this episode of sexplanations is
sponsored by herp alert it is our task
today to persuade others that it does
indeed matter not for any immediate
benefit but for the sake of curiosity
and it's a knowable contribution to the
sum of human knowledge and well-being
the microscope has been around since the
1500s but the one that really launched
microscopy our understanding of
microorganisms and sperm was designed by
Antony van Leeuwenhoek spelled 21
different ways across documents in his
lifetime maewyn Hooke was born in the
Netherlands Holland the small country
that borders Belgium and Germany known
for legal prostitution tulips and Anne
Frank in the 1600s when our story takes
place the Netherlands was bustling in
its golden age of Arts and Science
there was the pendulum clock Novell
cuisine girl with a Pearl Earring
Leeuwenhoek was a Draper someone who
sells fabric he wanted to get a closer
look at the cloth out of curiosity he
started to mess around with glass to
magnify the fibers he wanted to know
what's the thread count Leeuwen hook
wasn't a trained scientist he didn't
speak Latin the language of scholars but
he was curious with limited information
he experimented with different
techniques to manipulate glass and
increase visibility Leeuwenhoek's
microscope consisted of two brass plates
the size of a thumb that held was
essentially a glass bead here in this
little circle between them in front of
the lens there was this pin to put a
droplet of palm waters live it's that
are on and this little paddle can be
turned to clarify the image
Leeuwenhoek would face the light then
hold the microscope as close to his eye
as he could discover what he called deer
chess deer meaning animal and chess
making at tiny animals this word was
translated as animal culés and then
later understood as microbes because
they're not animals how do we get to
sperm well Leeuwenhoek had gone way past
textiles to mold and bees and lice and
water and all these microorganisms
within them he would write letters to
the Royal Society this big scientific
institution in London sending them
drawings describing his findings and
they were like hmm impressive but can we
believe this Dutch Draper claiming to
see animals invisible to the naked eye
lee hwon who kept writing here's
something that I found here's something
that I found something that I found look
at this he wrote 190 letters detailing
his research methodology and fine
the Royal Society published a lot of
this work but they were still skeptical
eventually they asked him to show his
concealed microscopes to notable
scientists and clergy priests prove
yourself lee hwon who he reluctantly
agreed and after a few tries with these
little lenses the judges determined yep
yep we see what you see Leeuwenhoek was
given the go-ahead to be this amazing
person one of the most curious
innovative non scientists scientists of
his time I remember seeing a replica of
his microscope at an exhibit in the San
Francisco Airport of all places at the
time I had no idea how it worked but I
thought it was amazing that this small
instrument catapulted our understanding
of all these miniscule engineers taking
care of us doing harm to us bacteria
viruses white blood cells I wanted to
know more so I looked up Leeuwenhoek and
learned that the most interesting fact
to me of course is that this microscope
one of his supplied our first view of
sperm sperm instantly the microscope was
not only a symbol of curiosity to me it
was a symbol of my freedom as someone
with a uterus who has sex with sperm
makers to seek higher education without
the knowledge of spermatozoa sperm it
would be really difficult to prevent
pregnancy before Leeuwenhoek babies were
thought to come from seminal vapors a
gas wafted off the semen and you were
pregnant the discovery of sperm made it
possible for me to have a life where I
can prioritize my education and career
one where I can plan family I can choose
if when how I want to become a parent I
love it so much
I got it tattooed on my arm to remind me
of all these great things curiosity
sexuality because of spermatozoa and
then my liberties as a human oh when
people asked is that some sort of BDSM
paddle I would say it's one of the first
microscopes Antony Van Loon Luke used it
to see red blood cells and sperm for the
first time I would continue I imagine
him in his lab excited to try it out so
he pricked his finger and masturbated
masturbated then pricked his finger one
person I told this story to corrected me
gently explaining that liyan who
collected the semen from intercourse
masturbation at that time was considered
unholy oh right I hadn't put it together
that in 1677 when sperm was seen for the
very first time that masturbation
any sexual expression outside of
marriage was taboo what else didn't I
know about the ink permanently in my
I did a deep dive turns out Leeuwenhoek
had been studying many different
specimens before he got to sperm he'd
become renowned for my ecology father of
the field finally respected enter Johan
Homme a medical student who sought out
Lehmann hooks expertise to examine hussy
semen supposedly again I can't say how
the 17th century went down but it sounds
like Tom's friend Lane with an unclean
woman and wanted to use Leeuwenhoek's
microscope Tom looked and saw sperm
Leeuwenhoek confirmed Homs observation
by gathering semen from intercourse with
his wife Cornelia Thank You Cornelia
immediately after ejaculation I've seen
so great a number that I judge million
of them would not equal in size a large
grain of sand
they were furnished with a thin tail
about five or six times as long as the
body and very transparent and with the
thickness of about 120 v out of the body
they moved forward owing to the motion
of their tails like that of a snake or
an eel swimming in water but in the
somewhat thicker substance they would
lash their tails at least eight or ten
times before they could advance a hair's
breadth millions of semen animal fuels
spermatozoa seed animals even though
they're not animals
Leeuwenhoek wrote the Royal Society as
usual this time with special care what I
investigate is only what without simply
defiling myself remains as a residue
after conjugal coitus I didn't
masturbate my investigation is from sex
if your lordship should consider that
these observations may discuss or
scandalize regard them as private and to
publish or destroy them as your lordship
thinks fit if that grosses you out in
any way feel free to ignore one of the
most important scientific discoveries
ever rural society didn't ignore it at
least not a morality instead they were
like hey we'd like to see horse semen
and dog semen and then they held off
announcing his contribution to science
for almost two years at least they
eventually published it and we know now
we know that we are made up of many many
organisms vast microcosms of them that
are helpful and harmful we know not all
life is created from an egg nor is it
all created from a sperm we no formal
training isn't needed to be curious or
to make a profound impact and we know
what that art is on Lindsay's arm stay
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Leeuwenhoek this is so hard
Oh Leeuwenhoek caped lee hwon who and
you were pregnant