Curiosity Weekly

Learn about how saturated fat can make it harder for you to focus; why it matters that animals have regional accents; and why Mars used to have rings. A single meal high in saturated fat could make it harder to focus by Kelsey Donk Our ability to focus may falter after eating one meal high in saturated fat. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-05/osu-oat051220.php Madis...

Learn about how the meaning maintenance model explains the way our brains make sense of the nonsensical; and how the black hole information paradox may be explained by black holes acting like holograms. Plus: June’s Curiosity Challenge trivia segment! How do we make sense of the nonsensical? Meet the "meaning maintenance model" by Kelsey Donk Robson, D. (May 2020). A touch of absurdity can help to...

Learn about how archaeologists used ground-penetrating radar to map an entire Roman city underground without digging; the gross but cutting-edge science of creating human hair in a lab; and why you see way less color than you probably think. Archaeologists mapped an entire Roman city underground WITHOUT DIGGING (Falerii Novi) by Grant Currin Entire Roman city revealed without any digging. (2020)....

Learn about how scientists analyzed fast radio bursts to find the “missing matter” in the universe; why “discretion elimination” is more effective than implicit bias training; and how the femme fatale firefly lures mates to their doom. Scientists have found the 'missing matter' in the universe by Grant Currin Half the universe’s ordinary matter was missing — and may have been found. (2020, May 27)...

Dr. Lloyd Minor, Dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine, explains how wearables and AI analytics are changing medicine. But first, you’ll learn about the strange things that happen in your brain after a breakup. Here's what happens in your brain after a breakup by Kelsey Donk Lee, C. (2020). Why is it so hard to forgive an ex? Bbc.com. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200608-why-is...

Learn about whether summer will help or hurt the coronavirus pandemic; why so many Mars missions like Mars 2020 are launching this summer; and how you might inspire yourself to exercise more by copying your friends. Will summer help or hurt the COVID-19 pandemic? by Andrea Michelson Heat and humidity battle sunshine for influence over the spread of COVID-19, research. (2020). EurekAlert! https://w...

Learn about the right and wrong way to approach an argument; evidence that dogs really do want to rescue you; and how blind people dream. Don't argue to win, argue to learn by Kelsey Donk Fisher, M., Knobe, J., Strickland, B., & Keil, F. C. (2016). The Influence of Social Interaction on Intuitions of Objectivity and Subjectivity. Cognitive Science, 41(4), 1119–1134. https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.12...

Learn about what Neanderthal genes might be doing in your DNA; Guido d’Arezzo, the 11th-century Benedictine monk who invented “Do, Re, Mi” notation, or solfège; and how photosynthesis killed off 99 percent of life on Earth during the the Great Oxygenation Event. How Neanderthal genes might be influencing your skin, mood, and immune system by Andrea Michelson Genetic data on half a million Brits re...

Learn about how qualified immunity prevents police misconduct from being punished; why we’re due for “wandering star” Gliese 710 to visit our solar system soon; and what studying prairie voles can teach us about successful long-lasting relationships. Qualified immunity is why police misconduct is rarely punished by Kelsey Donk Malley v. Briggs, 475 U.S. 335 (1986). Justia Law. https://supreme.just...

Learn about how bumblebees bite plants to make them bloom early; why loving your job too much could lead to unethical behavior; and how Jupiter’s largest moons Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto each built themselves up from a single grain of dust. When pollen is scarce, bumblebees bite plants to force them to flower by Cameron Duke Daley, J. (2020, May 21). Bumblebees Bite Plants to Force Them to...

Learn why periodical cicadas come out every 13 or 17 years; why people with high cognitive abilities tend to choke under pressure; and how DNA analysis could solve the mystery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Why periodical cicadas come out every 13 or 17 years by Cameron Duke Bradford, A. (2017, February 9). Facts About Cicadas. Livescience.com; Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/57814-cicada-fact...

Learn about how radar technology came from a failed attempt to build a death ray; how self-regulation helps you handle intrusive thoughts; and why self-determination theory might explain why the video game Animal Crossing: New Horizons is so incredibly popular. How failing to build a “death ray” led to the invention of radar by Cameron Duke 2.009 Product Engineering Processes: Archimedes. (2019)....

Renowned cognitive neuroscientist Stanislas Dehaene explains how you can learn new things by tapping into the four pillars of learning. But first, you’ll learn about how we get seedless fruit. How do we get seedless fruit? by Cameron Duke How Do Farmers Make Seedless Fruit? (2015). [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewtlsEb4Vgk How do seedless fruits arise and how are the...

Learn about why air curtains blast you with air when you walk into certain stores; microbes that survive in the desert by dissolving rocks with acid; and the latest research into how we learn, with help from renowned cognitive neuroscientist Stanislas Dehaene. That blast of air when you walk into a business has a name: an air curtain by Grant Currin Ashish. (2018, March 21). Air Curtain Door At En...

Learn about why you can blame redlining for US cities being so segregated; why Earth’s magnetic north pole is drifting every year; and how virtual therapy can be just as effective as in-person therapy. Redlining is the totally legal reason why US cities are so segregated by Steffie Drucker NPR. (2020). Why Cities Are Still So Segregated | Let’s Talk | NPR [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.y...

Learn about how lockdown is changing our perception of time; how the most devastating meteor on record may have never even landed; and why it’s a big deal that elephants can catch contagious yawning from humans. Why lockdown is changing our perception of time by Kelsey Donk Rocheleau, J. (2020, May 27). A Monday Is a Tuesday Is a Sunday as COVID-19 Disrupts Internal Clocks. Scientific American. ht...

Learn about Juneteenth, the oldest celebration of the end of slavery in the US; how switching up your routine can make you happier; and the grammar behind why Americans don’t say “maths” and do say “LEGOs.” Juneteenth, the oldest celebration of the end of slavery by Ashley Hamer Juneteenth World Wide Celebration (2020). Juneteenth.com. https://www.juneteenth.com/history.htm What Is Juneteenth? (20...

Learn about why peanut butter gets gum out of hair; why world-renowned climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe is so passionate about climate justice; and how gaslighting makes you question your sanity — along with some tips on how to protect yourself. Why does peanut butter get gum out of hair? by Andrea Michelson UCSB Science Line. (2020). Ucsb.edu. http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=2036 Pol...

Learn about whether “fat-burning foods” are a real thing; why we probably can’t tell male and female dinosaurs apart; and how you can do great things by seeing yourself as part of something greater. Are "fat-burning foods" a real thing? Scientists performed a critical review to find out by Andrea Michelson Bo, S., Fadda, M., Fedele, D., Pellegrini, M., Ghigo, E., & Pellegrini, N. (2020). A Critica...

Learn about the modern benefits we’re getting from new archaeological discoveries, from researchers Mary Prendergast and Elizabeth Sawchuk. Then, you’ll learn about how people can hear body language in your voice. Additional resources from Mary Prendergast and Elizabeth Sawchuk: Sawchuk, E., & Prendergast, M. (2019, December 23). Archaeological discoveries are happening faster than ever before, he...

Learn about why flipping a coin might be your best bet when making major life decisions; why otters juggle rocks; and how you respond differently to 2 types of injustice. An economist had people make big life decisions on a coin flip, and they ended up happier by Steffie Drucker Study finds people are more satisfied after quitting the status quo. (2020, May 18). Oxford University Press; Phys.org....

Learn about why people protest and riot, according to social psychology; and how scientists stimulated the brains of blind people to make them “see” shapes. Then, test your knowledge with this month’s edition of the Curiosity Challenge. Why social psychology says people protest and riot by Kelsey Donk Klandermans, B. (2013). Demand and Supply of Protest. The Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social...

Renowned climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe explains why climate change isn’t as “doom and gloom” as you might think, and gives tips for how to talk about it to inspire action. Plus: learn about how to overcome “bedtime procrastination.” "Bedtime procrastination" may come down to beliefs about willpower by Kelsey Donk Bernecker, K., & Job, V. (2019). Too exhausted to go to bed: Implicit theories a...

Learn about why rainy days make you sleepy; why the “Great Unconformity” is one of the biggest mysteries in geology; and the problematic amount of energy it takes to power AI — along with a potential solution. Plus: how do you pronounce "Colorado," anyway? Why do rainy days make you sleepy? by Kelsey Donk Katherine Ellen Foley. (2016, May 29). Why does rain seem to make you sleepy? Quartz; Quartz....

Researchers Elizabeth Sawchuk and Mary Prendergast will talk about the lessons we’ve learned from amazing new discoveries of extinct human species. Plus: learn about how dogs can be moody teenagers, too. Dogs can be annoying teenagers, too by Steffie Drucker Adolescence is ruff for dogs too. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-05/nu-air051220.php Teenage dogs? Evidence...