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

What “Pavlovian” Really Means, Wisconsin’s Ultimate Tourist Trap, and Why Cats Love Boxes 24.12.2018 8:05

Learn about why the one thing you probably know about Pavlov and his dogs is wrong; why the House on the Rock is the tourist trap to end all tourist traps; and why researchers think cats love boxes. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: The One Thing You Know About Pavlov and His Dogs Is Wro...

Christmas Music Psychology, Rain Smell Science, Crocodile Paradox, and Pitching the NSF 23.12.2018 9:54

Learn about why Christmas music sounds like Christmas; the Crocodile Paradox, an unsolvable dilemma that dates back to ancient Greece; what causes the smell of fresh rain; and why the National Science Foundation wants your idea for their next project. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: He...

The Most Influential Film Ever, Your Memory on Riding A Bike, and Mistletoe’s Poisonous Roots 21.12.2018 10:00

Learn what scientists say was the most influential film of all time; the special way riding a bike is stored in your memory; and the truth behind mistletoe, a Christmas tradition that’s actually a poisonous parasite. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: Scientists Have Determined the Most I...

Narwhal Adoption Mystery, Île Sainte-Marie’s Pirate Cemetery, and Solving the Candle Problem 20.12.2018 7:22

Learn about how to solve a famous logic puzzle called the Candle Problem; Île Sainte-Marie, the only known pirate cemetery in the world; and why scientists are baffled by a narwhal that was adopted by a pod of belugas. 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: The Candle Probl...

You Believe Your Own Lies Very Quickly, How Dogs Understand Human Speech, and Where to See the Ursids 19.12.2018 7:19

Learn how to see the Ursids, the last meteor shower of the year; how researchers figured out whether dogs can understand what you tell them; and how long it takes before you believe your own lies. 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: How to See the Ursids, the Last Meteor...

Voice Changes When You’re Charmed, Work Motivation Types, and Gin and Tonic Curing Malaria 18.12.2018 7:59

Learn how your voice changes when you talk to someone attractive; how the cinchona cure for malaria turned into a popular cocktail; and how to figure out whether your work is a job, a career, or a calling. 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: Your Voice Changes When You T...

Gene Editing with CRISPR and GMOs (w/ Synthego), Fast Radio Bursts, and Angel’s Trumpet 17.12.2018 9:39

Learn about CRISPR technology and applications in GMOs; a hallucinogenic plant that’s both beautiful and deadly; and how scientists are working together to understand Fast Radio Bursts, which are one of the universe’s greatest mysteries. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com — with some help from Synthego’s Meenakshi Prabhune and Kevin Bryant...

Donut-Shaped Planets, Hot Aluminum Foil, Why Fish Wiggle, and A Woman Who Can’t Feel Fear 16.12.2018 10:06

Learn why fish never quit wiggling; how a donut-shaped planet is technically possible; what researchers have learned from “S.M.,” the woman who can’t feel fear; and why you can touch aluminum foil in a hot oven. 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: There's a Good Reason F...

Science-Based Tips for Better Meetings, Dinosaur Mythbusting, and Staying Awake for 11 Days 14.12.2018 9:54

Learn about 12 science-based tips for better meetings; common dinosaur myths you should stop believing; and what happened when 17-year-old Randy Gardner stayed awake for 11 days, for science. 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: 12 Science-Based Tips for Better Meetings —...

The Problem With Making Sand (w/ Vince Beiser), Happiest Spouses, and How Pyramids Were Built 13.12.2018 8:54

Learn about a new discovery into how the pyramids were built; why spouses who are also best friends see the most health and happiness benefits; and why we don’t just make more sand, with some help from a special guest, author Vince Beiser. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com — and learn about sand from author Vince Beiser — to help you get...

How to Take A Compliment, Learn Anything in Four Steps, and Design a New Arecibo Message 12.12.2018 8:11

Learn why compliments are so embarrassing, and how you can take them better; how you can help astronomers design a new Arecibo Message to send to extraterrestrials; and how you can learn anything in four steps with the Feynman Technique. 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 minute...

Jet Lag Is Worse When You Travel East, Earth’s Wandering Poles, and Geminid Meteor Shower 11.12.2018 8:39

Learn when you can catch the Geminid Meteor Shower this month, and why it’s unique; why jet lag is worse when you travel east; and research into how the Earth’s wandering poles may have caused our ice age. Please support our sponsors! Visit zola.com/curiosity to start your free wedding website, and also get $50 off your registry on Zola. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the fol...

Kickstart Your Memory with the Jennifer Aniston Neuron, Black Hole Pictures, and Increasing Human Lifespans 10.12.2018 8:58

Learn how fast human lifespans are increasing; why we’ve never seen a black hole; and recent research into the “Jennifer Aniston neuron” that could help you kickstart your memory. Please support our sponsors! Visit movaglobes.com/curiosity and use coupon code CURIOSITY for 15% off your purchase. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help y...

Why Humans Are Symmetrical, Fish Electrocution Physics, A Misplaced Equator Theme Park, and Silent Places 09.12.2018 10:05

Learn about one of the only silent places in the United States; why fish aren’t electrocuted during lightning storms; why an equator theme park was built in the wrong place; and why humans are symmetrical. 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: There Are Only 12 Silent Plac...

Be Brave Using the Science of Vulnerability, Boost Productivity with Fika, and Burn Calories via the Afterburn Effect 07.12.2018 7:59

Learn how to use the science of vulnerability to gather up the courage to do something risky; how your body burns calories even after you’re done exercising; and a Swedish tradition that could make you more productive. 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 You A...

Meteorite Hunting with The Aquarius Project, Roommate Drama In Space, and Language Based On Senses 06.12.2018 10:05

Learn why scientists are worried about roommate drama in space and why your most important sense depends on the language you speak. Plus, Adler Planetarium’s Aubrey Henretty and Chris Bresky discuss The Aquarius Project, a teen-driven underwater ROV meteorite hunt led by experts from the Adler Planetarium, the Shedd Aquarium, The Field Museum, and NASA. Please support our sponsors! Visit movaglobe...

You Can Learn and Unlearn Emotions, Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle, and Loveland Castle’s Weird History 05.12.2018 8:14

Learn about Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle; the weird history of Loveland Castle, a Medieval structure in Ohio; and why you’re not born with emotions — you learn (and can unlearn) them. Please support our sponsors: buy the super-fun party game ANOMIA on Amazon — https://amazon.com In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smar...

See if You’re a Covert Narcissist, Michelson-Morley Experiment, and The Monty Hall Problem 04.12.2018 8:56

Learn why the Michelson-Morley Experiment is the most famous failed experiment in history; how to tell if you’re a covert narcissist; and the Monty Hall Problem, which is a probability puzzle that might break your brain. 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: The Michelson-...

How Asteroids Can Have Rings, Spiders That Nurse Their Young, and “Lord of the Forest” Tāne Mahuta 03.12.2018 7:15

Learn about why asteroids can have rings; spiders that actually nurse their young; and Tāne Mahuta, a massive tree that’s been known to bring visitors to tears. 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: Asteroids Can Have Rings, Too — https://curiosity.im/2SeUiK6 Spider Milk?...

Why Everything Takes Longer Than You Think, Storm-Predicting Joints, Barber Pole Origins, and Mary Toft 02.12.2018 10:05

Learn about whether you can actually feel a storm coming in your bones; an 18th-century woman who convinced doctors she was giving birth to rabbits; the 2 main reasons why everything takes longer than you think it will; and why barber shop poles are red, white and blue. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn s...

Keeping Secrets Makes Life Harder, Emotions Change Your Perception of Time, and How We Proved the Earth Rotates 30.11.2018 8:11

Learn how keeping secrets can literally weigh you down; how we knew the Earth rotates before we had space travel thanks to the Foucault pendulum; and how your emotions can alter your perception of time. Please support our sponsors! Visit movaglobes.com/curiosity and use coupon code CURIOSITY for 15% off your purchase. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from...

Exercising on an Empty Stomach, How to Measure Curiosity (w/ SurveyMonkey and INSEAD), and Effects of Relapsing with Your Ex 29.11.2018 9:57

Learn about the pros and cons of exercising on an empty stomach. Plus: why sleeping with your ex doesn’t mean you’re getting back together. You’ll also learn how researchers measure and quantify curiosity, with help from special guests Jon Cohen, Chief Research Officer at SurveyMonkey, and Spencer Harrison, an Associate Professor of Organisational Behaviour at INSEAD. In this podcast, Cody Gough a...

Why You’re Bad at Fact-Checking, Reducing Anxiety with Horror Movies, and Why Urine is Yellow 28.11.2018 8:22

Learn about the Moses Illusion, which shows how your brain processes information; why urine is yellow; and how watching horror movies can help reduce anxiety. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: Buy ANOMIA on Amazon — https://amazon.com (please support our sponsors!) The Moses Illusion Sho...

Your Brain’s Binary Bias, How to Choose Charities, and Why Dogs Look Like Their Owners 27.11.2018 8:54

Learn about why your brain jumps to extremes; how to choose the best charitable cause for your next donation; and why dogs really do look like their owners. 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: SKILLSHARE: Get two months of unlimited access to more than 20 thousand classe...

Moral Dilemmas of Driverless Cars, How Many Friends You Can Have, and NASA’s OSIRIS-REx Spacecraft 26.11.2018 9:21

Learn about OSIRIS-REx, NASA’s first asteroid-sampling spacecraft, and why it’s about to make history; the moral dilemmas facing driverless car AI systems; and how many friends you can have at one time, despite what social media tells you. 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 minu...