Curiosity Weekly

Captain Sig Hansen from “Deadliest Catch” discusses the surprising ways the coronavirus pandemic made the world’s most dangerous job even harder. Then, you’ll learn about our moon’s comet-like tail that collides with Earth every month. Learn more about Deadliest Catch, Tuesdays at 8 PM ET/PT on Discovery Official website https://www.discovery.com/shows/deadliest-catch Stream Deadliest Catch on dis...

Learn about a 5-step process for finding work-life balance; photosynthetic bacteria that have never seen the sun; and why researchers build a digital model of the ancient Greek Antikythera mechanism: the first known analog computer. A 5-step process for hitting the moving target of work-life balance by Kelsey Donk Lufkin, B. (2021). Why it’s wrong to look at work-life balance as an achievement. BB...

Learn about why quitting smoking is good for your mental health, too; and why it’s possible to practice too much. We’ll also answer a listener question about how to get people to believe science, with some help from a special guest, Bill Nye. Quitting smoking is good for your mental health, too by Steffie Drucker Cochrane Review finds stopping smoking is linked to improved mental health. (2021). E...

Bestselling author and CBS news correspondent David Pogue explains why climate change is leading to more kidney stones and bar fights. Then, learn about the “doorway effect” when you forget why you walked into a room; and whether you should exercise on an empty stomach. Additional resources from David Pogue: Pick up "How to Prepare for Climate Change: A Practical Guide to Surviving the Chaos" on A...

Bestselling author and CBS news correspondent David Pogue discusses why preparing for climate change is just as important as fighting it, with. Then, you’ll learn why you can make someone less defensive by making them feel validated. Additional resources from David Pogue: Pick up "How to Prepare for Climate Change: A Practical Guide to Surviving the Chaos" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3fq65UY David...

Learn about why social egalitarians are more likely to discriminate against older adults; why throbbing pain has nothing to do with your pulse; and why naturally gluten-free food is labeled gluten-free. The biggest advocates for equality are most likely to discriminate against older adults at work by Kelsey Donk Advocates Of Equality For All Are More Likely To Show Prejudice Against Older Adults A...

Learn about how researchers built a “soft robot” that reached the depths of the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the ocean; why musicians with brain tumors serenade their surgeons; and the best way to phrase words of comfort. A "soft robot" reached the deepest part of the ocean by Grant Currin Li, G., Chen, et al. (2021). Self-powered soft robot in the Mariana Trench. Nature, 591(7848), 66–71....

Bill Nye discusses the 2 things that make “science” what it is. Then, you’ll learn about how female tree frogs have noise-canceling lungs; and why your stomach growls when you’re hungry. Additional resources from Bill Nye: Official website https://billnye.com/ Bill Nye’s podcast, Science Rules! https://www.askbillnye.com/ Pick up “Bill Nye's Great Big World of Science” on Amazon https://amzn.to/3u...

To help you celebrate Earth Day, Bill Nye discusses some unexpected ways we can save our environment, including raising the standard of living for women and girls. Then, you’ll learn about why spicy solar panels capture more sunlight — with a little help from capsaicin. Additional resources from Bill Nye: Official website https://billnye.com/ Bill Nye’s podcast, Science Rules! https://www.askbilln...

Bill Nye explains why you should be excited about the Perseverance Rover and the Mars 2020 mission. Plus: learn about why old tech is better than new tech when it comes to connecting during COVID and a 5-minute trick for falling asleep faster. When it comes to connecting during COVID, old tech outranks new tech by Kelsey Donk Call me, maybe? UNLV study probes how people connected during the pandem...

Learn about why cannabis gives people the munchies; the Bicameral Mind theory that says the ancient Greeks lacked consciousness; and the evolutionary reason why you listen to songs on repeat. Why does cannabis give you the munchies? by Grant Currin Hull, M. (2019, April 17). The science behind munchies: cannabis and your appetite. Examine.com; Examine.com. https://examine.com/nutrition/cannabis-mu...

Learn about why you can BS a BS-er; how you can get your hands on some of the world’s oldest books at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library; and a sea slug in the genus Elysia that cuts off its own head when it wants a new body. You *can* BS a BSer — but it depends on the kind of BS by Steffie Drucker It Turns Out You Can Bullshit A Bullshitter After All. (2021, March 5). Research Digest; Research D...

Learn about a new computer model that may have gotten us closer to figuring out how we choose our mates; why Meno’s paradox says you can’t ever learn anything new; and whether the Earth weighs the same as it did billions of years ago. How do we choose our mates? A new computer model may have gotten us closer to the answer by Cameron Duke Computer love. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.or...

Learn about how blind and low-vision gamers have an edge when it comes to certain games, with Cornell University Professor Andrew Campana. Then, learn how some viruses actually protect their hosts; and the shocking solution to the Monty Hall Problem, an infamous brain teaser that may leave you questioning your math skills. Additional resources from Andrew Campana: Andrew Campana's faculty page: ht...

Learn about how blind and low-vision gamers are taking the “video” out of video games, with Cornell University Professor Andrew Campana. Then, learn about a newly discovered mammoth fossil that shatters the record for the oldest DNA we’ve ever found. Additional resources from Andrew Campana: Andrew Campana's faculty page: https://asianstudies.cornell.edu/andrew-campana Andrew Campana, Cornell Univ...

Learn about why engineers tested a temporary “smart tattoo” that emits light via OLEDs; a female vampire bat that adopted her best friend’s baby after the friend’s death; and how you can sharpen your mind with device-free quiet time. Engineers tested a temporary "smart tattoo" that emits light by Steffie Drucker Light-emitting tattoo engineered for the first time. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.e...

Learn about how atheists and believers have different moral compasses; how scientists will know if life ever existed on Mars; and how to persuade people to do what you want using the foot-in-the-door technique. Atheists and believers both have moral compasses -- they're just different by Kelsey Donk Ståhl, T. (2021). The amoral atheist? A cross-national examination of cultural, motivational, and c...

Learn about how we could use DNA to store all of human knowledge for thousands of years. Then, test your podcast knowledge with the Curiosity Challenge trivia game. You’ll also learn about why becoming a parent may help you live longer. DNA data storage could store all human knowledge in a small space for thousands of years by Grant Currin TED-Ed. (2017). Is DNA the future of data storage? - Leo B...

Learn about how mice seem to feel each other’s pain; why our known solar system just got a little bigger thanks to “Farfarout” 2018 AG37; and the history of quinine, the malaria cure that eventually led to the gin and tonic. Mice seem to feel each other's pain by Steffie Drucker Mice feel for each other. (2021, January 15). Mice feel for each other. Science | AAAS. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/...

Scientist and award-winning author Camilla Pang explains why she wanted to write a manual for humans. You’ll also learn about the planetary chaos that resulted when the Earth’s magnetic poles reversed. Additional resources from Camilla Pang: Pick up "An Outsider's Guide to Humans: What Science Taught Me About What We Do and Who We Are" from Amazon: https://amzn.to/3vXzmMD Camilla Pang's website: h...

Learn about how caregivers may experience “post-traumatic growth” from the pandemic; why the UK has one of the world’s most memorable postcode systems; and how researchers witnessed the birth and development of a completely new language: Idioma de Señas de Nicaragua. Survey suggests most caregivers have experienced "post-traumatic growth" from the pandemic by Kelsey Donk Study identifies “post-tra...

Learn about why most conversations go on for a lot longer than we want them to; a genetic mutation that makes some people resilient to the cold; and how homing pigeons pass down their knowledge. Most conversations go on for twice as long as we want them to by Kelsey Donk When people want conversations to end. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-03/potn-wpw022421.php Ma...

Learn about which sleep trackers are actually accurate; how important closure is for a life transition; and why mirrors flip horizontally, but not vertically. Study of 9 sleep trackers finds that all but 2 are inaccurate by Kelsey Donk You snooze, you lose - with some sleep trackers. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-02/wvu-ysy021721.php Stone, J. D., Rentz, L. E., F...

Learn about what the “frenemy effect” can teach us about bullying; the surprising ability of marmosets to eavesdrop on each others’ conversations; and why April Fool’s Day may have originated from an out-of-date calendar. The "frenemy effect" says bullying happens most between friends by Kelsey Donk Most Teen Bullying Occurs Among Peers Climbing the Social Ladder. (2021, February 17). UC Davis. ht...

Award-winning photographer, filmmaker, and environmentalist Ian Shive gives the inside scoop on a research expedition to the Aleutian Islands. Then, learn how researchers solved a molecular mystery about how our ears turn sound into what you hear. Additional resources from Ian Shive: Watch “The Last Unknown” on discovery+ https://www.discoveryplus.com/show/the-last-unknown Start your 7-day free tr...