Tail End
Summary
This episode explores two historical anecdotes: Heinrich Schliemann’s reckless excavation of Troy, which confirmed the city's location but destroyed the very layers he sought to find, and the 1902 Hanoi rat bounty, where colonial incentives led Vietnamese residents to farm rats for profit. These stories illustrate how flawed assumptions and perverse incentives can undermine even well-intentioned efforts.
Topics discussed
Sponsor: UnitedHealthcare
Show Intro and Host Introduction
The Iliad and the Search for Troy
Heinrich Schliemann's Excavation
Dynamite Digging and the Gold Discovery
The Myth of King Priam's Treasure
Archaeological Errors and Troy II
Sponsor: EpGliss for Eczema
Sponsor: Before the Moment with Niall Rogers
French Indochina and the Rat Problem
The 1902 Plague Outbreak in Hanoi
The Rat Catching Bounty System
Tailless Rats and Human Ingenuity
Rat Farming and the Failed Incentive
Lessons on Incentives and Colonialism
Outro and Credits
Sponsor: EpGliss for Eczema (Repeat)
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