“Hairy panic” is a weed that’s wreaking havoc in a small Australian town. The panic in its name has nothing to do with extreme anxiety or overpowering fear. Hairy panic, also known as panic grass, in the scientific genus Panicum, which comprises certain cereal-producing grasses, and derives from Latin panus, or “ear of millet.” This is part of a complete episode.
Transcript of “Hairy Panic”
Grant, do you know what hairy panic is?
It’s when my son refuses to get his long hair cut.
Could be.
And runs around like a crazy man.
Could be.
Because he doesn’t want to get it washed either.
Yeah, he’s got long hair.
He does, yeah.
Very long hair, yeah.
What is it?
No, hairy panic is a native grass in Australia that thrives in warm, dry conditions and ends up sort of like tumbleweed. And there are towns in Australia right now that have this overabundance of hairy panic.
Oh, I saw those videos. Oh, they’re crazy, aren’t they? They’re like filling houses or something.
Yeah, yeah. Every day these hairy panic tumbleweeds fill up people’s driveways and then you see their cars driving out from this giant pile of hairy panic. Organic matter, yeah. Yeah. But the name was there before it started invading this town.
But we will link to those videos. Why? Does it have like psychoactive properties or something?
No, no, no.
It’s a different kind of panic.
It comes from a Latin word that means a kind of grain or millet.
Oh, interesting.
And it’s kind of hairy.
But there are these videos online of these giant puff wads of hairy panic.
They’re covering cars and houses, and people are digging out from them every single day.
It’s bizarre.
Yeah.
Look the videos up.
They’re awesome.
We’ll link to them on our website, 877-929-9673.
