1 00:00:03,840 --> 00:00:06,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff to Blow your Mind from how Stuff 2 00:00:06,720 --> 00:00:13,440 Speaker 1: Works dot com. Hey you welcome to Stuff to Blow 3 00:00:13,480 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 1: your mind. My name is Robert Lamb and I'm Julie Douglas, 4 00:00:16,440 --> 00:00:20,400 Speaker 1: and we're in now. Now that we're safely into it 5 00:00:20,440 --> 00:00:22,680 Speaker 1: and we know there's no chance of twelve sucking us 6 00:00:22,720 --> 00:00:25,320 Speaker 1: back into its clutches, we thought to be about time 7 00:00:25,360 --> 00:00:28,720 Speaker 1: to just run through some of the big science that 8 00:00:28,840 --> 00:00:32,519 Speaker 1: happened in because, as is generally the case, science did 9 00:00:32,520 --> 00:00:35,320 Speaker 1: not take the year off. Maybe you didn't pay attention 10 00:00:35,360 --> 00:00:38,239 Speaker 1: to everything that came out of the science headlines, but 11 00:00:38,360 --> 00:00:40,279 Speaker 1: you you probably got some of these stories. These are 12 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:43,319 Speaker 1: the big ones. These are the ones where, uh, if 13 00:00:43,320 --> 00:00:46,559 Speaker 1: you were going to talk science just with random folks 14 00:00:47,400 --> 00:00:49,479 Speaker 1: on your commute to work or you know, at a 15 00:00:49,479 --> 00:00:51,680 Speaker 1: dinner party, these are some of the topics who would 16 00:00:51,680 --> 00:00:53,960 Speaker 1: have come up. So it serves to remind us that, hey, 17 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:58,240 Speaker 1: we had some really big, uh you know, landmark achievements 18 00:00:58,240 --> 00:01:02,040 Speaker 1: in science, and those are spilling often to where we are. Yeah, 19 00:01:02,160 --> 00:01:04,920 Speaker 1: and um, actually we had some themes come out of 20 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:08,160 Speaker 1: this too, which we'll discuss. But it's kind of interesting 21 00:01:08,200 --> 00:01:10,000 Speaker 1: that this was a year in science where you really 22 00:01:10,040 --> 00:01:12,680 Speaker 1: saw a lot of innovation, of course, as you always do, 23 00:01:12,800 --> 00:01:16,680 Speaker 1: but UM particularly by in the private sector and by 24 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:20,960 Speaker 1: citizens something called UM Citizens Science, which we'll talk about 25 00:01:21,000 --> 00:01:23,400 Speaker 1: a little bit later. But yeah, there's a ton of 26 00:01:23,400 --> 00:01:25,360 Speaker 1: stuff to choose from. But we're going to hit the 27 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:27,720 Speaker 1: big items on the list, some of which we have 28 00:01:27,760 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: talked about before, but we're going to UM just trying 29 00:01:30,640 --> 00:01:32,759 Speaker 1: to cover them and say why they are so very 30 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 1: important and why they are actually game changers to our reality. Really. So, 31 00:01:37,280 --> 00:01:40,320 Speaker 1: first off, one of the big things about twelve was 32 00:01:40,360 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: this was the first year UH in ages that we 33 00:01:43,600 --> 00:01:46,800 Speaker 1: had we didn't have a Space Shuttle Space Shuttle Endeavor 34 00:01:47,120 --> 00:01:52,240 Speaker 1: final mission, and in twelve its activities basically involved you know, 35 00:01:52,280 --> 00:01:55,040 Speaker 1: coasting down the street into storage. Yeah, I mean, basically 36 00:01:55,040 --> 00:01:59,440 Speaker 1: what you saw was the shuttering of the shuttle program 37 00:01:59,720 --> 00:02:04,680 Speaker 1: in then the actual concrete manifestation of that truth UM 38 00:02:04,720 --> 00:02:08,120 Speaker 1: occurring in twelve, we saw four different shuttles that were 39 00:02:08,160 --> 00:02:11,959 Speaker 1: ferried off to new lives in different places, usually museums 40 00:02:12,800 --> 00:02:17,080 Speaker 1: UM or space themed attractions, without any kind of immediate 41 00:02:17,120 --> 00:02:21,920 Speaker 1: replacement for those shuttles either. Right, So, probably most notably 42 00:02:22,240 --> 00:02:26,720 Speaker 1: was the Endeavor shuttle towing that which became a pretty 43 00:02:26,760 --> 00:02:29,400 Speaker 1: big spectacle, right, because if you tow a shuttle through 44 00:02:29,440 --> 00:02:32,080 Speaker 1: the streets, people will notice, trees will need to be 45 00:02:32,080 --> 00:02:37,399 Speaker 1: cut down, signs removed. But before the endeavor was actually 46 00:02:38,080 --> 00:02:41,800 Speaker 1: um towed to its final place. Uh, it actually was 47 00:02:41,800 --> 00:02:43,720 Speaker 1: flown from the Kennedy Space Center on the back of 48 00:02:43,720 --> 00:02:46,680 Speaker 1: a seven forty seven to California and then there it 49 00:02:46,760 --> 00:02:49,800 Speaker 1: was towed by I believe it was Toyota Tundra uh 50 00:02:49,960 --> 00:02:52,680 Speaker 1: to its new home at the California Science Center in 51 00:02:52,720 --> 00:02:56,280 Speaker 1: Los Angeles. Yeah, there were some fabulous video footage of 52 00:02:56,320 --> 00:02:58,240 Speaker 1: that shuttle making its way down the street. They're like, 53 00:02:58,320 --> 00:03:00,079 Speaker 1: you know, sped it up so that it was a 54 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:02,040 Speaker 1: little snappier, but it was. It was, it was. It 55 00:03:02,080 --> 00:03:04,399 Speaker 1: was emotional to watch. And that's the thing. I think 56 00:03:04,440 --> 00:03:06,280 Speaker 1: that people are looking at this as a new era, 57 00:03:06,360 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: that this was definitely a manifestation of what, you know, 58 00:03:09,760 --> 00:03:14,360 Speaker 1: what's happening in space exploration. Uh. Most notably what we 59 00:03:14,440 --> 00:03:18,080 Speaker 1: see is we see the private sector picking up where 60 00:03:18,280 --> 00:03:21,480 Speaker 1: NASA might have, um, you know, if they had more 61 00:03:21,520 --> 00:03:25,440 Speaker 1: funding left off right. Uh. And of course that that 62 00:03:25,520 --> 00:03:29,040 Speaker 1: brings us to SpaceX, California based space X, which which 63 00:03:29,200 --> 00:03:31,600 Speaker 1: everyone's heard of over the years They've been involved in 64 00:03:31,600 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 1: a number of different projects, but most notably, UH, they're 65 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:38,520 Speaker 1: they're the first private company to deliver cargo to the 66 00:03:38,520 --> 00:03:41,720 Speaker 1: International Space Station, which is pretty big deal. It. We 67 00:03:41,720 --> 00:03:44,800 Speaker 1: were talking earlier and I about this, and I brought 68 00:03:44,840 --> 00:03:49,400 Speaker 1: up the possible analogy of a dad who teaches his 69 00:03:49,400 --> 00:03:53,040 Speaker 1: his teenage son to drive. So in this scenario, the 70 00:03:53,600 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 1: NASA is the father, and and he's been doing the drive, 71 00:03:56,720 --> 00:03:58,320 Speaker 1: and he's been doing the drive into the to school 72 00:03:58,360 --> 00:03:59,800 Speaker 1: in the mornings, he's been doing the drive into the 73 00:03:59,800 --> 00:04:02,640 Speaker 1: grow free store, and now finally he's reached the point where, 74 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:04,760 Speaker 1: all right, I think I think the sun can handle it. 75 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:07,320 Speaker 1: You know, he's a little he's a little cocky, he's 76 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:09,880 Speaker 1: he's new, he's he's maybe a little a little, a 77 00:04:09,880 --> 00:04:12,120 Speaker 1: little heavy on the gas, but he's ready. I'm not 78 00:04:12,120 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 1: gonna drive anymore. I'm gonna let this guy drive me 79 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:17,240 Speaker 1: to the grocery store. Yeah. And and UH, you can 80 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:20,560 Speaker 1: actually take that analogy and even say that the parent 81 00:04:20,720 --> 00:04:22,880 Speaker 1: NASA gave them a little test run. And that was 82 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:25,960 Speaker 1: back in May of two thousand and twelve, when the 83 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:32,240 Speaker 1: Dragon capsule actually delivered one sixty two meal packets forty 84 00:04:32,279 --> 00:04:35,280 Speaker 1: five of them low sodium by the way, a laptop computer, 85 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:37,800 Speaker 1: change of clothes for the station astronauts, and fifteen student 86 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:40,800 Speaker 1: experiments to the International Space Station. So that was the 87 00:04:40,800 --> 00:04:42,720 Speaker 1: first kind of like, well, let's see you on a 88 00:04:42,720 --> 00:04:47,080 Speaker 1: test run here. Um that was obviously successful. So then 89 00:04:47,560 --> 00:04:50,599 Speaker 1: as you say, we've got the larger, more official, hey, 90 00:04:50,640 --> 00:04:53,400 Speaker 1: can you actually take a bunch of cargo up to 91 00:04:53,440 --> 00:04:56,599 Speaker 1: the I S S for us? That later decision and 92 00:04:56,640 --> 00:04:59,920 Speaker 1: eventually they're they're hoping to do humans in it extreme 93 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:02,560 Speaker 1: ends up, which is kind of like, you know, the 94 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 1: father doesn't trust the son enough to say, let's not 95 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 1: go for a Sunday drive with with your your mom 96 00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:09,800 Speaker 1: and your grandma. Let's let's focus on you and me 97 00:05:09,839 --> 00:05:11,919 Speaker 1: getting to the grocery in one piece. All right, Now, 98 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 1: what's to do? Maybe a trip to the herd, to 99 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:16,680 Speaker 1: the hardware store there and back again. All right, we've 100 00:05:16,680 --> 00:05:21,159 Speaker 1: got that check clicked off. We're working towards that Sunday drive. Yeah. 101 00:05:21,200 --> 00:05:23,279 Speaker 1: So I mean this is just, uh, I think what 102 00:05:23,520 --> 00:05:26,760 Speaker 1: is going to become a good indication of things to come. 103 00:05:26,920 --> 00:05:29,080 Speaker 1: Right now, some space X have a contract for a 104 00:05:29,120 --> 00:05:31,960 Speaker 1: dozen flights to the space station. And then as I said, 105 00:05:32,000 --> 00:05:34,400 Speaker 1: that October trip after the May test. Ruin was the 106 00:05:34,440 --> 00:05:37,800 Speaker 1: first official one. UM and then space x isn't the 107 00:05:37,839 --> 00:05:41,560 Speaker 1: only player in this commercial space. We've talked about Virgin Galactic. Uh. 108 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:45,520 Speaker 1: Sir Richard Branson's private space flight company and their recently 109 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:49,720 Speaker 1: completed high altitude test and Orbital Sciences is also under 110 00:05:49,720 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 1: contract with NASA and Walstle launch a demonstration flight. Yeah. 111 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:57,919 Speaker 1: It's I mean, it's it's it's definitely informs us about 112 00:05:57,960 --> 00:06:01,040 Speaker 1: what what about this age of space exploration that we're entering, 113 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:03,599 Speaker 1: this this commercial well I'm not only entering, we're we're 114 00:06:03,640 --> 00:06:07,719 Speaker 1: in it now. This age of commercial space exploration. On 115 00:06:07,720 --> 00:06:10,920 Speaker 1: one hand, it's it's kind of like a oh, kind 116 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:14,120 Speaker 1: of like a libertarian um dream, you know, this idea 117 00:06:14,120 --> 00:06:17,720 Speaker 1: of the of the of big government is not doing 118 00:06:17,760 --> 00:06:19,800 Speaker 1: as much, but it's the the actual corporations like I 119 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:23,320 Speaker 1: canic individual human spirit. Yeah, like like Ron Swanson would 120 00:06:23,320 --> 00:06:26,120 Speaker 1: really appreciate beause I feel like, you know, um, you know, 121 00:06:26,440 --> 00:06:29,160 Speaker 1: a Swedem's capsule going into into space. So that kind 122 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:31,840 Speaker 1: of thing, and and it and so. But I mean 123 00:06:31,880 --> 00:06:33,320 Speaker 1: some people were that's going to rub them the wrong 124 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:35,599 Speaker 1: wrong way. You know, it's the idea. Oh well, there's 125 00:06:35,240 --> 00:06:39,080 Speaker 1: it's corporations doing this, and you know corporations, uh don't 126 00:06:39,240 --> 00:06:42,360 Speaker 1: have the best track record with with everyone, right. It 127 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:44,839 Speaker 1: It reminds me of an article I did this year, 128 00:06:45,920 --> 00:06:50,280 Speaker 1: or did in ten fictional Spacecraft we Wish were real, 129 00:06:51,080 --> 00:06:52,720 Speaker 1: And I tried to, you know, I tried to make 130 00:06:52,720 --> 00:06:55,280 Speaker 1: it a little more thought provoking instead of just like 131 00:06:55,320 --> 00:06:59,240 Speaker 1: here's ten rad spaceship, because spaceships fictional space ships, by 132 00:06:59,279 --> 00:07:01,240 Speaker 1: their very nature our rat you can throw. It's like 133 00:07:01,279 --> 00:07:03,719 Speaker 1: throwing a dark you know, at a wall. Any of 134 00:07:03,720 --> 00:07:05,559 Speaker 1: them hit, they're gonna be cool. That's just how it works. 135 00:07:06,040 --> 00:07:07,800 Speaker 1: So I was trying to look at like, what in 136 00:07:07,880 --> 00:07:11,080 Speaker 1: what way to fictional spacecraft inform our ideas about the 137 00:07:11,120 --> 00:07:15,200 Speaker 1: actual future of space exploration, And I think I left 138 00:07:15,280 --> 00:07:18,560 Speaker 1: off the USS Enterprise, even though obviously the Enterprise is 139 00:07:18,600 --> 00:07:22,440 Speaker 1: a really cool ship. Yeah, and it's like a government thing. 140 00:07:22,560 --> 00:07:25,320 Speaker 1: It's a it's about exploration, it's about it and being 141 00:07:25,360 --> 00:07:28,560 Speaker 1: ambassadors and it's all these positive aspect. Yes, it's a 142 00:07:28,560 --> 00:07:30,200 Speaker 1: warship too, but for the most part it's a very 143 00:07:30,280 --> 00:07:35,240 Speaker 1: much a positive vision of our our future at the stars. Um. 144 00:07:35,280 --> 00:07:36,720 Speaker 1: So I don't think I included that one, but I 145 00:07:36,760 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 1: did and include the USS issue Mura, which is like 146 00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:43,760 Speaker 1: a it's the setting for a space horror video game 147 00:07:43,800 --> 00:07:45,880 Speaker 1: where it's a where they are all these like zombies 148 00:07:45,960 --> 00:07:49,320 Speaker 1: running on the ship, but the ship itself is a 149 00:07:49,360 --> 00:07:54,280 Speaker 1: commercial vehicle designed to crack open planets and harvest minerals. 150 00:07:54,320 --> 00:07:57,160 Speaker 1: Because ultimately, well that's a you know, it's a far 151 00:07:57,280 --> 00:08:00,360 Speaker 1: darker idea than than than the Enterprise. And I'm just 152 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:03,239 Speaker 1: talking about the function, not the zombies, um the idea 153 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:05,320 Speaker 1: of just going on harvesting minerals, and it's all about 154 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:08,400 Speaker 1: the bottom line. It's it's a it's a bleaker image, 155 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:12,680 Speaker 1: but it's ultimately a motivating idea. You know, you can 156 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:15,840 Speaker 1: actually see that getting us out there into space. If 157 00:08:15,840 --> 00:08:18,760 Speaker 1: there is money to be had, if there are asteroids 158 00:08:18,800 --> 00:08:21,360 Speaker 1: to be mined, then people are going to throw some 159 00:08:21,400 --> 00:08:23,360 Speaker 1: money at it. Well, and that's what we're seeing, right, 160 00:08:23,360 --> 00:08:25,640 Speaker 1: That's what is lining up with us because we've talked 161 00:08:25,640 --> 00:08:30,240 Speaker 1: about the company Planetary Resources, and it's a desire to 162 00:08:30,360 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: mind asteroids for platinum, which could be pretty lucrative. Of course, 163 00:08:34,720 --> 00:08:36,600 Speaker 1: it would take a while for them to actually get 164 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:38,960 Speaker 1: their investment back, the money that they put into that 165 00:08:39,000 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 1: investment to actually start making money. But really, when you're 166 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:45,000 Speaker 1: talking about an endeavor like that, you're talking about a 167 00:08:45,080 --> 00:08:49,240 Speaker 1: generational accumulation of wealth, and they're not doing this. Those 168 00:08:49,280 --> 00:08:51,880 Speaker 1: people who are behind that are so very rich that 169 00:08:51,920 --> 00:08:54,720 Speaker 1: they're not worried about getting, you know, some money from 170 00:08:54,960 --> 00:08:58,600 Speaker 1: a pound of platinum. They're just trying to um actually 171 00:08:58,640 --> 00:09:04,079 Speaker 1: put their their lives and uh, their their effort into 172 00:09:04,120 --> 00:09:08,640 Speaker 1: this thing that will affect generations to come right. So 173 00:09:08,800 --> 00:09:12,920 Speaker 1: that's another um theme that that largely is tied to 174 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:16,560 Speaker 1: is Mars One, which is the completely private Dutch company 175 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:19,559 Speaker 1: that is committed to establish establishing the first human presence 176 00:09:19,600 --> 00:09:23,679 Speaker 1: on Mars by the early twenties. So again you do 177 00:09:23,760 --> 00:09:27,560 Speaker 1: see that coming into play, this idea of privatization really 178 00:09:27,559 --> 00:09:32,080 Speaker 1: taking over. But with that comes responsibility. And we covered 179 00:09:32,120 --> 00:09:34,800 Speaker 1: this a bit in Space Junk because we talked about 180 00:09:34,800 --> 00:09:37,319 Speaker 1: how much is out there in orbit and how it's 181 00:09:37,320 --> 00:09:40,040 Speaker 1: actually a problem. So couldn't this be a good thing, 182 00:09:40,040 --> 00:09:43,559 Speaker 1: this privatization, knowing that you'd have to have companies come 183 00:09:43,559 --> 00:09:45,599 Speaker 1: in and clean this up. Yeah, if you want to 184 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:48,559 Speaker 1: make money in space, you need to keep our orbit 185 00:09:48,640 --> 00:09:51,440 Speaker 1: clean so that we don't entombe ourselves. In this uh, 186 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:54,880 Speaker 1: this this enclosing shell of space card. Yeah, if you 187 00:09:54,880 --> 00:09:58,880 Speaker 1: don't want your hugely expensive instruments, you know, crashed into 188 00:09:59,080 --> 00:10:01,040 Speaker 1: by a piece of space junks. And hey, you gotta 189 00:10:01,280 --> 00:10:03,439 Speaker 1: get up there and start sweeping. If you want to 190 00:10:03,440 --> 00:10:06,520 Speaker 1: sprinkle nutmeg on Mars, you've got to pay the price. 191 00:10:06,840 --> 00:10:09,120 Speaker 1: Which that's what I hope the Dutch do. I was 192 00:10:09,160 --> 00:10:11,920 Speaker 1: gonna say, what, yes, now it makes sense the Dutch. 193 00:10:12,040 --> 00:10:15,199 Speaker 1: Yet Mars one will be covered. I'm sure Mars will 194 00:10:15,240 --> 00:10:18,480 Speaker 1: be covered with with nutmeg. Um. So these are a 195 00:10:18,520 --> 00:10:20,960 Speaker 1: couple of related podcasts. We have a space junk Removable 196 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:22,920 Speaker 1: podcast in Afterward Minding if you want to learn a 197 00:10:22,920 --> 00:10:27,600 Speaker 1: little bit more about that. Um. But certainly, uh was 198 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:31,199 Speaker 1: the realization of this idea of privatization and space cool? 199 00:10:31,240 --> 00:10:33,320 Speaker 1: Now what else happened in space? And and there's an 200 00:10:33,320 --> 00:10:36,240 Speaker 1: interesting UM trend with all of these space stories we're 201 00:10:36,240 --> 00:10:38,760 Speaker 1: mentioning because they're all stories that we really got to 202 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:44,400 Speaker 1: participate in as viewers. UM, I mean participate. We didn't 203 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:46,520 Speaker 1: you know, we didn't actually control anything, but we really 204 00:10:46,520 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 1: got to feel like we were there for it, you know, 205 00:10:48,360 --> 00:10:51,280 Speaker 1: because we were either huddled around a TV or we 206 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:53,240 Speaker 1: were taking a few minutes away from our workday to 207 00:10:53,280 --> 00:10:56,199 Speaker 1: watch it streaming on on one of the news sites. Uh, 208 00:10:56,280 --> 00:10:58,000 Speaker 1: you know, we were We were there when when the 209 00:10:58,080 --> 00:11:01,840 Speaker 1: Dragon capsule uh met up with the International Space Station, 210 00:11:02,120 --> 00:11:06,000 Speaker 1: and we were there when Mars Curiosity visited the Red planet, 211 00:11:06,679 --> 00:11:09,920 Speaker 1: which was so incredibly cool because, first of all, think 212 00:11:09,960 --> 00:11:14,320 Speaker 1: about all the engineering that went behind launching this craft okay, 213 00:11:14,320 --> 00:11:16,040 Speaker 1: into space. This was when it was launched. It was 214 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:19,160 Speaker 1: November two thousand and eleven, okay, all of that just 215 00:11:19,240 --> 00:11:20,600 Speaker 1: to get up in the air and to get it 216 00:11:20,600 --> 00:11:23,480 Speaker 1: on the right trastructory, that's the easy part. It was 217 00:11:23,679 --> 00:11:27,800 Speaker 1: landing it nine months later that became incredibly tricky and 218 00:11:27,800 --> 00:11:31,440 Speaker 1: put everyone on pins and needles because if you think 219 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:36,520 Speaker 1: about this, by the time that the Mars Curiosity capsule 220 00:11:36,720 --> 00:11:39,400 Speaker 1: was at the top of the atmosphere from the surface, 221 00:11:39,440 --> 00:11:43,840 Speaker 1: it takes seven minutes okay um to get to actually land, 222 00:11:44,280 --> 00:11:46,319 Speaker 1: and it takes fourteen minutes for the signal from the 223 00:11:46,440 --> 00:11:51,040 Speaker 1: spacecraft to reach the Earth. So when they first get 224 00:11:51,040 --> 00:11:53,160 Speaker 1: word that the vehicle has touched the top of the atmosphere, 225 00:11:53,200 --> 00:11:55,720 Speaker 1: there's a seven minute window that requires the computer to 226 00:11:55,880 --> 00:11:59,040 Speaker 1: land the machine. Okay, Because there's this delay, and it 227 00:11:59,120 --> 00:12:01,400 Speaker 1: has to do so lawless lee and has to manage 228 00:12:01,400 --> 00:12:04,800 Speaker 1: a landing with speeds of thirteen thousand miles per hour 229 00:12:04,880 --> 00:12:07,559 Speaker 1: that have to come to a dead stop using really 230 00:12:07,600 --> 00:12:12,600 Speaker 1: complex mechanical maneuverings. And this is just to watch this, 231 00:12:13,640 --> 00:12:18,560 Speaker 1: It's just a beautiful ballet of engineering and innovation. I 232 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:21,120 Speaker 1: excited when I when I think about this. Yeah, I 233 00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:23,400 Speaker 1: mean I thowt it referred to as seven minutes of 234 00:12:23,520 --> 00:12:26,280 Speaker 1: terror and then the whole thing. I mean, it's kind 235 00:12:26,280 --> 00:12:30,160 Speaker 1: of it was kind of like an Ocean's eleven type scheme, 236 00:12:30,200 --> 00:12:32,559 Speaker 1: you know, to actually land this thing and landing successfully 237 00:12:32,720 --> 00:12:34,880 Speaker 1: and uh and and you really got that when you're 238 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:38,280 Speaker 1: following it on the video streams, you're you're totally investing, 239 00:12:38,320 --> 00:12:41,600 Speaker 1: because nobody wants to watch an expensive wreck on Mars, 240 00:12:41,640 --> 00:12:45,120 Speaker 1: you know, an expensive crash um. And so when when 241 00:12:45,480 --> 00:12:48,520 Speaker 1: it actually came out, you know, successfully, everyone rejoiced that 242 00:12:48,600 --> 00:12:52,839 Speaker 1: mohawk guy jumped up and down by all and most 243 00:12:52,840 --> 00:12:56,520 Speaker 1: importantly we were able to land the most sophisticated explorer 244 00:12:56,520 --> 00:12:59,320 Speaker 1: ever on the Red planet. Yeah, and that again, there 245 00:12:59,400 --> 00:13:02,040 Speaker 1: seven minutes of terror where where you really saw the 246 00:13:02,160 --> 00:13:06,160 Speaker 1: magic happen and you begin to understand how they're Every 247 00:13:06,160 --> 00:13:10,080 Speaker 1: single component of that landing absolutely mattered and had to 248 00:13:10,080 --> 00:13:13,560 Speaker 1: be done again flawlessly, because once you began to to 249 00:13:13,720 --> 00:13:16,480 Speaker 1: enter that um the atmosphere, you have the heat shield 250 00:13:16,480 --> 00:13:20,600 Speaker 1: protecting the capsule from the sixteen hundred degrees fahrenheit um 251 00:13:20,600 --> 00:13:23,800 Speaker 1: of the atmosphere, and then you have to deal with 252 00:13:23,800 --> 00:13:26,760 Speaker 1: the atmosphere of Mars, which there's enough of that you 253 00:13:26,800 --> 00:13:28,599 Speaker 1: have to deal with it right, but not enough to 254 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:31,920 Speaker 1: actually slow the cat, to slow it down into create 255 00:13:31,960 --> 00:13:34,560 Speaker 1: some drag. And then you have the heat shield popping 256 00:13:34,559 --> 00:13:37,559 Speaker 1: off right at the right moment so that the machine 257 00:13:37,600 --> 00:13:39,719 Speaker 1: can then began to see where it is, you can 258 00:13:39,800 --> 00:13:43,600 Speaker 1: begin to use um the cameras and okay, so that's 259 00:13:43,640 --> 00:13:46,520 Speaker 1: just one tenth of that part of that landing. Then 260 00:13:46,559 --> 00:13:49,840 Speaker 1: you have a parachute that weighs one hundred pounds deploying 261 00:13:50,240 --> 00:13:53,480 Speaker 1: and it can withstand pressures of up to sixty five 262 00:13:53,480 --> 00:13:57,720 Speaker 1: thousand pounds of pressure, and it slows it down to 263 00:13:57,800 --> 00:14:00,960 Speaker 1: two d miles per hour. But that's still not enough, right, 264 00:14:01,480 --> 00:14:04,960 Speaker 1: so now the parachute has to pop off and rockets 265 00:14:05,280 --> 00:14:08,319 Speaker 1: now help divert curiosity away from the parachute so it 266 00:14:08,360 --> 00:14:11,320 Speaker 1: doesn't collide with that, but it now that that gives 267 00:14:11,360 --> 00:14:14,400 Speaker 1: it the ability to have some measure of control of 268 00:14:14,440 --> 00:14:17,360 Speaker 1: its landing, So then you begin to see it descend 269 00:14:17,520 --> 00:14:20,240 Speaker 1: in a very controlled manner. Okay, here's the other problem 270 00:14:20,280 --> 00:14:22,360 Speaker 1: you have. You've got rockets and you don't want them 271 00:14:22,440 --> 00:14:25,520 Speaker 1: to kick up so much dust that you then ruin 272 00:14:25,680 --> 00:14:31,440 Speaker 1: some of the machinery on curiosity. So what do you do, Oh, 273 00:14:31,520 --> 00:14:35,800 Speaker 1: let's now deploy the tether system from the rockets, so 274 00:14:35,920 --> 00:14:38,640 Speaker 1: then it can start to to lower away and then 275 00:14:38,960 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 1: the rockets. That wasn't one of the really amazing parts 276 00:14:42,520 --> 00:14:44,880 Speaker 1: to where it's you're you're rocketing down there and then 277 00:14:44,920 --> 00:14:48,120 Speaker 1: the rockets are lowering it down on an on a string, 278 00:14:48,200 --> 00:14:51,760 Speaker 1: and uh yeah, it's just incredible that, yeah, I mean, 279 00:14:51,880 --> 00:14:55,000 Speaker 1: is breathtaking to see all of that unfold. And then, 280 00:14:55,160 --> 00:14:57,480 Speaker 1: as you say, all of a sudden, you have a 281 00:14:57,560 --> 00:15:01,760 Speaker 1: successful um land being of one of the most complex 282 00:15:01,840 --> 00:15:05,920 Speaker 1: labs on on wheels that you could ever want on Mars, 283 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:10,840 Speaker 1: taking soil samples and really actually starting to engage with 284 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:13,360 Speaker 1: the mission of this, which is to understand the past 285 00:15:13,400 --> 00:15:17,360 Speaker 1: and the current habit ability for life on Mars. All right, 286 00:15:17,400 --> 00:15:19,240 Speaker 1: so what else do we have on the plate. Other 287 00:15:19,280 --> 00:15:23,160 Speaker 1: big news that happened in twelve, we have to mention 288 00:15:23,200 --> 00:15:25,400 Speaker 1: the Higgs. Of course, Yeah, of course, of course the 289 00:15:25,880 --> 00:15:28,400 Speaker 1: Higgs has just continue to be a big story because 290 00:15:28,520 --> 00:15:31,120 Speaker 1: it seems like for ages now, because it's always like, 291 00:15:31,200 --> 00:15:32,800 Speaker 1: when are they going to find the Higgs? What is 292 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:34,960 Speaker 1: the Higgs? Like? Because the Hig it's it's one of 293 00:15:34,960 --> 00:15:37,160 Speaker 1: those questions just just what is it is a question 294 00:15:37,160 --> 00:15:39,400 Speaker 1: that continues to sort of come up because it's it's 295 00:15:39,480 --> 00:15:41,440 Speaker 1: kind of a it's what you hear about the Higgs 296 00:15:41,440 --> 00:15:45,400 Speaker 1: all the time, and it's easy to either not learn 297 00:15:45,520 --> 00:15:47,600 Speaker 1: what the heck it is to begin with, or to 298 00:15:47,680 --> 00:15:50,120 Speaker 1: sort of forget it. Now. We did a whole episode 299 00:15:50,120 --> 00:15:53,160 Speaker 1: on this um about the Higgs. You can look it 300 00:15:53,240 --> 00:15:55,920 Speaker 1: up in our list of episodes. But you know, essentially 301 00:15:55,960 --> 00:16:00,360 Speaker 1: that the ideas it's a hypothetical um sometimes it article 302 00:16:01,160 --> 00:16:05,280 Speaker 1: that uh, and it's a field that gives that gives 303 00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:07,840 Speaker 1: matter mass and if it, if we could find it, 304 00:16:08,000 --> 00:16:10,360 Speaker 1: if we could prove that it actually exists, it could 305 00:16:10,360 --> 00:16:15,120 Speaker 1: explain a number of the mysteries surrounding the cosmos are 306 00:16:15,200 --> 00:16:19,560 Speaker 1: understanding of physics. It's uh, it's a suspect in a 307 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:24,240 Speaker 1: crime that should exist and we've just been looking for it. Yeah, 308 00:16:24,320 --> 00:16:26,800 Speaker 1: all right, because this is really um this is the 309 00:16:26,800 --> 00:16:30,240 Speaker 1: big idea, right, that this Higgs field exists and it's 310 00:16:30,520 --> 00:16:33,360 Speaker 1: a kind of cosmic molasses that keeps all of us together. 311 00:16:33,720 --> 00:16:35,600 Speaker 1: So if we can really prove this, and we can 312 00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:39,400 Speaker 1: really get a little bit more at this question of 313 00:16:39,440 --> 00:16:41,400 Speaker 1: how do we exist, how do we come to exist? 314 00:16:41,480 --> 00:16:43,960 Speaker 1: What really keeps us all together? What is this reality 315 00:16:44,000 --> 00:16:47,640 Speaker 1: that we're all can jealed in. Uh So, here's the deal. 316 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:52,400 Speaker 1: The Large Hadron Collider, which is headquartered in Geneva, is 317 00:16:52,480 --> 00:16:55,640 Speaker 1: tasked to try to find this Higgs particle, because again, 318 00:16:55,680 --> 00:16:58,400 Speaker 1: if this can be isolated, then it gives crudence this 319 00:16:58,520 --> 00:17:02,440 Speaker 1: idea that this Higgs field, this molasses does exist. Smashing 320 00:17:02,480 --> 00:17:05,800 Speaker 1: those atoms looking for the brief existence of this particle 321 00:17:05,840 --> 00:17:09,879 Speaker 1: before it blinks out and again, sort of committing the 322 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:12,280 Speaker 1: same crime over and over again, and then in the 323 00:17:12,320 --> 00:17:16,520 Speaker 1: hopes that you'll glimpse the suspect that's right after these 324 00:17:16,520 --> 00:17:20,199 Speaker 1: primordial fireballs are left after these proton collisions in the 325 00:17:20,280 --> 00:17:24,520 Speaker 1: Large Hadron Collider. So in a July it was reported 326 00:17:24,520 --> 00:17:27,639 Speaker 1: that a Higgs like particle was found, and this is 327 00:17:27,680 --> 00:17:30,680 Speaker 1: really important they're calling Higgs like, Okay, the jury is 328 00:17:30,720 --> 00:17:34,320 Speaker 1: still a bit out about this, right, because there's been 329 00:17:34,359 --> 00:17:37,720 Speaker 1: some more information about this, because we found the suspect. 330 00:17:38,000 --> 00:17:42,400 Speaker 1: We found the suspect. The problem is another suspect showed up. See, 331 00:17:42,400 --> 00:17:44,960 Speaker 1: because it's like like a Raymond Chandler novel, you know, 332 00:17:45,000 --> 00:17:48,200 Speaker 1: it's like you reached that point where they found the murder. Note, 333 00:17:48,359 --> 00:17:51,520 Speaker 1: it just gets a little more complicated there are two suspects, 334 00:17:51,920 --> 00:17:53,719 Speaker 1: or maybe maybe there wasn't a murder at all. I mean, 335 00:17:53,760 --> 00:17:55,960 Speaker 1: that's how mysteries work, and that's how this one is 336 00:17:56,000 --> 00:17:58,400 Speaker 1: kind of working out as well. Well, they've been going 337 00:17:58,560 --> 00:18:01,120 Speaker 1: through the data and with a found is that now 338 00:18:01,240 --> 00:18:06,360 Speaker 1: two bumps show in the data, casting doubt on the experiment. Okay, Um, 339 00:18:06,359 --> 00:18:08,479 Speaker 1: what that means is that there appears to be one Higgs, 340 00:18:08,480 --> 00:18:11,679 Speaker 1: both on with a massive one two three point five 341 00:18:12,160 --> 00:18:15,159 Speaker 1: giga electron volts in one with one to six point six. 342 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:20,560 Speaker 1: So in a December fourteenth article in Scientific America excuse me, 343 00:18:20,560 --> 00:18:23,800 Speaker 1: in Scientific American, it explains that it's been thought before 344 00:18:23,960 --> 00:18:26,639 Speaker 1: that there might be one more than one Higgs, but 345 00:18:26,840 --> 00:18:30,239 Speaker 1: not so close together. That's where the mystery becomes even deeper, right, 346 00:18:30,240 --> 00:18:32,119 Speaker 1: because it's okay if there's another one, but just not 347 00:18:32,160 --> 00:18:35,120 Speaker 1: so close together. So again, it's pointing to this question 348 00:18:35,200 --> 00:18:37,920 Speaker 1: about whether or not there's a problem with the experiment, 349 00:18:38,040 --> 00:18:42,080 Speaker 1: and physicist Adam Falkowski wrote on his blog quote, in 350 00:18:42,119 --> 00:18:46,320 Speaker 1: this case, they most likely signal a systematic problem rather 351 00:18:46,359 --> 00:18:48,639 Speaker 1: than some interesting physics. First and least, it would be 352 00:18:48,760 --> 00:18:51,720 Speaker 1: quite a coincidence to have two Higgs particles so close 353 00:18:51,760 --> 00:18:55,560 Speaker 1: and mass. So again, the jury is still out, but 354 00:18:55,680 --> 00:19:00,359 Speaker 1: this is the fact that they're getting this close is 355 00:19:00,359 --> 00:19:03,320 Speaker 1: still a game changer, and it's still amazing, and I 356 00:19:03,359 --> 00:19:06,239 Speaker 1: think it points to this idea that in science you 357 00:19:06,440 --> 00:19:09,000 Speaker 1: have to continue to go back to the drawing board. 358 00:19:09,280 --> 00:19:12,199 Speaker 1: This is what makes good science good science, Right, you 359 00:19:12,240 --> 00:19:14,520 Speaker 1: just don't accept that this was a Higgs particle. You 360 00:19:14,600 --> 00:19:17,359 Speaker 1: begin to go through that data more and more and 361 00:19:17,920 --> 00:19:21,080 Speaker 1: corroborated to the point where there's just absolutely no question 362 00:19:21,080 --> 00:19:24,400 Speaker 1: that it is. And they're not there right now. Um, 363 00:19:24,440 --> 00:19:27,800 Speaker 1: but they're getting closer. Yeah. I mean, science creeps forward 364 00:19:28,040 --> 00:19:30,840 Speaker 1: and sometimes it has to creep a little little little 365 00:19:30,840 --> 00:19:34,080 Speaker 1: ways back to recalibrate. You know, it's like a roomba 366 00:19:34,880 --> 00:19:38,119 Speaker 1: running into stuff in your living room. But it's figuring 367 00:19:38,160 --> 00:19:40,800 Speaker 1: it out right. Um, so so yeah, we continue to 368 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:43,280 Speaker 1: watch what happens with the with the higgs um. But 369 00:19:43,440 --> 00:19:45,600 Speaker 1: certainly it was it was definitely a big year for 370 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:48,920 Speaker 1: the Higgs, regardless of what it actually ends up to, 371 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:52,000 Speaker 1: you know. Being the case with these particles that we 372 00:19:52,760 --> 00:19:54,840 Speaker 1: these higgs is that we sort of found. Yeah, more 373 00:19:54,880 --> 00:19:56,800 Speaker 1: to come on that, I think. Um, all right, we're 374 00:19:56,800 --> 00:19:58,880 Speaker 1: gonna take a quick break and when we get back, 375 00:19:58,920 --> 00:20:06,199 Speaker 1: we are going to talk about citizens science. All right, 376 00:20:06,240 --> 00:20:10,960 Speaker 1: we're back. Um, so what else happened in Well, a 377 00:20:10,960 --> 00:20:13,240 Speaker 1: lot of pieces sort of continuing business. Of course, science 378 00:20:13,280 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 1: is a continuing business. We continue to search for certain things. 379 00:20:16,240 --> 00:20:18,359 Speaker 1: We continue to search out things. And one of the 380 00:20:18,400 --> 00:20:24,120 Speaker 1: things we've been looking for exoplanets, planets elsewhere in the 381 00:20:24,200 --> 00:20:28,320 Speaker 1: in the in the galaxy, planets that maybe might be 382 00:20:28,359 --> 00:20:31,960 Speaker 1: like Earth. That's what we have our eye out for. Yeah, 383 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:34,040 Speaker 1: and it turns out that there is a ton of 384 00:20:34,119 --> 00:20:37,399 Speaker 1: data to sort through in order to find Earth like 385 00:20:37,840 --> 00:20:43,800 Speaker 1: planetary candidates. And it's really helpful when you have citizens 386 00:20:44,280 --> 00:20:47,000 Speaker 1: in this case, citizens scientists to help sort through the 387 00:20:47,000 --> 00:20:50,119 Speaker 1: extensive data. And this is actually data that's provided by 388 00:20:50,200 --> 00:20:53,920 Speaker 1: NASA's Kepler Mission. So here's this really cool thing. Fifteen 389 00:20:53,920 --> 00:20:57,160 Speaker 1: new planet candidates. We call them again planet candidates because 390 00:20:57,160 --> 00:20:58,959 Speaker 1: they have to have to be a certain distance from 391 00:20:59,000 --> 00:21:03,480 Speaker 1: the Sun in order to be considered earth like properties 392 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:06,840 Speaker 1: or have earth like properties. Right, Um, they've been discovered 393 00:21:06,840 --> 00:21:10,760 Speaker 1: by planet hunters, and planet hunters is this project of 394 00:21:10,800 --> 00:21:14,000 Speaker 1: these citizens scientists. These are people who have access to 395 00:21:14,160 --> 00:21:17,000 Speaker 1: the data that NASA has given them, and what they 396 00:21:17,040 --> 00:21:19,040 Speaker 1: do is they look through all that data to try 397 00:21:19,080 --> 00:21:23,160 Speaker 1: to figure out habitable planets. And again, like I said 398 00:21:23,160 --> 00:21:25,800 Speaker 1: in that Goldilocks zone, right that distance from the Sun 399 00:21:25,840 --> 00:21:29,439 Speaker 1: and not too hot, not too cold, approximate size. You know, 400 00:21:29,440 --> 00:21:31,560 Speaker 1: it just has to be just right right and just 401 00:21:31,600 --> 00:21:34,560 Speaker 1: the right distance from a star to have liquid water, right, 402 00:21:34,560 --> 00:21:38,600 Speaker 1: which you know would be really important for life. Uh So, anyway, 403 00:21:38,640 --> 00:21:40,600 Speaker 1: this is this is what is so cool about this 404 00:21:40,720 --> 00:21:43,680 Speaker 1: organization is that they have found the fifteen new planet 405 00:21:43,720 --> 00:21:47,520 Speaker 1: candidates and in addition, a planet named pH One with 406 00:21:47,680 --> 00:21:50,800 Speaker 1: four sons was discovered by the group. And it's pretty cool. 407 00:21:50,800 --> 00:21:53,439 Speaker 1: That's a lot of suns for that's four times as 408 00:21:53,440 --> 00:21:55,960 Speaker 1: many suns as we have. I mean, the really amazing 409 00:21:56,000 --> 00:21:58,800 Speaker 1: thing about this is that you mentioned earlier about the 410 00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:03,080 Speaker 1: the participation aspect um of of getting to know huddle 411 00:22:03,119 --> 00:22:05,959 Speaker 1: around the TV or the computer monitor and watch things 412 00:22:06,000 --> 00:22:10,160 Speaker 1: like the Mars landing, UM to watch the endeavor going 413 00:22:10,200 --> 00:22:12,760 Speaker 1: down the street. And here is an example of actual 414 00:22:12,800 --> 00:22:16,360 Speaker 1: participation where these citizen scientists are getting to sort through 415 00:22:16,400 --> 00:22:20,679 Speaker 1: the data that that that Kepler has a massed and 416 00:22:20,720 --> 00:22:23,960 Speaker 1: we're talking about a hundred and fifty thousand stars here 417 00:22:24,119 --> 00:22:26,480 Speaker 1: that they're they're sorting through the data. They're examining the 418 00:22:26,520 --> 00:22:30,399 Speaker 1: brightness measurements that are taken by Kepler, looking for signs 419 00:22:30,400 --> 00:22:33,400 Speaker 1: that there could be planets orbiting them. And then when 420 00:22:33,400 --> 00:22:35,120 Speaker 1: a planet passes in front of a star, there should 421 00:22:35,160 --> 00:22:38,359 Speaker 1: be noticeable and temporary drop in brightness. And this is 422 00:22:38,400 --> 00:22:40,479 Speaker 1: this sort of data again that they're looking at. And 423 00:22:40,520 --> 00:22:42,880 Speaker 1: the idea is that the human brain is actually better 424 00:22:42,960 --> 00:22:47,320 Speaker 1: at detecting this than an algorithm. So also someone who 425 00:22:47,520 --> 00:22:51,080 Speaker 1: is maybe an amateur astronomer who is very excited about 426 00:22:51,119 --> 00:22:54,280 Speaker 1: this work. UM. So you get this group together that 427 00:22:54,920 --> 00:22:58,600 Speaker 1: is all um trying to find, you know, some sort 428 00:22:58,640 --> 00:23:01,719 Speaker 1: of sign that there might be another earthlike planet. And 429 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:05,080 Speaker 1: again we've talked about this in our podcast about will 430 00:23:05,119 --> 00:23:07,919 Speaker 1: we find an Earth flight planet planet in the like 431 00:23:08,000 --> 00:23:11,520 Speaker 1: anytime soon. And uh, this is something that seems like 432 00:23:11,680 --> 00:23:14,480 Speaker 1: it could happen for us in the next fifty years, 433 00:23:14,480 --> 00:23:17,359 Speaker 1: that we could spot an earthlike planet. On one level, 434 00:23:17,359 --> 00:23:19,680 Speaker 1: it just it gives us a lot more information about 435 00:23:19,760 --> 00:23:21,760 Speaker 1: what is out there. But also there's a lot of 436 00:23:21,800 --> 00:23:24,440 Speaker 1: imagination caught up in it because an earthlike planet could 437 00:23:24,480 --> 00:23:28,200 Speaker 1: conceivably have earthlike life. Life on Earth is the only 438 00:23:28,240 --> 00:23:31,080 Speaker 1: model of life that we have, and so when we're 439 00:23:31,080 --> 00:23:33,560 Speaker 1: extrapolating and trying to figure out what alien life might 440 00:23:33,560 --> 00:23:36,199 Speaker 1: consist of, that ends up what we look for, you know, 441 00:23:36,200 --> 00:23:39,199 Speaker 1: we end up looking for an earthlike world, So possibility 442 00:23:39,240 --> 00:23:42,439 Speaker 1: of life elsewhere in the universe, um, and also the 443 00:23:42,440 --> 00:23:44,840 Speaker 1: possibility of a world that we could go to that 444 00:23:45,000 --> 00:23:48,040 Speaker 1: we could colonize if we're still into that kind of 445 00:23:48,200 --> 00:23:51,080 Speaker 1: sci fi idea by the time when the technology actually 446 00:23:51,080 --> 00:23:52,800 Speaker 1: catch us up with us. Yeah. And I think it's 447 00:23:52,800 --> 00:23:55,880 Speaker 1: another good example of a discipline that benefits from an 448 00:23:55,880 --> 00:23:59,600 Speaker 1: institution like NASA allowing the public to come through data 449 00:24:00,119 --> 00:24:05,359 Speaker 1: sharing their data, having an open and essentially crowdsourcing meaningful assault. Yeah. 450 00:24:05,400 --> 00:24:08,480 Speaker 1: I mean again, it's kind of like that the father 451 00:24:08,600 --> 00:24:12,920 Speaker 1: raising his son, his son's citizen citizen science. And uh, 452 00:24:12,960 --> 00:24:16,080 Speaker 1: he's out there grilling steaks, right, and or or grilling 453 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:19,520 Speaker 1: peppers and or what have you. Um, the vegetarian option. 454 00:24:19,720 --> 00:24:22,119 Speaker 1: He's out there grilling, and the sun is interested and 455 00:24:22,119 --> 00:24:24,679 Speaker 1: has reached the point where yes, here I'm gonna I'm 456 00:24:24,720 --> 00:24:26,679 Speaker 1: gonna do the main cooking. But you can hear you 457 00:24:26,680 --> 00:24:30,280 Speaker 1: can rub some some barbecue sauce on it, not do 458 00:24:30,440 --> 00:24:33,080 Speaker 1: put barbecue sauce in a steak. Yeah, and again you 459 00:24:33,080 --> 00:24:35,520 Speaker 1: see this thing. Well, you could put barbecue sauce on 460 00:24:35,520 --> 00:24:37,080 Speaker 1: a steak, I guess you could, But I mean, if 461 00:24:37,080 --> 00:24:38,560 Speaker 1: it's a really good stake, there's no sense to put 462 00:24:38,600 --> 00:24:40,360 Speaker 1: sauce on it. But the important thing is that you're 463 00:24:40,400 --> 00:24:42,399 Speaker 1: involving the kid in the process. But you're right, if 464 00:24:42,440 --> 00:24:45,600 Speaker 1: it's chewy and tough, you've gotta throw something on there. Uh. 465 00:24:45,640 --> 00:24:48,880 Speaker 1: But yes, that's what I think is happening. Again. There's 466 00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:52,600 Speaker 1: this sharing of data that's involving of of people you 467 00:24:52,640 --> 00:24:55,560 Speaker 1: know out on the street, right, you know. And some 468 00:24:55,720 --> 00:24:57,320 Speaker 1: of this is part and parcel to where we are 469 00:24:57,560 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 1: in terms of technology and community, because it wouldn't be 470 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:02,560 Speaker 1: able to do this necessarily ten years ago, twenty years 471 00:25:02,600 --> 00:25:05,320 Speaker 1: ago to share data to this extent and then try 472 00:25:05,359 --> 00:25:08,200 Speaker 1: to get the results um in a way that was efficient. 473 00:25:09,280 --> 00:25:13,520 Speaker 1: So that's Joe public, that's just everybody, every random person 474 00:25:13,520 --> 00:25:16,400 Speaker 1: on the street potentially contributing to science. But then there's 475 00:25:16,440 --> 00:25:19,680 Speaker 1: still plenty of room for the exceptional individual, for the 476 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:23,359 Speaker 1: Joe awesome if you will UM. And that brings us 477 00:25:23,359 --> 00:25:29,160 Speaker 1: to our next two items on this list. Felix baumb Gardner. Yes, yes, 478 00:25:29,240 --> 00:25:31,800 Speaker 1: And this was another example that everyone got to huddle 479 00:25:31,800 --> 00:25:34,080 Speaker 1: around the TV or the computer and watched this happen. 480 00:25:34,119 --> 00:25:36,280 Speaker 1: We had a lot of these moments in the last year. 481 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:39,040 Speaker 1: Then the moments that really hearkened back to the day 482 00:25:39,040 --> 00:25:41,120 Speaker 1: of like watching the moon landing, where we all got 483 00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:45,280 Speaker 1: to become really excited about about watching something historic. Pike Place. Yeah, well, 484 00:25:45,280 --> 00:25:48,639 Speaker 1: I mean here's here's this Austrian daredevil who broke the 485 00:25:48,680 --> 00:25:51,840 Speaker 1: speed of sound in October two twelve by jumping from 486 00:25:52,160 --> 00:25:54,760 Speaker 1: the edge of space, a feat that he had spent 487 00:25:54,960 --> 00:25:58,520 Speaker 1: five years five years preparing for. It took him two 488 00:25:58,560 --> 00:26:02,120 Speaker 1: hours on a pressured cap soul powered by helium balloon 489 00:26:02,160 --> 00:26:06,000 Speaker 1: to reach a platform twenty four miles up and before 490 00:26:06,160 --> 00:26:08,800 Speaker 1: stepping onto the platform. This, I think it's interesting. He 491 00:26:08,880 --> 00:26:11,840 Speaker 1: ran through a forty step checklist, because you know, before 492 00:26:11,840 --> 00:26:14,120 Speaker 1: you take the big plans, you want to make sure 493 00:26:14,160 --> 00:26:18,080 Speaker 1: that everything is is crossed off, right, uh. And then 494 00:26:18,080 --> 00:26:20,879 Speaker 1: he stepped off the platform and he hurled through the 495 00:26:20,920 --> 00:26:24,159 Speaker 1: sky at more than eight hundred and thirty miles per hour, 496 00:26:24,320 --> 00:26:27,240 Speaker 1: at one point reaching eight hundred and thirty three point 497 00:26:27,320 --> 00:26:30,439 Speaker 1: nine pile miles per hour or mock one point to four, 498 00:26:30,800 --> 00:26:33,360 Speaker 1: breaking the sound barrier in a four minute free fall 499 00:26:33,480 --> 00:26:36,399 Speaker 1: before popping his parachute and pulling off a running landing 500 00:26:36,440 --> 00:26:40,280 Speaker 1: in a New Mexico desert. I mean, that is amazing 501 00:26:40,359 --> 00:26:42,800 Speaker 1: right there. Yeah, I mean, yeah it was. It's just 502 00:26:42,840 --> 00:26:46,159 Speaker 1: some amazing footage to watch and just quite a I 503 00:26:46,160 --> 00:26:49,199 Speaker 1: mean just it's kind of terrifying to watch too. Like 504 00:26:49,240 --> 00:26:52,680 Speaker 1: I would imagine if I did a forty item checklist, 505 00:26:52,680 --> 00:26:55,399 Speaker 1: it would just be like different deities that I was 506 00:26:55,480 --> 00:26:57,680 Speaker 1: just making sure I was square with before I jumped out. 507 00:26:57,680 --> 00:27:02,000 Speaker 1: You know, Yeah, we get cool, alright, You're just throwing 508 00:27:02,040 --> 00:27:05,879 Speaker 1: candy out in the air at that point, is to 509 00:27:05,920 --> 00:27:09,040 Speaker 1: the air gods. Um well. And also I mean you 510 00:27:09,119 --> 00:27:12,520 Speaker 1: have to understand too that again, this was five years 511 00:27:12,840 --> 00:27:15,520 Speaker 1: and in the making, and this is someone who was 512 00:27:15,680 --> 00:27:19,400 Speaker 1: so good at what he did. Um that he had 513 00:27:19,440 --> 00:27:23,600 Speaker 1: the ability to control himself at those sort of speeds. 514 00:27:23,640 --> 00:27:25,359 Speaker 1: And he did say at one point that he felt 515 00:27:25,400 --> 00:27:27,200 Speaker 1: like he was he was going to a flat spin, 516 00:27:27,560 --> 00:27:29,480 Speaker 1: and he felt all the blood rushing to his head 517 00:27:29,520 --> 00:27:31,159 Speaker 1: and he thought he was going to lose control, but 518 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:34,040 Speaker 1: then he got it under control and was able to 519 00:27:34,119 --> 00:27:36,879 Speaker 1: continue to accelerate in his speed. Yeah. I mean, that's 520 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:38,760 Speaker 1: an important thing to realize about. It is it is 521 00:27:38,840 --> 00:27:41,680 Speaker 1: much more than just the technology of getting someone up 522 00:27:41,720 --> 00:27:44,639 Speaker 1: that high and then you know, booting them out of 523 00:27:44,640 --> 00:27:47,520 Speaker 1: the cap. So there's a there's a lot of skill 524 00:27:47,640 --> 00:27:50,280 Speaker 1: that was involved in this. It's not nearly falling, uh 525 00:27:51,080 --> 00:27:53,320 Speaker 1: and technology because I mean it was falling, but it's 526 00:27:53,359 --> 00:27:55,720 Speaker 1: falling with the nest. Yes, falling. Yeah, I mean you 527 00:27:55,840 --> 00:27:57,560 Speaker 1: have to have the experience in order to really know 528 00:27:57,880 --> 00:28:01,280 Speaker 1: or to anticipate what that might feel like at those speeds. UM. 529 00:28:01,400 --> 00:28:03,520 Speaker 1: So he also had technology on his side. He wore 530 00:28:03,640 --> 00:28:07,840 Speaker 1: one pound pressurized flight suit and helmet, and without protection, 531 00:28:08,680 --> 00:28:11,480 Speaker 1: his blood would have been vaporized because the atmosphere was 532 00:28:11,560 --> 00:28:14,960 Speaker 1: so thin when he jumped at that height. The temperature 533 00:28:14,960 --> 00:28:17,760 Speaker 1: at his launch point was estimated at seven degrees sevent 534 00:28:17,840 --> 00:28:22,560 Speaker 1: d degrees below zero fahrenheit, if not lower. So this 535 00:28:22,640 --> 00:28:25,880 Speaker 1: is really a game changer. Um. And and that this 536 00:28:26,080 --> 00:28:31,159 Speaker 1: not only does this pressurized flight suit have implications um elsewhere, 537 00:28:31,600 --> 00:28:34,680 Speaker 1: like for instance, you know astronauts, UM, if they had 538 00:28:34,720 --> 00:28:38,360 Speaker 1: to bail out of a council early, this could absolutely 539 00:28:38,640 --> 00:28:41,400 Speaker 1: save their life, um if it was at the right 540 00:28:41,560 --> 00:28:45,520 Speaker 1: UM height and so on and so forth. UM. But 541 00:28:45,640 --> 00:28:48,120 Speaker 1: I mean it also kind of speaks this new technology 542 00:28:48,160 --> 00:28:52,120 Speaker 1: that allows us to again augment ourselves in a way 543 00:28:52,120 --> 00:28:54,720 Speaker 1: that we're able to do things that are beyond our 544 00:28:54,840 --> 00:28:57,000 Speaker 1: human capacity or what we think we're able to do. 545 00:28:57,120 --> 00:29:01,040 Speaker 1: So there you go, Felix bomb Gardner. Uh, amazing moment 546 00:29:01,160 --> 00:29:03,880 Speaker 1: in the science And that video is still out there 547 00:29:03,920 --> 00:29:05,920 Speaker 1: if you want to want to check it out. Well, 548 00:29:05,960 --> 00:29:10,680 Speaker 1: I'm sure be out there indefinitely. But not to be outdone. 549 00:29:10,680 --> 00:29:14,320 Speaker 1: There's also another individual, another Joe Awesome that uh that 550 00:29:14,480 --> 00:29:17,440 Speaker 1: made some headlines and and and this guy is really 551 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 1: it's close to like a Howard Hughes we have today, 552 00:29:21,400 --> 00:29:24,520 Speaker 1: I mean, except he hasn't yet entered like the full 553 00:29:24,560 --> 00:29:28,520 Speaker 1: crazy mode. But certainly in terms of a filmmaker who 554 00:29:28,640 --> 00:29:32,920 Speaker 1: is all about creating something awesome and ingenious on the screen, 555 00:29:33,440 --> 00:29:37,440 Speaker 1: but is also very interested in uh achieving great things 556 00:29:37,520 --> 00:29:40,280 Speaker 1: outside of the film world. And we're of course talking 557 00:29:40,280 --> 00:29:43,920 Speaker 1: about James Cameron, who became the first aqua out to 558 00:29:43,960 --> 00:29:48,719 Speaker 1: reach the deepest recesses of the Marianna Trench, UH touching 559 00:29:48,760 --> 00:29:51,960 Speaker 1: down the Challenger Deep Site about eleven kilometers below the 560 00:29:51,960 --> 00:29:55,000 Speaker 1: surface of the Pacific Ocean about yeah, which is about 561 00:29:55,040 --> 00:29:58,680 Speaker 1: six point eight miles And he did that in a 562 00:29:58,760 --> 00:30:01,720 Speaker 1: one person submersible call the deep Sea Challenger, and it 563 00:30:01,800 --> 00:30:04,480 Speaker 1: took him two and a half hours to get there. 564 00:30:05,000 --> 00:30:06,720 Speaker 1: And what I think is interesting he said, well, you know, 565 00:30:06,720 --> 00:30:08,960 Speaker 1: it's pretty much mostly devoid of life. I saw some 566 00:30:09,040 --> 00:30:12,000 Speaker 1: shrimp like creatures. But he did say that it was 567 00:30:12,080 --> 00:30:16,840 Speaker 1: amazing to be in such a massive place that you 568 00:30:16,960 --> 00:30:20,080 Speaker 1: just looked and you know, the horizon just dropped off. 569 00:30:20,120 --> 00:30:22,640 Speaker 1: In fact, there's no real horizon because we're talking about here. 570 00:30:23,360 --> 00:30:28,480 Speaker 1: Is um really the steep trench, And to even call 571 00:30:28,520 --> 00:30:31,280 Speaker 1: it a trench is a bit of a misnomer because 572 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:35,320 Speaker 1: the marrying a trench is really an abyss and it's 573 00:30:35,360 --> 00:30:38,760 Speaker 1: located at a subduction zone. And subduction zones occur where 574 00:30:38,800 --> 00:30:41,200 Speaker 1: one part of the seabed. In this case, the Pacific 575 00:30:41,240 --> 00:30:45,120 Speaker 1: Plate dives beneath another and this is the Philippine Plate. 576 00:30:45,480 --> 00:30:49,120 Speaker 1: So you know, take that all into consideration, as well 577 00:30:49,160 --> 00:30:52,520 Speaker 1: as that it's in a remote location, and you really 578 00:30:52,560 --> 00:30:57,040 Speaker 1: do have this dramatic landscape unfolding before you. Yeah, I 579 00:30:57,040 --> 00:31:00,240 Speaker 1: mean in the sense that the sky is the great 580 00:31:00,280 --> 00:31:02,280 Speaker 1: blue yonder, this is the deep blue yonder. I mean, 581 00:31:02,400 --> 00:31:09,080 Speaker 1: this is really largely unexplored territory of the Yeah. We 582 00:31:09,080 --> 00:31:11,840 Speaker 1: talked about that in our Sunken Dangerous podcasts um in 583 00:31:12,560 --> 00:31:14,320 Speaker 1: because we talked about how we know more about the 584 00:31:14,320 --> 00:31:18,160 Speaker 1: moon surface than we than we know about the oceans 585 00:31:18,200 --> 00:31:21,600 Speaker 1: and what's going on with that. So again, you know, 586 00:31:21,640 --> 00:31:24,640 Speaker 1: I would be tempted to call Cameron a ham if 587 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:27,360 Speaker 1: he wentn't so dedicated to this endeavor, but I mean, 588 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:29,480 Speaker 1: I mean he's a bit of a ham. But but yeah, 589 00:31:29,600 --> 00:31:32,800 Speaker 1: there's no denying the awesomeness of this. Yeah, I mean 590 00:31:32,840 --> 00:31:37,840 Speaker 1: eight years to to uh engineer and make this submersible, 591 00:31:38,440 --> 00:31:41,280 Speaker 1: which then says, okay, well, if if he's done this, 592 00:31:41,960 --> 00:31:44,240 Speaker 1: and that means that we now have the ability to 593 00:31:44,360 --> 00:31:48,640 Speaker 1: continue to visit this area of the ocean in the seabed, 594 00:31:49,040 --> 00:31:51,720 Speaker 1: and now we can begin to take oil soil samples, 595 00:31:51,880 --> 00:31:54,520 Speaker 1: which is something that Cameron wants to do. So, of 596 00:31:54,520 --> 00:31:56,280 Speaker 1: course you have the trickle down effect. That doesn't mean 597 00:31:56,280 --> 00:31:57,920 Speaker 1: that we're all going to be in submersibles in ten 598 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:00,440 Speaker 1: years going down to the Mariana Trench, but it does 599 00:32:00,480 --> 00:32:03,120 Speaker 1: mean that it makes the technology a little bit easier 600 00:32:03,160 --> 00:32:06,800 Speaker 1: for others to follow suit. Yeah, and speaking of trickling down, 601 00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:10,960 Speaker 1: I found it interesting that inside of this pressurized cockpit 602 00:32:11,400 --> 00:32:14,440 Speaker 1: um they had this system set up to where moisture 603 00:32:14,600 --> 00:32:19,200 Speaker 1: from Cameron's exhaled breath and his sweat leaked down into 604 00:32:19,200 --> 00:32:22,120 Speaker 1: a plastic bag. And the idea here was that if 605 00:32:22,160 --> 00:32:25,120 Speaker 1: he if he had to stay down there longer and 606 00:32:25,280 --> 00:32:28,600 Speaker 1: outlasted his water supply, he could then drink the contents 607 00:32:28,640 --> 00:32:32,520 Speaker 1: of this bag, which has parallels with space flight, right, 608 00:32:33,040 --> 00:32:35,080 Speaker 1: because we know that the same sort of technologies are 609 00:32:35,200 --> 00:32:39,000 Speaker 1: used when you're somewhere and you're in a confined space. Right, 610 00:32:39,000 --> 00:32:41,200 Speaker 1: there's a lot of crossover you have between the exploration 611 00:32:41,240 --> 00:32:43,520 Speaker 1: of space and the inspiration of the deepest portions of 612 00:32:43,520 --> 00:32:48,000 Speaker 1: the ocean. I mean, both hostile extreme environments for humans. 613 00:32:48,200 --> 00:32:51,600 Speaker 1: We were made too. We we evolved to live on 614 00:32:51,640 --> 00:32:55,760 Speaker 1: a very narrow portion of the Earth's surface, and if 615 00:32:55,800 --> 00:32:58,160 Speaker 1: you go to how you go too low. We're debt 616 00:32:58,240 --> 00:33:01,360 Speaker 1: unless we bring the appropriate technology with us to bring 617 00:33:01,400 --> 00:33:05,200 Speaker 1: a little of our our habitat with us into these 618 00:33:05,200 --> 00:33:08,680 Speaker 1: hostile settings. Yeah. Again there's that theme of augmentation again 619 00:33:09,080 --> 00:33:13,880 Speaker 1: showing up particularly this year. Alright, so um other things 620 00:33:13,920 --> 00:33:17,479 Speaker 1: that have been building this past decade that are gaining 621 00:33:17,720 --> 00:33:20,560 Speaker 1: more ground and are getting more exposure. I have to 622 00:33:20,600 --> 00:33:25,960 Speaker 1: do of course with neuroscience, yes, and um specifically erasing 623 00:33:26,000 --> 00:33:28,400 Speaker 1: your memories, which again it's not a new thing, but 624 00:33:28,920 --> 00:33:31,120 Speaker 1: it gained some traction again this year. Yeah. I mean 625 00:33:31,120 --> 00:33:33,840 Speaker 1: people have been wanted to do this forever. I mean 626 00:33:33,840 --> 00:33:36,800 Speaker 1: that we've discussed like the time and time again, like 627 00:33:36,840 --> 00:33:39,479 Speaker 1: the basic human condition and how wrapped up it is, 628 00:33:39,560 --> 00:33:42,280 Speaker 1: and and worrying about stuff that's happened in the past, 629 00:33:42,360 --> 00:33:45,160 Speaker 1: and worrying about stuff to come in the future, and uh, 630 00:33:45,480 --> 00:33:47,160 Speaker 1: you know, there's only something you can do about the future. 631 00:33:47,160 --> 00:33:49,040 Speaker 1: But we've all but I think everyone is thought, boy, 632 00:33:49,040 --> 00:33:51,120 Speaker 1: I wish I could go back and erase that, and 633 00:33:51,160 --> 00:33:52,960 Speaker 1: maybe you get more into the time travel mode, and 634 00:33:53,040 --> 00:33:54,479 Speaker 1: like I wish I could go back and fix that. 635 00:33:54,600 --> 00:33:56,320 Speaker 1: But then when you realize that's impossibly. You think, well, 636 00:33:56,320 --> 00:33:58,320 Speaker 1: if I can't fix it, then at least I could 637 00:33:58,360 --> 00:34:01,880 Speaker 1: forget that that happened at all. I mean, it's the 638 00:34:02,080 --> 00:34:06,800 Speaker 1: eternal sunshine of the mind. Would you erase a memory 639 00:34:06,840 --> 00:34:11,799 Speaker 1: if you could? Um? No, Because I mean there have 640 00:34:11,840 --> 00:34:13,480 Speaker 1: been times in the past where I would have said, yes, 641 00:34:13,480 --> 00:34:15,080 Speaker 1: I wish I could go back and erase this or 642 00:34:15,080 --> 00:34:19,400 Speaker 1: it rat that. But as you and you know, and 643 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:21,239 Speaker 1: maybe I just don't have bad enough memories that I 644 00:34:21,400 --> 00:34:23,799 Speaker 1: that I would want to erase them. But ultimately reached 645 00:34:23,840 --> 00:34:27,120 Speaker 1: that point where those memories inform who you are, you know, 646 00:34:27,200 --> 00:34:30,600 Speaker 1: and to to take them away, um, you know that 647 00:34:30,719 --> 00:34:33,240 Speaker 1: that takes away from from what you become. But but 648 00:34:33,239 --> 00:34:36,120 Speaker 1: but again, where this really becomes important, it's with the 649 00:34:36,160 --> 00:34:39,719 Speaker 1: idea of dealing with really traumatic memories and uh and 650 00:34:39,840 --> 00:34:42,719 Speaker 1: ultimately not as much the research we're looking at here, 651 00:34:42,760 --> 00:34:46,319 Speaker 1: not as much the extinction of a memory, but the 652 00:34:46,360 --> 00:34:50,440 Speaker 1: sort of yeah, but also the dulling of it. Um. 653 00:34:50,640 --> 00:34:52,520 Speaker 1: We we did a whole episode because a couple of 654 00:34:52,560 --> 00:34:55,719 Speaker 1: years back at the World Science Festival, there was a 655 00:34:55,760 --> 00:34:59,960 Speaker 1: lot of interesting talk about being able to erase memories, 656 00:35:00,040 --> 00:35:02,320 Speaker 1: alter memories, and and some of it was pretty drastic, 657 00:35:02,400 --> 00:35:05,160 Speaker 1: like this one um substance that could just sort of 658 00:35:05,200 --> 00:35:08,040 Speaker 1: clear the mind, like reset the computer entirely. Uh that 659 00:35:08,120 --> 00:35:10,120 Speaker 1: no one is actually tested on a human, and we 660 00:35:10,120 --> 00:35:14,960 Speaker 1: can just sort of imagine what it might be like. Yeah, 661 00:35:15,000 --> 00:35:16,439 Speaker 1: this is the one where I was like, well, could 662 00:35:16,440 --> 00:35:18,600 Speaker 1: you would it be like the born identity it could 663 00:35:18,600 --> 00:35:20,719 Speaker 1: you erase your memory and you still know kung fu? 664 00:35:20,840 --> 00:35:22,759 Speaker 1: You know that kind of thing. One study we were 665 00:35:22,760 --> 00:35:27,160 Speaker 1: looking at from Upslo University. Uh, they were looking specifically 666 00:35:27,200 --> 00:35:30,719 Speaker 1: at this reconsolidation phase. Now, if you remember from when 667 00:35:30,719 --> 00:35:33,160 Speaker 1: we talked about this before, this is the idea that 668 00:35:33,280 --> 00:35:35,440 Speaker 1: when you think back to something, to a memory, you're 669 00:35:35,480 --> 00:35:37,800 Speaker 1: not going and looking at something that is set in stone. 670 00:35:38,200 --> 00:35:43,759 Speaker 1: Memory is is weird. Memory is uncertain. Memory, it's unstable 671 00:35:43,800 --> 00:35:46,560 Speaker 1: because every time think of a memory as a little 672 00:35:47,120 --> 00:35:49,320 Speaker 1: like something happens in your brain, like makes a little 673 00:35:49,560 --> 00:35:52,360 Speaker 1: clay sculpture of what it would of what happened. It's like, 674 00:35:52,400 --> 00:35:55,000 Speaker 1: all right, I was I was stabbed by an elephant. Alright, 675 00:35:55,040 --> 00:35:57,600 Speaker 1: So here's a you know, a little clay monitor of 676 00:35:57,640 --> 00:36:00,759 Speaker 1: an elephant in a trench coat with which the big 677 00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:03,719 Speaker 1: big well have a big shank a right, So then 678 00:36:03,719 --> 00:36:05,520 Speaker 1: I put that away in the drawer, the memory, right, 679 00:36:05,560 --> 00:36:07,319 Speaker 1: I'll leave it there, and then when I think about 680 00:36:07,320 --> 00:36:10,439 Speaker 1: it again, I get that little clay model back out. 681 00:36:10,640 --> 00:36:13,759 Speaker 1: But in handling it, uh, and in reconceptualizing and I 682 00:36:13,840 --> 00:36:16,200 Speaker 1: end up changing things. Uh and that. But this is 683 00:36:16,200 --> 00:36:18,040 Speaker 1: the this is the state where it's malleable. It's in 684 00:36:18,080 --> 00:36:21,760 Speaker 1: my hands. So researchers have have for a while realized 685 00:36:21,800 --> 00:36:23,920 Speaker 1: that the reconsolidation phase, this is when you want to 686 00:36:24,640 --> 00:36:27,120 Speaker 1: alter a memory, alter the impact of a memory, or 687 00:36:27,160 --> 00:36:31,120 Speaker 1: potentially erase it because this is where it's it's vulnerable. Well, 688 00:36:31,160 --> 00:36:34,640 Speaker 1: it gets anchored in our brains by proteins and it's reconsolidation. 689 00:36:34,719 --> 00:36:37,960 Speaker 1: So yes, this is where you want to interrupt the 690 00:36:38,360 --> 00:36:43,479 Speaker 1: actual final consolidation of it. Uh. So long term real quick, 691 00:36:43,520 --> 00:36:46,480 Speaker 1: long term memory is based on the formation of several proteins. 692 00:36:46,520 --> 00:36:48,799 Speaker 1: These proteins are part of the consolidation process that you 693 00:36:48,840 --> 00:36:52,200 Speaker 1: spoke of, and that occurs when a person learns something new. 694 00:36:52,520 --> 00:36:56,240 Speaker 1: Remembering something causes the memory to become unstable for short 695 00:36:56,320 --> 00:37:00,239 Speaker 1: amount of time, only to recover through another consolidation process, 696 00:37:00,360 --> 00:37:03,160 Speaker 1: which is what you just talked about. So these researchers 697 00:37:04,080 --> 00:37:07,640 Speaker 1: had test subjects look at neutral images, yes, and then 698 00:37:07,640 --> 00:37:11,000 Speaker 1: they shocked with the Jesus at home. This is crazy, 699 00:37:11,040 --> 00:37:12,480 Speaker 1: but yes they did it. And the reason they did 700 00:37:12,480 --> 00:37:15,560 Speaker 1: that is because they needed them to associate these images 701 00:37:15,719 --> 00:37:17,799 Speaker 1: with a memory. Right, so they would see like an 702 00:37:17,840 --> 00:37:20,040 Speaker 1: image of maybe at an elephant holding a switch blade, 703 00:37:20,280 --> 00:37:22,440 Speaker 1: and then they would they would become shocked. It's like whoa. 704 00:37:22,520 --> 00:37:24,799 Speaker 1: So now, of course the idea is that you see 705 00:37:24,800 --> 00:37:27,520 Speaker 1: an image of an elephant holding a switchblade again, you're 706 00:37:27,520 --> 00:37:30,040 Speaker 1: gonna you're gonna react because it's it's associated with a 707 00:37:30,080 --> 00:37:32,759 Speaker 1: shock to your system. You'll have a fearful memory. Right. 708 00:37:33,440 --> 00:37:36,359 Speaker 1: So now they divided the groups and this is where 709 00:37:36,400 --> 00:37:39,719 Speaker 1: they started to try the consolidation process and figure out 710 00:37:39,760 --> 00:37:43,279 Speaker 1: if they could game the system a little bit. And 711 00:37:43,360 --> 00:37:47,720 Speaker 1: the first group, their consolidation process was disrupted through multiple 712 00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:51,719 Speaker 1: presentations of the picture, while the excuse me, the consolidation 713 00:37:51,760 --> 00:37:55,920 Speaker 1: process of the second group wasn't interrupted. And so what 714 00:37:56,000 --> 00:37:58,400 Speaker 1: they did though, is that after this process, the picture 715 00:37:58,480 --> 00:38:02,239 Speaker 1: was shown to the group again. So what they discovered 716 00:38:02,880 --> 00:38:06,200 Speaker 1: is that the group that had their consolidation process inhibited, 717 00:38:07,000 --> 00:38:11,000 Speaker 1: the fear that was previously associated with the picture completely dissipated. 718 00:38:11,800 --> 00:38:15,200 Speaker 1: And then what they found them is that the consolidation process, 719 00:38:15,719 --> 00:38:19,480 Speaker 1: when it is interrupted, than the memory no longer can 720 00:38:19,560 --> 00:38:23,120 Speaker 1: incite fear. So what they did is that to corroborate this, 721 00:38:23,239 --> 00:38:26,080 Speaker 1: they used m r I scanner and that showed that 722 00:38:26,120 --> 00:38:29,000 Speaker 1: the remains of that particular fear memory had also been 723 00:38:29,000 --> 00:38:31,920 Speaker 1: erased from the nuclear group of the amygdala. And we 724 00:38:32,040 --> 00:38:34,520 Speaker 1: know the amygdala process is fear. So yeah, so just 725 00:38:34,560 --> 00:38:38,160 Speaker 1: another step forward towards this possible future where we can 726 00:38:38,200 --> 00:38:41,839 Speaker 1: go back and systematically erased memories, but certainly more near 727 00:38:41,960 --> 00:38:46,200 Speaker 1: term gives us a lot more AMMO towards treating traumatic memories. Um, 728 00:38:46,239 --> 00:38:49,840 Speaker 1: you know, kind of like a more enlightened version of 729 00:38:50,239 --> 00:38:52,479 Speaker 1: confronting your fear. Is that kind of a thing, because 730 00:38:52,480 --> 00:38:54,600 Speaker 1: certainly when you confront of fear, you were taking it 731 00:38:54,600 --> 00:38:57,440 Speaker 1: out of the cabinet, holding in your hands, and it 732 00:38:57,520 --> 00:39:02,080 Speaker 1: is susceptible to change to to to to altering uh, 733 00:39:02,280 --> 00:39:04,839 Speaker 1: what the memory exactly is and ultimately how we feel 734 00:39:04,840 --> 00:39:08,319 Speaker 1: about it. And I feel like this also underscores a 735 00:39:08,360 --> 00:39:11,040 Speaker 1: bit of about what we talked about in two thousand 736 00:39:11,080 --> 00:39:14,520 Speaker 1: and twelve, is this idea of consciousness, and certainly consciousness 737 00:39:14,600 --> 00:39:17,640 Speaker 1: is made of memories and experiences and we talked about 738 00:39:17,640 --> 00:39:22,200 Speaker 1: the failibility of this um idea that consciousness could be um, 739 00:39:22,400 --> 00:39:24,960 Speaker 1: something that is solid and sturdy, when in fact we 740 00:39:25,000 --> 00:39:28,600 Speaker 1: know that things like this memory um can really color 741 00:39:29,320 --> 00:39:32,239 Speaker 1: ah the feeling of that consciousness that day, and that 742 00:39:32,280 --> 00:39:36,560 Speaker 1: feeling makes us who we are right. So again interesting 743 00:39:36,600 --> 00:39:40,240 Speaker 1: to see how much of our brain this plasticity lends 744 00:39:40,239 --> 00:39:43,960 Speaker 1: itself to more of an unstable quality, or rather a 745 00:39:44,040 --> 00:39:46,560 Speaker 1: changeable quality of our brains. And this leads us to 746 00:39:46,560 --> 00:39:50,239 Speaker 1: another interesting bit of science that it also drives on 747 00:39:50,320 --> 00:39:53,600 Speaker 1: this idea that who we are the human experience itself 748 00:39:53,680 --> 00:39:55,640 Speaker 1: is not quite what we often think it is what 749 00:39:55,719 --> 00:39:57,960 Speaker 1: we take it for granted to be. And this of 750 00:39:58,000 --> 00:40:03,120 Speaker 1: course concerns toxic plasmosis now taxoplasmosis, which in brief we're 751 00:40:03,120 --> 00:40:05,920 Speaker 1: talking about the cat parasite. You know, the idea that 752 00:40:06,200 --> 00:40:08,320 Speaker 1: you're you're cleaning out the cat's litter box. You're a 753 00:40:08,360 --> 00:40:11,360 Speaker 1: little too handy in there, you know, you start confusing 754 00:40:11,360 --> 00:40:14,040 Speaker 1: with the sandbox. You can potentially pick up some of 755 00:40:14,040 --> 00:40:16,680 Speaker 1: this this parasite. It goes through your body. It alters 756 00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:20,560 Speaker 1: your mind because the idea is that this parasite has 757 00:40:20,760 --> 00:40:23,560 Speaker 1: been pooped out of the cat wants to get inside 758 00:40:23,560 --> 00:40:25,200 Speaker 1: of the rat, and then once it is in, the 759 00:40:25,280 --> 00:40:27,719 Speaker 1: rat wants to return to the cat. And so how 760 00:40:27,719 --> 00:40:29,319 Speaker 1: do you get a rat to return to the cat? 761 00:40:30,080 --> 00:40:32,080 Speaker 1: It sounds like I'm doing some sort of Sousian thing here, 762 00:40:32,160 --> 00:40:33,600 Speaker 1: But how do you get the rat to return to 763 00:40:33,600 --> 00:40:35,600 Speaker 1: the cat? Well, you you sort of hack the rat's 764 00:40:35,640 --> 00:40:38,480 Speaker 1: brain to make it and take more risks to make 765 00:40:38,480 --> 00:40:41,160 Speaker 1: it crave cat urine, that kind of thing, so that 766 00:40:41,239 --> 00:40:43,400 Speaker 1: it could put itself in a position to be eaten 767 00:40:43,400 --> 00:40:45,600 Speaker 1: by the cat and return and finish its life cycle. 768 00:40:46,040 --> 00:40:48,440 Speaker 1: So this has been in the news for a while. 769 00:40:48,800 --> 00:40:50,719 Speaker 1: There's like a bunch of stuff about it back in 770 00:40:50,760 --> 00:40:54,920 Speaker 1: two thousand nine, um and stuff before that. Scientists continue 771 00:40:54,920 --> 00:40:58,399 Speaker 1: to study it because it's a it's a remarkable organism. Uh, 772 00:40:58,440 --> 00:41:01,839 Speaker 1: and it obviously give and the how many domestic cats 773 00:41:01,880 --> 00:41:06,319 Speaker 1: out there. It has a huge impact on human culture. Yeah, 774 00:41:06,480 --> 00:41:09,080 Speaker 1: And the fact that that this parasite could disconnect the 775 00:41:09,200 --> 00:41:13,640 Speaker 1: fear part of the brain in rats was terrifying but 776 00:41:13,760 --> 00:41:16,480 Speaker 1: also made some people step back and say, to what 777 00:41:16,600 --> 00:41:21,279 Speaker 1: extent does the parasite operate in a human being? So 778 00:41:21,360 --> 00:41:23,480 Speaker 1: it keeps coming back in the in the news because 779 00:41:23,680 --> 00:41:26,239 Speaker 1: on one level, we continue to research it so and 780 00:41:26,440 --> 00:41:29,680 Speaker 1: every now and then there are some new findings. But 781 00:41:29,719 --> 00:41:32,360 Speaker 1: then it's also it's it's like those weird emails that 782 00:41:32,440 --> 00:41:35,719 Speaker 1: your mother or your your your uncle sends you, you know, 783 00:41:35,719 --> 00:41:38,000 Speaker 1: where it will be something crazy and you're like, come on, dude, 784 00:41:38,000 --> 00:41:40,440 Speaker 1: just look it up on Snopes. It's not true, but 785 00:41:40,440 --> 00:41:42,680 Speaker 1: but get but people keep sending them because it connects 786 00:41:42,680 --> 00:41:45,000 Speaker 1: with them instantly, Like you know, if you get the 787 00:41:45,000 --> 00:41:46,680 Speaker 1: one like Mars will be as big as the moon 788 00:41:46,719 --> 00:41:50,400 Speaker 1: and the earth sky. Uh this weekend? Have you received 789 00:41:50,400 --> 00:41:53,759 Speaker 1: this one? It goes out periodically and of course it's 790 00:41:53,760 --> 00:41:56,520 Speaker 1: completely nuts. There's no way that that happens, um not 791 00:41:56,560 --> 00:42:00,920 Speaker 1: without just just catastrophic you know of professions. Yeah, it's 792 00:42:00,920 --> 00:42:04,000 Speaker 1: just it's not gonna happen. But but it affects us 793 00:42:04,000 --> 00:42:05,960 Speaker 1: in a way. You know, we're like, oh wow, that's 794 00:42:05,960 --> 00:42:09,160 Speaker 1: gonna be really crazy. That's really gonna affect me personally. 795 00:42:09,719 --> 00:42:12,200 Speaker 1: I'm interested in sending this on. So when this story 796 00:42:12,200 --> 00:42:13,560 Speaker 1: has come out about the cat, is like, well, I 797 00:42:13,600 --> 00:42:15,719 Speaker 1: have a cat or my mom as a cat, uh, 798 00:42:15,760 --> 00:42:18,120 Speaker 1: and that the parasites in that cat could be changing 799 00:42:18,120 --> 00:42:20,640 Speaker 1: the way she thinks. I mean it, it has this 800 00:42:20,719 --> 00:42:23,960 Speaker 1: impact on our lives, and it involves cats, so of 801 00:42:24,000 --> 00:42:26,920 Speaker 1: course we're gonna be crazy about it. Yeah, And the 802 00:42:27,640 --> 00:42:29,960 Speaker 1: takeaway from this is not that if you have a 803 00:42:30,000 --> 00:42:32,600 Speaker 1: cat you are probably crazy, or that they're going to 804 00:42:32,760 --> 00:42:34,799 Speaker 1: some the parasite is going to make you crazy. That 805 00:42:34,880 --> 00:42:38,279 Speaker 1: is not the takeaway. The takeaway is that the parasite 806 00:42:38,480 --> 00:42:41,799 Speaker 1: and it's just still research that's being done, it does 807 00:42:41,840 --> 00:42:46,480 Speaker 1: seem to have some changes in personality in humans and 808 00:42:46,880 --> 00:42:51,359 Speaker 1: biologists Yaroslav Flaggers as actually the person who spoke about 809 00:42:51,400 --> 00:42:55,680 Speaker 1: this at length, and um, this was in an Atlantic article, 810 00:42:55,840 --> 00:43:00,319 Speaker 1: how Your Cat Is Making You Crazy by Kathleen mccalf um. Again, 811 00:43:00,320 --> 00:43:02,120 Speaker 1: the cat's not making you crazy, but that's the title 812 00:43:02,160 --> 00:43:05,080 Speaker 1: of the article that goes into more detail about this. 813 00:43:05,880 --> 00:43:08,400 Speaker 1: But what it really points to is that, you know, 814 00:43:08,520 --> 00:43:12,600 Speaker 1: at some point, we're all being gained by microscopic puppeteers 815 00:43:12,920 --> 00:43:15,719 Speaker 1: at some level. And I wanted to point to a 816 00:43:15,760 --> 00:43:18,920 Speaker 1: study at Colorado State University that showed that when subjects 817 00:43:18,920 --> 00:43:23,840 Speaker 1: were given a flu vaccination which stoked the subjects immune response, 818 00:43:24,560 --> 00:43:27,240 Speaker 1: they doubled the amount of people they came into contact 819 00:43:27,680 --> 00:43:31,840 Speaker 1: with during the time that they were maximally contagious. So Again, 820 00:43:31,880 --> 00:43:34,480 Speaker 1: here's this idea that people when they had this flu 821 00:43:34,640 --> 00:43:37,759 Speaker 1: vaccine and when they are contagious, we're a lot more 822 00:43:37,840 --> 00:43:42,160 Speaker 1: social than they would normally be. Um, is this the 823 00:43:42,520 --> 00:43:46,000 Speaker 1: flu that is actually gaming them to do this, to 824 00:43:46,239 --> 00:43:51,160 Speaker 1: change their personality? And that's the question that that biologists 825 00:43:51,200 --> 00:43:53,640 Speaker 1: are trying to get to, is to what extent do 826 00:43:53,760 --> 00:43:58,399 Speaker 1: parasites and bacteria change the way we think? Yeah? Yeah, 827 00:43:58,480 --> 00:44:01,480 Speaker 1: ultimately this the part about the story is not that 828 00:44:01,560 --> 00:44:04,200 Speaker 1: toxoplasmosis is having the impact on who we are and 829 00:44:04,239 --> 00:44:07,200 Speaker 1: how we think, but that it drives home how many 830 00:44:07,239 --> 00:44:08,960 Speaker 1: things have an impact on who we are and how 831 00:44:09,000 --> 00:44:11,640 Speaker 1: we think. And again, who we are, how we think, 832 00:44:11,680 --> 00:44:14,680 Speaker 1: the human mind, it's not set in stone. It's affected 833 00:44:14,680 --> 00:44:17,760 Speaker 1: by so many different variables and uh and and science 834 00:44:17,760 --> 00:44:20,160 Speaker 1: has a wonderful way of revealing that to us. And 835 00:44:20,160 --> 00:44:21,960 Speaker 1: if I were David Eagleman and I was sitting in 836 00:44:22,000 --> 00:44:24,200 Speaker 1: here in my fancy jeans and my cool coat, I 837 00:44:24,200 --> 00:44:27,520 Speaker 1: would probably say, which leads us to ask the question 838 00:44:28,440 --> 00:44:31,200 Speaker 1: do we really have free will if all of these 839 00:44:31,200 --> 00:44:33,719 Speaker 1: agents are acting upon us? He doesn't talk like that, 840 00:44:33,760 --> 00:44:36,759 Speaker 1: but I'm being him, so all right, So there you 841 00:44:36,760 --> 00:44:38,719 Speaker 1: have it. That is not all the science that took 842 00:44:38,719 --> 00:44:41,359 Speaker 1: place in twelve finny stretch of the imagination. But those 843 00:44:41,360 --> 00:44:44,400 Speaker 1: are some of the big stories, uh, and you you 844 00:44:44,880 --> 00:44:46,080 Speaker 1: may have heard of most of them, you may have 845 00:44:46,120 --> 00:44:49,040 Speaker 1: heard of all of them. Uh. But this is just 846 00:44:49,080 --> 00:44:52,240 Speaker 1: about rewinding, looking back at what happened, and then looking 847 00:44:52,480 --> 00:44:54,959 Speaker 1: looking ahead to where we're going in the future. So 848 00:44:55,680 --> 00:44:57,800 Speaker 1: if you have any feedback on any of that, if 849 00:44:57,800 --> 00:45:00,759 Speaker 1: there was a particular story that that we we didn't cover, 850 00:45:00,880 --> 00:45:03,360 Speaker 1: do you think was really key? I don't know, maybe 851 00:45:03,560 --> 00:45:06,000 Speaker 1: you know, we should have talked more about record meltdowns 852 00:45:06,040 --> 00:45:10,080 Speaker 1: of Arctic sea ice, uh, record high temperatures or you 853 00:45:10,120 --> 00:45:12,600 Speaker 1: know what have you? Uh let us know. You can 854 00:45:12,640 --> 00:45:15,920 Speaker 1: find us on Twitter, where we are blow the Mind. 855 00:45:15,960 --> 00:45:18,839 Speaker 1: You can find us on Facebook and Tumblr. We're We're 856 00:45:18,880 --> 00:45:21,200 Speaker 1: stuff to blow your mind on both of those and 857 00:45:21,360 --> 00:45:23,319 Speaker 1: you can always drop us a line at blow the 858 00:45:23,360 --> 00:45:32,440 Speaker 1: Mind at Discovery dot com for more on this and 859 00:45:32,520 --> 00:45:35,040 Speaker 1: thousands of other topics. Is that how Stuff Works dot 860 00:45:35,120 --> 00:45:39,960 Speaker 1: com