Planet of the Beavers

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand: "Planet of the Beavers" Episode Summary

Release Date: March 25, 2025
Hosts: Armstrong, Getty, Joe, and Katie
Produced by: iHeartPodcasts

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1. Introduction to the Episode

In the "Planet of the Beavers" episode of Armstrong & Getty On Demand, the hosts dive into a blend of scientific discussions and humorous banter. The episode kicks off with Joe referencing his playful theory about a "Planet of the Beavers," setting the stage for a mix of serious dialogue and lighthearted jokes.

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2. The Possibility of Extraterrestrial Civilizations

Katie's Insight on Ancient Civilizations
Katie initiates the conversation by discussing a fascinating point made by an astrophysicist about the potential existence of ancient civilizations on Earth:

"I thought this was fascinating. I was listening to a physicist, astrophysicist... specialist guy from a fancy college talking about a life on other planets... we can't even tell on our own planet whether or not we've had previous life and civilizations..."
[00:12] Katie

This leads to a thought-provoking exchange about the challenges in detecting ancient civilizations, both on Earth and other planets.

Joe’s Counterpoint on Fossil Evidence
Joe responds by pointing out the existence of dinosaur fossils, emphasizing that while evidence of past life exists, it's limited:

"Yeah, I'm sure he's right. But we do find dinosaur bones from, you know, way back in the Pleistocene and, you know, similar eras."
[01:06] Joe

The dialogue underscores the complexities in tracing the history of intelligent life.

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3. The Study: Chewing Wood to Enhance Brain Function

Introduction of the Study
Joe introduces a quirky study suggesting that chewing harder materials like wood can significantly increase glutathione levels in the brain, potentially improving memory:

"Study out. Chewing on wood for five minutes may improve your memory. According to study, chewing harder materials like wood significantly incluses glucose glutathione levels in the brain..."
[01:23] Joe

Hosts' Reactions and Humor
The hosts delve into humorous skepticism about the study's claims:

"They made that up as they were writing this crap. Yeah."
[02:26] Joe

Katie probes further, questioning whether the benefits are due to the wood itself or the act of chewing:

"Is there something in wood that I need for this? It's got something to do with wood or can I chew on anything?"
[02:32] Katie

Armstrong adds to the humor by suggesting alternatives:

"Rocks."
[02:34] Armstrong

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4. Personal Anecdotes on Chewing and Jaw Health

Shared Experiences with Jaw Clenching
The conversation shifts to personal experiences with jaw clenching and the use of mouthpieces:

"I have a jaw clenching thing, especially when I sleep."
[05:44] Joe

Katie shares her method of preventing daytime clenching:

"I keep my teeth apart a little bit always. So I'm not clenching."
[06:21] Katie

Armstrong discusses his own use of a mouthguard, detailing family history and personal adjustments:

"I've had a guard since I was in high school. And you know what? My grandfather did it, my dad does it, and I do it."
[06:00] Armstrong

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5. Implications and Practical Takeaways from the Study

Potential Cognitive Benefits
Joe elaborates on the study's findings, explaining the role of glutathione in protecting the brain from oxidative damage:

"Glutathione serves as the brain's primary defense system... against oxidative stretch, which has been linked to everything from normal aging to serious conditions like Alzheimer's disease."
[08:02] Joe

Dietary Recommendations
The hosts discuss practical ways to incorporate more vigorous chewing into daily life, suggesting tougher foods:

"Instead of chewing on wood, maybe wiser to consider the potential benefits from incorporating more texturally challenging foods into our diets. Think crunchy vegetables, nuts, tough whole grains and fibrous proteins."
[11:12] Joe

Katie humorously agrees to inform her children about the brain-boosting benefits:

"I'll tell the kids. It increases your brain function."
[11:41] Katie

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6. Humorous Interlude: "Mr. Chew"

Imagining a Chewing Extravaganza
Getty and the hosts engage in playful speculation about Joe turning his compulsive chewing into a show attraction:

"After Joe's done with his radio career, he goes around this around the country as a state fair attraction known as Mr. Chew..."
[12:31] Armstrong & Getty

Joe embraces the joke, contemplating his potential career as a human chewing machine:

"Yeah, I like it."
[12:55] Joe

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7. Closing Remarks and Final Jokes

As the episode wraps up, the hosts continue their trademark humor, leaving listeners entertained while subtly reinforcing the day's main topics.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• Joe on the Study's Importance:

"Chewing harder materials like wood significantly increases the glutathione levels in the brain..."
[03:15] Joe

• Katie on Evolutionary Perspective:

"I always think everything's evolutionary in some way. I just wonder if we had to work so much harder to chew up food back in the day..."
[08:25] Katie

• Armstrong on Chewing Guards:

"I've had a guard since I was in high school. And you know what? My grandfather did it, my dad does it, and I do it."
[06:00] Armstrong

• Getty on "Mr. Chew":

"After Joe's done with his radio career, he goes around this around the country as a state fair attraction known as Mr. Chew."
[12:31] Getty

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Conclusion

The "Planet of the Beavers" episode masterfully blends scientific discourse with the hosts' signature humor. From contemplating extraterrestrial civilizations to exploring unconventional methods for enhancing brain function, Armstrong, Getty, Joe, and Katie provide both informative content and entertaining interactions. Notable discussions on the role of glutathione in brain health and the personal anecdotes about jaw clenching offer listeners valuable insights wrapped in laughter.

For those who haven't tuned in, this episode promises a delightful mix of intellect and comedy, making complex topics accessible and engaging.

Transcript

[Joe]

One more sign that my prediction of a planet of the Beavers is accurate. It's one more thing.

[Armstrong]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Joe]

One more thing. Don't you. Oh, geez. My brilliant theories.

[Katie]

Sir, before you get to that, I mentioned this yesterday on the air. I'm going to mention it here in case anybody didn't hear. I thought this was fascinating. I was listening to a physicist, astrophysicists, something or other specialist guy from a fancy college talking about a life on other planets. And he made the point that we could have had a successful civilization on planet Earth a hundred million years ago that lasted thousands of years, that had computers and cars and whatever else, and if it had died out, there'd be no way of knowing there would be nothing left and that amount of time. So we can't even tell on our own planet whether or not we've had, you know, previous life and civilizations and whatever, let alone on other planets.

[Joe]

Yeah, I'm sure he's right. But we do find dinosaur bones from, you know, way back in the Pleistocene and, you know, similar eras.

[Katie]

Yeah. Only so far back though.

[Joe]

You.

[Katie]

You can't go further back than a certain amount and there's nothing.

[Joe]

Right, right, sure. Yeah. Yeah. I'm not denying it. I'm just kind of noodling it through. Yeah, that's such an interesting thought. And then you, you go 100,000 light years away and factor in that delay. And the theme is, is there life elsewhere in the universe? And would we come across it even if it was teeming with life?

[Katie]

Right. So we could die out human species and then there'd be the. The planet to be run by the Beavers. You're thinking the P.O.B.

[Joe]

Yeah, yeah.

[Katie]

Planet of the Beavers.

[Joe]

We Planet of the Beavers enthusiast, We just go with POB generally at our meetings. So here's what I'm talking about. Did not have this on my bingo card. Study out. Chewing on wood for five minutes may improve your memory. According to study, chewing harder materials like wood significantly incluses glucose glutathione levels in the brain could be totally made up. I would never know. Glutathione. They made that up as they were writing this crap. Yeah.

[Katie]

Is there something in wood that I need for this? It's got something to do with wood or can I chew on anything?

[Armstrong]

Rocks.

[Katie]

Rocks seems like a bad idea. But a plastic could have a pen in my mouth I'm chewing on instead of a pencil. Is it the chewing or is it the wood?

[Joe]

It's. It's. Yes, it is the Chewing indeed. And not the wood per se. You are not ingesting it. I was going to. You know what? I'll go ahead and skip to it now because it's too good. The inevitable. Let's see, where is it?

[Katie]

Is there a disclaimer?

[Joe]

Talk to your doctor first before heading out to the store for a package of tongue depressors to chew on. And be sure to ask about the potential risks involved, especially if you have sensitive teeth or other oral hygiene issues. And we'd suggest to be fully aware of pieces of wood breaking off in your mouth. The last thing anyone wants is a splinter in their throat.

[Katie]

Thank you for that.

[Joe]

If you have to be told that you got a mouthful of paste right now and. And you're. You're picking your nose second digit, second.

[Katie]

Knuckle deep, you're watching old VHS tapes of Maury Povich.

[Joe]

Right. That you tape for posterity in case, you know, they disappeared. No. If you have to read that, you're not reading that and never will. That's the irony here. Anyway. Chewing harder materials like wood significantly increases the glutathione levels in the brain, while softer materials like gum show no significant effect.

[Katie]

Wow. Gum doesn't work. Okay, that's interesting, right? Hey, Michael. I know we used to have clips of somebody who was chewing rocks. Remember that bit we did? There was some news story years ago, a long time ago, somebody would chewed rocks and we had them talking about it. It was ruining their teeth, but they couldn't stop.

[Joe]

It relaxed them. Katie.

[Katie]

Yes.

[Armstrong]

Yeah, I was trying to make a funny. And now we know. I know people are actually doing that.

[Joe]

So there is practically no brand of crazy that you can invent that can't be matched to an actual human being.

[Katie]

No. Fall in love with a Volkswagen, Ben. Done.

[Joe]

I can only get horned up if I'm chewing rocks. There's somebody out there.

[Armstrong]

There's a. Anyway, there's a show called Obsessed and I remember a woman, she. She couldn't stop eating toilet paper.

[Katie]

Oh.

[Armstrong]

On our like chow down, it's actually had a roll of it in her purse and would just snack away. Anyway, that's my conversation.

[Joe]

So did she have to cleanse herself after pooing or did it take care of itself?

[Armstrong]

Yeah, it was like a self filtration thing going on.

[Joe]

Exactly. Yeah. Wow. Self washing. So a higher brain GSH levels, this is the hormone, I guess, that we've never heard of before from wood chewing, were directly correlated with better memory performance in healthy young adults. Incorporating foods that require more vigorous chewing might Be a simple way to boost brain antioxidant defenses and potentially support cognitive health. That's interesting because I have a jaw clenching thing, especially when I sleep.

[Katie]

Oh, really?

[Joe]

You too, Katie? Yep. I gotta wear this mouthpiece thingy or I would grind my teeth down to nubs.

[Getty]

Yeah, my wife, we have to get her a guard.

[Armstrong]

I've had a guard since I was in high school. And you know what? My grandfather did it, my dad does it, and I do it.

[Katie]

I never. I didn't do it in sleep, but I. I had a period of time where I was doing it during the day clenched in my jaw, and got the worst headaches I've ever had in my life because of some vein or nerve or something that pinches when you do that. Anyway, for me, it was just like, once I became aware of it, I. I like through the day, I keep my teeth apart a little bit always. So I'm not clenching.

[Joe]

Just let my mouth hang open.

[Armstrong]

Got a couple of mouth breathers over here.

[Joe]

You know, ever since I was like, 17 years old, my best shape of my life, skinny. My girlfriend called me chubby cheeks. I have, like, enormous jaw muscles. And it's not. It's not fat. I mean, Lord knows I'm not thin anymore, but I could, like. I don't know. What do you need chewed? If. If my teeth indestructible. A 747. Well, yeah, think about it. I work out every night for seven hours.

[Katie]

So it's like you're doing.

[Joe]

Squeezing my. My jaw.

[Katie]

It's like you're doing head crunches all day long.

[Joe]

Yeah, essentially, yeah. If I did curls in my sleep, I'd have massive biceps.

[Katie]

Wouldn't that be cool if in your sleep, he did curls? I wonder if I can get that going.

[Armstrong]

What do you need chewed?

[Joe]

I mean, I'll chew the f out of it. All right.

[Katie]

Next time we're out to eat and I get a little piece of steak. It's a little tough. Could you chew this up for me? Hand it back.

[Joe]

Hey, give it here. Give it here. I'll take care of it like you're a baby bird.

[Getty]

Yeah, you should offer your services to people.

[Katie]

Yeah, exactly.

[Joe]

So this one. This starts so interesting. It's South Koreans doing this study. Your brain and jaw might have a closer relationship than you think. Well, I've never thought about it for a single second. While we've long suspected that chewing affects brain function. Wait a minute. Who suspected that? This is completely new to me. New research is uncovered.

[Katie]

South Koreans. First of all, why don't you? Have some sex, get married, have a kid, you know, Kidding.

[Joe]

Quit. Quit offing yourself because you did well, poorly on some. Some exam. Find a cute girl, get to smooching and be happy.

[Katie]

You know, lay in front of a train because you didn't get a perfect on your sat. And this nobody else is thinking about chewing to be smarter.

[Joe]

Yeah, Chewing on hard materials for just five minutes can boost levels of glutathione, the brain's primary antioxidant defense system. That's really interesting.

[Katie]

Yeah, I always. I always think every. Everything's evolutionary in some. In some way. I just wonder if we had to work so much harder to chew up food back in the day and.

[Joe]

You.

[Katie]

Know, it was something we needed exercise wise or whatever.

[Joe]

Yeah, they go into some brain chemistry that's probably a little in the weeds. But our brains are particularly vulnerable to oxidative damage. The human brain consumes approximately 20% of the body's total oxygen while containing high levels. Levels of fatty acids that can easily be damaged. Moreover, the brain accumulates metals like iron, copper and zinc that can promote the formation of harmful reactive oxygen species. Boy, talk about something I know nothing about. And so, against this backdrop, glutathione serves as the brain's primary defense system. Jack.

[Katie]

So should I get a container of Lincoln Logs and.

[Joe]

The studies are preliminary, Jack, but yes, yes, clearly, yes. You them up no matter what damage it does to your teeth or how many splinters you get in your throat.

[Katie]

Oh, no, no, wait. I just saw this disclaimer. You're supposed to stop if you get slivers in your throat.

[Joe]

Okay? Yeah, but when GH GSH levels fall, brain cells become more vulnerable to oxidative stretch, which has been linked to everything from normal aging to serious conditions like Alzheimer's disease. I don't. I don't know where to go with.

[Katie]

What's your mouthpiece you wear at night look like. Is it like. Like football players wear?

[Joe]

It's like I'm playing a hockey game.

[Katie]

Okay. And do you have trouble sleeping in it?

[Joe]

Oh, not in the least. No.

[Armstrong]

I do every now and then.

[Joe]

Do you. Is yours like.

[Armstrong]

You know, I don't know, actually, I.

[Joe]

Just fits right over my teeth.

[Armstrong]

Yeah. I think I need to get a new one made because I had braces and then I didn't wear my retainer, and then my teeth moved and all sorts of stuff. So.

[Katie]

Do you. Does it ever come out while you're asleep? You wake up in the middle of the night and it's laying there next to you?

[Joe]

No, it fits too well.

[Armstrong]

I've taken it out, but no, it doesn't just come out.

[Joe]

Yeah, it's funny. It doesn't bother me in the least.

[Katie]

My. It's funny. My. My son is supposed to be wearing something similar to that to see if he can handle have. Having braces because he's got some jacked up teeth. Unfortunately, I had. I've never had braces. I had straight teeth and my other son has straight teeth, but my youngest, his teeth are pretty crooked and. But with all his OCD stuff, he just. I don't think he could handle having something in his mouth messing it. Just, just. And so I had to make a thing that he could wear to see if he could tolerate having braces. And I don't think he can. So I think he's just gonna have.

[Joe]

To have crooked teeth or that Invisalign stuff. The. That they're actually more pokey. Oh, are they?

[Katie]

Yeah. Really? I didn't know that. Yeah.

[Joe]

Huh. So to. To. To give you a takeaway instead of chewing on wood, maybe wiser to consider the potential benefits from incorporating more texturally challenging. Texturally challenging foods into our diets. Think crunchy vegetables, nuts, tough whole grains and fibrous proteins. Your. Your tough steak. Start. Start buying the crappy steak at the grocery store.

[Katie]

Good idea. I'll tell the kids. It increases your brain function. Yeah, good complaining.

[Joe]

On this. Just give him a strap of leather. Would that work?

[Katie]

Steak was a dollar and a half. It's good for you.

[Joe]

Cat, steaks, dog. Speaking of. Well, remember we're talking an Asian study here. It's just. It's just a fact.

[Armstrong]

Wow, you took it there, Joe.

[Katie]

Yeah, thank you.

[Joe]

I'm. I'm a scientist. I'm not gonna let ideology blind my inquiry into science.

[Armstrong]

Self proclaimed.

[Katie]

When you first started this, I was wondering, has this got anything to do with. I used to crunch on my pencil quite a bit in school.

[Joe]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Katie]

I'll bet it's related if my brain was like, picked up on. You know, you're doing a math test, you got your pencil in your mouth, you're chewing on it. It helps the brain function.

[Joe]

I would chew the crap out of pens. Yes. Katie, Any.

[Armstrong]

Everybody. Anybody ever ask you to borrow a pen and then they get it and they're like, oh, God.

[Getty]

All right, here it is. After Joe's done with his radio career, he goes around this around the country as a state fair attraction known as Mr. Chew. And we put him in front of a table and we put solid objects on the table and see, I like what he can chew and how fast.

[Katie]

Yeah, Mr. Chew.

[Getty]

Yeah, Mr. Chew.

[Joe]

Yeah, I like it.

[Getty]

Well, I guess that's it.