Curiosity Weekly
Episodes
Blame Trolling on “Everyday Sadism,” How to Sleep Better During Lockdown, and a Breakthrough in Random Number Generation
14 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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);...
Saturated Fat Could Kill Your Focus, Animals Have Regional Accents, and Rings Around Mars
13 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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....
Black Hole Holograms, How We Make Sense of the Nonsensical, and June’s Curiosity Challenge
10 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how the meaning maintenance model explains the way our brains make sense of the nonsensical; and how the black hole information paradox ma...
Human Hair Was Created in a Lab, You See Less Color Than You Think, and Mapping an Underground City Without Digging
09 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how archaeologists used ground-penetrating radar to map an entire Roman city underground without digging; the gross but cutting-edge scien...
A Better Way to Stop Implicit Bias, the Murderous “Femme Fatale” Firefly, and Finding the Universe’s Missing Matter
08 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how scientists analyzed fast radio bursts to find the “missing matter” in the universe; why “discretion elimination” is more effec...
Wearables and AI Analytics Are Changing Medicine (w/ Dr. Lloyd Minor) and What Happens to Your Brain After a Breakup
07 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Lloyd Minor, Dean of the Stanford University School of Medicine, explains how wearables and AI analytics are changing medicine. But first, you’l...
How Summer Affects COVID-19, Why So Many Mars Missions Are Launching in July, and Exercise More by Copying Your Friends
06 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Why You Should Argue to Learn, Dogs Want to Rescue You, and Do Blind People Dream?
03 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
What Neanderthal Genes Are Doing in Your DNA, The Time Photosynthesis Killed Nearly All Life on Earth, and the Inventor of “Do, Re, Mi” Notation
02 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about what Neanderthal genes might be doing in your DNA; Guido d’Arezzo, the 11th-century Benedictine monk who invented “Do, Re, Mi” notat...
Qualified Immunity in Police Misconduct, Why Longing Is Important in Relationships, and Wandering Stars Regularly Visit Our Solar System
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how qualified immunity prevents police misconduct from being punished; why we’re due for “wandering star” Gliese 710 to visit our so...
Loving Your Job May Lead to Unethical Behavior, Bumblebees Bite Plants to Make Them Bloom, and Jupiter’s Moons Formed from Specks of Dust
30 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 la...
Periodical Cicadas 101, Why Smarter People Choke Under Pressure, and Analyzing DNA to Solve the Dead Sea Scrolls Mystery
29 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 analysi...
The Psychology of ‘Animal Crossing,’ How a Failed Death Ray Led to Radar, and Intrusive Thoughts Explained
26 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
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 sel...
Tap into the 4 Pillars of Learning (w/ Stanislas Dehaene) and How We Get Seedless Fruit
25 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Renowned cognitive neuroscientist Stanislas Dehaene explains how you can learn new things by tapping into the four pillars of learning. But first, you...
New Science on How We Learn (w/ Stanislas Dehaene), Why Stores Use Air Curtains, and Desert Microbes that Dissolve Rocks with Acid
24 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why air curtains blast you with air when you walk into certain stores; microbes that survive in the desert by dissolving rocks with acid; ...
Virtual Therapy vs. In-Person Therapy, How Redlining Deepened Segregation in US Cities, and Earth’s Drifting Magnetic Poles
23 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why you can blame redlining for US cities being so segregated; why Earth’s magnetic north pole is drifting every year; and how virtual t...
Lockdown Is Changing Our Perception of Time, a Devastating Meteor that Never Landed, and Elephants Can Catch Yawns from Humans
22 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how lockdown is changing our perception of time; how the most devastating meteor on record may have never even landed; and why it’s a bi...
Juneteenth’s Origins, Change Your Routine to Be Happier, and Why Americans Don’t Say “Maths”
19 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about Juneteenth, the oldest celebration of the end of slavery in the US; how switching up your routine can make you happier; and the grammar be...
Climate Justice 101 (w/ Katharine Hayhoe), Why Peanut Butter Gets Gum Out of Hair, and How Gaslighting Makes You Question Your Sanity
18 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why peanut butter gets gum out of hair; why world-renowned climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe is so passionate about climate justice; and ...
What Science Says About Fat-Burning Foods, Do Great Things by Being a Part of Something Greater, and Telling Male and Female Dinosaurs Apart
17 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about whether “fat-burning foods” are a real thing; why we probably can’t tell male and female dinosaurs apart; and how you can do great t...
Modern Benefits from Archaeological Discoveries (w/ Mary Prendergast and Elizabeth Sawchuk) and Hearing Body Language
16 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about the modern benefits we’re getting from new archaeological discoveries, from researchers Mary Prendergast and Elizabeth Sawchuk. Then, yo...
Making Life Decisions on a Coin Flip, How You Respond to 2 Types of Injustice, and Why Otters Juggle Rocks
15 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why flipping a coin might be your best bet when making major life decisions; why otters juggle rocks; and how you respond differently to 2...
Why People Protest According to Psychology, How Scientists Made Blind People “See” Shapes, and May’s Curiosity Challenge
12 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why people protest and riot, according to social psychology; and how scientists stimulated the brains of blind people to make them “see”...
Hope in the Fight Against Climate Change (w/ Katharine Hayhoe) and Overcoming Bedtime Procrastination
11 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Renowned climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe explains why climate change isn’t as “doom and gloom” as you might think, and gives tips for how to ...
Why Rainy Days Make You Sleepy, A Fix for AI’s Energy Appetite, and Solving Geology’s Mystery of the “Great Unconformity”
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why rainy days make you sleepy; why the “Great Unconformity” is one of the biggest mysteries in geology; and the problematic amount of...
Extinct Human Species (w/ Elizabeth Sawchuk and Mary Prendergast) and Moody Teenage Dogs
09 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers Elizabeth Sawchuk and Mary Prendergast will talk about the lessons we’ve learned from amazing new discoveries of extinct human species. ...
Differences in CEO and Murdering Psychopaths, How Deep Sleep Cleans Your Brain, and the Mystery of Our Inactive Sun
08 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how our sun is different from similar stars; how deep sleep literally cleans your brain; and the psychology behind why some psychopaths ar...
Fighting Coronavirus with Llamas, Why Rain Stops Rocket Launches, and Listener Questions About Cold Things
05 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why NASA doesn’t launch rockets in the rain (which is why there was a delay launching the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA as...
How We Know Climate Change Is Caused by Humans (w/ Katharine Hayhoe) and the Myth of “Common Sense”
04 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Renowned climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe explains how we know that climate change is caused by humans. Then, learn about why there’s no such thin...
Defending Against “Murder Hornets” with Bee Balls, Aphantasia and the Two Extremes of the “Mind’s Eye,” and Venus’s Freaky-Fast Atmosphere
03 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about the surprising way Japanese honeybees defend themselves against "murder hornets" (actual name: Asian giant hornets); how “atmospheric ti...
How Technology Is Enabling Archeological Discoveries (w/ Elizabeth Sawchuk and Mary Prendergast) and the Privacy Risks of Eye-Tracking Tech
02 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Researchers Elizabeth Sawchuk and Mary Prendergast discuss the surprising discoveries archaeologists are making thanks to new technology. Plus: learn ...
Your Ancestors May Influence Your Work Hours, Coral Reproduced in Captivity, and the First Known Water-Dwelling Dinosaur
01 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how your ancestors’ work habits might be influencing your own; the first evidence of an underwater dinosaur; and how an aquarium success...
Selfish People Remember Being Generous, Why We Can’t Transplant Brains, and Buying Life Insurance from Vending Machines
29 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why selfish people have false memories of being generous; why we can’t do brain transplants; and why you used to be able to buy life ins...
“Rub Some Dirt on It” to Heal Wounds, Funny Memes Can Save Endangered Species, and Space Changes the Shape of Astronauts’ Hearts
28 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about whether it’s a good idea to rub dirt on your wounds; how funny memes can help save endangered species like the proboscis monkey; and how...
What Makes People Cultural Omnivores, Archaeologists’ Prehistoric Poop Problem, and How to Tell Stars and Planets Apart in the Sky
27 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how archaeologists are solving a prehistoric poop problem; what leads people to be “cultural omnivores”; and an easy trick for telling...
Y2K Was Actually a Success Story, Sleeping Brains Replay Waking Experience, and Plants Can Hear When They’re Being Eaten
26 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about breakthrough research into what our brains do while we sleep; how plants fight back when they hear they’re being eaten; and why the Y2K ...
Elephants Get Drunk (and They’re Lightweights), Pigeons Helped Win Wars, and Night Owls May Struggle to Regulate Their Emotions
25 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why it might actually be pretty easy to drink an elephant under the table; how carrier pigeons like Cher Ami helped win the world wars; an...
Marijuana Categories Aren’t Based in Science, Scientists Staged Bronze-Age Swordfights, and How Clean Are Your Clothes, Really?
22 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why the marijuana classifications of indica and sativa aren’t based in science; how clean your washing machine really gets your clothes;...
Why People Ignore Facts in Medical Emergencies, Victorian-Era Credit Cards, and Adding a New Row to the Periodic Table
21 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why people tune out facts and trust their guts in medical emergencies; a Victorian-era version of credit cards; and how scientists are try...
World of Warcraft Could Help Fight COVID-19, Social Rejection Can Fuel Creativity, and What Mouse Facial Expressions Teach Us About Emotion
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how studying World of Warcraft helped researchers learn how to respond to the coronavirus pandemic; how scientists described mouse facial ...
An Interstellar Object’s Origin Revealed, Why Superstitions Evolved, and How the Sense of Smell Is More Complicated Than We Thought
19 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why natural selection favors superstitions; why the way our noses smell is way more complicated than we thought; and where scientists thin...
Therapy for Parents Can Ease Kids’ Anxiety, What Makes Fruit Mealy, and Lessons from the “Second Earth” Biosphere 2
18 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about what makes fruit mealy; a new therapy technique for parents that could reduce their kids’ anxiety; and what scientists learned when they...
What Is the Grand Unified Field Theory? (w/ Dr. Adam Becker), Should You Wad or Fold Toilet Paper, and Why You Judge Your Own Hoarding Differently
15 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about whether you should wad or fold toilet paper, according to science; why your brain evolved to hoard supplies but shame others for doing the...
Where Our Emotions Come From and How to Hack Them (w/ Lisa Feldman Barrett) and Tarantula Venom Could Be an Opioid Alternative
14 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about where your emotions come from and how you can hack them, with help from psychology researcher and neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett. Plu...
How Antibiotics in Agriculture Changed How We Eat (w/ Maryn McKenna), When Daydreaming Goes Wrong, and Dogs Recognize Faces in Photos
13 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about the impact of maladaptive daydreaming, then learn about whether dogs can recognize our faces in photographs. Then, author Maryn McKenna wi...
The Universe Might Expand Unevenly, Using a Camera to De-Clutter Your House, and 3 Hominins Lived in the Same Place and Time
12 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about a surprising tip for de-cluttering your house; 3 extinct relatives of humans that lived in the same place and time; and why the possibilit...
Pigeons Can Be Superstitious, Why Allergy Drugs Make You Sleepy, and The 5 Ages of the Universe
11 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how a psychologist named B.F. Skinner proved that pigeons can be superstitious; the science of histamines and why allergy medications make...
Play a Game to Help Cure Alzheimer’s, Building the Perfect Swear Word, and May’s Curiosity Challenge
08 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn what researchers found when they tried to build the perfect profanity, then learn how playing an online game called Stall Catchers can help scie...
Gut Neurons Influence Brain Neurons, Why We Still Use the QWERTY Keyboard, and Why You “Shoot the Messenger”
07 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why people can’t help but “shoot the messenger;” how neurons in your gut influence neurons in your brain thanks to the gut-brain axi...
Using Urine to Build a Moon Base, Musicians and Audiences Sync Brain Activity, and Why “Size Matters” for Narwhal Tusks
06 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how astronauts may build the first moon base with help from their own urine; how musicians and audiences synchronize their brain activity;...
Early Career Choices Influence Your Personality, Why We Celebrate Cinco de Mayo, and Psychedelic Effects from Placebos
05 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about the Battle of Puebla, the real reason why we celebrate Cinco de Mayo; how placebos of psychedelics can have psychedelic effects; and how e...
Null Misadventures (w/ Matt Parker), Why Reheated Coffee Tastes Bad, and the Ancestor of Most Living Animals
04 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn why coffee tastes bad when you reheat it; and how researchers found the ancestor of most living animals. Stand-up mathematician Matt Parker will...
Why We Get Warning Fatigue, Prehistoric Monkeys Crossed the Atlantic on Rafts, and Why New Lovebirds Feel So Familiar
01 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about a bias in your brain that makes you ignore security warnings; why people who fall in love feel like they’ve known each other for years; ...
5 Coronavirus Myths Debunked, Why You Shouldn’t Get Your News on Social Media, and the Discovery of a Black Hole Missing Link
30 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why people are less likely to verify their sources on social media; and why it’s a huge deal that researchers found an intermediate-mass...
Why Soft Drinks Taste Different Out of Cans, Why Housecats Are Dangerous for Wildlife, and 100 Minor Planets Discovered Beyond Neptune
29 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why housecats are deadlier for local wildlife than wild predators; why soft drinks taste better from a can than they do from a plastic bot...
The Battle of Brains vs Brawn in Aging, Perils of Ultra-Processed Food, and Bats Surviving White-Nose Syndrome
28 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how ultra-processed food took over your shopping cart; which you lose first, brain or brawn; and how bats are showing resistance to a once...
Using Lava Lamps to Generate Randomness (w/ Matt Parker), How Ritalin Makes You Focus, and What Bacteria Beneath the Sea Floor Means for Life on Mars
27 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how drugs like Ritalin and Adderall actually make you “focus,” how tech companies are using lava lamps to make computers more secure, ...
Quarantine Survival Tips (w/ Dr. Renée Lertzman and “Deadliest Catch” Captains Sig & Keith) and Why We Have Birthmarks
24 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about fun (but practical) tips for surviving a quarantine from psychologist Renée Lertzman and “Deadliest Catch” Captains Sig Hansen and Ke...
Anniversary Episode! Supersonic Packing Tape, Chronological vs. Biological Age, Why Mirrors Are Next to Elevators, and Anti-Asteroid Spacecraft
23 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how screeching tape travels at supersonic speeds when you peel it; how Americans are aging more slowly than ever; how the HAMMER spacecraf...
Dealing with Uncertainty During the Coronavirus Pandemic (w/ Dr. Renée Lertzman) and One Dog Year Doesn’t Equal Seven Human Years
22 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Renée Lertzman will help you understand uncertainty and how to work through the feelings you might be feeling thanks to the coronavirus pandemic....
Fishing Science (w/ “Deadliest Catch” Captains Sig & Keith) and the Psychology of Sour Grapes
21 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Captains Keith Colburn and Sig Hansen from the award-winning documentary series “Deadliest Catch” share some surprising science lessons from the f...
Stealing Money with Salami Slicing Attacks (w/ Matt Parker), You Don’t Know the Back of Your Hand, and Tylenol Eases Social Exclusion
20 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Stand-up mathematician Matt Parker explains real-life “salami slicing” attacks like the one in the movie Office Space. You’ll also learn about h...
Do Masks Prevent Coronavirus, How Tuvan Throat Singers Sing Two Notes at Once, and Predicting Viral Content by Measuring Brain Activity
17 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how scientists are predicting viral content by measuring people’s brain activity; how Tuvan throat singers are able to produce two notes...
Why Stress Makes You Eat Differently, Humpback Whales Hunt with Bubble Nets, and the Surprising Genetic Reason Females Outlive Males
16 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why you eat differently when you’re stressed; how humpback whales use “bubble nets” to catch fish; and the surprising genetic reason...
Parents Rarely Pass Their Politics to Their Kids, Source of Peanut Allergies Found in the Gut, and Why Stars Don’t Make the Night Sky Bright
15 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about the perception-adoption model, which says that most parents don’t pass their political ideology to their kids; how researchers found the...
Blame Evolution for Back Pain, Showing Off Your Status Doesn’t Make Friends, and Make Babies Smarter by Pretending to Understand Them
14 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why signaling your status makes it harder to make new friends; the evolutionary reason why humans have so much back pain; and how pretendi...
The Skyscraper-Shaking Fitness Class (w/ Matt Parker), When Hanger Is Most Likely to Strike, and Studying the Human Brain’s Jiggle
13 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about when you’re most likely to feel hangry (and how to avoid it); what scientists can learn from watching the human brain jiggle; and how re...
Why So Many Outbreaks (Like the Coronavirus) Come from Bats, Older Siblings’ Surprising Influence, and April’s Curiosity Challenge
10 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why bats are the source of so many deadly virus outbreaks; and the surprisingly strong influence older siblings can have on their brothers...
Anticipatory Grief During a Pandemic, the Smallest Dinosaur Ever (Maybe), and How Your Brain Processes Music and Speech Differently
09 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how to cope with “anticipatory grief” you’re probably feeling during the coronavirus pandemic; the controversy around Oculudentavis ...
How Wildlife Crossings Work (w/ Beth Pratt of #SaveLACougars) and Get Happy by Doing One Creative Thing a Day
08 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Beth Pratt, leader of the Save LA Cougars campaign, explains how wildlife crossings work and the unique engineering behind the Liberty Canyon Wildlife...
Building the World’s Largest Wildlife Crossing to Save P-22 (w/ Beth Pratt of #SaveLACougars) and the Health Benefits of the “Helper’s High”
07 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Beth Pratt, leader of the Save LA Cougars campaign, tells the story of mountain lion P-22 and how he inspired a campaign to build the world’s larges...
Why Women Feel More Pain than Men, Why Toothpaste Makes Food Taste Bad, and Earth Formed Way Faster Than We Thought
06 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why things taste bad after you brush your teeth; a new discovery about how fast the Earth formed that may mean good things about life in t...
Where Does Mold Come From? Plus: Torture Scenes in Movies vs. Real Life and Why the World’s Smelliest Fruit Smells So Bad
03 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about the shocking prevalence of torture scenes in movies; why durian, the world’s smelliest fruit, smells so bad; and where mold comes from.T...
Astronauts Grew Lettuce in Space, Why Smelling a Dirty Shirt Can Help You Sleep, and Early Animals That Acted Like an Ancient Internet
02 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how your lover’s clothing could improve your sleep; how astronauts grew vegetables in space for the first time; and ancient animals that...
Ducks Are Employees at a Vineyard, the Victorian Version of Spotify, and A Mathematical Theorem for Cutting a Ham Sandwich
01 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why hundreds of ducks are employees at a wine vineyard; a musical invention that was the Spotify of the Victorian era; and a delicious mat...
The Invisible Harm of Thirdhand Smoke, Why Whales Get Lost During Solar Storms, and A Massive Virus That Blurs the Line Between Life and Non-Life
31 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about the invisible harms of thirdhand smoke; massive viruses that blur the line between the living and non-living; and why whales get lost duri...
Laughter Might Be the Best Medicine, How Your Romantic Style Affects Your Finances, and Why Some Amphibians Glow
30 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how your romantic attachment style affects your finances; the surprising reason why some amphibians glow; and why laughter might really be...
Coronavirus Vaccine Development: Scientific Challenges and Timelines with Dr. Julia Schaletzky (COVID-19 Bonus Episode)
29 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Julia Schaletzky explains what it takes to develop vaccines for viruses like COVID-19. Dr. Schaletzky is the Executive Director of the Center for ...
Coronavirus Test Shortages Explained (w/ Dr. Julia Schaletzky), Anonymous Anime Fan Helps Solve 25-Year-Old Math Mystery, and Can Ketamine Help with Depression?
27 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Julia Schaletzky explains why the U.S. is having a hard time testing everyone for the coronavirus. Plus: learn about how ketamine can help with de...
How a Coronavirus Vaccine Might Work (w/ Dr. Julia Schaletzky) and Why We Call Steak “Beef” and Not “Cow”
26 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how we make vaccines to fight viruses like the coronavirus, with help from Julia Schaletzky, Executive Director of the Center for Emerging...
Memory’s Role in Social Anxiety, The First Synthetic Self-Replicating Genome, and Penguins Can Call Underwater
25 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about new research into how social anxiety works in the brain; how scientists developed the first synthetic self-replicating genome; and the ado...
No One Born Blind Has Had Schizophrenia, Bacteria Engineered to Protect Honeybees, and The Surprising Way WWI Helmets Beat Modern Ones
24 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about a medical mystery involving blindness and schizophrenia; a new bacteria scientists developed to help protect honeybees; and the surprising...
First Animal That Doesn’t Breathe Oxygen, Biggest Explosion in the Universe’s History, and Improving Memory with the Brain’s Immune System
23 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about the first animal scientists have ever discovered that doesn’t breathe oxygen; how we might be able to hijack the brain’s immune system...
How to Clean Your Phone, More Info About a New Disease Won’t Comfort You, and the Best Workout Music According to Research
20 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how to choose the best music for your workout playlist; why learning more about a new disease like coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) won...
Robot Workers May Change Prejudices, Hormonal Changes in Dads-to-Be, and How Salamanders Regrow Their Limbs
19 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why a rising robot workforce may make humans less prejudiced towards other people; how studying a salamander that can regrow lost limbs co...
Hearing Loss and Technology (w/ David Owen) and the Psychology of Reacting to a Crisis (Like COVID-19)
18 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Author David Owen discusses what happens once you’ve lost your hearing — and how much technology can actually help. Then, learn about the psycholo...
Coronavirus Myths and FAQs with Dr. Amesh Adalja, Epidemiologist
18 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Epidemiologist Amesh Adalja answers frequently asked questions about coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in this special bonus episode. Dr. Adalja is ...
Dr. Amesh Adalja Explains Social Distancing for COVID-19, Birds Won’t Spread Fake News, and Using Auroras to Find Exoplanets
17 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Dr. Amesh Adalja, Senior Scholar at the Johns Hopkins University Center for Health Security, explains how today’s unprecedented closures can help sa...
New Antibiotic Discovered by AI, How to Handle Traumatic Memories, and Why Extreme Temperatures Mess with Your Batteries
16 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how to use focused attention to ease the memory of a traumatic event; why extreme temperatures mess with your batteries, and what you can ...
Speed Listening’s Effects on Emotion, Surprising Differences Between White and Brown Rice, and Pi Almost Legally Changed to 3.2
13 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how speed listening to podcasts (or "podfasting") affects our emotions; the health differences between white and brown rice; and the time ...
Myths and Science of Binaural Beats, How to Talk About Historical Injustices, and Australian Dingos Evolved from Pet Dogs
12 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about whether binaural beats are worth the hype; how Australian dingos evolved from domesticated animals; and how to navigate some unexpected co...
Protecting Yourself from Hearing Loss (w/ David Owen) and Why Woolly Mammoths Went Extinct
11 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about some of the most common causes for hearing loss and how you can protect your ears from them, from author David Owen. You’ll also learn a...
Why Yoga Reduces Depression, Why Plastic Bag Fees Work So Well, and How Bumblebees Can Carry So Much
10 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why plastic bag fees have such a big influence on your behavior; how bumblebees are able to fly around while carrying up to 80 percent of ...
Pop Songs Are Getting Sadder, Mysterious Radio Signals from Outer Space, and It Pays to “Just Be Yourself”
09 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about why pop songs are getting sadder; a mysterious radio signal coming from outer space every 16 days; and why it pays to be yourself when you...
Astronomy’s Problem with Starlink (w/ Vivienne Baldassare) and Why Toilet Paper Is White
06 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about Starlink’s unintended consequences for astronomy from astrophysicist Vivienne Baldassare, NASA Einstein Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale Univ...
Boost Self-Control by Asking for Support, Gene-Stealing Organisms, and How Lipreading Works in the Brain
05 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about a research-backed way to achieve better self control by asking for help from others; how Ambystoma salamanders “steal” DNA from other ...
It’s Never Too Early to Protect Your Hearing (w/ David Owen) and Why You Should Work in 90-Minute Spurts
04 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Author David Owen discusses how hearing works and why it’s important to protect even when you’re young. Plus: learn how to be more productive by t...
Fonts Can Send Political Messages, Don’t Always Trust Your First Instinct, and Nucleic Acids Beyond DNA and RNA
03 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how certain fonts can send political messages; why the “first instinct fallacy” says you shouldn’t always go with your first instinc...
History’s Average Commute Time, Fight Procrastination with Emotions, and the Largest Ever Study of Cancer Genomes
02 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how little the average commute time has changed throughout human history; what researchers learned from the largest-ever study of cancer g...
Quitting Smoking May Reawaken Healthy Cells, Why You Yawn During Exercise, and Telling the Age of Crime Scene Fingerprints
28 Feb 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how quitting smoking may reawaken healthy cells; how researchers figured out how to tell the age of crime scene fingerprints to help inves...