1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:02,560 Speaker 1: Guess what, mango, what's that? Well? All right, So the 2 00:00:02,600 --> 00:00:05,320 Speaker 1: other day I was driving past Turner Field here in Atlanta. 3 00:00:05,400 --> 00:00:07,680 Speaker 1: You know, that's the stadium where the Braves used to play, 4 00:00:07,680 --> 00:00:10,200 Speaker 1: but it was originally built to serve as the Olympic 5 00:00:10,280 --> 00:00:12,840 Speaker 1: stadium back in the ninety Olympics that were here. You know, 6 00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:15,040 Speaker 1: I've actually forgotten that was the reason it was built. Yeah, 7 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:16,440 Speaker 1: and I was thinking about the first time I had 8 00:00:16,480 --> 00:00:18,800 Speaker 1: ever stepped foot in that stadium. I was in high 9 00:00:18,840 --> 00:00:20,640 Speaker 1: school at the time, and my family had made the 10 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:23,479 Speaker 1: trip over from Birmingham to watch some Olympic track and 11 00:00:23,560 --> 00:00:26,759 Speaker 1: field and it is an experience I will never forget. 12 00:00:27,240 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: That was the year Michael Johnson and those bright yellow 13 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:33,640 Speaker 1: shoes just destroyed the competition and pretty much every race 14 00:00:33,760 --> 00:00:36,800 Speaker 1: he ran. You remember this, definitely, remember watching him in 15 00:00:36,840 --> 00:00:38,560 Speaker 1: a few of the heats leading up to his gold 16 00:00:38,600 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 1: medal races and seeing some of the best athletes in 17 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:44,600 Speaker 1: the world honestly just look like children, as he was 18 00:00:44,680 --> 00:00:48,240 Speaker 1: just that much better than everybody else. Yeah, he was incredible. 19 00:00:48,240 --> 00:00:50,880 Speaker 1: I remember watching him from home. Well, I remember thinking, 20 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:54,160 Speaker 1: how could somebody's body be that much better at doing 21 00:00:54,200 --> 00:00:56,600 Speaker 1: what it was doing than every other runner out there 22 00:00:56,600 --> 00:00:58,280 Speaker 1: and these are some of the best in the world. 23 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:01,000 Speaker 1: It was just wild. But as we've done our research 24 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:03,760 Speaker 1: in recent weeks, we've realized that all human bodies do 25 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:06,960 Speaker 1: some pretty incredible things. So today we're going to talk 26 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:09,360 Speaker 1: about some of the most incredible and weird things our 27 00:01:09,440 --> 00:01:12,880 Speaker 1: bodies do. And Michael Johnson, if you're listening, and I'm 28 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:16,000 Speaker 1: sure he is, definitely it's time you knew that we're 29 00:01:16,040 --> 00:01:39,920 Speaker 1: pretty special too. So let's get started, yea he their 30 00:01:39,959 --> 00:01:42,960 Speaker 1: podcast listeners, Welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm Will Pearson 31 00:01:42,959 --> 00:01:44,600 Speaker 1: and as always I'm joined by my good friend man 32 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: Guesh Ticketer on the other side of the soundproof glass 33 00:01:48,040 --> 00:01:50,720 Speaker 1: doing that weird thing where you like waves with his ear. 34 00:01:50,760 --> 00:01:52,480 Speaker 1: It's not like a twitch. How does he do that? 35 00:01:52,640 --> 00:01:55,960 Speaker 1: It's like wave? It is so strange. So but we're 36 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:57,760 Speaker 1: talking about things we do with our bodies, and so 37 00:01:57,840 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 1: that's appropriate. That's our friend and producer Susan McNeil. So 38 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:03,560 Speaker 1: today we're taking a long, hard look in the mirror 39 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:06,360 Speaker 1: to find out just how weird the human body really is. 40 00:02:06,960 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 1: You know, we tend to think of our brains as 41 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:11,839 Speaker 1: being the most remarkable and defining features of our species, 42 00:02:11,880 --> 00:02:14,560 Speaker 1: and you know, for good reason. But the human body 43 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:17,680 Speaker 1: is no slouch when it comes to these unusual qualities either. 44 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: So with our own weirdness in mind, we thought it'd 45 00:02:20,240 --> 00:02:22,920 Speaker 1: be fun to take this anatomical tour of our most 46 00:02:22,919 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 1: peculiar physical abilities. Yeah, and along the way, we'll try 47 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 1: to figure out what our bodies are actually made of, 48 00:02:28,800 --> 00:02:30,680 Speaker 1: as well as what happens to them once we kick 49 00:02:30,760 --> 00:02:33,280 Speaker 1: the bucket. All right, So I thought we could start 50 00:02:33,280 --> 00:02:35,760 Speaker 1: by looking at the building blocks of our bodies, you know, 51 00:02:35,760 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 1: which are, of course, these hundreds of different types of 52 00:02:38,200 --> 00:02:40,560 Speaker 1: cells that make us up. I think it'll be a 53 00:02:40,560 --> 00:02:43,080 Speaker 1: good refresher because you know, we usually take our body 54 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 1: at face value and kind of think of it as 55 00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:49,040 Speaker 1: this one continuous thing rather than maybe, I don't know, 56 00:02:49,080 --> 00:02:53,000 Speaker 1: like this composite mass of microscopic tissue blobs that it 57 00:02:53,000 --> 00:02:55,120 Speaker 1: it really is. I mean, I feel like we're always 58 00:02:55,120 --> 00:02:57,360 Speaker 1: hearing about these building blocks, But how many does actually 59 00:02:57,400 --> 00:02:59,480 Speaker 1: take to build a complete person? Do you know? Well, 60 00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:01,560 Speaker 1: as you I expect, it's not the easiest thing in 61 00:03:01,560 --> 00:03:04,000 Speaker 1: the world to calculate. So I was looking into it, though, 62 00:03:04,040 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 1: and the best guest comes from a group of researchers 63 00:03:06,080 --> 00:03:08,079 Speaker 1: who actually broke down the number of cells in the 64 00:03:08,160 --> 00:03:12,079 Speaker 1: human body according to organs and cell types. So, for example, 65 00:03:12,160 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 1: the average body contains about fifty billion fat cells, two 66 00:03:15,520 --> 00:03:18,560 Speaker 1: forty billion liver cells, and so on, And when you 67 00:03:18,600 --> 00:03:21,640 Speaker 1: add up all these different cell counts, the total comes 68 00:03:21,639 --> 00:03:26,639 Speaker 1: to an astounding thirty seven point to trillion cells. It's unbelievable. 69 00:03:26,840 --> 00:03:30,600 Speaker 1: That's a lot of trillion cells. But it's actually insane 70 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:32,639 Speaker 1: to think that that many cells can get along and 71 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 1: like function in a single human body. And they do 72 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: it for decades. But aside from having this impressive figure 73 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: to throw around, is there any real benefit to knowing 74 00:03:41,400 --> 00:03:44,040 Speaker 1: how many cells composed the body? Well, there actually is, 75 00:03:44,160 --> 00:03:46,520 Speaker 1: you know, according to the authors of the study quote, 76 00:03:46,560 --> 00:03:49,480 Speaker 1: knowing the total cell number of the human body, as 77 00:03:49,520 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 1: well as the individual organs is important from a cultural, biological, medical, 78 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:57,840 Speaker 1: and comparative modeling point of view. So imagine a doctor 79 00:03:57,880 --> 00:04:00,960 Speaker 1: who measures a patient's liver cell and they find that it's, 80 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:03,680 Speaker 1: you know, maybe way below average. Well, that kind of 81 00:04:03,760 --> 00:04:07,200 Speaker 1: quick comparison makes it easier to identify potential health problems 82 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:10,120 Speaker 1: earlier on. That's pretty cool. And obviously cells carry out 83 00:04:10,160 --> 00:04:13,040 Speaker 1: all kinds of vital functions that go overlooked, but they 84 00:04:13,080 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: also have this other impact on our bodies that's even 85 00:04:15,560 --> 00:04:17,719 Speaker 1: easier to miss. Have you ever heard of the blatch 86 00:04:17,720 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 1: Coo lines? No? I can't say that have So it's 87 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:23,600 Speaker 1: actually the term for this swirling pattern of invisible stripes 88 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:27,040 Speaker 1: that covers the human body from head to toe. Invisible stripes. 89 00:04:27,080 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: I'm pretty sure you're making this one up. No, it's true. 90 00:04:30,720 --> 00:04:32,560 Speaker 1: So one of the first people to notice them was 91 00:04:32,600 --> 00:04:35,720 Speaker 1: this German dermatologist named Alfred Blatchko, which is where the 92 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:38,479 Speaker 1: name comes from. But in the early nineteen hundreds, he 93 00:04:38,480 --> 00:04:41,839 Speaker 1: observed similarities and patterns of many of his patients rashes 94 00:04:41,880 --> 00:04:44,440 Speaker 1: and blemishes, and it was almost like these formations were 95 00:04:44,440 --> 00:04:47,480 Speaker 1: following these invisible lines on the skin, but the paths 96 00:04:47,520 --> 00:04:51,479 Speaker 1: didn't exactly coincide with underlying nerves or blood vessels. And 97 00:04:51,520 --> 00:04:54,080 Speaker 1: the truth about the lines wasn't discovered until way later. 98 00:04:54,279 --> 00:04:56,880 Speaker 1: But we now know that they're actually the lingering signs 99 00:04:56,880 --> 00:05:01,520 Speaker 1: of our cellular development. And how's that. Well, we may 100 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:06,640 Speaker 1: have what was a thirty seven trillion cells, you said, yeah, 101 00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:09,120 Speaker 1: but each of us just started as one and then 102 00:05:09,160 --> 00:05:12,000 Speaker 1: this is a single cell zygote then divided into a 103 00:05:12,080 --> 00:05:15,000 Speaker 1: small bundle of cells. And from there the cells divide 104 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:19,039 Speaker 1: again and again, you know, sometimes differentiating into specialized cells, 105 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:21,520 Speaker 1: what ones that would form our various muscles or bones 106 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:25,080 Speaker 1: and organs. But skin cells, like, they're scarcer than other 107 00:05:25,160 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 1: kinds of cells, and they have to stretch and expand 108 00:05:27,960 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: as they divide in order to cover our fast growing bodies. 109 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:34,160 Speaker 1: And when this happened, lines of different cells begin to intersect, 110 00:05:34,240 --> 00:05:37,280 Speaker 1: knocking into each other and creating molecular swirls in our skin. 111 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:40,279 Speaker 1: And so does this happen all over our bodies? And 112 00:05:40,279 --> 00:05:42,760 Speaker 1: and why can't we see these? Yeah? So these lines 113 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 1: are everywhere, you know, They're up and down your arms 114 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:49,000 Speaker 1: and legs and around your head and torso too. I mean, 115 00:05:49,080 --> 00:05:50,760 Speaker 1: the reason we don't see them is that all of 116 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:54,000 Speaker 1: our cells tend to carry the same DNA instructions on 117 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: how much pigment to use in our skin. So these 118 00:05:56,520 --> 00:05:59,039 Speaker 1: subtle differences in the color between the lines of skin 119 00:05:59,120 --> 00:06:02,039 Speaker 1: cells are there, but they're really hard for us to 120 00:06:02,080 --> 00:06:05,599 Speaker 1: see unless you're checking for them under UV light. That said, 121 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:07,880 Speaker 1: there are people with certain skin conditions that cause these 122 00:06:07,880 --> 00:06:10,280 Speaker 1: stripes to be visible to the naked eye, and This 123 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 1: is because there are skin cells actually disagreed about which 124 00:06:13,160 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 1: color to make the skin, with some saying they should 125 00:06:15,760 --> 00:06:19,160 Speaker 1: make it lighter, others making it darker. It's so interesting. 126 00:06:19,200 --> 00:06:21,599 Speaker 1: That's bizarre. I mean, I mean, our bodies shed about 127 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:24,560 Speaker 1: a pound and a half of skin every year, which 128 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 1: means that our surface skin cells are replaced every couple 129 00:06:27,360 --> 00:06:30,280 Speaker 1: of weeks. So given that quick turnaround, it's pretty wild 130 00:06:30,320 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 1: to think that we're also just wrapped in these invisible 131 00:06:32,600 --> 00:06:34,400 Speaker 1: lines that you know, kind of date back to the 132 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:36,839 Speaker 1: dawn of skin. I know, it's it's really weird to 133 00:06:36,839 --> 00:06:39,760 Speaker 1: think about, but honestly, the whole body is this mishmash 134 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:42,920 Speaker 1: of cells of all different ages, Like you know, the 135 00:06:43,240 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 1: lining of our stomachs and intestines. We literally burned through 136 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:48,839 Speaker 1: those cells every few days because of all the bile 137 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:51,479 Speaker 1: and acids that we use to digest our foods. And 138 00:06:51,560 --> 00:06:54,440 Speaker 1: we're just really lucky that replacement cells are always at 139 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:57,640 Speaker 1: the ready, or else we'd be digesting our own stomachs too. 140 00:06:58,080 --> 00:07:00,520 Speaker 1: And some cells do stick around longer than others, like 141 00:07:00,760 --> 00:07:03,400 Speaker 1: red blood cells have I think it's a four month 142 00:07:03,440 --> 00:07:05,960 Speaker 1: lifespan before new ones are produced to take their place. 143 00:07:06,320 --> 00:07:08,800 Speaker 1: But given a long enough timeline, just about every part 144 00:07:08,800 --> 00:07:11,480 Speaker 1: of the human body is replaced like this. Yeah, you know, 145 00:07:11,680 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 1: I mean it's sort of eerie how influx our bodies 146 00:07:14,440 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: are constantly undergoing this cycle of cellular death and birth. 147 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: And it actually makes me think about that ancient Greek 148 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:24,200 Speaker 1: thought experiment about the Ship of Theseus. You remember this, right, 149 00:07:24,320 --> 00:07:26,920 Speaker 1: We've talked about a little bit before, But the story 150 00:07:26,920 --> 00:07:29,840 Speaker 1: goes that Athenians preserved the ship of Theseus, who was 151 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:33,040 Speaker 1: the mythical king and founder of Athens, after he passed away, 152 00:07:33,640 --> 00:07:36,040 Speaker 1: but his time went on, they had to gradually replace 153 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:39,560 Speaker 1: the ship's rotting wooden planks, and finally no piece of 154 00:07:39,560 --> 00:07:42,560 Speaker 1: the original ship was left. So philosophers have had a 155 00:07:42,600 --> 00:07:44,800 Speaker 1: field day with this ever since then, because you know, 156 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: it raises all kinds of questions about permanence and identity 157 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 1: and namely, you know, if if none of the original 158 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:54,200 Speaker 1: pieces are still in place, can you really still call 159 00:07:54,280 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 1: it the ship of Theseus? Yeah, that's right, And it's 160 00:07:57,200 --> 00:07:59,400 Speaker 1: kind of why so many people have this like brain 161 00:07:59,560 --> 00:08:02,120 Speaker 1: over add bias when it comes to the self identity. 162 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:04,520 Speaker 1: I mean, the vast majority of the neurons in our 163 00:08:04,520 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 1: brains form before birth and stay with us our whole lives, 164 00:08:07,680 --> 00:08:11,160 Speaker 1: unlike this constant turnover we experience in like red blood 165 00:08:11,160 --> 00:08:14,200 Speaker 1: cells and almost every other part of the body. Maybe 166 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 1: it's comforting, even on this like unconscious level, to tie 167 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:18,960 Speaker 1: your sense of self to something that's a bit more 168 00:08:19,000 --> 00:08:22,000 Speaker 1: long lasting. That's an interesting thought. And this is kind 169 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 1: of a tangent. But you mentioned red blood cells before, 170 00:08:24,480 --> 00:08:26,680 Speaker 1: and it it reminded me of this weird study I 171 00:08:26,680 --> 00:08:28,760 Speaker 1: found while we were doing our research. So, you know, 172 00:08:28,880 --> 00:08:32,040 Speaker 1: you get dizzy or lightheaded when you move to higher altitudes, 173 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:33,880 Speaker 1: you know, like if you're hiking on a steep trail 174 00:08:34,000 --> 00:08:36,160 Speaker 1: or heading up into the mountains or something. So this 175 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:37,600 Speaker 1: is hard for me to admit, but I never get 176 00:08:37,600 --> 00:08:40,760 Speaker 1: tired when I'm climbing mountains. But I think, I think, 177 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:43,560 Speaker 1: I know what you mean. I'm sure that's true. Well, anyway, 178 00:08:43,559 --> 00:08:45,920 Speaker 1: there's a special protein and our red blood cells that 179 00:08:45,960 --> 00:08:49,440 Speaker 1: gets depleted when we're exposed to low oxygen levels. And 180 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:52,480 Speaker 1: when that protein is gone, other substances in our blood 181 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:54,440 Speaker 1: are then able to help us adapt to the change 182 00:08:54,440 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 1: in oxygen. But here's the cool part. So our red 183 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 1: blood cells don't replace that protein wants it's in which 184 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:03,720 Speaker 1: means that they're able to actually like remember their exposure 185 00:09:03,760 --> 00:09:05,959 Speaker 1: to higher altitudes for the next time you had to 186 00:09:06,040 --> 00:09:09,280 Speaker 1: higher ground. Wait, that's crazy. So when I head back 187 00:09:09,320 --> 00:09:12,120 Speaker 1: to the mountain, my body actually acclaimates faster than before. 188 00:09:12,360 --> 00:09:14,679 Speaker 1: That's exactly what happens. I mean. The only catch is 189 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:17,240 Speaker 1: that four month lifespan you mentioned before. So if you 190 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 1: wait longer than that before you return to the higher altitude, 191 00:09:20,559 --> 00:09:23,560 Speaker 1: those red blood cells that remembered your last excursion, they'll 192 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:25,520 Speaker 1: be gone, and you know, you'll have to teach a 193 00:09:25,559 --> 00:09:29,040 Speaker 1: whole new crop of cells about that shortcut to being acclimatized. 194 00:09:29,240 --> 00:09:31,920 Speaker 1: Well that's pretty amazing, but did you realize that human 195 00:09:31,920 --> 00:09:34,600 Speaker 1: fat cells last ten years on average, So it could 196 00:09:34,600 --> 00:09:37,679 Speaker 1: take a full twenty five years before they're all finally replaced. 197 00:09:38,160 --> 00:09:40,240 Speaker 1: Really that long? So but what happens if we like 198 00:09:40,360 --> 00:09:42,960 Speaker 1: exercise like crazy? Wouldn't that help some of them go 199 00:09:43,000 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 1: away more quickly? Afraid not? So? Our fats all count 200 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:49,920 Speaker 1: is this constant, So when we gain or lose weight, 201 00:09:50,040 --> 00:09:52,200 Speaker 1: that doesn't actually affect it at all. The ones we 202 00:09:52,240 --> 00:09:54,439 Speaker 1: have just grow bigger or smaller, depending on which way 203 00:09:54,480 --> 00:09:56,959 Speaker 1: we're tipping the scales. So you're saying, no matter how 204 00:09:57,080 --> 00:10:00,480 Speaker 1: overweight or underweight or whatever we are, we would still 205 00:10:00,520 --> 00:10:03,240 Speaker 1: have the same number of fats. Yeah, exactly the same number. 206 00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:05,800 Speaker 1: We're stuck with them. That is crazy. So, I mean, 207 00:10:05,800 --> 00:10:08,040 Speaker 1: it's it's it's bizarre that they can last more than 208 00:10:08,080 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 1: a quarter of our lifespan compared to these other cells. 209 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:13,200 Speaker 1: I know, it's even longer than the turnover on our bones, 210 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:16,559 Speaker 1: which are completely refreshed with new cells every ten years. 211 00:10:16,679 --> 00:10:18,600 Speaker 1: And it's similar our muscles, which tend to make it 212 00:10:18,640 --> 00:10:21,680 Speaker 1: fifteen years before being replaced. That's so weird to even 213 00:10:21,720 --> 00:10:24,840 Speaker 1: think about, Like our bones being replaced from the muscles, 214 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 1: that's bizarre. But but not every muscle. I mean, our 215 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:29,480 Speaker 1: hearts are actually one of the few things that last 216 00:10:29,520 --> 00:10:32,800 Speaker 1: our entire lives, or at least most of it. See, 217 00:10:32,840 --> 00:10:35,840 Speaker 1: our heart cells regenerate very slowly. I think it's about 218 00:10:35,880 --> 00:10:38,800 Speaker 1: one percent of a year old's heart cells are replaced 219 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:42,600 Speaker 1: each year, and that number actually continually decreases as you 220 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:45,280 Speaker 1: get older. In fact, less than half of your heart 221 00:10:45,280 --> 00:10:47,640 Speaker 1: cells will actually be replaced over the course of your 222 00:10:47,840 --> 00:10:50,160 Speaker 1: entire life. Well, I kind of like that there's at 223 00:10:50,200 --> 00:10:52,040 Speaker 1: least one body part we can depend on for a 224 00:10:52,080 --> 00:10:55,280 Speaker 1: little constancy. Right. Actually, I read the study a new 225 00:10:55,320 --> 00:10:57,679 Speaker 1: scientists that gave me yet another reason to appreciate the 226 00:10:57,760 --> 00:11:01,640 Speaker 1: human heart, because apparently listening to your own heartbeat can 227 00:11:01,679 --> 00:11:04,680 Speaker 1: actually help you read someone else's mind. All right, I 228 00:11:04,679 --> 00:11:06,160 Speaker 1: think you're gonna need to walk me through this when 229 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:09,080 Speaker 1: I'm trying to process what you just said. Sure, so, 230 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:13,359 Speaker 1: most creatures have this weird ability called inter reception that 231 00:11:13,360 --> 00:11:16,280 Speaker 1: that it lets us sense the internal states of our bodies, 232 00:11:16,360 --> 00:11:19,320 Speaker 1: like when we feel hungry or thirsty, you know, that 233 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:22,040 Speaker 1: kind of thing. And many researchers think this ability is 234 00:11:22,040 --> 00:11:25,120 Speaker 1: actually what allows humans to generate emotions. For example, like 235 00:11:25,160 --> 00:11:27,240 Speaker 1: imagine you're walking alone at night and you hear the 236 00:11:27,240 --> 00:11:30,400 Speaker 1: footsteps of someone sticking up behind you. Like, the idea 237 00:11:30,440 --> 00:11:32,920 Speaker 1: is that you're only going to feel afraid once you've 238 00:11:32,960 --> 00:11:36,200 Speaker 1: noticed your own body's internal state, like the increase in 239 00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:38,240 Speaker 1: your heart rate or the hair is standing up on 240 00:11:38,280 --> 00:11:40,719 Speaker 1: the back of your neck. Yeah, but I mean that 241 00:11:40,800 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 1: kind of just sounds like reading your own mind or something. 242 00:11:42,920 --> 00:11:45,720 Speaker 1: So how do other people figure into this? So that's 243 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:48,000 Speaker 1: what I was thinking too. But there's this researcher at 244 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:50,400 Speaker 1: Oxford named Jeff Bird, and this is what he wanted 245 00:11:50,440 --> 00:11:52,840 Speaker 1: to know, so he assembled a group of seventy two 246 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:57,200 Speaker 1: volunteers and measured their inter reception abilities by having them uh, 247 00:11:57,520 --> 00:11:59,839 Speaker 1: they had to count their own heartbeats without actually taking 248 00:11:59,880 --> 00:12:03,200 Speaker 1: their pulse, and then the participants watched videos of different 249 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:05,960 Speaker 1: social interactions and answered questions that were meant to test 250 00:12:06,000 --> 00:12:09,439 Speaker 1: how well they could I guess infer the mental states 251 00:12:09,440 --> 00:12:12,440 Speaker 1: of the characters. So, for for example, one scene showed 252 00:12:12,440 --> 00:12:14,760 Speaker 1: this man making a pass at a woman who was 253 00:12:14,840 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 1: clearly interested in someone else, and the question post was 254 00:12:18,600 --> 00:12:21,880 Speaker 1: is she feeling annoyed? And as it turned out, the 255 00:12:21,880 --> 00:12:24,920 Speaker 1: participants who were better at counting their own heartbeats actually 256 00:12:24,920 --> 00:12:27,720 Speaker 1: performed better at this kind of question, like their ability 257 00:12:27,760 --> 00:12:30,480 Speaker 1: to track their own internal states made them more empathetic 258 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:32,920 Speaker 1: to the feelings of others. Wow, that's pretty crazy, and 259 00:12:32,960 --> 00:12:34,360 Speaker 1: I don't want to name any names, but I feel 260 00:12:34,400 --> 00:12:36,199 Speaker 1: like we know a few people who must be horrible 261 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:39,960 Speaker 1: at counting their heartbeats. But but just their feelings, right, 262 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:41,840 Speaker 1: I mean, they couldn't tell what a person was planning 263 00:12:41,840 --> 00:12:43,760 Speaker 1: to have for dinner or something just because they were 264 00:12:43,800 --> 00:12:46,600 Speaker 1: you aware of their heartbeats. Definitely not. I mean when 265 00:12:46,600 --> 00:12:49,559 Speaker 1: participants were asked questions about a character's thoughts that didn't 266 00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:53,040 Speaker 1: involve emotion, the more ter receptive people lost their edge. 267 00:12:53,160 --> 00:12:55,439 Speaker 1: But either way, I thought it was amazing that being 268 00:12:55,440 --> 00:12:58,280 Speaker 1: in touch with your physiological state not only makes you 269 00:12:58,320 --> 00:13:00,559 Speaker 1: more aware of your own emotions, but also of those 270 00:13:00,600 --> 00:13:18,080 Speaker 1: of other people. That is a pretty awesome ability. You're 271 00:13:18,080 --> 00:13:19,920 Speaker 1: listening to part time genius and we're talking about many 272 00:13:19,920 --> 00:13:23,320 Speaker 1: of the eccentricities of the human body. All right, mago, 273 00:13:23,440 --> 00:13:25,880 Speaker 1: So before we leave the cellular world behind for good, 274 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:28,480 Speaker 1: I do want to mention what is maybe the weirdest 275 00:13:28,520 --> 00:13:31,040 Speaker 1: thing about the human body, and that's just how little 276 00:13:31,080 --> 00:13:34,160 Speaker 1: of it is actually human at all. Wait, what are 277 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:37,800 Speaker 1: you talking about. Well, according to estimates from multiple scientific studies, 278 00:13:38,160 --> 00:13:40,640 Speaker 1: there are ten times as many bacterial cells in our 279 00:13:40,679 --> 00:13:43,320 Speaker 1: bodies as there are human cells. And we talked a 280 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:45,920 Speaker 1: little bit about this in our Clean episode way back when, 281 00:13:46,000 --> 00:13:48,720 Speaker 1: one of our first episodes where we talked about the microbiome. 282 00:13:49,200 --> 00:13:51,480 Speaker 1: I mean, just think about for a second. Most of 283 00:13:51,480 --> 00:13:55,360 Speaker 1: our bodies are not actually our bodies. From the outer 284 00:13:55,440 --> 00:13:57,520 Speaker 1: surface of our skin to the pits of our stomach, 285 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:01,280 Speaker 1: we're literally crawling with far in my grow organisms. Yeah, 286 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:04,319 Speaker 1: I mean an infestation of body bugs is deeply unsettling 287 00:14:04,320 --> 00:14:06,440 Speaker 1: to me, and it might be another reason why we 288 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:08,840 Speaker 1: prefer to think of ourselves as brains and not bodies. 289 00:14:08,880 --> 00:14:12,240 Speaker 1: But you know, on the bright side, the bacteria inside 290 00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:15,040 Speaker 1: us do help with all kinds of important bodily functions, 291 00:14:15,040 --> 00:14:18,320 Speaker 1: like I don't know, channeling the nutrients from our food 292 00:14:18,400 --> 00:14:21,840 Speaker 1: and supporting our immune systems. Yeah, and and thankfully they're 293 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:24,720 Speaker 1: pretty easy to ignore too. You know, since bacterial cells 294 00:14:24,720 --> 00:14:27,280 Speaker 1: are so much smaller than human cells, we we really 295 00:14:27,280 --> 00:14:30,040 Speaker 1: don't ever have to look at them, although honestly, I 296 00:14:30,080 --> 00:14:32,120 Speaker 1: don't know if I can forget about them after reading that. 297 00:14:32,160 --> 00:14:34,880 Speaker 1: If you somehow manage to gather up all the bacteria 298 00:14:34,920 --> 00:14:37,520 Speaker 1: living inside you, it would be enough to fill up 299 00:14:37,560 --> 00:14:40,640 Speaker 1: a half gallon jug. That's so disgusting, and I don't 300 00:14:40,640 --> 00:14:42,680 Speaker 1: know why, but stuffing them into a jug makes them 301 00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:47,560 Speaker 1: even gross. Although do you know, according to the Belly 302 00:14:47,560 --> 00:14:51,440 Speaker 1: Button Biodiversity Project, out of robbed on lab our navels 303 00:14:51,480 --> 00:14:53,880 Speaker 1: are actually one of the best places to store our microbes. 304 00:14:54,480 --> 00:14:57,720 Speaker 1: In fact, there are more than bacterial strains living in there. 305 00:14:58,200 --> 00:15:01,280 Speaker 1: That's pretty gross and kind of amazing. But actually I 306 00:15:01,280 --> 00:15:03,280 Speaker 1: think I'm more blown away by the fact that there's 307 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:06,640 Speaker 1: a program devoted to the biodiversity of our belly buttons. 308 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:09,640 Speaker 1: You said it was called the Belly Button Biodiversity Project. 309 00:15:10,080 --> 00:15:13,120 Speaker 1: I love that. Well, So did they figure out if 310 00:15:13,160 --> 00:15:14,960 Speaker 1: it makes a difference whether you have an any or 311 00:15:14,960 --> 00:15:17,720 Speaker 1: an audie? They did. So it turns out bacteria doesn't 312 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:20,600 Speaker 1: discriminate between belly buttons because the same amount turns up 313 00:15:20,600 --> 00:15:23,440 Speaker 1: in both kinds. All right, So, now that we've done 314 00:15:23,480 --> 00:15:26,600 Speaker 1: away with the pesky misconception that we're independent living beings 315 00:15:26,640 --> 00:15:29,880 Speaker 1: instead of these walking, talking Petrie dishes, why don't we 316 00:15:29,920 --> 00:15:32,000 Speaker 1: talk about some other things that our bodies do that 317 00:15:32,040 --> 00:15:35,760 Speaker 1: we've been totally wrong about all along. Sure, and I've 318 00:15:35,760 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 1: actually got a great one. So this is something I've 319 00:15:37,920 --> 00:15:39,960 Speaker 1: been wrong about for a long time, and it's why 320 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:42,800 Speaker 1: are fingers and toes turn all pruny and wrinkled when 321 00:15:42,840 --> 00:15:46,160 Speaker 1: we go swimming or take a bath. I'd always heard 322 00:15:46,200 --> 00:15:48,360 Speaker 1: that it had something to do with like water being 323 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:51,280 Speaker 1: absorbed into your like outer layer of skin, and so 324 00:15:51,440 --> 00:15:55,680 Speaker 1: they bulge in some places or whatever. But that's all wrong, apparently, 325 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:58,760 Speaker 1: um I saw I saw this from researchers at two 326 00:15:58,800 --> 00:16:02,840 Speaker 1: AI Labs and Easy Idaho, and they confirmed a different theory. 327 00:16:03,200 --> 00:16:05,200 Speaker 1: They had these volunteers pick up a bunch of wet 328 00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:08,160 Speaker 1: marbles of all different sizes, and some people use their 329 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:12,520 Speaker 1: regular dry hands to grasp the marbles, and others use wrinkly, 330 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 1: pruny fingers that they had soaked in warm water for 331 00:16:15,120 --> 00:16:17,400 Speaker 1: half an hour. Like, I just love that someone designed 332 00:16:17,400 --> 00:16:20,360 Speaker 1: this experiment. But as it turned out, the participants with 333 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:23,480 Speaker 1: wrinkled fingers were way faster at picking up wet marbles 334 00:16:23,480 --> 00:16:26,280 Speaker 1: than people would dry fingers. So all right, so our 335 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:29,520 Speaker 1: fingers and toes get pruny to help us grip wet things. Yeah, 336 00:16:29,600 --> 00:16:31,920 Speaker 1: I mean, the process basically works the same way that 337 00:16:32,040 --> 00:16:34,920 Speaker 1: rain treads do on car tires. But the really cool 338 00:16:34,960 --> 00:16:38,360 Speaker 1: thing is that the wrinkling is this involuntary reaction that's 339 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:40,720 Speaker 1: controlled by the same part of the body's nervous system 340 00:16:40,800 --> 00:16:44,440 Speaker 1: that that actually handles stuff like breathing or or us sweating. 341 00:16:44,920 --> 00:16:48,840 Speaker 1: The blood vessels blow our skin constrict automatically, which tightens 342 00:16:48,880 --> 00:16:52,480 Speaker 1: the skin above them to form the wrinkles. That's pretty interesting. 343 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:54,560 Speaker 1: But but why do our bodies play so much importance 344 00:16:54,600 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 1: on getting a grip on wet objects? I mean, it 345 00:16:57,480 --> 00:17:00,160 Speaker 1: seems strange that it's lumped in with these crucial us 346 00:17:00,160 --> 00:17:02,840 Speaker 1: as he's like breathing and sweating and things like that. 347 00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:06,000 Speaker 1: So I was curious about that too, And the researchers 348 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:08,920 Speaker 1: and Boise suggest that the wrinkling might be this evolutionary 349 00:17:09,000 --> 00:17:11,720 Speaker 1: holdover back from when our ancestors had to gather wet 350 00:17:11,840 --> 00:17:15,199 Speaker 1: vegetation from shores like streams or river beds, and it 351 00:17:15,240 --> 00:17:16,600 Speaker 1: was the same with their toes. I mean that was 352 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:19,600 Speaker 1: helpful because it was useful for getting around on slippery rocks. 353 00:17:19,960 --> 00:17:22,920 Speaker 1: It actually reminds me of another body misconception, and that's 354 00:17:22,920 --> 00:17:25,160 Speaker 1: the idea that fingerprints are there not only to help 355 00:17:25,240 --> 00:17:28,399 Speaker 1: us keep tabs on criminals, but to improve our grip. 356 00:17:28,840 --> 00:17:30,720 Speaker 1: So on the surface, it makes sense that the grooves 357 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:33,520 Speaker 1: of our fingerprints might improve the friction rate between our 358 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:35,919 Speaker 1: skin and whatever it is we're holding, you know, like 359 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:38,560 Speaker 1: a glass of water or something like that. But according 360 00:17:38,600 --> 00:17:40,520 Speaker 1: to a two thousand nine study from a group of 361 00:17:40,520 --> 00:17:44,720 Speaker 1: researchers in Manchester, fingerpads with prints actually provide a third 362 00:17:44,800 --> 00:17:49,400 Speaker 1: less contact with the glass than completely smooth fingerpads. That's 363 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:52,160 Speaker 1: so crazy that they actually hinder our grip. So why 364 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:54,560 Speaker 1: do we have them then? I mean, I'm guessing they're 365 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:57,920 Speaker 1: not just for detecting crimes or whatever. Right, well, they're there. 366 00:17:57,960 --> 00:18:00,359 Speaker 1: Their true purpose is still a little bit of a mystery, 367 00:18:00,400 --> 00:18:03,520 Speaker 1: but they're definitely some prevailing theories out there. One of 368 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:06,119 Speaker 1: them is that when we touch something the skin vibrations 369 00:18:06,160 --> 00:18:08,840 Speaker 1: that occur between the ridges of our prints, will they 370 00:18:08,840 --> 00:18:12,640 Speaker 1: help us to feel these fine textures that we'd otherwise miss. 371 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:16,719 Speaker 1: There's another suggestion that fingerprints wick water away from our fingertips, 372 00:18:17,040 --> 00:18:19,199 Speaker 1: and that allows the skin to stretch more easily, so 373 00:18:19,240 --> 00:18:22,520 Speaker 1: it can keep from becoming blistered or torn through use 374 00:18:22,600 --> 00:18:25,040 Speaker 1: over such a long period of time. That's pretty cool. 375 00:18:25,080 --> 00:18:27,520 Speaker 1: So while we're talking about misconceptions, there is other one 376 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:30,480 Speaker 1: I came across, and it's what should be considered our 377 00:18:30,520 --> 00:18:33,440 Speaker 1: most valuable body part? And what do you mean by valuable? 378 00:18:33,440 --> 00:18:35,119 Speaker 1: Like how much you can sell a kidney for on 379 00:18:35,160 --> 00:18:37,679 Speaker 1: the black market or no, I mean, although you know 380 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:42,760 Speaker 1: you can get two for one of those. So this 381 00:18:42,800 --> 00:18:46,639 Speaker 1: is about skin, and particular it's the foreskins from freshly 382 00:18:46,720 --> 00:18:50,040 Speaker 1: circumcised newborns. So there was this time when these little 383 00:18:50,080 --> 00:18:52,280 Speaker 1: pieces of excess skin were just thrown out in the trash. 384 00:18:52,359 --> 00:18:55,760 Speaker 1: But now that scientists understand the growth potential of embryonic 385 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:58,680 Speaker 1: stem cells like the ones in an infants foreskin. They're 386 00:18:58,680 --> 00:19:00,679 Speaker 1: actually being used to grow all linds of skin for 387 00:19:00,720 --> 00:19:04,240 Speaker 1: medical treatments. And in fact, a bit of foreskin the 388 00:19:04,240 --> 00:19:06,800 Speaker 1: size of a post to stamp can actually produce about 389 00:19:06,880 --> 00:19:09,960 Speaker 1: four acres of new skin tissue in a lab. Yeah, 390 00:19:10,080 --> 00:19:12,199 Speaker 1: and and that can be used for like grafts for 391 00:19:12,320 --> 00:19:15,680 Speaker 1: burns and other injuries. Alright, So so you meant valuable 392 00:19:15,680 --> 00:19:17,920 Speaker 1: as in like beneficial, So that yeah, that that makes 393 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:19,680 Speaker 1: a lot more sense. I just wanted to clarify that 394 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:22,080 Speaker 1: that makes sense though. Well, I mean, the medical benefits 395 00:19:22,119 --> 00:19:24,440 Speaker 1: are obvious, but you're crazy if you don't think there's 396 00:19:24,480 --> 00:19:27,280 Speaker 1: money to be made there too. I mean, labs and 397 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:30,560 Speaker 1: cosmetic companies breaking millions in profit thanks to the skin 398 00:19:30,600 --> 00:19:33,639 Speaker 1: they received from hospital donations. Yeah, but what do you 399 00:19:33,680 --> 00:19:35,159 Speaker 1: say we talk a little bit about what happens to 400 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:37,120 Speaker 1: the rest of our bodies once we're done using them. 401 00:19:37,280 --> 00:19:38,760 Speaker 1: All right, Well, before we get started with that, why 402 00:19:38,760 --> 00:19:51,520 Speaker 1: don't we take a quick break. Hey, there, So we're 403 00:19:51,520 --> 00:19:54,879 Speaker 1: talking about incredible things our bodies can do, and I 404 00:19:54,960 --> 00:19:58,760 Speaker 1: wanted to invite one of our fellow hosts here Jonathan Strickland, 405 00:19:58,760 --> 00:20:01,280 Speaker 1: who's the host of the wonderful little podcast tech Stuff 406 00:20:01,320 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 1: here in the office. Uh, and I thought he could 407 00:20:04,080 --> 00:20:06,320 Speaker 1: tell us a little bit about bodies and technology and 408 00:20:06,320 --> 00:20:09,600 Speaker 1: and also play a dumb quiz with us. I love 409 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:12,800 Speaker 1: all of these things. I am very pleased to be 410 00:20:12,880 --> 00:20:15,639 Speaker 1: here for I love dumb quizzes, and I love talking 411 00:20:15,720 --> 00:20:19,360 Speaker 1: about tech. I'm into thatts and and Will is off 412 00:20:19,840 --> 00:20:22,520 Speaker 1: right now. He's he's in lots of important meetings, but 413 00:20:22,600 --> 00:20:25,159 Speaker 1: he'll be back on the show a little later. So 414 00:20:25,280 --> 00:20:29,280 Speaker 1: tell me something incredible that tech is aiding human bodies 415 00:20:29,320 --> 00:20:34,600 Speaker 1: to do. Okay, so you've heard about technology using things like, 416 00:20:34,760 --> 00:20:37,920 Speaker 1: you know, exo skeletons in order to help move larger 417 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:41,440 Speaker 1: the pieces of equipment, things like being able to lift 418 00:20:41,480 --> 00:20:43,640 Speaker 1: more weight than you normally would. Have you ever heard 419 00:20:43,640 --> 00:20:48,240 Speaker 1: about an exo skeleton that does the opposite of that. No, okay, 420 00:20:48,280 --> 00:20:50,840 Speaker 1: so I actually got to wear this. There is an 421 00:20:50,880 --> 00:20:54,680 Speaker 1: aging exoskeleton, and the purpose of it is to give 422 00:20:54,760 --> 00:20:58,399 Speaker 1: people who are able bodied young people and experience of 423 00:20:58,400 --> 00:21:01,320 Speaker 1: what it's like to have un are gone the effects 424 00:21:01,440 --> 00:21:06,000 Speaker 1: of aging. And the exo skeleton itself uses various joints 425 00:21:06,040 --> 00:21:09,000 Speaker 1: to create resistance so that it's harder for you to 426 00:21:09,000 --> 00:21:11,159 Speaker 1: move around. It's like you've got you know, your your 427 00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:14,520 Speaker 1: joints are all stiff, your balance is off. You wear 428 00:21:14,560 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 1: a headset that actively starts to obscure your vision, and 429 00:21:19,119 --> 00:21:23,040 Speaker 1: as if you have cataracts or have developed other vision problems, 430 00:21:23,080 --> 00:21:26,920 Speaker 1: the headphones will start to create statics so it's harder 431 00:21:26,960 --> 00:21:30,399 Speaker 1: for you to hear. And the whole purpose of it, 432 00:21:30,400 --> 00:21:34,560 Speaker 1: it's actually a bankrolled by an insurance company, but the 433 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:37,520 Speaker 1: purpose of it is to give people an appreciation for 434 00:21:37,800 --> 00:21:41,359 Speaker 1: the challenges that the elderly face day to day just 435 00:21:41,560 --> 00:21:44,280 Speaker 1: through the process of aging. What our bodies typically go 436 00:21:44,400 --> 00:21:48,120 Speaker 1: through in this aging process. So do they like, uh, 437 00:21:48,640 --> 00:21:50,960 Speaker 1: dial it up to this is what you at sixty, 438 00:21:51,080 --> 00:21:54,560 Speaker 1: this is a seventy they do. And I experienced this 439 00:21:54,800 --> 00:21:58,680 Speaker 1: in front of a live audience. It was a humbling 440 00:21:58,800 --> 00:22:01,879 Speaker 1: experience because I had to be helped. Yeah, I could not. 441 00:22:02,119 --> 00:22:05,160 Speaker 1: I couldn't. I suddenly could not walk across a stage 442 00:22:05,400 --> 00:22:07,639 Speaker 1: the way I thought I would be able to because 443 00:22:07,920 --> 00:22:11,199 Speaker 1: my balance was off, my my knees weren't working the 444 00:22:11,240 --> 00:22:13,800 Speaker 1: way I would expect them to. I couldn't really see 445 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:16,680 Speaker 1: very well. Even you brightly lit environment. Did you feel 446 00:22:16,680 --> 00:22:19,960 Speaker 1: like a distinct difference at any particular age, Like, was 447 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:22,040 Speaker 1: the difference between fifty and sixty a bigger jomp for 448 00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:24,800 Speaker 1: sixty and seventy? Sixty and seventy was probably the biggest job. 449 00:22:25,160 --> 00:22:27,359 Speaker 1: Sixty and seven, seventy and eighty. Once you get to 450 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:30,960 Speaker 1: that point, it's it's it's increasingly difficult. But sixty to 451 00:22:31,080 --> 00:22:34,280 Speaker 1: seventy they And obviously this is all based off of averages. 452 00:22:34,680 --> 00:22:36,840 Speaker 1: You know, we don't Not every human body is going 453 00:22:36,840 --> 00:22:39,560 Speaker 1: to age exactly the same way. Obviously, your activity levels 454 00:22:39,560 --> 00:22:42,240 Speaker 1: and your diet and lots of other factors are going 455 00:22:42,280 --> 00:22:45,000 Speaker 1: to play a part in that. But to me, it 456 00:22:45,160 --> 00:22:50,400 Speaker 1: was an incredible use of technology to not only get 457 00:22:50,440 --> 00:22:52,840 Speaker 1: across this this idea that we all are familiar with. 458 00:22:52,880 --> 00:22:56,720 Speaker 1: We all know as we age, our physical capabilities will decrease. 459 00:22:56,880 --> 00:22:59,879 Speaker 1: That's that's an element of aging. But knowing an ex 460 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:03,080 Speaker 1: periencing are two different things. And being able to experience 461 00:23:03,119 --> 00:23:07,000 Speaker 1: that and have a deeper appreciation for what the elderly 462 00:23:07,040 --> 00:23:09,880 Speaker 1: around me go through just on a daily basis, it 463 00:23:09,920 --> 00:23:13,240 Speaker 1: was really eye opening. And uh, obviously this is not 464 00:23:13,280 --> 00:23:15,720 Speaker 1: an experience that everyone can have easily. They're not going 465 00:23:15,800 --> 00:23:17,639 Speaker 1: to market these It's not like you're going to go 466 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:20,679 Speaker 1: out and buy Hey, guys, let's find out what it's 467 00:23:20,680 --> 00:23:22,400 Speaker 1: like to be eighty today. You know, you're not gonna 468 00:23:22,440 --> 00:23:24,280 Speaker 1: go out and buy an exo skeleton and do that. 469 00:23:24,640 --> 00:23:27,840 Speaker 1: But it really was an interesting way to open up 470 00:23:27,880 --> 00:23:31,040 Speaker 1: this conversation. And of course, for the purposes of this demonstration, 471 00:23:31,119 --> 00:23:34,960 Speaker 1: it was to have sort of end of life insurance planning, 472 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:37,760 Speaker 1: that sort of thing to help to help prepare people 473 00:23:37,880 --> 00:23:41,520 Speaker 1: and to care for people as they're entering uh. And 474 00:23:41,640 --> 00:23:45,920 Speaker 1: he advanced years of their age and to two explain 475 00:23:46,000 --> 00:23:49,760 Speaker 1: to younger people, this is why this this kind of 476 00:23:49,760 --> 00:23:53,160 Speaker 1: product is important. That was that was their their rationality 477 00:23:53,240 --> 00:23:56,919 Speaker 1: for doing all of this. And I found it fascinating 478 00:23:57,000 --> 00:24:01,240 Speaker 1: because I usually talk about technology as a way of 479 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:04,480 Speaker 1: augmenting our ability, not to remove them. But in a 480 00:24:04,520 --> 00:24:07,600 Speaker 1: way you could argue this is to augment compassion. Yeah, 481 00:24:07,600 --> 00:24:11,960 Speaker 1: I love that. That's really wonderful. Um And I know 482 00:24:12,240 --> 00:24:13,760 Speaker 1: one of the things I admire about you is that 483 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:17,720 Speaker 1: you walk like three miles a day right to the 484 00:24:17,760 --> 00:24:23,040 Speaker 1: office when you left that. Did you just appreciate your 485 00:24:23,040 --> 00:24:27,520 Speaker 1: walks more? Definitely? Yeah. So so for those who do 486 00:24:27,560 --> 00:24:31,080 Speaker 1: not live in the bustling metropolis that is Atlanta, there 487 00:24:31,119 --> 00:24:35,520 Speaker 1: are certain areas where the sidewalks are not terribly level, 488 00:24:35,720 --> 00:24:38,320 Speaker 1: and once in a while I might have a little 489 00:24:38,320 --> 00:24:41,880 Speaker 1: stumble if I'm not really paying attention wearing that suit. 490 00:24:42,080 --> 00:24:44,240 Speaker 1: If I were wearing that suit and trying to take 491 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:46,359 Speaker 1: take that same pathway home, I'm not sure that I 492 00:24:46,359 --> 00:24:49,399 Speaker 1: can make it to the house, at least not without 493 00:24:49,840 --> 00:24:52,200 Speaker 1: lots and lots of stops. I love this idea of 494 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:55,120 Speaker 1: augment and compassion. I think that's really just a wonderful 495 00:24:55,119 --> 00:24:57,200 Speaker 1: way to put it. So before I get to a quiz, 496 00:24:57,200 --> 00:24:58,879 Speaker 1: because I do want to get to a quiz, I 497 00:24:59,240 --> 00:25:03,920 Speaker 1: know you're a big game player, like board games, video games, everything. Uh, 498 00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:06,240 Speaker 1: and the holidays are coming up. I was curious if 499 00:25:06,240 --> 00:25:08,679 Speaker 1: you had one or two recommendations for our audience that 500 00:25:08,720 --> 00:25:12,160 Speaker 1: you could sort of, uh say, has the Jonathan Strickland 501 00:25:12,240 --> 00:25:16,600 Speaker 1: Seal of Approval? Sure. Just the day before we record this, 502 00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:19,600 Speaker 1: I had a chance to play through The Thing, which 503 00:25:19,680 --> 00:25:22,359 Speaker 1: is based off the nineteen eight two John Carpenter horror 504 00:25:22,359 --> 00:25:26,000 Speaker 1: film The Thing, and that was a huge amount of fun. 505 00:25:26,119 --> 00:25:29,480 Speaker 1: It's got a bit of an identity game where someone 506 00:25:29,920 --> 00:25:33,359 Speaker 1: in the game is working at cross purposes of everybody else, 507 00:25:33,400 --> 00:25:35,560 Speaker 1: but you don't. You don't know the identity of the 508 00:25:35,560 --> 00:25:37,919 Speaker 1: other players. You only know your own, so you know 509 00:25:37,960 --> 00:25:40,880 Speaker 1: if you're the trader or not, but you don't if 510 00:25:40,920 --> 00:25:42,720 Speaker 1: you're not the trader, you don't really know who to 511 00:25:42,800 --> 00:25:45,880 Speaker 1: trust and that creates an amazing dynamic as you play 512 00:25:45,920 --> 00:25:48,840 Speaker 1: through this game. And it looked like both a beautifully 513 00:25:48,880 --> 00:25:52,879 Speaker 1: design game, but also uh, I mean, obviously the gameplay 514 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:56,360 Speaker 1: seemed really interesting as well. Yes it was. It got 515 00:25:56,400 --> 00:25:58,720 Speaker 1: to a point where we were actually doing this on 516 00:25:59,080 --> 00:26:00,800 Speaker 1: live on camera, but it got to a point where 517 00:26:00,800 --> 00:26:02,920 Speaker 1: we just forgot about that. We were just playing the game. 518 00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:07,119 Speaker 1: We weren't performing. No, we were just like, oh, I 519 00:26:07,200 --> 00:26:09,919 Speaker 1: really think Scott Benjamin is the bad guy. Turns out 520 00:26:09,920 --> 00:26:13,560 Speaker 1: Scott was not the bad guy. That I owe Scot 521 00:26:13,800 --> 00:26:17,600 Speaker 1: an enormous apology, but but in his defense, he was 522 00:26:17,680 --> 00:26:20,640 Speaker 1: really squirreling in that game session. But yeah, that that's 523 00:26:20,640 --> 00:26:23,160 Speaker 1: a big that's got a big thumbs up from me. 524 00:26:23,600 --> 00:26:26,639 Speaker 1: You know, there's there's also a game if you're if 525 00:26:26,680 --> 00:26:28,840 Speaker 1: you like cheeky games, if you like things like you know, 526 00:26:29,000 --> 00:26:31,679 Speaker 1: there's Cards Against Humanity is probably the one that everyone 527 00:26:31,720 --> 00:26:34,080 Speaker 1: thinks about but there's a game called Million Dollars. But 528 00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:37,720 Speaker 1: and it creates scenarios where you get a million dollars. 529 00:26:38,280 --> 00:26:41,439 Speaker 1: But and there's this condition and it's a it's one 530 00:26:41,480 --> 00:26:43,480 Speaker 1: of those party games where you're playing with multiple people 531 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:47,720 Speaker 1: and people may give you a thing where there's a 532 00:26:48,119 --> 00:26:51,640 Speaker 1: trigger something some event happens, and then there's a condition 533 00:26:51,920 --> 00:26:53,680 Speaker 1: this is what happens when you hear that. So it 534 00:26:53,760 --> 00:26:56,320 Speaker 1: might be every time a bell rings, you have to 535 00:26:56,359 --> 00:26:58,560 Speaker 1: punch the person to your left. So he's like, yeah, 536 00:26:58,600 --> 00:27:00,479 Speaker 1: you'd get a million dollars, but every time you hear 537 00:27:00,520 --> 00:27:02,320 Speaker 1: a bell ring, whoever staying to your left, you're just 538 00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:04,080 Speaker 1: gonna punch them and you have to deal with the 539 00:27:04,119 --> 00:27:08,160 Speaker 1: consequences after that. And uh. And then typically the way 540 00:27:08,160 --> 00:27:10,240 Speaker 1: it works is that the judge for that round looks 541 00:27:10,280 --> 00:27:13,280 Speaker 1: at all the different conditions and they decide, all, right, 542 00:27:13,520 --> 00:27:15,159 Speaker 1: out of all of these, which is the one that 543 00:27:15,240 --> 00:27:19,000 Speaker 1: I would most likely accept in return for getting a 544 00:27:19,040 --> 00:27:21,800 Speaker 1: million dollars? And it tells you a lot about the 545 00:27:21,840 --> 00:27:25,280 Speaker 1: people around you and how much they value their own 546 00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:30,040 Speaker 1: personal safety. Yeah, well, I'll definitely look for that. I 547 00:27:30,080 --> 00:27:33,120 Speaker 1: haven't hadn't heard of it before. But before you leave, 548 00:27:33,160 --> 00:27:35,120 Speaker 1: we want to put you to one of our own games. Today. 549 00:27:35,200 --> 00:27:38,359 Speaker 1: We're playing a game called three Letter body Parts and 550 00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:40,439 Speaker 1: basically we'll give you a clue and you just have 551 00:27:40,480 --> 00:27:43,240 Speaker 1: to tell us what body part we're talking about. Okay, 552 00:27:43,400 --> 00:27:45,600 Speaker 1: and and I know you'll do great at this. So 553 00:27:46,320 --> 00:27:50,679 Speaker 1: question number one instead of three women from northern England 554 00:27:50,760 --> 00:27:53,680 Speaker 1: has four color cones, and what body part that would 555 00:27:53,720 --> 00:27:56,320 Speaker 1: have to be the eye? That's right. So because of 556 00:27:56,359 --> 00:27:59,240 Speaker 1: the mutations, you can see nine million more colors than 557 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:02,720 Speaker 1: the average person. So you're one for one. Alright, ready, 558 00:28:02,880 --> 00:28:05,920 Speaker 1: number two. While some cultures claimed this is a sign 559 00:28:05,920 --> 00:28:09,560 Speaker 1: of intelligence, the condition where your second metatarsal is larger 560 00:28:09,600 --> 00:28:14,919 Speaker 1: than your first metatarsal is known as Morten's what toe? Yeah, 561 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:17,800 Speaker 1: that's right. So Morten's toe is where your second toe 562 00:28:17,800 --> 00:28:19,840 Speaker 1: is bigger than your first, and it's also known as 563 00:28:19,880 --> 00:28:24,680 Speaker 1: shepherd's toe or Greek foot. I guess I have that 564 00:28:24,920 --> 00:28:27,040 Speaker 1: my second toe is larger than my first toe. Well, 565 00:28:27,080 --> 00:28:32,199 Speaker 1: I always knew you were smart. Question three. When sixty 566 00:28:32,200 --> 00:28:34,879 Speaker 1: million people tuned in to watch Elvis Presley's debut on 567 00:28:34,920 --> 00:28:37,560 Speaker 1: The Ed Sullivan Show, sensors made sure he was only 568 00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:40,000 Speaker 1: shot from the waist up because they were nervous about 569 00:28:40,040 --> 00:28:43,640 Speaker 1: is what shaking that would be his hip. That's right. 570 00:28:44,080 --> 00:28:47,160 Speaker 1: And less memorable is the fact that a nervous announcer 571 00:28:47,200 --> 00:28:52,000 Speaker 1: on the show accidentally introduced him as Elvin Pressley. But 572 00:28:52,760 --> 00:28:55,720 Speaker 1: that's absolutely right. So you're three for three doing great here. 573 00:28:56,560 --> 00:29:00,840 Speaker 1: Question four keeleoscopy is a type of forensics that might 574 00:29:00,880 --> 00:29:04,680 Speaker 1: investigate cups, water bottles, or cigarette butts at crime scenes 575 00:29:04,800 --> 00:29:09,440 Speaker 1: for these prints. Lip Yeah. Um, while lip prints aren't 576 00:29:09,480 --> 00:29:12,240 Speaker 1: often used at trial, women and men's prints are distinctive 577 00:29:12,280 --> 00:29:15,800 Speaker 1: and everyone's lip prints are completely unique. Wow. Yeah, it's 578 00:29:15,840 --> 00:29:18,120 Speaker 1: just that juries don't know about it, so they don't 579 00:29:18,200 --> 00:29:21,280 Speaker 1: use it right now. But but they're sort of gaining acceptance. 580 00:29:22,080 --> 00:29:24,840 Speaker 1: And uh, question number five or four for four, I 581 00:29:24,880 --> 00:29:28,040 Speaker 1: think you can go five for five. Oddly enough, this 582 00:29:28,080 --> 00:29:31,840 Speaker 1: sort of piercing existed back in prehistoric times. Otsy the 583 00:29:31,880 --> 00:29:35,680 Speaker 1: Ice Mummy had both of his pierced here. That's right. 584 00:29:37,440 --> 00:29:41,400 Speaker 1: Took a took a wild stab at that one. Well, 585 00:29:41,440 --> 00:29:44,000 Speaker 1: you went five for five. That's incredible. We're gonna send 586 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:46,520 Speaker 1: you home with a part time genius certificate of genius 587 00:29:46,520 --> 00:29:49,600 Speaker 1: when we actually get those printed up. But I'm so 588 00:29:49,640 --> 00:29:52,480 Speaker 1: glad that it's that and not body part that starts 589 00:29:52,520 --> 00:29:54,160 Speaker 1: with that has three letters, and that would have been 590 00:29:54,200 --> 00:29:56,880 Speaker 1: awkward downs Jonathan, thank you so much for coming by, 591 00:29:56,960 --> 00:30:13,480 Speaker 1: Thanks for having me. Okay, well, so it's time to 592 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:15,440 Speaker 1: find out what kind of weird stuff our bodies get 593 00:30:15,520 --> 00:30:18,320 Speaker 1: up to once we've vacated the premises. And to start, 594 00:30:18,400 --> 00:30:21,320 Speaker 1: I thought we could debunk a long running postmorte myth 595 00:30:21,360 --> 00:30:24,440 Speaker 1: that gets passed around way too frequently, the idea that 596 00:30:24,480 --> 00:30:27,520 Speaker 1: our hair and fingernails continue to grow even after death. Hey, 597 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:29,960 Speaker 1: that's not true. I mean, I've read that so many 598 00:30:30,040 --> 00:30:33,920 Speaker 1: times before. I know it's everywhere, but it's actually impossible. 599 00:30:34,200 --> 00:30:37,760 Speaker 1: So after your heart stops beating, our cells start to 600 00:30:37,800 --> 00:30:40,560 Speaker 1: die from a lack of oxygen and putrefy within a 601 00:30:40,600 --> 00:30:43,719 Speaker 1: matter of minutes. And without that fresh oxygen in the bloodstream, 602 00:30:43,760 --> 00:30:46,160 Speaker 1: the cell division in our nails and hair growth simply 603 00:30:46,200 --> 00:30:49,880 Speaker 1: can't happen. So there's all this definitive proof that you're 604 00:30:49,880 --> 00:30:52,720 Speaker 1: talking about. But why have I heard this so much? Well, 605 00:30:52,760 --> 00:30:55,560 Speaker 1: I mean sometimes books and other media helped perpetuate the myth. 606 00:30:55,680 --> 00:30:58,120 Speaker 1: So there's this part in All Quiet on the Western 607 00:30:58,160 --> 00:31:01,360 Speaker 1: Front where the narrator imagines that dead friends nails continue 608 00:31:01,360 --> 00:31:03,920 Speaker 1: to grow. I mean, they grow into these long spirals, 609 00:31:03,960 --> 00:31:06,320 Speaker 1: and and the hair and the skull just keeps lengthening. 610 00:31:06,720 --> 00:31:09,240 Speaker 1: And that's just one of a ton of cultural references. 611 00:31:09,240 --> 00:31:12,200 Speaker 1: But really, I think the biggest reason for the misconception 612 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:14,320 Speaker 1: is the fact that our skin shrinks as it dries 613 00:31:14,360 --> 00:31:17,000 Speaker 1: out in the hours after our death, and that causes 614 00:31:17,080 --> 00:31:19,480 Speaker 1: the skin to retract, which makes it look like our 615 00:31:19,480 --> 00:31:22,640 Speaker 1: hair and nail are actually getting longer. No kidding, Well, 616 00:31:22,680 --> 00:31:25,760 Speaker 1: I guess I can accept that explanation. It makes sense, though, 617 00:31:25,760 --> 00:31:28,800 Speaker 1: given how so much about death remains unknown to the living, 618 00:31:29,400 --> 00:31:31,400 Speaker 1: I guess it makes sense that all kinds of crazy 619 00:31:31,440 --> 00:31:33,960 Speaker 1: theories would spring up about it. You know. For example, 620 00:31:33,960 --> 00:31:35,400 Speaker 1: have you ever heard the idea that caught on the 621 00:31:35,440 --> 00:31:39,240 Speaker 1: eighteen hundreds, this miasmatic theory? No, what is that? Well, 622 00:31:39,280 --> 00:31:42,160 Speaker 1: it comes from the ancient Greek word miasthma, which means 623 00:31:42,200 --> 00:31:45,640 Speaker 1: pollution or bad air. And and so the prevailing belief 624 00:31:45,760 --> 00:31:49,600 Speaker 1: during the nineteenth century was that dead people produced miasthma 625 00:31:49,600 --> 00:31:52,960 Speaker 1: on their own. So most people, doctors included, Really, we're 626 00:31:53,040 --> 00:31:56,760 Speaker 1: we're convinced that rotting corpses expelled little toxic clouds that 627 00:31:56,800 --> 00:31:59,840 Speaker 1: then hung around the grapes and people would get sick 628 00:32:00,000 --> 00:32:02,600 Speaker 1: in this and lead to the spread of diseases like cholera. 629 00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:05,280 Speaker 1: And of course all of this was later disproven, but 630 00:32:05,640 --> 00:32:08,480 Speaker 1: miismatic theory did leave its mark on culture in a 631 00:32:08,520 --> 00:32:11,480 Speaker 1: major way. You know, the regulation that requires bodies to 632 00:32:11,520 --> 00:32:14,880 Speaker 1: be buried six ft under, so that was the recommended 633 00:32:14,920 --> 00:32:18,280 Speaker 1: depth for preventing the miasma fumes from reaching the surface. 634 00:32:18,680 --> 00:32:20,600 Speaker 1: That's so funny. I just think about that like rain 635 00:32:20,640 --> 00:32:24,360 Speaker 1: cloud following Charlie Brown around, right, that's his miasma. But 636 00:32:24,760 --> 00:32:27,400 Speaker 1: I actually came across a few real life horror stories 637 00:32:27,440 --> 00:32:29,920 Speaker 1: about air tight caskets and I wanted to share them 638 00:32:29,920 --> 00:32:32,800 Speaker 1: with you because it's about the kind that's in above 639 00:32:32,880 --> 00:32:36,520 Speaker 1: ground mausoleums. So the setup might keep you safe from 640 00:32:36,560 --> 00:32:39,360 Speaker 1: like hungry bugs in the ground, but your body is 641 00:32:39,360 --> 00:32:42,000 Speaker 1: still sealed inside this box, and that box locks in 642 00:32:42,080 --> 00:32:46,040 Speaker 1: heat and humidity, which means they're going to decompose regardless. 643 00:32:46,080 --> 00:32:49,240 Speaker 1: But once anaerobic bacteria step in to do their thing, 644 00:32:49,640 --> 00:32:53,000 Speaker 1: the bodies produced to this gelatinous brown goop. And while 645 00:32:53,160 --> 00:32:56,000 Speaker 1: disease written corps there might be a myth, there's still 646 00:32:56,160 --> 00:32:59,920 Speaker 1: plenty of gas involved in this decomposition process. So give 647 00:33:00,000 --> 00:33:03,080 Speaker 1: in enough time, the pressure from the gas builds and 648 00:33:03,240 --> 00:33:08,560 Speaker 1: builds while you're still being liquefied, until finally, boom boom, 649 00:33:09,440 --> 00:33:13,360 Speaker 1: well maybe more pop. Either way, the pressure inside can 650 00:33:13,400 --> 00:33:15,640 Speaker 1: get so strong that the little square door at the 651 00:33:15,640 --> 00:33:19,000 Speaker 1: front of the burial chamber blows open and out spills 652 00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:22,520 Speaker 1: the foul soupie mess. That's you, good lord. I mean, 653 00:33:22,520 --> 00:33:25,160 Speaker 1: this is stuff of nightmares. But so so this really 654 00:33:25,200 --> 00:33:27,959 Speaker 1: happens way more than you'd like to think. So sometimes 655 00:33:28,000 --> 00:33:30,520 Speaker 1: you hear about them getting sued when like a family 656 00:33:30,560 --> 00:33:32,880 Speaker 1: catches them opening a loved one's casket in order to 657 00:33:33,000 --> 00:33:35,800 Speaker 1: let the gas out. I mean, I get how that's 658 00:33:35,840 --> 00:33:37,880 Speaker 1: a violation at all, but it really sounds like the 659 00:33:37,920 --> 00:33:40,720 Speaker 1: owner is trying to save your family from some serious 660 00:33:40,840 --> 00:33:43,840 Speaker 1: lifelong trauma. Yeah. I mean, I'd much rather have someone 661 00:33:43,880 --> 00:33:47,920 Speaker 1: occasionally burnt my casket than like, you know, having people 662 00:33:47,920 --> 00:33:50,760 Speaker 1: weighed around in this ankle deep soup of me. It 663 00:33:50,880 --> 00:33:54,040 Speaker 1: is so disgusting. I mean, if nothing else, there's just 664 00:33:54,160 --> 00:33:56,680 Speaker 1: better ways for your body to spend its time after 665 00:33:56,760 --> 00:33:58,960 Speaker 1: its death. I mean, for example, I remember this story 666 00:33:59,000 --> 00:34:02,120 Speaker 1: from Mental Flosa a few years ago about creative ways 667 00:34:02,160 --> 00:34:05,200 Speaker 1: to keep your dead body busy. You remember this story, right, definitely, 668 00:34:05,280 --> 00:34:06,880 Speaker 1: And you know one of the entries was just about 669 00:34:06,960 --> 00:34:10,440 Speaker 1: how having your body cremated could help fuel a whole city, 670 00:34:10,600 --> 00:34:13,200 Speaker 1: and that that was in Sweden, right, yeah, yeah, So 671 00:34:13,239 --> 00:34:16,600 Speaker 1: that the incinerators used for cremation demand a great deal 672 00:34:16,640 --> 00:34:19,680 Speaker 1: of energy, so crematoriums are always on the lookout for 673 00:34:19,719 --> 00:34:22,880 Speaker 1: ways to make the process greener. And one solution that 674 00:34:22,920 --> 00:34:25,719 Speaker 1: a few European facilities came up with was to have 675 00:34:25,800 --> 00:34:28,080 Speaker 1: the heat from the fires pulled double duty so that 676 00:34:28,120 --> 00:34:31,400 Speaker 1: the energy could be saved elsewhere. So, with this idea 677 00:34:31,400 --> 00:34:34,760 Speaker 1: in mind, the Swedish city of Helsenborg they began sourcing 678 00:34:34,800 --> 00:34:36,560 Speaker 1: as much as ten percent of the heat for its 679 00:34:36,560 --> 00:34:40,920 Speaker 1: homes from local crematoriums. That was back in and you know, 680 00:34:40,960 --> 00:34:43,200 Speaker 1: the idea has cropped up a bunch of times since then, 681 00:34:43,480 --> 00:34:46,440 Speaker 1: but sometimes town council shoot it down over like ethical 682 00:34:46,480 --> 00:34:49,479 Speaker 1: concerns and such. Well, I mean, I'm all for greener tech, 683 00:34:49,600 --> 00:34:52,279 Speaker 1: but I'm so NodD into this idea of warming our 684 00:34:52,280 --> 00:34:56,320 Speaker 1: houses via burning body such a stickler mango. But anyway, 685 00:34:56,360 --> 00:34:58,160 Speaker 1: if you if you'd rather your body give back in 686 00:34:58,200 --> 00:35:01,120 Speaker 1: another way, you can always donate it as science. Just 687 00:35:01,160 --> 00:35:02,960 Speaker 1: make sure you do specify that you'd rather it be 688 00:35:03,040 --> 00:35:05,360 Speaker 1: used for organ transplants than say, like you know, a 689 00:35:05,440 --> 00:35:10,319 Speaker 1: facelift practice. What do cosmetic surgeons actually practice on cadavers? 690 00:35:10,520 --> 00:35:12,560 Speaker 1: They sure do. And in fact, I read this interview 691 00:35:12,560 --> 00:35:14,719 Speaker 1: with Mary Roach, the author of a great book called 692 00:35:14,800 --> 00:35:17,360 Speaker 1: Stiff The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. And I know 693 00:35:17,400 --> 00:35:19,440 Speaker 1: we've read several of her books over the years, but 694 00:35:19,920 --> 00:35:22,200 Speaker 1: in this book she breaks down what happens when someone 695 00:35:22,280 --> 00:35:25,840 Speaker 1: wills their body to science. As she explains, quote, you 696 00:35:25,920 --> 00:35:29,520 Speaker 1: donate to a specific institution like Harvard or the Mayo Clinic. 697 00:35:29,800 --> 00:35:32,280 Speaker 1: You fill out the forms through the willed body program 698 00:35:32,280 --> 00:35:34,680 Speaker 1: of the school. Most of the bodies are donated through 699 00:35:34,680 --> 00:35:38,120 Speaker 1: anatomy labs, so you are dissected. But what you can 700 00:35:38,160 --> 00:35:41,440 Speaker 1: do is specify things that you don't want done. For example, 701 00:35:41,480 --> 00:35:44,160 Speaker 1: you could say I don't want to be used specifically 702 00:35:44,200 --> 00:35:47,160 Speaker 1: for cosmetic surgeries. You can select what you don't want, 703 00:35:47,200 --> 00:35:51,080 Speaker 1: but not what you want. I guess there's no sense 704 00:35:51,160 --> 00:35:53,360 Speaker 1: of being picked at that point, but it's still a 705 00:35:53,400 --> 00:35:55,440 Speaker 1: little innnerving that you might end up with this botched 706 00:35:55,440 --> 00:35:58,600 Speaker 1: facelift in the afterlife. Well, believe it or not, they're 707 00:35:58,600 --> 00:36:01,600 Speaker 1: actually worse ways to go out than this. For instance, 708 00:36:01,600 --> 00:36:05,040 Speaker 1: every year, universities conduct tons of safety tests using cadavers 709 00:36:05,080 --> 00:36:08,440 Speaker 1: as crash tests. Yeah, a lot of the funding for 710 00:36:08,480 --> 00:36:11,640 Speaker 1: these tests come from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, 711 00:36:12,160 --> 00:36:15,480 Speaker 1: but because automakers lack the medical resources needed for cadaver 712 00:36:15,640 --> 00:36:18,839 Speaker 1: test plenty of schools also received grants from companies like 713 00:36:18,920 --> 00:36:22,360 Speaker 1: Ford and GM. That's awful. So, even though we've probably 714 00:36:22,400 --> 00:36:24,719 Speaker 1: dwelled on death enough for one day, I'd hate to 715 00:36:24,800 --> 00:36:27,680 Speaker 1: end this show on such a sour note. So instead, 716 00:36:27,680 --> 00:36:29,040 Speaker 1: I actually want to tell you about what might be 717 00:36:29,080 --> 00:36:31,080 Speaker 1: the best way for your body to spend its afterlife. 718 00:36:31,440 --> 00:36:33,840 Speaker 1: All right, well, what's that? So there's this pair of 719 00:36:33,880 --> 00:36:35,759 Speaker 1: Italian designers who have actually come up with a new 720 00:36:35,800 --> 00:36:39,040 Speaker 1: form of burial, and it's called Capsula mundi, which means 721 00:36:39,040 --> 00:36:42,520 Speaker 1: world's capsule in Latin. And basically it's this egg shaped 722 00:36:42,640 --> 00:36:46,240 Speaker 1: organic casket that houses either cremated remains or a body 723 00:36:46,280 --> 00:36:49,520 Speaker 1: place in a fetal position. And once the capsule is buried, 724 00:36:49,719 --> 00:36:53,760 Speaker 1: it's biodegradable shell breaks down and the exposed remains supply 725 00:36:53,920 --> 00:36:57,160 Speaker 1: nutrients to this sapling that's planted just above it. So 726 00:36:57,280 --> 00:37:00,120 Speaker 1: not only is the system environmentally friendly, but it's this 727 00:37:00,320 --> 00:37:04,280 Speaker 1: great way to beautify traditional cemeteries, also highlighting the cycle 728 00:37:04,320 --> 00:37:07,239 Speaker 1: of life. That's a pretty great idea, And I love 729 00:37:07,280 --> 00:37:10,319 Speaker 1: the thought of, you know, replacing these austere, tombstone laden 730 00:37:10,360 --> 00:37:14,680 Speaker 1: graveyards with kind of a memorial forest. Imagine how much 731 00:37:14,680 --> 00:37:16,400 Speaker 1: more connected you'd feel to your loved ones if you 732 00:37:16,440 --> 00:37:18,680 Speaker 1: could visit a place like that and just sit beneath 733 00:37:18,680 --> 00:37:21,399 Speaker 1: the tree they chose to represent them. Yeah, it's got 734 00:37:21,400 --> 00:37:23,600 Speaker 1: to be one of the most peaceful and dignified ways 735 00:37:23,600 --> 00:37:26,359 Speaker 1: the human body could be laid to rest. I agree. Well, 736 00:37:26,400 --> 00:37:29,600 Speaker 1: before we put this episode to rest, we've got a 737 00:37:29,640 --> 00:37:32,719 Speaker 1: few last rites to perform, So Mango, are you ready 738 00:37:32,719 --> 00:37:46,759 Speaker 1: for the fact I'm always h All right, Well, I 739 00:37:46,800 --> 00:37:49,040 Speaker 1: will start us off. So I'm here to confirm a 740 00:37:49,080 --> 00:37:51,600 Speaker 1: fact that I'd heard before, but I wasn't sure if 741 00:37:51,640 --> 00:37:55,319 Speaker 1: it was actually true. But yes, our bodies actually are 742 00:37:55,400 --> 00:37:57,359 Speaker 1: taller when we wake up in the morning than when 743 00:37:57,440 --> 00:38:00,160 Speaker 1: we go to sleep at night. And the reason for 744 00:38:00,200 --> 00:38:02,480 Speaker 1: that is all of the pressure that our upright posture 745 00:38:02,480 --> 00:38:05,160 Speaker 1: puts on our joints each day. Because for the whole 746 00:38:05,160 --> 00:38:07,640 Speaker 1: time we're on our feet or sitting up straight, the 747 00:38:07,680 --> 00:38:09,560 Speaker 1: weight of our bones, you know, with a little help 748 00:38:09,600 --> 00:38:12,840 Speaker 1: from gravity, it's working to compress the cartilage between the 749 00:38:12,880 --> 00:38:15,879 Speaker 1: disks of our spine. Then we finally laid the rest 750 00:38:15,880 --> 00:38:18,760 Speaker 1: at night, and the pressure is off and our cartilage 751 00:38:18,800 --> 00:38:21,560 Speaker 1: is able to expand back to its original shape. So 752 00:38:21,600 --> 00:38:23,960 Speaker 1: when we wake up, we're actually a little bit taller 753 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:26,840 Speaker 1: than we were the night before, until we get squeezed 754 00:38:26,880 --> 00:38:28,560 Speaker 1: down again through the day, which is why I only 755 00:38:28,600 --> 00:38:32,040 Speaker 1: slammeddunk first thing in the morning. Of course. So I've 756 00:38:32,080 --> 00:38:34,719 Speaker 1: got a fact that seems appropriate since I know as 757 00:38:34,760 --> 00:38:37,040 Speaker 1: soon as we finished this episode, you're gonna head down 758 00:38:37,040 --> 00:38:39,880 Speaker 1: to have some ramen. Wait, and that's the fact that 759 00:38:39,920 --> 00:38:43,360 Speaker 1: there's actually a word for the growling sound your stomach mix. Yeah, 760 00:38:43,400 --> 00:38:45,840 Speaker 1: so the rumblings in your gut are known as borba 761 00:38:45,920 --> 00:38:49,040 Speaker 1: rigmy among people who like to use technical terms, and 762 00:38:49,160 --> 00:38:51,279 Speaker 1: it's a cool little word we picked up from the 763 00:38:51,360 --> 00:38:56,239 Speaker 1: Greek barbar reason, which means mble to rumble. Okay, well, 764 00:38:56,280 --> 00:38:58,480 Speaker 1: I've got some major borbera rigmy going on right now. 765 00:38:58,520 --> 00:39:01,200 Speaker 1: I'm hungry. Okay, I've got one that I looked into 766 00:39:01,239 --> 00:39:04,160 Speaker 1: because a friend of mine has this remarkable ability to 767 00:39:04,320 --> 00:39:07,279 Speaker 1: think herself to warmth in cold temperatures. I don't know 768 00:39:07,320 --> 00:39:09,760 Speaker 1: if you know anybody like this, but I remember standing 769 00:39:09,760 --> 00:39:11,840 Speaker 1: outside in the cold before an event, and a group 770 00:39:11,880 --> 00:39:14,799 Speaker 1: of us were baffled because her bare hands were as 771 00:39:14,800 --> 00:39:16,520 Speaker 1: warm as though she'd been in front of a heater 772 00:39:16,600 --> 00:39:19,080 Speaker 1: or something like that. And it turns out your mind 773 00:39:19,160 --> 00:39:22,200 Speaker 1: actually can help you keep warm. You may have read 774 00:39:22,239 --> 00:39:24,719 Speaker 1: about a group of Tibetan monks who were especially good 775 00:39:24,719 --> 00:39:26,840 Speaker 1: at this. But you know, a few years ago a 776 00:39:26,880 --> 00:39:29,320 Speaker 1: study was done where a group of Westerners were taught 777 00:39:29,400 --> 00:39:32,759 Speaker 1: forceful breathing and it actually did help them regulate their 778 00:39:32,800 --> 00:39:38,000 Speaker 1: body temperatures. So meditation triggers thermogenesis, or body warming, and 779 00:39:38,320 --> 00:39:41,319 Speaker 1: also helps suppress the cooling mechanisms that our bodies use, 780 00:39:41,400 --> 00:39:44,560 Speaker 1: you know, things like sweating or blood vessel dilation. So 781 00:39:44,600 --> 00:39:47,400 Speaker 1: this is actually something that can happen. And when I 782 00:39:47,400 --> 00:39:49,400 Speaker 1: think about it, I got to start meditating because you 783 00:39:49,440 --> 00:39:52,640 Speaker 1: know how much I hate being cold. Yeah, that's true. 784 00:39:52,719 --> 00:39:54,799 Speaker 1: So this is another thing I had heard, but I 785 00:39:54,840 --> 00:39:57,400 Speaker 1: wasn't sure if I believed. And it's that our joints 786 00:39:57,400 --> 00:39:59,920 Speaker 1: can actually predict the weather. But it turns out our 787 00:40:00,040 --> 00:40:03,719 Speaker 1: grandparents were right. There's still some debate about the specifics 788 00:40:03,719 --> 00:40:05,760 Speaker 1: of it, but there does appear to be a connection 789 00:40:05,840 --> 00:40:09,239 Speaker 1: between joint issues like arthritis and the weather. And in 790 00:40:09,360 --> 00:40:12,400 Speaker 1: one study at Tufts, they found that as temperatures dropped, 791 00:40:12,600 --> 00:40:16,120 Speaker 1: knee pain among those with arthritis increased. And the researchers 792 00:40:16,120 --> 00:40:19,200 Speaker 1: showed that this happens because the barometric pressure is actually 793 00:40:19,239 --> 00:40:22,279 Speaker 1: a stabilizing factor for certain joints, and so if that 794 00:40:22,320 --> 00:40:26,240 Speaker 1: pressure changes, our stabilization would change as well. And also 795 00:40:26,400 --> 00:40:30,000 Speaker 1: as temperatures dropped, the thickness of the synovial fluid changes, 796 00:40:30,120 --> 00:40:32,560 Speaker 1: and that's the fluid that helps keep our joints lubricated. 797 00:40:33,040 --> 00:40:36,520 Speaker 1: My granddad was right all along, that's pretty interesting. Everything 798 00:40:36,560 --> 00:40:38,799 Speaker 1: about everything that's right, that's right, all right. Well, here's 799 00:40:38,840 --> 00:40:40,920 Speaker 1: another one. So I've always wondered why it is we 800 00:40:40,960 --> 00:40:44,239 Speaker 1: don't notice everything has gone dark every few seconds when 801 00:40:44,280 --> 00:40:46,600 Speaker 1: we blink. Well, it turns out that our brains have 802 00:40:46,719 --> 00:40:49,840 Speaker 1: this really impressive ability to suppress the activity in the 803 00:40:49,880 --> 00:40:52,360 Speaker 1: parts of the brain that help us detect changes in 804 00:40:52,400 --> 00:40:55,320 Speaker 1: our environment. So our brains actually allow us to ignore 805 00:40:55,360 --> 00:40:58,800 Speaker 1: those momentary periods of darkness and just see the world 806 00:40:58,880 --> 00:41:01,560 Speaker 1: as though it's continue us. That's pretty awesome. So I 807 00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:04,000 Speaker 1: know we started the show talking about an athlete with 808 00:41:04,360 --> 00:41:07,399 Speaker 1: superhuman abilities, and I know our goal was to tell 809 00:41:07,480 --> 00:41:10,600 Speaker 1: Michael Johnson who is listening, that our bodies are special too, 810 00:41:11,280 --> 00:41:13,200 Speaker 1: but I think I've got a good one. So, you 811 00:41:13,239 --> 00:41:15,960 Speaker 1: know how, you occasionally hear about these moments of superhuman strength, 812 00:41:16,080 --> 00:41:18,719 Speaker 1: like a firefighter being able to lift a car to 813 00:41:18,840 --> 00:41:21,320 Speaker 1: save someone that's trapped under it, or like a mom 814 00:41:21,480 --> 00:41:24,040 Speaker 1: being able to do the same thing, and it turns 815 00:41:24,040 --> 00:41:27,319 Speaker 1: out there's actual science behind this. So whenever we're doing 816 00:41:27,400 --> 00:41:30,359 Speaker 1: something that requires a certain amount of physical strength, our 817 00:41:30,400 --> 00:41:32,640 Speaker 1: brains have a way of preventing our muscles from being 818 00:41:32,680 --> 00:41:36,920 Speaker 1: over stimulated and the purposes to keep ourselves from injuring ourselves. 819 00:41:37,320 --> 00:41:40,239 Speaker 1: But in moments of extreme stress, we also have the 820 00:41:40,280 --> 00:41:43,680 Speaker 1: ability to override that suppression and physically accomplish all these 821 00:41:43,680 --> 00:41:46,880 Speaker 1: things that wouldn't otherwise be capable of. Hence the reason 822 00:41:46,960 --> 00:41:50,239 Speaker 1: for these moments of superhuman strength. That's pretty awesome, and 823 00:41:50,280 --> 00:41:52,200 Speaker 1: you're right, the whole point of this episode was to 824 00:41:52,280 --> 00:41:54,560 Speaker 1: let Michael Johnson know that our bodies can do some 825 00:41:54,640 --> 00:41:57,560 Speaker 1: amazing things too, got it, Michael Johnson? And I think 826 00:41:57,600 --> 00:41:59,600 Speaker 1: you've nailed it with that one, Mango, So I'm actually 827 00:41:59,640 --> 00:42:02,479 Speaker 1: gonna get you today's Fact of Trophy. Thank you so much. 828 00:42:02,800 --> 00:42:04,680 Speaker 1: So that's it for today's episode. If you've got some 829 00:42:04,760 --> 00:42:06,840 Speaker 1: great facts about the human body that we should have 830 00:42:06,880 --> 00:42:09,600 Speaker 1: shared on today's episode, let us know. You can email 831 00:42:09,640 --> 00:42:12,160 Speaker 1: us part Time Genius at how Stuff Works dot com 832 00:42:12,239 --> 00:42:15,319 Speaker 1: or hit us up on our seven fact hotline one 833 00:42:15,400 --> 00:42:18,000 Speaker 1: eight four four pt Genius, or as always, you can 834 00:42:18,040 --> 00:42:21,000 Speaker 1: find us on Facebook or Twitter. Thanks so much for listening. 835 00:42:33,000 --> 00:42:35,480 Speaker 1: Thanks again for listening. Part Time Genius is a production 836 00:42:35,520 --> 00:42:37,960 Speaker 1: of How Stuff Works and wouldn't be possible without several 837 00:42:38,000 --> 00:42:40,520 Speaker 1: brilliant people who do the important things we couldn't even 838 00:42:40,520 --> 00:42:43,839 Speaker 1: begin to understand. Tristan McNeil does the editing thing. Noel 839 00:42:43,880 --> 00:42:45,919 Speaker 1: Brown made the theme song and does the mixy mixy 840 00:42:46,000 --> 00:42:49,520 Speaker 1: sound thing. Jerry Rowland does the exact producer thing. Gay 841 00:42:49,520 --> 00:42:52,120 Speaker 1: Bluesier is our lead researcher, with support from the Research 842 00:42:52,200 --> 00:42:55,359 Speaker 1: Army including Austin Thompson, Nolan Brown and Lucas Adams and Eve. 843 00:42:55,440 --> 00:42:57,880 Speaker 1: Jeff Cook gets the show to your ears. Good job, Eves. 844 00:42:58,080 --> 00:43:00,000 Speaker 1: If you like what you heard, we hope you'll subscribe, 845 00:43:00,080 --> 00:43:01,879 Speaker 1: And if you really really like what you've heard, maybe 846 00:43:01,920 --> 00:43:03,759 Speaker 1: you could leave a good review for US Do we 847 00:43:03,840 --> 00:43:05,719 Speaker 1: do we forget Jason? Jason who