1 00:00:00,080 --> 00:00:02,320 Speaker 1: Guess what will what's that man go? So you know, 2 00:00:02,440 --> 00:00:06,280 Speaker 1: I'm pretty good at celebrating major holidays, like I always 3 00:00:06,320 --> 00:00:10,800 Speaker 1: take off for Christmas, I participated in Labor Day, I 4 00:00:10,800 --> 00:00:14,280 Speaker 1: I'll go look for a flag on Flag Day, all 5 00:00:14,360 --> 00:00:17,200 Speaker 1: the things. But this year, for some reason, we totally 6 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:20,319 Speaker 1: forgot about National Cat Hurd's Day on December. Oh no, 7 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: you're kidding. Actually we've been talking about this for months. 8 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: That's so embarrassing, I know. But you know, hurting cats 9 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:29,840 Speaker 1: is a bit of a joke, right, and you can't 10 00:00:29,960 --> 00:00:33,520 Speaker 1: actually heard cats, So the holiday is this sympathetic day 11 00:00:33,600 --> 00:00:36,240 Speaker 1: set up for anyone who has sort of an impossible 12 00:00:36,280 --> 00:00:38,720 Speaker 1: task ahead of them. But I was starting to look 13 00:00:38,760 --> 00:00:42,199 Speaker 1: into the idea of actually hurting cats, and what you 14 00:00:42,280 --> 00:00:44,680 Speaker 1: find in your research just that they have no interest 15 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:48,960 Speaker 1: in it. Cats obviously never lived in packs, so hurting 16 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:51,600 Speaker 1: doesn't come naturally to them. And also there was this 17 00:00:51,720 --> 00:00:54,480 Speaker 1: Japanese study that found that cats are very good at 18 00:00:54,520 --> 00:00:57,200 Speaker 1: recognizing their owner's voice, like they play it from them 19 00:00:57,240 --> 00:01:00,000 Speaker 1: and they actually recognize it. But if you're calling them, 20 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,960 Speaker 1: they just don't care, like the study actually said that, 21 00:01:04,360 --> 00:01:07,240 Speaker 1: so they rarely move when they're called. That's pretty great. 22 00:01:07,640 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: Because National Cat Herder's Day was this week, we thought 23 00:01:10,000 --> 00:01:12,000 Speaker 1: we couldn't let it pass without at least sharing a 24 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:14,400 Speaker 1: bunch of facts about cats. So why don't we dive in. 25 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:35,080 Speaker 1: Welcome to part time Genius. I'm Will Pearson and as 26 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:37,319 Speaker 1: always I'm joined by my good friend Man Guesh Ticketer 27 00:01:37,720 --> 00:01:41,240 Speaker 1: and sitting behind that soundproof glass wearing a rum Tom 28 00:01:41,280 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 1: Tugger shirt. Wow, that's impressive. From the musical Cats. Of course, 29 00:01:45,080 --> 00:01:48,320 Speaker 1: that's our Palin producer Tristan McNeil. Also on the line, 30 00:01:48,320 --> 00:01:50,559 Speaker 1: we've got our friend Gabe Louisier. Gabe, how are you doing? 31 00:01:50,800 --> 00:01:53,760 Speaker 1: Doing great? Guys? Thanks for having me on. Yeah. So 32 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: Mango and I are at a bit of a disadvantage 33 00:01:55,760 --> 00:01:58,680 Speaker 1: here because we're both dog people. So I'm curious, are 34 00:01:58,720 --> 00:02:02,320 Speaker 1: you a cat person? I am? Yeah, I am a 35 00:02:02,360 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 1: card carrying cat person. U. Yeah. You know, I appreciate 36 00:02:07,280 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 1: when I look at an animal. I like I like 37 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:11,120 Speaker 1: that feeling of having something looking back at me, you know, 38 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:15,400 Speaker 1: like that spark of intelligence there that you sometimes don't 39 00:02:15,440 --> 00:02:17,679 Speaker 1: get with a dog. I don't want you to read 40 00:02:17,680 --> 00:02:20,040 Speaker 1: too much into it, but I totally knew Gay would 41 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:22,840 Speaker 1: be a cat person. Did Yeah? I totally knew gay 42 00:02:22,840 --> 00:02:27,800 Speaker 1: would be all right, well gay. Because of that, I 43 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,120 Speaker 1: think we're gonna let you go first with your your 44 00:02:30,160 --> 00:02:33,040 Speaker 1: first fact about cats. What you got? Okay? Awesome? Um 45 00:02:33,040 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: So yeah, this goes right in line with the whole 46 00:02:35,480 --> 00:02:39,519 Speaker 1: intelligent cat thing. So unlike dogs, which are believed to 47 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:42,800 Speaker 1: have been domesticated by kind of nomadic hunters during the 48 00:02:42,840 --> 00:02:46,400 Speaker 1: Ice age, um, they fed them scraps of wooly mammoth 49 00:02:46,440 --> 00:02:48,000 Speaker 1: to kind of keep them around and get them to 50 00:02:48,120 --> 00:02:51,560 Speaker 1: follow them on their hunting parties. So i'm dogs, though, 51 00:02:52,120 --> 00:02:57,399 Speaker 1: cats domesticated themselves, and all domesticated cats descend from this. Uh, 52 00:02:57,440 --> 00:03:01,119 Speaker 1: These Middle Eastern wildcats um, which in Latin are called 53 00:03:01,160 --> 00:03:05,040 Speaker 1: the felice silvestress or the cat of the woods. And 54 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:07,400 Speaker 1: the cats weren't coaxed out of the woods by you know, 55 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:11,160 Speaker 1: humans who wanted companionship or anything like that. They actually 56 00:03:11,200 --> 00:03:15,880 Speaker 1: invited themselves into our grain storehouses. And that was because 57 00:03:15,880 --> 00:03:18,280 Speaker 1: of all the abundance of mice in there, and the 58 00:03:18,320 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 1: relationship with humans just kind of grew out of that. Wow, 59 00:03:21,360 --> 00:03:23,120 Speaker 1: that's pretty cool. I've never heard that before. Yeah, I 60 00:03:23,120 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: didn't realize they let themselves into our house. That's almost 61 00:03:25,440 --> 00:03:29,600 Speaker 1: more terrifying. Yea is not making me less scared of cats. Well, 62 00:03:29,639 --> 00:03:32,440 Speaker 1: another fact that will not make me any less scared 63 00:03:32,480 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 1: of cats is that studies have actually shown that cats do, 64 00:03:36,080 --> 00:03:38,360 Speaker 1: in fact prefer women. You know, you see in pop 65 00:03:38,400 --> 00:03:41,280 Speaker 1: culture in other places, these cat ladies, And I guess 66 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: there is a reason for that. So in one study, 67 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:47,920 Speaker 1: cats with female owners initiated more interactions than cats with 68 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:52,200 Speaker 1: male owners, including approaching them more and jumping on their laps. 69 00:03:52,440 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 1: So it is true, I'm still scared of cat all right, mango, 70 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:59,680 Speaker 1: what's your fact? So? I think one president who would 71 00:03:59,680 --> 00:04:02,080 Speaker 1: have just agreed with your fact that cats prefer women 72 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:06,440 Speaker 1: is Old Silent cal Coolidge. Yeah. So he had a 73 00:04:06,520 --> 00:04:09,760 Speaker 1: number of White House cats, including Timmy, Blackie, Smokey and 74 00:04:09,840 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 1: Tiger a k a. Tigy, who was also his favorite 75 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:16,760 Speaker 1: and Heat often just parade around the White House with 76 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:19,919 Speaker 1: Tiger draped around his neck. But the craziest part is 77 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:24,080 Speaker 1: what chaos that caused when Tiger was missing in so 78 00:04:24,360 --> 00:04:27,280 Speaker 1: Coolidge first sent out his staff to look, and then 79 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:29,479 Speaker 1: he sent the DC police, and then he sent the 80 00:04:29,520 --> 00:04:33,760 Speaker 1: Secret Surface. Yeah, he basically treated like a crisis and 81 00:04:33,839 --> 00:04:37,360 Speaker 1: when they eventually found him Tiger was equipped with this 82 00:04:37,400 --> 00:04:39,760 Speaker 1: new collar that said my name is Tiger. I live 83 00:04:39,760 --> 00:04:44,200 Speaker 1: at Pennsylvania Avenue. Somebody had put that on it. No, 84 00:04:44,400 --> 00:04:48,920 Speaker 1: that's what that's what Coolidge insisted. Wow, that's pretty great. 85 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:51,600 Speaker 1: All right, Well, there was actually a pretty great quote 86 00:04:51,640 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 1: about cats from Tesla. So it turns out that Tesla 87 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:58,720 Speaker 1: was inspired to research electricity after his cat shocked him. 88 00:04:59,440 --> 00:05:02,359 Speaker 1: So he had a cat named Macaque. And there's a 89 00:05:02,400 --> 00:05:04,720 Speaker 1: great letter that he wrote in nineteen thirty nine. It 90 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:06,800 Speaker 1: was a letter to a twelve year old and the 91 00:05:06,880 --> 00:05:09,880 Speaker 1: letter says this, in the dusk of the evening, as 92 00:05:09,920 --> 00:05:12,960 Speaker 1: I stroked maccaques back, I saw a miracle that made 93 00:05:13,000 --> 00:05:16,520 Speaker 1: me speechless with amazement. Maccaux back was a sheet of light, 94 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:19,719 Speaker 1: and my hand produced a shower of sparks, loud enough 95 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:23,159 Speaker 1: to be heard all over the house. My mother seemed charmed. 96 00:05:23,480 --> 00:05:26,400 Speaker 1: Stop playing with this cat. She said he might start 97 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 1: a fire. But I was thinking, abstractly, is nature a 98 00:05:29,760 --> 00:05:33,600 Speaker 1: gigantic cat? If so, who strokes it's back? I cannot 99 00:05:33,600 --> 00:05:37,240 Speaker 1: exaggerate the effect of this marvelous night of my childish imagination. 100 00:05:37,720 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 1: Day after day I have asked myself, what is electricity? 101 00:05:41,080 --> 00:05:45,760 Speaker 1: How crazy? Is that. I can't get enough of that. 102 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:48,719 Speaker 1: I love tesla quotes. I also just want a shirt 103 00:05:48,800 --> 00:05:53,040 Speaker 1: that says macaques back. That may be for Tristan next 104 00:05:53,040 --> 00:05:55,080 Speaker 1: time we do you want to on cats? All right? Man? 105 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:58,520 Speaker 1: Go you got another one. So perhaps as important as 106 00:05:58,560 --> 00:06:02,960 Speaker 1: Tesla's interaction with cats is a new Icelandic reality show 107 00:06:03,040 --> 00:06:09,880 Speaker 1: called Keeping Up with the Cartassians cat Asians I guess. 108 00:06:09,920 --> 00:06:12,920 Speaker 1: The show is in partnership with the Icelandic Cat Protection 109 00:06:12,960 --> 00:06:15,559 Speaker 1: Society And basically it's just a bunch of fuzzballs roaming 110 00:06:15,560 --> 00:06:18,440 Speaker 1: around the meow manner and uh sitting in their bunk 111 00:06:18,520 --> 00:06:21,279 Speaker 1: beds and eating snacks in their kitchen and it's a 112 00:06:21,320 --> 00:06:23,920 Speaker 1: live feed. But it's actually raised the profile of sheltered 113 00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:27,839 Speaker 1: cats in Iceland, and it's up the number of adoptions 114 00:06:27,880 --> 00:06:31,279 Speaker 1: by making celebrities of the show stars. Wow. That seems actually, 115 00:06:31,279 --> 00:06:35,120 Speaker 1: that seems like a pretty positive thing. I like that spoof. Okay, Gay, 116 00:06:35,120 --> 00:06:36,680 Speaker 1: what's your next one? All right? So I want to 117 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:39,840 Speaker 1: tell you about a particularly heroic cat, and it's it's 118 00:06:39,839 --> 00:06:42,679 Speaker 1: actually the only cat that's ever won the Dicken Medal. 119 00:06:43,080 --> 00:06:45,360 Speaker 1: And the Dicken Medal is an award. It's a British 120 00:06:45,400 --> 00:06:48,839 Speaker 1: award that was started to honor, you know, animal contributions 121 00:06:48,880 --> 00:06:52,080 Speaker 1: to the military. So it's this bronze medallion with an 122 00:06:52,080 --> 00:06:57,479 Speaker 1: inscription that says for gallantry, we also serve and the 123 00:06:57,520 --> 00:07:00,040 Speaker 1: medal was it's been awarded more than fifty times for 124 00:07:00,160 --> 00:07:04,039 Speaker 1: military service between nineteen and nineteen forty nine, and the 125 00:07:04,040 --> 00:07:08,480 Speaker 1: biggest recipient was actually pigeons. They've gotten it thirty two times, 126 00:07:08,560 --> 00:07:11,840 Speaker 1: and yeah, dogs got it eighteen times. And actually there 127 00:07:11,880 --> 00:07:14,559 Speaker 1: were three horses that have received it, but just one 128 00:07:14,720 --> 00:07:18,840 Speaker 1: single cat and his name was Simon, and he served 129 00:07:18,840 --> 00:07:23,120 Speaker 1: aboard the Royal Navy's HMS Amethyst in nineteen forty nine. Uh, 130 00:07:23,160 --> 00:07:25,000 Speaker 1: and that was a time when it came under a 131 00:07:25,040 --> 00:07:28,440 Speaker 1: heavy fire in a one hundred and one day siege 132 00:07:28,520 --> 00:07:32,360 Speaker 1: known as the Yankse Incident. And during the skirmish, Simon 133 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:36,840 Speaker 1: contributed by protecting the food stores from rat infestation, and 134 00:07:36,920 --> 00:07:40,000 Speaker 1: although he was injured during the fighting, Simon continued to 135 00:07:40,240 --> 00:07:44,520 Speaker 1: fight and kill the rats, and after besting a particularly 136 00:07:44,640 --> 00:07:48,400 Speaker 1: bold and vicious rat, Simon was promoted. He received the 137 00:07:48,440 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 1: rank of able sea Cat, which is the feline equivalent 138 00:07:51,600 --> 00:07:55,520 Speaker 1: of able seamen, and sadly, Simon did die three weeks 139 00:07:55,520 --> 00:07:58,280 Speaker 1: after the ship returned to doc but he was buried 140 00:07:58,320 --> 00:08:01,760 Speaker 1: with full military honors and he received hundreds of pieces 141 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:06,480 Speaker 1: of posthumous fan mail. That's a pretty great story, all right. Well, 142 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:09,960 Speaker 1: speaking of cats with official titles, did you know that 143 00:08:10,040 --> 00:08:13,200 Speaker 1: Downing Street actually has an official chief mouser to the 144 00:08:13,320 --> 00:08:16,480 Speaker 1: Cabinet Office. So the British employee a cat to keep 145 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:19,760 Speaker 1: ten Downing Street free of mice and actually the position 146 00:08:19,840 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 1: outlast the actual Prime minister's position. So when David Cameron 147 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 1: left office and Theresa May came in, she kept the 148 00:08:26,800 --> 00:08:29,640 Speaker 1: services of Larry, the brown and white tabby cap that 149 00:08:29,760 --> 00:08:34,440 Speaker 1: served as Cameron's chief mouser. Alright, Gay, what's your last 150 00:08:34,480 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 1: fact of the day? All right? So I have to 151 00:08:36,360 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 1: tell you about some mail cats. And I don't know 152 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:42,240 Speaker 1: how we missed this on the Postal Service episode, but 153 00:08:42,800 --> 00:08:44,680 Speaker 1: there was actually a time where they tried to get 154 00:08:44,760 --> 00:08:48,200 Speaker 1: cats to deliver mail in Belgium. This was in the 155 00:08:48,200 --> 00:08:51,680 Speaker 1: eighteen seventies. A city in Belgium hired thirty seven cats 156 00:08:51,720 --> 00:08:55,360 Speaker 1: to deliver the mail, and messages are actually fastened around 157 00:08:55,400 --> 00:08:58,400 Speaker 1: their necks in these like waterproof bags, so you know, 158 00:08:58,480 --> 00:09:01,600 Speaker 1: citizens could communicate with sch other across the City and 159 00:09:01,720 --> 00:09:04,440 Speaker 1: the world eagerly watched the experiment, with the New York 160 00:09:04,440 --> 00:09:08,920 Speaker 1: Times reporting quote, unless the criminal class of dogs undertakes 161 00:09:08,960 --> 00:09:11,959 Speaker 1: to waylay and rob the mail cats, the messages will 162 00:09:12,000 --> 00:09:16,360 Speaker 1: be delivered with rapidity and safety. So and I don't 163 00:09:16,360 --> 00:09:18,840 Speaker 1: know about that actually, because one cat did make it 164 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:21,680 Speaker 1: from his home in less than five hours, but other 165 00:09:22,640 --> 00:09:25,880 Speaker 1: to a day to make it back to their own houses. 166 00:09:26,000 --> 00:09:29,800 Speaker 1: So yeah, the experiment was short lived. That's great. I 167 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:31,760 Speaker 1: don't know how we missed that one for that episode, 168 00:09:32,080 --> 00:09:35,040 Speaker 1: but thanks for bringing that one to our attention. Alright, mango, 169 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:36,960 Speaker 1: you get the last fact of the day. Yeah, it 170 00:09:36,960 --> 00:09:39,439 Speaker 1: feels like we're on a bit of a government trend 171 00:09:39,559 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 1: with like Belgium and Dowling Streets. I'm actually gonna do 172 00:09:43,160 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 1: one on Abe Lincoln. And this is a rumor I 173 00:09:46,520 --> 00:09:48,280 Speaker 1: had heard a while back that he was a huge 174 00:09:48,320 --> 00:09:51,160 Speaker 1: cat lover because his famous account of Mary Todd Lincoln 175 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:53,719 Speaker 1: getting asked if her husband had any hobbies and her 176 00:09:53,760 --> 00:09:57,439 Speaker 1: only answer was one word cats. But it turns out 177 00:09:57,480 --> 00:09:59,600 Speaker 1: there are actually other accounts of him liking cats as well. 178 00:09:59,640 --> 00:10:02,200 Speaker 1: And there's a Treasury official from the time, this guy 179 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:06,320 Speaker 1: Menzel be Field, and he wrote in his memoirs, President 180 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:10,680 Speaker 1: Lincoln quote possessed extraordinary kindness of heart when his feelings 181 00:10:10,679 --> 00:10:12,840 Speaker 1: could be reached, which sounds like a little bit of 182 00:10:12,840 --> 00:10:15,439 Speaker 1: shade there. But he also wrote he was fond of 183 00:10:15,520 --> 00:10:18,920 Speaker 1: dumb animals, especially cats. I've seen him fondle one for 184 00:10:18,960 --> 00:10:21,319 Speaker 1: an hour. I mean, of course, this is a time 185 00:10:21,360 --> 00:10:23,960 Speaker 1: before iPads an iPhone, so maybe people had more time 186 00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:27,600 Speaker 1: for their cats then. But but Lincoln was a cat lover. Wow, 187 00:10:27,800 --> 00:10:30,040 Speaker 1: I did not know that. Is that? Are you wearing 188 00:10:30,080 --> 00:10:34,720 Speaker 1: a cat shirt? I just noticed that under your jacket. 189 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:38,840 Speaker 1: That's impressive. I fig interesting. Couldn't be the only one. Yeah, Gabe, 190 00:10:38,880 --> 00:10:40,640 Speaker 1: I know you had some good facts, but I am 191 00:10:40,720 --> 00:10:42,760 Speaker 1: so thrown by this, knowing that Mango and I are 192 00:10:42,760 --> 00:10:45,280 Speaker 1: both dog lovers, and he's got a cat on his shirt. 193 00:10:45,920 --> 00:10:47,959 Speaker 1: So I think I'm gonna have to give him the 194 00:10:48,000 --> 00:10:50,760 Speaker 1: crown for this one. Is that okay? By you? Fair enough? 195 00:10:50,800 --> 00:10:53,760 Speaker 1: Fair enough? Alright? Well, it was great catching up with you, Gabe, 196 00:10:53,760 --> 00:10:55,520 Speaker 1: and thank you guys for listening. We'll be back with 197 00:10:55,559 --> 00:11:08,559 Speaker 1: a full length episode tomorrow.