Curiosity Weekly

Larynx Transplant, Sleep Studies, Mammal Brains

18 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the first ever total larynx transplant that gave one cancer patient his voice back, a new way to conduct gold-standard sle...

Super Synchronizers, Quantum Compass, Seabirds & Cyclones

13 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the so-called super synchronizers who are super attractive to potential partners, a new quantum compass that could one day...

Rejection Prediction, Cool Fabric, Serotonin & Fertility

12 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a new way for doctors to use neural networks - or AI - to figure out the risks of organ transplants in individual patients...

Epilepsy Preventer, Tiny 3D Printer, Acts of Kindness

11 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about how an existing blood pressure drug might prevent epilepsy, the pint-sized 3D printer that can print inside your body, and...

Sunk Cost Fallacy, Wheat Genes, Sweat Monitor

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the part of the brain that keeps us focused on our goals - even when it would be better to quit, a massive discovery of lo...

Out-Of-Body Experience, Brain Cell Computing, Cheese & Aging

05 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the amazing transformative power of an out-of-body experience, how scientists want to use brain cells to do their computin...

Maternal Bonds, Jumping Leeches, Urban Birds

04 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about how moms helped us evolve to live longer, the jumping leeches of Madagascar, and how cities affect bird diversity. &n...

Kidneys & Space, Boxing Pride, Art & The Artist

30 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the effect of space on our kidneys, how a simple display of pride can win a fight, and bad news for artists we know bad th...

Stroke Blood Test, Hate Speech Monitoring, Healthy Chocolate

29 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a potential breakthrough in stroke detection, how AI could help put a lid on online hate speech and create safer spaces, a...

Space Firefighting, Sleep Schedules, Polystyrene

28 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about AI that can detect wildfires from space, why going to bed late might not be so great on your mental health, and a breakthr...

Nature & Healthy Food, T.Rex Intelligence, Baby Sawfish

23 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about how a simple walk through nature could make you want to eat healthier foods, a new finding that T.rexes might not have bee...

Cryopreservation, Personality Transplant, Fungal Azoles

22 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a new method to cryopreserve parts of the brain for later use, the personality changes that happen after organ transplants...

Peanut Allergy, Ancient Cancer Treatment, Cuckoo Evolution

21 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about why giving babies foods with peanuts could crack the peanut allergy problem, a wild discovery of cancer treatment 4,000 ye...

Chimp Tools, Space Radio, Hyperthermia Treatment

16 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the lifelong learning of chimps, a mysterious strange signal from space, and the possible treatment for depression that in...

Chimpanzee Learning, Breast Cancer Gel, Singing Brain Repair

15 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about how when chimpanzees can’t figure out how to do something they get their friends to teach them, a potential breakthrough...

Chimp Memory, Bacterial Tumor Killer, Gene Disc Repair

14 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the remarkable social memory of chimps, the gut bacteria that could help fight cancer, and how gene therapy might one day ...

Elite Athlete Hearts, Oxytocin & Loneliness, Nail Diagnosis

09 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the surprising prevalence of heart abnormalities in elite athletes, how an oxytocin nasal spray might help with chronic lo...

Sleepwalker Brain, Games & Navigation, Endurance Hunting

08 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about what goes on in our brains when we sleepwalk, how playing video games might actually help us navigate the world IRL, and t...

HIV Vaccine, CO2 New Uses, No Noise Fabric

07 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a breakthrough in the effort to create a vaccine for HIV, how engineers are turning carbon dioxide into useful products, a...

No Inner Voice, Yoga & Brain Health, Monogamous Mice

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about people who lack an inner voice, how yoga could help cancer survivors defog their minds, and the newly discovered hormone t...

Anti-Drunk Gel, Hot Spring Viruses, Tiger Beetles

01 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a gel that stops alcohol from making you drunk and harming your liver, the ancient viruses of Yellowstone hot springs, and...

Leeches & Blood Tests, Algae & Carbon, Asthma Cause

31 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a new anxiety-free way to collect blood samples modeled on the sucking power of leeches, the super carbon-gobbling power o...

Hair Loss Treatment, Aphantasia, Ultrasound Coffee

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a groundbreaking new treatment for hair loss caused by autoimmune skin disease, a condition that affects the imagination, ...

Asthma & ADHD, Whale Codas, Hidden Lithium

25 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the possible link between asthma, ADHD, and income in children, how whale communication is much more complex than we thoug...

Brainstem Dial, Centipedes & Kidneys, AI Ghosts

24 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about an accidental discovery of a dial in the brainstem that controls the body’s inflammation level, how centipedes might off...

Sleeping Brain, Bamboo Glass, Leprosy & Squirrels

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about how sleep isn’t the brain detoxifier we thought it was, a new glass made out of bamboo, and the connection between lepro...

Fiction Readers, Bird Flu Transmission, Beluga Heads

18 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about how reading fiction could make you smarter, the first ever likely transmission of bird flu from a cow to a human, and how ...

Tobacco Treatment, Clean Touchscreen, Parrot Stepdads

17 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a new and stimulating method that could potentially help smokers kick the habit, an innovative copper coating that kills b...

Shark Oil, Eco-Friendly Lubricant, Historic Land Management

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the demand for a compound called squalene that is decimating deepwater shark populations, an amazing effort to create an e...

Ghost Shark, Grief Treatment, Blood Vessel Coordination

11 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a newly discovered deep sea ghost shark, the best way to treat prolonged grief disorder, and how the blood vessels in our ...

Thresher Shark, Laron Syndrome, Sad Music

10 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the incredible dynamics that make the thresher shark so good at threshing, how people with a rare growth disorder might ac...

Newborn Great White, Long-Term Flu Shot, Consciousness Map

05 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the possible holy grail of great white shark sightings, a new flu vaccine that could knock out every strain and last a lon...

Hammerhead Embryos, Free Throw Touch, Kinky Alloy

04 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the rare study of a hammerhead shark embryo, how touching your teammate might help them make free throws, and a super allo...

Giant Shark, Barred Owl Cull, Misophonia Stress

03 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a massive prehistoric shark, the controversial plan to kill millions of barred owls, and how a condition called misophonia...

Robotic Nerve Cuffs, Orangutan Medicine, Ritual Nostalgia

28 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about tiny robotic nerve cuffs, an orangutan that treated its own wound with medicine, and how nostalgia encourages us to take p...

Universal Donors, Exercise & Time, Eggshell Plastic

27 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a new way to turn certain blood types into universal blood types that could save countless lives, how exercise makes time ...

Microgravity Effects, Octocoral, Menstrual Sync

26 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about how microgravity affects sleep and physiological rhythms, the half a billion year old bioluminescent octocoral, and the tr...

Venus Environment, Forest Stewardship, Auto-Brewery Syndrome

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the life-crushing conditions on Venus that could actually tell us about life elsewhere in the universe, how indigenous cul...

Thistle Extract, Artificial Cells, Autism Language

20 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the amazing regenerative effects of thistle extract on damaged nerves, the first synthetic, lab-made cells, and new insigh...

Clean Water Walking, Metafluid, Underwater Bees

19 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a new way to purify water simply by walking, robots controlled by liquid and rubber balls, and an accident that led to a w...

Dragon History, Gold Atom Layer, Low Pressure Diamonds

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the history of dragons, a lab-made gold that’s only a single atom thick, and a new low pressure way to make diamonds.&nb...

CO2 Into Electricity, Shapeshifting Cancer, Zebrafish

13 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a new tech that could turn all that nasty CO2 into electricity, the genes that allow cancer cells to metastasize, and the ...

Left Hand Gene, Heat Wave Trees, Europa

12 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the genes that could make you left-handed, how trees are able to cope with heat waves, and what could possibly lie beneath...

When is Old Age?, Sensitive Mothers, Neanderthal Homes

07 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about how our perception of when old age hits is changing, a baby’s response to a happy face, and the housekeeping habits of n...

New Antibiotics, H2O Pollution Test, Cooperative Camouflage

06 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a new class of antibiotics that kills drug-resistant bugs, a water pollution test that can tell scientists where the pollu...

Bird Dreams, Whales & Noise, Fruit-Eaters Save Forest

05 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the dreams of birds, why sound pollution in the oceans could be killing whales, and how fruit-eating birds are doing the w...

Paralysis Recovery, Bee Architecture, Perinatal Treatment

31 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a paralyzed man who is making a recovery after receiving stem cell therapy, how bees learn architecture, and a potential n...

Brain Stimulation, Fractal Molecule, Bonobos

30 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about how non-invasive brain stimulation might offer relief to older patients suffering from anxiety and depression, the first k...

AI Medical Research, Watching Sports, Blinking

29 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a new AI developed to help doctors identify and treat diseases like cancer, why watching sports might give our sense of we...

Romantic Traits, Heart & Gut, Canine Play

24 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the traits most people value in romantic partners, a new link between a particular gut bacteria and cardiovascular health,...

Diversified Farming, Sense of Smell, Simple Rhythms

23 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about how diversifying farms has a ton of upsides and virtually no downsides, the way we tend to predict how something will smel...

Dark Energy, Electric Rain, Chickadees

22 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a tantalizing new discovery about dark energy that could change our understanding of the entire universe, how scientists a...

Recovered Whales, Old Salmon Cans, Climate Change & Time

17 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about some potential good news about whale populations, what decades-old cans of salmon can tell us about the health of the ocea...

Cooling Windows, Mars & Erosion, Didgeridoo Slumber

16 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about an AI-designed window film that could keep your house cool, the mysterious ways Mars causes deep-sea erosion on Earth, and...

Artificial Reef, Glasses & Income, AC DNA

15 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about an artificial reef that could save the shore from storms, how simply owning a pair of glasses can make you earn more incom...

Solar Drinking Water, Forgetting Memories, Super-Earth

10 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a revolutionary new system that can turn saltwater into drinking water with the help of the sun, how your brain chooses wh...

New Marine Species, Teen Drivers, Animal Microchips

09 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a massive discovery of new species from the depths of the ocean, why you shouldn’t buy your brand new driver their own c...

Gossip, Zooplankton, School Bus Science

08 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the potential positive power of gossip, how climate change is making zooplankton in Lake Erie confused, and a surprising c...

Grooving to Music, Horse Burial, Coffee & Cancer

03 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the science of getting in the groove, a newly discovered burial ground for elite medieval horses, and more evidence that c...

ChatGPT in School, Quiet Covid, Healing Contact Lens

02 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the pros and mostly cons of using ChatGPT in the classroom, how wild animals responded to the sudden peace and quiet of Co...

Bigger Brains, Reef Songs, AI Speech

01 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about why our brains are getting bigger and why that’s a good thing, how the sweet songs of the reef could help save it, and a...

Sleep Spray, Insecticide Paint, UK Redwoods

26 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a nasal spray that could one day let those with sleep apnea toss out their CPAP machines, house paint that kills mosquitos...

Palm-Less Oil, Polyglot Brain, Ayahuasca & Fear

25 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about an effort to create palm oil without burning down millions of acres of forest, the surprising way polyglots’ brains appr...

Extinction Risk, Living Fossils, Asteroid vs Birds

24 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a new study shedding light on what species are most vulnerable to extinction from climate change, why species of living fo...

Twin Trauma, Bee Mystery, Sequence Bias

19 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a compelling study on twins and the nature versus nurture debate, how scientists solved a 60-year-old mystery about bees, ...

Brewer’s Yeast, Constructed Languages, Memory Direction

18 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a new plan to use waste from beer brewing to clean metal out of our water supply, a study that puts languages like Orc and...

Frostbite Treatment, Blood in Space, Small Classes

17 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a medication that can successfully treat frostbite, the study of bloodsplatter in space, and a surprising finding about th...

Printed Skin, Mammoth De-Extinction, Learning Happiness

12 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a skin printer that could lead to scar-free surgeries, the possibility of bringing the wooly mammoth back to life, and how...

Glacier Curtain, Good Vibrations, PFAS Water Detox

11 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a radical idea for installing a curtain around a massive ice sheet, how positive vibrations might help people with social ...

Chernobyl Worms, Barnacle Proteins, Foot-Eye Coordination

10 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a surprising discovery inside the worms of Chernobyl, a way to protect metals at sea inspired by barnacles, and foot-eye c...

Eclipse 2024, Boiling Microplastics, Self-Control

05 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the magic of the upcoming solar eclipse, a simple way to reduce the amount of microplastics in your drinking water, and th...

Geoengineering, Artificial Sweeteners, Butterfly Mimicry

04 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a potentially risky new idea to geoengineer our way out of extreme heat, bad news for fans of artificially sweetened drink...

Shark Hunter, Asbestos Cancer Treatment, Creative Flow

03 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about an alarming new killer behavior in orcas, a potential breakthrough for patients with one of the deadliest cancers, and the...

Human Diversity, Ancient Tool Use, Deep Sea Discoveries

29 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Happy 300 episodes to our Curiosity Daily listeners! Today, you’ll learn about a massive database of human genomes that’s uncovering major new gen...

Learning From Friends, Hair & Heart, Feeding Weeds

28 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about how we learn the same information differently from people we like than from those we don’t like, a drug men already take...

ADHD Foraging, Pollution & Pollinators, Big Cats Listen

27 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about how ADHD might have actually helped our ancient ancestors thrive, the way pollution makes it hard for nighttime pollinator...

Mind-Reading, Universe’s Brightest Object, Cinnamon

22 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about mind-reading machines, the brightest object in the known universe, and the potential power punch of cinnamon.  M...

Category 6, Colo-Rectal Bacteria, Meteorite Loot

21 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about hurricanes so powerful they need a new category, bacteria linked to young-onset colo-rectal cancer, and ancient treasures ...

Stress & Immunity, Crop Resilience, Psychedelic Scale

20 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the surprising effect our immune system has on our emotional health, a new discovery about the biological clock of plants,...

Depression Temp, Cold Water Menopause, Ultrasound Sticker

15 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the link between body temperature and depression, how taking the the Polar Bear Plunge could soothe symptoms of menopause,...

Psychosis Blood Test, Altitude Genes, PCOS Cognition

14 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a new blood test that can detect signs of psychosis and guide precision treatment, a gene mutation that happened in two di...

Fentanyl Rapid Test, Lead Detector, Bach & Math

13 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a new rapid test for detecting fentanyl, a hyper-sensitive new lead detector, and the mathematical proof that Bach… was ...

Chimp Menopause, Ancient Tsunami, Sexism in Science

08 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about how a population of female chimps have surprisingly been found to go through menopause and live well beyond their reproduc...

Ovarian Cancer Treatment, Passive Learning, Lions & Ants

07 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a potential breakthrough in the treatment of ovarian cancer, how just passively listening can help you learn things much m...

Aging & Colors, First Continents, Phones & Infant Health

06 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about how we experience colors differently as we age, a discovery from the time of the very first continents on Earth, and the i...

Microgravity Gardening, AI Learns Language, Elephant Numbers

01 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the possible dangers of growing leafy greens in microgravity, a study that let AI tag along with a toddler to learn langua...

Leap Year, Tailored Microgreens, Teenage Advice

29 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the reason and the history of leap year, how scientists could tailor microgreens to your own personal dietary needs, and a...

Racism & The Brain, Rhino Embryos, Handwriting

28 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about how feeling the effects of racism might actually change the victim’s brain chemistry, how scientists have successfully c...

Silk-Making Bacteria, Deep Coral, CRISPR Agriculture

23 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a bacteria that turns plastic into spider webs, a massive deep-sea discovery right in our own backyard, and how CRISPR cou...

Hunter-Gatherer Diets, Self-Checkouts, Penguin Colonies

22 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a new discovery that turns our understanding of hunter-gatherer diets on its head, the effect of self-checkout on our sens...

Insect Robots, Bigfoot & Bears, Chronic Stress

21 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about the fastest mini robots ever created, how Bigfoot sightings may help scientists study bear populations, and the link betwe...

Organ Age, Comfort Food, Speedy Snails

16 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a new test that can show how well each of your organs are aging, some interesting links between comfort food and stress, a...

Ant Doctors, Sequestered Carbon, Menstrual Brain

15 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about ants that play doctor to their fellow ants after going into battle, a possible game-changing way to sequester carbon at th...

Long-Term Memories, Ear Infections, Mercury Salt

14 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a breakthrough in our understanding of how the brain creates long-term memories, the effect of chronic childhood ear infec...

Powerful Polymer, Exoplanet CO2, Adoption Science

09 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a new polymer that could battle antibiotic resistant infections, a possible new way to detect life on other planets from a...

Hearing Aids, Quantum Error Eraser, Smalltalk

08 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about how hearing aids may help you live longer, a potential breakthrough that could help usher in the age of quantum computing,...

Dreamtalk, Super Melanin, Garter Snakes

07 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about communicating with sleepers, a possible new miracle cure for skin injuries called super melanin, and the secret social liv...

Origin of Life, Self Control vs Willpower, Puppy Love

02 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a bacterial discovery that challenges our understanding of how and when life formed on Earth, the importance difference be...

B12, Healthy Forests, Ketamine & the Brain

01 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about a supervitamin you might already be taking some good news about the health of the world’s forests, and a new study that ...

Ears & Eyes, Psilocybin & Depression, ADHD & Hoarding

31 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Today, you’ll learn about how your ears are eavesdropping on your eyes, a bold new study on the anti-inflammatory effects of psychedelics, and an as...