Episode Overview

This episode of Acontece que no es poco with Nieves Concostrina (SER Podcast) delves into the quirky, pioneering chapter of aviation history: the first living creatures to take flight in a hot air balloon. On September 19, 1783, a sheep, a duck, and a rooster soared above Versailles as experimental travelers. The episode draws playful parallels between the “space race” of the 18th century and modern feats like today’s private spaceflights, highlighting humanity’s age-old fascination with reaching the skies—and beyond.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Parallels Between Past and Present Exploration

• Introduction Contrast: Opens by referencing a recent privatized spacewalk, humorously dubbed “astroricos o riconautas” (00:28).
• Connection Drawn: Juxtaposes this modern achievement with the much humbler, yet foundational balloon experiments of the 18th century.

2. The Many ‘Firsts’ in Air Travel

• Aviation’s Iterative Nature: Every milestone in ballooning had a first: the first round one, first hydrogen balloon, first animal passengers, etc. (01:16)
• Experimentation and Absurdity: Early aviation sometimes veered into the absurd—including dueling in balloons.
• Quote:

  “Algunos van tomando apuntes del anterior y mejorando el artilugio… alguno absolutamente absurdo, como batirse en duelo a bordo de un globo.”
  — Nieves Concostrina (01:16)

3. 1783: The Historic Flight at Versailles

• The Event: On September 19, 1783, the Montgolfier brothers launched a beautiful, blue-and-gold hot air balloon in front of Versailles and the assembled elite of Europe (02:01).
• The Passengers:
  • A sheep (to test survivability at altitude)
  • A duck (purpose unknown, even to Nieves)
  • A rooster (symbol of France) All three survived unscathed—"ilesos"—and, per legend, the sheep was pampered for the rest of her days (04:04).
• Political Stage: This extravaganza coincided with the signing of the Treaty of Paris, ending the American War of Independence—a strategic setting to impress global diplomats with French innovation (04:14).

4. Origins of the Dream to Fly

• Human Ingenuity: Nieves traces the dream back to myth and invention—referencing Da Vinci and early French tinkerers (05:34).

• Montgolfier Inspiration Story: Possibly inspired by a shirt inflating over a stove, the brothers reasoned that hot air inside a sealed, light balloon would rise (05:45).

  Quote:

  “Dicen que uno de los hermanos se fijó en cómo una camisa… se inflaba, y pensó que el aire caliente si se retenía en una esfera… eso volaría.”
  — Nieves Concostrina (05:56)

5. The Cautious Path to Human Flight

• Risk Aversion: Before risking human life, animals went first; only after their success did humans dare ascend (07:29).
• First Human Flights:
  • A month after the animal flight, humans flew—first in a tethered balloon for 100 meters (09:53), then a month later, a free flight to almost 1,000 meters and 10 kilometers distance (10:09).
  • King Louis XVI’s solution: criminals could test the balloon since, if lost, it would be “una pérdida innecesaria de vidas humanas importantes” (10:24).
  • The idea was opposed—scientists wanted the glory—so finally the physicist and the marquis flew, not criminals (10:51).

Notable Quote:

“Si esto sale bien, el mérito que se lo llevan unos delincuentes.”
— Nieves Concostrina recounting the scientist's resistance (10:51)

6. The Onset of “Globomania” and Human Folly

• Rapid Popularization: Success triggered balloon fever across Europe—some fueled serious science, others pure spectacle or idiocy (11:48).
• Duels in the Sky: The most infamous folly, a duel between two suitors, each in separate balloons, shooting at each other's aircraft—with predictably disastrous results (13:16).
• Quote:

  “El caso es que un monsieur que se llamaba Le P disparó y falló… El otro monsieur… disparó y a tomar vientos el globo de Lepiqué. El perdedor… se estampó contra los tejados parisinos y allí murieron el duelista y su padrino.”
  — Nieves Concostrina (13:37)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Human Restlessness:

  “El hombre siempre ha querido hacer todo para lo que no está diseñado. Volar y nadar no se puede, pero como somos listos averiguamos cómo hacerlo.”
  — Nieves Concostrina (05:45)

• On Academy’s Failed Foresight:

  “La Academia de Ciencias de París… dijo que ninguna iniciativa del hombre para surcar el cielo podría tener éxito… Nadie se ría tampoco… porque al menos en Francia tenían Academia de Ciencias, que aquí teníamos sobre todo procesiones.”
  — Nieves Concostrina (05:45)

• On Balloon Duel Madness:

  “Hubo dos monsieur que tuvieron una bronca por una mademoiselle… Se retaron, ellos eligieron para batirse el cielo de París. Construyeron dos globos idénticos… deberían disparar al globo del contrario…”
  — Nieves Concostrina (13:13)

• Humorous Touch:

  “Los padrinos eran más tontacos.”
  — Nieves Concostrina (13:37)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Private Spacewalk Comparison & Set Up (00:20–01:16)
• Montgolfier Balloon Flight & Royal Audience (02:01–04:14)
• The Animal Passengers—Purpose & Outcome (04:04–05:34)
• Origins of Hot Air Ballooning in France (05:34–07:29)
• On Fear and Cautious Experimentation (07:29–08:27)
• Academia’s Change of Heart—International Balloon Fever (08:27–09:44)
• First Human Flights & Louis XVI’s Concerns (09:44–10:51)
• Globomania and Balloon Madness (11:48–13:13)
• Legendary Balloon Duel and Its Fatal Consequence (13:13–14:25)

Conclusion & Tone

Nieves Concostrina delivers the story with her signature wit and skepticism, spotlighting both the ingenuity and the idiocy that drive human progress. Far from a dry history lesson, this episode is a celebration of curiosity, a wink at academic hubris, and a reminder that every triumph carries its share of absurdity and risk.