Talk Show: Blake de Pastino & Corn Snakes!

TL;DR

Chief editor of SciShow, Blake de Pastino, discusses his passion for archaeology and paleontology, how they contribute to understanding history, and the significance of gaming artifacts found in the American West.

Transcript

hello and welcome to this ishow talk show a day on scishow where we talk to interesting people about interesting things today is interesting person is Blake de pastino no I have to be interesting I'm sorry that I did this to you great Blake is the chief editor of scishow he sees every word that happens on scishow before it happens and some words th... Read More

Key Insights

• 🙃 Blake de Pastino's passion for archaeology and paleontology stems from his interest in using science to understand history and make informed decisions about the future.
• 💁 Archaeology and paleontology both rely on scientific methods and stratigraphy to uncover clues about past civilizations and ancient life forms.
• ❓ Gaming artifacts provide valuable insights into cultural practices and societal interactions of ancient civilizations.
• 🙂 The discovery of a large deposit of prehistoric gambling artifacts in the American West sheds light on the cultural dynamics during a time of environmental challenges and cultural exchange.
• 🇪🇭 Blake's side project, Western Digs, focuses on archaeology and paleontology in the American West and explores the rich history of the region through scientific lens.
• 👨‍🎨 The collaboration between archaeology and paleontology helps paint a comprehensive picture of human history and the natural world.
• 🇦🇸 Blake's findings from the Society of American Archaeology conference highlight the importance of studying ancient gaming artifacts in understanding cultural traditions and interactions.

Questions & Answers

Q: What inspired Blake de Pastino to pursue both archaeology and paleontology?

Blake explains that his interest in archaeology and paleontology stemmed from his experience covering archaeology for National Geographic's website. He gravitated towards interesting story leads related to these subjects and eventually realized his passion for using science to understand history.

Q: What is the difference between archaeology and paleontology?

Both disciplines use science to understand history, but archaeology is a division of anthropology that focuses on studying human cultures, while paleontology studies prehistoric biology. Archaeologists rely on stratigraphy, the study of layers of the Earth, to determine the chronology of human activity, while paleontologists study fossils to understand ancient life forms.

Q: What were the main findings at the Society of American Archaeology conference?

Blake shares his findings from the conference, discussing the discovery of a large deposit of prehistoric gaming artifacts in the American West. The artifacts, including dice made of dried cane, shed light on different gaming traditions and cultural interactions of the people who settled in the region in the late 1200s.

Q: What is the significance of gaming artifacts in understanding history?

Gaming artifacts provide insights into the cultural practices and societal interactions of ancient civilizations. In the case of the prehistoric gambling artifacts discovered in the American West, they suggest how different populations brokered relationships through gaming and gambling during a time of severe drought and cultural mingling.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Blake de Pastino, chief editor of SciShow, discusses his side project called Western Digs, which focuses on archaeology and paleontology in the American West.

• He explains that his interest in both subjects stems from the ability to use science to understand history and make informed decisions about the future.

• Blake shares his latest findings from the Society of American Archaeology conference, discussing the discovery of a large deposit of prehistoric gaming artifacts in North America.