Aaron Mahnke's Cabinet of Curiosities

Episode: "In a Blink"

Date: September 11, 2025
Host: Aaron Mahnke
Podcast: iHeartPodcasts and Grim & Mild

Episode Overview

This episode of Cabinet of Curiosities presents two fascinating stories centered around the theme of resilience and unexpected turns of fate—how life’s trajectory can be altered “in the blink of an eye.” The first tale explores an unconventional 19th-century attempt by Irish Americans to liberate Ireland by invading Canada, while the second recounts the astonishing inner world and literary achievement of Jean-Dominique Bauby after he became fully paralyzed by locked-in syndrome.

Story 1: The Fenian Raids and the Battle for Ireland (01:10–06:00)

Main Points & Insights:

• Aaron examines the persistent struggle for Irish independence, particularly the inventive lengths to which Irish immigrants in America were willing to go.
• John O’Neill, an Irish immigrant and former Union officer, becomes the leader of the Fenian Brotherhood, a militia group with the extraordinary plan to attack British-controlled Canada.
• Their objective: to seize Canadian territory and ransom it for Ireland’s freedom—demonstrating both desperation and creativity in the fight against British rule.
• The Fenian Brotherhood crosses from Buffalo, NY into Canada, capturing Fort Erie with surprising ease and briefly controlling territory north of the border.
• The group’s military experience, especially compared to the largely inexperienced Canadian defenders, leads to temporary battlefield success at the skirmish known as the Battle of Ridgeway.

Notable Quotes:

• “John had been happy to lend his services to the Union for a price, but he would never work for the English King who he saw as responsible for the destruction of his homeland.” (02:14, Aaron Mahnke)
• “The Canadians never knew what hit them, and the militia easily captured the Canadian town called Fort Erie.” (03:09, Aaron Mahnke)

Turn of Events:

• Due to an error in communication, the Canadian militia mistakenly responds to Fenian scouts as if they’re under cavalry attack, leading to confusion, vulnerability, and eventual retreat.
• Realizing the British and Canadians have begun to respond with overwhelming force, O’Neill and his men retreat to the United States after brief, ephemeral victories.
• The Fenian raids, though ultimately unsuccessful as military campaigns, have long-term consequences: they galvanize Canadian unity, helping prompt the Canadian Confederation in 1867.

Key Moment:

• “But curiously, in the long run, it marked a greater turning point for the Canadians…one of the many factors that actually led to the Canadian confederation the following year." (05:35, Aaron Mahnke)

Story 2: Jean-Dominique Bauby and the Power of One Blink (07:36–12:01)

Main Points & Insights:

• The narrative shifts to France in the 1990s, spotlighting Jean-Dominique Bauby, a charismatic editor-in-chief of a fashion magazine.
• At 43, Bauby suffers a catastrophic stroke while driving his son, leaving him completely paralyzed—except for movement in his left eyelid.
• Doctors initially think he is vegetative until a friend notices his blinking, revealing his consciousness and leading to a diagnosis of locked-in syndrome.
• Jean communicates through an arduous system: as someone recites the alphabet, he blinks to signal his choice, constructing words one letter at a time.
• With incredible patience and willpower, over 10 months Bauby blinks out an entire memoir: The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

Notable Quotes:

• “He was rushed to the hospital, but by the time he arrived, things had gone from bad to worse. He couldn't speak or move. And then he slipped into a coma. When he woke up 20 days later, the nightmare had only just begun.” (08:47, Aaron Mahnke)
• “Completely conscious, fully aware, but trapped in his own body.” (09:28, Aaron Mahnke)
• “The process took 200,000 blinks over the course of 10 months.” (11:14, Aaron Mahnke)
• “So yes, it's true that life can fall apart in the blink of an eye. But as Jean proved, life can also be rebuilt one blink at a time.” (11:53, Aaron Mahnke)

Memorable Moments:

• Jean's methodical mental editing and memorization before each morning’s session, so he could maximize what he blinked out to his interpreter: a feat of “mental endurance, patience and willpower.” (11:28)
• After his death in 1997, Bauby’s memoir captures the inner world of the “locked-in,” becoming a global bestseller and Oscar-nominated film.
• His story offers rare insight for medical professionals, families, and readers into the emotional and intellectual perseverance within total physical confinement.

Timestamps of Key Segments

• Irish independence & Fenian Brotherhood background: 01:10–03:00
• The Fenian capture of Fort Erie and tactical confusion: 03:01–04:30
• Retreat and aftermath leading to Canadian Confederation: 05:10–06:00
• Jean-Dominique Bauby’s stroke and locked-in syndrome: 07:36–09:30
• Communication breakthrough with blinking: 09:31–10:30
• Writing ‘The Diving Bell and the Butterfly’ and Bauby’s legacy: 10:31–12:01

Closing Thoughts

Aaron Mahnke ties both tales back to the fragility and resilience of the human condition, highlighting how pivotal moments—sometimes as small as a blink—can reshape destinies, spark historical change, and reveal true courage.