Curiosity Weekly

Learn why coffee tastes bad when you reheat it; and how researchers found the ancestor of most living animals. Stand-up mathematician Matt Parker will also explain why the word “null” causes so many problems for computer programmers. Why does coffee taste bad when you reheat it? by Andrea Michelson Shields, J. (2017, April 14). Can Science Explain Why Microwaved Coffee Tastes So Terrible? HowStuff...

Learn about a bias in your brain that makes you ignore security warnings; why people who fall in love feel like they’ve known each other for years; and a crew of prehistoric monkeys that crossed the Atlantic Ocean on rafts. You ignore more than just your browser security warnings because of "warning fatigue" by Grant Currin Waugh, R. (2013, July 15). “Warning fatigue” means browser users ignore up...

Learn about why people are less likely to verify their sources on social media; and why it’s a huge deal that researchers found an intermediate-mass black hole. We’ll also debunk five myths about the coronavirus. Jumbling of sources on social media makes you less likely to verify their validity by Kelsey Donk The Ohio State University. (2020, March 30). How social media makes it difficult to ident...

Learn about why housecats are deadlier for local wildlife than wild predators; why soft drinks taste better from a can than they do from a plastic bottle (especially when it comes to Cody and his Mountain Dew habits); and how astronomers just found 100 new minor planets beyond Neptune. Housecats have up to 10x larger effect on local wildlife than wild predators by Grant Currin Keeping cats indoors...

Learn about how ultra-processed food took over your shopping cart; which you lose first, brain or brawn; and how bats are showing resistance to a once deadly white-nose syndrome epidemic. The perils of ultra-processed food by Kelsey Donk Monteiro, C. A., Cannon, G., Moubarac, J.-C., Levy, R. B., Louzada, M. L. C., & Jaime, P. C. (2017). The UN Decade of Nutrition, the NOVA food classification and...

Learn about how drugs like Ritalin and Adderall actually make you “focus,” how tech companies are using lava lamps to make computers more secure, and why new life discovered at the bottom of the ocean opens up new possibilities for finding life on Mars. Scientists figured out how Ritalin actually makes you focus by Grant Currin Ritalin and similar medications cause brain to focus on benefits of wo...

Learn about fun (but practical) tips for surviving a quarantine from psychologist Renée Lertzman and “Deadliest Catch” Captains Sig Hansen and Keith Colburn. Plus: learn about why we have birthmarks. Why do we have birthmarks? by Ashley Hamer (Listener question from Taha) Germ layer | biology | Britannica. (2020). In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/germ-layer Birthmarks...

Learn about how screeching tape travels at supersonic speeds when you peel it; how Americans are aging more slowly than ever; how the HAMMER spacecraft could save our planet from killer asteroids; and why there are mirrors next to elevators. How screeching tape travels at supersonic speeds by Cameron Duke Yuen Yiu. (2019, February 27). The Supersonic Physics Behind Screechy Peeling Tape. Discover...

Dr. Renée Lertzman will help you understand uncertainty and how to work through the feelings you might be feeling thanks to the coronavirus pandemic. You’ll also learn why one dog year doesn’t equal seven human years. One Dog Year Doesn't Equal Seven Human Years by Ashley Hamer The Seven-Year Glitch. (2008, August 29). WSJ; The Wall Street Journal. https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB121997338176882143...

Captains Keith Colburn and Sig Hansen from the award-winning documentary series “Deadliest Catch” share some surprising science lessons from the fishing world. Plus: learn about the psychology behind “sour grapes.” When people can't get something they want, they decide it's not worthy of desire by Kelsey Donk Sjåstad, H., Baumeister, R. F., & Ent, M. (2020). Greener grass or sour grapes? How peopl...

Stand-up mathematician Matt Parker explains real-life “salami slicing” attacks like the one in the movie Office Space. You’ll also learn about how Tylenol can help ease the pain of social rejection; and why you probably don’t know the back of your hand very well at all. Tylenol and forgiveness may ease the pain of social exclusion by Grant Currin Hamer, A. Tylenol May Actually Ease Your Heartache....

Learn about how scientists are predicting viral content by measuring people’s brain activity; how Tuvan throat singers are able to produce two notes at once; and how effective facemasks are in preventing the spread of the coronavirus. How our brains forecast what goes viral online by Kelsey Donk Stanford researchers find our brains are powerful – but secretive – forecasters of video virality. (202...

Learn about why you eat differently when you’re stressed; how humpback whales use “bubble nets” to catch fish; and the surprising genetic reason why females outlive males. Why do we eat differently when stressed? by Steffie Drucker How to Manage Stress Eating (or Not Eating). (2020, March 25). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/25/well/how-to-manage-stress-eating-or-not-eating.htm...

Learn about the perception-adoption model, which says that most parents don’t pass their political ideology to their kids; how researchers found the source of peanut allergies in the human gut; and Olbers’ Paradox, which asks why the night sky is so dark if stars are so bright. Most parents don't successfully transmit their political ideology to their kids by Kelsey Donk Dolan, E. W. (2020, March...

Learn about why signaling your status makes it harder to make new friends; the evolutionary reason why humans have so much back pain; and how pretending to understand babies can make them smarter. Signaling your status makes it harder to make new friends by Steffie Drucker Forget the bling: High status-signaling deters new friendships. (2018, August). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_rel...

Learn about when you’re most likely to feel hangry (and how to avoid it); what scientists can learn from watching the human brain jiggle; and how resonant frequencies helped a fitness class shake an entire skyscraper — with help from stand-up mathematician Matt Parker. Scientists Determined When Hanger Is Most Likely to Strike by Annie Hartman https://curiosity.com/topics/scientists-determined-whe...

Learn about why bats are the source of so many deadly virus outbreaks; and the surprisingly strong influence older siblings can have on their brothers and sisters — just in time for Siblings Day . Then, test your knowledge from this podcast with a Curiosity Challenge trivia game. Why bats are the source of so many deadly virus outbreaks by Andrea Michelson Coronavirus outbreak raises question: Why...

Learn about how to cope with “anticipatory grief” you’re probably feeling during the coronavirus pandemic; the controversy around Oculudentavis khaungraae, which may be the smallest dinosaur ever discovered; and how researchers discovered that music and speech are encoded in separate brain hemispheres. When you mourn something before you've lost it, that's anticipatory grief by Kelsey Donk That Di...

Beth Pratt, leader of the Save LA Cougars campaign, explains how wildlife crossings work and the unique engineering behind the Liberty Canyon Wildlife Crossing. Plus: learn how doing one creative thing every day can boost your happiness. Additional resources from Beth Pratt, California Regional Executive Director for the National Wildlife Federation and leader of the #SaveLACougars Campaign: The #...

Beth Pratt, leader of the Save LA Cougars campaign, tells the story of mountain lion P-22 and how he inspired a campaign to build the world’s largest wildlife crossing. Plus: learn about the health benefits of the helper’s high you get when you volunteer. Ever Experienced A "Helper's High"? There's A Reason For That by Anna Todd https://curiosity.com/topics/ever-experienced-a-helpers-high-theres-a...

Learn about why things taste bad after you brush your teeth; a new discovery about how fast the Earth formed that may mean good things about life in the universe; and why women may experience more pain than men. Why does toothpaste make food taste bad? by Andrea Michelson Schultz, C. (2014, October 13). The Science of Why Toothpaste Makes Food Taste Funny. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithso...

Learn about the shocking prevalence of torture scenes in movies; why durian, the world’s smelliest fruit, smells so bad; and where mold comes from. Torture is prevalent and effective in movies (but not in real life) by Kelsey Donk Torture Prevalent, Effective in Popular Movies, Study Finds – University of Alabama News | The University of Alabama. (2020). Ua. Edu. https://www.ua.edu/news/2020/01/to...

Learn about how your lover’s clothing could improve your sleep; how astronauts grew vegetables in space for the first time; and ancient animals that were connected by a crude version of the internet. Smelling your lover’s shirt could improve your sleep by Kelsey Donk 3 Reasons to Give Your Valentine a Smelly, Unwashed T-Shirt. (2020). Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-a...

Learn about why hundreds of ducks are employees at a wine vineyard; a musical invention that was the Spotify of the Victorian era; and a delicious mathematical principle known as the ham sandwich theorem. Hundreds of Ducks Are Employees at a Vineyard by Joanie Faletto https://curiosity.com/topics/hundreds-of-ducks-are-employees-at-a-vineyard-curiosity The Telharmonium was the Victorian version of...

Learn about the invisible harms of thirdhand smoke; massive viruses that blur the line between the living and non-living; and why whales get lost during solar storms. Moviegoers contaminate nonsmoking movie theater with 'thirdhand' cigarette smoke by Kelsey Donk Moviegoers contaminate nonsmoking movie theater with “thirdhand” cigarette smoke. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_rele...