24: An 18th Century Robot That…Played Chess??

24: An 18th Century Robot That…Played Chess??

Wolfgang von Kempelen was unimpressed. Empress Maria Theresa had invited him to attend a magic show, hoping he’d tell her how the tricks worked. Instead, he told her – and everyone else in her court – that the tricks just plain sucked. He claimed he could do better. Stunned, Maria gave him six months off work to create something that would dazzle her court. So, six months later, Wolfgang von Kempelen showed up with what he claimed was an automaton chess playing machine. It would soon become known simply as “The Turk.” People were amazed. A machine that could play chess???

The Turk soon developed a life of its own.

Remember, kids, history hoes always cite their sources! For this episode, Kristin pulled from:
The book, “The Turk: The life and Times of the Famous 19th Century Chess-Playing Machine,” by Tom Standage
“How a phony 18th-century chess robot fooled the world,” by Evan Andrews for History.com
“The mechanical chess player that unsettled the world,” by Ella Morton for Slate.com
“Debunking the Mechanical Turk helped set Edgar Allan Poe on the path to mystery writing,” by Kat Eschner for Smithsonian Magazine
“The Mechanical Turk: AI Marvel or Parlor Trick,” Britannica
“Turkish Gambit,” by Dick Teresi for The New York Times

Are you enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Then please leave us a 5-star rating and review wherever you listen to podcasts!

Are you *really* enjoying An Old Timey Podcast? Well, calm down, history ho! You can get more of us on Patreon at patreon.com/oldtimeypodcast. At the $5 level, you’ll get a monthly bonus episode (with video!), access to our 90’s style chat room, plus the entire back catalog of bonus episodes from Kristin’s previous podcast, Let’s Go To Court.

Episoder(89)

81: Blinded By The Spite: The Richardson Spite House

81: Blinded By The Spite: The Richardson Spite House

Spite Houses: The architectural equivalent of a middle finger. They’re structures or dwellings designed specifically to piss someone off. This week, Norm does a deep dive into a truly ridiculous spite...

19 Nov 20251h 47min

80: Grandma Gatewood Keeps on Walking (Part 3)

80: Grandma Gatewood Keeps on Walking (Part 3)

It had been exhausting. It had been challenging. But Emma Gatewood refused to give up on her dream to solo thru-hike the Appalachian Trail. So? She kept going. As she hiked, media outlets chronicled h...

12 Nov 20251h 26min

79: Grandma Gatewood Hikes the Appalachian Trail (Part 2)

79: Grandma Gatewood Hikes the Appalachian Trail (Part 2)

Emma Gatewood was embarrassed. Her first attempt at solo hiking the Appalachian Trail had been a disaster. But she was nothing if not determined. So, Emma tried again. On her second attempt, the 67-ye...

5 Nov 20251h 28min

78: Grandma Gatewood Takes One Hell of a Walk (Part 1)

78: Grandma Gatewood Takes One Hell of a Walk (Part 1)

When Emma Gatewood set off on the Appalachian Trail, she didn’t look like much of a hiker. She was 67 years old. She wore a pair of Keds. She had no training. But she figured that wouldn’t matter. An ...

29 Okt 20251h 29min

77: The Ann & Abby Feud Goes Intergenerational (Part 4)

77: The Ann & Abby Feud Goes Intergenerational (Part 4)

In the final episode of our series on Ann Landers and Dear Abby, the feud reached new heights when Abby fell victim to a “gotcha” moment on Charlie Rose. (Who woulda guessed?) Afterward, she agreed to...

22 Okt 20251h 38min

76: Bad Blood: Ann Landers, Dear Abby Feud Goes Public (Part 3)

76: Bad Blood: Ann Landers, Dear Abby Feud Goes Public (Part 3)

For a few years, the feud between twin sisters Ann Landers and Dear Abby was an industry secret. That changed in 1958, when Life Magazine printed a story that exposed the rivalry. In the article, Abby...

15 Okt 20251h 31min

75: Advice Column Rivals: Dear Abby and Ann Landers (Part 2)

75: Advice Column Rivals: Dear Abby and Ann Landers (Part 2)

Ann Landers was thrilled. She’d just landed a job as the new syndicated advice columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times. Her new role gave Ann something to call her own. Then, just three months later, her ...

8 Okt 20251h 21min

74: Family Feud: Dear Abby vs. Ann Landers (Part 1)

74: Family Feud: Dear Abby vs. Ann Landers (Part 1)

For decades, Dear Abby and Ann Landers were the undisputed queens of advice columns. They had millions of loyal readers. They were celebrated public figures. Their columns stood out for being sassy, s...

1 Okt 20251h 29min

Populært innen Humor

papaya
rss-spartsklubben
harm-og-hegseth
enkel-servering
tusvik-tnne
storefri-med-mikkel-og-herman
tore-og-haralds-podkast
folk-flest-med-linn-og-nils
topp-3-med-wold-og-fladseth
rss-nesten-hele-uka-med-lepperod
misjonen-med-antonsen-og-golden
wolfgang-wee-uncut
rss-snorre-med-gaute
hanna-de-heldige
verdens-verste
rss-det-alle-snakker-om-med-siri-og-kim
jan-thomas-og-einar-blir-venner
gutta-backer
rss-dannet-uten-piano
rss-dette-ma-aldri-skje-igjen