Podcast Summary
Exploring Travel Rewards and Uncovered Bed Facts: The Capital One Venture X Card delivers 2X miles on every purchase and premium travel perks, while a conversation unveiled the microbial reality of human beds.
The Capital One Venture X Card offers cardholders unlimited 2X miles on every purchase and premium travel benefits, including airport lounge access and a $300 annual travel credit. Meanwhile, a discussion between the speakers touched upon the topic of NC State University and reminiscing about a Barry Manilow concert. An interesting fact shared was that human beds are quite gross on a microbial level, despite regular cleaning habits. So, whether it's earning miles for travel or acknowledging the reality of our beds, there's always something new to discover.
Bed Bacteria: A Reminder of Our Primate Origins: About 35% of bed bacteria comes from humans, linking us to our primate relatives through shared bacteria.
Humans, as primates, carry trillions of microbes in our bodies, known as the human microbiome. These microbes include fecal, oral, and skin bacteria, which we shed daily into our beds. While it might be an unpleasant thought, under normal circumstances, we don't typically think about it. However, researchers at NC State University discovered that about 35% of the bacteria in our beds originate from us. To put this into perspective, they compared human bed bacteria to that of chimpanzees, our closest living relatives. The study found that human beds harbor similar bacteria to those of chimpanzees, emphasizing the close relationship between humans and other primates. So, while it might be a bit unsettling, it's a reminder of our primate origins and the natural shedding process that occurs daily.
Chimpanzee Bedtime Rituals and Kids' Social Media: Chimpanzees construct new beds daily, researchers study microbiome. Zigazoo, a kids' social media, is safe, age-appropriate, and certified. Could revolutionize children's online experience.
Chimpanzees construct a new bed for themselves every day and researchers are interested in understanding the composition of their beds in terms of their own microbiome versus environmental factors. Another intriguing takeaway is the introduction of Zigazoo, a social media platform designed specifically for kids. Despite initially holding reservations about social media for children, the platform's safety measures and lack of comments or messaging have made me reconsider my stance. Zigazoo is Kids Safe Coppa Certified, ensuring data safety for kids, and offers a space for them to share their own videos with others. This could be a game-changer for parents looking for a safe and age-appropriate social media experience for their children.
Automating finances for better returns and free time: Betterment helps earn high yields, optimize taxes, and manage investments while we sleep, freeing time for relaxation.
Technology and automation can help make our money work harder for us, freeing up our time for relaxation and other pursuits. Betterment, an automated investing and savings app, is an example of this. While we sleep, our money can be earning high yields in cash accounts, diversified in expert-built portfolios, and optimized with tax-efficient strategies. This allows us to focus on enjoying our lives, rather than constantly managing our finances. Additionally, the discussion touched on the nostalgic topic of old toys and the early days of blogging. Zippy the chimp, a stuffed animal from the past, was mentioned, along with memories of creating galleries of unsettling dolls as part of a blogging job. The era of blogging marked a significant step up from previous methods of making money online, such as creating knockoff wallets with sewing. Overall, the conversation showcased the importance of both looking back at past experiences and embracing new technologies to improve our lives.
Chimpanzees keep their nests clean: Study found chimpanzee nests dominated by environmental bacteria, not chimpanzee-derived bacteria
Contrary to popular belief, chimpanzees keep their nests surprisingly clean. A study comparing the microbial biodiversity of human beds and chimpanzee nests in Tanzania found that the latter were dominated by environmental bacteria rather than chimpanzee-derived bacteria. Researchers even vacuumed up samples from fifteen nests to investigate further and were surprised by the results. While humans may pride themselves on keeping their beds free of unwanted guests, it seems that chimpanzees have this aspect covered as well. The speaker shared a heartwarming story of her mother making homemade corduroy overalls for her teddy bear, reminding us of the simple joys and thoughtfulness that can make our childhood memories so special.
Chimpanzees keep their nests clean despite sleeping naked: Chimpanzees naturally maintain clean nests due to their habitat and hygiene habits. Humans could adopt similar practices to keep their sleeping environments cleaner.
Contrary to popular belief, chimpanzees, who sleep naked, manage to keep their nests free of fecal bacteria. This is likely due to their natural habitat and hygiene habits. In contrast, humans introduce more external bacteria into their beds through clothing and shoes. A personal anecdote about a friend who survived a house fire while sleeping naked serves as a reminder of the importance of being prepared and the potential discomfort of being caught unprepared in such a situation. Ultimately, while it may be a personal preference, it seems that humans could benefit from adopting some of the natural cleaning habits of chimpanzees in order to maintain a cleaner sleeping environment.
Impact of Sleeping Habits and Bed Cleanliness on Microbes: Our sleeping habits and bed cleanliness influence the types of microbes present. Chimpanzees create new nests daily, leading to a diverse microbial environment, while humans' consistent bed use results in fewer diverse microbes.
Our sleeping habits and the cleanliness of our beds can significantly impact the types of microbes present. The speaker shares their personal preference for sleeping on top of the covers rather than under them, and expresses feelings of vulnerability when considering the idea of sleeping completely naked. They also mention that our beds have fewer diverse microbes due to us changing into other clothes and not making new beds each night like chimpanzees do. The NC State University study on the ecology of chimpanzee beds sheds light on this, revealing that these primates create new nests each night with twigs and leaves, resulting in a less consistent microbial environment. This research highlights the importance of considering the impact of our daily habits on the microbial communities in our environment, including our beds.