Secret Languages We All Speak & Amazing Changes in Nature You Never Knew
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What is the science behind the itch-scratch cycle?
Today on Something You Should Know, the strange science of itching and scratching. Then, the fascinating world of secret languages. Every family, every group, every industry has its own secret language.
I mean, the language of the stunt world. I mean, you know, you need to describe different types of camera movements. You know, we're going off sticks. means we're taking the camera off the tripod. The martini shot, the martini shot is the last shot of the day and people find it amusing and pleasing and it just enters the language.
What are secret languages and where do they come from?
Also, what's the deal with bananas? Are they healthy or not? And some of the most fascinating clues in nature you may have never noticed.
So a really nice simple one is if a cloud is taller than it is wide, it's a classic sign that the atmosphere is unstable.
How do secret languages reflect identity and belonging?
That makes rain showers more likely, particularly if you see them in the morning. It makes thunderstorms more likely. It makes hail more likely.
All this today on Something You Should Know.
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So, when I tell you that we're going to start this episode by talking about itching, the fact that I just said that may have already caused you to start itching, which is part of what we're going to talk about. Hi and welcome, I'm Mike Carruthers and this is Something You Should Know. So we all know there's nothing more satisfying than scratching an itch. Yet what's interesting is researchers have uncovered what they call the itch-scratch cycle. It's a loop where scratching might feel good for a moment, but scratching actually makes the itch come back stronger. Here's how the loop works. When you feel an itch, you scratch it, and that scratching triggers mild pain signals, which momentarily distract you from the itch.
But here's the catch. The pain signals from the scratching prompt your brain to release serotonin and other chemicals, which don't just reduce the pain, they amplify the itch. In other words, you scratch, you get serotonin, you feel itchier, so you scratch more. On top of that, there's this phenomenon of contagious itch. Seeing, hearing, or even imagining someone scratching or being told about an itch can make you feel itchy.
What are the hidden seasonal changes in nature?
So yes, your mother was right. Don't scratch that itch. And one practical tip is that instead of scratching, try gentle rubbing or stroking around the itchy area. Some recent work suggests that soft, gentle strokes can disrupt the itch signal without triggering the whole cycle again. And that is something you should know. When you were a kid, or maybe with your own kids, you probably had a secret language. A few strange words or phrases that only people in the family understood. Maybe it came from a mispronunciation or a family inside joke, or it's just a word that stuck. But secret languages don't just belong to kids. Every field, restaurants, retail, even podcasting, has its own private code. It's not exactly secret, but it's meaningless to anyone outside.
So where do these special languages come from, and why do we love creating them? My guest, Ben Schott, has been exploring that question, and he is the author of a book called Schott's Significa, a Miscellany of Secret Languages. Hey, Ben, welcome to Something You Should Know. Thank you for having me. So I'm obviously aware of secret languages, and I've participated with others talking secret languages, but I never thought of it so much as something to study, and yet they're everywhere.
How can we interpret nature's clues throughout the seasons?
So we are surrounded by secret languages and we interact with them all the time without knowing them.
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the science behind the itch-scratch cycle?
0:02–0:33
2
What are secret languages and where do they come from?
0:33–0:49
3
How do secret languages reflect identity and belonging?
0:49–3:02
4
What are the hidden seasonal changes in nature?
3:02–4:34
5
How can we interpret nature's clues throughout the seasons?
4:34–22:09
6
What nutritional insights do experts provide about bananas?
22:09–22:17
7
Are bananas beneficial for health despite their sugar content?
22:17–22:23
8
What role do bananas play in recovery after workouts?
22:23–47:15
Speakers
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