1 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:12,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to Part Time Genius, the production of iHeartRadio. Guess 2 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 1: what mang go with that? 3 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:15,080 Speaker 2: Well, all right, so I was reading up this week 4 00:00:15,160 --> 00:00:18,600 Speaker 2: on strange advantages that certain people have. You know, we're 5 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:20,599 Speaker 2: always trying to get a leg up on people who 6 00:00:20,800 --> 00:00:23,799 Speaker 2: super competitive, as our listeners may know. But sure, it 7 00:00:23,880 --> 00:00:27,920 Speaker 2: turns out that left handed people have a pretty distinct advantage, 8 00:00:27,920 --> 00:00:30,200 Speaker 2: like when it comes to one on one sports. So 9 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:34,400 Speaker 2: you take boxing, tennis, fencing, even pitching a baseball if 10 00:00:34,440 --> 00:00:37,920 Speaker 2: it involves taking aim at an opponent, lefties have a 11 00:00:37,920 --> 00:00:39,839 Speaker 2: little bit of an edge. And if you look at 12 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:43,000 Speaker 2: professional sports, the numbers actually bear this out. For instance, 13 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,640 Speaker 2: back in twenty seventeen, one third of Major League Baseball 14 00:00:46,680 --> 00:00:48,040 Speaker 2: players were left handed. 15 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:49,120 Speaker 1: That's kind of crazy, isn't it. 16 00:00:49,200 --> 00:00:51,760 Speaker 2: Yeah, as well as twenty percent of the top ranking 17 00:00:51,880 --> 00:00:55,760 Speaker 2: boxers and twenty percent of the top ranking fencers. Meanwhile, 18 00:00:55,760 --> 00:00:58,320 Speaker 2: it's a completely different story for the more team oriented 19 00:00:58,360 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 2: sports like basketball or football. 20 00:01:00,680 --> 00:01:02,880 Speaker 1: So why do you think that is? Well, it ultimately 21 00:01:02,920 --> 00:01:04,759 Speaker 1: comes down to how rare lefties are. 22 00:01:04,880 --> 00:01:06,880 Speaker 2: It's estimated that only ten percent of the people in 23 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 2: the world are left handed, So that means that if 24 00:01:09,160 --> 00:01:11,680 Speaker 2: you're a right handed tennis player, for example, you've probably 25 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:15,400 Speaker 2: only ever gone up against other right handed players, and 26 00:01:15,440 --> 00:01:17,840 Speaker 2: the same is true for left handed players too. Right 27 00:01:17,959 --> 00:01:21,119 Speaker 2: like ninety percent of the world is right handed, then 28 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 2: left handed players are also mostly squaring off with righty's. 29 00:01:24,880 --> 00:01:27,120 Speaker 2: This was something I really didn't think about, right So 30 00:01:27,160 --> 00:01:29,120 Speaker 2: the result is that when a left handed player goes 31 00:01:29,200 --> 00:01:31,800 Speaker 2: up against the right handed one is just another day 32 00:01:31,800 --> 00:01:34,160 Speaker 2: at the office, the same old, same on. But that's 33 00:01:34,240 --> 00:01:36,319 Speaker 2: not the case for a right handed player. The right 34 00:01:36,360 --> 00:01:39,559 Speaker 2: handers don't really know what to expect, and that makes 35 00:01:39,560 --> 00:01:41,319 Speaker 2: it easier for them to be caught off guard. It 36 00:01:41,319 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 2: makes sense, like when you think about it. Playing baseball 37 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:45,039 Speaker 2: as a kid, if you saw a lefty throwing to 38 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:48,360 Speaker 2: you like it was, it just looked so strange totally. 39 00:01:48,640 --> 00:01:51,280 Speaker 1: It's almost like when a boxer throws, I mean left hook, 40 00:01:51,320 --> 00:01:54,160 Speaker 1: you know, that old southpaw surprise. I don't know if 41 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:55,600 Speaker 1: that's a real boxing I think. 42 00:01:55,480 --> 00:01:57,640 Speaker 2: It might be like boxing to me, well, just like 43 00:01:57,680 --> 00:01:59,520 Speaker 2: when you were a big boxer as a kid and 44 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 2: left sure, but weirdly enough, some researchers think the main 45 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:06,680 Speaker 2: reason why left handed trade is still around today is 46 00:02:06,720 --> 00:02:10,920 Speaker 2: because it's always granted this element of surprise and comba. 47 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:12,760 Speaker 2: For example, there was a study in two thousand and 48 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:16,079 Speaker 2: five where researchers looked at the remains of primitive societies 49 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 2: and made a breakdown of how many people were left 50 00:02:18,760 --> 00:02:21,520 Speaker 2: handed and how many were right handed, And amazingly, they 51 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:24,160 Speaker 2: found that about three percent of the population was left 52 00:02:24,160 --> 00:02:27,720 Speaker 2: handed in the more peaceful societies, but a whopping twenty 53 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 2: seven percent were left handed in the more warlike societies. Yeah, so, 54 00:02:31,600 --> 00:02:34,359 Speaker 2: in other words, things, if you've ever challenged a left 55 00:02:34,360 --> 00:02:38,080 Speaker 2: handed boxer, historically speaking, it probably isn't going to go 56 00:02:38,160 --> 00:02:38,760 Speaker 2: so well for you. 57 00:02:39,320 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: Well, I'm not sure i'd fear that much better against 58 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: right handed boxes at safe bet. 59 00:02:45,720 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 2: Well, there's plenty more where that came from, because today's 60 00:02:48,160 --> 00:02:52,080 Speaker 2: show is all about the unusual advantages that everyday people enjoyed, 61 00:02:52,440 --> 00:02:55,000 Speaker 2: from the high social standing of tall people to the 62 00:02:55,040 --> 00:02:58,560 Speaker 2: surprising success rate behind your lucky rabbits foot. There's all 63 00:02:58,639 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 2: sorts of ways to get the upper hand in life, 64 00:03:00,880 --> 00:03:02,480 Speaker 2: even if you aren't left handed. 65 00:03:02,680 --> 00:03:03,359 Speaker 1: So let's dive in. 66 00:03:25,360 --> 00:03:27,799 Speaker 2: Hey, their podcast listeners, welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm 67 00:03:27,800 --> 00:03:30,000 Speaker 2: Will Pearson and as always I'm joined by my good 68 00:03:30,000 --> 00:03:32,280 Speaker 2: friend Mangesh hot ticket and on the other side of 69 00:03:32,320 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 2: that soundproof glass working the soundboard with his left hand 70 00:03:35,880 --> 00:03:40,560 Speaker 2: today had press That is our brilliant producer, Loll. And 71 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:42,920 Speaker 2: I should say that Lol is not, in fact left handed, 72 00:03:42,960 --> 00:03:47,120 Speaker 2: so this is something at least somewhat notable. So anyway, Mango, 73 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 2: where do you want to start? 74 00:03:48,160 --> 00:03:50,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, and we've never faced a left handed producer before, 75 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:54,840 Speaker 1: so I actually do you want to stick with actual 76 00:03:54,880 --> 00:03:57,120 Speaker 1: sports and talking about something I had always wondered about 77 00:03:57,160 --> 00:03:59,480 Speaker 1: until this week, and that's whether or not home field 78 00:03:59,520 --> 00:04:02,320 Speaker 1: advantage is a real thing, Like does the location of 79 00:04:02,360 --> 00:04:04,680 Speaker 1: a game factor into an athlete's performance or do teams 80 00:04:04,720 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 1: play the same whether they're on their own turf or not. 81 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:09,200 Speaker 1: What's kind of an age old question. 82 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:11,000 Speaker 2: And if I had to guess, I'd say there's at 83 00:04:11,120 --> 00:04:13,560 Speaker 2: least some truth to it. I mean, I know some 84 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:17,360 Speaker 2: sports leagues have regulations to ensure that playing fields are 85 00:04:17,360 --> 00:04:20,240 Speaker 2: mostly the same from place to place, but there's still 86 00:04:20,279 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 2: the psychological element of it all, Like you have to 87 00:04:22,680 --> 00:04:25,240 Speaker 2: figure players would be more at ease in the place 88 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:26,360 Speaker 2: that they're used to playing. 89 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:28,359 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, in a world the bathrooms, are they 90 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 1: the best places to get nachos? The away teams not 91 00:04:31,760 --> 00:04:33,880 Speaker 1: going to know any of that. But yeah, it's very, 92 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 1: very true. 93 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:36,440 Speaker 2: I love that your conception of home field advantage is 94 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:38,680 Speaker 2: knowing where to find that the tastiest snacks. 95 00:04:39,320 --> 00:04:41,920 Speaker 1: But you're right about a home field advantage being a 96 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:44,640 Speaker 1: real thing, and a good deal of why that is 97 00:04:44,839 --> 00:04:47,760 Speaker 1: does have to do with psychology. So first I want 98 00:04:47,800 --> 00:04:49,760 Speaker 1: to give a little bit of background. There have been 99 00:04:49,800 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 1: a bunch of studies into home field advantage over the years, 100 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: covering a wide variety of different sports, and the results 101 00:04:55,120 --> 00:04:58,320 Speaker 1: have been shockingly consistent, like the home team wins more 102 00:04:58,360 --> 00:05:01,039 Speaker 1: games away than away teams, and not by a small 103 00:05:01,080 --> 00:05:04,800 Speaker 1: margin either. In twenty ten, a psychologist named Jeremy Jamison 104 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:07,480 Speaker 1: put together a review of all the different home field 105 00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:10,360 Speaker 1: advantage studies out there, and based on the combined data, 106 00:05:10,480 --> 00:05:12,840 Speaker 1: it concluded that a home team will win roughly sixty 107 00:05:12,839 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: percent of all its games its places. It's a little 108 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:16,640 Speaker 1: bit higher than I would have guessed. 109 00:05:16,640 --> 00:05:19,440 Speaker 2: So what's actually fueling that advantage, like you said, has 110 00:05:19,440 --> 00:05:20,680 Speaker 2: something to do with the psychology of. 111 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:22,800 Speaker 1: The players, that's right. So part of it goes back 112 00:05:22,800 --> 00:05:25,240 Speaker 1: to what you allude to earlier, like the player's familiarity 113 00:05:25,279 --> 00:05:28,080 Speaker 1: with where they're playing kind of feeling at ease in 114 00:05:28,120 --> 00:05:30,320 Speaker 1: this environment. It tends to contribute a lot to the 115 00:05:30,360 --> 00:05:33,000 Speaker 1: home field advantage. In fact, according to one study, if 116 00:05:33,040 --> 00:05:35,760 Speaker 1: a team moves into a new home stadium, it'll have 117 00:05:35,800 --> 00:05:38,520 Speaker 1: a weaker home field advantage until the players get acclimated 118 00:05:38,560 --> 00:05:40,160 Speaker 1: to the new space. Oh that's interesting. 119 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:43,280 Speaker 2: So you're feeling at home in your home field at 120 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:43,799 Speaker 2: some point. 121 00:05:43,880 --> 00:05:46,160 Speaker 1: So what else is a factor? The next one is 122 00:05:46,200 --> 00:05:48,240 Speaker 1: something I know we can both relate to, and that's 123 00:05:48,320 --> 00:05:51,359 Speaker 1: travel fatigue. Like I don't travel as much as you do, 124 00:05:51,440 --> 00:05:53,400 Speaker 1: but it can get pretty exhausting trying to adjust to 125 00:05:53,440 --> 00:05:56,400 Speaker 1: new cities and time zones and all the while taking 126 00:05:56,440 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 1: meetings and missing home. But you know, imagine all of that, 127 00:05:59,680 --> 00:06:02,120 Speaker 1: except in between flights, you play hours and hours of 128 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:04,919 Speaker 1: tackle football in front of like thousands of screaming fans. 129 00:06:05,279 --> 00:06:08,840 Speaker 1: Like jet lag suddenly becomes like a million times more tiring. 130 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:11,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, I do kind of want somebody to tackle 131 00:06:11,360 --> 00:06:17,000 Speaker 2: you before our next movie, just to see for ourselves, Like. 132 00:06:15,880 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 1: Yeah, we gotta live by example here. 133 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:20,200 Speaker 2: But all right, so you're saying there's a link between 134 00:06:20,240 --> 00:06:23,600 Speaker 2: how far a team travels and how well they play 135 00:06:23,680 --> 00:06:24,680 Speaker 2: against the home team. 136 00:06:24,720 --> 00:06:27,440 Speaker 1: Competitors. Yeah, it seems like the farther a team has 137 00:06:27,480 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 1: to travel, the bigger the advantage for the home team, 138 00:06:29,560 --> 00:06:31,960 Speaker 1: and the last factor at play kind of goes along 139 00:06:32,000 --> 00:06:34,279 Speaker 1: with that travel component, because the other downside for the 140 00:06:34,320 --> 00:06:36,640 Speaker 1: way team is that it can't bring its fan base along. 141 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:39,480 Speaker 1: Like a crowd's behavior has a major impact on how 142 00:06:39,480 --> 00:06:41,520 Speaker 1: all the players perform. You and I know this from 143 00:06:41,520 --> 00:06:43,960 Speaker 1: going to Duke and having that whole advantage there. But 144 00:06:44,400 --> 00:06:46,679 Speaker 1: you know, at an away game, most of the people 145 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:48,479 Speaker 1: in the crowd will be rooting for the home team. 146 00:06:48,560 --> 00:06:51,400 Speaker 2: Yeah yeah, and that obviously gives the home team a 147 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:54,240 Speaker 2: little morale boost, but I imagine it also deflates the 148 00:06:54,279 --> 00:06:56,839 Speaker 2: away team, like it can't be a great feeling to 149 00:06:56,839 --> 00:06:59,400 Speaker 2: hear a stadium full of people cheering for the other guy. 150 00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:02,520 Speaker 1: Or again. But you know, all the stuff we've mentioned, 151 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:05,320 Speaker 1: the crowd, the field, the travel time, all of that 152 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:07,960 Speaker 1: factors into the psychological state of the players, and that 153 00:07:08,040 --> 00:07:11,760 Speaker 1: positive mindset is really the biggest contributor to home field advantage. 154 00:07:11,920 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: If all the players are feeling motivated and upbeat about 155 00:07:14,480 --> 00:07:16,600 Speaker 1: the conditions of the game, that's likely to show up 156 00:07:16,640 --> 00:07:17,400 Speaker 1: in their performance. 157 00:07:17,520 --> 00:07:19,920 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, it makes sense, but I'm still wondering, 158 00:07:19,960 --> 00:07:23,040 Speaker 2: like if this advantage is the same from sport to sport. 159 00:07:23,080 --> 00:07:24,840 Speaker 2: Like I know you said that studies have looked at 160 00:07:25,120 --> 00:07:28,200 Speaker 2: a wide range of different sports, but were some sports 161 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 2: better for the home team than others or was it 162 00:07:30,240 --> 00:07:32,440 Speaker 2: always pretty much the same degree of advantage? 163 00:07:32,600 --> 00:07:34,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, so I wondered about that too, and it seems 164 00:07:34,920 --> 00:07:37,600 Speaker 1: like it really does vary depending on the sport. For example, 165 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:40,400 Speaker 1: there's a sports author named John Boas who took three 166 00:07:40,480 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: years worth of win and lost data and he took 167 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:46,400 Speaker 1: it from four different pro leagues, so hockey, baseball, football, 168 00:07:46,440 --> 00:07:49,280 Speaker 1: and basketball. Then he extrapolated how each of the different 169 00:07:49,320 --> 00:07:51,360 Speaker 1: win counts would have been affected if the teams had 170 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:53,560 Speaker 1: played all of their games at home, so like no 171 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 1: away games at all. And what he found was that 172 00:07:56,680 --> 00:07:59,600 Speaker 1: the NHL teams and MLB teams would have experienced the 173 00:07:59,640 --> 00:08:02,240 Speaker 1: small boost from the home field advantage of all the leagues. 174 00:08:02,720 --> 00:08:05,440 Speaker 1: They would have won each a little shy of I 175 00:08:05,440 --> 00:08:07,960 Speaker 1: guess five and a half percent more games than they 176 00:08:07,960 --> 00:08:10,400 Speaker 1: actually did, which is still nothing to sneeze at, particularly 177 00:08:10,440 --> 00:08:12,200 Speaker 1: if you got money riding on those games. But the 178 00:08:12,320 --> 00:08:14,880 Speaker 1: NFL teams would have seen the second biggest boost about 179 00:08:14,880 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 1: six point four percent, and then NBA teams would have 180 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 1: seen the biggest boost by far if they had played 181 00:08:19,800 --> 00:08:21,800 Speaker 1: all of their games at home for a three year period, 182 00:08:22,000 --> 00:08:23,960 Speaker 1: they would have won ten percent more games than they 183 00:08:23,960 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 1: actually do. 184 00:08:25,360 --> 00:08:28,239 Speaker 2: You know, I think about this in football. I feel 185 00:08:28,240 --> 00:08:31,520 Speaker 2: like it makes sense because you think about the intensity 186 00:08:31,520 --> 00:08:34,040 Speaker 2: of the cheering when the offense is trying to call 187 00:08:34,080 --> 00:08:36,840 Speaker 2: plays or whatever, like whatever they do in that scenario, right, 188 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:38,600 Speaker 2: and it's hard for them to hear each other, and 189 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:40,920 Speaker 2: it seems like you could get them rattled. But do 190 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:43,160 Speaker 2: we know why the advantage would be so much greater 191 00:08:43,200 --> 00:08:45,320 Speaker 2: for NBA teams, Well. 192 00:08:45,160 --> 00:08:47,599 Speaker 1: We don't, but I guess one of the things that 193 00:08:47,640 --> 00:08:50,400 Speaker 1: Bos pointed out was that the playing dimensions of a 194 00:08:50,400 --> 00:08:52,600 Speaker 1: basketball court don't really vary like they do in other 195 00:08:52,640 --> 00:08:55,080 Speaker 1: sports such as baseball. And on top of that, like 196 00:08:55,200 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 1: NBA games are all played inside, so weather is never 197 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:00,680 Speaker 1: a factory. So, in other words, the home, crowd and 198 00:09:00,679 --> 00:09:03,040 Speaker 1: travel factors are still in play for NBA teams, but 199 00:09:03,120 --> 00:09:05,600 Speaker 1: the environmental factor might not play as large a role 200 00:09:05,640 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 1: in the player's mindsets as it does in baseball or 201 00:09:09,040 --> 00:09:11,680 Speaker 1: even football. Huh, all right, well, believe it or not. 202 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,720 Speaker 2: Home field advantage isn't the only kind of location based 203 00:09:14,720 --> 00:09:17,400 Speaker 2: benefit in the sports world. There's also something I was 204 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:20,600 Speaker 2: reading about this week called small town advantage, and the 205 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:22,719 Speaker 2: gist of this is that people who grew up in 206 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:25,800 Speaker 2: a small town, say like fifty thousand people or under, 207 00:09:26,200 --> 00:09:28,880 Speaker 2: they will have a higher chance of becoming a professional 208 00:09:28,960 --> 00:09:31,880 Speaker 2: athlete than someone for a more populated city or a town. 209 00:09:32,000 --> 00:09:34,160 Speaker 2: This is something I've not seen before, and the numbers 210 00:09:34,160 --> 00:09:36,400 Speaker 2: behind this are actually pretty remarkable. So there was this 211 00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:40,560 Speaker 2: twenty seventeen article in Pacific Standard that only about twenty 212 00:09:40,559 --> 00:09:42,920 Speaker 2: five percent of the US population lives in a town 213 00:09:42,960 --> 00:09:47,040 Speaker 2: with under fifty thousand people. Yet despite that, nearly half 214 00:09:47,080 --> 00:09:51,120 Speaker 2: of all NFL and PGA players are from towns that size, 215 00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:53,720 Speaker 2: and the same trend is present to a slightly lesser 216 00:09:53,720 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 2: degree in other sports too. I think it's like forty 217 00:09:56,640 --> 00:10:00,200 Speaker 2: percent of NHL players somewhere around that same stat or 218 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:04,240 Speaker 2: Major League Baseball players come from towns fewer than fifty thousand, 219 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:07,400 Speaker 2: and for the NBA, I think it's twenty eight percent, 220 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:08,360 Speaker 2: so pretty interesting. 221 00:10:08,440 --> 00:10:11,040 Speaker 1: That's pretty crazy, especially since you think the opposite would 222 00:10:11,080 --> 00:10:13,160 Speaker 1: be true, right, like the larger cities would have access 223 00:10:13,200 --> 00:10:17,560 Speaker 1: to more equipment, maybe more competition, and more opportunities for 224 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:18,679 Speaker 1: players to be discovered. 225 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:21,199 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, the truth is, it's tough to pinpoint 226 00:10:21,240 --> 00:10:24,560 Speaker 2: why small towns make such great incubators for pro athletes. 227 00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:26,880 Speaker 2: I mean, it could be there's something unique about the 228 00:10:26,920 --> 00:10:30,320 Speaker 2: atmosphere of small towns that make it particularly conducive to 229 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:34,320 Speaker 2: athletic development. The close knit community spirit, or the level 230 00:10:34,320 --> 00:10:37,600 Speaker 2: of importance that rural areas tend to place on sports. Maybe, 231 00:10:37,600 --> 00:10:40,400 Speaker 2: but whatever first got the trend rolling, it's kind of 232 00:10:40,400 --> 00:10:42,880 Speaker 2: become a self perpetuating cycle at this point. 233 00:10:43,200 --> 00:10:44,600 Speaker 1: Oh what do you mean by that? 234 00:10:44,679 --> 00:10:47,559 Speaker 2: Well, small town residents tend to know how many legends 235 00:10:47,640 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 2: their areas have produced, like Bojacks. I mean, how many 236 00:10:51,240 --> 00:10:53,880 Speaker 2: times a day do I remind you that Bo Jackson 237 00:10:54,040 --> 00:10:57,320 Speaker 2: chain from the Birmingham area, right, you know, to Wayne Gretzky. 238 00:10:57,440 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 2: And that makes the dream of making it to the 239 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:01,679 Speaker 2: big league seem all the more attainable for the next 240 00:11:01,720 --> 00:11:02,720 Speaker 2: crop of players. 241 00:11:02,800 --> 00:11:04,319 Speaker 1: And it is something that makes sense. 242 00:11:04,480 --> 00:11:07,040 Speaker 2: So if somebody grew up in your neighborhood and you 243 00:11:07,080 --> 00:11:09,520 Speaker 2: see them turn pro, then it stands the reason that 244 00:11:09,640 --> 00:11:10,400 Speaker 2: maybe you could too. 245 00:11:10,800 --> 00:11:13,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, I used to live in Greenville, North Carolina, 246 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:16,720 Speaker 1: and Kinston was right next door, and the number of 247 00:11:16,800 --> 00:11:19,400 Speaker 1: star basketball players and football players that will come out 248 00:11:19,400 --> 00:11:23,120 Speaker 1: of is pretty remarkable. Yeah, but not Bo Jackson, No, 249 00:11:23,160 --> 00:11:26,480 Speaker 1: not or Wayne Gretzky. Right, But you know, there's one 250 00:11:26,520 --> 00:11:28,559 Speaker 1: more sports advantage I wanted to talk about, and that's 251 00:11:28,600 --> 00:11:31,240 Speaker 1: the fact that being short can actually give players a 252 00:11:31,240 --> 00:11:34,320 Speaker 1: big advantage in soccer. It's it's funny, but one of 253 00:11:34,320 --> 00:11:36,640 Speaker 1: our friends kids learned from his doctor that he might 254 00:11:36,640 --> 00:11:39,120 Speaker 1: be you know, six foot or whatever like these projections, 255 00:11:39,200 --> 00:11:42,520 Speaker 1: and he was totally depressed because he would He was 256 00:11:42,559 --> 00:11:45,000 Speaker 1: hoping you'd be like five seven like Messi or five eight, 257 00:11:45,280 --> 00:11:47,720 Speaker 1: which is just funny to think about, especially for someone 258 00:11:47,760 --> 00:11:51,360 Speaker 1: like me. But you know, it's kind of counterintuitive since 259 00:11:51,520 --> 00:11:53,520 Speaker 1: bigger is usually better when it comes to sports. But 260 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:56,320 Speaker 1: in the case of soccer, being tall is only helpful 261 00:11:56,360 --> 00:11:58,600 Speaker 1: if you're a defender or a goalie. For the other 262 00:11:58,600 --> 00:12:01,560 Speaker 1: positions like forwards and midfielders, the edge goes to the 263 00:12:01,559 --> 00:12:04,920 Speaker 1: shorter players. So why is that the main reason is 264 00:12:04,960 --> 00:12:07,839 Speaker 1: that shorter players tend to have better control of their limbs, 265 00:12:07,920 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 1: which allows them to change direction faster than a tall 266 00:12:10,360 --> 00:12:13,720 Speaker 1: player could. That kind of nimbleness really keeps defenders on 267 00:12:13,720 --> 00:12:15,840 Speaker 1: their toes and makes it harder to box in a 268 00:12:15,840 --> 00:12:19,240 Speaker 1: short opponent or to anticipate their movements. But that's not 269 00:12:19,280 --> 00:12:21,840 Speaker 1: the only advantage, you know. According to the Atlantic, studies 270 00:12:21,880 --> 00:12:24,199 Speaker 1: have shown that tall players are called for fouls more 271 00:12:24,240 --> 00:12:26,640 Speaker 1: frequently than shorter players. Huh. That could just be that 272 00:12:26,679 --> 00:12:29,880 Speaker 1: the referees are associating height with aggression, or maybe the 273 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:32,680 Speaker 1: longer limbs are more visible. But you know, I'm not 274 00:12:32,679 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 1: sure exactly what the reason is, but but tall folks 275 00:12:35,440 --> 00:12:36,600 Speaker 1: definitely get carded more. 276 00:12:36,800 --> 00:12:39,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, and I know in other sports like basketball, it's 277 00:12:39,760 --> 00:12:43,080 Speaker 2: obviously an advantage overall to be tall, But it is 278 00:12:43,160 --> 00:12:45,240 Speaker 2: also interesting to watch. You know, when you used to 279 00:12:45,240 --> 00:12:47,400 Speaker 2: watch guys like Shack play and they could just get 280 00:12:47,559 --> 00:12:49,680 Speaker 2: hammered all day long and nobody would call. 281 00:12:49,559 --> 00:12:51,800 Speaker 1: Them a lot of times. But Iverson will pull someone 282 00:12:51,840 --> 00:12:52,720 Speaker 1: down and get called. 283 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:55,760 Speaker 2: For it exactly exactly. It's so bizarre to look at 284 00:12:55,760 --> 00:12:58,000 Speaker 2: these stats, but you know, it's interesting to see how 285 00:12:58,080 --> 00:13:01,880 Speaker 2: different levels of influence people can have over these advantages. 286 00:13:01,960 --> 00:13:04,920 Speaker 2: Like with home field advantage, it kind of comes down 287 00:13:04,960 --> 00:13:07,800 Speaker 2: to the player's mindset and how they respond to things 288 00:13:07,800 --> 00:13:11,160 Speaker 2: outside their control. And with the small town advantage, like 289 00:13:11,400 --> 00:13:14,040 Speaker 2: that's something people could actually seek out if they were 290 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:16,560 Speaker 2: so inclined, Like if you had a young kid that 291 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:18,880 Speaker 2: wants to be a pro football player, you could move 292 00:13:18,960 --> 00:13:21,800 Speaker 2: to a small town and theoretically they could reap the 293 00:13:21,840 --> 00:13:24,480 Speaker 2: advantage of that. But now we're getting into stuff like 294 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:27,559 Speaker 2: height and the social stigma surrounding height, and those are 295 00:13:27,640 --> 00:13:29,880 Speaker 2: things that nobody really has much say in. 296 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:32,280 Speaker 1: You know, Yeah, that seems like a good distinction to make, 297 00:13:32,360 --> 00:13:34,079 Speaker 1: and why don't we check out some of those advantages 298 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:50,480 Speaker 1: right after this break? And then. 299 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:51,200 Speaker 2: You're listening to part time Genius and we're talking about 300 00:13:51,240 --> 00:13:53,720 Speaker 2: some of the lesser known advantages that certain groups of 301 00:13:53,760 --> 00:13:56,640 Speaker 2: people enjoy. And since we closed out the last segment 302 00:13:56,679 --> 00:13:58,680 Speaker 2: with a short person perk, I think it's. 303 00:13:58,559 --> 00:14:01,319 Speaker 1: Only fair we balance it out and go for one 304 00:14:01,360 --> 00:14:03,440 Speaker 1: for the tall people out there. So here we go. 305 00:14:04,040 --> 00:14:06,880 Speaker 2: Tall people make more money than short people. That's it, 306 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:07,520 Speaker 2: end of story. 307 00:14:08,000 --> 00:14:09,719 Speaker 1: So I hate this already, but I feel like you 308 00:14:09,800 --> 00:14:11,120 Speaker 1: need to explain a little bit well. 309 00:14:11,160 --> 00:14:14,120 Speaker 2: According to a twenty fifteen study published in the Journal 310 00:14:14,160 --> 00:14:17,960 Speaker 2: of Human Capital, salary rates trend upward right along with 311 00:14:18,040 --> 00:14:21,400 Speaker 2: height in most Western countries, so much so that if 312 00:14:21,440 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 2: one employee is four or five inches taller than another, 313 00:14:24,520 --> 00:14:27,920 Speaker 2: the taller person would make anywhere between nine and fifteen 314 00:14:28,000 --> 00:14:31,800 Speaker 2: percent more than this shorter whoa imagine being a seven fetter. 315 00:14:32,000 --> 00:14:34,080 Speaker 2: It would be so rich. But put another way, an 316 00:14:34,080 --> 00:14:36,120 Speaker 2: extra inch of height could be worth as much as 317 00:14:36,200 --> 00:14:40,200 Speaker 2: eight hundred dollars per year in additional earnings. Match that 318 00:14:40,240 --> 00:14:43,200 Speaker 2: to inflation rates, Track it over thirty years, and you're 319 00:14:43,200 --> 00:14:46,280 Speaker 2: looking at hundreds of thousands of dollars. 320 00:14:45,880 --> 00:14:49,840 Speaker 1: In extra income just for being tall. So I guess, 321 00:14:49,840 --> 00:14:53,840 Speaker 1: setting aside the sheer injustice of this all, I'm curious 322 00:14:53,880 --> 00:14:56,040 Speaker 1: to hear what's driving this because I feel like this 323 00:14:56,040 --> 00:14:59,040 Speaker 1: would have made sense like centuries ago, right when was 324 00:14:59,080 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 1: the jobs relied on on size or strength or whatever. 325 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:03,920 Speaker 1: But it seems strange that the trend would continue in 326 00:15:03,920 --> 00:15:06,200 Speaker 1: an era of like the desk job. Right, Yeah, like 327 00:15:06,600 --> 00:15:09,000 Speaker 1: maybe someone who's taller can reach the high shelf in 328 00:15:09,080 --> 00:15:12,120 Speaker 1: the break room or something that's advantage. Height doesn't really 329 00:15:12,120 --> 00:15:13,600 Speaker 1: help with Excel sheets. 330 00:15:13,480 --> 00:15:16,040 Speaker 2: Well, it doesn't make a lot of sense on paper. 331 00:15:16,080 --> 00:15:18,640 Speaker 2: And you know, one theory is that employers aren't paying 332 00:15:18,680 --> 00:15:22,120 Speaker 2: strictly based on height. Instead, it's that taller people are 333 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:25,520 Speaker 2: landing higher paying jobs because their height lends them to 334 00:15:25,600 --> 00:15:29,600 Speaker 2: more self confidence or better social skills, which allows them 335 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:32,840 Speaker 2: to climb the pay ladder faster. Anyway, if you're angling 336 00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:35,400 Speaker 2: for a raise at work, adding some lists to your 337 00:15:35,440 --> 00:15:36,840 Speaker 2: shoes might actually help. 338 00:15:36,880 --> 00:15:39,440 Speaker 1: So think about that. I'm sure that's how Tom Cruise 339 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:43,880 Speaker 1: got that big payday. So, sticking with our theme of 340 00:15:43,920 --> 00:15:46,400 Speaker 1: things that are beyond our control, here's another bombshell. I 341 00:15:46,400 --> 00:15:50,200 Speaker 1: bet you never would have guessed their advantages to being attractive. 342 00:15:51,080 --> 00:15:54,200 Speaker 1: What you don't say, mango? Come on. So what's funny 343 00:15:54,200 --> 00:15:57,240 Speaker 1: about this is that even scientists benefit from this. So, 344 00:15:57,400 --> 00:15:59,640 Speaker 1: according to new research from the University of Essex and 345 00:15:59,680 --> 00:16:02,400 Speaker 1: the Universe of Cambridge, the way that a scientist looks 346 00:16:02,560 --> 00:16:05,200 Speaker 1: affects the level of interest in their work and their 347 00:16:05,240 --> 00:16:09,000 Speaker 1: perceived credibility. As one of the psychologists behind the study explained, 348 00:16:09,080 --> 00:16:12,560 Speaker 1: this is true because quote people partly treat science communication 349 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:15,240 Speaker 1: as a form of entertainment, where emotional impact and the 350 00:16:15,280 --> 00:16:17,480 Speaker 1: aesthetic appeal are desirable qualities. 351 00:16:17,680 --> 00:16:20,680 Speaker 2: Wow, it's weird to think society might buy into an 352 00:16:20,760 --> 00:16:23,160 Speaker 2: argument that the world is flat or some other ridiculous 353 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:26,440 Speaker 2: argument like if this scientist is just attractive enough. 354 00:16:27,160 --> 00:16:29,240 Speaker 1: It sounds a little like that thirty Rock episode where 355 00:16:29,280 --> 00:16:32,440 Speaker 1: John Hem becomes a doctor and a Tennyson's writer, and 356 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:34,840 Speaker 1: like he's horrible at all these things, but people keep 357 00:16:34,880 --> 00:16:37,560 Speaker 1: getting in the past because he's so handsome. But I 358 00:16:37,600 --> 00:16:40,120 Speaker 1: actually clarified this with Gabe because I was thinking the 359 00:16:40,120 --> 00:16:42,640 Speaker 1: same thing you were, and the link here between attractiveness 360 00:16:42,640 --> 00:16:46,120 Speaker 1: and credibility isn't quite what you were thinking. So over 361 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:48,960 Speaker 1: the course of six studies, researchers were able to show 362 00:16:49,000 --> 00:16:52,560 Speaker 1: that scientists who appear competent, moral, and attractive are more 363 00:16:52,640 --> 00:16:55,600 Speaker 1: likely to garner interest in their work, which isn't a surprise, right, right, 364 00:16:55,920 --> 00:16:59,160 Speaker 1: But then the researchers continued writing, quote, the scientists who 365 00:16:59,280 --> 00:17:03,920 Speaker 1: appear and moral but who are relatively unattractive create a 366 00:17:03,960 --> 00:17:06,680 Speaker 1: stronger impression of doing high quality research. 367 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:08,639 Speaker 2: So just to get this right, so the public is 368 00:17:08,680 --> 00:17:11,200 Speaker 2: more likely to pay attention to the research of an 369 00:17:11,200 --> 00:17:15,040 Speaker 2: attractive scientist, but less likely to believe what they're saying. 370 00:17:15,080 --> 00:17:17,359 Speaker 1: Like, is that right? Yeah, they're basically like Serno de 371 00:17:17,440 --> 00:17:20,680 Speaker 1: Burger racking right. But basically, the next time the public 372 00:17:20,760 --> 00:17:23,480 Speaker 1: needs to be informed about a scientific breakthrough, it's probably 373 00:17:23,600 --> 00:17:26,439 Speaker 1: best to pair scientists to give a presentation, like an 374 00:17:26,480 --> 00:17:29,479 Speaker 1: attractive one to win the audience's approval, and you know, 375 00:17:29,560 --> 00:17:31,960 Speaker 1: an ugly one to give it credibility, right, the old 376 00:17:32,000 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 1: Watson and Krik will what they call it, I think, 377 00:17:34,680 --> 00:17:37,800 Speaker 1: so I have no idea for that's interesting though. 378 00:17:37,840 --> 00:17:39,960 Speaker 2: Well, since we're on the subject of scientists, have you 379 00:17:39,960 --> 00:17:42,280 Speaker 2: ever noticed how we tend to refer to the male 380 00:17:42,320 --> 00:17:45,800 Speaker 2: ones by their surnames, but we call female scientists by 381 00:17:45,840 --> 00:17:49,320 Speaker 2: their full names, Like Darwin is just Darwin. But have 382 00:17:49,400 --> 00:17:52,200 Speaker 2: you ever heard anyone just say Curi, like it's always 383 00:17:52,280 --> 00:17:52,879 Speaker 2: Marie Curie. 384 00:17:53,000 --> 00:17:54,760 Speaker 1: Right, I know it's just making a joke about Watson 385 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:57,840 Speaker 1: and Krik, but like I know Rosalind Franklin's full name, 386 00:17:57,920 --> 00:17:59,440 Speaker 1: but I know one of them is James, but I 387 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:00,080 Speaker 1: don't know which one. 388 00:18:00,640 --> 00:18:03,520 Speaker 2: Yeah, I mean, there's actually even a name for this bias. 389 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:06,800 Speaker 2: It's called surname bias. So basically, when we hear someone 390 00:18:06,880 --> 00:18:10,240 Speaker 2: called by their surname, it tends to improve our perception 391 00:18:10,280 --> 00:18:12,960 Speaker 2: of them. Maybe it makes them seem more important or 392 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:16,119 Speaker 2: dignified in our minds, maybe stronger or more imminent or 393 00:18:16,160 --> 00:18:18,879 Speaker 2: something like that. But the main problem with this is 394 00:18:18,880 --> 00:18:22,600 Speaker 2: that we don't wield that surname bias fairly so. According 395 00:18:22,640 --> 00:18:25,720 Speaker 2: to a string of recent studies, on average, and regardless 396 00:18:25,760 --> 00:18:28,520 Speaker 2: of gender, people are twice as likely to refer to 397 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:31,600 Speaker 2: men by their surnames than they are women. And those 398 00:18:31,640 --> 00:18:35,560 Speaker 2: findings hold true across a lot of different professions, whether 399 00:18:35,560 --> 00:18:38,959 Speaker 2: it's politics, science, literature, Like the list goes on. 400 00:18:39,640 --> 00:18:42,080 Speaker 1: So how exactly does this advantage play on in real life? 401 00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:44,640 Speaker 1: Like what's the payoff for being just being called by 402 00:18:44,760 --> 00:18:46,119 Speaker 1: your last name? All right? 403 00:18:46,119 --> 00:18:48,359 Speaker 2: Well, just going back to the scientists for a minute, 404 00:18:48,359 --> 00:18:50,840 Speaker 2: there was a study back in twenty seventeen where more 405 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:53,919 Speaker 2: than five hundred participants we're asked to determine who among 406 00:18:53,960 --> 00:18:57,200 Speaker 2: a group of scientists should receive a half million dollars 407 00:18:57,280 --> 00:19:00,160 Speaker 2: science grant. Some of the scientists refer to by their 408 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:03,320 Speaker 2: full names and others by their surnames. And, as you 409 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:06,000 Speaker 2: can probably guess by what we've been saying, the participants 410 00:19:06,040 --> 00:19:10,360 Speaker 2: showed a clear preference for the surname only contenders. In fact, 411 00:19:10,359 --> 00:19:13,480 Speaker 2: those candidates were a full fourteen percent more likely to 412 00:19:13,560 --> 00:19:16,879 Speaker 2: be recommended for the award. So if that same strange 413 00:19:16,880 --> 00:19:20,359 Speaker 2: advantage is cropping up across all these different fields, it 414 00:19:20,440 --> 00:19:23,639 Speaker 2: stands to reason that surname bias is a serious contributor 415 00:19:23,680 --> 00:19:27,200 Speaker 2: to the gender inequality in the workplace. And the ironic 416 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:28,840 Speaker 2: part of this is that, you know, the trend of 417 00:19:28,960 --> 00:19:32,199 Speaker 2: using women's full names actually may have started with noble 418 00:19:32,320 --> 00:19:35,800 Speaker 2: intentions as a way of drawing attention to the presence 419 00:19:35,840 --> 00:19:40,680 Speaker 2: and the contributions of women, especially in fields traditionally associated 420 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:43,159 Speaker 2: with men. So the plan, though, it seems to have 421 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:46,159 Speaker 2: backfired since so many of us have this surname bias 422 00:19:46,320 --> 00:19:47,480 Speaker 2: kind of baked in to us. 423 00:19:48,080 --> 00:19:51,000 Speaker 1: I mean, that's a little depressing, but I'm glad we're 424 00:19:51,040 --> 00:19:53,200 Speaker 1: more aware of it, and I think I am only 425 00:19:53,200 --> 00:19:56,480 Speaker 1: going to call Marie Curie Curi from now on. But 426 00:19:56,520 --> 00:19:58,440 Speaker 1: when don't we switch gears and talk about a few 427 00:19:58,440 --> 00:20:01,000 Speaker 1: of the more even handed advantages out there right after 428 00:20:01,040 --> 00:20:17,160 Speaker 1: this break? Welcome back to part time Genius. Okay, well, 429 00:20:17,200 --> 00:20:19,959 Speaker 1: so let's talk about advantages that are a little easier 430 00:20:19,960 --> 00:20:22,600 Speaker 1: to come by, ones that aren't as dependent on chance 431 00:20:22,800 --> 00:20:25,360 Speaker 1: or circumstances. Did you come across anything like that? 432 00:20:26,080 --> 00:20:28,320 Speaker 2: Yeah, I feel like I've got just the thing for you, 433 00:20:28,400 --> 00:20:30,840 Speaker 2: because all you really need for this one is a 434 00:20:30,880 --> 00:20:34,159 Speaker 2: library card. Now being able to read and having access 435 00:20:34,200 --> 00:20:37,840 Speaker 2: to books are obviously big advantages in life, especially during childhood, 436 00:20:38,200 --> 00:20:40,320 Speaker 2: and hopefully it's clear by now that you and I 437 00:20:40,400 --> 00:20:43,920 Speaker 2: are big proponents of reading. But according to new research, 438 00:20:44,000 --> 00:20:47,480 Speaker 2: simply being around books might be a benefit in itself, 439 00:20:47,560 --> 00:20:49,920 Speaker 2: even if you don't actually read them. 440 00:20:50,280 --> 00:20:52,719 Speaker 1: So my first question is, are you sure we're supposed 441 00:20:52,720 --> 00:20:54,359 Speaker 1: to be talking about this because my kids listening to 442 00:20:54,400 --> 00:20:59,280 Speaker 1: this program. Yeah, just just sit near the books. But 443 00:20:59,359 --> 00:21:03,199 Speaker 1: what's the advantage of having unread books around. There's something 444 00:21:03,200 --> 00:21:06,479 Speaker 1: in social science called radiation effect. I think this is 445 00:21:06,480 --> 00:21:07,240 Speaker 1: so interesting. 446 00:21:07,320 --> 00:21:10,399 Speaker 2: So that's when children grow up with books in the house, 447 00:21:10,720 --> 00:21:13,560 Speaker 2: they don't read them very much, but still somehow benefit 448 00:21:13,680 --> 00:21:16,879 Speaker 2: later in life just from having grown up around books. 449 00:21:17,200 --> 00:21:19,320 Speaker 2: It's a really weird phenomenon, but there's a study on 450 00:21:19,359 --> 00:21:23,560 Speaker 2: it recently by a sociologist at the Australian National University. 451 00:21:24,000 --> 00:21:27,120 Speaker 2: Her name is Joanna Sikora, and along with her colleagues, 452 00:21:27,200 --> 00:21:30,199 Speaker 2: she pieced together five years worth of developmental data on 453 00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:33,200 Speaker 2: more than one hundred and sixty thousand adults from thirty 454 00:21:33,240 --> 00:21:36,480 Speaker 2: one different societies. These surveys were aimed at assessing things 455 00:21:36,520 --> 00:21:40,960 Speaker 2: like literacy, competency, with numbers, even technology, and part of 456 00:21:41,000 --> 00:21:42,879 Speaker 2: this was asking the question of how large of a 457 00:21:42,920 --> 00:21:46,800 Speaker 2: home library the participants had during their adolescence. Some of 458 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:49,600 Speaker 2: the findings from this were were actually pretty surprising. So, 459 00:21:49,640 --> 00:21:52,359 Speaker 2: for instance, the participants who only had a high school 460 00:21:52,440 --> 00:21:56,040 Speaker 2: education but who had grown up around books, they boasted 461 00:21:56,119 --> 00:22:00,479 Speaker 2: better literacy, numeracy, and digital problem solving as adults than 462 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:02,920 Speaker 2: the college grads and the survey who had grown up 463 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:04,080 Speaker 2: in bookless homes. 464 00:22:04,440 --> 00:22:07,200 Speaker 1: Huh, that's interesting, And I'm guessing this all comes down 465 00:22:07,240 --> 00:22:09,639 Speaker 1: to someone in the house valuing knowledge or learning. 466 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:13,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, it ultimately comes down to why the books are 467 00:22:13,040 --> 00:22:16,560 Speaker 2: in the house in the first place. So the lead researcher, Scora, 468 00:22:16,760 --> 00:22:19,600 Speaker 2: sum this up well in a recent interview with Scientific American. 469 00:22:19,720 --> 00:22:20,879 Speaker 1: Here's what she said. 470 00:22:21,200 --> 00:22:23,160 Speaker 2: If we grow up in a house, in a home 471 00:22:23,200 --> 00:22:26,360 Speaker 2: where parents enjoy books, where books are given as birthday 472 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:29,520 Speaker 2: presents and cherished and valued, this is something that becomes 473 00:22:29,560 --> 00:22:32,480 Speaker 2: part of our identity and gives us this lifelong incentive 474 00:22:32,720 --> 00:22:36,320 Speaker 2: to be literacy oriented, to always kind of steer toward 475 00:22:36,440 --> 00:22:38,960 Speaker 2: books and read more than we would otherwise. 476 00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:42,399 Speaker 1: It's fascinating and honestly, I have so many books in 477 00:22:42,440 --> 00:22:44,479 Speaker 1: our house that we haven't read. I'm wondering if it's 478 00:22:44,480 --> 00:22:46,240 Speaker 1: a good life hack for you know, not having to 479 00:22:46,240 --> 00:22:48,760 Speaker 1: pay for my kids college, So good strategy. On an 480 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:51,840 Speaker 1: opposite note, Gabe was telling me about lucky charms this week, 481 00:22:51,880 --> 00:22:54,760 Speaker 1: and it's pretty much the opposite case, right. The advantage 482 00:22:54,840 --> 00:22:58,159 Speaker 1: depends entirely on the charmholder's participation in it. 483 00:22:58,840 --> 00:23:01,080 Speaker 2: Are you saying there really is some advantage to carrying 484 00:23:01,080 --> 00:23:01,800 Speaker 2: a lucky charm? 485 00:23:02,240 --> 00:23:05,600 Speaker 1: It sounds impossible, but there's a social psychology study from 486 00:23:05,640 --> 00:23:08,520 Speaker 1: about a decade ago where participants all performed better in 487 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:11,600 Speaker 1: memory and dexterity tests when they were allowed to keep 488 00:23:11,600 --> 00:23:14,119 Speaker 1: their lucky charms with them, and when the charms were 489 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:17,240 Speaker 1: taken away there's scores plummeted, and when the charms were returned, 490 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:18,879 Speaker 1: their scores increased again. 491 00:23:19,640 --> 00:23:22,040 Speaker 2: So then why it's like a placebo effect, but for 492 00:23:22,200 --> 00:23:23,520 Speaker 2: luckiness instead of health. 493 00:23:23,960 --> 00:23:26,560 Speaker 1: Yes, sort of. I mean the researchers theorized that the 494 00:23:26,560 --> 00:23:29,119 Speaker 1: people with lucky charms perform better because they stuck with 495 00:23:29,160 --> 00:23:32,560 Speaker 1: the problems longer than those without charms. Because they believed 496 00:23:32,560 --> 00:23:34,840 Speaker 1: in the luckiness of their objects, they felt more equipped 497 00:23:34,880 --> 00:23:37,159 Speaker 1: and capable when faced with a tough challenge, and that 498 00:23:37,280 --> 00:23:40,080 Speaker 1: confidence ultimately boosted them over the top. Wow. 499 00:23:40,160 --> 00:23:42,119 Speaker 2: You know, it's funny because there's this urge to like 500 00:23:42,160 --> 00:23:44,800 Speaker 2: look sideways at people for putting so much faith and 501 00:23:44,920 --> 00:23:47,040 Speaker 2: like a rabbit's phone or whatever the lucky charm is. 502 00:23:47,080 --> 00:23:49,280 Speaker 2: But I guess there must be some reason why they 503 00:23:49,320 --> 00:23:52,000 Speaker 2: believe in an object's luck in the first place, right, 504 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:54,679 Speaker 2: Like something must have convinced them. It's just hard to 505 00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:56,199 Speaker 2: imagine exactly what that could be. 506 00:23:56,520 --> 00:23:58,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean, I think it helps to remember that 507 00:23:58,640 --> 00:24:00,720 Speaker 1: what we think of as luck is really more about 508 00:24:00,880 --> 00:24:03,439 Speaker 1: brain chemistry and world views than it is about you know, 509 00:24:03,600 --> 00:24:07,400 Speaker 1: chance or magic. Like our brains are hardwired to look 510 00:24:07,400 --> 00:24:10,359 Speaker 1: for patterns, and we often have good incentive to find them, 511 00:24:10,440 --> 00:24:13,720 Speaker 1: like even if they aren't really there. For example, if 512 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:16,239 Speaker 1: I make a conscious choice to wear I don't know, 513 00:24:16,280 --> 00:24:17,760 Speaker 1: a shirt with a bear on it, and then I 514 00:24:17,800 --> 00:24:19,520 Speaker 1: end up having a great day at work, there's a 515 00:24:19,520 --> 00:24:21,280 Speaker 1: part of me that'll take notice of that and link 516 00:24:21,320 --> 00:24:24,200 Speaker 1: the two events wearing the bear shirt and then having 517 00:24:24,280 --> 00:24:25,800 Speaker 1: a good day at the office. And then if I 518 00:24:25,840 --> 00:24:27,919 Speaker 1: wear the bear shirt a second time and have another 519 00:24:27,960 --> 00:24:30,240 Speaker 1: great day at work like that mental connection will become 520 00:24:30,280 --> 00:24:33,720 Speaker 1: even stronger, and I might think there's something going on 521 00:24:33,840 --> 00:24:35,919 Speaker 1: and that shirt is lucky or whatever. You know. 522 00:24:35,960 --> 00:24:37,800 Speaker 2: I know we talk about a lot of business ideas, 523 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:40,000 Speaker 2: but like, just hearing you talk about this, it kind 524 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:42,119 Speaker 2: of makes me think we need to get in the bears. 525 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:43,800 Speaker 1: I think it's gonna be our next thing. 526 00:24:44,320 --> 00:24:46,440 Speaker 2: But as bizarre as it all sounds, I have to admit, 527 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:49,080 Speaker 2: it's sort of comforting to think that there could actually 528 00:24:49,119 --> 00:24:51,520 Speaker 2: be a way for us to kind of make our 529 00:24:51,560 --> 00:24:53,800 Speaker 2: own luck like that. It reminds me of something I 530 00:24:53,800 --> 00:24:56,560 Speaker 2: read in The Atlantic this week about the social advantage 531 00:24:56,600 --> 00:24:58,640 Speaker 2: that comes with having pockets. 532 00:24:58,680 --> 00:25:01,920 Speaker 1: Mango pucket like pant pockets. Yeah, yeah, exactly. 533 00:25:01,960 --> 00:25:04,600 Speaker 2: It turns out the word pocket is an Anglo Norman 534 00:25:04,640 --> 00:25:09,159 Speaker 2: word meaning little bag. And when pockets first came on 535 00:25:09,200 --> 00:25:12,320 Speaker 2: the scene of the late seventeenth century, that's essentially what 536 00:25:12,359 --> 00:25:15,680 Speaker 2: they were, like, these small, detachable bags that were tied 537 00:25:15,720 --> 00:25:18,280 Speaker 2: around the waist with a draw string. And it wasn't 538 00:25:18,359 --> 00:25:21,600 Speaker 2: until the eighteen fifties, when clothes became more tightly fitted, 539 00:25:21,920 --> 00:25:25,480 Speaker 2: that pockets started to be sewn directly into the garments. 540 00:25:25,920 --> 00:25:27,800 Speaker 2: And this new kind of pocket was smaller than the 541 00:25:27,840 --> 00:25:30,080 Speaker 2: old draw string version, but it kind of made up 542 00:25:30,080 --> 00:25:33,440 Speaker 2: for that by being so much harder to steal. Honestly, though, 543 00:25:33,480 --> 00:25:35,800 Speaker 2: if you were a woman living during this time period, 544 00:25:35,840 --> 00:25:38,760 Speaker 2: you wouldn't really care which kind of pockets you had 545 00:25:39,080 --> 00:25:42,040 Speaker 2: so long as you did have pockets. And that's because 546 00:25:42,040 --> 00:25:45,200 Speaker 2: pockets were a game changer for women. So it seems 547 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:48,320 Speaker 2: like such a small thing, but being able to easily 548 00:25:48,440 --> 00:25:52,080 Speaker 2: and discreetly carry objects, you know, it is an advantage. 549 00:25:52,080 --> 00:25:55,040 Speaker 2: But before pockets came along, that really wasn't much of 550 00:25:55,080 --> 00:25:58,040 Speaker 2: an option for women. Now remember this is all prior 551 00:25:58,040 --> 00:26:01,160 Speaker 2: to the rise of handbags and backpacks, and so suddenly 552 00:26:01,200 --> 00:26:03,680 Speaker 2: women were able to move outside the home because now 553 00:26:03,720 --> 00:26:06,160 Speaker 2: they had a private space to hold, you know, whatever 554 00:26:06,200 --> 00:26:07,280 Speaker 2: they needed throughout the day. 555 00:26:07,680 --> 00:26:09,600 Speaker 1: That's funny. I never really thought of pockets as a 556 00:26:09,640 --> 00:26:13,000 Speaker 1: symbol of independence. But you know, if you can't have 557 00:26:13,080 --> 00:26:15,919 Speaker 1: your wallet or phone or keys on you, like, you 558 00:26:15,960 --> 00:26:18,800 Speaker 1: can't really move through that like public spaces. Yeah, it's right. 559 00:26:19,000 --> 00:26:20,399 Speaker 2: In fact, I don't know if you remember this, but 560 00:26:20,720 --> 00:26:23,320 Speaker 2: there's a great scene about pockets and the wind and 561 00:26:23,359 --> 00:26:23,920 Speaker 2: the willows. 562 00:26:23,920 --> 00:26:26,320 Speaker 1: Do you remember all the scenes from them or do 563 00:26:26,359 --> 00:26:27,840 Speaker 1: you say pockets this month? Yeah? I know. 564 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:31,280 Speaker 2: It's when mister Toad is trying to escape from jail 565 00:26:31,400 --> 00:26:34,040 Speaker 2: after being locked up, you know, for joy riding in 566 00:26:34,080 --> 00:26:36,840 Speaker 2: his motor car, and he ends up disguising himself as 567 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:40,199 Speaker 2: the prisons washerwoman in order to slip past the guards. 568 00:26:40,720 --> 00:26:43,440 Speaker 2: But he finds out that the stolen clothes he's wearing 569 00:26:43,520 --> 00:26:46,440 Speaker 2: don't include pockets. And so listen to how he takes 570 00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:49,640 Speaker 2: the news to this horror, Toad recollected that he had 571 00:26:49,720 --> 00:26:52,760 Speaker 2: left both coat and waistcoat behind him and his cell. 572 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:56,600 Speaker 2: All that makes life worth living, all that distinguishes the 573 00:26:56,640 --> 00:26:59,960 Speaker 2: many pocketed animal, the lord of creation from the end 574 00:27:00,119 --> 00:27:03,640 Speaker 2: fear or one pocketed or no pocketed productions that hop 575 00:27:03,720 --> 00:27:07,200 Speaker 2: or trip about permissively unequipped for the real contest. 576 00:27:07,760 --> 00:27:11,200 Speaker 1: Pretty definitive right there. So even mister Toad realized the 577 00:27:11,200 --> 00:27:13,800 Speaker 1: freedom grind by pockets, and not just him. 578 00:27:13,880 --> 00:27:17,280 Speaker 2: So back in the nineteenth century you'd see posted advertisements 579 00:27:17,280 --> 00:27:20,320 Speaker 2: for runaway slaves, and some of the descriptions would warn 580 00:27:20,400 --> 00:27:23,840 Speaker 2: that just because his clothes have pockets, that doesn't mean 581 00:27:23,920 --> 00:27:26,800 Speaker 2: he's a free man. So I guess we should be 582 00:27:26,840 --> 00:27:29,160 Speaker 2: grateful for pockets, is what I'm saying. I'm just gonna 583 00:27:29,280 --> 00:27:32,199 Speaker 2: keep saying pockets. But they give us this agency in 584 00:27:32,280 --> 00:27:34,960 Speaker 2: public that was denied to so many people for a 585 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:35,680 Speaker 2: long long time. 586 00:27:35,840 --> 00:27:37,400 Speaker 1: Plus we'll else are you going to keep your lucky 587 00:27:37,440 --> 00:27:40,520 Speaker 1: charms right? So you know, we start today's show talking 588 00:27:40,520 --> 00:27:42,560 Speaker 1: about one on one competitions, and now it's time to 589 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:44,560 Speaker 1: close it by holding one of our own. It's time 590 00:27:44,600 --> 00:27:55,840 Speaker 1: for the fact off. Okay, So I came across a 591 00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:58,520 Speaker 1: bunch of different advantages this week that all center on 592 00:27:58,560 --> 00:28:00,359 Speaker 1: the sound of your voice and how it can influence 593 00:28:00,400 --> 00:28:02,959 Speaker 1: the way people perceive you. So, for example, men are 594 00:28:03,000 --> 00:28:04,920 Speaker 1: more likely to vote for men who have deeper, more 595 00:28:04,920 --> 00:28:08,439 Speaker 1: masculine voices, and CEOs with deeper voices tend to manage 596 00:28:08,520 --> 00:28:12,160 Speaker 1: larger companies and earn larger salaries. But there's at least 597 00:28:12,200 --> 00:28:14,119 Speaker 1: one profession where it pays for men to be a 598 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:17,119 Speaker 1: little more soft spoken. According to a study outlined and 599 00:28:17,200 --> 00:28:21,200 Speaker 1: New Scientists, lawyers with gentler, less masculine voices are more 600 00:28:21,280 --> 00:28:24,080 Speaker 1: likely to win in court than their gruffer, sounder colleagues. 601 00:28:24,400 --> 00:28:26,840 Speaker 1: And the researchers behind the study aren't one hundred percent 602 00:28:26,840 --> 00:28:28,879 Speaker 1: sure why that is, but they say it could be 603 00:28:28,960 --> 00:28:31,480 Speaker 1: that the lawyers with deeper voices are perceived as being 604 00:28:31,680 --> 00:28:34,200 Speaker 1: overcompensating or trying to sound masculine. 605 00:28:34,200 --> 00:28:36,760 Speaker 2: Oh, that's interesting, all right. So here's a weird one. 606 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:39,400 Speaker 2: It turns out that die hard opera fans have a 607 00:28:39,440 --> 00:28:42,040 Speaker 2: slight edge when it comes to chemistry class. 608 00:28:42,480 --> 00:28:43,600 Speaker 1: This is my favorite. 609 00:28:43,880 --> 00:28:46,640 Speaker 2: So back in twenty thirteen, a team of chemists study 610 00:28:46,680 --> 00:28:50,240 Speaker 2: the librettos of twenty famous operas, and they found that 611 00:28:50,280 --> 00:28:53,640 Speaker 2: the effects of twenty five different natural and synthetic chemical 612 00:28:53,680 --> 00:28:57,600 Speaker 2: materials were accurately described in them, everything from snake venom 613 00:28:57,680 --> 00:29:01,880 Speaker 2: to deadly nightshade. Ring to the Smithsonian. The researchers hope 614 00:29:01,880 --> 00:29:05,440 Speaker 2: that teachers will use the poison based plots to help 615 00:29:05,480 --> 00:29:08,560 Speaker 2: the students better engage with chemistry, because if there is 616 00:29:08,640 --> 00:29:11,880 Speaker 2: one thing teens love more than chemistry, it's gotta be opera. 617 00:29:13,080 --> 00:29:15,760 Speaker 1: So we talked about left handed advantages at the top 618 00:29:15,800 --> 00:29:18,479 Speaker 1: of the show, but there's one more that's too random 619 00:29:18,480 --> 00:29:20,680 Speaker 1: not to mention. According to a report commissioned by the 620 00:29:20,720 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 1: AA Driving School, left handed drivers have a much easier 621 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:26,640 Speaker 1: time passing their driving test. In fact, six out of 622 00:29:26,680 --> 00:29:30,160 Speaker 1: ten or fifty seven percent actually, of the left handers 623 00:29:30,160 --> 00:29:32,720 Speaker 1: passed the driving test on the first try, according to 624 00:29:32,760 --> 00:29:35,440 Speaker 1: the findings, and that means southpause are a full ten 625 00:29:35,480 --> 00:29:37,560 Speaker 1: percent more likely than right handers to pass on their 626 00:29:37,560 --> 00:29:41,040 Speaker 1: first attempt, and as any culver points out for ABC News, 627 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:43,480 Speaker 1: that puts left handed drivers in good company with famous 628 00:29:43,560 --> 00:29:48,160 Speaker 1: lefty drivers, including Buzz Aldrin and none other than Chewbacco himself, 629 00:29:48,200 --> 00:29:49,960 Speaker 1: who you know was also left handed. 630 00:29:50,160 --> 00:29:52,560 Speaker 2: That's right, all right, Well, here's one I was kind 631 00:29:52,560 --> 00:29:56,000 Speaker 2: of surprised to learn. Actually, color blindness can sometimes be 632 00:29:56,040 --> 00:29:59,880 Speaker 2: an asset in combat situations. The ideas that the condition 633 00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:04,160 Speaker 2: forces a soldier to focus on patterns instead of colors, 634 00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:07,840 Speaker 2: which can be useful for spotting camouflaged enemies in the field. 635 00:30:08,360 --> 00:30:11,719 Speaker 2: So much so in fact, that colorblind units were reportedly 636 00:30:11,840 --> 00:30:15,240 Speaker 2: used during World War Two to help identify snipers. 637 00:30:15,440 --> 00:30:19,440 Speaker 1: That's fascinating. So here's a fun one. It turns out 638 00:30:19,440 --> 00:30:23,440 Speaker 1: that women are more attracted to men if they're holding guitars. 639 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:26,080 Speaker 2: Which is why someone taught the house course in college 640 00:30:26,080 --> 00:30:28,800 Speaker 2: called just enough Guitar to Serenada Girl. 641 00:30:29,760 --> 00:30:31,880 Speaker 1: That's right. I think the whole thing led up to 642 00:30:31,960 --> 00:30:35,960 Speaker 1: playing that song Tangerine by led Zeppelin. But let me 643 00:30:35,960 --> 00:30:38,320 Speaker 1: tell you about the study because it's interesting. A team 644 00:30:38,360 --> 00:30:41,280 Speaker 1: of researchers in France hired this beefcake guy and over 645 00:30:41,320 --> 00:30:43,360 Speaker 1: the course of a single afternoon. They had him hit 646 00:30:43,400 --> 00:30:45,640 Speaker 1: on three hundred women between the ages of eighteen and 647 00:30:45,680 --> 00:30:48,480 Speaker 1: twenty two, and in each case, the guy followed the 648 00:30:48,480 --> 00:30:51,240 Speaker 1: same routine, right beat for beat, He introduced himself, he 649 00:30:51,320 --> 00:30:53,600 Speaker 1: told the woman like, I think you're really pretty, and 650 00:30:53,640 --> 00:30:56,040 Speaker 1: then he proceeded to ask each one for her phone numbers, 651 00:30:56,080 --> 00:30:58,320 Speaker 1: so you know, they could get a drink together. But 652 00:30:58,400 --> 00:31:00,560 Speaker 1: here's the twist. For a third of these encounters, the 653 00:31:00,560 --> 00:31:02,760 Speaker 1: guy was carrying a guitar case, for another third he 654 00:31:02,840 --> 00:31:05,360 Speaker 1: was carrying a gym bag, and for the remaining third 655 00:31:05,400 --> 00:31:08,160 Speaker 1: he wasn't carrying anything. And wouldn't you know it, when 656 00:31:08,240 --> 00:31:10,840 Speaker 1: he was carrying the guitar case, a shocking thirty two 657 00:31:10,920 --> 00:31:13,280 Speaker 1: percent of the women gave him their numbers. 658 00:31:13,360 --> 00:31:13,680 Speaker 2: Wow. 659 00:31:13,800 --> 00:31:15,760 Speaker 1: Compare that with nine percent who did when he was 660 00:31:15,760 --> 00:31:18,480 Speaker 1: carrying the gym bag and fourteen percent when he was 661 00:31:18,480 --> 00:31:21,560 Speaker 1: carrying nothing, and it's pretty clear that music is the 662 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:22,360 Speaker 1: language of love. 663 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:25,960 Speaker 2: That's wild though, Like thirty two percent to fourteen percent. 664 00:31:26,040 --> 00:31:28,520 Speaker 2: It's not just like a small advantage, it's a huge advantage. 665 00:31:28,520 --> 00:31:30,840 Speaker 1: And nine percent with the gym bag because I think 666 00:31:30,960 --> 00:31:32,520 Speaker 1: like they just think he's a meathead or something. 667 00:31:32,560 --> 00:31:34,960 Speaker 2: Wow, that's pretty well well It may not be the 668 00:31:34,960 --> 00:31:37,120 Speaker 2: most surprising factor of the day, but you managed to 669 00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:40,160 Speaker 2: breathe a little romance into the show, and for that ALIGNE, 670 00:31:40,800 --> 00:31:42,360 Speaker 2: I think you got to take the show Mango. 671 00:31:42,600 --> 00:31:46,160 Speaker 1: Well played. Thanks so much and I accept this on 672 00:31:46,240 --> 00:31:48,640 Speaker 1: behalf of everyone who's faked playing a musical instrument to 673 00:31:48,640 --> 00:31:51,040 Speaker 1: get a date. But that's going to do it. For 674 00:31:51,120 --> 00:31:54,960 Speaker 1: today's Part Time Genius from Will Gabeloel and myself, thanks 675 00:31:55,000 --> 00:31:57,160 Speaker 1: so much for listening. We'll be back soon with another 676 00:31:57,160 --> 00:32:14,720 Speaker 1: new episode. Part Time Genius is a production of iHeartRadio. 677 00:32:15,040 --> 00:32:18,880 Speaker 2: For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 678 00:32:18,960 --> 00:32:20,760 Speaker 2: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.