Curiosity Weekly

Learn about what's going on with the new COVID-19 variants — and whether you should worry about them — with Dr. Syra Madad, nationally recognized epidemiologist and the senior director of the pathogens program at NYC Health and Hospitals. Then, learn about a new theory on how our planets formed. Additional resources from Dr. Syra Madad and #ConqueringCOVID: Official website https://scty.org/syra F...

What gets you curious? Virtual experiences, celestial bodies, water worlds or maybe just the tiniest mysteries inside your brain? The endlessly curious and curiously funny, Gillian Jacobs (Community, Netflix's LOVE) and Diona Reasonover (NCIS), step off set to go on tangents with real-life astronauts, astrophysicists, science artists, mathematician-types and other really smart people that investig...

Learn about why popular opinion might not be as popular as you thought; a new analysis that’s debunked the blood type diet; and a pool of water in Kidd Creek Mine in Timmins, Ontario, Canada, that’s 2 billion years old. One person repeating an opinion makes people think it's a popular opinion by Kelsey Donk People Often Think An Opinion Heard Repeatedly From The Same Person Is Actually A Popular O...

Learn about how Arnold’s ear-cough reflex can make you cough when you clean your ears; why it’s important to teach your kids about giving when they’re learning about money; and a hidden letter in the alphabet that you already sing. Why do I cough when I clean my ears? by Ashley Hamer (Listener question from Rachita) Pearce, JMS. (2020, February 19). Arnold’s Nerve - ACNR | Paper & Online Neurology...

Award-winning scientist and science communicator Ainissa Ramirez explains how copper changed our language. Then, learn about the surprising health benefits of brown fat. Additional resources from Ainissa Ramirez: Pick up "The Alchemy of Us: How Humans and Matter Transformed One Another" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2MyB4l8 Ainissa's website: https://www.ainissaramirez.com/ Ainissa Ramirez on Twitter...

Learn about why just because you want something doesn’t mean you like it; why Esperanto is the world’s most successful universal language; and a gene therapy injection in one eye that improved vision in both. Just because you want something doesn't mean you like it — and that has implications for addiction by Kelsey Donk Edmonds, D. (2020, December 12). The science of addiction: Do you always like...

Learn about how hoarders’ brains see their belongings; why dolphins consciously lower their heart rates; and what scientists think happened before the big bang. How Hoarders' Brains See Their Belongings by Ashley Hamer Tolin, D. F., Stevens, M. C., Villavicencio, A. L., Norberg, M. M., Calhoun, V. D., Frost, R. O., Steketee, G., Rauch, S. L., & Pearlson, G. D. (2012). Neural Mechanisms of Decision...

Learn about the “smellicopter,” a drone that can smell via a live moth antenna; why the “Dark Ages” weren’t as dark as you might think; and how simple word swaps can secretly trick your brain. Introducing Smellicopter: a drone that uses a live moth antenna to smell things by Grant Currin Smellicopter: an obstacle-avoiding drone that uses a live moth antenna to seek out smells. (2020). EurekAlert!...

Learn about whether reading computer code is the same to your brain as reading another language; and a personality trait that could be key to lasting romance. Then, play along at home as we test your podcast knowledge in this month’s edition of Curiosity Challenge trivia. Is computer code the same as language to your brain? by Steffie Drucker To the brain, reading computer code is not the same as...

Learn about how having hope for the future could protect you from risky behaviors like drinking and gambling; how your dog’s personality can change over time; and “limnic eruptions” — or, deadly exploding lakes. Having hope for the future could protect you from risky behaviors like drinking and gambling by Kelsey Donk How hope can make you happier with your lot - UEA. (2020, December 16). Uea. Ac....

Princeton University Anthropology Professor Agustín Fuentes explains why race is a social construct — as in, biological race isn’t real. Then, learn how plants pass down “bad” memories to their offspring through epigenetics. Additional resources from Agustín Fuentes: Pick up "Why We Believe: Evolution and the Human Way of Being" from Amazon: https://amzn.to/361ug6j Pick up "The Creative Spark: How...

Learn about how a fever helps you get better; why the first reliable and widely available pregnancy test was the African clawed frog; and a potential breakthrough in the shockingly complicated traveling salesperson problem. How Exactly Does Fever Help You Get Better? by Ashley Hamer TED-Ed. (2016). The surprising reason you feel awful when you’re sick - Marco A. Sotomayor [YouTube Video]. In YouTu...

Learn about why people have illusions of control; that time scientists made desert ants walk on stilts to test the pedometer hypothesis; and how to reduce your chances of getting hurt when you fall. Illusions of control may arise not because humans ignore evidence, but because they're very sensitive to it by Kelsey Donk Yon, D. (2020, December 2). It’s not necessarily deluded to feel in control wh...

Learn about the safest way to ride in a car with someone during a pandemic; the science of the "home team advantage" and the surprising impact time zones can have on sports performance; and the failed COVID-19 vaccines you may not have heard about. This is the safest way to ride in a car with someone during a pandemic by Kelsey Donk Airflow modeling suggests driving with all windows down safest to...

Science journalist and author James Nestor explains how you can breathe better. Then, learn about the secret identity of Bitcoin creator “Satoshi Nakamoto” and whether farming really was a step up for our hunter-gatherer ancestors. Additional resources for James Nestor: Pick up "Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art" on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3qoXzaL James Nestor's website: https://www.mrjamesnes...

James Nestor, science journalist and author of the book "Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art,” explains how you might be breathing wrong. Plus: learn about the surprising way spiders spin their webs in zero gravity. Spiders in zero g orient their webs with light by Steffie Drucker Spiders in space: without gravity, light becomes key to orientation. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/...

Learn about how the Oura smart ring could detect fever before you feel it; why there are no stars in moon landing photos; and why it “stinks” that honeybees have been documented using tools for the first time. This smart ring may detect fever before you feel it by Steffie Drucker A smart ring shows it’s possible to detect fever before you feel it. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub...

Learn about why February only has 28 days; why early birds and night owls aren’t the only two chronotypes; and why the anchoring effect says you should always make the first offer when you’re negotiating. Why Does February Have 28 Days? by Joanie Faletto Why Are There Only 28 Days in February? (2017, February). Mentalfloss.com. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/55327/why-are-there-only-28-days-f...

Learn about a newly discovered way to cut down on intrusive thoughts; why wombats poop cubes; and why UPS trucks almost never make left turns. Cut down on intrusive thoughts by getting more sleep by Kelsey Donk Study reveals role of sleep deprivation in unwanted thoughts. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-10/uoy-srr102020.php Harrington, M. O., Ashton, J. E., Sankara...

Author Priya Parker explains how to fix the biggest mistakes you’re making in your virtual gatherings. Plus: learn about how language can affect the amount of pain a bilingual person experiences; and why the world’s largest waterfall probably isn’t what you think it is. Additional resources from Priya Parker: Pick up "The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters" on Amazon: https://amzn.to...

Author Priya Parker explains how you can make your next gathering more meaningful. But first, you’ll learn about TRPC1, a molecule that promotes muscle health when it’s magnetized. Researchers find a molecule that promotes muscle health when it's magnetized by Cameron Duke Kurth, F., Tai, Y. K., Parate, D., Oostrum, M., Schmid, Y. R. F., Toh, S. J., Yap, J. L. Y., Wollscheid, B., Othman, A., Dittr...

Learn about an easy trick for making needles less painful; how ancient Mayans used zeolite to filter water more than 2,000 years ago; and the story behind moonmoons, the hilarious name astronomers have proposed for moons that orbit other moons. Smiling or grimacing reduces needle pain by Steffie Drucker Smiling sincerely or grimacing can significantly reduce the pain of needle injection. (2020, De...

Learn about why small talk is important for coworkers during the workday; why gossip is actually pretty good for you; and how some frogs survive the winter by literally becoming “frogcicles.” Small talk during the workday is crucial, and remote workers may not be getting enough of it by Kelsey Donk Psychology research shows “water cooler talk” can have big benefits. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www...

Learn about why sensitive questions won’t make conversations as uncomfortable as you think; why static is worse in winter than in summer; and the “umami synergy” behind why bacon and eggs go together so well. Sensitive questions won't make conversations as uncomfortable as you think by Kelsey Donk The Case for Asking Sensitive Questions. (2020, November 24). Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.or...

Author Jen Sincero explains why it’s important to form and maintain habits. You’ll also learn about why phantom limb sensations are way more common than you think; and how the Large Magellanic Cloud, or LMC, is warping the Milky Way galaxy. Additional resources from author Jen Sincero Pick up "Badass Habits: Cultivate the Awareness, Boundaries, and Daily Upgrades You Need to Make Them Stick" from...