Showdown #7: Should People Bathe Every Day?

PODCAST 267: THE GREAT SIBLING SHOWDOWN

SHOWDOWN #7: SHOULD PEOPLE BATHE EVERY DAY?

RELEASE DATE: SUNDAY, MARCH 31ST, 2024

D:  HELLO, AND WELCOME BACK TO ***THE GREAT SIBLING SHOWDOWN***.  IN THE LAST EPISODE, OLIVIA AND NOAH DEBATED WHETHER ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS GOOD.  LOTS OF OUR SUPER INTELLIGENT LISTENERS VOTED TO LET US KNOW WHAT THEY THINK.  WE REALLY CAN’T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR VOTING ON THESE SHOWDOWNS.  CONTRARY TO WHAT PEOPLE MIGHT THINK, THE GREAT SIBLING SHOWDOWN IS NOT ABOUT ME, NOAH, AND OLIVIA.  IT’S ALL ABOUT THE LISTENERS.  WITHOUT YOUR SUPPORT, WE WOULDN’T HAVE A PODCAST.  WITH THAT IN MIND, LET’S HEAR WHAT OUR LISTENERS HAD TO SAY ABOUT THE LAST SHOWDOWN.  

O:  MAILBAG!

N:  MAILBAG!

O:  HERE ARE A FEW SUPER MESSAGES WE GOT FROM LISTENERS THAT THINK THAT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS GOOD:

FAREED OF OTTOWA, ONTARIO, CANADA SAID “because it can help you with jobs humans cannot do. Also, it's not like robots can think and take over the world!”

AMNA OF PARIS, FRANCE SAID “It can help you with your school work.”

AIDEN OF THORNBURY, ONTARIO, CANADA SAID “I think that there should be AI because it helps you in more ways than I can imagine like googling the best basketball player. And like Olivia said, replacing boring jobs that humans have to do and replacing them with robots would be amazing. Love your podcast, keep it up!”

N:  NOW I’M GOING TO READ SOME AMAZING MESSAGES FROM LISTENERS THAT THINK THAT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS NO GOOD:

JULIAN FROM MURRIETA, CALIFORNIA SAID “Because AI makes people lazy.”

JOHAN FROM SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA SAID “Because if AI gets too advanced, it could take over the world and destroy humanity.”

AMIYA FROM WALLINGFORD SAID “I think artificial intelligence is bad because it doesn’t have the compassion to realize if it is doing something wrong, even if it is the correct answer. My mom and I love to listen to your podcast! We are new listeners and can’t get enough of the showdowns great job!”

D:  THOSE WERE SOME INCREDIBLE MESSAGES.  WE CAN’T THANK YOU ENOUGH FOR VOTING ON THE DEBATES AND LETTING US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK.  IF YOU WANT TO HAVE YOUR MESSAGES READ IN THE NEXT EPISODE OF THE PODCAST, DON’T FORGET TO VOTE ONCE YOU’RE DONE LISTENING TO EACH EPISODE.  

AND NOW IT’S TIME TO REVEAL THE RESULTS OF ALL OF THE VOTES WE RECEIVED.  BUT I CAN’T POSSIBLY READ THE RESULTS UNTIL I HEAR THE SWEET, SWEET SOUND THAT LET’S ME KNOW THAT IT’S TIME FOR THE BIG REVEAL.  DRUMROLL PLEASE!

***DRUMROLL***

WITH 58.3% OF THE TOTAL VOTE, MAKING THIS ONE OF OUR CLOSEST SHOWDOWNS YET, MOST OF OUR LISTENERS THINK THAT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE IS BAD.  

O:  HOWEVER YOU FEEL ABOUT THE TOPIC, EVERY OPINION MATTERS AND IS IMPORTANT.  

N:  WE ALWAYS TRY TO GIVE YOU SOME OF THE STRONGEST ARGUMENTS ON BOTH SIDES OF THE DEBATE, AND THEN WE LET YOU DECIDE.  

D:  WELL, NOW THAT WE ALL KNOW THE RESULTS OF SHOWDOWN #6, LET’S MOVE ON TO SHOWDOWN #7.  THIS WEEK, OLIVIA AND NOAH ARE GOING TO ARGUE (CLEARS THROAT), I MEAN DEBATE, WHETHER PEOPLE SHOULD BATHE EVERY DAY.

***INTERLUDE***

THE WAY PEOPLE BATHE, AND HOW OFTEN PEOPLE BATHE, HAS CHANGED A WHOLE LOT OVER THE LAST FEW CENTURIES.  THE FIRST MODERN SHOWER WAS BUILT IN THE YEAR 1767 IN ENGLAND.  THAT SHOWER HAD A PUMP THAT PUSHED WATER TO A DEVICE LOCATED ABOVE THE PERSON’S HEAD.  IN ORDER TO GET WATER TO POUR DOWN, A CHAIN NEEDED TO BE PULLED.  ALSO,  THE WATER WAS COLD.  SINCE INDOOR PIPE SYSTEMS DIDN’T EXIST TO BRING THE WATER IN TO PEOPLE’S HOMES, BATHING WAS RARE.  

IN THE 1800’S, THE FEW PEOPLE THAT WERE ABLE TO AFFORD A BATHTUB BATHED JUST A FEW TIMES A MONTH.  THOSE THAT WERE LESS FORTUNATE, AND COULDN’T AFFORD A BATHTUB, LIKELY BATHED ABOUT ONCE A YEAR.  DOCTORS ACTUALLY DISCOURAGED PEOPLE FROM BATHING, BECAUSE THEY BELIEVED IT NEGATIVELY IMPACTED HEALTH AND SKIN APPEARANCE.  

ABOUT 100 YEARS AGO, THE TYPICAL FAMILY BATHED ONCE A WEEK.  THE COMMON PRACTICE WAS TO USE ONE TUB OF WATER, WITH THE FATHER BATHING FIRST, FOLLOWED BY THE MOTHER, AND THEN THE KIDS.  SORRY, KIDS.

IT WASN’T UNTIL THE MID-1900’S THAT INDOOR PLUMBING BECAME MORE COMMONPLACE, AND PEOPLE HAD ONE OR MORE MODERN BATHROOMS IN THEIR HOUSES.  ALSO, WITH RADIOS AND TVS BEING VERY POPULAR, COMPANIES FREQUENTLY ADVERTISED SOAP AND SHAMPOO, SO BATHING DAILY BECAME MORE COMMON.  

NOW THAT WE UNDERSTAND WHY WE BATHE MORE OFTEN THAN WE USED TO, HOW OFTEN IS THE PERFECT AMOUNT?  LOTS OF PEOPLE SHOWER DAILY, BUT IS THAT TOO OFTEN, OR MAYBE EVEN, NOT OFTEN ENOUGH?  WELL, IT JUST SO HAPPENS THAT I HAVE TWO KIDS HERE WITH ME, AND THEY BOTH HAVE STRONG OPINIONS ABOUT THIS DEBATE.  NOAH IS GOING TO ARGUE THAT WE SHOULD BATHE EVERY DAY AND OLIVIA IS GOING TO ARGUE THAT BATHING ONCE A DAY IS SIMPLY TOO MUCH.

AS WE DO IN EVERY SHOWDOWN, WE WILL HAVE THREE ROUNDS OF DEBATE.  THAT’S THREE DIFFERENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR NOAH AND OLIVIA TO CONVINCE YOU THAT THEY’RE RIGHT.  FIRST UP IN ROUND ONE IS NOAH.

N:  TAKING A SHOWER OR BATH EVERY DAY IS IMPORTANT FOR MANY REASONS, NOT JUST TO GET CLEAN.  FOR MANY PEOPLE, TAKING A NICE WARM BATH OR SHOWER HELPS GET RID OF ANXIETY AND STRESS.  IF YOU DON’T BELIEVE ME, TRY TAKING A NICE WARM BATH WHILE LISTENING TO SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE RELAXING MUSIC.  PUT THE DEVICES AWAY AND JUST ALLOW YOURSELF A MOMENT TO RELAX AND FORGET ABOUT EVERYTHING ELSE.  DOESN’T THAT SOUND AMAZING?

ALSO, BATHING AS PART OF YOUR MORNING ROUTINE CAN FILL YOU WITH POSITIVITY AND CONFIDENCE TO START YOUR DAY.  FEELING CLEAN FIRST THING IN THE MORNING HAS BEEN SHOWN TO INCREASE HORMONES THAT BOOST HAPPINESS, LIKE SEROTONIN.  

SO, IF YOU WANT TO REDUCE STRESS AND BOOST POSITIVITY, A DAILY BATH OR SHOWER WORKS REALLY WELL.  AS AN ADDED BENEFIT, IT ALSO HELPS MAKE US LESS STINKY.  

O:  THERE IS NO DOUBT THAT SHOWERING HELPS WITH CLEANLINESS, BUT DAILY SHOWERING IS TOO MUCH, AND THE EXPERTS AGREE.  TAKING A SHOWER EVERY DAY COULD ACTUALLY BE BAD FOR YOUR SKIN AND HAIR.  WASHING THE SKIN TOO MUCH REMOVES NATURAL OILS FROM THE SKIN AND IS BAD FOR THE GOOD BACTERIA ON YOUR SKIN THAT HELP KEEP YOU STRONG AND HEALTHY.  WASHING YOUR HAIR EVERY DAY HAS BEEN PROVEN TO MAKE HAIR DRY AND BRITTLE.  

THERE ARE GROUPS OF PEOPLE THAT MIGHT BENEFIT FROM DAILY SHOWERS, LIKE PEOPLE WITH PSORIASIS.  PSORIASIS IS A COMMON SKIN DISEASE THAT CAUSES RED, SCALY PATCHES TO APPEAR ON THE SKIN.  SKIN DOCTORS, ALSO CALLED DERMATOLOGISTS, AGREE THAT DAILY SHOWERS ARE HELPFUL FOR PEOPLE WITH PSORIASIS, BUT FOR THE VAST MAJORITY OF PEOPLE WITH HEALTHY SKIN AND HAIR, DAILY SHOWERS WOULD BE A BAD IDEA.

***BELL RINGS***

D:  YOU KNOW WHAT THAT SOUND MEANS.  IT’S THE END OF ROUND ONE.  DID NOAH AND OLIVIA SAY ANYTHING IN ROUND ONE TO CONVINCE YOU THAT THEY’RE RIGHT?  IF NOT, DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT.  THERE ARE TWO MORE ROUNDS OF DEBATE AHEAD OF US.  NEXT UP, IN ROUND TWO, OLIVIA GETS TO GO FIRST AND LET US KNOW WHY BATHING EVERY DAY IS BAD.

O:  BEFORE I TELL YOU WHY SHOWERING EVERY DAY IS BAD, AND VERY UNNECESSARY, LET ME START WITH THE OBVIOUS.  YOU’RE NOT DIRTY ENOUGH TO SHOWER EVERY DAY.  UNLESS YOU WORK IN SANITATION, LIKE ON A GARBAGE TRUCK, OR YOU’RE A GYM TRAINER, SO YOU SPEND LOTS OF TIME SWEATING IN A GYM, CHANCES ARE THAT DAILY SHOWERS ARE A WASTE.  YOU SHOULD SHOWER WHEN YOU’RE ACTUALLY DIRTY, SO FOR MANY PEOPLE, SHOWERING ANY MORE THAN A FEW TIMES A WEEK IS TOO MUCH.

SO, YOU MIGHT BE ASKING WHAT THE HARM IS IN SHOWERING TOO MUCH.  BEYOND WHAT I ALREADY SAID ABOUT DAILY SHOWERS BEING BAD FOR YOUR SKIN AND HAIR, DAILY SHOWERS ARE ALSO A HUGE WASTE OF WATER.  THE AVERAGE SHOWER LASTS FOR ABOUT EIGHT MINUTES.  MOST SHOWERHEADS PUMP OUT AT LEAST 2 GALLONS PER MINUTE, SO THE AVERAGE SHOWER USES UP AT LEAST 16 GALLONS OF WATER.  FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR, THAT’S WELL OVER 25,000 GALLONS OF WATER PER YEAR.  SHOWERING COSTS MONEY.  NOT ONLY IS THERE THE PRICE OF THE WATER, BUT ALSO THE PRICE OF THE ENERGY NEEDED TO HEAT THE WATER.  SHOWERING LESS OFTEN THAN DAILY CAN SAVE HUNDREDS, OR SOMETIMES EVEN THOUSANDS, OF DOLLARS A YEAR.

N:  YOU MAKE SOME GOOD POINTS, OLIVIA, BUT THERE ARE SOLUTIONS TO YOUR PROBLEMS.  FIRST OF ALL, A SHOWER DOESN’T NEED TO LAST EIGHT MINUTES.  YOU CAN DO EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO DO IN ABOUT HALF THAT TIME.  TAKING SHORT THREE TO FIVE MINUTE SHOWERS DAILY WOULD SOLVE THE PROBLEM OF WASTING WATER.  

ALSO, THERE ARE THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE TO KEEP YOUR SKIN NICE AND HEALTHY IF YOU TAKE DAILY SHOWERS.  FIRST, IF YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE THAT LIKE TO TAKE HOT SHOWERS, TURNING DOWN THE TEMPERATURE BY A FEW DEGREES CAN HELP PROTECT YOUR SKIN.  USING A GENTLE SOAP AND RUBBING THE SOAP ON YOUR SKIN SOFTLY IS ALSO A GREAT IDEA.  APPLYING MOISTURIZER TO DRY SKIN AREAS AFTER A SHOWER ALSO HELPS AVOID DRY SKIN. SO, SHORTER SHOWERS EVERY DAY CAN GIVE YOU ALL OF THE BENEFITS OF SHOWERING DAILY, LIKE BEING FRESH AND CLEAN, WHILE NOT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT THINGS LIKE WASTING WATER.  

***BELL RINGS***

D:  TWO ROUNDS ARE IN THE BOOKS, WITH JUST ONE ROUND LEFT TO GO.  THANKFULLY, THE LAST ROUND IS THE ROUND OF ALL ROUNDS.  THE GREAT DEBATE, BEFORE IT’S TOO LATE, HOPE YOU CAN RELATE, TIME TO DETERMINE YOUR FATE, NO NEED TO WAIT.  NOAH AND OLIVIA WILL EACH HAVE ONE LAST MINUTE TO BEG YOU TO VOTE FOR THEIR SIDE IN THE DEBATE, AND THEN IT’S GOING TO BE IN YOUR HANDS.  AS SOON AS YOU ARE DONE LISTENING TO THE EPISODE, YOU CAN CLICK ON THE LINK TO VOTE IN THE EPISODE NOTES, SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH US, AND WE ARE GOING TO REVEAL THE RESULTS IN THE NEXT EPISODE.  HOW COOL IS THAT?  ALRIGHT FOLKS, WE SPUN THE SUPER OFFICIAL GREAT SIBLING SHOWDOWN WHEEL AND IT LANDED ON NOAH.  YOU’VE GOT ONE MINUTE TO TELL OUR LISTENERS ALL ABOUT THE POWER OF A DAILY SHOWER.  YOUR MINUTE STARTS NOW!

N:  SO, I’VE ALREADY MENTIONED HOW SHOWERS ARE NOT ONLY GOOD FOR YOUR PHYSICAL HEALTH, BUT ALSO YOUR MENTAL HEALTH.  THERE IS ONE OTHER BIG THING THAT SHOWERS ARE GREAT FOR THAT I HAVEN’T MENTIONED YET.  TAKING A SHOWER AT NIGHT IS GREAT AT HELPING YOU SLEEP BETTER.  NIGHTTIME SHOWERS ARE MY FAVORITE.  I LOVE CRAWLING INTO BED FEELING NICE AND CLEAN.  I’VE NOTICED THAT I SLEEP BETTER WHEN I SHOWER BEFORE BED, AND I’M NOT THE ONLY ONE.  A BUNCH OF STUDIES HAVE SHOWN THAT SHOWERING AT NIGHT HELPS PEOPLE SLEEP BETTER.  

ABOUT ONE IN FIVE PEOPLE HAVE TROUBLE FALLING ASLEEP OR SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT.  IF YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE PEOPLE, AND YOU SHOWER EARLY IN THE DAY, TRY MOVING YOUR SHOWER TO THE NIGHTTIME.  NOT SLEEPING ENOUGH CAN BE VERY BAD FOR YOUR HEALTH.  IF YOU LIVE IN A COLD PLACE, A NICE WARM SHOWER BEFORE BED GETS YOUR BODY READY FOR SLEEP.  THE OPPOSITE IS TRUE IF YOU LIVE IN A WARM PLACE.  TRY A COOL SHOWER TO PREPARE YOUR BODY FOR BED.  YOU MIGHT BE AMAZED HOW MUCH IT HELPS GETTING A GOOD NIGHT OF SLEEP.  SINCE PEOPLE SLEEP EVERY NIGHT, TAKING A NICE SHOWER EVERY NIGHT IS A GREAT WAY TO WIND DOWN AFTER A LONG DAY.  

O:  DERMATOLOGISTS, WHICH ARE SKIN DOCTORS, AGREE THAT DAILY SHOWERS ARE TOO MUCH FOR MOST PEOPLE.  THEY RECOMMEND SHOWERING EVERY OTHER DAY, OR EVEN JUST TWO OR THREE TIMES A WEEK, WITH LUKEWARM WATER.  YOUR SKIN IS AN ORGAN, JUST LIKE YOUR HEART AND LUNGS, AND IT’S SUPER IMPORTANT IN PROTECTING YOUR BODY FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD.  WE HAVE TO TAKE GOOD CARE OF OUR SKIN TO PROTECT US FROM THINGS LIKE INFECTIONS.  IF DERMATOLOGISTS SAY THAT DAILY SHOWERS ARE BAD FOR OUR SKIN, AND FOR OUR HAIR, WHY WOULD WE SHOWER SO OFTEN THAT WE ARE DAMAGING OUR SKIN?  

DERMATOLOGISTS SAY THAT WE BATHE TOO MUCH BECAUSE OF SOCIETAL NORMS.  IN OTHER WORDS, BECAUSE OUR PARENTS AND FRIENDS TELL US IT’S NECESSARY.  OR BECAUSE OF COMMERCIALS ON TV FOR THINGS LIKE SOAPS AND SHAMPOOS.  I AGREE WITH THE EXPERTS IN THINKING THAT A NICE SHOWER IN LUKEWARM WATER EVERY TWO OR THREE DAYS IS ENOUGH TO STAY CLEAN WHILE TAKING GOOD CARE OF YOUR SKIN AND HAIR.  

***BELL RINGS***

D:  AND THAT’S A WRAP FOR ROUND THREE.  DO YOU WANT TO HEAR YOUR NAME IN THE NEXT EPISODE OF THE GREAT SIBLING SHOWDOWN.  IF SO, THERE ARE THREE THINGS YOU CAN DO.  FIRST, VOTE TO LET US KNOW HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THIS DEBATE.  OLIVIA AND NOAH WILL READ SOME OF THEIR FAVORITE RESPONSES IN THE NEXT EPISODE.  ALSO, YOU CAN LEAVE US A FIVE STAR REVIEW.  WE READ A REVIEW IN EVERY EPISODE OF THE PODCAST, AND TODAY IS NO DIFFERENT.

O:  WE WANT TO THANK THE THOMAS FAMILY FOR LEAVING US A 5 STAR REVIEW.

D:  IT SAYS “HI!  WE’RE THE THOMAS FAMILY!  WE LIVE IN TULSA, OKLAHOMA.  YOUR PODCAST IS AWESOME!  WE LOVE YOUR PODCAST!  IT’S A GREAT PODCAST!”

N:  THANK YOU SO MUCH, THOMAS’S FROM TULSA.  WE REALLY APPRECIATE THE KIND WORDS.

D:  FIVE STAR REVIEWS ARE SUPER HELPFUL IN ALLOWING THE GREAT SIBLING SHOWDOWN TO REACH MORE NEW LISTENERS.  WE ALSO WANT TO THANK GAVIN AND GRADY FROM ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA, FOR SUGGESTING THIS WEEK’S TOPIC AND ASKING IF WE CAN DEBATE ABOUT WHETHER PEOPLE SHOULD BATHE DAILY.  

O:  WE ALSO WANT TO THANK OUR NEWEST PATREON SUPPORTERS, REGE P. AND ELLA S.  

D:  A BIG THANKS TO REGE AND ELLA FOR THE SUPPORT.  WE COULDN’T DO THIS PODCAST WITHOUT THE TREMENDOUS SUPPORT WE GET FROM OUR PATREON SUPPORTERS.  ONE OF OUR LISTENERS REACHED OUT TO ASK US WHY EPISODES OF THE PODCAST ARE BEING RELEASED EVERY OTHER WEEK, INSTEAD OF EVERY WEEK LIKE WE DID WITH CURIOUS KID PODCAST.  SO EVERYONE KNOWS, IT’S BECAUSE WE CAN’T PREPARE AN EPISODE WITHOUT KNOWING THE RESULTS OF THE VOTING FROM THE PREVIOUS EPISODE.  IN ORDER TO GIVE EVERYONE A FULL WEEK TO VOTE, WE NEED TO RELEASE THE PODCAST EVERY OTHER WEEK.

O:  BUT THAT DOESN’T MEAN YOU CAN’T LISTEN TO US EVERY SINGLE WEEK.  OUR PATREON SUPPORTERS GET BONUS EPISODES ON THE SUNDAYS THAT OUR REGULAR EPISODES DON’T COME OUT.  

N:  IF YOU FOLLOW US ON PATREON, YOU WILL HAVE HOURS AND HOURS OF MORE PODCAST CONTENT FROM THE THREE OF US TO LISTEN TO.

D:  AND YOU CAN SUPPORT US ON PATREON FOR AS LITTLE AS $0.90 CENTS A MONTH.  FOR YOUR SUPPORT, YOU WILL GET A SHOUTOUT IN AN EPISODE, ACCESS TO DOZENS OF BONUS EPISODES, AND BEHIND THE SCENES NEWS ABOUT ALL OF THE FUN THINGS GOING ON AT CURIOUS KID PODCAST HEADQUARTERS.  WE ARE EVEN PLANNING ON POSTING FUN VIDEOS TO OUR PATREON FEED, STARTING IN A FEW WEEKS.  IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SUPPORTING THE PODCAST ON PATREON, CLICK ON THE PATREON LINK IN THE EPISODE NOTES.    

JOIN US IN TWO WEEKS FOR SHOWDOWN #8 AS OLIVIA AND NOAH DEBATE WHETHER THERE SHOULD BE TAXES.  IF YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT TAXES BEFORE LISTENING TO THE NEXT DEBATE, CHECK OUT EPISODE 230 OF CURIOUS KID PODCAST, CURIOUS ABOUT TAXES.  AS ALWAYS, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR LISTENING TO OLIVIA AND NOAH DEBATE IN *** THE GREAT SIBLING SHOWDOWN***