Today, you’ll learn about an ancient couple found buried in an embrace, why it’s so darn hard to keep fleas off your beloved pets, and how your body’s natural chemistry can help you get a leg up on diet and exercise if you begin to build the habits.
Today, you’ll learn about an ancient couple found buried in an embrace, why it’s so darn hard to keep fleas off your beloved pets, and how your body’s natural chemistry can help you get a leg up on diet and exercise if you begin to build the habits.
They took “til death do you part” seriously.
Fleas won’t be making it to the Olympics
Exercising affects one’s cravings.
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Find episode transcripts here:
NATE: Hi! You’re about to get smarter in just a few minutes with Curiosity Daily from Discovery. Time flies when you’re learnin’ super cool stuff. I’m Nate.
CALLI: And I’m Calli. If you’re dropping in for the first time, welcome to Curiosity, where we aim to blow your mind by helping you to grow your mind. If you’re a loyal listener, welcome back!
NATE: Today, you’ll learn about an ancient couple found buried in an embrace, why it’s so darn hard to keep fleas off your beloved pets, and how your body’s natural chemistry can help you get a leg up on diet and exercise if you begin to build the habits.
CALLI: Without further adieu, let’s satisfy some curiosity!
[SFX: Whoosh]
NATE: Calli - you know how they say “true love never dies?”
CALLI: Right, like how my cats Jack and Sally and I will be together forever and ever.
NATE: I’d love to hear their thoughts on that plan. But anyway, archaeologists may have uncovered a true life love story that lives up to the saying.
CALLI: Ooo! Where?
NATE: A town called Datong in the Shanxi Province in Northern China. After an ancient cemetery was uncovered during construction work - researchers found a couple buried together and locked in an embrace that dated back to over fifteen-hundred years ago.
CALLI: Oh man. That’s uh… That’s a commitment.
NATE: Turns out these two we’re very committed to each other. The Woman in the couple even had a metal ring on her left ring finger, and some have theorized that it’s possible she could’ve sacrificed herself to be buried with her husband. What makes them unique is that they were discovered in an embrace. A complete first in the records of archaeology in China.
CALLI: So romantic.
NATE: It really was. So much so that the researchers decided to only partially excavate the couple’s remains so they could be fully displayed together.
CALLI: That’s amazing. Were they able to find out any details about the couple’s lives?
NATE: We know they were part of a nomadic tribe called the Xianbei as they were found in a collective cemetery with more than six-hundred other burials. The tribe dates back to the North Wei Dynasty around three-forty-six to five-thirty-four AD. What’s even more interesting is that the couple’s bold display of affection may be a key signifier in the changing cultural attitudes around love in Chinese society at the time. It’s possible that the ring she was wearing was due to influence from western cultures and their integration into traditional Chinese life at the time.
CALLI: A ring! They must’ve been pretty serious. I want to know what they did on their first date. Nate, what did they do on their first date?
NATE: Haha we didn’t quite get that much information - but they did learn that the man was likely around 5 feet, 4 inches tall and had a broken arm, part of a missing finger on his right hand and bone spurs on his right leg.
CALLI: Sounds like me on a Monday morning.
NATE: At least before you’ve had your coffee. Researchers estimate the man was between the ages of 29 and 35. The Woman was likely between 35 and 40. She interestingly was also in much better health and found to only have a few cavities and other problems with her teeth.
CALLI: So with the difference in ages and their health - did the couple die at the same time?
NATE: No one’s really one hundred percent sure how they passed. Or even who may have passed first. The evidence doesn’t point to them both dying from disease, poisoning, or any kind of violence.
CALLI: You said earlier the wife might’ve sacrificed herself?
NATE: That’s the leading theory right now. During the time period when they were alive there was a big push in Chinese culture where expressing and pursuing love became much more prominent.
CALLI: Like 2015 and dating apps.
NATE: Yes, I just don’t think selfies had been invented yet.
CALLI: So everyone was feeling all lovey-dovey sitting in a tree. K-i-s-s-i-n-g.
NATE: Basically. At that time, going head over heels for someone wasn’t just accepted, it was outright encouraged. Not to mention, in addition to the new Western influences, Buddhism was getting more and more popular in China, and therefore, so was the idea of the afterlife. They may have been embracing because they believed their love would carry on.
CALLI: I don’t think my cats loves me that much.
NATE: I don’t think cats love anyone that much.
CALLI: If the researchers don’t think the couple died together - then how do they suppose they ended up in that embrace?
NATE: What we know for sure is that whoever handled the actual burial process was very careful with it. The man’s body was curved toward the woman with his left arm beneath her. His right arm embraced her with his hand resting on her waist.
CALLI: Ah the old high school dance hand position. Classic.
NATE: It gets even better. The woman was placed within his embrace. With her head slightly down as if she were resting on his shoulder and her arms hugging him.
CALLI: I’m getting so many prom flashbacks.
NATE: It was almost artistic the way they were set together.
CALLI: If my cats and I go at the same time, I want us posed in a way that shows our bond.
NATE: You mean with him annoyingly laying across your forehead?
CALLI: Yes - with them lovingly laying across my forehead.
NATE: Is it love? Or is he just cold?
[SFX: Whoosh]
CALLI: Hey Nate, you’re a big fan of the great outdoors right?
NATE: You bet I am. Three-time speedwalking champion in my neighborhood.
CALLI: In all those speedwalking “tournaments” have you ever picked up an itch hiker?
NATE: My mom always told me not to talk to strangers...
CALLI: No not a hitch hiker - an itch hiker! Otherwise known as the common flea!
NATE: I’ve been lucky enough to avoid them. Now Sparky on the other hand... I keep telling him to be more careful...
CALLI: Well once I tell you all about how amazing the flea’s jumping ability is you’ll realize it isn’t his fault!
NATE: I’m listening...
CALLI: Did you know the fleas can jump two-hundred times their own length?
NATE: Wow. That’s like me jumping a quarter mile!
CALLI: Wouldn’t that be something? At the Olympics they’d have to give you something better than the Gold medal.
NATE: “And your winner, Nate Bonham, with a jump of a quarter mile wins the Iridium medal in the long jump event.”
CALLI: Well, they don’t only have distance on their side. They’re also so fast they can take off 100 times faster than the blink of an eye.
NATE: Thank you for that. I will now be thinking about fleas every time I blink today.
CALLI: You’re welcome.
NATE: But how can something smaller than a sesame seed move that far AND that fast? They must never skip leg day.
CALLI: You would think so. But it turns out there’s nothing inherently different about the actual muscles in their legs. The difference is inside their bodies. They have a built-in spring system! And with it, they can go way farther than they ever could with just their legs.
NATE: Where can I buy one for myself?
CALLI: Well you’d have to get a new exoskeleton first. Fleas bend along something called the “pleural arch.” Which, if we’re comparing them to humans, is essentially the same thing as their ribcage.
NATE: Hey I have one of those!
CALLI: Their version is just a lot more flexible. As the flea gears up to jump, the pleural arch bends, and stores the energy build-up in pads of elastic protein called resilin. Then, it releases and SNAPS its exoskeleton back into its original shape. That energy, stored in the resilin pads, transfers to the flea’s legs, adding tons of energy to the jump!
NATE: Sounds like the way you load a bow and arrow. The bow stores the energy and then releases it into the arrow.
CALLI: Exactly!
NATE: Do any other bugs or animals have this spring system?
CALLI: Yes! Scientists have found that the two different systems ... the muscle system, and the spring system ... seem to also meet in animals around the size of a frog. Some smaller types of frogs use the spring system and some larger frogs, like bullfrogs, use only their muscles like a cat or a dog would.
NATE: But why do fleas need all that jumping ability?
CALLI: The simple answer is that they need to feed. You could call fleas the vampires of the insect world. They survive by sucking the blood of their hosts.
NATE: MUAHAHAHA.
CALLI: This food source is crucial for the fleas. They can only breed and lay eggs after they’ve had a meal. Therefore - the fleas ability to leap into the furs of different animals like cats and dogs is super important for their continued existence.
NATE: Poor Sparky never stood a chance.
CALLI: But not to worry! Fleas on house pets is a common problem so there’s all kinds of things like flea combs and special shampoos to help keep your pets clear of them!
NATE: Phew. Sounds like Sparky’s going to the spa.
CALLI: Just make sure you don’t keep your house too humid. Fleas thrive in warm and wet conditions. That’s why we always see a big increase in them when Spring comes around.
NATE: I guess Sparky and I will both be covering up when we start training for Speedwalking season.
CALLI: Sparky goes with you?
NATE: Of course. He’s a six-time champion. Actually trying to win my title back from him this year. Gonna be tough. He’s a quick one.
CALLI: I have so many follow up questions.
[SFX: Whoosh]
NATE: Calli, don’t you love to exercise?
CALLI: Love is a strong word. I do like how it makes me feel. But, like, after.
NATE: Totally. For some folks looking to make healthier choices, exercise, and diet can be really challenging.
CALLI: Absolutely. Cravings can be crippling.
NATE: Thankfully a few new studies are giving us crucial information in fighting cravings and curbing appetite. One new study has found that intense exercise can help us resist cravings for high-fat foods, and that protein rich foods might help curb our appetite.
CALLI: So if we can get over that first hurdle of actually establishing some good habits, exercising and eating well, that could help keep us on our path to a healthy lifestyle? A positive feedback loop?
NATE: Absolutely.
CALLI: So how does it work?
NATE: Well when it comes to cravings, we all have to deal with what is called the incubation of craving. The idea is that the longer you deny a desire, the harder it is to ignore the craving. And, when we are dieting, our ability to deny those cravings is essential to staying on the right path.
CALLI: So, exercise could help us resist those food cravings? How did they figure that out?
NATE: Right, so researchers did a study where they trained rats to push a lever for a high-fat food pellet. Think, really tasty rat stuff. After the rats were trained with the lever, the researchers removed it for 30 days. They put half the rats on a regimen of high intensity treadmill running while the other half went back to their normal lives.
CALLI: Oh man all that running and no tasty treats?
NATE: Well what was so interesting is when researchers brought the food pellet lever back at the end of the 30 days, the rats that didn't do the exercise were pushing the lever way more than the runner rats.
CALLI: So the exercise helped curb their cravings?
NATE: Researchers say, well ... they have to do more research. But this finding seems to point to a new understanding about diet and exercise: that the magic cure for ending cravings and having more successful diets might just be exercise itself.
CALLI: You know, I will say, Nate, even if you’re eating the right stuff—unlike those high-fat pellets—I know a lot of people really struggle with their appetite when they diet. Some people never feel quite full.
NATE: Absolutely. We’ve all been there. And there’s another study that suggests that the solution to that might be a high-protein diet.
CALLI: Oh that's interesting, I know high-protein diets like Atkins and Paleo have been really popular in the last few years.
NATE: They’ve been huge. And now, it’s clear they probably do help curb appetite. This new research shows that amino acids themselves actually communicate with our brain to reduce appetite.
CALLI: Amino acids? The building blocks of proteins?
NATE: Right. Our body needs 21 different amino acids, and while our bodies can make twelve of them, there are nine we can’t make. Those nine are called essential amino acids, because we can’t make ‘em, but we need ‘em! The twelve we can make are called non-essential.
CALLI: So, what did they learn about high-protein diets and feeling full?
NATE: In a new study, researchers gave two groups of mice diets with the same calories, but one group received a sugar solution while the other got a mixture of non-essential amino acids, the ones our bodies can make.
CALLI: Why non-essential amino acids? If we don’t need to eat those, how can that help the study?
NATE: Great question! Okay, so, then both groups were allowed to drink milkshakes, which mice apparently love.
CALLI: The mice and I share that opinion.
NATE: Interestingly while the sugar solution group ate a ton of milkshake, the amino acid drinkers avoided it.
CALLI: Sometimes, science doesn’t make sense. Why would they avoid the milkshake?
NATE: Researchers think it is because those non-essential amino acids make their way through the bloodstream to the brain where receptors in the hypothalamus tell your body it's had enough.
CALLI: Had enough food that it doesn't need a milkshake? Powerful amino acids.
NATE: Well, researchers say it likely comes from our ancient ancestors. When they were filled up, it made more sense to get a move on than to linger with food they didn't need!
CALLI: Oh these studies are fascinating. Exercise, and eat right, and your body will help you on the road to getting fit. It’s not just will power! That's cool, and knowing there’s a little reward for getting started is pretty motivating to me.
NATE: It's fascinating, but the researchers stress, especially when it comes to changing your diet, that you should talk to a doctor or nutritionist.
CALLI: Stay healthy folks!
[SFX: Whoosh]
NATE: Let’s recap what we learned today to wrap up.
CALLI: A fifteen-hundred year old archaeology site in Northern China uncovered a pair of lovers eternally embracing. An extremely rare first time find in the country’s historical records. Giving a whole new definition to the term “commitment issues”.
NATE: What’s smaller than a seed, lighter than a pin, and can jump over 200 times its own length? If you guessed the common flea you’d be 100 percent right! You’d also probably be pretty good at trivia and our team is looking for a new member so whaddaya say?
CALLI: New research is helping us understand ways that exercise and a high-protein diet can make our goals of getting or staying fit a little more attainable. In mice, high intensity exercise reduced cravings for fatty foods, and eating a high-protein diet reduced their desire for literal milkshakes. Talking with a doctor or nutritionist is still recommended before any serious diet change.