Transcript
A (0:01)
Hey, smarty pants and smarty families. So today I was supposed to bring you the sad news that this would be the last day of our Special Happy Birthday. 50% off WhoSmarted plus subscription. But guess what? With Thanksgiving and Black Friday coming up, I just had to extend it another couple of weeks. So now you have until the end of November to sign up for WhoSmarted plus and get an entire year of smarting ad free, including a brand new subscriber only bonus episode every single week for just $19.98. That's right. For just $1.66 a month, you'll be supporting the show and giving the gift of smarting to the smartypants in your life just in time for the holidays. You can't even get a decent slice of pizza for $1.66. So what do you say? Go to our website whosmarted.com and click Birthday subscribe today. That's whosmarted.com click Birthday Subscribe. This is only available on our website@whosmarted.com you and I and all your friends at WhoSmarted will be glad you did. And happy holidays. Hey there, smarty pants. Welcome to another exciting episode of Smarty qs where I, the trusty narrator, answer amazing questions sent in by you, our Smarty Pants listeners. I can't wait to hear what you asked this time. Let's go. Our first question comes from Emmett in Massachusetts, who asks, how did titanoboas become their huge size? Ooh, fun question. In case you don't know, the titanoboa was a giant snake that lived about 60 million years ago, right after the dinosaurs went extinct. It could grow up to 42ft or 12.8 meters long and weigh over a ton. It was the largest snake ever known. So how did it get so big? Scientists think the answer is climate. Back then, Earth was much warmer and more humid, especially in the rainforests of South America where titanoboas lived. Snakes are cold blooded, so their body temperature depends on their environment. In warmer climates, they can grow larger because their metabolism can work more efficiently. Titanoboas probably ate giant fish and maybe even crocodile like creatures. And being bigger gave them the power to rule their ecosystem. Next up, Oliver asks, if you fill a bag with air and punch it, why does it make a loud sound? Well, when you punch a bag filled with air, you're compressing the air inside really quickly. That sudden squeeze makes the air push hard against the sides of the bag and the bag pushes back. The loud sound comes from the vibration of the bag's material plus the air escaping or shifting rapidly inside. Basically, the punch creates a tiny explosion of air pressure that your ears pick up as a sharp pop. And the harder and faster you hit, the bigger the pressure change and the louder the sound. For our next question, Henry in Ramsey, Minnesota asks, why does car exhaust look so much thicker on cold winter days? Great observation, buddy. Car exhaust always contains water vapor from the burning of fuel. On warm days, you usually don't see it because the vapor stays invisible as a gas. But in cold weather, that water vapor condenses into tiny droplets as soon as it leaves the tailpipe. These droplets form a cloud of steam, which looks thick and white. Okay, we still got a few more great questions to come, including one about why your tongue changes color. But first, let's take a quick break for a word from our sponsors. Hey, Trusty here. You know what's cool? Having your own smartwatch that lets you call and text your friends and family, play awesome games, and even use kids safe chat to get answers to the kinds of questions I know you love. Like how do birds fly? Or why is the sky blue? That's what Pinwheel's smartwatch does. It's designed just for kids so you can call your parents when you need a ride. Text your best friend about weekend plans, play fun games, and use the kids safe chat to learn cool new things without any of the stuff you don't need. Parents, you'll love this part. You control who your kid could contact. No strangers, no spam. You can set screen time schedules for school and homework, check messages remotely and track the location with built in gps. Plus you decide what apps they can access. As your kid grows, Pinwheel grows with them. Start simple, then unlock more features when they're ready. It's why Pinwheel was named the number one kids phone by Parents Magazine. This holiday, get up to 50% off with a quarterly or annual subscription plus free shipping and 30 day returns. Visit pinwheel.com smarted that's P-I N W H E-E-L.com. Welcome back to Smarty qs. My smarty friend Emmy in Armenia asks, why do random thoughts come into your brain? Hmm. Random thoughts called sometimes mind pops, happen when your brain's memory system activates without you trying. Scientists think they come from the hippocampus, the part of the brain that stores and retrieves memories. These pops can be triggered by sights, smells, or even emotions. But sometimes they happen for no clear reason at all. Some scientists believe it's your brain's way of staying flexible and creative, like keeping all the filing cabinets open just in case you need something. So the next time a silly or strange thought suddenly pops into your head, don't worry, it's just your brain being helpfully human. And finally, Olive likes books on Spotify. Asks why does your tongue turn purple when you eat certain foods? Well, some foods contain natural pigments or dyes that give them bright colors. For example, blueberries, grapes and blackberries contain pigments called anthocyanins. When you eat them, those pigments stick to your tongue surface and even stain the little bumps on it that are called papillae. That's why your tongue can turn purple, blue or even red. Don't worry, it's harmless and it goes away once your saliva and taste buds wash the color away. And that's it for today's SmartYQ. Remember, if you've got a question you'd like me to answer, just email me@whosmartedhoosmarted.com until next time. Keep on smarting, smarty pants.
