Curiosity Weekly

Learn about why people have illusions of control; that time scientists made desert ants walk on stilts to test the pedometer hypothesis; and how to reduce your chances of getting hurt when you fall. Illusions of control may arise not because humans ignore evidence, but because they're very sensitive to it by Kelsey Donk Yon, D. (2020, December 2). It’s not necessarily deluded to feel in control wh...

Learn about the safest way to ride in a car with someone during a pandemic; the science of the "home team advantage" and the surprising impact time zones can have on sports performance; and the failed COVID-19 vaccines you may not have heard about. This is the safest way to ride in a car with someone during a pandemic by Kelsey Donk Airflow modeling suggests driving with all windows down safest to...

Science journalist and author James Nestor explains how you can breathe better. Then, learn about the secret identity of Bitcoin creator “Satoshi Nakamoto” and whether farming really was a step up for our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Additional resources for James Nestor: Pick up "Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3qoXzaL James Nestor's website: https://www.mrjamesnes...

James Nestor, science journalist and author of the book "Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art,” explains how you might be breathing wrong. Plus: learn about the surprising way spiders spin their webs in zero gravity. Spiders in zero g orient their webs with light by Steffie Drucker Spiders in space: without gravity, light becomes key to orientation. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/...

Learn about how the Oura smart ring could detect fever before you feel it; why there are no stars in moon landing photos; and why it “stinks” that honeybees have been documented using tools for the first time. This smart ring may detect fever before you feel it by Steffie Drucker A smart ring shows it’s possible to detect fever before you feel it. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub...

Learn about why February only has 28 days; why early birds and night owls aren’t the only two chronotypes; and why the anchoring effect says you should always make the first offer when you’re negotiating. Why Does February Have 28 Days? by Joanie Faletto Why Are There Only 28 Days in February? (2017, February). Mentalfloss.com. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/55327/why-are-there-only-28-days-f...

Learn about a newly discovered way to cut down on intrusive thoughts; why wombats poop cubes; and why UPS trucks almost never make left turns. Cut down on intrusive thoughts by getting more sleep by Kelsey Donk Study reveals role of sleep deprivation in unwanted thoughts. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-10/uoy-srr102020.php Harrington, M. O., Ashton, J. E., Sankara...

Author Priya Parker explains how to fix the biggest mistakes you’re making in your virtual gatherings. Plus: learn about how language can affect the amount of pain a bilingual person experiences; and why the world’s largest waterfall probably isn’t what you think it is. Additional resources from Priya Parker: Pick up "The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters" on Amazon: https://amzn.to...

Author Priya Parker explains how you can make your next gathering more meaningful. But first, you’ll learn about TRPC1, a molecule that promotes muscle health when it’s magnetized. Researchers find a molecule that promotes muscle health when it's magnetized by Cameron Duke Kurth, F., Tai, Y. K., Parate, D., Oostrum, M., Schmid, Y. R. F., Toh, S. J., Yap, J. L. Y., Wollscheid, B., Othman, A., Dittr...

Learn about an easy trick for making needles less painful; how ancient Mayans used zeolite to filter water more than 2,000 years ago; and the story behind moonmoons, the hilarious name astronomers have proposed for moons that orbit other moons. Smiling or grimacing reduces needle pain by Steffie Drucker Smiling sincerely or grimacing can significantly reduce the pain of needle injection. (2020, De...

Learn about why small talk is important for coworkers during the workday; why gossip is actually pretty good for you; and how some frogs survive the winter by literally becoming “frogcicles.” Small talk during the workday is crucial, and remote workers may not be getting enough of it by Kelsey Donk Psychology research shows “water cooler talk” can have big benefits. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www...

Learn about why sensitive questions won’t make conversations as uncomfortable as you think; why static is worse in winter than in summer; and the “umami synergy” behind why bacon and eggs go together so well. Sensitive questions won't make conversations as uncomfortable as you think by Kelsey Donk The Case for Asking Sensitive Questions. (2020, November 24). Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.or...

Author Jen Sincero explains why it’s important to form and maintain habits. You’ll also learn about why phantom limb sensations are way more common than you think; and how the Large Magellanic Cloud, or LMC, is warping the Milky Way galaxy. Additional resources from author Jen Sincero Pick up "Badass Habits: Cultivate the Awareness, Boundaries, and Daily Upgrades You Need to Make Them Stick" from...

Author Jen Sincero explains how changing your thoughts, beliefs, and words can help you stick to your goals and successfully form new habits. Plus, learn how ancient Puebloans survived in the desert badlands of New Mexico with help from secret underground ice reserves. How did ancestral Puebloans survive in the 'Badlands?' They had a secret ice reserve by Grant Currin Geoscientists discover Ancest...

Learn about how social connection may be as basic of a human need as hunger; the ongoing scientific debate around how ice skating actually works; and the Uberman sleep cycle, a polyphasic sleep schedule that was allegedly used by Leonardo da Vinci and Nikola Tesla. Social connection may be a "basic human need" like hunger by Kelsey Donk Pattillo, A. (2020, November 23). Loneliness and hunger light...

Learn about why you shouldn’t add oil to your pasta water; a simple way to help kids think better; and why your dog’s paws smell like corn chips. Here's Why You Shouldn't Add Oil to Your Pasta Water by Ashley Hamer Helmenstein, A. M. (2019). Why Don’t Oil and Water Mix? ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/why-oil-and-water-dont-mix-609193 Corriher, S. (2007, April 10). Cooking Pasta Properly. Fin...

Learn about how disgusting sights literally turn your stomach; and why tattoos are permanent. Then, play along at home as we test your podcast knowledge in this month’s edition of the Curiosity Challenge trivia game. Disgusting sights literally turn your stomach by Cameron Duke Nord, C. L., Dalmaijer, E. S., Armstrong, T., Baker, K., & Dalgleish, T. (2020). A Causal Role for Gastric Rhythm in Huma...

Learn about a new discovery about STEVE, the weird streak of color in the Canadian skies; how a “wind phone” in Otsuchi, Japan, helped thousands cope with grief after losing their loved ones; and why we judge others more harshly than we judge ourselves. There's a new discovery about STEVE, the weird aurora discovered by citizen scientists by Grant Currin STEVE may be even less like typical auroras...

Learn about the benefits of laughter yoga with the founder of the laughter club movement, Dr. Madan Kataria. You’ll also learn about a major breakthrough in the way scientists are searching for dark matter. This new dark-matter detection method is 10x more precise by Grant Currin Seeing dark matter in a new light. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-11/ras-sdm110520.ph...

Learn about how the Faroe Islands created their own Google Street View using sheep; why some vaccines (like Pfizer’s and Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccines) have to be kept so cold; and why it’s easier to understand a second language than it is to speak it. The Faroe Islands Created Their Own Google Street View with Sheep by Anna Todd Visit Faroe Islands - The ultimate guide to the Faroe Islands. (2016)....

Learn about why you can have an emotional reaction to music even when it’s not being played; how people have been performing brain surgery for thousands of years; and why some bathroom light switches are outside the room. People can have emotional reactions to music even when it's not being played by Kelsey Donk Emotional responses to music - without a sound – News. (2020, November 18). News. http...

Learn about how your brain treats beautiful faces differently from beautiful objects; why the town of Baarle sits on one of the world’s most complex international borders; and what might happen if you’re eating during a car accident. Your brain treats beautiful faces differently from beautiful objects by Kelsey Donk Our Brains Have Two Distinct “Beauty Centres”: One For Art And One For Faces. (202...

Learn about why Wolf-Rayet stars are the brightest stars in the sky; why immune cells in your brain may have started out in your gut; and the history of why we can thank Grace Hopper for calling computer glitches “bugs.” Wolf-Rayet Stars Are Ridiculously Hot, Bright, and Massive by Ashley Hamer Howell, E. (2018, October 24). Sirius: Brightest Star in Earth’s Night Sky. Space.com; Space. https://ww...

Learn about how scientists just measured the quickest event ever recorded; how tiny remoras (suckerfish) stay stuck to fast-moving whales; and why being too busy could be killing your creativity. Scientists have just measured the shortest amount of time, ever. by Cameron Duke Grundmann, S., Trabert, D., Fehre, K., Strenger, N., Pier, A., Kaiser, L., Kircher, M., Weller, M., Eckart, S., Schmidt, L....

Learn about how you can de-clutter your life with the Swedish concept of döstädning, or “death cleaning.” Then, learn about how Alfred Russel Wallace, the “other” scientist who discovered natural selection. Use Swedish Death Cleaning to Declutter Your Life by Ashley Hamer Gyan Yankovich. (2018, April). A Beginner’s Guide To Swedish Death Cleaning. BuzzFeed. https://www.buzzfeed.com/gyanyankovich/w...