Curious conversation
Another book! Another Russ Roberts interview on Econtalk! But this time a bit lighter: author A.J. Jacobs talked about his book, The Puzzler, including these remarks on games with language and—stand well back, commenters—the joy of puns.
The interview is from June of last year. It is cheerful, and as with puzzles, may induce some existential questioning, but not in an unhappy fashion. The full video version of the discussion is here. The audio podcast version is here.
Scanning the reviews on Goodreads, it seems that Jacobs’s book was well received, but that it does not make for a good audiobook or Kindle ebook—in both cases due to limited illustrations that permit greater reader engagement. Otherwise, it seems to appeal very much to those of us who can become engrossed all sorts of puzzles.
A few years ago, Russ Roberts changed the motto for Econtalk to “Conversations for the Curious,” which is itself quite a wonderful ambition. The podcast has been around for a long time, with archives going all the way back to 2006. The early years were very much about economics and had a definite radical free-market flavor. It has since ranged far and wide into other social sciences, the natural sciences, philosophy, literature, and art.
I’ll probably come back to the podcast from time to time, because it tends to delve into topics that—to me, at least—are deeper and more profound, ideas and theories presented by guests who are engaging. The conversations are less about the latest news and political combat, and more about medium- to long-term perspectives.
Here is the homepage for Econtalk.
Today’s special animal friend is the Toco Toucan, Ramphastos toco. Native to South America, the toco toucan is the largest species in the toucan family, Ramphastidae. They can be 25 inches tall, weigh up to 2 lbs., and have a bill 9 inches long. The toucan’s body is black with a white throat, chest, and tail coverts. The bill is mainly yellow and orange.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRbdZ85IVM4
The bills aren’t as heavy as they look. They made of light keratin with supporting structures of thin bone.
https://www.sciencephoto.com/media/1009954/view/red-breasted-toucan-skeleton
It is believed that the bill helps deter predators by looking threatening. It may also have a function in mate selection. The bird can use the bill to dissipate body heat by increasing blood flow to its surface. The bill’s length allows the toucan to reach food items in branches that are too thin to support its weight. It has serrated edges that are useful for peeling fruit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WB1ZFQwE90Q
In addition to a variety of fruit and berries, toucans eat insects, frogs, reptiles, and the eggs and hatchlings of other bird species. It prefers semi-open habitats such as dry woodlands, savannah, agricultural plantations, and forest edges. Toucans live in small groups. They are more likely to hop than to fly. They nest in tree cavities, where both parents incubate two to four eggs. The eggs hatch in about 17 days; both parents feed and protect the chicks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2yoqGQsYexg
Toco toucans are a species of Least Concern. They have a very broad geographic range and good breeding success. Threats include hunting and collection for the pet trade; they benefit from forest clearance because of their preference for more open environments. Toucans are very difficult to keep as a pet due to their nutritional needs, which are more easily met in their native habitat. They are successfully kept in zoos, and there is an international population plan to maintain a healthy zoo/aviary population.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=74jb271PeCE
Toco toucans make a lot of different sounds:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_KA4p7kVQCE
Re Conversations of the Curious clip. I never bought the saying, "puns are the lowest form of humor." I think he is saying what I've thought all along, perhaps it is the highest. It does require looking at and hearing and thinking about words in many ways and I think the most creative are the spontaneous ones. Of course, spontaneity lowers the success rate but better that than time spent to conjure up a story line to get to a pun. Well, that is always how I've seen it. Damn, I wrote that somewhat seriously! Time to move on.