Victorian Flea Circuses: A Lost Art Form?

The flea circus sounds funny, but it was once a serious (if strange) performance type. The fleas are actually trained to ‘behave’ and ‘perform’ in certain ways – even harnassed with tiny wires. Of course, for every such sensation there are its detractors – and perhaps with good reason. In this day and age, there are some who say that a flea circus constitutes animal cruelty. Either way, these images and this history are amazing.

A flea, with legs finer than a human hair, can pull up to 700 times its own weight! A flea can lift up to 60 times its own weight! A flea can jump over 150 times its own height! When we build circuses on Mars, or asteroids one day, then we’ll perhaps witness similar dexterity, but for now – consider a humble flea:

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From the Upcoming ueue, submitted by Urbanist.