World’s Fairs: A Legacy of Weirdness and Innovation

<p class="p1">What do touchscreens, electrical outlets, color televisions, and fax machines have in common? They were all revolutionary technological breakthroughs that debuted at World’s Fairs. Also from World’s Fairs: powdered root beer, portable bathtubs, and Elektro the Smoking Robot. Hey, they can’t all be winners. </p> <p class="p1">This week, join the guys for a grand tour of the most sensational hits and misses from the storied history of International Expositions. </p> <p class="p3">~</p> <p>Support the show by becoming a Midnight Minion, Menace, or Maniac, and unlock exclusive bonus content over at <a href='https://www.patreon.com/mffi?fan_landing=true'>PATREON</a></p> <p>~</p> <p>Join the MFFI community and vote on episode topics via <a href='https://discord.gg/4KUWbgj4PN'>DISCORD</a></p> <p>~</p> <p>In this episode:  </p> <ul><li class="p1">Fairs vs. Expositions</li> <li class="p1">Prague in 1791</li> <li class="p1">France in 1798 et al</li> <li class="p1">The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park (<a href='https://www.royalparks.org.uk/whats-on/the-great-exhibition-virtual-tour'>https://www.royalparks.org.uk/whats-on/the-great-exhibition-virtual-tour</a>)</li> <li class="p1">Monkey Closets and George Jennings</li> <li class="p1">Thomas Crapper</li> <li class="p1">Spending a Penny</li> <li class="p1">The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All Nations</li> <li class="p1">Prince Albert</li> <li class="p1">Karl Marx, Shade Thrower</li> <li class="p1">Schweppes </li> <li class="p1">The Mountain of Light</li> <li class="p1">Cyrus McCormick's Steam-Powered Reaping Machine</li> <li class="p1">The Fax Machine</li> <li class="p1">Leeches and the Tempest Prognosticator</li> <li class="p1">Charles Hobbes and the Parautoptic Lock</li> <li class="p1">Linus Yale</li> <li class="p1">The Bureau Internationale De Expositions</li> <li class="p1">Specialized Expos, World Expos, Horticultural Expos, and the Milan Triennial</li> <li class="p1">Donald Rumsfeld and the Known Unknowns</li> <li cl