Is it true? Vikings, dogs, and twins edition

Summary

Brains On! Science Podcast for Kids Episode Summary: Is it true? Vikings, dogs, and twins edition Release Date: December 24, 2024
Host: Molly Bloom
Co-Host: Meyer from Chico, California
Guest Expert: Jess Miller, Twin Specialist
Additional Expert: Dr. Heidi Norgaard, Archaeologist

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Introduction to "Is It True?" Questions

In this engaging episode of Brains On!, host Molly Bloom and co-host Meyer tackle intriguing "Is it true?" questions submitted by listeners. The episode delves into whether twins can feel each other's pain, if Vikings actually wore horned helmets, and the color vision capabilities of dogs. The episode is structured to foster curiosity and critical thinking, encouraging young listeners to question and explore the world around them.

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Can Twins Feel Each Other's Pain?

Timestamp: [05:04] – [10:08]

Discussion Overview: The episode begins with the question, "Is it true that twins can feel when the other is sad or in pain?" To explore this, host Molly introduces Jess Miller, a twin himself, who provides insights into twin dynamics.

Key Points:

• Types of Twins: Jess explains the difference between identical and fraternal twins, highlighting that identical twins share almost identical DNA, while fraternal twins share about half, similar to regular siblings.

  Jess Miller [05:27]: "Identical means exactly alike. And one reason why identical twins can look so similar is that their DNA is almost exactly the same."

• Personal Experience: Jess shares that, despite being twins, he and his brother Thomas do not feel each other's physical pain or emotions, especially since they live apart.

  Jess Miller [05:35]: "I'm never walking around and thinking like, Jess feels sad today, or, Jess just stubbed his toe."

• Scientific Evidence: Jess references scientific experiments where twins were tested to see if they could sense each other's emotions or physical states. Results consistently showed no evidence that twins can feel each other's pain.

  Jess Miller [09:41]: "But scientists have tested this over and over again, and they've found that twins don't seem to be able to feel each other's emotions."

Conclusion: The episode concludes that, based on current scientific understanding, twins do not have the ability to sense each other's pain or emotions intrinsically.

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Did Vikings Really Have Horned Helmets?

Timestamp: [14:48] – [17:55]

Discussion Overview: The next question addressed is, "Is it true that Viking helmets didn't have horns?" Molly and Meyer explore the origins of this popular myth with the help of Dr. Heidi Norgaard, an archaeologist specializing in Viking history.

Key Points:

• Origin of the Myth: Dr. Norgaard explains that the image of Vikings with horned helmets originated in the 1800s, particularly through operas like Wagner's "Ring Cycle," which depicted Vikings with exaggerated features to enhance their formidable presence.

  Dr. Heidi Norgaard [15:21]: "Not have horns on their helmets."

• Archaeological Evidence: Actual Viking helmets, when discovered and examined, reveal that they were simple, functional designs without horns. The supposed horned helmets found in Denmark are from the Bronze Age, predating the Vikings by over 2,000 years.

  Molly Bloom [16:59]: "...Vikings did not have horns on their helmets."

• Practicality in Battle: Horns would have been impractical in combat, making helmets cumbersome and posing safety risks by catching swords.

  Dr. Heidi Norgaard [17:18]: "A helmet should help the sword away from your head. It kind of glides off the helmet. When you put horns on your helmet, the sword will get caught in the horns."

Conclusion: The episode clarifies that the iconic horned Viking helmets are a myth perpetuated by 19th-century artistic interpretations, and real Viking helmets were horn-free, designed for functionality in battle.

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Can Dogs See as Many Colors as Humans?

Timestamp: [19:55] – [23:22]

Discussion Overview: The final question explored is, "Is it true that dogs can't see as many colors as humans?" The episode details the scientific exploration conducted by Jay Knights in the late 1980s to determine the extent of color vision in dogs.

Key Points:

• Research Beginnings: Jay Knights questioned the commonly held belief that dogs are completely colorblind, exploring whether they can perceive colors beyond black and white.

  Molly Bloom [21:09]: "This is how science works. First a question, then a hypothesis."

• Scientific Method: Using experiments similar to those conducted on monkeys, Jay tested dogs' color vision, starting with his own dog, Retina.

• Findings: Dogs possess two types of cone cells in their eyes, sensitive to blue and yellow wavelengths. This dichromatic vision means dogs see the world in shades of blue and yellow but cannot perceive the full spectrum of colors that humans can.

  Molly Bloom [22:24]: "Retina's doggy eyes had two types of cone cells... shades of blue and yellow."

• Ongoing Research: While current studies support the hypothesis that dogs have limited color vision, scientists acknowledge that future research could uncover more nuances.

  Jess Miller [10:04]: "But for now, it seems like this idea is fiction, not fact."

Conclusion: Dogs do not see colors in the same way humans do. Their vision is limited to shades of blue and yellow, lacking the ability to perceive the full range of colors that humans experience.

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Final Thoughts

In this episode of Brains On!, Molly Bloom and Meyer effectively debunk common myths and clarify misconceptions through scientific inquiry and expert insights:

• Twins do not share the ability to feel each other's pain or emotions.
• Viking helmets were horn-free; the horned image is a product of 19th-century artistic embellishments.
• Dogs have a limited color vision, perceiving only shades of blue and yellow.

These discussions underscore the importance of skepticism and evidence-based understanding in uncovering the truths behind widely held beliefs.

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Notable Quotes

• Jess Miller [05:27]: "Identical means exactly alike. And one reason why identical twins can look so similar is that their DNA is almost exactly the same."
• Jess Miller [09:41]: "But scientists have tested this over and over again, and they've found that twins don't seem to be able to feel each other's emotions."
• Dr. Heidi Norgaard [15:21]: "Not have horns on their helmets."
• Molly Bloom [22:24]: "Retina's doggy eyes had two types of cone cells... shades of blue and yellow."

---

By exploring these fascinating questions, Brains On! encourages young minds to remain curious and critical, emphasizing that understanding the world often requires looking beyond myths to the evidence provided by science.

Transcript

[Meyer]

You're listening to Brains on, where we're serious about being curious. Brains on is supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

[Rosie Dupont]

Magic fishbowl. Magic fish. Tell me, will I win the meat raffle tonight? Try again later. This thing is useless.

[Molly Bloom]

Brains on producer Rosie Dupont. What are you doing in the broom closet?

[Rosie Dupont]

Oh, hi, Molly. I'm not Rosie today. I'm the Rose that knows, future seer, advice giver, freelance stylist and interior designer. How can I help you? I've got some questions and I've got answers. Here, take a seat on this bucket.

[Molly Bloom]

This broom closet is kind of crowded.

[Rosie Dupont]

Oh, come on. It's my new fortune telling office. It's full of fantastic tools. Look at this empty fishbowl. It's like a crystal ball. Just put your hand on it and say, magic fishbowl. Tell me and then ask your question.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay, Magic fishbowl. Tell me, can twins feel each other's pain?

[Rosie Dupont]

I just felt a pain in my foot. I must have stubbed my toe in that vacuum. Or maybe twins do feel each other's pain. Okay, next question.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay, Magic fishbowl. Tell me, did the Vikings really have horns on their helmets?

[Rosie Dupont]

I'm getting a vision of you, Molly. You're wearing a helmet with horns and holding a giant spear. You look like a Viking. And. And what's that? Oh, you're singing opera like Lo.

[Dr. Heidi Norgaard]

Oh.

[Molly Bloom]

So what's the answer to my question?

[Rosie Dupont]

What was your question again?

[Molly Bloom]

Did the Vikings have horns on their helmets?

[Rosie Dupont]

Try again later.

[Molly Bloom]

Right.

[Rosie Dupont]

Look, these questions aren't really in my wheelhouse. Shall we say I do better with questions like how many eggs are in a dozen? Or is burnt sienna in my color palette? If you want answers to your questions, you should talk to a twin specialist or a Viking expert.

[Molly Bloom]

Great idea, Rosie. I think I will.

[Rosie Dupont]

Oh, great. Well, be sure to tell them the rose that no sent you. If they want to come in for a consultation, send them to the end of the hall on the eighth floor in broom closet B and I'll read their fortune.

[Molly Bloom]

You're listening to Brains on from APM Studios. I'm Molly Bloom and my co host today is Meyer from Chico, California. Hi, Meyer.

[Meyer]

Hi, Molly.

[Molly Bloom]

So, as you probably know, listeners send us lots of questions, like hundreds a month.

[Meyer]

So many questions, and we love them so much.

[Molly Bloom]

We notice that there's a special kind of question that we get every so often. And this kind of question begins like this. Is it true that we love these questions? Maybe you heard something from your friend or saw something on TV and you wanted to know, is that thing true?

[Meyer]

And how do we know if it's true or not?

[Molly Bloom]

That's called being skeptical. It means you don't just believe everything you hear, you question things.

[Meyer]

It's a great way of staying curious.

[Molly Bloom]

A few years ago we did a series of episodes about this called Prove it where we looked at how journalists and scientists find the facts. You can find links to those episodes on our website, brainson.org those episodes answer.

[Meyer]

A few is it true? Questions too. Like is it true that ladybugs are as old as they have spots? I've heard that diamonds are the strongest material in the world. Why is this? And how do we know it's true? Hi, my name is Lily and I'm from Phoenix, Arizona. I've heard that coffee can stunt kids growth. Is that true? Do fish have brains? And I heard they have a three second memory. Is that true?

[Molly Bloom]

Such great questions. You can find answers to all of them in our Prove it series.

[Meyer]

Go check out those episodes and if.

[Molly Bloom]

You have an is it true? Question, send it to us. What thing have you heard that you wonder about? We love finding answers for you. You can send them to [e-mail] contact brains on. Today we're answering three more is it true questions from our listeners. And the first is, is it true that twins can feel when the other is sad or in pain? Do you think twins have some kind of connection in their brains?

[Meyer]

No, I don't think so.

[Molly Bloom]

Ah, okay. Well, we have someone here with us today who might be able to help us figure this one out. Our intern, Jess Miller. He's actually a twin himself. Hi, Jess.

[Jess Miller]

Hi, Molly. I'm Meyer. That's right. I have a twin brother named Thomas. He lives in Virginia, where I grew up. He and I were born on the same day, just one minute apart.

[Meyer]

Are you two pretty similar?

[Jess Miller]

Not really. To understand why, let's cover some twin basics. There are actually two main types of twins.

[Molly Bloom]

Some look really similar to each other. They're called identical twins.

[Jess Miller]

Identical means exactly alike. And one reason why identical twins can look so similar is that their DNA is almost exactly the same.

[Meyer]

Oh, I've heard of DNA. It's like a set of instructions for making a body.

[Jess Miller]

Correctamundo. Now, it's not guaranteed that identical twins will look the same, but they're more likely to because like I said, they have very similar DNA.

[Molly Bloom]

The other kind of twins are called fraternal twins.

[Jess Miller]

My brother Thomas and I are fraternal twins. I have curly hair and he has Straight hair. He has brown eyes, and I've got blue eyes. And even though Thomas doesn't like to admit it, I'm actually a couple inches taller than him.

[Meyer]

So I'm guessing you don't have exactly the same DNA then, right?

[Jess Miller]

Fraternal twins like us only share half of our DNA, which is about the same as any other siblings with the same parents. And we don't just look different, we act different, too. When I was a kid, I liked art and writing. Thomas liked math and sports. So, yeah, even though we're twins, we're pretty different.

[Molly Bloom]

Jess, we're really lucky to have a twin expert like you here, because we're hoping you can help us answer our first is it true? Question. Is it true that twins can feel when the other is sad or in pain?

[Jess Miller]

Great question. It seems like siblings who are born at almost the exact same time or who even share the same DNA, like identical twins do, would have some kind of special connection. Right? So it makes sense that people might think twins can feel each other's emotions. I couldn't remember a specific time when that ever happened to me, but I called my twin brother, Thomas to find out his side of the story. I don't think I can say a time. Certainly, now that we live, you know, across the country from one another, there's. I'm never walking around and thinking like, jess feels sad today, or, Jess just stubbed his toe. Maybe we should start texting each other when we hurt ourselves. Yeah. Well, let's try it. I'm gonna pinch my arm right now. My. My left arm. Pinch it near the elbow, and you tell me if you can feel anything. No, I'm not feeling anything. Why don't you give it a try? Okay. Right arm getting pinched? No, not feeling it. There you have it. Conclusive evidence.

[Meyer]

Hmm. So Thomas and Jess can't feel each other's pain. Is that true for all twins?

[Jess Miller]

Good question. Scientists have actually tested that with different experiments. In one experiment, they took two twins. We'll call them twin A and twin B. Then the scientists put the two twins in separate rooms, and at random times, they'd show twin A something to surprise or scare them.

[Molly Bloom]

Ah. Oh, sorry. Just thinking about being scared scared me.

[Jess Miller]

Totally get it. Anyway, where was I? Oh, right. They'd show twin A something scary or surprising. Then they'd have the other twin, Twin B, hooked up to a special machine that took pictures of their brain to.

[Meyer]

See if twin B could sense when twin A was in pain just by looking at what was happening in their brain.

[Jess Miller]

Exactly. When someone is scared, certain spots in their brain activate. And scientists can see that using the brain scanner machine. But here's the thing. In this experiment, those brain pictures showed that twin B couldn't sense when twin A was scared.

[Molly Bloom]

Hang on. I've heard so many stories of twins who have some kind of connection. Like in 1979, two twins who'd been separated at birth for almost 40 years found each other again. It turned out they had the same exact job, drove the same kind of car, and married women with the same name. They even gave their sons the same name.

[Meyer]

Whoa. That's wild.

[Jess Miller]

Yeah. There are lots of stories of twins who have some kind of special connection, especially identical twins. Some of this is probably because they have almost the exact same DNA.

[Molly Bloom]

And if they grew up in the same household at the same time, it means they're more likely to think, act, and move through the world in a lot of the same ways, just like any other siblings.

[Jess Miller]

Right. But scientists have tested this over and over again, and they've found that twins don't seem to be able to feel each other's emotions. So to answer the question, is it true that twins can feel when the other is sad or in pain? As far as we know, no, they can't.

[Meyer]

Right. If new studies are done that find something different, we might change our minds.

[Molly Bloom]

But for now, it seems like this idea is fiction, not fact.

[Meyer]

Thanks, Jess.

[Jess Miller]

My pleasure. So long.

[Molly Bloom]

And we have a lot more mysteries to talk about, starting with the.

[Jess Miller]

Mystery cel.

[Molly Bloom]

You ready to hear it, Meyer?

[Meyer]

Yeah.

[Molly Bloom]

Here it is. Okay. What do you think?

[Meyer]

I think it's someone that left their phone in the washer.

[Molly Bloom]

What makes you think that?

[Meyer]

Because the water and then, like, the. The rumbling.

[Molly Bloom]

Yeah, I definitely heard water, too.

[Meyer]

Or, like, someone that, like, left their phone or, like, put some recording device under, like, a sink or something.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay, so it's like, near a sink or a wash or something that has water going on. Do you think their phone or recording device is okay after that?

[Meyer]

Yeah, probably.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay. Few is waterproof or something, you think?

[Meyer]

I mean, they could do it if they put, like, plastic wrap around their phone.

[Molly Bloom]

Ah, okay. Very smart. All right, let's hear it one more time. Okay. Any new thoughts after hearing it again?

[Meyer]

Like, maybe someone, like, washing dishes?

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, that totally could be it, too. Okay, so it seems like we're pretty confident water's involved. We're gonna hear the mystery sound again, get another chance to guess, and then we'll hear the answer after the credits. So stick around. We are working on an episode about how paper is made. Paper is all around us. There's pizza boxes and toilet paper, books and wrapping paper. We use it to pay people, wipe up messes, share ideas, and so much more. And we want to see your paper creations. What have you made out of paper? Origami sculptures? Paper planes? Meyer, what's something cool that you've made out of paper?

[Meyer]

Probably a drawing.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, very nice. What do you like to draw?

[Meyer]

I can like do someone's name in block letters and then make it look 3D.

[Molly Bloom]

That's really cool. Well, listeners, take a picture of your paper creation and send it to [e-mail] contact while you're there, send us your mystery sounds and questions like this one.

[Meyer]

Why does bread have holes in it?

[Molly Bloom]

You can find answers to questions like these on the Moment of Podcast, a short dose of facts and fun every weekday. Find Moment of and [e-mail] so keep listening. Brains On Universe is a family of podcasts for kids and their adults. Since you're a fan of Brains on, we know you'll love the other shows in our universe. Come on, let's explore.

[Rosie Dupont]

Brains On. I'm their biggest fan. I also love Forever Ago, a fun history podcast for the whole family. Listen, I will play you Forever Ago.

[Molly Bloom]

Now you will love Homing pigeons were a speedy way to deliver messages to military bases.

[Meyer]

Some pigeons could fly hundreds of miles.

[Molly Bloom]

In a single day, zipping through the air as fast as 60 miles per hour. That's so fast for such a tiny bird. These pigeons delivered life saving messages throughout the war. Zorp. Where did the signal go?

[Rosie Dupont]

Must find Forever Ago.

[Molly Bloom]

Now listen to Forever Ago. Wherever you get your podcasts. Brains On.

[Meyer]

You're listening to Brains On. I'm Meyer.

[Molly Bloom]

And I'm Molly. Today we're taking some of the is it true Questions you've sent us and putting them to the test. If you have one, send it to [e-mail] contact we just heard that twins.

[Meyer]

Cannot feel each other's pain.

[Molly Bloom]

Next up, we'll answer a very different kind of question about the Vikings.

[Meyer]

Vikings were fearsome warriors and skilled sailors.

[Molly Bloom]

About 1,000 years ago, they dominated Europe and beyond.

[Meyer]

Viking warriors paddled long boats that sometimes looked like dragons.

[Molly Bloom]

And they wore helmets with horns.

[Meyer]

Or did they?

[Molly Bloom]

Recently, we got this question from Cora in Portland, Oregon. Is it true that Viking helmets didn't have horns? We decided to ask Dr. Heidi Norgaard. She's an archaeologist from Denmark and she.

[Meyer]

Knows a lot about Vikings.

[Dr. Heidi Norgaard]

The Vikings we know today are kind of a fairy tale. That was told in the 1800s.

[Molly Bloom]

This was hundreds of years after the time of the Vikings. So people in Europe hadn't seen Vikings for themselves.

[Meyer]

Most people in Europe at the time lived and worked on farms. The steam engine was becoming more common.

[Molly Bloom]

And people were becoming more familiar with Viking myths and stories.

[Meyer]

Around the same time, archaeologists were very interested in the treasures they found from the Viking age.

[Molly Bloom]

Artists were interested too. They began painting pictures of Vikings with big beards, muscles, and horned helmets.

[Meyer]

There was even a series of operas that came out called the Ring Cycle, inspired by Viking mythology. Here's Heidi again.

[Dr. Heidi Norgaard]

This opera is about strong men who are fighting for their country. And the designer of the costumes wanted to have these men look even more strong. And he was the one that put horns on helmets. That was his kind of design. So the idea is born in opera. And until today, we haven't changed this picture.

[Molly Bloom]

So a costume designer and a few artists in the 1800s created this image of Vikings wearing horned helmets. And it sticks with us today. But to answer Cora's question, Vikings did.

[Dr. Heidi Norgaard]

Not have horns on their helmets.

[Meyer]

Whoa. Big time plot twist. Vikings didn't have horned helmets, which makes.

[Molly Bloom]

Sense when you think about it.

[Meyer]

Horns would have made their helmets take up too much space on warships, and.

[Molly Bloom]

They would have been dangerous and clunky in battle.

[Dr. Heidi Norgaard]

A helmet should help the sword away from your head. It kind of glides off the helmet. When you put horns on your helmet, the sword will get catched in the horns.

[Molly Bloom]

So Vikings wore simple helmets made of iron or leather or no helmets at all.

[Meyer]

But ancient helmets with horns have been discovered where the Vikings once lived.

[Molly Bloom]

For example, about 80 years ago, people discovered two ancient metal helmets with big bull like horns in Denmark.

[Meyer]

So how do scientists know these helmets didn't belong to the Vikings?

[Molly Bloom]

When archaeologists looked closely at those horned helmets, they realized they were similar to objects from the Bronze Age way before the Vikings existed. A few years ago, Heidi and a team of scientists tested ancient glue found on one of the horns and confirmed the truth. Those helmets are at least 2,000 years older than the Vikings. They belong to someone else.

[Meyer]

Archaeologists solving ancient mysteries. I've always wanted to be an archaeologist.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, my gosh. When did you start getting interested in that?

[Meyer]

Ever since I read about Pompeii.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, Pompeii is so cool. Can you tell me what Pompeii is in case kids don't know what it is?

[Meyer]

It was this city that was covered in ash because Mount Vesuvius erupted.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, my gosh. So like the whole town in Italy Is basically, like, preserved because of all the ash that fell on it, right?

[Meyer]

Yeah.

[Molly Bloom]

That's so cool. So what kind of archaeology would you want to do?

[Meyer]

Probably like that. Or being a paleontologist.

[Molly Bloom]

Ah, okay. Yeah. So, yeah, the difference between archaeology and paleontology is archaeologists study humans, and paleontologists study ancient dinosaur stuff and other old animals. But you're interested. You're interested in old stuff that doesn't exist anymore. Is that because it's kind of mysterious?

[Meyer]

Yeah, very cool.

[Molly Bloom]

Like, what's a question you have about the past that you would want to find an answer to?

[Meyer]

How old are humans? Like, when did our new species start existing?

[Molly Bloom]

Mmm. Excellent question. Yeah, I can't wait till you're an archaeologist and you find some answers. Digging into the past is so much fun. And so is digging into tricky questions. Lucky for us, we have one more to answer.

[Meyer]

My name is Holland, and I'm from Massachusetts. I was wondering, is it true that dogs can't see as many colors as humans? I have wondered if that's true.

[Molly Bloom]

That's something a young scientist named Jay Knights wondered, too. Let me set the scene. It was the late 1980s. Jay was working in a lab that studied how brains see color.

[F]

When I would tell people that I work on color vision, they a lot of times would ask me different questions about it. And one of the most common questions people would ask is, Is about what kinds of colors dogs see. Are dogs really colorblind?

[Meyer]

Back then, a lot of people thought dogs could only see black and white.

[Molly Bloom]

But Jay looked into the research that existed, and there wasn't a lot. And the research that did exist hadn't found an answer. The lab Jay worked in had developed a way to test color vision in animals like monkeys.

[Meyer]

So he set out to find an answer about dogs.

[F]

The way we do it is we start with a question, and then we come up with a tentative answer to that question. So our question is, do dogs see color?

[Molly Bloom]

This is how science works. First a question, then a hypothesis. That's a prediction of an answer to your question.

[F]

We have a hypothesis, it makes a prediction, and then we can test that prediction.

[Meyer]

So the question was, do dogs see color? And the prediction was, yes, we think they can.

[Molly Bloom]

And Jay started with a dog he knew very well.

[F]

My wife and I had a little dog, a toy poodle, whose name was Retina.

[Molly Bloom]

Yes, Retina, like the part of the eye that senses light. Your whole body is made up of cells. You got blood cells, brain cells, bone marrow cells.

[Meyer]

The list could go on and on, but we don't need to. You get the idea.

[Molly Bloom]

Your eye is made up of cells too. And on the retina, that special light sensing part of your eye are special cells called cones.

[Meyer]

Humans have three kinds of cone cells. Cones that sense red light, cones that sense green light, and cones that sense blue light.

[Molly Bloom]

With these three cones, we can see a whole rainbow of colors. When Jay tested Retina the dog, he figured out that Retina's doggy eyes had two types of cone cells. Ones that sense blue light and ones that sense yellow. Yellow light, which means they see the world in shades of blue and yellow.

[Meyer]

Then Jay tested a few other dogs and found these dogs. Results were the same as his dog Retina. The data supported the hypothesis, so it.

[Molly Bloom]

Seemed like his guess was right, at least based on what we know now.

[F]

In science, you can never prove something completely, but we do an experiment and then go, okay, Our hypothesis so far seems well supported because this is what we would predict.

[Meyer]

Did he just say science can never prove something completely?

[Molly Bloom]

He did. That's because scientists are really good at understanding that there's so much about the world we don't know. New technology could be developed that shows us things in a new light. New questions could be asked that give us a new way of understanding something. So scientists are good at pointing out that what we know right now is just that, what we know right now.

[Meyer]

And knowing something right now doesn't mean we stop asking questions and trying to learn more.

[Molly Bloom]

Exactly. Being skeptical is important. Stay curious and keep asking.

[Meyer]

Is it true today, your questions helped us learn some pretty fascinating things.

[Molly Bloom]

Like, can twins feel each other's pain? No. Even though they may have a lot in common.

[Meyer]

And the Vikings didn't wear horned helmets, a costume designer and some artists invented that idea in the 1800s.

[Molly Bloom]

And dogs can't see color like we do, but they do see the world in shades of yellow and blue.

[Meyer]

That's it for this episode of Brains On.

[Molly Bloom]

This episode was written by Jess Miller, Rosie dupont and me, Molly Blum. Our editors are Sandon Totten and Shayla Farzon. Fact checking by Ruby Guthrie. We had engineering help from Josh Savageau and Trevor Parks with sound design by Rachel Breese. Original theme music by Mark Sanchez.

[Meyer]

We had production help from the rest of the Brains on Universe team.

[Molly Bloom]

Anna Goldfield, Nico Gonzalez Whistler, Lauren Humpert.

[Meyer]

Joshua Ray, Mark Sanchez, Charlotte Traver, Anna Weigel and Arun Woldeselassi.

[Molly Bloom]

Beth Krilman is our executive producer and the executive executives in charge of APM Studios are Chandra Kavati and Joanne Griffith. Special thanks to Mrs. Miller, Lisa Hutton and Oliver Hutton.

[Meyer]

Brains on is a non profit public radio program.

[Molly Bloom]

There are lots of ways to support the show. Subscribe to Brains on Universe on YouTube where you can watch animated versions of some of your favorite episodes. Or head to brainzone.org while you're there.

[Meyer]

You can send us mystery sounds, drawings and questions.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay, Meyer, are you ready to hear the mystery sound again?

[Meyer]

Uh, yeah.

[Molly Bloom]

Yeah. Okay, let's hear it. What do you think? Okay, so last time you were like, maybe a sink, maybe some water.

[Meyer]

I think it's washing dishes.

[Molly Bloom]

Washing dishes. I think you're really close with that. I think there's definitely a sink involved too. I think there's definitely dishes or something. Sounds like something's like grinding maybe.

[Meyer]

Wait, can I hear it again?

[Molly Bloom]

Yeah.

[Meyer]

It's a garbage disposal.

[Molly Bloom]

It does sound like a garbage disposal. Like in the sink.

[Meyer]

Because you have to run the water while the garbage disposals go.

[Molly Bloom]

Yes.

[Meyer]

And the little funk is you plopping the food in.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, yes. I think you are correct. Should we see if you're right?

[Meyer]

Yeah.

[Molly Bloom]

Okay, here's the answer.

[Meyer]

My name is Reed from Ann Arbor, Michigan, and that was the sound of my garbage disposal grinding up limes.

[Molly Bloom]

Oh, good job. You got it. A garbage disposal grinding up limes. Excellent. Excellent work.

[Meyer]

We have one in our house. My brother likes to just turn it on and off and on and off.

[Molly Bloom]

In case people don't have garbage disposals at home. It's connected to your sink and you can put, you know, like if there are food chunks that go down your sink, it'll kind of mash them all up.

[Meyer]

Then there's this little bolt that spins around and then it mashes up the food.

[Molly Bloom]

Yeah. Nice work, Meyer. Garbage disposals are very loud. Now it's time for the Brains honor roll. These are the incredible kids who keep the show going with their questions, ideas, mystery sounds, drawings and high fives. Ronak from Bowmanville, Ontario. Janine from Taipei, Taiwan. Felix from Cedar City, Utah. Asher from Remington, Virginia. Elio from Brooklyn, New York. Theodore from Brisbane, Australia. Gray from Charlotte, North Carolina. Johanna from Surrey, British Columbia. Bobby from Carrboro, North Carolina. Susie from Hobart, Australia. Lucy and Teddy from Barcelona. Henrik from Minneapolis. Sage from Oakland, California. Oliver from Montreal. Alila from Nashville. Kayla from Basking Ridge. Azalea from Nevada. Inka from Melbourne, Australia. Curtis from Buffalo, New York. Juliet from Minneapolis. Lucille from Bloomington, Indiana. Ella from Westlake Village, California. Hayden from Melbourne, Australia. Freya and Mira from Deerfield, Massachusetts. Amelie and Miles from Jerbies, Belgium. Annabelle and Graham from Iowa Astrid from Victoria, British Columbia William from Masterton, New Zealand Leo from Linwood, Washington Aspen from Anchorage, Alaska Amira from Lincoln, Nebraska Jada and Jackson from Brookline, Massachusetts Emma from Indonesia Seth from Issaquah, Washington Asher and Audrey from Arlington, Texas Isabella from Miramar, Florida Gracie from Knoxville, Tennessee Nick, Michaeletta and Lucas from Fort Worth, Texas Aleda from Washougal, Washington Joey from Bronx, New York Abigail, Madeline and Clara from Berwyn, Illinois Julia from Maplewood, NJ Ezra from Ellensburg, Washington Mark from Seattle Alden from Brooklyn, Massachusetts Quentin from Jackson river and Piper from Nashville Ella and Kia from Sunnyvale, California Jacob and Sadie Mae from Fowler, California Finn and Eamon from Minneapolis Isla from Caledon, Ontario Keeler from Austin, Texas Howard from St. Paul, Minnesota Abigail from Naugatuck, Massachusetts Devin from Santa Clara, California James from Charleston, South Carolina Abe and Josie from Albert, Lee, Minnesota Kyle from Temecula, California Hazel from Toronto Ezra from Cheltenham, England Maria, Josephine and James from Buffalo, New York Jasper from Connecticut Kai from Leesburg, Virginia Sadie and Hannah from Bozeman, Montana and Zoe from Manitoba. We'll be back next week with a mystery sound extravaganza.

[Meyer]

Thanks for listening.