” January 2021. His debut novel, a sci-fi psychological thriller, ‘Will You Still Love Me, If I Become Someone Else?” will be released February 2021. Jotham recently started a newsletter that explores the science in science fiction (signup at jothamaustin.com). Preorder books and Follow Jotham on social media at https://linktr.ee/Jothamaustin
This has no particular format, just correcting or updating anything in the show we didn’t get a chance to fully talk about or things we had on the tips of our tongues and couldn’t get out as we recorded. As always feel free to comment and we will address stuff in future shows! Enjoy:
This is a collection of stuff that we didn’t get to in the show or talked about in the show briefly. We try to include links when possible and connecting our research paths. Maybe in future we will have a better organization system, but for now enjoy the Rabbit Hole of Show Notes!
Let us know:
What do you think about Gaba and the history of reanimation?
First to show that electrical signals could move freshly dissected frog legs.
During a dissection a metal look touched the muscle and the frog twitches like it would hop away. Galvani said this was caused by a special muscle viral fluid—animal electricity.
Alessandro Volta (credited with inventing the battery and field of electrochemistry), 1782, disagreed and said any electricity could produce a similar effect. And Volta started testing this on all sorts of dead things.
Giovanni Aldini
Galvani was at the end of his career, so his nephew took up the charge against Volta. After the hanging of a man named George Foster (drowned his wife and kid in a canal), the body went to the lab of Giovanni.
During a demonstration he soaped and salted the man’s ears and connected him to electrodes. As he passed a current through the man his face and mouth started to twitch.
A reporter noted, “ On the first application of the process to the face, the jaws of the deceased criminal began to quiver, and the adjoining muscles were horribly contorted, and one eye was actually opened. In the subsequent part of the process the right hand was raised and clenched, and the legs and thighs were set in motion.”
It was decided by the government that if George did come back to life he should be hung again.
Andrew Ure
Experimented on hanged convicts—up to 300He would draw a crowd and shock different body part to make them twitch and please the crowd. Not really answering any scientific questions. “Every muscle of the body was immediately agitated with convulsive movements resembling a violent shuddering from cold. . . On moving the second rod from hip to heel, the knee being previously bent, the leg was thrown out with such violence as nearly to overturn one of the assistants, who in vain tried to prevent its extension. The body was also made to perform the movements of breathing by stimulating the phrenic nerve and the diaphragm.”“When the supraorbital nerve was excited ‘every muscle in his countenance was simultaneously thrown into fearful action; rage, horror, despair, anguish, and ghastly smiles, united their hideous expressions in the murderer’s face, surpassing far the wildest representations of Fuseli or a Kean. At this period several of the spectators were forced to leave the apartment from terror or sickness, and one gentleman fainted.”Eventually things got boring and the church was threading to shut him down afraid that he was summoning devils. In time, he gave up the reanimation efforts, correctly concluding it was a waste of his time, and then turned his attention to more productive pursuits, such as revolutionizing the way volumes are measured and with being the first to describe a bi-metallic thermostat.
Early 1920’s Russian experiments
Sergei Bryukhonenko was a scientist living in Russia during the Revolution who invented what he called an “autojektor,” or the heart-lung machine. These exist today, and Bryukhonenko’s design was fundamentally sound, but it’s the way he tested it that’s creepy.
During his early experiments, Bryukhonenko decapitated a dog and immediately connected it to his machine, which drew out blood from the veins and circulated it through a filter for oxygenation. According to his paper, Bryukhonenko kept the dog’s severed head alive and responsive for over an hour and a half, before blood clots built up and killed the dog on the table.
According to the Soviet Congress of Science, Bryukhonenko actually managed reanimating of a human in 1930.
Given the hours-dead corpse of a man who had committed suicide, the team plugged his body up to the autojektor and pushed a witches’ brew of odd chemicals into his bloodstream.
They opened his chest cavity, administered a mix of chemicals and got a steady rhythm. The man then started to groan and move, this freaked everyone out and they shut down the experiment letting the man did for good.
Today: Luigi Galvani initial work is the basis for Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS), also known as neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) or electromyostimulation, is the elicitation of muscle contraction using electric impulses
galvanism — the idea that electricity could reanimate dead tissue
in honour of his pioneering work his name was given to the unit of electrical potential, the Volt.
In 1751, England passed the Murder Act, which allowed the bodies of executed murderers to be used for experimentation and scientific study. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder\_Act\_1751
Andrew Ure was Scottish and performed his experiment on a hanged convict (Matthew Clydesdale) in 1818. After experiment did describe a device that would later be the basis for the defibrillator.
Mary Shelley was surrounded and influenced by science demonstrations (Galvani, Volta and Aldini were friends of Mary’s father), but some speculate that Mary Shelley used Ure as a model for her main character in the book, Frankenstein (1818).
Operating theater or operating room, is a facility where surgical procedures are performed . Historically, operating theaters where actually an amphitheater and a source of education and entertainment, often with “music and festive atmosphere…” https://daily.jstor.org/inside-the-operating-theater-surgery-as-spectacle/
Research on using electrodes to give amputees Restoring the sense of touch in amputees – Today’s Medical Developments
More reanimating attempts not mentioned:
Another scientists in the field of reanimation i failed to mention was Robert E. Cornish, an American biologist who studied at the University of California Berkeley. Cornish who reportedly managed to revive two dogs by rocking them back and forth to move blood around while injecting the animals with a mixture of anticoagulants and steroids. When Cornish announced he was ready to perform his experiment on humans, a California death-row inmate, Thomas McMonigle, volunteered his body post-execution, but the State of California denied his request.
And you may be wondering about cryonics (I wrote a newsletter about this Hey baby it’s cold outside. Let’s stay in and talk Cryonics!), and we still have no idea how to revive a frozen body, but research is ongoing.
You can always email (I do answer back), click the comment link below, or follow me online for real time tracking.
Welcome! The Rabbit Hole of Research Podcast is available now! So excited to share science and pop culture with you. You can listen to the Podcast on most providers (Apple, Spotify, YouTube, Amazon, etc), the Substack app, in a browser on my website or from this email!
We are Jotham (Joe), a research mad scientist and author; Nick, roaster of the coffee bean, entrepreneur and pop culture guru; and sometimes Georgia, librarian, storyteller, and print maker.
So, What is this Rabbit Hole of Research Podcast?
It’s like playing a game of Telephone, where we will start in one place and let the conversation lead us down the winding scenic road exploring the science in science fiction, separating the facts from the Handwavium. We’ll have a little fun and you’ll learn a few facts you can use to impress your friends at a party or use as a conversation starter to go down your own rabbit holes.
It will not just be us rambling, fumbling and tumbling down the rabbit hole, but we will invite creators, thinkers and innovators on to talk about their research, creative process and join the lively conversation exploring the quirky science in fiction.
We know you have many choices of entertainment, so we will keep the episodes short, about the time it takes to drink a tasty beverage. So, please join us on this journey down the rabbit hole.
When Can I Expect The First Episodes?
NOW!
Episode 1 (Gaba Girl and Reanimation) and Episode 2 (We Talking about AI) will drop together. We should publish an episode every two weeks or so at first, but as we get into a routine we will get to weekly.
When Will The First Guests be on? And Can I Be a Guest?
So, the first guest will make an appearance in Episode 3. And sure if you want to be a guest, just drop me an email!
What About the Newsletter?
Even though I’ve been on a little Rabbit Hole of Research Newsletter vacation, don’t worry the newsletter will return this month (Feb 10th) with writing updates (like what now that my publisher closed), when will my new book go on submission to publishers, and what I’m reading, listening, watching, etc.
As always, thanks for the support! I couldn’t do this without you!
Cheers!
You can always email (I do answer back), click the comment link below, or follow me online for real time tracking.
I read six since the last time I checked in (not including the six books I read for the CWA BOTY contest). I read in a few genres: from Horror (Cynthia’s reimagining of the Pied Piper). Speculative and Science fiction (cloning and space drama). A great film study of one of my favorite movies, The Thing. A thrilling story about a diver that gets swallowed by a whale, and Seth Godin (marketing, leadership and living a creative life). These were some great reads to take my mind off the tasks at hand.
I read two graphic novel/comic series. I mentioned last time I went to CAKE (Chicago’s Alternative Comics Expo) with Georgia last month and one of the artist/writer I met was Megan, and her Lady Eudora book was a great fun read about a proper woman exploring the world of BDSM. I also read Big Sex Criminal (it’s been in my TBR pile for a year or so)—A couple can stops time when they have an orgasm and decide to rob a bank…
Okay, that’s where I’m at. I’ll try to update y’all every month on books, comics, and music (podcasts) that I’ve been digging! Maybe I need to add shows and movies??? What have y’all been digging?
I’m not sure how I did it, but I read 8 books since the last time I checked in. As you know I didn’t write a couple newsletters, so that’s where the extra time went. LOL. I read in a few genres: from Horror (cordyceps fungus zombies and supernatural revenge), literary fiction, and a healthy dose of Seth Godin (marketing, leadership and living a creative life). These were some great reads to take my mind off the tasks at hand.
Not only did I spend the past three months away from y’all reading novels, I also read 6 graphic novels. Everything from Manga horror, coming of age and a banned book. I also went to CAKE (Chicago’s Alternative Comics Expo with Georgia last month (I’ll be sharing finds from that next newsletter).
I was still digging my monthly subscription to Vinyl Moon. It’s like a mix-tape on vinyl, except they create an experience combining the curated eclectic mix of songs with story telling and artwork. It’s pretty cool and I’m excited to get more editions. ‘
I did do some record digging at a record shop recently, and I’ll share those gems next month.
Podcasts:
Here are the four top podcasts I’ve been finding time for:
Creative Peptalk by Andy J Pizza (A companion for your creative journey)
Akimbo: Seth Godin (a podcast about culture and our place in it)
Story Nerd: Melanie Hill and Valerie Francis (Story theory and how to use)
Okay, that’s where I’m at. I’ll try to update y’all every month on books, comics, and music (podcasts) that I’ve been digging! Maybe I need to add shows and movies??? What have y’all been digging?
I’m on the move. Not physically but digitally. Moving my newsletter from Mailchimp to Substack.
Besides my Rabbit Hole of Research newsletter, Substack will also be home to my podcast, and more regular updates about other creatives, my writing journey and the lessons I learn along the way.
I’ll try to update the blog here with updates as well, but please consider joining me at Substack. Hope to see you there.
After meeting J. D. Butler at MarsCon 2023, he invited me to be part of his February newsletter giveaway. It’s a five book giveaway chance with 5 winners.
The contest runs from February 5th-12th, so get over and sign up (I’m actually sending HARDBACK copies of my novel to the winners).
FIVE WRITERS are banding together to bring you a giveaway of FIVE SIGNED SCIENCE FICTION NOVELS. This drawing will have five winners, and each winner will receive:
A copy of TRAITOR, signed by Drew Avera,
A copy of THE SIGNAL OUT OF SPACE, signed by Mike Jack Stoumbos,
A copy of WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME IF I BECOME SOMEONE ELSE, signed by Jotham Austin, II,
A copy of AVENGER, signed by Blair Howard, and
A copy of ABBOTT IN DARKNESS, signed by D.J. Butler.
Other big news is NWI Comic Con is February 11th, and Georgia (AtomicNumber14) and I will be releasing 2 new Zines, (Episode 4 and 5). One about the science of AI and one about the Birds and the Bees (not those Birds and bees).
Check out the Details here and hopefullly we’ll see you this Saturday (Feb 11th 2023)
I was at a John Streetz Alliance Comic and Craft event at Soundgrowler Brewery in December 2022 and I met Row Sky, among other creators I’ll be taking about over this year.
Row introduced me to the world he is creating through his words and comics. A world where superhero’s are just being discovered and exploited.
Here is what The Jet Saga is all about in Row’s words:
“Kevin is trying to find his self-worth in a world where heroes are now just becoming a thing. While a nation is being divided by inescapable change, Kevin is desperately trying to provoke change within himself.”
Go learn more about Row Sky and his comic at his website (there are trailers and art work).
This was the first book I’ve read in 2023, and it was incredible. And the process and transformation of the idea and themes in the book cross several creative disciplines, Music, Writing, and Art.
The book has its roots in the Music of Drexciya, a Detroit based Techno duo. The story reimagines the horror of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade by posing the question, “What if the descendants of pregnant mothers thrown overboard created an underwater society?” This theme was picked up by Daveed Diggs and his rap group Clipping. The idea was further explored and expanded by author Rivers Solomon in the book, ‘The Deep.” And to keep the idea and world building expanding, Abdul Qadim Haqq created a graphic novel: The Book Of Drexciya Volume One and Two
Back copy excerpt for ‘The Deep’:
“The water-breathing descendants of African slave women tossed overboard have built their own underwater society—and must reclaim the memories of their past to shape their future in this brilliantly imaginative novella inspired by the Hugo Award nominated song “The Deep” from Daveed Diggs’ rap group Clipping.
Yetu holds the memories for her people—water-dwelling descendants of pregnant African slave women thrown overboard by slave owners—who live idyllic lives in the deep. Their past, too traumatic to be remembered regularly, is forgotten by everyone, save one—the historian. This demanding role has been bestowed on Yetu.
Yetu remembers for everyone, and the memories, painful and wonderful, traumatic and terrible and miraculous, are destroying her. And so, she flees to the surface, escaping the memories, the expectations, and the responsibilities—and discovers a world her people left behind long ago.
Yetu will learn more than she ever expected to about her own past—and about the future of her people. If they are all to survive, they’ll need to reclaim the memories, reclaim their identity—and own who they really are.
Inspired by a song produced by the rap group Clipping for the This American Life episode “We Are In The Future,” The Deep is vividly original and uniquely affecting.
Dialogue: The Art of Verbal Action for Page, Stage, and Screen
I am continuing my journey and deep dive into the theory of story, and after focusing on structure, I am moving to dialogue.
Backcopy: ”Now, in Dialogue, McKee offers the same in-depth analysis for how characters speak on the screen, on the stage, and on the page in believable and engaging ways. From Macbeth to Breaking Bad, McKee deconstructs key scenes to illustrate the strategies and techniques of dialogue. Dialogue applies a framework of incisive thinking to instruct the prospective writer on how to craft artful, impactful speech.”
No new Podcast to report: Still catching up on them all!
But on the Music Front, there have been several mentions in this post already, Drexciya, and Clipping, but I was gifted a subscription to Vinyl Moon by my lovely wife Georgia (atomicnumber14). And I did some organizing.
Vinyl Moon is like a mix tape on vinyl, but they create a multimedia experience, Art, Story and Music. I am excited to get new additions every month.
Also, I spent organizing my vinyl collection. I used my woodworking skill and laser engraver to make dividers for my LPs. I will do the same for the hundreds of 45s that I have. Maybe I need to get a jukebox.
Okay, that’s where I’m at. I’ll try to update y’all every month on books, comics, and music (podcasts) that I’ve been digging! I’ll try to add some indie author reads!
Email me and let me know what you’ve been into and what I should check out! Or follow me online for more realtime updates: Jotham’s Social Links
