And now it's time for Who Smarted?
Psst, hey, smarty pants.
Together, we are about to embark on something pretty epic.
We're about to enter Wyvern Castle to meet Dr. Dracos, a world-class dragonologist.
Wait, do you know what a dragonologist is?
Well, when I press this doorbell, you'll get a loud hint.
Here I go.
Yep, that sound you just heard smarty pants was a dragon roar, which means a dragonologist is someone who studies everything about dragons.
Trusty, smarty pants, welcome to Wyvern Castle.
I see you enjoyed my doorbell, which is programmed to ring as the call of a wyvern, which is a particularly quarrelsome type of dragon.
See?
I gotta get one too.
Also, I gotta say, being a dragonologist seems like a pretty cool job, Dr. Dracos.
Thanks, but I should clarify.
Dragonologist isn't actually a real world profession, but in the fictional world, mostly in fantasy books and mythology, it's the ideal fake job for anyone who loves dragons, like me.
I hear you.
Of course dragons can be a little scary, but I guess if you train them not to eat you or burn your house down, dragons can be pretty cool.
Which is why we're here, to learn more about dragons.
Like, what are dragons?
What powers do they possess?
Are dragons good or evil?
And are there any real dragons, or are they all just the stuff of legends?
Great questions, trustee.
Follow me to my laboratory, and I'll show you.
Great.
It's time for a big whiff of science and history on Who Smarted?
Who Smarted?
Who's smart?
Is it you?
Is it me?
Is it science or history?
Listen up, everyone.
We make smarting lots of fun on Who Smarted?
Who Smarted?
Hey, was that a dragon I just heard?
No, I just left the TV on with how to train your dragon playing.
Gotcha.
Hey, is that a map with dragons all over it I see?
Yep.
Dragons were often included on historical and maritime maps used by sailors, especially during the medieval and renaissance time periods.
Hmm, smarty pants.
Any idea what a dragon would indicate on a map?
Yeah, me neither.
Why were there dragons on the map?
Were there actually dragons back then?
No.
The dragons represented unexplored and dangerous territories.
And sometimes, dragons were added just to decorate the maps.
Don't they look cool?
They sure do.
They're like awesome gigantic reptiles with scaly skin and sharp teeth and long claws and barbed tails.
Some even have horns and wings.
Dragons are legendary.
Legendary indeed.
Dragons appeared in legends in almost every culture throughout history, dating back to ancient civilizations such as Mesopotamia, Greece, and China, up through modern pop culture, like the dragons in popular books, movies, and TV shows such as Game of Thrones, Lord of the Rings, Pete's Dragon, Harry Potter, and the role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons.
Oh, I love Dungeons & Dragons, but mostly dragons.
Oh, hey, Trianne.
I didn't know you hung out at Wyvern Castle.
Smarty Pants, this is my friend Trianne.
He's a Smarty Pants, too, who, from the looks of his dragon T-shirt, loves dragons.
But wait, aren't dragons bad?
Sometimes there's plenty of stories of dragons being evil, scary, and dangerous.
But some dragons are good.
That's right, Trian.
Sometimes dragons are good and helpful.
Smarty Pants, can you think of any stories where the dragons are the hero or help the hero?
And can you think of any stories where dragons are the villains?
The truth is, dragons can be both.
I love dragons either way.
You know, I could just tell you about dragons.
Or I could show you.
Show us, show us.
Is that what you want too, smarty pants?
I'm hearing a lot of yeses.
Okay, Dr. Dracos, show us.
Here goes.
Dr. Dracos?
Dr. Dracos, are you okay?
Oh, yes.
I just need to shapeshift into... A dragon?
Whoa.
Hey, that's my line.
But also, whoa, what's going on here?
In some myths, humans could shapeshift into dragons.
Plus, they don't call me Dr. Dracos for nothing.
Dracos is of Greek origin, from the word dracon, which means... Dragon!
That's right!
Dragon!
Yay!
Cool!
Hot?
Very hot.
Um, I gotta ask, are you a good or bad fire-breathing dragon?
Hop on my back and I'll show you.
Hmm, what do you say, Trianne?
Should we give it a shot?
Yes, let's fly.
Okay, here we go.
I gotta admit, this is amazing.
Right, Trianne?
Woo-hoo!
Yep, woo-hoo.
I just really hope they're a good dragon.
Hold on tight.
Whoa, coming in for a landing.
Way to stick the landing, Dr. Dracos.
But where are we?
East Asia.
Wow, that's some trip.
Why Asia?
Because in East Asian countries like Japan, South Korea, Vietnam and China, where we are now, I am an Eastern dragon and am generally considered good.
Phew, that's good.
Er, I mean, you're good.
Indeed.
In East Asian cultures, dragons are seen as symbols of strength, wisdom, and good luck.
We're often considered protectors who look after gods and emperors, important places, and treasures.
Oh, and we have another special superpower...
Ooh, smarty pants.
Do you know which special superpower is associated with eastern dragons?
Is it A, x-ray vision, B, invisibility, or C, controlling the weather?
Whoa, Dr. Dracos, did you just make it rain?
Why, yes, I did, which means the answer is C.
Eastern dragons were believed to have the ability to control the weather and natural elements, especially water, and could make it rain to help crops grow.
That's why dragons often live near or under water.
Oh, and dragons were also believed to swallow the sun and moon and cause eclipses.
Hey, where'd the sun go?
Plus, you can fly?
But I'm not seeing any wings.
Nope, eastern dragons don't need wings to fly.
We fly thanks to mystical powers.
Dr. Dracos, Dr. Dracos, are you okay?
I'm fine.
Just shapeshifting again.
Whoa, you're growing wings.
Wow, your wings look so cool!
But how?
Why?
It's because I'm turning into a Western Dragon, and Western Dragons need wings to fly.
Hop on again.
Things are about to heat up.
Oh boy, I'm sensing a change in Dr. Draco's.
Not for the better.
I think they might be turning into an evil dragon.
What do you think, Smarty Pants?
Should we fly off with them?
Or should we run?
What do you think, Trianne?
Fly, fly!
I was afraid you'd say that.
Okay, here we go.
Right after this quick break.
We'll be right back.
We'll see you next time. actually feel good about learning.
For parents, the real-time progress tracking is a game changer.
You always know exactly where your child stands.
Plus, it makes learning fun, and you know I love that.
Over 15 million students use IXL, and it's proven to improve achievement in all 50 states.
So make an impact on your child's learning.
Who Smarted listeners get an exclusive 20% off at iXcel.com slash smarted.
That's iXcel.com slash smarted for your 20% off.
Now back to Who Smarted.
Here we are, riding on the back of my friend Dr. Dracos, who is still a dragon.
But from the looks of their extra sharp claws, big scary eyes, huge teeth and villainous laugh, I have a feeling they're an evil dragon now.
Right you are, trusty.
Dragons were often considered evil.
And the enemy of humans in some Western and European mythology, as well as in some Middle Eastern cultures, such as ancient Persia, which is now Iran.
Uh, dragons aren't the enemy of the smarty pants, right?
Of course not!
Everyone loves the smarty pants!
Yay!
Looks like we're coming in for another leg!
Now where are we?
Medieval Europe.
What are we on top of?
Gold.
Whoa, did we land on top of a huge pile of gold?
Why, yes, we did.
It's my dragon bling.
Western dragons were considered greedy. and were known to hoard gold and treasure.
One of the reasons knights and dragon slayers battled us was so they could win our bling.
Thus, it was a good career move.
You slay a dragon, you became a hero.
Oh, like the famous legend of St.
George from the Middle Ages.
George slayed a dragon to protect a village.
And it was named Patron Saint of England. defend of all those pesky dragon slayers.
Dragons not only breathe fire, but ice and poison too.
Yikes, that's some powerful dragon breath you got there, Dr. Dracos.
Oh, and speaking of dragon breath, Smarty Pants, do you know dragon's breath is also a food?
Is it A, a super hot chili pepper?
B, a spicy buffalo chicken pizza?
Or C, a fruit with spiky skin that looks like dragon scales?
Triana, do you know?
I'm not sure.
Is it B?
Uh-oh.
Sounds like there's an angry mob of dragon haters gathering outside.
We could either A burn down the village or B go back to Wyvern Castle and learn the answer to the previous question.
B, B, definitely B.
Okay, smarty pants, we're back in the laboratory at Wyvern Castle with Dr Dracos, who's shapeshifted from a dragon back into a human dragonologist.
Yup, it's just little old me again.
Much preferable.
Anyway, you owe us the answer to the question.
What type of food is dragon's breath?
Is it a spicy chili pepper, buffalo chicken pizza, or a fruit with spiky skin?
The answer is A, a spicy chili pepper.
In fact, it's one of the hottest chili peppers in the world.
Eating one will make you feel like you're breathing fire.
Yikes.
No thanks.
I'll try.
Don't even think about it, Trianne.
But you can try dragon fruit, which is a colorful tropical fruit with skin that looks like dragon scales.
Don't forget dragon eggs.
But they're not for eating.
Smartypants, do you know what dragon eggs are for?
Hatching.
That's right.
Dragons hatch from eggs.
If dragons were real, that is.
Ah, but do you know what baby dragons are called?
Uh, they're not called baby dragons?
They're called wormlings, until they grow into adults and eventually ancients.
Do dragons live forever?
Well, in some fantasy stories, dragons are immortal and live forever.
In others, they live for centuries or even millennia.
And one famous dragon called the Ouroboros is depicted as a serpent eating its own tail and is an ancient symbol for the eternal circle of life.
Dragons truly are legendary, if only they were real.
Are there any real-life dragons?
Well, while dragons aren't real, some prehistoric fossils of dinosaurs have resembled how we've imagined dragons.
And several types of real-life lizards are called dragons.
For example, the Komodo dragon, which lives in Indonesia and is the largest living lizard.
It can be ten feet long!
There's also a flying dragon, a lizard in Southeast Asia that has bat-like wings and can glide through the air.
And of course, there's dragonflies, who look a little bit scary, but are perfectly harmless.
Well, there you have it, Smarties and Trian.
Dragons might not be real, but you can always imagine dragons.
A super shout out to super smarty fan Everett in Aluchoa, Florida.
I hear you absolutely love Who Smarted and listen to multiple episodes every single day.
And that you're especially into animals and science and love sharing all the amazing new facts you learn with everyone you know.
Keep on spreading the smarting, Everett.
This episode Dragons was written by Leanne French and voiced by Alan Wyvern Winter, my smarty pal Trian, dragon lover Moodly Gia, Draco Davis and Jerry Colbert.
Technical direction and sound design by Josh.
How to train your audio on...
Who Smarted? is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios.
Our associate producer is Max Mushu Kamaski.
The theme song is by Brian Falcor Suarez, with lyrics written and performed by Adam Dragon Breath Davis.
Who Smarted? was created and produced by Adam Tex Davis and Jerry Colbert.
This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.
Who Smarted?
