Futility Closet

In 1977, West German tourist Erwin Kreuz spent three days enjoying the sights, sounds, and hospitality of Bangor, Maine. Unfortunately, he thought he was in San Francisco, on the other side of the continent. In this week's episode of the Futility Closet podcast, we'll describe Kreuz's unlikely adventure, which made him a local hero in his adopted city. We'll also consider an invisible killer and puzzle over a momentous measurement. Intro: In 1712, Sweden observed a February 30. In 1898, J.W. Dunne dreamed correctly that his watch had stopped. Sources for our feature on Erwin Kreuz: Geoffrey Wolff, The Edge of Maine, 2011. William Langewiesche, "Reporting Points," Flying Magazine 102:1 (January 1978), 29-32. Joseph Owen, "On This Date in Maine History: Oct. 20," Portland [Me.] Press Herald, Oct. 20, 2020. Emily Burnham, "The Story of How a German Tourist Ended Up Mistaking Bangor for San Francisco," Bangor Daily News, Oct. 17, 2020. Kent Ward, "A Feel-Good Story From the Archives," Bangor Daily News, Dec.