1 00:00:01,800 --> 00:00:05,240 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you should know from house Stuff Works 2 00:00:05,280 --> 00:00:13,720 Speaker 1: dot com. Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark. 3 00:00:13,800 --> 00:00:17,720 Speaker 1: There's Charles W. Chuck Bryant, and guest producer Role is 4 00:00:17,760 --> 00:00:20,440 Speaker 1: actually staying in here. I believe he's staring at It's 5 00:00:20,640 --> 00:00:24,720 Speaker 1: as funny as we speak. It's making my cheek blush 6 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:28,440 Speaker 1: just the one though, Yeah, which is weird. It's a tease, 7 00:00:28,560 --> 00:00:32,640 Speaker 1: is what that is. I'm anything. I'm a big tease. 8 00:00:33,320 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 1: Uh spoiler alert? Okay, now that was it that your 9 00:00:39,680 --> 00:00:42,320 Speaker 1: cheek is hot? It's a post spoiler alert post. I 10 00:00:42,360 --> 00:00:44,519 Speaker 1: don't know if those work count. I think you can 11 00:00:44,560 --> 00:00:46,839 Speaker 1: set the internet off into a frenzy if you do 12 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:49,040 Speaker 1: it the wrong way. Oh yes, we've done that before. 13 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:53,560 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, that's right, say spoiler alert beforehand. Apparently. Yeah, 14 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 1: I thought you just spoiled it and the said spoiler 15 00:00:55,600 --> 00:01:01,160 Speaker 1: alert right as a tag. It's not how it works, Uh, Chuck. 16 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:06,000 Speaker 1: Have you ever been to the grocery store? Uh? Yeah, 17 00:01:06,040 --> 00:01:08,319 Speaker 1: I was there yesterday. Were you? Did you go down 18 00:01:08,400 --> 00:01:12,280 Speaker 1: the steed buy cereal? I don't really buy cereal much either. 19 00:01:13,000 --> 00:01:16,240 Speaker 1: I I um hate cereal. You know. I'm just glad 20 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 1: it's still around but I just don't buy it myself. 21 00:01:18,680 --> 00:01:20,399 Speaker 1: Every once a while go down the cereal, it's just 22 00:01:20,400 --> 00:01:25,240 Speaker 1: almost to like visit old friends. Like there's the Count Chocula, 23 00:01:25,560 --> 00:01:28,800 Speaker 1: there's Fred Flintstone, or what the heck happened to Lucky 24 00:01:28,880 --> 00:01:30,959 Speaker 1: the Leopard con he doesn't look anything like you did 25 00:01:31,000 --> 00:01:33,920 Speaker 1: when we were kids, you know, look at Tony Tiger. Yes, 26 00:01:34,440 --> 00:01:36,800 Speaker 1: while while I'm walking down the cereal, I noticed like 27 00:01:36,959 --> 00:01:40,400 Speaker 1: they don't like hold my my gaze like they used to, 28 00:01:40,640 --> 00:01:44,200 Speaker 1: actually because you're not seven. No. Actually, there's this study 29 00:01:44,640 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: that found and I think to the last couple of 30 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 1: years at Cornell University, they have like a whole food 31 00:01:50,600 --> 00:01:53,440 Speaker 1: psychology program. You know, I love that stuff. Um, And 32 00:01:53,560 --> 00:01:55,800 Speaker 1: they did a study of like I think sixty five 33 00:01:55,800 --> 00:02:01,400 Speaker 1: different cereals and found that, um, the average gaze downward 34 00:02:01,480 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 1: gays is about a nine point six degree gays right 35 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 1: of just your normal human walking in the serial. So 36 00:02:10,520 --> 00:02:12,400 Speaker 1: like if you were looking at Tony the Tiger and 37 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,079 Speaker 1: you were you were me in our normal adult height, 38 00:02:15,400 --> 00:02:17,840 Speaker 1: he wouldn't be locking eyes with us. But if we 39 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:20,800 Speaker 1: were little kids, he'd be looking right into our eyes. 40 00:02:21,080 --> 00:02:25,239 Speaker 1: To Can Sam, To Can Sam, Lucky Captain Crunch which 41 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:29,080 Speaker 1: we talked about. Yeah, the honey Comb's Maniac. Yeah, the 42 00:02:29,160 --> 00:02:33,760 Speaker 1: Goalen fiber stick. Sure, um, all of those guys they 43 00:02:33,800 --> 00:02:36,239 Speaker 1: look into little kid's eyes. And the whole reason why 44 00:02:36,360 --> 00:02:40,560 Speaker 1: is because, um, it builds brand trust and brand loyalty. 45 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:44,120 Speaker 1: Among um cereal boxes where the character is looking right 46 00:02:44,160 --> 00:02:46,840 Speaker 1: into your kid's eyes on the cereal aisle, there's like 47 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:51,800 Speaker 1: pent brand loyalty compared to like six among boxes that 48 00:02:51,880 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 1: don't have little characters looking into your kid's eyes. And 49 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:57,679 Speaker 1: it all just kind of goes to show you, Like 50 00:02:58,440 --> 00:03:04,880 Speaker 1: the stair even being stared at by a lifeless cardboard 51 00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:09,919 Speaker 1: cartoon character is that powerful that it can It can 52 00:03:09,960 --> 00:03:14,440 Speaker 1: make you say, I want to eat what's inside of you? 53 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:18,359 Speaker 1: You know, So the gaze it's powerful. Or like the 54 00:03:18,480 --> 00:03:20,720 Speaker 1: old days when I was single and I would go 55 00:03:20,760 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 1: into a bar and just like go right up beside 56 00:03:23,960 --> 00:03:26,480 Speaker 1: a lady and just stare at her face until she 57 00:03:26,520 --> 00:03:28,280 Speaker 1: looked at me. Make your eyes as wide as you 58 00:03:28,320 --> 00:03:31,800 Speaker 1: possibly could. They love that stuff. Sure, very powerful. It 59 00:03:31,880 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 1: shows what a panther you are. Creep is what that 60 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:38,040 Speaker 1: would be. Sure, Yeah, And I mean that's a that's 61 00:03:38,080 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: a really great point. Like if it's a leprechn on 62 00:03:40,720 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: a cereal box. You're not threatened or intimidated by it, 63 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,280 Speaker 1: but there's still some sort of power to its gaze. Right, 64 00:03:46,800 --> 00:03:50,840 Speaker 1: if you're another human being that is so powerful, it 65 00:03:50,880 --> 00:03:55,120 Speaker 1: has to be wielded very delicately. Because people don't like 66 00:03:55,160 --> 00:03:57,600 Speaker 1: to be stared at, as as this this House to 67 00:03:57,760 --> 00:04:01,839 Speaker 1: Works article points out, it's simply rude to stare. Yeah, 68 00:04:01,920 --> 00:04:04,120 Speaker 1: it can be. I mean, depending on what culture you 69 00:04:04,160 --> 00:04:07,960 Speaker 1: live in, it can be everything from intimidation tactic to 70 00:04:08,240 --> 00:04:12,360 Speaker 1: a to an affront to like something that's very aggressive. 71 00:04:13,200 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 1: Um yeah, it means a lot of things around the world. 72 00:04:15,760 --> 00:04:17,680 Speaker 1: But I didn't find a lot of cultures where it 73 00:04:17,760 --> 00:04:21,000 Speaker 1: was super nice. No, the closest thing I can find 74 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: was Argentina being called out um as it being socially 75 00:04:25,440 --> 00:04:29,080 Speaker 1: acceptable for men to stare at women. That doesn't mean 76 00:04:29,120 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 1: that it's welcomed, right, it's not welcome necessarily or wanted, 77 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:37,520 Speaker 1: but it's not like what are you doing kind of thing. 78 00:04:38,160 --> 00:04:40,760 Speaker 1: But I couldn't find any culture around the world where 79 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 1: just outright staring is just normal and fine. It seems 80 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:49,680 Speaker 1: to be like universally it makes people uncomfortable. It seems like, yeah, well, 81 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:52,360 Speaker 1: this article we're gonna draw from a few, but one 82 00:04:52,400 --> 00:04:54,440 Speaker 1: from our own website. Why is it rude to stare? 83 00:04:54,560 --> 00:04:58,040 Speaker 1: Which it never really answers Actually no, it doesn't. Just 84 00:04:58,120 --> 00:05:00,599 Speaker 1: sort of give some reason stands to around. But um, 85 00:05:00,640 --> 00:05:02,760 Speaker 1: I did think they made a good point whoever wrote 86 00:05:02,760 --> 00:05:07,960 Speaker 1: this early on in the article, uh, that humans are 87 00:05:08,000 --> 00:05:13,600 Speaker 1: constantly categorizing things when we look around at anything, uh 88 00:05:13,760 --> 00:05:17,599 Speaker 1: from inanimate objects. You know, that desk looks comfortable, or 89 00:05:17,640 --> 00:05:21,960 Speaker 1: that chair looks nice, or that car is cool, or 90 00:05:22,000 --> 00:05:27,000 Speaker 1: that person is white. Uh, that person is a woman, 91 00:05:27,520 --> 00:05:30,640 Speaker 1: that person is attractive, that person isn't. Like we're always 92 00:05:30,720 --> 00:05:36,200 Speaker 1: scanning and dropping things into different mental boxes. And uh 93 00:05:36,400 --> 00:05:39,120 Speaker 1: so they make a pretty good point. I think whenever 94 00:05:39,200 --> 00:05:43,720 Speaker 1: something is just slightly off, um, like that person has 95 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:48,600 Speaker 1: one leg it just the brain has an instinct to 96 00:05:48,600 --> 00:05:52,400 Speaker 1: to stay stay on that gaze a little longer because 97 00:05:52,480 --> 00:05:55,039 Speaker 1: it just disrupts the normal. Like that's a thing, that's 98 00:05:55,040 --> 00:05:56,800 Speaker 1: the thing, that's the thing, and that's a difference. So 99 00:05:56,880 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 1: let me look at that for a minute. And the 100 00:05:58,520 --> 00:06:02,160 Speaker 1: the whole idea behind us walking around constantly scanning our 101 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:06,520 Speaker 1: environment is this idea that we've evolved to At first, 102 00:06:06,800 --> 00:06:10,480 Speaker 1: I guess probably hunt for predators. Remember, in like the 103 00:06:10,520 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 1: gun control episode, we talked about how humans can recognize 104 00:06:14,400 --> 00:06:17,400 Speaker 1: a gun in the environment as readily as recognizing snakes 105 00:06:17,440 --> 00:06:21,279 Speaker 1: or spiders. So we're training to to pluck stuff out 106 00:06:21,279 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 1: of our environment that may or may not be a 107 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:28,640 Speaker 1: threat as we've kind of moved away from the possibility of, um, 108 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:33,440 Speaker 1: you know, a bear eating you. Typically it still happens infrequently, 109 00:06:33,480 --> 00:06:37,560 Speaker 1: but for the most part, we're not threatened by bears. Right. Um, 110 00:06:37,760 --> 00:06:41,119 Speaker 1: We've we've that same ability has kind of moved into 111 00:06:41,120 --> 00:06:44,279 Speaker 1: this social realm where that whole in group out group 112 00:06:44,320 --> 00:06:48,080 Speaker 1: categorization that we've talked about two really kind of comes up. 113 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:51,840 Speaker 1: And so we're walking around saying, you're okay, You're all right, 114 00:06:52,440 --> 00:06:54,080 Speaker 1: you may be a threat, So I'm gonna move over 115 00:06:54,120 --> 00:06:56,360 Speaker 1: here on the other side of the street. I don't 116 00:06:56,400 --> 00:06:59,440 Speaker 1: necessarily recognize you, but we can do all this like 117 00:06:59,640 --> 00:07:02,760 Speaker 1: pretty quickly. Right. But it's like you were saying, if 118 00:07:02,760 --> 00:07:06,400 Speaker 1: you see somebody with missing a face, for example, is 119 00:07:06,400 --> 00:07:08,560 Speaker 1: a good is a good one? Um? And I read 120 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:11,240 Speaker 1: this Wired article that cited a woman who basically was 121 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:14,040 Speaker 1: like she her husband shot her in the face, and man, 122 00:07:14,120 --> 00:07:17,280 Speaker 1: she walked around before a face transplant, like missing a 123 00:07:17,320 --> 00:07:20,120 Speaker 1: significant section in the middle of her face, and she 124 00:07:20,280 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 1: just was stared at all the time. She said she 125 00:07:22,480 --> 00:07:25,600 Speaker 1: had to get used to it. Um. This article points 126 00:07:25,600 --> 00:07:29,760 Speaker 1: out that all you're doing necessarily is taking in more 127 00:07:29,840 --> 00:07:34,120 Speaker 1: information than you're used to, and we we do that 128 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:37,280 Speaker 1: by staring. It's a result of saying, there's more info 129 00:07:37,400 --> 00:07:39,760 Speaker 1: than I can just get through with a quick glance. 130 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,320 Speaker 1: I need to look at you a little while longer. Uh. 131 00:07:43,360 --> 00:07:45,960 Speaker 1: And then there was a study at usc AS in 132 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,240 Speaker 1: southern California telve. This one makes a lot of sense 133 00:07:49,280 --> 00:07:51,120 Speaker 1: to me because I think what you're doing is you're 134 00:07:51,120 --> 00:07:57,560 Speaker 1: satisfying a curiosity like, um, I guess Oscars histories is 135 00:07:57,600 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 1: a weird example now that he's gone through that thing. 136 00:08:01,720 --> 00:08:05,080 Speaker 1: But let's say pre that, uh, pre that incident, you 137 00:08:05,080 --> 00:08:08,520 Speaker 1: would see someone like Oscar Oscar pistories and say, wow, 138 00:08:09,360 --> 00:08:12,520 Speaker 1: I want to see how this guy runs without legs. 139 00:08:13,280 --> 00:08:15,400 Speaker 1: So I'm gonna look at him put on those blades 140 00:08:15,600 --> 00:08:18,440 Speaker 1: and and run. And of course he's a you know, 141 00:08:18,480 --> 00:08:22,360 Speaker 1: it's a spectator sport anyway. But I mean it happened 142 00:08:22,400 --> 00:08:26,119 Speaker 1: any day, like, uh, someone who's handicapped, Like, I wonder 143 00:08:26,200 --> 00:08:29,880 Speaker 1: how they drive a car with no legs, so it's 144 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:32,880 Speaker 1: very interesting. So I'm gonna look at that and watch 145 00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:35,680 Speaker 1: them get in the car and have a specially outfitted 146 00:08:35,720 --> 00:08:41,200 Speaker 1: car with hand operation. So it's it's it's weird because 147 00:08:41,200 --> 00:08:43,920 Speaker 1: it's in that case, I don't think it's rude, but 148 00:08:43,960 --> 00:08:46,600 Speaker 1: you're walking a fine line, but it is still very rude. 149 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 1: Another UM non murderous example, like the second one you gave, 150 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:53,559 Speaker 1: is UM. There was in this study at USC they 151 00:08:53,640 --> 00:08:58,320 Speaker 1: used UM women with a novel biological effectors, meaning in 152 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:01,559 Speaker 1: this case that their arms hadn't fully developed, but they 153 00:09:01,559 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 1: were performing functions that people would normally use their hands 154 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:09,679 Speaker 1: for with their residual limbs. Right, So someone might be like, wow, 155 00:09:09,720 --> 00:09:13,000 Speaker 1: how is she painting or cooking her dinner? Exactly? But 156 00:09:13,080 --> 00:09:15,320 Speaker 1: at the same time, you're right, you're walking that fine line, 157 00:09:15,400 --> 00:09:18,560 Speaker 1: so you're staring, but maybe you look away, but then 158 00:09:18,600 --> 00:09:21,200 Speaker 1: you look back and you kind of to take it 159 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:24,720 Speaker 1: in in pieces, because we are in this weird position 160 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:28,480 Speaker 1: where we want to take in but we're also socialized 161 00:09:28,840 --> 00:09:32,240 Speaker 1: to not stare as well, it's rude. Well, what they 162 00:09:32,320 --> 00:09:34,280 Speaker 1: determined in the study though, which sort of backs up 163 00:09:34,320 --> 00:09:37,600 Speaker 1: the idea that it is satisfying the curiosity is they 164 00:09:37,640 --> 00:09:40,839 Speaker 1: looked at the brains of people like staring at uh, 165 00:09:40,960 --> 00:09:45,040 Speaker 1: let's say the lady without the formed limbs. And after 166 00:09:45,120 --> 00:09:47,679 Speaker 1: they looked for a little while, the brain lit up 167 00:09:47,720 --> 00:09:49,679 Speaker 1: at first like, oh my gosh, what am I seeing? 168 00:09:49,679 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 1: This is super interesting, and then the brain normalized. I 169 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:54,839 Speaker 1: was like, oh, okay, well that's how she cooks her dinner. 170 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:57,800 Speaker 1: That's really neat exactly, and then they were able to 171 00:09:57,840 --> 00:10:01,560 Speaker 1: interact normally after that point. So it's almost like, as 172 00:10:01,600 --> 00:10:06,960 Speaker 1: long as your brain hasn't gotten enough information to its satisfaction, 173 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:10,040 Speaker 1: you're not gonna feel comfortable. There's gonna be something weird 174 00:10:10,120 --> 00:10:13,600 Speaker 1: and different around. And if you interact with somebody before 175 00:10:13,640 --> 00:10:16,679 Speaker 1: you've sat your you've satisfied your brains, you need to 176 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:20,080 Speaker 1: understand what the heck is going on there. Um, then 177 00:10:20,320 --> 00:10:22,319 Speaker 1: you might not interact with them as comfortably as you 178 00:10:22,360 --> 00:10:24,640 Speaker 1: would if you were able to sit there and take 179 00:10:24,640 --> 00:10:27,600 Speaker 1: it back. And they did this by having people watch 180 00:10:27,960 --> 00:10:30,800 Speaker 1: other people through like a one way mirror, I think, 181 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:33,559 Speaker 1: and watched them for a few minutes their brains, I 182 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:36,000 Speaker 1: guess became satisfied or figure it out, you know, what 183 00:10:36,080 --> 00:10:38,559 Speaker 1: the process was. And then after that they interacted with 184 00:10:38,600 --> 00:10:41,640 Speaker 1: the people much more normally than they did before they 185 00:10:41,640 --> 00:10:44,720 Speaker 1: were able to fully satisfy their brains curiosity. Yeah, it's 186 00:10:44,760 --> 00:10:47,319 Speaker 1: like this might be a pretty lame example, but it's 187 00:10:47,360 --> 00:10:49,640 Speaker 1: like if you have a huge ZiT on the end 188 00:10:49,679 --> 00:10:52,600 Speaker 1: of your nose and you walk into a group of 189 00:10:52,760 --> 00:10:56,440 Speaker 1: friends for a meeting, you might say it, just get 190 00:10:56,480 --> 00:10:58,559 Speaker 1: over with I got this huge ZiT on my nose, 191 00:10:58,840 --> 00:11:03,800 Speaker 1: like Fred Savage and Austin Powers the Mole, like acknowledging it. Hey, 192 00:11:03,920 --> 00:11:06,400 Speaker 1: I got this huge thing. Instead of being weird about it, 193 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:08,600 Speaker 1: just ahead and take a good gander. Isn't it amazing? 194 00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:11,080 Speaker 1: And now let's just act normal. And then nine times 195 00:11:11,080 --> 00:11:13,120 Speaker 1: out of ten people are like, yeah, great, I just 196 00:11:13,160 --> 00:11:15,000 Speaker 1: put my hand in front of my face and pretend 197 00:11:15,040 --> 00:11:19,360 Speaker 1: that nothing's different. Is the makeup not working? But the 198 00:11:19,360 --> 00:11:23,160 Speaker 1: thing is, it's you know, it's it. You know you 199 00:11:23,640 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 1: people have zits themselves, fairly well understood and it's transient, 200 00:11:28,080 --> 00:11:30,560 Speaker 1: you know what I mean. So there is definitely looking 201 00:11:30,559 --> 00:11:33,880 Speaker 1: at somebody who is differently abled or um just different 202 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:37,120 Speaker 1: in any way it can be considered rude, but especially 203 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 1: if that person has to put up with it again 204 00:11:39,120 --> 00:11:42,800 Speaker 1: and again. But I think there's just not that understanding 205 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:45,040 Speaker 1: of what is the basis of it, and of course 206 00:11:45,120 --> 00:11:46,880 Speaker 1: kids are going to do that, and his parents you 207 00:11:47,800 --> 00:11:50,720 Speaker 1: are probably Johnny on the spot by saying, don't stare 208 00:11:50,920 --> 00:11:53,920 Speaker 1: at that person, that lady without a face. She you know, 209 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:57,000 Speaker 1: it's not nice. Uh, Whereas the kids just thinking like 210 00:11:57,040 --> 00:11:59,480 Speaker 1: I've never seen someone without a face, right, and the 211 00:11:59,559 --> 00:12:01,600 Speaker 1: parent you I was thinking that same thing, but they're 212 00:12:01,640 --> 00:12:05,560 Speaker 1: just having to do the parental thing and you know, 213 00:12:05,720 --> 00:12:07,960 Speaker 1: like steal a quick glance and then tell the kid 214 00:12:08,040 --> 00:12:10,559 Speaker 1: not to stare because it's been socialized out of them. Yeah, 215 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:12,520 Speaker 1: it's super interesting to me, but it seems to be 216 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:15,240 Speaker 1: innate because kids do it and then they have to 217 00:12:15,280 --> 00:12:18,160 Speaker 1: be taught not to do it, right, So I wonder 218 00:12:18,240 --> 00:12:21,440 Speaker 1: almost if it's then in that, in that circumstance, if 219 00:12:21,440 --> 00:12:25,120 Speaker 1: it's like a vestigial trait, you know, like it's an 220 00:12:25,160 --> 00:12:27,720 Speaker 1: innate thing that like the kid is responding to the 221 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:32,199 Speaker 1: kids evolutionary history, but it hasn't been socialized to not 222 00:12:32,320 --> 00:12:34,960 Speaker 1: do that yet. So there's like this social layer that's 223 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:39,520 Speaker 1: being put on top of an evolutionary trait. So staring 224 00:12:40,000 --> 00:12:43,080 Speaker 1: seems pretty straightforward, so far right. Actually, it gets way, 225 00:12:43,120 --> 00:12:46,720 Speaker 1: way more complex, and we will dig into that right 226 00:12:46,760 --> 00:13:10,560 Speaker 1: after this. So we're back and we're talking about being 227 00:13:10,600 --> 00:13:12,160 Speaker 1: stared at, which, by the way, I didn't get a 228 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:14,600 Speaker 1: chance to listen to it, but um, Robert and Julie 229 00:13:14,840 --> 00:13:17,679 Speaker 1: at stuff to blow your mind? Did this did a 230 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:22,520 Speaker 1: staring episode a few years back? Safe to one, I 231 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:27,640 Speaker 1: would guess, yeah, yeah, Um again, I don't know. I'm 232 00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:31,720 Speaker 1: sure they did, though, now that you mentioned so, um, Chuck, 233 00:13:31,760 --> 00:13:34,400 Speaker 1: we're talking about staring in how you know, maybe the 234 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:39,400 Speaker 1: evolutionary adaptations to it. Um, And there's a further idea 235 00:13:39,960 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 1: that we've actually evolved. Our eyes have evolved to really 236 00:13:46,080 --> 00:13:48,720 Speaker 1: understand when somebody's looking at us, right. I think it's 237 00:13:48,800 --> 00:13:52,240 Speaker 1: pretty neat the gays detection system. Yeah, they make the 238 00:13:52,240 --> 00:13:54,439 Speaker 1: point in here, which article was just from this one 239 00:13:54,520 --> 00:13:58,840 Speaker 1: was from psychology today. Basically, the difference, the main difference 240 00:13:58,880 --> 00:14:02,280 Speaker 1: between humans and lot of animals is with people, you 241 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:05,079 Speaker 1: can see a lot more whites of the eye than 242 00:14:05,120 --> 00:14:09,160 Speaker 1: you can with most animals. So the dark parts, that is, 243 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:12,839 Speaker 1: the parts that look at you, Uh, you can really 244 00:14:12,880 --> 00:14:16,319 Speaker 1: tell when those things are moving around, right exactly. You 245 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:18,800 Speaker 1: can tell when you're being looked at a lot more easily. Yeah. So, like, 246 00:14:18,840 --> 00:14:21,680 Speaker 1: if the dark parts are in the center of the eye, roughly, 247 00:14:21,720 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 1: you can assume that you're being looked at. If the 248 00:14:24,200 --> 00:14:26,240 Speaker 1: dark parts are to the right, the person is looking 249 00:14:26,280 --> 00:14:28,320 Speaker 1: to the right. If the dark parts are to the left, 250 00:14:28,560 --> 00:14:31,680 Speaker 1: vice versa. Right, Yep, I'm looking at Nual out of mine. 251 00:14:31,880 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 1: I guess you would say peripheral vision exactly. So, and 252 00:14:35,520 --> 00:14:38,160 Speaker 1: I can just I can relax because you're not looking 253 00:14:38,160 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 1: at me. You're looking at Nual, So I can go 254 00:14:40,000 --> 00:14:44,800 Speaker 1: back to knitting or starting fires whatever. Um, But Noel 255 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:47,360 Speaker 1: needs to be on his best behavior. And that's actually 256 00:14:47,360 --> 00:14:50,880 Speaker 1: one of the two um suggestions for why we're so 257 00:14:51,040 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 1: responsive to being looked at. Like, there's there's a couple 258 00:14:54,080 --> 00:14:58,960 Speaker 1: of things. So this gaze detection system they've they've determined that, um, 259 00:14:59,040 --> 00:15:04,160 Speaker 1: if you are looking towards me, chuck, but over my shoulder, 260 00:15:04,440 --> 00:15:06,800 Speaker 1: and I can just kind of tell, right, so your 261 00:15:06,800 --> 00:15:08,840 Speaker 1: head is looking at me, your eyes are generally I mean, 262 00:15:08,840 --> 00:15:10,960 Speaker 1: but you're just like a degree or two off, Like 263 00:15:11,040 --> 00:15:12,800 Speaker 1: right now, is that weird? Yeah, right now you're say 264 00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:15,000 Speaker 1: it is kind off putting, but right now you're setting 265 00:15:15,040 --> 00:15:17,800 Speaker 1: off a different kind of neuron in my brain. Then 266 00:15:17,840 --> 00:15:20,280 Speaker 1: you are. Now that you're looking directly at me. Now, 267 00:15:20,360 --> 00:15:23,800 Speaker 1: different neurons are firing, like specific neurons for when someone 268 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:26,440 Speaker 1: is looking right at you fire, which is exactly like 269 00:15:26,480 --> 00:15:29,440 Speaker 1: we have basically a region of the brain dedicated to that. Yeah, 270 00:15:29,560 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 1: and I have to say you and I are like 271 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:34,880 Speaker 1: staring at each other way more than normal in this episode. 272 00:15:35,600 --> 00:15:38,760 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, interesting, or maybe we're just talking about it 273 00:15:38,800 --> 00:15:41,040 Speaker 1: more than you so I'm not sure. Uh. The other 274 00:15:41,040 --> 00:15:44,720 Speaker 1: cool thing is they you tend in your peripheral vision 275 00:15:44,720 --> 00:15:49,120 Speaker 1: to notice more when uh like, instead of someone just 276 00:15:49,160 --> 00:15:51,320 Speaker 1: looking at you straight on with their body in their face, 277 00:15:51,840 --> 00:15:54,760 Speaker 1: if someone is looking from the side and turning their 278 00:15:54,760 --> 00:15:57,880 Speaker 1: head completely uh to the right to look at you, 279 00:15:58,240 --> 00:15:59,960 Speaker 1: that will stand out a lot more in your peripher 280 00:16:00,120 --> 00:16:02,800 Speaker 1: vision than someone just standing staring straight at you. Yeah, 281 00:16:02,880 --> 00:16:05,160 Speaker 1: which is super weird. It really is. Today, when I 282 00:16:05,200 --> 00:16:08,240 Speaker 1: was driving in um there was this woman walking her 283 00:16:08,240 --> 00:16:11,000 Speaker 1: baby in a stroller down the street and I was 284 00:16:11,040 --> 00:16:14,720 Speaker 1: just looking at her kid, and I was driving parallel 285 00:16:14,800 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 1: to her, but my head I'm sure was turned toward them. 286 00:16:18,520 --> 00:16:20,480 Speaker 1: She wasn't looking anywhere near me, and just all of 287 00:16:20,560 --> 00:16:23,440 Speaker 1: a sudden, she turns her head and just completely like 288 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:28,880 Speaker 1: meets my gaze right like like she saw somehow, probably 289 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:31,280 Speaker 1: in her peripheral vision, that there was somebody in a 290 00:16:31,360 --> 00:16:34,000 Speaker 1: car looking at her kid and she needed to check 291 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:36,680 Speaker 1: it out, so she threw the cover over the stroller 292 00:16:36,720 --> 00:16:42,560 Speaker 1: real quick. It's like a monster. Uh, yeah, it's it's 293 00:16:42,800 --> 00:16:45,120 Speaker 1: I don't know. I find all this stuff fascinating, Like 294 00:16:45,160 --> 00:16:48,200 Speaker 1: whether or not you can feel when you're being stared 295 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:52,680 Speaker 1: at directly to your back. Let's say, well, that's something different. 296 00:16:52,760 --> 00:16:56,040 Speaker 1: So like this, all of the the sum up to this point, Uh, 297 00:16:56,200 --> 00:16:58,720 Speaker 1: we've been talking about stuff that can be explained away 298 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:04,040 Speaker 1: using like your peripheral vision, noticing other people's body language, um, 299 00:17:04,080 --> 00:17:07,439 Speaker 1: looking at where the eyes are. Now we're getting into 300 00:17:08,000 --> 00:17:11,520 Speaker 1: just some weirdness and something called the psychic staring effect 301 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:15,720 Speaker 1: or scope pastigia, or the feeling that you're being stared 302 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:20,040 Speaker 1: at from behind, even though there's no way using your 303 00:17:20,080 --> 00:17:22,200 Speaker 1: normal senses, you should be able to tell that someone 304 00:17:22,320 --> 00:17:25,119 Speaker 1: is looking at you. Yeah, and this, Uh, there was 305 00:17:25,160 --> 00:17:26,960 Speaker 1: a paper. This is from the article of the Feeling 306 00:17:26,960 --> 00:17:31,280 Speaker 1: of being stared At. And there's an old paper from 307 00:17:31,320 --> 00:17:34,640 Speaker 1: from Science magazine called the Feeling of being stared At 308 00:17:34,720 --> 00:17:41,520 Speaker 1: by Edward uh Kitchener and he said, and this was 309 00:17:41,560 --> 00:17:43,719 Speaker 1: sort of a weird feedback loop, but he said, if 310 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:45,560 Speaker 1: you go to the front of a room and you 311 00:17:45,560 --> 00:17:47,720 Speaker 1: have your back to everyone, you're gonna feel like you're 312 00:17:47,720 --> 00:17:50,479 Speaker 1: being stared at, and then you're gonna get nervous and 313 00:17:50,480 --> 00:17:53,280 Speaker 1: start fidgeting around, which will cause people to stare at you. 314 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:57,760 Speaker 1: So that doesn't too much for me. He also he 315 00:17:57,840 --> 00:18:03,000 Speaker 1: also said, um, it's possible that it's um when you 316 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:06,280 Speaker 1: think someone staring at you, you start to turn around 317 00:18:06,760 --> 00:18:10,280 Speaker 1: to see them, to catch somebody staring at you, or 318 00:18:10,320 --> 00:18:12,240 Speaker 1: to see who it is, and they'll then look at 319 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:15,280 Speaker 1: you right. They notice you moving and they start looking 320 00:18:15,359 --> 00:18:17,360 Speaker 1: at you. Before you've made it all the way around, 321 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:20,680 Speaker 1: you were looking at me, and you say, no, jerk, 322 00:18:21,119 --> 00:18:22,840 Speaker 1: didn't look at you until you turn around, looked at 323 00:18:22,840 --> 00:18:25,240 Speaker 1: me right, and then it just turned into a fist 324 00:18:25,240 --> 00:18:28,840 Speaker 1: fight every time without fail. So Tischner basically was like, 325 00:18:29,119 --> 00:18:32,520 Speaker 1: it's all illusory, it's it's done. He didn't really write 326 00:18:32,680 --> 00:18:36,240 Speaker 1: necessarily about all of his methods or study size or 327 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:39,320 Speaker 1: anything like that, but um, he he felt like he 328 00:18:39,520 --> 00:18:42,359 Speaker 1: kind of settled it. Fifteen years later, there was a 329 00:18:42,359 --> 00:18:45,040 Speaker 1: guy who picked it up again. His name was je Coover. 330 00:18:45,440 --> 00:18:48,200 Speaker 1: He wrote another paper called the Feeling of Being Stared At, 331 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:51,400 Speaker 1: and he tried a little more scientifically to figure out 332 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:54,600 Speaker 1: what was going on, and he had a pretty cool 333 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:58,359 Speaker 1: I thought his technique was pretty awesome. Um. He would 334 00:18:58,400 --> 00:19:02,440 Speaker 1: sit there and have a study participant with his back 335 00:19:02,480 --> 00:19:05,639 Speaker 1: to him, and he would roll a dice a die, 336 00:19:05,960 --> 00:19:08,840 Speaker 1: and if it came up even, he would not stare 337 00:19:08,880 --> 00:19:12,119 Speaker 1: at them for fifteen seconds. If it came up odd, 338 00:19:12,440 --> 00:19:15,120 Speaker 1: he would stare at them for fifteen seconds. And then 339 00:19:15,160 --> 00:19:17,240 Speaker 1: each time the person needed to write down what they 340 00:19:17,280 --> 00:19:20,440 Speaker 1: thought whether they were being stared at or not. Yeah, 341 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:24,159 Speaker 1: and it was lined up pretty consistently. Um. But what 342 00:19:24,320 --> 00:19:26,840 Speaker 1: this UH points out, in what a few of the 343 00:19:26,880 --> 00:19:29,240 Speaker 1: other staring studies point out, is if you know you're 344 00:19:29,320 --> 00:19:32,520 Speaker 1: in a staring study, you may be more clued in 345 00:19:33,200 --> 00:19:36,159 Speaker 1: even if you're blindfolded to think like, oh, you know, 346 00:19:36,320 --> 00:19:39,359 Speaker 1: I feel like someone staring because I'm supposed to write 347 00:19:39,359 --> 00:19:43,520 Speaker 1: exactly like you're thinking about being stared exactly. So Um. 348 00:19:43,760 --> 00:19:48,880 Speaker 1: In this je Coover study from UM, he found that 349 00:19:49,119 --> 00:19:52,200 Speaker 1: people guessed at about fifty They were right about fifty 350 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:54,520 Speaker 1: percent at the time, which is even with chance. Right, 351 00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:58,720 Speaker 1: So that suggests that you don't really have a any 352 00:19:58,840 --> 00:20:01,240 Speaker 1: kind of signal or scent that you're being stared at. 353 00:20:01,640 --> 00:20:03,800 Speaker 1: You're just guessing and you're primeed to being guests and 354 00:20:03,880 --> 00:20:07,280 Speaker 1: yeah like um. Follow up studies have shown that if 355 00:20:07,440 --> 00:20:11,080 Speaker 1: people are distracted with another task or if they don't 356 00:20:11,080 --> 00:20:13,520 Speaker 1: think the studies actually about whether or not they're being 357 00:20:13,560 --> 00:20:17,720 Speaker 1: stared at, they almost never guessed that they're being stared at. Um. 358 00:20:17,800 --> 00:20:19,760 Speaker 1: It only starts to show up in studies where you're 359 00:20:19,760 --> 00:20:23,040 Speaker 1: testing for that sense of being stared at and they're prime. 360 00:20:23,800 --> 00:20:26,560 Speaker 1: But even then they're just guessing at about the same 361 00:20:26,680 --> 00:20:31,280 Speaker 1: rate as chance. So Tishner and Coouver and others later 362 00:20:31,320 --> 00:20:34,720 Speaker 1: on over the years have basically suggested that scope pastigia, 363 00:20:34,800 --> 00:20:37,760 Speaker 1: or that feeling you're being stared at, is very widespread. 364 00:20:38,080 --> 00:20:40,680 Speaker 1: Most people believe that they can tell when somebody staring 365 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:43,920 Speaker 1: at them, but that it's actually an illusion that isn't 366 00:20:43,960 --> 00:20:46,760 Speaker 1: necessarily explained in any of these but it is. It 367 00:20:46,920 --> 00:20:50,480 Speaker 1: is a widespread illusion that humans tend to suffer from 368 00:20:50,760 --> 00:20:55,040 Speaker 1: universally well and anecdotally. You might remember the times where 369 00:20:55,200 --> 00:20:57,280 Speaker 1: I feel like someone staring at me and someone is, 370 00:20:57,920 --> 00:21:00,560 Speaker 1: but not remember the times that you feel like someone 371 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:02,080 Speaker 1: staring at you, and you look up and no one's 372 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:05,119 Speaker 1: staring like you don't catalog that. Well. That was another 373 00:21:05,119 --> 00:21:08,240 Speaker 1: thing they found too, is that there's no no one's 374 00:21:08,280 --> 00:21:11,159 Speaker 1: ever found any any idea that you can tell when 375 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:15,000 Speaker 1: you're not being stared at. It's just it's just being 376 00:21:15,040 --> 00:21:16,879 Speaker 1: stared at that we suppose you have a sense for 377 00:21:17,160 --> 00:21:18,760 Speaker 1: all right, Well, let's take another break here and we'll 378 00:21:18,760 --> 00:21:32,440 Speaker 1: talk about a few more weird staring studies right after this. Hey, 379 00:21:32,480 --> 00:21:34,800 Speaker 1: everybody out there in podcast land, we want to alert 380 00:21:34,800 --> 00:21:37,439 Speaker 1: you to what we're going to call a podcasting event, 381 00:21:37,680 --> 00:21:40,720 Speaker 1: an event like the moon landing, but for podcasting. Basically. 382 00:21:40,800 --> 00:21:43,280 Speaker 1: That's right. It's a new podcast from ge Podcast Theater 383 00:21:43,359 --> 00:21:46,879 Speaker 1: and Panopally called The Message. It's an eight episode series 384 00:21:47,320 --> 00:21:50,080 Speaker 1: that's pretty much gonna blow your scientific mind. Yep. The 385 00:21:50,119 --> 00:21:53,040 Speaker 1: Message follows the story of Nicki Tomlin, a PhD in 386 00:21:53,119 --> 00:21:56,160 Speaker 1: linguistics from the University of Chicago, who follows a team 387 00:21:56,200 --> 00:21:59,520 Speaker 1: of cryptologists at a research think tank called Cipher. These 388 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:01,879 Speaker 1: resar riachers are trying to decode a message that was 389 00:22:01,920 --> 00:22:05,760 Speaker 1: received from outer space seventy years ago. It's gonna be 390 00:22:05,800 --> 00:22:08,760 Speaker 1: pretty awesome, man, that's amazing and if you want to subscribe, 391 00:22:08,800 --> 00:22:11,479 Speaker 1: and you should just go to iTunes look it up 392 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:13,960 Speaker 1: or wherever you get your podcasts. Yeah, we'll be doing that, 393 00:22:14,040 --> 00:22:16,560 Speaker 1: won't we. That's right available now wherever you get podcast 394 00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:33,480 Speaker 1: including iTunes, g E, podcast theaters. The message All right, alrighty, 395 00:22:34,320 --> 00:22:37,800 Speaker 1: we're back. And here's a weird staring study. Yeah, they've 396 00:22:37,840 --> 00:22:39,399 Speaker 1: done a lot of them. And this is from an 397 00:22:39,440 --> 00:22:41,760 Speaker 1: article of the many creepy experiments and involves staring at 398 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:45,480 Speaker 1: people on I O nine. Uh great website. So this one, 399 00:22:45,680 --> 00:22:49,160 Speaker 1: um the Stairs, a Stimulus to flight and human subjects, 400 00:22:49,240 --> 00:22:53,160 Speaker 1: was I thought pretty interesting and kind of a no brainer. Basically, 401 00:22:53,200 --> 00:22:55,800 Speaker 1: they would have someone stand on a corner and then 402 00:22:55,960 --> 00:22:58,480 Speaker 1: when people would pull up in their car at the 403 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:01,040 Speaker 1: light of the stop sign, they would just stare at 404 00:23:01,119 --> 00:23:04,080 Speaker 1: them in their car, and then they would time how 405 00:23:04,119 --> 00:23:05,960 Speaker 1: long it took them to get the heck out of 406 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:09,520 Speaker 1: there when the light turned green. And of course, naturally 407 00:23:09,520 --> 00:23:13,280 Speaker 1: they don't even release the results. Imagine it was about 408 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:16,840 Speaker 1: the people sped out of there when the light turned green. Yeah, 409 00:23:16,840 --> 00:23:19,720 Speaker 1: they had a control group that they specifically didn't stare 410 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:23,600 Speaker 1: at or look at, and they definitely left that intersection 411 00:23:23,680 --> 00:23:27,199 Speaker 1: much more slowly. Yeah, because there's not a creep leering 412 00:23:27,240 --> 00:23:30,240 Speaker 1: at you on the sidewalk. Yeah. That's a weird study, 413 00:23:30,320 --> 00:23:32,600 Speaker 1: but I mean, I guess it added to the scientific 414 00:23:32,960 --> 00:23:37,000 Speaker 1: body on staring by one. Um this one. I thought 415 00:23:37,080 --> 00:23:39,720 Speaker 1: this was interesting because it actually harkens back to uh 416 00:23:39,720 --> 00:23:43,920 Speaker 1: what Titchener studied too, was that there's this weird part 417 00:23:44,000 --> 00:23:48,800 Speaker 1: of the psychic staring effect where you you physically you 418 00:23:48,840 --> 00:23:51,600 Speaker 1: can feel like you're being stared at, Like the back 419 00:23:51,600 --> 00:23:54,520 Speaker 1: of your neck gets hot. When I was in college, 420 00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:57,560 Speaker 1: I used to like my scalp would get hot or something, 421 00:23:57,600 --> 00:23:59,840 Speaker 1: you know, like I could just I just knew I 422 00:23:59,880 --> 00:24:02,919 Speaker 1: was being stared at from behind. Um. And this this 423 00:24:03,000 --> 00:24:06,320 Speaker 1: study found that we we produce some sort of physical 424 00:24:06,359 --> 00:24:10,399 Speaker 1: effect when we're stared at. Right, So they had this 425 00:24:10,520 --> 00:24:14,359 Speaker 1: in this particular study, they had UM, a psychologist sitting there, 426 00:24:14,880 --> 00:24:18,560 Speaker 1: I guess interviewing a person, and then another psychologist would 427 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:21,719 Speaker 1: be staring at the person while they were forced to 428 00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:25,560 Speaker 1: either read out loud or sing. Yeah, the person being 429 00:24:25,560 --> 00:24:28,560 Speaker 1: stared at would have to do those things. Yeah, thank 430 00:24:28,600 --> 00:24:31,800 Speaker 1: you for specifying that. And um, the other the second 431 00:24:31,800 --> 00:24:35,520 Speaker 1: psychologists would stare like directly at their cheek and the 432 00:24:35,560 --> 00:24:38,600 Speaker 1: person would blush all over, especially if they were having 433 00:24:38,640 --> 00:24:41,600 Speaker 1: to sing, but the cheek that was being stared at 434 00:24:41,600 --> 00:24:44,359 Speaker 1: would blush more, it would get hotter, like physically, they 435 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:48,159 Speaker 1: would measure this. Yeah, it wasn't just anecdotally, like my 436 00:24:48,320 --> 00:24:53,000 Speaker 1: right cheek feels hotter. No, and it's no one has 437 00:24:53,040 --> 00:24:55,800 Speaker 1: any idea how this happens or why this happens. But 438 00:24:55,880 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 1: it's almost like the self consciousness that's produced in being 439 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:03,320 Speaker 1: stared at is directed to the specific part of the 440 00:25:03,320 --> 00:25:10,120 Speaker 1: body that's being looked at. You know. That's very bizarre. Ye. Well, 441 00:25:10,160 --> 00:25:13,000 Speaker 1: because they haven't figured it out. I know, they'll probably 442 00:25:13,080 --> 00:25:16,399 Speaker 1: isolate something at some point. Yeah, eventually they will. But 443 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:18,879 Speaker 1: I mean, like, if you start to compile like this 444 00:25:19,040 --> 00:25:23,440 Speaker 1: body of knowledge on staring, you get the idea that 445 00:25:23,520 --> 00:25:26,639 Speaker 1: we have a very loose grasp on the effects of 446 00:25:26,680 --> 00:25:29,600 Speaker 1: staring and what it what it does, and what it signifies, 447 00:25:29,600 --> 00:25:32,199 Speaker 1: and why it's around. You know. Yeah, it's pretty interesting. 448 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:35,560 Speaker 1: I always loved those episodes. I do too. There was 449 00:25:36,000 --> 00:25:39,480 Speaker 1: this other study I thought was pretty interesting called gaydar 450 00:25:39,800 --> 00:25:44,359 Speaker 1: colon I gaze as identity recognition among gay men and lesbians, 451 00:25:45,080 --> 00:25:47,320 Speaker 1: and I tried to find a copy. I couldn't find 452 00:25:47,320 --> 00:25:48,879 Speaker 1: one that I didn't have to pay like fifty bucks for, 453 00:25:49,359 --> 00:25:52,120 Speaker 1: but I did read some summaries. It basically looks into 454 00:25:52,200 --> 00:25:56,879 Speaker 1: how how gay men and women use a stare to 455 00:25:57,800 --> 00:26:03,800 Speaker 1: either assess someone actuality or to broadcast their own sexuality. 456 00:26:03,960 --> 00:26:06,080 Speaker 1: And it's not always just a fixed gaze, you know, 457 00:26:06,119 --> 00:26:09,040 Speaker 1: not something like creepy stare. But it was mixed with 458 00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:12,080 Speaker 1: like body language and looking away, uh, and like a 459 00:26:12,119 --> 00:26:15,240 Speaker 1: flirtation at times. But I thought it was pretty interesting. 460 00:26:15,240 --> 00:26:19,959 Speaker 1: It's definitely not just like some heterosexual concept um and 461 00:26:20,040 --> 00:26:22,560 Speaker 1: staring is not just creepy. It's not just for flirting. 462 00:26:22,600 --> 00:26:25,360 Speaker 1: They've actually found in other studies that it's a it's 463 00:26:25,440 --> 00:26:30,040 Speaker 1: a way to um to ask for help actually, and 464 00:26:30,080 --> 00:26:32,520 Speaker 1: it gets results supposedly. Yeah, this one didn't make a 465 00:26:32,600 --> 00:26:35,520 Speaker 1: ton of sense to me. So, like, if you spilled 466 00:26:35,520 --> 00:26:38,160 Speaker 1: some groceries, I think is what this one study did. 467 00:26:38,520 --> 00:26:40,960 Speaker 1: If you drop some groceries and you bend over and 468 00:26:40,960 --> 00:26:43,600 Speaker 1: picked them up, If you just like kind of keep 469 00:26:43,600 --> 00:26:46,000 Speaker 1: to yourself and like bend over your groceries and you're 470 00:26:46,040 --> 00:26:48,200 Speaker 1: looking down at I mean, you got it, you know 471 00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:51,400 Speaker 1: what I'm saying. In this study, if you look up though, 472 00:26:51,440 --> 00:26:53,920 Speaker 1: and you're staring at a passer by while you're doing this. 473 00:26:54,640 --> 00:26:57,399 Speaker 1: They take that as an invitation, if not a directive, 474 00:26:57,480 --> 00:26:59,920 Speaker 1: to come help them pick up the groceries, and people 475 00:27:00,080 --> 00:27:02,280 Speaker 1: respond to that. It's the same thing. I think about it, 476 00:27:02,320 --> 00:27:06,040 Speaker 1: like if somebody is in a situation where they could 477 00:27:06,320 --> 00:27:09,119 Speaker 1: use help, but it's also ambiguous, like they kind of 478 00:27:09,160 --> 00:27:11,080 Speaker 1: got it, but did they really need help? If they're 479 00:27:11,119 --> 00:27:14,760 Speaker 1: looking at you, they're broadcasting help me. They are. It's 480 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:16,399 Speaker 1: just kind of funny because I'm trying to think of 481 00:27:16,560 --> 00:27:19,359 Speaker 1: it just seems like a no brainer. Like if I 482 00:27:19,400 --> 00:27:21,280 Speaker 1: saw a woman in a parking lot who would like 483 00:27:21,280 --> 00:27:23,760 Speaker 1: spilled her groceries and I was walking by and she 484 00:27:23,880 --> 00:27:25,720 Speaker 1: looked up right at me as I was passing and 485 00:27:25,760 --> 00:27:28,240 Speaker 1: picking up, I wouldn't just so like, how you doing 486 00:27:28,400 --> 00:27:32,320 Speaker 1: and keep going, Yeah, boy, you look like you got 487 00:27:32,320 --> 00:27:35,600 Speaker 1: it under control, like I would. Of course I would stop. 488 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:38,520 Speaker 1: But if she didn't look up, yeah, maybe I would 489 00:27:38,520 --> 00:27:41,880 Speaker 1: feel like I'm intruding, you know, so they doesn't want 490 00:27:41,880 --> 00:27:45,280 Speaker 1: me putting her hands on her groceries, right, And that 491 00:27:45,440 --> 00:27:48,440 Speaker 1: is like, like that is one of the theories behind 492 00:27:49,320 --> 00:27:54,240 Speaker 1: why we're so adept at catching other people's gazes is 493 00:27:54,240 --> 00:27:57,040 Speaker 1: that it's a it's a means of communicating non verbally, 494 00:27:57,440 --> 00:28:00,960 Speaker 1: very directly. Right. So, so that woman who dropped their groceries, 495 00:28:01,160 --> 00:28:04,000 Speaker 1: or anybody who drops their groceries, if they're handling themselves, 496 00:28:04,280 --> 00:28:06,880 Speaker 1: leave them alone. If they're looking up directly at you, 497 00:28:07,080 --> 00:28:10,000 Speaker 1: they're communicating with you. They have spilled their groceries. And 498 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:11,679 Speaker 1: what they're saying is I could do some help with 499 00:28:11,720 --> 00:28:15,640 Speaker 1: some groceries taking them up. Um. And that's that. That 500 00:28:15,760 --> 00:28:19,199 Speaker 1: theory behind that, The idea that we communicate and and 501 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:23,240 Speaker 1: engage in social behavior just from looking is called the 502 00:28:23,280 --> 00:28:30,000 Speaker 1: cooperative eye hypothesis. And it's basically this idea, that cooperative 503 00:28:30,000 --> 00:28:32,520 Speaker 1: eye hypothesis. It's a little worth but lit like I 504 00:28:32,520 --> 00:28:35,360 Speaker 1: could see like a math rock band. It's no Kathleen 505 00:28:35,400 --> 00:28:40,640 Speaker 1: Turner Overdrive maybe the best band name of all time. Um. 506 00:28:40,680 --> 00:28:43,320 Speaker 1: But this, this whole thing is that we we are 507 00:28:43,400 --> 00:28:46,480 Speaker 1: able to communicate, um, not just that we need help, 508 00:28:46,840 --> 00:28:49,840 Speaker 1: but also we tend to follow one another's gaze. If 509 00:28:49,880 --> 00:28:52,200 Speaker 1: one person is looking off in the distance and clearly 510 00:28:52,200 --> 00:28:55,240 Speaker 1: looking at something not zoned out, people are gonna look 511 00:28:55,320 --> 00:28:57,360 Speaker 1: over there. And it's basically the same thing as like 512 00:28:57,440 --> 00:29:00,280 Speaker 1: a herd of gazelle looking over what one because Ellen 513 00:29:00,360 --> 00:29:02,760 Speaker 1: hi alert is suddenly looking at Yeah. You wanna you 514 00:29:02,760 --> 00:29:05,640 Speaker 1: wanna have some fun. Go to New York City or 515 00:29:05,640 --> 00:29:09,200 Speaker 1: any city and just with one other person and just 516 00:29:09,240 --> 00:29:12,320 Speaker 1: go stand and both look up and stare at something 517 00:29:12,840 --> 00:29:15,040 Speaker 1: and then just sit back. Well you can't sit back, 518 00:29:15,080 --> 00:29:17,920 Speaker 1: but have a friend sit back and watch how many people? 519 00:29:18,000 --> 00:29:20,160 Speaker 1: And in New York, of course they won't stop and look, 520 00:29:20,600 --> 00:29:23,760 Speaker 1: but everyone that passes you by will look up and say, 521 00:29:23,840 --> 00:29:25,520 Speaker 1: what in the world are these two people looking at? 522 00:29:25,800 --> 00:29:30,200 Speaker 1: What are you looking at? Yeah? What's up there? You're 523 00:29:30,280 --> 00:29:33,840 Speaker 1: staring and you just don't say anything, And then a 524 00:29:33,840 --> 00:29:36,120 Speaker 1: game of telephone will break out. People will just start 525 00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:39,400 Speaker 1: making up what's up there? Yeah? And then it becomes 526 00:29:39,440 --> 00:29:42,040 Speaker 1: a what do you call it when people all get 527 00:29:42,040 --> 00:29:45,400 Speaker 1: together and dance at one time? Some flash mob? Flash mob? 528 00:29:47,240 --> 00:29:49,680 Speaker 1: That's an organic flash Yeah, you have a bunch of 529 00:29:49,680 --> 00:29:52,880 Speaker 1: people staring. Um, it's very boring flash mob. I got 530 00:29:52,880 --> 00:29:58,640 Speaker 1: one more, all right. The idea that UM being aware 531 00:29:58,680 --> 00:30:01,560 Speaker 1: of being stared at is basically keeps us in line 532 00:30:02,400 --> 00:30:06,680 Speaker 1: the idea that we're being stared at or watched. Yeah, 533 00:30:07,760 --> 00:30:12,800 Speaker 1: another socially pro social motivation. UM and I got another 534 00:30:12,800 --> 00:30:15,480 Speaker 1: grocery store. Example, I was at the grocery store yesterday 535 00:30:15,760 --> 00:30:19,160 Speaker 1: and I was walking in the parking lot and this 536 00:30:19,240 --> 00:30:23,440 Speaker 1: woman had her cart and I noticed her like looking around, 537 00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:25,600 Speaker 1: and she was about to leave her cart right there 538 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:28,160 Speaker 1: and the parking lot next sor she saw me looking 539 00:30:28,200 --> 00:30:30,640 Speaker 1: at her, and she like just suddenly went and walked 540 00:30:30,680 --> 00:30:32,920 Speaker 1: it over the car corral. I could tell by her 541 00:30:32,920 --> 00:30:34,880 Speaker 1: movement she was not playing on going to the car 542 00:30:34,920 --> 00:30:37,440 Speaker 1: correl until she saw me watching her, and then she 543 00:30:37,480 --> 00:30:40,640 Speaker 1: took it to the car crawl. And I'm like, yes, exactly. 544 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:43,840 Speaker 1: You engage in more ethical behavior if you think you're 545 00:30:43,880 --> 00:30:47,600 Speaker 1: being watched, and that would explain why we're so. We're 546 00:30:47,640 --> 00:30:51,960 Speaker 1: such a social species and they just having that height 547 00:30:52,000 --> 00:30:56,680 Speaker 1: and awareness that you're being watched is possibly part of that. Yeah, 548 00:30:56,760 --> 00:30:59,840 Speaker 1: that's one of my couple of big rules in life 549 00:31:00,000 --> 00:31:04,640 Speaker 1: are meaningless to most people. But always return your card, yeah, 550 00:31:05,280 --> 00:31:07,000 Speaker 1: you honest, people like, oh they pay people to go 551 00:31:07,040 --> 00:31:09,520 Speaker 1: around and get the carts. It's because they have to 552 00:31:10,000 --> 00:31:12,920 Speaker 1: write because of you. And the other thing is, uh, 553 00:31:13,240 --> 00:31:18,760 Speaker 1: always throw your movie theater popcorn and drinks away on 554 00:31:18,800 --> 00:31:22,200 Speaker 1: your way out. The people that just get up and 555 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:25,120 Speaker 1: leave the movie theater with their popcorn bag and their 556 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:31,360 Speaker 1: drink there. Yeah, I just don't get it like those are. 557 00:31:31,400 --> 00:31:32,640 Speaker 1: I'm just gonna go and say it. Those are the 558 00:31:32,640 --> 00:31:36,280 Speaker 1: worst people on the planet. If you want to become 559 00:31:36,360 --> 00:31:41,320 Speaker 1: canonized Chuck, not only should you return your cart, you 560 00:31:41,360 --> 00:31:44,120 Speaker 1: can do the opposite and take a cart from somebody 561 00:31:44,400 --> 00:31:46,120 Speaker 1: so they don't even have to take it back. If 562 00:31:46,160 --> 00:31:49,880 Speaker 1: you're on your way in, you have done that. That's 563 00:31:50,880 --> 00:31:53,760 Speaker 1: I rarely use the big card though. I'm I do 564 00:31:53,840 --> 00:31:57,520 Speaker 1: a lot of daily grocery shopping. Good way to go. 565 00:31:57,640 --> 00:32:01,280 Speaker 1: It's very Dutch, is it? According to the stuff for 566 00:32:01,320 --> 00:32:03,680 Speaker 1: the next article, it is. Yeah, Well I wear my 567 00:32:03,680 --> 00:32:07,920 Speaker 1: wooden clogs and ride my bicycle. Very stude of you, 568 00:32:08,160 --> 00:32:10,560 Speaker 1: Thank you? Are you got anything else? You know what? 569 00:32:10,680 --> 00:32:12,520 Speaker 1: This just reminded me. I did have one slight more 570 00:32:12,560 --> 00:32:16,160 Speaker 1: thing you've heard of? Viddlel igo. Um what Michael Jackson 571 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:19,320 Speaker 1: had the skin condition where parts of your skinner lighter 572 00:32:19,360 --> 00:32:23,400 Speaker 1: than others. I posted on Facebook there was this uh 573 00:32:23,640 --> 00:32:26,800 Speaker 1: young woman who has viddle igo on her arms, and 574 00:32:26,840 --> 00:32:29,760 Speaker 1: she finally just got a tattoo and lovely script on 575 00:32:29,800 --> 00:32:32,520 Speaker 1: her forearm that said it's called a viddle igo, And 576 00:32:32,560 --> 00:32:36,120 Speaker 1: I posted about this, and then she apparently listened to 577 00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 1: the show and she posted, thanks for sharing this guy. Yeah, 578 00:32:39,880 --> 00:32:42,320 Speaker 1: I thought it was kind of neat. But I'm curious 579 00:32:42,360 --> 00:32:45,480 Speaker 1: to hear from people that have I can't remember what 580 00:32:45,520 --> 00:32:50,800 Speaker 1: they call them in the studies, novel novel biological effects. Right, Basically, 581 00:32:51,120 --> 00:32:55,080 Speaker 1: you know something unusual physically that people might be prone 582 00:32:55,080 --> 00:32:57,120 Speaker 1: to stare at. I want to hear from people and 583 00:32:57,480 --> 00:32:59,760 Speaker 1: how you deal with that, or if you've gotten used 584 00:32:59,800 --> 00:33:02,000 Speaker 1: to it, or if you think it is super rude, 585 00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:05,360 Speaker 1: or if you're like, yeah, I would stare at me too. Yeah, 586 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:08,600 Speaker 1: but that is a great call out. Yeah. Um, and 587 00:33:08,720 --> 00:33:10,720 Speaker 1: well let's see listener mail and then we'll hit it 588 00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:15,160 Speaker 1: up again. All right, uh La Tortos. My name is 589 00:33:15,200 --> 00:33:18,360 Speaker 1: Amy and I'm an English teacher living abroad in Malaga, Spain. 590 00:33:19,040 --> 00:33:21,160 Speaker 1: I'm a recent fan and only discovered your podcast when 591 00:33:21,160 --> 00:33:23,320 Speaker 1: I was desperate for something to listen to on the 592 00:33:23,360 --> 00:33:28,080 Speaker 1: metro rides when everybody comes to it. The first podcast 593 00:33:28,120 --> 00:33:30,320 Speaker 1: I listened to us how Nazis invaded Florida, and I 594 00:33:30,360 --> 00:33:33,440 Speaker 1: haven't stopped downloading now. The real reason I'm sending the 595 00:33:33,480 --> 00:33:36,280 Speaker 1: emails a little strange. I teach many adult classes my 596 00:33:36,320 --> 00:33:38,800 Speaker 1: students are always asking how they can practice listening to 597 00:33:38,960 --> 00:33:41,920 Speaker 1: native speakers. Many people don't know that in Spain all 598 00:33:41,960 --> 00:33:44,360 Speaker 1: of the American or English TV series or movies are dubbed. 599 00:33:44,600 --> 00:33:46,480 Speaker 1: I did not know that in Spanish voice that right 600 00:33:46,480 --> 00:33:48,960 Speaker 1: didn't have any I figured like a high percentage would be, 601 00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:52,200 Speaker 1: but not all of them, you know. Uh, so there 602 00:33:52,400 --> 00:33:56,160 Speaker 1: isn't aren't many options to practice listening skills. Once I 603 00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:58,720 Speaker 1: got addicted to your show, I started suggesting that my 604 00:33:58,840 --> 00:34:01,560 Speaker 1: higher level students listening does as well. Honestly didn't think 605 00:34:01,560 --> 00:34:04,600 Speaker 1: many of them would actually go home and start listening. However, 606 00:34:04,720 --> 00:34:07,960 Speaker 1: I was wrong, and this is an all caps Every 607 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:10,759 Speaker 1: single one of them are now addicted like me. That's 608 00:34:10,840 --> 00:34:15,000 Speaker 1: so awesome, and then back to regular non all caps. Yeah, 609 00:34:15,120 --> 00:34:17,640 Speaker 1: so thanks guys. Uh. My students want me to send 610 00:34:17,640 --> 00:34:19,680 Speaker 1: an email to say thank you for speaking slow but 611 00:34:19,840 --> 00:34:23,920 Speaker 1: not too slow, and using vocabulary that makes any topic 612 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:28,319 Speaker 1: of science, astrophysics, biology, and history easy to understand. I've 613 00:34:28,400 --> 00:34:30,399 Speaker 1: noticed a big change in their listening skills, and even 614 00:34:30,480 --> 00:34:34,080 Speaker 1: have the entertainment of teaching some puns and slang that 615 00:34:34,160 --> 00:34:36,200 Speaker 1: you both say on the show. It makes class much 616 00:34:36,239 --> 00:34:39,640 Speaker 1: more enjoyable. The only bad side is now they want 617 00:34:39,680 --> 00:34:41,680 Speaker 1: a tour of the UK so we can all come 618 00:34:41,719 --> 00:34:44,440 Speaker 1: to see you guys live. That's so cool. See everybody 619 00:34:44,560 --> 00:34:47,279 Speaker 1: in the United States. Oh, you guys aren't coming to St. Louis. 620 00:34:47,280 --> 00:34:49,279 Speaker 1: It can't possibly come to you. People are talking about 621 00:34:49,280 --> 00:34:52,800 Speaker 1: traveling from Spain to England to see Yes. Seriously, come on, 622 00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:59,000 Speaker 1: don't go to Milwaukee. I'm in Madison. Uh, keep on 623 00:34:59,080 --> 00:35:05,360 Speaker 1: showing out this podcast US and aste Lawego Amy Culver Amy, 624 00:35:05,480 --> 00:35:07,239 Speaker 1: thank you for that. I love that email. That's a 625 00:35:07,320 --> 00:35:11,719 Speaker 1: great email. Uh Asta Leavista to your class. Thank you 626 00:35:11,920 --> 00:35:15,920 Speaker 1: very much for writing in UM and Uh. That's wonderful. 627 00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:18,560 Speaker 1: I hope you guys keep listening. We're known for US slang, 628 00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:23,480 Speaker 1: aren't we get on the trolley? Chuck? Yeah, that old thing. Uh. 629 00:35:23,680 --> 00:35:25,520 Speaker 1: If you want to get in touch with us to 630 00:35:25,960 --> 00:35:29,560 Speaker 1: say hi in another language, that's cool. But like Chuck said, 631 00:35:29,600 --> 00:35:31,080 Speaker 1: we want to hear from you if you have a 632 00:35:31,560 --> 00:35:34,640 Speaker 1: novel biological effect or and get stared at and what 633 00:35:34,800 --> 00:35:37,600 Speaker 1: you do in dealing with that. Um. You can tweak 634 00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:40,080 Speaker 1: to us at s Y s K podcast. You can 635 00:35:40,160 --> 00:35:42,600 Speaker 1: join us on Facebook dot com slash stuff you should know. 636 00:35:42,960 --> 00:35:45,279 Speaker 1: You can send us an email to Stuff podcast at 637 00:35:45,320 --> 00:35:47,840 Speaker 1: how stuff Works dot com and has always joined us 638 00:35:47,880 --> 00:35:49,800 Speaker 1: at our home on the web, Stuff You Should Know 639 00:35:49,960 --> 00:35:57,440 Speaker 1: dot com. For more on this and thousands of other topics, 640 00:35:57,719 --> 00:35:59,000 Speaker 1: is it how stuff Works dot com.