Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities

Episode: "52 Hertz"
Date: November 27, 2025
Host: Aaron Mahnke

Overview

In this episode, Aaron Mahnke brings listeners two deeply intriguing tales centered around the themes of myth, nature, and misunderstood isolation. The first story explores the living legend and enduring power of Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess, and her role in shaping both land and culture. The second story investigates the mysterious “52 Hertz Whale”—an unmatched voice in the ocean whose uniqueness has led to global fascination and poignant reflections on loneliness. Both tales invite listeners to question the boundaries between fact and superstition, nature and humanity.

Story 1: Pele, Goddess of Volcanoes (00:38–05:36)

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Pele’s Origins and Mythology:

  • Pele, the volcano goddess, journeyed from Tahiti seeking a home, chased by her sister, the goddess of the sea. After a series of trials and displacements across the Hawaiian islands, she settles in Mount Kilauea—"a volcano that remains active to this day."
  • She is seen as both creator and destroyer, a force restoring fertility through volcanic soil but also bringing devastation with her eruptions.

• Cultural Impact & Living Myth:

  • Pele is “one of the few whose power is still alive, so still worth fearing” (02:04).
  • Modern eruptions—like those that paused only as recently as August 2025—demonstrate the ongoing relevance of her legend.

• The Curse of Pele:

  • A popular warning persists: "If anyone takes any lava rocks from the national park, you will invoke Pele's curse and bad luck will follow you back to the mainland" (03:18).
  • Park rangers report tourists returning rocks and sand by mail, apologizing for removing them, and stories abound of ensuing misfortune.

• Roots of the Curse:

  • The warning likely emerged in the 1940s as a means by locals (and tour bus drivers) to cultivate respect among tourists for the land.
  • “Whether you believe in Pele's Curse is up to you. A volcano doesn't care if you believe in it or not. All it cares about is reshaping the world one eruption at a time. And that is the true power of Pele.” (05:25)

Notable Quotes and Moments

• "Ancient gods are more than just superstitions. They reflect how people of the past felt about the lands they lived in." – Aaron Mahnke (00:39)
• "Of all the gods and goddesses of the ancient world, Pele is one of the few whose power is still alive, so still worth fearing." – Aaron Mahnke (02:04)
• "It’s become a crucial, if irritating, part of working at Volcanoes National Park... thousands of pounds of volcanic rock and sand are returned every year." – Aaron Mahnke (04:08)
• “A volcano doesn’t care if you believe in it or not. All it cares about is reshaping the world one eruption at a time. And that is the true power of Pele.” – Aaron Mahnke (05:25)

Story 2: The 52 Hertz Whale ("52 Blue") (06:43–11:45)

Key Discussion Points & Insights

• Discovery and Mystery:

  • During the Cold War, US listening posts detect an unidentified underwater sound at a frequency of 52 hertz—at the lower edge of human hearing (06:52).
  • Initially suspected to be a submarine, subsequent analysis by marine scientist Bill Watkins reveals it to be a whale. However, 52 hertz is an atypical frequency for whale communication.

• The Tale of “52 Blue”:

  • The whale calls out—especially during mating season (December–March)—yet apparently receives no reply, fueling a narrative of unique, perhaps unfulfilled, companionship.
  • Despite ongoing attempts, the whale is never directly sighted due to the vastness and depth of its potential territory.

• Cultural Resonance:

  • "Its legend has only grown... It inspired several popular songs with people relating to its loneliness and persistence in looking for a mate." (08:39)
  • Cites BTS’s 2015 song "Whalien 52," which parallels the whale’s isolation to the alienation felt by celebrities.

• Scientific Reevaluation:

  • Recent research suggests projection is at play: Although 52 Blue's frequency is unique, other whales likely hear his call and may communicate by other means.
  • The whale is thought to be a male hybrid of a blue whale and a fin whale, which could explain its unusual song.
  • In 2010, recordings suggested that more than one 52 Hz whale might exist, but double sightings have not recurred.

• Reflections on Projection and Human Loneliness:

  • Mahnke cautions against anthropomorphizing the whale’s existence: “We have no clue what a whale's internal life is like or what 52 Blue's actual family situation is deep beneath the ocean.” (11:11)
  • “...often in their search for him, they reveal that they are a little bit lonely as well.” (11:22)

Notable Quotes and Moments

• "It almost sounds like whining, a low, continuous cry for help, like a giant puppy crying. It doesn't sound like any submarine they have ever heard before." – Aaron Mahnke (06:55)
• "The whale, whatever it was, was talking to itself in a unique language." – Aaron Mahnke (07:27)
• "But recent scientific developments suggest that we might all be projecting way too much onto 52 blue." – Aaron Mahnke (09:42)
• “Curious fans of the whale might claim to be worried about his loneliness, but often in their search for him, they reveal that they are a little bit lonely as well.” – Aaron Mahnke (11:22)

Important Timestamps

• 00:38 – 05:36: Pele’s myth, her curse, and the volcanic roots of Hawaiian culture.
• 06:43 – 11:45: The discovery, legend, and evolving understanding of the 52 Hertz Whale.

Tone and Style

Aaron Mahnke’s narrative is inviting and reflective, blending folklore’s reverence with scientific curiosity. His tone oscillates between gentle warning and empathetic introspection, especially when discussing projection and human loneliness. He excels at building stories out of scientific facts, urban legends, and cultural mythology, always encouraging listeners, “until next time, stay curious.”

Summary

This episode skillfully binds cultural myth and scientific mystery, using the legend of Pele and the enigma of the 52 Hertz Whale to illuminate humanity’s age-old fascination with the unknowable. Mahnke reminds us that sometimes, our search for meaning in the odd and unexplained says as much about us as it does about the world’s enduring curiosities.