Podcast Summary
Exploring Urban Animal Behavior with Rat Expert Jason Munshi-Ratner: Consulting experts and gaining a foundational understanding is crucial before conducting experiments or making assumptions. Urban rats thrive in various environments and don't primarily live in sewers or subway tunnels. Investing in a fresh, healthy diet for dogs can lead to numerous benefits.
Understanding the behavior of urban animals, like rats, can provide valuable insights into their survival strategies and help address common misconceptions. In the discussion, hosts Manny, Noah, and Devin explored the presence of chicken bones on the streets and sought advice from rat expert, Professor Jason Munshi-Ratner. Munshi-Ratner, a professor of biology at Fordham University, has a long-standing interest in urban animal adaptation and behavior. He shared that rats in urban areas have been mischaracterized, and they don't primarily live in sewers and subway tunnels. Instead, they thrive in various environments, including residential areas. To better understand their experiment regarding chicken bones, the hosts consulted Munshi-Ratner for his expertise. While they initially planned to conduct their own experiment, they decided to seek his advice first. This conversation highlights the importance of consulting experts and gaining a foundational understanding of the subject matter before conducting experiments or making assumptions. Additionally, the discussion emphasizes the significance of investing in a fresh and healthy diet for dogs, as it can lead to numerous benefits, such as improved coat and skin, better breath, easier digestion, and smaller, better poops. The farmers dog offers a fresh, human-grade dog food option that is recommended by vets and nutritionally balanced.
The History of Rats in New York City: Rats, originating from East Asia, arrived in New York City through human trade routes and are likely responsible for discarded chicken bones. Experts estimate a few hundred thousand rats in the city.
The rats in New York City, which are primarily brown or Norway rats, have a much more recent history than one might assume. Originally from East Asia, they followed human trade routes and spread throughout the world, including Europe, by the 1700s. Contrary to popular belief, the number of rats in the city is likely much lower than estimated, with expert Jason Hicks suggesting a few hundred thousand at most. Rats, along with animals like squirrels and raccoons, are likely responsible for discarded chicken bones found on the streets. Despite initial thoughts of proposing a simple solution like setting up a camera, the expert found the hypothesis of rats being significant contributors to the chicken bone issue to be plausible.
Considering others' reactions during experiments: Be open about experiment purpose and take precautions to maintain privacy to avoid misunderstandings and unnecessary stress.
Conducting an experiment, even with a seemingly harmless goal, can be met with suspicion and misunderstanding when observed by others. In our case, we wanted to observe if rats preferred chicken bones over other types of food. We followed the advice of a rat expert and set up our experiment with a GoPro camera hidden behind a trash can. However, when our superintendent discovered the setup, he became suspicious and almost took the camera away. This incident highlights the importance of considering the potential reactions of others when conducting experiments and taking necessary precautions to maintain privacy and avoid misunderstandings. The fear of being caught and the resulting consequences can add unnecessary stress and complications to the research process. It's crucial to communicate openly about the purpose and nature of the experiment to avoid any confusion or mistrust.
Unexpected challenges in urban experiments: Clear communication and adaptability are crucial for success in urban research, as unexpected challenges like schedule changes and conflicting experiments can complicate the process
Conducting scientific experiments in urban environments comes with unexpected challenges. In this case, Manny was trying to capture rats on camera for a podcast, but his superintendent, Devin, was also conducting the same experiment, leading to confusion and missed opportunities. Manny faced embarrassment when explaining his experiment to his super, who seemed to think it was strange. Additionally, Manny discovered that the rats' schedules might have changed due to a change in the trash collection schedule. Despite these obstacles, Manny continued with the experiment but was ultimately unsuccessful. The experience highlights the importance of clear communication and adaptability when conducting research in urban settings. Unexpected challenges, such as changes in animal behavior or schedules, can make scientific experiments more complex than anticipated.
Assumptions can lead to inaccurate conclusions: Gather evidence before jumping to conclusions and be aware of rat behaviors like moving food to safer locations
Assumptions can lead to inaccurate conclusions. The speaker initially assumed that a human had disposed of a garbage bag, but after investigating with a GoPro camera, they discovered that rats were responsible for taking the bag and consuming its contents, which included chicken bones. The speaker was surprised to find that the rats had moved the bag to a safer location before consuming the bones. This incident highlights the importance of gathering evidence and not jumping to conclusions based on assumptions. Additionally, the speaker learned that rats often move food to safer locations before consuming it, which is a behavior that researchers have observed in their studies.
Understanding rat behavior and motivations: Changing our perspective on rats from pests to survivors can lead to empathy and reduce feelings of disgust.
Our perception of rats can change when we understand their behavior and motivations. The speaker shared her experience of initially finding rat bite marks on chicken bones and feeling frustrated, but later realizing that rats are just trying to survive. This shift in perspective led her to feel less grossed out by rats and even empathize with them. The speaker also encouraged listeners to look for rat bite marks on chicken bones they encounter on the street, and invited them to follow their investigative adventures on their website, manninoadevan.com. The team plans to continue exploring similar investigations and sharing their findings with the public. Additionally, they discussed the potential impact of addressing the root cause of rat infestations, such as improper trash disposal, to reduce the number of rats in urban areas.
Aura Frames: Perfect Mother's Day Gift, NetSuite by Oracle for Businesses, NYC's Rat Problem: Aura frames offer easy photo sharing and personalization for Mother's Day gifts. NetSuite by Oracle saves businesses costs with consolidated financial management. NYC's rat problem stems from accessible curbside trash.
Aura frames make for an ideal Mother's Day gift. These Wi-Fi connected, digital picture frames allow you to share and display unlimited photos easily through the Aura app. For those giving Aura as a gift, personalization options are available with preloaded photos and memories. Aura frames have received high praise, including being named the best digital photo frame by Wirecutter and selected as one of Oprah's favorite things. For businesses, investing in NetSuite by Oracle can lead to significant cost savings. This cloud financial system consolidates accounting, financial management, inventory, and HR into one platform, reducing IT costs, manual tasks, and errors. Over 37,000 companies have already made the switch. In New York City, the Department of Sanitation's Franchesca Haas emphasizes the importance of addressing the root cause of too many rats: too much accessible trash on the curb. The city's unique system of residents and businesses setting out trash directly on the curb in plastic bags contributes to the problem. Other cities and suburbs with more space have different waste management systems that work better in higher density areas.
NYC seeks optimal trash container solution: NYC explores larger trash cans from Madrid to reduce rats and improve waste management, requiring trade-offs like parking space
New York City, lacking alleyways and scalable underground space, is in search of an optimal trash container solution that balances sufficient volume, accessibility, and visual appeal. The ideal container would be larger than a standard trash can but smaller than a dumpster, and could potentially reduce rat populations. Madrid's large, plastic, rounded-edge containers, which are similar in size to a Minecraft box, have been suggested as a potential model. However, implementing this solution would require giving up parking spaces and encouraging residents to walk to the containers instead of tossing trash out their doors. The city has already tested this approach in a pilot program in Hamilton Heights, Northern Manhattan, and saw a 68% reduction in rat sightings.
Rat infestation in Manhattan linked to trash management: Containerization of trash could become the norm, saving money on wireless services, and LinkedIn Jobs can help small businesses hire quality staff.
The issue of rat infestation in certain areas of Manhattan is closely linked to the way trash is managed. Wealthier neighborhoods, which often have containerized trash systems, experience fewer rat problems compared to areas with more uncontained trash. The containerization of trash is a collective action problem, as a few uncontainerized houses can cause rat infestations for the entire street. New York City's Department of Sanitation is working to address this issue by encouraging containerization citywide. This shift could lead to a future where it's seen as strange and outdated to keep trash bags on the street, much like how smoking indoors is viewed now. Additionally, the conversation touched on the cost savings of using Mint Mobile for wireless services, which can save individuals up to $100 a month compared to traditional carriers. Lastly, LinkedIn Jobs was mentioned as a valuable resource for small businesses looking to hire quality professionals for their teams.
Expand your hiring reach on LinkedIn: LinkedIn offers unique access to passive job seekers and streamlined hiring features for small businesses
LinkedIn is more than just a job board. It's a platform where you can find and hire professionals who might not be actively looking for a new job but could be a great fit for your business. With over 70% of LinkedIn users not visiting other leading job sites, it's essential to expand your search there. LinkedIn caters to small businesses with limited resources and time, making the hiring process easier through features like free job posting and job description assistance. So, if you're serious about hiring professionals, consider using LinkedIn as your go-to platform. It's a smart investment that could save you time and resources in the long run.
