Kids, you have a lot of questions.
Is a crocodile a dinosaur?
Why do people vote?
How does your food turn into your poop?
But why?
A podcast for curious kids has answers.
I'm Jane Lindholm.
Join me as we dig deep into everything from science to history nature, emotions and sometimes even the weird.
Why are jellyfishes made of jelly?
Or are they made out of jelly?
Find But Why wherever you get your podcasts.
And now it's time for Who Smarted?
Psst.
Hey, smarty pants, guess what I'm doing?
If you said flicking my bedroom light switch on and off, you're right.
And why am I clicking the lights on and off?
Well, it's because it's bedtime time to turn out the lights, but the light switch is on one side of the room, while my bed is on the other, which means once I click off the lights, I have to run to my bed in the dark, which I'm not a fan of.
The truth is, smarty pants, when it comes to the dark, I'm a bit of a scaredy pants.
This is Chet Nickerson reporting live from the trusty narrator's bedroom, where it's just been revealed.
The trusty narrator is afraid of the dark.
Gee, Chet, thanks.
Did you really have to report that to everyone?
Well, unless I'm mistaken, you just told all the smarty pants about it on a popular kids' educational podcast, so it wasn't exactly a secret.
Good point.
But trustee.
As an award-winning news sports, weather and traffic reporter and your best friend, let me just say the dark is nothing to be afraid of.
I know.
But also, it kind of is.
What do you think, Smarty Pants?
Are you afraid of the dark?
And if so...
Why?
What makes the dark so scary?
And why do some people fear the dark and others don't?
And what are some ways you can get over being afraid of the dark?
Are you talking to me or that dark shadow moving in the corner?
Dark shadow?
What dark shadow?
Oh, wait.
That's just me waving my microphone around.
Sorry.
See?
Nothing to be afraid of.
I see, or rather, I don't see, because I'm in the dark.
But either way, get ready 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?
What are those sounds?
Huh?
Oh, that's just me doing a quick mic check.
That's how you test your mic?
Sure!
And relax, trusty, would you?
I told you there's no reason to fear the dark.
I know, I know, but there's just something about nighttime and the dark that makes it scary.
Right, Smarty Pants?
Things never seem as scary in the daytime or the light.
That's because anything can be hiding in the dark.
Really?
You think turning out your light suddenly causes something to be hiding in your bedroom?
The reason why the dark seems scary isn't because of what's hiding in the dark.
It's because of what's hiding in your mind.
What was that?
That was just me playing a little music sting for dramatic effect.
What you need to understand is humans tend to imagine all kinds of scary things they can't see in the dark, and kids are more likely to be afraid of the dark than adults, because kids usually have more active and stronger imaginations.
This might come in great when playing a game with your friends, but not so great at bedtime, especially if they have a hard time telling the difference between imagination and reality.
Ah, I see.
I guess that's why I used to think there was a monster under my bed.
Exactly.
A monster, an evil clown, an octopus creature.
When you're a kid, you can imagine all kinds of things living under your bed.
But in reality, it's just a pair of dirty underwear.
Now that's scary.
Sorry, those must have fallen out of the hamper.
Anyway, smarty pants, since so many people are afraid of the dark, fear of the dark must have a name.
Is it nyctophobia, night phobia, or darkophobia?
If you said nyctophobia, you're right.
The word nyctophobia comes from the Greek word for night.
Fear of the dark is sometimes called scoutophobia, but that isn't clinically recognized.
There's also lygophobia, which is a severe fear of the dark.
But while anyone, including trusty narrators, can be afraid of the dark, it's most common among children.
It's believed, three out of every four kids between the ages of three and twelve are afraid of the dark.
Wow.
And how many trusty narrators are afraid of the dark?
One out of one.
Right.
Anywho, what can happen to you if you are afraid of the dark?
Well, for one thing, it can have you standing next to your light switch flipping it on and off, over and over.
But more likely.
Being afraid of the dark can make it hard to sleep, which can lead to you being tired the next day.
Which is not ideal for kids in school.
Or adults driving cars.
Or at work.
Very true.
So why are some people more afraid of the dark than others?
Look, anyone can be afraid of the dark, but people are more likely to develop nyctophobia if they suffer from anxiety or have a family history of phobias.
Many people also become afraid of the dark after watching a scary movie or playing a scary video game or hearing an upsetting story, or if the weather outside is frightening.
Smartypants, that's why it's a good idea to stick to content that isn't scary before bed.
Something like... But not the ghost episode.
Trusty.
You might be interested to know that some researchers believe the fear of the dark dates way, way back to our earliest ancestors.
What?
How could that be?
They weren't watching scary movies or playing zombie video games before bed.
No, but they were living and sleeping outdoors, where predators roamed at night.
Yikes!
They didn't need to watch scary movies.
They were living in one.
But here's the thing.
Most humans tend to feel uncomfortable in the dark, even if they aren't really afraid of it.
It's just sort of hardwired into our minds.
Chet, what are some ways to know if you have nyctophobia or even lygophobia?
Besides being afraid of the dark, of course.
Signs of nyctophobia include difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, dizziness and or headaches, extreme sweating, feelings of dread, increased heart rate, shortness of breath, as well as intense emotions, nausea or vomiting while thinking about the dark.
If you or anyone you know are experiencing any of these symptoms, you might want to see a doctor who can refer you to a specialist.
Oh, and turn on the lights!
Wow, those are some serious symptoms.
I wouldn't say I have all that.
But the dark definitely has me feeling uneasy.
What are some things I or the Smarty Pants can do to help overcome a fear of the dark?
Smarty Pants, do you have any ideas?
Go ahead, shout out what you do to help the dark seem less scary.
Uh-huh.
Uh-huh, I'm hearing some good answers.
Ooh, I gotta try that one.
Smarty Pants, true or false?
Sleeping with a nightlight can help you feel more comfortable in a dark room.
The answer is true.
Absolutely!
A nightlight is a great way to help with a fear of the dark.
And, quite frankly, it's not a bad idea to have, even if you're not scared of the dark, so you can see where you're going, in case you have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night.
Okay, but while a nightlight will help you, which of these things will not help you with your fear of the dark?
Is it A breathing exercises, B meditation or C staying awake all night or sleeping in a brightly lit room?
If you said C, you're right about how wrong that is.
While staying awake or sleeping with the lights on, may seem like a clever way to avoid the dark.
All it will do is have you feeling exhausted and sleep deprived the next day.
Nope.
You don't want that.
Instead of staying awake all night, try repeating some positive affirmations until you fall asleep, with just a nightlight on.
Great ideas, Chet.
But Smarty Pants, what exactly is an affirmation?
Is it A, counting sheep, B, saying the alphabet backwards, or C, a positive statement?
If you said C, a positive statement, I'm positive you're correct.
And the cool thing about affirmations is they can help you think more positively.
So if you repeat something like I will be okay in the dark, your brain will actually start to believe it.
But that's not all.
Deep breathing is also a great way to cope with being in the dark.
Smarty pants.
You can do deep breathing exercises by slowly breathing in through your nose, filling your chest up with air.
Then, still holding your breath, slowly count to five.
One, two, three, four, five.
Then breathe out slowly through your mouth as if you're blowing on some hot soup.
And then just repeat that a few times.
Smarty Pants.
Breathing exercises are great whenever you're feeling anxious or nervous about something.
I don't know why I didn't think to try them in the dark.
Maybe I just didn't want to admit that I'm still afraid of the dark.
Oh, come on, trusty.
Being afraid of the dark is nothing to be embarrassed about.
Well, I know it's a common fear for kids, but I'm an adult.
Shouldn't I be past that by now?
Nope.
Fear of the dark can affect anyone at any time in their life.
And, believe it or not, the number of adults who claim to be afraid of the dark have actually increased in recent years.
Whoa.
Whoa is right.
I guess it's nice to know I'm not the only adult who still feels uncomfortable in the dark.
You know, I was just thinking maybe, instead of only imagining scary things in the dark, I could try thinking of fun, cool things that exist in the dark.
Like bats!
I mean, bats are pretty cool, but I was thinking about some things that are a little less flappy.
Such as?
How about fireflies, which are insects that glow at night?
Ooh!
Like bats!
Like bats!
No, there is no bat constellation, Chet.
But there are rams, and dogs, and goats.
In fact, I can see Ursa Major out my window right now.
Smarty Pants, do you know what animal Ursa Major looks like?
If you said a bear, great job!
So, even if you feel like you're alone in the dark, you're never really alone.
That's a great thought, trusty.
Here's another one.
Holidays like Hanukkah and Christmas are celebrated during the darkest time of the year, and those celebrations involve lights.
Gotcha.
So you hear that, smarty pants?
When you're alone in the dark.
Instead of thinking of scary things, try thinking of fun things like fireflies, constellations and holidays.
Also, I couldn't help but notice you have a stuffed animal on your bed.
Oops, was I not supposed to mention that?
Uh, nah, it's okay.
We did a whole episode on stuffed animals.
Everyone knows.
Great!
Because cuddling with a stuffy can also make it much easier to go to sleep in the dark.
Other fun things you can do to make the dark less scary before bedtime are playing with glow sticks or whispering a bedtime story.
But make sure you don't do anything that involves staring at a screen before bed.
The blue light can be too stimulating.
Even a smartphone in nighttime mode isn't much help.
Better to stay off screens before bed.
Great!
Looks like my work here is done.
But I have to say there is something I've always wondered about the dark that maybe you could help me with trustee.
Sure, Chet.
What is it?
I've always wondered how is it?
A room can be too dark to see in, and then, if you're in it for a little while, you can suddenly see a lot better.
Ah, in other words, you want to know, how do your eyes adjust to the dark?
Yes!
Great question.
Smarty Pants, do you have any ideas?
Well, we'll find out how it works right after this quick break and a word from our sponsor.
This show is sponsored by IXL.
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Slash smarted.
That's 20% off an IXL membership at IXL.com slash smarted.
Now back to Who Smarted?
Now, I know bats use echoes to quote-unquote see in the dark.
But how are humans able to see in the dark?
You're really obsessed with bats these days, aren't you?
Well, bats spend their whole lives in the dark, and they're not afraid.
Point taken.
Anyway, as I'm sure most smarty pants listening have discovered, your eyes can and will adapt to darkness.
Try it next time you're in your room.
Turn out the light and see how long it takes for you to start to make out shapes and objects.
Five minutes and 12 seconds, exactly.
Great.
Now, can you guess which two parts of your eyes work together to make that happen?
Is it A, cones and cups, B, rods and hooks, or C, cones and rods?
If you said C, cones and rods, nice.
And if you said cones and cups, you're probably thinking about ice cream.
Anyway, the cones and rods in your eyes work together to help you see if there is some level of light to work with.
By the way, which one has more light sensitivity?
Is it cones, rods, or are they the same?
The answer is rods.
Rods have more light sensitivity than cones do.
Gotcha!
And I guess it just takes some time before your cones and rods adjust to the light level.
Exactly.
Now, Smarty Pants, true or false, do humans have the best vision in the dark?
The answer is not even close.
Is it bats?
Nope, Smarty Pants.
Any idea which animal has the best night vision and why?
Um, cats?
Mice?
Sloths?
Bigfoot?
Oh, dear.
All right, so I'm way off.
You don't have to make fun of me.
No, I gave you the answer.
Huh?
You said, oh, dear.
Oh, deer!
Deer have the best night vision.
Yep.
But wait, aren't deer mostly out during the day?
Yes, but deer are actually crepuscular, meaning they look for food when the sun is about to set and into the night.
That's why their eyes can appear to be glowing at night.
Interesting.
Well, you heard it here, folks.
And best of all, Trusty is no longer afraid of the dark.
So, lights out!
Ah!
What was that?
Sorry, it's just my stomach.
Care for some ice cream?
Um, cup or cone?
A big shout out to Super Smarty fan Eli in Northeast Maryland.
We're so glad to have you smarting with us and listening along with your big brother Isaac, in the car between homeschooling adventures.
Keep up the great work.
This episode, The Dark, was written by Sarah I'm not scared, sweet tick.
And voiced by Adam Fear of the Dark, Davis and Jerry Colburn.
Technical direction and sound design by Josh.
Who turned out the lights?
Han.
Our associate producer is Max.
I can't see.
Kamaski.
The theme song is by Brian.
Something after dark.
Suarez.
With lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex-Davis.
Who Smarted? was created and produced by Adam Tex-Davis and Jerry Kolber.
This has been an Atomic Audio production.
Who Smarted?
