Weight of the World
Summary
This episode explores how Stetson Kennedy used a Superman radio storyline to expose the Ku Klux Klan’s corruption, significantly reducing their influence in the 1940s. It also details the history of Le Grand K, the physical kilogram prototype that mysteriously lost mass over time, leading to its replacement by a definition based on the Planck constant.
Topics discussed
Sponsor: She's Birdie Birdie Box
Introduction to Cabinet of Curiosities
Stetson Kennedy's hatred of the KKK
Infiltrating the Klan and exposing their racket
Collaborating with Superman radio show
The Clan of the Fiery Cross storyline
Impact on KKK membership and public perception
The Le Grand K kilogram artifact
History of standardizing the kilogram
Discovery that the kilogram was shrinking
Redefining mass using the Planck constant
Outro and Patreon promotion
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