Discovery

Curiosity Weekly

Science EN ↓ 1622 episodes

Welcome to Curiosity Weekly from Discovery, hosted by Dr. Samantha Yammine. Once a week, we’ll bring you the latest and greatest in scientific discoveries and break down the details so that you don’t need a PhD to understand it. From neuroscience to climate tech to AI and genetics, no subject is off-limits. Join Sam as she interviews expert guests and investigates the research guiding some of the most exciting scientific breakthroughs affecting our world today. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Author

Discovery

Episodes

Women’s Restroom Lines, Superhuman Memory, and Is Bamboo Good for the Environment? 11.10.2019 10:01

Learn about the surprising reasons why the women’s restroom line is always longer; HSAM, the incredibly rare condition of having superhuman memory; and, how bamboo products impact the environment. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: This Is the Surprising Reason the Wome...

Cure for the Common Cold, What Really Killed the Dinosaurs, and Beatboxing in MRI Machines 10.10.2019 8:58

Learn about how researchers may have figured out a way to cure the common cold; what exactly happened when the dinosaur-killing asteroid struck the Earth; and, why researchers have been putting beatboxers in a real-time MRI machine. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: Cu...

We Don’t Know How Gravity Works (w/ Sean Carroll) and the Milky Way’s Bubble Mystery 09.10.2019 9:11

Learn from theoretical physicist Sean Carroll why we don’t understand how gravity works — and how we can figure it out. You’ll also learn about enormous balloon-like structures that scientists have discovered in the center of our galaxy. Please support our sponsors! Visit capterra.com/curiosity to find the best software solution for your business — for free! In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley...

Many Worlds Theory Explains the Universe (w/ Sean Carroll) and What Causes Static Electricity 08.10.2019 9:29

Learn how friction causes static electricity. Then, learn from renowned theoretical physicist Sean Carroll why understanding the Many Worlds Theory could be the best way for us to understand the universe. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about how friction causes static electricity: https://curiosity.im/32T2CEy Publications and more from S...

Signals Dogs Use to Talk to You, NASA’s Lost Moon Photos, and the Sugar Rush Is a Myth 07.10.2019 9:54

Learn about why there’s no such thing as a sugar rush; why it took more than 40 years to see NASA’s high-resolution images of the Moon; and, how dogs use referential signals to communicate with humans. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: Sorry, Parents: There's No Such T...

Where Dogs Get Their Personalities, How Smells Work, and a Skill that Improves with Age 04.10.2019 9:43

Learn about how dogs’ personalities are rooted in their DNA; one skill that doesn’t get worse as you get older; and how your sense of smell works. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: Dogs' Personalities Are Rooted in Their DNA — https://curiosity.im/2OfDwvJ Scientists Ha...

Destroying Space-Time for Power (w/ Randall Munroe), Hourglass Figure Myths, Clown Science 03.10.2019 9:59

Learn how to power your house by destroying the fabric of space-time, with help from xkcd creator Randall Munroe. Then, learn about the surprising reasons why hourglass figures are considered attractive; and, the scientific reason why clowns creep us out. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in...

Predict the Weather Using Facebook Photos (w/ Randall Munroe) and Spoken Data Speeds 02.10.2019 8:58

Learn about how quickly different languages can transmit information. Then, learn how you can predict the weather by analyzing the pixels of your Facebook photos, with some help from Randall Munroe, creator of the popular geek webcomic xkcd. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about how languages all transmit information at the same rate, no...

How to Pick a Profile Photo, Handedness, and Gravitational Wave Detectors Seeking Dark Matter 01.10.2019 8:28

Learn about why you’re bad at choosing good pictures of yourself; how scientists could use gravitational wave detectors to detect dark matter particles; and, a questionnaire to help you figure out how left- or right-handed you are. Please support our sponsors! Get two months of unlimited access to over 25,000 classes on Skillshare — for free. To sign up, go to skillshare.com/curiosity In this podc...

Personalities Associated with Certain Names, Working Less to Save the Earth, and Superbolts 30.09.2019 8:47

Learn about the big impact we could have on our planet by cutting work hours; the strange behavior of superbolts of lightning; and, which personalities people associate with the sounds of certain names. Please support our sponsors! Get 10% off your first order from Saturday Morning Coffee Company at SaturdayMorningCoffeeCompany.com In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following...

Pure Chance of Political Positions, Why Earth Has Oxygen, Infrared and Ultraviolet in Rainbows 27.09.2019 8:52

Learn about why political parties may arrive at their positions by pure chance, with some help from opinion cascades; why the Great Oxygenation Event led to a bigger die-off than the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs; and, whether infrared and ultraviolet light show up in rainbows. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarte...

Cutting Back on Plastic in Your Home (w/ Will McCallum) and How Shapes Can Be Angry 26.09.2019 8:44

Learn tips for using less plastic to help keep our planet clean, from Greenpeace UK’s Head of Oceans, Will McCallum. Then, you’ll learn about whether shapes can be angry, with some help from the spectral centroid. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about whether shapes can be angry: https://curiosity.im/32Yz0Gd Additional resources from Will...

How to Save the World from Plastic (w/ Will McCallum) and Your Puppies Love Baby Talk 25.09.2019 10:03

Learn why puppies really do love your “who’s a good boy?” voice. You’ll also learn about small changes you can make in your daily routine to help us clean up the world’s oceans, with help from special guest Will McCallum. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about how puppies really do love your “who’s a good boy?” voice: https://curiosity.im/...

Constellations Across Cultures, Female vs. Male Hurricanes, and Animals Scientists Study 24.09.2019 8:48

Learn about whether hurricanes with female names are deadlier than those with male names; research into why so many different cultures see the same things in constellations; and, animals besides lab rats that are essential to science. Please support this episode’s sponsor! Get your first month of KiwiCo FREE by visiting https://www.kiwico.com/curiosity In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer...

A Mutation That Makes You Need Less Sleep, Why “Like” Isn’t Lazy Language, and Zealandia 23.09.2019 8:27

Learn about a genetic mutation that makes people need less sleep; a lost, sunken continent at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean called Zealandia; and why the word “like” is not just a lazy language filler. Please support our sponsors! Get 10% off your first order from Saturday Morning Coffee Company at SaturdayMorningCoffeeCompany.com In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the followin...

3D Printed Fashion (w/ Dana Thomas), Difference Between THC and CBD, Quiet Smart People 20.09.2019 8:51

Learn about how 3D printing could shape the future of fashion, from best-selling author Dana Thomas. You’ll also learn about the difference between THC and CBD when it comes to cannabis; and, why the smartest people in the room are often the quietest. Additional resources from Dana Thomas: “Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes” on Amazon — https://amazon.com Official...

The Price of Fast Fashion (w/ Dana Thomas) and Why You Miss What’s Right in Front of You 19.09.2019 8:44

Learn why inattentional blindness makes you miss what’s right in front of you. Then, learn from author Dana Thomas about the environmental costs of “fast fashion” and what you can do to help. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about why you sometimes miss what’s right in front of you: https://curiosity.im/32IFhWe Additional resources from Da...

Dark DNA, Why Married Couples Slept in Twin Beds, and Do Baths Get You Clean? 18.09.2019 8:45

Learn about whether taking a bath actually gets you clean; “dark DNA,” the genetic code that should be there, but isn’t; and why married couples used to sleep in twin beds. Please support our sponsors! Get 10% off your first order from Saturday Morning Coffee Company at SaturdayMorningCoffeeCompany.com In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to...

Don’t Use Your Phone on Breaks, How to Stop Being Materialistic, and Why We Roll Our Eyes 17.09.2019 8:10

Learn about why using your phone during a break is a bad idea; why we roll our eyes; and how the material values scale can help you measure your materialism so you can see how much you’re influenced by consumer culture. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: Here's Why Usin...

You Can Enjoy Play Before Work, Life After Asteroid Impacts, and an Eyepatch Eyesight Hack 16.09.2019 9:05

Learn about why it’s okay to put play before work; a surprising reason why pirates may have worn eyepatches; and how life bounced back surprisingly quickly after the asteroid killed the dinosaurs. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: It's OK to Put Play Before Work — Rese...

Your Brain on Books vs. Podcasts, How Hard Babies Kick in the Womb, and Fart Humor History 13.09.2019 8:51

Learn about why scientists measured how hard babies kick in the womb; the difference in brain scans between people when they were reading a book versus listening to a podcast; and how long humans have thought farts were funny. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: Scientis...

Your Body’s Electromagnetic Field, Winning Pep Talk Tips, and Brightly Colored Ancient Statues 12.09.2019 7:35

Learn about your body’s electromagnetic field; why you probably never learned that ancient Greek and Roman statues used to be brightly colored; and the surprising trick to a winning pep talk. Please support our sponsors! Get 10% off your first order from Saturday Morning Coffee Company at SaturdayMorningCoffeeCompany.com In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories fr...

You Don’t Run Out of Willpower, What Came Before the Big Bang, and Hookah Health Risks 11.09.2019 8:58

Learn about why inflation theory says the Big Bang wasn’t actually the beginning of the universe; why hookah may be worse for you than cigarettes; and why you don’t actually run out of willpower, even if you think you do. Please support our sponsors! Visit capterra.com/curiosity to find the best software solution for your business — for free! In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss th...

Emoji Around the World (w/ Gretchen McCulloch) and Plants May Have a Sense of Sight 10.09.2019 8:53

Learn about how some plants may have a sense of sight. Then, learn about how emoji reflect cultural differences around the world, in the final edition of our “Hashtag Tuesdays” mini-series with internet linguist Gretchen McCulloch. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about how some plants may have a sense of sight: https://curiosity.im/2KMMgH...

Beliefs That Boost Grades, Optimism for Better Sleep, and Planets More Habitable Than Earth 09.09.2019 8:29

Learn about why there could be planets even more habitable than Earth; an online class that boosted grades by changing students’ beliefs; and why optimism may lead to better sleep. Please support our sponsors! Get two months of unlimited access to over 25,000 classes on Skillshare — for free. To sign up, go to skillshare.com/curiosity In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the follow...