1 00:00:03,800 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind from how Stuff 2 00:00:06,680 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Hey, what can't the stuff to blow 3 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:15,720 Speaker 1: your mind? My name is Robert Lamb and I'm Julie Douglas. 4 00:00:15,960 --> 00:00:19,760 Speaker 1: Julie Way. Is being on a plane the absolute worst? 5 00:00:19,880 --> 00:00:22,640 Speaker 1: Like setting there on the on the plane waiting to 6 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:26,560 Speaker 1: take off, it seems like every possible annoying thing in 7 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:30,320 Speaker 1: the world is inevitably trapped in there with you. Well, 8 00:00:30,320 --> 00:00:33,040 Speaker 1: I mean your personal space is being invaded, right, there's 9 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 1: elbow wars going on. It's true. They're stinky air being circulated. 10 00:00:37,360 --> 00:00:40,360 Speaker 1: Well yeah, no, really, I mean think about it, Like, 11 00:00:40,680 --> 00:00:42,800 Speaker 1: all of a sudden, five minutes into it, you've got, 12 00:00:42,840 --> 00:00:45,519 Speaker 1: you know, a hundred people crammed in this space. Stinky 13 00:00:45,560 --> 00:00:48,280 Speaker 1: air is happening. It's true. They're they're they're rooting around 14 00:00:48,280 --> 00:00:51,800 Speaker 1: for stuff. Some of them have brought on outside food. Yeah, person, 15 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:54,120 Speaker 1: next you may have a pizza that they're pulling out 16 00:00:54,160 --> 00:00:57,120 Speaker 1: of a satchel to to chomp down on. And then 17 00:00:57,200 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 1: a lot of it's all out of your control too. 18 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:00,840 Speaker 1: I mean, that's that's a huge thing too. You step 19 00:01:00,840 --> 00:01:04,560 Speaker 1: on the plane and it's definite plane rules, step out 20 00:01:04,600 --> 00:01:07,040 Speaker 1: of line. Somebody's going to escort you away and like 21 00:01:07,280 --> 00:01:09,600 Speaker 1: shackle you to a seat somewhere and they will by 22 00:01:09,600 --> 00:01:13,520 Speaker 1: the way, Yeah, just so you now, did that happen? No? Okay, 23 00:01:13,560 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: But there are other elements going on, right, I mean 24 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:18,240 Speaker 1: that really the five senses are engaged here and and 25 00:01:18,600 --> 00:01:22,640 Speaker 1: most notably the h your your ears, because there's just 26 00:01:22,959 --> 00:01:26,880 Speaker 1: that they're being assaulted, right, Because inevitably when you get 27 00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:29,920 Speaker 1: on that plane, there is going to be a baby 28 00:01:30,240 --> 00:01:34,920 Speaker 1: crying or a toddler whining. This is just the law 29 00:01:35,000 --> 00:01:37,840 Speaker 1: of airplane travel. Ye. Generally the dogs are going to 30 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:41,280 Speaker 1: be tranked, so you don't really have to worry about those. No. No, 31 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: I've heard I've heard of people flying though where they're 32 00:01:43,640 --> 00:01:47,440 Speaker 1: encountering cats, uh, cats and little boxes on the seat 33 00:01:47,480 --> 00:01:49,760 Speaker 1: next to them, cats catterwalling, Yeah, I guess. I mean 34 00:01:49,800 --> 00:01:51,360 Speaker 1: that's what they're going to do for the duration of 35 00:01:51,400 --> 00:01:53,480 Speaker 1: a flight. If they do it for an entire drive 36 00:01:53,520 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 1: across the town to to the vet, uh, I think 37 00:01:56,800 --> 00:02:01,320 Speaker 1: it's guaranteed um transoceanic flight. Well, unless they get a 38 00:02:01,320 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: mother's little helper, you know what I'm saying. But but 39 00:02:06,440 --> 00:02:08,760 Speaker 1: I mean, okay, so sound is a big deal on 40 00:02:08,800 --> 00:02:11,520 Speaker 1: the plane. Now, obviously, Eventually there's going to be an 41 00:02:11,520 --> 00:02:14,519 Speaker 1: airplane engine and some nice sort of white noise to 42 00:02:14,560 --> 00:02:17,000 Speaker 1: sort of help. Eventually you're going to be able to 43 00:02:17,040 --> 00:02:21,880 Speaker 1: turn on your iPod or other listening to music device 44 00:02:22,200 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: without being yelled at and hopefully drown out some of 45 00:02:25,440 --> 00:02:27,840 Speaker 1: the sound. But there's there's gonna be some time there 46 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 1: where you're gonna have to deal with the crying baby, 47 00:02:30,639 --> 00:02:34,600 Speaker 1: the dude that is coughing and sniffling, um, the person 48 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:38,000 Speaker 1: who's like shuffling papers, the person who won't stop fidgeting 49 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:42,200 Speaker 1: with their seatbelt. Oh, and the cell phone talker. Well, 50 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:44,480 Speaker 1: luckily that'll well I don't know, can you talk on 51 00:02:44,520 --> 00:02:49,680 Speaker 1: a cell phone on UM? I think some transatlantic ones 52 00:02:49,760 --> 00:02:52,640 Speaker 1: you can. I can't recall remember seeing a news item 53 00:02:52,639 --> 00:02:55,280 Speaker 1: about it and sort of cringing inwardly. But certainly everybody 54 00:02:55,280 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: tries to finish up their conversations before the before they 55 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:01,040 Speaker 1: take off, before the in the right after they get 56 00:03:01,120 --> 00:03:03,680 Speaker 1: that that weird call where you're getting arranging. Generally, it's 57 00:03:03,720 --> 00:03:06,120 Speaker 1: just like a ranging pickup, like I'm here, this plane 58 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:09,240 Speaker 1: is awful, Um, I'll be out in ten minutes. But 59 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:11,120 Speaker 1: but when you first got on the plane, there's no 60 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:13,480 Speaker 1: telling what it's going to be some snippet of some 61 00:03:13,480 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 1: some conversation that is just amazingly irritating or way too personal, 62 00:03:19,000 --> 00:03:21,880 Speaker 1: and you're like, what, I can't believe they're having this discussion, uh, 63 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:24,400 Speaker 1: because some people just have blinders on when they're when 64 00:03:24,400 --> 00:03:27,880 Speaker 1: they're having these these discussions with with somebody, and you're like, WHOA, 65 00:03:27,919 --> 00:03:30,119 Speaker 1: that is way too much detail to just be shoveling 66 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:32,240 Speaker 1: out into the island on the airplane. And it's the 67 00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:34,440 Speaker 1: worst because you know you're only hearing half of it, 68 00:03:34,560 --> 00:03:36,920 Speaker 1: and the half of it that you are hearing sometimes 69 00:03:37,000 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 1: is so like you say, horrendous. You're like, really, you 70 00:03:39,000 --> 00:03:40,960 Speaker 1: don't need to be airing your dirty laundry. And I 71 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:43,360 Speaker 1: only knew half of what you're talking about. So obviously 72 00:03:43,360 --> 00:03:45,800 Speaker 1: what we're talking about today is sort of the science 73 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: of pet peeves. Why we react the way that we do, yes, 74 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: because inevitably some scientists, researcher, neuroscientist has been on a plane, 75 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:57,440 Speaker 1: put up with this stuff, and then they've decided that's it. 76 00:03:57,520 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: I'm going back. I'm getting funding, I'm gonna research this, 77 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:01,800 Speaker 1: gonna get a test group together, I'm gonna figure this out. 78 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:04,920 Speaker 1: My next flight is going to be far less annoying, right, 79 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:07,720 Speaker 1: we hope right, or at least we've we've uncovered the 80 00:04:07,760 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: reasons why we're annoyed. According to an article on Wired 81 00:04:11,360 --> 00:04:14,840 Speaker 1: by Alex Vincent, there is one sound more annoying than 82 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:18,720 Speaker 1: nails on a blackboard or even sirens, and that is 83 00:04:19,520 --> 00:04:23,200 Speaker 1: the whining child. Yes, the whining child. Not just the 84 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 1: crying child, but the whining specifically the whining child. And 85 00:04:26,360 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 1: and that sort of catterwauling actually peaks between the ages 86 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 1: of two and four. In case you're wondering this, This 87 00:04:31,200 --> 00:04:36,360 Speaker 1: this frequency that toddlers seemed to cultivate and and just 88 00:04:37,120 --> 00:04:42,560 Speaker 1: resonate their out in the universe, the moment I that 89 00:04:42,640 --> 00:04:46,680 Speaker 1: kind of yeah, yeah, you got it. Um, Yeah that um. 90 00:04:46,720 --> 00:04:48,320 Speaker 1: And it doesn't matter if you're a parent or not. 91 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:52,480 Speaker 1: It affects everybody equally, bothers everyone. Um. In a study 92 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:56,760 Speaker 1: published in the journal Social Evolutionary and Cultural Psychology, participants 93 00:04:56,800 --> 00:04:59,960 Speaker 1: were asked to do subtraction problems while listening to an 94 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:04,240 Speaker 1: infinct crying, also a regular speech silence, whining in a 95 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:08,159 Speaker 1: high pitched table saw and mother ease, mother ease? Now 96 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:10,200 Speaker 1: can you give up as a mother? Can you give 97 00:05:10,200 --> 00:05:14,279 Speaker 1: an example of mother ease. I can't give you I 98 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 1: know right that just that just made me feel dirty. Um. 99 00:05:17,720 --> 00:05:20,760 Speaker 1: This is that sort of exaggerated baby talk, and it's universal. 100 00:05:20,880 --> 00:05:23,200 Speaker 1: It doesn't matter what language you speak, and there's there's 101 00:05:23,279 --> 00:05:26,200 Speaker 1: mother ease, and we do it when we talk to babies, 102 00:05:26,200 --> 00:05:28,479 Speaker 1: and we do it when we talk to our pets, 103 00:05:28,760 --> 00:05:32,480 Speaker 1: sometimes to our significant other. I generally don't use that 104 00:05:32,600 --> 00:05:35,960 Speaker 1: voice um when talking to my significant either or my cat, 105 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 1: but occasionally somebody else will be introduced to the cat 106 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:40,400 Speaker 1: and they'll like break out some mother ease on him. 107 00:05:40,400 --> 00:05:42,479 Speaker 1: I'm always kind of like, oh, wait, don't talk to 108 00:05:42,680 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 1: my cat that way. She's not she's not accustomed to this. 109 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:50,000 Speaker 1: That's interesting. You're like, don't expose my cat to to 110 00:05:50,200 --> 00:05:53,000 Speaker 1: mother ease. She's going to expect this or is that 111 00:05:53,000 --> 00:05:55,120 Speaker 1: what you're thinking. I don't know it just then it 112 00:05:55,200 --> 00:05:57,880 Speaker 1: might warp her somehow. You know, it's gonna irritating sound. 113 00:05:57,920 --> 00:05:59,400 Speaker 1: And I'm like, oh, don't inflict that on me. You 114 00:05:59,440 --> 00:06:01,800 Speaker 1: don't inflict that on the cat either. Well. The worst though, 115 00:06:01,839 --> 00:06:04,520 Speaker 1: I think, is when people flirt in mother EA's and 116 00:06:04,680 --> 00:06:07,800 Speaker 1: it reminds me of that Seinfeld episode in which Jerry 117 00:06:07,839 --> 00:06:12,800 Speaker 1: and his girlfriends started calling each other schmoopy, you're schmoopy, 118 00:06:13,120 --> 00:06:15,880 Speaker 1: your schmoopy? Well, and this I guess this also kind 119 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:18,919 Speaker 1: of ties into the whole the whole sexy baby voice, 120 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:22,159 Speaker 1: which I just don't get. Yeah, but but it seems 121 00:06:22,160 --> 00:06:24,920 Speaker 1: to be some more levels of annoying. Maybe it quite 122 00:06:24,960 --> 00:06:26,600 Speaker 1: as as bad I mean, And I don't know if 123 00:06:26,600 --> 00:06:30,880 Speaker 1: it's been empirically studied, like the mother ease. Oh what 124 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:33,719 Speaker 1: the sexy baby voice. Yeah, I don't hear of you 125 00:06:33,839 --> 00:06:35,800 Speaker 1: study of the sexy baby boy. I don't think that 126 00:06:35,839 --> 00:06:39,960 Speaker 1: there's any sort of brain development that is going on 127 00:06:40,080 --> 00:06:42,560 Speaker 1: with the baby sexy voice. But you know, at least 128 00:06:42,560 --> 00:06:45,440 Speaker 1: with mother ease and with babies, we can see an 129 00:06:45,440 --> 00:06:49,480 Speaker 1: actual tie there between you know, cooing to a baby 130 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:52,360 Speaker 1: and talking in mother e's and the child actually understanding 131 00:06:52,360 --> 00:06:56,040 Speaker 1: that this voice is specifically for him or her and 132 00:06:56,080 --> 00:07:00,160 Speaker 1: to pay attention, and that these words like dindon and 133 00:07:01,040 --> 00:07:03,120 Speaker 1: now I know how to completely annoy this is awesome, 134 00:07:03,520 --> 00:07:05,839 Speaker 1: um for dinner that is short for dinner, and so 135 00:07:05,880 --> 00:07:10,000 Speaker 1: they sort of understand, uh, you know, phonologically from mother ease. 136 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 1: But that being said, Mother's as annoying as it is, 137 00:07:13,680 --> 00:07:17,480 Speaker 1: is still less annoying than the baby whinings because because 138 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:21,880 Speaker 1: when those people were doing uh, the math, the subtractions, 139 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:26,800 Speaker 1: they found that they made more mistakes per math problems 140 00:07:26,800 --> 00:07:30,760 Speaker 1: completed when listening to the wines and any other speech 141 00:07:30,760 --> 00:07:33,560 Speaker 1: patterns or noises. And just to be clear to when 142 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:36,880 Speaker 1: they used the language samples the speech patterns, what they 143 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 1: did is they scrambled it so that or excuse me, 144 00:07:39,800 --> 00:07:42,520 Speaker 1: didn't scramble. They had it in another language. And the 145 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:45,520 Speaker 1: reason they did that is because they didn't want people 146 00:07:45,560 --> 00:07:47,880 Speaker 1: to be distracted by what was actually being said. They 147 00:07:47,920 --> 00:07:51,320 Speaker 1: just wanted to hear someone talking. Huh. I wonder if 148 00:07:51,320 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: anyone has ever used this to try and get something 149 00:07:53,640 --> 00:07:56,040 Speaker 1: a break on their taxes or excuse some sort of 150 00:07:56,360 --> 00:07:59,320 Speaker 1: clerical error in bookkeeping where they're like, I'm sorry, I 151 00:07:59,320 --> 00:08:02,920 Speaker 1: work at a priest. Cool look at the study. I was. 152 00:08:03,000 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: I was doing really good to get any of this right. 153 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:07,000 Speaker 1: I was on an airplane trying to complete the report. 154 00:08:07,120 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 1: There was a baby whining. What was I to do? 155 00:08:10,200 --> 00:08:12,560 Speaker 1: It's true, but it is but this is tied to 156 00:08:12,560 --> 00:08:15,800 Speaker 1: an evolutionary thing because because the idea is I mean, 157 00:08:16,000 --> 00:08:19,880 Speaker 1: we've discussed before, like the big evolutionary push is reproduced, 158 00:08:20,080 --> 00:08:23,440 Speaker 1: make another little person and push that person out, continue 159 00:08:23,880 --> 00:08:27,200 Speaker 1: the gene, continue the species. And so therefore we have 160 00:08:27,240 --> 00:08:29,040 Speaker 1: it built in that it's like whoa, one of the 161 00:08:29,200 --> 00:08:33,520 Speaker 1: larval humans requires sustenance. Stop what you're doing, tend to that, 162 00:08:33,880 --> 00:08:35,520 Speaker 1: and then you can get by with whatever the other 163 00:08:35,559 --> 00:08:37,439 Speaker 1: thing is, because this is the thing that is genetically 164 00:08:37,440 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 1: most important. Yes, the larval humans are trying to get 165 00:08:40,400 --> 00:08:43,480 Speaker 1: the parents attention. And that's what co author Rosemary so 166 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:47,240 Speaker 1: called Chang seems to think. She's the she ran the study. 167 00:08:47,360 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 1: So yes, there it's something. It's the sort of pitch 168 00:08:50,240 --> 00:08:53,559 Speaker 1: that could drill through any distraction to get your parents attention. 169 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:58,160 Speaker 1: The larva require candy, the larva require toys. Whatever it is, 170 00:08:58,200 --> 00:09:03,280 Speaker 1: it's more important than checking out pool. Sorry, I will 171 00:09:03,320 --> 00:09:07,480 Speaker 1: really stop doing that. Um So that explains. That explains 172 00:09:07,480 --> 00:09:13,360 Speaker 1: whining that the child catterwauling. What explains the annoyance that 173 00:09:13,400 --> 00:09:16,360 Speaker 1: we feel when we hear only half of a conversation. Yeah, 174 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 1: this is really interesting, and we touched on it earlier. 175 00:09:19,000 --> 00:09:23,000 Speaker 1: Half of a conversation. We're even dropping on half of something, 176 00:09:23,280 --> 00:09:27,720 Speaker 1: and so that our brains cannot help but follow along 177 00:09:27,800 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 1: and try and make sense of what we're hearing. I mean, 178 00:09:29,880 --> 00:09:32,760 Speaker 1: our senses have evolved to make sense of the world 179 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:36,480 Speaker 1: around us and help us navigate this world. And uh, 180 00:09:36,520 --> 00:09:38,800 Speaker 1: and therefore you've got this half of a conversation going on, 181 00:09:38,960 --> 00:09:40,400 Speaker 1: even if you don't want to, even if you know 182 00:09:40,480 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 1: it's the dumbest conversation on the planet, or it's something 183 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:46,760 Speaker 1: just completely offensive, and you know that you are growing 184 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:50,559 Speaker 1: stupider every second that you listen to it. Your your 185 00:09:50,559 --> 00:09:53,760 Speaker 1: brain cannot shut it off. Um. There was an interesting 186 00:09:53,920 --> 00:09:58,440 Speaker 1: uh study into this by graduate student Cornell University. UM. 187 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:01,760 Speaker 1: He subjected people to having to listen to these half conversations, 188 00:10:01,800 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 1: and then he had another group of people that he 189 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:08,560 Speaker 1: had listened to the same conversation, but but with the 190 00:10:08,600 --> 00:10:12,120 Speaker 1: words garbled. So you were hearing not the not the words, 191 00:10:12,160 --> 00:10:15,960 Speaker 1: but just the sound just kind of you know, kind 192 00:10:16,000 --> 00:10:19,000 Speaker 1: of you weren't you weren't hearing a pattern or a 193 00:10:19,080 --> 00:10:21,920 Speaker 1: story or half of a story being told. You're just 194 00:10:22,000 --> 00:10:25,080 Speaker 1: hearing gobbledy cook, just hearing gobbledy cook the whole um, 195 00:10:25,280 --> 00:10:27,240 Speaker 1: you know, the mother on peanuts kind of a thing. 196 00:10:27,880 --> 00:10:31,720 Speaker 1: Because the idea, Yeah, because the idea was, Um, are 197 00:10:31,760 --> 00:10:33,640 Speaker 1: we annoyed by the sound? Is it just the sound 198 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:36,160 Speaker 1: of somebody else yabbering when we're trying to do something, 199 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:38,680 Speaker 1: or is it tied to the words? Is it tied 200 00:10:38,720 --> 00:10:41,360 Speaker 1: to our brains trying to figure out the meaning of 201 00:10:41,400 --> 00:10:43,560 Speaker 1: this conversation, And it's tied to the meaning. That was 202 00:10:43,559 --> 00:10:46,040 Speaker 1: what he found there. The person was far more distracted 203 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:50,080 Speaker 1: um our, Our our thought process and our problem solving 204 00:10:50,120 --> 00:10:54,120 Speaker 1: bodies were far more impacted by the actual worded conversation 205 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:56,080 Speaker 1: as opposed to the gobblty cook. And I thought that 206 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:57,600 Speaker 1: was interesting because a lot of times you and I 207 00:10:57,640 --> 00:11:00,240 Speaker 1: have talked about how the brain is just one of 208 00:11:00,320 --> 00:11:04,079 Speaker 1: his primary functions is predictive modeling. It's always trying to 209 00:11:04,240 --> 00:11:06,880 Speaker 1: figure out what the next step is, what's going on, what, 210 00:11:06,880 --> 00:11:09,920 Speaker 1: what is the pattern in front of the unfolding So 211 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:12,839 Speaker 1: it drives the brain crazy when it only has half 212 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:16,120 Speaker 1: of the information. Yeah, Lewis Black, I mean, comedians love 213 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:20,120 Speaker 1: talking about things that annoy them. It's like, like, I 214 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:23,760 Speaker 1: guess eight to nine percent of anybody's stick. But Louis 215 00:11:23,800 --> 00:11:26,000 Speaker 1: Black has this bit where he's talking about overhearing part 216 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:29,120 Speaker 1: of a conversation I believe about um. It was something 217 00:11:29,160 --> 00:11:31,200 Speaker 1: to the effect of a woman saying and then if 218 00:11:31,200 --> 00:11:34,120 Speaker 1: I didn't have that horse, I wouldn't have gotten into college. Yeah, 219 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:36,679 Speaker 1: I forget it involved college and a horse. And that's 220 00:11:36,679 --> 00:11:38,320 Speaker 1: the only piece he heard. Yeah, that's the only piece 221 00:11:38,320 --> 00:11:40,520 Speaker 1: he heard. And so he does this long bit about 222 00:11:40,840 --> 00:11:43,400 Speaker 1: where he's just flying into a rage about his inability 223 00:11:43,480 --> 00:11:46,440 Speaker 1: to understand what the context could possibly be for such 224 00:11:46,480 --> 00:11:49,520 Speaker 1: a ludicrous statement. And it's a great example of how 225 00:11:49,520 --> 00:11:51,439 Speaker 1: I think any of us feel on some level when 226 00:11:51,440 --> 00:11:54,000 Speaker 1: we're hearing this conversation, like what was that person talking about? 227 00:11:54,080 --> 00:11:57,600 Speaker 1: I remember, I remember being in an airport and overhearing 228 00:11:57,640 --> 00:11:59,679 Speaker 1: just just one snippet. It wasn't enough to be annoying, 229 00:12:00,280 --> 00:12:02,960 Speaker 1: but I heard some guys say, yeah, I'm about to 230 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:05,480 Speaker 1: have to break through some membranes, and and that was 231 00:12:05,559 --> 00:12:07,679 Speaker 1: that was it. And then so for for a while 232 00:12:07,760 --> 00:12:10,679 Speaker 1: it's like what membranes was he gonna breakthrough? Like is 233 00:12:10,679 --> 00:12:13,640 Speaker 1: this metaphorical or yeah, I'm picturing him like, you know, 234 00:12:13,679 --> 00:12:17,360 Speaker 1: he's like shrinking down fantastic void style and like, you know, 235 00:12:17,520 --> 00:12:20,480 Speaker 1: journeying through some cellular tissue or something. I don't know, 236 00:12:20,520 --> 00:12:22,520 Speaker 1: it just made or is it some slang that I'm 237 00:12:22,559 --> 00:12:25,120 Speaker 1: just not hip to. I don't know. I love that, like, 238 00:12:25,200 --> 00:12:28,920 Speaker 1: is he turning into a blood nanobot um. The Science 239 00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:32,160 Speaker 1: of What Bugs Us by Joe Palca and Florida Lickman 240 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 1: is a book that actually covers a lot of this material, 241 00:12:35,559 --> 00:12:39,120 Speaker 1: and co author Joe Palca actually says that you can 242 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:43,040 Speaker 1: you can actually change the circumstances um when you are 243 00:12:43,040 --> 00:12:46,640 Speaker 1: being annoyed by by something like this, and he calls 244 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:50,079 Speaker 1: it cognitive restructuring. Uh. He says that when you're faced 245 00:12:50,080 --> 00:12:52,480 Speaker 1: with the situation in which you're annoyed a cell phone call, 246 00:12:52,600 --> 00:12:55,720 Speaker 1: a seemingly endless line that you're standing in, or mosquito 247 00:12:55,760 --> 00:13:00,079 Speaker 1: buzzing around you, you can practice cognitive restructuring. So his 248 00:13:00,080 --> 00:13:02,960 Speaker 1: his example is, you can tell yourself that the mosquito 249 00:13:03,120 --> 00:13:06,320 Speaker 1: is just a part of the life flow in the world, 250 00:13:06,480 --> 00:13:08,800 Speaker 1: and I shouldn't be mad. It's just trying to do 251 00:13:08,880 --> 00:13:13,199 Speaker 1: what it is genetically programmed to do, and that that 252 00:13:13,320 --> 00:13:17,880 Speaker 1: sort of cognitive restructuring will alleviate your your symptoms of annoyance. 253 00:13:18,880 --> 00:13:21,600 Speaker 1: I'm going to try it, Okay, Well, I found that 254 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:24,720 Speaker 1: I'm One thing I try and do is just tell myself, 255 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:27,440 Speaker 1: don't be a jerk, don't be an idiot, that that 256 00:13:27,520 --> 00:13:30,040 Speaker 1: tends to to help. Like if I I'll find like 257 00:13:30,080 --> 00:13:32,240 Speaker 1: it'll be a situation where, um, and I think this 258 00:13:32,320 --> 00:13:33,760 Speaker 1: is something a lot of people do, especially in this 259 00:13:33,840 --> 00:13:36,080 Speaker 1: day and age. Something annoys you, and you have to vent, 260 00:13:36,120 --> 00:13:38,839 Speaker 1: you have to say something about it. So in our 261 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:42,680 Speaker 1: social media age, there's this huge temptation to do a 262 00:13:42,679 --> 00:13:46,600 Speaker 1: tweet about it, right and and and I find it 263 00:13:46,600 --> 00:13:48,440 Speaker 1: will be a situation where like, somebody has like a 264 00:13:48,520 --> 00:13:52,480 Speaker 1: really annoying aftershave or deodorant on, and I'll just really 265 00:13:52,520 --> 00:13:55,800 Speaker 1: want to do a tweet about how it smells like 266 00:13:56,400 --> 00:13:59,160 Speaker 1: a stick of right Guard exploded in the office. But 267 00:13:59,160 --> 00:14:01,200 Speaker 1: but I hold off because I'm like, that's that's just 268 00:14:01,280 --> 00:14:03,199 Speaker 1: doing nobody need good. It will be like a moment 269 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:05,319 Speaker 1: of relief, and then people would be like, wow, this 270 00:14:05,400 --> 00:14:07,480 Speaker 1: is a great Twitter feed. He always does his gripe 271 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:10,440 Speaker 1: about the smells in the office. Right and so instead, 272 00:14:10,720 --> 00:14:13,480 Speaker 1: are you now going to start saying to yourself right 273 00:14:13,520 --> 00:14:16,800 Speaker 1: guard It exists in the world, Yes, exactly, it exists. 274 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:19,800 Speaker 1: It helps them to not stink. Exactly. Well, maybe you 275 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:23,080 Speaker 1: know right guard is better than the alternative, I guess, right, right, 276 00:14:23,680 --> 00:14:26,359 Speaker 1: But it is worth noting that things like right Guard 277 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:30,560 Speaker 1: or fake lavender. Yeah, and we'll fake lavender is such 278 00:14:30,560 --> 00:14:34,000 Speaker 1: a weird thing because actual lavender smells so good, it's wonderful. Yeah, 279 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:37,960 Speaker 1: but fake lavendar is like the death of my nose follicles. Yes, 280 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:41,120 Speaker 1: like being gas and U and I mean that is 281 00:14:41,440 --> 00:14:45,040 Speaker 1: is specifically tied to our genetic structure. There's a gene 282 00:14:45,040 --> 00:14:50,520 Speaker 1: called trip a one that's trp A one, and in mammals, 283 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:54,320 Speaker 1: it's primarily receptor for chemical irritants. I mean, because it 284 00:14:54,360 --> 00:14:57,320 Speaker 1: basically breaks down. You can't feel your DNA getting mutated, 285 00:14:57,800 --> 00:15:01,760 Speaker 1: so so our bodies need another alarm system. Um. And 286 00:15:01,960 --> 00:15:03,840 Speaker 1: they've they've done these experiments where they found that if 287 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:06,160 Speaker 1: they removed this from a fruit fly, it will lap 288 00:15:06,240 --> 00:15:09,400 Speaker 1: up cinnamon water like it was just normal water. Um. 289 00:15:09,440 --> 00:15:11,520 Speaker 1: They've removed it from mice and the mice will just 290 00:15:11,600 --> 00:15:13,600 Speaker 1: eat a whole bunch of a sabi and not care. 291 00:15:13,760 --> 00:15:16,600 Speaker 1: It's used to help us pick up on harmful chemicals, 292 00:15:16,600 --> 00:15:18,720 Speaker 1: but it's also it can also be uh be set 293 00:15:18,760 --> 00:15:22,240 Speaker 1: up by by extremes of colder heat. It's uh basically 294 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:25,680 Speaker 1: this kicks in any time our bodies meet the outside world, 295 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:29,080 Speaker 1: so any number of like chemical or physical irritants that's 296 00:15:29,080 --> 00:15:31,560 Speaker 1: what's happening. And it's really interesting why you would be 297 00:15:31,600 --> 00:15:34,720 Speaker 1: annoyed by those smells because on a cellular level, it's 298 00:15:34,720 --> 00:15:38,120 Speaker 1: saying like this is danger or could potential changer, and 299 00:15:38,160 --> 00:15:40,720 Speaker 1: we don't know. Yeah, yeah, potentially, And certainly there has 300 00:15:40,760 --> 00:15:43,600 Speaker 1: been you know, I'm not sure about current products, but 301 00:15:43,600 --> 00:15:45,000 Speaker 1: they're hit. In the past, there has have been some 302 00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 1: concerns about various air fresheners. I mean, I'm sure they're 303 00:15:48,440 --> 00:15:50,320 Speaker 1: so are for a lot of the products out there, 304 00:15:50,760 --> 00:15:52,800 Speaker 1: about some of the chemicals that are involved in That's 305 00:15:52,800 --> 00:15:55,360 Speaker 1: why people end up going for these these more natural 306 00:15:55,400 --> 00:15:57,920 Speaker 1: products in any cases, because it's this whole question mark 307 00:15:57,960 --> 00:16:00,480 Speaker 1: of what am I actually pumping into the air. So 308 00:16:00,520 --> 00:16:03,120 Speaker 1: our bodies, Yeah, their bodies actually get in on the 309 00:16:03,160 --> 00:16:06,080 Speaker 1: conversation too, and they're like, whoa, I think this might 310 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:10,160 Speaker 1: be harmful. Let's get away from this particular odor or funk. 311 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:14,360 Speaker 1: The funk coming in. It's the cloud of fake lavenger, yes, yes, 312 00:16:14,480 --> 00:16:18,160 Speaker 1: rushing toward us. And actually that brings up another point 313 00:16:18,320 --> 00:16:21,040 Speaker 1: when we're talking about actual funk in terms of like 314 00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:25,920 Speaker 1: hygiene or also another huge thing, uh on airplanes coughing 315 00:16:25,920 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 1: and sneezing. Another stand up comedian as He's and Sorry, 316 00:16:28,280 --> 00:16:31,120 Speaker 1: has a bit where he's he's talking about somebody like 317 00:16:31,160 --> 00:16:33,720 Speaker 1: flying into a rage at him about him having the sniffles, 318 00:16:34,360 --> 00:16:35,920 Speaker 1: and he and the person's just like, you can have 319 00:16:35,960 --> 00:16:38,760 Speaker 1: the sniffles for you know, however many hours and he 320 00:16:38,840 --> 00:16:40,920 Speaker 1: was like, whoa, that was, you know, really an appropriate 321 00:16:41,000 --> 00:16:43,600 Speaker 1: amount of anger over someone having the sniffles. But it 322 00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:46,760 Speaker 1: can be annoying on one level. It is like this 323 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:50,920 Speaker 1: unpredictable sound, like when's it gonna stop, when's it gonna 324 00:16:50,920 --> 00:16:53,360 Speaker 1: happen again? You know? And then if you add into 325 00:16:53,360 --> 00:16:55,640 Speaker 1: that someone not covering their mouth when they cough, like 326 00:16:55,680 --> 00:16:58,320 Speaker 1: that's the worst. And I think I think the reasons 327 00:16:58,320 --> 00:17:00,840 Speaker 1: here pretty obvious, and that is that this is somebody's 328 00:17:00,840 --> 00:17:03,760 Speaker 1: else's hygiene issue going on. They've got some sort of 329 00:17:03,760 --> 00:17:06,160 Speaker 1: a bunk that we don't want to catch. So it's 330 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:08,360 Speaker 1: it's natural that we would want to avoid it at 331 00:17:08,359 --> 00:17:10,920 Speaker 1: all costs. Okay, So that's why you see people on 332 00:17:10,920 --> 00:17:14,439 Speaker 1: the airplane sometimes like constantly spring their hands and cleaning, 333 00:17:14,680 --> 00:17:16,639 Speaker 1: or just George's bringing on like a tub of it 334 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:18,320 Speaker 1: and just you can't do that anymore, but you still 335 00:17:18,440 --> 00:17:21,040 Speaker 1: bring on a tub of hand sanitizer and just and 336 00:17:21,119 --> 00:17:23,560 Speaker 1: just glob it on specifically, what right you'd want a 337 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:27,399 Speaker 1: barrier of glob hand sanitizer? So glad they don't do that, 338 00:17:27,480 --> 00:17:31,040 Speaker 1: let you do that anymore. Yeah. Well, even on taking 339 00:17:31,040 --> 00:17:33,199 Speaker 1: the train to work, you know, somebody will cough and 340 00:17:33,240 --> 00:17:35,720 Speaker 1: instantly all I can think about are those images where 341 00:17:35,720 --> 00:17:38,320 Speaker 1: they show how far a cough travels, you know, where 342 00:17:38,359 --> 00:17:41,080 Speaker 1: they show this like giant red cloud that stems out 343 00:17:41,160 --> 00:17:43,360 Speaker 1: and I'm like, oh, like even when somebody's covering their mouth, 344 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:45,520 Speaker 1: I'm just kind of cringe. And then if they don't, 345 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:48,560 Speaker 1: I'm just like, oh, disease vector, throw that person from 346 00:17:48,560 --> 00:17:50,359 Speaker 1: the tree. That's it. I mean that's because you're you 347 00:17:50,800 --> 00:17:53,600 Speaker 1: are witnessing all of that. So yeah, we're trying to 348 00:17:53,640 --> 00:17:58,280 Speaker 1: detect disease um and even decay right because certain smells 349 00:17:58,320 --> 00:18:01,760 Speaker 1: and we're like whoa, uh, it's all very interesting how 350 00:18:01,800 --> 00:18:05,240 Speaker 1: we are doing this on an unconscious level. Oh here's 351 00:18:05,240 --> 00:18:08,040 Speaker 1: another one for our I think our last little bit 352 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:10,480 Speaker 1: on this one. I was once on the train and 353 00:18:10,480 --> 00:18:13,639 Speaker 1: it was it was pretty crowded and uh, and somebody 354 00:18:13,640 --> 00:18:16,040 Speaker 1: gets on and they're having a loud, annoying and appropriate 355 00:18:16,040 --> 00:18:19,240 Speaker 1: conversation where it's like really mad, they're really irritated on 356 00:18:19,280 --> 00:18:21,960 Speaker 1: this phone call. And then they add and this train 357 00:18:22,080 --> 00:18:23,639 Speaker 1: is really crowded, and you know, that's one of my 358 00:18:23,680 --> 00:18:26,359 Speaker 1: pet peeves. And I'm thinking, that's that can't really be 359 00:18:26,400 --> 00:18:28,920 Speaker 1: your pet peeve. Don't act like you're the like one 360 00:18:28,920 --> 00:18:31,399 Speaker 1: of the few people on earth who doesn't dig a 361 00:18:31,520 --> 00:18:34,960 Speaker 1: crowded train. Like unless you were a, um, you know, 362 00:18:35,080 --> 00:18:38,240 Speaker 1: like a groper on a like a Japanese subway, or 363 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:41,919 Speaker 1: you're a pickpocket, you're you're probably not going to be 364 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:45,040 Speaker 1: really wild about the idea of a really uber crowded train. 365 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:49,600 Speaker 1: But it's also a regular condition of at least in 366 00:18:49,640 --> 00:18:52,919 Speaker 1: our city at peak times, you know, so you you 367 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:55,359 Speaker 1: come to expect this, but we still we never get 368 00:18:55,440 --> 00:18:58,800 Speaker 1: quite used to it. You know, like there's nothing there's 369 00:18:58,840 --> 00:19:01,240 Speaker 1: nothing sweeter than an empty train pulling up at the 370 00:19:01,280 --> 00:19:03,959 Speaker 1: track to take you to work. I will say that 371 00:19:04,000 --> 00:19:06,879 Speaker 1: at the peak of summer, when you're in the train 372 00:19:07,119 --> 00:19:09,520 Speaker 1: and it's just like it's a hundred ten outside and 373 00:19:09,840 --> 00:19:14,040 Speaker 1: drew inside the train. Um, it does kind of start 374 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:17,240 Speaker 1: to smell like the reptile house at the it does. 375 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:21,040 Speaker 1: There's a certain funk. But all of us being said, 376 00:19:21,240 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: we still have not answered the question about why nails 377 00:19:24,040 --> 00:19:28,520 Speaker 1: on a blackboard are so crowd thing. Yeah, go back, 378 00:19:28,520 --> 00:19:30,199 Speaker 1: we'll get we'll get the crowds, but let's let's go 379 00:19:30,200 --> 00:19:32,040 Speaker 1: to the nailboard thing. Well, before you get the nail 380 00:19:32,080 --> 00:19:33,560 Speaker 1: board the I'm gonna we need to take a break. 381 00:19:33,880 --> 00:19:36,360 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, we do. I know it's annoying, but we'll 382 00:19:36,359 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 1: gree high back after this. This podcast is brought to 383 00:19:40,840 --> 00:19:45,119 Speaker 1: you by Intel, the sponsors of Tomorrow and the Discovery Channel. 384 00:19:45,840 --> 00:19:49,800 Speaker 1: At Intel, we believe curiosity is the spark which drives innovation. 385 00:19:50,480 --> 00:19:53,880 Speaker 1: Join us at curiosity dot com and explore the answers 386 00:19:53,920 --> 00:20:00,480 Speaker 1: to life's questions. And we're back. So, yeah, we have 387 00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:03,240 Speaker 1: crowds to discuss, and we also have nails in a chalkboard. 388 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:04,560 Speaker 1: I mean, that's the big one. So let's go ahead 389 00:20:04,560 --> 00:20:07,520 Speaker 1: and discuss nails on a chalkboard. It is the iconic 390 00:20:07,560 --> 00:20:10,560 Speaker 1: annoying sound. And I think everyone responds the same to this. 391 00:20:10,600 --> 00:20:13,280 Speaker 1: And this again, this is a universal thing. The jury 392 00:20:13,440 --> 00:20:17,000 Speaker 1: is still out on exactly wine nails on chalkboards send 393 00:20:17,000 --> 00:20:19,359 Speaker 1: shivers down our spine and make us clench our teeth. 394 00:20:19,680 --> 00:20:22,639 Speaker 1: But in nineteen eighties, six study by doctors Lynn Helper 395 00:20:22,640 --> 00:20:27,600 Speaker 1: and Randolph Blake and James Hildebrand, subjected volunteers like the 396 00:20:28,200 --> 00:20:31,680 Speaker 1: fantasy artists who did all the token illustrations. Yes, that's 397 00:20:31,680 --> 00:20:35,920 Speaker 1: what I mean. The name caught my eye. Um volunteers. 398 00:20:35,920 --> 00:20:38,919 Speaker 1: I'm gonna put volunteers and quotation marks, I think, uh 399 00:20:38,960 --> 00:20:42,359 Speaker 1: to sixteen different sounds and found that the sound made 400 00:20:42,840 --> 00:20:46,639 Speaker 1: from dragging a three pronged garden fork dragged across a 401 00:20:46,640 --> 00:20:49,359 Speaker 1: piece of slate was the worst, which is kind of 402 00:20:49,400 --> 00:20:52,440 Speaker 1: like mona of course, nodah. It was like that the 403 00:20:52,520 --> 00:20:55,159 Speaker 1: high frequencies were actually the culprit. But they found that 404 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:59,440 Speaker 1: when they removed the high frequencies from the sound recording 405 00:20:59,560 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 1: that that had no difference. Oh so it was the 406 00:21:02,160 --> 00:21:03,720 Speaker 1: it was a combination of the high and the low. 407 00:21:03,840 --> 00:21:07,119 Speaker 1: It was actually the middle frequencies that were driving everybody nuts. 408 00:21:07,880 --> 00:21:11,199 Speaker 1: But still no solid reason for the response though. The 409 00:21:11,320 --> 00:21:15,760 Speaker 1: study hazard a hazard a guess in which they positive 410 00:21:15,800 --> 00:21:18,840 Speaker 1: that the frequency is really similar to the warning cries 411 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:23,280 Speaker 1: of certain monkeys and apes. Okay, so on a very 412 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:27,119 Speaker 1: like ancient level, we're back to this primordial form in 413 00:21:27,160 --> 00:21:30,880 Speaker 1: the forest, and typically in in forest settings or or 414 00:21:30,880 --> 00:21:34,280 Speaker 1: even on the savannahs. You'll have multiple animals that are present, 415 00:21:34,640 --> 00:21:38,880 Speaker 1: but but but one prey animal, say giraffe or or 416 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:42,399 Speaker 1: or one monkey species will put out the call. They're like, oh, 417 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:45,080 Speaker 1: there's a predator in the area, and everything will spine right. Yeah, 418 00:21:45,160 --> 00:21:48,480 Speaker 1: we see this in a various nature documentaries, and one 419 00:21:48,480 --> 00:21:51,080 Speaker 1: of the co authors, Random Blake, said, you know, he 420 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:53,280 Speaker 1: he feels like this is actually a good theory in 421 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:57,760 Speaker 1: that primate warning cries are some of the recordings that 422 00:21:57,800 --> 00:21:59,960 Speaker 1: he has of them. He says, if I didn't tell 423 00:22:00,040 --> 00:22:02,240 Speaker 1: you what you are listening to, you could easily think 424 00:22:02,240 --> 00:22:05,960 Speaker 1: you were listening to fingernails on a chalkboard. But the 425 00:22:06,040 --> 00:22:10,600 Speaker 1: studies other co author, James Hildebrand or hill in Brand, 426 00:22:10,600 --> 00:22:13,119 Speaker 1: I should say, he disagrees. He says that the nails 427 00:22:13,119 --> 00:22:16,439 Speaker 1: on chalkboard zone is just a very particular sound and 428 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:19,280 Speaker 1: a very particular reaction, and it's not the kind of 429 00:22:19,320 --> 00:22:21,520 Speaker 1: reaction that you would have if you are encountered a 430 00:22:21,600 --> 00:22:24,040 Speaker 1: dangerous animal. Well, yeah, I have to say, like when 431 00:22:24,040 --> 00:22:26,760 Speaker 1: I when I've heard that sound in the past, I 432 00:22:27,080 --> 00:22:29,720 Speaker 1: don't feel like I'm having that Oh my goodness, there's 433 00:22:29,720 --> 00:22:33,640 Speaker 1: a saber tooth tiger in the area. Response Yeah, it's 434 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:36,480 Speaker 1: more of like, oh stop that. Yeah, and he says 435 00:22:36,520 --> 00:22:38,200 Speaker 1: that the response has to do more with like friction 436 00:22:38,240 --> 00:22:41,120 Speaker 1: and memory and it's not sound per se, but it's 437 00:22:41,160 --> 00:22:45,480 Speaker 1: the image that's conjured up during that scraping, which I 438 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:48,639 Speaker 1: thought was really interesting because there is, uh, there is 439 00:22:48,680 --> 00:22:52,200 Speaker 1: something very uh tactile even happening. Even though it's a 440 00:22:52,240 --> 00:22:54,400 Speaker 1: sound that you're hearing, it's something that you can almost 441 00:22:54,600 --> 00:22:57,200 Speaker 1: feel as if you were doing it yourself. Well, it 442 00:22:57,440 --> 00:22:59,560 Speaker 1: also I don't know, you just can't help but think 443 00:22:59,560 --> 00:23:02,159 Speaker 1: of claw us. You know, it's like claws and like 444 00:23:02,200 --> 00:23:05,399 Speaker 1: Freddy Krueger or something, or or some sort of like 445 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:09,439 Speaker 1: sharp implement. It's just and it's also the person like 446 00:23:09,480 --> 00:23:12,720 Speaker 1: it's in it's in many case. I mean you certainly 447 00:23:12,960 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 1: you have situations where a teacher will do it accidentally, 448 00:23:16,160 --> 00:23:19,640 Speaker 1: but so so often it was it's done by some 449 00:23:19,720 --> 00:23:21,560 Speaker 1: jerk who's going, we're trying to get a rise out 450 00:23:21,560 --> 00:23:25,919 Speaker 1: of somebody, So you end up associating, not associating the 451 00:23:25,960 --> 00:23:30,200 Speaker 1: sound with the type of person who does annoying things 452 00:23:30,240 --> 00:23:33,879 Speaker 1: just to watch people react. M it's a very bartsome 453 00:23:33,960 --> 00:23:40,160 Speaker 1: some move. Yeah, that definitely definitely a bart move. Crowds. Crowds, Yes, 454 00:23:40,400 --> 00:23:43,000 Speaker 1: so yeah, this this one lady on the train's pet 455 00:23:43,000 --> 00:23:47,040 Speaker 1: peeve of large crowds. Why is this annoying? Like why 456 00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:48,639 Speaker 1: don't we just want to get in there and just 457 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:51,760 Speaker 1: go elbow to elbow and just dig off the body 458 00:23:51,800 --> 00:23:55,880 Speaker 1: heat like penguins. Well again, I think it's that predictive modeling, right, 459 00:23:55,960 --> 00:23:59,240 Speaker 1: because if you have a crowd swelling around you, you 460 00:23:59,240 --> 00:24:02,119 Speaker 1: you no longer have these visual markers. You're kind of 461 00:24:02,119 --> 00:24:05,520 Speaker 1: getting lost in the crowd. You don't you're getting disoriented, 462 00:24:06,280 --> 00:24:08,280 Speaker 1: and that could have you know, have these feelings of 463 00:24:08,359 --> 00:24:12,800 Speaker 1: panic or specifically annoyance because hey where am I? You're 464 00:24:12,840 --> 00:24:14,960 Speaker 1: you're in my way, and all of a sudden, um, 465 00:24:15,000 --> 00:24:17,760 Speaker 1: this becomes sort of like a threat to you, right, Yeah. 466 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:19,760 Speaker 1: And there have been the there have been various computer 467 00:24:19,800 --> 00:24:22,040 Speaker 1: models have been together about how crowds behave, and I 468 00:24:22,040 --> 00:24:24,040 Speaker 1: thought it was interesting that they pointed out the larger 469 00:24:24,200 --> 00:24:27,760 Speaker 1: crowd becomes, the more they people in the crowd be 470 00:24:27,800 --> 00:24:30,480 Speaker 1: can behaving like molecules and a fluid bouncing off one 471 00:24:30,960 --> 00:24:34,040 Speaker 1: one of another at random, and eventually you reach the 472 00:24:34,040 --> 00:24:37,840 Speaker 1: point where it becomes so jam packed that there's there's 473 00:24:37,880 --> 00:24:40,800 Speaker 1: no control, like no, no individuals in control of the crowd. 474 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:43,360 Speaker 1: It's like the airplane situation of who's in control. I'm 475 00:24:43,359 --> 00:24:45,840 Speaker 1: not in control what's going on, except on a much 476 00:24:45,840 --> 00:24:48,480 Speaker 1: more real scale. I mean, that's why you have various 477 00:24:48,520 --> 00:24:50,960 Speaker 1: large gatherings where things could out of hand and people 478 00:24:51,000 --> 00:24:53,680 Speaker 1: end up getting trampled or pushed up against the fence. Uh, 479 00:24:53,720 --> 00:24:56,160 Speaker 1: you know, the soccer riot, even on stuff like the 480 00:24:56,160 --> 00:24:58,439 Speaker 1: the the hajj and and Mecca. I mean, it's the 481 00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:00,600 Speaker 1: whole reason that when when you have large groups of 482 00:25:00,600 --> 00:25:04,359 Speaker 1: people gathering, police like to to have a heads up 483 00:25:04,359 --> 00:25:07,000 Speaker 1: on it, on it occurring. Um. One of the reasons, 484 00:25:07,040 --> 00:25:10,240 Speaker 1: like it or not, that social media departments of various 485 00:25:10,400 --> 00:25:15,800 Speaker 1: police departments are increasingly focusing on flash mobs because if 486 00:25:15,800 --> 00:25:17,640 Speaker 1: there's gonna be a lot of people gathering in a place, 487 00:25:17,680 --> 00:25:20,159 Speaker 1: even if it's something sort of simple like oh, you 488 00:25:20,200 --> 00:25:23,160 Speaker 1: know a thousand people wearing party hats, well that's great, 489 00:25:23,200 --> 00:25:25,480 Speaker 1: but it's still gonna be a thousand people suddenly appearing 490 00:25:25,480 --> 00:25:28,560 Speaker 1: in a tight space, and that brings up various wild 491 00:25:28,560 --> 00:25:32,360 Speaker 1: cards of human behavior and just sort of groupthink, or 492 00:25:32,920 --> 00:25:35,000 Speaker 1: in this case, it's not even group think, it's just 493 00:25:35,440 --> 00:25:39,119 Speaker 1: bodies behaving like molecules in a space. It's interesting too. 494 00:25:39,320 --> 00:25:41,520 Speaker 1: I think in some of those studies protect to people 495 00:25:41,520 --> 00:25:45,680 Speaker 1: who study um like egrass flows for public transportation, they 496 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:48,439 Speaker 1: noticed that when it starts to get somewhat crowded, that 497 00:25:48,520 --> 00:25:51,640 Speaker 1: people actually do move in patterns like V formations, and 498 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:54,520 Speaker 1: it's weird that they naturally do this. It's sort of 499 00:25:54,520 --> 00:25:57,000 Speaker 1: like the emergence that we've talked about before, how people 500 00:25:57,040 --> 00:25:59,080 Speaker 1: just like there's sort of like one brain that takes 501 00:25:59,119 --> 00:26:03,119 Speaker 1: over and and that actually those sort of formations aren't 502 00:26:03,119 --> 00:26:06,560 Speaker 1: really helpful because they block, you know, the ways that 503 00:26:06,600 --> 00:26:09,000 Speaker 1: you can sort of navigate the crowd. But then there 504 00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:12,320 Speaker 1: is a tipping point where the crowd becomes there's so 505 00:26:12,320 --> 00:26:15,320 Speaker 1: many people in the crowd that, like you said, them, 506 00:26:15,440 --> 00:26:18,840 Speaker 1: it's like they behave erratically and it's like molecules bouncing 507 00:26:18,840 --> 00:26:21,640 Speaker 1: off one another. But it's really fascinating, right, And then you, 508 00:26:21,720 --> 00:26:23,159 Speaker 1: like you said, you get into big enough crowd and 509 00:26:23,160 --> 00:26:25,200 Speaker 1: you're gonna lose your bearings. You're not gonna where you are, 510 00:26:25,240 --> 00:26:28,600 Speaker 1: and that's gonna that excites and frighten us. Frightens us 511 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:31,760 Speaker 1: on a on a very primitive level, because um, I mean, 512 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:35,239 Speaker 1: just rewind back to ancient times and imagine yourself in 513 00:26:35,280 --> 00:26:37,199 Speaker 1: some sort of a setting where there's the potential for 514 00:26:37,240 --> 00:26:39,640 Speaker 1: that saber tooth tiger to be around the corner, and 515 00:26:39,760 --> 00:26:41,480 Speaker 1: you don't know where you are, You don't know where 516 00:26:41,520 --> 00:26:43,720 Speaker 1: you are in relation to your home base to cover, 517 00:26:44,200 --> 00:26:46,480 Speaker 1: to where you just came from, and to where you're 518 00:26:46,480 --> 00:26:50,000 Speaker 1: going your very life maybe at steak right, and if 519 00:26:50,000 --> 00:26:52,600 Speaker 1: you don't have that blueprint, that predictive modeling, then everything 520 00:26:52,640 --> 00:26:55,440 Speaker 1: is a threat, right because you're taking all that stimuli in. Yeah, 521 00:26:55,440 --> 00:26:59,879 Speaker 1: and I do applaud Atlanta's Marta public transportation force the 522 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:02,639 Speaker 1: significantly cutting down on the number of saber tooth tiger 523 00:27:02,640 --> 00:27:05,080 Speaker 1: attacks that occur every year. Well, I think it's all there, 524 00:27:05,160 --> 00:27:08,480 Speaker 1: the posters that they've put up. It's just it's a 525 00:27:08,640 --> 00:27:11,600 Speaker 1: there's a lot more awareness. Yeah, Yeah, don't don't feed them. 526 00:27:11,680 --> 00:27:14,440 Speaker 1: It just encourages more saber tooth tigers to run around 527 00:27:14,440 --> 00:27:16,800 Speaker 1: on the tracks. And definitely don't approach them and try 528 00:27:16,800 --> 00:27:18,920 Speaker 1: to pet them. Yeah, even if they're wearing a top 529 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:22,240 Speaker 1: hat exactly, so pet peeves. There you go. We covered 530 00:27:22,440 --> 00:27:24,159 Speaker 1: some of them, not all of them, but some of 531 00:27:24,200 --> 00:27:26,320 Speaker 1: the big ones anyway, and the ones that have been studied, 532 00:27:26,359 --> 00:27:30,359 Speaker 1: though I imagine everybody has some variation uh on these 533 00:27:30,400 --> 00:27:32,679 Speaker 1: that they find it extra annoying. Well yeah, and some 534 00:27:32,720 --> 00:27:34,800 Speaker 1: of it depends on the environment in which you grew 535 00:27:34,880 --> 00:27:37,520 Speaker 1: up in, right, That's that's definitely going to call your perception. 536 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:39,960 Speaker 1: Yeah yeah. This podcast, though, it also serves as a 537 00:27:40,000 --> 00:27:43,000 Speaker 1: nice sort of part two to the previous podcast we 538 00:27:43,040 --> 00:27:47,840 Speaker 1: did about like why is the sound of gum chewing annoying? Yeah? Yeah, 539 00:27:48,040 --> 00:27:50,520 Speaker 1: And we actually received a few different listener males about that. 540 00:27:50,520 --> 00:27:53,160 Speaker 1: One we heard from listener An who writes in about 541 00:27:53,160 --> 00:27:55,320 Speaker 1: miss aphonia. She says, Wow, I may have this, but 542 00:27:55,359 --> 00:27:57,280 Speaker 1: I think it's also connected to my a d h D. 543 00:27:57,760 --> 00:27:59,760 Speaker 1: I have a worker who pops her gum and makes 544 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:02,800 Speaker 1: your stuff nasally sounds, and it drives me nuts. I 545 00:28:02,840 --> 00:28:06,199 Speaker 1: can't concentrate on conversations if there's quiet music or talking 546 00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:09,119 Speaker 1: going on in the background. My absolutely worst trigger is 547 00:28:09,119 --> 00:28:11,879 Speaker 1: the sound of something dragging on a cheap carpeting. An 548 00:28:11,920 --> 00:28:14,600 Speaker 1: example of the kind you find in offices are dorms, 549 00:28:14,760 --> 00:28:18,520 Speaker 1: especially socks on furniture or furniture dragging on it. Socks 550 00:28:18,560 --> 00:28:21,199 Speaker 1: alone bother me and I hate wearing them to the 551 00:28:21,240 --> 00:28:23,880 Speaker 1: sounds they make when being put on or taken off. 552 00:28:24,280 --> 00:28:27,080 Speaker 1: Even thinking about it makes me feel icked out, so 553 00:28:27,320 --> 00:28:31,280 Speaker 1: that that there's some inside there into a very particular annoyance. 554 00:28:31,400 --> 00:28:34,680 Speaker 1: In this case, socks. I wouldn't have guessed socks. I 555 00:28:34,840 --> 00:28:37,200 Speaker 1: wouldn't and I may have been kind of snickering a little, 556 00:28:37,240 --> 00:28:39,840 Speaker 1: because I mean, for snee, socks are absolutely good. I 557 00:28:39,880 --> 00:28:42,520 Speaker 1: think I like putting none pair of socks. That's because 558 00:28:42,560 --> 00:28:45,280 Speaker 1: they're soft. They're soft. It's good time. But again, masophonia 559 00:28:45,480 --> 00:28:48,160 Speaker 1: is it's those subtle sounds that drive people crazy. I 560 00:28:48,280 --> 00:28:51,720 Speaker 1: recently read where someone was driven nuts by the sound 561 00:28:51,800 --> 00:28:54,520 Speaker 1: of balloons being blown up and then ties that, yeah, 562 00:28:54,600 --> 00:28:57,640 Speaker 1: somebody was ranting about yes specifically like you you go 563 00:28:57,840 --> 00:29:01,560 Speaker 1: to an event and there's somebody making balloon animals, and yeah, 564 00:29:01,760 --> 00:29:04,720 Speaker 1: it's like magicians clowns. I kind of go medieval on 565 00:29:04,960 --> 00:29:08,800 Speaker 1: because it drives me nuts. Yeah, well there you go. So, yeah, 566 00:29:08,800 --> 00:29:12,000 Speaker 1: I can definitely understand how socks could be annoying to somebody. 567 00:29:12,040 --> 00:29:14,280 Speaker 1: Has you know, this subtle sound in the background that 568 00:29:14,600 --> 00:29:17,680 Speaker 1: eventually leads to madness. We also heard from We Have 569 00:29:17,840 --> 00:29:21,080 Speaker 1: by the Name of By the Name of ian Ian Wright. 570 00:29:21,120 --> 00:29:22,520 Speaker 1: Soon it says I'm a big fan of the podcast 571 00:29:22,560 --> 00:29:24,600 Speaker 1: started listening during the summer, and now I've listened to 572 00:29:24,640 --> 00:29:27,800 Speaker 1: almost all of them. I just finished the Missophonia podcast, 573 00:29:27,960 --> 00:29:31,800 Speaker 1: which totally blew my mind nonintended. I wondered why the 574 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:34,320 Speaker 1: sound of eating eating bothers me the way it does, 575 00:29:34,880 --> 00:29:36,920 Speaker 1: except when I do it. It's not fun having this. 576 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:39,360 Speaker 1: I really like food and the people I'm with, but 577 00:29:39,480 --> 00:29:42,040 Speaker 1: it's incredibly hard to concentrate and keep cool when all 578 00:29:42,080 --> 00:29:45,400 Speaker 1: you hear is chewing, not to mention, you feel awful 579 00:29:45,480 --> 00:29:48,040 Speaker 1: because something people need to do and generally enjoy, and 580 00:29:48,120 --> 00:29:51,520 Speaker 1: it creates a layers of unwanted emotions. So I found 581 00:29:51,520 --> 00:29:54,320 Speaker 1: that interesting here from somebody who who seems to experience 582 00:29:54,600 --> 00:29:58,120 Speaker 1: something at least closer to miss aphonia than than than 583 00:29:58,160 --> 00:30:00,640 Speaker 1: a lot of us, actually screed well in and I 584 00:30:00,680 --> 00:30:03,200 Speaker 1: thought it was interesting about that is when we were 585 00:30:03,280 --> 00:30:06,960 Speaker 1: looking into it, people who ignored their feelings tended to 586 00:30:07,400 --> 00:30:10,160 Speaker 1: to actually experience them even more. And so I can't 587 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:12,760 Speaker 1: imagine how difficult that must because you're trying to manage 588 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:15,680 Speaker 1: the situation, right and you're with your loved ones, your friends, 589 00:30:16,240 --> 00:30:18,800 Speaker 1: your family, trying to just eat a dinner and and 590 00:30:18,880 --> 00:30:21,760 Speaker 1: to to feel that sort of anxiety just must be unbearable. 591 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:23,600 Speaker 1: So I know that there are some things that you 592 00:30:23,680 --> 00:30:27,160 Speaker 1: can do some um coming into behavior therapy for that. 593 00:30:27,320 --> 00:30:29,680 Speaker 1: So so although there's no cure, there are some some 594 00:30:29,840 --> 00:30:33,880 Speaker 1: avenues you can take. Yeah, definitely and uh not related 595 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:38,240 Speaker 1: to the mesophonia. We also heard from a listener by 596 00:30:38,280 --> 00:30:41,720 Speaker 1: the name of Annie, who also happens to edit this 597 00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:46,160 Speaker 1: show for us. Yeah, Annie writes in and says, um 598 00:30:46,320 --> 00:30:48,520 Speaker 1: at the end of your Nightmare podcast. Yeah, I know 599 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:50,560 Speaker 1: this is a little late. You called for accounts from 600 00:30:50,560 --> 00:30:53,200 Speaker 1: people who have died in their dreams. For eight years now. 601 00:30:53,280 --> 00:30:56,000 Speaker 1: I've had dreams with a continuing storyline that takes place 602 00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:59,840 Speaker 1: in a futuristic, war torn world of genetic modification. Did 603 00:31:00,040 --> 00:31:03,040 Speaker 1: dreams don't come at frequent intervals, Um. Sometimes I have 604 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:05,080 Speaker 1: to wait weeks to find out what happened after I 605 00:31:05,320 --> 00:31:07,560 Speaker 1: woke up from the last one. Each new one picks 606 00:31:07,640 --> 00:31:09,960 Speaker 1: up where the previous one left off. The characters have 607 00:31:10,080 --> 00:31:13,400 Speaker 1: undergone the passage of time. There are flashbacks to other dreams, 608 00:31:13,640 --> 00:31:16,000 Speaker 1: and I can never predict what's going to happen. I've 609 00:31:16,080 --> 00:31:18,640 Speaker 1: woken up stunned at the outcome of these dreams before 610 00:31:18,720 --> 00:31:21,200 Speaker 1: and will consciously trut I every night to return to 611 00:31:21,240 --> 00:31:23,960 Speaker 1: the story, usually to no avail. The funny thing about 612 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:26,120 Speaker 1: it to me is that the character and I say 613 00:31:26,240 --> 00:31:28,840 Speaker 1: character because it was me, but much more awesome in 614 00:31:29,120 --> 00:31:31,720 Speaker 1: every way. Uh, that was based off me, and the 615 00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:34,720 Speaker 1: dream died after only about a year, so I'm not 616 00:31:34,800 --> 00:31:37,120 Speaker 1: even in them anymore. I see it from the point 617 00:31:37,160 --> 00:31:39,240 Speaker 1: of view of one of the other characters. The p 618 00:31:39,400 --> 00:31:41,360 Speaker 1: o V switched over to the new character after the 619 00:31:41,440 --> 00:31:43,720 Speaker 1: death of my own, which can sometimes be strange and 620 00:31:43,760 --> 00:31:46,720 Speaker 1: unsettling to feel uh something so strongly while dreaming and 621 00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:48,800 Speaker 1: then wake up and have your own very different take 622 00:31:48,840 --> 00:31:50,640 Speaker 1: on the whole thing. Anyway, just thought you might find 623 00:31:50,640 --> 00:31:53,520 Speaker 1: it interesting. Love the podcast je put the awesomeness, Well, 624 00:31:53,640 --> 00:31:57,000 Speaker 1: that's a pretty awesome dream on several levels. Yeah. Actually, 625 00:31:57,000 --> 00:31:58,760 Speaker 1: I was so excited to hear about that because I've 626 00:31:58,800 --> 00:32:01,160 Speaker 1: had something similar like that, but not to the degree 627 00:32:01,200 --> 00:32:02,880 Speaker 1: that she has. And I really think that we should 628 00:32:02,920 --> 00:32:06,080 Speaker 1: just all encourage her to write those dreams stands. I 629 00:32:06,160 --> 00:32:08,840 Speaker 1: really feel like there are like three novels here or 630 00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:12,880 Speaker 1: word time napping. I'm going to talk to Roxanne about 631 00:32:12,880 --> 00:32:15,600 Speaker 1: getting that. Yeah, Annie, Annie needs to go into the 632 00:32:15,680 --> 00:32:19,400 Speaker 1: slate chamber. And create some dreams. Yeah, because I've mentioned 633 00:32:19,440 --> 00:32:21,480 Speaker 1: before how I returned to this setting. It's like some 634 00:32:21,520 --> 00:32:25,560 Speaker 1: sort of unreal public transport underground train kind of situation. 635 00:32:25,920 --> 00:32:28,520 Speaker 1: But there's not like an overarching story or character. It's 636 00:32:28,560 --> 00:32:30,480 Speaker 1: just kind of a place that I seem to wind 637 00:32:30,600 --> 00:32:32,840 Speaker 1: up and it seems very much a product of my 638 00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:35,719 Speaker 1: daily commuting. But this, this is a whole another thing. 639 00:32:36,040 --> 00:32:37,760 Speaker 1: And I mean to be killed off in your own 640 00:32:37,840 --> 00:32:40,560 Speaker 1: dream after a year, we're written out of your dream. 641 00:32:40,640 --> 00:32:43,240 Speaker 1: That's but I love that it continued. It was like, Okay, 642 00:32:43,320 --> 00:32:45,680 Speaker 1: that character came to an end, We're still going forward 643 00:32:45,760 --> 00:32:48,240 Speaker 1: with this storyline here. Maybe it's not a dream, or 644 00:32:48,320 --> 00:32:51,120 Speaker 1: maybe this is the dream? Are you going in parallel? 645 00:32:51,200 --> 00:32:54,280 Speaker 1: Universal could be so so Annie, when you listen to this, 646 00:32:54,480 --> 00:32:57,120 Speaker 1: just consider the fact that maybe this is the dream 647 00:32:57,680 --> 00:33:01,760 Speaker 1: and the real world is the one where um, you're dead. 648 00:33:01,800 --> 00:33:04,520 Speaker 1: I guess um. Okay, no, no, no, no, that is no. 649 00:33:05,560 --> 00:33:07,640 Speaker 1: If you're listening to us, Annie, write down the dreams 650 00:33:08,080 --> 00:33:09,960 Speaker 1: if you want to read the story. So, if you 651 00:33:10,120 --> 00:33:11,880 Speaker 1: have something you want to share with us, be at 652 00:33:12,080 --> 00:33:15,760 Speaker 1: a pet peeve um, a sound that annoys you, or 653 00:33:16,080 --> 00:33:18,600 Speaker 1: some strange other world that you go to in your 654 00:33:18,680 --> 00:33:21,920 Speaker 1: dreams um that involve the future of humanity. Let us know. 655 00:33:22,120 --> 00:33:23,880 Speaker 1: You can find us on Facebook and Twitter. We are 656 00:33:23,920 --> 00:33:26,280 Speaker 1: blow the Mind on both of those and we regularly 657 00:33:26,360 --> 00:33:28,920 Speaker 1: update those feeds with all sorts of links to stuff 658 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:33,360 Speaker 1: where researching stuff, we're writing, stuff we're thinking about podcasting about, 659 00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:36,280 Speaker 1: and we're always ready to hear from you there, yep, 660 00:33:36,360 --> 00:33:38,200 Speaker 1: and you can always drop us a line at blew 661 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:44,880 Speaker 1: the Mind at how stuff works dot com. Be sure 662 00:33:44,960 --> 00:33:47,840 Speaker 1: to check out our new video podcast, Stuff from the Future. 663 00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:50,480 Speaker 1: Join how Stuff Work staff as we explore the most 664 00:33:50,520 --> 00:33:53,320 Speaker 1: promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow.