WEBVTT FILE 1 00:00:05.920 --> 00:00:07.920 Hello. This is 6 Minute English from 2 00:00:07.920 --> 00:00:09.360 BBC Learning English. 3 00:00:09.360 --> 00:00:10.480 I’m Sam. 4 00:00:10.480 --> 00:00:11.600 And I’m Neil. 5 00:00:11.600 --> 00:00:13.520 In recent years new diets with 6 00:00:13.520 --> 00:00:16.799 names like ‘vegan’, ‘keto’ and ‘paleo’ 7 00:00:16.800 --> 00:00:18.480 have become very popular. 8 00:00:19.200 --> 00:00:20.960 Are you a vegetarian, Neil? 9 00:00:20.960 --> 00:00:23.040 Do you follow any particular diet? 10 00:00:23.920 --> 00:00:26.000 Well, I eat lots of fresh fruit and 11 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:28.560 vegetables and only a little meat 12 00:00:28.560 --> 00:00:30.000 from time to time. 13 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:32.159 Well, while many diets claim to 14 00:00:32.159 --> 00:00:33.919 improve health or help you lose 15 00:00:33.920 --> 00:00:36.400 weight, recent research shows 16 00:00:36.400 --> 00:00:38.400 that what counts is not what you 17 00:00:38.400 --> 00:00:40.720 eat but how your body reacts. 18 00:00:41.520 --> 00:00:43.120 Yes, and that reaction doesn’t 19 00:00:43.120 --> 00:00:44.880 happen where you might think – 20 00:00:44.880 --> 00:00:47.440 not in the brain, or tongue, or even 21 00:00:47.440 --> 00:00:50.159 the stomach, but in the gut – another 22 00:00:50.159 --> 00:00:52.479 name for the intestines - the long 23 00:00:52.479 --> 00:00:55.279 tube inside your body which digests food. 24 00:00:55.920 --> 00:00:58.240 Inside everyone’s gut are millions 25 00:00:58.240 --> 00:01:01.360 of microbes – tiny living organisms, 26 00:01:01.360 --> 00:01:04.000 too small to see without a microscope. 27 00:01:04.000 --> 00:01:06.480 Some of them are good for us, some bad. 28 00:01:07.120 --> 00:01:09.680 Microbes help digest food, but they 29 00:01:09.680 --> 00:01:12.240 influence our bodies more than we know. 30 00:01:12.240 --> 00:01:13.520 Think of them as chemical 31 00:01:13.520 --> 00:01:15.520 factories that cause our individual 32 00:01:15.520 --> 00:01:17.440 reaction to the food we eat. 33 00:01:17.440 --> 00:01:20.000 This mix of gut microbes is unique 34 00:01:20.000 --> 00:01:23.680 and different for everyone, even identical twins. 35 00:01:24.240 --> 00:01:25.200 And it’s the reason why 36 00:01:25.200 --> 00:01:26.880 some doctors now recommend a 37 00:01:26.880 --> 00:01:28.880 personalised diet, one that 38 00:01:28.880 --> 00:01:31.200 perfectly fits your own unique 39 00:01:31.200 --> 00:01:32.959 combination of microbes. 40 00:01:32.959 --> 00:01:35.119 We’ll hear more soon, but first I 41 00:01:35.120 --> 00:01:37.200 have a question for you, Neil, and 42 00:01:37.200 --> 00:01:39.520 it’s about the gut - the tube which 43 00:01:39.520 --> 00:01:42.400 includes the large and small intestine. 44 00:01:42.400 --> 00:01:45.120 It’s very long - but how long exactly 45 00:01:45.120 --> 00:01:46.960 is the average adult’s gut? 46 00:01:47.520 --> 00:01:49.840 Is it: a) 3.5 metres? 47 00:01:50.560 --> 00:01:55.520 b) 5.5 metres? or, c) 7.5 metres? 48 00:01:55.520 --> 00:01:57.120 Well, everybody is different of 49 00:01:57.120 --> 00:01:58.720 course, but I’ll say on average 50 00:01:58.720 --> 00:02:02.480 the gut is b) 5.5 metres long. 51 00:02:02.480 --> 00:02:04.800 OK, Neil, I’ll reveal the answer later 52 00:02:04.800 --> 00:02:05.920 in the programme. 53 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:07.760 Among the first to investigate gut 54 00:02:07.760 --> 00:02:10.560 microbes was Dr Tim Spector, author 55 00:02:10.560 --> 00:02:13.040 of bestselling book, The Diet Myth. 56 00:02:13.040 --> 00:02:14.560 He wanted to check whether the 57 00:02:14.560 --> 00:02:16.800 dietary advice he had heard and 58 00:02:16.800 --> 00:02:19.200 believed, advice like ‘eat little and 59 00:02:19.200 --> 00:02:22.080 often’ or ‘avoid fat’, was really true. 60 00:02:22.080 --> 00:02:24.400 Listen as Dr Spector explains how 61 00:02:24.400 --> 00:02:26.080 he started to doubt some of this 62 00:02:26.080 --> 00:02:29.200 advice - ‘food myths’, he calls them - to 63 00:02:29.200 --> 00:02:32.320 BBC Radio 4 programme, The Life Scientific: 64 00:02:34.320 --> 00:02:36.639 All these so-called myths that I’d 65 00:02:36.639 --> 00:02:37.919 believed, whether it was about 66 00:02:37.919 --> 00:02:40.879 calories, about fats, when to eat, how 67 00:02:40.880 --> 00:02:43.520 to eat, were based on flimsy or no 68 00:02:43.520 --> 00:02:46.240 evidence, very old, very poor quality, 69 00:02:46.240 --> 00:02:47.840 and had been repeated so much 70 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:49.840 that people didn’t think to question them. 71 00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:53.120 One of the food myths Dr Spector 72 00:02:53.120 --> 00:02:55.440 questioned was counting calories – 73 00:02:55.440 --> 00:02:57.440 the units which measure the amount 74 00:02:57.440 --> 00:02:59.520 of energy food provides. 75 00:02:59.520 --> 00:03:01.280 He discovered that much of the 76 00:03:01.280 --> 00:03:03.280 dietary advice he had heard was 77 00:03:03.280 --> 00:03:07.600 either incorrect or based on flimsy evidence. 78 00:03:07.600 --> 00:03:09.760 If evidence is flimsy, it’s 79 00:03:09.760 --> 00:03:11.760 weak and unconvincing. 80 00:03:11.760 --> 00:03:13.760 As Dr Spector questioned these 81 00:03:13.760 --> 00:03:15.600 food myths, he remembered an 82 00:03:15.600 --> 00:03:17.919 earlier study involving identical 83 00:03:17.919 --> 00:03:20.639 twins, pairs of brothers or sisters 84 00:03:20.639 --> 00:03:21.839 with the same genes. 85 00:03:22.400 --> 00:03:24.240 It was the surprising differences 86 00:03:24.240 --> 00:03:26.720 in weight between one twin and 87 00:03:26.720 --> 00:03:28.639 another that made Dr Spector 88 00:03:28.639 --> 00:03:31.199 realise that no two people have 89 00:03:31.200 --> 00:03:33.840 the same gut – even identical 90 00:03:33.840 --> 00:03:35.440 twins’ guts are different. 91 00:03:36.240 --> 00:03:38.640 But, as he told BBC Radio 4’s, 92 00:03:38.640 --> 00:03:41.040 The Life Scientific, the discovery 93 00:03:41.040 --> 00:03:43.440 came in a very smelly way – by 94 00:03:43.440 --> 00:03:45.200 asking his volunteers to send 95 00:03:45.200 --> 00:03:47.440 samples of their poo in the post! 96 00:03:48.720 --> 00:03:50.480 We collected lots of these samples, 97 00:03:50.480 --> 00:03:52.640 sequenced them, and looked at 98 00:03:52.640 --> 00:03:54.240 twins where one was overweight 99 00:03:54.240 --> 00:03:55.920 and one was skinny… and we 100 00:03:55.920 --> 00:03:58.480 found in every case, the skinnier 101 00:03:58.480 --> 00:04:01.440 twin had a more diverse microbiome, 102 00:04:01.440 --> 00:04:02.480 greater numbers of different 103 00:04:02.480 --> 00:04:05.200 species and they also nearly 104 00:04:05.200 --> 00:04:07.040 always had high numbers of a 105 00:04:07.040 --> 00:04:09.760 couple of microbes that just stuck 106 00:04:09.760 --> 00:04:11.760 out of the crowd – and one was 107 00:04:11.760 --> 00:04:13.120 called christensenella and the 108 00:04:13.120 --> 00:04:14.560 other was called akkermansia. 109 00:04:15.600 --> 00:04:17.839 Although genetically identical, one 110 00:04:17.839 --> 00:04:19.759 twin was overweight, while the 111 00:04:19.760 --> 00:04:22.240 other twin was skinny, or very thin. 112 00:04:22.880 --> 00:04:23.920 Because the weight difference 113 00:04:23.920 --> 00:04:25.839 could not be explained genetically, 114 00:04:25.839 --> 00:04:28.239 Dr Spector suspected the microbes 115 00:04:28.240 --> 00:04:30.240 in the skinnier twin’s gut held the 116 00:04:30.240 --> 00:04:32.720 answer: the more diverse someone’s 117 00:04:32.720 --> 00:04:34.640 microbes, the better their gut was 118 00:04:34.640 --> 00:04:37.520 at digesting food, regulating fat and 119 00:04:37.520 --> 00:04:38.880 maintaining health. 120 00:04:38.880 --> 00:04:41.040 Two microbes, christensenella and 121 00:04:41.040 --> 00:04:43.920 akkermansia, were especially effective. 122 00:04:43.920 --> 00:04:46.640 Dr Spector says these microbes stuck 123 00:04:46.640 --> 00:04:48.880 out of the crowd, meaning they were 124 00:04:48.880 --> 00:04:51.360 easy to notice for their positive effect. 125 00:04:51.920 --> 00:04:53.680 And since everyone’s microbes are 126 00:04:53.680 --> 00:04:56.160 different, it follows that a personalised 127 00:04:56.160 --> 00:04:58.480 diet which selects the friendliest food 128 00:04:58.480 --> 00:04:59.920 for your gut, is best. 129 00:05:00.720 --> 00:05:01.600 Right, and all this 130 00:05:01.600 --> 00:05:03.839 talk of eating is making me hungry, so 131 00:05:03.839 --> 00:05:05.919 tell me, Sam, was my answer to your 132 00:05:05.920 --> 00:05:07.200 question, right? 133 00:05:07.200 --> 00:05:09.839 Ah yes, I asked about the length of the 134 00:05:09.839 --> 00:05:11.999 gut in the average adult. 135 00:05:12.000 --> 00:05:14.160 I said it was 5.5 metres. 136 00:05:14.720 --> 00:05:16.800 Which was… the correct answer! 137 00:05:16.800 --> 00:05:19.200 Well done, Neil – that took ‘guts’, which 138 00:05:19.200 --> 00:05:20.720 is the second meaning of the 139 00:05:20.720 --> 00:05:21.920 word: courage. 140 00:05:22.800 --> 00:05:25.120 OK, let’s recap the vocabulary we’ve 141 00:05:25.120 --> 00:05:27.760 learned starting with gut – an informal 142 00:05:27.760 --> 00:05:30.240 word for the intestines, the tube which 143 00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:32.160 digests food from the stomach. 144 00:05:32.960 --> 00:05:35.440 Microbes are microscopic organisms 145 00:05:35.440 --> 00:05:36.720 living inside the body. 146 00:05:37.279 --> 00:05:39.599 A calorie is a unit measuring how 147 00:05:39.600 --> 00:05:41.280 much energy food provides. 148 00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:44.480 If an argument or evidence is flimsy, 149 00:05:44.480 --> 00:05:46.960 it’s weak and hard to believe. 150 00:05:46.960 --> 00:05:48.880 A skinny person is very thin. 151 00:05:49.680 --> 00:05:52.000 And finally, if something sticks out 152 00:05:52.000 --> 00:05:54.400 of the crowd, it’s noticeable in 153 00:05:54.400 --> 00:05:54.960 a good way. 154 00:05:55.760 --> 00:05:57.920 Unfortunately, our six minutes are up, 155 00:05:57.920 --> 00:06:00.240 but remember: look after your gut, and 156 00:06:00.240 --> 00:06:01.840 your gut will look after you! 157 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:10.160 Hello.This is 6 Minute English from 158 00:06:10.160 --> 00:06:12.160 BBC Learning English. I’m Rob. 159 00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:13.440 And I’m Georgina. 160 00:06:13.440 --> 00:06:15.600 What do Vincent Van Gogh and 161 00:06:15.600 --> 00:06:18.240 Galileo Galilei have in common, Georgina? 162 00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:20.400 Hmm… their first name and last 163 00:06:20.400 --> 00:06:22.800 names both start with the same letter? 164 00:06:22.800 --> 00:06:24.800 Well, that’s true… but another 165 00:06:24.800 --> 00:06:26.640 similarity is their amazing 166 00:06:26.640 --> 00:06:28.480 contributions – to art and 167 00:06:28.480 --> 00:06:31.839 science - were only recognised after their death. 168 00:06:31.839 --> 00:06:33.519 I know another person whose 169 00:06:33.520 --> 00:06:35.120 huge contribution to science 170 00:06:35.120 --> 00:06:36.720 went unrecognised during her 171 00:06:36.720 --> 00:06:39.040 lifetime, Rob, but unlike Van Gogh 172 00:06:39.040 --> 00:06:42.240 or Galileo, you probably haven’t heard of her. 173 00:06:42.240 --> 00:06:43.200 She’s the subject 174 00:06:43.200 --> 00:06:44.560 of this programme. 175 00:06:44.560 --> 00:06:46.080 Henrietta Lacks was a young, 176 00:06:46.080 --> 00:06:47.680 black, American mother who 177 00:06:47.680 --> 00:06:50.720 died of cancer in Baltimore in 1951. 178 00:06:50.720 --> 00:06:52.400 Although she never consented to 179 00:06:52.400 --> 00:06:54.240 her tissues being used for medical 180 00:06:54.240 --> 00:06:56.560 research, doctors at the time found 181 00:06:56.560 --> 00:06:58.560 her cells to have an extraordinary 182 00:06:58.560 --> 00:07:01.760 ability to replace themselves endlessly. 183 00:07:01.760 --> 00:07:04.800 Named ‘HeLa cells’ after her initials, 184 00:07:04.800 --> 00:07:06.960 Henrietta Lacks’ tissue helped 185 00:07:06.960 --> 00:07:08.960 make possible all sorts of medical 186 00:07:08.960 --> 00:07:11.280 breakthroughs, from the polio vaccine 187 00:07:11.280 --> 00:07:15.280 to cancer drugs, to HIV and IVF treatments. 188 00:07:15.280 --> 00:07:17.200 Born one hundred years ago, in 189 00:07:17.200 --> 00:07:20.080 1920, the great-great-granddaughter 190 00:07:20.080 --> 00:07:22.560 of slaves, Henrietta and her cells 191 00:07:22.560 --> 00:07:25.120 continue to provide medical discoveries 192 00:07:25.120 --> 00:07:26.080 to this day… 193 00:07:26.080 --> 00:07:28.080 …most recently, of course, in the 194 00:07:28.080 --> 00:07:30.240 race for a coronavirus vaccine. 195 00:07:30.240 --> 00:07:32.320 But before we go on, Georgina, it’s 196 00:07:32.320 --> 00:07:34.240 time for my quiz question. 197 00:07:34.240 --> 00:07:37.240 I mentioned that Henrietta Lacks was born one 198 00:07:37.240 --> 00:07:39.360 hundred years ago, but do you know 199 00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:41.040 what other medical breakthrough 200 00:07:41.040 --> 00:07:43.360 happened in 1921? 201 00:07:43.360 --> 00:07:46.480 Was it: a) the discovery of insulin?, 202 00:07:46.480 --> 00:07:49.360 b) the discovery of penicillin?, or, 203 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:51.680 c) the discovery of vitamin E? 204 00:07:51.680 --> 00:07:54.800 I’ll say, a) the discovery of insulin. 205 00:07:54.800 --> 00:07:57.040 OK, Georgina, we’ll find out if that’s 206 00:07:57.040 --> 00:07:58.800 right later on. 207 00:07:58.800 --> 00:08:00.080 Now, it was Henrietta’s 208 00:08:00.080 --> 00:08:02.080 biography by science writer, 209 00:08:02.080 --> 00:08:04.160 Rebecca Skloot, that brought her 210 00:08:04.160 --> 00:08:05.840 remarkable story to the world’s 211 00:08:05.840 --> 00:08:07.520 attention a decade ago. 212 00:08:07.520 --> 00:08:09.920 Here is Rebecca Skloot, explaining 213 00:08:09.920 --> 00:08:11.440 Henrietta’s importance to 214 00:08:11.440 --> 00:08:14.549 BBC World Service programme, The Forum: 215 00:08:15.134 --> 00:08:17.040 So much of science is based on 216 00:08:17.040 --> 00:08:19.120 growing cells in culture which 217 00:08:19.120 --> 00:08:20.560 started with her cells. 218 00:08:20.560 --> 00:08:23.280 In vitro fertilization – that started with 219 00:08:23.280 --> 00:08:25.760 the ability to grow embryos in 220 00:08:25.760 --> 00:08:27.520 culture which you can do in part 221 00:08:27.520 --> 00:08:29.360 thanks to her cells so the list just 222 00:08:29.360 --> 00:08:31.120 goes on and on, and right now 223 00:08:31.120 --> 00:08:33.040 people are often asking how are 224 00:08:33.040 --> 00:08:34.880 HeLa cells helping with Covid. […] 225 00:08:34.880 --> 00:08:36.000 Scientists worked that out very 226 00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:37.716 quickly using her cells… they 227 00:08:37.716 --> 00:08:39.120 figured out what the receptor 228 00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:40.800 looks like and they did the same 229 00:08:40.800 --> 00:08:42.332 thing with HIV… 230 00:08:42.332 --> 00:08:43.520 so her cells are just 231 00:08:43.520 --> 00:08:45.360 this incredible workhorse that is 232 00:08:45.360 --> 00:08:48.396 at the base of so much science. 233 00:08:48.880 --> 00:08:51.600 Doctors used Henrietta’s cells to 234 00:08:51.600 --> 00:08:53.920 figure out – or understand, how 235 00:08:53.920 --> 00:08:56.160 cells reproduce and divide – 236 00:08:56.160 --> 00:08:57.600 knowledge that was vital in 237 00:08:57.600 --> 00:09:00.400 developing in vitro fertilization, 238 00:09:00.400 --> 00:09:02.960 or IVF, a technique for women 239 00:09:02.960 --> 00:09:04.320 who cannot become pregnant 240 00:09:04.320 --> 00:09:06.240 naturally, in which an egg is 241 00:09:06.240 --> 00:09:08.160 fertilized outside the body. 242 00:09:08.160 --> 00:09:09.920 Our bodies are made of millions 243 00:09:09.920 --> 00:09:11.520 and millions of cells and to 244 00:09:11.520 --> 00:09:13.200 understand how they work we 245 00:09:13.200 --> 00:09:15.200 need to grow them in a lab. 246 00:09:15.200 --> 00:09:16.559 No-one had succeeded in 247 00:09:16.559 --> 00:09:18.399 doing this until Henrietta’s 248 00:09:18.400 --> 00:09:20.480 extraordinary cells which just 249 00:09:20.480 --> 00:09:21.840 grew and grew. 250 00:09:21.840 --> 00:09:23.479 This resulted not only in new 251 00:09:23.480 --> 00:09:25.280 fertility treatments, but later 252 00:09:25.280 --> 00:09:27.360 in AIDS and cancer breakthroughs, 253 00:09:27.360 --> 00:09:28.880 which is why Rebecca refers to 254 00:09:28.880 --> 00:09:31.920 HeLa cells as a workhorse, meaning 255 00:09:31.920 --> 00:09:34.000 someone who does a lot of work. 256 00:09:34.000 --> 00:09:35.760 But perhaps Henrietta’s greatest 257 00:09:35.760 --> 00:09:38.880 legacy of all was the vaccine for polio. 258 00:09:38.880 --> 00:09:40.720 Here’s professor of genetics, 259 00:09:40.720 --> 00:09:42.640 Sir John Burn, talking to 260 00:09:42.640 --> 00:09:45.120 BBC World Service’s, The Forum: 261 00:09:45.120 --> 00:09:46.720 Henrietta would have particularly 262 00:09:46.720 --> 00:09:48.320 liked the announcement this year 263 00:09:48.320 --> 00:09:50.720 that polio vaccine had led to the 264 00:09:50.720 --> 00:09:53.440 eradication of polio in Africa – so 265 00:09:53.440 --> 00:09:55.440 the centenary of her birth it seems 266 00:09:55.440 --> 00:09:59.120 rather symbolic that her unwitting 267 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:01.280 contribution to medicine eventually 268 00:10:01.280 --> 00:10:04.320 eradicated that scourge of mankind. 269 00:10:04.320 --> 00:10:06.800 John Burn calls polio a scourge, 270 00:10:06.800 --> 00:10:08.559 meaning something causing much 271 00:10:08.559 --> 00:10:09.839 pain and suffering. 272 00:10:09.840 --> 00:10:12.000 Henrietta’s role in eradicating this 273 00:10:12.000 --> 00:10:13.840 terrible disease is all the more 274 00:10:13.840 --> 00:10:15.679 remarkable as she was never 275 00:10:15.679 --> 00:10:17.439 asked permission to use her cells 276 00:10:17.440 --> 00:10:20.400 for research, and it’s taken decades 277 00:10:20.400 --> 00:10:22.080 for the Lacks family to win their 278 00:10:22.080 --> 00:10:24.800 grandmother the recognition she deserves. 279 00:10:24.800 --> 00:10:26.240 That’s why John Burn calls 280 00:10:26.240 --> 00:10:29.040 Henrietta’s contribution unwitting – it 281 00:10:29.040 --> 00:10:31.760 was made without her knowledge or consent. 282 00:10:31.760 --> 00:10:33.360 And with the eyes of the world now 283 00:10:33.360 --> 00:10:36.080 focused on vaccines for the coronavirus, 284 00:10:36.080 --> 00:10:38.400 this year is a symbolic time to celebrate 285 00:10:38.400 --> 00:10:40.400 her centenary - the one hundredth 286 00:10:40.400 --> 00:10:42.640 anniversary of an important event. 287 00:10:42.640 --> 00:10:44.559 Henrietta Lacks - a remarkable 288 00:10:44.559 --> 00:10:46.399 woman whose name is finally making 289 00:10:46.400 --> 00:10:48.640 its way into the history books. 290 00:10:48.640 --> 00:10:50.559 But something else remarkable happened 291 00:10:50.559 --> 00:10:52.639 one hundred years ago, didn’t it, Rob? 292 00:10:52.640 --> 00:10:55.040 Ah yes, you mean my quiz question. 293 00:10:55.040 --> 00:10:56.880 I asked you which important medical 294 00:10:56.880 --> 00:10:58.880 breakthrough occurred one hundred 295 00:10:58.880 --> 00:11:00.720 years ago, in 1921. 296 00:11:00.720 --> 00:11:03.520 I said, a) the discovery of insulin. 297 00:11:03.520 --> 00:11:06.080 Which was… the correct answer! 298 00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:07.760 Discovered by Canadian doctor 299 00:11:07.760 --> 00:11:10.080 Frederick Banting, insulin saved 300 00:11:10.080 --> 00:11:12.400 the lives of millions of diabetics. 301 00:11:12.400 --> 00:11:14.400 And on that healthy note, let’s 302 00:11:14.400 --> 00:11:16.080 recap the vocabulary from this 303 00:11:16.080 --> 00:11:18.000 programme, starting with in 304 00:11:18.000 --> 00:11:21.600 vitro fertilization, or IVF – a 305 00:11:21.600 --> 00:11:23.040 medical technique for women 306 00:11:23.040 --> 00:11:25.280 who cannot become pregnant naturally. 307 00:11:25.280 --> 00:11:27.040 Henrietta’s HeLa cells helped 308 00:11:27.040 --> 00:11:29.920 doctors figure out - or understand - 309 00:11:29.920 --> 00:11:32.320 a lot about how cells grow and led 310 00:11:32.320 --> 00:11:34.240 to so many medical discoveries 311 00:11:34.240 --> 00:11:36.400 we might call them a workhorse – 312 00:11:36.400 --> 00:11:38.800 something which works extremely hard. 313 00:11:38.800 --> 00:11:40.480 A scourge means something that 314 00:11:40.480 --> 00:11:42.720 causes much pain and suffering, 315 00:11:42.720 --> 00:11:44.559 like the terrible diseases which 316 00:11:44.559 --> 00:11:47.119 Henrietta’s unwitting, or unknowing, 317 00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:49.360 contribution helped eradicate. 318 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:51.920 Making 2021 a year of hope and 319 00:11:51.920 --> 00:11:53.520 the perfect time to celebrate the 320 00:11:53.520 --> 00:11:55.840 centenary of her birth – it’s one 321 00:11:55.840 --> 00:11:57.200 hundredth anniversary! 322 00:11:57.200 --> 00:11:58.800 We hope this upbeat programme 323 00:11:58.800 --> 00:12:01.200 has been just what the doctor ordered. 324 00:12:01.200 --> 00:12:02.480 Remember to join us again 325 00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:04.640 soon at 6 Minute English. 326 00:12:04.640 --> 00:12:05.360 Bye for now! 327 00:12:05.360 --> 00:12:05.920 Goodbye! 328 00:12:12.160 --> 00:12:14.000 Welcome to 6 Minute English, where 329 00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:16.160 today we introduce a hair-raising 330 00:12:16.160 --> 00:12:18.988 topic and six items of vocabulary. 331 00:12:18.988 --> 00:12:22.160 I’m Tim… So what’s hair-raising about 332 00:12:22.160 --> 00:12:24.000 today’s topic, Neil? 333 00:12:24.000 --> 00:12:25.440 Hair-raising means 334 00:12:25.440 --> 00:12:27.920 scary but also exciting! 335 00:12:27.920 --> 00:12:30.000 We’re talking about hair – which may 336 00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:32.160 be exciting for some, but definitely 337 00:12:32.160 --> 00:12:33.360 won’t be scary. 338 00:12:33.360 --> 00:12:36.320 Hair-raising is a real thing, though, isn’t it? 339 00:12:36.320 --> 00:12:38.320 Our hairs do rise! 340 00:12:38.320 --> 00:12:39.520 Yes – Tim, they do. 341 00:12:39.520 --> 00:12:41.840 We get goosebumps when we’re cold, 342 00:12:41.840 --> 00:12:43.520 scared, or excited. 343 00:12:43.520 --> 00:12:45.040 But other mammals do it better 344 00:12:45.040 --> 00:12:47.520 than us – Cats fluff up when they 345 00:12:47.520 --> 00:12:49.280 see other cats they don’t like. 346 00:12:49.280 --> 00:12:51.440 That’s true – We can’t fluff up 347 00:12:51.440 --> 00:12:52.559 because we don’t have enough 348 00:12:52.559 --> 00:12:53.599 body hair. 349 00:12:53.600 --> 00:12:55.679 I suppose we used to be as hairy 350 00:12:55.679 --> 00:12:57.599 as gorillas – if you go back a 351 00:12:57.600 --> 00:12:59.120 million years or so. 352 00:12:59.120 --> 00:13:00.480 Do you know why we lost so 353 00:13:00.480 --> 00:13:01.840 much hair, Tim? 354 00:13:01.840 --> 00:13:04.320 Isn’t it because it allowed us to 355 00:13:04.320 --> 00:13:06.160 sweat more easily? 356 00:13:06.160 --> 00:13:08.880 This meant we didn’t get so hot and tired – we 357 00:13:08.880 --> 00:13:11.200 could run faster and for longer – and 358 00:13:11.200 --> 00:13:13.436 catch more animals to eat! 359 00:13:13.436 --> 00:13:15.520 That sounds like a good theory. 360 00:13:15.520 --> 00:13:17.360 But do you have a theory on how 361 00:13:17.360 --> 00:13:19.280 many hair follicles the human 362 00:13:19.280 --> 00:13:20.880 body has today? 363 00:13:20.880 --> 00:13:22.480 What’s a hair follicle? 364 00:13:22.480 --> 00:13:24.720 A hair follicle is the organ that 365 00:13:24.720 --> 00:13:27.600 produces a hair underneath the skin. 366 00:13:27.600 --> 00:13:29.280 Now answer the question,Tim. 367 00:13:29.280 --> 00:13:30.800 How many hair follicles does 368 00:13:30.800 --> 00:13:32.640 the human body have today? 369 00:13:32.640 --> 00:13:34.937 Is it … a) 500,000, 370 00:13:34.937 --> 00:13:38.570 b) 5 million, or, c) 50 million? 371 00:13:38.570 --> 00:13:42.559 50 million sounds about right. 372 00:13:42.559 --> 00:13:44.399 Did you know that men have 373 00:13:44.400 --> 00:13:46.080 more than women, Tim? 374 00:13:46.080 --> 00:13:49.440 No, I didn’t – but it makes sense 375 00:13:49.440 --> 00:13:51.600 since men are usually hairier 376 00:13:51.600 --> 00:13:52.240 than women. 377 00:13:52.240 --> 00:13:53.840 On their faces – but not 378 00:13:53.840 --> 00:13:55.840 necessarily on their heads! 379 00:13:55.840 --> 00:13:57.600 Are you referring to the fact 380 00:13:57.600 --> 00:13:59.520 that men of a certain age 381 00:13:59.520 --> 00:14:02.400 can be follically challenged? 382 00:14:02.400 --> 00:14:04.160 If you’re follically challenged 383 00:14:04.160 --> 00:14:06.160 it means you’re losing your hair! 384 00:14:06.160 --> 00:14:07.600 Having little or no hair is 385 00:14:07.600 --> 00:14:08.400 called baldness. 386 00:14:08.400 --> 00:14:10.320 And if you’ve reached a certain age it means 387 00:14:10.320 --> 00:14:12.160 you aren’t young any more! 388 00:14:12.160 --> 00:14:15.280 Why is our hair so important to us, Neil? 389 00:14:15.280 --> 00:14:15.920 When we aren’t 390 00:14:15.920 --> 00:14:18.000 worrying about going bald, we’re 391 00:14:18.000 --> 00:14:20.320 busy shaving, waxing, plucking, 392 00:14:20.320 --> 00:14:21.840 and trimming the stuff. 393 00:14:21.840 --> 00:14:24.160 When I say ‘we’ of course I’m referring 394 00:14:24.160 --> 00:14:26.240 to people in general. 395 00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:27.520 Not myself… 396 00:14:27.520 --> 00:14:29.600 Well, a good head of hair indicates 397 00:14:29.600 --> 00:14:31.040 health and youth. 398 00:14:31.040 --> 00:14:33.600 And hair on your face – facial hair – shows 399 00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:36.800 when boys have reached manhood. 400 00:14:36.800 --> 00:14:39.360 On the other hand, going grey or 401 00:14:39.360 --> 00:14:40.800 losing your hair shows you’re 402 00:14:40.800 --> 00:14:41.840 getting older. 403 00:14:41.840 --> 00:14:44.720 Hair today, gone tomorrow? 404 00:14:44.720 --> 00:14:45.840 Bad joke, Neil! 405 00:14:45.840 --> 00:14:48.480 Sorry! It’s true that hair on your 406 00:14:48.480 --> 00:14:50.960 head shows signs of aging – but 407 00:14:50.960 --> 00:14:53.840 this isn’t true of all human hair. 408 00:14:53.840 --> 00:14:55.840 Let’s listen to Ralf Paus, a leading 409 00:14:55.840 --> 00:14:58.682 hair loss researcher, talking about this. 410 00:14:59.840 --> 00:15:02.080 The eyebrows get stronger usually 411 00:15:02.080 --> 00:15:06.160 in aging men, the hairs in your nose 412 00:15:06.160 --> 00:15:08.480 and in your ears get stronger – and 413 00:15:08.480 --> 00:15:10.480 what a miracle of nature that an 414 00:15:10.480 --> 00:15:13.040 organ – when the entire body is 415 00:15:13.040 --> 00:15:15.440 aging actually grows stronger. 416 00:15:15.440 --> 00:15:17.280 So we may even be able to learn 417 00:15:17.280 --> 00:15:19.969 from hair follicles how not to age. 418 00:15:21.710 --> 00:15:25.360 Hmm. I’m not sure I would swap a 419 00:15:25.360 --> 00:15:27.440 good head of hair for thick 420 00:15:27.440 --> 00:15:29.360 eyebrows and nose hair. 421 00:15:29.360 --> 00:15:30.480 How about you, Neil? 422 00:15:30.480 --> 00:15:32.160 I agree! But let’s hear more 423 00:15:32.160 --> 00:15:34.080 from Ralf Paus about why some 424 00:15:34.080 --> 00:15:36.929 hair gets stronger as you get older. 425 00:15:38.880 --> 00:15:40.320 The hair follicle apparently knows 426 00:15:40.320 --> 00:15:41.840 some tricks that the other organs 427 00:15:41.840 --> 00:15:42.400 don’t know. 428 00:15:42.400 --> 00:15:43.520 So it’s continuously 429 00:15:43.520 --> 00:15:44.560 regenerating itself. 430 00:15:44.560 --> 00:15:44.960 It goes through 431 00:15:44.960 --> 00:15:46.400 a so-called hair cycle and part 432 00:15:46.400 --> 00:15:48.160 of that we know pretty well – and 433 00:15:48.160 --> 00:15:49.440 that is, these stem cells that it 434 00:15:49.440 --> 00:15:51.146 uses to regenerate cells. 435 00:15:52.640 --> 00:15:55.440 So a hair follicle can regenerate 436 00:15:55.440 --> 00:15:57.760 cells – or grow new cells to 437 00:15:57.760 --> 00:16:00.640 replace old or damaged ones. 438 00:16:00.640 --> 00:16:03.120 But if that’s only true for eyebrows, 439 00:16:03.120 --> 00:16:06.480 nose and ear hair, I am not that impressed! 440 00:16:06.480 --> 00:16:07.520 I want hairs on my 441 00:16:07.520 --> 00:16:09.200 head to be able to regenerate! 442 00:16:09.200 --> 00:16:10.960 The important thing here is that 443 00:16:10.960 --> 00:16:13.120 these cells in the hair follicle may 444 00:16:13.120 --> 00:16:15.520 help scientists discover a way to stop 445 00:16:15.520 --> 00:16:18.195 other organs of the body aging… 446 00:16:18.195 --> 00:16:20.720 OK, I’m now going to reveal how 447 00:16:20.720 --> 00:16:22.720 many hair follicles on average we 448 00:16:22.720 --> 00:16:24.080 have on our bodies. 449 00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:26.960 The answer is… 5 million. 450 00:16:26.960 --> 00:16:29.680 Oh. So not 50 million then. 451 00:16:29.680 --> 00:16:30.560 Don’t worry, Tim! 452 00:16:30.560 --> 00:16:32.240 It was a tricky question! 453 00:16:32.240 --> 00:16:33.280 Now let’s go over the 454 00:16:33.280 --> 00:16:35.040 words we learned today. 455 00:16:35.040 --> 00:16:37.840 ‘Hair-raising’ means scary often 456 00:16:37.840 --> 00:16:39.440 in an exciting way. 457 00:16:39.440 --> 00:16:42.480 For example, “That ride on the rollercoaster 458 00:16:42.480 --> 00:16:44.560 was a hair-raising experience!” 459 00:16:44.560 --> 00:16:46.560 Next is ‘hair follicle’ – the organ 460 00:16:46.560 --> 00:16:47.760 that produces a hair 461 00:16:47.760 --> 00:16:49.280 underneath the skin. 462 00:16:49.280 --> 00:16:50.400 “Scientists believe that 463 00:16:50.400 --> 00:16:52.480 stress can affect hair follicles.” 464 00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:53.920 A number of things can affect 465 00:16:53.920 --> 00:16:57.840 hair follicles actually – age, disease, diet… 466 00:16:57.840 --> 00:17:00.000 OK – but we haven’t got all day, Neil. 467 00:17:00.000 --> 00:17:02.480 So let’s move on to the next item. 468 00:17:02.480 --> 00:17:03.600 ‘Baldness’ – which 469 00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:05.680 means having little or no hair 470 00:17:05.680 --> 00:17:06.400 on your head. 471 00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:08.320 “My grandfather is bald and 472 00:17:08.320 --> 00:17:09.760 he always wears a hat to 473 00:17:09.760 --> 00:17:11.200 cover his baldness.” 474 00:17:11.200 --> 00:17:12.560 Nice example. 475 00:17:12.560 --> 00:17:13.440 Is your grandpa 476 00:17:13.440 --> 00:17:14.720 actually bald, Neil? 477 00:17:14.720 --> 00:17:16.800 No – he has a fine head of hair. 478 00:17:16.800 --> 00:17:18.640 Now, if you are a certain age, it 479 00:17:18.640 --> 00:17:20.320 means you are no longer young. 480 00:17:20.320 --> 00:17:22.720 For example… “All the people at the party 481 00:17:22.720 --> 00:17:24.480 were of a certain age…” 482 00:17:24.480 --> 00:17:25.760 How many of them had facial 483 00:17:25.760 --> 00:17:27.840 hair, Tim? That’s our next word, 484 00:17:27.840 --> 00:17:30.480 and ‘facial’ means to do with the face. 485 00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:32.000 “None of the people at the party 486 00:17:32.000 --> 00:17:33.280 had facial hair.” 487 00:17:33.280 --> 00:17:34.556 There’s your answer! 488 00:17:35.108 --> 00:17:37.119 That’s unusual, Tim. 489 00:17:37.119 --> 00:17:37.519 Lots of 490 00:17:37.520 --> 00:17:39.520 men have beards these days. 491 00:17:39.520 --> 00:17:41.359 OK – our final word for today 492 00:17:41.359 --> 00:17:43.919 is ‘regenerate’ which means to grow again. 493 00:17:43.920 --> 00:17:44.720 You can talk about 494 00:17:44.720 --> 00:17:46.480 regenerating a range of things, 495 00:17:46.480 --> 00:17:47.840 for example… 496 00:17:47.840 --> 00:17:49.359 “The council has plans to 497 00:17:49.359 --> 00:17:51.828 regenerate this part of the city.” 498 00:17:52.180 --> 00:17:54.160 “Regeneration of parts of the 499 00:17:54.160 --> 00:17:56.240 city is in progress." - 500 00:17:56.240 --> 00:17:58.776 ‘regeneration’ is the noun. 501 00:17:59.200 --> 00:18:00.880 Well, it’s time to go now. 502 00:18:00.880 --> 00:18:02.480 But if today’s show gave 503 00:18:02.480 --> 00:18:03.840 you goosebumps, please 504 00:18:03.840 --> 00:18:05.280 let us know by visiting our 505 00:18:05.280 --> 00:18:07.200 Twitter, Facebook and YouTube 506 00:18:07.200 --> 00:18:08.880 pages and telling us about it! 507 00:18:08.880 --> 00:18:09.359 Bye-bye! 508 00:18:09.359 --> 00:18:09.919 Goodbye! 509 00:18:16.000 --> 00:18:18.080 Hello welcome to 6 Minute English. 510 00:18:18.080 --> 00:18:18.720 I'm Neil. 511 00:18:18.720 --> 00:18:20.000 And I'm Dan. 512 00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:21.600 In this programme, we going to 513 00:18:21.600 --> 00:18:23.440 hear from someone who smells 514 00:18:23.440 --> 00:18:25.520 smells for a living. 515 00:18:25.520 --> 00:18:26.160 Although these 516 00:18:26.160 --> 00:18:28.720 are very expensive smells - smells 517 00:18:28.720 --> 00:18:30.560 that we wear deliberately to make 518 00:18:30.560 --> 00:18:32.000 us smell good. 519 00:18:32.000 --> 00:18:34.080 Ah, you mean scents and perfumes? 520 00:18:34.080 --> 00:18:36.960 Yes and perfumes are big business. 521 00:18:36.960 --> 00:18:38.240 And that is the topic of 522 00:18:38.240 --> 00:18:39.920 our quiz in this programme. 523 00:18:39.920 --> 00:18:41.359 How much is the perfume 524 00:18:41.359 --> 00:18:43.839 industry in the UK worth each year? Is it: 525 00:18:43.840 --> 00:18:47.040 a) £650 million 526 00:18:47.040 --> 00:18:49.760 b) £970 million, or, 527 00:18:49.760 --> 00:18:53.280 c) £1.3 billion? 528 00:18:53.280 --> 00:18:56.240 Well, I don't nose this – smell, 529 00:18:56.240 --> 00:18:58.480 nose - this is just a guess, but 530 00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:01.759 I’ll say £970 million. 531 00:19:01.760 --> 00:19:03.280 Well, I’ll let you know the answer 532 00:19:03.280 --> 00:19:04.800 a little later in the programme. 533 00:19:04.800 --> 00:19:06.560 Now let’s hear from Roja Dove, 534 00:19:06.560 --> 00:19:08.000 who is a perfumer. 535 00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:08.880 He designs 536 00:19:08.880 --> 00:19:10.960 and creates very exclusive and 537 00:19:10.960 --> 00:19:13.119 very expensive perfumes. 538 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:15.519 In a recent BBC video he talked about 539 00:19:15.520 --> 00:19:17.280 the power of smells. 540 00:19:17.280 --> 00:19:19.440 What does he say there is a very deep 541 00:19:19.440 --> 00:19:21.633 psychological connection between? 542 00:19:21.840 --> 00:19:23.440 …who we are as a personality and 543 00:19:23.440 --> 00:19:25.280 the type of smells we like. 544 00:19:25.280 --> 00:19:26.800 When we are born, the part of our brain 545 00:19:26.800 --> 00:19:28.240 which deals with smell is empty 546 00:19:28.240 --> 00:19:30.480 so we learn our response to smell. 547 00:19:30.480 --> 00:19:31.600 And then when we smell that 548 00:19:31.600 --> 00:19:33.760 odorant again it’s like a trigger or a 549 00:19:33.760 --> 00:19:36.320 catalyst that will revive the original 550 00:19:36.320 --> 00:19:38.389 associational memory. 551 00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:40.200 So Dan, what does he say there 552 00:19:40.200 --> 00:19:41.839 is a very deep psychological 553 00:19:41.840 --> 00:19:42.960 connection between? 554 00:19:42.960 --> 00:19:44.640 Between our personality and 555 00:19:44.640 --> 00:19:46.800 the kind of smells we like. 556 00:19:46.800 --> 00:19:48.320 The point he is making is 557 00:19:48.320 --> 00:19:50.080 that the smells we experience 558 00:19:50.080 --> 00:19:51.520 when we are very young can 559 00:19:51.520 --> 00:19:53.600 have a big psychological impact 560 00:19:53.600 --> 00:19:56.240 on us even later in life. 561 00:19:56.240 --> 00:19:58.160 I know that feeling – smell is a 562 00:19:58.160 --> 00:19:59.600 very powerful sense. 563 00:19:59.600 --> 00:20:01.680 The smell of something can take you right 564 00:20:01.680 --> 00:20:03.520 back in time and fill you with 565 00:20:03.520 --> 00:20:04.240 emotions. 566 00:20:04.240 --> 00:20:06.240 Exactly. For example, when I 567 00:20:06.240 --> 00:20:07.520 walk through the perfume area 568 00:20:07.520 --> 00:20:09.520 of a department store I always 569 00:20:09.520 --> 00:20:11.440 feel a bit nostalgic because I can 570 00:20:11.440 --> 00:20:13.040 smell the perfume my first 571 00:20:13.040 --> 00:20:14.720 girlfriend used to wear. 572 00:20:14.720 --> 00:20:16.720 It’s a powerful sensation. 573 00:20:16.720 --> 00:20:18.560 Dove used particular words and 574 00:20:18.560 --> 00:20:20.080 expression to describe this, 575 00:20:20.080 --> 00:20:20.880 didn’t he? 576 00:20:20.880 --> 00:20:22.960 Yes, first he used the word 577 00:20:22.960 --> 00:20:25.119 odorant to describe the smell. 578 00:20:25.119 --> 00:20:27.199 It’s not really a common word. 579 00:20:27.200 --> 00:20:29.040 We use it more frequently as part 580 00:20:29.040 --> 00:20:30.880 of the word deodorant, which is 581 00:20:30.880 --> 00:20:32.480 something we buy to cover up 582 00:20:32.480 --> 00:20:34.960 what we think of as the unpleasant 583 00:20:34.960 --> 00:20:37.119 natural smell of our bodies. 584 00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:39.999 These odorants, he said, can act as the 585 00:20:40.000 --> 00:20:43.200 trigger or catalyst for these memories. 586 00:20:43.200 --> 00:20:44.480 Both the nouns trigger 587 00:20:44.480 --> 00:20:46.800 and catalyst refer to something that 588 00:20:46.800 --> 00:20:49.040 causes a particular response. 589 00:20:49.040 --> 00:20:52.000 So a particular smell can be a trigger 590 00:20:52.000 --> 00:20:55.119 or catalyst for a particular emotion. 591 00:20:55.119 --> 00:20:56.559 As well as being a trigger for 592 00:20:56.560 --> 00:20:58.720 memories, smells can, according 593 00:20:58.720 --> 00:21:00.400 to Dove, say a lot about your 594 00:21:00.400 --> 00:21:01.520 personality. 595 00:21:01.520 --> 00:21:02.800 Here he is again talking 596 00:21:02.800 --> 00:21:04.880 about the kind of scent to wear if you 597 00:21:04.880 --> 00:21:07.189 want to give a particular impression. 598 00:21:07.520 --> 00:21:09.200 What does he say these scents make 599 00:21:09.200 --> 00:21:11.582 you appear very strong at? 600 00:21:12.080 --> 00:21:14.480 The idea of the message you give 601 00:21:14.480 --> 00:21:16.480 off with scent I think can’t be 602 00:21:16.480 --> 00:21:17.600 underestimated. 603 00:21:17.600 --> 00:21:21.600 My suggestion would be to look for very, very 604 00:21:21.600 --> 00:21:23.520 woody, mossy, structured scents 605 00:21:23.520 --> 00:21:25.680 called Chypres if the message you 606 00:21:25.680 --> 00:21:27.440 want to put across is that you are 607 00:21:27.440 --> 00:21:29.119 someone not to be messed with, 608 00:21:29.119 --> 00:21:32.879 very, very strong in business, or 609 00:21:32.880 --> 00:21:35.359 whatever – just not to be messed with. 610 00:21:35.359 --> 00:21:37.279 So what do the scents he described 611 00:21:37.280 --> 00:21:39.040 make you seem strong at? 612 00:21:39.040 --> 00:21:40.800 Business, they can make you seem 613 00:21:40.800 --> 00:21:42.560 very, very strong in business. 614 00:21:42.560 --> 00:21:45.520 Mmm, and how does he explain that? 615 00:21:45.520 --> 00:21:47.920 Well, he says that some scents give 616 00:21:47.920 --> 00:21:49.680 off a particular message. 617 00:21:49.680 --> 00:21:53.280 The phrasal verb give off is often used to describe 618 00:21:53.280 --> 00:21:55.200 something that we broadcast about 619 00:21:55.200 --> 00:21:58.400 ourselves without saying anything. 620 00:21:58.400 --> 00:22:01.359 So he’s saying that our scent, our perfume, 621 00:22:01.359 --> 00:22:02.959 can give off a message about the 622 00:22:02.960 --> 00:22:04.960 kind of person we are and that we 623 00:22:04.960 --> 00:22:06.880 shouldn’t underestimate that. 624 00:22:06.880 --> 00:22:09.119 If you underestimate something you don’t 625 00:22:09.119 --> 00:22:11.039 give it as much importance as it 626 00:22:11.040 --> 00:22:12.800 should have, you don’t take it 627 00:22:12.800 --> 00:22:14.000 seriously enough. 628 00:22:14.000 --> 00:22:15.680 Then goes on to talk about the 629 00:22:15.680 --> 00:22:17.680 particular scent that gives off the 630 00:22:17.680 --> 00:22:19.440 impression of being very strong 631 00:22:19.440 --> 00:22:20.400 in business. 632 00:22:20.400 --> 00:22:23.280 Yes, it’s a woody, mossy scent 633 00:22:23.280 --> 00:22:24.880 which suggests that you are 634 00:22:24.880 --> 00:22:26.880 not someone to be messed with. 635 00:22:26.880 --> 00:22:28.240 Not to be messed with? 636 00:22:28.240 --> 00:22:29.840 Yes – someone to be taken 637 00:22:29.840 --> 00:22:31.280 seriously, someone who is 638 00:22:31.280 --> 00:22:32.960 serious who you don’t want 639 00:22:32.960 --> 00:22:34.320 to try and trick. 640 00:22:34.320 --> 00:22:36.800 Right and talking of tricking – did 641 00:22:36.800 --> 00:22:38.400 we trick you with the quiz? 642 00:22:38.400 --> 00:22:40.400 I asked - What was the value of 643 00:22:40.400 --> 00:22:42.560 the perfume industry in the UK? 644 00:22:42.560 --> 00:22:45.760 And I said it was £970 million. 645 00:22:45.760 --> 00:22:49.180 And it was actually option c), which 646 00:22:49.180 --> 00:22:52.163 was an incredible £1.3 billion. 647 00:22:52.163 --> 00:22:54.480 Wow! That is a lot of smelly stuff. 648 00:22:54.480 --> 00:22:55.680 It is indeed! 649 00:22:55.680 --> 00:22:57.119 Right, now, time for 650 00:22:57.119 --> 00:22:58.479 vocabulary recap. 651 00:22:58.480 --> 00:23:00.080 What words and expressions did we 652 00:23:00.080 --> 00:23:01.040 have today? 653 00:23:01.040 --> 00:23:03.359 Well, first we had odorant – an 654 00:23:03.359 --> 00:23:04.959 unusual word for something 655 00:23:04.960 --> 00:23:05.920 that smells. 656 00:23:05.920 --> 00:23:07.440 Then two words with a very 657 00:23:07.440 --> 00:23:09.040 similar meaning: a trigger and 658 00:23:09.040 --> 00:23:11.280 a catalyst – both of which refer 659 00:23:11.280 --> 00:23:12.640 to something that can make 660 00:23:12.640 --> 00:23:14.240 something else happen. 661 00:23:14.240 --> 00:23:16.720 In this case it was a particular smell 662 00:23:16.720 --> 00:23:18.080 making us remember something 663 00:23:18.080 --> 00:23:18.960 from the past. 664 00:23:18.960 --> 00:23:19.920 So scents can 665 00:23:19.920 --> 00:23:21.440 sends us to the past. 666 00:23:21.440 --> 00:23:22.980 But they can also say something 667 00:23:22.980 --> 00:23:24.400 about our personality. 668 00:23:24.400 --> 00:23:26.880 Yes, they can send unspoken 669 00:23:26.880 --> 00:23:29.520 information - or give off messages. 670 00:23:29.520 --> 00:23:30.560 And these messages 671 00:23:30.560 --> 00:23:32.800 should not be underestimated. 672 00:23:32.800 --> 00:23:34.400 If you do underestimate the 673 00:23:34.400 --> 00:23:36.560 importance of smell, it means 674 00:23:36.560 --> 00:23:38.000 that you don’t take those 675 00:23:38.000 --> 00:23:39.520 messages seriously. 676 00:23:39.520 --> 00:23:41.119 And finally we heard the phrase 677 00:23:41.119 --> 00:23:42.479 to mess with someone. 678 00:23:42.480 --> 00:23:44.320 To mess with someone means that you 679 00:23:44.320 --> 00:23:46.080 don’t take them seriously, you 680 00:23:46.080 --> 00:23:47.359 cause them trouble and that 681 00:23:47.359 --> 00:23:48.639 may cause you trouble. 682 00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:50.000 Well I certainly wouldn’t want 683 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:51.200 to mess with you! 684 00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:51.760 Judging by 685 00:23:51.760 --> 00:23:53.280 the messages you’re giving off. 686 00:23:53.280 --> 00:23:55.359 Ah you mean my aftershave? 687 00:23:55.359 --> 00:23:56.852 Makes me seem powerful? 688 00:23:56.853 --> 00:23:58.880 Actually, I was thinking more of the egg 689 00:23:58.880 --> 00:24:00.320 sandwich you had for lunch. 690 00:24:00.320 --> 00:24:01.840 I really wouldn’t underestimate 691 00:24:01.840 --> 00:24:03.359 the power of that. 692 00:24:03.359 --> 00:24:05.599 Ah! On that note, I think it’s 693 00:24:05.600 --> 00:24:07.200 time to end the programme. 694 00:24:07.200 --> 00:24:08.800 For more, find us on Facebook, 695 00:24:08.800 --> 00:24:10.320 Twitter, Instagram and YouTube 696 00:24:10.320 --> 00:24:11.520 pages, and of course our 697 00:24:11.520 --> 00:24:14.438 website bbclearningenglish.com! 698 00:24:14.438 --> 00:24:14.994 Goodbye! 699 00:24:14.994 --> 00:24:15.794 Goodbye! 700 00:24:21.119 --> 00:24:23.279 Hello. This is 6 Minute English 701 00:24:23.280 --> 00:24:24.720 from BBC Learning English. 702 00:24:24.720 --> 00:24:25.359 I’m Rob. 703 00:24:25.359 --> 00:24:26.719 And I’m Georgina. 704 00:24:26.720 --> 00:24:27.200 Brrr! 705 00:24:27.200 --> 00:24:29.200 It’s freezing cold outside 706 00:24:29.200 --> 00:24:30.320 today, Georgina! 707 00:24:30.320 --> 00:24:31.920 Make sure you wrap up warm. 708 00:24:31.920 --> 00:24:33.680 I’ll put my woolly hat on. 709 00:24:33.680 --> 00:24:34.960 When I was growing up I was 710 00:24:34.960 --> 00:24:36.240 told that you lose half your 711 00:24:36.240 --> 00:24:37.840 body heat from your head. 712 00:24:37.840 --> 00:24:40.240 Oh, don’t believe that, Georgina! 713 00:24:40.240 --> 00:24:42.160 It’s just a popular myth – you 714 00:24:42.160 --> 00:24:43.680 know, something people think 715 00:24:43.680 --> 00:24:46.560 is true which actually isn’t – like 716 00:24:46.560 --> 00:24:47.920 ‘bulls get angry when they 717 00:24:47.920 --> 00:24:50.160 see the colour red’, or ‘goldfish 718 00:24:50.160 --> 00:24:51.119 only have a three-second 719 00:24:51.119 --> 00:24:51.919 memory’. 720 00:24:51.920 --> 00:24:55.600 Oh… I thought red really did make bulls angry! 721 00:24:55.600 --> 00:24:56.720 But you’re right, there is some 722 00:24:56.720 --> 00:24:58.320 disagreement over the age-old 723 00:24:58.320 --> 00:24:59.760 question: should I wear a hat 724 00:24:59.760 --> 00:25:01.600 when it’s cold outside? 725 00:25:01.600 --> 00:25:02.880 In this programme, we’ll be 726 00:25:02.880 --> 00:25:04.320 asking how much body heat 727 00:25:04.320 --> 00:25:06.160 we lose from our head and 728 00:25:06.160 --> 00:25:07.440 discovering that a simple 729 00:25:07.440 --> 00:25:10.000 answer isn’t so easy to find. 730 00:25:10.000 --> 00:25:12.640 But first, it’s time for my quiz question. 731 00:25:12.640 --> 00:25:14.560 And let’s start by asking someone who 732 00:25:14.560 --> 00:25:16.160 knows all about surviving 733 00:25:16.160 --> 00:25:19.040 in the cold – the US army. 734 00:25:19.040 --> 00:25:21.440 According to the ‘Cold Weather Survival’ 735 00:25:21.440 --> 00:25:23.440 chapter of the US army 736 00:25:23.440 --> 00:25:25.200 field guide, how much heat 737 00:25:25.200 --> 00:25:26.880 is lost in the cold through 738 00:25:26.880 --> 00:25:28.560 an uncovered head? 739 00:25:28.560 --> 00:25:31.760 Is it: a) 30 to 35%?, 740 00:25:31.760 --> 00:25:36.960 b) 40 to 45%? or c) 50 to 55%? 741 00:25:36.960 --> 00:25:38.480 You might say it’s just a 742 00:25:38.480 --> 00:25:40.400 popular myth, Rob, but I still 743 00:25:40.400 --> 00:25:41.920 think half your body heat is 744 00:25:41.920 --> 00:25:43.600 lost from the head, so I’ll 745 00:25:43.600 --> 00:25:47.040 say c) 50 to 55%. 746 00:25:47.040 --> 00:25:48.640 OK, Georgina – we’ll come 747 00:25:48.640 --> 00:25:50.080 back to that later. 748 00:25:50.080 --> 00:25:52.160 Anyway, whichever answer is correct, 749 00:25:52.160 --> 00:25:53.920 the US army obviously thinks 750 00:25:53.920 --> 00:25:55.440 a large percentage of body 751 00:25:55.440 --> 00:25:58.080 heat escapes through the head. 752 00:25:58.080 --> 00:25:59.119 But that may not 753 00:25:59.119 --> 00:26:00.479 be the whole picture. 754 00:26:00.480 --> 00:26:02.000 Over the years, experiments 755 00:26:02.000 --> 00:26:03.359 to measure body temperature 756 00:26:03.359 --> 00:26:04.799 in the snowy wastelands of 757 00:26:04.800 --> 00:26:06.480 Canada and Alaska have 758 00:26:06.480 --> 00:26:08.960 given wildly different results - 759 00:26:08.960 --> 00:26:10.720 mostly because of variations 760 00:26:10.720 --> 00:26:12.480 in the methods used, for 761 00:26:12.480 --> 00:26:13.760 example, whether the 762 00:26:13.760 --> 00:26:15.359 volunteer’s head was covered 763 00:26:15.359 --> 00:26:16.959 or not, and whether they were 764 00:26:16.960 --> 00:26:19.440 dry or submerged in water. 765 00:26:19.440 --> 00:26:21.440 So maybe the US army’s view 766 00:26:21.440 --> 00:26:22.880 is out of date. 767 00:26:22.880 --> 00:26:24.640 And here’s some surprising information 768 00:26:24.640 --> 00:26:26.400 that Tim Harford, presenter 769 00:26:26.400 --> 00:26:27.600 of BBC World Service 770 00:26:27.600 --> 00:26:29.200 programme, More or Less, 771 00:26:29.200 --> 00:26:32.243 found after a quick search on Google: 772 00:26:33.280 --> 00:26:34.320 The head accounts for 773 00:26:34.320 --> 00:26:35.840 about 7% of the body 774 00:26:35.840 --> 00:26:37.040 surface area and the 775 00:26:37.040 --> 00:26:38.720 heat loss is fairly proportional 776 00:26:38.720 --> 00:26:41.119 to the amount of skin that’s showing. 777 00:26:41.119 --> 00:26:43.279 A human body’s surface area 778 00:26:43.280 --> 00:26:44.960 means the total area of skin 779 00:26:44.960 --> 00:26:47.119 on its outer surfaces – that’s 780 00:26:47.119 --> 00:26:49.599 the head, chest - or torso, 781 00:26:49.600 --> 00:26:51.760 plus the arms and legs. 782 00:26:51.760 --> 00:26:53.200 According to this view, heat 783 00:26:53.200 --> 00:26:54.800 loss – meaning the total 784 00:26:54.800 --> 00:26:56.080 amount of heat transferred 785 00:26:56.080 --> 00:26:57.680 away from something through 786 00:26:57.680 --> 00:27:02.560 its surface, is proportional to body surface area. 787 00:27:02.560 --> 00:27:05.359 In that case, a 50% heat loss from 788 00:27:05.359 --> 00:27:07.199 the head - which only makes 789 00:27:07.200 --> 00:27:09.440 up 7% of the body’s surface 790 00:27:09.440 --> 00:27:12.719 area – seems like an overestimation. 791 00:27:12.720 --> 00:27:14.800 In the 1950s, other military 792 00:27:14.800 --> 00:27:16.240 experiments were carried out 793 00:27:16.240 --> 00:27:18.080 in Canada on soldiers wearing 794 00:27:18.080 --> 00:27:20.720 artic warfare clothing – the 795 00:27:20.720 --> 00:27:22.320 kind of super-warm thermal 796 00:27:22.320 --> 00:27:23.600 clothes you might wear in 797 00:27:23.600 --> 00:27:25.359 sub-zero temperatures – but 798 00:27:25.359 --> 00:27:27.519 with nothing to cover their heads. 799 00:27:27.520 --> 00:27:29.600 Here’s professor of physiology, 800 00:27:29.600 --> 00:27:31.920 Mike Tipton, taking up the story 801 00:27:31.920 --> 00:27:33.119 with BBC World Service 802 00:27:33.119 --> 00:27:35.131 programme, More or Less: 803 00:27:35.920 --> 00:27:37.440 The question was: how 804 00:27:37.440 --> 00:27:39.119 important is the head… to also 805 00:27:39.119 --> 00:27:41.679 provide some equipment, a hat 806 00:27:41.680 --> 00:27:43.359 or some form of insulation. 807 00:27:43.359 --> 00:27:45.119 And in that scenario of course, 808 00:27:45.119 --> 00:27:46.319 when you’ve got insulation 809 00:27:46.320 --> 00:27:47.359 over much of the rest of the 810 00:27:47.359 --> 00:27:49.439 body preventing heat loss, then 811 00:27:49.440 --> 00:27:50.480 obviously the percentage of 812 00:27:50.480 --> 00:27:51.920 heat loss from the head is 813 00:27:51.920 --> 00:27:53.520 going to be high… and at 814 00:27:53.520 --> 00:27:55.440 minus 4 degrees Celsius, it 815 00:27:55.440 --> 00:27:57.359 amounted to about half of 816 00:27:57.359 --> 00:28:00.239 the resting heat production of the body. 817 00:28:00.240 --> 00:28:02.000 Here the soldiers’ bodies 818 00:28:02.000 --> 00:28:04.320 were protected with insulation – 819 00:28:04.320 --> 00:28:05.920 thick material used to stop 820 00:28:05.920 --> 00:28:07.359 heat from escaping. 821 00:28:07.359 --> 00:28:08.239 Since their heads were 822 00:28:08.240 --> 00:28:10.080 exposed to the cold, around 823 00:28:10.080 --> 00:28:11.200 half of their body heat 824 00:28:11.200 --> 00:28:13.280 escaped that way when resting - 825 00:28:13.280 --> 00:28:16.080 not moving or doing anything active. 826 00:28:16.080 --> 00:28:17.440 And so the idea that half 827 00:28:17.440 --> 00:28:18.640 your body heat is lost 828 00:28:18.640 --> 00:28:19.920 through the head slowly 829 00:28:19.920 --> 00:28:21.840 become a popular myth. 830 00:28:21.840 --> 00:28:23.040 But before you throw your 831 00:28:23.040 --> 00:28:24.800 woolly hats in the bin, there’s 832 00:28:24.800 --> 00:28:26.080 another consideration to 833 00:28:26.080 --> 00:28:27.680 bear in mind; one that 834 00:28:27.680 --> 00:28:28.720 concerns your core 835 00:28:28.720 --> 00:28:30.160 temperature – that’s the 836 00:28:30.160 --> 00:28:31.680 internal temperature inside 837 00:28:31.680 --> 00:28:33.280 your body, including the 838 00:28:33.280 --> 00:28:36.400 blood, heart, and other vital organs. 839 00:28:36.400 --> 00:28:37.600 When the head is allowed to 840 00:28:37.600 --> 00:28:39.280 get cold and the body is well 841 00:28:39.280 --> 00:28:41.200 insulated, the body’s core 842 00:28:41.200 --> 00:28:43.120 temperature drops rapidly 843 00:28:43.120 --> 00:28:45.120 due to the circulation of blood. 844 00:28:45.120 --> 00:28:47.360 Wow! This question really is 845 00:28:47.360 --> 00:28:49.280 blowing hot and cold – now 846 00:28:49.280 --> 00:28:51.040 I have no idea how much heat 847 00:28:51.040 --> 00:28:52.960 is actually lost from the head! 848 00:28:52.960 --> 00:28:54.000 Why don’t you just tell me 849 00:28:54.000 --> 00:28:55.440 the answer, Rob? 850 00:28:55.440 --> 00:28:57.680 OK then. Well, in my quiz 851 00:28:57.680 --> 00:28:59.280 question I asked how much 852 00:28:59.280 --> 00:29:01.360 heat the US army guide says 853 00:29:01.360 --> 00:29:03.120 is lost through the head. 854 00:29:03.120 --> 00:29:07.760 I guessed, c) 50 to 55%, or roughly one half. 855 00:29:07.760 --> 00:29:09.200 Was I right? 856 00:29:09.200 --> 00:29:10.240 Well, you were warm, 857 00:29:10.240 --> 00:29:12.240 Georgina… but not right. 858 00:29:12.240 --> 00:29:14.240 In fact the army field guide 859 00:29:14.240 --> 00:29:18.320 says, b) 40 to 45% … but as 860 00:29:18.320 --> 00:29:20.160 we’ve seen in this case, cold 861 00:29:20.160 --> 00:29:22.320 facts are hard to come by. 862 00:29:22.320 --> 00:29:23.840 Let’s recap our vocabulary 863 00:29:23.840 --> 00:29:25.200 then, because we’re still 864 00:29:25.200 --> 00:29:26.560 not sure if wearing a hat 865 00:29:26.560 --> 00:29:27.920 to keep warm is just a 866 00:29:27.920 --> 00:29:30.000 popular myth - something 867 00:29:30.000 --> 00:29:31.280 people believe to be true 868 00:29:31.280 --> 00:29:33.840 but which actually is not. 869 00:29:33.840 --> 00:29:35.920 It seems that heat loss – the 870 00:29:35.920 --> 00:29:37.840 total heat transferred away 871 00:29:37.840 --> 00:29:39.680 from something, is linked to 872 00:29:39.680 --> 00:29:42.480 the surface area or total area 873 00:29:42.480 --> 00:29:44.480 of the body’s outer surfaces 874 00:29:44.480 --> 00:29:46.480 when exposed to the cold. 875 00:29:46.480 --> 00:29:48.320 But wearing insulation – 876 00:29:48.320 --> 00:29:49.920 material used to stop heat 877 00:29:49.920 --> 00:29:51.600 from escaping, may change 878 00:29:51.600 --> 00:29:53.600 the body’s resting temperature – 879 00:29:53.600 --> 00:29:54.880 its temperature when not 880 00:29:54.880 --> 00:29:56.960 moving and at rest… 881 00:29:56.960 --> 00:29:58.800 …and also affect your core 882 00:29:58.800 --> 00:30:00.400 temperature – your body’s 883 00:30:00.400 --> 00:30:02.400 internal temperature, including 884 00:30:02.400 --> 00:30:04.000 the heart and blood. 885 00:30:04.000 --> 00:30:05.680 That’s all for this programme. 886 00:30:05.680 --> 00:30:06.960 Remember to wrap up warm 887 00:30:06.960 --> 00:30:08.080 for the winter… 888 00:30:08.080 --> 00:30:10.000 And maybe pop a woolly hat 889 00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:12.480 in your pocket to wear, just in case! 890 00:30:12.480 --> 00:30:13.600 See you again soon for 891 00:30:13.600 --> 00:30:15.760 more trending topics and vocabulary 892 00:30:15.760 --> 00:30:17.680 here at 6 Minute English. 893 00:30:17.680 --> 00:30:18.560 Bye for now! 894 00:30:18.560 --> 00:30:19.060 Bye!