Hi, we're here from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter in just a few minutes.

I'm Cody Gough.

And I'm Ashley Hamer.

Today you learn about why Earthworms are only good for the planet if they're in the right place.

Whether it's better to read books or listen to them,

and a freak accident from the 1800s that changed brain science forever.

With satisfy some curiosity.

Earthworms can be good for the planet, but only if they're in the right place.

And we'll tell you how you can help your local parks by knowing what to do about them.

Earthworms have long been considered a gardener's best friend

since they can help aerate and enrich the

soil and even help the planet as a whole. The problem is that most earthworm

species you'll find in North America also happen to be invasive pests that are a threat to

hardwood forests. Yeah, here's a fun fact. If you live in North America, you've

probably never seen a native earthworm.

Most of the native earthworm species around here were killed off during the last ice age,

but earthworms from Europe started to show up with settlers in the 1600s, hitchhiking in ships ballast and the soil of imported plants.

And today a global economy brings soil, mulch, and fishing bait from all over,

complete with foreign worms from Asia, Europe, and elsewhere

riding aboard.

Meanwhile, for nearly 10 millennia, the forests of North America evolved to get along without

earthworms.

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