1 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:05,960 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow Your Mind from how Stuff 2 00:00:06,000 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Hey, welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind. 3 00:00:14,480 --> 00:00:16,720 Speaker 1: My name is Robert Lamb and I'm Julie Douglas. Save 4 00:00:16,760 --> 00:00:19,560 Speaker 1: your applause, because when we were talking about applause in 5 00:00:19,600 --> 00:00:21,880 Speaker 1: this episode, I don't know if you do applaud us 6 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:24,560 Speaker 1: after a weird done um as you're listening to us 7 00:00:24,560 --> 00:00:26,880 Speaker 1: in your car, on the train, or in your bed. 8 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:30,240 Speaker 1: But I hope I just assumed everyone applauded when we finished. Well, 9 00:00:30,280 --> 00:00:32,080 Speaker 1: hold on a second, let's just let's just listen to 10 00:00:32,120 --> 00:00:34,320 Speaker 1: a little bit of applause. Let's really soak it in. 11 00:00:44,320 --> 00:00:46,600 Speaker 1: I feel better already. Yeah. I knew they loved this. 12 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:49,480 Speaker 1: I knew it. Um. You know, we are, of course 13 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:53,160 Speaker 1: talking about clapping today, applause, about what it all means 14 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:55,920 Speaker 1: in our universe and what it can tell us about 15 00:00:55,960 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: the laws governing the ways that we operate in the world. Yeah. 16 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: For instance, the big one, of course is when do 17 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: you clap? When do you not clap? When is it appropriate? 18 00:01:04,440 --> 00:01:11,360 Speaker 1: When is it unseemly? When do you not want the clap? Clapping? Clapping? Uh? Okay, 19 00:01:11,480 --> 00:01:14,679 Speaker 1: And of course there's a rich tradition of clapping in 20 00:01:14,800 --> 00:01:17,440 Speaker 1: childhood and happiness, right, because if you're happy and you 21 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:19,240 Speaker 1: know what, you will clap your hands. That's what the 22 00:01:19,240 --> 00:01:22,320 Speaker 1: song says to do. And who we have to doubt it, Yeah, exactly. 23 00:01:22,640 --> 00:01:24,480 Speaker 1: And clapping really is one of those things that it 24 00:01:24,800 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 1: is just a rudimentary percussive instrument, right, You can use it, 25 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 1: you can start your songs. It's like used a lot 26 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,039 Speaker 1: in folk music, right, Yeah, I mean it's the it's 27 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:36,039 Speaker 1: the instrument of our bodies. Yeah, it's right up there 28 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:40,680 Speaker 1: with like hand boning hamdbone hambone where you man exactly. 29 00:01:41,360 --> 00:01:43,200 Speaker 1: I don't know really the rest of that song. I 30 00:01:43,240 --> 00:01:45,039 Speaker 1: don't think anybody wants me to sing the rest of 31 00:01:45,040 --> 00:01:47,680 Speaker 1: that song. But you can also use clapping as as 32 00:01:47,760 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: even like a signal to turn electronic devices on and off. Right, 33 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:56,120 Speaker 1: Clap on, clap off. Right. So, and there's just satisfaction 34 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: to a good clap. Have you ever noticed that? Yeah? Yeah, 35 00:01:59,440 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: like a like a good just a rich clap where 36 00:02:02,200 --> 00:02:03,600 Speaker 1: you really kind of cut your hands a bit and 37 00:02:03,640 --> 00:02:06,840 Speaker 1: you get that solid sound. Yeah. Yeah, it's a good, 38 00:02:07,200 --> 00:02:10,360 Speaker 1: meaty connection between your hands and it sort of comes 39 00:02:10,400 --> 00:02:14,280 Speaker 1: to symbolize something really important to you, right, Like that 40 00:02:14,320 --> 00:02:19,160 Speaker 1: performance was so enriching and beautiful that I must somehow 41 00:02:19,240 --> 00:02:23,440 Speaker 1: express myself. My wife often gets onto me, for um, 42 00:02:23,919 --> 00:02:26,160 Speaker 1: when we're at events where there's clapping, Like, generally what 43 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:27,799 Speaker 1: I'll do is I love to clap, and I will 44 00:02:27,840 --> 00:02:30,440 Speaker 1: I will applaud an artist or or even you know, 45 00:02:30,480 --> 00:02:32,840 Speaker 1: a movie if it's if it's really had an effect 46 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: on me. But but my hands get a little tired 47 00:02:35,280 --> 00:02:37,600 Speaker 1: doing it. I mean, it's not that it's like wearing 48 00:02:37,600 --> 00:02:39,560 Speaker 1: me out and I'm just you know, you know, out 49 00:02:39,560 --> 00:02:41,880 Speaker 1: of breath or anything. But like after you know, pin 50 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:43,919 Speaker 1: and claps, you know, you get kind of a stingy 51 00:02:43,960 --> 00:02:47,120 Speaker 1: sensation because I'm really committing on my early claps. So 52 00:02:47,440 --> 00:02:51,720 Speaker 1: if the audience continues to applaud, I'll often go to 53 00:02:51,760 --> 00:02:54,240 Speaker 1: a silent clap where I look like I'm clapping, but 54 00:02:54,320 --> 00:02:57,040 Speaker 1: I'm not really making any noise because at that point, 55 00:02:57,120 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 1: you feel like it's obligatory clapping. Yeah, So I continue 56 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:02,639 Speaker 1: to keep up appearances, but I'm not really going to 57 00:03:02,720 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 1: contribute to the volume of of applause. And uh, and 58 00:03:05,960 --> 00:03:08,880 Speaker 1: my wife thinks that's kind of silly or something. All Right, 59 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:11,200 Speaker 1: We're gonna touch back on that in a moment um. 60 00:03:11,280 --> 00:03:13,440 Speaker 1: I wanted to point out that Jay Fisher, he's a 61 00:03:13,560 --> 00:03:16,600 Speaker 1: classics professor Yale University, he dates the custom to at 62 00:03:16,680 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 1: least the third century BC. He said, you see it 63 00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:20,960 Speaker 1: at the end of a lot of place by plaud 64 00:03:21,040 --> 00:03:23,839 Speaker 1: Us and Terrence, where they have this word plaudit, which 65 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:27,519 Speaker 1: is an imperative meaning applause or clap, So we see 66 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:30,480 Speaker 1: it there. Um. We also know that it was popular 67 00:03:30,560 --> 00:03:34,480 Speaker 1: in ancient room, where it joined finger clicks and waving 68 00:03:34,520 --> 00:03:38,240 Speaker 1: handkerchiefs and expression of appreciation, so they would do clicks 69 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:40,200 Speaker 1: with their fingers. I thought that was just a be 70 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:42,280 Speaker 1: nick thing that I did not realize that that had 71 00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 1: its origins in ancient room. And uh Bruno h Rep 72 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:49,920 Speaker 1: has a paper all about clapping, the sound of two 73 00:03:49,960 --> 00:03:53,839 Speaker 1: hands clapping and exploratory study, and he found I thought 74 00:03:53,880 --> 00:03:57,520 Speaker 1: this was fascinating. There is no gender difference when it 75 00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:01,000 Speaker 1: comes to ladies and gents clapping, like sound volume or 76 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:04,800 Speaker 1: how much they do it exactly both. So he wanted 77 00:04:04,840 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: to explore this idea because he thought, well, hand size 78 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:10,920 Speaker 1: is a clear sexual dimorphism, right, so his hands are 79 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:13,880 Speaker 1: big and meaty, and growths in women's hands are slight 80 00:04:13,960 --> 00:04:18,039 Speaker 1: and beautiful, right, and couldn't possibly produce sounds sure exactly 81 00:04:18,279 --> 00:04:21,080 Speaker 1: or the daintiest stuff, right, But he found that there 82 00:04:21,200 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 1: was no there was no different spoints. Whoever. I thought 83 00:04:24,560 --> 00:04:27,560 Speaker 1: that was just kind of funny too to find out about. 84 00:04:27,600 --> 00:04:30,240 Speaker 1: But anyway, if you ever want to know everything in 85 00:04:30,279 --> 00:04:33,000 Speaker 1: the world about clapping, you should definitely check out reps 86 00:04:33,080 --> 00:04:35,800 Speaker 1: paper the sound of two hands clapping. So we've all 87 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:38,799 Speaker 1: been in an environment obviously where applause is taking place. 88 00:04:39,200 --> 00:04:42,080 Speaker 1: If you haven't, then then we have some questions about 89 00:04:42,120 --> 00:04:44,120 Speaker 1: your life. But for the most part, everyone knows that 90 00:04:44,160 --> 00:04:46,040 Speaker 1: those would generally happen. So it's like a couple of 91 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:49,600 Speaker 1: people start applauding, then the applause builds, and then a 92 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:51,720 Speaker 1: curious thing begins to happen. I mean, you don't think 93 00:04:51,720 --> 00:04:53,240 Speaker 1: about it as being curious at the time, because it 94 00:04:53,279 --> 00:04:57,640 Speaker 1: happens all the time, but a little synchronicity leaches its 95 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:00,240 Speaker 1: way into the applause. And we know that this is 96 00:05:00,279 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 1: really important in social constructs, right, because we've talked about 97 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:08,160 Speaker 1: the social contract that we all unwittingly sign because we 98 00:05:08,240 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 1: want to be cooperative, we want to be a community. 99 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:11,800 Speaker 1: We have to get along, we have to have. We 100 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:16,240 Speaker 1: have certain norms that we we generally want to to meet, Yeah, 101 00:05:16,600 --> 00:05:19,680 Speaker 1: and clapping is just another way to communicate. In fact, 102 00:05:19,760 --> 00:05:22,000 Speaker 1: in Samoa, which is an island in the South Pacific, 103 00:05:22,640 --> 00:05:25,320 Speaker 1: rhythm dancing, singing, and music are really integral to that 104 00:05:25,480 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 1: culture and so clapping is a is huge part of 105 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:30,800 Speaker 1: how they expressed themselves through these stories and they re 106 00:05:31,000 --> 00:05:34,240 Speaker 1: enact these different stories by using these sound signals. And 107 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:36,440 Speaker 1: I just wanted to play a quick clip of that 108 00:05:37,279 --> 00:05:39,719 Speaker 1: because I thought it was so cool to be able 109 00:05:39,800 --> 00:06:01,160 Speaker 1: to hear this community all participating in this act. And 110 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:03,160 Speaker 1: of course you should really check out videos of this 111 00:06:03,240 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 1: as well, because any of these ritual uh you know, 112 00:06:06,640 --> 00:06:10,160 Speaker 1: Simonan performances are always a real treat to watch as well. 113 00:06:11,000 --> 00:06:12,600 Speaker 1: So you look at something like this and then you 114 00:06:12,640 --> 00:06:15,920 Speaker 1: begin to wonder, well, is this something that um is 115 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:19,440 Speaker 1: integral to humans? Are we born clappers or we made clappers? 116 00:06:20,080 --> 00:06:23,040 Speaker 1: And a pediatric physical therapist and research at the University 117 00:06:23,080 --> 00:06:27,000 Speaker 1: of Hartford, she says that we are We're made and 118 00:06:27,080 --> 00:06:29,320 Speaker 1: we're not born. She said that I think it's a 119 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:34,000 Speaker 1: learned behavior. I've seen babies spontaneously from excitement clasp their 120 00:06:34,080 --> 00:06:37,600 Speaker 1: hands together, but the motion of clapping is a learned behavior, 121 00:06:38,320 --> 00:06:42,159 Speaker 1: so the left of their own devices and an unschooled 122 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 1: infant might learn to clap, but generally speaking, you're you're 123 00:06:46,040 --> 00:06:48,320 Speaker 1: taught to clap before you do. I mean, it's to me, 124 00:06:48,480 --> 00:06:50,640 Speaker 1: it's kind of a hard question to answer because your 125 00:06:50,680 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 1: motor skills of the baby aren't really up to party clapping. Right. Yeah, 126 00:06:54,080 --> 00:06:57,000 Speaker 1: I was terrible at when I was young. My family 127 00:06:57,160 --> 00:07:00,279 Speaker 1: continues to give me a hell over that, but really, yeah, 128 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:01,800 Speaker 1: I couldn't like make I would try to clap and 129 00:07:01,800 --> 00:07:05,120 Speaker 1: I would go like this, you're crossing your your arms 130 00:07:05,440 --> 00:07:07,520 Speaker 1: if you look it, see you right now, You're trying 131 00:07:07,520 --> 00:07:11,040 Speaker 1: to clap and I'm missing. Okay, do it. Now, let 132 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:14,800 Speaker 1: me do the quick clapping of hands together. There we go. Okay, 133 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 1: you're pretty good. Now, well now I'm all right, yeah, 134 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 1: all right. So, um, what does all this have to 135 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:23,320 Speaker 1: do though? With social synchronicity. There's a twelve study from 136 00:07:23,400 --> 00:07:27,160 Speaker 1: cognitive neuroscientists at the California Institute of Technology and researchers 137 00:07:27,200 --> 00:07:31,800 Speaker 1: found that the body movement synchronization between two participants increases 138 00:07:32,120 --> 00:07:35,720 Speaker 1: following a short session of cooperative training, and it suggests 139 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:39,080 Speaker 1: our ability to synchronized body movements is measurable, is a 140 00:07:39,160 --> 00:07:42,800 Speaker 1: measurable indicator of social interaction. So in other words, we 141 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:44,960 Speaker 1: need this, we need this motion in order for all 142 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:47,760 Speaker 1: of this to say, hey, we're all on the same page. Yeah. 143 00:07:48,160 --> 00:07:49,680 Speaker 1: I mean you think about any kind of like a 144 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 1: physical activity such as you know, like like any time 145 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:56,880 Speaker 1: you're your your work or your your church or your 146 00:07:56,960 --> 00:07:58,360 Speaker 1: you know, whatever kind of group goes out and does 147 00:07:58,400 --> 00:08:01,200 Speaker 1: some sort of service act, like if you say you're 148 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 1: digging a ditch, like you can take people that do 149 00:08:03,200 --> 00:08:06,000 Speaker 1: not dig ditches, uh normally in their courses of the life. 150 00:08:06,040 --> 00:08:07,720 Speaker 1: You can get them out there. And via this kind 151 00:08:07,720 --> 00:08:11,280 Speaker 1: of synchronicity that we we have built in, we can 152 00:08:11,360 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 1: generally avoid shoveling at each other in the face by accident, 153 00:08:14,840 --> 00:08:18,920 Speaker 1: because you'll fall into the synchronicity of the chore. But 154 00:08:19,040 --> 00:08:21,040 Speaker 1: you're right, you're right, so we and and just I'm 155 00:08:21,080 --> 00:08:24,360 Speaker 1: thinking about rowing canoe to right. So if you you've 156 00:08:24,360 --> 00:08:27,000 Speaker 1: got two people rowing, but you just generally fall into 157 00:08:27,080 --> 00:08:29,400 Speaker 1: these rhythms. Yeah, now it made take an hour or two. 158 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:32,120 Speaker 1: And and you're and and if it's if it's a 159 00:08:32,400 --> 00:08:34,880 Speaker 1: husband and wife in a canoe, your relationship might not 160 00:08:35,080 --> 00:08:37,599 Speaker 1: last long enough to reach that point of synchronicity, but 161 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:39,719 Speaker 1: stick with it because you'll get there. You know, my 162 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:41,599 Speaker 1: husband and I used to can do a lot and 163 00:08:41,920 --> 00:08:44,839 Speaker 1: when we lived in Roley, North Carolina, and um, I 164 00:08:44,920 --> 00:08:47,480 Speaker 1: could always sort of tell what take the weather of 165 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:50,920 Speaker 1: our relationship on those Sundays when we were doing that, 166 00:08:51,000 --> 00:08:53,079 Speaker 1: because you know, if you're not in synchronicity, if you're 167 00:08:53,120 --> 00:08:55,840 Speaker 1: not sort of on the same page, then you start 168 00:08:55,920 --> 00:08:58,000 Speaker 1: fobble and you're not really rowing very well, and they 169 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:00,959 Speaker 1: can just sort of rudder lists. But um, what I 170 00:09:01,000 --> 00:09:03,680 Speaker 1: thought was interesting about this study is that the researcher 171 00:09:03,840 --> 00:09:08,000 Speaker 1: Young Um Young said that the reason why they're studying 172 00:09:08,080 --> 00:09:10,520 Speaker 1: this is because it could open new vistas to study 173 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 1: the brain to brain interface that appears when cooperative relationships exist. 174 00:09:16,320 --> 00:09:20,000 Speaker 1: So they're looking at this is possibly in an extrapolation 175 00:09:20,200 --> 00:09:23,240 Speaker 1: of looking at how two brains can create a loose 176 00:09:23,360 --> 00:09:27,240 Speaker 1: dynamic system. So of course, you know, my futurest mind goes, 177 00:09:27,840 --> 00:09:30,480 Speaker 1: this is you know, a way to study this and 178 00:09:30,600 --> 00:09:33,079 Speaker 1: somehow link up brains. Yeah, I mean, there are a 179 00:09:33,160 --> 00:09:35,800 Speaker 1: number of really fascinating studies out there right now talking 180 00:09:35,840 --> 00:09:38,800 Speaker 1: about the possible use of this uh linking two brains 181 00:09:38,840 --> 00:09:43,080 Speaker 1: together form for a single task, such as piloting a spaceship. Yeah, 182 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:45,400 Speaker 1: and it's and it's fascinating to see something just as 183 00:09:45,440 --> 00:09:47,599 Speaker 1: elementary as clapp in your hands is being able to 184 00:09:47,679 --> 00:09:50,599 Speaker 1: study the ways in which our brains changed with this activity. 185 00:09:51,440 --> 00:09:55,520 Speaker 1: So this is all sort of predicated, this clapping and 186 00:09:55,960 --> 00:10:00,280 Speaker 1: this social interaction on this idea that has recent come 187 00:10:00,320 --> 00:10:04,800 Speaker 1: out that not only are we all meme machines. We 188 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:07,320 Speaker 1: take our thoughts and we spread them, as evidenced by 189 00:10:07,360 --> 00:10:12,839 Speaker 1: the Internet, but something like clapping is a microcosm of 190 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:16,760 Speaker 1: the meme and how it spreads. Okay, so if you 191 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:18,640 Speaker 1: look at classic about like applause in a in a 192 00:10:18,720 --> 00:10:22,439 Speaker 1: given environment, say it show yeah. Yeah. In fact, it's 193 00:10:22,440 --> 00:10:25,640 Speaker 1: looked at as as a sort of virus spreading out 194 00:10:25,760 --> 00:10:28,839 Speaker 1: throughout the audience. There's a paper published recently called the 195 00:10:28,920 --> 00:10:31,439 Speaker 1: Dynamics of Audience Applause and it's in the Journal of 196 00:10:31,600 --> 00:10:35,440 Speaker 1: Royal Society Interface, and the lead author, Dr Richard Mann 197 00:10:35,679 --> 00:10:38,920 Speaker 1: from the University of Upsala said, you can get quite 198 00:10:38,960 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 1: different lengths of applause even if you have the same 199 00:10:41,360 --> 00:10:45,119 Speaker 1: quality of performance. This is purely coming from the dynamics 200 00:10:45,200 --> 00:10:47,400 Speaker 1: of the people in the crowd. So in other words, 201 00:10:48,040 --> 00:10:50,640 Speaker 1: it's not like how great the performance was, it's how 202 00:10:50,960 --> 00:10:54,240 Speaker 1: the meme of the applause is spreading throughout that audience. 203 00:10:54,440 --> 00:10:57,559 Speaker 1: I imagine performance artists that are listening to this program, 204 00:10:57,960 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 1: be they a musician or a wrestler or what happen 205 00:11:00,080 --> 00:11:03,320 Speaker 1: you UM, or an actor, they can probably tell you, oh, well, 206 00:11:03,360 --> 00:11:05,400 Speaker 1: that's obviously the case because because if you go out 207 00:11:05,440 --> 00:11:08,720 Speaker 1: there and let's say you're your solo is just as 208 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:11,800 Speaker 1: excellent on this night as it was the night before. 209 00:11:12,120 --> 00:11:14,040 Speaker 1: But it's a different crowd, it's a different town, and 210 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:16,800 Speaker 1: sometimes the crowd is just not going to have that dynamic. 211 00:11:17,280 --> 00:11:19,120 Speaker 1: They're not gonna eat it up and uh and there's 212 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:21,480 Speaker 1: maybe a lot more to that than just you know, 213 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:23,680 Speaker 1: it being a sleepy small town versus a big city. 214 00:11:24,040 --> 00:11:26,280 Speaker 1: This is why you have to plant clappers in the audience. 215 00:11:27,160 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 1: If you if you wanted to have a big, resounding, 216 00:11:30,760 --> 00:11:34,439 Speaker 1: robust applause, you know, five minute plus, you would have 217 00:11:34,520 --> 00:11:37,959 Speaker 1: to have people who would be sporadically spread out UM. 218 00:11:38,360 --> 00:11:41,959 Speaker 1: And the reason is because the researchers found that that 219 00:11:42,120 --> 00:11:48,480 Speaker 1: that behavior, that tapering off of volume happens because people 220 00:11:48,559 --> 00:11:51,600 Speaker 1: begin to not participate and then that non pretipation sort 221 00:11:51,600 --> 00:11:54,960 Speaker 1: of give license um or that that lack of volume 222 00:11:55,000 --> 00:11:57,120 Speaker 1: to those other people that say, okay, so I'm much 223 00:11:57,559 --> 00:11:59,640 Speaker 1: anymore just sort of like how you said, like after 224 00:11:59,760 --> 00:12:02,680 Speaker 1: ten claps, you're kind of like kind of done here. Yeah. Yeah, 225 00:12:03,160 --> 00:12:05,079 Speaker 1: And it was interesting too. Then in this study that 226 00:12:05,160 --> 00:12:06,959 Speaker 1: they point out that it doesn't take that many people 227 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:11,880 Speaker 1: starting the applause or stopping it to to affect the 228 00:12:12,240 --> 00:12:15,640 Speaker 1: overall volume. Yeah, something a couple of people, right, So 229 00:12:16,440 --> 00:12:18,319 Speaker 1: you have a couple of people start it. Let's say 230 00:12:18,320 --> 00:12:21,880 Speaker 1: you have people engage in it, two people drop off, 231 00:12:22,120 --> 00:12:25,040 Speaker 1: and then boom, your applause begins to to go on 232 00:12:25,120 --> 00:12:28,040 Speaker 1: the downward curve fare. It can be uh like the 233 00:12:28,200 --> 00:12:31,120 Speaker 1: one of the more like to two examples of this 234 00:12:31,200 --> 00:12:32,719 Speaker 1: come to mind, like if if you ever been to 235 00:12:32,840 --> 00:12:35,599 Speaker 1: something where you did not like the performance, say like 236 00:12:36,520 --> 00:12:38,240 Speaker 1: it seems like I've encountered this before. If it's you're 237 00:12:38,240 --> 00:12:41,240 Speaker 1: going to something where they're various performers, uh and and 238 00:12:41,360 --> 00:12:43,440 Speaker 1: maybe you're not really there to see if it see 239 00:12:43,640 --> 00:12:47,000 Speaker 1: the one that you just perform um and uh, and 240 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:49,280 Speaker 1: you're there's something in me that I'll be stubborn. I'll 241 00:12:49,280 --> 00:12:50,839 Speaker 1: be like, well, I'm not going to applot that that 242 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,719 Speaker 1: was horrible, but then everyone else is applotting, and it's 243 00:12:54,040 --> 00:12:57,000 Speaker 1: and it takes a real to it's a real test 244 00:12:57,040 --> 00:12:59,480 Speaker 1: of will to not fall in and clap like I 245 00:12:59,559 --> 00:13:01,839 Speaker 1: generally up at least doing my silent clap, just so 246 00:13:01,880 --> 00:13:03,960 Speaker 1: I don't look like a jerk, right, And you feel 247 00:13:04,000 --> 00:13:05,520 Speaker 1: kind of like a jerk on the inside, right because 248 00:13:05,559 --> 00:13:07,559 Speaker 1: it's the silent or you feel like I will not 249 00:13:07,679 --> 00:13:10,000 Speaker 1: give you that volume. I'll look like it, but I'm 250 00:13:10,040 --> 00:13:12,959 Speaker 1: not giving it to you. And another thing that comes 251 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:15,120 Speaker 1: to mind is, um, if you've ever been to a 252 00:13:15,200 --> 00:13:18,959 Speaker 1: play and you don't realize that it's family night, so 253 00:13:19,080 --> 00:13:23,040 Speaker 1: it's the family members and friends of the performing I 254 00:13:23,240 --> 00:13:26,040 Speaker 1: went to, uh, we went to a play years ago 255 00:13:26,160 --> 00:13:30,080 Speaker 1: and it was the same case. The performance itself was um, 256 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:32,760 Speaker 1: you know, heartfelt that the performers were really into it, 257 00:13:32,920 --> 00:13:35,319 Speaker 1: they were really believed in their product, but it was 258 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:39,719 Speaker 1: very rough around the edges and and ultimately just kind 259 00:13:39,760 --> 00:13:43,200 Speaker 1: of weird and boring. The music was great, but at 260 00:13:43,240 --> 00:13:46,199 Speaker 1: the end of it was there was a standing ovation 261 00:13:46,360 --> 00:13:49,440 Speaker 1: from everyone around us, and and I kind of felt 262 00:13:49,440 --> 00:13:51,040 Speaker 1: like I was going insane for a second because I 263 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:53,280 Speaker 1: was like, why is everyone loving this so much? Did 264 00:13:53,320 --> 00:13:55,920 Speaker 1: we see the same play? Uh? You know? That? Is it? 265 00:13:56,320 --> 00:13:59,079 Speaker 1: Is there some sort of weird generational divide here? And 266 00:13:59,320 --> 00:14:00,959 Speaker 1: I begin to one, is this what it feels like 267 00:14:01,200 --> 00:14:03,959 Speaker 1: to have like some sort of dementia where the world 268 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:06,800 Speaker 1: is responding in a certain way to stimuli and you 269 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:09,720 Speaker 1: are not having the same response. But it's it turns 270 00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:11,480 Speaker 1: out it's just all of those people given the standing. 271 00:14:11,480 --> 00:14:13,559 Speaker 1: Oh they were there because their friends or and or 272 00:14:13,640 --> 00:14:16,719 Speaker 1: family were involved in the production. I love that. I 273 00:14:16,840 --> 00:14:19,800 Speaker 1: love that You're like this is this is a possible 274 00:14:20,480 --> 00:14:25,040 Speaker 1: alternate reality that you're experiencing and could be like dementia 275 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:27,200 Speaker 1: because again, again it comes down to the pressure, the 276 00:14:27,240 --> 00:14:30,640 Speaker 1: social pressure of the applause, where if the applause is 277 00:14:30,720 --> 00:14:32,400 Speaker 1: that strong for something, it's like, if there's something wrong 278 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:34,840 Speaker 1: with me that they're not fitting in with this? Why 279 00:14:34,840 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 1: am I not having the same response? Another awkward kind 280 00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:42,840 Speaker 1: of applause moment, I think is office applause because you're 281 00:14:42,840 --> 00:14:45,480 Speaker 1: in a meeting someone does something great. Of course you 282 00:14:45,520 --> 00:14:47,280 Speaker 1: want to acknowledge it, but then you feel like you 283 00:14:47,400 --> 00:14:50,400 Speaker 1: can't not acknowledgement that you know, could you could? You? 284 00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: I guess you could not just sit there and fold 285 00:14:52,160 --> 00:14:54,080 Speaker 1: your arms. We don't do that here though. We're pretty 286 00:14:54,160 --> 00:14:56,600 Speaker 1: unsupported bunch for the most part. Yeah, pretty much. Yeah, 287 00:14:56,760 --> 00:14:58,480 Speaker 1: every once a while, like once every two years, so 288 00:14:58,600 --> 00:15:02,160 Speaker 1: there's a cloppicking going on. Let's take a quick break 289 00:15:02,320 --> 00:15:05,480 Speaker 1: and when we get back we will talk about how 290 00:15:05,600 --> 00:15:16,840 Speaker 1: clapping in neurons are related. Wow, that was an inspired 291 00:15:17,080 --> 00:15:20,040 Speaker 1: performance there. That that that was pretty awesome. Oh yeah, 292 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:22,320 Speaker 1: we had that person come in to do that. Yeah, ye, 293 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:29,400 Speaker 1: share was great. Ah. Well, um, if you're just joining us, uh. 294 00:15:29,520 --> 00:15:31,840 Speaker 1: And I'm not sure how you're doing that since someone 295 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:33,560 Speaker 1: listened to the first half of this podcast for you, 296 00:15:33,640 --> 00:15:36,200 Speaker 1: but we are talking about applause, we're talking about clapping, 297 00:15:36,520 --> 00:15:38,920 Speaker 1: and we're talking about all the stuff that you really 298 00:15:38,920 --> 00:15:42,480 Speaker 1: going going on under the surface, both the psychologically, uh, 299 00:15:42,600 --> 00:15:46,960 Speaker 1: socially and uh and indeed from a neuroscientific standpoint. Yeah, 300 00:15:47,040 --> 00:15:49,840 Speaker 1: And I wanted to mention that that um, that study 301 00:15:49,960 --> 00:15:52,120 Speaker 1: about clapping. It was from a team of mathematicians and 302 00:15:52,200 --> 00:15:55,000 Speaker 1: biologists from Sweden and Germany, and one of the things 303 00:15:55,080 --> 00:15:58,200 Speaker 1: they graphed were the times at which people started stop clapping, 304 00:15:58,320 --> 00:16:00,680 Speaker 1: and they found that that graph had a sick mortal 305 00:16:00,800 --> 00:16:03,840 Speaker 1: curve like graphs of people getting infected and then recovering 306 00:16:03,880 --> 00:16:06,840 Speaker 1: from a disease. So I thought that was interesting. Again, 307 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:09,560 Speaker 1: this idea that it's a social contagion. Wow, that it 308 00:16:10,200 --> 00:16:12,560 Speaker 1: virally affects you, then you're you're in the throes of 309 00:16:12,640 --> 00:16:14,320 Speaker 1: it for a little bit, and then gradually you recover. 310 00:16:14,400 --> 00:16:16,360 Speaker 1: It's like, all right, I'm not clapping anymore. I think 311 00:16:16,360 --> 00:16:19,600 Speaker 1: I'm fine. I'm fine. Yeah, I've recovered from this. Yeah. Um. 312 00:16:19,800 --> 00:16:23,920 Speaker 1: I also thought it was interesting that your neurons they 313 00:16:23,960 --> 00:16:28,400 Speaker 1: actually act like a clapping audience. And it turns out 314 00:16:28,480 --> 00:16:32,040 Speaker 1: that your brain that's ability to adapt to circumstances in 315 00:16:32,120 --> 00:16:35,640 Speaker 1: this rapid fire progression of neurons. Um it is all 316 00:16:35,720 --> 00:16:38,320 Speaker 1: related to that. Because let's say you detect an object, 317 00:16:38,440 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: let's say like a baseball hurtling towards your head um 318 00:16:41,960 --> 00:16:44,320 Speaker 1: you have to size up the dimensions of it and 319 00:16:44,400 --> 00:16:46,720 Speaker 1: its relationship to your body, and then in a split second, 320 00:16:46,760 --> 00:16:50,120 Speaker 1: you're sort of switching between all this sensorial data and 321 00:16:50,200 --> 00:16:51,960 Speaker 1: you're making a decision whether or not to move your 322 00:16:52,000 --> 00:16:55,160 Speaker 1: head away from the ball or catch it. And there 323 00:16:55,360 --> 00:16:58,680 Speaker 1: is an associate professor in the Wallace h Culture Department 324 00:16:58,760 --> 00:17:01,560 Speaker 1: of Biomedical Engineering his name is Garrett Stanley. He says, 325 00:17:01,600 --> 00:17:04,080 Speaker 1: there's a switching of the circuit to a different function. 326 00:17:04,160 --> 00:17:07,520 Speaker 1: The same neurons do two things and switch quickly in 327 00:17:07,560 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: a matter of seconds or milliseconds. Though a change in 328 00:17:10,359 --> 00:17:14,359 Speaker 1: the synchronization across neurons occurs. And he says, if you 329 00:17:14,560 --> 00:17:17,440 Speaker 1: think of the neurons firing like members of an audience 330 00:17:17,960 --> 00:17:20,600 Speaker 1: with their clapping hands, then the sound up clapping becomes 331 00:17:20,720 --> 00:17:23,000 Speaker 1: louder when they all clapped together. So it kind of 332 00:17:23,080 --> 00:17:25,639 Speaker 1: makes sense that you have that immediacy like move your 333 00:17:25,680 --> 00:17:28,000 Speaker 1: head or catch that ball. It's sort of like that 334 00:17:28,200 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 1: the crescendo of the clapping of the neurons saying come on, 335 00:17:32,240 --> 00:17:35,760 Speaker 1: give attention to this. Now. Another cool study that that 336 00:17:35,840 --> 00:17:40,120 Speaker 1: we found one from a researcher at Ben Garon University 337 00:17:40,320 --> 00:17:43,680 Speaker 1: of the Negev and I conducted the first study of 338 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:47,320 Speaker 1: hand clapping songs and it revealed a distinct link between 339 00:17:47,560 --> 00:17:49,960 Speaker 1: these activities and the development of important skills and children, 340 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:53,680 Speaker 1: any young adults, including university students, which was really fascinating 341 00:17:53,720 --> 00:17:57,560 Speaker 1: because they're they're studying, uh, obviously their social ramifications for 342 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:00,240 Speaker 1: clapping games. You get kids clapping together. We've talked about 343 00:18:00,240 --> 00:18:02,600 Speaker 1: this too. With music. You know, people come together in 344 00:18:02,800 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 1: song and you're essentially firing up your neurons in in unison, 345 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:11,119 Speaker 1: you're sharing in this activity, uh, this viral activity, if 346 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:14,320 Speaker 1: you will, and uh, and it strengthens the bonds between you. 347 00:18:14,640 --> 00:18:18,159 Speaker 1: So obviously if you're playing uh patty Cake, patty Cake 348 00:18:18,200 --> 00:18:20,439 Speaker 1: Baker's Man, Yeah, you know that kind of thing, then 349 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:22,480 Speaker 1: it's there's a lot of social activity. You're you're clapp 350 00:18:22,520 --> 00:18:25,640 Speaker 1: you're moving to in unison, there's actual physical touch involved. 351 00:18:25,960 --> 00:18:28,560 Speaker 1: It's uh. So it's a no brainer in that regard 352 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:30,840 Speaker 1: that it would help socially, but as it turns out, 353 00:18:30,880 --> 00:18:34,400 Speaker 1: there's also there's also an impact on learning as well. Yeah. 354 00:18:35,040 --> 00:18:36,679 Speaker 1: One of the reasons why they wanted to look at 355 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:39,840 Speaker 1: this with kids elementary ages that they found that they 356 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:43,480 Speaker 1: really like to engage in clapping activities and clapping songs 357 00:18:43,520 --> 00:18:45,920 Speaker 1: at age six, but then they drop off at age ten. 358 00:18:46,800 --> 00:18:49,359 Speaker 1: And so what they figured out is that those kids 359 00:18:49,440 --> 00:18:54,680 Speaker 1: when they engage them and say, like boards sanctioned educational music, 360 00:18:54,880 --> 00:18:58,679 Speaker 1: like one group just in song and another group um 361 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:03,240 Speaker 1: with hand clappings songs, they found that those kids, over 362 00:19:03,320 --> 00:19:06,840 Speaker 1: like a ten week period, they were able to catch 363 00:19:06,960 --> 00:19:10,719 Speaker 1: up in their cognitive abilities those clapping kids as opposed 364 00:19:10,720 --> 00:19:12,800 Speaker 1: to the non clapping kids. So it points to this 365 00:19:13,040 --> 00:19:18,760 Speaker 1: idea that kids may gravitate to it naturally because it's 366 00:19:18,800 --> 00:19:22,480 Speaker 1: integral to motor and cognitive training at those ages. And 367 00:19:22,600 --> 00:19:25,000 Speaker 1: then they also found that it's good for adults as well. 368 00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:27,240 Speaker 1: And part of this they point out as of course nostalgia. 369 00:19:27,240 --> 00:19:29,160 Speaker 1: If you if you played these games when you're younger, 370 00:19:29,240 --> 00:19:33,000 Speaker 1: then there's a warming effect to play them now. But 371 00:19:33,520 --> 00:19:35,960 Speaker 1: but in this questionnaires that they sent out, they found 372 00:19:36,040 --> 00:19:39,360 Speaker 1: that the adult students who took part in clapping games, 373 00:19:39,400 --> 00:19:43,119 Speaker 1: they became more focused and less tense. Um, So the 374 00:19:43,160 --> 00:19:46,040 Speaker 1: next time you're feeling of its stressed, Uh, maybe you 375 00:19:46,119 --> 00:19:47,600 Speaker 1: just need to have some patty Cake in your life. 376 00:19:47,640 --> 00:19:50,240 Speaker 1: Mandatory patty cake time. So you're sitting at your desk, 377 00:19:50,400 --> 00:19:53,440 Speaker 1: you're working on something, you're under deadline, you're totally stressed out, 378 00:19:53,920 --> 00:19:56,119 Speaker 1: Start clapping, yeah, or hand boning or some sort of 379 00:19:56,280 --> 00:20:00,480 Speaker 1: you know, just hitting the thighs or something that might work. Um. 380 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:03,560 Speaker 1: I was trying to think of a bunch of clapping 381 00:20:03,680 --> 00:20:05,680 Speaker 1: songs when I read this, and the only ones that 382 00:20:05,720 --> 00:20:09,240 Speaker 1: came to mind were patty Cake, some church songs, but 383 00:20:09,359 --> 00:20:11,119 Speaker 1: I can't remember any of them, but I know there 384 00:20:11,119 --> 00:20:12,919 Speaker 1: are church songs that have clapping in them, and then 385 00:20:12,960 --> 00:20:14,600 Speaker 1: of course we will rock you, but that's more of 386 00:20:16,119 --> 00:20:18,960 Speaker 1: But certainly you get a whole you know, auditorium doing 387 00:20:19,040 --> 00:20:21,760 Speaker 1: that at once. Then it's pretty spectacular. I was going 388 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:24,639 Speaker 1: to say, because you were synchronizing your entire body to this, 389 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:27,800 Speaker 1: your brain and all of your limbs, and feeling like 390 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:31,160 Speaker 1: you are now invested in something completely outside of yourself. 391 00:20:32,359 --> 00:20:35,679 Speaker 1: But she kind of gives you that big, warm, fuzzy 392 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:42,280 Speaker 1: feeling towards humanity, or at least towards queen exactly exactly, well, 393 00:20:42,359 --> 00:20:45,480 Speaker 1: should we slow clap ourselves out of this episode? I guess. 394 00:20:45,520 --> 00:20:47,280 Speaker 1: So you have the slow clap we didn't really get into, 395 00:20:47,400 --> 00:20:56,920 Speaker 1: but that, of course is the sarcastic clap. And the 396 00:20:57,280 --> 00:20:59,040 Speaker 1: thing about that the slow clap, though, of course, is 397 00:20:59,080 --> 00:21:01,320 Speaker 1: that sometimes you see the see a scene in a 398 00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:03,600 Speaker 1: movie where the slow clap is like that, the first 399 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:06,000 Speaker 1: individual to clap is that person who stands up and 400 00:21:06,119 --> 00:21:10,000 Speaker 1: just like the really heartfelt clapping slow that builds to 401 00:21:10,080 --> 00:21:13,280 Speaker 1: everyone else applauding. So well, I think those are in 402 00:21:13,480 --> 00:21:17,200 Speaker 1: in the films that it's like Mr Holland's opus. Yes, 403 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:20,119 Speaker 1: you know, it's sort of like emotionally charged, like here's 404 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:23,399 Speaker 1: the grand moment that's been realized. Yeah, whereas the other 405 00:21:23,480 --> 00:21:25,359 Speaker 1: slow cap is kind of like the an agat the 406 00:21:25,440 --> 00:21:28,280 Speaker 1: Christie parlor room mystery. We're like, oh, you've figured it 407 00:21:28,359 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 1: out to have you bravo? All right, Well, well you 408 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:34,560 Speaker 1: know we'll let you. We'll give you a moment here 409 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:37,719 Speaker 1: in just a second to to applaud us for another podcast. UM. 410 00:21:37,960 --> 00:21:40,639 Speaker 1: Hopefully well done, um or slow applaud us. If you 411 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:45,199 Speaker 1: found this not all that helpful, but we think it's 412 00:21:45,200 --> 00:21:47,159 Speaker 1: pretty interesting and certainly Uh. You know, some of the 413 00:21:47,200 --> 00:21:50,200 Speaker 1: most mind blowing stuff is when you take something every day, 414 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:52,480 Speaker 1: something you just completely take for granted, and you get 415 00:21:52,520 --> 00:21:55,240 Speaker 1: to to really dive down into the depths beneath it. 416 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:58,800 Speaker 1: So you out there, if you have any tidbits you'd 417 00:21:58,840 --> 00:22:01,200 Speaker 1: like to share based on this information about clapping, we 418 00:22:01,240 --> 00:22:03,640 Speaker 1: would love to hear from you. Um, what's the weirdest 419 00:22:04,119 --> 00:22:08,639 Speaker 1: clapping or applause situation you've encountered? So what's the most awkward? Uh? 420 00:22:09,040 --> 00:22:11,359 Speaker 1: We always love stories like that. Uh. And you can 421 00:22:11,440 --> 00:22:13,320 Speaker 1: get in touch with a number of ways. You can 422 00:22:13,359 --> 00:22:15,520 Speaker 1: go to our Mothership, Stuff of Goal, Your Mind dot com. 423 00:22:15,720 --> 00:22:18,880 Speaker 1: You can go to Facebook or Twitter. We're on both 424 00:22:18,920 --> 00:22:20,680 Speaker 1: of those. On Twitter we're blow the Mind. We're also 425 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:22,639 Speaker 1: on tumbler. And I think there's one more way to 426 00:22:22,640 --> 00:22:24,520 Speaker 1: get in touch with us. Oh yeah, you can send 427 00:22:24,600 --> 00:22:26,960 Speaker 1: us an email at blow the Mind at discovery dot 428 00:22:27,040 --> 00:22:34,480 Speaker 1: com for more on this and thousands of other topics, 429 00:22:34,600 --> 00:22:36,080 Speaker 1: does It How stuff Works dot com