In a recent episode of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” the host shared some exciting news in the field of science. Colbert, known for his witty and entertaining banter, introduced his segment called “The Sound of Science” to update viewers on the latest scientific breakthroughs.
The first topic Colbert covered involved giant rats that could potentially be trained to sniff out illegally smuggled goods. He humorously pointed out that this would be a welcome change from the giant rats found in New York City, who are known for their own smuggling operations. Colbert jokingly listed off a range of items these rats could potentially smuggle, including handbags, Chinese DVDs, and even the Bubonic plague.
Moving on, Colbert shared a study that suggested first-born and only children are more likely to face anxiety and depression. However, he couldn’t resist making a playful remark, suggesting that being the youngest of 11 children makes a person practically perfect.
Next on the list was research on geckos, which revealed that in addition to hearing airborne sounds, geckos can also use a part of their inner ear to detect low-frequency vibrations, giving them a sixth sense. Colbert amusingly referenced the movie “The Sixth Sense” and humorously claimed that he could see dead people just like the geckos.
Colbert then switched gears to discuss how wildlife experts can determine whether an elephant is right or left trunked by observing the wrinkles on their trunk. Apparently, an individual elephant tends to curl its trunk slightly more towards the left or right when scooping up objects. Adding his comedic touch, Colbert quipped that it would be even easier to tell if an elephant is a lefty by watching it play the guitar.
In the realm of physics, Colbert revealed that physicists simulated a black hole in the lab and were surprised when it began to glow. The host couldn’t resist playfully instructing them to stop this remarkable phenomenon.
Lastly, Colbert related the research on the “infinite monkey theorem.” This theory suggests that a monkey randomly pressing keys on a typewriter for an infinite amount of time would eventually type out the complete works of Shakespeare. However, Australian mathematicians recently determined that a monkey would be unable to produce Hamlet within the lifetime of the universe. Colbert humorously presented footage of a monkey’s failed attempt to type “to be or not to be” under laboratory conditions.
As the segment came to an end, Colbert announced that he would be back with another talk show favorite, Seth Meyers. The host’s lively and humorous delivery certainly made these scientific discoveries entertaining for the audience of “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
