011-A Woolf in Sheikh's Clothing

Irish practical joker Horace de Vere Cole orchestrated his masterpiece in 1910: He dressed four friends as Abyssinian princes and inveigled a tour of a British battleship. One of the friends, improbably, was Virginia Woolf disguised in a false beard and turban. We'll describe how the prank was inspired and follow the six through their tension-filled visit to the HMS <em>Dreadnought</em>.

We'll also examine the value of whistles to Benjamin Franklin and present the next Futility Closet Challenge.