DeepSummary
The episode begins with Arthur the bald eagle expressing frustration with the hype and unrealistic expectations placed on bald eagles as a national symbol of the United States. He clarifies that bald eagles are not actually bald, and their trademark calls in movies are actually the sound of red-tailed hawks.
Pediatrician Emma Gerstenzang explains why humans go bald. She says humans have hair follicles all over their bodies that produce hair proteins. When follicles stop making new hairs due to factors like stress, medication, or hormones like testosterone converting to DHT, baldness occurs in those areas.
Towards the end, Arthur ponders what having hair instead of feathers would be like and considers hairstyle options like a mullet or spikes. He concludes by appreciating his shiny eagle feathers and anticipating catching a salmon from the river.
Key Episodes Takeaways
- Bald eagles are not actually bald, their heads are covered in feathers.
- The iconic 'eagle screams' in movies are actually the calls of red-tailed hawks.
- Human baldness occurs when hair follicles stop producing new hairs due to factors like stress, medications, or hormones.
- The hormone testosterone can convert to DHT, which signals hair follicles to stop making new hairs.
- Solutions for baldness include wearing hats, sunscreen, or wigs to protect the head.
- The bald eagle narrator provides humorous self-aware commentary about the pressures of being a national symbol.
- Despite baldness, humans are resourceful in finding ways to protect their heads.
- The episode mixes scientific explanations with humorous personal perspectives on baldness.
Top Episodes Quotes
- “Seriously, some days I just don't have it in me to perch stoically, feathers gleaming.“ by Arthur
- “And another thing, bald eagles aren't even bald. Our heads are fully covered in feathers, thank you very much.“ by Arthur
- “Sometimes it happens if you are taking certain medicines, sometimes it happens that you can go bald, because if you have a lot of a hormone called testosterone, and that testosterone turns into a different hormone called DHT, for reasons that scientists don't really understand, DHT talks to the hair follicles, and it says, eh, you can stop making new hairs.“ by Emma Gerstenzang
- “Luckily, humans are pretty smart, and so if we lose hair, but we still need something to protect our heads. We can wear a hat, or we can put on sunscreen, or we can wear a wig if we want to.“ by Emma Gerstenzang
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Episode Information
Moment of Um
American Public Media
6/14/24
Humans are mammals, which means that we have hair on our bodies and heads. Sometimes, as people get older, they lose some of that head hair. How does it happen? Do hair goblins come at night and sneak away with those silky strands? Ok, it’s probably not that. We asked pediatrician Dr. Emma Gerstenzang to help us find the answer.
Got a hair-raising question? Send it to us at BrainsOn.org/contact, and we’ll help tease out the answer.