1 00:00:01,200 --> 00:00:04,560 Speaker 1: Hey, everybody, this is Chuck with this uh Saturday select 2 00:00:05,120 --> 00:00:08,039 Speaker 1: edition of Stuff you Should Know? And this week I 3 00:00:08,080 --> 00:00:11,200 Speaker 1: picked out a little show called why do Men Have Nipples? 4 00:00:12,360 --> 00:00:14,000 Speaker 1: And that's how you have to say it in your 5 00:00:14,000 --> 00:00:17,599 Speaker 1: head when you read it out loud. This from January, 6 00:00:18,720 --> 00:00:21,520 Speaker 1: and if I remember correctly, Um, it's just kind of 7 00:00:21,520 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: an interesting episode. I think Josh and I we're looking 8 00:00:24,160 --> 00:00:26,239 Speaker 1: at each other one day with their shirts off. I 9 00:00:26,320 --> 00:00:29,320 Speaker 1: was like, why you have nipples? Why do you have nipples? 10 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:31,920 Speaker 1: And that's generally how most of our shows get started. 11 00:00:32,000 --> 00:00:35,120 Speaker 1: So give it a listen and I hope you enjoy it. 12 00:00:39,479 --> 00:00:42,960 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff you Should Know from House Stuff Works 13 00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:51,880 Speaker 1: dot com. Hey, and welcome to the podcast. I'm Josh Clark, 14 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:55,960 Speaker 1: There's Charles W. Chuck Bryant, and we're doing this. We're 15 00:00:56,000 --> 00:00:58,000 Speaker 1: doing it whether you like it or not. Yeah, we're 16 00:00:58,040 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 1: recording our podcast Stuff you Should Know. Probably no because 17 00:01:01,560 --> 00:01:05,640 Speaker 1: you tuned in, so welcome and if it was an accident, Hey, 18 00:01:05,720 --> 00:01:08,400 Speaker 1: welcome to the party. Talk about serendipity. You're about to 19 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:12,319 Speaker 1: learn about male nipples. Yeah you want to talk about 20 00:01:12,319 --> 00:01:15,800 Speaker 1: a party? Yeah? You got him? I got him. We 21 00:01:15,840 --> 00:01:19,080 Speaker 1: all do. Uh, do you want to talk about chromosomes 22 00:01:19,120 --> 00:01:23,839 Speaker 1: for a second. Sure, okay, chuck, uh, you and I 23 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: each have twenty three chromosomes in our body. We talked 24 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:30,039 Speaker 1: a little bit in Designer Children. I think, yeah about 25 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 1: little genetics over We're not gonna go into that now. 26 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:37,960 Speaker 1: But um, the twenty three chromosomes. H if you put 27 00:01:37,959 --> 00:01:40,240 Speaker 1: a man in a woman side by side, or their 28 00:01:40,319 --> 00:01:43,360 Speaker 1: chromosomes side by side, twenty two of the twenty three 29 00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:46,240 Speaker 1: chromosomes are going to be exactly alike. It's that twenty 30 00:01:46,280 --> 00:01:49,360 Speaker 1: three that gets you. The twenty three chromosome either has 31 00:01:49,400 --> 00:01:51,680 Speaker 1: a pair of xes or an X and a Y. 32 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:56,280 Speaker 1: Pair of xes equals a woman, X Y equals a man. Okay, 33 00:01:56,600 --> 00:01:59,000 Speaker 1: we're not that far apart. We're really not. And that 34 00:01:59,160 --> 00:02:06,400 Speaker 1: becomes very very clear when we're in utero because sexual dimorphism, 35 00:02:06,400 --> 00:02:11,400 Speaker 1: which is the the inward and outward differences between genders 36 00:02:11,440 --> 00:02:14,840 Speaker 1: between male and female, like who who's in ha haas 37 00:02:14,880 --> 00:02:20,200 Speaker 1: and that kind of stuff. Um, those are all uh, 38 00:02:20,280 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 1: those are all hammered out in the course of our 39 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:27,320 Speaker 1: development on the twenty three chrome zone. Right, A lot 40 00:02:27,360 --> 00:02:30,400 Speaker 1: of it you come out with, right, you were born 41 00:02:30,440 --> 00:02:35,800 Speaker 1: with a vagino or a penis, right, Um, but a 42 00:02:35,840 --> 00:02:37,800 Speaker 1: lot of it is also set up to be kicked 43 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:42,359 Speaker 1: in when puberty happens. That's right, but still there's differences, 44 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 1: there's changes, and it's all because of this twenty three 45 00:02:44,400 --> 00:02:48,560 Speaker 1: chrome zone. Some of the things though, can go either 46 00:02:48,560 --> 00:02:53,160 Speaker 1: way and depending on what happens when puberty comes along. Um, 47 00:02:53,919 --> 00:02:56,960 Speaker 1: either nothing's going to happen to these to this equipment, 48 00:02:57,000 --> 00:02:59,840 Speaker 1: I guess you could call it yea or um. A 49 00:03:00,080 --> 00:03:02,600 Speaker 1: lot of crazy things happened to it. And one of those, uh, 50 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:06,480 Speaker 1: the good examples of this are nipples. There's a really 51 00:03:06,480 --> 00:03:11,040 Speaker 1: great question, why do men have nipples? Chuck? Yeah, I 52 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:15,040 Speaker 1: have a funny little story about this. My sister and 53 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:17,560 Speaker 1: I were hanging out about about fifteen years ago, and 54 00:03:17,600 --> 00:03:19,600 Speaker 1: I was They had a male dog and I was 55 00:03:20,240 --> 00:03:24,680 Speaker 1: rubbing the belly and the dog had very like just 56 00:03:24,800 --> 00:03:27,320 Speaker 1: pronouncing nipples more so than you you would usually see 57 00:03:27,360 --> 00:03:29,959 Speaker 1: on a male dog. And I guess I never noticed before, 58 00:03:29,960 --> 00:03:31,400 Speaker 1: and I was just like, I was kind of grossed out. 59 00:03:31,400 --> 00:03:33,760 Speaker 1: I was like, what is your dog nipples? And she's like, 60 00:03:33,840 --> 00:03:36,800 Speaker 1: you have nipples? And then it just like it was 61 00:03:36,840 --> 00:03:40,800 Speaker 1: an awakening my mind. Yeah, It's like, wow, you're right, 62 00:03:40,880 --> 00:03:45,240 Speaker 1: I do why And I never really researched things like 63 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 1: this back then, and uh, now I know why. Now 64 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:51,960 Speaker 1: we know why. Yeah, and we should say this is 65 00:03:52,120 --> 00:03:57,040 Speaker 1: um the generally accepted explanation. It's not necessarily scientific fact, 66 00:03:57,840 --> 00:04:01,640 Speaker 1: but it is um. This is pretty much why. Ye, 67 00:04:01,840 --> 00:04:06,280 Speaker 1: most mammals, in fact, most male mammals have nipples. I 68 00:04:06,320 --> 00:04:10,840 Speaker 1: think mice, stallions and uh platyppie. Yeah, the male platypus 69 00:04:10,920 --> 00:04:15,720 Speaker 1: is among the handful of animals that of mammals that 70 00:04:16,080 --> 00:04:19,480 Speaker 1: where the boys are born nipple free, which is weird 71 00:04:19,560 --> 00:04:23,719 Speaker 1: because um, as Conger points out Christen Conger from Stuff 72 00:04:23,760 --> 00:04:27,440 Speaker 1: Mom Never told you she wrote this article, and um 73 00:04:27,480 --> 00:04:29,800 Speaker 1: she points out that you can make the case that 74 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:34,880 Speaker 1: mice are more evolved in that respect than human males. Yeah. 75 00:04:34,880 --> 00:04:38,919 Speaker 1: Ours could be a flaw. Yeah, um, we'll get to that. Well, 76 00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:43,320 Speaker 1: let's talk about this. So they're back in uh nine, 77 00:04:44,240 --> 00:04:46,479 Speaker 1: right before Y two K it's y two K fever, 78 00:04:47,360 --> 00:04:52,160 Speaker 1: Yale University researchers released the study that said, Hey, we've 79 00:04:52,200 --> 00:04:55,280 Speaker 1: gotten to the bottom of this mystery of why or 80 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:59,760 Speaker 1: how male mice don't grow nipples. They're just completely seriously, 81 00:04:59,760 --> 00:05:01,680 Speaker 1: go out in your yard right now, trap a mouse, 82 00:05:01,960 --> 00:05:04,120 Speaker 1: pick it up by its tail and examine it's some 83 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:08,400 Speaker 1: little belly, no nipples, Yeah, nothing, or if it's got nipples, 84 00:05:08,400 --> 00:05:11,320 Speaker 1: that means it's a little lady exactly. That's the way 85 00:05:11,360 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 1: you tell. That's one of the ways you tell with mice. 86 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:21,359 Speaker 1: And it's because of a protein pth little r P. Yeah. 87 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:25,440 Speaker 1: It's always so exciting when they give them names like this. Uh. 88 00:05:25,520 --> 00:05:28,560 Speaker 1: After mice are after their memory tissue starts to form, 89 00:05:28,800 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 1: produces this protein. Uh. And in male mice it signals 90 00:05:32,240 --> 00:05:37,200 Speaker 1: the cells to form male hormone receptors and uh, it 91 00:05:37,240 --> 00:05:42,599 Speaker 1: basically destroys the tissue. Yeah, like in utero. Correct, Yes, 92 00:05:42,720 --> 00:05:46,599 Speaker 1: because boy mice and male and female mice are all 93 00:05:46,640 --> 00:05:49,599 Speaker 1: they all develop mammory tissue, which gives you all the 94 00:05:49,600 --> 00:05:53,120 Speaker 1: equipment for nipples and breasts and milk ducks and all 95 00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:55,760 Speaker 1: that stuff. They just destroy theirs before they're born. Yeah, 96 00:05:55,839 --> 00:06:00,680 Speaker 1: that protein signals that for to be destroyed in male mice. Uh, 97 00:06:01,560 --> 00:06:05,839 Speaker 1: prepare for the mind blower. Now, boys and girls as 98 00:06:05,960 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: humans undergo a very similar process in utero as well. Um, 99 00:06:11,839 --> 00:06:15,359 Speaker 1: before that sexual dimorphism that's really carried out by the 100 00:06:15,360 --> 00:06:20,039 Speaker 1: twenty three chromosome begins. We both both genders start to 101 00:06:20,040 --> 00:06:25,480 Speaker 1: develop um memory tissue, uh, and develop all the equipments 102 00:06:25,520 --> 00:06:28,720 Speaker 1: called milk lines. They're like kind of like calls it 103 00:06:28,800 --> 00:06:31,200 Speaker 1: the plumbing. We have the same plumbing exactly, which is 104 00:06:31,240 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 1: kind of funny and true. Yeah, um we and we 105 00:06:33,520 --> 00:06:37,920 Speaker 1: developed this plumbing before it's decided or before we start 106 00:06:38,040 --> 00:06:43,280 Speaker 1: to um develop sexual traits. So it's almost like if 107 00:06:43,279 --> 00:06:45,760 Speaker 1: you look at a timeline of sex sexual development, the 108 00:06:45,839 --> 00:06:50,839 Speaker 1: nipples come first, so that they're not associated as far 109 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:55,320 Speaker 1: as the I guess nature is concerned with male or 110 00:06:55,360 --> 00:06:58,240 Speaker 1: female humans the same thing. Yeah, So we don't have 111 00:06:58,279 --> 00:07:01,320 Speaker 1: a protein that takes care of this um the nipples 112 00:07:01,320 --> 00:07:04,920 Speaker 1: and males. So men are and boys and girls are 113 00:07:04,960 --> 00:07:10,040 Speaker 1: born with pretty much exactly the same setup until puberty, 114 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:13,680 Speaker 1: that's right, And that's when the hormones kick in. Estrogen 115 00:07:13,800 --> 00:07:18,040 Speaker 1: and girls is going to cause breast growth and mamory 116 00:07:18,040 --> 00:07:22,360 Speaker 1: gland development, and that's when things diverge. You know what 117 00:07:22,360 --> 00:07:25,800 Speaker 1: It really stood out to me on this um that 118 00:07:25,880 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: means that our nature's default setting as far as humans 119 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:34,120 Speaker 1: are concerned, it's female. Uh yeah, I think it's pretty neat. 120 00:07:34,200 --> 00:07:37,520 Speaker 1: It's pretty neat. Well, you know, women are the seed 121 00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:42,000 Speaker 1: of everything, seed of life. Um, so it's what everybody 122 00:07:42,000 --> 00:07:45,600 Speaker 1: calls them, the seed of life. So um. The the 123 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:48,560 Speaker 1: simple answer then is the reason we have nipples is 124 00:07:48,640 --> 00:07:53,360 Speaker 1: because we've always had nipples. And through the years, evolution 125 00:07:53,480 --> 00:07:56,600 Speaker 1: never said, you know what, you don't need nipples. No, 126 00:07:56,760 --> 00:07:59,920 Speaker 1: And um, the I think the case has been made. 127 00:08:00,280 --> 00:08:03,080 Speaker 1: The reason men still have nipples because nipples are so 128 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:09,800 Speaker 1: vital to female reproductive success that, um, there's no Conger 129 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:13,920 Speaker 1: points out, there's no adaptive pressure to select nipples out 130 00:08:13,920 --> 00:08:17,000 Speaker 1: of men. Yeah, it's such a vital function. Right, So 131 00:08:17,040 --> 00:08:19,920 Speaker 1: it's like we don't want to possibly mess with anything, 132 00:08:19,960 --> 00:08:22,840 Speaker 1: So everybody gets nipples. Okay, you just live with it. Yeah. Yeah, 133 00:08:22,920 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: but that's why men have nipples because nature's default setting 134 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 1: for humans is girls. Yeah. That's interesting. And um, I 135 00:08:30,720 --> 00:08:32,960 Speaker 1: love my little nipples. I'll just come out and say it. 136 00:08:33,760 --> 00:08:35,960 Speaker 1: Do you do well? I think it would be odd 137 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:39,800 Speaker 1: to not have them. I don't think so. It's a 138 00:08:39,800 --> 00:08:42,200 Speaker 1: little getting used to, but I think, um, I think 139 00:08:42,200 --> 00:08:44,440 Speaker 1: it would not look on you know, we did our 140 00:08:44,480 --> 00:08:47,760 Speaker 1: our Barbie podcasts that come out already. Yeah, and there 141 00:08:47,840 --> 00:08:49,480 Speaker 1: are web there are people on the web that will 142 00:08:49,480 --> 00:08:51,320 Speaker 1: teach you how to make nipples. For your Barbie dolls. 143 00:08:51,400 --> 00:08:55,440 Speaker 1: I saw their kindles. Yeah, yeah, like very realistic, looking, 144 00:08:55,600 --> 00:08:58,120 Speaker 1: very realistic. But yeah, you look like a kin doll. 145 00:08:58,360 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 1: This would just be weird. I don't think ken looks 146 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:04,160 Speaker 1: abnormal without nipples because it's a doll. It also doesn't 147 00:09:04,160 --> 00:09:08,240 Speaker 1: look at normal without a penis. That's true, you know. Yeah, 148 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:10,559 Speaker 1: I think you would be the little distressed if you 149 00:09:10,600 --> 00:09:13,080 Speaker 1: woke up one day without nipples. Or maybe you'd love it. 150 00:09:13,160 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 1: Maybe it's a new lease on life for you. Yeah, 151 00:09:14,960 --> 00:09:18,440 Speaker 1: I'd be like, just go bare chested everywhere. Great, I'm 152 00:09:18,480 --> 00:09:23,400 Speaker 1: a freak. Yeah yeah. Um, so we said, Chuck, something 153 00:09:23,480 --> 00:09:27,120 Speaker 1: that's kind of interesting. If you ask me, if you 154 00:09:27,200 --> 00:09:29,319 Speaker 1: take a six year old boy and a six year 155 00:09:29,360 --> 00:09:33,120 Speaker 1: old girl, prep bess boy and pre pubescent girl, and 156 00:09:33,240 --> 00:09:38,280 Speaker 1: you compared their um, their memory glands, the whole memory 157 00:09:38,320 --> 00:09:42,280 Speaker 1: operation they've got going on, they're virtually the same. And 158 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:46,839 Speaker 1: it's not until estrogen comes along that the the differences 159 00:09:46,880 --> 00:09:52,920 Speaker 1: really change. The fat develops, so the breasts get bigger. Um, 160 00:09:53,080 --> 00:09:55,720 Speaker 1: these milk ducks developed. You've You've got all this this 161 00:09:55,840 --> 00:09:58,560 Speaker 1: process that's that just kind of takes these things that 162 00:09:58,600 --> 00:10:04,720 Speaker 1: are almost latent in turns them into functioning breasts. Right, Um, 163 00:10:04,760 --> 00:10:11,560 Speaker 1: if we've found if you expose a man to estrogen, 164 00:10:13,080 --> 00:10:17,240 Speaker 1: he could conceivably lacktate himself. That's part two of this. 165 00:10:17,480 --> 00:10:19,280 Speaker 1: We didn't even put that in the title because we 166 00:10:19,320 --> 00:10:21,480 Speaker 1: didn't want to just blow your minds right out of 167 00:10:21,520 --> 00:10:24,680 Speaker 1: the gate. But the point is is men have nipples 168 00:10:25,960 --> 00:10:29,559 Speaker 1: because girls have nipples, and men can lack take because 169 00:10:29,559 --> 00:10:34,520 Speaker 1: women can lack take. Yeah, and in fact, as little babies, um, 170 00:10:34,640 --> 00:10:39,319 Speaker 1: you and I might have lactated. Who knows when the 171 00:10:39,400 --> 00:10:43,560 Speaker 1: hormone prolactin is what facilitates breast milk production, and new 172 00:10:43,600 --> 00:10:48,680 Speaker 1: moms um when they can actually pass this along in 173 00:10:48,840 --> 00:10:54,240 Speaker 1: utero to their fetus, and that little baby can come 174 00:10:54,240 --> 00:10:57,560 Speaker 1: out if they get enough of that passed along with 175 00:10:57,640 --> 00:10:59,959 Speaker 1: the ability to lactate both little boys and little girl, 176 00:11:00,120 --> 00:11:04,360 Speaker 1: and it's called witches milk um only last couple of weeks. Usually, yeah, 177 00:11:04,440 --> 00:11:06,600 Speaker 1: I'll bet it's a distressing couple of weeks if you're 178 00:11:06,600 --> 00:11:08,800 Speaker 1: the parent, like, what is going on? Well, I'm sure 179 00:11:08,800 --> 00:11:10,959 Speaker 1: it's explained. There's all sorts of weird things that can 180 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:14,480 Speaker 1: happen right away that you're like, what and uh, I 181 00:11:14,480 --> 00:11:17,160 Speaker 1: think Usually doctors like, don't worry that a little fun 182 00:11:17,200 --> 00:11:20,480 Speaker 1: thing else the brain will grow together. Are not the brain, 183 00:11:20,559 --> 00:11:22,720 Speaker 1: The skull will grow together at some point. Don't worry 184 00:11:22,720 --> 00:11:25,440 Speaker 1: about this, just don't pat it on ahead an Um, 185 00:11:25,520 --> 00:11:28,400 Speaker 1: So that yeah, which is milk? It occurs, and I 186 00:11:28,440 --> 00:11:30,120 Speaker 1: don't know how rare it is, she didn't say, but 187 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:36,920 Speaker 1: is it? Yeah? Even rarer? Is um spontaneous lactation in 188 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:42,000 Speaker 1: adult men. Yes, and that's called galacteria, which does not 189 00:11:42,080 --> 00:11:46,240 Speaker 1: sound very pleasant. No it doesn't. But essentially, if um, 190 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:51,200 Speaker 1: if you lack enough testosterone that your estrogen levels are 191 00:11:51,320 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 1: comparatively high, you can um suffer galacteria, which basically is 192 00:11:57,840 --> 00:12:03,160 Speaker 1: male lactation. Spontaneous elactation. Yeah, but um, Congor points out, 193 00:12:03,160 --> 00:12:06,439 Speaker 1: it could be you know, the cause of alarm though, uh, 194 00:12:06,480 --> 00:12:09,280 Speaker 1: if you're an older man, correct, is that just because 195 00:12:09,280 --> 00:12:13,200 Speaker 1: of the testosterone deficiency? Okay, yeah, but Darwin thinks, hey, 196 00:12:13,320 --> 00:12:18,200 Speaker 1: maybe early man breastfed, like full on breastfed, and who knows, 197 00:12:18,280 --> 00:12:21,600 Speaker 1: maybe they did. Who's to say? Are we to say? No, 198 00:12:21,920 --> 00:12:26,800 Speaker 1: Charles Darwin? Yeah, Um, so you've got galacteria is a possibility, 199 00:12:26,840 --> 00:12:29,679 Speaker 1: which is milk is possibility? Two ways that um human 200 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:33,040 Speaker 1: males can spontaneously lactate and we're not the only ones 201 00:12:33,080 --> 00:12:36,400 Speaker 1: who do. There's a type of bat that was discovered 202 00:12:36,440 --> 00:12:41,520 Speaker 1: to lactate spontaneously, and a surprising amount of animals over 203 00:12:41,600 --> 00:12:44,960 Speaker 1: the course of the last century or two have been 204 00:12:45,000 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 1: exposed to all sorts of different tests to make them 205 00:12:48,000 --> 00:12:53,440 Speaker 1: spontaneously lactate. UM. A steer was made to lactate. Do 206 00:12:53,440 --> 00:12:56,439 Speaker 1: you know how surprised that steer must have been? UM. 207 00:12:56,840 --> 00:13:00,000 Speaker 1: But we've found that if you can, if you can 208 00:13:00,200 --> 00:13:04,800 Speaker 1: increase estrogen levels and trigger the release of prolactin, you 209 00:13:04,880 --> 00:13:10,720 Speaker 1: can make men produce milk. And it happens sometimes. So 210 00:13:10,800 --> 00:13:15,800 Speaker 1: the prolactin is UM is produced by the thyroid gland 211 00:13:16,040 --> 00:13:18,960 Speaker 1: right tuitary gland. Yeah, and women when they have a 212 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:22,120 Speaker 1: little baby, they it really ramps up like ten times 213 00:13:22,120 --> 00:13:25,840 Speaker 1: as much exactly. So what they found is that UM 214 00:13:25,880 --> 00:13:30,360 Speaker 1: after a baby is born. Dad's suffer, I guess suffer 215 00:13:30,360 --> 00:13:34,240 Speaker 1: it's not the right word. Dad's experience an increase in 216 00:13:34,280 --> 00:13:37,960 Speaker 1: prolactin production too. Normally, it's not it's not enough to 217 00:13:38,080 --> 00:13:43,920 Speaker 1: cause lactation, but they suspect you can make it happen 218 00:13:44,080 --> 00:13:47,160 Speaker 1: if you are okay, So this is really strange. If 219 00:13:47,200 --> 00:13:50,800 Speaker 1: you hold a baby to your breast and your nipple 220 00:13:51,040 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 1: and your man and you're the father, so you're already 221 00:13:53,400 --> 00:13:57,440 Speaker 1: kind of like prolactin high. You could conceivably trigger the 222 00:13:57,440 --> 00:13:59,959 Speaker 1: production of milk if you did that repeatedly over the 223 00:14:00,880 --> 00:14:03,200 Speaker 1: over the course of like a couple of weeks. Yeah, 224 00:14:03,200 --> 00:14:07,439 Speaker 1: it's like it's a physiological response and biological I guess 225 00:14:07,480 --> 00:14:09,640 Speaker 1: sort of all wrapped up into one, and you can 226 00:14:09,679 --> 00:14:13,200 Speaker 1: have like a sympathy lactation almost. Yeah, and it's happened 227 00:14:13,240 --> 00:14:16,480 Speaker 1: two thousand two in Sri Lanka, right. Yeah. Um. I 228 00:14:16,480 --> 00:14:18,480 Speaker 1: didn't actually get to look this guy up, so I 229 00:14:18,480 --> 00:14:20,320 Speaker 1: don't know a whole lot about him other than the 230 00:14:20,360 --> 00:14:23,000 Speaker 1: fact that he breastfed his daughters after his wife died. Yes, 231 00:14:23,040 --> 00:14:27,720 Speaker 1: his wife died during a childbirth and he took over. Wow, 232 00:14:27,760 --> 00:14:32,920 Speaker 1: that's amazing. But another way to um lactat as if 233 00:14:32,920 --> 00:14:38,240 Speaker 1: you're starving chuck. Yeah. Um, there was this one pow camp, 234 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:42,360 Speaker 1: Japanese pow camp, and just one there was five cases 235 00:14:42,360 --> 00:14:48,720 Speaker 1: of men lactating, uh, spontaneously for each other. No, you 236 00:14:48,720 --> 00:14:52,120 Speaker 1: would think, Um, actually, what what happens is so your 237 00:14:52,520 --> 00:14:58,120 Speaker 1: your pituitary gland produces prolactin um and your liver is 238 00:14:58,560 --> 00:15:03,400 Speaker 1: typically charged with um eating up excess hormones. Right. Um, 239 00:15:03,440 --> 00:15:05,640 Speaker 1: when you're starving, both of them kind of slow down. 240 00:15:05,880 --> 00:15:09,359 Speaker 1: But when you start to eat normally again, your petuitary 241 00:15:09,360 --> 00:15:12,720 Speaker 1: gland starts functioning quicker than your liver, so you have 242 00:15:12,800 --> 00:15:17,120 Speaker 1: higher levels of hormones, including prolactant. Hence you have starving 243 00:15:17,160 --> 00:15:22,320 Speaker 1: men who lack tate. Wow, that's a reality show some 244 00:15:22,400 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 1: sort of island location islands, I don't know. And there 245 00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:59,280 Speaker 1: there's a tribe, the Acca pygmy tribe in Africa. There's 246 00:15:59,280 --> 00:16:03,000 Speaker 1: about out on them and this dude it was documented 247 00:16:03,040 --> 00:16:05,560 Speaker 1: that they men breastfeed their children and this dude went 248 00:16:05,600 --> 00:16:10,600 Speaker 1: and live with them. And uh, not only that, it's amazing. 249 00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:13,280 Speaker 1: They're they're known as the best fathers in the world 250 00:16:13,680 --> 00:16:18,640 Speaker 1: because they spend forty seven percent of their time um 251 00:16:20,400 --> 00:16:22,320 Speaker 1: percent of the time their babies are within arm's reach 252 00:16:22,840 --> 00:16:26,240 Speaker 1: of the father, which is far and away more than 253 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:30,240 Speaker 1: any other culture in the history of the world. And 254 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:33,960 Speaker 1: the gender roles in this Accat tribe are completely interchangeable. 255 00:16:34,400 --> 00:16:36,240 Speaker 1: Like sometimes the men go out and hunt, the women 256 00:16:36,280 --> 00:16:38,400 Speaker 1: take care of things. Sometimes the women go out and 257 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:41,480 Speaker 1: hunt and the men watch the clay pots and take 258 00:16:41,520 --> 00:16:44,200 Speaker 1: care of the children, and it's just they don't know 259 00:16:44,440 --> 00:16:48,440 Speaker 1: gender roles like that. It's just completely interchangeable. It's pretty cool. 260 00:16:48,480 --> 00:16:51,000 Speaker 1: That is very cool. Um. And that's a that was 261 00:16:51,000 --> 00:16:54,240 Speaker 1: a question that kind of Darwin raised, like, well, wait 262 00:16:54,280 --> 00:16:56,760 Speaker 1: a minute, maybe we used to breastfeed. Men used to breastfeed, 263 00:16:56,800 --> 00:17:00,280 Speaker 1: and that's why we have this, which would make it vestigial, right, 264 00:17:00,360 --> 00:17:02,680 Speaker 1: like wisdom teeth appendix. It's something that we used to 265 00:17:02,760 --> 00:17:06,440 Speaker 1: use that we don't anymore. So it's just superfluous um. 266 00:17:06,680 --> 00:17:10,320 Speaker 1: Or it's possible that we can in a pinch do it, 267 00:17:10,600 --> 00:17:13,720 Speaker 1: which would not make a vestigial because we we could 268 00:17:13,720 --> 00:17:16,639 Speaker 1: still conceivably use it like thead in Sri Lanka, the 269 00:17:16,640 --> 00:17:21,639 Speaker 1: aka um the I guess the big question that it 270 00:17:22,000 --> 00:17:26,520 Speaker 1: underlines is like like why if men can do it, 271 00:17:26,600 --> 00:17:30,760 Speaker 1: why aren't we Yeah, why why wouldn't you do that? 272 00:17:30,840 --> 00:17:35,119 Speaker 1: Especially if we live in generally monogamous cultures? Well, I 273 00:17:35,160 --> 00:17:38,080 Speaker 1: think probably because of the evolution, because women did it 274 00:17:38,119 --> 00:17:40,919 Speaker 1: for tens of thousands of years. Only like if we 275 00:17:40,960 --> 00:17:43,280 Speaker 1: had kept doing it, if early man did do that 276 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:46,000 Speaker 1: and they just kept doing it, then today you and 277 00:17:46,040 --> 00:17:48,399 Speaker 1: I might it might be like, hey, I'll pump and 278 00:17:48,440 --> 00:17:50,439 Speaker 1: dump today honey, exactly, don't worry about it. So let 279 00:17:50,440 --> 00:17:53,320 Speaker 1: me ask you this, if we stopped, if we used 280 00:17:53,359 --> 00:17:55,239 Speaker 1: to do it, even if we didn't used to do it, 281 00:17:55,560 --> 00:17:58,080 Speaker 1: the very fact that we're equipped to do it, like 282 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:00,520 Speaker 1: under the right conditions, under the right chem coll baths, 283 00:18:00,560 --> 00:18:03,879 Speaker 1: you and I could lac take right now, right, let's 284 00:18:03,920 --> 00:18:06,840 Speaker 1: have a party. As our culture has become more and 285 00:18:06,840 --> 00:18:10,040 Speaker 1: more monogamous, and it's we get further and further away 286 00:18:10,080 --> 00:18:14,479 Speaker 1: from males going around and spreading their DNA with as 287 00:18:14,560 --> 00:18:19,680 Speaker 1: many mates as possible and instead pair up. Then, um, 288 00:18:19,720 --> 00:18:22,800 Speaker 1: it's entirely possible that ten thousand years from now, men 289 00:18:22,880 --> 00:18:26,480 Speaker 1: and women will both breastfeed. We've got the equipment. It's possible. 290 00:18:26,520 --> 00:18:28,200 Speaker 1: It will just get easier and easier for us to 291 00:18:28,240 --> 00:18:31,720 Speaker 1: do it, and then we will breastfeed as well. Interesting 292 00:18:32,400 --> 00:18:35,960 Speaker 1: it is, Well, it's apparently quite a bonding experience between 293 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:41,359 Speaker 1: mother and child, and so I do it. Jerry just laughed. 294 00:18:42,640 --> 00:18:45,920 Speaker 1: I was not breathfed, however, Oh you weren't, now, man, 295 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:48,640 Speaker 1: I was the child number three, and um, your mom 296 00:18:48,720 --> 00:18:50,359 Speaker 1: was over it. Yeah, she's just like I can know 297 00:18:50,440 --> 00:18:53,719 Speaker 1: more so, Uh, I've never looked into the ramifications of 298 00:18:53,720 --> 00:18:56,320 Speaker 1: that psychologically if that matters. It seems like you turned 299 00:18:56,359 --> 00:18:59,679 Speaker 1: out Okay, no comment. So before we sign off, I 300 00:18:59,680 --> 00:19:02,879 Speaker 1: guess we should raise the point that because we do 301 00:19:03,040 --> 00:19:06,520 Speaker 1: have a lot of the same anatomy underneath, UH, men 302 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:10,000 Speaker 1: can get breast cancer. Um, it's not rare, but it's 303 00:19:10,040 --> 00:19:12,720 Speaker 1: not super common. I think in the two thousand twelve 304 00:19:13,240 --> 00:19:18,120 Speaker 1: about American men were diagnosed with breast cancer, and so 305 00:19:18,280 --> 00:19:21,840 Speaker 1: it happens. You never hear about it there. There's nothing 306 00:19:21,880 --> 00:19:24,280 Speaker 1: to be ashamed of guys. And that's that's a high 307 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:27,600 Speaker 1: enough rate to say for some to say like, well, 308 00:19:27,640 --> 00:19:30,679 Speaker 1: then that means that nipples should be selected out in 309 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:34,760 Speaker 1: men and probably will eventually while they're in lies. What 310 00:19:34,800 --> 00:19:36,479 Speaker 1: we mentioned earlier is the fact that it could be 311 00:19:36,520 --> 00:19:40,399 Speaker 1: just a flaw, an adaptive flaw over the years. Yeah, 312 00:19:40,440 --> 00:19:44,119 Speaker 1: what about um, third nimples, additional nipples. Did you know 313 00:19:44,160 --> 00:19:46,960 Speaker 1: that they happen most frequently in males and on the 314 00:19:47,040 --> 00:19:50,959 Speaker 1: left side. It's interesting one in forty newborns has an 315 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:54,520 Speaker 1: extra nipple. Yeah, a lot of I mean, have you 316 00:19:54,560 --> 00:19:57,480 Speaker 1: ever seen these? Yeah, they don't usually look like a 317 00:19:57,800 --> 00:20:00,399 Speaker 1: full on Sometimes it looks like a birth the mark 318 00:20:00,520 --> 00:20:02,800 Speaker 1: or something like that. Um, it has a tooth growing 319 00:20:02,840 --> 00:20:07,160 Speaker 1: in it. But um, yeah, Chandler had the third nipple 320 00:20:07,200 --> 00:20:10,920 Speaker 1: and friends, right, all right, that's superfectly sod crusty the clown. Really, 321 00:20:11,280 --> 00:20:13,600 Speaker 1: I didn't think I knew that. Yeah, one in forty 322 00:20:13,600 --> 00:20:15,320 Speaker 1: that's way more common than I think. That means that 323 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:17,639 Speaker 1: I know if you dudes have a third nipple. They 324 00:20:17,960 --> 00:20:20,520 Speaker 1: just hadn't told me. I don't think I know forty people. 325 00:20:50,560 --> 00:20:56,160 Speaker 1: You're so weird. Uh you got anything else? Nope? Okay. Well, um, 326 00:20:56,200 --> 00:20:59,920 Speaker 1: if you want to learn more about male nipples, male actation, 327 00:21:00,040 --> 00:21:04,960 Speaker 1: and evolution vestigial stuff, you can type in why do 328 00:21:05,080 --> 00:21:07,800 Speaker 1: men have nipples in the search part how stuff works 329 00:21:07,840 --> 00:21:10,240 Speaker 1: dot Com and it'll bring up this article. And I 330 00:21:10,240 --> 00:21:16,800 Speaker 1: said search bar, which means it's time for listener mail. Uh. Well, whoa, whoa. 331 00:21:16,960 --> 00:21:21,600 Speaker 1: I guess I need to stop myself stop. Uh. We 332 00:21:21,680 --> 00:21:24,240 Speaker 1: have a television show coming out where I played Josh, 333 00:21:24,320 --> 00:21:27,040 Speaker 1: you play Chuck. And the television show is called Stuff 334 00:21:27,040 --> 00:21:30,560 Speaker 1: You Should Know. Um and uh it's coming out on 335 00:21:30,680 --> 00:21:36,639 Speaker 1: Science Channel January nineteenth, Saturday at ten pm two episodes 336 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:39,040 Speaker 1: for the big debut. That's right, and we are debuting 337 00:21:39,080 --> 00:21:42,359 Speaker 1: after the season three premiere of Idiot Abroad with Ricky 338 00:21:42,400 --> 00:21:45,840 Speaker 1: Jervais and Carl Pilkington. Yes, which we're excited about. That's 339 00:21:45,840 --> 00:21:48,440 Speaker 1: a great lead in for us. And if you don't 340 00:21:48,440 --> 00:21:51,120 Speaker 1: have cable and you don't have Science Channel, or even 341 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:53,040 Speaker 1: if you do and you're like I love that and 342 00:21:53,080 --> 00:21:55,680 Speaker 1: I want to see it eight hundred times, you can 343 00:21:55,720 --> 00:21:58,280 Speaker 1: get it on iTunes. I'm told now. Uh, they are 344 00:21:58,320 --> 00:22:01,240 Speaker 1: making the shows available on iTunes for purchase the day 345 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:05,359 Speaker 1: after the episode airs, and episode one is free dudes 346 00:22:05,560 --> 00:22:08,320 Speaker 1: and do deads. Yeah, so every Saturday when we have 347 00:22:08,359 --> 00:22:11,159 Speaker 1: a new episode the following day on iTunes, you'll be 348 00:22:11,160 --> 00:22:14,560 Speaker 1: able to buy it. That's right. Um, So January nine 349 00:22:15,000 --> 00:22:17,960 Speaker 1: is the big premiere. I'm already wearing a dickie and 350 00:22:18,000 --> 00:22:21,040 Speaker 1: a bow tie and little cuffs right now. How do 351 00:22:21,080 --> 00:22:23,879 Speaker 1: I look? You look great? I'm getting ready slowly, but surely. 352 00:22:23,880 --> 00:22:27,280 Speaker 1: That's right. Uh, that's ten pm on Science Channel stuff. 353 00:22:27,280 --> 00:22:29,159 Speaker 1: You should know the television show. It's going to be 354 00:22:29,280 --> 00:22:32,800 Speaker 1: great January, isn't there? Right? All right now, listener mail, 355 00:22:33,640 --> 00:22:38,240 Speaker 1: I'm gonna call this uh mustache woman. Remember during one 356 00:22:38,280 --> 00:22:43,280 Speaker 1: of the November plugs, I think said something about ladies. 357 00:22:43,359 --> 00:22:45,480 Speaker 1: Of course, you don't have a mustache, but blah blah blah, 358 00:22:45,920 --> 00:22:47,800 Speaker 1: it can happen, and this is probably a pretty good 359 00:22:47,800 --> 00:22:52,320 Speaker 1: podcast to mention this. Okay, this from Kayleb guys. I 360 00:22:52,320 --> 00:22:53,920 Speaker 1: was listening to what will Happen When We reach the 361 00:22:54,000 --> 00:22:57,520 Speaker 1: Singularity and Chuck said, men, I guess women, if you 362 00:22:57,520 --> 00:23:00,240 Speaker 1: can grow a mustache, more power to you. Immediately up 363 00:23:00,400 --> 00:23:03,200 Speaker 1: the podcast. What can Email? I suffer from a condition 364 00:23:03,200 --> 00:23:08,040 Speaker 1: known as polycystic ovarian syndrome p c o S, which 365 00:23:08,040 --> 00:23:10,720 Speaker 1: is a leading cause of infertility and effects about twelve 366 00:23:11,040 --> 00:23:13,760 Speaker 1: of women. Many women don't know what it is or 367 00:23:14,080 --> 00:23:17,520 Speaker 1: that they have it, but symptoms include um, infrequent or 368 00:23:17,600 --> 00:23:22,400 Speaker 1: no menstruation cycles, acne, weight gain, diabetes and insulin UH 369 00:23:22,640 --> 00:23:31,320 Speaker 1: insulin resistance and her her sutism her like her which 370 00:23:31,359 --> 00:23:34,000 Speaker 1: is excess hair UH. It can lead to women growing 371 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:38,320 Speaker 1: hair where no woman should on the face, excessive arm hair, legs, 372 00:23:38,320 --> 00:23:40,800 Speaker 1: and even hair on the nipples. Luckily, I am not 373 00:23:40,880 --> 00:23:44,120 Speaker 1: affected by this particular symptom, but some women report having 374 00:23:44,160 --> 00:23:47,400 Speaker 1: to shave several times a day, including sneaking razors into 375 00:23:47,400 --> 00:23:50,320 Speaker 1: work to shave their faces. UH. Needless to say, this 376 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:52,639 Speaker 1: is a devastating reality and can have huge impacts on 377 00:23:52,680 --> 00:23:56,000 Speaker 1: a woman's confidence an emotional well being. One lady with 378 00:23:56,040 --> 00:23:59,560 Speaker 1: PCOS is participating in November to raise money for men's 379 00:23:59,600 --> 00:24:03,760 Speaker 1: health awesome and to promote PCOS awareness. That is really awesome, 380 00:24:03,960 --> 00:24:05,800 Speaker 1: very cool. So I'd love if you could read this 381 00:24:05,840 --> 00:24:08,600 Speaker 1: on the air and raise some awareness around this condition. 382 00:24:08,960 --> 00:24:13,080 Speaker 1: You can find more information through the Polycystic Association of 383 00:24:13,400 --> 00:24:18,520 Speaker 1: Australia via Twitter at p O s A A on 384 00:24:18,640 --> 00:24:23,200 Speaker 1: Australian Please don't do an impersonation? Are you going to now? 385 00:24:24,320 --> 00:24:27,439 Speaker 1: That's terrible. I would really appreciate the plug, big fan 386 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:30,520 Speaker 1: of you guys. Uh, this is Kayla awesome, Kaylea, thank 387 00:24:30,520 --> 00:24:32,959 Speaker 1: you very much for writing in and uh, thank you 388 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:37,240 Speaker 1: to the woman who grew mustache from November. That's pretty awesome. 389 00:24:37,359 --> 00:24:40,240 Speaker 1: Head hats off to you. Um. If you want to 390 00:24:40,359 --> 00:24:43,359 Speaker 1: let us know about something that we obviously don't know 391 00:24:43,440 --> 00:24:47,440 Speaker 1: about um because we made some weird reference to it, who, 392 00:24:47,600 --> 00:24:49,600 Speaker 1: you can tell us all about it on Twitter at 393 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:52,600 Speaker 1: s Y s K podcast. You can join us on 394 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:55,439 Speaker 1: Facebook dot com slash stuff you Should Know, and you 395 00:24:55,480 --> 00:24:58,359 Speaker 1: can send us a good old fashioned email to Stuff 396 00:24:58,520 --> 00:25:06,960 Speaker 1: podcast at disco every dot com for more on this 397 00:25:07,119 --> 00:25:17,520 Speaker 1: and thousands of other topics. Visit how stuff Works dot com, 398 00:25:10,800 --> 00:25:10,840 Speaker 1: m