The Strange Birth of the Jesus Machine
Summary
This episode of The Box of Oddities explores two bizarre historical and modern phenomena. First, it details John Murray Spear’s 1850s attempt to build a “Jesus machine” using spiritualism and electricity, which he believed would be born as a living being. Second, it covers the Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival, a quirky conservation event where divers listen to music broadcast through underwater speakers to protect coral reefs.
Topics discussed
Sponsors: Indeed Sponsored Jobs and Nesquik
Intro: Thunderstorm and Robert Stack celebrity couple
The Jesus Machine: Spiritualism and electricity in the 1850s
John Murray Spear and the Association of Electrisers
The ritual birth of the New Motive Power machine
The mob destroys the machine and Spear's legacy
Sponsors: Quince clothing and Zenni glasses
The Poison Gardens of Alnwick
Sponsors: Toyota and StreetEasy
Lower Keys Underwater Music Festival
Coral biology, bleaching, and conservation efforts
Banjo Trout jokes and unused scuba gear
Outro: Request for reviews and subscription
Sponsor: Carvana
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