Curiosity Weekly

Learn about tips for hosting fantastic virtual gatherings; how language affects pain; and the world’s largest waterfalls. Additional resources from Priya Parker: Pick up "The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/38sYHUN Listen to Priya Parker's New York Times Podcast "Together Apart": https://www.nytimes.com/column/together-apart Website: https://www.priyapa...

Learn about a mysterious ancient Roman sauce; puberty happening earlier; and how elephants are getting their tusks back. Garum, an ancient Roman sauce, mysteriously vanished — and culinarians can't recreate it by Steffie Drucker Tonon, R. (2021, June 24). The Team Resurrecting Ancient Rome’s Favorite Condiment. Atlas Obscura; Atlas Obscura. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/garum-fish-sauce Gr...

Learn why the US military bombed a volcano; where heavy elements in the universe come from; and why your mind wanders.  Why the U.S. Government Bombed Mauna Loa in 1935 by Cameron Duke 1935 Eruption of Mauna Loa - Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park (U.S. National Park Service). (2016). Nps.gov. https://www.nps.gov/havo/learn/nature/mauna-loa-1935.htm Martín, L. (2021, October 27). La Palma volcano “s...

Learn about brain freeze fixes; neural networks beyond our understanding; and learning new skills with spaced repetition. The stories in this episode originally aired August 29, 2018 https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/neural-networks-why-you-get-brain-freeze-and-a-sci Learn better with the Anki app that Ashley uses: https://apps.ankiweb.net/ Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app t...

Dr. Wendy Suzuki explains how to use anxiety to your advantage. Plus: why grapefruit juice and some medicines don’t mix. More from Dr. Wendy Suzuki: Pick up “Good Anxiety: Harnessing the Power of the Most Misunderstood Emotion” https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Good-Anxiety/Wendy-Suzuki/9781982170738 Dr. Suzuki’s official website: https://www.wendysuzuki.com/ Follow @wasuzuki on Twitter: http...

Learn about pre-performance routines; how panda fur works as camouflage; and how babies are enriched from sign language. A pre-performance routine makes athletes like Michael Jordan and Rafael Nadal perform better, regardless of what it is by Steffie Drucker Athletes with a pre-performance routine perform better. (2021, November 11). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/934597 The...

Learn about why successful people should reveal their failures; the death of planet WASP-12b; and Dutch “tulip mania.” A Reason to Reveal Your Failures by Kelsey Donk HBS Working Knowledge. (2018, December 11). Why Managers Should Reveal Their Failures. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/hbsworkingknowledge/2018/12/11/why-managers-should-reveal-their-failures/#695e82c362e2 Envy Can Be Good for Y...

Learn about linguistic “laws” that also show up in nature; and how two California condors were born without fathers. Linguistic "laws" like Zipf’s law of abbreviation and Menzerath’s law also show up in biology, geography, and more by Grant Currin Jonny Thomson. (2021, October 22). The unknown linguistic laws that apply to all life. Big Think; Big Think. https://bigthink.com/life/linguistic-laws-b...

Learn about how a 30-minute workout can boost your body image; the ideal deadline to avoid procrastination; and how climate change could make the day longer. A 30-Minute Workout Is A Surefire Way To Boost Your Body Image by Anna Todd MacMillan, A. (2017, June 16). How to Feel Thinner in 30 Minutes. Time; Time. https://time.com/4821689/exercise-feel-thin-fast/?xid=newsletter-brief Salci, L. E., & M...

Learn how quitting smoking helps mental health; how to avoid over-practicing; and how to get people to believe science. Quitting smoking is good for your mental health, too by Steffie Drucker Cochrane Review finds stopping smoking is linked to improved mental health. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-03/w-crf030921.php Taylor, G. M., Lindson, N., Farley, A., Leinberg...

Learn about where to find David Copperfield’s secrets; a magnetic tunnel surrounding the Earth; and marine mammal tails. More from David Copperfield: Pick up "David Copperfield's History of Magic": https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/David-Copperfields-History-of-Magic/David-Copperfield/9781982112912 Website: https://www.davidcopperfield.com/ Follow @D_Copperfield on Twitter: https://twitter.co...

World-famous magician David Copperfield explains the surprising connection between magic and technology. Plus: learn about how ducklings get a speed boost when they swim in a line behind their mother. More from David Copperfield: Pick up "David Copperfield's History of Magic": https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/David-Copperfields-History-of-Magic/David-Copperfield/9781982112912 Website: https:...

Learn about why Christmas music sounds like Christmas; the most influential films ever; and the truth behind mistletoe. The stories in this episode originally aired on these dates: December 21, 2018: "Scientists Have Determined the Most Influential Film of All Time" and "Mistletoe Is a Poisonous Parasite ... of Love?" https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/the-most-influential-film-ever-your-memory...

Learn about why researchers are developing new GMO foods like golden rice; why you underestimate how often others are thinking about you; and how your brain knows when you’re uncomfortable and you need to change your position. FDA's Feed Your Mind website: https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/agricultural-biotechnology You regularly underestimate how often someone else is thinking about you by Steff...

From Animal Planet comes a new podcast, Dogs 101, where you'll get a rundown of all your favorite dog breeds. Check out the first episode, "Puppies" here. Is there a biological reason why humans are drawn to puppies? How long does a canine pregnancy last, and what's the average litter size? When are puppies able to first see and hear? Find out the answers on this episode of Dogs 101 where we'll gu...

Learn about GMOs with help from Dr. Patrick Cournoyer of the FDA. Plus: a trick for hearing someone in a noisy room. FDA's Feed Your Mind website: https://www.fda.gov/food/consumers/agricultural-biotechnology To hear someone in a noisy room, look at their face by Grant Currin To better understand speech, focus on who is talking. (2021, October 26). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/news-relea...

Learn about how saving the whales could help combat climate change; Jupiter’s rings; and why reading makes you carsick. Plus: a major announcement about the future of Curiosity Daily. Saving the whales could help us capture more than a billion tons of CO2 every year by Briana Brownell Nature’s Solution to Climate Change – IMF F&D. (2019). Imf.org. https://www.imf.org/external/pubs/ft/fandd/2019/12...

Learn why robots should look like cartoons; why more access to an opioid antidote doesn't make people think heroin is safe; and why dishwashers make knives less sharp. More from Ruth Aylett, professor of computer science at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh: Pick up "Living with Robots: What Every Anxious Human Needs to Know": https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/living-robots Follow @ruthaylett on Tw...

Robotics researcher Ruth Aylett explains why some people fear robots. Plus: how a sonata can reduce epilepsy seizures. More from Ruth Aylett, professor of computer science at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh: Pick up "Living with Robots: What Every Anxious Human Needs to Know": https://mitpress.mit.edu/books/living-robots Follow @ruthaylett on Twitter: https://twitter.com/ruthaylett University...

Learn why you act irrationally when your freedom is threatened; why you spend more with your credit card than you do when you use cash; and how statisticians calculate the probability of dying from something. The stories in this episode originally aired July 29, 2018 “Odds of Dying (w/ Ken Kolosh), Reactance, Credit Card Psychology” https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/odds-of-dying-w-ken-kolosh-...

Learn about why scientists study “mystical experiences” in psychedelics; and precisely measuring a neutron’s lifetime. Mystical experiences might be key to the power of psychedelic therapy -- but they're really hard to study by Grant Currin Natan Ponieman. (2021, October 12). How Science Is Making Sense Of The Mystical Experience In Psychedelic Medicine. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/natanp...

Learn about whether you lose more heat through your head; red blood cells in immunity; and Venus’ non-existent oceans. You Don’t Lose The Most Heat Through Your Head by Ashley Hamer Noreen. (2011, June). You Don’t Lose Heat Faster Through Your Head than Other Parts of Your Body. Today I Found Out. http://www.todayifoundout.com/index.php/2011/06/you-dont-lose-heat-faster-through-your-head-than-othe...

Learn why the #NoMakeup movement actually drove more makeup sales; photosynthetic frogs; and why atoms don’t collapse. The #nomakeup movement is linked to a rise in makeup sales -- here's why by Steffie Drucker “Natural beauty” isn’t effortless (or free). (2021). Chicago Booth Review. https://review.chicagobooth.edu/marketing/2021/article/natural-beauty-isn-t-effortless-or-free Smith, R. K., Yazda...

Learn what the Perseverance Rover taught us about Mars’ Jezero Crater; and new exposure therapy using augmented reality. The Perseverance Rover confirms that Mars's Jezero Crater used to be a huge lake by Briana Brownell Rover images confirm Jezero crater is an ancient Martian lake. (2021, October 7). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/930684 Jezero Crater - Perseverance Landing...

Learn about why having a “drink to cope” doesn’t work; why human brains shrunk 3,000 years ago; and high heel history. Having a "drink to cope" doesn't actually work, and can even make you feel worse by Steffie Drucker One year on: Unhealthy weight gains, increased drinking reported by Americans coping with pandemic stress. (2021, March 11). One year on: Unhealthy weight gains, increased drinking...