Curiosity Weekly

Learn about why you have false memories of doing daily tasks; how we know that dogs might be able to sense Earth’s magnetic field via magnetoreception; and the science behind why there’s no up or down in space. Science confirms we create false memories of doing daily tasks by Steffie Drucker Paper: Mundane behavioral decisions, actions can be “misremembered” as done. (2020). EurekAlert! https://ww...

To wrap up our Shark Week coverage, learn about why the US military tried to develop "Shark Chaser" shark repellent during World War II. Then, learn about the leading theories explaining why moths are drawn to lights; and the difference between mummies and fossils. Get even more from Shark Week 2020 on Discovery’s Daily Bite Podcast: https://www.discovery.com/shark-week/everything-you-need-to-know...

Forrest Galante, host of “Extinct or Alive” on Animal Planet, helps us celebrate Shark Week by explaining how we search for — and find! — lost species in the open ocean. Then, you’ll learn about the two types of nostalgia (reflective nostalgia and restorative nostalgia) and how they can influence your well-being. Get even more from Shark Week 2020 on Discovery’s Daily Bite Podcast: https://www.dis...

Forrest Galante, host of “Extinct or Alive” on Animal Planet, helps us celebrate Shark Week by explaining why sharks are so important to their ecosystems. You’ll also learn about giant prehistoric sea scorpions called Eurypterids who used to rule the sea and how cats affect online dating. More from Animal Planet’s “Extinct or Alive” and host Forrest Galante: Extinct or Alive official website — htt...

Learn about whether sharks can really smell a drop of blood from a mile away; how some sharks give birth from two uteruses (and why that’s not even the weirdest part); and the complicated way interstellar travel can mess with language. Can sharks really smell a drop of blood from a mile away? by Grant Currin Shark Smell Myth Found Fishy. (2013, July 10). Inside Science. https://www.insidescience.o...

To celebrate Shark Week, learn about why people are afraid of sharks; how scientists discovered four new species of “walking” sharks (also called epaulette sharks); and how enhanced rock weathering might help us fight climate change with rocks. People are afraid of sharks for 3 psychological reasons by Kelsey Donk Ipsos editor. (2015, July 7). Sharks: Half (51%) of Americans are Absolutely Terrifi...

Learn about the Luhn algorithm (the genius math behind credit card numbers) and how parents’ brains synchronize when they’re together. Then, play along at home and test your podcast knowledge with this month’s Curiosity Challenge trivia game. The genius math behind credit card numbers by Cameron Duke Berry, N. (2014, January 8). How Credit Card Numbers Work. Gizmodo; Gizmodo. https://gizmodo.com/h...

Learn the surprising reason why religious people tend to have more children; why sea turtles are actually pretty clumsy navigators; and where astronomers found the center of our solar system (spoiler alert: it’s not the center of our sun). Evolution explains why religious people have more children by Kelsey Donk New research examines links between religion and parental support from non-family memb...

Learn about how culture plays a role in feeling sick; that time scientists measured all the light in the known universe; and what Jurassic Park got wrong about the Dilophosaurus, that venomous dinosaur with the frilly collar. Culture plays a role in feeling sick by Kelsey Donk Researchers study role culture plays in feeling sick. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-03/...

Learn about why you have tiny rocks in your ears; why the self-congruity effect of music says you may prefer music by artists who have a similar personality to you; and how chemotherapy began as a chemical weapon. There are tiny rocks in your ears that help you detect motion by Cameron Duke Inner Ear “Rock Slides” Lead To Vertigo. (n.d.). NPR.org. https://www.npr.org/2009/04/27/103463398/inner-ear...

Learn about why some words are more memorable than others; how hair growth works; and how fish end up in landlocked lakes. Brain study reveals why some words are more memorable than others by Kelsey Donk NIH study finds out why some words may be more memorable than others. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-06/nion-nsf062620.php Xie, W., Bainbridge, W. A., Inati, S. K...

Learn about why more advertising means less happiness; how to calculate your maximum heart rate; and how parents and kids can help language researchers during the pandemic, with help from an app called KidTalk. The more ads we see, the less happy we are by Kelsey Donk Advertising Makes Us Unhappy. (2019, December 31). Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2020/01/advertising-makes-us-unhappy Ad...

Stanford behavior scientist Dr. BJ Fogg, author of “Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything,” explains why the best new habits are tiny ones. Then, learn why human infants are late bloomers compared to other baby animals. More from Dr. BJ Fogg, Stanford behavior scientist: Pick up “Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything” on Amazon https://amazon.com Official website ht...

Stanford behavior scientist Dr. BJ Fogg explains new research into how you can pick new habits you’ll actually stick with. Then, you’ll learn about the best time of day to exercise. More from Dr. BJ Fogg, Stanford behavior scientist: Pick up “Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything” on Amazon https://amazon.com Official website https://www.bjfogg.com/ Behavior Design Lab at Stanford...

Learn about how scientists and animals are benefitting from the “anthropause” during the coronavirus pandemic; why sweat from stress smells worse than regular sweat; and whether men really “see less mess” than women. We're in the "anthropause," a unique opportunity to study wildlife by Steffie Drucker McGreevy, N. (2020, July). Scientists Propose a New Name for Nature in the Time of COVID-19: The...

Learn about how humans literally use their noses to navigate; why the blue blood of horseshoe crabs is essential for developing drugs like a COVID-19 vaccine; and the truth behind 5 myths about summer dangers. Humans use their noses to navigate, and both nostrils are important by Grant Currin Humans navigate with stereo olfaction. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-06...

Learn how researchers test drugs for deadly diseases like COVID-19 (without exposing participants); how Fannie Farmer transformed cooking from folk art into science; and how the Shepard scale audio illusion makes it sound like a tone is rising forever. Safety in drug trials by Ashley Hamer (Listener question from Habib) Q/A: How clinical trials test vaccines - News Story | VCU Health. (2020). Vcuh...

Learn about why you might feel stronger after just one workout; why the Earth’s core doesn’t melt, even though it’s so hot; and prosopagnosia, the surprising neurological condition of face blindness. Feeling stronger after one workout? It's not your muscles, it's your nervous system by Grant Currin Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. (2016). United Kingdom: Human Kinetics. https://ww...

Learn about why children develop racial prejudice unless their parents teach them otherwise; why archaeologists studying Stonehenge may have found the largest prehistoric structure in all of Europe; and why cats have vertical pupils. Children will develop racial prejudice unless their parents teach them otherwise by Kelsey Donk What white parents get wrong about raising antiracist kids — and how t...

Learn about why lockdown has made us need nature more than ever; why plants are green; and how microbes and parasites might actually make us healthier. Why lockdown has made us need exposure to nature more than ever by Kelsey Donk ‘Nature Deficit Disorder’ Is Really a Thing. (2020, June 23). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/23/parenting/nature-health-benefits-coronavirus-outdoor...

Learn about whether adult neurogenesis can help humans grow new brain cells; the super cool way dolphins learn how to use tools; and how keeping good “zeitgeber hygiene” by sticking to a regular routine can keep you happy and healthy. Can you grow new brain cells as an adult? by Grant Currin Yong, E. (2018, March 7). Study: Does Adult Neurogenesis Exist in Humans? The Atlantic; The Atlantic. https...

Learn about how spies can use light bulbs to eavesdrop on conversations; why atoms remind us of our solar system; and how you predictably lower your standards when waiting for the best option. Please vote for Curiosity Daily in the 2020 Podcast Awards! Just register, select Curiosity Daily in the categories of People’s Choice, Education, and Science & Medicine , and click "submit" (voting in other...

Learn about whether chocolate actually causes acne breakouts; how to get around Miller’s law, which describes the limits of your short-term memory; and why one of the first gallbladder surgeries happened on a kitchen table. Does chocolate actually cause breakouts? by Andrea Michelson Kitchens, S. (2012, June 5). Does Chocolate Cause Acne? A Top Dermatologist Gives Us The Real Answer. HuffPost; Huf...

Learn about the first physical evidence that shows how our brains store short-term memory; EndeavorRx, the first ever prescription video game; and why hummingbirds can see colors that you can’t. Scientists may have found how short term memory is physically stored by Andrea Michelson Possible physical trace of short-term memory found. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020...

Learn about why “everyday sadism” might help explain trolling and bullying; why our quality of sleep is worse during lockdown (and how to fix it); and a breakthrough random number generation algorithm that could help researchers analyze complex systems. Plus: Cody nerds out about Games Done Quick and video game speed runs! Blame "everyday sadism" for trolling, bullying, and violent crime by Kelsey...