1 00:00:02,279 --> 00:00:04,760 Speaker 1: Guess what Mango's Well. All right, So we're in New 2 00:00:04,840 --> 00:00:06,800 Speaker 1: York City this week, and one of the things I 3 00:00:06,840 --> 00:00:10,320 Speaker 1: love seeing here is how many people read on the subway. 4 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:13,040 Speaker 1: I mean, you look around and it feels like every 5 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:15,560 Speaker 1: New Yorker feels like it's the perfect time to get 6 00:00:15,560 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: their reading in. And actually sometimes I'm kind of jealous 7 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:21,840 Speaker 1: about this because they have this automatic reading time each day. 8 00:00:21,880 --> 00:00:24,079 Speaker 1: But you look around the world and there are other 9 00:00:24,120 --> 00:00:27,600 Speaker 1: places that do this too, And Brazil is actually a 10 00:00:27,640 --> 00:00:30,000 Speaker 1: big supporter of this. In fact, the country has started 11 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:33,080 Speaker 1: something called ticket books to promote literacy. Have you heard 12 00:00:33,120 --> 00:00:35,720 Speaker 1: about this? You know what's a ticket book? So it's 13 00:00:35,760 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 1: a free book that you can pick up just at 14 00:00:37,760 --> 00:00:41,800 Speaker 1: a subway station. And apparently there's this Brazilian publisher that 15 00:00:41,880 --> 00:00:45,239 Speaker 1: gave out ten thousand books. But the cool part is 16 00:00:45,280 --> 00:00:48,360 Speaker 1: that the books actually double as subway tickets, so each 17 00:00:48,400 --> 00:00:51,040 Speaker 1: book has ten rides and then a reader can either 18 00:00:51,159 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: refill the book for free or pass it along to 19 00:00:53,880 --> 00:00:56,480 Speaker 1: somebody else. Oh that's pretty cool and and did it 20 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:59,560 Speaker 1: get people reading? Yeah? I think some. In fact, this 21 00:00:59,640 --> 00:01:01,760 Speaker 1: was in an intentional effort on the part there, because 22 00:01:01,760 --> 00:01:05,120 Speaker 1: I believe Brazilians were only reading maybe like two books 23 00:01:05,120 --> 00:01:07,839 Speaker 1: a year on average at the time, but the books 24 00:01:07,880 --> 00:01:11,600 Speaker 1: handed out included everything from The Great Gatsby to Hamlet, 25 00:01:11,760 --> 00:01:18,080 Speaker 1: to Naruta love Sonnets to of course Garfield. Garfield was 26 00:01:18,120 --> 00:01:22,200 Speaker 1: a ticket. Fuck. Yeah, it's like a gateway drug to 27 00:01:22,280 --> 00:01:25,720 Speaker 1: like reading. Absolutely wow. This is just the first of 28 00:01:25,800 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 1: a ton of stories that we have today about Brazil, 29 00:01:28,600 --> 00:01:31,040 Speaker 1: from you know, how a soap opera convinced the country 30 00:01:31,040 --> 00:01:33,760 Speaker 1: to have less kids, to how a bunch of termites 31 00:01:33,840 --> 00:01:36,520 Speaker 1: can help you make a better pizza. So let's dig in, 32 00:01:38,600 --> 00:02:00,600 Speaker 1: y Hey their podcast listeners, Welcome to Parts on Genius. 33 00:02:00,640 --> 00:02:02,960 Speaker 1: I'm Will Pearson and as always I'm joined by my 34 00:02:02,960 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: good friend Maues Ticketer and on the other side of 35 00:02:05,440 --> 00:02:08,480 Speaker 1: the soundproof glass helping himself to what he claims is 36 00:02:08,520 --> 00:02:13,280 Speaker 1: a Brazilian delicacy. That's our friend and producer Tristan McNeil. Now, 37 00:02:13,320 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: if I sounded a little bit skeptical, it's because I'm 38 00:02:16,240 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 1: basically watching a grown man drink liquid butter from a bottle, 39 00:02:20,800 --> 00:02:23,680 Speaker 1: and actually he's only trying to frame it as some 40 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 1: kind of cultural experience he's taking part in. And I 41 00:02:26,720 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 1: gotta be honest, personally, I'm not really buying it. What's 42 00:02:29,880 --> 00:02:32,519 Speaker 1: your take on this, mega, Well, I think it's definitely 43 00:02:32,520 --> 00:02:35,200 Speaker 1: gross that that part of the take is true, But 44 00:02:35,639 --> 00:02:37,480 Speaker 1: you know, as weird as it sounds, I I think 45 00:02:37,480 --> 00:02:39,960 Speaker 1: we should actually give him like some partial credit on 46 00:02:40,000 --> 00:02:43,040 Speaker 1: this one, because this is actually a thing in Brazil. 47 00:02:43,200 --> 00:02:46,200 Speaker 1: Apparently in the northeast part of the country, bottled butter 48 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:48,840 Speaker 1: is popular and it's even a common souvenir for people 49 00:02:48,880 --> 00:02:52,040 Speaker 1: who go there on vacation. So the key to remember 50 00:02:52,320 --> 00:02:55,240 Speaker 1: is that residents actually use this butter as a condiment, 51 00:02:55,360 --> 00:02:57,960 Speaker 1: not as a beverage. So if you dine in the region, 52 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:00,120 Speaker 1: you'd probably find like a bottle of liquid butter on 53 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:02,640 Speaker 1: the table next to the salt and pepper, and you 54 00:03:02,639 --> 00:03:04,480 Speaker 1: can just splash a little on your meat or rice 55 00:03:04,600 --> 00:03:07,160 Speaker 1: or whatever, just for an extra kick of flavor. I 56 00:03:07,160 --> 00:03:09,760 Speaker 1: feel like that makes more sense than whatever Tristan is 57 00:03:09,800 --> 00:03:13,400 Speaker 1: doing right now. But so, so, what's so special about 58 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:16,840 Speaker 1: this butter anyway? And maybe more importantly, why do they 59 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:20,639 Speaker 1: sell this in bottles? So it's actually pretty funny. When 60 00:03:20,639 --> 00:03:22,799 Speaker 1: I first heard about this, the first thing I thought 61 00:03:22,800 --> 00:03:26,520 Speaker 1: about was ge which is this clarified liquid butter that 62 00:03:26,560 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: you have in India? People started making gee because it 63 00:03:29,080 --> 00:03:31,560 Speaker 1: was sort of this easy way to preserve butter in 64 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:35,640 Speaker 1: the days before refrigeration and in areas that are hot 65 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:38,960 Speaker 1: or unforgiving. If you clarify the butter and you remove 66 00:03:39,080 --> 00:03:41,920 Speaker 1: that milky solid that's in there, and and you just 67 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:45,360 Speaker 1: keep the liquid dairy fat that's left behind, it doesn't spoil. 68 00:03:45,800 --> 00:03:48,400 Speaker 1: And it turns out it's actually the same story here. 69 00:03:48,520 --> 00:03:52,960 Speaker 1: Northeast Brazil is dry, it's arid, so the cattle ranchers 70 00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:56,880 Speaker 1: in the region stumbled into this same technique. It's uh, 71 00:03:57,160 --> 00:03:59,960 Speaker 1: it actually ends up being super regional. You can't find 72 00:04:00,040 --> 00:04:02,440 Speaker 1: in other parts of Brazil, only in the northeast. And 73 00:04:02,440 --> 00:04:07,040 Speaker 1: and it's also an acquired taste. Unlike it actually has 74 00:04:07,080 --> 00:04:09,800 Speaker 1: a few more notes to it. It's a little more cheesy. 75 00:04:09,920 --> 00:04:13,119 Speaker 1: It supposedly has a strong barnyard of roma as well, 76 00:04:13,160 --> 00:04:16,960 Speaker 1: which I guess is very acquired barnyard or yeah, I 77 00:04:17,000 --> 00:04:19,760 Speaker 1: would say that that's true. How you'd ever acquire that taste? 78 00:04:19,800 --> 00:04:23,680 Speaker 1: But interesting, But it doesn't seem to bother Tristan over 79 00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:26,359 Speaker 1: there though. And I'm grateful that he brought this stuff 80 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 1: to our attention because it is pretty interesting, and because 81 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:32,600 Speaker 1: you know, I love her bottle butter is definitely an 82 00:04:32,680 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: unusual part of Brazilian culture that I had actually never 83 00:04:35,839 --> 00:04:38,400 Speaker 1: heard about before, And that's exactly the kind of thing 84 00:04:38,440 --> 00:04:41,080 Speaker 1: that today's episode is all about. You know, it feels 85 00:04:41,120 --> 00:04:43,080 Speaker 1: far too often that when it comes to Brazil, we 86 00:04:43,200 --> 00:04:45,760 Speaker 1: either hear only the good or the bad. You know, 87 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:48,400 Speaker 1: like we read about all the tourist friendly things in 88 00:04:48,440 --> 00:04:54,480 Speaker 1: the country, like the delicious food, beautiful beaches, Samba's soccer carnival, 89 00:04:54,640 --> 00:04:56,840 Speaker 1: but you know, it also feels like we read about 90 00:04:56,839 --> 00:05:01,400 Speaker 1: the depressing bits like poverty and government corrupt shian rampant crime. 91 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:04,880 Speaker 1: So today's focus, like we really thought we'd moved past 92 00:05:04,960 --> 00:05:08,719 Speaker 1: those familiar talking points and think about the stranger side 93 00:05:08,720 --> 00:05:11,400 Speaker 1: of Brazil, like all the unusual things about the country 94 00:05:11,400 --> 00:05:15,200 Speaker 1: that you probably never knew about. So let's get into this, Like, 95 00:05:15,240 --> 00:05:19,480 Speaker 1: what what's something you were surprised to learn this week, Mango. Well, 96 00:05:19,600 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 1: I mean, there are a ton of things, but one 97 00:05:21,400 --> 00:05:22,920 Speaker 1: thing that really stuck out to me is the fact 98 00:05:23,000 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: that nearly two million Brazilian citizens are of Japanese descent. 99 00:05:27,680 --> 00:05:31,359 Speaker 1: There and while that's still only a fraction of Brazil's population, 100 00:05:31,400 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 1: which is roughly about like two million people, it's actually 101 00:05:35,480 --> 00:05:38,839 Speaker 1: the largest group of people with Japanese ancestry outside of 102 00:05:38,880 --> 00:05:41,920 Speaker 1: Japan itself. I actually hadn't heard that before. So why 103 00:05:42,040 --> 00:05:45,360 Speaker 1: is that exactly? Well, I guess Brazil has always been 104 00:05:45,360 --> 00:05:48,360 Speaker 1: this melting pot of cultures from all over Europe and Africa, 105 00:05:48,480 --> 00:05:50,680 Speaker 1: and and this goes back hundreds of years. And of 106 00:05:50,680 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 1: course there's also the native population that that's there and 107 00:05:53,800 --> 00:05:57,320 Speaker 1: the various Amazonian tribes. The country really is home to 108 00:05:57,360 --> 00:06:00,839 Speaker 1: a little bit of everyone. But Asia's country. Aribution didn't 109 00:06:00,880 --> 00:06:03,960 Speaker 1: come until about the early twentieth century, and that's when 110 00:06:04,040 --> 00:06:06,320 Speaker 1: tens of thousands of Japanese people began to look for 111 00:06:06,360 --> 00:06:10,920 Speaker 1: opportunities abroad. Um the first batch came over in nine eight, 112 00:06:11,320 --> 00:06:13,840 Speaker 1: and then they settled in the south and the southeast 113 00:06:13,880 --> 00:06:15,520 Speaker 1: parts of the country, where they started working on the 114 00:06:15,520 --> 00:06:18,839 Speaker 1: coffee plantations. And then the nineteen thirties, the local state 115 00:06:18,880 --> 00:06:22,120 Speaker 1: government in Brazil's north began offering freeland to anyone who 116 00:06:22,200 --> 00:06:25,520 Speaker 1: was willing to farm it, and obviously that's an attractive 117 00:06:25,560 --> 00:06:29,080 Speaker 1: deal to an outsider. So a second wave of Japanese 118 00:06:29,080 --> 00:06:31,720 Speaker 1: immigrants laid roots in that part of the country, and 119 00:06:31,800 --> 00:06:34,120 Speaker 1: now over a century later, the country has the world's 120 00:06:34,160 --> 00:06:37,880 Speaker 1: second largest population of people of Japanese ancestry, or nick 121 00:06:38,080 --> 00:06:41,160 Speaker 1: as they're called. You know, it's cool because one of 122 00:06:41,200 --> 00:06:44,280 Speaker 1: the reasons we wanted to do this Brazil episode is because, 123 00:06:44,440 --> 00:06:46,560 Speaker 1: you know, we both learned so many fascinating things from 124 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:49,120 Speaker 1: the show we did on Japan a while back. So 125 00:06:49,240 --> 00:06:50,960 Speaker 1: it's you know, it's neat that you found this kind 126 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:54,880 Speaker 1: of unexpected connection between the two countries. It's funny, you 127 00:06:54,880 --> 00:06:57,360 Speaker 1: know what. We actually had this host in the office, 128 00:06:57,600 --> 00:07:00,600 Speaker 1: very trendy Thurston and we were talking about aging relations 129 00:07:00,640 --> 00:07:03,440 Speaker 1: and I told them how Japan was adding all that 130 00:07:03,480 --> 00:07:05,560 Speaker 1: process to food for the elderly so that they could 131 00:07:05,640 --> 00:07:08,160 Speaker 1: chew and swallow food easier. I feel like there's so 132 00:07:08,200 --> 00:07:11,400 Speaker 1: many facts in that that we're really interesting. But what 133 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:13,240 Speaker 1: sort of funny to me is that Japan and Brazil 134 00:07:13,760 --> 00:07:16,560 Speaker 1: feel pretty far apart, not only in terms of like culture, 135 00:07:16,600 --> 00:07:20,360 Speaker 1: but stuff like climate. Like Japanese immigrants, you know, they 136 00:07:20,360 --> 00:07:22,680 Speaker 1: wouldn't have been used to those like ninety five degree 137 00:07:22,800 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: days and the average high in Tokyo, like it's only 138 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:30,720 Speaker 1: like seventy nine degrees. It's quite a difference between the climates. Yeah, 139 00:07:30,880 --> 00:07:33,160 Speaker 1: that's that's a serious adjustment. I do get a sense 140 00:07:33,200 --> 00:07:35,760 Speaker 1: for how Japanese transplants, you know, deal with this kind 141 00:07:35,760 --> 00:07:38,840 Speaker 1: of newness. I guess there is a coping mechanism for 142 00:07:38,880 --> 00:07:42,120 Speaker 1: all of us, but it's comfort food. So Japan of 143 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:46,440 Speaker 1: course has a pretty famous culinary tradition, you know, from 144 00:07:46,480 --> 00:07:49,640 Speaker 1: their dining habits to meal time rituals, and so these 145 00:07:49,680 --> 00:07:52,240 Speaker 1: early in Nicicay communities in Brazil would actually hang onto 146 00:07:52,240 --> 00:07:55,080 Speaker 1: those traditions is a way to feel connected to their heritage. 147 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:58,680 Speaker 1: But they didn't live or or cooking isolation either. Like 148 00:07:58,760 --> 00:08:01,880 Speaker 1: over time, Brazilian fivers began to seep into these traditional 149 00:08:02,000 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 1: Japanese recipes and ingredients from the homeland that couldn't be 150 00:08:05,760 --> 00:08:08,920 Speaker 1: found where offense ups too, with things like cassava or 151 00:08:09,040 --> 00:08:12,320 Speaker 1: fish from nearby rivers. But what's interesting is that like 152 00:08:12,360 --> 00:08:14,720 Speaker 1: a few generations later, a whole bunch of Japanese Brazilians 153 00:08:14,760 --> 00:08:18,600 Speaker 1: wind up reverse migrating back to Japan. And since they've 154 00:08:18,640 --> 00:08:20,640 Speaker 1: lived their entire lives in Brazil, they naturally brought a 155 00:08:20,680 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 1: taste for all of these Brazilian flavors and culture back 156 00:08:23,200 --> 00:08:26,640 Speaker 1: with them. So in fact, there's this like thriving Brazilian 157 00:08:26,720 --> 00:08:29,120 Speaker 1: restaurant scene in Japan now because so many people had 158 00:08:29,160 --> 00:08:32,200 Speaker 1: migrated back there and they were nostalgic for the Brazilian 159 00:08:32,240 --> 00:08:34,840 Speaker 1: food they've grown up with. And I just kind of 160 00:08:34,880 --> 00:08:38,120 Speaker 1: love that there's this like unofficial cultural exchange program between 161 00:08:38,160 --> 00:08:40,679 Speaker 1: the two countries. Yeah, that's really cool. You know. Actually 162 00:08:40,720 --> 00:08:42,920 Speaker 1: have a different food collaboration that I want to talk 163 00:08:42,920 --> 00:08:44,840 Speaker 1: about for just a minute. This is the one between 164 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:48,600 Speaker 1: the fishermen of Lagoon and Brazil and the wild dolphins 165 00:08:48,640 --> 00:08:51,040 Speaker 1: who live off the coast there. So for the past 166 00:08:51,080 --> 00:08:54,400 Speaker 1: a hundred and twenty years, their friendly Laguna dolphins have 167 00:08:54,480 --> 00:08:58,040 Speaker 1: actually been lending their fishing talents to the coastal community there. 168 00:08:58,080 --> 00:09:00,560 Speaker 1: I know that may sound a little bit weird. Yeah, 169 00:09:00,600 --> 00:09:04,319 Speaker 1: so how does this work exactly? It's pretty amazing actually. 170 00:09:04,360 --> 00:09:07,959 Speaker 1: So around two hundred fishermen take their nets and and 171 00:09:08,040 --> 00:09:10,319 Speaker 1: they wade out into the water and you know, they're 172 00:09:10,400 --> 00:09:12,640 Speaker 1: kind of waist deep at this point, and they form 173 00:09:12,720 --> 00:09:15,200 Speaker 1: a line. But because the water in the area is 174 00:09:15,240 --> 00:09:18,439 Speaker 1: so murky, they actually can't see where the fish are. 175 00:09:18,880 --> 00:09:21,560 Speaker 1: So instead the fishermen wait for a friendly dolphin to 176 00:09:21,640 --> 00:09:24,720 Speaker 1: give them somewhat of a signal, and so once they 177 00:09:24,760 --> 00:09:27,400 Speaker 1: see one, make a sudden dive or slap its tail 178 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:29,920 Speaker 1: against the water. The humans actually cast their nets and 179 00:09:30,080 --> 00:09:32,920 Speaker 1: reap the rewards from there, and there's a ton to 180 00:09:33,000 --> 00:09:36,040 Speaker 1: reap too. I actually research shows that they can catch 181 00:09:36,120 --> 00:09:39,640 Speaker 1: more fish and larger fish when they do, you know, 182 00:09:39,720 --> 00:09:42,160 Speaker 1: kind of cooperate with the dolphins compared to when they 183 00:09:42,200 --> 00:09:44,800 Speaker 1: work solo. In fact, some of the fishermen say that 184 00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:47,920 Speaker 1: on days when dolphins aren't around, it's not even worth 185 00:09:47,960 --> 00:09:51,840 Speaker 1: fishing at all. So this sounds like a pretty sweet 186 00:09:51,880 --> 00:09:54,240 Speaker 1: deal for the fisherman, But what is in it for 187 00:09:54,280 --> 00:09:57,120 Speaker 1: the dolphins. You know, It's funny because then the articles, 188 00:09:57,160 --> 00:10:00,200 Speaker 1: the dolphins are almost always talked about like these eat 189 00:10:00,240 --> 00:10:03,080 Speaker 1: dogs of the sea, like they corral the fish for 190 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:06,480 Speaker 1: the fisherman, But it's clearly benefiting them too. And I 191 00:10:06,480 --> 00:10:09,679 Speaker 1: guess the theory is that panicked fish become really disoriented 192 00:10:09,720 --> 00:10:12,920 Speaker 1: when the fisherman cast their nets, and that chaos makes 193 00:10:12,960 --> 00:10:15,760 Speaker 1: it easier for the dolphins to gobble up the fish 194 00:10:15,800 --> 00:10:19,200 Speaker 1: as well. And it isn't like every dolphin participates in 195 00:10:19,240 --> 00:10:22,280 Speaker 1: this activity, like the helpful ones you know, kind of 196 00:10:22,320 --> 00:10:25,480 Speaker 1: work alone or in smaller groups with the humans, But 197 00:10:25,600 --> 00:10:28,400 Speaker 1: the rest of the dolphins steer clear all together. And 198 00:10:28,440 --> 00:10:30,280 Speaker 1: as you know, as far as we know, nobody ever 199 00:10:30,360 --> 00:10:33,520 Speaker 1: taught the dolphins to do this, So how exactly this 200 00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:36,640 Speaker 1: practice got started, it's still somewhat of the mystery. I 201 00:10:36,720 --> 00:10:39,280 Speaker 1: like that you're aware that some of the dolphins opt 202 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:42,679 Speaker 1: out of this experience. I don't want any part of it, 203 00:10:42,720 --> 00:10:45,040 Speaker 1: which is pretty amazing. But you know, while we're on 204 00:10:45,080 --> 00:10:47,880 Speaker 1: the subject of bizarrely helpful animals, did you know that 205 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:53,320 Speaker 1: Brazilian termites are actually great at making pizza ovens? That 206 00:10:53,600 --> 00:10:56,120 Speaker 1: is not something I do, but but I definitely need 207 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:58,840 Speaker 1: to know more now. So I I don't know how 208 00:10:58,920 --> 00:11:01,080 Speaker 1: much you know about termites, but they really are these 209 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:05,679 Speaker 1: incredible engineers and construction workers. They carve out these super long, 210 00:11:05,800 --> 00:11:09,760 Speaker 1: intricate tunnel systems for their colonies to nest in. But 211 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:13,080 Speaker 1: you've probably also seen those giant termite mounds is that 212 00:11:13,120 --> 00:11:16,199 Speaker 1: they make? And uh, I don't know, have you actually 213 00:11:16,200 --> 00:11:18,840 Speaker 1: seen those? Oh? Yeah, no, it's pretty amazing to see 214 00:11:18,840 --> 00:11:21,400 Speaker 1: the pictures of these. Yeah, And and they look like 215 00:11:21,800 --> 00:11:25,319 Speaker 1: I guess like giant dirt cones, are almost like big 216 00:11:25,400 --> 00:11:29,040 Speaker 1: rocks smoke stacks. But the interesting thing is that, like, 217 00:11:29,080 --> 00:11:32,640 Speaker 1: because most of the termite tunnels are underground. If you 218 00:11:32,760 --> 00:11:34,600 Speaker 1: cut into the side of one of these mounds, you 219 00:11:34,640 --> 00:11:37,839 Speaker 1: probably won't find many termites in it at all. I mean, so, 220 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:39,800 Speaker 1: so what's with the giant cones, Like it seems like 221 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:43,320 Speaker 1: a huge amount of work for for not a lot. Yeah, 222 00:11:43,360 --> 00:11:45,720 Speaker 1: I mean, it depends on which termite mounds we're talking about. 223 00:11:45,800 --> 00:11:49,640 Speaker 1: Like in the northeast Brazil, where it's extremely dry and arid, 224 00:11:50,000 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 1: the termite mounds really don't serve a purpose. They're they're 225 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:56,200 Speaker 1: basically just like enormous junk piles, and it's essentially all 226 00:11:56,240 --> 00:11:59,280 Speaker 1: the excess bits of soil that the termites produced while 227 00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:02,160 Speaker 1: tunneling on the ground, and all of that just eventually 228 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:04,760 Speaker 1: gets like collected into a mount. You know. While a 229 00:12:04,920 --> 00:12:07,480 Speaker 1: termite worker is hardly half an inch long, like like, 230 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:09,600 Speaker 1: some of the mounds they build are actually like thirty 231 00:12:09,679 --> 00:12:11,920 Speaker 1: feet wide at the base and they could be as 232 00:12:11,920 --> 00:12:15,720 Speaker 1: tall as thirteen feet high. So not only are they big, 233 00:12:15,760 --> 00:12:18,360 Speaker 1: but there are tons of them. Actually this is a 234 00:12:18,400 --> 00:12:21,280 Speaker 1: little off topic, but based on satellite images in the region, 235 00:12:21,480 --> 00:12:25,280 Speaker 1: researchers actually estimate their roughly two hundred million termite mounts, 236 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:28,000 Speaker 1: and they're spread across an area as large as four 237 00:12:28,160 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 1: thousand great Pyramids of Giza, which is kind of a 238 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:34,079 Speaker 1: weird way to measure things. I don't know why. The 239 00:12:34,520 --> 00:12:37,920 Speaker 1: fact I read said like, I don't normally measure things 240 00:12:37,920 --> 00:12:41,720 Speaker 1: in Pyramids of Giza, but it's, uh, it's pretty fascinating. 241 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:44,120 Speaker 1: I thought that was pretty standard now, But I mean, 242 00:12:44,120 --> 00:12:46,360 Speaker 1: I'm guessing if it's that many and you can see 243 00:12:46,400 --> 00:12:49,800 Speaker 1: the mounds from space, that the bugs have been doing 244 00:12:49,800 --> 00:12:52,840 Speaker 1: this for a little while. Yeah, there was actually this 245 00:12:52,960 --> 00:12:56,079 Speaker 1: really neat study where researchers took soil samples from eleven 246 00:12:56,080 --> 00:12:59,120 Speaker 1: different mounds and then they analyze the sand grains from 247 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:02,560 Speaker 1: the centers to see I guess when these mounds had 248 00:13:02,640 --> 00:13:05,360 Speaker 1: last been exposed to sunlight or at least the dirt inside. 249 00:13:05,800 --> 00:13:08,520 Speaker 1: And the youngest mound they found was I guess it 250 00:13:08,520 --> 00:13:11,760 Speaker 1: was started seven years ago, and the oldest was almost 251 00:13:11,760 --> 00:13:15,080 Speaker 1: four thousand years old. That is incredible. But actually, I 252 00:13:15,120 --> 00:13:17,360 Speaker 1: think the question we all want to know now is 253 00:13:17,840 --> 00:13:20,440 Speaker 1: what does any of this have to do with pizza? 254 00:13:22,280 --> 00:13:24,480 Speaker 1: So this is a real thing, I promise, and it's 255 00:13:24,559 --> 00:13:27,760 Speaker 1: not just the shaggy dog story. If you head to 256 00:13:27,880 --> 00:13:31,840 Speaker 1: southern and central Brazil where it's wet and grassy, you 257 00:13:31,840 --> 00:13:35,160 Speaker 1: actually find a different kind of termite mound there, and 258 00:13:35,400 --> 00:13:38,600 Speaker 1: these ones do serve a purpose both for the termites 259 00:13:38,640 --> 00:13:41,640 Speaker 1: and and for pizza loving humans. So on the termite 260 00:13:41,640 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 1: side of things, that the hall amounts function as lungs 261 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:46,680 Speaker 1: for the colonies that that live in the tunnels below them, 262 00:13:47,120 --> 00:13:50,560 Speaker 1: and it's all this like porous soiled, and it helps them, 263 00:13:51,000 --> 00:13:54,280 Speaker 1: I guess, keep their chambers ventilated, like the carbon dioxide 264 00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:57,480 Speaker 1: is sent out and fresh oxygen comes in. But for 265 00:13:57,720 --> 00:13:59,960 Speaker 1: humans that the good news is that once the colony 266 00:14:00,080 --> 00:14:02,320 Speaker 1: dies out or follows the trail of food to a 267 00:14:02,320 --> 00:14:07,080 Speaker 1: different location, all these deserted mounds make perfect outdoor ovens. 268 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:09,160 Speaker 1: So in the past people used to cook all kinds 269 00:14:09,200 --> 00:14:11,760 Speaker 1: of meat in these makeshift ovens, but today they're actually 270 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:15,360 Speaker 1: a really popular way to cook bread and pizza, especially 271 00:14:15,400 --> 00:14:18,360 Speaker 1: when you're on camping trips or some other outing. And 272 00:14:18,360 --> 00:14:19,720 Speaker 1: and all you have to do is like cut a 273 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:22,640 Speaker 1: hole at the base of the mound, confirm it's empty, 274 00:14:22,960 --> 00:14:25,600 Speaker 1: which is a pretty important part, and and then light 275 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:28,160 Speaker 1: it up and and um, it's ready to to make 276 00:14:28,200 --> 00:14:31,160 Speaker 1: food with. You know. I think I have a hard time, though, ever, 277 00:14:31,200 --> 00:14:33,880 Speaker 1: eating something that was baked in a termite oven to 278 00:14:33,920 --> 00:14:35,880 Speaker 1: be honest with you, and I mean, I know you 279 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:38,240 Speaker 1: said the mounds are a bandon and everything, but I 280 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:40,680 Speaker 1: might still struggle with that. But thankfully that I know, 281 00:14:40,760 --> 00:14:43,480 Speaker 1: Brazil has me covered because the country has actually been 282 00:14:43,480 --> 00:14:46,800 Speaker 1: obsessed with pizza ever since Italian immigrants brought it over 283 00:14:46,800 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 1: at the end of the nineteenth century. In fact, in 284 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 1: Brazil's largest city, sal Paalo, you know, they're so into 285 00:14:52,760 --> 00:14:55,480 Speaker 1: pizza there that's said to be home to eight thousand 286 00:14:55,560 --> 00:14:59,240 Speaker 1: pizza parlors, eight thousand, which is collectively that's enough to 287 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:02,960 Speaker 1: produce a new a million pizzas each and every day. 288 00:15:03,040 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 1: And if some foodies claimed Brazil makes the best pizza 289 00:15:06,120 --> 00:15:09,200 Speaker 1: in the world, which is hard for someone like me 290 00:15:09,280 --> 00:15:11,560 Speaker 1: to believe. Yeah, well, I mean there is a downside 291 00:15:11,560 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 1: to all that superior pizza because, according to a two 292 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:18,600 Speaker 1: thousand sixteen paper and Atmospheric Environment, the restaurants used an 293 00:15:18,720 --> 00:15:22,040 Speaker 1: estimated three hundred thousand tons of wood each year to 294 00:15:22,120 --> 00:15:25,520 Speaker 1: keep their old school ovens nice and hot, and unfortunately, 295 00:15:25,560 --> 00:15:28,880 Speaker 1: all that smoke results in some pretty major air pollution, 296 00:15:29,400 --> 00:15:31,560 Speaker 1: and so the researchers say that even though most residents 297 00:15:31,560 --> 00:15:34,120 Speaker 1: have switched over to biofuel for their vehicles. You know, 298 00:15:34,120 --> 00:15:37,560 Speaker 1: the emissions from all those wood burning ovens might undo 299 00:15:37,640 --> 00:15:41,640 Speaker 1: all those positive effects. I do find it problematic, right, 300 00:15:41,680 --> 00:15:45,720 Speaker 1: like choosing between clean air or the world's most delicious pizza. 301 00:15:45,960 --> 00:15:49,840 Speaker 1: It feels like such a Sophie's choice. But you know, 302 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:52,280 Speaker 1: now that we've talked a little bit about Brazilian cuisine 303 00:15:52,320 --> 00:15:54,520 Speaker 1: and some animals that help put food on the table, 304 00:15:54,520 --> 00:15:57,040 Speaker 1: why don't we switch gears and talk about the opposite 305 00:15:57,080 --> 00:16:00,840 Speaker 1: kind of wildlife, the Brazilian animals that are more life 306 00:16:00,880 --> 00:16:04,840 Speaker 1: threatening than life affirming. Yeah, let's definitely do that. Before 307 00:16:04,840 --> 00:16:21,480 Speaker 1: we get to that, let's take a quick break. You're 308 00:16:21,480 --> 00:16:23,200 Speaker 1: listening to Part Time Genius and we're talking about the 309 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:27,440 Speaker 1: strangest things you never knew about Brazilian wildlife. Now you 310 00:16:27,520 --> 00:16:30,000 Speaker 1: may have heard this before, but Brazil is believed to 311 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:33,240 Speaker 1: have the greatest biodiversity of any country in the world, 312 00:16:33,640 --> 00:16:36,320 Speaker 1: and it's largely thanks to it's also having the largest 313 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:40,160 Speaker 1: tract of untouched rainforest on the planet. And while some 314 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:42,720 Speaker 1: of the animals there are dangerous, and you know, some 315 00:16:42,840 --> 00:16:46,080 Speaker 1: are even deadly, there's one famous jungle resident that is 316 00:16:46,160 --> 00:16:49,240 Speaker 1: far less dangerous than we like to pretend, and that's 317 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:55,160 Speaker 1: the poor misunderstood piranha. I love it, the humble man 318 00:16:55,200 --> 00:16:58,960 Speaker 1: eating paranta, but have you ever seen those teeth? I 319 00:16:58,960 --> 00:17:01,280 Speaker 1: I feel like those are some vicious fishes, you know. 320 00:17:01,320 --> 00:17:03,440 Speaker 1: I feel like you just wanted to say vicious fishes, 321 00:17:03,680 --> 00:17:07,800 Speaker 1: but I did. I mean the ferastia. Pranhas has been 322 00:17:07,840 --> 00:17:11,400 Speaker 1: greatly exaggerated for a long time now, like we think 323 00:17:11,400 --> 00:17:14,320 Speaker 1: of them as these rapid flesh eating monsters. I'll just 324 00:17:14,400 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 1: kind of tear you apart the second to hit the water. 325 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:20,359 Speaker 1: But the truth is that most piranhas would never try 326 00:17:20,359 --> 00:17:23,399 Speaker 1: to eat a human or any other mammal unless it 327 00:17:23,480 --> 00:17:26,360 Speaker 1: was dead or or even dying. And for the most 328 00:17:26,359 --> 00:17:29,640 Speaker 1: part they eat insects or other fish, and some species 329 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:34,080 Speaker 1: of piranha or even vegetarians actually, so I don't feel 330 00:17:34,119 --> 00:17:36,879 Speaker 1: like I've heard that they're vegetarian piranta out there, and 331 00:17:37,160 --> 00:17:39,399 Speaker 1: I feel like knowing that maybe like Anis or some 332 00:17:39,520 --> 00:17:42,560 Speaker 1: healthy brand should use them as their mascot. Yeah, it's 333 00:17:42,600 --> 00:17:45,439 Speaker 1: it's it's pretty weird, but there is a species in Para, 334 00:17:45,480 --> 00:17:49,080 Speaker 1: Brazil that only eats river weeds. Don't get me wrong, 335 00:17:49,160 --> 00:17:51,800 Speaker 1: but pranhas can still pose a threat to humans and 336 00:17:52,160 --> 00:17:55,120 Speaker 1: some swimmers in South America. Have lost fingers and toes 337 00:17:55,160 --> 00:17:58,199 Speaker 1: in recent years, but I couldn't find any record of 338 00:17:58,240 --> 00:18:01,840 Speaker 1: anyone ever being killed by piranhas. And it's really not 339 00:18:01,880 --> 00:18:04,520 Speaker 1: that surprising when you consider that piranhas usually travel in 340 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:07,600 Speaker 1: schools of about twenty fish, which is way fewer than 341 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:10,119 Speaker 1: the numbers they, you know, need to take down a human. 342 00:18:10,640 --> 00:18:13,160 Speaker 1: So as morbid as it is, I am curious, like 343 00:18:13,600 --> 00:18:16,520 Speaker 1: how many fish it does take to take down a human, 344 00:18:16,640 --> 00:18:18,760 Speaker 1: like like Gave once told me that, I think it's 345 00:18:18,760 --> 00:18:20,600 Speaker 1: like a gallon and a half of water. It could 346 00:18:20,680 --> 00:18:23,399 Speaker 1: kill me. So that's like a number I have in 347 00:18:23,480 --> 00:18:25,159 Speaker 1: my head. And and I kind of want to know 348 00:18:25,200 --> 00:18:28,399 Speaker 1: how many piranha I need to avoid. Well, fear not, 349 00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:33,720 Speaker 1: because I did indeed hold the numbers. And according to curator, yeah, 350 00:18:33,880 --> 00:18:35,920 Speaker 1: I I didn't do this just myself, but there was 351 00:18:35,960 --> 00:18:39,640 Speaker 1: a curator at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, and so 352 00:18:39,920 --> 00:18:42,359 Speaker 1: the the estimate that they came up is that to 353 00:18:42,520 --> 00:18:44,920 Speaker 1: strip the flesh from a one d and eighty pound 354 00:18:44,960 --> 00:18:49,120 Speaker 1: person in five minutes would require somewhere between three hundred 355 00:18:49,160 --> 00:18:53,240 Speaker 1: and five hundred hungry piranhas, which is way more than 356 00:18:53,280 --> 00:18:56,920 Speaker 1: you would ever come across, even in highly concentrated regions, 357 00:18:57,040 --> 00:19:00,960 Speaker 1: like you think the Amazon River as an example. So 358 00:19:01,480 --> 00:19:04,719 Speaker 1: it sounds like it's highly unlikely, but I guess still 359 00:19:04,720 --> 00:19:07,359 Speaker 1: technically possible, Like like if you were like a Bond villain, 360 00:19:07,560 --> 00:19:10,680 Speaker 1: you could head to Brazil, scoop up a few hundred pranhacts, 361 00:19:10,680 --> 00:19:12,560 Speaker 1: stick him in your pooling, and then you've got this 362 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:16,000 Speaker 1: instant death trap. I don't really think we should be 363 00:19:16,040 --> 00:19:19,600 Speaker 1: giving anybody ideas, but but that in theory, I suppose 364 00:19:19,680 --> 00:19:22,080 Speaker 1: would work. And in fact, it was a similar kind 365 00:19:22,119 --> 00:19:24,280 Speaker 1: of stunt that gave the fish such a bad name 366 00:19:24,359 --> 00:19:27,000 Speaker 1: and the first place, and all because you know, a 367 00:19:27,000 --> 00:19:30,960 Speaker 1: few Brazilians wanted to show off for Teddy Roosevelt himself. 368 00:19:31,040 --> 00:19:33,600 Speaker 1: And this happened back in nineteen thirteen. It was a 369 00:19:33,600 --> 00:19:36,399 Speaker 1: few years after he had left office. So the Forward 370 00:19:36,400 --> 00:19:38,960 Speaker 1: President decided to go on this expedition. He wanted to 371 00:19:38,960 --> 00:19:42,520 Speaker 1: go into the heart of the Brazilian rainforest. Of course, 372 00:19:42,520 --> 00:19:45,080 Speaker 1: the locals knew that he was coming, and they also 373 00:19:45,160 --> 00:19:48,679 Speaker 1: knew his reputation as this thrill seeker, and so to 374 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:51,360 Speaker 1: make sure he had an experience that he would never forget, 375 00:19:51,640 --> 00:19:55,280 Speaker 1: the Brazilians arranged a demonstration for him. And this was 376 00:19:55,320 --> 00:19:57,879 Speaker 1: on the banks of the Amazon River, and the guys 377 00:19:57,920 --> 00:20:01,320 Speaker 1: warned Roosevelt, you know, and his roof really about the 378 00:20:01,359 --> 00:20:04,080 Speaker 1: fact that they shouldn't wade into the water there, or 379 00:20:04,119 --> 00:20:08,200 Speaker 1: else they'd be immediately eaten by this small, ravenous fish. 380 00:20:08,359 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 1: And of course, as the Brazilians expected, Roosevelt scoffed at 381 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:14,840 Speaker 1: the idea that any fish could be, you know, that dangerous, 382 00:20:14,920 --> 00:20:18,520 Speaker 1: especially if they're that tiny. So the guides gave him proof. 383 00:20:19,119 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 1: They brought an old, sick cow and drove it into 384 00:20:22,040 --> 00:20:26,000 Speaker 1: the water. Then, to the horror of everyone watching, the 385 00:20:26,040 --> 00:20:29,119 Speaker 1: piranhas attacked the cow and stripped it to the bone 386 00:20:29,200 --> 00:20:34,000 Speaker 1: within just a few minutes. I feel like as a Hindu, 387 00:20:34,280 --> 00:20:39,560 Speaker 1: that's particularly disturbing, But it's it's obviously the stunt. Why 388 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:41,560 Speaker 1: were there so many of them just waiting around in 389 00:20:41,600 --> 00:20:45,080 Speaker 1: one place, Well, because it was a total setup. Like 390 00:20:45,119 --> 00:20:48,879 Speaker 1: weeks before Roosevelt arrived, local fishermen had caught hundreds of 391 00:20:48,920 --> 00:20:52,119 Speaker 1: piranha and then they tossed them into this area of 392 00:20:52,119 --> 00:20:55,560 Speaker 1: the river that they had isolated with giant nuts. So 393 00:20:55,720 --> 00:20:57,919 Speaker 1: weeks go by, and then the guides that you know, 394 00:20:58,040 --> 00:21:00,119 Speaker 1: gave their warning at that part of the river and 395 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 1: they knew that there were hundreds of traps, starving fish, 396 00:21:03,640 --> 00:21:06,920 Speaker 1: just waiting to put on a show. But of course Roosevelt, 397 00:21:07,000 --> 00:21:09,080 Speaker 1: you know, and all these reporters they were with them, 398 00:21:09,119 --> 00:21:11,919 Speaker 1: they didn't know any of this, and they thought they 399 00:21:11,920 --> 00:21:14,920 Speaker 1: had witnessed the most shocking natural display of aggression in 400 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:18,159 Speaker 1: the animal kingdom. And you can bet they wanted to 401 00:21:18,200 --> 00:21:20,679 Speaker 1: tell the same story when they returned to the US. 402 00:21:21,359 --> 00:21:24,080 Speaker 1: In fact, Roosevelt released the book the next year called 403 00:21:24,560 --> 00:21:28,000 Speaker 1: Through the Brazilian Wilderness. And in this book he describes 404 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:31,760 Speaker 1: Piranhas as quote, the most ferocious fish in the world. 405 00:21:32,320 --> 00:21:34,560 Speaker 1: You know, in Hollywood actually kind of took it from there. 406 00:21:34,600 --> 00:21:37,160 Speaker 1: And and for the last century, the Piranhas status, says, 407 00:21:37,200 --> 00:21:43,680 Speaker 1: this freshwater killer has gone mostly undisputed until now. I guess, well, yeah, 408 00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:48,520 Speaker 1: and I'm trying to do my part contributing. Well, here's 409 00:21:48,520 --> 00:21:50,280 Speaker 1: something that sounds like it should be a myth, but 410 00:21:51,160 --> 00:21:53,359 Speaker 1: and I even kind of like hope it's a myth, 411 00:21:53,480 --> 00:21:58,200 Speaker 1: but it's actually true. Sometimes it rains spiders in Brazil, 412 00:21:58,480 --> 00:22:01,119 Speaker 1: and so on a case in certain parts of Brazil, 413 00:22:01,200 --> 00:22:03,440 Speaker 1: de sky will actually open up and hundreds or even 414 00:22:03,480 --> 00:22:06,000 Speaker 1: thousands of spiders will rain down on the residents below. 415 00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:08,720 Speaker 1: And before you tell me I'm making this up, you 416 00:22:08,720 --> 00:22:10,600 Speaker 1: should actually look it up online because there are a 417 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:14,280 Speaker 1: bunch of different videos. For full disclosure, it's not like 418 00:22:14,320 --> 00:22:16,919 Speaker 1: the spiders are tumbling out of the rain clouds. It's 419 00:22:16,960 --> 00:22:19,280 Speaker 1: more that the wind is carrying them on their webs. 420 00:22:19,359 --> 00:22:22,520 Speaker 1: But for onlookers, the effect is is sort of like 421 00:22:22,560 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 1: a storm of spiders. So how does this work that 422 00:22:26,080 --> 00:22:28,920 Speaker 1: there could be thousands of spiders in one of these showers? 423 00:22:28,920 --> 00:22:31,280 Speaker 1: I mean not not only does that sound like obviously 424 00:22:31,400 --> 00:22:33,920 Speaker 1: a ton of spiders, but how does that work? Because 425 00:22:33,920 --> 00:22:36,200 Speaker 1: I thought spiders lived on their own, not in these 426 00:22:36,320 --> 00:22:40,720 Speaker 1: giant colonies. You're right, so so most spiders do keep 427 00:22:40,760 --> 00:22:43,199 Speaker 1: to themselves. In fact, out of the forty thousand or 428 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:46,600 Speaker 1: so known species of spiders out there, only twenty three 429 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:49,800 Speaker 1: of them are social. And so one of these species 430 00:22:50,000 --> 00:22:53,879 Speaker 1: lives in San Paolo and the surrounding towns, and there's 431 00:22:53,920 --> 00:22:56,359 Speaker 1: pretty common to see spiders just sailing through the sky 432 00:22:56,520 --> 00:22:59,359 Speaker 1: on mass And the problem for humans at least is 433 00:22:59,400 --> 00:23:02,320 Speaker 1: that these colons build these huge sheets of webs in 434 00:23:02,359 --> 00:23:05,400 Speaker 1: these tree tops, right, and in order to trap enough 435 00:23:05,440 --> 00:23:09,200 Speaker 1: insects to keep everyone fed in this social group. They're 436 00:23:09,240 --> 00:23:12,280 Speaker 1: just massive. So the webs can stretch from the ground 437 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:16,280 Speaker 1: to as high as sixty five ft and they seriously 438 00:23:16,320 --> 00:23:19,800 Speaker 1: contain thousands of spiders, each of which is I guess 439 00:23:19,880 --> 00:23:22,760 Speaker 1: roughly the size of a pencil eraser, so not that big, 440 00:23:22,800 --> 00:23:25,160 Speaker 1: but a lot of them. So when a strong enough 441 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:28,120 Speaker 1: wind comes along, the webs are knocked loose, and then 442 00:23:28,160 --> 00:23:31,280 Speaker 1: a mob of these deeply confused spiders are just sent 443 00:23:31,440 --> 00:23:35,400 Speaker 1: hurtling through the air, and uh, you know, it's not 444 00:23:35,640 --> 00:23:38,760 Speaker 1: a great day for anyone when it's raining spiders. But 445 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:42,200 Speaker 1: speaking of not so great days, Brazil has I actually 446 00:23:42,200 --> 00:23:45,159 Speaker 1: had a stretch of those recently in terms of politics 447 00:23:45,160 --> 00:23:47,680 Speaker 1: and cultures. So even though we're trying to keep things 448 00:23:47,760 --> 00:23:49,639 Speaker 1: light today, I do think we should spend just a 449 00:23:49,640 --> 00:23:52,800 Speaker 1: few minutes to kind of spotlight what's been going on there. Yeah, 450 00:23:52,840 --> 00:23:54,720 Speaker 1: I feel like we probably should. But before we get 451 00:23:54,760 --> 00:24:12,600 Speaker 1: to that, let's take one more quick break. Okay, Well, 452 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:15,280 Speaker 1: so if you keep tabs on international news, there's a 453 00:24:15,320 --> 00:24:18,560 Speaker 1: good chance you've heard the recent concerns about Brazil's newly 454 00:24:18,600 --> 00:24:23,080 Speaker 1: elected president Bolsonara. Many of his views tend to be extreme, 455 00:24:23,160 --> 00:24:25,720 Speaker 1: to put it mildly, and and the measures he's enacted 456 00:24:25,760 --> 00:24:28,560 Speaker 1: since taking office don't really bode well for the country's 457 00:24:28,560 --> 00:24:32,080 Speaker 1: cultural institutions. For example, one of his first actions as 458 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:35,359 Speaker 1: president was to dissolve three of Brazil's ministries, the Ministry 459 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:38,880 Speaker 1: of Culture, Sports and Social Development and to merge them 460 00:24:38,880 --> 00:24:42,160 Speaker 1: into a single department. And while we don't actually know 461 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:46,080 Speaker 1: how that will affect government funding for cultural institutions, artistic 462 00:24:46,080 --> 00:24:50,120 Speaker 1: communities in Brazil are are really bracing for the worst. Yeah, 463 00:24:50,160 --> 00:24:52,520 Speaker 1: that's you know, it's especially upsetting when you think about 464 00:24:52,600 --> 00:24:55,320 Speaker 1: how much they've already suffered. You know, I'm sure you 465 00:24:55,359 --> 00:24:57,879 Speaker 1: remember this, but it was just last fall. There was 466 00:24:57,920 --> 00:25:01,680 Speaker 1: that fire that destroyed Brazil's National Museum, and this was 467 00:25:01,720 --> 00:25:05,199 Speaker 1: a collection there that contained more than twenty million artifacts. 468 00:25:05,200 --> 00:25:07,520 Speaker 1: You know, they amassed this over the course of the 469 00:25:07,520 --> 00:25:12,120 Speaker 1: institution's two hundred year histories. So it's just devastating and 470 00:25:12,119 --> 00:25:15,040 Speaker 1: and tragically, as much as of the collection is thought 471 00:25:15,119 --> 00:25:19,919 Speaker 1: to have been lost in this fire, it's really awful 472 00:25:19,920 --> 00:25:22,000 Speaker 1: to think about like everything that was lost that night. 473 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:25,199 Speaker 1: Like I actually remember reading about that museum and and 474 00:25:25,240 --> 00:25:27,880 Speaker 1: how they lost this massive collection of art from different 475 00:25:27,920 --> 00:25:31,520 Speaker 1: indigenous peoples that were spread across Brazil. So it was 476 00:25:31,600 --> 00:25:36,080 Speaker 1: like costumes and personal belongings, but also audio recordings of 477 00:25:36,080 --> 00:25:39,760 Speaker 1: of languages that I believe had died out. So you know, 478 00:25:39,960 --> 00:25:43,159 Speaker 1: it's super tragic and all of that has gone now 479 00:25:43,200 --> 00:25:46,720 Speaker 1: along with many of the other relics of South American culture. Yeah, 480 00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:49,200 Speaker 1: it's true, but you're actually looking on the bright side 481 00:25:49,200 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 1: of this. I was happy to see that multiple campaigns 482 00:25:51,840 --> 00:25:56,160 Speaker 1: have since launched these efforts to digitally recreate the museum collection. 483 00:25:56,320 --> 00:26:00,159 Speaker 1: And this was using decades of visitor photos. So if 484 00:26:00,160 --> 00:26:02,199 Speaker 1: you've ever made it there on vacation, you can actually 485 00:26:02,240 --> 00:26:06,119 Speaker 1: submit your shots online at the museum's website. And actually 486 00:26:06,119 --> 00:26:08,280 Speaker 1: there's a good chunk of the collection that made it 487 00:26:08,320 --> 00:26:11,800 Speaker 1: through the fire unscathed, and this includes the oldest human 488 00:26:11,880 --> 00:26:15,680 Speaker 1: fossil found in Brazil. Well, that is good news. I'm 489 00:26:15,760 --> 00:26:18,639 Speaker 1: curious that I sort of lost track of that news story. 490 00:26:18,720 --> 00:26:20,880 Speaker 1: Do they ever figure out what started the fire? And 491 00:26:20,880 --> 00:26:24,280 Speaker 1: and please don't say, Billy Joel, you beat me to it. Well, 492 00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:28,240 Speaker 1: investigators never reported an exact cause for the blaze, but 493 00:26:28,760 --> 00:26:31,760 Speaker 1: officials speculate it may have been just like a short 494 00:26:31,840 --> 00:26:34,720 Speaker 1: circuit or something, and apparently that had been known for 495 00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:37,159 Speaker 1: a while, like things like exposed wiring, and that the 496 00:26:37,280 --> 00:26:40,639 Speaker 1: museum didn't have fire doors or a sprinkler system. And 497 00:26:41,280 --> 00:26:43,960 Speaker 1: that might be the saddest part of this, because according 498 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:48,200 Speaker 1: to Smithsonian, the National Museum's full annual budget it was 499 00:26:48,240 --> 00:26:51,960 Speaker 1: a hundred and twenty eight thousand dollars, but hasn't received 500 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:54,960 Speaker 1: that amount since two thousand and fourteen. In fact, last 501 00:26:55,040 --> 00:26:59,560 Speaker 1: year the museum received only thirteen thousand dollars, and in 502 00:26:59,640 --> 00:27:03,000 Speaker 1: late two thousand seventeen, the museum's finances were in such 503 00:27:03,080 --> 00:27:06,359 Speaker 1: poor shape the curators turned to crowdfunding, you know, to 504 00:27:06,440 --> 00:27:10,160 Speaker 1: repair an exhibit that had really been infested with termites 505 00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:13,480 Speaker 1: at the time. I mean that that is frustrating and 506 00:27:13,480 --> 00:27:15,960 Speaker 1: and and I just can't believe those numbers, Like like 507 00:27:16,040 --> 00:27:17,520 Speaker 1: the fact that they were only getting what it was, 508 00:27:17,560 --> 00:27:21,280 Speaker 1: that thirteen thousand dollars, and and that it didn't have 509 00:27:21,320 --> 00:27:25,399 Speaker 1: a sprinkler system, like like that feels unimaginable for a 510 00:27:25,520 --> 00:27:28,520 Speaker 1: national museum. Yeah, I mean, the federal government had actually 511 00:27:28,520 --> 00:27:31,800 Speaker 1: been divesting from the museum for years, so this isn't 512 00:27:31,920 --> 00:27:34,760 Speaker 1: a new thing. But I also read an interesting article 513 00:27:34,840 --> 00:27:38,159 Speaker 1: in City Lab that suggested something else. Apparently part of 514 00:27:38,160 --> 00:27:40,920 Speaker 1: the problem is that modern Brazil doesn't feel very rooted 515 00:27:40,960 --> 00:27:44,320 Speaker 1: to its past. So I pulled this quote from the article. 516 00:27:44,440 --> 00:27:46,800 Speaker 1: Here's what it says. We live in a country that 517 00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:49,760 Speaker 1: has a weak connection to its history. In advance of 518 00:27:49,760 --> 00:27:53,080 Speaker 1: the two thousand sixteen Summer Olympics, Rio de Janeiro and 519 00:27:53,080 --> 00:27:57,439 Speaker 1: the Brazilian government has spent billions on these costly development projects, 520 00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:01,800 Speaker 1: opening new landmarks like the Museum of Tomorrow and Aqua Rio, 521 00:28:01,880 --> 00:28:05,080 Speaker 1: which is the largest aquarium in South America. Meanwhile, the 522 00:28:05,119 --> 00:28:08,879 Speaker 1: city has allowed several other museums and historic structures to 523 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:12,920 Speaker 1: just decay. In particular, we have little concern for educational 524 00:28:13,119 --> 00:28:17,480 Speaker 1: and cultural resources provided for those living in poverty. So 525 00:28:17,760 --> 00:28:19,879 Speaker 1: the thing is, you know, we talked about Brazil is 526 00:28:19,920 --> 00:28:23,119 Speaker 1: this melting pot of cultures. But it's interesting to think 527 00:28:23,160 --> 00:28:26,159 Speaker 1: about how a place becomes a melting pot in the 528 00:28:26,200 --> 00:28:29,320 Speaker 1: first place. And in Brazil's case, it was a pretty 529 00:28:29,440 --> 00:28:32,440 Speaker 1: violent process and it sounds like that left the national 530 00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:36,800 Speaker 1: identity pretty fractured in some very real ways. Well, I 531 00:28:36,840 --> 00:28:38,720 Speaker 1: feel like we've gone a little bit negative here, but 532 00:28:39,200 --> 00:28:42,360 Speaker 1: I feel like we can um turn that tone around 533 00:28:42,360 --> 00:28:46,200 Speaker 1: with some Amazon surfing. Amazon surf, are you talking about 534 00:28:46,240 --> 00:28:49,200 Speaker 1: online shopping or like riding on a surfboard down the Amazon. 535 00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:54,040 Speaker 1: So definitely the ladder surfing the Amazon River. And and 536 00:28:54,120 --> 00:28:56,960 Speaker 1: this sounds insane, but a couple of times a year 537 00:28:57,480 --> 00:29:00,719 Speaker 1: a massive twelve foot highway flows in from the ocean, 538 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:04,640 Speaker 1: and for a brief period afterwards, twelve ft highways form 539 00:29:04,680 --> 00:29:06,960 Speaker 1: in the Amazon, some of which go on for hours 540 00:29:07,000 --> 00:29:10,920 Speaker 1: and and travel unbroken for miles on end. And there's 541 00:29:10,960 --> 00:29:14,040 Speaker 1: this great local legend about them. Apparently they are caused 542 00:29:14,040 --> 00:29:16,200 Speaker 1: by three mischievous kids that travel up and down the 543 00:29:16,240 --> 00:29:19,760 Speaker 1: Amazon playing pranks on each other. But what's crazy is 544 00:29:19,800 --> 00:29:24,080 Speaker 1: that the locals call it Porto Rocco or the Great Roar, 545 00:29:24,240 --> 00:29:27,160 Speaker 1: because supposedly you can hear it coming for up to 546 00:29:27,200 --> 00:29:30,600 Speaker 1: an hour before the waves arrive. Oh wow, so that 547 00:29:30,720 --> 00:29:35,040 Speaker 1: this has to be an incredibly strong wave, I would imagine, definitely. 548 00:29:35,160 --> 00:29:37,840 Speaker 1: And the wave is so powerful that it pulls trees 549 00:29:37,920 --> 00:29:41,080 Speaker 1: and structures from the shoreline and pulls the debris along 550 00:29:41,120 --> 00:29:45,680 Speaker 1: with it, which also makes for primost surfing conditions. I'm guessing. 551 00:29:47,000 --> 00:29:50,240 Speaker 1: But no, I'd like, do people really serve this thing? Yeah? So, 552 00:29:50,240 --> 00:29:53,400 Speaker 1: so people do serve this thing. This tidal wave thing 553 00:29:53,560 --> 00:29:56,520 Speaker 1: happens regularly enough that there's even this organized event to 554 00:29:56,560 --> 00:30:01,720 Speaker 1: celebrate its arrival. It's called the National Po Euroca Surfing Championship, 555 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:04,520 Speaker 1: and each year's surfers from all over the world take 556 00:30:04,560 --> 00:30:06,400 Speaker 1: part in it to see who can ride the monster 557 00:30:06,480 --> 00:30:10,080 Speaker 1: wave the longest. And the current record holder managed to 558 00:30:10,200 --> 00:30:13,239 Speaker 1: ride along this wave for over half an hour and 559 00:30:13,280 --> 00:30:16,600 Speaker 1: he traveled just under seven and a half miles total. 560 00:30:16,800 --> 00:30:21,040 Speaker 1: Isn't that ridiculous? That is? That is impressive? Anyway, I 561 00:30:21,040 --> 00:30:23,280 Speaker 1: feel like it's a fascinating fact. But we should ride 562 00:30:23,280 --> 00:30:25,160 Speaker 1: it straight into the fact off, what do you say? 563 00:30:25,760 --> 00:30:35,160 Speaker 1: Let's do it. M So, here's a strange thing I 564 00:30:35,480 --> 00:30:39,120 Speaker 1: actually dig. Apparently Brazil has one of the largest cashew 565 00:30:39,240 --> 00:30:44,400 Speaker 1: trees in the world, and it's actually a tourist attraction 566 00:30:44,840 --> 00:30:47,960 Speaker 1: and big enough that they charge admission to it. This 567 00:30:48,120 --> 00:30:52,240 Speaker 1: mutant tree stretches over two acres or roughly five football fields, 568 00:30:52,520 --> 00:30:55,800 Speaker 1: and it's about the size of seventy normal cashew trees. 569 00:30:56,240 --> 00:30:59,440 Speaker 1: Apparently the tree has two weird mutations. Not only do 570 00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:02,600 Speaker 1: the branches grow sideways instead of growing upwards, but when 571 00:31:02,640 --> 00:31:05,760 Speaker 1: a branch gets super heavy and it touches the ground 572 00:31:05,800 --> 00:31:08,400 Speaker 1: from all the fruit on it, it ends up setting 573 00:31:08,400 --> 00:31:12,760 Speaker 1: down roots and spawning another part of a tree. Hmm. Alright, well, 574 00:31:12,800 --> 00:31:15,320 Speaker 1: here's one thing you can't do in Brazil, at least 575 00:31:15,320 --> 00:31:18,520 Speaker 1: not legally, and that's used a tanning bit. So the 576 00:31:18,560 --> 00:31:22,320 Speaker 1: country banned them for cosmetic purposes back in two thousand nine. 577 00:31:23,840 --> 00:31:25,400 Speaker 1: You know, we started with the book theme and I 578 00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:28,840 Speaker 1: thought i'd bring it back. Brazilian prisons are so overcrowded 579 00:31:28,880 --> 00:31:32,400 Speaker 1: that they've instituted a system where they'll take four days 580 00:31:32,480 --> 00:31:34,840 Speaker 1: off your sentence if you read a book and write 581 00:31:34,840 --> 00:31:37,680 Speaker 1: a report on it. You do max out at twelve 582 00:31:37,720 --> 00:31:40,000 Speaker 1: book reports every year, so each year you can take 583 00:31:40,040 --> 00:31:42,360 Speaker 1: about a month and a half off your sentence. But 584 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:45,200 Speaker 1: what I found most interesting was that some of the 585 00:31:45,240 --> 00:31:48,440 Speaker 1: titles that are popular are not things I would have expected. 586 00:31:48,560 --> 00:31:51,760 Speaker 1: So in this article i was reading, it listed Gone 587 00:31:51,800 --> 00:31:54,120 Speaker 1: with the Wind as one of the most popular books, 588 00:31:54,120 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 1: and and lames as well. Alright, well, Brazilian soap operas 589 00:31:57,960 --> 00:32:01,400 Speaker 1: are credited with getting people to have fewer kids, believe 590 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:04,480 Speaker 1: it or not, In two generations, apparently the country went 591 00:32:04,520 --> 00:32:08,600 Speaker 1: from having seven kids per family to just two. From 592 00:32:08,600 --> 00:32:10,960 Speaker 1: the way the Atlantic describes it, you know, shows don't 593 00:32:11,000 --> 00:32:14,240 Speaker 1: make a whole lot of sense. They've got these needlessly 594 00:32:14,320 --> 00:32:18,320 Speaker 1: complicated storylines filled with sex and scandal, but the families 595 00:32:18,360 --> 00:32:22,160 Speaker 1: also have tons of possessions and very few kids. And 596 00:32:22,200 --> 00:32:24,160 Speaker 1: the result is that people have been more obsessed with 597 00:32:24,200 --> 00:32:27,520 Speaker 1: capitalism and money, and I've actually grown to see big 598 00:32:27,560 --> 00:32:32,680 Speaker 1: families and constant childbirth is being less desirable. Well here's 599 00:32:32,720 --> 00:32:35,000 Speaker 1: another fact I didn't realize. Did you know that Brazilians 600 00:32:35,040 --> 00:32:38,960 Speaker 1: believed that a fellow statesman of Theirs, Alberto Santos Dumont, 601 00:32:39,480 --> 00:32:42,960 Speaker 1: beat the Right Brothers to flying his plane, and I 602 00:32:43,280 --> 00:32:46,120 Speaker 1: guess he flew sixty in his airplane in front of 603 00:32:46,120 --> 00:32:49,880 Speaker 1: a French crowd in nineteen o six. I believe. But 604 00:32:50,040 --> 00:32:51,880 Speaker 1: when it was pointed out that the Right Brothers had 605 00:32:51,920 --> 00:32:54,520 Speaker 1: beat him by a few years, Brazil actually stuck by 606 00:32:54,600 --> 00:32:58,240 Speaker 1: their men. They insisted that the Right Brothers flight wasn't 607 00:32:58,280 --> 00:33:02,280 Speaker 1: powered and it was only possible due to really strong winds. 608 00:33:02,400 --> 00:33:05,440 Speaker 1: And the BBC reports that that's actually how it's written 609 00:33:05,440 --> 00:33:07,959 Speaker 1: in their history books. They don't really give the Right 610 00:33:08,040 --> 00:33:10,200 Speaker 1: Brothers credit. You know, a long time ago, we did 611 00:33:10,200 --> 00:33:14,120 Speaker 1: this episode where we talked about Snake Island. You remember this, Yeah? 612 00:33:14,160 --> 00:33:17,160 Speaker 1: I remember. It was terrifying that this was the island 613 00:33:17,240 --> 00:33:20,880 Speaker 1: that had no people and thousands of deadly snakes on it, right, 614 00:33:21,480 --> 00:33:23,920 Speaker 1: that is exactly right. And you know the snakes were 615 00:33:24,080 --> 00:33:27,600 Speaker 1: lance head vipers, and you're not legally allowed to go 616 00:33:27,760 --> 00:33:30,600 Speaker 1: to the island without a doctor with you. And there 617 00:33:30,600 --> 00:33:33,360 Speaker 1: are reasons scientists go, I mean, the venom might be 618 00:33:33,440 --> 00:33:36,920 Speaker 1: used at some point and creating anti cancer drugs. But 619 00:33:37,240 --> 00:33:39,600 Speaker 1: here's the most strange part about all this is that 620 00:33:39,920 --> 00:33:42,600 Speaker 1: people do sneak onto the island and they bag the 621 00:33:42,640 --> 00:33:45,560 Speaker 1: snakes to sell on the black market. So not only 622 00:33:45,600 --> 00:33:49,040 Speaker 1: do scientists abroad want the snakes, but animal collectors want 623 00:33:49,080 --> 00:33:51,680 Speaker 1: them to and they end up fetching anywhere between ten 624 00:33:51,800 --> 00:33:56,920 Speaker 1: thousand and thirty thousand dollars for these things. Thirty thousand dollars, 625 00:33:56,960 --> 00:34:00,600 Speaker 1: and those snakes are so terrifying, like just how venomous 626 00:34:00,600 --> 00:34:03,200 Speaker 1: they are. But it does feel good to know that 627 00:34:03,240 --> 00:34:06,320 Speaker 1: if someone tries to sell me one for I know 628 00:34:06,360 --> 00:34:10,239 Speaker 1: they're ripping me off. So I think you can take 629 00:34:10,280 --> 00:34:14,239 Speaker 1: home this week's trophy and all your steak facts. I 630 00:34:14,239 --> 00:34:16,680 Speaker 1: feel like, save you a few bucks on that one. Well, 631 00:34:17,120 --> 00:34:19,279 Speaker 1: I know there are other facts about Brazil. We had 632 00:34:19,320 --> 00:34:21,480 Speaker 1: a lot of fun with the episode this week, but 633 00:34:21,840 --> 00:34:23,960 Speaker 1: we always love hearing from you. If there are facts 634 00:34:24,080 --> 00:34:26,560 Speaker 1: or stories that you'd love to share, you can reach 635 00:34:26,640 --> 00:34:29,440 Speaker 1: us part time Genius at ihart media dot com or 636 00:34:29,480 --> 00:34:32,680 Speaker 1: hit us up on Facebook or Twitter. But from Gabe, Tristan, Mango, 637 00:34:32,760 --> 00:34:47,920 Speaker 1: and me, Thanks so much for listening. M