Show What You Know (Episode 5: Being Human)

Announcer (00:06):
It’s time for Show What You Know, the podcast from Encyclopaedia Britannica, where kids get to test their knowledge and match their wits to win cool prizes! And now, all the way from Great Britain, here is the editor of the Britannica All New Kids’ Encyclopedia, and the host of Show What You Know, Christopher Lloyd.

Christopher Lloyd (00:25):
Hello everyone! And welcome to Show What You Know. My name is Christopher Lloyd, and, like many of you out there, I am a firm believer that the real world is far more amazing than anything you can make up.

And today we're going to learn about an extraordinary animal that’s only a few hundred thousand years old, but in that short time this animal has become the most dominant species on our planet. I’m talking, of course, about us: Homo sapiens. Humankind. And the story of our incredible journey - who we are, and where we've been - is the subject of today's episode: "Being Human."

Now, before we get started, let’s take a moment to review the ground rules. Each of our three contestants has received a chapter about being human from the Britannica All New Kids’ Encyclopedia: What We Know & What We Don’t. They’ve each had twenty-four hours to study the chapter and prepare for the quiz. So, now, let’s meet our three contestants and see what they’ve learned.

Announcer (01:33):
Contestant number one.

William (01:35):
My name is William. I live in Darien, Connecticut, and I am nine years old,

Announcer (01:41):
Contestant number two.

Colin (01:43):
My name's Colin and I live in Darien, Connecticut, and I'm nine years old,

Announcer (01:48):
Contestant number three.

Parker (01:50):
My name is Parker. I live in Novato, California, and I'm nine years old.

Christopher Lloyd (01:56):
Are you guys ready to play Show What You Know?

Contestants (02:00):
Yes!

Christopher Lloyd (02:00):
Okay! Our first quiz is called: True or False. I am going to give you all a series of statements and you have to tell me which ones are true and which ones are false. The first contestant to hit the buzzer and give the right answer gets one point. And if you give the wrong answer, you lose one point.

Here we go.

More than 3.5 billion people around the world depend on rice as their main food source.

Colin, you were first on the buzzer. Was that true or false?

Colin (02:42):
True.

Christopher Lloyd (02:42):
Very good. Indeed. Incredible as it is to imagine - rice so important for feeding the world, you get one point. Here's the next question. All calendars have 12 months.

Parker! You were quick on the buzzer, was that true or false?

Parker (03:00):
Um, that is false.

Christopher Lloyd (03:02):
Very good. You get one point. Paper money is the oldest form of money.

Colin. Brilliant. Tell us, was that true or false?

Colin (03:13):
False.

Christopher Lloyd (03:13):
Very good. Before there was paper, of course they used metals or shells or beads, all sorts of amazing things. Very good. Indeed. You get one point. And here's our final question of this round: There are about 18 different types of smile.

Colin, you were quick on the buzzer. Was that true or false?

Colin (03:37):
True.

Christopher Lloyd (03:37):
That is true. You're right. There are 18 different kinds of smile. Fantastic. Congratulations.

Colin (03:44):
Thank you.

Christopher Lloyd (03:45):
That was one of the best starts we've ever had. Now let's give our contestants a full throated cheer. No, I didn't say a full-throated burp. I said a full throated cheer. [cheer sound effect] Okay, that's what I was looking for. Now the next quiz is called...

Female V.O. (04:07):
Listified.

Christopher Lloyd (04:07):
...and here's how it works. I'm going to read a list and one of the things on the list doesn't belong there. After I finished reading the list, the first contestant to hit the buzzer and tell us what shouldn't be on the list wins the quiz. A correct answer is worth four points. Here we go! There are several main groups of organs that work together in what we call body systems. Which of the following is not a body system: Skeletal, muscular, respiratory, recreational, circulatory, digestive, or nervous.

Colin! You are first on the buzzer, which one of those doesn't belong in the list.

Colin (04:59):
Recreational.

Christopher Lloyd (05:01):
Excellent. Very good. Indeed. I don't know what the recreational system is, but it sounds fun, but it's also false. So congratulations, Colin, you get four points.

Colin (05:10):
Thank you.

Christopher Lloyd (05:13):
Hey, it's time to check the scores. We have William who has zero points. Parker has one point and out in the clear lead to begin with it's Colin with seven points.

Male V.O. (05:33):
We interrupt this quiz show with some breaking news. Researchers have discovered that listening to sounds of over 120 decibels can damage your ears. The researchers conducted their test using a series of increasingly loud sounds. The first sound they used was a yowling cat, which is 45 decibels. The next sound was heavy traffic, which is 85 decibels. Followed the sound of a jackhammer at 100 decibels. Then a rock concert, which is 105 to 115 decibels. A siren that's 115 to 125 decibels. A jet taking off at 120 decibels. And finally, exploding firecrackers, which are 140 to 150 decibels loud!

Christopher Lloyd (06:23):
Well, that's very interesting news, indeed. It seems to me, if people want to protect their hearing, they need to limit their exposure to loud sounds.

Male V.O. (06:31):
What?

Christopher Lloyd (06:34):
I said people need to limit their exposure to loud sounds!

Male V.O. (06:39):
Loud downs? No I'm talking about loud sounds!

Christopher Lloyd (06:41):
That's what I said!

Male V.O. (06:43):
Dead? Who's dead?

Christopher Lloyd (06:45):
Anyway, thank you for that informative newscast.

Male V.O. (06:50):
News blast? No it's called a newscast! Gee! You would think he was hard of hearing or something. Hey, somebody's playing music. I'm not finished yet. We still have to cover news and weather and sport! Hey, come on. I'm not done.

Christopher Lloyd (07:06):
If he wants my advice, he better visit an ear doctor. That brings us to our next quiz:

Male V.O. (07:14):
Phony Baloney.

Christopher Lloyd (07:16):
We call it Phony Baloney because there are four incorrect things in the sentences I'm about to read to each of you. When you hear the wrong thing, you have to shout "Baloney!" Let's give it a try. Everyone shout:

Contestants (07:28):
"Baloney!"

Christopher Lloyd (07:28):
Now after you shout "Baloney," you can get an extra point if you tell me what the correct answer is. So we'll start with William, our contestant number one, when you hear something that doesn't sound right. What do you shout?

William (07:46):
"Baloney!"

Christopher Lloyd (07:48):
Okay William! Great. Your subject is: evolution.

The modern human evolved over millions of years. All modern human beings belong to the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens means slow moving humans.

William (08:07):
"Baloney!" Homo sapiens actually means wise humans.

Christopher Lloyd (08:11):
Excellent. Not only did you notice that that was baloney, but you've given me the correct answer. It means wise. Fantastic. Okay. On we go. They probably originated in Miami beach more than 315.

William (08:25):
"Baloney!"

Christopher Lloyd (08:25):
Oh, what's the problem with that?

William (08:26):
They did not originate in Miami Beach. They originated in Africa.

Christopher Lloyd (08:32):
You're absolutely right. Okay. Here we go. Humans and chimpanzees are the only primates that walk or run on two feet all the time.

William (08:43):
"Baloney!"

Christopher Lloyd (08:43):
Yeah. Tell me what was the problem with that sentence?

William (08:45):
Chimpanzees do not always walk on two feet. They sometimes walk on four.

Christopher Lloyd (08:49):
You are absolutely right. It's only humans that always walk on two feet. Okay. And the last sentence is as follows: The name for this is ambidextrous.

William (09:00):
"Baloney!" It is actually called bipedals.

Christopher Lloyd (09:03):
Bipedals. I'm going to give you that. That's very good. Bipedalism, which is a tricky word, but very good indeed. So William, you did extremely well. You spotted all my "Baloneys," and you gave me the correct answers, which means you get a total of eight points!

William (09:19):
Thank you.

Christopher Lloyd (09:22):
All right. The next is Colin! Contestant number two. Colin, are you ready?

Colin (09:26):
Yes.

Christopher Lloyd (09:27):
Good. Your subject is the brain.

The brain is the body's control center. It has three sides.

Colin (09:37):
"Baloney!"

Christopher Lloyd (09:37):
Oh, what's the problem with that? Colin.

Colin (09:39):
The brain actually has two sides.

Christopher Lloyd (09:41):
Good. Of course it has two sides. The right and the left side, these sides are called semicircles.

Colin (09:47):
"Baloney!"

Christopher Lloyd (09:49):
Uhuh?

Colin (09:49):
The sides are actually called hemispheres.

Christopher Lloyd (09:52):
Oh, very good. Indeed. You got a great, a couple of hemispheres there, Colin, congratulations. The right side of the brain controls the right side of the body and the left side of the brain controls the left side of the body.

Colin (10:05):
"Baloney!"

Christopher Lloyd (10:05):
What's the problem with that?

Colin (10:06):
Um, the right side of the brain controls the left side and the left side controls the right.

Christopher Lloyd (10:11):
What great knowledge, and how weird, why is that? Anyway. People's brains stop working when they are snoring.

Colin (10:20):
"Baloney!"

Christopher Lloyd (10:20):
What's the problem with that? Does your brain work when you're snoring?

Colin (10:23):
Yeah, because when, if you are dreaming, there's something still going on in your brain.

Christopher Lloyd (10:29):
There must be something going on in there. Sometimes I wonder that even when I'm awake, but yes, you're absolutely right, Colin. You've done a terrific job there. You spotted all the "Baloneys," you gave me the correct answers, and you also get a total of eight points.

Colin (10:45):
Thank you!

Christopher Lloyd (10:45):
Last but not least. It's contestant number three's turn. Okay, Parker! Are you ready for some "Baloneys?"

Parker (10:51):
Yes.

Christopher Lloyd (10:52):
Great. Your subject is the senses. Sight, taste, hearing, touch and smell are the sensors that help humans understand and interact with the world and other people. The eyes contain nerve cells called rods and crayons.

Parker (11:12):
"Baloney!"

Christopher Lloyd (11:12):
Okay?

Parker (11:12):
They're not called crayons. They're called cones.

Christopher Lloyd (11:14):
Fantastic. Well spotted, here we go. The tongue has about a dozen taste buds full of taste receptor cells.

Parker (11:24):
"Baloney."

Christopher Lloyd (11:24):
What's the problem with that Parker?

Parker (11:26):
I don't think the tongue has a dozen cells.

Christopher Lloyd (11:30):
Oh, really? How many do you think it's got?

Parker (11:32):
I think 2,000 to 8,000.

Christopher Lloyd (11:35):
Very good. Indeed. The answer is thousands, so we'll give you that Parker. Well spotted. Let me continue. The ear picks up vibrations in the air in the inner ear, an organ called the cauliflower, picks up the signal and sends it to the brain.

Parker (11:51):
"Baloney."

Christopher Lloyd (11:51):
Oh, that's a shame.

Parker (11:52):
It's not called the cauliflower.

Christopher Lloyd (11:54):
What's it called? Do you know?

Parker (11:56):
Um, no, I don't.

Christopher Lloyd (11:57):
Okay. That's not a problem. We'll come back to that. In a moment, the human nose can detect at least 1 trillion distinct odors. Odor receptors send information about smell to the pungency bulb in your brain.

Parker (12:13):
"Baloney."

Christopher Lloyd (12:13):
Very good.

Parker (12:13):
It's not called the pungency bulb.

Christopher Lloyd (12:15):
All right. What's it called?

Parker (12:17):
Um...

Christopher Lloyd (12:17):
Any idea?

Parker (12:19):
No.

Christopher Lloyd (12:19):
Okay. Don't worry, you did really well, and that was a tough paragraph of "Baloneys." You spotted all four "Baloneys," but you weren't quite sure what the cauliflower was called, it's actually called the cochlear. And also it's not the pungency bulb as you quite rightly detected, but it's actually called the olfactory bulb. So at the end of that round Parker, you get a total of six points!

Parker (12:42):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (12:47):
Let's take a moment to check the scores! We have Colin in first place with 15 points, and in second place, it's William with eight points. Parker is in third place with seven points! Now, remember, we still have two more quizzes to go. So all of these points are going to change [Phone Ringing].

I can't believe it. Who would be so inconsiderate to call me in the middle of the show? Hello?

Otto the Robot (13:16):
Hello Christopher Lloyd. This is Otto.

Christopher Lloyd (13:18):
Oh. Otto. I should have guessed. For those of you who don’t know, Otto is a robot who happens to be staying at my house. Otto, you'll have to call me back. I've got contestants waiting.

Otto the Robot (13:31):
This will not take long. Otto wants to make dinner for Christopher Lloyd.

Christopher Lloyd (13:35):
Oh well that's very thoughtful of you, Otto.

Otto the Robot (13:39):
Otto read the chapter about being human in the encyclopedia. Now Otto knows that humans need a nutritious, well-balanced meal in order to properly function.

Christopher Lloyd (13:46):
Well done, Otto. That's absolutely right. We humans get lots of vitamins from fruits and vegetables. We also need fiber, like whole grains, and we get protein from foods like chicken, eggs and beans. So what's for dinner?

Otto the Robot (14:03):
Everything.

Christopher Lloyd (14:04):
I'm sorry Otto, what did you say?

Otto the Robot (14:07):
Otto is mixing together broccoli, bananas, bread, raw chicken, half a dozen eggs, baked beans, and fish filets.

Christopher Lloyd (14:14):
Otto, Otto - there's no way you can mix all of that food together.

Otto the Robot (14:19):
Christopher Lloyd is wrong. Otto has put the food in your bathtub.

Christopher Lloyd (14:25):
Otto... what's that sound?

Otto the Robot (14:27):
Otto is going to use your lawn mower to mix the food together.

Christopher Lloyd (14:30):
Oh no! Otto, Otto! Don't put the lawn mower in my bathtub!

Otto the Robot (14:40):
Otto is finished. Green mush with raw chicken will be waiting for Christopher Lloyd when he comes home. Have a nice day.

Christopher Lloyd (14:47):
Oh, so long Otto. Well, Otto was right about one thing. You do need a balanced diet, but you have to prepare your food properly and whatever you do, don't go putting it in the bathtub. Well, I guess I better get back to the show and that brings us to our next quiz...

Female V.O. (15:07):
FACTastic.

Christopher Lloyd (15:07):
For this quiz, I'm going to ask each contestant a series of 10 rapid fire questions. Every time you answer a question correctly, you get one point. If you don't know the answer, you just say "Pass" or "Don't know," and we'll move on. You each have 45 seconds to get through the questions. So let's begin.

Colin, we'll start with you. Are you ready?

Colin (15:34):
Yes.

Christopher Lloyd (15:34):
Okay. Here's your first question. Starting... now: what percentage of the average human is water?

Colin (15:41):
60%.

Christopher Lloyd (15:43):
What body system, which includes the intestines and stomach, breaks down food into nutrients?

Colin (15:49):
The digestive system.

Christopher Lloyd (15:52):
What do we call the brain cells that transmit information within the brain and between the brain and the rest of the body?

Colin (16:01):
Neurons.

Christopher Lloyd (16:01):
What do we call the type of action the body does without having to think about it?

Colin (16:05):
A reflex.

Christopher Lloyd (16:08):
Brilliant! What is the term for a person who learns how to do a skilled job or craft by working with an expert.

Colin (16:15):
Apprentice.

Christopher Lloyd (16:16):
What do we call people who choose to eat only plants?

Colin (16:21):
A vegan.

Christopher Lloyd (16:21):
What calendar is now the official calendar of almost all countries?

Colin (16:25):
Gregorian calendar.

Christopher Lloyd (16:25):
There's the buzzer, time's up! That was awesome. Colin. You correctly answered seven out of the 10 questions.

Colin (16:34):
Thank you!

Christopher Lloyd (16:37):
Parker. You're next. Are you ready?

Parker (16:39):
Yes.

Christopher Lloyd (16:40):
Okay. Here are your questions. Starting... now. What do we call the liquid part of blood?

Parker (16:46):
Plasma.

Christopher Lloyd (16:47):
How many bones does an average adult human have?

Parker (16:50):
206.

Christopher Lloyd (16:50):
The three major areas of the brain are the cerebrum, the cerebellum, and what else?

Parker (16:58):
Brain stem.

Christopher Lloyd (16:59):
What do we call chemical messengers that produce certain emotions and behaviors?

Parker (17:06):
Neurotransmitters.

Christopher Lloyd (17:06):
What do we call a language produced with the hands?

Parker (17:09):
Sign language.

Christopher Lloyd (17:10):
What famous stone helped decipher Egyptian hieroglyphics?

Parker (17:14):
Rosetta Stone.

Christopher Lloyd (17:16):
Wonderful. What international organization, which now has 193 member States came together to maintain peace across the world after World War II?

Parker (17:25):
The United Nations.

Christopher Lloyd (17:28):
The shuka is a traditional robe of what people from Kenya and Tanzania?

Parker (17:31):
The Maasai.

Christopher Lloyd (17:35):
Oh, very good! You got that just in time. Parker, you answered eight questions correctly, which gives you a total of eight points!

Parker (17:42):
Yay!

Christopher Lloyd (17:42):
Okay William, are you ready?

William (17:47):
Yes.

Christopher Lloyd (17:48):
Great. Here is your set of questions. Here we go. What type of blood cells help fight infection and disease?

William (17:56):
The white blood cells.

Christopher Lloyd (17:57):
What type of joint do the knee and elbow have?

William (18:02):
Hinge joint.

Christopher Lloyd (18:02):
What type of brain waves occur when a person is asleep?

William (18:06):
Delta.

Christopher Lloyd (18:07):
Great. What is the colored part of the eye called?

William (18:10):
Iris.

Christopher Lloyd (18:12):
What style of street dance developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s using martial arts moves?

William (18:21):
Break dance.

Christopher Lloyd (18:21):
What is the term for the ability to read and write?

William (18:24):
Pass.

Christopher Lloyd (18:25):
By what age are most children fluent speakers in their native language?

William (18:31):
Pass.

Christopher Lloyd (18:31):
The Egyptian game Senet is an ancestor of what popular board game?

William (18:37):
Backgammon.

Christopher Lloyd (18:38):
Backgammon! That's right. So at the end of this round, William, you scored six points!

William (18:42):
Thank you!

Christopher Lloyd (18:47):
This is the part of the show where I get to relax and let our contestants ask some questions. And we have a very special guest with us today, Dr. Pravina Shukla. Now Dr. Shukla Is a professor of folklore and ethno, musicology and director of graduate studies at Indiana University in Bloomington, Indiana. Dr. Shukla was also a contributor to the iBritannica All New Kids’ Encyclopedia: What We Know & What We Don’t. Dr. Shukla, thank you so much for being here.

Dr. Pravina Shukla (19:18):
Thank you so much, Chris, for having me.

Christopher Lloyd (19:20):
Well, it's terrific to have you here. And I know the contestants are excited to ask you their questions. Colin, why don't you go first? What would you like to ask Dr. Shukla?

Colin (19:29):
Hi, I've been wondering what particular things do you study. I've heard you study things like body art culture and how people live their lives, but what awesome things have you found while being a scientist and how?

Dr. Pravina Shukla (19:43):
That's a really great question Colin, thank you for asking that. I'm a folklorist. So folklorist study creativity in everyday life. We study creative acts of communication, such as storytelling or rituals or festivals and celebrations, and I particularly study material culture, which is just the physical aspects of culture, such as body art, as you said, clothing, costumes, but also food from farming to cooking, to eating as well as folk art, decorative things, quilts, baskets, pottery things we have around our house.

Christopher Lloyd (20:15):
Great question Colin. Now, William, what would you like to ask Dr. Shukla?

William (20:21):
Do you think the quarantine has affected how people react to their families and country?

Dr. Pravina Shukla (20:29):
William, thank you for that question. I do believe that the quarantine and the pandemic period that we're in right now is affecting the ways in which we are communicating with our families. Um, some of the venues of communication that we have used going to school and work, talking to people, playing face to face are closed for a lot of us, but other venues are opening other venues of expressions, such as gardening or cooking, playing games online, writing to people, documenting our lives. A lot of people are - through photography or journals or making videos - doing new creative things they haven't done before. They're reacting in a different way to their families and their countries during this pandemic period.

Christopher Lloyd (21:10):
Isn't that fascinating. It really says something about the human spirit, doesn't it? Our ability to cope with adversity and how adaptable we are as a species, like how we're finding new and creative ways to express ourselves during the pandemic. Parker. What question have you got for Dr. Shukla?

Parker (21:27):
Can you tell me about what the clothes in Persian were like?

Dr. Pravina Shukla (21:30):
Thank you, Parker. That's an interesting question. What you're asking is what the clothing of the historical Persian empire was like, which brings up the question of how do we know what people wore in the past? If we were to study contemporary Iran, for example, we could go there. We could photograph people. We could look at - we could document what people wear and we could talk to people about what choices they're making about their clothing. But when we're looking at the past, we have to rely on other kinds of evidence, such as photographs or written descriptions. For the Persian empire in particular, we'd have to look at carvings, vases that depict people to see what they were wearing. And this is why I like being a folklorist because we're able to use evidence from the past, such as material culture, carvings, vases, even paintings, to understand what people were like in the past.

Christopher Lloyd (22:21):
Dr. Shukla, thank you so much for joining us. And we hope you can stay with us because we're coming up to the last question of the game!

Male V.O. (22:28):
Bonus Round.

Christopher Lloyd (22:31):
Right now, Colin is in the lead with 22 points. Parker is in second place with 15 points, and only just behind is William in third place with 14 points. But each of you can double your score if you give the right answer to this next question. And this one is a little different from the other questions, because it's less about facts and more about using your imagination. Now I'm going to ask you to listen to a song. And as you're listening to the song, I want you to send me a secret message telling me who or what you think the song is about. So everyone listen carefully. Here's the song:

Song (23:15):
Inside every human body there are thousands of instructions
In a chemical called DNA
And the reason that they’re there is to carry information
Affecting us in every way.

They influence what we look like,
The way our bodies operate too.
These sets of instructions have a special name,
And it’s a one-word answer for you.

So show that you know what you know.
You know what you know!

Christopher Lloyd (23:46):
Wow. What a fun song. Now I hope you've all been typing in an answer telling me what you think the song was about, and after you hear me count to three, I want you to press your buzzers and show me your answers. Here we go. Are you ready?

Contestants (24:18):
Yes!

Christopher Lloyd (24:18):
One, two, three. Okay. I've got three answers in, but only Parker gave the correct answer. And the correct answer is... genes!

And the final scores are in. So, we have William in third place with 14 points. We have Colin in second place with 22 points, and Parker who came from behind to double his score, wins today's game with a massive 30 points!

Parker (24:50):
Woohoo! Yeah!

Christopher Lloyd (24:55):
So before we hand out the prizes, I want to give a big thank you to our contestants for playing Show What You Know. William, Colin, and Parker, it was such a pleasure to meet you. You're so knowledgeable, and I can verify there's absolutely no cauliflowers in any of your brains.

Kurt, why don't you tell our contestants what they won.

Announcer (25:16):
Thanks Chris. For showing us what they know, each of our contestants will be receiving a copy of the Britannica All New Kids’ Encyclopedia: What We Know & What We Don’t. They will also be receiving a year-long subscription to Britannica Kids Online Premium, with over one million pages of fact-checked content, podcasts, videos, interactive coverage of major historical events, and access to Britannica’s three-volume first edition. And our grand-prize winner will be receiving a six-month subscription to KiwiCo, the company that empowers kids to explore, create, and have fun with hands-on building kits delivered monthly to their home.

Christopher Lloyd (26:00):
We hope you can join us next time when our topic will be Ancient History. Until then, this is Christopher Lloyd reminding all of you that the real world is far more amazing than anything you can make up.

Announcer (26:14):
Sound engineer and editor for Show What You Know is Ryan Staples. Our Q&A researchers are Alison Eldridge, Joan Lackowski and Fia Bigelow. Our production assistant is Emily Goldstein. Chris’s guests today were William, Colin, and Parker. The music was by Jacob Denny. Original songs were by Dennis Scott. Show What You Know was written, directed and produced by Rick Siggelkow. Our executive producer is Rick Livingston, and I’m your announcer, Kurt Heintz. This program is copyrighted by Encyclopaedia Britannica, Incorporated. All rights reserved.