When is it good to drag your feet?

Caroline Roper, Ella Hubber and Tom Lum from the podcast 'Let's Learn Everything!' face a question about free will.

GUESTS:

HOST: Tom Scott.
QUESTION PRODUCER: David Bodycombe.

RECORDED AT: The Podcast Studios, Dublin.
EDITED BY: Julie Hassett.
GRAPHICS: Chris Hanel at Support Class. Assistant: Dillon Pentz.
FORMAT: Pad 26 Limited/Labyrinth Games Ltd.
EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS: David Bodycombe and Tom Scott.

[Shaurya_Pant]

Damn, that carcinisation joke was legit on point.

[mina]

Regarding the electricity, this applies when high voltage wire gets damaged and touches the ground. There’s a large potential gradient starting at the point of contact. If you stand with your feet close both feet have the same (or very similar) potential. However, if you make a big step, your feet end up on different potentials and electricity flows through your legs.

[aloysiuskurnia]

5:45 I like the caption "Both Toms laugh"

[benjaminclehmann]

They used to tell electrical workers to hop on one foot to prevent connecting the circuit around fallen lines. However this creates a risk of falling (especially since this is often after storms and thus the ground is slippery) which would connect the circuit in just about the worst possible way.

They're now told to shuffle such that it's unlikely that their body will be a useful shortcut, and if it is it will hopefully travel up one leg and down the other rather than going through their heart. This is also why substation are always resting on gravel, the drainage is supposed to improve safety.

[SolivagantCraig]

This also applies to anywhere you find a lot of snakes. walk loudly and hopefully they move away before you ever see them.

[ids]

"are just absolutely covered in live wires everywhere" - Yeah, that sounds about right for our power company here in northern California (PG&E).

[GustavSvard]

"Jelly fish are the live wires of the sea"
Not a bad phrasing, that.

[CheyenneRose]

As a San Diegan I got this right away, so hearing all the guesses was extra fun. 😎 okay but seriously now a PSA: if you forget the shuffle and do get stung, the remedy is NOT to have someone wee on it! Immediately get your foot and leg into water that is as hot as you can stand it, and keep replenishing that water. (This sadly will not work for sandworm related injuries.)

[carolynholt]

I knew this one immediately. I am about to mention another channel. Brave Wilderness did a video where the crew was having to walk through a body of water that could have sting rays and Coyote explained about having to drag your feet so you don't step on them. Sting rays partially bury themselves in the sand so if you don't drag your feet you could step on one and get stung.

[manta]

If only... if only Tom also mentioned Australia too, I may have gone for Coffin-ray from very old Technical Difficulties show.

[perplexedon]

Its so cool when we get these little references to the Tom Scott Cinematic Universe. I can really feel the TSCU is bullding to something

[George_vv]

Literally got an ad from PG&E (pretty much THE Californian power company) about what to do if a power line falls near your car. I was so sure that was going to be it.

[Ghiaman]

Tom 1: "It's become 'name every sea creature' now"
Tom 2 at 5:57: "Prairie Dogs?"

[Giftedbryan]

Not me remembering Gary Brennan going and arcs' when peeing on an electric ray that one time in the technical difficulties :D

[RonakDhakan]

This is one of the best groups of people on this show.

[demonicbunnypo]

I know this one. I am a native Floridian. I actually explained to a manager why I have a shuffling walk.

It is to alert sting rays when you go into the water that you are there and getting closer.

[Cillana]

Applies to all of the coast of the Gulf of Mexico too. Once visited a barrier island with no dredged area and dock. So we had to anchor our boat out a ways and walk to the island. Took a while to get there with us shuffling our feet the whole way.

[camyron]

With Florida and California, my first thought was that it wasa Disneyworld/Disneyland "slow down and stay a while" thing intending to make guests of the parks use fewer attractions, so they could get more entry tickets for the same number of ride uses

[TheDeityRyan]

As a floridian i got this one from the title

[CyberKirby]

The fact that "The Stingray Shuffle" is not a 90s dance song is disappointing. It deserves to be up there with the Cha-Cha Slide.