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Hey there, Smarty Pants.
Welcome back to Smarty Q, where I, the trusty narrator, answer questions from you, the Smarty Pants.
Today we've got questions about blisters, Irish dancing, why rain smells so good and how you're able to make that loud click with your tongue.
That's enough clicking.
It's time to get smarting.
Our first question comes from Bennett, who asks, how do blood blisters and regular blisters happen?
Great question, Smarty Pants.
Both kinds of blisters happen when something rubs, pinches or presses against your skin over and over.
A regular blister forms when the top layer of your skin separates slightly from the layer underneath.
Your body fills that tiny space with a clear fluid to protect the injured area while it heals.
It's kind of like your body's own little airbag.
A blood blister happens the same way, but the rubbing or pinching is usually a little stronger.
Instead of just clear fluid.
A few tiny blood vessels break open and some blood gets trapped inside the blister.
That's why it looks dark red or purple.
Most blisters heal on their own if you leave them alone and protect them from more rubbing.
But just remember a blister while annoying, is actually your body trying to protect your skin while it repairs itself.
Our next question comes from my smarty friend Stephen on Spotify, who asks What is Irish dancing and how did it originate?
Irish dancing is a traditional style of dance that began hundreds of years ago in Ireland.
People have been performing Irish dances at celebrations, festivals and family gatherings for centuries.
Over time, traveling dance teachers taught different styles throughout the country and the dances became more organized.
One thing that makes Irish dancing unique is that dancers usually keep their upper bodies very still, while their feet move incredibly fast.
Today there are competitions all over the world where dancers perform amazing routines wearing special shoes that create clicking sounds somewhat like tap dancing.
You may have also seen or heard of famous stage shows like Riverdance or Lord of the Dance, which helped introduce Irish dancing to millions of people around the world.
Our next two questions come from siblings, Giorgio and Luca, along with their mom Chelsea, in Bologna, Switzerland.
First, Giorgio asks what animal or organism is the top contender for taking over the world if there weren't humans?
Now, that is a fun and slightly ominous question.
The thing is, there probably isn't just one winner, but scientists have a few good candidates.
One possibility is ants.
There are an estimated 20 quadrillion ants on Earth.
That is a 20 followed by 15 zeros.
They already live on almost every continent.
They work together in huge colonies, they build underground cities, they farm fungi and they even wage battles against rival ant colonies.
Another strong contender would be octopuses.
They're incredibly intelligent, excellent problem solvers and can adapt to many different environments.
Some scientists might even vote for bacteria or fungi.
They're already everywhere on Earth and play enormous roles in ecosystems by recycling nutrients and helping plants grow.
So while no one animal is likely to build cities or drive cars anytime soon, ants might have the best chance of becoming Earth's most widespread rulers.
Okay, that's three questions asked, three questions answered.
But we've got more questions on the way right after this quick ad break and a word from our sponsors.
Hey, Who Smarted Families?
Trusty here.
You know me, always here with the facts, the stories, the wild science.
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And now, back to Smarty Q.
Our next question is from Luca in Bloné, Switzerland, who asks, do animals smile?
The answer is, sort of.
Many animals make facial expressions that look like smiles to us, especially dogs chimpanzees, dolphins and some monkeys.
However, scientists think that most animals aren't smiling for exactly the same reason humans do.
For people, smiling often shows happiness, friendliness or amusement.
Animals communicate using lots of different signals, including body posture sounds, tail movements, ear position and facial expressions.
For example, when your dog looks like it's smiling, with its mouth open and tongue hanging out, it may simply mean it's relaxed, comfortable or cooling off, not necessarily laughing at one of my jokes.
Our next question comes from another, Luca in Templeton California, who describes himself as my smartiest listener.
I love that.
Their question for SmartyQ is, why does rain have a smell?
And why does it smell so good?
Oh, and also, does snow have a different smell?
So, that wonderful smell after it rains actually has a name.
Petrichor.
When the ground has been dry for a while, certain plants release natural oils into the soil.
Tiny organisms living in the dirt also produce a substance called geosmin.
When raindrops hit the ground, they splash tiny droplets carrying those smells into the air.
And that's what your nose detects.
Many people think petrichor smells fresh and pleasant because humans have been smelling it for thousands of years as a sign that fresh rain and fresh water have arrived.
But what about snow?
Snow doesn't really have its own smell the way that rain does.
Instead, cold air slows down the movement of scent molecules, so there are actually fewer smells reaching your nose.
Okay, we're down to our final question.
Get ready to find out how you can make this noise.
Right after this quick ad break and a word from our sponsors, back to SmartyQ.
Our final question comes from Crystal and Charlie in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, who ask what are the mechanics behind the sound that comes from clicking your tongue loudly in your mouth?
Fantastic question.
That loud click happens because your tongue creates a tiny vacuum inside your mouth.
Here's what happens.
First, you press your tongue firmly against the roof of your mouth.
As you pull your tongue away, it seals against the roof for just a moment, creating a pocket of lower air pressure, kind of like a miniature suction cup.
When the seal suddenly breaks, air rushes into that space almost instantly.
And that quick movement of air creates the sharp click sound you hear.
Different tongue positions can make different kinds of clicks, which is one reason people can make all sorts of funny sound effects with their mouths.
In fact, some languages spoken in parts of Africa even use clicking sounds as part of everyday speech.
Until next time, keep on smarting, smarty pants.
Who Smart-ed?
