Curiosity Weekly

Today you’ll learn about neighborhood 3D-printed by a robot, a 4,500 year-old secret chamber recently discovered in the Great Pyramid of Giza, and about research that shows a genetic link between blood sugar and migraines.  3D-Printed Community  “The World’s Largest 3D-Printed Neighborhood Is Here” by Todd Woody, 2023. https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2023-3d-printed-houses-austin-texas/?cmpid=B...

Today we discuss the link between gastrointestinal disorders and mental health, how the path you take walking through a crowd can be predicted by mathematics, and how we’ve now witnessed an example of super propulsion in nature for the first time!  GERD Anxiety  “The causal role of gastroesophageal reflux disease in anxiety disorders and depression: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study” b...

Today you’ll learn about how children raised by same sex couples are just as psychologically healthy as other kids, how face blindness might be way more common than we think, and how paid sick leave is now scientifically proven to benefit both businesses and employees. Same Sex Same Kids   “Children of same-sex couples fare at least as well as in other families - study.” By Nicola Davis. 2023 http...

Today you’ll learn about how archaeologists have found evidence of brain surgery from the Bronze era in the Middle East, how 3D-printed hearts are becoming closer to a reality than ever before, and the recent discovery of how a black hole is eating a dust cloud in space.  Ancient Brain Surgery “Archaeologists uncover early evidence of brain surgery in Ancient Near East” by Brown University https:/...

Today we discuss how infants beat out AI when it comes to common sense, how fruit flies’ use of magnetoreceptors can teach about humans, and what depression has to do with your posture.  Infant Common Sense  “Commonsense psychology in human infants and machines” by Gala Stojnić et al. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010027723000409 “Infants Outperform AI in “Commonsense Psychol...

Today you’ll learn about a robot with the ability to pick up a single drop of water, how scientists have created a computer algorithm that can predict Malaria hotspots, and what naked mole rats have to teach us about human fertility.  One Drop Robot  “New robot can pick up a single drop of liquid” by Stephen Ornes https://www.snexplores.org/article/innovation-2023-robot-can-pick-up-drop-of-liquid...

  Today you’ll learn about how scientists are using AI to talk to animals, the discovery of new, very big, very old candidate galaxies, and how there just may be an extra layer in the earth’s inner core. AI Animal Translator  “How Scientists Are Using AI to Talk to Animals” by Sophie Bushwick https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-scientists-are-using-ai-to-talk-to-animals/ “Bat Chatter Is...

Today we discuss how early morning classes at universities could be leading to poor academic performance, how scientists uncovered the world’s oldest runestone, and a new breakthrough treatment in postpartum depression.  School Sleep “Early morning university classes are associated with impaired sleep and academic performance” by Sing Chen Yeo et al. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41562-023-0153...

Today you’ll learn about how scientists are developing a form of birth control for men, why humans need more sleep during the winter, and how whales are giving up singing their love songs in favor of fighting for mates. Male Contraceptive   “Sperm-Slowing Male Contraceptive Reversibly Inhibits Mouse Fertility” by Ruairi J Mackenzie https://www.technologynetworks.com/drug-discovery/news/sperm-slowi...

Today we discuss how the lost temple of Poseidon may have been discovered, how our circadian rhythms show what time of day is best to exercise, and how researchers decoded a stack of letters written by Mary Queen of Scots during her imprisonment.  WATCH SHAZAM! FURY OF THE GODS ONLY IN THEATERS MARCH 17. (Rated PG-13) Poseidon Temple  “A lost temple for Poseidon may have finally been rediscovered”...

Today we discuss whether or not firing a gun filled with moon dust into space could cool down the planet, how animals that live in social groups usually live longer than solitary creatures, and a saucy discovery from ancient Rome.  To Re-Caf Choose Decaf “A solution to the climate crisis: mining the moon, researchers say” by Oliver Milman https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/feb/08/moon-dust-m...

Today you’ll learn about how fingerprints form, how quickly you can determine whether or not you like a song, and how ancient ancestors to homo sapiens were using tools way earlier than we thought!  Fingerprint Formation  “How fingerprints form was a mystery — until now” by McKenzie Prillaman https://www.sciencenews.org/article/fingerprints-form-mystery “The developmental basis of fingerprint patt...

Today you’ll learn about how a cure for peanut allergies could be on the way to being a reality, how scientists are looking into treatments for an unreachable itch, and how a new study reports that talking about your financial debt makes you more likely to pay it off.  Peanut Allergy Blocker  “Researchers Block Allergic Reactions to Peanuts in Mice” by Sarah Wheelan https://www.technologynetworks....

Today we discuss how decaf coffee can curb symptoms of caffeine withdrawal, how a recent study revealed that those who are rich in money aren’t necessarily rich in intelligence, and a study that looked into cheap and effective preventative cavity treatment.  To Re-Caf Choose Decaf “Decaf coffee reduces caffeine withdrawal – even when you know it’s decaf” by Matthew Warren https://www.bps.org.uk/re...

Today you’ll learn about how rockets are preventing the ozone layer from healing properly, how researchers are figuring out the smells of the ancient world, and how mother orca whales take care of their sons to ensure the survival of their species. Rockets Ruin Ozone  “A rapidly growing rocket industry could undo decades of work to save the ozone layer – unless we act now” by Laura Revell, Michele...

Today you’ll learn about how scientists are using a drug meant for arthritis to mimic blood transfusions, how cinnamon could potentially be improving our brain’s health, and how a new filter is capable of removing 99% of microplastics from water.  Young Blood “Arthritis drug mimics "young blood" transfusions to reverse aging in mice” By Michael Irving https://newatlas.com/medical/arthritis-drug-yo...

Today we discuss what causes a sense of social media fatigue, how scientists are tuning into our brainwaves to make us learn new tasks faster, and how a researcher invented a self-cooling tent that only needs sunshine and water to work.  Social Media Fatigue  “Too much overload and concerns: Antecedents of social media fatigue and the mediating role of emotional exhaustion” by Nan Sheng et al. htt...

Today you’ll learn about how a groundbreaking new study explores the nature of singlehood across the globe, how a new drug might be able to treat alcohol addiction, and how scientists have created a new type of ice that has never been seen on Earth before!  Global Singlehood  “Large-scale cross-cultural study provides insights into mating performance and singlehood” by Mane Kara-Yakoubian https://...

Today you’ll learn about how we are able to measure depression through speech patterns, a recent study that explores whether or not eating at a certain time of day affects weight, and how researchers used paintings to assess pollution levels during the industrial revolution.  Speech Signals of Depression “New research indicates signs of depression can be detected in speech patterns” by Laura Stalo...

Today we discuss how the pandemic has caused physical changes in the brains of teenagers, how geomagnetic disturbances can cause bird migration to go haywire, and why pregnancies in the US are a week and a half shorter on average than they are elsewhere.  Pandemic Brain “Brain scans suggest the pandemic prematurely aged teens’ brains” by Freda Kreier https://www.sciencenews.org/article/covid-pande...

Today you’ll learn about whether or not melatonin can be used to treat anxiety, the development of a laser that can change the path of lightning, and how a recent study shows that children are hard-wired to empathize with dogs!  Melatonin Anxiety  “Melatonin as a Potential Approach to Anxiety Treatment” by Kristina Repova et al. https://www.mdpi.com/1422-0067/23/24/16187 “How Melatonin for Sleep M...

Today you’ll learn about how ancient Roman concrete can heal itself, the recent discovery of a virovore, and how a new study looks into whether or not we can control feelings of guilt through the placebo effect.  Roman Concrete Magic  “Scientists may have found magic ingredient behind ancient Rome’s self-healing concrete” by Jacklin Kwan https://www.science.org/content/article/scientists-may-have-...

Today we discuss how using gas stoves has caused a huge uptick in childhood asthma, how motor memory is developed while we sleep, and how scientists are working to save the larvae of coral reefs!  Gasthma “Population Attributable Fraction of Gas Stoves and Childhood Asthma in the United States” by Talor Gruenwald et al. https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/20/1/75 “Gas stove pollution causes 12.7% of ch...

Today you’ll learn about a potential new treatment for those suffering from brain fog after Covid, how freemium models of mental health apps might cause you to be more stressed out, and how developments in creating a vaccine for fungal infections might make them a thing of the past!  Covid Brain Fog “Potential New Treatment for “Brain Fog” in Long COVID Patients” by Isabella Backman https://medici...

Today we have an extra special episode where we talk to Dan Schachner about this year’s Puppy Bowl, then we’ll learn about the truths and myths of spontaneous human combustion, and how cancer rates in the US have gone down by 33% since the ‘90s!  The Puppy Bowl Human Candles  “Strange reports have claimed humans spontaneously burst into flames, but science can explain how bodies sometimes act like...