美国国家公共电台 NPR The Search For Planet 9 And Our Sushi-Powered Brains（在线收听）

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: Stay seated - three, two, one, ignition.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WOW IN THE WORLD")

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: Get ready for an adventure of magnificent proportions.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WOW IN THE WORLD")

THE POP UPS: (Singing) I don't know what you've been told, but we're in a golden age - so many discoveries about jumping off the page, wow in the world, wow in the world, wow in the world, wow in the world.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #2: With Guy and Mindy.

UNIDENTIFIED MAN #1: We're on our way, Houston.

MINDY THOMAS, HOST:

Hey, Guy Raz.

GUY RAZ, HOST:

Hello, Mindy.

THOMAS: OK, so I have to tell you. Last night, I could hardly even sleep because I was too pumped up for this first episode of WOW IN THE WORLD to finally be here. And Guy Raz, here it is. Are you as excited as I am or yes?

RAZ: Yeah. I'm really excited to bring all of these wow-worthy stories...

(SOUNDBITE OF CLANGING)

RAZ: What was that?

THOMAS: Surprise. I just thought it would be fun to celebrate the first episode with a pinata.

RAZ: Wow, OK, well, what just - what just fell out of it?

THOMAS: The entire first show. Look, all the pieces are right here.

RAZ: Our show is in a million tiny pieces on the ground?

THOMAS: Nuts.

RAZ: This is a disaster.

THOMAS: Guy Raz, I'm a disaster. This is nothing. Look, the whole thing is here. We've got pandas. We've got kids. Hey, look, it's your cat.

(SOUNDBITE OF CAT MEOWING)

RAZ: Seaweed, fried chicken, bald eagles, a telescope.

THOMAS: Hey, check it out. I found my brains - gang's all here.

RAZ: You know, Mindy, it still feels like there's one piece of the show missing.

THOMAS: Well, I don't know what it could be. Maybe we'll find it in the first story?

RAZ: Yeah, why don't - why don't we just start the show, and maybe this mess will clean itself up.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WOW IN THE WORLD")

THE POP UPS: (Singing) Wow in the world.

(SOUNDBITE OF CLANGING)

THOMAS: I know it's got to be around here somewhere. Hey, Guy Raz, can you come over here and help me with something?

RAZ: Sure, sure, what's up?

THOMAS: Well, I'm looking for this thing. It's like a - a thing. And I just can't find it anywhere. But it's got to be somewhere because everything's somewhere, right?

RAZ: Mindy, you're making a giant mess. Oh, cool, that's where my toothbrush was hiding.

THOMAS: Oops.

RAZ: Mindy, what are you looking for?

THOMAS: Well, I heard that this astronomer named Mike Brown needs help finding a missing planet. So I thought I'd start here in my room. It's got to be around here somewhere.

RAZ: Well, I think it's unlikely you're going to find a missing planet under this pile of toys and books and stuffed animals and...

THOMAS: That's my collection of used Band-Aids. Can you put it down next to the toenails? We've got to find this planet.

RAZ: Anyway, Mindy, I mean, can we try maybe looking, you know, looking through a telescope?

THOMAS: Well, I guess that would work. But I thought I'd start in a more obvious place.

RAZ: Well, if you're thinking of the same Mike Brown that I'm thinking of, I have a feeling you might be searching for Planet X.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

THOMAS: Bingo, Guy Raz. You're right. It's Planet X, also known as Planet 9.

RAZ: And do you know why they call it Planet 9?

THOMAS: Oh, you know I do, Guy Raz. They call it that because there are eight known planets in our solar system, eight planets that orbit the sun.

RAZ: Oh, you mean...

THOMAS: Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars...

RAZ: Saturn, Jupiter, Uranus and Neptune.

THOMAS: That's right, eight planets. And as you know, Guy Raz, astronomers believe that there is a ninth planet beyond Neptune. And they're asking kids and grown-ups to help them find it.

RAZ: Mindy, Professor Brown, who works at the famous university the California Institute of Technology...

THOMAS: Also known as Cal Tech. Why, do you know him?

RAZ: Not personally, but I do know that he believes this planet, which some call Planet X and some called Planet 9, is 10 or maybe 15 times the size of planet Earth.

THOMAS: Wait a minute. So you're saying that we could cram 15 Earths inside Plan 9?

RAZ: Quite possibly, Mindy. And you are right. Astronomers need our help to find Planet 9.

THOMAS: Which is why I'm looking through all my piles of junk to find it.

RAZ: Well, actually, Mindy, astronomers have made it pretty easy to pitch in.

THOMAS: I'm ready to pitch in. Tell me how.

RAZ: Well, there's a website called zooniverse.org. And if you go to that site, you will be given a small section of outer space to investigate.

THOMAS: What? So you're saying that we could each get our very own piece of outer space? I want the one with the most frosting.

RAZ: Oh, no, no, Mindy, let me back up. What will happen is that the website will ask you to use your eyes to carefully observe or look at one part of outer space.

THOMAS: Well, how does that work?

RAZ: Well, there's a very, very, powerful telescope that can see far out into distant space. It's called the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer telescope. And it has taken thousands and thousands of photos of distant space. And somewhere in one of those photos, astronomers are hoping that eagle-eyed amateur astronomers - so you and me and anyone listening - might be able to find the mysterious Planet 9.

THOMAS: By if we know Planet 9 is out there and it's so big, then why can't we see it?

RAZ: Well, Mindy, the theory - or scientific guess - is that Planet 9 is so, so, so far away from the sun that it's basically hidden in the darkness of space.

THOMAS: So the light from the sun can't reach it?

RAZ: Well, that's the theory. And, Mindy, the craziest thing about Planet 9, if it exists, is that it is so, so far away from the sun that it could take as many as 20,000 Earth years for the planet to orbit the sun.

THOMAS: So it takes one year for the Earth to orbit the sun. But it would take the Planet 9 20,000 years?

RAZ: Exactly. If you lived on Planet 9, you'd only get to celebrate your birthday every 20,000 years.

THOMAS: Well, that doesn't sound like very much fun. You'd hardly get any presents.

RAZ: True. But I should say, Mindy, it is highly unlikely that if Planet 9 is in fact out there, there's probably nothing living on it.

THOMAS: So if I find it, could I call it - I don't know - Planet Mindy?

RAZ: That's a good question. I don't know if they'd name the whole planet after you. But, you know, they might name, like, a spot on it after you - maybe even give it a cool Latin-sounding name, like Planetine Mindius (ph).

THOMAS: I do like the sound of that - but just a spot?

RAZ: Yeah, a spot's pretty good.

THOMAS: OK. So basically, if this all works out, there could potentially be a stain on Planet 9 named Mindy.

RAZ: I wouldn't call it that.

THOMAS: I hope it's a blob that looks just like me.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

THOMAS: So what's your name?

BIRDIE: My name's Birdie (ph). And I'm 6 years old.

THOMAS: Hi, Birdie. So can you make up a one-minute story that involves another planet, a panda bear and some seaweed?

BIRDIE: But can I involve Grandma?

THOMAS: Go for it.

BIRDIE: OK. Once upon a time, there was a planet named Planet All (ph). All the people went there every year for a big feast. The was one grandma that was like, I am the hero of this state. The grandma was super strong. She was a superhero. But she had a panda bear. And the panda bear was really, really weird. She ate seaweed. She thought that seaweed was so great, she ate everything with seaweed. The grandma said, if you don't stop eating seaweed and also playing in the seaweed, I won't be a superhero anymore. But guess what? The grandma was lying. The panda said, no, I'm a panda bear. You can't change who I am. I'm fine doing stuff with seaweed, and you don't need to change me. And so now on, grandmas always don't live with panda bears. The end.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WOW IN THE WORLD")

THE POP UPS: (Singing) Wow in the world.

RAZ: Mindy, I just stumbled on the most incredible mystery.

THOMAS: Man, the jig is up. It's in my pocket.

RAZ: What?

THOMAS: Your cat, she climbed into my pocket, like, two days ago when she smelled the can of open tuna I had in there. And...

RAZ: You have my cat in your pocket?

THOMAS: Yeah, she's just been hanging out in there eating tuna ever since. Isn't that right, kitty?

(SOUNDBITE OF CAT MEOWING)

THOMAS: Wait. That's the mystery you're talking about, right?

RAZ: No, no, I was actually talking about a mystery that could explain why we humans can do things no other species can do.

THOMAS: Like use our fingernails to pick dirt out of our fingernails.

RAZ: Well, I was thinking more about things like how we humans can use our imaginations and how we can communicate with language or - or even how we can cooperate and work together. These are things that we humans can do better than any other species on Earth.

THOMAS: Wait, time out. Let me make sure I got this straight. So a species is any group of living things that are basically alike, right?

RAZ: Right.

(SOUNDBITE OF BELL)

RAZ: So humans are one species. So are lions. So are fruitflies. So is garlic. You get the idea.

THOMAS: Still feels weird to call garlic a species - but anyway, Guy Raz, if we humans are all basically related, then where do we come from? Do we know?

RAZ: Well, Mindy, the best scientific evidence or proof we have of our common human origins begins in Eastern Africa. Every human being on planet Earth today has his or her roots in Eastern Africa. That is where our species, Homo sapiens, began about 220,000 years ago.

THOMAS: Wow, the human species really is just one big family. But, Guy Raz, what kinds of things can we do as a species that other species, like your cat or dogs or even chimps, can't do?

RAZ: Well, Mindy, talking about chimps is a particularly good example because chimpanzees, of course, are our closest living relatives, right?

THOMAS: Right.

RAZ: But they are still very, very different from us humans. For example, they can't speak languages. They can't - they can't read books. They can't start a soccer team and play against another chimp soccer team, right?

(SOUNDBITE OF CHIMPS VOCALIZING)

RAZ: Right?

THOMAS: I'm sorry. I'm just imagining chimps in little soccer cleats. It's so cute. I can't stand it.

RAZ: Well, what I'm trying to say, Mindy, is that our human brain is more complex than any other species.

THOMAS: You're telling me, Guy Raz. One time I tried to take my brain apart. And I could not figure out how to put that thing back together again.

RAZ: What?

THOMAS: And then on top of it being so complicated, it's just so big because, I mean, you've seen my head, right?

RAZ: Well...

THOMAS: And then I was like, why is my head so big? Why are humans' heads so big? Is it because we have bigger brains than other creatures? That must be it, right?

RAZ: Not a bigger brain. Elephants, actually - and even whales - have bigger brains than humans. But our brains have more neurons in an area called the cerebral cortex.

THOMAS: Wait a minute, neurons and the what?

RAZ: Well, neurons are these teeny tiny microscopic cells in our brains. And you can think of them as like little messengers. They send messages to other neurons in other parts of our body. And the cerebral cortex is a part of our brain that gives us our cognitive abilities. And what I mean by that is it's the part of the brain that helps us do things like - like plan ahead.

THOMAS: So, like, to plan a party.

RAZ: Exactly.

THOMAS: Or plan an escape.

RAZ: Yup.

THOMAS: Or plan to go to the pet store to buy some bird seed and then plan to ask the cashier how long it will take for the birds to grow once you plant the seeds.

(SOUNDBITE OF CRICKETS CHIRPING)

RAZ: Yeah, if you really want to do that.

THOMAS: It's on my bucket list.

RAZ: Anyway, our cerebral cortex is what allows us humans to do things like imagine the future or think about the past and learn from our mistakes.

THOMAS: So how come our brains have so many more neurons in the cerebral cortex than other creatures?

RAZ: Well, Mindy, there are several theories, or scientific ideas, based on evidence or clues about why this happened. And the most widely accepted theory has to do with cooking.

THOMAS: Cooking?

RAZ: Yeah, that once our human ancestors discovered fire, they started to cook their food. And that made it easier for us to digest more of it and help our brains to grow. But another theory has just been revealed by a small team of scientists. And I should point out, Mindy, that this is just a theory. So it's still sort of a guess.

THOMAS: So what is it? Why are our human brains smarter than the brains of other creatures?

RAZ: One word, Mindy - sushi.

THOMAS: Our brains are made of sushi? Wait a minute. Are you trying to tell me that somehow, spicy tuna rolls make us smarter?

RAZ: Well, not exactly like the beautifully prepared sushi that you might get at a Japanese restaurant but more like the seaweed that wraps around the sushi.

THOMAS: So how did seaweed help us get smarter than other species?

RAZ: Well, Mindy, scientists at the University of Denmark have also been asking that very same question. And what they discovered was that our early human ancestors probably ate a lot of seaweed.

THOMAS: And they probably ate it right out of the ocean without even using chopsticks.

RAZ: Well, about 2.5 million years ago, our human ancestors started to make their way to coastal areas of Africa, areas near the beach. And if they were lucky, they'd find food that washed up on the shore - so fish and oysters, maybe some clams and any other sea creatures that washed up. But it's much, much, much more likely that when they got to the beach, all they found was a lot of seaweed.

THOMAS: Yeah, I get that. But why would they eat it right off the beach? It probably had sand in it.

RAZ: Mindy, the reason, of course, is because it's edible. It's safe to eat. But also, you can find a lot of seaweed on the beach. So it was probably a quick and easy way for these distant human relatives to fill their bellies.

THOMAS: Yeah, but you said it made them smarter.

RAZ: Well, that's right, Mindy. Seaweed happens to be very, very healthy and nutritious. It's full of things like iodine and taurine and zinc and magnesium and vitamin B12.

THOMAS: Hold the phone, Guy Raz. So what exactly makes all those things so nutritious?

RAZ: Well, these nutrients are really important for human health. In fact, Mindy, whenever you eat healthy foods, you are probably putting a bunch of great vitamins and minerals into your body. They're invisible, but you can find them in many different kinds of foods. But seaweed, it turns out, is chock full of these nutrients.

THOMAS: So what do these nutrients actually do to you?

RAZ: Well, Mindy, in the case of seaweed, nutrients like zinc are important to help our brain learn new things and to remember them. Magnesium helps our brain understand things. Vitamin B12 is actually important in helping us to understand languages. So over time - and I'm talking hundreds of thousands of years - as our human ancestors ate things like seaweed and ate them in abundance, so ate a lot of it, their brains also developed into the modern brain that we Homo sapiens have today.

THOMAS: OK. Well, I have to admit, I was a little skeptical at first. But now you've sold me on the seaweed. So with that, Guy Raz, I would like to take you someplace special for lunch today. Guy Raz, get in the car. We are going to eat the beach.

RAZ: What?

THOMAS: I hope you don't mind a little sand in your seaweed.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

THOMAS: Hey, guys, did you hear that last story? Apparently seaweed can make you smarter. Do you believe it?

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD #1: Well, I have eaten seaweed, and I am in advanced math. So yeah, I think it does.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD #2: I need some smarts. I would eat anything to get some smarts into my brain. This brain is boneless.

UNIDENTIFIED WOMAN: Boneless?

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD #1: Well, another way that I get so smart is that I eat Smarties.

THOMAS: What about Dum-Dums?

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD #1: (Laughter).

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WOW IN THE WORLD")

THE POP UPS: (Singing) Wow in the world.

THOMAS: It's time to pump up some gratitude.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

THOMAS: Five, six, seven, eight. (Singing) Thank you, thank you, thank you so much. Thank you, thank you, muchos gracias. Thank you, thank you, hashtag #grateful. I appreciate you. Thank you so much. Thanks a million.

RAZ: Hey, Mindy.

THOMAS: Guy Raz, how long have you been standing there?

RAZ: What - what are you doing?

THOMAS: I was exercising.

RAZ: Well, I can see that you're in your workout clothes. But you're just - you're just staring at a picture of your family and talking to it.

THOMAS: Guy Raz, as I said, I'm exercising.

RAZ: But isn't exercise when you do things like, you know, push-ups or jumping jacks?

THOMAS: Well, of course it is. But those are physical exercises. What I'm doing are mental exercises.

RAZ: Mental exercises?

THOMAS: Yeah, I'm exercising my brains.

RAZ: But then why are you staring at a picture of your family and saying thank you and all that stuff?

THOMAS: Oh, well, I'm working out my gratitude.

RAZ: Gratitude?

THOMAS: Yeah, you know, when you show someone appreciation for all the nice things that they do for you.

RAZ: Yeah. But, I mean, I'm still trying to figure out how showing gratitude is a form of exercise.

THOMAS: Well, Guy Raz, it turns out that when we humans exercise gratitude for the things that we have, it's really good for our health.

RAZ: Really? How so?

THOMAS: Well, two professors from the University of Montana have just shown that when people stop and appreciate all of the great things they have - and, you know, like, thank people who make their lives better - it actually makes that person happier.

RAZ: Wow. Well, how do they know that?

THOMAS: Well, these professors wrote an article where they describe an experiment with more than 5,000 humans.

RAZ: Well, this is starting to sound very promising.

THOMAS: Anyway, the people who were more appreciative of the things they had were much more likely to be healthy and even live longer, Guy Raz.

RAZ: Just from saying thanks to the people around them?

THOMAS: Yeah, I know. I thought it was crazy too. But this little trick can actually make us humans more optimistic and more excited about the future.

RAZ: Interesting.

THOMAS: And it can help when we're feeling down. And believe it or not, Guy Raz, people who show appreciation and gratitude to others are less likely to get sick and more likely to do physical exercises.

RAZ: Like jumping jacks and push-ups.

THOMAS: Stop and give me 20.

RAZ: Uh...

THOMAS: That's a big yes.

RAZ: But do you really have to wear workout clothes to show gratitude?

THOMAS: Oh, yeah, I don't know. I just didn't want to take any chances.

RAZ: Well, Mindy, I'm just wearing my usual button-down shirt and a wool sweater and tweed blazer with elbow patches. But if you don't mind, can I exercise with you?

THOMAS: Sure. Let's warm up with some thank yous - you ready?

RAZ: Sure am.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

THOMAS: Five, six, seven, eight.

RAZ: Thank you.

THOMAS: Thank you. Thank you. Thank you so much.

RAZ: No, thank you.

THOMAS: Thank you. Thank you. Muchos gracias.

RAZ: No, no, thank you.

THOMAS: Thank you. Thank you.

RAZ: Thank you.

THOMAS: Hashtag, #grateful. I appreciate you.

RAZ: No, no, thank you. Thank you.

I'm feeling happier and more optimistic already, Mindy.

THOMAS: OK, let's move on to the next exercise. Are you ready?

RAZ: Sure am.

THOMAS: I appreciate you.

RAZ: I appreciate you, Mindy.

THOMAS: No, I appreciate you.

RAZ: I appreciate you.

THOMAS: No, I appreciate you.

RAZ: I appreciate you.

THOMAS: (Yelling) No, I appreciate you.

RAZ: I appreciate you.

THOMAS: OK, I think that's enough - feels good to work it out, right?

RAZ: Yeah, I have a feeling I'm never going to think about exercise the same way again.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

THOMAS: Well, Guy Raz, we did it. Our first show is a wrap.

RAZ: Yeah, I mean, we searched for a new planet.

THOMAS: We ate some sushi, and some seaweed made our brains bigger.

RAZ: And, you know, the story that I think is going to stick with me is the one about gratitude, that it's really important to just say thanks and appreciate the people you love.

THOMAS: Yeah, I appreciate you, Guy Raz, but you know who else I appreciate? All of the kids and their grown-ups listening to our show right now.

RAZ: Of course.

THOMAS: Thank you so much for listening to this episode of WOW IN THE WORLD.

RAZ: And parents, to find out more about the stories we talked about this week, visit our website, wowintheworld.com.

THOMAS: You can also write us. Our email address is [email protected].

RAZ: Our show is written by me and Mindy Thomas.

THOMAS: And our sound designer is Jed Anderson (ph).

RAZ: Thanks so much to Daniel Shukin, Ramtin Arablouei, Kasia Podbielski and Anya Grundmann for helping us get this show up and running.

THOMAS: And big high-fives to all of the kids that you heard on this episode, Birdie, Rhett (ph), Suzannah (ph), Eli (ph), and Emily (ph).

RAZ: And to Meredith Halpern-Ranzer for bringing it all together.

THOMAS: Our theme song, "Wow In The World," was written and performed by The Pop Ups. Check them out at thepopups.com.

RAZ: We're back with a brand new episode of WOW IN THE WORLD next week. See you then.

THOMAS: Can't wait for it.

(SOUNDBITE OF SONG, "WOW IN THE WORLD")

THE POP UPS: (Singing) Wow in the world, wow in the world, wow in the world.

UNIDENTIFIED CHILD #3: WOW IN THE WORLD was made by Tinkercast and sent to you by NPR.