Curiosity Weekly

Learn about glow-in-the-dark cities; why holes feel larger with a tongue than a finger; and the maximum volume on Earth. Maybe we can save the planet by making our cities glow in the dark by Briana Brownell Kleiner, K. (2021, November). Will glow-in-the-dark materials someday light our cities? Knowable Magazine | Annual Reviews. https://knowablemagazine.org/article/technology/2021/will-glow-in-the...

Learn why helping others feels like helping ourselves, how wild animals eat healthy, and how the Sahara feeds the Amazon. We're less likely to remember the things we've given to friends than strangers by Kelsey Donk We’re Worse At Remembering Exactly What We’ve Given To Friends Than What We’ve Given To Strangers. (2021, April 12). Research Digest. https://digest.bps.org.uk/2021/04/12/were-worse-at...

Learn about how plants could help us solve the superbug crisis; and how engineers set a world record for internet speed. More from leading medical ethnobotanist Dr. Cassandra Quave: Pick up “The Plant Hunter: A Scientist’s Quest for Nature’s Next Medicines” by Dr. Cassandra Leah Quave: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/612171/the-plant-hunter-by-cassandra-leah-quave/ Quave Research Group: h...

Learn about the butterfly effect; why language mistakes called “eggcorns” still make sense; and tips for crying at work. The stories in this episode originally aired August 8, 2018 https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/the-butterfly-effect-is-why-we-can-t-predict-weath     Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer — for free! Still curious?...

Bill Nye explains why science isn’t just a body of knowledge — it’s a process. Plus: frogs with noise-canceling lungs and why your stomach growls when you’re hungry. Additional resources from Bill Nye: Official website https://billnye.com/ Bill Nye’s podcast, Science Rules! https://www.askbillnye.com/ Pick up “Bill Nye's Great Big World of Science” on Amazon https://amzn.to/3u8iKQi “Everything All...

Learn how tool use and language work in the brain; and why black holes get bigger due to the expansion of the universe. Tool use and language ability go hand in hand by Grant Currin Using mechanical tools improves our language skills. (2021, November 11). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/934004 Thibault, S., Py, R., Gervasi, A. M., Salemme, R., Koun, E., Lövden, M., Boulenger,...

Learn about back pain from space; how cats track their owners; and what davemaoite tells us about Earth’s lower mantle. Space travel causes back pain, and doctors need to find a fix by Cameron Duke Back pain common among astronauts offers treatment insights for the earth-bound. (2021, October 21). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/932251 Penchev, R., Scheuring, R. A., Soto, A. T...

Learn about why opposites don’t really attract; the “propinquity effect”; and when and why we started using last names. Opposites Don’t Attract by Kelsey Donk Johnson, M. D. (2018, February 12). No, opposites do not attract. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/no-opposites-do-not-attract-88839 Montoya, R. M., & Horton, R. S. (2012). A meta-analytic investigation of the processes underlyi...

Dr. Courtney Campbell explains how to treat your puppy’s anxiety. Plus: why “back burner” relationships are unhealthy.  More from The Happy Puppy on DOGTV and Dr. Courtney Campbell: The Happy Puppy on DOGTV: https://watch.dogtv.com/happy-puppy Use code PUPPIES22 to score a free month at https://www.dogtv.com/    Follow @dogtv on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/dogtv/ Dr. Courtney Campbell’s we...

Learn about why you want things just because others do too; a way to reduce wrongful convictions; and Fermilab’s ferret. "Mimetic desires" are things you want because others want them — here's how to spot them by Steffie Drucker Reese, H. (2021, November 8). Mimetic desire: How to avoid chasing things you don’t truly want. Big Think; Big Think. https://bigthink.com/neuropsych/mimetic-desire-luke-b...

Learn about why your romantic relationships are similar; the oldest material on Earth; and cuttlefish with 3-D glasses. Why Your Next Relationship Will Probably Be Like Your Last by Kelsey Donk Changing partners doesn’t change relationship dynamics, study shows. (2019). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-08/uoa-cpd082719.php Johnson, M. D., & Neyer, F. J. (2019). (Eventual) s...

Learn about a race against a wheel of cheese; your personality throughout the day; and effects of extensive eye contact. The stories in this episode originally aired July 6, 2018 https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/you-re-a-different-person-in-the-morning-eye-conta Every Year, People in this English Town Risk Life and Limb to Chase a Wheel of Cheese by Annie Hartman Gloucestershire Cheese Rollin...

Learn how AI may learn to talk to whales; why pedestrians don’t follow the shortest route; and competitiveness in women. Researchers are using AI to understand whale clicks — and talk back to them by Briana Brownell  Hakai Magazine. (2021). Are We on the Verge of Chatting with Whales? | Hakai Magazine. Hakai Magazine; Hakai Magazine. https://hakaimagazine.com/features/are-we-on-the-verge-of-chatti...

Learn about tips for hosting fantastic virtual gatherings; how language affects pain; and the world’s largest waterfalls. Additional resources from Priya Parker: Pick up "The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/38sYHUN Listen to Priya Parker's New York Times Podcast "Together Apart": https://www.nytimes.com/column/together-apart Website: https://www.priyapa...

Learn about a mysterious ancient Roman sauce; puberty happening earlier; and how elephants are getting their tusks back. Garum, an ancient Roman sauce, mysteriously vanished — and culinarians can't recreate it by Steffie Drucker Tonon, R. (2021, June 24). The Team Resurrecting Ancient Rome’s Favorite Condiment. Atlas Obscura; Atlas Obscura. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/garum-fish-sauce Gr...

Learn why the US military bombed a volcano; where heavy elements in the universe come from; and why your mind wanders.  Why the U.S. Government Bombed Mauna Loa in 1935 by Cameron Duke 1935 Eruption of Mauna Loa - Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (U.S. National Park Service). (2016). Nps.gov. https://www.nps.gov/havo/learn/nature/mauna-loa-1935.htm Martín, L. (2021, October 27). La Palma volcano “s...

Learn about brain freeze fixes; neural networks beyond our understanding; and learning new skills with spaced repetition. The stories in this episode originally aired August 29, 2018 https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/neural-networks-why-you-get-brain-freeze-and-a-sci Learn better with the Anki app that Ashley uses: https://apps.ankiweb.net/ Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app t...

Dr. Wendy Suzuki explains how to use anxiety to your advantage. Plus: why grapefruit juice and some medicines don’t mix. More from Dr. Wendy Suzuki: Pick up “Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion” https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Good-Anxiety/Wendy-Suzuki/9781982170738 Dr. Suzuki’s official website: https://www.wendysuzuki.com/ Follow @wasuzuki on Twitter: http...

Learn about pre-performance routines; how panda fur works as camouflage; and how babies are enriched from sign language. A pre-performance routine makes athletes like Michael Jordan and Rafael Nadal perform better, regardless of what it is by Steffie Drucker Athletes with a pre-performance routine perform better. (2021, November 11). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/934597 The...

Learn about why successful people should reveal their failures; the death of planet WASP-12b; and Dutch “tulip mania.” A Reason to Reveal Your Failures by Kelsey Donk HBS Working Knowledge. (2018, December 11). Why Managers Should Reveal Their Failures. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/hbsworkingknowledge/2018/12/11/why-managers-should-reveal-their-failures/#695e82c362e2 Envy Can Be Good for Y...

Learn about linguistic “laws” that also show up in nature; and how two California condors were born without fathers. Linguistic "laws" like Zipf’s law of abbreviation and Menzerath’s law also show up in biology, geography, and more by Grant Currin Jonny Thomson. (2021, October 22). The unknown linguistic laws that apply to all life. Big Think; Big Think. https://bigthink.com/life/linguistic-laws-b...

Learn about how a 30-minute workout can boost your body image; the ideal deadline to avoid procrastination; and how climate change could make the day longer. A 30-Minute Workout Is A Surefire Way To Boost Your Body Image by Anna Todd MacMillan, A. (2017, June 16). How to Feel Thinner in 30 Minutes. Time; Time. https://time.com/4821689/exercise-feel-thin-fast/?xid=newsletter-brief Salci, L. E., & M...

Learn how quitting smoking helps mental health; how to avoid over-practicing; and how to get people to believe science. Quitting smoking is good for your mental health, too by Steffie Drucker Cochrane Review finds stopping smoking is linked to improved mental health. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-03/w-crf030921.php Taylor, G. M., Lindson, N., Farley, A., Leinberg...

Learn about where to find David Copperfield’s secrets; a magnetic tunnel surrounding the Earth; and marine mammal tails. More from David Copperfield: Pick up "David Copperfield's History of Magic": https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/David-Copperfields-History-of-Magic/David-Copperfield/9781982112912 Website: https://www.davidcopperfield.com/ Follow @D_Copperfield on Twitter: https://twitter.co...

World-famous magician David Copperfield explains the surprising connection between magic and technology. Plus: learn about how ducklings get a speed boost when they swim in a line behind their mother. More from David Copperfield: Pick up "David Copperfield's History of Magic": https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/David-Copperfields-History-of-Magic/David-Copperfield/9781982112912 Website: https:...