Curiosity Weekly

Stanford behavior scientist Dr. BJ Fogg, author of “Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything,” explains why the best new habits are tiny ones. Then, learn why human infants are late bloomers compared to other baby animals. More from Dr. BJ Fogg, Stanford behavior scientist: Pick up “Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything” on Amazon https://amazon.com Official website ht...

Stanford behavior scientist Dr. BJ Fogg explains new research into how you can pick new habits you’ll actually stick with. Then, you’ll learn about the best time of day to exercise. More from Dr. BJ Fogg, Stanford behavior scientist: Pick up “Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything” on Amazon https://amazon.com Official website https://www.bjfogg.com/ Behavior Design Lab at Stanford...

Learn about how scientists and animals are benefitting from the “anthropause” during the coronavirus pandemic; why sweat from stress smells worse than regular sweat; and whether men really “see less mess” than women. We're in the "anthropause," a unique opportunity to study wildlife by Steffie Drucker McGreevy, N. (2020, July). Scientists Propose a New Name for Nature in the Time of COVID-19: The...

Learn about how humans literally use their noses to navigate; why the blue blood of horseshoe crabs is essential for developing drugs like a COVID-19 vaccine; and the truth behind 5 myths about summer dangers. Humans use their noses to navigate, and both nostrils are important by Grant Currin Humans navigate with stereo olfaction. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-06...

Learn how researchers test drugs for deadly diseases like COVID-19 (without exposing participants); how Fannie Farmer transformed cooking from folk art into science; and how the Shepard scale audio illusion makes it sound like a tone is rising forever. Safety in drug trials by Ashley Hamer (Listener question from Habib) Q/A: How clinical trials test vaccines - News Story | VCU Health. (2020). Vcuh...

Learn about why you might feel stronger after just one workout; why the Earth’s core doesn’t melt, even though it’s so hot; and prosopagnosia, the surprising neurological condition of face blindness. Feeling stronger after one workout? It's not your muscles, it's your nervous system by Grant Currin Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning. (2016). United Kingdom: Human Kinetics. https://ww...

Learn about why children develop racial prejudice unless their parents teach them otherwise; why archaeologists studying Stonehenge may have found the largest prehistoric structure in all of Europe; and why cats have vertical pupils. Children will develop racial prejudice unless their parents teach them otherwise by Kelsey Donk What white parents get wrong about raising antiracist kids — and how t...

Learn about why lockdown has made us need nature more than ever; why plants are green; and how microbes and parasites might actually make us healthier. Why lockdown has made us need exposure to nature more than ever by Kelsey Donk ‘Nature Deficit Disorder’ Is Really a Thing. (2020, June 23). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/23/parenting/nature-health-benefits-coronavirus-outdoor...

Learn about whether adult neurogenesis can help humans grow new brain cells; the super cool way dolphins learn how to use tools; and how keeping good “zeitgeber hygiene” by sticking to a regular routine can keep you happy and healthy. Can you grow new brain cells as an adult? by Grant Currin Yong, E. (2018, March 7). Study: Does Adult Neurogenesis Exist in Humans? The Atlantic; The Atlantic. https...

Learn about how spies can use light bulbs to eavesdrop on conversations; why atoms remind us of our solar system; and how you predictably lower your standards when waiting for the best option. Please vote for Curiosity Daily in the 2020 Podcast Awards! Just register, select Curiosity Daily in the categories of People’s Choice, Education, and Science & Medicine , and click "submit" (voting in other...

Learn about whether chocolate actually causes acne breakouts; how to get around Miller’s law, which describes the limits of your short-term memory; and why one of the first gallbladder surgeries happened on a kitchen table. Does chocolate actually cause breakouts? by Andrea Michelson Kitchens, S. (2012, June 5). Does Chocolate Cause Acne? A Top Dermatologist Gives Us The Real Answer. HuffPost; Huf...

Learn about the first physical evidence that shows how our brains store short-term memory; EndeavorRx, the first ever prescription video game; and why hummingbirds can see colors that you can’t. Scientists may have found how short term memory is physically stored by Andrea Michelson Possible physical trace of short-term memory found. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020...

Learn about why “everyday sadism” might help explain trolling and bullying; why our quality of sleep is worse during lockdown (and how to fix it); and a breakthrough random number generation algorithm that could help researchers analyze complex systems. Plus: Cody nerds out about Games Done Quick and video game speed runs! Blame "everyday sadism" for trolling, bullying, and violent crime by Kelsey...

Learn about how saturated fat can make it harder for you to focus; why it matters that animals have regional accents; and why Mars used to have rings. A single meal high in saturated fat could make it harder to focus by Kelsey Donk Our ability to focus may falter after eating one meal high in saturated fat. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-05/osu-oat051220.php Madis...

Learn about how the meaning maintenance model explains the way our brains make sense of the nonsensical; and how the black hole information paradox may be explained by black holes acting like holograms. Plus: June’s Curiosity Challenge trivia segment! How do we make sense of the nonsensical? Meet the "meaning maintenance model" by Kelsey Donk Robson, D. (May 2020). A touch of absurdity can help to...

Learn about how archaeologists used ground-penetrating radar to map an entire Roman city underground without digging; the gross but cutting-edge science of creating human hair in a lab; and why you see way less color than you probably think. Archaeologists mapped an entire Roman city underground WITHOUT DIGGING (Falerii Novi) by Grant Currin Entire Roman city revealed without any digging. (2020)....

Learn about how scientists analyzed fast radio bursts to find the “missing matter” in the universe; why “discretion elimination” is more effective than implicit bias training; and how the femme fatale firefly lures mates to their doom. Scientists have found the 'missing matter' in the universe by Grant Currin Half the universe’s ordinary matter was missing — and may have been found. (2020, May 27)...

Dr. Lloyd Minor, Dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine, explains how wearables and AI analytics are changing medicine. But first, you’ll learn about the strange things that happen in your brain after a breakup. Here's what happens in your brain after a breakup by Kelsey Donk Lee, C. (2020). Why is it so hard to forgive an ex? Bbc.com. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20200608-why-is...

Learn about whether summer will help or hurt the coronavirus pandemic; why so many Mars missions like Mars 2020 are launching this summer; and how you might inspire yourself to exercise more by copying your friends. Will summer help or hurt the COVID-19 pandemic? by Andrea Michelson Heat and humidity battle sunshine for influence over the spread of COVID-19, research. (2020). EurekAlert! https://w...

Learn about the right and wrong way to approach an argument; evidence that dogs really do want to rescue you; and how blind people dream. Don't argue to win, argue to learn by Kelsey Donk Fisher, M., Knobe, J., Strickland, B., & Keil, F. C. (2016). The Influence of Social Interaction on Intuitions of Objectivity and Subjectivity. Cognitive Science, 41(4), 1119–1134. https://doi.org/10.1111/cogs.12...

Learn about what Neanderthal genes might be doing in your DNA; Guido d’Arezzo, the 11th-century Benedictine monk who invented “Do, Re, Mi” notation, or solfège; and how photosynthesis killed off 99 percent of life on Earth during the the Great Oxygenation Event. How Neanderthal genes might be influencing your skin, mood, and immune system by Andrea Michelson Genetic data on half a million Brits re...

Learn about how qualified immunity prevents police misconduct from being punished; why we’re due for “wandering star” Gliese 710 to visit our solar system soon; and what studying prairie voles can teach us about successful long-lasting relationships. Qualified immunity is why police misconduct is rarely punished by Kelsey Donk Malley v. Briggs, 475 U.S. 335 (1986). Justia Law. https://supreme.just...

Learn about how bumblebees bite plants to make them bloom early; why loving your job too much could lead to unethical behavior; and how Jupiter’s largest moons Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto each built themselves up from a single grain of dust. When pollen is scarce, bumblebees bite plants to force them to flower by Cameron Duke Daley, J. (2020, May 21). Bumblebees Bite Plants to Force Them to...

Learn why periodical cicadas come out every 13 or 17 years; why people with high cognitive abilities tend to choke under pressure; and how DNA analysis could solve the mystery of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Why periodical cicadas come out every 13 or 17 years by Cameron Duke Bradford, A. (2017, February 9). Facts About Cicadas. Livescience.com; Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/57814-cicada-fact...

Learn about how radar technology came from a failed attempt to build a death ray; how self-regulation helps you handle intrusive thoughts; and why self-determination theory might explain why the video game Animal Crossing: New Horizons is so incredibly popular. How failing to build a “death ray” led to the invention of radar by Cameron Duke 2.009 Product Engineering Processes: Archimedes. (2019)....