Clean Your Plate

Summary

Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities: "Clean Your Plate"

Release Date: April 10, 2025

Introduction

In the episode titled "Clean Your Plate," hosted by Erin Menke and Aaron Mahnke of iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild, listeners are treated to a compelling exploration of the hidden wonders and sometimes unsettling aspects of our world. The episode delves into two distinct yet equally fascinating narratives: the intriguing role of dermistid beetles in museum preservation and the heroic efforts of Andre De Jong during World War II.

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1. The Hidden Labor of Dermistid Beetles in Museums

Timestamp: 00:42 – 09:20

Erin Menke opens the first segment by highlighting the often-overlooked intricacies of museum work. She emphasizes that museums are not just repositories of art and history but dynamic centers for culture, learning, and research. Menke introduces listeners to an unusual yet indispensable "employee" of many natural history museums: the dermistid beetle.

Key Points:

• Function and Importance: Dermistid beetles play a crucial role in preserving animal bones. Traditional cleaning methods using human tools risk damaging fragile specimens. Instead, museums deploy dermistid beetles, both larvae and adults, to meticulously remove flesh from bones without causing harm. Menke explains, “Both larvae and fully grown beetles eat the flesh from the bones until they're spotless and ready to exhibit” (02:15).

• Historical Context: The practice dates back to at least 1895, with some theories attributing its origin to Charles Dean Bunker at Kansas University. However, the widespread adoption suggests that others may have independently discovered the benefits of using these beetles.

• Selective Feeding: Dermistid beetles are remarkably selective, avoiding preserved materials like fur, feathers, or organs, and steering clear of formaldehyde-treated specimens. This selectivity minimizes the risk of damage to completed exhibits. Menke notes, “They won't touch anything that's been preserved, like fur, feathers or organs” (04:50).

• Challenges and Adaptations: Despite their utility, dermistid beetles can be problematic. Strains known as bow beetles infest violin strings made from animal guts, causing distress to musicians globally. Additionally, their presence in unexpected places poses challenges. Menke highlights their forensic importance: “When a decomposing human body is found in the wilderness, forensic analysts can use the life cycle of the beetles as a way of determining the time of death” (07:30).

• Ethical and Practical Considerations: The use of dermistid beetles underscores the delicate balance museums maintain between preservation and ethical treatment of specimens. Menke concludes, “Even the gross little insects have a role to play. And sometimes they can be the most curious of lab assistants” (09:00).

Notable Quote:

Erin Menke: “What makes dermistid beetles especially useful is that they're surprisingly picky eaters for what they do.” (04:50)

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2. Andre De Jong and the Comet Line: A Tale of Courage and Deception

Timestamp: 09:20 – End

Transitioning seamlessly, Erin Menke narrates the extraordinary story of Andre De Jong, a pivotal figure in the Comet Line—a clandestine network that aided Allied soldiers in escaping Nazi-occupied Belgium during World War II.

Key Points:

• Andre De Jong’s Early Inspiration: Born in 1916 in Belgium, Andre was inspired by Edith Cavell, a nurse who aided hundreds of Allied soldiers during World War I. This inspiration fueled her commitment to resisting Nazi occupation. Menke recounts, “Andre was born in Belgium in 1916 and from a young age she knew that she wanted to help her people” (09:40).

• Formation of the Comet Line: In response to the 1940 German invasion, Andre joined the Red Cross and the Belgian Resistance. She, alongside dedicated friends, established the Comet Line—a 500-mile underground route from Belgium to Spain, meticulously designed to ferry Allied soldiers to safety. Menke describes their operations: “They'd use homes as safe houses and with extreme care, they would lead the soldiers 500 miles through France, cross the Pyrenees and get them to Spain” (12:05).

• Operational Challenges: The Comet Line faced constant threats from German patrols, leading to perilous detours. Many conspirators were captured or killed, including Andre’s father. Menke emphasizes the immense risk and resilience required: “Through trial and error, Andre and her friends soon found that this was easier said than done” (13:45).

• Leadership and Deception: Andre’s unassuming appearance often worked to her advantage. When captured in 1943, her petite stature and youthful looks led the Gestapo to underestimate her, allowing her to survive Ravensbruck concentration camp by blending in with other malnourished prisoners. Menke highlights, “Andre’s small size and unassuming looks saved her once again” (17:30).

• Legacy and Impact: Despite the eventual collapse of the Comet Line, Andre’s efforts led to the successful rescue of over 800 Allied soldiers. Post-war, she continued her humanitarian work, serving as a nurse in leper colonies across Africa until her passing in 2007. Menke reflects on her legacy: “Andre's story is a reminder that looks can be deceiving” (19:55).

Notable Quote:

Erin Menke: “Despite all this though, Andre's escape route gained a reputation for being the quickest way home, which gained it the nickname the Comet Line.” (14:25)

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Conclusion

Aaron Mahnke wraps up the episode by encouraging listeners to subscribe and stay curious about the myriad curiosities our world holds. The episode "Clean Your Plate" seamlessly intertwines the biological intricacies of museum preservation with the human stories of bravery and ingenuity, showcasing the diverse tapestry of curiosities that define our existence.

Final Thoughts:

Aaron Mahnke: “I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts or learn more about the show by visiting Curiosities Podcast.” (20:10)

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Overall Summary

"Clean Your Plate" offers a captivating journey through the lesser-known facets of history and science. From the tiny but mighty dermistid beetles safeguarding museum treasures to the extraordinary bravery of Andre De Jong orchestrating the Comet Line, the episode underscores the unexpected heroes and mechanisms that shape our understanding of the world. Erin Menke and Aaron Mahnke masterfully weave these narratives, inviting listeners to appreciate both the microscopic and monumental elements that constitute our Cabinet of Curiosities.

Transcript

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[Erin Menke]

Welcome to Erin Menke's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of iHeartRadio and Grim and mild.

[Aaron Manke]

Our world is full of the unexplainable. And if history is an open book, all of these amazing tales are right there on display, just waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities.

[Erin Menke]

If you're anything like me, you spend a lot of time at museums. Whether it's geology, science, arts, or general history, there are few places like a good museum for immersing yourself in the past. At their most cynical, they are tax havens for rich donors. But at their best, they provide centers for culture, learning and and research. If this show has taught me anything over the years, it's that the past is still very much alive in small, tangible ways. Because life leaves behind evidence. From the fossils of the dinosaurs to the footprints of small creatures walking through your backyard. And all that evidence requires intensive cataloging and studying from many, many people. But it's not just people who work at museums. Some of their work is done by colleagues that aren't exactly human. I'd like to introduce you to the strangest employee of many natural history museums, a creature called the dermistid beetle. These small bugs have been part of museum preservation for over a century and their function is a delicate one. You see, animal bones can be incredibly fragile and cleaning them with man made tools would likely damage or destroy precious specimens. It's possible to use boiling water to clean individual bones. It's a labor intensive process and it contains many opportunities for human error. So what museums do is unleash a small army of dermistids on animal carcasses and let them do the work for them. Both larvae and fully grown beetles eat the flesh from the bones until they're spotless and ready to exhibit. It's the larvae that are particularly effective, leaving even the smallest bones without a scratch on them. It's not a perfect process, but and sometimes museum employees need to use tricks to entice the creatures to feed on these animal parts. And these tricks include drying out animal carcasses or painting less appetizing meat with things like bacon grease. Now, it's not definitively known where this practice started, but some theorize that the first dermistid beetles used in a museum were in Kansas University in 1895. There they were employed by a man named Charles Dean Bunker to clean full skeletons for study. But given how widespread the practice has become, it's very possible that Bunker was not the first man to attempt using bugs to clean bones. What makes dermistid beetles especially useful is that they're surprisingly picky eaters for what they do. They won't touch anything that's been preserved, like fur, feathers or organs. And they also don't touch anything that's been treated with formaldehyde. Therefore, the chances of them damaging completed exhibit pieces is very low in the wild. Dermistid beetles are a little bit more problematic, though. They appear wherever there is carrion, and sometimes they appear in places where there is no carrion at all. Certain strains of dermistids are fond of violin strings, causing stress to musicians all over the world. They're called bow beetles, nesting on the strings that are made with animal guts. The regularity with which they appear on dead bodies left in nature proves useful in forensics too. When a decomposing human body is found in the wilderness, forensic analysts can use the life cycle of the beetles as a way of determining the time of death. It's easy to write certain creatures off as parasites, particularly insects like dermistid beetles that nest in rotten corpses, moldy wood, roadkill and rank animal flesh. But as we continue to study the ways the natural world works, it's worth remembering that even the gross little insects have a role to play. And sometimes they can be the most curious of lab assistants. The three British airmen had seen miracles in the past few days. Their plane had been forced to land in Nazi occupied Belgium, but they had narrowly avoided capture by the Germans. They somehow lucked their way into a Belgian underground safe house. And now they were being told that a fearless secret operative was coming to lead them home. As she entered the room, though, the tired airmen thought that she looked like one miracle too many. They listened in stunned silence as a diminutive dark haired young woman explained that she was now their mother. And as their mother, it was her job to get all three of them to safety in Spain. She left and it was a while before one of the airmen broke the silence. Our lives are going to depend on a schoolgirl. Small and young as she was, Andre De Jong was no schoolgirl. In fact, the 24 year old was the leader of the Comet line, a secret 500 mile underground path from Nazi occupied Belgium to freedom in Spain. Andre was born in Belgium in 1916 and from a young age she knew that she wanted to help her people. Her hero was Edith Cavell, a nurse who had helped hundreds of Allied soldiers escape German camps during World War I. So it only followed that when Germany began to invade Belgium in 1940, Andre jumped right in to help. She joined the Red Cross as a nurse helping captured Allied soldiers. But her real work was with the Belgian Resistance. She started by bringing British soldiers captured at Dunkirk to safe houses and getting them disguises and fake IDs while the soldiers were safe for the time being. Getting them back home was a whole other challenge. But Andre was determined to live up to her hero, Edith. And soon enough, she and a few like minded friends came up with a plan. They would lead small groups of soldiers in disguise through the countryside, taking trains, buses, even walking through fields. They'd identified sympathetic citizens and they would use homes as safe houses and with extreme care, they, they would lead the soldiers 500 miles through France, cross the Pyrenees and get them to Spain. They'd bring the soldiers to the British Embassy in Bilbao and the British could get them to the British owned Gibraltar at the southern tip of Spain. And from there they could safely be ferried or flown home. Through trial and error, Andre and her friends soon found that this was easier said than done. To avoid German patrols, they had to travel miles out of their way. Several conspirators were captured, killed and or sent to concentration camps, including Andre's own father. And it was a hard task to feed, clothe and keep captured soldiers healthy. On the long march to Spain, Andre famously told many of the soldiers that they would be lucky to get through it without being captured or even dying. Despite all this though, Andre's escape route gained a reputation for being the quickest way home, which gained it the nickname the Comet Line. For two whole years, Andre herself led dozens of expeditions to the British Consulate in Bilbao and personally saved 118 Allied soldiers. With each successful mission. Andre was also able to smuggle information back to the Belgian resistance. But the Comet Line came crashing to the ground in January of 1943 when Andre was betrayed. She had arrived in a French Basque town just over the border from Spain. She and three British airmen planned to spend the night in a safe house and cross the border in the morning. But the group was spotted by a neighbor who alerted the German authorities. Andre and the soldiers were captured and sent to concentration camps. But Andre's small size and unassuming looks saved her once again. While being questioned at Ravensbruck concentration camp. The Gestapo refused to believe her when she admitted that she was the organizer of the Comet Line. They sent her into the general population of the camp where she mixed in with the other hundreds of small, malnourished prisoners. By the time the Germans realized that she had been telling the truth, they were unable to figure out which of the prisoners was her. Even with their leader captured, though, the Comet Line continued to ferry another 700 British soldiers to Spain. Andre de Jong stayed at Ravensbruck for two years until the Allies liberated the camp in April of 1945. After the war, she worked as a nurse at leper colonies in several African countries. She passed away in 2007 at the age of 90 after a long life spent helping other people. While that British airman may have worried about such a young looking girl being the mastermind of an underground escape route, Andre's story is a reminder that looks can be deceiving.

[Aaron Manke]

I hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts or learn more about the show by visiting Curiosities Podcast. The show was created by me, Aaron Manke, in partnership with How Stuff Works. I make another award winning show called Lore, which is a podcast, book series and television show and you can learn all about it [e-mail] and until next time, stay curious.