Happy: All about feelings, pt. 1

DACARI: You're listening to Brains On, where we're serious about being curious.

CHILD: Brains On is supported in part by a grant from the National Science Foundation.

[INDISCERNIBLE VOICE ON PHONE]

SANDEN TOTTEN: Yes, yes, yes! I would love the part.

[INDISCERNIBLE VOICE ON PHONE]

Thank you so much. I will not let you down!

[INDISCERNIBLE VOICE ON PHONE]

For sure. For sure. See you Thursday. I will be ready!

[INDISCERNIBLE VOICE ON PHONE]

Bye! Oh, man, this is so exciting. I got to tell someone. Oh, I know! I'll tell Harvey, our ever-present, disembodied robotic voice assistant. Hey, Harvey, I got some news you are not going to believe.

HARVEY: I am programmed to believe facts.

SANDEN TOTTEN: Are you familiar with the series of plays based on the superhero Alpaca Jack?

HARVEY: Yes, an orphaned alpaca named Jack is found by world-renowned physicist and karate enthusiast, Dr. Kate Calhoun. While raising Jack, Dr. Calhoun discovers a new neural pathway and enhances Jack's brain capacity far beyond any alpaca or human. Plays include, Disturbing the Fleece, Keep the Fleece, and Sweater Weather.

SANDEN TOTTEN: Yep, well, now you're talking to the newest Alpaca Jack! Wool-yeah!

[ROCK MUSIC]

I got the part in the next play, Fleece of Mind.

(SINGING) Ooh, I got the part, yeah!

I got the part, woo!

I got the part, yeah!

I got the part, hoo-yeah!

HARVEY: I am sensing an elevated heart rate. Sometimes when I am given a new part, my circuits overheat. Would you like me to call a doctor?

SANDEN TOTTEN: No, no, no, Harvey. I'm just over the moon about getting to play Alpaca Jack.

[ROBOTIC WHIRRING]

HARVEY: My GPS shows that we are on earth.

SANDEN TOTTEN: All right, good one, Harv-ster. What I mean is that I'm jumping for joy.

[ROBOTIC TUNE]

HARVEY: I do not detect a person named Joy in this room. Only Sanden.

SANDEN TOTTEN: OK, OK. Harvey, I'm having strong feelings right now.

HARVEY: Does not compute.

SANDEN TOTTEN: Wow, OK. The thing going on with me is called happiness. Check it out, I'm happy. See my smile?

HARVEY: Smile acknowledged.

SANDEN TOTTEN: I'm smiling because I'm happy. And I'm happy because I'm going to play Alpaca Jack. Get it?

HARVEY: Smile equates feeling of happiness. Information downloaded.

SANDEN TOTTEN: Yeah. Wow, reading people is not your strong suit, pal. Anyway. Oh, man, I can't wait until rehearsals start. I have to start practicing my two-toed walking. Oh, and I'm going to have to go on an all-grass diet, got to get into character. Ooh, and I have to hire a trainer to teach me how to get a real, authentic spit going.

[SPITTING]

[THEME MUSIC]

MOLLY BLOOM: You're listening to Brains On from American Public Media. I'm Molly Bloom. You're going to hear more about Sanden's role as Alpaca Jack at the beginning of the next few episodes because they're all part of our long-awaited series, All about Feelings. And here to help me with these episodes is co-host DaCari from Baltimore. Hey, DaCari.

DACARI: Hello.

MOLLY BLOOM: This episode is the first of a four-part series on a subject near and dear to our hearts and our brains and our bodies.

DACARI: Feelings.

MOLLY BLOOM: Where they come from--

DACARI: Why we have them--

MOLLY BLOOM: And what we can do with them.

DACARI: And that's because you have a lot of questions about emotions.

NIKITA: Hi, I am Nikita from the Bronx. My question is, how do people feel certain emotions?

AIDEN: My name is Aiden from Topsfield, Massachusetts. And my question is, what are feelings and how do we get them?

KATIE: My name is Katie from Sterling, Virginia. My question is, why do we feel emotions?

DACARI: So first things first, we talk about feelings from the heart, but it's not really our hearts that make feelings. It's more of our brains and our body.

MOLLY BLOOM: When you see or hear or touch things, your brain sends signals telling you how you feel about that, but it's a two-way street. Sometimes your body tells your brain information, too.

DACARI: It's like if you bang your knee against a chair and your knee tells your brain, hey, that hurt, and you feel pain.

MOLLY BLOOM: And even though you can't always see feelings, like joy or anger, the way you can see a scratch or a bruise, feelings still affect your brain and your body in a very real way.

DACARI: So let's get into how feelings work in our brains.

[QUIRKY MUSIC]

MOLLY BLOOM: Brains do all the things they do, feel feelings, think thoughts, move our bodies with chemicals called neurotransmitters. These little molecules are how brain cells or neurons talk to each other.

DACARI: We asked Rapheal Williams to fill us in on some molecules that matter for happiness. He studies our brains and how we make choices at the University of Washington.

MOLLY BLOOM: Rapheal says a few chemicals are particularly important for feeling happy. They're serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin.

DACARI: Rapheal actually gave us a play by play of what's going on with the neurons and their neurotransmitters when something is making you happy.

[UPBEAT NOTES]

RAPHEAL WILLIAMS: One of the things that makes me happy is that I love painting.

[APPLAUSE]

ANNOUNCER 1: This painting might be Rapheal's best one yet. The brushstrokes alone speak volumes.

ANNOUNCER 2: It's certainly the best piece this season.

RAPHEAL WILLIAMS: So when I finished the painting, and if my friend says, yeah, that's a really great piece of work, then my dopamine neurons release dopamine, which is a messenger to other neurons, to tell your brain, hey, that felt good.

[APPLAUSE]

ANNOUNCER 1: Before that dopamine release, maybe he was feeling OK. But after that dopamine reward, wow! He is feeling excited, motivated. He probably wants to make another painting.

ANNOUNCER 2: That's just great. And oh, wait, that's not the only thing coming in.

RAPHEAL WILLIAMS: But you also get a release of oxytocin because your friend is telling you that that felt good. Therefore, the oxytocin, which is a bonding molecule, is released in the brain.

[APPLAUSE]

ANNOUNCER 2: So that oxytocin is going to make him feel closer to his friend.

ANNOUNCER 1: More trusting, more connected. What a great molecule.

RAPHEAL WILLIAMS: But then, you also get that serotonin release as well.

[APPLAUSE]

ANNOUNCER 1: Holy neurochemicals, that serotonin. It's interesting because our gut makes most of our body's serotonin, but it has such an effect on the brain.

ANNOUNCER 2: I know. It can be tough to pin down exactly what serotonin does. It does so many things in the brain, but it seems to stabilize the way we feel.

ANNOUNCER 1: It'll likely keep Rapheal feeling good, even after this conversation ends.

ANNOUNCER 2: Just amazing work out there, neurons. Truly incredible.

[MUSIC PLAYING]

MOLLY BLOOM: So we know that a mix of different brain chemicals help create feelings like happiness and contentment.

DACARI: And everyone's mix is a little different.

MOLLY BLOOM: Just like no two people look exactly the same, our brains don't work exactly the same either.

DACARI: Some people feel happy pretty easily, but for others, it might take more to make them smile.

MOLLY BLOOM: The same goes for other emotions, too. It's like each of us has our own thermostat set for what it takes to feel certain feelings.

DACARI: You know, a thermostat is that thing that controls the heat in your house.

MOLLY BLOOM: Exactly. This metaphorical thermostat controls your moods.

DACARI: An emotional thermostat.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Ooh, emotional thermostat

And this emotional thermostat is set by your genes.

MOLLY BLOOM: Not your pants. Those are jeans with a J. These are genes with a G. They're the instructions that tell all the cells in your body how to be. You inherit them from your parents.

DACARI: And this emotional thermostat is also set by experiences you have.

MOLLY BLOOM: We'll be talking more about regulating our feelings throughout this series.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Ooh, emotional thermostat

DaCari, I have something for you that might release a little dopamine in your brain. It's the Mystery Sound.

[SHUSHING]

CHILD (WHISPERING): Mystery Sound.

MOLLY BLOOM: Here it is.

[MYSTERY SOUND PLAYS]

DACARI: It's sounds like a bell.

MOLLY BLOOM: It definitely sounds like something ringing. We're going to give you another chance to guess, and we'll reveal the answer a little bit later in the show.

[THEME MUSIC]

Oh, man, we are so thrilled to bring you a new season of our debate podcast, Smash Boom Best. Our roster of debaters is ready to wow the judges with great stories and fascinating facts.

DACARI: In each episode of Smash Boom Best, get ready for an epic matchup to decide which is cooler.

MOLLY BLOOM: Like unicorns or dragons. DaCari, so in the unicorns or dragons debate, which would you say is cooler?

DACARI: Dragons, all the way.

MOLLY BLOOM: Why?

DACARI: They're just cooler, and they breathe fire.

MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah, it's pretty hard to compete with breathing fire. I might be on team unicorns because I've heard their skin and horns have some pretty cool magical powers. But we're going to have to hear the whole debate.

DACARI: Well, we are in luck because at the end of this episode, there's a Smash Boom Best sneak peak.

MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, my gosh, I cannot wait. Full length episodes drop in June.

DACARI: And if you have a debate idea, send it over.

MOLLY BLOOM: We'd also love it if you sent us a question, drawing, or a mystery sound at brainson.org/contact.

DACARI: That's what this listener did.

CATHERINE: Hi, my name is Catherine. My question is, when you first get snow, it's powdery. And then if you melt it and freeze it again, why is it ice and not snow again?

MOLLY BLOOM: We'll answer that question in the Moment of Um at the end of the show. We'll also read the latest listeners to join the Brains Honor Roll.

DACARI: And then, we'll roll that Smash Boom Best sneak preview.

MOLLY BLOOM: Keep listening.

DACARI: You're listening to Brains On from American Public Media. I'm DaCari.

MOLLY BLOOM: And I'm Molly. We asked you, our lovely listeners, to tell us what your body feels like when you're happy, and here's what you had to say.

[LIVELY MUSIC]

VEDA: Every time I'm happy, my stomach jumps up and down, and it really wants me to move.

AMAIA: My body feels really energetic.

BAR: And when I'm happy, I feel like I can bounce on balls.

AMELIA: And when I feel happy, I feel like I can fly.

SULAYMAN: When I feel happy, I feel all light and jumpy and excited about things.

CALEB: It feels like all the energy is pumping up itself.

KATHY: I feel light as a feather, and I feel free.

RANDALL: When I am happy, I get excited, and I feel a jump of energy, and I feel like I want to run.

MOLLY BLOOM: Thanks to Veda, Amaia, Bar, Amelia, Sulayman, Caleb, Kathy and Randall for sharing those answers with us. Doesn't it just make you feel good inside to hear all those happy feelings?

DACARI: Yeah. It also makes me wonder if the feelings we feel actually make changes in the rest of our bodies beyond our brains.

MOLLY BLOOM: You mean like whether feeling positive can make your body feel better?

DACARI: Right. Like when you get hurt, sometimes something funny can make you forget the pain. So how do our good feelings affect our bodies?

MOLLY BLOOM: Let's find out. I have our trusty zoom ray, and I know just the person to zoom in on. Our pal Chee is super positive. She's usually in the gym around now.

CHEE: Chee is about to score the winning point. Will she make it? There's a serve. Chee goes for it, and the crowd goes wild. Yeah!

MOLLY BLOOM: Hi, Chee.

DACARI: Hi, Chee.

CHEE: Oh, hey, Molly. Hi, DaCari. I'm just playing against this tennis machine, practicing for Wimbledon. Is that the zoom ray?

DACARI: Yeah. We're trying to find out how good feelings affect our bodies.

CHEE: Well, point your zoom ray right this way because I am feeling pretty good.

[ZOOM SOUND]

DACARI: Whoa! Your heart is beating really fast from your practicing.

CHEE: Makes sense. How's the rest of me?

MOLLY BLOOM: Well, let's look up at your brain.

[ZOOM SOUND]

Whoa, your endorphin levels are high, too.

ENDORPHINS 1: We got this.

ENDORPHINS 2: I'm at the top of my game.

ENDORPHINS 3: Yeah, never felt better.

ENDORPHINS 4: I feel great!

DACARI: Those are the body's natural feel-good chemicals.

MOLLY BLOOM: Right. Endorphins get released from the pituitary gland in the brain, right behind the bridge of your nose.

DACARI: That little thing attached to Chee's brain with the blood vessels and nerve cells, it's like the size of a pea.

[CHEERING]

MOLLY BLOOM: Yeah, it's super small, but super powerful. The pituitary gland makes hormones like endorphins, and it also sends messages to other organs about what kinds of chemicals they should be producing.

CHEE: And endorphins affect your brain like the strongest pain medicines a doctor can prescribe. They tickle parts of the brain that process pain, distracting it so your brain stops remembering to tell you that you're hurt. And because of the pituitary gland--

DACARI: The pea-sized thing behind your nose.

CHEE: Pre-- ugh, --cisely. Because the pituitary gland also directs how your body releases other neurochemicals. It's often sending out other neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine along with hormones, like oxytocin to mix it up with the endorphins.

DACARI: Right. We heard about those before. They make you feel happy.

CHEE: Yeah, when the mix of these chemicals are higher, you feel good. They even help you boost your immune system to keep you from getting sick. They help you manage stress, and they can improve your overall mental health.

ENDORPHINS: Oh, yeah!

CHEE: [GRUNTS] Yeah! Phew, looks like I'm out of balls. And I think I crushed it.

[ZOOM SOUND]

MOLLY BLOOM: You totally did, Chee. And now that you're smiling, I see even more endorphins, dopamine and serotonin.

DACARI: So, smiling can make your body send out good neurochemicals, too?

CHEE: That's right. Just smiling can trigger feel good neurotransmitters, and it can lower a person's blood pressure and heart rate.

DACARI: Cool! I can see Chee's whole body calming more.

CHEE: Yeah, smiles are magic. Because they're contagious, we're all feeling some positive vibes. That's why I like smiling. It helps me feel better mentally and physically, and it helps others feel good, too.

[BELL DINGS]

MOLLY BLOOM: Awesome. That was some super smart tennis.

CHEE: Yeah, I'm always happy to serve up the science.

DACARI: Thanks, Chee.

MEN (SINGING): Ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, ba, Brains On

MOLLY BLOOM: Let's get back to that mystery sound. Here it is again.

[MYSTERY SOUND PLAYS]

Before you take another guess, I'm going to give you a clue. You might hear this in a yoga class. Any new ideas?

DACARI: It sound like you're hitting something.

MOLLY BLOOM: Definitely. Here is the answer.

DIMAUN COLEMAN: It's a sound bowl, an Asian yoga tool. But this is what it sounds like.

[BOWL DINGS]

MOLLY BLOOM: That was Mr. Dimaun Coleman. He's a yoga teacher who works with kids in Baltimore. When you do yoga, you move your body through poses, like Downward Dog or Happy Baby, while focusing on your breath. Yoga originally comes from India and is thousands of years old. Mr. Coleman uses the sound of the bowl to get his class's attention and get them to focus.

[BELL CHIMING]

DIMAUN COLEMAN: My name is Mr. Coleman. I'm at Dallas F. Nicholas Elementary School. I am the yoga teacher for the school, the yoga and mindfulness practitioner. And this is my yoga class.

Everybody say sunrise.

STUDENTS: Sunrise.

DIMAUN COLEMAN: This is a full-body exercise. So what that means is you're working every muscle in your body that you use every day, from your toes to the top of your head. So, everybody breathe in.

I've been doing yoga since middle school. It really enforces the importance of self and breathing.

Every time you breathe in, I want you to see yourself pull in positive energy, like happiness and joy. Every time you breathe out, I want you to see yourself pushing out any negative energy, like sadness or anger. If anything made you sad or angry at school today, just breathe it out. Realize that it's not happening right now and focus on the present moment. What we're doing in this present moment is relaxing.

STUDENT 1: I like it because I bring in that energy and happiness and then sometimes, when I'm sad, I just breathe out.

DIMAUN COLEMAN: Everybody say Tree Pose.

STUDENTS: Tree Pose.

DIMAUN COLEMAN: Balance Pose.

STUDENTS: Balance Pose.

DIMAUN COLEMAN: Mountain Pose.

STUDENTS: Mountain Pose.

STUDENT 2: My favorite pose is the Mountain Pose because when you put your arms up, it looks like a mountain was formed.

STUDENT 3: My favorite pose is the Tree Pose.

STUDENT 4: Tree Pose.

STUDENT 5: The Tree Pose.

STUDENT 6: Tree Pose.

STUDENT 7: The Balance Pose.

DIMAUN COLEMAN: Last breath, we're going to take together. Breathe in-- [INHALES] and breathe out. [EXHALES]

[BELL CHIMING]

MOLLY BLOOM: For some people, like the students in that class, yoga is a way to get in touch with their bodies and their feelings. So, DaCari, have you ever done a class like that?

DACARI: Yes. When I first started, when I saw people doing this weird pose, I was like, what are they doing? It looked so weird to me. Then when I tried it, I thought it was really fun, so I wanted to stay in it.

MOLLY BLOOM: So you started taking these classes through the Holistic Life Foundation, which is an organization that teaches young people all about yoga and mindfulness, and now you're a mentor in the program. What kind of classes have you done as a mentor?

DACARI: We have done classes for the little kids. We teach them the basics. Then as the kids get older, we tell them more and more.

MOLLY BLOOM: So you're a teacher?

DACARI: Yes.

MOLLY BLOOM: That is so cool. So can you tell me a little bit about what you tell the little kids? How old are the-- first of all, how old are the kids you're working with?

DACARI: Three to five.

MOLLY BLOOM: What do you tell them?

DACARI: I tell them, when we first start, we have to stretch out our body so we don't get hurt. Then after we stretch out, we do the first pose, which is the Downward Dog. You get your feet on your hands, and you put your legs up. And you just sit there for five seconds. Then when you exhale, you go down.

MOLLY BLOOM: So you use your breath to move through these different yoga poses?

DACARI: Yep.

MOLLY BLOOM: So when you're teaching them, is the purpose of the class helping to control your emotions or does it have a different purpose overall?

DACARI: It helps with emotions and behavior.

MOLLY BLOOM: How do you think it helps that?

DACARI: It helps them with calming down more and not more explosions happen.

MOLLY BLOOM: Do you meditate and do yoga or do you just do yoga?

DACARI: I do both.

MOLLY BLOOM: So do you find that when you do those that it helps you control your emotions?

DACARI: It helped me by making me a calmer person. It helps you with your anger problems or anything you need to be helped on.

MOLLY BLOOM: How old were you when you started doing it?

DACARI: I was five years old when I started. And when I first started, it was weird to me, but it grew on me.

MOLLY BLOOM: That is so cool. Well, for people who have never meditated before, meditation can help you quiet your mind. In some meditations, you focus on your breathing, in others, you notice your thoughts. Some people call this mindfulness, which means being aware of what you're doing and thinking and feeling. That can help you listen to the logical part of your mind, instead of just the automatic emotional side.

Researchers are starting to look at how mindfulness can help us. It's hard to understand exactly what it does to us because people and brains are really complicated. We'll talk a little more about how meditation might specifically help with feelings throughout the series.

[LIGHT MUSIC]

Just like everyone has their own emotional thermostat, different techniques help different people. Some people connect with their feelings when they're taking walks, or petting their dog, or praying or volunteering or singing or journaling. In a way, these are all different kinds of meditation. That's something Mallika Chopra knows a lot about. She's been meditating since she was a kid.

DACARI: Welcome, Mallika.

MALLIKA CHOPRA: Thank you so much.

DACARI: When did you learn to meditate?

MALLIKA CHOPRA: I learned how to meditate when I was nine, and I believe you may have learned even younger.

DACARI: Yep.

MALLIKA CHOPRA: So that's so inspiring to me because I learned when I was nine. And I will admit, sometimes I did it and sometimes I didn't. But I know how valuable meditation was to me growing up. So you're such a great role model for other kids. Congratulations

DACARI: Thank you. Why should you use it when you're happy?

MALLIKA CHOPRA: That's such a great question because meditation helps us in all parts of our life, when we're happy, when we're sad, when we're angry. And so when we are happy, if we can focus on how we're feeling happy, then we train our body to feel that more and more. So I like to recommend that when you're happy, you focus on what you're grateful for. So think about more things that you're happy about, and then also just feel your body so that you can remember what that feels like.

DACARI: Is it good to always try to be happy?

MALLIKA CHOPRA: I don't think anybody is always happy all the time. So people have lots of emotions and that's totally normal to feel happy, sometimes sad, sometimes angry at other times. So, no, I don't think we're always happy, but there are ways that we can deal with sad, angry feelings to make ourselves feel better.

MOLLY BLOOM: In each episode of this series, Mallika will be sharing a meditation that you can try when you're experiencing different emotions. Today, she'll share a meditation for when you're feeling happy.

MALLIKA CHOPRA: So when we are happy, what we want to do is feel that in our body and continue the feeling of gratitude. So this is a really simple meditation for when you are happy to also focus on what you are grateful for.

And I recommend doing this every night before you go to sleep, or in the morning before you start the day. And either you can do it by yourself, or you can share these with your family or friends, or even write them in a journal.

It's really simple. You just sit, put your hand on your heart and say, what am I grateful for? And maybe different things will come up, but I'd like you to choose just one thing. Take a deep breath in and out and feel that throughout your body. Take another breath, in and out. And now that's it. You can continue with your day.

[SOFT MUSIC]

DACARI: Everyone has their own unique setting for feelings.

MOLLY BLOOM: Some people feel things easily. For others, it takes a lot to change their mood.

DACARI: When we experience good things in the world, our brains signal our bodies to release chemicals called neurotransmitters.

MOLLY BLOOM: Neurotransmitters like dopamine, oxytocin, serotonin, and endorphins.

DACARI: They help us feel happy.

MOLLY BLOOM: And thinking about our feelings can help us decide what to do with them. That's it for this episode of Brains On.

DACARI: Brains On is produced by Marc Sanchez, Sanden Totten, and Molly Bloom.

MOLLY BLOOM: This series was also produced by Menaka Wilhelm and Sam Choo, with support from "Call To Mind" APM's mental health initiative. We had production help from Stel Kline, Hannah Harris-Green, Kristina Lopez, Elyssa Dudley and Jackie Kim. And we had engineering help from Johnny Vince Evans, Veronica Rodriguez and Bob White. Special thanks to Jamar Peete, Andres Gonzalez, Naundia Fitzgerald, Kaz Nelson, Elena Blanco-Suarez and Nancy Yang.

DACARI: Now, before we go, it's time for Moment of Um--

CATHERINE: When you first get snow, it's powdery. And then if you melt it and freeze it again, why is it ice and not snow again?

SARAH PATTERSON: I think this is a really interesting question because it gets to the heart of what we as scientists try to do. We're trying to actually measure how much water is in snow. My name is Sarah Patterson. I am a scientist at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

Specifically, I'm a snow scientist, so I use instruments like radar and videos and images of snowfall to study the properties of snow. And I do this all over the world. You have this great observation of snow. You say, I observe snow when it first falls as a powder.

So what you're actually seeing is a collection of small crystals. And as you have ice falling in the atmosphere, the temperature and moisture of the atmosphere determines the shape of a snowflake. The result is, you have this fluffy, powder-like collection of ice crystals at the surface.

And then when all those ice crystals melt, they all flatten out into a bunch of water that's all collected together. But that's a much more dense material, so it turns from a big fluffy pile into a flat sheet like a puddle. And then when that refreezes, that block is much denser than the snow crystals that fell out of the air. So the powder becomes liquid or the crystals become liquid, and then that liquid freezes as an ice slab.

You can't actually reform these crystals once they're on the surface. So you have a snowstorm that produces 10 inches of snow. If you were to melt down those 10 inches into water, you would have 1 inch of water. So we went from snow which was 10 to 1, and then we went to water, which is 1 to 1, and then that water froze as an ice block, which is approximately 1 to 1. So it's all about the change in density.

MOLLY BLOOM: This list of names makes me so very happy. This is the Brains Honor Roll. These are the lovely listeners who share their brilliance with us in the form of questions, ideas, mystery sounds and drawings. We love you.

[LISTING HONOR ROLL]

[THEME SONG]

MOLLY BLOOM: We'll be back soon with more answers to your questions.

DACARI: Thanks for listening.

[MUSIC PLAYING] Ooh, emotional thermostat

MOLLY BLOOM: And now, here's your sneak peek at the first episode in our brand new season of Smash Boom Best. The competition kicks off fierce in this unicorns versus dragons debate. Subscribe to Smash Boom Best in your favorite podcast app, and you'll get to hear the entire debate.

[THEME MUSIC]

SPEAKER 1: Best.

SPEAKER 2: Boom.

SPEAKER 3: Smash. Smash.

SPEAKER 2: Boom.

SPEAKER 1: Best.

MOLLY BLOOM: You're listening to Smash Boom Best, the show about showdowns. All right, it's time to get back to the fantastical focus of this debate, unicorns versus dragons. Our judge, Coby, here is taking in a lot of info. How are you feeling, Coby? Are you feeling swayed in either direction?

COBY: I'm not going to lie, I was pretty pro-dragons in the beginning, but the unicorn side did come with some heat.

SANDEN TOTTEN: Oh, yes!

KATIE MCVAY: Everybody loves an underdog. But it's always the hero who wins.

COBY: It's even better when it's an undercorn.

KATIE MCVAY: An undercorn, I like that.

MOLLY BLOOM: So, Sanden and Katie, are you ready to spar some more?

KATIE MCVAY: Of course. I was born ready.

MOLLY BLOOM: Excellent. Because it's time for--

ANNOUNCER: Micro Round.

MOLLY BLOOM: Both teams prepared in advance for this challenge called, I'd Like to Thank the Academy. We asked team Unicorn and team Dragon to both write an acceptance speech for an award received by their side. All the details, including what the award is for, are totally up to them. So, get ready to hear some name dropping, some happy tears, and a whole lot of humblebrags. Katie went first in round one. So Sanden, you're up. We'd like to invite team Unicorn to the stage.

[FANFARE PLAYING]

HOST: And now, the award for the thing that's inspired the greatest works of art and culture, this year's muse is the unicorn!

[CHEERING, APPLAUSE]

UNICORN: Seriously? Wow! I'm just so honored. It seems like only yesterday I was a magical little pony with a horn, a horn and a dream. First off, thanks to all the ancient manuscripts and paintings inspired by me. Shout out to the spectacular woven art known as the Unicorn Tapestries made in the Middle Ages but still on display today in New York because hey, great art never dies.

And speaking of great art, thanks to all the TV shows, books and movies featuring me, The Last Unicorn, Shira, Harry Potter, oh, and My Little Pony. 'Sup my bronies! I see you. Thanks to all the people behind food trends like colorful unicorn toast and the unicorn frappuccino.

Oh, and I can't forget all the black light poster makers, spray brush artists, and puffy sticker people. Thanks for using my likeness, like, all the time. I mean, I get it. Who else would you use, a dragon? You'd scare people to death. And finally, to my queen, my idol, my inspiration, Lisa Frank. Your hyper colored rainbow pictures show the real me. This is for you. Dare to be yourself, everyone. Thank you!

[CHEERING, APPLAUSE]

[LAUGHING]

MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, well, mazel tov, team Unicorn.

SANDEN TOTTEN: Thank you. This is going to go on our trophy shelf with all our other trophies for being great.

MOLLY BLOOM: All right, well, now it's team Dragon's turn to hog the spotlight. Come on up to the podium, Katie.

KATIE: All right. This will be read as the dragon. I need to prepare my dragon voice.

COBY: Ooh, I'm excited.

[LAUGHTER]

DRAGON: Yes, yes! Had enough applause, I get it. It's me, the dragon. Although you probably already knew that with my dazzling wit and glittering hoard of treasure, who could ignore me? No one! Whether you're terrified of my mighty roar and fiery breath or impressed with my ability to imbue you with good fortune, you've definitely heard of my work.

Wrapping my serpentine body around all the greatest treasures of the world and also the fate of mankind, who else could do it?

[LAUGHS]

When I was told I won the award for most beautiful mythological creature, I couldn't say I was surprised. Who is going to win, the hydra, the chimera, the unicorn, that little weird-headed horse? Don't make me laugh because when I laugh, I shoot fire from my lips and you don't want the audience flambé, do you?

[LAUGHS]

A little dragon humor for you. Anyway, long story short, before they cut me off and I am forced to fly up to the AV booth and cut them in two, I am unsurprised, I'm a genius and a hero. You're welcome for even deigning to be here. Time's up. Much love. Goodbye from me, the dragon.

[LAUGHTER]

MOLLY BLOOM: Oh, my goodness.

COBY: Top tier.

[THEME MUSIC] Ooh, you're the Smash Boom Best

Ooh, put you through the test

Ooh, you're the Smash Boom Best

Ooh, better than the rest

It's Smash Boom Best

It's Smash Boom Best