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 --> 00:00:13,920 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Hey, welcome to Stuff to Blow your mind. 3 00:00:13,960 --> 00:00:16,479 Speaker 1: My name is Robert Lamb and I'm Julie Douglas and 4 00:00:16,520 --> 00:00:18,639 Speaker 1: with us today is a platypus. Well, I mean not 5 00:00:18,760 --> 00:00:20,800 Speaker 1: really physically in the studio because that would be kind 6 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: of terrifying and weird a little cute, but he'd probably 7 00:00:24,040 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: be submerged in a little bit of water marshy area. Yeah, 8 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:30,600 Speaker 1: I might be stung with a vile poison. Were various 9 00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:32,839 Speaker 1: things could happen, and that's why they're not allowed in 10 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:37,240 Speaker 1: the office. But the platypus anymore in spirit, Yes, yeah, absolutely, 11 00:00:37,240 --> 00:00:40,040 Speaker 1: it is here and it wants us to represent. In 12 00:00:40,040 --> 00:00:43,440 Speaker 1: case you're wondering why platypus, Yeah, it's sort of I 13 00:00:43,479 --> 00:00:46,000 Speaker 1: know that the Rodney danger Field of the animal Kingdom. 14 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: It doesn't get much respect. People kind of make fun 15 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: of it, um, and we should probably talk about why 16 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:54,080 Speaker 1: this this, this poor guy gal doesn't get the respect 17 00:00:54,080 --> 00:00:56,240 Speaker 1: it deserves. It's interesting you say that, though, because there 18 00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:59,000 Speaker 1: was a time before all these facts who were about 19 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:02,480 Speaker 1: to discuss came out, the platypus was really revered. For instance, Um, 20 00:01:02,760 --> 00:01:05,959 Speaker 1: William Watsworth originally wrote, I wandered lonely as a cloud 21 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:09,240 Speaker 1: that floats on high or vales and hills, when all 22 00:01:09,280 --> 00:01:12,240 Speaker 1: at once I saw a crowd a host of golden platypod's. 23 00:01:13,360 --> 00:01:16,120 Speaker 1: That was the originals didn't change it to daffodils. Likewise, 24 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:18,880 Speaker 1: William Blake platypus, platypus burning bright in the forest of 25 00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:21,400 Speaker 1: the night. What immortal hand or eye could frame thy 26 00:01:21,440 --> 00:01:24,480 Speaker 1: fearful symmetry? Then he changes a tiger because all this 27 00:01:24,520 --> 00:01:26,479 Speaker 1: stuff came out about the platypus, and people are like, whoa, 28 00:01:26,480 --> 00:01:30,320 Speaker 1: I'm gonna distance myself from that. Nicely done, Roberto, I'm 29 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:31,759 Speaker 1: not hating me. First time I was like, I don't 30 00:01:31,760 --> 00:01:34,279 Speaker 1: read it on Do you not remember that? Yeah, Yeah, 31 00:01:34,480 --> 00:01:36,960 Speaker 1: happened again with Duran. Duran's hungry like the platypus. But 32 00:01:37,000 --> 00:01:39,919 Speaker 1: that's that's a different era. That's so much sexier than Wolf. 33 00:01:40,120 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 1: I don't know why they didn't go without. I guess 34 00:01:42,880 --> 00:01:45,480 Speaker 1: that's we're kind of underscoring a point here that that 35 00:01:45,720 --> 00:01:49,440 Speaker 1: it doesn't exactly, um take a rock star approach this 36 00:01:49,480 --> 00:01:51,520 Speaker 1: platypus when you look at it. Yeah, I mean, on 37 00:01:51,600 --> 00:01:54,960 Speaker 1: one level, they are kind of cute, but you know, 38 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: we're talking about a mammal, a carnivore. You've all seen 39 00:01:59,000 --> 00:02:02,640 Speaker 1: pictures of it accompanying blog posts. For this uh podcast, 40 00:02:02,680 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: we'll have a picture of a platypus for your amusement 41 00:02:04,880 --> 00:02:08,320 Speaker 1: in case you forget what they look like. Uh tend 42 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 1: to be about fifteen inches long, tails about fifteen inches 43 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:13,040 Speaker 1: and the tail is looks like that of a beaver. 44 00:02:13,840 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: They appear to have a duck's bill and a duck's 45 00:02:17,320 --> 00:02:21,239 Speaker 1: webbed feet. They kind of have a furry otter's body, 46 00:02:21,320 --> 00:02:24,040 Speaker 1: so they look I've heard it mentioned that they look 47 00:02:24,120 --> 00:02:26,480 Speaker 1: like an animal that was built by committee. You know. 48 00:02:26,600 --> 00:02:29,440 Speaker 1: It's they look kind of like a Frankenstein creature. Yeah, yeah, 49 00:02:29,480 --> 00:02:33,440 Speaker 1: built out of spare parts. And actually, um, it is 50 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:36,720 Speaker 1: a weird looking creature, but it also genetically is a 51 00:02:36,760 --> 00:02:38,959 Speaker 1: weird creature. And we'll talk about this a little bit more. 52 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:42,520 Speaker 1: But it's also kind of exciting because it's it's uh, 53 00:02:42,560 --> 00:02:44,840 Speaker 1: it's given us a little bit more insight into evolution 54 00:02:45,160 --> 00:02:49,560 Speaker 1: and uh, perhaps how we even evolved as humans. Um. 55 00:02:49,560 --> 00:02:52,639 Speaker 1: But I do want to mention that, uh, it's it's 56 00:02:52,680 --> 00:02:55,519 Speaker 1: the proper name is duck build platypus because there is 57 00:02:55,560 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 1: actually a beetle that's called a platypus. So they had 58 00:02:58,280 --> 00:03:00,880 Speaker 1: to come and go back when they were that's crazy 59 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:03,520 Speaker 1: because that's kind of like having to call the Ghostbusters 60 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:06,720 Speaker 1: cartoon the real Ghostbusters because there was an older Ghostbusters 61 00:03:06,720 --> 00:03:09,120 Speaker 1: cartoon with a gorilla and yeah, I mean little did 62 00:03:09,120 --> 00:03:13,240 Speaker 1: you know in the animal world there's the whole TM issue, right? Yeah? Um. 63 00:03:13,320 --> 00:03:16,160 Speaker 1: So actually, when specimens of it were first shared in 64 00:03:16,160 --> 00:03:19,400 Speaker 1: the nineteenth century, people thought that this this creature was 65 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:22,320 Speaker 1: completely fake. They thought it was like, what was the 66 00:03:22,320 --> 00:03:24,679 Speaker 1: mermaid we were talking about? The Fiji mermaid was like 67 00:03:24,720 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 1: a Fiji mermaid where it's like really an otter with 68 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 1: a duck bill. All right, Dr Frankenstein, get that thing 69 00:03:29,720 --> 00:03:31,519 Speaker 1: out of here, right, because we know the Fiji Mermaid 70 00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:34,720 Speaker 1: was was made to look was actually made out of parts. Yeah, 71 00:03:34,800 --> 00:03:36,880 Speaker 1: they took a monkey, part of the monkey, part of 72 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:39,280 Speaker 1: the fish. So did together put it on display charged 73 00:03:39,320 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: people quarter to look at it. Yes. By the time 74 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:43,680 Speaker 1: the platypus came around, they were like, you know, Burmie 75 00:03:43,680 --> 00:03:46,760 Speaker 1: one she mommy Burnie t shame on you or I 76 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 1: think backwards but whatever, Um, it's just so odd looking 77 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:52,160 Speaker 1: that people just couldn't really wrap their heads around it. Um. 78 00:03:52,240 --> 00:03:54,800 Speaker 1: And actually the other reason why people couldn't wrap their 79 00:03:54,800 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: heads around it for so very long is because it's 80 00:03:57,200 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: indigenous to Australia and to you the streams and freshwater 81 00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 1: areas around their rivers. So it's not like it's in 82 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 1: a multiple multi plaid multi platypus of places, so to speak. Um. 83 00:04:11,400 --> 00:04:14,720 Speaker 1: And it's also not something that we've been able to 84 00:04:14,760 --> 00:04:19,240 Speaker 1: breed in captivity and really look at it until recently actually, 85 00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 1: so it's been a bit of a mystery and some 86 00:04:21,560 --> 00:04:25,680 Speaker 1: people for a long time, but they just didn't exist. Um. 87 00:04:25,720 --> 00:04:28,200 Speaker 1: So that's that's sort of the background that you get 88 00:04:28,240 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: on this person. And we should probably go ahead and 89 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:33,839 Speaker 1: say that sometimes we're gonna say platypod's right for the plural. 90 00:04:34,680 --> 00:04:37,240 Speaker 1: Perhaps we'll even say platypus is I think both of 91 00:04:37,279 --> 00:04:42,400 Speaker 1: them are right here. Platypus is platypus and platyplodes platypods 92 00:04:42,400 --> 00:04:44,520 Speaker 1: I like better because it kind of sounds like platypus 93 00:04:44,640 --> 00:04:48,200 Speaker 1: is exploding. So that's gonna be my my preference here. 94 00:04:48,640 --> 00:04:51,000 Speaker 1: So it's it's easy to make jokes that the platypus 95 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 1: looks like a duck and a beaver had a baby. Yeah, 96 00:04:55,200 --> 00:04:57,800 Speaker 1: but obviously that's not the case. These guys date back 97 00:04:57,920 --> 00:05:01,000 Speaker 1: quite quite a long ways in our in the evolution 98 00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 1: of mammals. Yeah, that's right, one hundred thousand years ago. 99 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:07,360 Speaker 1: These these guys have been hanging out for that long. 100 00:05:07,839 --> 00:05:10,479 Speaker 1: And they were actually called mono trams. They're one of 101 00:05:10,600 --> 00:05:13,839 Speaker 1: only two kinds of egg laying mammals. Okay, weird, right, 102 00:05:13,920 --> 00:05:18,280 Speaker 1: mammals don't weig eggs, right, um, and the duck build 103 00:05:18,320 --> 00:05:22,440 Speaker 1: patypus this one, and then ead I believe Echtna is 104 00:05:22,480 --> 00:05:25,560 Speaker 1: a spiny anti ear, so that's the other one, okay 105 00:05:25,600 --> 00:05:31,479 Speaker 1: with ecitna, Yeah, let's go with spiny anti eah. Yeah. Yeah. 106 00:05:31,480 --> 00:05:34,440 Speaker 1: And it's actually thought that they've they've been successful as 107 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:37,640 Speaker 1: a group, this tiny group, right um, in their survival 108 00:05:37,680 --> 00:05:39,760 Speaker 1: because they can take to the water to escape danger 109 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:45,479 Speaker 1: from the land lobbing predators. So small group of egg 110 00:05:45,520 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 1: laying mammals here, and also huge anomaly, like it's almost 111 00:05:49,240 --> 00:05:52,080 Speaker 1: it's sort of a question mark even to call them 112 00:05:52,080 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 1: a mammal. Of course, they are classified as a mammal, 113 00:05:54,520 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: but that again is one of the reasons why they're 114 00:05:56,560 --> 00:06:00,800 Speaker 1: so odd, because genetically they draw from too, boxes of 115 00:06:01,000 --> 00:06:05,000 Speaker 1: genetic toolboxes of other species. Yeah, that's right there. They're 116 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:08,960 Speaker 1: called the bridge animal. And this is from Scientific American. 117 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:12,200 Speaker 1: It's an article called What's our Connection to the Platypus? 118 00:06:12,240 --> 00:06:14,760 Speaker 1: And again they call it the bridge animal between non 119 00:06:14,800 --> 00:06:17,800 Speaker 1: mammals and birds and reptiles. And the article points to 120 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:20,039 Speaker 1: the platypus as a clue as to how mammals, birds 121 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:23,479 Speaker 1: and reptiles evolved from a common ancestor three fifteen million 122 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:25,960 Speaker 1: years ago. And this is a quote from the article. 123 00:06:26,080 --> 00:06:28,800 Speaker 1: As you look at the platypus genem effectively, what you've 124 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:31,720 Speaker 1: got is a patchwork. Places that look a little bit 125 00:06:31,760 --> 00:06:34,800 Speaker 1: more avian, places that look a little bit reptilian, and 126 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:37,840 Speaker 1: places that look a bit mam millions, says Mark bats Or, 127 00:06:37,880 --> 00:06:41,920 Speaker 1: a gen geneticist at Louisian Louisiana State University and Baton 128 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 1: rouge Uh. Looking at different genomes and seeing where various 129 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:48,960 Speaker 1: processes were created gives you some insight into how things 130 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:52,159 Speaker 1: work and why they were generated. So they mapped the 131 00:06:52,160 --> 00:06:56,400 Speaker 1: genome at these guys, and they realized that it wasn't 132 00:06:56,440 --> 00:06:59,760 Speaker 1: just a straightforward as being a mammal or what we 133 00:06:59,800 --> 00:07:02,200 Speaker 1: think of as a mammal and it kind of all 134 00:07:02,240 --> 00:07:05,520 Speaker 1: boils down to the old frank and beans, the old 135 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 1: frank and benes oh their parts. Yes, oh yeah, this 136 00:07:08,640 --> 00:07:12,720 Speaker 1: is interesting because I was in yoga last night with 137 00:07:12,760 --> 00:07:14,840 Speaker 1: my wife and uh, there was kind of a low 138 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:17,520 Speaker 1: point when we were we're trying something new in yoga 139 00:07:17,600 --> 00:07:21,720 Speaker 1: and the platypus no, no platopusicition and it's really yeah, 140 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:25,960 Speaker 1: it's really rough on the knees, the platypus um. But 141 00:07:26,000 --> 00:07:27,640 Speaker 1: I just leaned over and it's like, hey, did you 142 00:07:27,640 --> 00:07:31,280 Speaker 1: know that platypuses have cloaca? And then she got mad 143 00:07:31,280 --> 00:07:32,920 Speaker 1: at me and said that I had ruined platypus is 144 00:07:32,960 --> 00:07:35,520 Speaker 1: for forever. Well and you did this in yoga? Well, 145 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:38,000 Speaker 1: it was it was on my mind. I've been researching 146 00:07:38,520 --> 00:07:41,920 Speaker 1: technology the ancients all day and platypuses and platypus seemed, 147 00:07:42,040 --> 00:07:45,640 Speaker 1: you know, more game for a quick anecdote during yoga. Yeah, well, 148 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:48,800 Speaker 1: let's talk about why this is disturbing to your wife 149 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:52,400 Speaker 1: and to others and to myself at times. The cloaca, right, yes, 150 00:07:52,840 --> 00:07:57,240 Speaker 1: the this is again this is Roman for sewer and 151 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:01,480 Speaker 1: it's kind of a multi use port for genetic material 152 00:08:01,920 --> 00:08:07,200 Speaker 1: for p for pooh. Yeah, yeah, it's kind of it's 153 00:08:07,240 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 1: it's a call to one ender, I believe, because it 154 00:08:09,680 --> 00:08:16,120 Speaker 1: does everything um and for for Platypus um or potypods 155 00:08:16,120 --> 00:08:19,600 Speaker 1: like reptiles actually maintain their testicles in a body cavity, 156 00:08:20,360 --> 00:08:23,280 Speaker 1: while placental and morsupial mammals hold their testies in an 157 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:29,000 Speaker 1: external scrotum. So it's odd, right because and yet they 158 00:08:29,000 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 1: are classified as mammals because the cloaca is typically the 159 00:08:33,040 --> 00:08:36,640 Speaker 1: that's generally the trademark of the birds, right right, And 160 00:08:36,640 --> 00:08:40,119 Speaker 1: we talked about this too in our Tyrannosaurus sex podcasts 161 00:08:40,600 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 1: Cloaca um and and we're trying to figure out exactly 162 00:08:44,880 --> 00:08:47,520 Speaker 1: how dinosaurs made it. So the clicka is is a 163 00:08:47,600 --> 00:08:49,400 Speaker 1: very interesting model here, and we won't go into that 164 00:08:49,440 --> 00:08:51,800 Speaker 1: because we've talked about it before. Then we've already made 165 00:08:51,800 --> 00:08:54,240 Speaker 1: the platypus now kind of dirty in talking about click. 166 00:08:54,360 --> 00:08:56,520 Speaker 1: Every time we say the word, we lose like three 167 00:08:56,559 --> 00:08:59,280 Speaker 1: people shut off the podcast. Yeah, they're like, stop with it, 168 00:08:59,400 --> 00:09:02,360 Speaker 1: don't please, don't say clue a cole kiss you did it, 169 00:09:02,880 --> 00:09:05,000 Speaker 1: but don't mean really, just before we move on, let 170 00:09:05,000 --> 00:09:07,560 Speaker 1: me just say that, I mean, technically, with humans, we 171 00:09:07,640 --> 00:09:11,520 Speaker 1: have like genetic material and and P used the same parts. 172 00:09:11,600 --> 00:09:14,200 Speaker 1: So I mean there's an alien could easily land in 173 00:09:14,200 --> 00:09:17,120 Speaker 1: the neighborhood. An alien could easily land on this planet 174 00:09:17,120 --> 00:09:20,080 Speaker 1: and say, whoa, I have like three different things, well 175 00:09:20,160 --> 00:09:22,440 Speaker 1: only one function for each one. You guys are gross 176 00:09:22,840 --> 00:09:24,920 Speaker 1: that's true, and they'd really be grossed out by the platypum. 177 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:27,960 Speaker 1: It is all perspective, um, So let's talk about why 178 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:31,200 Speaker 1: they're technically a mammal. Yes, they big one of course 179 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:33,880 Speaker 1: with mammals, this we all know from science class. Is 180 00:09:33,960 --> 00:09:37,600 Speaker 1: the milk, right, yes, so is their platypus milk not 181 00:09:37,679 --> 00:09:41,520 Speaker 1: available at the store but available at the platypus not yet. Yeah, 182 00:09:41,559 --> 00:09:45,040 Speaker 1: memory glands actually secrete milk and collective grooves on their 183 00:09:45,080 --> 00:09:48,040 Speaker 1: abdomens and then the baby papases lap it up. But 184 00:09:48,080 --> 00:09:51,880 Speaker 1: they're not quite nipples though they're not nipples. And I 185 00:09:51,960 --> 00:09:56,960 Speaker 1: was actually watching the documentary that you recommended, The Left 186 00:09:56,960 --> 00:10:01,160 Speaker 1: of Mammals, which Richard at Borough rates it and he 187 00:10:01,240 --> 00:10:04,640 Speaker 1: says it uses out, which I thought, like, that's so 188 00:10:04,720 --> 00:10:07,439 Speaker 1: much better than than you know, it just gets collected 189 00:10:07,440 --> 00:10:10,480 Speaker 1: in grooves like somehow that just even if I say 190 00:10:10,480 --> 00:10:12,600 Speaker 1: it in my own accent, it oozes out that you 191 00:10:12,640 --> 00:10:15,000 Speaker 1: get a better idea of how this is working. I 192 00:10:15,000 --> 00:10:18,080 Speaker 1: can picture him now in boots chasing a platypus around 193 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:20,640 Speaker 1: us swamp. Tell me about it. Yeah, that's what he 194 00:10:20,679 --> 00:10:24,520 Speaker 1: was doing, disturbing a nest, looking inside, getting excited about 195 00:10:24,520 --> 00:10:27,120 Speaker 1: the using. And another reason why their mamles is that 196 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 1: they're hairy, right, They've got temperature temperature control. They're warm blooded, 197 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:34,640 Speaker 1: although they are nine degrees cooler and body temperature than humans. 198 00:10:35,240 --> 00:10:39,960 Speaker 1: So that's what technically makes them mammals. Um. But what 199 00:10:40,120 --> 00:10:43,520 Speaker 1: makes them reptilian We've talked about it, the egg laying, 200 00:10:44,000 --> 00:10:47,400 Speaker 1: the cloaca, and the testicles right when it when it 201 00:10:47,400 --> 00:10:50,679 Speaker 1: comes to testicles, they're they're innies rather than auties and 202 00:10:51,200 --> 00:10:55,560 Speaker 1: m venom. Yes, the males in particular, they have these 203 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:59,520 Speaker 1: sharp stingers on their heels, on the heels of their 204 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:02,000 Speaker 1: rear feet, and which they can use to deliver a 205 00:11:02,080 --> 00:11:06,959 Speaker 1: strong toxic injection to uh any kind of predator or 206 00:11:07,000 --> 00:11:10,040 Speaker 1: foe or even human if they happen to get a 207 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:12,120 Speaker 1: little too close. Yeah. I love this about them. I 208 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:15,199 Speaker 1: think it makes them like super assassins of the wild. Um. Yeah, 209 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:18,000 Speaker 1: they've got those spurs on their hind legs and the 210 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:24,560 Speaker 1: venom apparently is so painful that in humans at last 211 00:11:24,640 --> 00:11:29,560 Speaker 1: for a month, but be it actually um it is 212 00:11:29,640 --> 00:11:33,120 Speaker 1: resistant to morphine into other pain killers. Yeah, so, I 213 00:11:33,120 --> 00:11:35,040 Speaker 1: mean scientists are looking at that right now saying like, 214 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:37,400 Speaker 1: what is let's try to figure this out, like, how 215 00:11:37,440 --> 00:11:39,680 Speaker 1: is there a venom that we can't block the pain 216 00:11:39,760 --> 00:11:42,120 Speaker 1: from that? It's just so crazy and what can we 217 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:44,360 Speaker 1: learn from this will help us understand pain or pain 218 00:11:44,400 --> 00:11:48,920 Speaker 1: managain management? Yeah? Absolutely, yeah. Um. Oh, and there's there's 219 00:11:48,960 --> 00:11:50,760 Speaker 1: a lot more that's crazy about the platypus, which we 220 00:11:50,760 --> 00:11:58,480 Speaker 1: will get to right after this quick note. This presentation 221 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:05,320 Speaker 1: is brought to you by Intel Sponsors of Tomorrow, and 222 00:12:05,400 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 1: we're back with the platypus. So we're just talking about 223 00:12:07,800 --> 00:12:10,760 Speaker 1: the platypus venom and how crazy that is. Yeah, how 224 00:12:10,800 --> 00:12:12,840 Speaker 1: it makes them a bit of a you know, secret 225 00:12:13,040 --> 00:12:15,520 Speaker 1: service agent. Yeah, especially when you throw in the fact 226 00:12:15,559 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 1: that their their bills, which are not really like duck bills. Yeah, um, 227 00:12:19,679 --> 00:12:21,520 Speaker 1: they're used. They can they can sense with it, like 228 00:12:21,679 --> 00:12:24,839 Speaker 1: they can sense muscle contractions, right. Yeah, They've got the 229 00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:28,520 Speaker 1: electro receptors in the skin of their bill, and um 230 00:12:28,640 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 1: that their bill is robbery by the way um and 231 00:12:31,240 --> 00:12:35,360 Speaker 1: in a bit pliable and um as is described in 232 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:38,000 Speaker 1: the Life of Mammals. It's used like a metal detector 233 00:12:38,040 --> 00:12:41,400 Speaker 1: in the water. And so the platypus closes his ears, eyes, 234 00:12:41,440 --> 00:12:44,040 Speaker 1: and nose holes and then it submerges itself and eight 235 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:47,319 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty thousand electrical and tactile receptors pick up 236 00:12:47,440 --> 00:12:51,040 Speaker 1: really minute electrical currents given off by just like the 237 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:55,680 Speaker 1: smile slightest muscle contraction of a creature nearby. So just 238 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:58,720 Speaker 1: to driving home, if your boss was a platypus, and 239 00:12:58,800 --> 00:13:01,000 Speaker 1: you were in like a meeting with your boss, like 240 00:13:01,400 --> 00:13:03,439 Speaker 1: he could even just be looking out the window and 241 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:05,800 Speaker 1: not even not not even looking at you out of 242 00:13:05,840 --> 00:13:07,240 Speaker 1: the corner of his eyes, and you would have like 243 00:13:07,280 --> 00:13:10,200 Speaker 1: the tiniest micro expression on your face and he would 244 00:13:10,200 --> 00:13:13,440 Speaker 1: sense it through his his his platypus bill and know 245 00:13:13,559 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 1: exactly what you were thinking. Yes, he would turn around 246 00:13:15,920 --> 00:13:18,800 Speaker 1: and he would have a platypus bill and he would say, 247 00:13:19,800 --> 00:13:22,320 Speaker 1: I detected that you are not happy with that scenario, 248 00:13:22,600 --> 00:13:24,080 Speaker 1: and then just like that and then hit you with 249 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:26,959 Speaker 1: the hind venom. Yeah, right, so I mean talking, I 250 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:29,840 Speaker 1: mean you know, of course we're antimorphosizing this this creature. 251 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:31,480 Speaker 1: But really, if you think about it, there's there's some 252 00:13:31,520 --> 00:13:35,160 Speaker 1: double O seven elements going on. Um. It's it's interesting 253 00:13:35,360 --> 00:13:38,960 Speaker 1: to how they hunt. They they end up, you know, 254 00:13:39,240 --> 00:13:42,280 Speaker 1: after they found their prey with this amazing bill, they 255 00:13:42,320 --> 00:13:47,760 Speaker 1: scoop up things like insects, larva, shellfish, worms, you know whatever. Uh, 256 00:13:47,880 --> 00:13:50,120 Speaker 1: And they scoop it up from the bottom of the 257 00:13:50,200 --> 00:13:52,679 Speaker 1: of the of the river or ponder whatever because their 258 00:13:52,720 --> 00:13:55,360 Speaker 1: bottom feeders and uh. And they scoop it up well, 259 00:13:55,400 --> 00:13:57,960 Speaker 1: along with gravel and mud, and they store all of 260 00:13:57,960 --> 00:14:00,760 Speaker 1: this material and cheap pouches and then when they get 261 00:14:00,760 --> 00:14:03,800 Speaker 1: back to the surface then they start chewing it down. 262 00:14:03,840 --> 00:14:06,240 Speaker 1: But they don't actually have teeth. So that's why the 263 00:14:06,240 --> 00:14:09,199 Speaker 1: gravel is important. The gravel they scoop up with it 264 00:14:09,760 --> 00:14:14,120 Speaker 1: is used to munch down the this wonderful little um. 265 00:14:14,280 --> 00:14:16,240 Speaker 1: What would you call it? What is the culinary term 266 00:14:16,280 --> 00:14:21,200 Speaker 1: if you had, yeah, that right right before their main course. 267 00:14:21,240 --> 00:14:23,040 Speaker 1: I don't know. Yeah, well, it just seems like some 268 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:26,680 Speaker 1: sort of like a mash of different things. I don't know. Yeah, 269 00:14:26,720 --> 00:14:29,080 Speaker 1: I mean a cast role sounds like to me, Yeah, 270 00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:33,480 Speaker 1: kind at mud and it's all crunched up with these 271 00:14:33,640 --> 00:14:35,480 Speaker 1: with the gravel in their mouth, and they have little 272 00:14:35,480 --> 00:14:37,200 Speaker 1: plates in their mouth too, right, Like they don't actually 273 00:14:37,240 --> 00:14:39,120 Speaker 1: have teeth, but the plates kind of helped it. Yeah. Yeah, 274 00:14:39,160 --> 00:14:42,600 Speaker 1: it's like plates and gravel. It's it's an interesting system. Yeah, 275 00:14:42,720 --> 00:14:44,480 Speaker 1: that's very cool. It's kind of like a remind me 276 00:14:44,520 --> 00:14:48,920 Speaker 1: of the seagull, although much more complex, which brings us 277 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:55,080 Speaker 1: to birds, right, like, why why again are they genetically 278 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:58,800 Speaker 1: expressing jeans that come from birds? This is another thing 279 00:14:58,840 --> 00:15:02,400 Speaker 1: that's confounding scientis us and um. And what they have 280 00:15:02,440 --> 00:15:06,000 Speaker 1: found is that distinctly birdlike sex chromosomes. And this was 281 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:08,160 Speaker 1: a discovery of published in Nature magazine in two thousand 282 00:15:08,240 --> 00:15:10,920 Speaker 1: and four. Um. It was assumed before that that the 283 00:15:11,080 --> 00:15:15,880 Speaker 1: sex systems um for mammals and birds evolved independently from 284 00:15:15,880 --> 00:15:19,520 Speaker 1: each other. So the conclusion from this data is that 285 00:15:19,640 --> 00:15:22,280 Speaker 1: it's possible that all mammals, including humans, may have a 286 00:15:22,280 --> 00:15:26,040 Speaker 1: bit of Avian genetic material in our own makeups. So 287 00:15:26,160 --> 00:15:28,360 Speaker 1: there are some biologists can take issue with this that 288 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:31,320 Speaker 1: they say like that's its way too much extrapolating going 289 00:15:31,360 --> 00:15:34,000 Speaker 1: on here. Um. But there are some that say, it's 290 00:15:34,160 --> 00:15:36,920 Speaker 1: very interesting that you know, our idea of how we 291 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:40,200 Speaker 1: have evolved as perhaps not as clean as we have 292 00:15:40,280 --> 00:15:44,320 Speaker 1: thought about it before. Sorry, I'm just thinking about cloak again. 293 00:15:44,480 --> 00:15:46,480 Speaker 1: Like I guess that means you of somebody I know. 294 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:49,240 Speaker 1: I said, see I saw this like slight smile on 295 00:15:49,280 --> 00:15:50,960 Speaker 1: your face, and I was like, what is going through 296 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:54,080 Speaker 1: your head? No, just thinking about you know, it's like 297 00:15:54,120 --> 00:15:57,240 Speaker 1: if if it's humans continue to to evolve, if we 298 00:15:57,320 --> 00:16:00,440 Speaker 1: allow ourselves to evolve in any way that's not shaped 299 00:16:00,480 --> 00:16:05,040 Speaker 1: by our own designs for ourselves, Um, could we conceivably 300 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:08,520 Speaker 1: draw back to some of these older you know, are 301 00:16:08,560 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 1: you suggesting that if we wanted to, we could have 302 00:16:11,440 --> 00:16:14,440 Speaker 1: like we could create chloecas. Oh, I'm I'm pretty sure 303 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:16,960 Speaker 1: given sufficient technology, we could reach the point where humans 304 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:19,400 Speaker 1: could have cloaca if they wanted them, which I hope 305 00:16:19,440 --> 00:16:21,880 Speaker 1: they wouldn't. But I'm also wondering, like how much would 306 00:16:21,920 --> 00:16:24,880 Speaker 1: are given natural evolution? How much? I don't know. I 307 00:16:24,960 --> 00:16:29,120 Speaker 1: just I need a I need a brain a brain scrub. Now, Okay, 308 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:31,280 Speaker 1: I can't get that out of my head. It's just 309 00:16:31,280 --> 00:16:36,200 Speaker 1: such a funny word. And yeah, yeah, yeah, I think 310 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:38,320 Speaker 1: it's because of that I've heard. I've heard it far. 311 00:16:38,360 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 1: There was like some comedian who was writing about this 312 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:42,400 Speaker 1: and very recently. It's like words that have like a 313 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:47,520 Speaker 1: club and a k sound in it are are inherently funny, 314 00:16:47,560 --> 00:16:52,680 Speaker 1: like the word clown, the word kloeca, the word I 315 00:16:52,680 --> 00:16:55,360 Speaker 1: don't know, give me, give me another one. But that's 316 00:16:55,400 --> 00:16:58,200 Speaker 1: not even that's just funny for different. So that's that's 317 00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:00,720 Speaker 1: If it's a funny word, it's funny in and of itself. Yeah, 318 00:17:01,360 --> 00:17:02,800 Speaker 1: I don't know. I feel like we're at the end 319 00:17:02,840 --> 00:17:06,080 Speaker 1: of our Platypus podcast. Where are you thinking? I'm thinking 320 00:17:06,240 --> 00:17:10,640 Speaker 1: now that we've devolved into trying to find the cloakal 321 00:17:10,760 --> 00:17:13,160 Speaker 1: like words. Yeah, so, I mean that's a basic overview 322 00:17:13,160 --> 00:17:15,199 Speaker 1: of the of the platypus and why it is a 323 00:17:15,320 --> 00:17:18,639 Speaker 1: unique not only a unique animal and a funny looking animal, 324 00:17:18,680 --> 00:17:22,040 Speaker 1: but also an important animal and and one that's worthy 325 00:17:22,040 --> 00:17:24,919 Speaker 1: of continued study. Yeah, and it's still a mystery, right, 326 00:17:25,000 --> 00:17:27,360 Speaker 1: They still are trying to figure out why this genetic 327 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:30,119 Speaker 1: material is showing up. What does it mean again in 328 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:32,879 Speaker 1: the in the bigger context for humans in terms of 329 00:17:32,920 --> 00:17:36,040 Speaker 1: what we're made up of. Um, you know, I have 330 00:17:36,119 --> 00:17:38,720 Speaker 1: birdlike behavior. Sometimes I have to wonder if I've got 331 00:17:38,760 --> 00:17:43,679 Speaker 1: some genetic expression expressions going on there like worms. We 332 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:46,680 Speaker 1: must have some listener mail, and we have some listener mail. 333 00:17:46,720 --> 00:17:50,640 Speaker 1: We have received quite a bit from our recent podcast 334 00:17:50,720 --> 00:17:55,200 Speaker 1: titled is Mathematics and Human Discovery or Human Invention? Uh, 335 00:17:55,240 --> 00:17:56,840 Speaker 1: which is cool because that was a really fun one 336 00:17:56,840 --> 00:17:59,520 Speaker 1: to put together, um and uh. And you know we 337 00:17:59,520 --> 00:18:01,280 Speaker 1: won't be able to read everything that's see, but I 338 00:18:01,280 --> 00:18:05,880 Speaker 1: wanted to just touch in a few um. Our reader 339 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:08,159 Speaker 1: by the name of listener by the name of Jeremy 340 00:18:08,240 --> 00:18:10,200 Speaker 1: writes in and says, hey, Robert and Dewey, I was 341 00:18:10,240 --> 00:18:13,159 Speaker 1: listening to your mathematics podcast. This one particularly interested me 342 00:18:13,240 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 1: because I'm somewhat of a mathlete in high school. That's 343 00:18:16,600 --> 00:18:20,720 Speaker 1: that's awesome. I don't think either of us for mathletes anyway. 344 00:18:20,800 --> 00:18:23,879 Speaker 1: When you mentioned the Godal's first incompleteness theorem, it struck 345 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:25,520 Speaker 1: me as a kind is kind of funny because it 346 00:18:25,560 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 1: reminded me of Douglas Adams Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. 347 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:31,199 Speaker 1: I've read the six book trilogy a few times and 348 00:18:31,240 --> 00:18:33,560 Speaker 1: one quote has always stood out to me. There is 349 00:18:33,600 --> 00:18:36,439 Speaker 1: a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly 350 00:18:36,520 --> 00:18:39,520 Speaker 1: what the universe is for and why it is there, 351 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:42,720 Speaker 1: it will instantly disappear and replaced be replaced by something 352 00:18:42,760 --> 00:18:46,800 Speaker 1: even more bizarrely inexplicable. There is another theory which states 353 00:18:46,960 --> 00:18:51,240 Speaker 1: that this has already happened. So Jeremy goes on to add, 354 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:54,760 Speaker 1: I'd have to agree with Godal's theorem. We'll never fully 355 00:18:54,760 --> 00:18:58,000 Speaker 1: grasp everything that's out there. Think of things like this. Uh. 356 00:18:58,040 --> 00:19:02,199 Speaker 1: Some some discovered cells and plants. Eventually they discovered the 357 00:19:02,240 --> 00:19:05,400 Speaker 1: cells were made up of smaller parts like uh, mitochondria 358 00:19:05,400 --> 00:19:07,679 Speaker 1: and DNA. Later it was discovered that these smaller pieces 359 00:19:07,680 --> 00:19:09,640 Speaker 1: were made up of molecules, and the molecules were made 360 00:19:09,680 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 1: up of atoms. Adams had neutrons, protons, and electrons, and 361 00:19:12,800 --> 00:19:14,520 Speaker 1: now all these are made up of quarks and between 362 00:19:14,560 --> 00:19:17,040 Speaker 1: thos and so forth and so on. That's all keep 363 00:19:17,080 --> 00:19:22,800 Speaker 1: up the great work of the podcast. So that was quarks, neutrinos, 364 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:25,800 Speaker 1: that's all. I love that. Well, he too. He took 365 00:19:25,880 --> 00:19:28,000 Speaker 1: us to the edge of human understanding. I know, I know, 366 00:19:28,240 --> 00:19:30,680 Speaker 1: I kind of mine cracked us and they just left 367 00:19:30,760 --> 00:19:34,359 Speaker 1: us there. Oh he's a athlete, would he expect they're 368 00:19:34,600 --> 00:19:38,320 Speaker 1: They're intense. We also heard from Leanna, and Leanna writes 369 00:19:38,359 --> 00:19:40,119 Speaker 1: in Hey Robert and Juliet. I wanted you to know 370 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:42,359 Speaker 1: that I enjoyed your math podcast. I was an English 371 00:19:42,400 --> 00:19:46,200 Speaker 1: major who was a was math phobic. Now we're talking 372 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:48,760 Speaker 1: there's more like our people when I was in high 373 00:19:48,760 --> 00:19:51,399 Speaker 1: school and college. But in recent years, I've discovered that 374 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:55,120 Speaker 1: I'm fascinated by the ideas in higher mathematics and science. 375 00:19:55,359 --> 00:19:57,480 Speaker 1: I think it's because I discovered the patterns shown in 376 00:19:57,560 --> 00:20:01,320 Speaker 1: things like the Nazi numbers and fract Last December, our 377 00:20:01,359 --> 00:20:03,439 Speaker 1: office was picking out calendars for the coming year, and 378 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:06,080 Speaker 1: I really had trouble deciding what I wanted to get. 379 00:20:06,520 --> 00:20:08,879 Speaker 1: I'm not one for having pictures of dogs or kittens 380 00:20:08,880 --> 00:20:11,159 Speaker 1: on my wall, and I've had calendars with pictures of 381 00:20:11,160 --> 00:20:13,480 Speaker 1: flowers and famous artists work for the past five years, 382 00:20:13,480 --> 00:20:15,879 Speaker 1: so I'd really excited when I ran across the calendar 383 00:20:15,920 --> 00:20:19,000 Speaker 1: showing pictures created by fractals. I get so many comments 384 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:20,800 Speaker 1: on the beauty of the pictures. Some of them are 385 00:20:20,800 --> 00:20:24,400 Speaker 1: psychedelic and others are very soothing, but each is unique, 386 00:20:24,560 --> 00:20:26,240 Speaker 1: and I get a kick out of explaining to people 387 00:20:26,280 --> 00:20:29,760 Speaker 1: that the pictures are product of mathematical equations, because the 388 00:20:29,800 --> 00:20:34,120 Speaker 1: most common cons comment after that is really mathematics can 389 00:20:34,160 --> 00:20:37,680 Speaker 1: be beautiful even to a mathe phobic English major. Thanks 390 00:20:37,680 --> 00:20:41,600 Speaker 1: for the podcast. He makes science even more interesting. Well 391 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:46,000 Speaker 1: that's high praise. I can't really ask for anything. Um 392 00:20:46,080 --> 00:20:48,600 Speaker 1: and then I don't think I'm actually not going to 393 00:20:48,640 --> 00:20:51,240 Speaker 1: be able to read this whole email, but I just 394 00:20:51,280 --> 00:20:53,679 Speaker 1: wanted to say thank Jim for writing in. He had 395 00:20:53,760 --> 00:20:57,679 Speaker 1: had some wonderful contents about the whole uh question of 396 00:20:57,720 --> 00:21:01,800 Speaker 1: whether math is a invention or discoveries. I'm just just 397 00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:05,280 Speaker 1: a quick excerpt from this. I oscillate between the invention 398 00:21:05,359 --> 00:21:08,600 Speaker 1: discovery camp, and I don't have a strong conviction between either, 399 00:21:08,680 --> 00:21:11,440 Speaker 1: but right now I'm leaning in the invention camp. To me, 400 00:21:11,640 --> 00:21:14,240 Speaker 1: mathematics has been an invention that allows us to model 401 00:21:14,280 --> 00:21:18,720 Speaker 1: many things we observed physics, chemistry, biology, et cetera. All 402 00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:21,919 Speaker 1: of these disciplines existed before mathematics, and they will surely 403 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:25,120 Speaker 1: exist should mathematics be forgotten. There may even be other 404 00:21:25,200 --> 00:21:28,560 Speaker 1: models that represent them as well. Uh So, anyway, he 405 00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:29,960 Speaker 1: goes on from there. It was a great you know, 406 00:21:30,040 --> 00:21:33,320 Speaker 1: I really enjoyed reading, so thank you for sending that in. 407 00:21:33,359 --> 00:21:35,000 Speaker 1: And I also wanted to add a quick note on 408 00:21:35,040 --> 00:21:40,360 Speaker 1: the mathematics podcast. I briefly mentioned, um, the idea that 409 00:21:40,359 --> 00:21:43,520 Speaker 1: that did the angles and numbers and like an ancient 410 00:21:43,680 --> 00:21:46,399 Speaker 1: Phoenician numboard of numbers were related to what that that 411 00:21:46,680 --> 00:21:49,399 Speaker 1: numerals stood for. And uh, I kind of aired there 412 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:54,040 Speaker 1: because that's uh that the contested idea. Uh So, don't 413 00:21:54,119 --> 00:21:56,120 Speaker 1: take that one to the banquet you It's just it's 414 00:21:56,160 --> 00:21:57,600 Speaker 1: just more of a I think it's more of an 415 00:21:57,600 --> 00:22:00,440 Speaker 1: observation that people have made over over the years. But 416 00:22:00,800 --> 00:22:02,679 Speaker 1: and uh, and on surface it sounds great, but when 417 00:22:02,720 --> 00:22:04,680 Speaker 1: you start looking at the data, it's like people really 418 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:09,040 Speaker 1: disagree on whether that holds any water. Uh. But everything 419 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:12,440 Speaker 1: else in the podcast is good to go. Cool. So 420 00:22:12,520 --> 00:22:15,800 Speaker 1: if you want to talk to us about the platypus, 421 00:22:16,440 --> 00:22:18,479 Speaker 1: if you have, especially, I would really love to hear 422 00:22:18,520 --> 00:22:21,800 Speaker 1: if anybody who has any actual hands on experience with 423 00:22:22,160 --> 00:22:25,720 Speaker 1: platypos out there. Yeah, I mean Australian listeners to what 424 00:22:25,760 --> 00:22:28,760 Speaker 1: does it? Does it mean something in their culture? Like 425 00:22:29,000 --> 00:22:31,560 Speaker 1: what's it like to live in a country of of platypos? 426 00:22:31,600 --> 00:22:33,600 Speaker 1: I mean, you guys, we have actually have a number 427 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:37,360 Speaker 1: of Australian listeners and uh and you guys have amazing 428 00:22:37,400 --> 00:22:39,360 Speaker 1: animals and this is just one of them, so it's yeah, 429 00:22:39,359 --> 00:22:41,879 Speaker 1: where are they in the hierarchy? Yeah, yeah, we'd love 430 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:43,679 Speaker 1: to hear about that. You can find us on Facebook 431 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:45,399 Speaker 1: and Twitter. We are blow the Mind on both of 432 00:22:45,440 --> 00:22:47,679 Speaker 1: those things, and you can also send us an emailt 433 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:54,000 Speaker 1: at blow the Mind at how stuff works dot com. 434 00:22:54,080 --> 00:22:56,679 Speaker 1: Be sure to check out our new video podcast, Stuff 435 00:22:56,720 --> 00:22:59,320 Speaker 1: from the Future. Join how Stuff Work staff as we 436 00:22:59,359 --> 00:23:02,960 Speaker 1: explore the most promising and perplexing possibilities of tomorrow.