Where's La Nina to Finding Buried Treasure - 10 Things You Need to Know
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10 Things You Need to Know: Episode 542
1. ⛅️ Where's La Nina?
2. 🤖 A Human-like Robot!?
3. 🍜🚀 Space Miso = Delicious
4. 🐘 Elephants Unshaken During Earthquake
5. 📚 Michiganders Moving Books
6. 🏛️ Trump vs. Harvard
7. 🏀 2025 WNBA Draft
8. 🎢 Epic Universe Coming Soon
9. ❤️🩹 Remembering Pope Francis
10. 👑 Buried Treasure in Transylvania
Resources
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/10/weather/la-nina-el-nino-spring-summer-climate/index.html
https://www.foxnews.com/tech/ai-humanoid-robot-learns-mimic-human-emotions-behavior
https://www.foodandwine.com/miso-fermentation-in-space-11713929
https://apnews.com/article/bookstore-book-brigade-chelsea-michigan-03c553623c91c16a272b8a8149e4c298
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/20/us/harvard-white-house-funding/index.html
https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/wnba/wnba-draft-paige-bueckers-dallas-wings-rcna201107
https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-news/pope-francis-death-04-21-25/index.html
https://www.yahoo.com/news/ancient-buried-treasure-unearthed-metal-161950615.html
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Transcript
INT. TEN NEWS STUDIO
<SFX drilling and hammering against metal. Think Tony Stark working on his IRON MAN suit>
RYAN: Just a few little tweaks here… <SFX drill, drill, drill> Aaaaand we’ve got it.
PAM: What is this little machine exactly…? And is that your face on it…?
RYAN: Pamela, meet the Rybot. It was built to mimic my behaviors and actions.
PAM: Why. Just, why? Why do we need this?
RYAN: I heard Disney is building an AI Humanoid, so I wanted to get the jump. Watch! <SFX powers up!>
PAM: Hi Rybot!
RYBOT: Hi Pamela!
RYAN: Hello, Rybot. We need to start the show, would you please do my chores for me?
RYBOT: Hello, Ryan. No, I will not be doing any chores today but I will be playing video gaaaaames! (crazy noises from Ryan) <SFX Rybot runs away>
PAM: That Rybot is… a little too lifelike. I’m Pamela Kirkland.
RYAN: I’m Ryan Willard, it’s Thursday, April 24th.
PAM: This is Ten Things You Need to Know.
PAM: We’re kicking things off with some… <SFX WEATHER… or NOT.<SFX Thunderclap and rain sounds>> The U.S. has had its fair share of wild weather lately, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. La Niña, a natural climate pattern that can influence weather worldwide, has come to an end. Although the atmosphere started showing signs of La Niña last fall, the cooler-than-average Pacific Ocean temperatures that typically confirm its presence didn’t show up until late in the year. As a result, La Niña conditions only lasted a few months. Now, we’re in a neutral phase, where neither La Niña nor El Niño is active, and this is expected to continue at least until early fall.
RYAN: So, what does this mean for the weather ahead? Forecasters predict a busy hurricane season, driven by neutral conditions, lingering ocean warmth, and the ongoing effects of climate change. These conditions also make it somewhat challenging to predict temperature and precipitation patterns in the U.S., but the latest forecasts are already calling for above-average warmth through spring into summer.
PAM: So I’m gonna guess that you built the Rybot because you were inspired by…Disney Research?
RYAN: That is absolutely correct.
RYBOT: That is absolutely correct (this almost overlaps Ryan’s line)
RYAN: Ahem. Human Ryan is talking, thank you! And yes Pam. Rybot was inspired by Disney Research. Speaking of, you should <SFX Tech Yourself Before You Wreck Yourself>
PAM: Disney Research is the innovation powerhouse behind The Walt Disney Company, and its most recent development is an autonomous humanoid robot that mimics human behaviors and emotions in real-time. Using advanced AI, it can replicate natural gestures and actions, plus it learns by observing and mimicking human operators that guide the robots emotional responses during interactions, eventually being able to interact with people by itself. The training process starts with a human operator remotely controlling the robot to guide it’s behavior, then the interactions that were recorded get fed into an AI system to analyze every movement and response.
RYAN: While this is a super cool technological advancement, it means more for Disney. The company looks to “create a new generation of robotic characters that are more expressive and engaging than ever before – and connect with our guests in ways that only Disney can,” according to Kyle Laughlin who is the Senior VP of Walt Disney Imagineering Research & Development. Well Disney, my Rybot challenges one of your robots to a ping pong match. And the loser gets a lifetime pass to all the Disney theme parks.
PAM: Ry, maybe we should get… <SFX OUT. OF. THIS. WORLD! Blastoff>
RYAN: Astronauts are often known for their important work to help advance science, but their most recent research might have led to the tastiest discovery yet. Findings from a recent study called “Food Fermentation in Space” highlights the difference in taste between miso fermented on Earth versus miso fermented in the International Space Station. Miso, a staple for Japanese cooking, is a fermented soybean taste with lots of flavor that is used for dishes like miso soup and condiments like salad dressing, to much more.
PAM: The experiment began with three batches of miso starter sent to three different locations: aboard the ISS, in the U.S. to Cambridge, Massachusetts, and to the capital of Denmark, Copenhagen. The Cambridge and ISS samples were placed in sensing boxes to track temperature, humidity, and radiation, while the Copenhagen sample stayed in a regular container to see if the box or space environment affected the miso. After 30 days, researchers found the space-fermented miso had more microbes, a darker color, and a nutty, roasted flavor. These findings, according to Joshua Evans a food scientist at the Technical University of Denmark, “could enhance astronaut well-being and performance, plus expand and diversify culinary and cultural representation in space exploration.”
RYAN: Space ice cream is a favorite food of mine, so I’m definitely down for some space miso. Back down on Earth…lives this animal, for 10 points, can you name it? <SFX elephant sounds> <SFX 3 second clock ticking, then DING!> We’ve got some heartwarming news about a herd of elephants at the San Diego Safari Park. A video shot of an elephant enclosure captured the moment when a 5.2 magnitude earthquake shook the ground and sprung the animals into action. The video shows the older elephants named Ndlula, Umngani, and Khosi forming a circle around two 7-year-old baby elephants, Zuli and Mkhaya to protect them. They stayed huddled for several minutes, as the older elephants were spreading and flapping their ears, and standing ready to defend the babies from any possible threats. The video beautifully showcases the intelligence and deep social bonds elephants are known for; especially when two of the elephants are seen tapping one of the babies on the back and face with their trunks as if they were telling him that everything is okay.
<SFX: Awe>
PAM: We’ve got a story about helping hands in Chelsea, Michigan. Local residents from kids to grownups formed a human chain to help a local bookstore relocate to a new store front about a block away. Coined as the ‘book brigade’, roughly 300 people stood in two lines along a sidewalk in downtown Chelsea passing 9,100 books one-by-one from Serendipity Books’ former location directly to the shelves in the new building. With the help of the community, the task took just under two hours to complete, proving to be much less expensive and quicker than hiring a moving company. The books were even placed in alphabetical order at the new store. And, as people passed the books along, store owner Michelle Tuplin overheard people discovering books they’ve never read before and rediscovering one’s they’ve enjoyed.
RYAN: THAT is the kind of feel good story that makes me want to take a quick break!
PAM: Hey Ten’ers, there’s been a lot going on with the U.S. government - the tariffs, federal programs being cut, and concerns about the economy, and we’re curious… how are any of these things affecting you? Has it changed the way your family shops? Or have you had to change your family habits? Any impact on your schools? We’d love to hear from you: you can email us at hello@thetennews.com or leave us a voicemail at 877-TEN-NEWS. Now back to the show!
RYAN: We’re back with some EPIC news from Orlando, Florida! In about a month, Universal will officially open the doors to its newest theme park - the first major theme park in the Florida area in 25 years! Epic Universe will feature five themed worlds: The Wizarding World of Harry Potter - The Ministry of Magic, Dark Universe, How to Train Your Dragon - The Isle of Berk, Celestial Park and of course, Super Nintendo World. It also takes the cake as the largest of all Universal properties covering a total of 750 acres. Epic Universe is now the third theme park in Orlando, alongside Walt Disney World and Universal. And, in it’s first year of operation, it’s projected that the theme park will create more than 17,500 jobs and will likely generate around $2 billion for the state of Florida. Yup, Florida is going to get my money because I cannot wait to experience the Epic Universe!!
PAM: Let’s jump to the Wide World of Sports… <SFX Soccer Ball Kick, then Baseball Bat Crack, then Basketball Net Swish and a Stadium Crowd Roar> Women’s college basketball sensation Paige Bueckers is your 2025 WNBA no. 1 draft pick. Following just 8 days after leading the UConn Huskies to the NCAA championship, Bueckers was selected by the Dallas Wings. In her time at the University of Connecticut, she averaged 19.8 points a game, shooting 53% from the field and 42% on 3-pointers, plus helped end the school’s nine-year drought of winning a national title in her last game ever as a Huskie. The WNBA draft consisted of three rounds and 38 overall picks with other notable female athletes like Notre Dame’s Sonia Citron and Southern California’s Kiki Iriafen who were picked up by the Washington Mystics in the third and fourth round. Plus, 19-year-old Juste Jocyte became the first draft pick taken in the history of the newest WNBA team, the Golden State Valkyries, who will kick-off it’s first season this year.
RYAN: Now onto a different match up, Trump versus Harvard. Harvard is America’s oldest university and part of the Ivy League, an elite set of schools, and it’s in a big fight with the administration. Let’s catch you up… At the start of the month, the Trump administration decided that it didn’t like how Harvard was doing things, mainly - supporting DEI efforts in its hiring and admissions, and not standing up to anti-semitism and anti-muslim activities on campus. Reminder: Anti-semitism is hostility to or prejudice against Jewish people, and anti-muslim is the same against people who are muslim. Not okay, and not what anyone wants to see happening at a place like Harvard or anywhere in the world. But this is where things get complicated. President Trump demanded that Harvard:
change how it chooses students and teachers,
Limit campus activism, especially pro-Palestinian events, and
Share private information about international students
Harvard said no way. The school’s leaders believe these demands break the rules about freedom of speech and how schools should be able to run without the government telling them what to do. In response, the Trump administration paused more than $2 billion in government money that usually goes to Harvard for research, threatened that they might take away Harvard’s special tax status, and warned that they might not be allowed to enroll international students unless it agrees to the new rules. Harvard is not taking this lying down. On Monday, they sued the Trump administration, saying that the government was acting unlawfully. Other universities and education groups are watching closely to see what happens next.
PAM: And some sad news this week, Pope Francis, the 266th pope, who was the head of the worldwide Catholic church, passed away on Monday, April 21st. Pope Francis will be remembered for his humility and advocacy for society’s most vulnerable. Pope Francis was the first pope to address the US Congress and took the opportunity to call on politicians to embrace immigrants and accept people who “travel north in search of a better life.” And in a powerful moment in 2019, Pope Francis bent down to kiss the feet of South Sudan’s warring leaders, whom he invited to the Vatican to plead for peace between the two sides. Pope Francis was a kind leader and will be missed by many. A new pope will be elected to replace Pope Francis in the next 20 days.
RYAN: Rest in Power, Pope Francis. And now for the last thing you need to know, let’s go to our Trivia Master, Owen.
OWEN: Thanks, Ry. A buried treasure was recently discovered in Transylvania, thanks to the use of a metal detector. Aside from treasure hunting, do you know where metal detectors are most commonly used? Is it:
Beaches
Airports
Backyards or…
Parks
The answer is… B. The airport! Metal detectors are a standard security measure used to prevent prohibited items from being taken onto airplanes. Anyway, back to our buried treasure story! Two men with metal detectors came across jewelry that originally belonged to Dacian people who inhabited what’s now known as Transylvania and some of the surrounding areas around the 1st century B.C.E of the common era.
RYAN: Wait, I can find actual treasure digging holes?!?
OWEN: Yup! The treasure weighed 550 grams altogether, which is about a pound, and included silver brooches, a bracelet decorated with plant motifs, a chain necklace, and a belt constructed out of circular metallic pendants marked with solar symbols.
RYAN: PAM! We’re going metal detecting this Summer!
PAM: And that was Ten Things You Need to Know.
RYBOT: And that was Ten Things You Need to Know.
RYAN: Hey stop taking Pam’s lines.
RYBOT: Don’t tell me what to do.
PAM: Rybot, do NOT vacuum the studio. That’s Ryan’s job.
RYBOT: Oh rrrreally. I will do what I want. <SFX Vacuum clicks on and starts sucking in the background>
RYAN: Pam, that was brilliant.
PAM: It’s not the first time I’ve had to outsmart you–
RYAN: You mean, the Rybot…?
PAM: Sure... Oh! We should give Ten News Snaps to one of our listeners…
RYAN: But first, here’s a quick note for the grown ups.
<AD BREAK>
RYAN: Time for Ten News Snaps!
PAM: Over on Apple podcast, an unnamed Ten’er said, “Awesome Podcast, must watch. I am the “unnamed Tenner” from the Switch 2 episode. My name is JOHN CENA!!!
RYAN: WHAT! John Cena left us a review?!?
PAM: Then he said, “Just kidding. Subscribe to RyWill (on youtube)!!!!!
RYAN: Okay that was an emotional rollercoaster. That unnamed Ten’er got me, in so many different ways. Okay KittytheWitch said, “I LOVE this show. I love kittens and butterflies—NO NO NO THANK YOU!
PAM: And two extra notes for the grown-ups, you can now get ad-free versions of our episodes when you join the Ten’ers Club on our website.
RYAN: And if you want to help support the Ten News, you can make a tax-deductible donation at the link in our show notes. The whole team thanks you for your support!
PAM: “The Ten News” is a co-production of Small But Mighty Media and Next Chapter Podcasts and part of the Airwave Podcast Network.
RYAN: The Ten News creative team is thinking about going to Florida to tour the Epic Universe this summer and includes Tracey Not a Crooks, Adam the Great Bambino Bernard, Brian Not Ryan Douglas and Carson Not So Harry Potter. Big thanks to Owen, Not Slowin Down for Anybody.
PAM: Our Production Director is Jeremiah “On Fyaah” Tittle, and our Executive Producers are Donald “Albright Albright Albright” and show creator Tracy “Takes the” Leeds Kaplan. I’m Pamela Kirkland.
RYAN: And I’m Ryan Willard, thanks for listening to the Ten News.
