WEBVTT - PTG Classic: 9 Surprising Facts about Moms

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<v Speaker 1>Guess what, mango?

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<v Speaker 2>What's that?

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<v Speaker 3>Will?

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<v Speaker 4>So have you heard that mothers and babies can actually

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<v Speaker 4>synchronize their heartbeats just by smiling.

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<v Speaker 1>At each other?

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<v Speaker 2>Mm hmm.

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<v Speaker 4>This is from Gizmoto. But apparently and they were researchers

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<v Speaker 4>in Israel, and they were looking at mothers and their children,

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<v Speaker 4>and they had the mothers interact with their three month

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<v Speaker 4>olds in various ways. So they were monitoring their cardiac

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<v Speaker 4>output as they did this, and when they gazed at

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<v Speaker 4>each other and smiled, they quote coordinated their heart rhythms

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<v Speaker 4>within lags of one second.

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<v Speaker 1>Isn't that wild? That's insane.

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<v Speaker 4>I mean, you know, other animals can do this through contact,

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<v Speaker 4>but humans, and specifically mothers and infants, seem to be

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<v Speaker 4>the only ones who can sync up just by looking

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<v Speaker 4>at each other affectionately. But today's Nine Things is a

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<v Speaker 4>Mother's Day tribute, including a few of history's best moms,

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<v Speaker 4>why we love them so much, and what makes them

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<v Speaker 4>so special?

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<v Speaker 1>So let's dig in.

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<v Speaker 4>Hey, their podcast listeners, welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm

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<v Speaker 4>Will Pearson and as always I'm joined by my good

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<v Speaker 4>friend Mangesh hot Ticketter and sitting behind the soundproof glass

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<v Speaker 4>reading his copy of Yo Mama's So Extraordinary, A Treasury

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<v Speaker 4>of Yomama Compliments. That's our friend and producer Tristan McNeil. Now,

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<v Speaker 4>i'd not seen this book before, Mango.

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<v Speaker 1>Have you seen this?

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<v Speaker 3>Yeah, it's a pretty great and he was actually reading

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<v Speaker 3>some earlier and they are way better than Yo Mama

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<v Speaker 3>jokes actually really yeah, because they're all compliments. But it's

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<v Speaker 3>all like your mama is so extraordinary, right right. The

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<v Speaker 3>only joke about moms that I ever really remember isn't

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<v Speaker 3>like a standard joke, but one that our old boss,

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<v Speaker 3>Felix Dennis made and he both loved and was terrified

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<v Speaker 3>of his mom. And when he was describing her to us,

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<v Speaker 3>I don't know if you remember this, but he said

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<v Speaker 3>she looks and acts like Margaret Thatcher without any of

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<v Speaker 3>the soft bits.

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<v Speaker 1>I just tried to remember that.

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<v Speaker 3>Ye. Yeah, But today's show is obviously a celebration of moms,

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<v Speaker 3>and I know that we used to say that when

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<v Speaker 3>we first started Metal Floss the only people who subscribed

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<v Speaker 3>were your mom, my mom, and two hundred of our

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<v Speaker 3>mom's friends.

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<v Speaker 2>And it sounded like a joke, but it wasn't really

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<v Speaker 2>a joke.

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<v Speaker 1>It wasn't at all.

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<v Speaker 3>And we obviously have so much to thank our own

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<v Speaker 3>moms Paula and Lalita for well.

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<v Speaker 4>And of course we have wives who are wonderful mothers

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<v Speaker 4>as well, So lots of moms and our lives to

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<v Speaker 4>be grateful for.

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<v Speaker 1>But let's kick this off.

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<v Speaker 4>So I started the show with a quick fact about heartbeats.

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<v Speaker 1>So where do you want to take it from there?

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<v Speaker 3>Sticking with the science theme, here's the fact I learned

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<v Speaker 3>from Sithsonian about teenage drivers. Now, apparently kids drive much

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<v Speaker 3>safer when their moms are nearby, which I guess makes sense.

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<v Speaker 3>And basically, the test was set up so that kids

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<v Speaker 3>would be on this simulation and then they'd drive up

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<v Speaker 3>to a yellow light, and when their moms were around,

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<v Speaker 3>they tend to stop for the red, but if they

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<v Speaker 3>were alone, they'd punch the accelerator and race through. But

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<v Speaker 3>what's interesting about the experiment is how their brains were

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<v Speaker 3>rewarding them for their driving. So when they were alone,

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<v Speaker 3>scans shown that the brain's reward center actually lit up

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<v Speaker 3>when they ran the yellow light, but when they were

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<v Speaker 3>with their moms, the same thing happened if they hit

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<v Speaker 3>the brakes.

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<v Speaker 1>Oh wow, that's pretty interesting.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, you know, our brains are actually rewarding us when

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<v Speaker 4>we listen to our moms or do the things we

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<v Speaker 4>think will impress them. Well, since we're talking so much

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<v Speaker 4>about the science of moms, here's one fact that comes

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<v Speaker 4>from The Guardian, and it covers the scientific reason why

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<v Speaker 4>moms hear their babies cry before others do.

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<v Speaker 3>So. I don't know if this is where you're going

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<v Speaker 3>with us, but my wife and I used to fight

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<v Speaker 3>about this when Henry and Ruby were babies, because I'm.

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<v Speaker 2>Actually not a very heavy sleeper.

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<v Speaker 3>But when our kids were infants, Lizzy used to accuse

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<v Speaker 3>me of like never getting up or never hearing the

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<v Speaker 3>babies like little muse, especially when they were tiny.

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<v Speaker 2>Maybe that was true.

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<v Speaker 3>I was also surprised, like I couldn't hear them as well,

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<v Speaker 3>because she's not.

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<v Speaker 2>That light a sleeper.

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<v Speaker 3>But I'm excited to go home and settle some long

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<v Speaker 3>simmering arguments if your science is in my favors, so

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<v Speaker 3>I'm going to let you go on.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, as you've probably read, ox level spike in a

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<v Speaker 4>mother's brain after she gives birth, but studies from NYU

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<v Speaker 4>show that this actually affects the way the brain processes

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<v Speaker 4>and interprets auditory signals and will make a mom much

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<v Speaker 4>more sensitive to a baby's cries.

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<v Speaker 2>That's pretty fascinating.

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<v Speaker 3>So does oxytocin give you like superheroing if you inject

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<v Speaker 3>some into a mail as well?

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<v Speaker 4>Yeah, I'm not sure about that. But the scientist did

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<v Speaker 4>inject the oxytocin into virgin mice, and they saw their

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<v Speaker 4>mothering instincts kick in. Not only did they respond quickly

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<v Speaker 4>to baby mice squeals, but they had an urge to

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<v Speaker 4>help them, often carrying them to their nest on their backs.

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<v Speaker 3>Well I like that, and let's move off science for

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<v Speaker 3>a second and talk about Mother's Day itself. Now, you

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<v Speaker 3>might know that Mother's Day was launched in America at

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<v Speaker 3>least by Anna Jarvis. And you might have also heard

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<v Speaker 3>that by the end of her life she hated Mother's

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<v Speaker 3>Day and had turned against it. But I actually didn't

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<v Speaker 3>remember the details about this, so here are a few of them. Basically,

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<v Speaker 3>Anna's mom, an was a Civil War nurse, and she

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<v Speaker 3>cared for soldiers on both sides of the divide, and

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<v Speaker 3>she even tried to orchestrate this peace day between moms

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<v Speaker 3>of soldiers. It was called Mother's Friendship Day, and so

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<v Speaker 3>it was supposed to unite people from the Union and

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<v Speaker 3>the Confederate side. But when she passed, Anna was struck

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<v Speaker 3>by the number of cards and notes she got about

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<v Speaker 3>her mom, and she actually decided to celebrate her mom

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<v Speaker 3>and all moms by creating a day for them Mother's Day.

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<v Speaker 3>But what's interesting is sort of the derision she got

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<v Speaker 3>from senators and all this pushback, and this is according

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<v Speaker 3>to Jonathan Mullnix's research. But one Colorado senator, this guy

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<v Speaker 3>named Henry Moore Teller, he called the day puerile, absolutely absurd,

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<v Speaker 3>and he declared, every day with me is a Mother's Day.

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<v Speaker 3>So he was annoyed by this, and then he actually

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<v Speaker 3>had support from this New Hampshire senator who was also

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<v Speaker 3>insulted by the day, and he complained as though the

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<v Speaker 3>memory of my late mother could only be kept green

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<v Speaker 3>by some outward demonstration on Sunday May tenth.

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<v Speaker 4>Goodness, I mean, obviously there was a lot of resistance.

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<v Speaker 4>So how did she make Mother's Day a thing?

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<v Speaker 3>Basically, she got florists on her side. She also had

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<v Speaker 3>the backing of Sunday schools and other organizations too. So

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<v Speaker 3>the resolution finally swept through Congress when I went through

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<v Speaker 3>in nineteen fourteen, but she was sort of in the

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<v Speaker 3>pocket of Big Flower, and they ran with it, like

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<v Speaker 3>not only did they have her talk at conventions and

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<v Speaker 3>on a speaking tour, but they actually started marketing white

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<v Speaker 3>carnations as a tribute to mom's who'd passed away, and colorful,

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<v Speaker 3>bright ones for your mom if she's alive. But you know,

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<v Speaker 3>as the day became more and more commercialized and less

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<v Speaker 3>about this respectful and also reflective day for thinking about

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<v Speaker 3>your mom, Anna Jarvis got more and more incensed, and

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<v Speaker 3>eventually she wished she could take the day back. In fact,

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<v Speaker 3>there's this one great scene where she's at Wanamaker's department

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<v Speaker 3>store in Philly and she ordered a Mother's Day salad

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<v Speaker 3>because she saw it on the menu and it was

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<v Speaker 3>just like a typical salad. When she got it, she

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<v Speaker 3>was so angry. She stood up, she dumped it on

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<v Speaker 3>the floor, threw her money down, and then huffed out.

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<v Speaker 3>And wow, it was like any little commercial use of

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<v Speaker 3>Mother's Day, especially the dumb ones like a Mother's Day salad,

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<v Speaker 3>would just set her off for.

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<v Speaker 1>The I just love a good Mother's Day salad.

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<v Speaker 4>You know, I can't tell if she would have liked

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<v Speaker 4>or hated Tristan's Yomama So extraordinary book. I'm guessing she

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<v Speaker 4>probably would have hated it. But you know what's funny,

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<v Speaker 4>I didn't realize there are so many other Mother's Days

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<v Speaker 4>around the world, Like not everyone celebrates it on the

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<v Speaker 4>same day, let alone the same month.

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<v Speaker 2>That is pretty interesting. So do you have any favorites?

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<v Speaker 4>You know, maybe Bolivia's because it has such an unusual origin. Apparently,

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<v Speaker 4>when Bolivia fought for independence in the early nineteenth century,

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<v Speaker 4>all the men were caught in the fighting. You know,

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<v Speaker 4>many were dying or injured on the battlefields. But in

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<v Speaker 4>coach Obamba, the moms wanted to do something. So on

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<v Speaker 4>May twenty seventh they united to fight on Cornea Hill.

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<v Speaker 4>And while hundreds of them died in battle, that day

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<v Speaker 4>that the heroines of Cornea took on the Spanish army

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<v Speaker 4>is known in Bolivia as Mother's Day.

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<v Speaker 3>So here's a mom I wouldn't trust, but who I'm

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<v Speaker 3>sure made her boy proud, and that's Jesse James's mom, Zerelda.

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<v Speaker 3>So after James passed away, all these travelers used to

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<v Speaker 3>come to at the outlaws grave, and often they'd give

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<v Speaker 3>condolences to Jesse James's mom, and that's where she smelled opportunity.

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<v Speaker 3>So Zerelda would pretend to be so touched by their actions,

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<v Speaker 3>like they're coming all this way to pay their respects,

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<v Speaker 3>that she'd offer to sell them Jesse's gun along with

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<v Speaker 3>a note of authenticity. And of course this was a

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<v Speaker 3>huge scam, like she used to get these neighborhood boys

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<v Speaker 3>to scavenge and steal guns for her, and then she'd

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<v Speaker 3>just resell them. But as legend of the scam grew,

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<v Speaker 3>the fake guns got their own reputation and they were

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<v Speaker 3>called Zerelda's and now they're highly prized collectibles in their

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<v Speaker 3>own right.

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<v Speaker 4>All right, Well, here's the fact I thought was interesting,

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<v Speaker 4>and especially in light of Prince Harry's getting married. But

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<v Speaker 4>Princess Diana once took the boys to Disney World and

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<v Speaker 4>actually made them stand in lines.

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<v Speaker 1>Can you imagine this?

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<v Speaker 4>So she really tried to instill a sense of normalcy

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<v Speaker 4>in their lives, and reportedly she'd take them for burgers

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<v Speaker 4>and McDonald's, let their kids wear jeans and baseball hats.

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<v Speaker 4>And this all tends to break protocol with what's allowed

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<v Speaker 4>for a young prince uruse. What's less reported is that

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<v Speaker 4>when they were at Disney, they rented out the entire

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<v Speaker 4>tenth floor of the Grand Floridian and had to use

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<v Speaker 4>the underground tunnels at Disney to get around because.

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<v Speaker 1>They'd get mobbed by the paparazzi, you.

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<v Speaker 4>Know, kind of like when we go and we have

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<v Speaker 4>to reach the whole tenth floor. But anyway, Diana's making

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<v Speaker 4>her kids wait in line for the roller coasters and

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<v Speaker 4>rides was really part of her attempt to keep her

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<v Speaker 4>kids grounded.

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<v Speaker 2>That's pretty amazing.

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<v Speaker 3>Well, we still got a few more facts for you,

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<v Speaker 3>but first a quick break. Welcome back to Part Time Genius,

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<v Speaker 3>where we're talking about moms, So Will. There are obviously

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<v Speaker 3>so many great stories and facts about moms. Mister Rogers'

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<v Speaker 3>mom knit all the sweaters on the show that he

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<v Speaker 3>used to wear, which is just, you know, the most

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<v Speaker 3>Mister Rogers fact ever. And supposedly bonobo moms will shake

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<v Speaker 3>their heads no at their baby chimps when the baby

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<v Speaker 3>chimps play with their food. But I do want to

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<v Speaker 3>know what's your last mom fact that you're going to

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<v Speaker 3>lay on us.

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<v Speaker 4>Well, I want to share this fact about Nancy Edison,

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<v Speaker 4>who was Thomas Edison's mom, And there's this wonderful story

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<v Speaker 4>that Thomas came home with a letter one day when

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<v Speaker 4>he was seven, and this was from a teacher saying

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<v Speaker 4>that he was aduled and wasn't bright enough. But when

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<v Speaker 4>his mom read the letter, she instead said out loud

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<v Speaker 4>that Thomas was a genius and the school was too

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<v Speaker 4>small for his intellect and that he'd have to be

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<v Speaker 4>homeschooled instead. And then the story goes on that Thomas

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<v Speaker 4>grew up believing that and only found out the real

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<v Speaker 4>contents of the letter when he was an adult after

0:10:34.480 --> 0:10:37.559
<v Speaker 4>his mom had passed away. Now the truth is a

0:10:37.600 --> 0:10:40.960
<v Speaker 4>little less glamorous. Thomas Edison was in fact dyslexic and

0:10:41.280 --> 0:10:43.839
<v Speaker 4>getting in trouble at school, and the teacher used a

0:10:43.920 --> 0:10:46.400
<v Speaker 4>leather belt for discipline, and Thomas might have been on

0:10:46.440 --> 0:10:48.720
<v Speaker 4>the wrong end of it a few times. But when

0:10:48.720 --> 0:10:51.680
<v Speaker 4>his mom realized the school wasn't right for him and

0:10:51.720 --> 0:10:54.000
<v Speaker 4>that he had a learning disability, she pulled him from

0:10:54.040 --> 0:10:57.280
<v Speaker 4>the school and educated him herself. As he put it,

0:10:57.640 --> 0:11:00.360
<v Speaker 4>my mother was the making of me. She was so true,

0:11:00.480 --> 0:11:02.880
<v Speaker 4>so sure of me, and I felt I had something

0:11:02.920 --> 0:11:05.520
<v Speaker 4>to live for someone I must not disappoint.

0:11:06.200 --> 0:11:08.760
<v Speaker 3>And then he went on to make the first cat

0:11:08.800 --> 0:11:12.480
<v Speaker 3>boxing video, right.

0:11:12.440 --> 0:11:15.320
<v Speaker 4>And the light Bulb BANNGO had a million other things.

0:11:15.320 --> 0:11:16.720
<v Speaker 1>So, anyway, what's your last?

0:11:16.720 --> 0:11:17.839
<v Speaker 2>Pat Well?

0:11:18.040 --> 0:11:19.960
<v Speaker 3>I like that Nancy Edison stood up for her son,

0:11:20.040 --> 0:11:22.400
<v Speaker 3>but I don't think anyone stood up for their children

0:11:22.440 --> 0:11:26.640
<v Speaker 3>the way Isaiah Thomas's mom, Mary has so. In nineteen

0:11:26.679 --> 0:11:28.960
<v Speaker 3>sixty six, Mary was a single mom and mother of

0:11:29.040 --> 0:11:31.600
<v Speaker 3>nine and she was at her home in Chicago when

0:11:31.640 --> 0:11:34.920
<v Speaker 3>the Vice Lords, who is this notorious gang, came up

0:11:34.960 --> 0:11:37.080
<v Speaker 3>to her front door and told her they were recruiting

0:11:37.080 --> 0:11:39.800
<v Speaker 3>her sons. And this is according to the New York Times.

0:11:39.840 --> 0:11:42.400
<v Speaker 3>The leader said, we want your boys. They can't be

0:11:42.440 --> 0:11:45.520
<v Speaker 3>walking around here and not being a gang. And Mary Thomas,

0:11:45.559 --> 0:11:47.760
<v Speaker 3>who was five to four and one hundred and ten

0:11:47.800 --> 0:11:50.360
<v Speaker 3>pounds so she's like a tiny woman, she just faced

0:11:50.400 --> 0:11:52.679
<v Speaker 3>off against this guy and said there's only one gang

0:11:52.720 --> 0:11:55.400
<v Speaker 3>here and that's the Thomas Gang. And I lead that.

0:11:56.120 --> 0:11:58.760
<v Speaker 3>It's just amazing, right, And then when they didn't leave,

0:11:58.800 --> 0:12:00.800
<v Speaker 3>she went to their back of her high got a

0:12:00.840 --> 0:12:03.360
<v Speaker 3>shotgun and said, get off my portrait. I'll blow you

0:12:03.400 --> 0:12:04.679
<v Speaker 3>across the expressway.

0:12:05.120 --> 0:12:07.240
<v Speaker 1>No way, it's nuts, and.

0:12:07.240 --> 0:12:10.480
<v Speaker 3>For some reason they stopped their recruiting efforts. But by

0:12:10.559 --> 0:12:13.360
<v Speaker 3>all accounts, she was a really tough woman, and when

0:12:13.360 --> 0:12:15.920
<v Speaker 3>people would tell her that gangs were facing off, she'd

0:12:15.920 --> 0:12:18.679
<v Speaker 3>actually just walk in between them and settle the disputes.

0:12:19.120 --> 0:12:21.600
<v Speaker 3>Apparently she was the only mom Bobby Knight was ever

0:12:21.640 --> 0:12:24.800
<v Speaker 3>afraid of. But all her kids actually graduated school as well,

0:12:24.840 --> 0:12:27.880
<v Speaker 3>which in itself was amazing. I was reading about Isaiah

0:12:28.000 --> 0:12:30.000
<v Speaker 3>and that he actually had to ride ninety minutes to

0:12:30.040 --> 0:12:32.120
<v Speaker 3>school every day. He had to take two transfers on

0:12:32.160 --> 0:12:34.520
<v Speaker 3>trains and buses just to get to high school, and

0:12:34.600 --> 0:12:36.240
<v Speaker 3>she made sure he was there always.

0:12:36.320 --> 0:12:37.880
<v Speaker 2>And she also made him.

0:12:37.760 --> 0:12:41.160
<v Speaker 3>Sign a contract that he'd finished his college degree, and

0:12:41.320 --> 0:12:43.440
<v Speaker 3>even though he left early for the NBA, he honored

0:12:43.440 --> 0:12:45.480
<v Speaker 3>that and secretly went back to school just to make

0:12:45.520 --> 0:12:46.000
<v Speaker 3>her happy.

0:12:46.080 --> 0:12:48.000
<v Speaker 2>So she's just kind of a remarkable woman.

0:12:48.720 --> 0:12:50.600
<v Speaker 4>Yeah, and I think i'd actually heard they refer to

0:12:50.640 --> 0:12:53.360
<v Speaker 4>their mom as deer, right, which was short for mother deer.

0:12:53.559 --> 0:12:56.520
<v Speaker 3>Yeah. I mean, there's tons of praise for Isaiah Thomas' mom,

0:12:56.679 --> 0:12:58.640
<v Speaker 3>But who do you think she'd win this week's Nine Things?

0:12:58.920 --> 0:13:01.080
<v Speaker 4>You know what, I want to make sure both of

0:13:01.080 --> 0:13:04.560
<v Speaker 4>our moms stay proud and happy. So I think maybe

0:13:04.600 --> 0:13:06.120
<v Speaker 4>both of us should get it. What do you think,

0:13:06.600 --> 0:13:09.400
<v Speaker 4>or Tristan or do you know what Tristan? And is

0:13:09.480 --> 0:13:12.080
<v Speaker 4>your mom's jokes, So maybe we'll give it to Tristan.

0:13:12.120 --> 0:13:15.880
<v Speaker 4>I think our moms will understand. But a happy Mother's

0:13:15.920 --> 0:13:18.640
<v Speaker 4>Day to our moms, to our sisters, to our grandmoms,

0:13:18.640 --> 0:13:20.600
<v Speaker 4>to all the other moms out there, and of course

0:13:20.720 --> 0:13:31.959
<v Speaker 4>the other mother figures out there.