1 00:00:04,240 --> 00:00:06,400 Speaker 1: Hey, and welcome to the short Stuff. I'm Josh, and 2 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: there's Chuck and Jerry's here sitting in for Dave. But 3 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: he's here in spirit, so this is short stuff. So yeah, 4 00:00:13,440 --> 00:00:15,880 Speaker 1: I missed Dave. I missed Dave two. It's been a 5 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:19,240 Speaker 1: little while. I haven't seen his lovely, handsome face. I 6 00:00:19,280 --> 00:00:22,599 Speaker 1: have not seen another human being in two years. Oh 7 00:00:22,680 --> 00:00:26,079 Speaker 1: that's not true, it's been a while. You know. A 8 00:00:26,160 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: human being who I have never seen but wouldn't mind 9 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:31,720 Speaker 1: seeing because he has a great mustache is a man 10 00:00:31,840 --> 00:00:36,199 Speaker 1: named Justin O. Schmidt. He seems like a stash guy. Oh, 11 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:38,479 Speaker 1: he's a big time stash guy from pictures. So I've 12 00:00:38,479 --> 00:00:40,559 Speaker 1: seen him in pictures. I've never seen him in real life. 13 00:00:40,560 --> 00:00:44,519 Speaker 1: How about that? Yeah, he seems like a guy I 14 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: wanted to see, like if there were any interviews with 15 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:49,320 Speaker 1: him on video, because he seems like quite a character 16 00:00:50,280 --> 00:00:52,160 Speaker 1: you would have to be to come up with what 17 00:00:52,280 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: he did. Which is the Schmidt sting pain Index, which 18 00:00:56,280 --> 00:01:00,800 Speaker 1: is a scale that qualifies at Lee east and I 19 00:01:00,800 --> 00:01:05,760 Speaker 1: guess quantifies numerically the pain associated with the stings from 20 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: different insects. Right, so we've talked about the hot pepper chart, 21 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:16,559 Speaker 1: I think we've talked about the regular pain chart, yeah, 22 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:20,640 Speaker 1: with the faces the faces, uh. And I think Schmidt 23 00:01:20,680 --> 00:01:25,200 Speaker 1: realized that there was they knew about like the damage 24 00:01:26,040 --> 00:01:28,720 Speaker 1: a sting could cause, but like not the actual pain level. 25 00:01:28,800 --> 00:01:31,520 Speaker 1: Is that right? Yeah? And he was already he you know, 26 00:01:31,600 --> 00:01:35,680 Speaker 1: he works with um, I'm not terrans bees, wasps and ants. 27 00:01:36,080 --> 00:01:39,759 Speaker 1: He's an entomologist, we should probably say, um and he 28 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:43,119 Speaker 1: was getting stung already, and he's like, well, I might 29 00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:44,840 Speaker 1: as well be the one to just go ahead and 30 00:01:44,920 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 1: start making something like this so that there is some 31 00:01:47,880 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: sort of index of how how painful these things are. 32 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:54,800 Speaker 1: And I think ultimately Chucky was trying to see if 33 00:01:54,800 --> 00:01:58,240 Speaker 1: there was a correlation between the amount of damage done 34 00:01:58,240 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: in the amount of pain inflicted in a really and 35 00:02:01,200 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: where was Dr Schmidt working at the time a home 36 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:09,280 Speaker 1: of our national champion Georgia Bulldogs. That's right, feel so 37 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:11,679 Speaker 1: good to say he was probably there not too long 38 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:15,519 Speaker 1: after the last time they were national champions. Yeah, I 39 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:19,000 Speaker 1: mean that was eighty and I think this was, yeah, 40 00:02:19,840 --> 00:02:22,600 Speaker 1: eighty four is when he first published the first index. 41 00:02:22,639 --> 00:02:28,200 Speaker 1: He's now at University of Arizona. No one in Georgia cares, Oh, 42 00:02:28,200 --> 00:02:32,399 Speaker 1: come on go wildcats. Sure, I think that's wildcats, right, Yeah, 43 00:02:32,440 --> 00:02:36,320 Speaker 1: that's wildcats, Arizona State, the sun Devils. So, as the 44 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:39,079 Speaker 1: story goes, he was going back to his office at 45 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:42,239 Speaker 1: U g A there on campus, probably north campus, where 46 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:44,040 Speaker 1: the science buildings are. I didn't go over there much. 47 00:02:45,000 --> 00:02:47,679 Speaker 1: Not very good looking part of campus, but that's where 48 00:02:47,680 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 1: those science buildings are. And you haven't been to Athens 49 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 1: in a while, right, it's been a while. You should 50 00:02:54,960 --> 00:02:57,920 Speaker 1: check it out. It's it's a you'll see people there too, 51 00:02:57,919 --> 00:02:59,960 Speaker 1: so you can kill two birds with one stone. Okay, people, 52 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:03,040 Speaker 1: I haven't seen them in a while, that's right. So 53 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:06,440 Speaker 1: he was coming back after a cross country road trip 54 00:03:06,560 --> 00:03:10,200 Speaker 1: with his wife, Debbie, who's a zoologist, and this is 55 00:03:10,280 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 1: when he put out his Schmidt. It was it's like 56 00:03:13,520 --> 00:03:15,360 Speaker 1: one of the few times you can name something after 57 00:03:15,400 --> 00:03:20,799 Speaker 1: yourself without like because of ego. You know, it's it's 58 00:03:20,880 --> 00:03:22,920 Speaker 1: rather appropriate. He named it for himself, not just for 59 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 1: all of the pain he endured. He was stung at 60 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,840 Speaker 1: least a thousand times by his estimate, while he cataloged 61 00:03:28,840 --> 00:03:32,760 Speaker 1: eighty three different species, but also like the personality he 62 00:03:33,200 --> 00:03:36,480 Speaker 1: he associated with the index too. It's not just like 63 00:03:37,080 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 1: A sweat bee is a one moving on like he 64 00:03:40,560 --> 00:03:42,840 Speaker 1: he had to describe what the pain was like or 65 00:03:42,880 --> 00:03:46,600 Speaker 1: else it's basically useless. Yeah, I think, I mean, we're 66 00:03:46,600 --> 00:03:48,360 Speaker 1: going to probably spend the rest of this episode talking 67 00:03:48,400 --> 00:03:52,480 Speaker 1: about this stuff and how brilliant he was in his descriptions. Right, 68 00:03:53,280 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: should we do a couple of them before the breaker? 69 00:03:54,840 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: Should we break? I say, we break and then we 70 00:03:56,520 --> 00:03:59,000 Speaker 1: come back and just let him rip. All right, let's 71 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:25,400 Speaker 1: do it go sweat bee. Sweat bee is a one. 72 00:04:26,160 --> 00:04:29,160 Speaker 1: I think that's that's surprising that it's even a one. 73 00:04:29,200 --> 00:04:31,520 Speaker 1: But sweat bees are little tiny bees that are attracted 74 00:04:31,520 --> 00:04:35,120 Speaker 1: to human sweat, as you probably know, um, And they 75 00:04:35,120 --> 00:04:37,919 Speaker 1: don't sting very often. And I don't think we said chuck, 76 00:04:38,360 --> 00:04:41,920 Speaker 1: umour doctor what? Yeah, we didn't say zero to four. 77 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:44,000 Speaker 1: It's a big one. But also Dr Schmidt didn't. He 78 00:04:44,200 --> 00:04:48,240 Speaker 1: rarely tried to get stumped. But I think sweat bees 79 00:04:48,320 --> 00:04:50,160 Speaker 1: might have been one of the ones that he basically 80 00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: had to to make sting him but induced thank you, 81 00:04:55,360 --> 00:04:59,159 Speaker 1: But he said that, Um, the sting is light, ephemeral, 82 00:04:59,320 --> 00:05:02,400 Speaker 1: almost rudy, as if a tiny spark has singed a 83 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 1: single hair on your arm. It's like a nice peanut 84 00:05:04,880 --> 00:05:09,720 Speaker 1: garugio too exactly. People very frequently. Um uh compared this 85 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:14,359 Speaker 1: the Schmidt stinging pain index to like wine descriptions. I 86 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:17,840 Speaker 1: love it tasting notes. How about fire ants? The fire 87 00:05:17,880 --> 00:05:19,719 Speaker 1: ant you would think would be higher, but it's only 88 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:23,520 Speaker 1: a one. Uh and uh, you point out very astutely, 89 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 1: and we should thank a business insider um Atlas Obscura 90 00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:30,200 Speaker 1: terminics and science blogs for a lot of this stuff. 91 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:34,159 Speaker 1: But you point out that you know, it's a fire ant, 92 00:05:34,560 --> 00:05:37,159 Speaker 1: not a thousand fire ants on your foot at once. 93 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:39,880 Speaker 1: That's a whole different jam. But even still, fire a 94 00:05:39,960 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 1: fire ant bite hurts. So the fact that it's one 95 00:05:43,680 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 1: is a really good reference point for all the ones 96 00:05:45,800 --> 00:05:48,719 Speaker 1: that come after that. Sure, yeah, I mean it's not 97 00:05:48,760 --> 00:05:52,279 Speaker 1: a zero, so there is pain involved. And this is 98 00:05:52,400 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 1: and of course you're not allergic obviously. Uh. If you're allergic, 99 00:05:55,760 --> 00:05:58,000 Speaker 1: it's a whole different thing. But if you're not allergic, 100 00:05:58,160 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 1: it's described as a sharp, sudden, mildly alarming sting, like 101 00:06:01,960 --> 00:06:05,560 Speaker 1: walking across a shag carpet and reaching for the light switch. Okay, 102 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 1: so far, so good. I could handle those. Now we're 103 00:06:08,960 --> 00:06:10,840 Speaker 1: starting to get into where, like I just don't want 104 00:06:10,839 --> 00:06:12,960 Speaker 1: to have anything to do with these things. Like starting 105 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:16,960 Speaker 1: with the bald face hornet, that's a two. That's a two. 106 00:06:17,040 --> 00:06:19,720 Speaker 1: And the way that Schmidt described it also apparently the 107 00:06:19,760 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 1: bald face hornets sting will keep going for about five minutes. 108 00:06:23,120 --> 00:06:25,159 Speaker 1: And I'm sure those five minutes seem a lot longer 109 00:06:25,200 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 1: than actual five minutes. But he said that, um, that 110 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:35,480 Speaker 1: this sting is like rich, hearty, slightly crunchy, So well, yeah, 111 00:06:35,520 --> 00:06:37,440 Speaker 1: that's exactly right. What would that mean? So he goes 112 00:06:37,440 --> 00:06:39,839 Speaker 1: on to describe it as similar to getting your handmashed 113 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:42,200 Speaker 1: in a revolving door, and all of a sudden it 114 00:06:42,240 --> 00:06:44,680 Speaker 1: does kind of like take more shape, doesn't it sort of? 115 00:06:45,960 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 1: And he had to do that because a bald face 116 00:06:48,080 --> 00:06:50,680 Speaker 1: hornet is a two, a yellow jacket is a two. 117 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:54,360 Speaker 1: But he points out like their stings are much much different. 118 00:06:54,360 --> 00:06:58,839 Speaker 1: They feel the pain associated with them feels much different. Yeah, 119 00:06:58,880 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 1: because the yellow jack it can go on for about 120 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 1: ten minutes, give or take a minute or two, and 121 00:07:05,279 --> 00:07:11,160 Speaker 1: it described as hot and smoky, almost irreverent. Imagine W. C. 122 00:07:11,320 --> 00:07:15,520 Speaker 1: Fields extinguishing a cigar on your tongue. Sorry, uh, there's 123 00:07:15,560 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 1: also something I need to point out and I know 124 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:19,960 Speaker 1: I've talked before about the time I was stung eleven 125 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:23,880 Speaker 1: times in the face and neck when I came upon 126 00:07:23,920 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 1: a yellow jacket nest camping. They they hurt according to 127 00:07:29,520 --> 00:07:32,880 Speaker 1: how deep the stinger was. So the far and away 128 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:35,800 Speaker 1: the worst one and the longest lasting, was the hardest 129 00:07:35,840 --> 00:07:38,520 Speaker 1: to get out. It was almost fully buried in that 130 00:07:38,600 --> 00:07:42,080 Speaker 1: little uh is it the orable bone right under your eyebrow? 131 00:07:43,760 --> 00:07:46,000 Speaker 1: And it was, it was almost completely in there, and 132 00:07:46,040 --> 00:07:48,440 Speaker 1: I barely got it out. And that one throbbed and 133 00:07:48,520 --> 00:07:51,160 Speaker 1: hurt for way longer than ten minutes. Why did you 134 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: do that? Why did I do what? Why did you 135 00:07:54,400 --> 00:07:57,720 Speaker 1: get stung by eleven yellow jacket? I didn't do it 136 00:07:57,760 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 1: on purpose. Man, Were you like going after their honey 137 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:03,080 Speaker 1: or something. No, we were just we were going down 138 00:08:03,320 --> 00:08:06,080 Speaker 1: the side of a mountain toward a river, and you know, 139 00:08:06,120 --> 00:08:08,000 Speaker 1: they had their nests in the ground, and we just 140 00:08:08,200 --> 00:08:10,960 Speaker 1: disturbed it. And we got down to the river and 141 00:08:11,000 --> 00:08:13,720 Speaker 1: all of a sudden they we were swarmed. And I 142 00:08:13,800 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 1: probably ran a mile through the woods, and they were 143 00:08:17,240 --> 00:08:19,240 Speaker 1: probably not a mile, it felt like a mile half 144 00:08:19,240 --> 00:08:22,080 Speaker 1: a mile, and they were still coming after us. Like 145 00:08:22,120 --> 00:08:24,560 Speaker 1: we stopped and like here come eight or ten of 146 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:28,600 Speaker 1: them still after us angry angry yellow jackets. I should 147 00:08:28,640 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 1: probably also point out to Chuck that I know that 148 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:33,640 Speaker 1: their yellow yellow jackets are wasps and wouldn't make honey. 149 00:08:33,720 --> 00:08:37,680 Speaker 1: I was joking, right, How about red harvest ants. Have 150 00:08:37,720 --> 00:08:40,000 Speaker 1: you ever been stung by one of those? No, that's 151 00:08:40,000 --> 00:08:42,319 Speaker 1: a three though, That's that's getting on up there. Yeah, 152 00:08:42,760 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 1: well you could have though, because you lived in human 153 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 1: and they're found in New Mexico in Arizona. But they 154 00:08:48,480 --> 00:08:53,800 Speaker 1: they can inflame your your nerves for hours. It says, yes, 155 00:08:54,040 --> 00:08:58,760 Speaker 1: bold and unrelenting. Somebody is using a drill to excavate 156 00:08:58,920 --> 00:09:03,120 Speaker 1: your ingrown tone all. Actually, I had a descriptor that 157 00:09:03,160 --> 00:09:04,640 Speaker 1: I always said for years about the one in my 158 00:09:04,679 --> 00:09:08,320 Speaker 1: eyebrow was it felt like someone had a thumb tack 159 00:09:08,880 --> 00:09:11,240 Speaker 1: stuck on that bone and they were just tapping it 160 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:14,760 Speaker 1: with a little ball peen hammer. So I guess I 161 00:09:14,800 --> 00:09:16,840 Speaker 1: get kind of identified more than I thought I did 162 00:09:16,840 --> 00:09:20,800 Speaker 1: with weird descriptions. Man, that sounds so terrible. I'm glad 163 00:09:20,840 --> 00:09:25,200 Speaker 1: you made it. Yes, the paper wasp is next. The 164 00:09:25,280 --> 00:09:27,160 Speaker 1: most pain I've ever seen my daughter in was this 165 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:30,840 Speaker 1: past summer when she got nailed by a wasp. Awful. 166 00:09:30,920 --> 00:09:34,000 Speaker 1: It's a three point oh, she screamed, like I've never 167 00:09:34,000 --> 00:09:37,120 Speaker 1: heard before, and I felt so terrible. The good news 168 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 1: is it's only about fifteen minutes and then it completely 169 00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:43,640 Speaker 1: went away. Um and the pain. And this is actually 170 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:46,680 Speaker 1: what she said. She said, it's caustic and burning, with 171 00:09:46,720 --> 00:09:49,959 Speaker 1: a distinctly bitter aftertaste, like spilling a beaker of hydrochloric 172 00:09:50,000 --> 00:09:52,840 Speaker 1: acid on a paper cut. That's crazy. So she's she's 173 00:09:52,880 --> 00:09:56,000 Speaker 1: read Schmidt's book. No, I think she just improved it. 174 00:09:56,040 --> 00:09:59,280 Speaker 1: I was like, wow, that's really good description. Maybe Schmidt 175 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:02,480 Speaker 1: was astra projecting at that moment and happened to find 176 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 1: his way. I'm not. I'm fifty. I've never been stung 177 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:08,319 Speaker 1: by a wasp. You better knock on wood, buddy. Although 178 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:14,560 Speaker 1: the wasp, yeah, true, but before that eleven and trust me, 179 00:10:14,600 --> 00:10:16,800 Speaker 1: I paid for it with that eleven. But I had 180 00:10:16,840 --> 00:10:19,480 Speaker 1: only been stung maybe a couple of times in my life. Really, 181 00:10:20,880 --> 00:10:23,080 Speaker 1: I haven't been stung much. He's been stung like four 182 00:10:23,160 --> 00:10:25,680 Speaker 1: times already, and she's six and a half. Wow. We yeah, 183 00:10:25,720 --> 00:10:29,560 Speaker 1: I think that has me beat to what's your worst? 184 00:10:33,280 --> 00:10:35,560 Speaker 1: I don't remember. I've kind of blocked it out. And 185 00:10:35,600 --> 00:10:38,640 Speaker 1: I think about it, but probably be yellow jacket. I 186 00:10:38,640 --> 00:10:42,719 Speaker 1: think it was a yellow jacket as well, their ground dwelling, right, well, 187 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,320 Speaker 1: yeah these were in the ground. Yeah, it's exclusively in 188 00:10:45,360 --> 00:10:48,120 Speaker 1: the ground. But yes, I've been stung by a yellow 189 00:10:48,200 --> 00:10:51,840 Speaker 1: jacket and it is not pleasant at all because they 190 00:10:51,920 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 1: just the wasps look painful. They do. You me found 191 00:10:55,480 --> 00:10:59,760 Speaker 1: this one, Um, I want to say it's a tarantula wasp, 192 00:10:59,800 --> 00:11:01,400 Speaker 1: but I don't know if it is or not. But 193 00:11:01,880 --> 00:11:04,839 Speaker 1: it was purple and orange and it looks just mean, 194 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:08,360 Speaker 1: I know what you're talking about. And she was like that, 195 00:11:08,600 --> 00:11:10,840 Speaker 1: I that looks like something that shouldn't be near momo. 196 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:12,920 Speaker 1: So she got away and then she went and looked 197 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:15,559 Speaker 1: it up, and yes, it turns out it has one 198 00:11:15,600 --> 00:11:19,840 Speaker 1: of the most painful stings on the planet. It actually 199 00:11:19,880 --> 00:11:23,040 Speaker 1: is a four I believe, which would make it tied 200 00:11:23,080 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 1: with the bullet ant, which um Schmidt apparently says is 201 00:11:28,960 --> 00:11:31,440 Speaker 1: it's a four because that's all the scale goes up to. 202 00:11:31,559 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 1: But it's actually like off the charts painful. Yeah, it's 203 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:39,920 Speaker 1: listed as four plus Central and South American ant big 204 00:11:39,960 --> 00:11:46,680 Speaker 1: and black and uh twelve hour pain, pure intense, brilliant pain, 205 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:51,000 Speaker 1: like firewalking over flaming charcoal with a three inch rusty 206 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:55,000 Speaker 1: nail in your heel man. Yeah, yeah, I've I've heard 207 00:11:55,040 --> 00:11:57,880 Speaker 1: that there's videos of people purposely getting stung by a 208 00:11:57,920 --> 00:12:00,760 Speaker 1: bullet ant on if you want to see that. Yeah, 209 00:12:00,800 --> 00:12:02,640 Speaker 1: there's like a whole group of people who like go 210 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 1: around using the Schmidt Stinging Pain Index and purposely get 211 00:12:07,200 --> 00:12:11,000 Speaker 1: stungs and make videos of it, just to see what 212 00:12:11,080 --> 00:12:14,720 Speaker 1: it's like. Write it out. Um, you got anything else? 213 00:12:15,400 --> 00:12:18,280 Speaker 1: I got nothing else? Okay, well that's it for short Stuff. 214 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:22,560 Speaker 1: Everybody steer clear stinging insects. But if you ever do 215 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:25,240 Speaker 1: get stung by one, check it out on the Schmidt 216 00:12:25,320 --> 00:12:30,840 Speaker 1: Stinging Pain Index and see if he's right and short 217 00:12:30,840 --> 00:12:37,000 Speaker 1: Stuff is out. Stuff you Should Know is a production 218 00:12:37,040 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 1: of I Heart Radio. For more podcasts my heart Radio, 219 00:12:40,200 --> 00:12:43,160 Speaker 1: visit the i heart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 220 00:12:43,200 --> 00:12:44,640 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.