1 00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:06,519 Speaker 1: You're listening to Part Time Genius, the production of Kaleidoscope 2 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:09,320 Speaker 1: and iHeartRadio. 3 00:00:11,880 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 2: Guess what, Mengo, what's that? 4 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: Well? 5 00:00:13,840 --> 00:00:15,680 Speaker 2: All right, So I was doing a little research on 6 00:00:15,800 --> 00:00:18,479 Speaker 2: narwals this week, which is handy because the episode is 7 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:21,760 Speaker 2: about narwals, and I think one of the reasons narwals 8 00:00:21,760 --> 00:00:24,640 Speaker 2: are so intriguing is that you actually can't find a 9 00:00:24,760 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 2: narwal at a zoo. Did you know this? 10 00:00:26,640 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: You know? I never really thought about that, And it's 11 00:00:28,880 --> 00:00:31,159 Speaker 1: weird because you see all these other Arctic creatures like 12 00:00:31,240 --> 00:00:34,040 Speaker 1: whales and polar bears and things like that, So are 13 00:00:34,040 --> 00:00:35,440 Speaker 1: they an endangerous species? 14 00:00:35,640 --> 00:00:38,120 Speaker 2: For the longest time, To be honest, I actually thought 15 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:41,000 Speaker 2: that they were mythological creatures. I thought it was like 16 00:00:41,320 --> 00:00:43,520 Speaker 2: the unicorn of the sea, and so I thought maybe 17 00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:46,720 Speaker 2: that was why. But actually, there are tons of narwals 18 00:00:46,720 --> 00:00:48,880 Speaker 2: in the wild. The latest count is that they're about 19 00:00:48,880 --> 00:00:51,520 Speaker 2: one hundred and seventy thousand of them in the Arctic, 20 00:00:51,520 --> 00:00:54,600 Speaker 2: way more than I realized, which is a great thing. 21 00:00:54,720 --> 00:00:58,120 Speaker 2: And they're huge, like their bodies are eighteen feet long 22 00:00:58,160 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 2: and you can add another ten feet for their horn, 23 00:01:00,600 --> 00:01:01,279 Speaker 2: no joke. 24 00:01:01,320 --> 00:01:04,039 Speaker 1: So that's like a twenty eight foot program height. 25 00:01:04,160 --> 00:01:06,840 Speaker 2: Yes, yeah, which is impressive. But you know, because they 26 00:01:06,880 --> 00:01:09,160 Speaker 2: live a lot of their life under the ice and 27 00:01:09,520 --> 00:01:12,800 Speaker 2: in these really cold, dark regions of the water, we 28 00:01:12,880 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 2: don't really know a whole lot about them. But more importantly, 29 00:01:16,240 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 2: when you take them out of their homes, they just 30 00:01:18,560 --> 00:01:22,440 Speaker 2: don't do that well. So unlike porpoises or beluga whales, 31 00:01:22,480 --> 00:01:26,280 Speaker 2: which are close cousins and actually can do okay in aquariums, 32 00:01:26,440 --> 00:01:29,319 Speaker 2: narwals really react badly when they're in captivity. 33 00:01:29,840 --> 00:01:31,680 Speaker 1: So this has actually been tried before. 34 00:01:31,959 --> 00:01:34,120 Speaker 2: Well, there've only been a couple of attempts, at least 35 00:01:34,120 --> 00:01:36,399 Speaker 2: two that I am aware of. So there was one 36 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 2: in Coney Island. Of course, I think we had to 37 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:39,800 Speaker 2: assume if there was going to be an effort, there 38 00:01:39,800 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 2: would be in Coney Island, and the narwhal was kept 39 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 2: with a beluga and fed milk and chopped up clams. 40 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:48,040 Speaker 2: I'm not sure there was a great diet or a 41 00:01:48,080 --> 00:01:50,560 Speaker 2: lot of thought put into that. But then there was 42 00:01:50,560 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 2: another one in Vancouver where there were a bunch of 43 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:56,760 Speaker 2: calves and an adult brought in. But in both cases 44 00:01:56,800 --> 00:01:59,960 Speaker 2: the acidity and carbon dioxide levels and the narwhals blow 45 00:02:00,440 --> 00:02:03,680 Speaker 2: fell and then their oxygen rises, so they can die 46 00:02:03,720 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 2: pretty quickly because of this. But actually, if you go 47 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:10,280 Speaker 2: outside of captivity, they typically live to be fifty years old, 48 00:02:10,360 --> 00:02:13,000 Speaker 2: even reach ages of one hundred in some cases, which 49 00:02:13,040 --> 00:02:15,440 Speaker 2: is pretty awesome. Anyway, if you want to see a 50 00:02:15,480 --> 00:02:19,360 Speaker 2: real live narwhalet, there is only one way. You gotta 51 00:02:19,400 --> 00:02:19,880 Speaker 2: head north. 52 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:22,720 Speaker 1: Well, I don't think I have any plans to get 53 00:02:22,720 --> 00:02:25,600 Speaker 1: to the Arctic and then your future, but why don't 54 00:02:25,639 --> 00:02:27,160 Speaker 1: we dive into the episode instead? 55 00:02:27,440 --> 00:02:54,560 Speaker 3: That sounds great, Hey. 56 00:02:50,960 --> 00:02:53,600 Speaker 2: Their podcast listeners, Welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm Will 57 00:02:53,680 --> 00:02:56,000 Speaker 2: Pearson and as always I'm joined by my good friend 58 00:02:56,040 --> 00:02:59,160 Speaker 2: Mangesh hot Ticket and sitting behind that desk. And it 59 00:02:59,200 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 2: took me a while to realize what was going on. 60 00:03:01,400 --> 00:03:03,600 Speaker 2: I mean, though it was pretty obvious. Dylan is sitting 61 00:03:03,639 --> 00:03:06,320 Speaker 2: in an ice bath. I think he's just trying to 62 00:03:06,400 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 2: recreate the situation. He's dedicated. That's our good friend, producer, Dylan. 63 00:03:11,560 --> 00:03:13,960 Speaker 2: All right, Mago. So I am both very excited about 64 00:03:13,960 --> 00:03:16,960 Speaker 2: this week's episode because I knew nothing about narwals before 65 00:03:17,000 --> 00:03:20,120 Speaker 2: this week. But I'm also curious why are we doing 66 00:03:20,160 --> 00:03:22,680 Speaker 2: an episode on narwals again? Because I don't know if 67 00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:25,079 Speaker 2: there was something in the news or in the politics cycle. 68 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:27,119 Speaker 2: There's a lot happening in politics right now. I don't 69 00:03:27,120 --> 00:03:29,440 Speaker 2: know if Narwals are involved, So what's going on here? 70 00:03:29,560 --> 00:03:32,400 Speaker 1: Yeah? I guess narwalls are related to whales, and there 71 00:03:32,400 --> 00:03:34,920 Speaker 1: was that strange RFK Junior story this week about his 72 00:03:34,960 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 1: obsession with that whales head. But that is not the 73 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:40,040 Speaker 1: reason I chose Narwals. I wanted to do something on 74 00:03:40,080 --> 00:03:42,800 Speaker 1: them because my family went to Provincetown this summer, which 75 00:03:42,840 --> 00:03:45,640 Speaker 1: is gorgeous, and there was a museum there that had 76 00:03:45,640 --> 00:03:49,040 Speaker 1: this enormous Narwal tusk displayed in it, and I was 77 00:03:49,120 --> 00:03:51,840 Speaker 1: kind of enamored by it. The tussa really beautiful, like 78 00:03:52,280 --> 00:03:56,200 Speaker 1: ten feet long and spiraled and really elegant, and you 79 00:03:56,240 --> 00:03:59,920 Speaker 1: can't imagine them being attached to this like big doufacy cree. 80 00:04:00,640 --> 00:04:03,200 Speaker 1: But it made me realize I know nothing about narwals 81 00:04:03,280 --> 00:04:05,080 Speaker 1: like you, and I thought this would be a good opportunity. 82 00:04:05,400 --> 00:04:08,280 Speaker 2: Do for see that that's a pretty that's pretty low. 83 00:04:08,360 --> 00:04:11,160 Speaker 2: But I was definitely down to do this episode. So 84 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:12,400 Speaker 2: where do you want to start? 85 00:04:12,640 --> 00:04:14,880 Speaker 1: Well, why don't we start with a little primer on 86 00:04:14,960 --> 00:04:18,320 Speaker 1: these magnificent tuss and what they really are? So if 87 00:04:18,360 --> 00:04:21,160 Speaker 1: you look back at old drawings of narwalals, like the 88 00:04:21,160 --> 00:04:24,160 Speaker 1: ones that Vikings made, the initial drawings kind of look 89 00:04:24,320 --> 00:04:27,800 Speaker 1: like a unicorn's head transplanted onto a whale's body. But 90 00:04:28,360 --> 00:04:32,080 Speaker 1: over time sailors and then scientists realize that it isn't 91 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:35,479 Speaker 1: some magical horn, but in fact a tooth. It turns 92 00:04:35,480 --> 00:04:37,839 Speaker 1: out the horn is actually a left canine tooth that 93 00:04:37,920 --> 00:04:41,200 Speaker 1: grows enormously long and mostly shows up in male. 94 00:04:41,040 --> 00:04:44,039 Speaker 2: Nor wallls, and it's just one tooth that grows like this. 95 00:04:44,680 --> 00:04:46,599 Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean you sort of see this happening in 96 00:04:46,640 --> 00:04:49,599 Speaker 1: other species, like fiddler crabs have that one claw that's 97 00:04:49,680 --> 00:04:52,560 Speaker 1: giant and it almost looks like a bicep. I love 98 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:55,080 Speaker 1: when they're on the Jersey shore and they fist pumped. Yea, 99 00:04:56,000 --> 00:04:59,440 Speaker 1: it's amazing, but I guess favoring one side over the 100 00:04:59,520 --> 00:05:02,520 Speaker 1: other something that happens in nature. The other thing that's 101 00:05:02,520 --> 00:05:05,120 Speaker 1: funny about it is that narwals are considered a tooth 102 00:05:05,160 --> 00:05:08,000 Speaker 1: whale because of these tusks, but when you look inside 103 00:05:08,040 --> 00:05:10,680 Speaker 1: their mouths, they actually don't have any teeth in there. 104 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:13,160 Speaker 1: It's almost like a newborn baby. And I'm going to 105 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:14,919 Speaker 1: show you this photo because I think it's so weird. 106 00:05:15,000 --> 00:05:18,480 Speaker 1: It's kind of fuzzy and non threatening. And that's because 107 00:05:18,560 --> 00:05:21,000 Speaker 1: nar wals just swallow their food, they don't chew it. 108 00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:23,599 Speaker 2: I can't even tell what I'm looking at. Yeah, it 109 00:05:23,640 --> 00:05:26,760 Speaker 2: looks like an animal in itself. But if they can't 110 00:05:26,800 --> 00:05:28,960 Speaker 2: eat with this tooth, what do they do with it? 111 00:05:29,040 --> 00:05:29,120 Speaker 1: Like? 112 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:31,560 Speaker 2: Is it a weapon to spear food? Or what's it for? 113 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:35,440 Speaker 1: The tusk has actually been perplexing scientists for centuries. Charles 114 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:38,200 Speaker 1: Darwin thought it might be some sort of sexual characteristic 115 00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:42,440 Speaker 1: that attracted mates, kind of the way peacock's beautiful plumage 116 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 1: draws pea hens to it. 117 00:05:44,160 --> 00:05:46,839 Speaker 2: Actually, it's fun to think about Darwin analyzing narwals. I mean, 118 00:05:46,839 --> 00:05:49,120 Speaker 2: he really saw such a range of species. 119 00:05:49,560 --> 00:05:52,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, and it's amazing for such a shy and kind 120 00:05:52,800 --> 00:05:56,359 Speaker 1: of elusive Arctic creature to be that well known. But 121 00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:59,640 Speaker 1: also Darwin thought that maybe narwals use the tust to 122 00:06:00,080 --> 00:06:03,000 Speaker 1: oust one another, kind of the way bighorn sheep headbutt 123 00:06:03,080 --> 00:06:03,719 Speaker 1: for dominance. 124 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:06,279 Speaker 2: So do nar walls joust for mates? 125 00:06:06,520 --> 00:06:10,120 Speaker 1: No, so the males do rub their tusts against each other, 126 00:06:10,400 --> 00:06:13,960 Speaker 1: But apparently it's less about jousting and more about cleaning 127 00:06:14,000 --> 00:06:17,880 Speaker 1: the tusts, which get various parasites and waighale lice on it. 128 00:06:17,880 --> 00:06:20,320 Speaker 1: It's kind of a communal toothbrushing that they do. 129 00:06:20,600 --> 00:06:20,920 Speaker 3: Yeah. 130 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:24,520 Speaker 2: So if these big twisted canine teeth aren't weapons and 131 00:06:24,560 --> 00:06:27,320 Speaker 2: they can't chew food, why do Narwals have them? 132 00:06:28,160 --> 00:06:32,440 Speaker 1: So, Harvard Marine Mammal Dental scientists, which currently is a 133 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:36,960 Speaker 1: thing you have recently discovered that these tusts are actually 134 00:06:37,040 --> 00:06:41,880 Speaker 1: precise instruments for navigating the water. One scientist told Wired quote. 135 00:06:42,000 --> 00:06:44,839 Speaker 1: It takes a tremendous amount of energy and devotion to 136 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 1: get that thing to grow. To expend that much energy 137 00:06:47,839 --> 00:06:50,039 Speaker 1: in such a harsh environment, there has to be a 138 00:06:50,080 --> 00:06:53,160 Speaker 1: pretty compelling reason to do it, And it turns out 139 00:06:53,320 --> 00:06:57,440 Speaker 1: it's all about measuring the water salinity. Apparently, the teeth 140 00:06:57,440 --> 00:07:00,680 Speaker 1: are filled with a nerve rich pulp and this can 141 00:07:00,720 --> 00:07:03,560 Speaker 1: tell them whether the water is higher or lower concentrations 142 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:06,599 Speaker 1: of salt, which to a Narwal means that either an 143 00:07:06,640 --> 00:07:11,000 Speaker 1: iceberg is melting or more importantly, an iceberg is forming, 144 00:07:11,160 --> 00:07:13,640 Speaker 1: so that the nar Wals don't get trapped under the ice. 145 00:07:13,920 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 2: Yeah. 146 00:07:14,280 --> 00:07:17,120 Speaker 1: Anyway, from what we understand right now, all this chemical 147 00:07:17,160 --> 00:07:19,680 Speaker 1: sensitivity and the tusk allows them to move through the 148 00:07:19,800 --> 00:07:20,560 Speaker 1: environment better. 149 00:07:20,720 --> 00:07:23,520 Speaker 2: Okay, no, that's interesting, all right, Well, since we're talking 150 00:07:23,560 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 2: about tusk, here's a quick fact that I saw. So 151 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:28,880 Speaker 2: one of the stranger things about Narwal tusk is that 152 00:07:28,920 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 2: their tusk always spiral to the left, so counterclockwise. And 153 00:07:33,520 --> 00:07:36,120 Speaker 2: even in cases where nar Wals do have two tusks, 154 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:39,280 Speaker 2: both teeth which protrude from the right and left sides 155 00:07:39,280 --> 00:07:41,000 Speaker 2: of the jaw, they spiral left. 156 00:07:41,240 --> 00:07:44,280 Speaker 1: That's so weird. I guess if someone tries to sell 157 00:07:44,280 --> 00:07:46,760 Speaker 1: you a Narwal tooth that spiral is right, you know 158 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:47,200 Speaker 1: it's a fake. 159 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:49,680 Speaker 2: It's really the best way to tell. That's always the 160 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:52,680 Speaker 2: rule of thumb. And another interesting thing is that Narwals 161 00:07:52,720 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 2: are slow swimmers. You can actually walk faster than a 162 00:07:56,000 --> 00:07:59,120 Speaker 2: nar wall swims at three point eight miles per hour. 163 00:08:00,080 --> 00:08:02,360 Speaker 2: One thing that's delightful about them is that they often 164 00:08:02,440 --> 00:08:05,640 Speaker 2: swim on their backs because when they're feeding on the 165 00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:08,360 Speaker 2: ocean floor, they don't want to damage their tusk, which 166 00:08:08,480 --> 00:08:10,360 Speaker 2: makes sense. I've not really thought about that, So they 167 00:08:10,400 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 2: swim upside down. And one last thing about the tust 168 00:08:14,160 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 2: is that because they spend so much of their time 169 00:08:16,520 --> 00:08:19,240 Speaker 2: under the cover of ice or deep in the ocean floor. 170 00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:23,400 Speaker 2: Scientists haven't really been able to observe narwals eating, but 171 00:08:23,480 --> 00:08:26,720 Speaker 2: through analyzing the tust you can actually get that data. 172 00:08:27,160 --> 00:08:30,720 Speaker 2: So one scientist from McGill University put it quote, instead 173 00:08:30,760 --> 00:08:33,120 Speaker 2: of doing forty years of work to get forty years 174 00:08:33,160 --> 00:08:36,160 Speaker 2: of data in one year, you can get narwal tusk 175 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:38,280 Speaker 2: and go back fifty years of time. 176 00:08:38,960 --> 00:08:42,040 Speaker 1: That's really interesting. So has it taught has anything surprising? 177 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:45,400 Speaker 2: Apparently Narwals used to eat more cod and haliban in 178 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:47,520 Speaker 2: their diet, but as the Arctic ice has been melting, 179 00:08:47,520 --> 00:08:50,440 Speaker 2: they've changed their diets to eating more open ocean fish 180 00:08:50,600 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 2: like capalin, which are related to smelt. But narwals need 181 00:08:53,840 --> 00:08:56,320 Speaker 2: quite a bit of food to sustain themselves, so nearly 182 00:08:56,400 --> 00:08:59,120 Speaker 2: sixty six pounds of fish a day, or as one 183 00:08:59,160 --> 00:09:01,880 Speaker 2: blogger put it, the equivalent of two hundred and sixty 184 00:09:01,960 --> 00:09:05,679 Speaker 2: four filao fish. Pretty yummy, right, But the worry is that, 185 00:09:05,760 --> 00:09:09,240 Speaker 2: as Wired puts it, not all fish are created equal. 186 00:09:09,480 --> 00:09:13,520 Speaker 2: Arctic species are more nutritious energy wise, and to survive 187 00:09:13,720 --> 00:09:16,640 Speaker 2: the cold, fish need to pack on fat, which means 188 00:09:16,679 --> 00:09:20,280 Speaker 2: more calories for the predators that feed on them like narwals, 189 00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:23,720 Speaker 2: So Essentially, if the food they're eating is less nutritious 190 00:09:23,800 --> 00:09:27,040 Speaker 2: and less fatty, it might affect not only their energy 191 00:09:27,080 --> 00:09:29,440 Speaker 2: levels but also their migratory patterns. 192 00:09:31,360 --> 00:09:35,240 Speaker 1: So obviously, nar walls have become immensely popular in pop culture. 193 00:09:35,600 --> 00:09:38,320 Speaker 1: I feel like there are always these animals that surge 194 00:09:38,360 --> 00:09:40,840 Speaker 1: in popularity for little periods. There was a period where 195 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:44,640 Speaker 1: everyone loved sloths, right when Kristen Bell was obsessed. Paris 196 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:46,679 Speaker 1: Hilton made kinkajus a thing for a. 197 00:09:46,640 --> 00:09:48,719 Speaker 2: Bit, that's right. I think her pet was named was 198 00:09:48,760 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 2: it Baby Love? 199 00:09:49,760 --> 00:09:52,160 Speaker 1: Yeah? Yeah, and she kept it until it bit her. 200 00:09:52,360 --> 00:09:55,040 Speaker 2: But it's a good time to decide. 201 00:09:54,720 --> 00:09:58,600 Speaker 1: Maybe not to keep a wild animal. Yeah. And then 202 00:09:58,640 --> 00:10:00,600 Speaker 1: of course you had like honey bat just went through 203 00:10:00,640 --> 00:10:03,840 Speaker 1: an Internet phase where you know, everyone was worried that 204 00:10:03,880 --> 00:10:07,880 Speaker 1: they didn't care much, and narwalls have sort of come 205 00:10:07,960 --> 00:10:10,720 Speaker 1: into this period as well, and they've benefited from this 206 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:14,200 Speaker 1: Internet discovery. There are plushy narwalls for sale all over 207 00:10:14,240 --> 00:10:18,560 Speaker 1: the Internet. There are narwal horn candies that exist. But 208 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:22,000 Speaker 1: one thing I was curious about was whether any colleges 209 00:10:22,120 --> 00:10:25,160 Speaker 1: or universities had picked up on this excitement and turned 210 00:10:25,160 --> 00:10:26,800 Speaker 1: the narwal into a mascot. 211 00:10:27,120 --> 00:10:28,920 Speaker 2: That's a good question. So what did you find out? 212 00:10:29,040 --> 00:10:31,640 Speaker 1: Yeah, apparently it's been hiding under my nose all the time. 213 00:10:32,000 --> 00:10:34,240 Speaker 1: Right here in New York City at the New School. 214 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:36,480 Speaker 1: They've made Narls the Narwal. 215 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:38,080 Speaker 2: The mascots such a good name too. 216 00:10:38,320 --> 00:10:40,440 Speaker 1: And actually, Lizzie did her MFA at the New School 217 00:10:40,440 --> 00:10:41,800 Speaker 1: and I asked her, why didn't you tell me that 218 00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:44,560 Speaker 1: nar Wals were the mascot? And she was like, I didn't. 219 00:10:44,320 --> 00:10:44,920 Speaker 2: Think you'd care. 220 00:10:46,840 --> 00:10:49,800 Speaker 1: Of course I care. Yeah, And they only created the 221 00:10:49,840 --> 00:10:51,080 Speaker 1: mascot in twenty twelve. 222 00:10:51,400 --> 00:10:53,839 Speaker 2: So why did they make the narwal the mascot instead 223 00:10:53,880 --> 00:10:56,040 Speaker 2: of like a bulldog or a blue devil for instance? 224 00:10:56,080 --> 00:10:57,200 Speaker 2: What made that decision? 225 00:10:57,400 --> 00:10:59,439 Speaker 1: I mean, it is funny for a school that doesn't 226 00:10:59,440 --> 00:11:02,199 Speaker 1: have a giant sports program to even want a mascot, 227 00:11:02,440 --> 00:11:05,839 Speaker 1: But I guess that's where administrators saw this as an opportunity. 228 00:11:06,240 --> 00:11:08,320 Speaker 1: The school thought having a mascot would be a good 229 00:11:08,360 --> 00:11:11,600 Speaker 1: idea to draw the student population together, and so they 230 00:11:11,640 --> 00:11:14,160 Speaker 1: did a survey of what should be the school mascot, 231 00:11:14,240 --> 00:11:17,200 Speaker 1: and the Narwhal narrowly edged out a cigarette. 232 00:11:17,320 --> 00:11:19,880 Speaker 2: Okay, glad it was a close one. 233 00:11:20,120 --> 00:11:23,280 Speaker 1: Cigarette's a pretty funny mascot. Because it's so lit, as 234 00:11:23,320 --> 00:11:26,360 Speaker 1: the kids said. But luckily the narwal one and it 235 00:11:26,440 --> 00:11:29,600 Speaker 1: provided this unique opportunity to showcase that if you're a 236 00:11:29,800 --> 00:11:32,680 Speaker 1: unique and lovable weirdo, this is the school for you. 237 00:11:33,440 --> 00:11:36,079 Speaker 1: And they further refined that sales picture over the years. 238 00:11:36,120 --> 00:11:39,440 Speaker 1: According to an article in the New School Free Press, 239 00:11:39,559 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 1: this is in twenty twenty one, the university rebranded the 240 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:46,000 Speaker 1: marine mascot from wearing a basketball jersey and being pretty 241 00:11:46,040 --> 00:11:49,680 Speaker 1: sporty to swapping it for a glasses wearing non binary 242 00:11:49,760 --> 00:11:52,960 Speaker 1: student with a Pisces sun sign to better reflect the 243 00:11:53,000 --> 00:11:56,520 Speaker 1: new school community. Now apparently, Narls is a dual major 244 00:11:56,720 --> 00:12:01,439 Speaker 1: BABFA and Environmental Studies and Communication design, and also, as 245 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:04,320 Speaker 1: I mentioned before, is non binary and is possibly the 246 00:12:04,360 --> 00:12:07,960 Speaker 1: first mascot to use they them pronouns. All of this 247 00:12:08,120 --> 00:12:10,920 Speaker 1: puts them in like my top five mascots of all time, 248 00:12:10,960 --> 00:12:14,400 Speaker 1: with the trash Pandas, the Banana Slugs, the Delaware Blue Hens, 249 00:12:14,440 --> 00:12:16,360 Speaker 1: and of course the Philly fanatic. Yeah. 250 00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:17,959 Speaker 2: I knew you're going to throw him in there, but 251 00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:20,640 Speaker 2: that's that's pretty great. Well, as long as we're doing 252 00:12:20,640 --> 00:12:23,640 Speaker 2: some of the sillier facts. As someone from Alabama, one 253 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:25,560 Speaker 2: of The first things I wanted to know about narwal's 254 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:29,600 Speaker 2: was how they taste, because they look like such fatty creatures, 255 00:12:29,720 --> 00:12:32,559 Speaker 2: and of course I want to know can you barbecue them? 256 00:12:32,800 --> 00:12:34,960 Speaker 1: I mean, I'm guessing a narwhal would be great for 257 00:12:35,040 --> 00:12:35,800 Speaker 1: a tailgate. 258 00:12:36,240 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 2: But when you learn, well, the first thing is that 259 00:12:39,040 --> 00:12:42,080 Speaker 2: for people with our palette, you're probably more likely to 260 00:12:42,240 --> 00:12:46,120 Speaker 2: enjoy than narwal skin, which tastes weirdly like hazel nuts, 261 00:12:46,120 --> 00:12:46,800 Speaker 2: more than the meat. 262 00:12:47,200 --> 00:12:49,559 Speaker 1: I mean, I'd be down for some narwal nutella right. 263 00:12:51,080 --> 00:12:54,160 Speaker 2: Well, the meat is another story, of course. For the Inuit, 264 00:12:54,320 --> 00:12:57,560 Speaker 2: narwal is a delicacy and it's really important, like the 265 00:12:57,600 --> 00:13:00,640 Speaker 2: flesh is full of vitamins and particularly vital and see, 266 00:13:00,960 --> 00:13:03,480 Speaker 2: so freezers are stocked with this stuff and it is 267 00:13:03,600 --> 00:13:07,160 Speaker 2: super popular. Any it can freely hunt narwal because the 268 00:13:07,200 --> 00:13:11,040 Speaker 2: population isn't at risk, though apparently it's tough work because 269 00:13:11,160 --> 00:13:13,880 Speaker 2: you know, once you've harpooned a narwal, they're like one 270 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:17,200 Speaker 2: and a half tons and they sink fast, so you 271 00:13:17,360 --> 00:13:20,240 Speaker 2: really have to lug them in quickly. But in terms 272 00:13:20,240 --> 00:13:22,960 Speaker 2: of how the meat taste, you can either boil it 273 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:25,319 Speaker 2: and serve it with soy sauce or chew it raw, 274 00:13:25,679 --> 00:13:28,040 Speaker 2: and according to a reporter from the Smithsonian who was 275 00:13:28,080 --> 00:13:31,400 Speaker 2: excited to try it, taste a little bit like rubber 276 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:35,040 Speaker 2: and kind of like congealed gravy. So not the worst 277 00:13:35,080 --> 00:13:37,840 Speaker 2: taste exactly, but not exactly appetizing either. 278 00:13:37,920 --> 00:13:41,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, that's not a great sales pitch, right, So here's 279 00:13:41,240 --> 00:13:44,160 Speaker 1: a super quick one. I know, we talked about narwals 280 00:13:44,200 --> 00:13:47,000 Speaker 1: growing two tuss and I was curious how many of 281 00:13:47,040 --> 00:13:50,440 Speaker 1: the narwals actually do this. Apparently it's more frequent than 282 00:13:50,440 --> 00:13:53,800 Speaker 1: I was expecting. About one in five hundred male narwals 283 00:13:53,840 --> 00:13:56,920 Speaker 1: will grow a pair of tuss. The other question that 284 00:13:56,920 --> 00:13:59,720 Speaker 1: gets asked a lot is do female narwals grow tuss? 285 00:13:59,800 --> 00:14:02,920 Speaker 1: And the answer to that is also yes, about fifteen 286 00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:06,120 Speaker 1: percent of female narwals grow tuss, which just goes to 287 00:14:06,160 --> 00:14:08,240 Speaker 1: show you there's a lot of variation in nature. 288 00:14:09,240 --> 00:14:10,920 Speaker 2: All right, Well, since you wanted to talk about the 289 00:14:10,960 --> 00:14:12,520 Speaker 2: tusk again, I don't know if you've noticed we keep 290 00:14:12,600 --> 00:14:16,440 Speaker 2: coming back to the touch. Let's talk about how narwals 291 00:14:16,440 --> 00:14:19,760 Speaker 2: are sometimes called the unicorn of the sea. So the 292 00:14:19,840 --> 00:14:25,320 Speaker 2: Latin name for narwals, Monodon monicros, means one tooth, one horn. 293 00:14:25,760 --> 00:14:28,360 Speaker 1: It sounds like a like a rallying cry, let's go 294 00:14:28,520 --> 00:14:30,119 Speaker 1: to battle with one tooth. 295 00:14:29,960 --> 00:14:32,080 Speaker 2: One tooth, one horn. You just kind of go. You 296 00:14:32,120 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 2: don't question it, you just say it loud, and then 297 00:14:34,400 --> 00:14:37,560 Speaker 2: you do whatever happens after that. But back in the 298 00:14:37,600 --> 00:14:40,600 Speaker 2: Middle Ages, every land animal was believed to have a 299 00:14:40,680 --> 00:14:44,160 Speaker 2: counterpart from the sea, and because people desperately wanted to 300 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:47,800 Speaker 2: believe in unicorns, especially the Scottish people, where the unicorn 301 00:14:47,840 --> 00:14:51,360 Speaker 2: is still the national animal. As soon as this tust 302 00:14:51,400 --> 00:14:54,400 Speaker 2: whale was discovered, it was used to bolster the case 303 00:14:54,440 --> 00:14:58,000 Speaker 2: for unicorns. But it wasn't long before these tusts were 304 00:14:58,040 --> 00:15:02,240 Speaker 2: passed off as genuine unicorn horns. The tusk, as we mentioned, 305 00:15:02,280 --> 00:15:05,200 Speaker 2: are really beautiful in the way they're spiraled and long, 306 00:15:05,400 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 2: so Vikings and other traders could pass them off as 307 00:15:07,720 --> 00:15:11,080 Speaker 2: unicorn horns and sell them for ten times their weight 308 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:13,920 Speaker 2: in gold. Now, of course, for buyers, just having a 309 00:15:14,000 --> 00:15:17,320 Speaker 2: unicorn horn and your cabinet of curiosities might be exciting, 310 00:15:17,720 --> 00:15:20,040 Speaker 2: but there was also a myth that unicorn horns could 311 00:15:20,080 --> 00:15:24,360 Speaker 2: neutralize poisons and cure depression several other things, so they 312 00:15:24,360 --> 00:15:27,720 Speaker 2: were often turned into cups for royalty and carved into 313 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:31,880 Speaker 2: other supposedly magical items. In fact, one of the more 314 00:15:31,920 --> 00:15:35,400 Speaker 2: expensive narwald tusk was the one that Queen Elizabeth received 315 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:38,960 Speaker 2: from an explorer of her court. The gift was bejeweled 316 00:15:38,960 --> 00:15:41,600 Speaker 2: and carved, and at the time it was worth ten 317 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:46,040 Speaker 2: thousand pounds sterling, which, according to the site Majestic Whale Encounters, 318 00:15:46,360 --> 00:15:48,920 Speaker 2: which was the equivalent cost of a modest castle at 319 00:15:48,960 --> 00:15:52,560 Speaker 2: the time, or a little more than four million pounds today. 320 00:15:52,880 --> 00:15:54,640 Speaker 1: Oh wow, I like the idea of trading a horn 321 00:15:54,680 --> 00:15:55,240 Speaker 1: for a castle. 322 00:15:55,360 --> 00:15:58,280 Speaker 2: It's pretty great. Yeah, it's just a modesele to me, exactly. 323 00:15:59,000 --> 00:16:00,960 Speaker 1: Well, I know we've got to throw to break, but 324 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:02,160 Speaker 1: we'll be back with more. 325 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:15,920 Speaker 4: Facts in just a minute. 326 00:16:18,200 --> 00:16:21,080 Speaker 2: Welcome back to Part time Genius. We're talking all things 327 00:16:21,320 --> 00:16:23,600 Speaker 2: narwal All right, Mango, what factor are you gonna end 328 00:16:23,600 --> 00:16:24,640 Speaker 2: with today? 329 00:16:24,840 --> 00:16:26,680 Speaker 1: Well, one of the things you mentioned at the top 330 00:16:26,840 --> 00:16:30,520 Speaker 1: was that Belugas and narwals are cousins. And there's actually 331 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:33,760 Speaker 1: an interesting story that scientists have been following since twenty 332 00:16:33,840 --> 00:16:38,320 Speaker 1: sixteen when a pod of beluga whales adopted a stranded narwhal. 333 00:16:38,480 --> 00:16:40,600 Speaker 2: So do narwals travel in pods? Too? 334 00:16:41,240 --> 00:16:44,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, just like whales, they travel together. They travel in 335 00:16:44,320 --> 00:16:46,520 Speaker 1: groups of fifteen to twenty, and it's to keep them 336 00:16:46,560 --> 00:16:50,640 Speaker 1: safe from predators like killer whales, polar bears, and walruses. 337 00:16:51,120 --> 00:16:54,120 Speaker 1: So narwals are used to traveling in groups. But apparently 338 00:16:54,160 --> 00:16:57,480 Speaker 1: this adopted narwhal just turned twelve years old, which is 339 00:16:57,600 --> 00:17:00,680 Speaker 1: exciting because it means we can help throw bar mitzva 340 00:17:00,720 --> 00:17:02,680 Speaker 1: next year as long as it learns. You know, it's 341 00:17:02,720 --> 00:17:06,640 Speaker 1: half torah a portion, But actually entering its teens means 342 00:17:06,640 --> 00:17:08,760 Speaker 1: that the narwal goes from being a boy to man, 343 00:17:08,840 --> 00:17:12,119 Speaker 1: and scientists are excited about this because they want to 344 00:17:12,119 --> 00:17:14,320 Speaker 1: know whether the narwal will mate with some of these 345 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:18,000 Speaker 1: belugas to create what's called a nar luga. 346 00:17:17,800 --> 00:17:20,800 Speaker 2: A nar luga. So are nar luga's actually a thing? 347 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:25,200 Speaker 1: Yeah, Apparently in the nineteen eighties, this Inuit hunter found 348 00:17:25,200 --> 00:17:27,879 Speaker 1: this distinct skull and he couldn't quite tell what it was, 349 00:17:28,040 --> 00:17:30,159 Speaker 1: so he gave it to a museum. Museums also couldn't 350 00:17:30,160 --> 00:17:33,760 Speaker 1: figure it out. It wasn't until twenty eighteen that DNA 351 00:17:33,880 --> 00:17:37,240 Speaker 1: testing showed that nar walls and belugas could actually mate 352 00:17:37,280 --> 00:17:40,840 Speaker 1: and have offspring. Anyway, it's unclear whether a baby narluga 353 00:17:40,840 --> 00:17:44,280 Speaker 1: will be sterile like a male lager or actually be 354 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:46,920 Speaker 1: fertile like a female lagger, which is obviously a mix 355 00:17:46,960 --> 00:17:49,720 Speaker 1: of a line and a tiger. But for scientists it's 356 00:17:49,760 --> 00:17:52,480 Speaker 1: super exciting to watch the flirting and play and mating 357 00:17:52,560 --> 00:17:56,159 Speaker 1: rituals take place and to follow this Narwall in his journey. 358 00:17:56,680 --> 00:17:58,800 Speaker 2: All right, well, if a nar Luga is born, I'm 359 00:17:58,840 --> 00:18:02,199 Speaker 2: sure the internet will be all over it. And speaking 360 00:18:02,200 --> 00:18:04,560 Speaker 2: of which, my last fact is about a rescue puppy 361 00:18:04,680 --> 00:18:07,119 Speaker 2: that was originally abandoned in the dead of winter in 362 00:18:07,240 --> 00:18:11,159 Speaker 2: Missouri and took the socials by storm. It was a 363 00:18:11,160 --> 00:18:14,280 Speaker 2: puppy born with a tail on its forehead, and it 364 00:18:14,359 --> 00:18:16,440 Speaker 2: was of course named Narwal. 365 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:19,720 Speaker 1: Oh. I remember Narwal. He was like a real Internet 366 00:18:19,760 --> 00:18:22,919 Speaker 1: celebrity for a minute. I remember, like Zach Braf was 367 00:18:22,920 --> 00:18:25,880 Speaker 1: tweeting about him. But how is Narwhal doing? 368 00:18:26,359 --> 00:18:28,760 Speaker 2: Apparently doing just fine. Like when he was put up 369 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:32,800 Speaker 2: for adoption, three hundred thousand applications came in to adopt him, 370 00:18:32,800 --> 00:18:35,160 Speaker 2: but he was also at risk. You know, some people 371 00:18:35,240 --> 00:18:37,679 Speaker 2: saw him as an abomination and came to the shelter 372 00:18:37,800 --> 00:18:41,159 Speaker 2: demanding that he be euthanized, which is of course just awful. 373 00:18:41,160 --> 00:18:44,240 Speaker 2: It's strange that people would feel that way. But after 374 00:18:44,280 --> 00:18:47,000 Speaker 2: protecting him vigilantly for a few months. The mom who 375 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:50,600 Speaker 2: fostered him ultimately decided to keep him, and today he's 376 00:18:50,640 --> 00:18:53,400 Speaker 2: a rescue spokesdog for the shelter that took him in, 377 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:57,679 Speaker 2: and everyone talks about his wonderful attitude. But the thing 378 00:18:57,720 --> 00:18:59,440 Speaker 2: I wanted to know about Narwal is how does a 379 00:18:59,520 --> 00:19:02,280 Speaker 2: mutation like that actually happen? Like how does a dog 380 00:19:02,359 --> 00:19:04,000 Speaker 2: end up growing a tail on its head? 381 00:19:04,520 --> 00:19:06,520 Speaker 1: I mean, the first thing I want to know is 382 00:19:06,600 --> 00:19:08,720 Speaker 1: can Narwal wag his second tail? 383 00:19:09,160 --> 00:19:12,320 Speaker 2: Well, yeah, that was my first question too, but unfortunately no, 384 00:19:12,600 --> 00:19:15,480 Speaker 2: he can't. But my second question was how he got 385 00:19:15,480 --> 00:19:18,199 Speaker 2: that little nub on his forehead And the answer is 386 00:19:18,240 --> 00:19:20,760 Speaker 2: that the vets don't really know. They think it was 387 00:19:20,800 --> 00:19:23,439 Speaker 2: some sort of rare genetic mutation that caused it, or 388 00:19:23,480 --> 00:19:27,199 Speaker 2: more likely, Narwal absorbed a twin from the womb and 389 00:19:27,320 --> 00:19:30,439 Speaker 2: that's what actually caused it. But everyone, in all the 390 00:19:30,480 --> 00:19:34,160 Speaker 2: interviews with Narwal's owners is clear about two things. One 391 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:37,000 Speaker 2: he's doing great and two they have no intention of 392 00:19:37,040 --> 00:19:38,840 Speaker 2: removing his spare magical tail. 393 00:19:39,240 --> 00:19:41,679 Speaker 1: Well, I am glad to know Narwal is doing so 394 00:19:41,760 --> 00:19:44,480 Speaker 1: well and that Narwals generally are doing pretty well. So 395 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:46,720 Speaker 1: what do you want to do about today's trophy? 396 00:19:47,160 --> 00:19:49,080 Speaker 2: You know, I was thinking about this. I think I'm 397 00:19:49,119 --> 00:19:50,760 Speaker 2: gonna have to give this one to you. I mean 398 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:53,760 Speaker 2: your narwal facts were pretty good, but that one about 399 00:19:53,800 --> 00:19:56,920 Speaker 2: the New School how they almost made a cigarette its mascot, 400 00:19:56,960 --> 00:19:58,200 Speaker 2: I mean that made my day. 401 00:19:59,359 --> 00:20:02,000 Speaker 1: You imagine seeing that on like a basketball court, sick 402 00:20:02,000 --> 00:20:06,000 Speaker 1: around on the side, cheering you on. Well, thank you 403 00:20:06,080 --> 00:20:08,159 Speaker 1: for that. I do want to let everyone know you 404 00:20:08,200 --> 00:20:11,000 Speaker 1: and I are trying to give the audience more part 405 00:20:11,000 --> 00:20:11,680 Speaker 1: Time Geniuses. 406 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:12,600 Speaker 2: That means more. 407 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 1: Weekly episodes, bi weekly episodes, and we do need a 408 00:20:16,040 --> 00:20:18,800 Speaker 1: little help. If you like the show, please consider rating 409 00:20:18,840 --> 00:20:21,560 Speaker 1: and reviewing the show, sharing it on social media with 410 00:20:21,600 --> 00:20:25,359 Speaker 1: your friends, or hitting that follow or subscribe button. All 411 00:20:25,400 --> 00:20:27,720 Speaker 1: of it really helps us out. And that's it for 412 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:31,400 Speaker 1: this week's episode from Will, Dylan, Mary, and myself. Thank 413 00:20:31,440 --> 00:20:47,040 Speaker 1: you so much for listening. Part Time Genius is a 414 00:20:47,040 --> 00:20:50,960 Speaker 1: production of Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio. This show is hosted by 415 00:20:50,960 --> 00:20:55,560 Speaker 1: Will Pearson and me Mongagetikler and research by our good 416 00:20:55,640 --> 00:20:59,800 Speaker 1: pal Mary Philip Sandy. Today's episode was engineered and produced 417 00:20:59,800 --> 00:21:03,720 Speaker 1: by Wonderful Dylan Fagan with support from Tyler Klang The 418 00:21:03,800 --> 00:21:07,240 Speaker 1: show is executive produced for iHeart by Katrina Norvel and 419 00:21:07,359 --> 00:21:11,000 Speaker 1: Ali Perry, with social media support from Sasha Gay trustee 420 00:21:11,160 --> 00:21:14,880 Speaker 1: Nara Potts, and by any Shorey. For more podcasts from 421 00:21:14,920 --> 00:21:19,880 Speaker 1: Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or 422 00:21:20,119 --> 00:21:39,800 Speaker 1: wherever you listen to your favorite shows.