In episode 164, we get curious about fingerprints for Arielle and Daniel of Somerville, Massachusetts. We learn how fingerprints form, why everyone's fingerprints are unique, and whether animals have fingerprints.
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In episode 164, we get curious about fingerprints for Arielle and Daniel of Somerville, Massachusetts. We learn how fingerprints form, why everyone's fingerprints are unique, and whether animals have fingerprints.
Visit the Curious Kid Podcast Website - http://www.curiouskidpodcast.com
Send Us An E-mail - curiouskidpodcast@gmail.com
Leave Us A Voicemail - 856-425-2324
Support Us On Patreon - https://www.patreon.com/Curiouskidpodcast
Shop Curious Kid Podcast Merchandise - http://tee.pub/lic/fqXchg3wUVU
Follow Us On Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/curiouskidpod/
Follow Us On Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/curiouskidpodcast/
Follow Us On Twitter - https://twitter.com/CuriousKidPod
Donate To Reach Out And Read - https://reachoutandread.org/
PODCAST 164: CURIOUS ABOUT FINGERPRINTS
RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 21ST, 2021
D: HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST. AS WE ARE RECORDING THIS PODCAST, I AM KEEPING AN EYE ON THE WORLD POPULATION. HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED HOW MANY PEOPLE LIVE IN THE WORLD? WELL, THIS VERY SECOND AS I’M RECORDING THERE ARE 7,853,204,898. BY THE TIME WE ARE ALL DONE RECORDING THIS EPISODE, THE NUMBER WILL GO UP BY A FEW HUNDRED. WE ARE GETTING CLOSER AND CLOSER TO A HUGE MILESTONE… 8 BILLION PEOPLE IN THE WORLD. THAT’S ABSOLUTELY INSANE, BECAUSE WHEN I WAS BORN 40 YEARS AGO, THE WORLD POPULATION WAS ABOUT FOUR AND A HALF BILLION. DESPITE THERE BEING SO MANY PEOPLE IN THE WORLD, THERE IS SOMETHING ABOUT YOU THAT MAKES YOU TRULY UNIQUE. SOMETHING THAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT YOU THAT NOBODY ELSE SHARES… NOT YOUR FRIENDS, NOT YOUR PARENTS, NOT YOUR SIBLINGS, NOT EVEN IDENTICAL TWINS IF YOU’RE LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE ONE OF THOSE. I WISH I COULD REMEMBER WHAT IT IS THAT MAKES US ALL UNIQUE, BUT I’M HAVING TROUBLE REMEMBERING. I FEEL LIKE THE ANSWER IS RIGHT THERE AT THE TIPS OF MY FINGERS, BUT I CAN’T SEEM TO PUT MY FINGER ON IT.
O: MAILBAG!
D: MAILBAG!
“HI OLIVIA AND JACOB,
HAPPY NEW YEAR! WE LOVE LISTENING TO YOUR PODCAST. WE WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING TOPICS FOR FUTURE PODCASTS: FINGERPRINTS, TRADITIONS, AND CEREAL. THANK YOU SO MUCH.
ARIELLE AND DANIEL FROM SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.”
O: THANKS FOR THE AWESOME E-MAIL, ARIELLE AND DANIEL. YOU HAVE FANTASTIC IDEAS. WE ARE GOING TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT FINGERPRINTS TODAY FOR YOU.
D: AND THANK YOU FOR BEING SO PATIENT. THIS E-MAIL WAS SENT TO US ALMOST A YEAR AGO. FINGERPRINTS ARE SUPER DUPER INTERESTING, AND I CAN’T WAIT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM. WHAT’S THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK?
O: THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK IS, DO ANIMALS HAVE FINGERPRINTS?
D: HMMMM… THAT’S A FUN ONE. I’M THINKING THAT IT MUST BE IMPOSSIBLE FOR ALL ANIMALS TO HAVE FINGERPRINTS BECAUSE SOME ANIMALS DON’T HAVE FINGERS.
O: I WOULD GUESS FINGERS ARE NECESSARY TO MAKE FINGERPRINTS, SO IT’S SAFE TO SAY THAT SHARKS CAN’T POSSIBLY HAVE FINGERPRINTS.
D: BUT ARE THERE ANY ANIMALS OUT THERE THAT HAVE FINGERPRINTS? WHILE YOU’RE THINKING OF THE ANSWER, LET’S START THIS OFF BY LEARNING HOW FINGERPRINTS GET ON OUR FINGERS IN THE FIRST PLACE.
O: FINGERPRINTS START FORMING BEFORE A BABY IS EVEN BORN.
D: ISN’T THAT AWESOME? WHILE STILL IN MOMMY’S BELLY, A FETUS, WHICH IS JUST THE FANCY NAME FOR A BABY THAT HASN’T BEEN BORN YET, WILL HAVE SOMETHING CALLED VOLAR PADS ON THEIR FINGERS. VOLAR PADS ARE SMOOTH PADS THE ARE CREATED DURING THE FORMATION OF BLOOD VESSELS AND CONNECTIVE TISSUE. AT SOME POINT BETWEEN WEEKS 10 AND 15 OF THE BABY’S DEVELOPMENT, THE VOLAR PADS WILL SINK BACK INTO THE HAND WHILE THE HAND CONTINUES TO GROW. IT’S AT THIS TIME THAT RIDGES WILL FORM CREATING FINGERPRINTS.
O: WHEN FINGERPRINTS FORM, THEY WILL DEVELOP INTO ONE OF THREE PATTERNS.
D: WHILE WE ARE DISCUSSING THE 3 DIFFERENT FINGERPRINT PATTERNS, WHY DON’T YOU TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR FINGERS TO SEE WHICH PATTERNS YOU CAN FIND?
O: THE MOST COMMON FINGERPRINT PATTERN IS LOOPS. AS THE NAME SUGGESTS, THESE PRINTS CURVE TO FORM A LOOP SHAPE.
D: LOOPS WILL EITHER POINT TOWARDS THE THUMB OR THE PINKY. LOOP FINGERPRINTS ACCOUNT FOR ABOUT 60% OF ALL THE FINGERPRINTS OUT THERE.
O: THE NEXT MOST COMMON FINGERPRINTS ARE WHORLS. WITH WHORLS, YOUR FINGERPRINTS WILL FORM CIRCLE OR SPIRAL PATTERNS.
D: ABOUT 35% OF ALL FINGERPRINTS ARE WHORLS. OKAY, IF LOOPS ACCOUNT FOR 60% OF FINGERPRINTS AND WHORLS ACCOUNT FOR 35% OF FINGERPRINTS, THAT ONLY LEAVES 5% FOR THE MOST UNCOMMON FINGERPRINTS.
O: THE MOST UNCOMMON FINGERPRINT PATTERN IS ARCHES. THIS PATTERN LOOKS LIKE WAVES, WITH ONE END ON ONE SIDE OF THE FINGER AND THE OTHER END ON THE OTHER SIDE.
D: SO, AT THIS POINT, YOU MAY BE WONDERING HOW IT IS POSSIBLE THAT OUR FINGERPRINTS ARE UNIQUE AND NOBODY IN THE WORLD SHARES THE SAME FINGERPRINTS AS WE HAVE IF THERE ARE ONLY 3 MAJOR FINGERPRINT PATTERNS.
O: WHAT MAKES OUR FINGERPRINTS UNIQUE CAN BE FOUND IN THE DETAILS OF EACH FINGERPRINT.
D: AS AN EXAMPLE, THERE ARE SPOTS IN EACH FINGERPRINT WHERE THE RIDGES IN OUR FINGERPRINTS CAN COME TO A DEAD END AND STOP, OR THEY CAN FORM A FORK, SPLITTING INTO DIFFERENT DIRECTIONS.
O: THE AVERAGE FINGERPRINT HAS ABOUT 50 DIFFERENT SPOTS WHERE THE RIDGES WILL EITHER COME TO A DEAD END OR SPLIT.
D: SO, LET’S DO THE MATH HERE. OLIVIA JUST SAID THAT THERE ARE 50 DIFFERENT SPOTS IN THE FINGERPRINT WHERE THE RIDGES CAN DO ONE OF TWO DIFFERENT THINGS, EITHER STOP OR SPLIT. THE CHANCES OF FINDING TWO DIFFERENT FINGERPRINTS WHERE EACH CHOICE BETWEEN STOP OR SPLIT IS EXACTLY THE SAME IS ZERO, AND HERE’S WHY. OLIVIA, LET’S SAY I WAS TO ASK YOU TO FLIP A COIN. HOW MANY DIFFERENT POSSIBLE OUTCOMES ARE THERE.
O: THERE ARE ONLY 2 OUTCOMES, HEADS OR TAILS.
D: EXACTLY RIGHT. WHAT IF I TOLD YOU TO FLIP A COIN 50 TIMES AND WRITE DOWN THE RESULTS.
O: I WOULD PROBABLY FLIP HEADS A BUNCH OF TIMES AND TAILS A BUNCH OF TIMES IN A VERY RANDOM ORDER.
D: IF YOU WERE DONE FLIPPING THE COIN 50 TIMES AND WRITING THE RESULTS OF THE COIN FLIPS, LET’S SAY YOU GAVE THE COIN TO SOMEONE ELSE. WHAT ARE THE CHANCES THAT THE SECOND PERSON CAN FLIP THE COIN 50 TIMES AND GET THE SAME RESULTS YOU DID IN THE SAME EXACT ORDER?
O: IT SOUNDS PRETTY UNLIKELY TO ME.
D: THE CHANCES OF THAT SECOND PERSON HAVING EXACTLY THE SAME RESULTS AS YOU IS ONE IN MORE THAN A QUADRILLION. THAT’S A RIDICULOUSLY BIG NUMBER. IT’S THE NUMBER ONE FOLLOWED BY 15 ZEROS. THAT BEING SAID, IT’S EVEN LESS LIKELY THAN ONE IN A QUADRILLION THAT SOMEONE WOULD HAVE THE SAME FINGERPRINT AS YOU.
O: AND THAT’S BECAUSE THE EXACT LOCATION OF THE APPROXIMATELY 50 STOPS OR SPLITS IN EACH FINGERPRINT IS DIFFERENT FROM PERSON TO PERSON.
D: THAT’S RIGHT, AND THAT’S WHY YOUR FINGERPRINTS ARE YOURS ALONE, AND NOBODY OUT THERE, PAST, PRESENT, OR FUTURE WILL HAVE THE SAME FINGERPRINTS AS YOU. THAT’S ALSO WHY YOU WON’T BE ABLE TO GET INTO MY CELL PHONE, NO MATTER HOW HARD YOU TRY, UNLESS YOU HAVE MY HELP. A FINGERPRINT IS NEEDED TO ACCESS MY PHONE, AND IT HAS TO BE MY FINGERPRINT. FINGERPRINTS ARE SO GOOD AT IDENTIFYING INDIVIDUAL PEOPLE THAT THEY ARE OFTEN USED TO CATCH CRIMINALS.
O: IN THE YEAR 1892, WHICH WAS 129 YEARS AGO, A SCIENTIST BY THE NAME OF SIR FRANCIS GALTON WROTE A BOOK ABOUT USING FINGERPRINTS TO SOLVE CRIMES.
D: AND JUST 4 YEARS LATER, A MAN NAMED SIR EDWARD RICHARD HENRY DEVELOPED A WAY TO ORGANIZE FINGERPRINTS INTO ONE OF THREE PATTERNS, THE 3 PATTERNS WE JUST DISCUSSED… LOOPS, WHORLS, AND ARCHES. EVEN THOUGH SIR EDWARD RICHARD HENRY’S SYSTEM HAS BEEN CHANGED A LITTLE IN THE 125 YEARS SINCE IT WAS INTRODUCED, IT IS STILL USED OFTEN TODAY TO HELP CATCH BAD GUYS OR BAD GIRLS.
O: HOW DOES LAW ENFORCEMENT USE FINGERPRINTS TO SOLVE CRIMES? I USUALLY DON’T LEAVE FINGERPRINTS BEHIND UNLESS I’M TOUCHING SOMETHING MADE OF GLASS, LIKE A WINDOW, A GLASS OF WATER, OR A MIRROR.
D: WELL, IT TURNS OUT THAT YOU’RE LEAVING FINGERPRINT MARKS ON LOTS OF OTHER THINGS AS WELL, EVEN THOUGH YOU CAN’T SEE THEM. THAT’S BECAUSE THE SKIN THAT COVERS YOUR FINGERS MAKES SWEAT AND OIL. IF YOU TOUCH SOMETHING WITH YOUR FINGERS, SOME OF THE SWEAT AND OIL WILL BE LEFT BEHIND ON THE OBJECT AND WILL HAVE THE SAME PATTERN AS YOUR FINGERPRINT.
O: A SPECIAL FINGERPRINT POWDER CAN BE USED TO LIFT FINGERPRINTS OFF OF OBJECTS, EVEN IF THE FINGERPRINTS CAN’T BE SEEN BY LOOKING CLOSELY AT THE OBJECT.
D: SCIENTISTS ARE EVEN REALLY GOOD AT IDENTIFYING A PERSON WITH JUST A PARTIAL FINGERPRINT. FOR THESE REASONS, LOTS OF CRIMES ARE SOLVED BY LIFTING A FINGERPRINT FROM AN ITEM TOUCHED BY THE CRIMINAL AND THEN COMPARING IT WITH ALL OF THE FINGERPRINTS STORED IN A LARGE FINGERPRINT DATABASE IN A COMPUTER TO SEE IF A CRIMINAL CAN BE IDENTIFIED BY HIS OR HER INCREDIBLY UNIQUE FINGERPRINT PROFILE. ANOTHER THING THAT HELPS WITH THIS PROCESS IS THAT A PERSON’S FINGERPRINTS DON’T CHANGE DURING THEIR LIFETIME. YOU’RE BIGGER NOW THAN YOU WERE WHEN YOU WERE A BABY, SO YOUR PRINT WILL ALSO BE BIGGER, BUT THE PATTERN AND SHAPE WILL NEVER CHANGE, AND IT’S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT MAKES YOU SO AWESOME AND UNIQUE.
OKAY OLIVIA, LET’S ANSWER THE QUESTION OF THE WEEK. ARE THERE ANY ANIMALS OUT THERE THAT HAVE FINGERPRINTS?
O: THERE ARE ANIMALS OUT THERE THAT HAVE FINGERPRINTS LIKE CHIMPANZEES AND GORILLAS.
D: THAT’S TRUE, BUT CHECK THIS OUT. IF I ASKED YOU WHICH ANIMAL’S FINGERPRINTS MOST CLOSELY RESEMBLE HUMAN FINGERPRINTS, WHICH ANIMAL WOULD YOU GUESS?
O: I WOULD PROBABLY GUESS THAT APE FINGERPRINTS ARE SIMILAR TO HUMANS, BECAUSE OF EVOLUTION. HUMANS CAME FROM APES, SO THEIR FINGERPRINTS MUST BE SIMILAR.
D: THAT’S AN AWESOME GUESS, BUT THERE IS AN ANIMAL OUT THERE THAT HAS FINGERPRINTS SO SIMILAR TO HUMANS, THAT SCIENTISTS SOMETIMES CONFUSE THEIR FINGERPRINTS FOR HUMAN FINGERPRINTS, AND THAT ANIMAL IS NOT AN APE, OR ANY OTHER PRIMATE FOR THAT MATTER. KOALAS HAVE FINGERPRINTS THAT ARE VERY SIMILAR, BUT OF COURSE NOT EXACTLY THE SAME, AS HUMAN FINGERPRINTS IN PATTERN, SHAPE, AND SIZE.
WELL, THAT’S A WRAP FOR THIS WEEK’S EPISODE.
O: 163 - FINGERPRINTS.
D: GREAT JOB OLIVIA, AND GREAT JOB ARIELLE AND DANIEL FOR THE SUPERBLY UNIQUE EPISODE TOPIC SUGGESTION. BEFORE WE SAY GOODBYE FOR THE WEEK, WE HAVE A COUPLE OF PEOPLE TO THANK, AND AN IMPORTANT REMINDER AS WELL.
O: THANK YOU TO OUR NEWEST PATREON SUPPORTER, KIMBERLY G.
D: A BIG THANKS TO KIMBERLY FOR HELPING TO SUPPORT THE PODCAST. FOR HER SUPPORT, KIMBERLY GETS TO KNOW WHAT WE’RE WORKING ON BEFORE ANYONE ELSE AND SHE ALSO GETS ACCESS TO OUR ONCE MONTHLY CURRENT EVENTS EPISODES THAT ARE FOR OUR INCREDIBLE SUPPORTERS. TO FIND OUT HOW YOU CAN HELP SUPPORT THE PODCAST, HEAD ON OVER TO PATREON.COM, THAT’S P-A-T-R-E-O-N, OR CLICK ON THE LINK IN THE SHOW NOTES.
O: WE ALSO WANT TO THANK RYAN FOR THE INCREDIBLE 5 STAR REVIEW.
D: IT SAYS “LOVE THE PODCAST!! HI OLIVIA! MY NAME IS RYAN AND MY FAVORITE EPISODE WAS CURIOUS ABOUT BIGFOOT. I LOVE YOUR PODCAST, IT’S SO GREAT, AND I LOVE THE ONE ABOUT LEGO TOO. I’M REALLY CURIOUS ABOUT STATIC BECAUSE SOMETIMES MY STUFFYS HAVE STATIC ON THEM. THANK YOU FOR THE PODCAST! GOOD DAY! FROM, RYAN”. WOW, RYAN. THANKS FOR THE REVIEW. WE CAN’T WAIT TO GET CURIOUS ABOUT STATIC FOR YOU SOON.
O: THIS THURSDAY IS THANKSGIVING, AND WE ARE SO THANKFUL FOR ALL OUR AMAZING LISTENERS OUT THERE.
D: WHETHER THIS IS THE FIRST EPISODE YOU’VE LISTENED TO, OR YOU’VE LISTENED TO EVERY SINGLE ONE, YOU ARE A PART OF THE CURIOUS KID PODCAST FAMILY AND WE ARE VERY THANKFUL FOR YOU.
O: DON’T FORGET THAT THIS IS THE LAST WEEK TO HELP US RAISE MONEY FOR REACH OUT AND READ. I LOVE READING, AND READING LEADS TO LEARNING, SO PLEASE HELP US GIVE MONEY TO THIS GREAT CAUSE.
D: THE FANTASTIC FOLKS AT REACH OUT AND READ SERVE OVER FOUR AND A HALF MILLION CHILDREN YEARLY BY PROVIDING AGE APPROPRIATE BOOKS TO CHILDREN AT THEIR DOCTOR WELL VISITS, AND TAKING THE TIME TO READ WITH THEM AND FOCUS ON HOW IMPORTANT READING IS TO A GROWING CHILD. HALF OF THE CHILDREN SERVED BY REACH OUT AND READ ARE FROM LOW-INCOME FAMILIES, AND THOSE KIDS MAY NOT HAVE ACCESS TO A VARIETY OF BOOKS, OR EVEN ANY BOOKS AT ALL. THERE ARE 3 EASY WAYS TO HELP US RAISE MONEY FOR REACH OUT AND READ. YOU CAN CLICK THE LINK IN THE SHOW NOTES TO GO STRAIGHT TO THEIR WEBSITE AND DONATE TO THEM DIRECTLY. YOU CAN HELP MAKE A DONATION THROUGH OUR FACEBOOK PAGE AS WELL. WE WILL EVEN GIVE $5 TO REACH OUT AND READ FOR EVERY SINGLE 5 STAR REVIEW WE GET THROUGH THANKSGIVING DAY. LOTS OF LOVE AND GRATITUDE FOR ALL OF YOU THAT ARE HELPING US RAISE MONEY FOR REACH OUT AND READ.
O: HAVE A HAPPY THANKSGIVING, EVERYBODY!
D: A VERY HAPPY THANKSGIVING TO ALL OF YOU INDEED. NEXT WEEK, WE WILL GET CURIOUS ABOUT EARTH FOR LISTENERS IN PORTLAND OREGON, OTTOWA ONTARIO, AND CALLIGNEE, AUSTRALIA… BOY, I HOPE I SAID THAT RIGHT. IT WILL BE OUR FIRST EVER 3 COUNTRY TRIPLE MAILBAG. AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING AND GETTING CURIOUS WITH US.