Curiosity Weekly
Discovery
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Welcome to Curiosity Weekly from Discovery, hosted by Dr. Samantha Yammine. Once a week, we’ll bring you the latest and greatest in scientific discoveries and break down the details so that you don’t need a PhD to understand it. From neuroscience to climate tech to AI and genetics, no subject is off-limits. Join Sam as she interviews expert guests and investigates the research guiding some of the most exciting scientific breakthroughs affecting our world today.
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Top 10 Curiosity Weekly Episodes
Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best Curiosity Weekly episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to Curiosity Weekly for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite Curiosity Weekly episode by adding your comments to the episode page.
How COVID Tests Work, Making Decisions with Math, Dog Talent
Curiosity Weekly
08/27/21 • 15 min
Learn how COVID tests work; how math can help you with major life decisions; and how some dogs have natural talent.
How COVID PCR tests work by Ashley Hamer (Listener question from Lydia)
- Tiner, S. (2020, March 27). The Science Behind the Test for the COVID-19 VirusDiscovery’s Edge. Https://Discoverysedge.mayo.edu/. https://discoverysedge.mayo.edu/2020/03/27/the-science-behind-the-test-for-the-covid-19-virus/
- Amoeba Sisters. (2020). PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5jmdh9AnS4
- PCR: Thirty-five years and counting. (2018, May 10). PCR: Thirty-five years and counting. Science | AAAS. https://www.sciencemag.org/features/2018/05/pcr-thirty-five-years-and-counting
- Ask A Scientist Staff. (2020, October 23). Why qPCR is the gold standard for COVID-19 testing. Ask a Scientist; Thermo Fisher Scientific. https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/ask-a-scientist/why-qpcr-is-the-gold-standard-for-covid-19-testing/
Additional resources from David Sumpter:
- Pick up "The Ten Equations that Rule the World and How You Can Use Them Too" https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250246967
- Faculty page: https://katalog.uu.se/profile/?id=N7-525
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/soccermatics?lang=en
Dogs have talent, yes they do by Steffie Drucker
- Not only humans got talent, dogs got it too! (2021, July 7). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/553737
- Fugazza, C., Dror, S., Sommese, A., Temesi, A., & Miklósi, Á. (2021). Word learning dogs (Canis familiaris) provide an animal model for studying exceptional performance. Scientific Reports, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-93581-2
- Genius Dog Challenge. (2021). Exceptional DOGS & what they can TEACH us [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF6ZpjdH2Sc
- Follow Christina Hunger, Speech Pathologist, on Instagram @Hunger4Words https://www.instagram.com/hunger4words/?hl=en
Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.
Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/how-covid-tests-work-making-decisions-with-math-dog-talent
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Meat Disgust, Cosmic Rays for Medicine, Immortal Battery
Curiosity Weekly
08/11/21 • 13 min
Learn about how meat-eaters really feel; using cosmic rays in medical diagnoses; and the Oxford Electric Bell mystery.
People who eat meat think it's gross, which suggests new ideas for cutting consumption by Kelsey Donk
- Even Some Meat-Eaters Are Disgusted By Meat — And Encouraging Those Feelings Could Help Reduce Consumption. (2021, June 3). Research Digest. https://digest.bps.org.uk/2021/06/03/even-some-meat-eaters-are-disgusted-by-meat-and-encouraging-those-feelings-could-help-reduce-consumption/
- Becker, E., & Lawrence, N. S. (2021). Meat disgust is negatively associated with meat intake – Evidence from a cross-sectional and longitudinal study. Appetite, 164, 105299. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105299
Doctors can use cosmic rays in medical diagnosis by Grant Currin
- Gough, E. (2021, June 8). The Universe is Constantly Bathing you in Radiation. Incredibly, This Could be Used for Medical Diagnosis - Universe Today. Universe Today. https://www.universetoday.com/151419/the-universe-is-constantly-bathing-you-in-radiation-incredibly-this-could-be-used-for-medical-diagnosis/#more-151419
- Morris, C., Perry, J., & Merrill, F. E. (2021). Cosmic ray radiography of a human phantom. https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/2106/2106.01542.pdf
The Mysterious Battery That Has Lasted More Than 175 Years by Mae Rice originally aired May 28, 2018 https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/personality-predicting-eye-movements-a-mysterious
Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.
Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/meat-disgust-cosmic-rays-for-medicine-immortal-battery
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Brewer’s Yeast, Constructed Languages, Memory Direction
Curiosity Weekly
04/18/24 • 13 min
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 Klingon to the test, and a discovery about the direction our memories travel in our brains.
Brewer’s Yeast
- “The same beer waste that gives us Vegemite could help us recycle metal waste.” n.a. 2024.
- “Spent brewer’s yeast as a selective biosorbent for metal recovery from polymetallic waste streams.” by Anna Sieber, et al. 2024.
- “What Is E-Waste Recycling and How Is it Done?” by Tin Lok Wu. 2023.
Constructed Languages
- “From Star Trek’s Klingon to Tolkien’s Orkish: Unraveling the auditory aesthetics of constructed languages.” by Eric W. Dolan. 2024.
- “Does Orkish Sound Evil? Perception of Fantasy Languages and Their Phonetic and Phonological Characteristics.” by Christine Mooshammer, et al. 2024.
Memory Direction
- “Brain Waves Travel in One Direction When Memories Are Made and the Opposite When Recalled.” by Grant Currin. 2024.
- “Theta and Alpha Oscillations Are Traveling Waves in the Human Neocortex.” by Honghui Zhang, et al. 2018.
- “The direction of theta and alpha travelling waves modulates human memory processing.” by Uma R. Mohan, et al. 2024.
Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free! Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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mRNA Vaccines Are Decades Old and Why White Animal Bellies?
Curiosity Weekly
11/02/21 • 11 min
Learn about why mRNA vaccines are older than you think; and the scientific theories about why animals have white bellies.
mRNA vaccines are older than you think by Grant Currin
- Dolgin, E. (2021). The tangled history of mRNA vaccines. Nature, 597(7876), 318–324. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-02483-w
- Lewis, T. (2021, September 15). An mRNA Pioneer Discusses How Her Work Led to the COVID Vaccines. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/an-mrna-pioneer-discusses-how-her-work-led-to-the-COVID-vaccines/
- Harvard University. (2021). How mRNA vaccines work [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbaCxIJ_VP4
Why do so many animals have white bellies? Here are the theories by Cameron Duke
- Exhibit Galleries Blog. (2016). Neaq.org. http://galleries.neaq.org/2014/09/countershading-camouflage.html
- Harris, J., & Olivier Penacchio. (2015, October 7). Sunscreen or camouflage? Why so many animals have dark backs and pale bellies. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/sunscreen-or-camouflage-why-so-many-animals-have-dark-backs-and-pale-bellies-48603
- Penacchio, O., Cuthill, I. C., Lovell, P. G., Ruxton, G. D., & Harris, J. M. (2015). Orientation to the sun by animals and its interaction with crypsis. Functional Ecology, 29(9), 1165–1177. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.12481
- Penacchio, O., Lovell, P. G., Cuthill, I. C., Ruxton, G. D., & Harris, J. M. (2015). Three-Dimensional Camouflage: Exploiting Photons to Conceal Form. The American Naturalist, 186(4), 553–563. https://doi.org/10.1086/682570
Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.
Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/mrna-vaccines-are-decades-old-and-why-white-animal-bellies
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Vaccine Menstrual Length, Lonely in a Crowd, Aussie ‘Roos
Curiosity Weekly
08/04/23 • 12 min
Today, you’ll learn about a study linking the Covid vaccine to slightly longer menstrual cycles. How being social could actually hurt people who are lonely, and why you won’t find any kangaroos outside of Australia.
Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/vaccine-menstrual-length-lonely-in-a-crowd-aussie-roos
Vaccine Menstrual Length
- “Study Confirms Link Between COVID-19 Vaccination and Temporary Increase in Menstrual Cycle Length.” n.a. 2022.
Lonely in a Crowd
- “How To Deal With Loneliness: New Study Suggests That Social Contact May Not Be the Answer.” by Douglas Heingartner. 2023.
Aussie ‘Roos
- “Here's Why You Won't Find Kangaroos Outside of Australia.” by n.a. 2023.
- “Paleoenvironments Shaped the Exchange of Terrestrial Vertebrates Across Wallace’s Line.” by A. Skeels, et al. 2023.
- “Australian Slang.” n.a. N.d.
Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free! Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Bacteria Behavior, Ant Cannibals, Brain Plastic
Curiosity Weekly
10/16/24 • 11 min
Today, you’ll learn about a breakthrough in our understanding of the behavior and abilities of bacteria, the queen ants that cannibalize their sick larvae and recycle it, and how tiny shards of plastic are finding their way into our brains.
Bacteria Behavior
- “New discovery of how bacteria navigate their environment could change how we treat infection.” University of Sheffield. 2024.
- “Individual bacterial cells can use spatial sensing of chemical gradients to direct chemotaxis on surfaces.” by James H.R. Wheeler, et al. 2024.
Ant Cannibals
- “Ant queens cannibalize [sic] their sick offspring - then ‘recycle’ them.” University of Oxford. 2024.
- “Ant queens cannibalize infected brood to contain disease spread and recycle nutrients.” by Flynn Bizzell & Christopher D. Pull. 2024.
- “Black garden ant.” The Wildlife Trusts. N.d.
Brain Plastic
- “Tiny shards of plastic are increasingly infiltrating our brains, study says.” by Sandee LaMotte. 2024.
- “Bioaccumulation of Microplastics in Decedent Human Brains Assessed by Pyrolysis Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry.” by Matthew Campen, et al. 2024.
Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free! Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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TSS Bacto-Battles, Why We Walk, Saber-Tooth Cat Party
Curiosity Weekly
09/13/23 • 11 min
Today, you’ll learn about a new weapon in the war against toxic shock syndrome, how scientists used AI to understand how humans evolved to walk upright, and a new discovery that changes what we know about saber-toothed cats.
TSS Bacto-Battles
- “Inhibition of Toxic Shock Syndrome Associated Staphylococcus aureus by Probiotic Lactobacilli.” by Patrick M. Schlievert. 2023.
- https://journals.asm.org/doi/10.1128/spectrum.01735-23
- “Probiotic combo stops bacteria that cause toxic shock syndrome.” Science Daily. 2023.
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230721113221.htm
- “Toxic shock syndrome.” Mayo Clinic. 2022.
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/toxic-shock-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20355384
Why We Walk
- “These bones were made for walking.” Columbia University Irving Medical Center. 2023.
- https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/07/230721113151.htm
- “Study Sheds Light on Why Humans Walk on Two Legs.” by Claudia Morain. 2007.
- https://www.ucdavis.edu/news/study-sheds-light-why-humans-walk-two-legs
- “Why humans walk on two legs: a close look at chimpanzees puts some old theories to the test.” The Conversation. 2022.
- https://theconversation.com/why-humans-walk-on-two-legs-a-close-look-at-chimpanzees-puts-some-old-theories-to-the-test-194193
Saber-Tooth Cat Party
- “5 million-year-old fossils reveal 2 new species of saber-toothed cats in South Africa.” by Harry Baker. 2023.
- https://www.livescience.com/animals/extinct-species/5-million-year-old-fossils-reveal-2-new-species-of-saber-toothed-cats-in-south-africa
- “Human ancestors were walking upright 7 million years ago, ancient limb bone suggests.” by Ann Gibbons. 2022.
- https://www.science.org/content/article/human-ancestors-were-walking-upright-7-million-years-ago-ancient-limb-bone-suggests
Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free!
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How to Talk to Strangers, Red Dead Redemption 2 Naturalists, July Curiosity Challenge
Curiosity Weekly
08/13/21 • 14 min
Learn how to get better at talking to strangers; and how Red Dead Redemption 2 turns gamers into naturalists. Trivia too!
Additional resources from Joe Keohane:
- Pick up "The Power Of Strangers" at your local bookstore: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781984855770?aff=penguinrandom
- Website: https://joekeohane.net/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeKeohane
Red Dead Redemption 2 accidentally turns gamers into amateur naturalists without them even knowing by Cameron Duke
- Parker, R. (2018, October 30). “Red Dead Redemption 2” Breaks Records With $725 Million Opening Weekend. The Hollywood Reporter; The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/red-dead-redemption-2-breaks-records-725-million-opening-weekend-1156235/
- Crowley, E. J., Silk, M. J., & Crowley, S. L. (2021). The educational value of virtual ecologies in Red Dead Redemption 2. People and Nature. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10242
- Red Dead Redemption 2 teaches players about wildlife. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-07/uoe-rdr070721.php
Episodes referenced in the Curiosity Challenge trivia game:
- Brain-computer interface: https://www.curiositydaily.com/why-song-lyrics-are-getting-simpler/
- Dinosaur age: https://www.curiositydaily.com/weird-dreams-might-be-a-brain-feature-not-a-bug/
- Megalodon: https://www.curiositydaily.com/why-megalodon-was-so-huge-misophonia-in-the-brain-trivia/
Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.
Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/how-to-talk-to-strangers-red-dead-redemption-2-naturalists-july-curiosity-challenge
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Smart Drugs, Frozen Organ Transplant, Curly Hair Cool
Curiosity Weekly
08/16/23 • 13 min
Today, you’ll learn about a new study that shows drugs like Ritalin aren’t so smart after all, how frozen rat kidneys could lead to a medical revolution, and a new study that shows how people with curly hair are extra cool.
Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/smart-drugs-frozen-organ-transplant-curly-hair-cool
Smart Drugs
- “'Smart Drugs' Make You Worse at Solving Complex Problems, New Study Finds.” by Elizabeth Bowman, et al. 2023.
- “People who use ‘smart drugs’ worse at complex tasks, study finds.” by Melissa Davey. 2023.
Frozen Organ Transplant
- “Scientists Successfully Unfroze Rat Organs and Transplanted Them - a 'Historic' Step that Could Someday Transform Transplant Medicine.” by Marion Renault. 2023.
- “Organ Donation Statistics.” HRSA. 2023.
- “Vitrification.” Wikipedia. N.d.
Curly Hair Cool
- “Life Before Air Conditioning: Curly Hair Kept Early Humans Cool.” by Francisco Tutella. 2023.
- “Human scalp hair as a thermoregulatory adaptation.” by Tina Lasisi, et al. 2023.
Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free! Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Twin Trauma, Bee Mystery, Sequence Bias
Curiosity Weekly
04/19/24 • 10 min
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, and why you shouldn’t go last.
Twin Trauma
- “One Twin Was Hurt, the Other Was Not. Their Adult Mental Health Diverged.” by Ellen Barry. 2024.
- “Adverse Childhood Experiences and Adult Mental Health Outcomes.” by Hilda Bjork Danielsdottir, et al. 2024.
- “Recognizing the importance of childhood maltreatment as a critical factor in psychiatric diagnoses, treatment, research, prevention, and education.” by Martin H. Teicher, et al. 2022.
- “Relationship of Childhood Abuse and Household Dysfunction to Many of the Leading Causes of Death in Adults.” by Vincent J. Felitti MD, FACP, et al. 1998.
Bee Mystery
- “A decades-old mystery has been solved with the help of newfound bee species.” by Darren Incorvaia. 2024.
- “Canopy specialist Hylaeus bees highlight sampling biases and resolve Michener’s mystery.” by James B. Dorey, et al.
Sequence Bias
- “A new study finds that the later we meet someone in a sequence, the more negatively we describe them.” by Douglas Heingartner. 2024.
- “Differentiation in social perception: Why later-encountered individuals are described more negatively.” by Alex Koch, et al. 2024.
Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free! Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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FAQ
How many episodes does Curiosity Weekly have?
Curiosity Weekly currently has 1187 episodes available.
What topics does Curiosity Weekly cover?
The podcast is about Astronomy, Podcasts, Self-Improvement, Education and Science.
What is the most popular episode on Curiosity Weekly?
The episode title 'How COVID Tests Work, Making Decisions with Math, Dog Talent' is the most popular.
What is the average episode length on Curiosity Weekly?
The average episode length on Curiosity Weekly is 13 minutes.
How often are episodes of Curiosity Weekly released?
Episodes of Curiosity Weekly are typically released every day.
When was the first episode of Curiosity Weekly?
The first episode of Curiosity Weekly was released on Jul 18, 2017.
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