Tell Me Something You Don't Know
A podcast where we explore curiosities without credentials. Presented to you by your factually adjacent hosts: Maddie & Sarah
Tell Me Something You Don't Know
No Music, No Festival, Just Dancing
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Welcome to Tell Me Something You Don't Know, where we explore curiosities without credentials. We're your factually adjacent hosts, Maddie and Sarah. Every week we exchange random topics with just enough research to keep things interesting and slightly accurate. So lower your bars and let's learn something you never knew you wanted to know.
Hello and welcome to Tell Me Something You Don't Know, where we tell each other things we don't know anything about. Yep, that's right. Not a lick. That's it. Not a lick. Literally didn't know this was a thing until I looked it up this morning.
SPEAKER_00And it's all very lightly researched. So don't, you know, take it to the bank.
SPEAKER_01Uh maybe Don't try and deposit it. It might get rejected. You might get arrested for fraud. Yeah, exactly. Like really slander. I don't know. Just don't use it. Use it as an icebreaker in a nice, you know, casual environment, maybe. And know and understand that someone in the room likely knows more accurate information around the topic you're speaking about. Absolutely. But you're still firing off a conversation starter, so it's a win-win, in my opinion. Agreed. Welcome to Tell Me Something You Don't Know, where we explore curiosities without credentials. We're your factually adjacent hosts, Maddie and Sarah. Every week we exchange random topics with just enough research to keep things interesting and slightly accurate. So lower your bars and let's learn something you never knew you wanted to know.
SPEAKER_00Do we have to? I guess we should also. Okay, so little tidbit on us, we're sisters.
SPEAKER_01The people we're new at this, clearly. You can't tell. We are clearly a very good. We're in the beginning stages of figuring all this out. We are sisters, we're long-distance sisters, though. We do not live in the same place. Uh so this is really just a fun project for us to keep in touch, touch base weekly. Um have an excuse to talk. Yeah, exactly. About random shit. Educate ourselves a little bit. Um I don't know. I wouldn't go that far. We have fun. So we're hoping that you have fun with us. I'm a little worried that you're gonna set the bar real high and and you never need to worry about that. I think one of my superpowers is setting the bar real low. Okay, okay. I think I encourage and bring others up by setting the bar low. Okay, I can go first. I'm gonna like set the stage for you a little bit. Okay, all right. I'm gonna do that. So we're gonna pretend that it is a really hot summer day and we're transporting ourselves back to 1518. Oh, I feel like I need to like close my eyes. Yeah, set the scene. Okay, yeah. And also, we are in Strasbourg, and today it's France, but back then it was part of the Holy Roman Empire, which sounds very serious. Wow. Yeah. Life's not like it's not a great time. We're dealing with famine, disease, like indoor plumbing has clearly not been created. So, like, things are a little dirty, like, no disrespect, but like, you know, modern day amenities are not available. And people are just trying to, they're trying to find their way in the world. Like, they're a little bit bogged down with superstition and fear, just with people, you know, dying uh in masses all around them. Okay, with a moment's notice. And we don't know why. We're just trying to figure it out. We're like, why is this happening? So one hot July day, a woman named Frau Fro Fro, that sucks, but I can't do better. So this is just gonna be the way it goes. Fro F-R-A-U, Trophia. Anywho, she just walks into the street and she just begins to dance. No, yes, no, I can't believe it. Yes, I'm here to support it. Absolutely incredible. No music, no festival, just dancing. And so hours go by and then days, and she just can't stop. She cannot stop dancing, and by the end of the week, 30 other people are moving with her, they are dancing with her within a month. Hundreds are caught in this strange frenzy. Oh my goodness. And so while we feel like maybe that sounds like a good reaction to just being like, listen, I've had enough. My family is dying, my friends are dying. We can't, we don't have food, we don't know what to do. I'm just gonna dance. While in theory it sounds like a good escape, yeah, I'm gonna tell you a little bit more that might lead you to believe that maybe it wasn't. Oh god, this is gonna get grim, I think. So I'm gonna tell you about the dancing plague of 1518. Oh my gosh. What? I'm so invested right now. Okay, so it all starts with Frau. I'm gonna say fro because I'm putting an R on the end. Don't know why, because there isn't one. Okay. Frau Trophia. So she's dancing for a week, and it seems like she cannot stop. Like she wasn't smiling, she wasn't laughing. It's not like she was just like, listen, I'm throwing, like, I'm gonna dance with abandon, and I'm gonna like pick my my spirits up.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_01Eyewitnesses said that it looked painful, exhausted, desperate, and her body just kept moving. It just kept moving. Like day and night? Did she take respite? What was no, she didn't. To my understanding, which is very minimal, she just danced throughout time. Neighbors would like come and watch. Obviously, they're like, What's going on with Frau over there? Like, what's she up to? She's just dancing in the streets, and like we don't have phones or TV to distract us, we don't have any entertainment. Let's go check and see what that is all about. Obviously, some of them judged her because we are human beings and that's how it goes. And then others felt bad. They were like, oh no, this is embarrassing, and I feel bad about this. What is happening? But then something strange happened. One by one, people began to join in, and it almost didn't seem willingly, it was almost like something was drawing them in. Oh my god, is this about to get sinister? Like I am. We you just wait and see. So it was almost like they were compelled, perhaps. Okay, yeah. Just like as an observer, me not being the observer, just getting eyewitness statements from 1518. So a while back. Uh a a skip hop and a jump back into history. Right. So by the end of the first week, there were 30 people who were caught in the same trance-like dance. And so that was in July. And then by August, the number had exploded to about 400 people. So men, women, young, old, and reports say many of the dancers screamed in pain as they moved. So, like, it's not like it's a festival and everyone's having a good time, and we're like, party on, like, let's let's keep the good times going. Like, people are just like sad, and it's almost like they're just expressing it in their bodies. They're just like, let's just like get it out. Some people begged for help. This is a pretty dark story. I'm just realizing as I'm talking. And I try I hoodwinked you at the beginning because it did sound nice. Some begged for help, but they couldn't stop their limbs. Like they they danced until their shoes were soaked with blood, until bones showed through. So that's that was just like an eyewitness. And I feel like people were more like they weren't just like, oh yeah, they were dancing and they were clearly in pain. I think people like were more descriptive back in the day, but also that's just maybe self-preservation of how terrible this is. I mean, because truly, until bones showed through is so specific.
SPEAKER_03God.
SPEAKER_01So some even dropped dead from exhaustion, strokes, and heart failure. Because it's like in the middle of the summer as well, right? Oh my goodness. And they're dancing for forever. So, like the combination is not good.
SPEAKER_00Well, yeah. Like, I get tired after, like, if when you're at a wedding and two good songs in a row come on, I'm like, oh God, I like I don't know if I can make it.
SPEAKER_01So we're talking like months in the heat. Just like months in the heat. Cause it's like, okay, yeah, it's just not good. It's not a good scene. It's not a good scene. Also, back in the day, we're thinking, okay, well, we have to problem solve this situation. We got 400 people begging for help, dancing seemingly in the streets, in pain, bones are showing through. It's not a good time. So the city officials are like, okay, well, what are we gonna do about this? Like, we can't just have people like continue, they're not stopping, obviously. Like, they are committed to this. So the local council decided the cure was to let them dance, dance it out. So they they hired musicians and open guide halls uh and even built a stage. They were just like, let's lean into it. Like if their bodies just want to dance, let's like help them release it. This is which I mean, I can't say. I mean, if you if you are truly you're in a small town, I'm assuming, regardless in a in a medieval situation where you're like, okay, well, we haven't encountered this before, mostly just pit pockets and like your standard concerns, and then all of a sudden you just got 400 people dancing in the streets. I can't say that like I wouldn't come up with the same solution. Like, what are you gonna do otherwise? That's very true. Is it the right thing to do? Maybe not, but like, what else are you going to do? It's not like you have like this massive development in science, and like, you know, you hire a loot player, you get his little ass up on stage, and you get him to lean into it and provide the people some music. So maybe it's not so sad, at least. But uh instead of curing the plague, it really just made things worse. The music only drove more people into the frenzy and get kind of drawn in. So the whole outbreak lasted about two months and then it just stopped. No one knows how or why. The records kind of just like fade away, leaving us with this terrifying mystery of like what on earth happened. Oh my goodness. Well, we're gonna go over some theories because obviously this is like a phenomenon. Is it phenomena or phenomenon? Obviously. Phenomenon, past tense, I think. Phenomena is like happening right now. Yeah, I think so. Listen, you said it with conviction and therefore I believe you. It was a phenomenon, and people obviously are like, what happened there? Just stumbling across like ancient scripture, just being like, wait, sorry, they danced. So obviously, historians and scientists who have studied it have come up with a handful of theories. Okay. So, first of all, before I dive into those, what do you what are your theories? What do you think?
SPEAKER_00Oh my gosh. I mean, I really don't know. I it sounded sinister to me, but like we can't really fact check that ever. And the reason I think sinister, well, it seems possessive, obviously, but then also the movie Bump ba da bum Midsummer. Oh yeah, I know, I know you don't. I just only recently saw that for the first time.
SPEAKER_01But uh yeah, wild, wow, wowie. So many different disturbing parts for so many different reasons, reasons. Start to finish. Start to finish. Yes, and there is a scene that I feel is like inspired by this. It's probably not, but the difference is, yeah, like I mean, they are smiling when they're dancing in that movie, and we we won't give anything away here, but there is a dance scene, and it does seem out of control to an extent. I think there's lots of things out of control in that movie.
SPEAKER_00We're sure. So I'm just like, and that movie is all about, I don't even I mean, anyway, I I'm not sure.
SPEAKER_01Sinister is what comes to mind first, but then I'm like, okay, is it I can't think of any like disease or like thing historically that like Which is so funny because then if you think about it, but obviously when something happens to us and we it hasn't happened in the past or we haven't experienced it and you don't have access to the internet or like other people's opinions and all these different things, you're just like left to make up assumptions. And I feel like of course to like label it sinister is not only the easiest, but it's also something that you're just sort of like, okay, yes, let's chalk it up to that. It's done now. Hopefully it doesn't happen again. Like, there's you know what I mean? Like it's just sort of like we can package that up in a box and away it goes.
SPEAKER_00Yes, exactly. So I feel like that would be because even if even if there was uncontrollable dancing that like people just start to dance, surely if it was something related to like uh like spasms, I don't know, something to do with the body, you would still your body would still also tell you, like, okay, like that was 48 hours of dancing. So you're gonna stop now because you're about to die. But that wasn't even happening. So I'm like, what a strange way to kill off part of the society by just letting them shake down with a band.
SPEAKER_01Like, I don't know. But like it wouldn't even have been them that did that to them. It was like them trying to like man it. Like, how do we even what do we do about this? Cause like you have free will technically, you can stop at any point. We do, but wouldn't you wouldn't you like let's imagine friends and family of ours are doing this?
SPEAKER_00Like, and you can they're their bones are starting to break, they're exhausted, they're going till death. Like, I think I would probably pull one aside and be like, here's the thought.
SPEAKER_01Seriously, let's stop now. Let's stop now. You're not gonna prove yourself to anybody. I don't know what this is, but you're about to die. Your bones are showing through your shoes. Like, yeah, like let's reassess the situation. Let's pause. Yeah, like I just feel like people so people weren't stopping them or couldn't stop them, and I guess that's the creepiest. I'm like drawn into it. It's so funny because when you okay, have you seen a lot of leadership courses have this video where it is a man who just starts dancing wildly. They're at a concert though, like they're at an outdoor festival, so a lot different, but like he starts dancing wildly and everyone else is just sort of sitting around him, and then like one by one, people join in and it ends up being a good time. So it's like this whole leadership thing where the thought is, you know, like someone needs to be the first to stand up and like act boldly and bravely and all of these different things, which is like, and then people join in. But if you think about it in a terrible way, I suppose it could also happen, but it's just still like again, it's like it's not like she wanted to do it almost, it just she was doing it. Yeah. Over to your theories, I need to know other people's ideas. Let's see, let's see. So, first up is ergot poisoning. So, ergot is a fungus that grows on rye bread and produces chemicals similar to LSD.
SPEAKER_03Fun tip.
SPEAKER_01That seems most plausible. So far, first line, I'm bought into that theory. Like, yes, obviously. Eating it can cause hallucinations, convulsions. I was gonna say convolutions, but that's absolutely not correct. Convulsions and spasms, and it's been blamed for everything from witch hunts uh to madness in the Middle Ages. So I guess this like rye bread fungus was really tripping people out, and nobody's like, Well, what did you eat? Well, I had that, like, I had that rye bread that's growing green shit on it. Like, maybe that's the reason.
SPEAKER_00What a tough time to be alive. I mean, like, really.
SPEAKER_01Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Like, you can't, like, you're just labeled like psychotic or burned at the stakes.
SPEAKER_01And you're like, I just had a piece of bad bread. My bad. Like, wow, should we take a minute? And so, like, on the surface, this fits, but like the problem with ergot is that it usually causes seizures and vomiting, not months of dancing. So, like, maybe, maybe, but also, and maybe who knows? Maybe the movement or something moved it through their system in a weird way, or like yeah, like maybe we don't know. The chemicals were paired with something else that was going around at the time. Adrenaline gets it, and then it's like it does. Who knows? But for months, my God. But then wait, my other, yes, my other question is really fast that like surely you're not just like dancing and eating rye bread at the same time. You wouldn't you wouldn't think, but maybe everybody was like, oh my gosh, we gotta get these people some bread. They are just dancing. Or they need food, and all we have is this like dry gross rye bread. So we just give it to them and they can keep dancing. Madison, that is super smart. Cause I was just like, no, that's I mean, you know, obviously that would have worked at other systems, but you also can't dance for two months straight and not die. Like you have to eat and drink water. So, like maybe they're just microdosing this whole time or macro dosing the whole time. Second theory is mass hysteria, or what is now called mass psychogenic illness. So, this is when stress, trauma, and belief spread physical symptoms through a community. And just a reminder, this they were going through brutal famine, disease, and high taxes, which like oh yeah, fair enough. We know a thing or two about high taxes. Okay, I mean it's like people are just stressed, they're they're at their breaking point, and if one woman collapses into dance, others could have been just pulled in from like a psychological, like, I'm broken. I guess this is the next path. Like, here's here's where we go next. Yeah, I mean, true. Okay, interesting. Cool. And then the third, I feel like an obvious one is religion. So, like at the time, people deeply believed in saints and curses. Saint Vitus in particular was thought to punish sinners with uncontrollable dance fits. So, like, that's incredibly specific. Wow. So, like, if you have this knowledge as well, it's like obviously this is what's happening. Pilgrimages to his shrine were a common cure. So, which is insane because to say there's a common cure means that it's common that people just are in dance fits. So, I don't know how accurate that is or how many dance fit situations there were. But I guess the cure was to do a pilgrimage to his shrine. Well, I mean, religion historically has really there's some power behind religion in terms of movements, obviously. For sure. But I mean it also if you were trying to make sense of what's going on, it's like, yeah, okay. Like yeah, yeah. Like if you're just desperate for like a reasoning, then it'd be like this has gotta be it. I mean, listen, if you're gonna blame a mushroom that grows on bread, no reason, you can't blame St. Vitus as well. Like let's, you know. Okay, and then fourth is neurological or medical explanation. So some suggest d disease like Huntington's or epilepsy, which can cause jerky movements, but again, those are obviously individual conditions and not something that suddenly sweeps through 400 people all at once over the span of two months and then comes to a close.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, that so far that one's a no for me. I like no way, no way. That's it would have to be a combination. It would have to be like this thr, thr, fur woman had epilepsy, and then like in solidarity, people were like, Well, all right.
SPEAKER_01This is what this is what sadness looks like, and we're sad. So, like here we go. Epilepsy doesn't hit people in a wave, like, oh, I touched you, you might have epilepsy now. That's not how that works. Totally. So obviously, this is like eerie and odd, but like it does feel strangely familiar in that like we see this where like one person might do something out of character or in a group setting, and then people just kind of join in and then afterwards are like, whoo, that got away from us. Like, whoops, it feels like wildfire. It really escalated. So, like, just again, kind of leaning into like the human condition, and there has been other things like this, like in 1962, and I contemplated not mentioning this because I'm like, maybe I could just do a whole thing of like random outbursts of but I'm just gonna say it because there's so many so much content in the human experience to just chat about. But in 1962, in Tanzania, hundreds of schoolgirls broke out in uncontrollable laughter that spread for months. And in the 2000s, there's actually, I think, a Netflix series on this. Perhaps I I think. Anyways, I saw it on TV one time. Um, in the 2000s, there was a fainting epidemic swept through schools where like girls just all of a sudden started like fainting. And having sudden ticks and like all of these different like tourette like symptoms. And like they couldn't figure out what it was. They were just like, well, we don't like what we don't know. And again, that's like in the 2000s. So we're still trying to figure out why we do what we do. Yeah, that is interesting. The strength of community, you know? The strength of community. Your body subconsciously like feeding into something that you don't even realize until you turn around and pause and we're like, whoa, that got out of hand. That's my story about it's not my story. It's just one that I butchered after looking it up on the internet of the dancing plague of 1518.
SPEAKER_00Okay, that's so fascinating to me. One question I do have, and maybe you don't know the answer, but like, did she survive?
SPEAKER_01And she's still alive today. And there we have the answer. Yeah, I have no idea if I can install long enough and draw my words out. We would know that we actually don't know for sure if she did survive. She danced for about four to six days straight before being carted off to a shrine dedicated to Saint Vitus. So, like obviously, that was a solution where authorities hoped prayer would cure her. And then after that, her name just disappeared from the records. So she really just kind of came in, dropped a grenade, and then was like, bye bye. I've lost it six days. I'm out of here. So wow, that's just like I'm just thinking of like a scene in a movie. Oh yeah, it would be a good one. Yeah, like a dark, like road that that with like cobblestone from the times where it's like dark, very little sunlight never quite happens. Daytime is never really a thing, it's always nighttime-ish. Yeah, yeah. That's ooh, lots of fog. Based on a true story, which is wild to me.
SPEAKER_00Wow, Sarah, that was a good one. Nice. I hate going second.
SPEAKER_01I'm so excited. I'm excited for you to either do very well or bomb either way on pump, and I'm here for it. In my defense, it has been a crazy couple of weeks at work, and I you don't need to justify yourself to me.
SPEAKER_00Well I really did go in too when I discussed like burials and and cremation.
SPEAKER_01I really dived into like a few several sources and took my time with that one. This one. Listen, it's gonna be it's good. We're it's an up-down, all-around situation. We are not if you come here for consistency, then we will fail you. We are not consistent at all. That's a really good point. That's why there's two of us doing this. Exactly. Chances are decent that one of us is gonna do something somewhat entertaining.
SPEAKER_00I'm gonna kick mine off with a question once again.
SPEAKER_01Okay, love that, love that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, so dinosaurs.
SPEAKER_01Talk to me.
SPEAKER_00So obviously, we we love dinosaurs, of course, because it's something that is so it feels very fictional, science fictional. Yet there is obviously endless proof that they did, in fact, exist.
SPEAKER_01Um I love also that you put a cough drop in your mouth before you started.
SPEAKER_00I really read that and I was gonna mention it as soon as I did it.
SPEAKER_01I was like, what a horrible idea. Um, you're like the whole story I'm telling could have had it in your mouth that whole time, but nope. You're like Madison's turn. Like, just pop this. He's a juicy little throat laws and gym.
SPEAKER_00I think literally this whole thing is based on sound.
SPEAKER_01I'm so sorry. I chewed it right up, it's gone now. Um shame you're right into that one.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. Okay, dinosaurs, yeah.
SPEAKER_01We love them.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, they're cool. I also don't, this has nothing to do with what I'm about to talk about.
SPEAKER_01But like my first love with dinosaurs, uh as I think many millennials would probably agree, would be Land Before Time. Oh, I thought you were gonna say Jurassic Park. Uh I feel like Land Before Time really scarred me. Well, the first one is so sad. Is that what you're doing? As I I don't even remember actually how it goes, assuming parents die, because that's just how all cartoons went for us. But yeah, I just remember, I just know today I wouldn't be like, oh my gosh, I want my boys to watch Land Before Time. Like, I feel like PTSD from it that I cannot pinpoint.
SPEAKER_00Okay, yeah. I mean, fair. Maybe you need to quietly watch it by by yourself and do a little about it. Um, I do think that like the story is like really, really lovely and it is about like friendship and family, but yeah, yes, it has to do with a parent, and I just I don't know. I I also remember being scarred, but if you recall, I watched that movie more than once a day. Yes, yes. So along with along with the year before Christmas.
SPEAKER_01Yes, which says a lot about you, I think.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I think so. I I feel like it makes me kind of cool.
SPEAKER_01I agree completely sidetracked. So dinosaurs, right?
SPEAKER_00We you know, we don't know exactly how long ago, but over 200 million years ago is when these bad boys existed. So long before we ever came around.
SPEAKER_01Is a for sure.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, yeah. So with that in mind, like that's a long time. And also, we were still um discovering different species and like different kinds of dinosaurs to this day.
SPEAKER_01But globally, all over the world, that we have found bones and it is confirmed that they existed, and that it was many, many, many, many, many, many, many years ago. Right. With that in mind, except for alligators, because those motherfuckers are definitely dinosaurs that live amongst us. But keep going. Okay, well, wow, what an incredibly kind comment. My question to you is literally my question to you is Is there an animal alive today that you think coexisted with dinosaurs? A chicken and an alligator. Okay, love that you said chicken, because I know why you said that. Now I'm gonna drop some knowledge for you. Very excited. You said chicken and crocodile. Yeah, or alligator. I mean, to me, they are one and the same. Yes. And you care enough. I know that that is not true, but I don't care to put the effort in to distinguish the two. No, that's fine. I also don't know the difference. I will say, as another side note, real fast, we'll try to not do this too much. I actually was surviving in Mexico in a cenote where there is like a friendly neighborhood nope, crocodile. Doesn't exist. They're they're always friendly until they until they're off. Until they're not. No. Yeah. I don't understand how people are so chill about alligators and crocodiles. I really don't. I I feel like people should be way more scared than like than they are.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, I agree. I agree. Particularly like Americans who live in like Florida, where like they're just hanging out or like in a little bit.
SPEAKER_01They're like, hey, I'm gonna swim in somewhere that there could listen, I won't swim in my river in my own backyard because I'm low-key. Like, but maybe, you know, it looks like an alligator or a crocodile could live in there. Yeah, I know it's fair. Actually, it does kind of look like that.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, this was he is little, so I don't know exactly if it's an alligator or a crocodile and what kind, but he's like a smaller guy, but like still several feet long, just not like the monster that you're probably envisioning.
SPEAKER_02Right.
SPEAKER_00And he really does keep to himself. And uh, like the woman I was diving with, she's like, I obviously like wouldn't put you in danger. And like, in fact, we're gonna go out of our way to try and find him because he's awesome. And I was like, Okay, well, I'm just gonna say less.
SPEAKER_01Yeah. So anyhood, that was a side story. So moving into 11 different creatures that coexisted with dinosaurs. Okay. Yeah. Oh, turtles. No, you said you do. You can't keep adding. Damn. You'll be quiet now, you.
SPEAKER_00Your first guess though is one on the list. So crocodile obviously yeah, resembles a dinosaur. Like, I mean, that one is kind of like it just makes sense. The world was full of dinosaurs 99 million years ago, but again, I think the number is more like 200 million years ago.
SPEAKER_01But we can agree we don't know shit about that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. But they so crocodiles 100% did live at the same time that dinosaurs did.
SPEAKER_01They have made a living on Earth for an estimated 240 million years. What do they do to make a living? What kind of what kind of jobs does do they have? How are they making money? I feel like as soon as I said that, I was like, that was my screw up, but it wasn't. That is how it is portrayed in this paragraph. And they made a living on Earth. So I'm not sure how they did it. Listen with their little briefcases. Homemade and their boots made of human skin, probably. Yeah, probably. Now I'm thinking about the cartoon. Yay, we're back. Do you remember that movie? And if not, absolutely not. I'm watching that with the boys at some point. That is a great movie. Oh, we're back. Okay, look it up after this. You're you'll see the thing and you'll be like, okay. Obviously. Great one. Okay. Okay, so they've made a living. Yes, they made a living.
SPEAKER_00Um, next is snakes. I also feel yeah, yeah. I'm just like, yeah, man.
SPEAKER_01And there's so many different kinds of snakes too, that I'm just like, maybe not the full plethora of species, but like a boa constrictor or an anaconda. Like something was around. That's a that's a that's a predator for sure. So, like, are these the cockroaches of the world? Is my question then? Because like if we think about they all went extinct except for like these 12.
SPEAKER_00Yeah. So the earliest known snake fossil dates back to 140, between 140 and 167 million years ago.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Okay, next is, and this one's cute. Bees. Okay. Yes. We need pollination. We do. This is a quote from this article. They're bee leaved to have first appeared during the Cretaceous period. I'm for sure, but during that. No, I think that's right. Based on nothing. Yeah. Perfect. You're my favorite person of Allah thing. Around the same time that the first flowering plants started to bloom. Yeah, that makes sense. Cause like we need bee, we need bees. So, like, obviously, the dinosaurs would have had to have some sort of a bee equivalent. Yes, exactly. Due to the poor fossil record of bees, we don't know for sure how these honey harvesting insects crossed the KT boundary, but a 2013 study of carpenter bees suggests that the bee populations suffered from a mass extinct extinction at some point as well.
SPEAKER_00So, anyways, interesting though, interesting, and I like that because I'm like, okay, I feel a lot of the things that do still exist today that existed back when dinosaurs did are not the cutest things. So here for the bee.
SPEAKER_01Throw a bee in. Throw a bee in.
SPEAKER_00The next, and I knew this one is sharks.
SPEAKER_01Okay. Yep. I would love to see a shark, but also would not want to be hard. I'd like to know that I'm diving down to go see a shark. Not like I'm diving on a reef and like, hey, heads up, there's a shark behind you. Or like you don't even know until they're like, what's up? Let me taste a little bit of this and see if it is yummy. Yeah. Yuck, it's not. Oops, sorry, punctured your lung. So that's where I'm kind of like, disagree. Yeah, yeah, it's true, true. Fair.
SPEAKER_00Okay, so this one's interesting too because I actually think so, like, again, not confirmed, but there are studies that say it's even possible that sharks existed before dinosaurs.
SPEAKER_01I've never really given thought to what's before dinosaurs. I know. What comes before dinosaurs? Sharks. Makes sense. The world started with sharks and it might be how it ends. I don't know. That is my fear that I didn't know I had until right now. So suspected to have been roaming the oceans for about 450 million years. What? That's like, isn't that like double the whoa. Yeah. Isn't that crazy? And they've survived four of the five big extinction events. Yeah, because I bet water is one of the biggest. Honestly, water really freaks me out.
SPEAKER_00I think that's a common fear for sure. I think it makes sense too, just because if you're like, well, we've explored pretty much all the land up here, but five percent of the ocean has been explored. It's like what so scary. Even with like this the equipment and technology and like science that we have today, you you as a human being, there are still limitations. And like, so what's down there that doesn't even come close to where we would be able to like observe.
SPEAKER_01And also in like an epidemic or like whatever it's called. What is it called? An extinction event. Yeah. You if water was involved, we we would all be there's no, you're not like, oh, it's fine, we'll just swim until we like figure it out. It's like no, sorry. Post-ice age shifts where like Noah's Ark is the only way we're getting through this alive. Yeah, I need to get my hands on an ark because this is a genuine fear I have in the middle of Canada living in the prairies. Could not be more landlocked. Well, there's lots of actually please be advised we are not landlocked. We actually have a ocean on our province. What? Yeah, that's right. The Hudson Bay. Oh. Which I guess is a bay, but it is attached to the ocean. It is salt water. Very interesting. Well, so just so you know, but yes, otherwise we're very flat and very land-oriented. Yes. There are a lot of lakes there though. But none with sharks and crocodiles and alligators.
SPEAKER_00None with sharks. Although now that you've mentioned the Hudson's Bay thing, there are several, several, several accounts of sharks ending up in freshwater um environments because of that. Because, like, even if it's like a longer river, a cenote is a good example as well. So cenotees are like underground river pathways in Mexico that are absolutely the most beautiful thing in the world ever. They're so beautiful. But they and a lot of them are, most of them are attached to the ocean, and sharks will actually come into the cenotees, not where people are hanging out, but the narrow pathways between ocean and cenote. There's like a lot of roots from plants that are on land come through the water and they create environments where like nests and like eggs are very, very protected. So they will come in and like lay their eggs and like dip out. But anyway, I don't know if it's true for Hudson's Bay. I'm gonna 100% Google that after this.
SPEAKER_01But like if there's any access to an ocean from a freshwater place, they can so technically it is saltwater, it's saltwater sea because it's connected directly to the Arctic Ocean and the Atlantic. And the only reason I know that is because I literally just Googled it. We're getting sidetracked here, but this is a this is I like the fun facts where like I didn't research it and I learned it through an experience. Totally. Anyway, if you're diving, if you're diving in an environment where there's both salt water and not saltwater, yeah. Fresh, you might say.
SPEAKER_00From what I just said.
SPEAKER_01Uh, but there is a word that starts with H, and it's like this reaction that happens between saltwater and freshwater when it meets.
SPEAKER_00So it won't happen in all bodies. It'll be generally where where literally the fresh water and the salt water like merging in that moment.
SPEAKER_01Right.
SPEAKER_00And creates a kind of feels like a hallucination and like a weird blurriness. Like if you know what was happening, you'd be like, I'm my sight is going and I'm underwater.
SPEAKER_01Oh no, that sounds terrifying. Yes, but it is cool. I did experience it when I was in one of the cenote's.
SPEAKER_00It's freshwater and salt water. And she had my diver person had like mentioned, she's like, You're gonna experience this. Just know that you're not like passing out or anything.
SPEAKER_01I'm like, oh I don't think anything sounds fun about diving, but I love that you love it. It is the most peaceful thing in the world. I feel like I'd be having a panic attack the whole time.
SPEAKER_00You might, but you you might surprise yourself because you have to be obviously the only thing you can really hear, except for like little things around you, is your br your breath. It's the only way that I can like really even notice my breath to the point where like I think meditation is what's supposed to happen. Like, I struggle with meditating effectively. Yeah. Uh, and I just find diving to be like so peaceful because you're like, wow. And you have to regulate your breath because like the more if you do it fast, then you will use up all your air quicker.
SPEAKER_01I'm having a panic attack, just thinking about needing to be aware of my breath and being in control and being like, don't go too fast because you might this, and don't go too slow because you might this. And then also get be aware of all of the animals that live in the water and are much faster than you, and probably are not used to seeing some weird little alien coming out of the area with bubbles flying all around. So I just don't think it's for me.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, you know what?
SPEAKER_01Fair enough. I don't think so either. And absolutely fair. You did just make it sound horrifying. Um so, anyways, that's sharks.
SPEAKER_00Very, very fascinating animal. I did know that they existed during the era of dinosaurs. Didn't know that it was even.
SPEAKER_01Maybe before. Wild. Next thing is a horseshoe crab. Oh, I okay, yep, I can see that. Those are weird-looking things. Those are weird looking things. Doesn't it? It looks like a cockroach, is what it looks like. It does. That's exactly what it looks like. Looks like an ocean cockroach that's much more like less segments, more just like one one big cockroach piece. Exactly. And if you don't know what that is, you should Google it because it is interesting. Um, I've seen one once. They are weird. And then we have sea stars. Cute. Yes, that's cute. Um, I do love that as well, along with uh urchins and sea cucumbers. Okay, as well. All right. Um, but I do love that. Also, though, and in real time, okay. I was like, isn't it called a starfish?
SPEAKER_00Yes, it was much like a modern starfish as we know it. With five and a mouth on the middle of its underside. Its fossils have been found in Europe, so keep an eye out for them on your next beach day.
SPEAKER_01Interesting. So similar, but I guess not the same. Okay. Okay, the next one is like okay, lobsters. Ugh. Yeah, that makes sense. Again, very cockroach-y. It is I well, it is related to the cockroach, which disgusting. I love lobsters. I I don't. Yeah, that's true. A big difference between Sarah and I is like seafood.
SPEAKER_00Yeah, totally. Um, I have a lobster tattooed on my body. I eat them. I would eat them every day if I could.
SPEAKER_01A fun fact about lobster side story, real fast, is it used to be like the poor man, quote unquote,'s food. Of course, now I couldn't have a lobster a day because I would be broke as that completely changed. The ancestors of modern lobsters were armed with six long claws and four eyes. Wait, what? Six. How many does ours have? Is it just two? Two, technically, claws. No, but don't they have like little ones? Those are their feet though. Those are like move them. I think sorry, four. Did you say? Six and four eyes. No, so now it's turning in more like a cockroach to like a spider, which I hate. Yeah, uh no, I don't like any of this. Sarah did use to like claw meat of a lobster. I'll eat claw meat, or I'll meet I'll eat like a like um a lobster poutine or something like that. Yeah, I can get on board with that. But I the only reason I would eat lobster is to be a vehicle to eat butter because the butter is delicious. It the claw meat is the best. So a six-claw lobster sounds actually kind of great. Yeah, never mind. Yeah, no, that sounds very good, actually. And they prowled the seas more than 500 million years ago. What?
SPEAKER_00So predating dinosaurs again.
SPEAKER_01Okay, we're closing in here. So duck build platypus. That's wild because if they've been around so long, they are one of the more like recent animal discoveries, I think. Like, I don't think we've known about them for so long.
SPEAKER_00Interesting. Yeah, I mean, I am curious. It says here that the so specific duckbilled platypus is the name. Yeah. Is one of the only two remaining species of egg-laying mammals.
SPEAKER_01And it date these date back to 210 million years ago. Whoa. Around the same time as dinosaurs for sure. Early as 2008, wow, scientists discovered that the platypuses have actually lived during the Jurassic period. Whoa. What was your other one? Chickens is not one. Oh, I thought you were gonna say yes, the chicken. What was the other one that I got? Oh, turtles! Yes. I was so excited. Green sea turtles specifically. Okay. The earliest marine turtles are believed to have appeared during the Jurassic period, but it wasn't until the Christmas. Cretaceous period 100 million years ago that sea turtles began to evolve. So they did coexist with dinosaurs. I wonder what they looked like. Like, what were they all about? It does not go into a description, but it does say that they went extinct sad 65 million years ago. What's really interesting about this, and it's obviously incorrect, is when I was in Hawaii, when you when you're in Hawaii s snorkeling and you see turtles, they say, like, don't touch them because they're at risk of extinction. And I swear to God that they said they were green turtles. But I now will have to fact check that for myself. But needless to say, just if you're ever swimming with turtles, maybe don't touch them because we've already don't touch any animals that are not your pet that you do not purchase or adopt. Just don't touch them. It's so true.
SPEAKER_00These turtles belonged to a group of ancient reptiles called Arcolon, which is closely related to the leatherback sea turtle. That's another one that does make sense.
SPEAKER_01Like it just checks out reptiles of any kind look like they could have hung out with dinosaurs. Also, what a wild, I s man, we don't know about so much because I mean us specifically, but then just like us as a human kind, mankind situation. Yes. Like, okay, if there was an extinction event that took out all of the dinosaurs, but then these ones like persevered, they had to survive. It's not like they Yeah, I know. No, it's true. Evolution is a very interesting topic. And I agree. We don't know nothing about it. Well, I mean, we know some things about it, but we like don't know about it really.
SPEAKER_00We don't really know about it.
SPEAKER_01The only thing that I think I I imagine, like with my limited knowledge that makes sense, which is also why I just think it's so important that we like are in tune with nature and environment always, is that we evolve based on changes in environment. Supposedly, the whole point is like you change and shift because your environment like requires it to be the case. Or you're not strong enough, you can evolve in the way you need to and see a forever. Bye. Bye. You we gave you time and you did not do what you needed to do to survive an extinction event. So sorry, be more cockroach-like is basically the lesson. Yeah. We have two more. The last two are well, one of them is obvious as well. So this I don't even know what it is. Tuatara. What? Tuatara.
SPEAKER_00It is a reptile, not quite a lizard, but not a dinosaur, and it lived amidst the dinosaurs. The last surviving species of its kind is what's called Tuatara, and it still exists today, but can only be found in New Zealand.
SPEAKER_01Makes sense. Yeah. Okay, I just Googled it. It's what you would think it would look like. I'm gonna do it now. Everybody do it. Everyone, we're all in this together. Okay, yeah, interesting. It is what I would have thought maybe bigger though, but like like a Komodo dragon is what I would have thought would be. Interesting. Anyway, last one, no surprise, disgusting. How are these not extinct? What can we do? Cockroaches. Yes, of course. They never die, no matter what. They never die. They made it through the great dying period between the Permian and Triassic periods. There's just no getting rid of them. This is so gross. They are one of the most dominant species during the Carboniferous period, which was about 360 million years ago. Whoa. Which is 112 million years before dinosaurs. Sorry, they were the most what? They were the most dominant species. No. And they used, and at that time, they were twice as big as their current form. Absolutely not. They ended that with a with a hit because that that sounds like my absolute, absolute worst nightmare. I really haven't seen a cockroach unless I travel somewhere. Yeah, I've seen them before when traveling. They must be in Nova Scotia. I've never seen one in Okay, hold on. Uh tip teep, tippity tap tap. There has to be, but I've never seen one in I've never seen one in Canada either. Yeah, me neither. Me neither. There are cockroaches in Canada.
SPEAKER_00Well, that was fun. Lots of facts. I can't believe this dancing woman. I'm gonna have to go look her up more. Frau.
SPEAKER_01Frau. Where in the world is that place that you mentioned? So it technically is in France now, but like during that time, it was in a city that bordered France and Germany, I believe. So there's like very predominant German and French there. Yeah. Okay, yeah. I'm gonna have to check that out. And now I want to go to that place because I'm like, I need to go to the the streets where this this this dancing maybe they have a festival. I hope so. Does seem like an opportunity missed if they don't. Yeah, like just lean into it. How creepy would it be though to go to a festival there? And like a part of me would just be like, what if I get sucked in? What if I don't stop yikes? Creepy. Well, folks, that's it for another week of Tell Me Something You Don't Know. Okay. Bye.
unknownBye.