Curiosity Weekly
Episodes
Saving Dogs from Fireworks, Benjamin Franklin’s Productivity Schedule, and Supportive Texting
04 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:Want ...
Belief Superiority, Why Days Are Getting Longer, and Mr. Rogers’ Checklist
02 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:Peopl...
Impostor Syndrome, Moon Landing Photos Explained, and Things You’re Cleaning Too Often
02 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:Why A...
How to Get Over a Breakup, Why Cockroaches Exist, Vestigial Traits, and the Lombard Effect
01 Jul 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer talk to Dr. Gwen Pearson, the education and outreach coordinator for Purdue University’s department of ...
How to Remove Pesticides from Produce, the Misattribution of Arousal, and Laihana Noon
29 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:Laiha...
Space Elevator Science, “HALT” Impulse Control Method, and the 6 Types of Disgust
28 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:The C...
Mars Opportunity Rover Update, Sunscreen SPF Meanings, Turning Carbon Dioxide into Fuel
27 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:Why H...
Black Hole Alternatives, Literally Immortal Jellyfish Secrets, and The Best Way to Argue
26 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:A Lit...
NASA’s Cryosleep Chambers, Your Brain on Puns, and Why Red Delicious Apples Exist
25 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:NASA ...
How Marriage Changes You, New Dinosaur Discoveries, and Empathy Quirks
24 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:We Di...
A Trick for Avoiding Regrets, 3D-Printing Your Brain, and a Medieval Security Alarm
22 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just ...
Psychopathic AI, Glowing Civil War Soldiers, and Black Lava
21 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:The C...
The US Government’s Science Knowledge Quiz, Facebook’s Brain Effects, and Manufactured British Accents
20 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:Here'...
Tips to Win an Argument, How to Wash Your Hands, and Summer Blockbuster Origins
19 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:Prese...
How to Stop Overspending, World Population Growth, and Big 5 Personality Traits
18 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just ...
Famous LGBT Scientists; How to Catch Up on Sleep; Faces Aren’t Emotions
17 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:Facia...
Best Guard Dog Breeds, Why Water in Your Nose Hurts, and How to Use Online Reviews
15 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:You P...
How to Form New Habits, Leg Day Helps Brain Health, and a Government Study on Warp Drive
14 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just ...
Seeing Opinions as Facts, Bird-Killing Pisonia Trees, and How Much the Tooth Fairy Pays
13 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:Your ...
Why Time Feels Faster, Sleeping Twice a Day, and Laos’ Massive Stone Jars
12 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:Massi...
When to Kill Spiders, How to Exercise when Depressed, and Strange Food Origins
11 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:Shoul...
The Cutest Kind of Puppy, Rural Happiness, and the Science of “Thank You”
10 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:Peopl...
Male and Female Brain Differences, a Self-Esteem Quiz, and Words that Make You Say “Um”
08 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:What'...
Your Memory on Social Media, Best Workouts, and Why Grocery Stores Sell Bread in Paper
07 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:5 of ...
Plastic vs. Wood Cutting Boards, What Water Tastes Like, and Predicting Others’ Behavior
06 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:It's ...
Gluten-Free Labels, the FBI’s Most Viewed File, and the Strange Reasons for Pilot Voice, Newscaster Voice, and Poet Voice
05 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:SKILL...
Is It Bad to Sleep with Your Dog, Insights from Living Abroad, and New Migraine Science
04 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:Livin...
How to Wash Your Dishes, British vs. American English, the CSI Effect, and Swedish Lemon Angels
03 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:The Hidden Differences...
American Spending Habits, Reversed Organs, and the Sci-Fi Predictions of “Star Maker”
01 Jun 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:Here'...
Ongoing Science Debates, Emergency Fund Planning, and Placebo DNA
31 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:Your ...
Perks of Procrastination, Volcano Dwellers, and the Difference Between Club Soda and Sparkling Waters
30 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:Why D...
The Deep Web, Biggest Regrets, and a Mount Everest Misconception
29 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:BACKBLAZ...
Personality-Predicting Eye Movements, a Mysterious Battery, and “English As She Is Spoke”
28 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:The W...
Noise-Canceling Windows, Knuckle Cracking, and Closer Parent-Child Bonding
25 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:For a...
Tree Heartbeats, Morse Code, and the Silurian Hypothesis of Ancient Earth
24 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:Trees...
Local Honey Myths, NASA to the Moon, and a Bisexual 17th-Century Operatic Swordfighter
23 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:Why i...
Daily Reading Benefits, Chicken Church, and Machine Learning to Predict Chaos
22 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:Readi...
The Curiosity Podcast Wraps Up with Yoga, Volcanoes, and Meditation
22 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Learn from some of our favorite expert guests about yoga, volcanoes, meditation, and more on this special episode of the Curiosity Podcast. You'll hea...
Money-Earning Personality Traits, Why You Should Sleep in a Cold Bedroom, and Giant Sloths
21 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you learn something new in just a few minutes:This Unpleasant Perso...
Why Cities Have Squirrels, How Psychopath Brains Are Different, and a Holographic Brain Device
18 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you learn something new in just a few minutes:This Is One Way Psych...
A Conscious Universe, Bats Working at Libraries, and Coffee with Co-Workers
17 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you learn something new in just a few minutes:Is the Universe Consc...
Project Blue Book, Cooking Hacks Using Chemistry, and “Sea Nomads”
16 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you learn something new in just a few minutes:These "Sea Nomads" Ha...
Daddy Longlegs Myths, Dyson Spheres, and Benefits of Exercising with a Partner
15 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you learn something new in just a few minutes:True or False? The Da...
The Science of Swearing and What it Says About Our Values
15 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Kids get grounded for swearing, and bad words are banned from television... but why is that the case if most adults swear anyway? Linguist and cogniti...
Types of Narcissists, Don’t Garden with Coffee Grounds, and Cleaning Your Keyboard
14 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you learn something new in just a few minutes:These Are the Differe...
How Your Friendships Change, a Secret Airline to Area 51, and Magic Words to Get What You Want
11 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you learn something new in just a few minutes:This Is How Your Frie...
Everything-Repellent Clothing, Resonant Breathing, and Where Lost Luggage Goes
10 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you learn something new in just a few minutes:Scientists Have Finally Made an Everyt...
Depression in Artificial Intelligence, Smartphones in the Bedroom, and Tetanus Mythbusting
09 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you learn something new in just a few minutes:Could Artificial Intelligence Experien...
How to Clean Your Smartphone, Caffeine Benefits, and the World’s Busiest Air Route
08 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you learn something new in just a few minutes:Caffeine Causes Widespread "Brain Entr...
Resilience Is the Key to Your Well-Being in a Constantly Changing World
08 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It's hard to count on a world that's constantly changing. That's why it's vital to grow internal strengths like grit, gratitude, and compassion — at...
Aliens Studying Humans, an AI Fairy Tale, and The Importance of Taking Off Your Shoes
07 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you learn something new in just a few minutes:Are Aliens Secretly Studying Life on E...
NASA's InSight Lander Mars Mission, the Chicken or the Egg, and Common Synesthesia
04 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you learn something new in just a few minutes:Forget Rovers: NASA's InSight Lander W...
Incompetent Boss Traits, a Backyard Volcano, and Meditation’s Lasting Brain Boost
03 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you learn something new in just a few minutes:This Is the Trait That Most Incompeten...
How Laundry Machines Work, Bill Gates’ Recommended Reading, and Why We Judge
02 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you learn something new in just a few minutes:Scientists Just Figured Out How Laundr...
How to Improve Your Sense of Direction, Pied Piper Mysteries, and Planet Name Origins
01 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you learn something new in just a few minutes:How to Develop a Better Sense of Direc...
Natural Disasters Have Transformed How Scientists Communicate
01 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
People have relied on scientists for answers to some pretty big questions, and natural disasters are no exception. But when people don't like those an...
How Often Your Mind Wanders, Smiling at Dogs, and Richard Branson's Productivity Hack
30 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you learn something new in just a few minutes:Your Mind Wanders Half the Time You're...
Learn When We’ll Meet Aliens, Hear Singing Sand Dunes, and Understand Your Roommates
27 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you learn something new in just a few minutes:We'll Probably Never Meet Aliens While...
Freezer Burn Science, A Giant Flying Reptile, and How to Learn Twice as Fast
26 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you learn something new in just a few minutes:Is It Safe to Eat Food That Has Freeze...
Touchscreen Arms, Weird Flying Science, and A Bedtime Routine for a Stress-Free Day
25 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you learn something new in just a few minutes:This Smartwatch Turns Your Whole Arm I...
Hubble Telescope History, Selfie Science, and Exercise Myths
24 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you learn something new in just a few minutes:This Is the Story of the Most Famous S...
What Makes Your Brain Happy — and Why You Should Do the Opposite
24 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What your brain wants and what your brain needs aren't always the same. In fact, the shortcuts our brains take can lead to biases and distortions that...
Slowly Aging Americans, The HAMMER Asteroid Spacecraft, and Elevator Mirrors
23 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Learn about how Americans are aging more slowly than ever; how the HAMMER spacecraft could save our planet from killer asteroids; and why there are mi...
A Surprising Amount of Scientific Research Happens at the Zoo
17 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
A lot of science takes place at the zoo. Dr. Rachel Santymire, Director of the Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology at the Lincoln Park Zoo...
The Limits of the Human Body May Be More Mental Than Physical
10 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
What are the limits of the human body, and how can we fully utilize them? Alex Hutchinson, award-winning journalist and author of "Endure: Mind, Body,...
LeVar Burton Believes the Stories We Tell Determine Who We Are
03 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
LeVar Burton has been a storyteller for decades. From his acting roles as Kunta Kinte in "Roots" and Geordi LaForge on "Star Trek: The Next Generation...
The Future of Learning Is Now, Thanks to Science
20 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Is there a right or wrong way to learn? Dr. Stephen Kosslyn is an expert on the science of learning, with more than 30 years of experience working at ...
Michio Kaku on Interstellar Travel, Artificial Intelligence, and Immortality
13 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Mining asteroids, traveling on laser beams, and developing self-aware robots: science fiction or science fact? World-renowned physicist and futurist M...
Wisecrack's Jared Bauer on How Movies and TV Shows Like "South Park" and "Rick and Morty" Help Us Understand Ourselves
06 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Jared Bauer, co-founder and head of content at Wisecrack, believes it's important to explore big ideas and meaningful topics through the lens of pop c...
Mathematical Thinking Can Open New Worlds
27 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
You might think you're not a "math person," but maybe that's because math doesn't mean what you think it means. Mathematical and logical thinking can ...
Can Swarm Intelligence Solve Humanity's Biggest Problems?
20 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Artificial intelligence is all the rage, but using swarm intelligence might be the best way to solve the world's biggest problems. Dr. Louis Rosenberg...
How to Set the Right Goals (and Actually Achieve Them!)
13 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Achieving goals can be difficult, but that may be because you're setting the wrong goals in the first place. That's why happiness expert and executive...
Why We Eat What We Eat
06 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Humans eat just like every other living creature. Have you ever wondered what drives us to binge eat, or spend too much time at the grocery store? And...
Klingon and Esperanto Are Important Languages, Too
30 Jan 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Language encapsulates every part of a culture, from its history of ideas to the way its speakers perceive reality itself. And according to linguistics...
Learn A Little About A Lot From Curiosity Podcast Favorites
19 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
On this special episode of the Curiosity Podcast, we celebrate the end of our show's first year with a look back at some of the stories you never got ...
The Importance of Curiosity
05 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Curiosity is pretty important. And in this episode of the Curiosity Podcast, Anna Starkey, creative director of top UK interactive science center We T...
How To Convince Others To Do What You Want
28 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Wordsmith Lynne Franklin, author of "Getting Others To Do What You Want," explains the psychology of persuasion on this episode of the Curiosity Podca...
What Does Your Handwriting Say About Your Personality?
21 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
On this episode, we explore what you can learn about a person based on handwriting alone. A handwriting analyst for more than 30 years, Dale Roberts o...
Why Politeness and Etiquette Matter
14 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
If you want to be comfortable in any situation, then you just need to know and remember how to behave. Manners and etiquette aren't just for snobs! Et...
Fighting in the Fourth Dimension: The U.S. Army on Cyber-warfare
07 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Are hackers really a constant threat, or is hacking just another tool for media manipulation and fearmongering? To get definitive answers, the Curiosi...
Customizing the Human Race with CRISPR-Cas9 Genome Editing Technology
31 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
CRISPR technology could change the world. Essentially, CRISPR is a technique that allows scientists to make precision edits to any DNA, whether bacter...
Neuroprosthetics And The Future Of Artificial Touch
24 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Modern medicine can do extraordinary things – but how? This week, the Curiosity Podcast welcomes Dr. Sliman Bensmaia to explain how scientists are a...
Teaching Yourself The History, Chemistry, And Business of Spirits
17 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week, the Curiosity Podcast welcomes the fascinating Bryan Davis to share his story. Davis owns and runs a distillery in Los Angeles, but it's no...
Where Comedy Comes From (Live From Chicago Podcast Festival)
10 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Comedy comes in many forms, each with its own history and style. And while it may be subjective, there's still some surprising science that makes come...
21st Century Composing: Scoring Music For Film And Video Games
03 Oct 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Not all music is created equally. You may love the soundtrack of your favorite film, television show, or video game just as much as you enjoy Beethove...
Inside Pseudoscience And Conspiracy Theories
26 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Renowned skeptic Dr. Steven Novella, host of The Skeptics' Guide to the Universe and author of the NeuroLogica Blog, joins the Curiosity Podcast to ex...
How The Best Marriages Work
19 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The institution of marriage in America appears to be struggling. Or is it? Dr. Eli Finkel's most recent research reveals that the best marriages today...
The Past, Present, And Future Of Dating
12 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The dating world has radically transformed over the last few decades. Combine advances in technology with radical changes in social roles and a rise i...
The Microscopic Chemical Warfare Of Antibiotics
05 Sep 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Research isn't always conducted in a laboratory. Dr. Brian T. Murphy runs a research program that takes him all around the world collecting aquatic mi...
The Science of Singing
29 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The human voice is the oldest musical instrument. But how exactly does it work? Voice training is a lot more complicated than you might think, and in ...
What Space Can Teach Us About Our World
22 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Astronomy isn't just about looking up at the sky. The Adler Planetarium's Michelle Nichols delves deep into the lessons that astronomy can teach us ab...
Magic Or Medicine? Medieval Mysteries
15 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Have you ever wanted to discover a long-lost magic spell or incantation? Well now is your chance! Experts from the Newberry Library in Chicago discuss...
Why The 2017 Solar Eclipse Is Such A Huge Deal
10 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Why is the solar eclipse on August 21, 2017, going to be such a huge deal? Michelle Nichols, educator and astronomer at the Adler Planetarium in Chica...
The Psychology Of Happiness
08 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Executive coach and happiness expert Stella Grizont explains exactly how happiness works, why it matters, and the steps a person can take to find it. ...
Get a College Scholarship... For eSports
01 Aug 2017
Contributed by Lukas
The competitive landscape of eSports hasn't only spread to colleges and universities – it's now an activity that can land you a scholarship! Robert ...
Communicate Like A Mind Reader
27 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Mind reading tricks can be unnerving, but they don't have to be as scary as some people think they are. Mentalist Jonathan Pritchard explains how he c...
Why Do Humans Collect Things? Confessions Of A Sports Collectible Expert
24 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
What gives a collectible item its value? Certified sports memorabilia expert Michael Osacky has been the official appraiser for athletes from the Chic...
How Your Sense Of Smell Is Like A Superpower
21 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Your sense of smell is like a superpower. Dr. Alan Hirsch of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation explains how you can make the most ...