Curiosity Weekly

Today, you’ll learn about how carnivorous plants evolved from their more peaceful ancestors, how there’s an apparent difference in the frequency and severity of head injuries between male and female athletes, and about a new theory regarding the cause of Alzheimer’s. Plants that eat flesh? “How Carnivorous Plants Evolved” by Stephanie Pain https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-carnivor...

Today, we’re talking to Explorers Club member, Dr. George C. Nield. Dr. George C. Nield is currently the Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation at the Federal Aviation Administration (or FAA). He has over 30 years of aerospace experience and has worked with the Air Force and NASA. Dr Nield came to the FAA from the Orbital Sciences Corporation, where he served as a Senior Scien...

Today, you’ll learn about why it's best to leave your shoes at the door when you come inside, how animals form and maintain their mesmerizing murmurations, and how certain food storage products release sub-microscopic, plastic particles when exposed to hot water. Your mom was right about taking your shoes off inside. “The science is in: wearing shoes inside your home is just plain gross” by Mark P...

Today, you’ll learn about how the next step in nuclear fusion is actually a real estate question, how the death of our sun would be a beautiful thing to see if we were around to witness it, and how an athlete’s desire for perfection can lead to them burning out with their sport altogether. Nuclear plants near the nuclear family. “The World's First Nuclear Fusion Power Plant Is Coming” by Caroline...

Today for our Explorers Club series, we are about to be hit by a meteorite of space knowledge as we have a wildly accomplished scientist and researcher entering our atmosphere, Dr. Nina Lanza. She is the Team Lead for Space and Planetary Exploration in Space and Remote Sensing at Los Alamos National Laboratory. She is also the Principle Investigator of the ChemCam instrument on the Mars Curiosity...

Today, you’ll learn about how humans could potentially evolve to be venomous, the challenges of repurposing used electric car batteries, and how people who hate magic are more likely to have certain socially aversive traits, like needing to control social situations. The good and the bad side of snake venom. “Could Humans Ever be Venomous?” by Stephanie Pappas https://www.livescience.com/could-hum...

Today, you’ll learn about an ancient couple found buried in an embrace, why it’s so darn hard to keep fleas off your beloved pets, and how your body’s natural chemistry can help you get a leg up on diet and exercise if you begin to build the habits. They took “til death do you part” seriously. “1,500-year-old burial in China holds lovers locked in eternal embrace” by Laura Geggel https://www.lives...

Today, you’ll hear our interview with Richard Garriott, the president of the Explorers Club. Garriott is not only the first American second generation astronaut, but also the first person to visit both poles, outer space and dive to the Mariana Trench. He started out as a video game designer, and as soon as he made enough money, he began investing in human space flight, creating a company called S...

Today, you’ll learn about the state of the Amazon rainforest, the truth behind the mythical sugar rush, and how studies involving MRI scans may have been too small to produce significant results, but researchers may have found a solution. The forest needs attention - not the company. “75% of Amazon rainforest shows signs of loss, a 'tipping point' of dieback, study shows” by Doyle Rice ttps://www....

Today, you’ll learn about why our ability to remember things seems to get worse with age—it’s not memory loss, which animals could become the new dominant species in the event of our extinction, and how an unsupportive romantic partner can actually affect the way you think and feel about yourself. Maybe your mom was right about cleaning your room. “How Memory ‘Clutter’ Makes it Harder to Remember...

Calli and Nate interview members of The Explorers Club, and today you’re going to hear from a man who largely represents what The Explorers Club is all about - Josh Gates. Josh Gates is a fearless explorer and adventurer and host of Discovery's popular, long running series Expedition Unknown . He's also hosting a brand new series that chronicles the incredible history of the club, called Tales fro...

Today, you’ll learn about how cultures across the world often make constellations from the same groups of stars due to the nature of vision and perception, what to do when an animal tries to steal your food during a picnic on the beach, and drones smaller than a red blood cell that can be controlled using only the power of light. Does your star pattern look like my star pattern? “Constellations Ac...

Today, you’ll learn about how the human sense of smell may be much better than we ever thought, how the bones inside your body are having interesting conversations with your organs, and a new innovation in desalination technology that uses significantly less energy than its predecessors. What’s that smell? “Let’s obliterate the myth that humans have a bad sense of smell” by Brian Resnick https://w...

Today, you’ll learn about the benefits of shading rooftop gardens with solar panels, caffeine’s dark secrets, and how the first image from the James Webb telescope promises a great run for Hubble’s successor. The sun really can feed you. “Your Rooftop Garden Could Be a Solar-Powered Working Farm” by Matt Simon https://www.wired.com/story/your-rooftop-garden-could-be-a-solar-powered-working-farm/ “...

Today, you’ll learn about a new process that can make cells younger by up to thirty years, the incredible artificial intelligence that is helping piece together the puzzles of ancient texts, and how researchers have developed a rapid test for viruses like coronavirus that is just as accurate as PCR tests and takes only thirty minutes. The fountain of youth may be closer than we think. “‘Time Jump’...

Today, you’ll learn about some incredible new surfing technology that makes the sport possible even if you don’t live near the ocean, why the lab-grown meat industry needs to be beefed up to solve food system problems, and how the link between multiple sclerosis and the Epstein-Barr virus is leading to potential treatments for the illusive and damaging MS. Turns out you don’t need an ocean to surf...

Today, you’ll learn about how your brushing routine may not be the biggest factor in whether or not you get cavities, how a new method of building pharmaceutical production facilities may bring medical access to previously underserved regions, and how the discovery of a plastic-eating bacteria could revolutionize the recycling industry. Brush but STILL get cavities? You’re not alone (and brushing...

Today, you’ll learn about how doctors may have accidentally confirmed that our lives do flash before our eyes just before death, the scientists aiming to legitimize art and music therapy as treatment for mental trauma and how scientists are pulling diamonds out of thin air! ... Essentially. Your life flashing before your eyes isn’t just a thing in movies. It’s real.    “Life may actually flash bef...

Today, you’ll learn about why studying human intimacy in space is necessary for humanity, the mysterious sixth sense human beings have, which is not seeing dead people, and how researchers used artificial intelligence to figure out a way to speak pig. Scientists say: we really do need to talk about sex in space.  “Inside the push to study sex in space” by Mark Hay https://www.mic.com/life/sex-in-s...

Today, you’ll learn about an interesting way pills made from poop could help millions of people with allergies, how researchers edited the contents of a pair of donor lungs to better match the recipient, and how pain can affect a baby’s development and what parents can do about it. Peanut allergies are being treated in an…interesting new way.  "Fecal transplant pills helped some peanut allergy suf...

Today, you’ll learn about some new, emerging data that is giving us surprising insight into human metabolism, how magic mushrooms are on the forefront of mental health treatment and new jet technology that could get us anywhere in the world in under two hours. True or False: your metabolism slows as you age. The answer isn’t what you think!  “Burn, baby, burn: the new science of metabolism” by Dav...

Today, you’ll learn about the real science behind the five second rule and why you may wanna reconsider eating that candy off the ground, why researchers are looking to our furry friends to build better early warning systems for natural disasters, and why the first animal to ever fly had a real issue keeping its lunch down. Drop a french fry? Maybe just leave it there.  5-second rule: Science debu...

Today, you’ll learn about how researchers at MIT created an incredible new type of fabric that can save thousands of lives, how sleep scientists are explaining alien abductions, and how evolution is being sped up by human beings, causing ripple effects all over the place. We have clothing with speakers, clothing you can hear, but now there’s clothing that can hear you .  This fabric can hear your...

Today, you’ll learn about a brilliant biotechnology that is turning mosquitoes against themselves, how babies use a slimy indicator to figure out who can be trusted and the freaky things that would happen if we messed with the speed of light. Hate mosquitos? These modified mosquitoes do, too.  Millions of genetically modified mosquitoes may soon be buzzing in Florida and California. Here's why. by...

Today, you’ll learn about the cutest warriors helping humans on the front lines in the fight against climate change, an important new study that reveals how you can add years to your life, yes… years, and an ancient Mayan dental practice that added some flashy bling to their teeth. Otter’s holding hands? Adorable, AND these little cuties are on the front lines of climate change.  The Cutest Way to...