1 00:00:03,120 --> 00:00:06,000 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind from how Stuff 2 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:14,159 Speaker 1: Works dot Com. Hey, welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind. 3 00:00:14,200 --> 00:00:16,840 Speaker 1: My name is Robert Lamb and I'm Julie Douglas. And 4 00:00:16,880 --> 00:00:21,160 Speaker 1: today we're talking about something very universal. Um, it's everywhere 5 00:00:21,320 --> 00:00:24,520 Speaker 1: in time and space. It leaks out of your face, 6 00:00:24,600 --> 00:00:30,280 Speaker 1: even an intentional r there. Yeah, it is a shared 7 00:00:30,440 --> 00:00:35,880 Speaker 1: emotional experience. Tears, it turns out, have quite a past, 8 00:00:36,240 --> 00:00:41,520 Speaker 1: as we'll discuss, and the earliest written record of tears 9 00:00:41,600 --> 00:00:45,239 Speaker 1: is found on cannonite clay tablets dating from the fourteenth 10 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:48,720 Speaker 1: century BC. Now, one of the fragments tells the story 11 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:52,159 Speaker 1: of the virgin goddess and not the sister of Ball 12 00:00:52,720 --> 00:00:54,920 Speaker 1: the earth god, and when she hears the news of 13 00:00:54,920 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: her brother's death to tell it says that she sated 14 00:00:58,200 --> 00:01:03,880 Speaker 1: herself with weeping to drink tears like wine. And it's 15 00:01:03,920 --> 00:01:07,400 Speaker 1: interesting that this first record that we have, or uh, 16 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:13,399 Speaker 1: this first written record of it, is detailing tears of grief. Yeah, 17 00:01:13,440 --> 00:01:16,280 Speaker 1: because that's that's the thing about about tears. They're obviously 18 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:21,280 Speaker 1: various types of tears. They're various connotations for weeping. I mean, 19 00:01:21,280 --> 00:01:24,759 Speaker 1: throughout human history we've seen good tears, bad tears, true tears, 20 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:28,280 Speaker 1: false tears, manly tears. Um. I think it was Dennis 21 00:01:28,360 --> 00:01:30,760 Speaker 1: Leary that had a stand up bit about the only 22 00:01:30,800 --> 00:01:33,200 Speaker 1: time it's acceptable for a man to cry, and this 23 00:01:33,280 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: is like the nineties to date. It was gearing, a 24 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:39,880 Speaker 1: sports movie in which the main character dies of some 25 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:43,520 Speaker 1: sort of illness. Um, and only then then, and only 26 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:46,440 Speaker 1: then is permissible. Only then is it permissible for Amanda 27 00:01:46,480 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 1: shed a tear, you know, other than being poked in 28 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:52,360 Speaker 1: the eye or maced or something. Obviously. But but that's 29 00:01:52,400 --> 00:01:53,920 Speaker 1: the thing about tears, and that's one of the reasons 30 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:56,560 Speaker 1: it makes for an interesting so of you to discuss here, 31 00:01:56,600 --> 00:02:00,320 Speaker 1: is because there's the purely biological aspect of there's the 32 00:02:00,360 --> 00:02:04,080 Speaker 1: emotional aspect of it. And what happens when we try 33 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:07,440 Speaker 1: and uh and untie all of this. Right, we're gonna 34 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:10,000 Speaker 1: look at that today and uh, first we're gonna look 35 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 1: toward Papa Darwin. Um. Now, in his book The Expression 36 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:18,359 Speaker 1: of Emotions in Man and Animals, Charles Darwin listed three 37 00:02:18,400 --> 00:02:21,320 Speaker 1: reasons for the secretion of tears. The first was pretty 38 00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 1: much about lubricating eyes. The second, he thought, was to 39 00:02:23,840 --> 00:02:27,519 Speaker 1: keep the nostrils damp quote so that the inhaled air 40 00:02:27,960 --> 00:02:31,360 Speaker 1: may be moist and likewise to favor the power of smelling. 41 00:02:31,400 --> 00:02:33,680 Speaker 1: And the third is to irrigate the eyes and flush 42 00:02:33,680 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: out small particles. Um. But it when it came to 43 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:42,440 Speaker 1: actual emotional crying, Darwin was a bit flum mixed. He said, quote, 44 00:02:42,480 --> 00:02:46,119 Speaker 1: we must look at weeping as an incidental result, as 45 00:02:46,200 --> 00:02:49,840 Speaker 1: purposeless as the secretion of tears from a blow outside 46 00:02:49,919 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 1: the eye. Okay, you know, and UH can sort of 47 00:02:54,600 --> 00:02:57,200 Speaker 1: see where he's coming from there. He's approaching this from 48 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:00,000 Speaker 1: a very biological standpoint and saying, all right, anything else 49 00:03:00,120 --> 00:03:04,080 Speaker 1: is just human garbage l haired over the basic machinery. Yeah, 50 00:03:04,080 --> 00:03:05,960 Speaker 1: it's kind of you know how Stephen Pinker will talk 51 00:03:06,000 --> 00:03:10,000 Speaker 1: about music as auditory cheesecake. It's almost like the tears 52 00:03:10,040 --> 00:03:14,880 Speaker 1: are the lachrymal cheesecake here cheesecake. Like yeah, and yeah, 53 00:03:14,919 --> 00:03:18,880 Speaker 1: there is. There are reasons for it existing on an 54 00:03:18,880 --> 00:03:23,760 Speaker 1: emotional level, and there are some really good theories out there. However, 55 00:03:24,320 --> 00:03:29,200 Speaker 1: there are some really far flung, uh wild ones too. Indeed, 56 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: I like to think that that Darwin. You know, he 57 00:03:31,760 --> 00:03:35,400 Speaker 1: goes as far as his scientific background allowed him to 58 00:03:35,760 --> 00:03:38,320 Speaker 1: in analyzing tears, and then he stopped. He stopped at 59 00:03:38,320 --> 00:03:41,080 Speaker 1: the edge of that dark forest of the unknown. Others 60 00:03:41,120 --> 00:03:45,000 Speaker 1: were very willing to just run willy nilly into the 61 00:03:45,040 --> 00:03:49,200 Speaker 1: forest with their their torches of of science and coming 62 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 1: up with their own sort of you know, crazy theories. Uh. 63 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 1: Particularly here, I'm talking about aquatic ape hypothesis or it's 64 00:03:56,200 --> 00:03:58,360 Speaker 1: also known as aquatic eight theory, and this was first 65 00:03:58,360 --> 00:04:02,920 Speaker 1: proposed by German pathologist Max Vestenhoffer in nine two. And 66 00:04:02,960 --> 00:04:05,680 Speaker 1: the basic idea here uh, and I believe we discussed 67 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:09,040 Speaker 1: this in our Mermaids episode of while back, is that 68 00:04:09,320 --> 00:04:13,320 Speaker 1: the evolutionary ancestors of modern humans adapted to a semi 69 00:04:13,360 --> 00:04:15,920 Speaker 1: aquatic existence at one point, so we took on various 70 00:04:15,960 --> 00:04:20,200 Speaker 1: aquatic features, and the theory holds we still see echoes 71 00:04:20,240 --> 00:04:23,560 Speaker 1: of those adaptations even in our modern form. Now, as 72 00:04:23,560 --> 00:04:27,240 Speaker 1: this relates to tears, the basic idea is that emotional 73 00:04:27,279 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 1: tears are seen only in humans and aquatic animals, and 74 00:04:30,000 --> 00:04:34,560 Speaker 1: they evolved as a system to excrete excess salt, because 75 00:04:34,640 --> 00:04:37,680 Speaker 1: again we're talking about aquatic ages living in a saltwater 76 00:04:37,800 --> 00:04:41,720 Speaker 1: environment according to this theory. So, uh, where this falls 77 00:04:41,760 --> 00:04:44,560 Speaker 1: apart and just you know, one key area here is 78 00:04:44,600 --> 00:04:47,200 Speaker 1: that while there is salt and human tears. There's not 79 00:04:47,320 --> 00:04:53,120 Speaker 1: enough to really uh make it a suitable primary excretory exercise. 80 00:04:53,360 --> 00:04:56,279 Speaker 1: The salt content is similar to blood plasma, so he 81 00:04:56,320 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 1: doesn't really shake out as as an example of oh 82 00:04:58,680 --> 00:05:01,800 Speaker 1: that's extra salt, leaving the so as interesting as the 83 00:05:01,839 --> 00:05:04,320 Speaker 1: aquatic eight theory as it doesn't really help us in 84 00:05:04,320 --> 00:05:09,239 Speaker 1: our understanding of the emotional side of tears. And adding 85 00:05:09,320 --> 00:05:12,840 Speaker 1: to all of this confusion is the cultural baggage that 86 00:05:12,920 --> 00:05:17,680 Speaker 1: tears carry, because in one era crying would have been 87 00:05:17,760 --> 00:05:21,400 Speaker 1: seen as pious or that kind of sensitivity. In another 88 00:05:21,520 --> 00:05:25,640 Speaker 1: era it would have looked like hysteria and weakness. And 89 00:05:26,320 --> 00:05:28,919 Speaker 1: I'll give you an example, um, or maybe even a 90 00:05:28,920 --> 00:05:32,120 Speaker 1: cultural example right now in which it's okay that male 91 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:36,280 Speaker 1: crying that you had talked about related to sports. Boris Johnson, 92 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:40,000 Speaker 1: the Mayor of London, recalled his quote hot tears of 93 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:45,480 Speaker 1: patriotic pride at the opening ceremony of the Summer Olympics, 94 00:05:46,040 --> 00:05:48,400 Speaker 1: and he also described the end of the games as 95 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 1: quote a tear sodden, juttering climax, which that carries a 96 00:05:54,400 --> 00:05:56,520 Speaker 1: lot of weight with it. Um. But on the opposite 97 00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:01,760 Speaker 1: end of the spectrum, if you look at psychiatric literature 98 00:06:01,800 --> 00:06:05,800 Speaker 1: of the late nineteenth century, public waterworks were really frowned upon. 99 00:06:05,839 --> 00:06:12,120 Speaker 1: In fact, it was referred to as emotional incontinent, So 100 00:06:12,200 --> 00:06:17,840 Speaker 1: basically peeing your face essentially like the the equivalent of 101 00:06:17,839 --> 00:06:21,000 Speaker 1: paying your pants in public. Is it's the same. Yeah yeah. 102 00:06:21,040 --> 00:06:24,960 Speaker 1: Tom Dixon, writing h an article called on tears, actually 103 00:06:25,000 --> 00:06:28,480 Speaker 1: says that there's a Yiddish term that the translation of 104 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:34,040 Speaker 1: crying is pissing out of your eyes. Yeah. Yeah. Moreover, 105 00:06:34,200 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 1: if you consult the Treatise of Melancholy, a six tome 106 00:06:39,200 --> 00:06:43,360 Speaker 1: written by English clergyman and physician Timothy Bright, you will 107 00:06:43,360 --> 00:06:46,839 Speaker 1: see him described tears as quote, a kind of excrement, 108 00:06:47,360 --> 00:06:51,960 Speaker 1: not much unlike urine. So the idea that's coming out 109 00:06:51,960 --> 00:06:56,080 Speaker 1: of this is that to crying in public is to 110 00:06:56,600 --> 00:07:01,440 Speaker 1: almost um yourself in public, and it's seen as a 111 00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:05,880 Speaker 1: weakness of vulnerability. Yeah, I mean, and we'll get into 112 00:07:06,120 --> 00:07:10,280 Speaker 1: some of that later, just the the the emotional um communication. 113 00:07:10,640 --> 00:07:12,200 Speaker 1: You know, what are you saying to the world around 114 00:07:12,200 --> 00:07:15,160 Speaker 1: you when you weep? So yeah, it's it's interesting to 115 00:07:15,320 --> 00:07:18,240 Speaker 1: see those those various places where it's acceptable at the 116 00:07:18,320 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 1: various times it's acceptable, But at the heart we're dealing 117 00:07:22,080 --> 00:07:25,240 Speaker 1: with the tear. Do we just have one type of tier? 118 00:07:25,480 --> 00:07:27,080 Speaker 1: Do we have two? Do we have three? Is the 119 00:07:27,280 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: is the the stuff itself the same? Yeah, let's look 120 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 1: at the tier itself. We produce about ten ounces of 121 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:36,920 Speaker 1: the stuff a day to help maintain our eyes. And 122 00:07:37,040 --> 00:07:40,080 Speaker 1: these tears fall into three different categories. So the first 123 00:07:41,000 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: is the basil tier. Now, this is a thin coating 124 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:47,840 Speaker 1: of three layers that helped keep dirt out and debris 125 00:07:47,840 --> 00:07:50,320 Speaker 1: in check. And the first layer is the mucous layer, 126 00:07:50,320 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 1: which keeps the tears in place. The second is the 127 00:07:53,800 --> 00:07:56,360 Speaker 1: aqueous layer that keeps the eyeballs hydrated, and then it 128 00:07:56,480 --> 00:08:00,440 Speaker 1: protects the cornea. And the third is the lip layer 129 00:08:00,560 --> 00:08:02,560 Speaker 1: that's a bit like an oil slick, and it keeps 130 00:08:02,560 --> 00:08:06,360 Speaker 1: things nice and smooth on the surface. Now, the second 131 00:08:06,600 --> 00:08:08,640 Speaker 1: kind of tear, this, this is where it gets even 132 00:08:08,720 --> 00:08:11,200 Speaker 1: more interesting when you look at the reflex tears, because 133 00:08:11,240 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 1: they are reacting and they're springing forth when they sense 134 00:08:14,520 --> 00:08:18,640 Speaker 1: an irritant and they come out in larger quantities. You've 135 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 1: probably noticed before if you've ever gotten something in your eye. 136 00:08:21,920 --> 00:08:25,560 Speaker 1: And the aqueous layer of these tears contains antibodies to 137 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 1: stop any microorganisms in their tracks. Now the third is 138 00:08:31,560 --> 00:08:37,400 Speaker 1: emotional tears, right, and emotional tears act as mood stabilizers, 139 00:08:37,400 --> 00:08:40,640 Speaker 1: and they contain higher levels of stress hormones like a 140 00:08:40,800 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 1: C t H which is cortisol and and suffling, which 141 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:48,880 Speaker 1: is an endorphin and a natural pain killer. So how 142 00:08:48,920 --> 00:08:54,439 Speaker 1: interesting that you are suffering from mental pain and you 143 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:58,320 Speaker 1: have a pain killer that's being released within your eyeball 144 00:08:58,880 --> 00:09:02,280 Speaker 1: and shedding worth and purging this out of your system. Huh. 145 00:09:02,440 --> 00:09:04,480 Speaker 1: So with the first two cases, you can kind of 146 00:09:04,480 --> 00:09:06,480 Speaker 1: think it as think of it as the tier as 147 00:09:06,520 --> 00:09:09,360 Speaker 1: security force. So you have your basic security force just 148 00:09:09,400 --> 00:09:11,480 Speaker 1: out there to keep the peace. Then you have additional 149 00:09:11,520 --> 00:09:13,960 Speaker 1: security force that comes in when things get a little hectic, 150 00:09:14,240 --> 00:09:16,440 Speaker 1: a little extra irritants in the eye. And then that 151 00:09:16,520 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 1: third area are kind of like at the grief counselors, 152 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:23,480 Speaker 1: the stress of UMM counselors that that that run out 153 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:26,640 Speaker 1: to the eyeball. Uh in times of emotional conflict. That's 154 00:09:26,679 --> 00:09:28,760 Speaker 1: absolutely correct, all right. So now that we have that covered, 155 00:09:28,760 --> 00:09:31,440 Speaker 1: we're gonna take the man hole off of the skin 156 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:34,800 Speaker 1: here and go underneath into the water works and look 157 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:38,160 Speaker 1: at the specifics. Yeah, grab raqel welch, grab donald pleasants, 158 00:09:38,200 --> 00:09:40,840 Speaker 1: grab coolio if you want. They think of it as 159 00:09:40,840 --> 00:09:43,800 Speaker 1: a fantastic voyage. If we were to climb into a 160 00:09:43,840 --> 00:09:48,240 Speaker 1: miniature submarine and enter through the eye, what would that 161 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:52,280 Speaker 1: consist of. Well, you have two small openings at your 162 00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:55,200 Speaker 1: disposal here when we call these the puncta. Uh, there's 163 00:09:55,200 --> 00:09:57,640 Speaker 1: one in your upper eyelid, the upper punctum, and then 164 00:09:57,679 --> 00:10:00,440 Speaker 1: the lower eyelid the lower punctum. Okay, and if you 165 00:10:00,480 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 1: look in the mirror you can see these. You can 166 00:10:02,320 --> 00:10:05,120 Speaker 1: you know, pry your eyeball, your eyelid back and notice 167 00:10:05,160 --> 00:10:07,160 Speaker 1: them there. Um, that's where you're gonna want to point 168 00:10:07,160 --> 00:10:11,319 Speaker 1: your submarine. Follow follow those, take either either out your choice, 169 00:10:11,360 --> 00:10:15,200 Speaker 1: and you'll swim through twin tubes called the canal kus uh. 170 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:19,640 Speaker 1: And these connect to a fabulous place, probably a vacation spot, 171 00:10:20,240 --> 00:10:24,120 Speaker 1: the lacrymal sack or the lachrymal lake as it's sometimes called. 172 00:10:24,440 --> 00:10:27,360 Speaker 1: All right, and uh, this is tiers central. Now if 173 00:10:27,360 --> 00:10:29,880 Speaker 1: you were to keep going, uh, there is the nasal 174 00:10:29,960 --> 00:10:34,240 Speaker 1: lacrymal duct that allows passage down into your nasal cavity. Um. 175 00:10:34,440 --> 00:10:37,720 Speaker 1: And and this is interesting to note too because if 176 00:10:37,720 --> 00:10:40,520 Speaker 1: you've ever been especially with emotional tears, but also just 177 00:10:40,760 --> 00:10:43,280 Speaker 1: uh in irritants. You see pictures of people who are 178 00:10:43,360 --> 00:10:46,480 Speaker 1: maced uh footage, and you know there's a lot of 179 00:10:46,679 --> 00:10:49,960 Speaker 1: nasal activity going on as well. So that the the 180 00:10:49,960 --> 00:10:53,439 Speaker 1: the the tear ducts and the nasal connection. Uh, it's 181 00:10:53,559 --> 00:10:55,439 Speaker 1: right there. Now, how did the tears come out? Well? 182 00:10:55,559 --> 00:10:59,480 Speaker 1: Blinking in capillary action, push the tears through the lacrimal 183 00:10:59,600 --> 00:11:02,800 Speaker 1: drainage system. Your lids move evenly across your eyes, and 184 00:11:02,840 --> 00:11:06,480 Speaker 1: the blinking pumps tears into the punkta and they're drawn 185 00:11:06,559 --> 00:11:11,360 Speaker 1: into the lachrymal sack down the nose, etcetera. I'm just 186 00:11:11,440 --> 00:11:15,079 Speaker 1: trying to think about if this would be helpful to 187 00:11:15,160 --> 00:11:17,600 Speaker 1: think about that whole process when you're trying to suppress tears. 188 00:11:17,640 --> 00:11:19,360 Speaker 1: Have you ever been in that situation where were like, 189 00:11:19,440 --> 00:11:22,920 Speaker 1: I feel them coming, you're not getting out. Maybe if 190 00:11:22,960 --> 00:11:25,400 Speaker 1: you could slow it down and even just imagine that 191 00:11:25,559 --> 00:11:28,040 Speaker 1: lachrymal way can say, Okay, we are not taking from 192 00:11:28,040 --> 00:11:31,280 Speaker 1: that lake. It needs to keep its reserves. Yeah, but 193 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:34,160 Speaker 1: the water levels rising in there and the damn is 194 00:11:34,160 --> 00:11:37,120 Speaker 1: going to overflow it way it may all right, We're 195 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:38,800 Speaker 1: gonna take a quick break. When we get back, we're 196 00:11:38,800 --> 00:11:49,560 Speaker 1: going to talk about good crimes come back, Frond, All right, 197 00:11:49,600 --> 00:11:51,600 Speaker 1: we're back. Why cry? Why do it? Well, as we've 198 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:54,400 Speaker 1: already touched upon. Uh. Of course, part of it is 199 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:56,559 Speaker 1: just you always have tears in your eyes. If you 200 00:11:56,640 --> 00:11:59,000 Speaker 1: had somebody that was so much of that, they never 201 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:02,280 Speaker 1: had tiers, they would their eyes would dry out and 202 00:12:02,320 --> 00:12:05,160 Speaker 1: fall out of their heads. Right. But the second area 203 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:08,760 Speaker 1: environmental stimuli that are causing the tears to well up. 204 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:11,760 Speaker 1: Various irritants can cause the eye to to well up 205 00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:15,679 Speaker 1: with tears, dirt, smoke, the fumes of an onion, uh, 206 00:12:16,240 --> 00:12:20,240 Speaker 1: an eyelash, a troublesome contact lens. Um. We've all had 207 00:12:20,600 --> 00:12:22,960 Speaker 1: had good cases where it's just that sometimes it's something 208 00:12:22,960 --> 00:12:24,800 Speaker 1: you can't even tell what it was, Just some sort 209 00:12:24,800 --> 00:12:27,280 Speaker 1: of speck of dust floating around in the air gets 210 00:12:27,280 --> 00:12:31,240 Speaker 1: in there and suddenly it's, uh, it's gushing. Also, cold days, 211 00:12:31,320 --> 00:12:34,840 Speaker 1: windy days, you'll notice some extra tears in there because 212 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,480 Speaker 1: the tears also protect those eyes from getting too dry. 213 00:12:37,960 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 1: So that's an area when you'll see some sort of 214 00:12:40,160 --> 00:12:43,640 Speaker 1: weepy eyes on cold days. Right. And then finally, allergies, 215 00:12:43,840 --> 00:12:47,880 Speaker 1: infections like cold pink eye notice of course, known as 216 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:51,200 Speaker 1: conjunctive itus, inflammations of the eye are going to cause 217 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:53,720 Speaker 1: it to become watery, as well as any kind of 218 00:12:53,840 --> 00:12:57,599 Speaker 1: physical assault of your of your of your eyes is 219 00:12:57,640 --> 00:12:59,440 Speaker 1: can also reduce in tears if you get poked in 220 00:12:59,440 --> 00:13:05,640 Speaker 1: the eye accidentally or intentionally. Now, in terms of emotional crying, 221 00:13:05,960 --> 00:13:08,760 Speaker 1: we all have had that moment before where we've cried 222 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:10,920 Speaker 1: and it felt great and we moved on. It was 223 00:13:10,960 --> 00:13:13,360 Speaker 1: this release, and then we've all had that moment to 224 00:13:13,400 --> 00:13:17,520 Speaker 1: where you've cried and we actually felt worse afterwards. And 225 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:21,440 Speaker 1: researchers at the University of South Florida they were interested 226 00:13:21,480 --> 00:13:24,880 Speaker 1: in finding out what makes a good cry good and 227 00:13:24,960 --> 00:13:29,240 Speaker 1: bad cry bad. And they looked at three thousand crying 228 00:13:29,440 --> 00:13:33,560 Speaker 1: related experiments, and you know, initially they said, Okay, a 229 00:13:33,559 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 1: lot of this has to do with the circumstance at 230 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:38,480 Speaker 1: the time, who the person is, what they're doing, why 231 00:13:38,520 --> 00:13:42,120 Speaker 1: they're crying. But they did did tease out some more 232 00:13:42,240 --> 00:13:47,400 Speaker 1: universal insights into this, like the majority of respondents reported 233 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:51,080 Speaker 1: improvements in their mood following about of crying. However, one 234 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:56,000 Speaker 1: third reported no improvement, in a tenth felt worse after crying. 235 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:58,600 Speaker 1: So they drilled down a little bit more to figure 236 00:13:58,600 --> 00:14:01,880 Speaker 1: out what was going on there. And they found out 237 00:14:02,000 --> 00:14:06,160 Speaker 1: that those who cried and received support during their crying 238 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:10,360 Speaker 1: episode were the most likely to report improvements and mood 239 00:14:10,880 --> 00:14:14,000 Speaker 1: as opposed to those who were alone, and especially those 240 00:14:14,040 --> 00:14:17,560 Speaker 1: who were in a lab setting alone being videotaped, because 241 00:14:17,559 --> 00:14:22,680 Speaker 1: then you bring up perhaps emotions like shame and embarrassment. Now, 242 00:14:22,760 --> 00:14:27,680 Speaker 1: the other findings crying caused increased heart rate and sweating, 243 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,160 Speaker 1: but the calming effect like slow breathing, well, that out 244 00:14:31,160 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 1: trumped everything else, and that lasted much longer than the 245 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:38,760 Speaker 1: other negative effects. And those that ten percent that felt 246 00:14:38,800 --> 00:14:42,280 Speaker 1: really terrible afterwards. Um, those people tend to be uh, 247 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:46,240 Speaker 1: people with anxiety or mood disorders, and there of course 248 00:14:46,320 --> 00:14:49,720 Speaker 1: least likely to experience positive effects of crying. In addition, 249 00:14:49,760 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 1: and I thought that was just really interesting, this bit. Um. 250 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:56,720 Speaker 1: The researchers report that people who lack insight into their 251 00:14:56,800 --> 00:15:00,640 Speaker 1: emotional lives, now this is a condition known as a exthemia, 252 00:15:01,400 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 1: actually feel worse after crying. And the idea is that 253 00:15:05,280 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 1: for these people, they lack the emotional insight um into 254 00:15:11,200 --> 00:15:14,239 Speaker 1: a situation, and that could prevent the kind of cognitive 255 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:17,560 Speaker 1: change required for a sad experience to be transformed into 256 00:15:17,640 --> 00:15:21,080 Speaker 1: something positive. Okay, So again, if you think of it 257 00:15:21,080 --> 00:15:24,120 Speaker 1: as sending in the grief counselors, sending in the stress counselors, 258 00:15:24,240 --> 00:15:26,160 Speaker 1: if there's some sort of breakdown in your ability to 259 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:31,000 Speaker 1: actually reflect and crunch that information, then I can see 260 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:34,160 Speaker 1: where you would lose that therapeutic effect. Yeah, because we've 261 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:37,000 Speaker 1: talked about this before. When you are trying to get 262 00:15:37,120 --> 00:15:40,520 Speaker 1: through a difficult or painful situation, a lot of times 263 00:15:40,560 --> 00:15:43,400 Speaker 1: you have to have the ability to reframe it. And 264 00:15:43,480 --> 00:15:46,480 Speaker 1: you can only reframe it if you have insights into 265 00:15:46,520 --> 00:15:49,920 Speaker 1: the problem that you can come back to and say, Okay, 266 00:15:50,040 --> 00:15:53,200 Speaker 1: I have a different perspective on this, um. But if 267 00:15:53,200 --> 00:15:55,880 Speaker 1: you have this condition that you just can't have that 268 00:15:56,000 --> 00:15:59,520 Speaker 1: moment that catharsis that would allow you that the idea 269 00:15:59,600 --> 00:16:02,840 Speaker 1: that that of weeping uncontrollable, almost as if you've lost 270 00:16:02,840 --> 00:16:06,560 Speaker 1: control of your your your bladder or your bowels. Right. Uh. Well, 271 00:16:06,640 --> 00:16:11,280 Speaker 1: there is one condition, an actual condition known as pseudo 272 00:16:11,320 --> 00:16:14,880 Speaker 1: bulbar effect or p d a UM, which is also 273 00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:18,760 Speaker 1: sometimes known as emotional incontinence, and according to MPR, two 274 00:16:18,760 --> 00:16:22,000 Speaker 1: million people in the US actually suffer from this. Uh. 275 00:16:22,040 --> 00:16:25,440 Speaker 1: It is a neurological disorder. I want to stress that 276 00:16:25,520 --> 00:16:28,120 Speaker 1: where it's Uh, it's neurological and nature. It's not an 277 00:16:28,120 --> 00:16:31,600 Speaker 1: emotional issue. It's all in the wiring of your brain 278 00:16:32,160 --> 00:16:36,560 Speaker 1: UM and it's characterized by involuntary crying, uncontrollable episodes of crying, 279 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:39,480 Speaker 1: and occasionally it spills over into areas of laughter as well. 280 00:16:39,520 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 1: But it occurs when disease or injury UH cause a 281 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:47,120 Speaker 1: malfunction in the brain circuit involved in expression of emotion. 282 00:16:47,280 --> 00:16:50,000 Speaker 1: So we're talking about it appearing is a symptom of 283 00:16:50,080 --> 00:16:56,200 Speaker 1: multiple sclerosis, a LS, Alzheimer's, parkinson stroke, traumatic brain injury, 284 00:16:56,480 --> 00:17:00,440 Speaker 1: and the outburst can often be very disturbing and erassing 285 00:17:00,480 --> 00:17:03,360 Speaker 1: to the person UH that's afflicted with it. UH. It 286 00:17:03,360 --> 00:17:06,639 Speaker 1: can hit like a seizure, lasting for seconds or minutes, 287 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:10,080 Speaker 1: and it can happen several times of day. So it's 288 00:17:10,160 --> 00:17:12,960 Speaker 1: a Again, it's quite an ordeal to have to suffer 289 00:17:12,960 --> 00:17:15,320 Speaker 1: through it as a symptom of a greater disease. But 290 00:17:15,720 --> 00:17:18,080 Speaker 1: it's interesting that there there is a treatment for an 291 00:17:18,119 --> 00:17:22,200 Speaker 1: FDA approved treatment out there called dextro metamorphine, a key 292 00:17:22,359 --> 00:17:25,199 Speaker 1: ingredient in cough medicine and the one that leads to 293 00:17:25,320 --> 00:17:28,600 Speaker 1: recreational use of cough medicine in so called robo tripping, 294 00:17:29,359 --> 00:17:31,480 Speaker 1: which we do not encourage you to do, and it's 295 00:17:31,560 --> 00:17:34,920 Speaker 1: used here in treating p B A. Actually came out 296 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:37,679 Speaker 1: of its out of researchers exploring its potential use as 297 00:17:37,720 --> 00:17:39,879 Speaker 1: an A L S treatment. It actually didn't help in 298 00:17:39,920 --> 00:17:41,680 Speaker 1: the treatment of A L S. But while they were 299 00:17:41,680 --> 00:17:45,000 Speaker 1: exploring the options here, they observed that it cut down 300 00:17:45,200 --> 00:17:49,240 Speaker 1: on emotional outbursts in A L S patients that were 301 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:52,440 Speaker 1: also suffering from p p A as a symptom. Now 302 00:17:52,480 --> 00:17:55,600 Speaker 1: that's a scenario in which the person cannot help themselves. 303 00:17:55,600 --> 00:17:59,639 Speaker 1: They are not trying to cry on purpose. Obviously the 304 00:17:59,720 --> 00:18:03,760 Speaker 1: wires are crossed. But if you look at Dutch psychologist 305 00:18:03,840 --> 00:18:06,800 Speaker 1: ad vinger Hoots work, he says that if you're someone 306 00:18:06,800 --> 00:18:09,119 Speaker 1: who does not suffer from that in your crying, it 307 00:18:09,200 --> 00:18:13,680 Speaker 1: could be a kind of social signaling. Um. He calls 308 00:18:14,040 --> 00:18:18,800 Speaker 1: tears highly symbolic, and he and psychiatrist John Bilby point 309 00:18:18,960 --> 00:18:24,400 Speaker 1: to the early childhood mother child bond at play, in 310 00:18:24,440 --> 00:18:27,280 Speaker 1: which he says that you know, crying plays a really 311 00:18:27,520 --> 00:18:32,920 Speaker 1: critical role because it communicates suffering in an engender's empathy. So, 312 00:18:33,520 --> 00:18:39,360 Speaker 1: from an evolutionary biology perspective, Fingerhoots is basically saying that crying, 313 00:18:40,040 --> 00:18:44,520 Speaker 1: shedding a couple of tears is far safer um for 314 00:18:44,560 --> 00:18:50,520 Speaker 1: our ancestors, right then crying out, which a predator might hear. 315 00:18:51,680 --> 00:18:55,600 Speaker 1: You know, a silent tear falling can communicate to any 316 00:18:55,680 --> 00:18:58,840 Speaker 1: member of someone's family that they are suffering in their 317 00:18:58,880 --> 00:19:01,639 Speaker 1: own need of help. So he's coming at it from 318 00:19:01,760 --> 00:19:05,679 Speaker 1: that perspective. And to support this, he points to the 319 00:19:05,880 --> 00:19:10,960 Speaker 1: enlarged visual cortex and humans and primates. Now, this part 320 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:14,240 Speaker 1: of the brain is something that allows us to read 321 00:19:14,359 --> 00:19:18,440 Speaker 1: really subtle um facial signaling in the face, whether it's 322 00:19:18,440 --> 00:19:22,160 Speaker 1: a micro expression blushing or tears. So he says that 323 00:19:22,240 --> 00:19:25,399 Speaker 1: you know, tears part and parcel of this kind of 324 00:19:25,720 --> 00:19:30,680 Speaker 1: um arsenal of ways that you can nonverbally communicate what's 325 00:19:30,720 --> 00:19:34,040 Speaker 1: going on emotionally, and it is an instant communication. I mean, 326 00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:36,520 Speaker 1: you see somebody on the on the train and they've 327 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:39,640 Speaker 1: done some tears in your eyes, are instantly at least curious, 328 00:19:39,640 --> 00:19:43,160 Speaker 1: if not compassionate for that individual. Even with my my 329 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:45,480 Speaker 1: my son two going on three, Like he sees another 330 00:19:45,520 --> 00:19:49,560 Speaker 1: kid crying, he instantly like starts asking questions like what happened? 331 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:51,840 Speaker 1: What happened? To that boy, you know, and and uh 332 00:19:52,280 --> 00:19:55,359 Speaker 1: and and so I definitely, I definitely buy into some 333 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:59,040 Speaker 1: of these ideas of the social communication of tears. Yeah, 334 00:19:59,040 --> 00:20:02,400 Speaker 1: and Fingerhot said that if you look at people who 335 00:20:02,520 --> 00:20:05,800 Speaker 1: are watching a Hollywood tear jerker in the studies that 336 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:09,440 Speaker 1: he's conducted, when they're doing this with a friend, they 337 00:20:09,480 --> 00:20:12,359 Speaker 1: tend to cry and then have an improvement in mood 338 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:15,879 Speaker 1: or report an improvement in mood. But when they watched 339 00:20:15,880 --> 00:20:19,560 Speaker 1: the tear jerker alone, there's no improvement in mood or 340 00:20:19,600 --> 00:20:24,080 Speaker 1: overall in his findings. So that again points to his 341 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:27,720 Speaker 1: idea that this could be social signaling, because if there's 342 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:29,399 Speaker 1: no one around to see it, it's kind of like 343 00:20:29,400 --> 00:20:33,320 Speaker 1: a tree falling in the woods. I'm I'm I'm sadden 344 00:20:33,400 --> 00:20:35,560 Speaker 1: that the study didn't go into look what happens when 345 00:20:35,680 --> 00:20:39,639 Speaker 1: you shed tears for a piece of media that you 346 00:20:39,960 --> 00:20:41,879 Speaker 1: do not want to make you cry? You know what 347 00:20:41,880 --> 00:20:45,760 Speaker 1: I'm saying? Like example, well, okay, to be a pieces 348 00:20:45,760 --> 00:20:48,639 Speaker 1: of media that I instantly can remember having shed a 349 00:20:48,680 --> 00:20:51,800 Speaker 1: tear got a little worked up over um In Madmen, 350 00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:54,560 Speaker 1: there was a character death in there that that that 351 00:20:54,680 --> 00:20:56,960 Speaker 1: was really emotional and that that that really choked me. Up, 352 00:20:57,000 --> 00:20:59,080 Speaker 1: and I was like, all right, madman, you're a great show, 353 00:20:59,119 --> 00:21:02,520 Speaker 1: you're well put together. I'm totally okay with you tinkering 354 00:21:02,560 --> 00:21:05,760 Speaker 1: with my emotion. But then then once and this was 355 00:21:05,840 --> 00:21:08,399 Speaker 1: not like heavy weeping or anything, but I was watching 356 00:21:08,400 --> 00:21:10,720 Speaker 1: Sons of Anarchy and uh, and I had and I 357 00:21:10,760 --> 00:21:12,520 Speaker 1: had a little tear crop card on my face and 358 00:21:12,520 --> 00:21:14,879 Speaker 1: I'm like, Sons of Anarchy, you did not get to 359 00:21:14,880 --> 00:21:18,119 Speaker 1: make me cry, but you know, kudos you managed to 360 00:21:18,160 --> 00:21:20,520 Speaker 1: do it. But I feel like they're there are other 361 00:21:20,560 --> 00:21:22,639 Speaker 1: cases of that. Have you ever had that happened to 362 00:21:22,640 --> 00:21:25,280 Speaker 1: you where the media maybe it's your mood or something, 363 00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:28,160 Speaker 1: the media gets into you when you really would rather 364 00:21:28,200 --> 00:21:31,320 Speaker 1: it not to have that power over your emotion. Yeah, 365 00:21:31,440 --> 00:21:35,240 Speaker 1: it's when it's usually more of a modeling moments that 366 00:21:35,320 --> 00:21:38,880 Speaker 1: don't normally buy into this sort of you know, saccharine, 367 00:21:38,960 --> 00:21:44,119 Speaker 1: sugary moments that that feel, um, not very authentic, And 368 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:46,320 Speaker 1: every once in a while it'll it'll catch me unawares. 369 00:21:46,440 --> 00:21:51,880 Speaker 1: Why am I crying about this Lifetime special? I'm just kidding, um, 370 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:54,040 Speaker 1: But you know, some sort of piece of media that 371 00:21:54,080 --> 00:21:58,199 Speaker 1: doesn't feel like it's earned it, you know, Yeah, like 372 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:02,959 Speaker 1: you don't get my tears um and which you know 373 00:22:03,240 --> 00:22:06,200 Speaker 1: makes you kind of wonder, are we the only animals? 374 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:10,240 Speaker 1: Are we the only organisms on this earth who cry emotionally? 375 00:22:10,480 --> 00:22:14,120 Speaker 1: And you know, the the jury is still out on this. 376 00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:18,040 Speaker 1: We know that other animals cry, just not emotionally. So 377 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:22,080 Speaker 1: we're talking about apes and elephants, even camels um. Last year, 378 00:22:22,119 --> 00:22:25,280 Speaker 1: Discovery News reported on a spate of elephants who were 379 00:22:25,320 --> 00:22:30,680 Speaker 1: observed to cry after traumatic events. For instance, quote rescuers 380 00:22:30,720 --> 00:22:33,640 Speaker 1: of a male elephant brutally abused for fifty years in 381 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:36,600 Speaker 1: India claimed that after the chains and spikes were removed 382 00:22:36,600 --> 00:22:41,680 Speaker 1: from elephant Raju's legs, tear streamed down its face. And 383 00:22:41,880 --> 00:22:45,920 Speaker 1: animal behaviorist Mark beck Off says that some mammals may 384 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:49,879 Speaker 1: cry due to a loss of contact comfort and that 385 00:22:49,920 --> 00:22:52,800 Speaker 1: this could be a hardwired response to not feeling touch. 386 00:22:53,520 --> 00:22:58,800 Speaker 1: So he's parsing at out more in physicality and physiology, 387 00:22:59,000 --> 00:23:03,760 Speaker 1: but that sort of boils down to emotional crying, right, 388 00:23:03,880 --> 00:23:07,959 Speaker 1: because if touch is soothing, and soothing is playing into 389 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:12,480 Speaker 1: your emotional response, well then they're all connected. That being said, 390 00:23:14,160 --> 00:23:17,639 Speaker 1: the jury is out. You know, at the top of 391 00:23:17,680 --> 00:23:21,000 Speaker 1: this episode, you mentioned the drinking of tears like fine wine. 392 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:24,960 Speaker 1: And uh is we're discussing the animal world, and we 393 00:23:25,320 --> 00:23:28,520 Speaker 1: really need to point out that you do find tier 394 00:23:28,640 --> 00:23:33,800 Speaker 1: vampires in the world, um specifically tear feeding moths and butterflies. 395 00:23:33,840 --> 00:23:37,240 Speaker 1: You'll find these in Africa, Asia, South American and they 396 00:23:37,240 --> 00:23:40,440 Speaker 1: mainly feed on large blasted animals such as a deer 397 00:23:40,560 --> 00:23:43,679 Speaker 1: and antelope, a crocodile. They getting close, they drink some 398 00:23:43,720 --> 00:23:46,000 Speaker 1: of that moist goodness, uh, you know, as if it 399 00:23:46,040 --> 00:23:47,880 Speaker 1: were morning dew, and then they get out of there. 400 00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:50,360 Speaker 1: I mean, why not. It's there, it's it's liquid, it's drinkable, 401 00:23:50,600 --> 00:23:53,520 Speaker 1: Drink it if you can, and get out before something happens. 402 00:23:54,160 --> 00:23:59,080 Speaker 1: But the most interesting of the tier vampires is actually 403 00:23:59,080 --> 00:24:03,399 Speaker 1: a species of off in Madagascar discovered in two thousand six, 404 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:07,000 Speaker 1: and it drinks the tears of sleeping birds. And the 405 00:24:07,280 --> 00:24:12,760 Speaker 1: name of the species is mcreadtoids hieroglyphica. I do like 406 00:24:12,800 --> 00:24:17,200 Speaker 1: the hieroglyphic part. It does, it does, And as you'll 407 00:24:17,240 --> 00:24:19,959 Speaker 1: see this, this is a creature that has some significant 408 00:24:20,000 --> 00:24:22,560 Speaker 1: panache when it comes to stealing some tears. It's a 409 00:24:22,600 --> 00:24:27,359 Speaker 1: delicate theft that involves a specialized harpoon like probiscus that 410 00:24:27,400 --> 00:24:31,160 Speaker 1: they insert under the eyelid of the sleeping magpie robins 411 00:24:31,200 --> 00:24:34,320 Speaker 1: and Newtonian birds. And then this hooks into place, and 412 00:24:34,400 --> 00:24:38,600 Speaker 1: scientists dur eniture if there is some sort of chemical 413 00:24:38,760 --> 00:24:41,639 Speaker 1: compound going on here as well to deaden the sensation 414 00:24:41,720 --> 00:24:44,520 Speaker 1: of those hooks. But they don't perceive them right. But 415 00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:46,960 Speaker 1: at any rate, they hook into place without probiscus, and 416 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:50,080 Speaker 1: then they slurp away at some tears and they think 417 00:24:50,119 --> 00:24:52,239 Speaker 1: this is probably to make up for a lack of 418 00:24:52,280 --> 00:24:54,680 Speaker 1: salt in their diet, because we mentioned earlier there is 419 00:24:54,720 --> 00:24:58,200 Speaker 1: salt and tears about the same that you'll find in plasma. Uh, 420 00:24:58,280 --> 00:24:59,959 Speaker 1: they drink it up and may get out of their 421 00:25:00,440 --> 00:25:06,359 Speaker 1: and uh it's it's amazing, So kudos Hieroglyphica stealthy stuff there. 422 00:25:06,760 --> 00:25:10,320 Speaker 1: Now those are a kind of vampire praying on tears. Um, 423 00:25:10,320 --> 00:25:16,480 Speaker 1: but could you prey on tears blood? Oh? You you 424 00:25:16,520 --> 00:25:18,639 Speaker 1: would have to be very you could. You have to 425 00:25:18,680 --> 00:25:21,960 Speaker 1: be a very specialized vampire. And as we discussed in 426 00:25:22,000 --> 00:25:25,360 Speaker 1: our episode on vampire bats and the evolution of vampire bats, 427 00:25:25,359 --> 00:25:29,280 Speaker 1: that's already a pretty pretty rough road as it is. Yeah, 428 00:25:29,359 --> 00:25:34,080 Speaker 1: if you suffer from a very rare disorder called hemolacrea, 429 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:37,680 Speaker 1: which causes tears that are partially or entirely made of blood. 430 00:25:38,119 --> 00:25:41,200 Speaker 1: I urge you not to hang out near a livestock, 431 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:44,760 Speaker 1: particularly in South America, because that is where a vampire 432 00:25:44,880 --> 00:25:49,560 Speaker 1: bat may detect those tears. Indeed, now we've known about 433 00:25:49,960 --> 00:25:53,919 Speaker 1: this condition for fair while. You'll see accounts of it, 434 00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:58,800 Speaker 1: uh from a sixteenth century Italian physician Antonio Brassavola. He 435 00:25:58,840 --> 00:26:01,399 Speaker 1: wrote about teaching a nut who wrote about treating a 436 00:26:01,480 --> 00:26:05,000 Speaker 1: nun who wept bloody tears when she was menstruating. Modern 437 00:26:05,040 --> 00:26:08,320 Speaker 1: film fans probably remember this best as UH one of 438 00:26:08,359 --> 00:26:13,359 Speaker 1: the quirks of Bond Villain the Chief in two thousand 439 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:16,679 Speaker 1: six Casino Royale, played by Mad's Mickelson. He would have 440 00:26:16,760 --> 00:26:18,439 Speaker 1: a little a little bit of blood that would come 441 00:26:18,440 --> 00:26:22,080 Speaker 1: out of his eye there at particularly poignant moments of 442 00:26:22,119 --> 00:26:26,200 Speaker 1: the narrative. Um. But in most cases, what we're dealing 443 00:26:26,280 --> 00:26:29,199 Speaker 1: with here, uh, it's you're talking about it being a 444 00:26:29,240 --> 00:26:32,159 Speaker 1: symptom of a head injury, a tumor, a blood clot, 445 00:26:32,520 --> 00:26:35,760 Speaker 1: a tear in the tear duct um, a common infection 446 00:26:35,840 --> 00:26:39,160 Speaker 1: such as conjunctive ittis pink i that causes the bloody 447 00:26:39,280 --> 00:26:42,960 Speaker 1: tear to well up. Now, there are other cases that 448 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:45,399 Speaker 1: have shown up over the years, even in recent years 449 00:26:45,600 --> 00:26:48,640 Speaker 1: there too in Tennessee that that popped up where it's 450 00:26:48,760 --> 00:26:50,320 Speaker 1: it's a little harder to get to the truth of 451 00:26:50,440 --> 00:26:52,359 Speaker 1: and part of it is when you we took you 452 00:26:52,359 --> 00:26:55,520 Speaker 1: through the tear duct and uh, it's there's a lot 453 00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:58,360 Speaker 1: of very small mechanisms going on there. So it's difficult 454 00:26:58,359 --> 00:27:00,679 Speaker 1: to really get in there and do a size study 455 00:27:00,720 --> 00:27:04,080 Speaker 1: in all these cases. But um, for the most part, 456 00:27:04,080 --> 00:27:09,080 Speaker 1: we are talking about injuries and uh, inflammations and infections. Uh, 457 00:27:09,400 --> 00:27:13,840 Speaker 1: there are outline cases that scientists continue to explore. But 458 00:27:13,920 --> 00:27:18,920 Speaker 1: can you imagine before science did explore this phenomenon would 459 00:27:18,920 --> 00:27:22,280 Speaker 1: have looked other worldly to people? Oh indeed, I mean 460 00:27:22,400 --> 00:27:25,639 Speaker 1: just that we already have so much and we've already 461 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:28,399 Speaker 1: built up so much supernatural wonder about blood and then 462 00:27:28,800 --> 00:27:32,679 Speaker 1: the fair amount of of wondering on mysticism about tears, 463 00:27:32,680 --> 00:27:34,520 Speaker 1: and have the two come together as one. I mean, 464 00:27:34,600 --> 00:27:36,920 Speaker 1: that's crazy. What's gonna happen next? Are they gonna sweat 465 00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:40,240 Speaker 1: blood too? Well, if you're hippo, right, although it's not 466 00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:42,879 Speaker 1: actual blood, right, but but yeah, but even that, the 467 00:27:42,920 --> 00:27:46,080 Speaker 1: early early analysts looked at that and like, what's happening here. 468 00:27:46,080 --> 00:27:48,639 Speaker 1: It's blood. What's why? Is the creature the creature of 469 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:56,080 Speaker 1: Sado massacust I don't know, devil creature? Alright, guys, If 470 00:27:56,119 --> 00:27:59,399 Speaker 1: you want to look further into crying, how stuff Works 471 00:27:59,400 --> 00:28:02,160 Speaker 1: has an article called how Crying Works. Check it out. 472 00:28:02,600 --> 00:28:06,240 Speaker 1: It's real tier jerker for sure. Nice yeah, and hey, 473 00:28:06,320 --> 00:28:09,920 Speaker 1: for the rest of what we've been doing over the years, here, 474 00:28:10,000 --> 00:28:11,920 Speaker 1: come on over to step to bow your Mind dot com. 475 00:28:11,960 --> 00:28:14,760 Speaker 1: That's our mothership. That's where we'll find all the podcast episodes, 476 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:18,240 Speaker 1: blog post videos, links out to our social media accounts, 477 00:28:18,280 --> 00:28:21,359 Speaker 1: you name it. And if you have thoughts on ocular 478 00:28:21,480 --> 00:28:25,040 Speaker 1: ejaculations let us know. You can email us at blow 479 00:28:25,080 --> 00:28:30,360 Speaker 1: the Mind at how stuff works dot com. For more 480 00:28:30,400 --> 00:28:33,040 Speaker 1: on this and thousands of other topics, visit how stuff 481 00:28:33,040 --> 00:28:39,640 Speaker 1: works dot com.