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[00:00:00]
Peter B: Quick, name seven famous sevens.
Amanda: 007, does that count?
Peter B: That's one.
Amanda: Oh, um, there are seven days of the week?
Peter B: Good one.
Amanda: Okay, uh, okay, I'm gonna go totally Disney on this one. Seven dwarves.
Peter B: Good one.
Amanda: But also Disney, not really Disney, but it triggered, uh, seven deadly sins.
Peter B: Yes, that counts, totally counts.
Amanda: Seven up? Okay. Okay. Uh, seven oceans, seven seas, something like that?
Peter B: Seven oceans? Seven seas? Yeah, seven seas.
Amanda: The biggest one will have to be seven wonders of the world?
Peter B: The seven wonders of the world. Right?
Amanda: So, what does the number 7 have to do with being more cultured and curious?
PeterB: I thought you'd never ask. Seven has always been such a mysterious number, tied to many religions, but nowhere more than Judaism and Christianity. Seven is God's perfect number. It symbolizes completeness . Seven days of creation.
The city of Jericho was circled seven times. Peter should forgive seventy [00:01:00] times seventy. It's everywhere. Why seven? Countless psychological experiments have shown that, on average, the longest sequence a normal person can recall on the fly contains about seven items.
This limit, which psychologists dubbed the magic number seven when they discovered it in the 1950s, is the typical capacity of what's called the brain's working memory, otherwise known as short term memory.
Hey everyone, welcome to sort of sophisticated, a podcast rooted in becoming more cultured and curious where we endeavor to suspend judgment, expand our worldview, and learn to appreciate varying perspectives and values, but really it's a show where we hope to enlighten anyone who cares on topics that might make them more interesting and well versed humans and just dangerous enough to hold their own in this sophisticated world, sort of.
Peter B: And today we'll be tackling the seven wonders of the world, and why they're wonderful. And who decided what to include and what not to include anyway? Which ones are still around today? Where are they located? And finally, what's with [00:02:00] all the different lists? So turn up the volume, listen close, and prepare for sophistication, dear listener.
Sort of. Oh, and our word of the day is Onyric. Our challenge is to work this word into the podcast somewhere and make it seem like we meant to.
Amanda: What does that word even mean?
Peter B: I think it has something to do with dreams. Like, that movie has oniric imagery.
Amanda: Okay.
Peter B: I'm not sure.
Amanda: Well, good luck with that one.
Peter B: So first, let's clear up some confusion. When someone's talking about the seven wonders of the world, they could be talking about a few different things. For one, they could be talking about the seven natural wonders of the world, which are always under dispute because there is no one body that governs all the stuff like this.
And two, they could be talking about the seven modern wonders of the world, which is where we'll be focusing much of our podcast today. And three, they may even be talking about the seven ancient wonders of the world, or the OG, in my opinion, the list that [00:03:00] started it all.
Amanda: You know Pete. I didn't even know that there was a difference or that there were three different lists.
So, thanks for making me a little more sophisticated today. But let's see if I can return the favor. Have you heard about the Conqueror app?
Peter B: The Conqueror app?
Amanda: Yep. That one.
Peter B: No, I have no idea what that is.
Amanda: So it's really cool. It's this app that opens the door to exploring the seven wonders virtually. Oh yeah. And so you get to either walk or for people who like to jog like you, um, you basically join a challenge that is one of the seven wonders and then you jog or walk the amount of miles that it would take to get through that wonder. And then at the end of it, you actually get a running medal
Peter B: A real medal that's the coolest thing ever
Amanda: It's pretty fun.
And you get to learn about all these places. I love watching it get
Peter B: everybody get the conqueror app. Let's go Let's buzz through the list and give you just enough info to make you dangerous and pretend Like you know what you're gonna be talking about. Let's kick things off with the seven [00:04:00] natural wonders as their namesake suggests The natural wonders are extraordinary and exceptional features found in the natural world, often characterized by their uniqueness or scale.
These wonders include geological, formations, landscapes, ecosystems, or other phenomena shaped by natural processes over time, there's no universally agreed upon list of natural wonders, but various organizations and initiatives have recognized and celebrated remarkable natural features. Let's review. The most widely recognized seven.
So number one, Victoria Falls. We've all seen our fair share of rainbows, right? Some of us may even found our pot of gold, but did you know that the first of the seven natural wonders of the world, Victoria Falls is one of the few places in the world where it's possible to see a moon bow. Yeah, that's a real thing. It's the only place on earth that experiences 365 days of rain and while getting to Victoria Falls along the Zambezi River on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe isn't easy Who [00:05:00] wouldn't want to see one of the rarest natural phenomena in the world where powerful cascades of water plunge 350 feet straight down moving 17 billion with a B cubic feet of water per minute No wonder it's a wonder It's so powerful, in fact, that in 2013, it swept away an entire herd of elephants, never to be heard from again.
Get it? Heard?
Amanda: Oh my gosh, Peter. The dad jokes. I know, how hilarious. It's so good.
Peter B: Okay.
Amanda: But that's a lot of water.
Peter B: Right?
Amanda: I also had a friend who went to go try to see the moonbow. And paid a lot of money to go. Didn't see it.
Peter B: Yeah. I think there's another one somewhere in Kentucky that's closer. We'd have to do another podcast on it.
I know. So just, just wait for it. All right. Number two, the Great Barrier Reef, the gem of Australia people, the Great Barrier Reef is both breathtakingly beautiful and ecologically important. A delight for both scuba divers and [00:06:00] sunbathers, the world's largest coral reef contains over 10 percent of the entire Earth's fish species in one single place.
That is nuts. It includes over 900 islands, 3, 000 separate reefs, which all make up their own separate ecosystem, and a plethora of marine life. of Oniric and Diverse Marine Life. Dreamy and Diverse Marine Life.
Amanda: All right, all right, I'll give it to you.
Peter B: Dun dun dun!
Amanda: You get that one.
Peter B: The reef provides a home for 700 species of coral, 1, 600 species of fish, 160 species of sharks, whales, dolphins, and rays, and includes six different species of turtle, covering 133, 000 square miles.
The Great Barrier Reef is larger than the United Kingdom, Holland, and Switzerland combined. And, fun fact, it's actually visible from space.
Amanda: That's incredible. It's definitely on my [00:07:00] bucket list.
Peter B: It's gotta be. I've never been there. Number three. The Grand Canyon. Like apple pie and the 4th of July fireworks, the Grand Canyon is an iconic symbol of America. Every year, over 6 million people visit the famed Arizona attraction to take in its magnificent landscape. Carved by the Colorado River, the 6 million year old Grand Canyon stretches over
Amanda: 227 miles long and 18 miles wide.
Do you know why I know that, Peter?
Peter B: I don't.
Amanda: Because the Conqueror app.
Peter B: Did you hike 227, 000 miles?
Amanda: I mean, I did select that one as one of my
Peter B: 227, 000 miles? 227 miles.
Amanda: 227, yeah, it's one of my badges, but I have it.
Peter B: Good for you.
Amanda: Got my medal yet.
Peter B: But what's so cool about the Grand Canyon anyway? Its size. The Grand Canyon is bigger than the state of Rhode Island by over 700 square miles.
The North and South Rims are only 10 miles apart, but driving between them takes around 5 hours due to its unique topography. And would you believe the temperature difference between the top and bottom of the canyon can vary 25 degrees at any given moment?
And for any [00:08:00] hobbit fans out there who remember where Bilbo encountered Gollum for the first time, only 350 of the Grand Canyon's estimated 1, 000 caves have ever even been explored.
Peter B: I wonder what's down there.
Amanda: Wait, but wasn't the Hobbit filmed in New Zealand?
Peter B: Technically it was filmed in New Zealand. They encountered Gollum in an undiscovered cave in the Misty Mountains, which technically is in Middle Earth, which is even part of our Earth.
Amanda: Well, one, didn't even know that, and two, just realized how much of a Hobbit nerd you are.
Peter B: I'm a total Hobbit nerd. Number four, Mount Everest. Thrilling, awe inspiring, and unforgiving are words often used to describe The incredible Mount Everest, referred to as Saigarmatha in Nepal, and I can't even say it, Cholmolungma in Tibet. I'm butchering that. This legendary site is over 29, 000 feet tall, about the size of 20 Empire State buildings.
To give you some perspective, that's over five miles high. Conquering Mount Everest remains one of the world's greatest feats. [00:09:00] Despite a steep price of about 75, 000, hundreds of people attempt to climb the summit every year. Of these, only around 3, 000 have ever succeeded, and 300 have died trying to climb it.
Amanda: That's mind blowing that people actually survive.
Peter B: It's kind of wind blowing. Touche. Right? Touche. Amen. It's awesome. All right. Number five. Perry Kooten. Pericutin is a volcano located in Michoacan, Mexico, 200 miles west of Mexico City, though not the largest or most active volcano. Pericutin is special because it was the first volcano whose birth was actually witnessed and recorded by humans.
It also happens to be one of the world's youngest volcanoes. Pericutin emerged from a cornfield owned by a local farmer, growing to nearly 500 feet in just under a week. Scientists and Tourists quickly flocked to see this natural wonder, which erupted for 19 years and ended up growing over 1300 feet [00:10:00] tall.
It all started on February 20th, 1943. And when it first emerged, it became a pop culture sensation, before cell phones even existed. Would you believe that airlines would divert flights from Los Angeles down to Mexico City just to showcase the volcano to its passengers?
Amanda: I guess they'd do anything to earn a dollar. Detouring flights?
Peter B: Yeah, but it was like 1943. So that's kind of cool. Like now, we'd be like, oh, whatever, get me to where I want to go. But in 1943?
Amanda: Guess so.
Peter B: That'd be pretty awesome.
Amanda: Yeah. Okay.
Peter B: I'd be interested. Number six.
The harbor of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It's easy to see why this harbor makes the list of greatest natural wonders. The balloon shaped bay, formed by erosion from the Atlantic Ocean, is home to majestic mountains and blissful beaches. Iconic sites such as Copacabana and Ipanema, Sugarloaf Mountain, and Christ the Redeemer statue can all be found here.
In fact, Charles Darwin, who visited it in 1832 and by that time had seen almost everything, was so impressed with the harbor's beauty that he claimed it appeared [00:11:00] unreal and otherworldly.
Amanda: Do you think that was the day he decided to believe in Jesus?
Peter B: I think, based on the number of thong bikinis he saw in Brazil, is why he decided to believe in Jesus.
Amanda: Alright.
Peter B: Yeah. Okay.
Amanda: In 1832.
Peter B: That's really why it's a natural wonder. Finally, number seven, and my favorite, Aurora Borealis. Unlike the other natural wonders, the Aurora Borealis can be seen from many parts of the world, including Alaska, Iceland, and Finland. It's a natural light display in the polar regions caused by the interaction of charged particles with the Earth's atmosphere.
Many travelers visit these polar regions with the hopes of catching nature's incredible, but very unpredictable, dancing light show. Winter is prime viewing season, and the higher the latitude, the more likely you are to see them. But did you know that the Earth isn't the only planet with Aurora Borealis?
The mystical phenomenon occurs throughout our solar system, appearing on Jupiter, Neptune, Saturn, and believe it or not, [00:12:00] Uranus. The Northern Lights can also fly pretty far south under the right conditions. In times of high solar activity, they've been spotted in places as far south as Oklahoma and Georgia.
Fun fact, they even made an appearance in Virginia during the Civil War, lighting the sky at the Battle of Fredericksburg.
Amanda: That's a wrap then, right? That was 7 for all the natural wonders of the world. Or at least the most recognized ones on the internet, but there are a few runner ups worth noting, right?
You have the Amazon River in South America.
Peter B: Good one.
Amanda: Iguazu Falls. In Argentina.
Peter B: Love Iguazu Falls.
Amanda: Ha Long Bay in Vietnam. Table Mountain in South Africa. And Jeju and Komodo Islands in South Korea and Indonesia respectively.
All worth putting on your bucket list and getting on a plane at some point.
Peter B: That's like 14 places we'd have to go.
Amanda: It's true.
Peter B: That's awesome. I don't know if I got, I don't have the cash .
Amanda: I'm still terrified of flying. So there's that.
Peter B: Benadryl.
Amanda: Fair. Well, alright, enough of this natural crap and let's jump into some modern wonders of the world.
Peter B: Let's [00:13:00] go! Alright, the Seven Modern Wonders refer to a list of architectural and engineering marvels that were determined through a global poll conducted by the New Seven Wonders Foundation. The initiative aimed to update the ancient Seven Wonders of the world and highlight remarkable structures built in the contemporary era.
Let's note that this list is not universally accepted, like I said earlier, but it's the most widely recognized. Alright, number one, the Great Wall of China. It's the longest man made structure ever built. At 13, 200 miles long, the wall took 200 years to build. It was erected to protect China from attacks from the Mongolians and Turks.
But between natural erosion and tourism, the wall is in a state of rapid decline. Because of its huge size, it's nearly impossible to maintain the entire wall. Most of the original wall doesn't exist anymore, and it's constantly being restored and rebuilt. Even though efforts are being made to preserve it, there's no saying how long this impressive structure will stay standing, so get over there to see it.
Alright, number two, Petra. Believe it or not, that [00:14:00] impressive ancient city that you saw in Indiana Jones and The Last Crusade, it's a real place.
I know. Built somewhere around the 5th century, Petra is located in Jordan. It's a massive city built into sandstone that was once home to around 10, 000 people. Ancient citizens of Petra were incredibly skilled in harvesting rainwater, agriculture, and stone carvings. The latter is represented by its 800 buildings, tombs, baths, temples, and arched gateways within Petra that were mainly carved all from that stone. But rain has severely damaged its architecture through the years, and while Petra is still standing, we just don't know for how long.
Amanda: It sounds like everything's just, uh, crumbling.
Peter B: It is. That's why we updated the list. Because the ancient wonders ain't around anymore. So at least these ones are still sort of available. Number three, the Colosseum. It's located in the heart of ancient Rome. It's one of the, it's one of Italy's most visited tourist attractions.
Everybody knows the Colosseum. Dating back to around 70 A. D., this structure remains the largest amphitheater in the world. Admittedly, the history of the Colosseum is totally brutal, impressive as it is. It was [00:15:00] built by tens of thousands of slaves. Piece by piece of stone and concrete. It seated 50, 000 spectators who watched combats, animal hunts and even naval battles.
Many of the events at the amphitheater were free with costs covered by the emperor in order to gain support and popularity from his citizens. What many people don't know is that there were several underground rooms and passages below where both the animals and gladiators were held before the events.
And as of 2021, you can now visit that underground area that used to be off limits to public.
Amanda: I'm really jealous that they reopened it, because when we went, it was closed.
Peter B: Yeah, same, same. I went in like 1988. That wasn't allowed down there.
Amanda: Huh. Yeah. I went in 2008.
Peter B: Well, you're a lot cooler and younger than me.
Number four, Chichen Itza, this primitive Mayan city is located on Mexico's Yucatan peninsula. While it's a popular tourist attraction, more amazingly, it's still an active archeological site with new discoveries still being made to this day. [00:16:00] It's estimated that Chichen Itza was built between the 9th and 12th century to be used to track celestial events and perform other rituals.
When it was an active city, it had the most diverse mind population, with around 50, 000 inhabitants. Many residents were skilled sculptors, weavers, jewelers, and potters, and so no wonder new historical relics are still being unearthed here to this day.
Amanda: We went it's phenomenal.
Peter B: Number five. Machu Picchu. I love that one.
This old Inca citadel located in the Andes Mountains in Peru is surrounded by mystery. Constructed in the mid 1400s, Machu Picchu went undiscovered until 1911. 500 years. Even the Spanish conquistadors who decimated the Inca Empire never came close to finding it.
The construction of Machu Picchu is mind blowing in itself. It was built with granite rocks, some weighing over 55 tons. It's believed that the stones were either pushed up the mountain by pure manpower, or chiseled directly from the side of the [00:17:00] mountain.
Amanda: It's crazy.
Peter B: It's nuts.
Amanda: Either way.
Peter B: If you ever visit this Inca wonder, you'll find that it's made up of over 150 buildings and 600 terraces to stop the structure from falling down the mountain.
Unfortunately, the Incas didn't keep documented records, which leaves the true purpose of Machu Picchu a lost secret. It had a population of under a thousand inhabitants and was only occupied for about a hundred years before it was abandoned. It's believed it was left behind due to an outbreak of smallpox, but nobody really knows for sure.
Amanda: Only a thousand people population created that.
Peter B: I know.
Amanda: It's amazing.
Peter B: It's, it's, it's nuts. People were way more resourceful we're lazy.
Number six. The Taj Mahal Mausoleum. The Taj Mahal is India's most popular attraction. This marble monument was commissioned in 1632 by the mughal Emperor Shah Jahanet as a tomb for his favorite wife Mumtaz Mahal. I probably butchered that. The construction took just over 20 years to [00:18:00] complete. It took about 20, 000 artisans as well as a thousand elephants to help with the transport of all the heavy materials.
Amanda: It's crazy.
Peter B: The Taj Mahal wasn't just oniric, but, I'm so good at this now, but cleverly built too. For example, it was designed so that everything would fall away from the tomb in the event of a collapse. Even though this elaborate crypt was built for the emperor's beloved wife, her actual grave is the only thing that's not decorated.
Amanda: Confession. I didn't actually know the Taj Mahal was a mausoleum.
Peter B: Totally right. Everybody thinks it's this massive palace, but really it's a
Amanda: Yeah. Crypt.
Peter B: Number seven. Christ the Redeemer. We were just talking about Christ. Well, not Christ. We were talking about Rio de Janeiro is one of the natural wonders, but Christ the Redeemer is the most recently built modern wonder.
And it's the statue of Christ on Mount Corcovado in Rio de Janeiro. So that's got like two reasons to [00:19:00] go right to see Rio de Janeiro, just like the harbor itself and Christ the Redeemer. It took five years to build and was completed in 1931, sort of recently. Inspiration for the statue was drawn from fear among Catholics, who were worried that the nation was increasing in godlessness.
Yeah, leave it to the Catholics. After the local engineer finalized the design, he headed to France where he found a local sculptor to create the piece. The statue ended up being nearly 100 feet tall and made up of clay pieces which were then shipped from France to Brazil to be remade with reinforced concrete.
Concrete was one of the few things strong enough to support the sculpture of such size, but it had to be adorned with something more ornate in order to look, like, way more presentable. So they decided to cover the concrete with six million stones of tile. The workers who made the tiles would often write on the back, so the statue is actually covered with secret messages and notes that may never, ever be seen again, unless you break them off.
Amanda: That's pretty rad.
Peter B: I thought so. [00:20:00]
Amanda: So, while the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World may have been lost to time, the current Seven Wonders of the World are a testament to the incredible achievements of human civilization.
Peter B: Amen to that, sista.
Amanda: From the Great Wall of China to Peru's mysterious Machu Picchu.
These wonders continue to captivate and inspire people from all over the globe. So if you're ever in the mood for some awe inspiring sightseeing, be sure to add these modern wonders to your travel bucket list.
Peter B: Just keep adding to the bucket list. Alright, so finally let's review the seven ancient wonders that we've sort of been hinting at the whole time.
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World is a list of remarkable constructions of classical antiquity. These structures were considered extraordinary achievements of architecture, engineering, and artistry. However, only one of these wonders, the Great Pyramid of Giza, still exists today. Here's a list of the seven ancient wonders. The one you all know are the Great Pyramids of Giza, located in Giza, Egypt and constructed during the reign of Pharaoh Khufu in the 26th century BC.
The Great Pyramid is the only wonder that has survived to the present day, [00:21:00] so I suggest you see that one. It was built as a tomb for the pharaoh and is part of a complex that includes three pyramids. The other six are all crypts or mausoleums or tributes as well. You have the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
You have the statue of Zeus located in Greece, you have the temple of Artemis, and the mausoleum at Hali Karnassus, both in Turkey, present day Turkey, the Colossus of Rhodes, in Greece, and then finally the lighthouse of Alexandria located in Alexandria, Egypt. All of them were built B. C., right? that's why they've updated the list to the modern wonders, because these guys aren't available anymore.
While these wonders no longer exist in their original form, their historical significance and the marvel they inspire continue to captivate people's imagination to this day.
As we wrap up our discussion about the wonders of the world, it's important to reflect on their significance.
The natural wonders represent some of the most exotic places that represent our Earth's beauty and grandeur. And both the modern and ancient wonders tell the stories [00:22:00] of the human imagination and technical aptitude, and how civilians left their marks on our world and culture.
Amanda: All right, Pete. That was awesome. I never knew so many different lists existed and that so many are still in dispute because there are so many awesome things to see in this world. I love it. But this wouldn't be worth listening unless there were some fun facts. So you best have some ready for me or I'm gonna walk out right now.
Peter B: Ow! Walking out on me. Aggressive.
Amanda: I chose violence today.
Peter B: Wow aggressive But understandable Because I mean listeners only remember the fun facts anyway, right? Okay, let's go I'm gonna do fun facts about the seven modern wonders of the world like so one for each wonder. Okay
Amanda: Okay.
Peter B: =All right. All right. Here we go. Okay. So the Great Wall of China was built under the rule of Emperor King Sha Huang of the Qing Dynasty took around 20 years to finish But what you didn't know was that it's considered the world's longest cemetery at over 13, 000 miles Long [00:23:00] over a million people died building it and archaeologists have found human remains in the wall Buried under like almost all the different parts of the wall super weird .
Amanda: That's so sad though.
Peter B: Yeah. Yeah million people
Amanda: Super haunted
Peter B: be really respectful. It's got to be haunted. Think of all those ghosts flying around All right Number two Christ The Redeemer is the 100 foot tall statue designed by Silva Costa and sculpted by Paul and Dowski Who doesn't know that right?
Okay, but did you know since it's so tall it's prone to get hit by lightning You In fact, it gets hits like six times a year.
Amanda: That's a lot.
Peter B: Yeah. So 10 years ago, fun, wait, super fun fact. Like I'm adding to the fun fact, super fun fact, like 10 years ago, during the 2014 FIFA world cup, which was played in Brazil, mind you, it was struck by lightning and poor Christ broke one of his thumbs.
Right off. Yes. Coincidence? I don't think so. Because that was the year, if you remember, that Germany like killed [00:24:00] Brazil in the semifinals. 7 to 1. And Germany went on to become champions on Brazil's home soil. So, I don't know. It was fate. It was. I think maybe one of the 13, 000 ghosts of the Great Wall of China.
Okay, number three. Petra. Okay, it's known as the Rose City because it's built out of pink sandstones and uh, I guess a lot of roses are pink. I don't know why it's called the Rose City. But did you know that the Bedouin, like, you know the Bedouin? The Bedouin are like the people that live there. Okay. Yeah, of the Arabian Desert destroyed all of the carvings on the wall of the face of like The whole thing carved into the mountain because they would use it as target practice They would shoot arrows at it and literally just like obliterate pieces of the wall over years And years and so this like priceless thing is just like gone can you imagine that happening today with The Washington Monument or something?
Like, if we were just
Amanda: I mean, just thinking about people shooting
Peter B: sh No, okay. I guess this thing's not important anymore. That's totally sad. [00:25:00] Okay, I would be really sad. It is tragic. Okay. Uh, number four, the Colosseum that was built around 70 A. D. It was used, as I said earlier , for gladiator fights, animal hunts, and even sometimes executions.
But there's evidence, Amanda, that suggests sometimes these killings were outright ridiculous. Some estimates peg killings as high as 10, 000 animals in a single day.
Amanda: That's a lot of animals.
Peter B: 10, 000.
Amanda: Not just like small little rabbits, like we're talking big animals.
Peter B: Math major, do some quick math, right? Like from sunup to sundown, like in 12 hours, 10, 000.
Let's do 10 hours, 10, 000. That's like a thousand animals an hour. That's a lot. I don't, that's like per second. That's crazy. I don't even know what that is per second, but that's insane. okay. Alright, number five. One of the most famous lost cities in the world, Machu
Picchu, was built in 1450 and was abandoned a hundred years after that, if you were listening to the podcast at all.
But, did you know it was home to the first World Cup soccer match ever played in Peru?
Amanda: No.
Peter B: Just [00:26:00] kidding. But that would be an awesome fun fact! Okay, so, Peru is earthquake country, just like California, and it's located in, uh, what you call the Pacific Rim of Fire. And it was literally built between two fault lines, like right between them.
But Inca engineers were already aware of this back in 1450 and made sure they built the shit out of Machu Picchu. So, first of all, do you know 60 percent of it's in the ground? 60 percent of the structure's in the ground, 40 percent comes out of the ground, yes. And the stones are cut so tightly that you can't even fit a needle between the spaces in between.
Amanda: Wow.
Peter B: Go Incas. That's ingenious. I know. Right? Where are they today? As we have freeways falling down. Right? And buildings collapsing. Like, where are the Incas? Get them back. All right, number six. Chichen Itza. Translates to at the mouth of the well of Itza. And we know it's believed to be the largest Mayan city ever built.
But, it was built in such a unique fashion. If you clap once I haven't done this. But you've been there. Tell me if you've done this. If you clap once from one end of the ball court, the sound [00:27:00] will reverberate and create nine echoes in the center of the court. Dude, that's like a ton of echoes. Like, when I do echo I get like four or five echoes.
Most echoes I ever get. I don't get nine echoes.
Amanda: Echo, echo, echo.
Peter B: Can you imagine? I get kind of bored. I get ADD on nine echoes. Right? That's a lot. That's a lot of echoes.
Amanda: No, I did not do it.
Peter B: You didn't do it? No. Oh, all right, fine. All right . And finally, one of the most glorious displays of love in history was, of course, the Taj Mahal, built by Emperor Shah Jahan in honor of his late wife. But, Amanda, love comes at a cost. And legend has it, upon its completion, the Emperor had every worker's hands cut off, so they could not recreate the design somewhere else.
Amanda: I can't. No. Yeah. I mean, that's, that's a lot. That's commitment.
Peter B: Love makes you do some crazy things.
Amanda: I guess so.
Peter B: Yes. Huh. Alright, there you have it. Seven fun facts for seven wonders.
Amanda: I like it.
Peter B: Beautiful.
Amanda: Pete, while this has been fun and all, can you sum it up for me here?
What [00:28:00] real world crap can we really take away from this podcast that is actually meaningful?
Peter B: Probably nothing. But here's how I think we work this all in. So first, pick your favorite wonder from each section. Or, just pick one from one section. Second, at your next social function, after you've introduced yourself to somebody, ask them about any interesting places they visited or plan on visiting.
Where are you going to vacation to next? Third, listen in faint interest, ask a few pertinent questions without looking like a total idiot. Fourth, wait for a timely break in the conversation and tell them, you really want to visit, insert wonder here. So for instance, Hey, Amanda. I'd really like to visit the Pyramids of Giza.
Then finally share the same interesting and relevant details that we shared about your favorite wonder to explain why you plan on visiting it, in order to seem sort of sophisticated.
Amanda: And there you have it [00:29:00] folks, Seven Wonders. Countless years and more wow moments than your grandma's holiday photo album. We'd like to think we've shared just enough information to make you either a flaming nuisance or a little more sophisticated to your fellow humans, sort of.
Whether you're standing in awe at the pyramids, double checking your GPS at the Hanging Gardens, or just trying to figure out how the heck the Colossus of Rhodes managed to straddle a harbor without anyone getting a colossal foot to the face, we'd Remember, The Real Wonder is how we managed to get through this entire episode with only one Indiana Jones reference.
If you enjoyed this episode and found it particularly interesting, don't forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share with your peeps. Until next time, keep wandering, and maybe one day you'll find your own eighth wonder of the world, like the mystery of where all your socks go in that laundry machine.
