WEBVTT - Short Stuff: Mexican Jumping Beans

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<v Speaker 1>Hey, and welcome to the Short Stuff. I'm Josh. There's Chuck.

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<v Speaker 1>There's other Josh over there, and this is short stuff.

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<v Speaker 1>Getty up down, Mexico Away, Chuck. Yeah, if you're wondering

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<v Speaker 1>where Jerry is, she's fine. We just she's out for

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<v Speaker 1>a couple of weeks, and we happen to be recording

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<v Speaker 1>a lot those couple of weeks. So in podcasts years,

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<v Speaker 1>it probably feels like Jerry's has been out for months

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<v Speaker 1>and months. Yeah, not true. It's not the case. Just

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<v Speaker 1>two months. No, she's doing great. But really, everyone pray

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<v Speaker 1>for her. Right, that's a pretty good check. That was

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<v Speaker 1>very nice to think. Jerry's gonna appreciate this if she

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<v Speaker 1>ever hears it. Not a chance. So when you were

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<v Speaker 1>a kid, did you were you aware of the idea

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<v Speaker 1>of something called Mexican jumping beans? Yes, okay, so was.

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<v Speaker 1>I think probably from like cartoons or something like that.

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<v Speaker 1>And I'm not sure if I assume that they actually existed.

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<v Speaker 1>Did did you think they existed? I don't remember when

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<v Speaker 1>I first saw them. Oh wow, you still never seen them,

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<v Speaker 1>have you? No? I never had. I've seen them on

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<v Speaker 1>the YouTube, so that's it. Yeah, I've seen him in

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<v Speaker 1>person at some point, And I don't know if it

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<v Speaker 1>was just because you know, you can buy them in

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<v Speaker 1>a little uh souvenir packs and stuff like that. So

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<v Speaker 1>I don't know if I saw him when I was

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<v Speaker 1>a kid or when I was an adult and finally

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<v Speaker 1>went to Mexico. I don't know, but I've seen him before. Well,

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<v Speaker 1>there was like a glory day in the in the sixties,

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<v Speaker 1>I think, where you could walk into like a KB

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<v Speaker 1>toy store in the United States and find Mexican jumping

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<v Speaker 1>beans for sale, the golden Age of Mexican jumping beans.

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<v Speaker 1>That's right, But I guess we just kind of spoiled

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<v Speaker 1>it if you were, you know, aware of Mexican jumping

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<v Speaker 1>beans and thought they were just kind of made up

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<v Speaker 1>like snipe ponting or jackalopes or whatever. No, they're actually

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<v Speaker 1>for real. Chuck can verify that. But the thing about

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<v Speaker 1>them is they're not actually beans um their seeds, but

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<v Speaker 1>they do actually move and kind of jump a little bit,

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<v Speaker 1>move around at least on their own. And for a

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<v Speaker 1>while at first, no one really had any idea what

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<v Speaker 1>the heck was going on. We just knew that it

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<v Speaker 1>was kind of cool to watch and a little thrilling,

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<v Speaker 1>especially before the television and even really before radio. This

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<v Speaker 1>is what people did. They stood around and watch being

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<v Speaker 1>roll around on their own or like ant farms or

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<v Speaker 1>police circuses. Yeah, simpler people. So they should have just

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<v Speaker 1>called them Mexican jumping seeds, because that's just as good

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<v Speaker 1>to me. I don't know why the bean made it

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<v Speaker 1>more marketable. Necessarily, maybe because they look like beans. I

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<v Speaker 1>don't know, I don't know. I mean their seeds. They

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<v Speaker 1>should just call them that. Hey, asqua Keene Hernandez, the

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<v Speaker 1>jumping being king, he could tell you. We'll get to him.

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<v Speaker 1>But they are seed pods. They're from a plant called

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<v Speaker 1>the Yerba de Fletcher or the Sebastiana pabo Nanna, very nice,

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<v Speaker 1>it's all right, you said Latin and Spanish in the

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<v Speaker 1>same breath. That was really great. That means herb of

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<v Speaker 1>the arrow, which it was taken from the fact that

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<v Speaker 1>the poison from the shrub sap was used sometimes to

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<v Speaker 1>tip the poison for their arrow tips from local tribes.

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<v Speaker 1>I think I looked it up. I think it might

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<v Speaker 1>be the Yaqui who did that. All right, well, it's

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<v Speaker 1>a deciduous shrub. It's got leathery leaves that it's dark

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<v Speaker 1>green but then turn red in the winter. I bet

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<v Speaker 1>it's beautiful. It is. I think I looked up pictures.

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<v Speaker 1>It looked nice to me. I've never seen them. I've

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<v Speaker 1>never been to the to the Rio Mio. I hadn't

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<v Speaker 1>even heard of it. But it sounds creamy and delicious. Yea, well,

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<v Speaker 1>that's the region where they're found in Sonora and Chihuahua.

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<v Speaker 1>I can't even get a good laugh out of you

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<v Speaker 1>with my dad jokes anymore. They're that bad. Uh. That

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<v Speaker 1>one was okay, all right. I wasn't sure if you

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<v Speaker 1>were serious or not. So they grow on these rocky slopes,

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<v Speaker 1>and back in the nineteen twenties is when they first

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<v Speaker 1>started to kind of hit the States. That's when they

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<v Speaker 1>came state side in San Francisco. San Francisco, and there

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<v Speaker 1>was an article in the chronicle about the little freakish

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<v Speaker 1>brown seeds that just basically delighted people of all ages. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>Mental Flaws had a pretty good article on this. Um.

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<v Speaker 1>He said that these beans cavorted about to the edification

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<v Speaker 1>and delight of children and grown ups. Yeah, well, actually

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<v Speaker 1>they said seeds, Yeah they did. They call it seeds correctly, right,

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<v Speaker 1>because this was pre Joaquin Hernandez, right, so I guess he.

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<v Speaker 1>I wonder if he really was the one who changed

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<v Speaker 1>it over to beans. Who knows that he's a smart kid.

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<v Speaker 1>Maybe take a break. I think we're at the halfway point. Sure,

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<v Speaker 1>all right, okay, chuck, enough enough dilly dallying. Let's get

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<v Speaker 1>to Joaquin Hernandez. Please. Who is he? He is a

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<v Speaker 1>I who in the forties was twelve years old and

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<v Speaker 1>was aware of Mexican jumping beans, although they weren't called

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<v Speaker 1>that at the time, he knew they were kind of interesting,

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<v Speaker 1>but he thought, maybe if you marketed these things just right,

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<v Speaker 1>you could really have like a novelty on your hands.

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<v Speaker 1>Joke shops will go bonkers for these things. And he

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<v Speaker 1>was absolutely right. He's like, kids are dumb, Yeah, kids

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<v Speaker 1>like me. Yeah. I mean, it's amazing. This guy was

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<v Speaker 1>twelve years old and he became the literal jumping bean

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<v Speaker 1>king right over the following decades. I think Alamos and Sonora,

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<v Speaker 1>where he lived, is now the capital, the jumping mean

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<v Speaker 1>capital of the world. It will probably never give up

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<v Speaker 1>that title. Why would it so? Um? Early on, like

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<v Speaker 1>people did not know what was going on with these things.

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<v Speaker 1>They were just delighted by them. Some people were kind

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<v Speaker 1>of curious, some people had an idea. But there were

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<v Speaker 1>early theories before it was widely understood, things like, um,

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<v Speaker 1>that there was a static charge or something like that

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<v Speaker 1>maybe making bounce, or there was gas trapped inside that

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<v Speaker 1>was somehow exploding. Who knows. It turns out that botanists

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<v Speaker 1>and biologists are anomologists, I should say, figured it out.

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<v Speaker 1>Maybe the all three Linda hand, yeah, they all. It

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<v Speaker 1>was a joint effort, but they the entomologist that's who

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<v Speaker 1>I'm going with, said, you know what, you know what's

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<v Speaker 1>in there. There's a live, living moth larvae in there,

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<v Speaker 1>and that is what's making these seeds bounce. That's right.

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<v Speaker 1>The jumping bean moth lay this little eggs and the

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<v Speaker 1>flower of that plant, and then of course the eggs

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<v Speaker 1>are then in the seeds. Starts to rain in the springtime,

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<v Speaker 1>and that seed develops and matures and it splits into

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<v Speaker 1>three little guys. Uh, they fall on the ground and

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<v Speaker 1>then those they don't always but usually those little smaller

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<v Speaker 1>parts have the martha larvae inside larvae larvae, and that's

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<v Speaker 1>you know, they're in there. Screaming help. Well, they're doing

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<v Speaker 1>all sorts of things. For one that they they um

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<v Speaker 1>burrow or they make their um there cocoon, I guess

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<v Speaker 1>in the in the um these seeds, because they eat

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<v Speaker 1>the seed from the inside out as they're kind of

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<v Speaker 1>going through this metamorphosis into a moth. And if you

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<v Speaker 1>have Mexican jumping beans you can get them. Still. If

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<v Speaker 1>you have them and you take care of them, you

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<v Speaker 1>could actually witness the moth emerging from the seed eventually.

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<v Speaker 1>But in the meantime it's eating the seed from the

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<v Speaker 1>inside out, which causes movement um. And then also they

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<v Speaker 1>weave their cocoon. They spend their cocoon inside and they

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<v Speaker 1>suspend it from the interior walls of the seed. And

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<v Speaker 1>so when they move about, their movements are telegraphed through

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<v Speaker 1>the cocoon and the silk that's like attached to the seed,

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<v Speaker 1>which is it creates enough energy or enough force to

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<v Speaker 1>actually move the seed pod. Yeah, and I think, uh,

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<v Speaker 1>where did you get this? Was some of this from

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<v Speaker 1>the mental flaws article? I know there was a um

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<v Speaker 1>There was another thing that I will mention in a second,

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<v Speaker 1>if you will keep talking, Okay, I'm not stalling him.

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<v Speaker 1>I not know. The cool thing that they mentioned is

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<v Speaker 1>that if it was just a little larvae inside, it

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<v Speaker 1>would in order to move that being like it moves,

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<v Speaker 1>it would smush itself. If it was just like slam

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<v Speaker 1>dancing against the walls. That one was all josh, oh,

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<v Speaker 1>that was all you all right, Well, the fact that

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<v Speaker 1>it those silk cables from the cocoon are attached is

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<v Speaker 1>what makes it move because uh, and then the the

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<v Speaker 1>example of the whip makes a lot of sense. You know,

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<v Speaker 1>when you use a whip, the whip crack at the

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<v Speaker 1>end is has way more force than what you're doing

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<v Speaker 1>with the handle of the whip, right exactly. It's the

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<v Speaker 1>same principle basically, right. Um. And the this the stuff

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<v Speaker 1>that I based that on came from Wayne's word. It's

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<v Speaker 1>an online textbook of natural history. Nice. Yeah, check it out, everybody. Yeah,

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<v Speaker 1>that's one of the cooler facts of this one. I

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<v Speaker 1>think the other one that shot that stuck out to

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<v Speaker 1>me or shot out like a little uh jumping bean moth.

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<v Speaker 1>Are you saying you like the fact that I made

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<v Speaker 1>up out of whole cloth the most that's your favorite one.

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<v Speaker 1>It finally happened, Thank you. Chuck. The other one I

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<v Speaker 1>thought was really interesting is you expose these things to

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<v Speaker 1>heat to get them to jump around, and the they

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<v Speaker 1>think that that might be a an adaptation basically that

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<v Speaker 1>when these beans are out there baking in the hot sun,

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<v Speaker 1>they're like trying to scooch over into a shady spot

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<v Speaker 1>by making those movements. Yeah, and that amazing. That's pretty remarkable.

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<v Speaker 1>It really is. So if if you have Mexican jumping

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<v Speaker 1>beans and you want to make them jump for your friends,

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<v Speaker 1>and they don't actually jump is not quite the right word.

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<v Speaker 1>They move about. They kind of shimmy, they'll roll, tumble

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<v Speaker 1>that kind of really catch air exactly. Well, put dude

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<v Speaker 1>in a very eighties gleaming the cube way that's right. Um.

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<v Speaker 1>But to make them really move, you just expose them

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<v Speaker 1>to heat. Put him out in the sun, and so

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<v Speaker 1>they try to move out of the sun. Well, if

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<v Speaker 1>you can kind of keep them in the sun, they're

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<v Speaker 1>really going to start moving. The problem is is this

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<v Speaker 1>can kill the larvae inside. Yeah, the problem is it's

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<v Speaker 1>super mean, It really is. So like if this happens

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<v Speaker 1>out in nature, you know, if the the the larvae

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<v Speaker 1>can't move the seed pod to a shady spot and

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<v Speaker 1>actually dehydrates and dies from the heat. That's that circle

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<v Speaker 1>of life kind of stuff, right. Yeah, But if you

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<v Speaker 1>believe that every living thing deserves respect and to be

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<v Speaker 1>treated well, then do not give these to your children, no,

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<v Speaker 1>because if you do kill them and it's just for

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<v Speaker 1>humans amusement, that is that's a little mean. Yeah. I mean,

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<v Speaker 1>just think of the kid where this being, if the

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<v Speaker 1>adaptation theory is correct, is desperately trying to get to

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<v Speaker 1>shade and little Timmy keeps just shoving it right back

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<v Speaker 1>in the sun with a magnifying glass on it. It

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<v Speaker 1>makes you want to shove little Timmy, that's right, as

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<v Speaker 1>if he were the kind of kid who would squish

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<v Speaker 1>a lady ug or something. Good. Point. So, um, there

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<v Speaker 1>are people who say, hey, you can keep these things

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<v Speaker 1>as pets if you want everybody. In fact, there's a

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<v Speaker 1>website called jban dot com okay and jbing dot com

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<v Speaker 1>says you can keep them cameround in your pocket and

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<v Speaker 1>the body heat will make them wiggle. If you actually

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<v Speaker 1>want to let them, um actually come to fruition, you

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<v Speaker 1>want to keep them in a cool place so that

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<v Speaker 1>they don't have to wiggle. They can use their energy

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<v Speaker 1>for eating um. But you want to keep them wet,

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<v Speaker 1>so you missed them once a week and eventually if

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<v Speaker 1>you take care of when you can see a moth

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<v Speaker 1>come out sometimes amazing, It is amazing. Mexican jumping beans

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<v Speaker 1>are chuck. Amazing. That's right. Well, that's it. You got

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<v Speaker 1>anything else? Got anything else? I don't either, So this

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<v Speaker 1>is short stuff Audios. Stuff you Should Know is a

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<v Speaker 1>production of iHeart Radios How Stuff Works. For more podcasts

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