1 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:05,960 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind from how Stuff 2 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:15,640 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Hey, welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind. 3 00:00:15,640 --> 00:00:18,160 Speaker 1: My name is Robert Lamb and I'm Julie Douglas. Julie, 4 00:00:18,160 --> 00:00:21,759 Speaker 1: when you were in school, did you ever dissect earthworms? No, 5 00:00:21,920 --> 00:00:23,799 Speaker 1: but as a youngster, I would sit around with my 6 00:00:23,840 --> 00:00:26,240 Speaker 1: friends and I would pluck them from the ground and 7 00:00:26,280 --> 00:00:30,160 Speaker 1: then we would cut them in half. Why why. I 8 00:00:30,240 --> 00:00:32,720 Speaker 1: think the idea was that we would double our profits 9 00:00:32,840 --> 00:00:36,320 Speaker 1: if we sold them to fishermen. I don't even know 10 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:39,240 Speaker 1: that we actually It's like Land of a Million Lakes 11 00:00:39,280 --> 00:00:42,559 Speaker 1: or something up there, right, something like that. So, so 12 00:00:42,720 --> 00:00:45,200 Speaker 1: there were a lot of fishermen, and in the area 13 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:46,559 Speaker 1: there are a lot of there was a lot of 14 00:00:46,560 --> 00:00:49,240 Speaker 1: fishing going on, and they were dimwitted enough to buy 15 00:00:49,960 --> 00:00:53,159 Speaker 1: hesy worms from from children. I don't know that we 16 00:00:53,200 --> 00:00:55,880 Speaker 1: actually sold them, but this was sort of our version 17 00:00:55,880 --> 00:00:58,160 Speaker 1: of the lemonade stand that really never came to fruition. 18 00:00:58,320 --> 00:01:00,640 Speaker 1: I think it was just about cutting them. And have 19 00:01:00,760 --> 00:01:04,319 Speaker 1: to be quite honest, were you going like lengthwise or umb? 20 00:01:05,040 --> 00:01:07,920 Speaker 1: Oh no, no, like not down the middle, just across 21 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:10,080 Speaker 1: the body, because when we would cut them open and 22 00:01:10,080 --> 00:01:12,959 Speaker 1: and certainly I grew up at times, you know, in 23 00:01:12,959 --> 00:01:16,760 Speaker 1: the countryside and on Kentucky lakes. So I have slain 24 00:01:16,840 --> 00:01:20,479 Speaker 1: many a worm on a hook. Uh generally didn't catch anything, 25 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:22,840 Speaker 1: but I but I've I've I've engaged in that kind 26 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 1: of barbaric behavior myself. And uh and in in high school, 27 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:31,920 Speaker 1: I definitely remember dissecting them where you had to they 28 00:01:31,920 --> 00:01:33,720 Speaker 1: give you the worm that's been like, you know, drenched 29 00:01:33,760 --> 00:01:37,080 Speaker 1: and preserved and fluid, and then you have to just 30 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:39,479 Speaker 1: slit it down the middle and then peel it back 31 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:43,120 Speaker 1: and uh and pin it's it's hide and then go 32 00:01:43,280 --> 00:01:46,120 Speaker 1: in there and pinpoint the different organisms. Uh. So when 33 00:01:46,120 --> 00:01:49,080 Speaker 1: we were putting this episode together, was looking at the 34 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: at the drawings of the inside of the Earth Forum, 35 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:53,320 Speaker 1: and it is bringing back memories and like, I remember 36 00:01:53,320 --> 00:01:55,880 Speaker 1: that and I and I also remember the harsh chemical 37 00:01:55,920 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: stink of the whole thing that I do remember, but 38 00:01:59,120 --> 00:02:02,160 Speaker 1: I may be associated it with frogs. Oh, it's probably 39 00:02:02,160 --> 00:02:04,240 Speaker 1: the same smell because they're both preserved in the same 40 00:02:04,520 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 1: the same liquids. But yeah, to see all that split out, 41 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:09,760 Speaker 1: you get to see the glorious entrails, the circulatory system, 42 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:12,600 Speaker 1: respiratory system, and it's very cool. To see all of 43 00:02:12,639 --> 00:02:15,960 Speaker 1: that or know that all that is packed into this tiny, little, wriggling, 44 00:02:16,520 --> 00:02:22,240 Speaker 1: slime malicious tube emerging from the ground. Yeah, so did 45 00:02:22,280 --> 00:02:24,080 Speaker 1: you like worms? Did you? Or did? What was your 46 00:02:24,080 --> 00:02:27,200 Speaker 1: relationship with him? You just enjoyed cutting them up? I 47 00:02:27,200 --> 00:02:30,919 Speaker 1: mean I'm gonna say enjoyed because I see what's going 48 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:35,160 Speaker 1: on here, you frying ants, cutting up worms. Next thing 49 00:02:35,200 --> 00:02:37,960 Speaker 1: you know, I'm a serial killer. No, No, we've discussed before. 50 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: A lot of this is just you testing your boundaries. 51 00:02:40,480 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 1: Which which living creatures can you cut in half and 52 00:02:43,120 --> 00:02:44,760 Speaker 1: get away with it? And which ones can you not? 53 00:02:45,080 --> 00:02:47,960 Speaker 1: And we all have to find that that that thin 54 00:02:48,040 --> 00:02:50,680 Speaker 1: gray line for ourselves. Yeah. Look, I had the that 55 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:54,880 Speaker 1: sort of idealized upbringing, you know, out in the Michigan countryside, 56 00:02:55,320 --> 00:02:58,160 Speaker 1: playing with mud pies and tearing apart worms. That's all 57 00:02:58,200 --> 00:03:00,360 Speaker 1: I can say about it. Well, that tend to go 58 00:03:00,360 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 1: with your hand in hand because you're making the mud 59 00:03:01,919 --> 00:03:04,160 Speaker 1: pies you get in the ground, wet worms are coming up. 60 00:03:04,520 --> 00:03:07,200 Speaker 1: Next thing you know, this has happening, and you're singing 61 00:03:07,240 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: the Hers song. Are you familiar worms? Yes? Yeah, the 62 00:03:11,520 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 1: worms crawl in, the worms crawl out. They play peanutle 63 00:03:14,720 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 1: on your snout. Scalp right there, scalp. Maybe it's an 64 00:03:19,520 --> 00:03:24,240 Speaker 1: alternate version. Yeah. Well, anyway, so if you haven't guessed, 65 00:03:24,280 --> 00:03:27,520 Speaker 1: in this episode we were talking about earthworms, Um, we're 66 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:30,240 Speaker 1: gonna take you through the basic anatomy of the earthworm, 67 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 1: just to refresh your mind. If it's been a while 68 00:03:32,960 --> 00:03:36,000 Speaker 1: since you've you've wormed a hook or cut one open 69 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:38,760 Speaker 1: in a classroom. Then we're gonna talk about some more 70 00:03:38,760 --> 00:03:41,320 Speaker 1: interesting things. We're going to the the earthworm about. It's uh, 71 00:03:41,440 --> 00:03:44,960 Speaker 1: it's it's conquering of North America and uh, and also 72 00:03:45,000 --> 00:03:47,080 Speaker 1: a little something called worm grunting that I was not 73 00:03:47,160 --> 00:03:49,840 Speaker 1: familiar with until just the other week, and then in 74 00:03:50,000 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: total amazement on and you wrote a great blog post 75 00:03:53,120 --> 00:03:57,560 Speaker 1: about it with an accompanying YouTube clip which is wonderful, Yes, wonderful, 76 00:03:57,640 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 1: wacky and very British, so yes, so so that the 77 00:04:01,080 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 1: Brits out there already know what I'm talking about. But 78 00:04:03,880 --> 00:04:06,240 Speaker 1: hang with us. We will get to that as well. Uh. 79 00:04:06,560 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: Before we get we get into the anatomy of the earthworm. 80 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:10,960 Speaker 1: I do want to point out something and make a 81 00:04:10,960 --> 00:04:14,080 Speaker 1: call back to a previous episode. Um, the last common 82 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:19,320 Speaker 1: ancestor of earthworm in Man existed about six million years ago. Uh. 83 00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 1: But if you just focus on the digestive system, we're 84 00:04:22,640 --> 00:04:25,440 Speaker 1: not all that different. If you remember from our our 85 00:04:25,960 --> 00:04:29,120 Speaker 1: several parts series where we we went through the human anatomy, 86 00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:32,120 Speaker 1: and we mentioned Mary Roaches book Gold if she has 87 00:04:32,160 --> 00:04:34,799 Speaker 1: a point where she points out that humans are quote 88 00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:39,480 Speaker 1: basically a highly evolved earthworm surrounded surrounding the intestinal tract. 89 00:04:40,040 --> 00:04:41,880 Speaker 1: And uh, and so I think that's something that one 90 00:04:41,920 --> 00:04:45,560 Speaker 1: of the reasons we find earthworms so fascinating and sometimes 91 00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:48,640 Speaker 1: a little horrifying, and also of course when we we 92 00:04:48,960 --> 00:04:50,960 Speaker 1: cut them open in science classes, because it's a very 93 00:04:51,000 --> 00:04:56,120 Speaker 1: simple model, it's very inhuman. But but but had its roots, 94 00:04:56,600 --> 00:04:58,640 Speaker 1: has a lot in common with us. It's true. I'm 95 00:04:58,640 --> 00:05:00,200 Speaker 1: glad that you point that out, because it really is 96 00:05:00,240 --> 00:05:03,840 Speaker 1: sort of, um, we are sort of these glorified earthworms 97 00:05:03,880 --> 00:05:06,960 Speaker 1: with heads and shoes on. Right. Um, alright, so let's 98 00:05:07,000 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 1: talk about these earthworms. They are classified in the phylum Analyta, 99 00:05:10,560 --> 00:05:14,240 Speaker 1: or innalids. They are mauve colored, as I said, slime 100 00:05:14,240 --> 00:05:18,880 Speaker 1: malicious tubes. They're found in Europe, North America, and Western Asia. 101 00:05:19,360 --> 00:05:21,640 Speaker 1: You can spot them probably in your local garden and 102 00:05:21,680 --> 00:05:23,840 Speaker 1: they are used of course on fishing lines for bait, 103 00:05:24,040 --> 00:05:29,040 Speaker 1: but their main occupation is as underground farmers. Yes, yeah, 104 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:32,200 Speaker 1: they're there are bervores. They live up to six years 105 00:05:32,279 --> 00:05:34,720 Speaker 1: uh in size. You'll see them get up to a 106 00:05:34,760 --> 00:05:38,839 Speaker 1: fourteen inches in length or thirty Wait you choose to 107 00:05:38,839 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 1: weigh such things up to a point nine ounces or 108 00:05:42,400 --> 00:05:45,280 Speaker 1: eleven point two grams. You know. I have read that 109 00:05:45,320 --> 00:05:48,000 Speaker 1: there is um a particular kind of earthworm in South 110 00:05:48,000 --> 00:05:50,800 Speaker 1: America can grow up to eight feet long. We're talking 111 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 1: about two point four meters in weigh over a pound. 112 00:05:54,360 --> 00:05:57,920 Speaker 1: You need a bigger hook for that. And of course 113 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:01,839 Speaker 1: their bodies are made up of ring like segments called annuli, 114 00:06:02,160 --> 00:06:05,440 Speaker 1: and these segments are covered in a seat or you know, 115 00:06:05,480 --> 00:06:08,760 Speaker 1: basically small bristles which the worm uses to move and burrow. 116 00:06:09,279 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 1: If you ever saw the movie Tremmors with the monster worm, 117 00:06:12,880 --> 00:06:19,640 Speaker 1: which takes a lot of different aspects of biological peculiarity 118 00:06:19,680 --> 00:06:22,799 Speaker 1: and can combines them into one monster. But they also 119 00:06:22,839 --> 00:06:25,719 Speaker 1: point out that the monster in that moves through the ground, 120 00:06:25,800 --> 00:06:27,960 Speaker 1: or supposedly does, in the same way that an earth 121 00:06:27,960 --> 00:06:30,760 Speaker 1: worm does. So these little bristles, uh, you know, frantically 122 00:06:30,839 --> 00:06:33,560 Speaker 1: pulling it through the earth. Yeah, because ultimately those segments 123 00:06:33,560 --> 00:06:36,000 Speaker 1: have to move independently of the entire body, or else 124 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:38,600 Speaker 1: it probably would never get anywhere. And it's pretty slow 125 00:06:38,640 --> 00:06:41,800 Speaker 1: moving as it is. Yeah, and uh, she comes to 126 00:06:41,800 --> 00:06:44,320 Speaker 1: no surprise to anyone that on the front portion of 127 00:06:44,360 --> 00:06:46,840 Speaker 1: the of the worm you have a mouth. On the 128 00:06:46,880 --> 00:06:50,360 Speaker 1: final segment you have an anis. And as they burrow through, 129 00:06:50,520 --> 00:06:54,719 Speaker 1: they consume soil, They extract nutrients from decaying organic matter 130 00:06:54,800 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 1: like leaves and roots and uh. In doing this, an 131 00:06:57,560 --> 00:06:59,880 Speaker 1: earthworm can eat up to one third its body weight 132 00:07:00,040 --> 00:07:04,400 Speaker 1: a single day. And they also consume organic matter like 133 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:08,080 Speaker 1: dead animals. Um. And in their gizzards this is the 134 00:07:08,080 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 1: place where everything kind of gets blendered up. They actually 135 00:07:11,280 --> 00:07:14,000 Speaker 1: consume some stones and some sand granules which helped to 136 00:07:14,080 --> 00:07:17,240 Speaker 1: break down that matter. UM. So I think that's pretty 137 00:07:17,280 --> 00:07:20,280 Speaker 1: fascinating if you think about that. Um. And then of 138 00:07:20,320 --> 00:07:23,280 Speaker 1: course the result is something called castings. This is what 139 00:07:23,360 --> 00:07:26,080 Speaker 1: comes out of the anus, and it contains a lot 140 00:07:26,120 --> 00:07:29,000 Speaker 1: of nutrients that plants can use. And some people even 141 00:07:29,120 --> 00:07:35,080 Speaker 1: use these earthworm castings as garden fertilizer. Yeah. So there 142 00:07:35,160 --> 00:07:37,800 Speaker 1: they are important to the soil. They transport soil nutrients 143 00:07:37,880 --> 00:07:41,800 Speaker 1: and minerals from the surface from below to the surface, uh, 144 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:45,440 Speaker 1: via the waist, and their tunnels actually aerate the soil 145 00:07:45,480 --> 00:07:48,200 Speaker 1: as well, so right, so they really enrich that soil. 146 00:07:48,400 --> 00:07:51,280 Speaker 1: And UM, I did want to point out that that 147 00:07:51,360 --> 00:07:53,640 Speaker 1: earthworms kind of fall into a couple of groups in 148 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:56,720 Speaker 1: terms of where they live. Um. They some of them 149 00:07:56,760 --> 00:07:59,200 Speaker 1: live just above the ground, and they kind of squirm 150 00:07:59,360 --> 00:08:01,600 Speaker 1: in or just below the plant letter. Now this is 151 00:08:01,680 --> 00:08:04,400 Speaker 1: these are all those leaves and twigs and bark that 152 00:08:04,440 --> 00:08:07,760 Speaker 1: are on the forest floor, and those are thorms feed 153 00:08:07,760 --> 00:08:09,640 Speaker 1: on leaves and the fun guy in the bacteria, and 154 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:11,800 Speaker 1: they helped to break all that down. And then some 155 00:08:11,920 --> 00:08:14,080 Speaker 1: live higher up in trees. I did not know this 156 00:08:14,200 --> 00:08:17,080 Speaker 1: um inside the king wood or piles of plant material 157 00:08:17,480 --> 00:08:21,520 Speaker 1: that gather between limbs. So if you are frightened of worms, 158 00:08:21,720 --> 00:08:24,239 Speaker 1: just imagine taking and nicely surely walk through the forest 159 00:08:24,280 --> 00:08:28,280 Speaker 1: and looking up and knowing that they're dripping above your head. Um. 160 00:08:28,400 --> 00:08:31,200 Speaker 1: And then of course you have those that are traveling 161 00:08:31,200 --> 00:08:32,800 Speaker 1: through the layership soil, which is what we kind of 162 00:08:32,800 --> 00:08:35,080 Speaker 1: think of when we think of earthworms. And then as 163 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:37,760 Speaker 1: you said, those that burrow really deeply down and can 164 00:08:37,880 --> 00:08:41,280 Speaker 1: burrow down as deep as six ft underground cool and 165 00:08:41,520 --> 00:08:43,440 Speaker 1: another just tell you know. I'm not going to spend 166 00:08:43,440 --> 00:08:46,440 Speaker 1: too much time with the rest of the worms anatomy. 167 00:08:47,040 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 1: But there is that tail tale little thick portion ye 168 00:08:50,480 --> 00:08:53,160 Speaker 1: that looks like a larger segment and and bulges a 169 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 1: little bit, and that is the sill tell them, and 170 00:08:56,559 --> 00:08:59,040 Speaker 1: that is uh. That has to do with the mating. 171 00:08:59,080 --> 00:09:01,960 Speaker 1: And basically what happened here is their hemacroditic much like 172 00:09:02,000 --> 00:09:05,720 Speaker 1: our friends the slugs, they can't self fertilize. They cannot 173 00:09:05,720 --> 00:09:08,320 Speaker 1: self fertilize, so they're not like truly you know, a 174 00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:12,880 Speaker 1: sexual in that sense. But following a mating worm forms 175 00:09:12,880 --> 00:09:15,880 Speaker 1: a tiny little cocoon out of a liquid secreted from 176 00:09:15,880 --> 00:09:19,160 Speaker 1: the clyde tell um uh, and the spermon eggs are 177 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:22,400 Speaker 1: deposited inside this cocoon. It's buried, and about two to 178 00:09:22,440 --> 00:09:25,800 Speaker 1: four week weeks later, baby worms crawl out. So there 179 00:09:25,840 --> 00:09:27,920 Speaker 1: you have it, the magic of life. And they do 180 00:09:28,000 --> 00:09:30,720 Speaker 1: their their reproduction thing on the top of the fool. 181 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:33,720 Speaker 1: By the way, so a lot of times earthworms are 182 00:09:33,720 --> 00:09:36,559 Speaker 1: referred to as nightcrawlers because they come out at night 183 00:09:36,600 --> 00:09:40,120 Speaker 1: to feed but also to reproduce. Yes, all right, so 184 00:09:40,120 --> 00:09:42,200 Speaker 1: you're probably saying okay, well we already knew all of that, 185 00:09:42,400 --> 00:09:46,480 Speaker 1: Robert and Julie. That's that's just common worm sense, right there. Uh, 186 00:09:46,920 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 1: let's get to the mind blowing stuff. Yeah. Yeah, enough 187 00:09:49,559 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 1: about me trampling on them at night during their their 188 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:57,320 Speaker 1: love mating times. I know that their foot, sure, why not? Okay? 189 00:09:57,320 --> 00:10:00,920 Speaker 1: What what did the earth look like before? Um? These 190 00:10:00,960 --> 00:10:05,040 Speaker 1: guys were widespread? How have they changed the soil of 191 00:10:05,080 --> 00:10:08,960 Speaker 1: our earth? Yeah? I mean specifically North America? When at 192 00:10:09,000 --> 00:10:11,959 Speaker 1: least North America provides a really good example of this. Um. 193 00:10:12,400 --> 00:10:16,280 Speaker 1: And this is the explored in greater detail in Charles C. 194 00:10:16,440 --> 00:10:20,440 Speaker 1: Man's two books, the first one New Revelations of the 195 00:10:20,440 --> 00:10:25,920 Speaker 1: America's Before Columbus and Uncovering the New World Columbus created. UM. 196 00:10:26,080 --> 00:10:28,880 Speaker 1: You can also find his an article about this titled 197 00:10:28,880 --> 00:10:31,840 Speaker 1: America Found and Lost, where he goes specifically into some 198 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:34,480 Speaker 1: of what we're talking about here today. Basically, the idea 199 00:10:34,520 --> 00:10:38,959 Speaker 1: here is that you can more or less attribute earthworms 200 00:10:39,160 --> 00:10:42,959 Speaker 1: in North America to a single dude, and that dude 201 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:47,720 Speaker 1: is John Rolfe, who is also generally most well known 202 00:10:48,640 --> 00:10:52,040 Speaker 1: as the dude who married Pocahonas. Yeah, and this is 203 00:10:52,040 --> 00:10:56,520 Speaker 1: all taking place around Jamestown. Jamestown was found in sixteen 204 00:10:56,520 --> 00:11:01,120 Speaker 1: o seven and it was a just a bad place overall, uh, 205 00:11:01,400 --> 00:11:06,240 Speaker 1: foul place, bad water, mosquitoes, eventually malaria, famine, people eating 206 00:11:06,360 --> 00:11:09,600 Speaker 1: all their livestock up, uh digging up their own dead. 207 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:12,560 Speaker 1: One case of a man allegedly killing his pregnant wife 208 00:11:12,559 --> 00:11:16,400 Speaker 1: insulting her meat um at tension with the local um 209 00:11:16,679 --> 00:11:20,520 Speaker 1: Pooton tribes people. It was. It was a pretty bad 210 00:11:20,720 --> 00:11:24,680 Speaker 1: uh pad the little corner of history there. But more 211 00:11:24,760 --> 00:11:28,319 Speaker 1: to the point, there were no earthworms at the time. UM. 212 00:11:28,400 --> 00:11:31,040 Speaker 1: The hardwood forests of New England and the Upper Midwest 213 00:11:31,160 --> 00:11:34,439 Speaker 1: UM have no native earthworms. They were apparently all wiped 214 00:11:34,440 --> 00:11:38,840 Speaker 1: out in the last ice age years ago. Yeah, so 215 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:41,440 Speaker 1: you're talking about the earthworms eating up all the leaf litter. 216 00:11:41,679 --> 00:11:43,599 Speaker 1: While there are no earthworms up the leaf litter, the 217 00:11:43,640 --> 00:11:47,040 Speaker 1: leaf litter ends up just piling up. So you have 218 00:11:47,080 --> 00:11:50,200 Speaker 1: a rather different ecosystem. But then what happens you have 219 00:11:50,840 --> 00:11:53,920 Speaker 1: you have a colonists coming over like Rolf and what 220 00:11:53,960 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: are they bringing. They're bringing um there, they're bringing everything. 221 00:11:57,880 --> 00:12:00,960 Speaker 1: They're bringing their agricultural lifestyle else with them. They're bringing 222 00:12:01,000 --> 00:12:04,960 Speaker 1: their investigated animals, their plants, they're bringing tobacco plants that 223 00:12:05,040 --> 00:12:08,120 Speaker 1: have earthworms in the root ball. Uh. And also when 224 00:12:08,200 --> 00:12:11,560 Speaker 1: once they actually start successfully growing tobacco in the New World, 225 00:12:11,600 --> 00:12:13,840 Speaker 1: they want to bring it back to market in Europe. 226 00:12:14,280 --> 00:12:16,800 Speaker 1: So you know, in order to keep the ship from 227 00:12:17,240 --> 00:12:19,200 Speaker 1: riding too high in the waters, they have to, uh, 228 00:12:19,240 --> 00:12:20,959 Speaker 1: they have to to weigh it down. When they weigh 229 00:12:20,960 --> 00:12:22,920 Speaker 1: it down with the way it down with shipments of earth, 230 00:12:23,480 --> 00:12:25,559 Speaker 1: and that earth has earth worms in it, and so 231 00:12:25,600 --> 00:12:27,960 Speaker 1: they when they get to the New World, they just 232 00:12:28,040 --> 00:12:30,360 Speaker 1: dump that earth right so they can make room for 233 00:12:30,480 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 1: the tobacco exactly add its weight in tobacco. But then 234 00:12:33,400 --> 00:12:35,400 Speaker 1: you have all this dirt and with the in these 235 00:12:35,400 --> 00:12:39,000 Speaker 1: worms introduced to this new world. So what you're saying 236 00:12:39,000 --> 00:12:42,240 Speaker 1: here is it's kind of like terra forming. Yeah really, um, 237 00:12:42,280 --> 00:12:45,440 Speaker 1: I mean, man does an excellent job just just talking 238 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:48,880 Speaker 1: about just how many factors are involved. There's one wonderful 239 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:51,920 Speaker 1: little part partner I'm gonna read here where he really 240 00:12:51,960 --> 00:12:55,840 Speaker 1: sums in not not even specifically the worms or even 241 00:12:56,400 --> 00:12:59,559 Speaker 1: or even rolf here, but just the the overall movement 242 00:12:59,600 --> 00:13:02,120 Speaker 1: of people in their their things and how it changes 243 00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:04,880 Speaker 1: the world. He says two hundred and fifty million years ago, 244 00:13:04,920 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 1: the world contained a single land mass mass known to 245 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:12,560 Speaker 1: scientists as Pangaea. Geologic forces broke this vast expanse into 246 00:13:12,720 --> 00:13:16,600 Speaker 1: into pieces, sundering Eurasia and the America's. Over time, the 247 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:19,240 Speaker 1: two halves of the world developed widely different suites of 248 00:13:19,240 --> 00:13:22,840 Speaker 1: plants and animals. Columbus's signal accomplishment was, in the phrase 249 00:13:22,880 --> 00:13:26,760 Speaker 1: of historian Alfred Crosby, to re knit the torn seams 250 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:31,040 Speaker 1: of Pangaea. So uh, I mean, the more you think 251 00:13:31,040 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 1: about it, like he points out that a lot of 252 00:13:34,040 --> 00:13:36,560 Speaker 1: these crops, a lot of these these signature dishes that 253 00:13:36,679 --> 00:13:40,360 Speaker 1: we we take for granted. You think about tomatoes in Italy, well, 254 00:13:40,760 --> 00:13:42,959 Speaker 1: it's because they moved there from somewhere else. They were 255 00:13:42,960 --> 00:13:46,199 Speaker 1: taken there by humans. Oranges in Florida, chocolates and Switzerland, 256 00:13:46,240 --> 00:13:50,559 Speaker 1: and of course hot peppers, and so many different culinary traditions, 257 00:13:50,559 --> 00:13:53,040 Speaker 1: like I point out Thai food. And this was something 258 00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:56,400 Speaker 1: I remember reading about when travel there years ago, is 259 00:13:56,440 --> 00:13:59,959 Speaker 1: that you know all these signature hot, spicy thie dishes. Uh. 260 00:14:00,240 --> 00:14:03,559 Speaker 1: Thai cuisine was a dramatically different thing before the Portuguese 261 00:14:03,640 --> 00:14:07,719 Speaker 1: arrived and brought these aliens of species and so that's 262 00:14:07,720 --> 00:14:09,360 Speaker 1: what you have going on in North America. You have 263 00:14:09,640 --> 00:14:13,760 Speaker 1: these alien humans bringing their alien species in an alien 264 00:14:13,800 --> 00:14:16,600 Speaker 1: way of working the land and using it, and it 265 00:14:16,720 --> 00:14:19,160 Speaker 1: just changes everything. And the earthworm is a huge part 266 00:14:19,160 --> 00:14:21,840 Speaker 1: of that because now the earthworm is is just all 267 00:14:21,920 --> 00:14:26,480 Speaker 1: over this huge segment of North America and uh, and 268 00:14:26,480 --> 00:14:29,680 Speaker 1: they're thriving there. They're they're in no danger of disappearing. 269 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:32,200 Speaker 1: And that's true. They become invasive, right and even though 270 00:14:32,240 --> 00:14:34,360 Speaker 1: they're slow moving, it does take, you know, a couple 271 00:14:34,480 --> 00:14:37,640 Speaker 1: hundred years before people begin to realize what sort of 272 00:14:37,680 --> 00:14:41,280 Speaker 1: effect they're having. Because they are spreading, they're getting a foothold. 273 00:14:41,280 --> 00:14:43,840 Speaker 1: And a good example of this is the Chippewa National 274 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:47,200 Speaker 1: Forest and this is in Minnesota, and they noticed that 275 00:14:47,240 --> 00:14:51,440 Speaker 1: the landscape was really changing dramatically. And so those leaves, 276 00:14:51,440 --> 00:14:54,240 Speaker 1: those twigs, the other plant debris. This is called duff 277 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:57,280 Speaker 1: and um. As you had noted, the earthworms like to 278 00:14:57,400 --> 00:15:00,240 Speaker 1: munch on that. Well, previous to the earthworms, the was 279 00:15:00,280 --> 00:15:04,680 Speaker 1: really broken down by fungi, bacteria might and it was 280 00:15:04,720 --> 00:15:08,040 Speaker 1: a refuge for some small birds and animals. And it 281 00:15:08,160 --> 00:15:11,080 Speaker 1: also helped that that duff held in the moisture like 282 00:15:11,120 --> 00:15:14,760 Speaker 1: a sponge for other plants, and those are like the 283 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:19,440 Speaker 1: middle growth plants of force. So we're talking about wildflowers, shrubs, 284 00:15:19,480 --> 00:15:23,080 Speaker 1: and then tree seedlings. So what happens when when the 285 00:15:23,160 --> 00:15:26,440 Speaker 1: humble earth firm is unleashed upon this landscape? Will they 286 00:15:26,440 --> 00:15:28,840 Speaker 1: began to remove all of that duff and so those 287 00:15:28,880 --> 00:15:33,040 Speaker 1: tree seedlings, those those are middle plantings no longer exist 288 00:15:33,600 --> 00:15:36,280 Speaker 1: and it changes that habitat for the other animals. And 289 00:15:36,320 --> 00:15:38,480 Speaker 1: of course that the problem here is that they're spread 290 00:15:38,600 --> 00:15:41,359 Speaker 1: even it's not just you know, a little columbus deposited 291 00:15:41,400 --> 00:15:43,720 Speaker 1: a big pile them in dirt and then that was 292 00:15:43,800 --> 00:15:46,880 Speaker 1: the end of the story. The story continues because fishermen 293 00:15:46,960 --> 00:15:49,920 Speaker 1: use them as baits, so they're introduced into lakes, rivers 294 00:15:49,920 --> 00:15:54,520 Speaker 1: and streams, and uh, farmers use them in composting, so 295 00:15:54,760 --> 00:15:58,280 Speaker 1: of course they're spread even more around lands that then 296 00:15:58,320 --> 00:16:01,920 Speaker 1: began to encroach upon hardwood force. Yeah, and the crazy 297 00:16:01,960 --> 00:16:03,840 Speaker 1: thing too about earthworms is that unlike a lot of 298 00:16:03,920 --> 00:16:08,120 Speaker 1: invasive species that introduced a lot of these species will well, 299 00:16:08,120 --> 00:16:10,080 Speaker 1: they're introduced to an area and then they'll continue to 300 00:16:10,120 --> 00:16:12,680 Speaker 1: work themselves. They're more than happy to spread their numbers 301 00:16:13,200 --> 00:16:16,400 Speaker 1: across the lands. But but as Man points out, earthworms. 302 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:19,520 Speaker 1: You you introduce earthworms and to say, your backyard, if 303 00:16:19,520 --> 00:16:22,960 Speaker 1: your backward yarded for some reason earthworm free, they make 304 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:25,400 Speaker 1: they'll thrive in that that area, but they're not necessarily 305 00:16:25,400 --> 00:16:28,800 Speaker 1: going to expand beyond your backyard. They're very local. So 306 00:16:28,880 --> 00:16:32,480 Speaker 1: this is all on humans. This is all our again 307 00:16:32,560 --> 00:16:36,400 Speaker 1: using them for bait um, transplanting plants from one place 308 00:16:36,440 --> 00:16:39,520 Speaker 1: to another, moving soil from one place to another, and 309 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:43,400 Speaker 1: eventually just creating a new nation underworm. You know, that 310 00:16:43,480 --> 00:16:46,440 Speaker 1: reminds me two of the anthropa scene episode that we did, 311 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:50,040 Speaker 1: and we talked about how humans have changed the landscape 312 00:16:50,320 --> 00:16:54,040 Speaker 1: um so drastically and that we are so responsible more 313 00:16:54,120 --> 00:16:59,720 Speaker 1: than any other natural phenomenon for moving massive amounts of 314 00:16:59,760 --> 00:17:02,720 Speaker 1: dirt and earth all over the world. So if you 315 00:17:03,080 --> 00:17:07,560 Speaker 1: think beyond just even fishermen or you know, gardeners or 316 00:17:07,680 --> 00:17:11,560 Speaker 1: farmers using earthworms, you have to realize that any time 317 00:17:11,560 --> 00:17:13,800 Speaker 1: that we take dump trucks full of soil and move 318 00:17:13,880 --> 00:17:17,280 Speaker 1: them to one other place, than we're introducing earthworms as 319 00:17:17,320 --> 00:17:20,560 Speaker 1: an invasive species. Yeah, it's interesting too because Man also 320 00:17:20,640 --> 00:17:24,600 Speaker 1: points out that you know, to no one's surprise, uh, 321 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:27,600 Speaker 1: this is this, Uh, this sort of fantasy world idea 322 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:31,439 Speaker 1: of pocahonas and and the settlers doesn't match up with reality. 323 00:17:31,440 --> 00:17:33,359 Speaker 1: We tend to think of this idea that they arrive 324 00:17:33,440 --> 00:17:36,040 Speaker 1: in the New World and the and everything is just 325 00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:41,200 Speaker 1: this lush you know, avatar esque. Um, you know, untouched wilderness. 326 00:17:41,240 --> 00:17:44,600 Speaker 1: And then there are a few uh Native Americans moving 327 00:17:44,640 --> 00:17:47,359 Speaker 1: around almost unseen, you know, just a seamless part of 328 00:17:47,359 --> 00:17:50,880 Speaker 1: the environment. But but as it turns out, the Palatin 329 00:17:51,080 --> 00:17:54,280 Speaker 1: tribes people had already really done their part to change 330 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:56,560 Speaker 1: to to to change the environment and keep it the 331 00:17:56,560 --> 00:18:00,040 Speaker 1: way they liked it, such as using control burns to 332 00:18:00,040 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 1: clear out some of that underbrush and then constantly hunting 333 00:18:03,560 --> 00:18:06,639 Speaker 1: and gathering to to collect you know, the items that 334 00:18:06,640 --> 00:18:09,080 Speaker 1: they depended on for their diets. All right, so now 335 00:18:09,119 --> 00:18:12,679 Speaker 1: we have an idea of these suckers as a as 336 00:18:12,720 --> 00:18:16,080 Speaker 1: an invasive species. Have the conqueror worm, the conquering worm. 337 00:18:16,119 --> 00:18:19,160 Speaker 1: What about just what about this worm grunting thing? Well, 338 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:21,040 Speaker 1: you know, we should take a break. We'll take a 339 00:18:21,040 --> 00:18:22,760 Speaker 1: break before we get to the worm grunting. But stay 340 00:18:22,800 --> 00:18:25,919 Speaker 1: with us, because when we come back, um, humans and 341 00:18:26,000 --> 00:18:28,720 Speaker 1: non humans alike will call to the worm, and the 342 00:18:28,800 --> 00:18:44,600 Speaker 1: worm shall rise up from the drought. All right, we're 343 00:18:44,600 --> 00:18:47,920 Speaker 1: back and we are talking about worm grunting, also known 344 00:18:48,280 --> 00:18:50,359 Speaker 1: but by a few other names that you may know 345 00:18:50,880 --> 00:18:53,800 Speaker 1: u the worm grunter as a worm charmer. You may 346 00:18:53,840 --> 00:18:56,920 Speaker 1: know him or her as a worm fiddler. You may 347 00:18:56,920 --> 00:19:01,000 Speaker 1: know this is worm snoring, But in Florida at least, 348 00:19:01,040 --> 00:19:03,800 Speaker 1: it's called worm grunting. And you can in fact find 349 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:07,760 Speaker 1: this pastime throughout the southeastern United States and even in 350 00:19:07,920 --> 00:19:11,280 Speaker 1: the United Kingdom. Had you ever heard of worm grunting before? 351 00:19:11,480 --> 00:19:14,600 Speaker 1: I had not, But I think it's fascinating because we're 352 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:18,199 Speaker 1: talking about here is driving a wooden steak into the 353 00:19:18,200 --> 00:19:22,119 Speaker 1: ground and then taking a flat metal rod across the 354 00:19:22,680 --> 00:19:27,000 Speaker 1: top of it and creating a sort of bull frog 355 00:19:27,080 --> 00:19:33,479 Speaker 1: like grunting sound which emanates from this. Yeah, and just 356 00:19:33,480 --> 00:19:35,840 Speaker 1: that you have to imagine this setting, like here's this uh, 357 00:19:35,960 --> 00:19:39,320 Speaker 1: this woodsy Floridian going out and into the into the wilderness. 358 00:19:39,359 --> 00:19:41,680 Speaker 1: They're pounding the steak home and they're just sitting there 359 00:19:42,160 --> 00:19:45,160 Speaker 1: moving the grunt and stick back and forth and then 360 00:19:45,200 --> 00:19:47,320 Speaker 1: waiting for the worms to crawl up. It's true, like 361 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:50,960 Speaker 1: a minute or so later, depending on the sort of 362 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:54,760 Speaker 1: sound spectra that you create. Yeah, these worms emerge from 363 00:19:54,760 --> 00:19:57,760 Speaker 1: the ground and and it's a rooping iron. By the way, 364 00:19:57,760 --> 00:20:00,280 Speaker 1: I should point out that's that's the thing that they 365 00:20:00,320 --> 00:20:04,960 Speaker 1: move across the state iron. Yeah, okay, So what's cool 366 00:20:05,000 --> 00:20:09,040 Speaker 1: about this is that it's that sounds spectra that's made 367 00:20:09,200 --> 00:20:15,080 Speaker 1: that shares a similarity with burrowing moles. We have found, yes, 368 00:20:15,440 --> 00:20:17,639 Speaker 1: because for a lot of the worm grunters and the 369 00:20:17,680 --> 00:20:21,080 Speaker 1: worm charmers elsewhere, they didn't necessarily understand the science of it. 370 00:20:21,119 --> 00:20:24,359 Speaker 1: Because you don't really have to understand why the worms 371 00:20:24,359 --> 00:20:26,639 Speaker 1: are crawling up. You realize that they're doing it, and 372 00:20:26,640 --> 00:20:28,240 Speaker 1: then you want to get in on the action. And 373 00:20:28,280 --> 00:20:31,800 Speaker 1: in fact, the two examples of worm grunters in in 374 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:35,040 Speaker 1: in nature that don't understand the science of what they're doing. 375 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:39,880 Speaker 1: The wood turtle and some seagulls. Goals and wood turtles 376 00:20:40,240 --> 00:20:44,479 Speaker 1: also use worm grunting. The turtle especially is adorable doing 377 00:20:44,520 --> 00:20:46,200 Speaker 1: this because the turtle kind of does a little dance 378 00:20:46,720 --> 00:20:48,600 Speaker 1: on the ground and does the dance just right, and 379 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:50,359 Speaker 1: then the worms come up and then he eats the worms. 380 00:20:50,400 --> 00:20:53,879 Speaker 1: And likewise the seagull that's the same thing. But what 381 00:20:54,040 --> 00:20:56,120 Speaker 1: is this what is the reason for it? Right? Well, 382 00:20:56,359 --> 00:20:58,520 Speaker 1: the you know, the worm grunters of old might have 383 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:01,159 Speaker 1: maybe thought it was magic. There was one theory at 384 00:21:01,400 --> 00:21:04,720 Speaker 1: one point that it was the idea that the grunting, 385 00:21:05,359 --> 00:21:07,560 Speaker 1: the tapping, or whatever kind of sounds you're making on 386 00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:10,560 Speaker 1: the soil, that they somehow sound like rain drops falling, 387 00:21:11,200 --> 00:21:14,040 Speaker 1: and the and the worms think, oh, the rain is coming. 388 00:21:14,080 --> 00:21:15,520 Speaker 1: I need to get the higher ground so I don't 389 00:21:15,560 --> 00:21:18,560 Speaker 1: drown in the earth, which you know, we see this sometimes, right, 390 00:21:18,680 --> 00:21:21,640 Speaker 1: there's a good rainfall and then a couple of worms appear. 391 00:21:21,920 --> 00:21:25,440 Speaker 1: But this, it turns out, is not actual reason why 392 00:21:25,760 --> 00:21:27,840 Speaker 1: worms will rise to the top when you make these 393 00:21:27,840 --> 00:21:31,000 Speaker 1: certain vibrations in the soil. Yeah, And in two thousand 394 00:21:30,960 --> 00:21:34,680 Speaker 1: and eight, biologists kin A Catania and he set out 395 00:21:34,680 --> 00:21:36,440 Speaker 1: to look into this. So he went out, he did 396 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:40,399 Speaker 1: did a full on scientific investigation, and he found that 397 00:21:40,440 --> 00:21:44,600 Speaker 1: the reason is, like you said, moles. So the mole 398 00:21:44,800 --> 00:21:50,159 Speaker 1: in earthworm lore, of course, is the worm gobbler part excellence. 399 00:21:50,280 --> 00:21:53,400 Speaker 1: He's the he's the the greatest foe. He is the 400 00:21:53,400 --> 00:21:55,960 Speaker 1: the ultimate enemy of worms. Yeah, no doubt, Like he 401 00:21:56,080 --> 00:21:59,560 Speaker 1: is the Boogeyman. And worm folklore like they sit down 402 00:21:59,600 --> 00:22:03,119 Speaker 1: with the kids and they're like the awful mole is 403 00:22:03,160 --> 00:22:05,200 Speaker 1: going to come visit us one day. Yeah, and there's 404 00:22:05,200 --> 00:22:06,600 Speaker 1: a lot of bad stuff that can happen to you 405 00:22:06,640 --> 00:22:10,040 Speaker 1: if you are an earthworm. Um. Like, these things are plentiful, 406 00:22:10,040 --> 00:22:13,120 Speaker 1: but they're also very nutritious, so you know, birds will 407 00:22:13,119 --> 00:22:16,159 Speaker 1: not hesitate to eat them, Fishermen will not hesitate to 408 00:22:16,240 --> 00:22:19,520 Speaker 1: put them on a hook, um Little Julie's will not 409 00:22:19,560 --> 00:22:22,560 Speaker 1: hesitate to slice them up for for fun and possible 410 00:22:22,600 --> 00:22:26,159 Speaker 1: profit and uh and so and so. Coming to the 411 00:22:26,359 --> 00:22:30,119 Speaker 1: surface carries with it certain risks, but those risks do 412 00:22:30,200 --> 00:22:33,600 Speaker 1: not even compare to the risk of staying underground when 413 00:22:33,600 --> 00:22:38,080 Speaker 1: a mole is burrowing through the area. So worm grunting uh, 414 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:41,720 Speaker 1: using this a stake in the special rod or some 415 00:22:41,800 --> 00:22:44,040 Speaker 1: of the worm charming techniques you see in in England 416 00:22:44,119 --> 00:22:46,480 Speaker 1: they have the whole festivals for this every year, and 417 00:22:46,640 --> 00:22:48,280 Speaker 1: if you look at the videos, it's just like a 418 00:22:48,280 --> 00:22:52,240 Speaker 1: bunch of people going nuts, like hitting the ground with objects, 419 00:22:52,520 --> 00:22:55,480 Speaker 1: playing musical instruments. So there are other ways to get 420 00:22:55,520 --> 00:23:00,760 Speaker 1: the proper uh, the proper reverberations going in the earth. Uh. 421 00:23:00,800 --> 00:23:03,479 Speaker 1: But but the idea is that again, it sounds like 422 00:23:03,520 --> 00:23:06,399 Speaker 1: a mole and it's just enough crossover between the frequencies 423 00:23:06,440 --> 00:23:08,800 Speaker 1: to to whether the earthworm interprets that is, as a 424 00:23:08,840 --> 00:23:11,399 Speaker 1: mole approaching, and so they take to the surface, and 425 00:23:11,400 --> 00:23:13,280 Speaker 1: they will take to the surface in the hundreds. We're 426 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:15,920 Speaker 1: not talking like just one or two earthworms. We're talking 427 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:19,400 Speaker 1: about all the earthworms in the vicinity rising at once. Yeah. 428 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:23,560 Speaker 1: And if you doubt this mole earthworm linkum, just consider 429 00:23:23,720 --> 00:23:26,840 Speaker 1: that a paper published in Biology Letters showed that recordings, 430 00:23:26,880 --> 00:23:31,280 Speaker 1: just the mere recordings of worm grunting vibrations bring worms 431 00:23:31,359 --> 00:23:34,720 Speaker 1: to the surface and that more worms will surface nearer 432 00:23:34,720 --> 00:23:38,920 Speaker 1: to the source of the vibrations of where those recordings 433 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:44,119 Speaker 1: are being transmitted. Yeah. Catania said that they found that 434 00:23:44,320 --> 00:23:48,000 Speaker 1: worm grunting vibrations were more uniform and concentrated near the 435 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:51,119 Speaker 1: eight hurts area, while moles produce a wider range of 436 00:23:51,160 --> 00:23:53,560 Speaker 1: vibrations that peak around two h hurts. But there's just 437 00:23:53,680 --> 00:23:57,160 Speaker 1: enough overlap between the two to make this practice the reality. Yeah, 438 00:23:57,440 --> 00:23:59,320 Speaker 1: and you have to think too, like why would people 439 00:23:59,359 --> 00:24:02,359 Speaker 1: do this? Well, you know they probably said, huh, look 440 00:24:02,440 --> 00:24:05,920 Speaker 1: look at that turtle over there, just raising raising these worms, 441 00:24:05,960 --> 00:24:09,000 Speaker 1: like raising the dead. We could profit from this, we 442 00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:10,560 Speaker 1: could do this, We could have a whole field of 443 00:24:10,600 --> 00:24:13,760 Speaker 1: these and gather them and then sell them to fishermen. Yeah, exactly. 444 00:24:13,840 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 1: I mean that's the main reason worm grinners do it. 445 00:24:16,640 --> 00:24:18,520 Speaker 1: I mean maybe it's kind of a power trip as well. 446 00:24:18,880 --> 00:24:20,720 Speaker 1: You know, things aren't going right in your life, but 447 00:24:20,760 --> 00:24:22,280 Speaker 1: at least you can go out into the woods and 448 00:24:22,400 --> 00:24:25,480 Speaker 1: hundreds of worms will obey or every command. But yeah, generally, 449 00:24:25,520 --> 00:24:27,280 Speaker 1: I guess you would box them up at that pointing 450 00:24:27,320 --> 00:24:30,080 Speaker 1: and selling a fisherman. I wanted to point out that 451 00:24:30,160 --> 00:24:33,320 Speaker 1: the festival in Florida takes place in stop choppy Florida. 452 00:24:34,280 --> 00:24:37,760 Speaker 1: That's a good Florida name right there. I thought it 453 00:24:37,800 --> 00:24:41,359 Speaker 1: was great for an earthworm festival. So I was amazed 454 00:24:41,359 --> 00:24:43,880 Speaker 1: by this. I just hope everyone else finds this as 455 00:24:43,920 --> 00:24:46,720 Speaker 1: fascinating as I do. That there, because I love any 456 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:49,439 Speaker 1: kind of like weird folk traditions that they are just 457 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:53,399 Speaker 1: you know, just seem at first glance to just be 458 00:24:53,440 --> 00:24:56,600 Speaker 1: completely mystical and strange, but then they end up having 459 00:24:56,640 --> 00:24:59,560 Speaker 1: some sort of a hidden science to them. And I 460 00:24:59,600 --> 00:25:01,560 Speaker 1: think we're running as a as a great example of that. 461 00:25:02,040 --> 00:25:03,960 Speaker 1: Um Like, I really want to see more of this 462 00:25:03,960 --> 00:25:05,560 Speaker 1: in action. I kind of want to try it for myself. 463 00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:08,600 Speaker 1: You want to start a festival here in Georgia. Well, 464 00:25:08,760 --> 00:25:10,280 Speaker 1: I don't know if I've got that far, but but 465 00:25:10,359 --> 00:25:13,000 Speaker 1: if there is an existing um one, I would I 466 00:25:13,000 --> 00:25:15,199 Speaker 1: would totally be up for checking it out. All right, 467 00:25:15,920 --> 00:25:18,280 Speaker 1: Any fun games for the whole family, Yeah, if anybody 468 00:25:18,280 --> 00:25:20,879 Speaker 1: there is organizing one, let us know in the southeast, 469 00:25:21,640 --> 00:25:24,159 Speaker 1: that would be all right. Well, I'm gonna read a 470 00:25:24,200 --> 00:25:26,240 Speaker 1: quick listener mail then on that note, if the robot 471 00:25:26,240 --> 00:25:31,639 Speaker 1: will bring me one, all right. This one comes to 472 00:25:31,720 --> 00:25:34,880 Speaker 1: us from Brittany. Brittany writes and and says, an interesting 473 00:25:34,960 --> 00:25:37,119 Speaker 1: kidbit to add to your information on sun dial. So 474 00:25:37,119 --> 00:25:38,720 Speaker 1: I took a Latin class a couple of years ago 475 00:25:38,720 --> 00:25:42,159 Speaker 1: and found out that ancient Romans divided the day daylight 476 00:25:42,240 --> 00:25:44,520 Speaker 1: day not full day, into twelve segments based on the 477 00:25:44,520 --> 00:25:46,840 Speaker 1: sun dial. The length of the segment change based on 478 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:48,720 Speaker 1: the time of the year, but everyone followed it so 479 00:25:48,800 --> 00:25:51,360 Speaker 1: it didn't matter. There you go a little. She's of course, 480 00:25:51,400 --> 00:25:55,440 Speaker 1: responding to our clocking in episode where we talked about 481 00:25:55,440 --> 00:25:58,560 Speaker 1: the nature of time as well as how we measure 482 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:00,800 Speaker 1: all right, And this one comes to us from John. 483 00:26:01,040 --> 00:26:03,240 Speaker 1: John says, Hey, Robert and Julia, I saw this video 484 00:26:03,240 --> 00:26:04,720 Speaker 1: and I just had to send to you. Guys. It 485 00:26:04,800 --> 00:26:07,800 Speaker 1: blew my mind just how much small things like the 486 00:26:07,920 --> 00:26:10,760 Speaker 1: jar in this video can change our perspectives on the 487 00:26:10,760 --> 00:26:13,040 Speaker 1: world and other people. I love your podcast and I 488 00:26:13,040 --> 00:26:14,879 Speaker 1: hope you keep blowing my mind. And he Since this 489 00:26:15,160 --> 00:26:18,040 Speaker 1: video of the statue experiment, it took place on the 490 00:26:18,400 --> 00:26:20,720 Speaker 1: high Line in New York. This is that people have 491 00:26:20,760 --> 00:26:22,600 Speaker 1: probably seen it on like an episode of Louis Or 492 00:26:22,720 --> 00:26:24,560 Speaker 1: or certainly some cool pictures of it where it's a 493 00:26:24,720 --> 00:26:27,359 Speaker 1: elevated train track. They turned into a little park and 494 00:26:27,400 --> 00:26:30,359 Speaker 1: there's the statue there. Uh. And at first glance, it 495 00:26:30,400 --> 00:26:33,159 Speaker 1: looks like a performance artist, you know, like the kind 496 00:26:33,160 --> 00:26:34,800 Speaker 1: of people you see, like in the streets New Orleans 497 00:26:34,800 --> 00:26:37,800 Speaker 1: who paint themselves like bright silver and then put on 498 00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:39,600 Speaker 1: some shades and stand there and wait for tips. But 499 00:26:39,640 --> 00:26:41,800 Speaker 1: then you quickly realize it's just a statue. Well, in 500 00:26:41,840 --> 00:26:44,800 Speaker 1: this video experiment, they put a tip jar next to 501 00:26:44,840 --> 00:26:47,480 Speaker 1: it and and everyone just starts loading the tip jar. 502 00:26:47,560 --> 00:26:50,560 Speaker 1: They instantly like like that flips on the switch to 503 00:26:50,600 --> 00:26:52,359 Speaker 1: where people decide, oh, I guess it is a person, 504 00:26:52,800 --> 00:26:55,080 Speaker 1: and then they are totally reacting to it differently. So 505 00:26:55,160 --> 00:26:57,879 Speaker 1: I found that interesting and uh, and certainly now that 506 00:26:57,920 --> 00:27:01,840 Speaker 1: we're doing more videos. Really UM always open to receive 507 00:27:01,920 --> 00:27:04,440 Speaker 1: some video links from people are really cool, like little 508 00:27:04,440 --> 00:27:07,200 Speaker 1: bits of viral video or scientific video that you would 509 00:27:07,240 --> 00:27:09,760 Speaker 1: like to have explained because we do this series uh 510 00:27:09,840 --> 00:27:12,280 Speaker 1: science on the web where we do that. We take 511 00:27:12,720 --> 00:27:15,639 Speaker 1: something like a cat in a shark suit on a 512 00:27:15,720 --> 00:27:18,240 Speaker 1: room but chasing a duck and we say, hey, what's 513 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:19,920 Speaker 1: the possible science of the vest and when we started 514 00:27:19,920 --> 00:27:21,960 Speaker 1: talking about it? So if you have anything like that 515 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:23,679 Speaker 1: you would like to as send to us, let us 516 00:27:23,720 --> 00:27:26,080 Speaker 1: know if you would like to talk to us about worms, 517 00:27:26,600 --> 00:27:30,680 Speaker 1: your experience with earth worms, your experiences with worm grunting 518 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:34,280 Speaker 1: or worm charming or whatever you call your worm calling 519 00:27:34,560 --> 00:27:37,040 Speaker 1: um tradition in your part of the world, let us 520 00:27:37,040 --> 00:27:39,320 Speaker 1: know about it. We would love to hear from you. Uh. 521 00:27:39,520 --> 00:27:41,400 Speaker 1: You can find us as always that stuff to Blow 522 00:27:41,440 --> 00:27:44,040 Speaker 1: your Mind dot com. That is our central location, but 523 00:27:44,080 --> 00:27:47,320 Speaker 1: we also have social media accounts on Facebook, we're on Tumblr, 524 00:27:47,320 --> 00:27:49,520 Speaker 1: we're on Twitter where our handle is blow the Mind. 525 00:27:49,800 --> 00:27:51,880 Speaker 1: And how else can we get in touch withooks? Well, 526 00:27:51,920 --> 00:27:53,879 Speaker 1: you can always send an email and you can do 527 00:27:53,920 --> 00:28:01,119 Speaker 1: that at below the Mind at discovery dot com for 528 00:28:01,200 --> 00:28:03,719 Speaker 1: more on this and thousands of other topics. Visit how 529 00:28:03,760 --> 00:28:10,720 Speaker 1: staff works dot com.