During a violent storm on Sunday 28 December 1879, the first Tay Railway Bridge collapse killing all on board. This is the setting Dr Sage and Professor Savant find themselves in this month’s episode, Of Trainwrecks and Heartbreaks.

Claude Duval was a French-born, gentleman highwayman in post-Restoration Britain whose gallantry made him infamous. History suggests he is the most signiicant figure in shaping the highwayman myth. He certainly has been the role model for numerous Hollywood movies and the gallant, gentleman thief.

As Dr Sage and Professor Savant are about to begin a new year (1895) we thought we’d look at some of the events they will be experiencing. Much was changing in the world, from the conflicts between global powers to the development of gas and diesel powered engines. These are just some of the highlights our characters have to look forward to in the coming year.

New Science included in this month’s broadcast

You will notice this month’s episode begins a bit different. The Narrator also includes a new term Telesensation. The plot thickens as we include some new science from the future in episode 203.

Famous People included in Episode 203

We like to include current events in our podcast to give our listeners an idea as to what people were discussing in the late 1800’s. In “The Haunted Laboratory” we include a serial killer and someone just beginning his famous career in psychology.

Our writer Eddie Louise does a lot of reading to research each episode. For episode 202, Dr Sage travels to an asylum. It was important for Eddie to understand the thoughts behind the treatment of mental illness in 1899. Fortunately Dr Thomas Clouston was a prolific writer.

Here is some of the background information we put into Episode 201. This includes elements of Bedouin Law, what death by dehydration is like and a bit about fabric and electricity.

In Buddhism, this makes perfect sense because: All things existing at once – there is no time.

Season Two begins by bringing back some characters we have met before. In Episode 6 we met “The Stranger,” who introduced us to the Charges d’ affairs. The, in Episode 9, we met the daoist Wei Boyang. Both of these characters return in Episode 1 of Season Two.

These are the translated writings of Charlotte-Adelade Dard featured in Episode 12 part 2, originally published in Edinburgh for Constable and Co. 1827.

When looking for material for episodes, our writer Eddie Louise likes to find moments in history that have an impact. In the month of May, she has chosen the Wrack of the Medusa, a French frigate which struck the Bank of Arguin. Not only does this provide a moment in history where Sage & Savant can easily travel to – lots of dead bodies – but the events that transpired were beyond imagination.