>> THIS YEAR WE'RE GOING TO HIT A GOAL OF A MILLION STUDENT AS I YEAR.

>> AMERICAN ELECTRIC POWER FOUNDATION, BOUNDLESS ENERGY FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE.

AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.

>>> I'M DR. FREDERIC BERTLEY.

TUNE IN WITH ME, DR. B.

LET'S TALK ABOUT SCIENCE.

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>>> TODAY WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ANIMALS.

I WOULD VENTURE TO SAY THAT MOST PEOPLE LOVE ANIMALS, ESPECIALLY THEIR PETS.

AND WE ACTUALLY CAN LEARN A LOT FROM ANIMALS.

TELL ME SOMETHING YOU'VE LEARNED FROM YOUR PETS.

>> IT'S AMAZING.

THE FIRST THING I LEARNED IS THAT DOGS ARE VERY MUCH LIKE US.

YOU CAN SENSE WHEN THEY'RE SAD, WHEN THEY'RE HAPPY, IF THEY'RE SCARED.

THEY'RE REALLY INCREDIBLE AFFECTION NAT BEINGS.

THE OTHER THING THAT I REALLY NOTICE IS THAT THEY REALLY DEPEND ON US.

THAT'S A REALLY AMAZING FEELING.

WHEN YOU HAVE A PET, YOU HAVE TO TAKE THAT SERIOUSLY.

IT'S NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT'S FUN WHEN YOU WANT TO HAVE FUN, BUT THEY DEPEND ON YOU.

THE LAST THING I WANT TO SAY IS THE UNYIELDING DEVOTION AND LOYALTY OF THESE PETS IS JUST AMAZING.

>> THERE'S ALL SORTS OF THINGS WE CAN LEARN FROM ANIMALS.

AND SCIENTISTS ARE GAINING INSIGHTS ON NEW INNOVATIONS BY STUDYING ANIMALS IN THE WILD AND AT HOME.

LATER IN THE SHOW, WE'LL EXPLORE WHAT SCIENTISTS ARE LEARNING FROM MOSQUITOS.

THEN WE'LL LEARN ABOUT SIMILARITIES BETWEEN HUMAN AND ANIMAL ILLNESSES.

FIRST LET'S DIG INTO DOGS AND THAT POWERFUL SENSE OF SMELL THEY HAVE.

>> THE FIRST THING, THAT HELPS THEM LOCATE WHERE THEY ARE.

THEY HAVE EYES AND EAR, BUT THEIR OLFACTORY SYSTEM ALLOWS THEM TO PLACE THEMSELVES IN THEIR ENVIRONMENT.

THE OTHER COOL THING IS THEY CAN DETECT BOMBS, SNIFF FOR DRUGS.

AND FOR MISSING PERSONS, THEY'RE A GREAT ASSET TO HELPING FIND THESE PEOPLE.

MORE THAN THAT, WHAT'S REALLY EXCITING IS SCIENTISTS ARE WORKING WITH DOGS BECAUSE THEY HAVE AN INCREDIBLE CAPACITY TO DETECT DISEASES THROUGH THEIR SENSE OF SMELL.

FOR MORE ON THAT, I VISITED THE DOCTOR AT MIT, WHERE HE IS TRYING TO REPLICATE A DOG'S ABILITY TO DETECT DISEASES.

>> IT IS A PLEASURE TO HAVE YOU ON.

THIS SHOW IS ABOUT ANIMALS AND WHAT WE, AS HUMANS, CAN LEARN ABOUT THEM.

DOGS CAN SMELL OR DETECT CANCER THROUGH THE NOSE.

IS THAT CORRECT?

>> IT IS VERY TRUE.

TO THIS DAY, THE EARLIEST, CHEAPEST, AND MOST ACCURATE DETECTORS OF MANY DISEASES, INCLUDING MANY CANCERS.

THESE DOGS BECOME EXTREMELY ACCURATE.

IT IS EMBARRASSING TO ME TO HAVE ACCESS TO ALL THIS FANTASTIC EQUIPMENT, OVER $100 MILLION WORTH OF IT, WE HAVE ALL THIS EQUIPMENT AT OUR HANDS, AND THE TRAINED DOG PUTS US TO SHAME WHEN IT COMES TO CANCER DIAGNOSTIC.

IT DOES IT, BETTER, FASTER, CHEAPER, AND MORE ACCURATELY.

YOU WILL SEE NOW THERE'S DOGS AT SPORTS EVENTS AND EVEN AT AIRPORT DETECTING COVID, THE SAME WAY THEY DETECT CONTRABAND, DRUGS, FOODS THAT ARE NOT ALLOWED, ET CETERA.

IN ENGLAND, THEY'VE SHOWN THEY CAN DETECT COVID IN THE WILD ENVIRONMENT OF THE AIRPORT WITH 99% PRECISION IN 0.4 SECONDS.

>> FOR THE FIRST PART OF THE PROJECT, WE WERE OPERATING UNDER THE WRONG ASSUMPTION.

WHAT WE THOUGHT THE DOGS WERE DOING IN IDENTIFYING CANCER IS FINDING A BIOMARKER, FINDING A MOLECULE OR SET OF MOLECULES.

HOWEVER, WE FIND OUT THAT'S NOT THE CASE.

WE'RE STILL NOT ENTIRELY -- WHERE THE CURRENT UNDERSTANDING IS THAT YOUR BODY SENSE IS SORT OF LIKE THE SAND ON THE BEACH.

MANY DIFFERENT SAND PARTICLES, MANY COLORS INDIVIDUALLY.

AND THEN CANCER LEAVES FOOTPRINTS ON THAT BODY ODOR THAT THE DOGS CAN PICK UP ON.

THEY'RE NOT PICKING UP ON ANY ONE SCENT PARTICLE, ONE BIOMARKER, BECAUSE DIFFERENT CANCERS HAVE DIFFERENT TISSUES.

BUT EVERY CANCER AFFECTS THE BODY -- IT APPEARS TO BE AT LEAST WITH DOGS -- TO BE GENERALIZABLE.

THAT MEANS IF YOU TEACH THE DOG TO FIND BLADDER CANCER, WE'LL HAVE CASES WHERE THEY GENERALIZE AUTOMATICALLY TO DETECT BREAST CANCER.

WE KNOW THE TWO TISSUES ARE FAR APART.

THEY DON'T HAVE ANY IDENTICAL VOLATILES.

SO, WHAT WE THINK IS HAPPENING IS THE DOG CAN TELL THE FOOTPRINTS OF CANCER IN YOUR BODY ODOR IN GENERAL WITHOUT HAVING TO DEPEND ON SPECIFIC BIOMARKERS.

AND IN FACT THE GAME IS TO FIGURE OUT HOW DO YOU MAKE A MACHINE THAT IS JUST LIKE THE DOGS?

>> SO, LET'S TALK ABOUT THAT.

SO, YOU FIGURE THIS OUT, MY UNDERSTANDING, OF STUDYING DOGS.

TRANSFER THAT TO THE TECHNOLOGY THAT MIT KNOWS AND THE FUTURE APPLICATIONS FOR THIS.

>> WE WERE BUILDING THE MIT REAL NOSE.

THIS IS AN ELECTRONIC DEVICE THAT ATTEMPTS TO MIMIC THE DOGS.

THE FIRST IS TO -- ODOR AT HIGH PERFORMANCE.

WE BUILD THIS THINKING WE WOULD HAVE TO TRAIN MOLECULE BY MOLECULE.

IN THE RUSH TO CREATE THIS TECHNOLOGY, WE DEPLOYED SOMETHING ELSE WHICH HAD THIS ALGORITHM WHERE IT DIDN'T LOOK FOR INDIVIDUAL MARKERS.

IT JUST LOOKED FOR PATTERNS.

I THOUGHT IT WAS A HACK, BUT IT ENDED UP BEING THE HACK.

WE LEARNED IT WORKS LIKE A NOSE.

IT TELLS US THE PATTERNS ARE THE SAME.

THESE TWO THINGS SMELL THE SAME.

THAT WAS ENOUGH.

THINGS LIKE THAT WERE THE KEY.

HERE IS A CLEAR CASE WHERE THE DOGS ARE TEACHING THE HUMANS.

I WANT TO BRING THAT TECHNOLOGY TO OURSELVES.

WE'RE TRAINING ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE.

THE ALGORITHM WE PUBLISHED CAN DO ABOUT THE SAME AS THE DOGS, SO IN THE HIGH 70s.

IT'S NOT ENOUGH.

IT SHOULD BE 99%.

WE KNOW DOGS CAN GET THERE, SO WE SHOULD GET THERE.

WE SHOULD NOT ACCEPT ANYTHING BELOW 99%.

>> YOU'RE GOING TO SHOW ME SOME OF THIS TECHNOLOGY, CORRECT?

>> YES.

>> WALK ME THROUGH IT.

>> WE HAVE FOUR PADS.

EACH OF THEM TAKES TWO DIFFERENT RECEPTORS.

GAS COMES THROUGH HERE AND COMES IN CONTACT WITH THESE EIGHT DIFFERENT SENSORS.

THIS CAN BE SHRUNK FURTHER BUT IT'S SMALLER THAN MY CELL PHONE AND IT'S MUCH THINNER THAN YOU SEE HERE.

ALL THIS ALREADY EXISTS IN THE SMARTPHONE.

THESE LITTLE THINGS, THEY'RE TINY GAS CHIPS, AND THEY'RE LIKE SIM CARDS.

THE FINICKY PART ABOUT THIS IS STILL THE BIOLOGICAL COMPONENT.

JUST LIKE YOUR OWN NOSE GETS REPLENISHED EVERY TWO WEEKS.

IT WILL LAST FOR MAYBE TWO OR THREE WEEKS.

THEN YOU MUST TAKE THIS SIM CARD OUT AND PUT IT IN AGAIN.

SO, IT'S BOTH DISADVANTAGE AND OPPORTUNITY.

IT'S OPPORTUNITY FOR BUSINESS BECAUSE YOU CAN HAVE THE RAZOR BLADE MODEL WHERE YOU PROGRAM THE CHIPS BIOLOGICALLY.

YOU SAY TODAY I WANT TO FIND CANCER, TOMORROW I WANT TO FIND A DIFFERENT CANCER.

SO, YOU HAVE TO KEEP PUTTING DIFFERENT CARTRIDGES INTO YOUR PHONE.

MY DREAM IS TO TRANSITION FROM THIS FIELD-LIKE TECHNOLOGY TO A DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY.

THIS DOES NOT EXIST YET.

NO ONE HAS FIGURED OUT HOW TO SMELL WITHOUT BIOLOGY YET OR CHEMICAL SENSING YET.

>> ARE THERE ANY ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS WE NEED TO PAY ATTENTION TO?

>> YOU ARE CONSTANTLY LEAVING BEHIND THE TRAIL OF MOLECULES THAT TELLS ME ALL ABOUT YOU.

I WOULD BE ABLE TO PUT MY PHONE AT YOU -- I WOULD HAVE TO PUT IT PRETTY CLOSE, BUT I WOULD BE WHAT SEX YOU'RE CARRYING, WHAT YOU SMOKED, EATEN, OR DRANK, WHO YOU'VE BEEN AROUND.

THESE ARE POTENT PIECES OF INFORMATION THAT YOU MIGHT NOT WANT TO SHARE WITH ME, WITH ANY RANDOM STRANGER.

ALSO YOU MIGHT NOT TRUST THE MACHINE THAT COLLECTS THIS DATA ABOUT YOU AND HAVE IT IN YOUR POCKET ALL DAY LONG AND SOME DARK CONGLOMERATE ENTERPRISE IS MINING YOUR DATA AND MAKING A LOT OF MONEY.

IF WE DON'T GET AHEAD OF THIS, THERE'S A RISK THIS TECHNOLOGY WILL NEVER COME TO US.

PEOPLE ARE ALREADY SENSITIZED ABOUT BEING FILMED AND RECORDED FOR THEIR AUDIO.

NOW I'M TELLING YOU I WANT TO RECORD YOUR SMELLS.

THAT SOUNDS LIKE A HUGE VIOLATION OF TRAGEDY.

UNLESS YOU CAN TRUST THE TECHNOLOGY, YOU WILL NOT WANT TO BUY THAT PHONE.

AND IF YOU WILL NOT BUY THAT PHONE, COMPANIES WILL NOT PRODUCE THE PHONE.

>> THANK YOU FOR HAVING US IN THE MIT LAB.

>> THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR COMING.

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>> I THOUGHT IT WAS SO INTERESTING HOW HE TALKED ABOUT HOW MUCH INFORMATION YOU CAN DETECT IN YOUR SCENT.

BUT DOCTOR, YOU'RE HOLDING A RAT.

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT HOW THAT'S CONNECTED HERE?

>> YEAH, I MEAN, OLFACTION IS CRITICAL FOR SURVIVAL OF MANY ANIMALS.

DOGS, BUT EVEN RATS.

LOCATING FOOD, FINDING THEIR MATES, EVEN DETECTING DANGER.

THE CAPACITY TO SMELL AND DIFFERENTIATE THINGS ARE CRITICAL, EVEN FOR MY FRIEND HERE.

>> SO, WE'VE TALKED ABOUT DOGS AND WE'VE TALKED ABOUT RATS.

BUT NEXT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT MOSQUITOS.

CAN YOU SET THAT UP FOR US?

>> IT'S SO AMAZING.

EVERY SPECIES HAS EVOLVED AND ADAPTED OVER MILLIONS OF YEARS.

AND THESE ADAPTATIONS HAVE LED TO REALLY COOL FIELD OF STUDY.

FOR MORE ON THAT, I SPOKE TO THE DOCTOR WHO SPECIALIZES IN BIOMIMICRY AT THE OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY.

>> THIS SHOW IS ALL ABOUT WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM ANIMALS.

NOW, YOU STUDY A REALLY INTERESTING FIELD CALLED BIO-MIMICRY WHERE YOU LEARN FROM NOT JUST ANIMALS BUT ALL OF NATURE.

CAN YOU BEGIN BY TELLING US A LITTLE BIT ABOUT BIO-MIMICRY.

>> IT IS DERIVED FROM A GREEK WORD -- WHICH MEANS MIMICKING BIOLOGY, LIVING NATURE, OR LIVING ORGANISM.

THE NATURE IS NOT ONLY BEAUTIFUL AND MAGICAL, IT'S ALSO GREAT TEACHER.

ALBERT EINSTEIN STATED, LOOK DEEP INTO NATURE, AND YOU LEARN EVERYTHING.

AND THE REASON BEHIND HIS STATEMENT WAS THAT NATURE HAS GONE THROUGH EVOLUTION SOME 3.8 BILLION YEARS, AND IT HAS EVOLVED SPECIES FOR DIFFERENT FUNCTIONALITIES USING COMMONLY FOUND MATERIALS AND ROUTINE FABRICATION METHODS.

BECAUSE OF THE FACT NATURE HAS GONE THROUGH REVELATION, WE CAN LEARN A LOT FROM NATURE RATHER THAN TRYING TO REINVENT IT.

IN OUR RESEARCH, WE LOOK TO LIVING NATURE AND SELECT SPECIES WHICH PROVIDE FUNCTIONALITY OF COMMERCIAL INTEREST.

WE CHARACTERIZE SPECIES TO UNDERSTAND HOW NATURE DOES IT.

AND IN MANY CASES, WE WILL TRY TO RECREATE THOSE STRUCTURES IN THE LAB BY USING NATURE'S CLOUD TO VERIFY OUR UNDERSTANDING.

ONCE WE UNDERSTAND IT, THEN WE MODEL THEM, AND WE DEVELOP OPTIMUM DESIGNS.

>> THAT'S FANTASTIC.

CAN YOU GIVE US SOME EXAMPLES OF YOUR FAVORITE BIO-MIMICRY?

>> SURE.

INSECTS, SUCH AS MOSQUITOS, WHICH CAN SPEAR PAINLESSLY INTO HOST SKIN AND WE DON'T EVEN KNOW THEY'RE THERE.

SO, THIS CAN BE USED TO DEVELOP PAINLESS NEEDLES FOR BIOMEDICAL APPLICATIONS.

>> THE MOSQUITO?

DO YOU MEAN TO TELL ME, TELL US, THAT THIS NUISANCE HAS SOMETHING GOOD TO OFFER SOCIETY?

>> YES.

SO, WE CLASSIFY THE INSECT AS BITERS, PIERCERS, SUCKERS, AND STINGERS.

SO, MOSQUITO FALLS IN THE CATEGORY OF PIERCERS AND SUCKERS.

AND THERE'S A LOT WE CAN LEARN FROM MOSQUITO BECAUSE IT CAN PIERCE PAINLESSLY IN OUR SKIN.

IT TAKES ABOUT FIVE MINUTES TO SUCK THE BLOOD, AND WE DON'T EVEN KNOW THAT THEY'RE THERE.

SO, WHAT THEY'LL DO IS THEY'LL FIRST NUMB THE SURFACE BY SPRAYING SALIVA AND THEN PIERCE.

AND THEY USE A NEEDLE-LIKE FASCICLE IN THEIR MOUTH.

AND THE FASCICLE CONSISTS OF DESIGN WITH SHARP TEETH AND A SOFTER TIP AND THE END WITH GREATER MECHANICAL PROPERTIES TO MINIMIZE PAIN.

AND IT PIERCES IN A MOTION, AGAIN, TO REDUCE THE FORCE REQUIRED DURING PIERCING.

SO, THEY WILL FIRST NUMB THE SURFACE WITH THE SALIVA.

AND DURING SUCKING, THE SALIVA ALSO STOPS BLOOD CLOTTING TO MINIMIZE PAIN.

WE HAVE DESIGNED SOME NEEDLES IN THE LAB.

SO, NORMALLY ONE WOULD USE CONICAL SHOT NEEDLE FOR DRUG DELIVERY OR LAB TESTS.

AND THEY DO STING WHEN YOU PIERCE.

AND WE DON'T REALLY USE A NUMBING AGENT.

SO, CERTAINLY ONE COULD USE A NUMBING AGENT, AS THE MOSQUITO DOES AND OTHER INSECTS DO.

BUT YOU WANT TO DESIGN NEEDLES WHICH CAN PIERCE SOMEWHAT PAINLESSLY.

AND YOU DO IT BY LOOKING TO MOSQUITO TO SEE HOW MOSQUITO DOES IT.

SO, YOU WANT TO HAVE DESIGN WITH SHARP TEETH, PUSH THE NEEDLE IN VIBRATION MOTION TO REDUCE THE FORCE REQUIRED TO PIERCE IT.

AND ONCE YOU DO ALL THAT, THEN YOU CAN DESIGN NEEDLES WHICH ARE SOMEWHAT PAINLESS.

>> YOU LED WITH AN EINSTEIN QUOTE ABOUT LEARNING FROM NATURE.

AND YOU, AS A BIO-MIMICRY EXPERT, LEARN FROM THIS STUFF.

HOW CAN EVERYDAY PEOPLE BE INSPIRED FROM NATURE AND LEARN IN A SIMILAR WAY?

>> I THINK WHAT A TYPICAL, EVERYDAY PERSON NEEDS TO DO IS TO GO OUT AND NOT JUST APPRECIATE NATURE, BUT ASK THE QUESTION HOW NATURE DOES IT.

AND I THINK THAT'S THE KEY.

WHEN I THINK OF THE FIELD OF BIOMEDICS, IT CONNECTS EVERYDAY PEOPLE.

I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT SOMETHING ABSTRACT WHICH PEOPLE DON'T UNDERSTAND.

WHEN I SAY, I'M DESIGNING NEEDLES WITH AN INSPIRATION FROM MOSQUITO, PEOPLE'S EYES OPEN.

THEY SAY, WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?

IT'S A FASCINATING FIELD TO START WITH.

BUT ALSO BECAUSE WE'RE DEALING WITH THINGS THAT CONNECT WITH EVERYDAY PEOPLE, THAT'S WHAT I THINK IS GOING TO HELP PROPEL THE FIELD.

ASK THE QUESTION, WHAT IS IT THAT WE LOVE ABOUT THIS SPECIES WE'RE LOOKING AT?

HOW DOES NATURE DO IT?

AND IS IT SOMETHING I OUGHT TO BE INTERESTED IN?

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>>> SO, FREDERIC, I'M HOLDING A BOA CONSTRICTOR.

>> YES, YOU ARE.

>> IT'S PRETTY AMAZING.

SO, WHAT DO YOU HAVE THERE?

>> I AM HOLDING AN EASTERN SCREECH OWL.

AND HER NAME IS AR KIM DEEZ.

>> I'VE HEARD THAT EXPERTS ARE REALIZING THAT HUMANS ARE MORE LIKE ANIMALS THAN WE TEND TO THINK.

IS THAT CORRECT?

>> IT'S REALLY INTERESTING, WE HAVE A LOT IN COMMON, ANIMALS, ANIMAL KINGDOM.

BIRDS AND OTHER MAMMALS HAVE FOUR HEART CHAMBERS.

ANIMALS GAIN AND LOSE WEIGHT LIKE WE DO, AND SOME OF THEM EVEN DIET.

FOR MORE ON THAT, I TALKED TO CARDIOLOGIST AND ANIMAL EXPERT DR. BARBARA MADISON HOROWITZ.

>> CAN YOU DEFINE ZOOBIQUITY FOR US AND HOW YOU CAME UP WITH THAT TERM.

>> I'M A CARDIOLOGIST AND I HAVE BEEN FOR AT LEAST A DECADE.

IN 2005, I GOT A PHONE CALL FROM ONE OF THE VETERINARIANS AT THE LOCAL ZOO IN LOS ANGELES, ASKING IF I WOULD COME HELP EVALUATE THE CARDIOVASCULAR SYSTEM OF ONE OF THEIR PRIMATES.

AND I DID.

AND THAT EXPERIENCE LED TO ANOTHER INVITATION.

FIRST IT WAS A CHIMPANZEE.

THEN IT WAS A GORILLA.

AND BEFORE I KNEW IT, I WAS SEEING A WIDE RANGE OF NON-HUMAN ANIMALS UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF VETERINARIANS, OF COURSE.

AND WHAT I DISCOVERED WAS THAT ALMOST ALL OF THE DISEASES THAT I WAS TAKING CARE OF IN MY HUMAN PATIENTS, THEY WERE DEALING WITH IN ALL OF THESE ANIMALS.

SO, THAT WAS, SIMPLY STATED, THE BEGINNING OF A LIGHT BULB THAT TURNED ON.

ZOOBIQUITY IS THE TITLE OF A BOOK THAT I CO-AUTHORED WITH KATHERINE BOWERS THAT LOOKS AT HUMAN MEDICAL PROBLEMS, PHYSICAL PROBLEMS, AND ALSO MENTAL ILLNESS THROUGH THE LENS OF VETERINARY MEDICINE AND EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY.

AND ANOTHER WAY OF SAYING THAT IS THAT IT ASKS PHYSICIANS AND NURSES AND PATIENTS TO IMAGINE WHAT COULD WE UNDERSTAND ABOUT WHY WE GET SICK?

IF WE SAW OURSELVES AS HUMAN ANIMALS, NOT JUST HUMAN BEINGS.

>> WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT FOR US TO LOOK AT MEDICINE THROUGH THAT LENS?

>> FOR ME AND FOR OTHER PHYSICIANS, FRANKLY, IT'S ALL OF THESE ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE HAVE ABOUT HUMAN UNIQUENESS, THE UNIQUENESS OF OUR PROBLEMS, RIGHT?

SO, BACK IN 2005, I WAS SURPRISED WHEN I WAS CALLED ABOUT BREAST CANCER IN A LION.

I HAD NEVER REALLY THOUGHT ABOUT BREAST CANCER OR OVARIAN CANCER OR IND MEET Y'ALL PROBLEMS HAPPENING IN A NON-HUMAN ANIMAL.

I CERTAINLY HAD VERY, VERY LOW AWARENESS OF MENTAL ILLNESS IN OTHER SPECIES.

ANY ANIMAL THAT HAS A BRAIN CAN DEVELOP A BRAIN-BASED DISEASE.

HUMAN MEDICINE HAS BEEN SO FOCUSED FOR CENTURIES, MILLENIA ACTUALLY, ON THE SINGLE SPECIES, OURS.

BUT IF WE COULD WIDEN THAT WINDOW TO INCLUDE THE MILLIONS OF OTHER SPECIES WITH WHICH WE SHARE THE EARTH NOW, RIGHT, THE VULNERABILITIES THAT WE SHARE WITH THEM AND THE DIFFERENCES, WE COULD BETTER UNDERSTAND WHY WE GET SICK.

AND I THINK WE COULD DO A MUCH BETTER JOB FINDING SOLUTIONS.

>> SO NOT ONLY WOULD IT HELP US TAKE BETTER CARE OF OUR PETS OR ANIMALS THAT WE MAY HAVE, WE MAY ALSO LEARN FROM THOSE EXPERIENCES AND TRANSLATE THEM TO THE HUMAN ANALOG AND POSSIBLY HELP SOLVE DISEASES FROM THERE.

IS THAT CORRECT?

>> I ABSOLUTELY THINK -- THERE'S LOTS OF EXAMPLES FROM CARDIAC, WHICH IS MY AREA, TO CANCER.

AND AS I SAID BEFORE, EVEN MENTAL HEALTH.

THERE'S SUCH A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN COUNTRIES AROUND THE WORLD, LEADERS IN ASUGA YOSHIHIDINGS LEADERS IN ASSOCIATIONS OF MENTAL HEALTH HAVE STARTED TO LOOK TO ADVANCE THE FIELD.

WHEN WE LOOK AT ANIMALS WITH ANXIETY DISORDERS, ANIMALS WITH COMPULSIVE DISORDERS, ANIMALS WITH SELF-INJURY, HOARDING ANIMALS, ALL THESE CAN BE THE SHAME IN SOME HUMANS OR STIGMA WHERE THEY DON'T WANT TO GET CARE.

THEY'RE EMBARRASSED.

OR CULTURALLY THEY FEEL, I SHOULDN'T ADMIT THIS.

THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT SEEING THAT THESE VULNERABILITIES ARE UNIVERSAL, THAT THEY EMERGE FROM OUR COMMON BIOLOGY, SHARED ANCESTRY WITH OTHER SPECIES.

I THINK THAT INSIGHT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO MAYBE HELP DECREASE STIGMA.

ONE OF MY RESEARCH PROJECTS NOW IS LOOKING AT -- I'M FOCUSING ON WOMEN'S HEALTH.

SO, WHAT I'VE BEEN LOOKING AT ARE THERE ARE FEMALE ANIMALS WHO HAVE EVOLVED ADAPTATIONS THAT SEEM TO MAKE THEM RESISTANT TO SOME OF THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES THAT WE FACE IN WOMEN'S HEALTH.

SO, I AM TALKING ABOUT PROBLEMS LIKE HYPERTENSION AND PREGNANCY.

SO, HAVING HYPERTENSION AND PREGNANCY, INCLUDING A CONDITION CALLED PREECLAMPSIA, IS A LEADING CAUSE OF MATERNAL AND FETAL MORTALITY IN OUR SPECIES.

WE'RE LOOKING AT THE GIRAFFE.

NOW, THE GIRAFFE, RIGHT, THE LONG NECK -- WE THINK ABOUT THAT.

WHAT DOES THAT MEAN IN TERMS OF THEIR BLOOD PRESSURE?

WITH THEIR LEFT VENTRICLE DOWN BETWEEN THOSE FRONT LEGS AND THEIR BRAIN IS TWO AND A HALF, MAYBE EVEN THREE METERS, VERTICAL.

THAT MEANS IF THEIR LEFT VENTRICLE HAS TO GENERATE A HUGE AMOUNT OF PRESSURE.

AND BASICALLY WHAT THAT MEANS IS A GIRAFFE HAS A MUCH HIGHER BLOOD PRESSURE THAN ANY OTHER ANIMAL.

SO, THAT MEANS A FEMALE GIRAFFE, WHEN SHE IS PREGNANT, HAS A MUCH HIGHER BLOOD PRESSURE THAN ANY OTHER MAMMAL, AND YET HER FETUSES, HER CALVES ARE BORN HEALTHY, AND SHE CAN HAVE MULTIPLE PREGNANCIES.

CLEARLY GIRAFFES HAVE EVOLVED ADAPTATION TO PROTECT MOTHER AND CALF AND FETUS FROM HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE.

SO, IT'S A BIG DEAL.

>> "ZOOBIQUITY," BEST SELLING BOOK.

WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED SINCE THE PUBLISHING OF THAT BOOK?

>> PROBABLY THE BIGGEST INSIGHT IS WE TEND TO LOOK FOR DIFFERENCE, WE HUMANS.

EVEN WHEN WE'RE EDUCATED, EVEN WHEN WE UNDERSTAND AND BELIEVE THE IMPACT OF EVOLUTION, THERE IS THIS TENDENCY FOR US TO BE EXCEPTIONALISTS.

WE HAVE FAR MORE IN COMMON OVER HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF YEARS OF EVOLUTION AND SHARED ANCESTRY THAN WE DO DIFFERENT.

AND IF WE COULD STOP BEING SO FOCUSED ON THE DIFFERENCES AND INSTEAD REALLY EXAMINE/RE-EXAMINE SOME OF WHAT'S ACTUALLY SHARED, WE COULD UNDERSTAND AND I THINK -- SCIENTIFICALLY, I THINK WE COULD ACCELERATE BIOMEDICAL INNOVATION.

I THINK WE COULD DEEPEN OUR UNDERSTANDING OF ALL KINDS OF CONDITIONS, MEDICAL CONDITIONS, PSYCHIATRIC CONDITIONS.

AND THE BEST WAY OF TAKING CARE OF HUMAN BEINGS, YOUR HUMAN PATIENTS MAY VERY WELL BE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE HEALTH OF NON-HUMAN ANIMALS.

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>>> SO, MY TAKE AWAY FROM TODAY IS THAT THE ANIMAL KINGDOM IS SO AMAZING.

AND I FEEL LIKE IF WE KEEP STUDYING IT, WE'LL LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW TO IMPROVE OUR LIFE.

DR. B, WHAT ABOUT YOU?

>> I DIDN'T REALIZE THE DEPTH OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH AND UNDERSTANDING WHAT WE NOW KNOW AS HUMANS ABOUT US JUST BY STUDYING ANIMALS IN THE ANIMAL KINGDOM.

AND THAT'S QED WITH DR. B.

AND THAT'S IT.

JOIN US ON INSTAGRAM, FACEBOOK, AND TWITTER.

AND WE'LL SEE YOU NEXT TIME.

>> I GOT ONE EYE TOO, BUDDY.

THEY CALL ME ARCHIMEDES.

ARGH.

OH, YOU JUST BLINKED.

SHE'S SLEEPING.

SHE'S GOT TO SLEEP.

>> IT'S ARGH-RIGHT.

>> YOU'RE GETTING A KICK OUT OF THAT, AREN'T YOU?

>> DO THEY TEND TO GO AROUND THE NECK?

>> IT DEPENDS ON THE PERSON.

>> WHAT WOULD MAKE ME CALM DOWN?

ANYBODY GOT A SHOT OF HENNESSY?

I NEED TO CALM DOWN.

THERE'S A SNAKE TWO METERS FROM ME.

>> SIT.

>> THAT'S GREAT.

>> QED WITH DR. B.

>> PRODUCTION FUNDING FOR "QED WITH DR. B" IS PROVIDED BY -- >> S.T.E.M.

WAS PART OF OUR FOUNDING.

GORDON PATEL, OUR FOUNDER, BELIEVED IN FOUNDING ANNEN INSTITUTE THAT WOULD BETTER TOTE THROUGH THE USE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY.

THIS YEAR WE'RE GOING TO MEET THE GOAL OF A MILLION STUDENTS A YEAR WE'RE GOING TO BE ABLE TO IMPACT AROUND THE COUNTRY.

>> BOUNDLESS ENERGY FOR A BRIGHTER FUTURE.

AND BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU.

THANK YOU.