

Curiosity Weekly
Discovery
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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jan 24, 2020 • 10min
Earth Is Greener Than Before, Job-Matching with Your Tweets, and Why Blue Means Sad
Learn about how AI and Twitter could help you find the perfect job, and how the world is actually a greener place than it was 20 years ago. We’ll also answer a listener question about why we use the color “blue” to say we’re sad.Job-Matching with Your Tweets by Kelsey DonkSources:Robot career advisor: AI may soon be able to analyse your tweets to match you to a job | The Conversation — https://theconversation.com/robot-career-advisor-ai-may-soon-be-able-to-analyse-your-tweets-to-match-you-to-a-job-128777The Vocation Map (interactive) | Marian-Andrei Rizoiu — http://www.rizoiu.eu/documents/research/resources/Vocation_Map_Interactive.htmlSocial media-predicted personality traits and values can help match people to their ideal jobs | PNAS December 26, 2019 116 (52) 26459-26464; first published December 16, 2019 — https://www.pnas.org/content/116/52/26459Earth Is Greener Than Before by Kelsey DonkSources:Human Activity in China and India Dominates the Greening of Earth, NASA Study Shows | NASA — https://www.nasa.gov/feature/ames/human-activity-in-china-and-india-dominates-the-greening-of-earth-nasa-study-showsChina and India lead in greening of the world through land-use management | Chen, C., Park, T., Wang, X. et al. China and India lead in greening of the world through land-use management. Nat Sustain 2, 122–129 (2019) doi:10.1038/s41893-019-0220-7 — https://www.nature.com/articles/s41893-019-0220-7Story 3 by Ashley Hamer (Listener question from Becky and Britni)Sources:Chaucer and the Country of the Stars: Poetic Uses of Astrological Imagery — https://curiosity.im/2NOyLIBblue (adj.1) | Online Etymology Dictionary — https://www.etymonline.com/word/blue?ref=etymonline_crossreference#etymonline_v_13636Drunk and dirty | BBC — http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/yoursay/lost_for_words/german/drunk_and_dirty.shtmlPhilip, Gill. (2006). Connotative Meaning in English and Italian Colour-Word Metaphors. Metaphorik. 10. — https://www.researchgate.net/publication/44707159_Connotative_Meaning_in_English_and_Italian_Colour-Word_MetaphorsSubscribe to Curiosity Daily from Curiosity.com to learn something new every day! You can also hear Discovery’s Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing; Amazon smart speakers users, click/tap “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/earth-is-greener-than-before-job-matching-with-your-tweets-and-why-blue-means-sad Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 23, 2020 • 10min
Most Lying Is Done by a Few People, Storing Vaccine History with Invisible Dye, and Emotion Words Vary Across Cultures
Learn about how most of the world’s lying comes from a small group of people; an invisible dye that stores vaccine history in the skin; and how language shows us that the ways we feel emotions are not universal.Most Lying Is Done by a Few People by Steffie DruckerSources:Men think they're better liars | EurekAlert! — https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/uop-mtt122019.phpLie prevalence, lie characteristics and strategies of self-reported good liars | PLOS — https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0225566Storing Vaccine History with Invisible Dye by Mae RiceSources:Storing medical information below the skin's surface | EurekAlert! — https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/miot-smi121619.phpMedical history that’s skin deep | Cosmos — https://cosmosmagazine.com/biology/medical-history-that-s-skin-deepBiocompatible near-infrared quantum dots delivered to the skin by microneedle patches record vaccination | Science Translational Medicine Vol. 11, Issue 523, eaay7162 — https://stm.sciencemag.org/content/11/523/eaay7162Emotion Words Vary Across Cultures by Kelsey DonkSources:Words to express emotion vary greatly in their meanings across languages | EurekAlert! — https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/aaft-wte121619.phpMapping words reveals emotional diversity | Science, 20 Dec 2019: Vol. 366, Issue 6472, pp. 1444-1445 — https://science.sciencemag.org/content/366/6472/1444Emotion semantics show both cultural variation and universal structure | Science, 20 Dec 2019: Vol. 366, Issue 6472, pp. 1517-1522 — https://science.sciencemag.org/content/sci/366/6472/1517.full.pdfSubscribe to Curiosity Daily from Curiosity.com to learn something new every day! You can also hear Discovery’s Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing; Amazon smart speakers users, click/tap “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/most-lying-is-done-by-a-few-people-storing-vaccine-history-with-invisible-dye-and-emotion-words-vary-across-cultures Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 22, 2020 • 12min
Live Longer by Appreciating Art, Betelgeuse Might Go Supernova, and Birds’ Freaky-Fast Vision
Learn about how being a patron of the arts could help you live longer; an upcoming supernova we may be able to see with the naked eye; and the superhuman speed of bird vision.Live Longer by Appreciating Art by Kelsey DonkSources:Engaging with the arts linked to longer life | EurekAlert! — https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/b-ewt121619.phpThe art of life and death: 14 year follow-up analyses of associations between arts engagement and mortality in the English Longitudinal Study of Ageing | BMJ 2019;367:l6377 — https://www.bmj.com/content/367/bmj.l6377Betelgeuse Might Go Supernova by Steffie DruckerSources:Just a Fainting Spell? Or Is Betelgeuse About to Blow? | The New York Times — https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/09/science/astronomy-supernova-betelgeuse.htmlMight there soon be a supernova near Earth? | The Economist — https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2020/01/09/might-there-soon-be-a-supernova-near-earthThe Last Supernova: 400-Year-Old Explosion Imaged | Space.com — https://www.space.com/412-supernova-400-year-explosion-imaged.htmlThe Freaky-Fast Vision of Birds of Prey by Kelsey DonkSources:Falcons see prey at speed of Formula 1 car | EurekAlert! — https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/lu-fsp122019.phpFlicker fusion threshold | Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flicker_fusion_thresholdHow fast can raptors see? | Journal of Experimental Biology — https://jeb.biologists.org/content/early/2019/12/06/jeb.209031Subscribe to Curiosity Daily from Curiosity.com to learn something new every day! You can also hear Discovery’s Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing; Amazon smart speakers users, click/tap “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/live-longer-by-appreciating-art-betelgeuse-might-go-supernova-and-birds-freaky-fast-vision Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 21, 2020 • 12min
Saving the Ozone Layer Slowed Climate Change, the Largest Lifeforms on Earth, and Tips for Avoiding Distractions at Work
Learn about how the 1987 Montreal Protocol inadvertently slowed global warming; where you can find giant Sequoias, the biggest lifeforms on the planet; and some pro tips from the Harvard Business Review on how to avoid distractions at work.In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about how giant sequoias are the biggest lifeforms on the planet: https://curiosity.com/topics/giant-sequoias-are-the-biggest-lifeforms-on-the-planet-curiosityAdditional sources:How saving the ozone layer in 1987 slowed global warming | EurekAlert! — https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/uons-hst120519.phpReduction in surface climate change achieved by the 1987 Montreal Protocol | Environmental Research Letters — https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1748-9326/ab487410 Quick Tips for Avoiding Distractions at Work | Harvard Business Review — https://hbr.org/2019/12/10-quick-tips-for-avoiding-distractions-at-workHave Dovico Timesheet Bring Me to the Last View I Was In | Dovico — http://www.dovico.com/article_time_management_facts_figures.aspxAmazon smart speaker users: you can listen to our podcast as part of your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing! Just click or tap “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing. Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/saving-the-ozone-layer-slowed-climate-change-the-largest-lifeforms-on-earth-and-tips-for-avoiding-distractions-at-work Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 20, 2020 • 10min
Real Effects of Paying it Forward, Gorillas Humming Food Songs, and New Crowdsourced Exoplanet Names
Learn about why paying it forward has very real effects; musical animals that could help us understand how speech evolved in humans; and newly announced names for exoplanets that were crowdsourced from people just like you.Sources:Small acts of kindness at work benefit the giver, the receiver and the whole organisation | The British Psychological Society — https://digest.bps.org.uk/2017/07/04/small-acts-of-kindness-at-work-benefit-the-giver-the-receiver-and-the-whole-organisation/Everyday prosociality in the workplace: The reinforcing benefits of giving, getting, and glimpsing. | APA PsycNET — https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2017-24716-001Wild gorillas compose happy songs that they hum during meals | New Scientist — https://www.newscientist.com/article/2078781-wild-gorillas-compose-happy-songs-that-they-hum-during-meals/Food-Associated Calling in Gorillas (Gorilla g. gorilla) in the Wild | PLOS ONE — https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0144197100 000s of People from 112 Countries Select Names for Exoplanet Systems In Celebration of IAU’s 100th Anniversary | International Astronomical Union — https://www.iau.org/news/pressreleases/detail/iau1912/Approved names | IAU100 — http://www.nameexoworlds.iau.org/final-resultsDillingham woman chosen to name star and exoplanet | Anchorage Daily News — https://www.adn.com/alaska-news/science/2019/12/18/woman-from-dillingham-names-intergalactic-star-and-planet-after-alaska-rivers/Proposers | IAU100 — http://www.nameexoworlds.iau.org/proposersAmazon smart speaker users: you can listen to our podcast as part of your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing! Just click or tap “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing. Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/real-effects-of-paying-it-forward-gorillas-humming-food-songs-and-new-crowdsourced-exoplanet-names Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 17, 2020 • 10min
Why Pets Get the Zoomies, How to Avoid Giving Up After a Mistake, and Why Vision Is Important for Babies in the Womb
Learn about cat and dog “zoomies” and why pets sprint around the house; how to avoid the abstinence violation effect that makes you give up after a mistake; and why vision is surprisingly important for babies in the womb.Sources:Viral Snow-Loving Pup Illustrates the Science of Dog "Zoomies" | Inverse — https://www.inverse.com/article/38913-dog-zoomies-scienceWhat Actually Are the Zoomies? | MEL — https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/what-actually-are-the-zoomiesForget Zombies. The Notification Apocalypse Is Here | Inc. — https://www.inc.com/magazine/201805/thomas-goetz/manipulation-gamification-scarcity.html?cid=hmside1Abstinence Violation Effect (AVE) | Encyclopedia.com — https://www.encyclopedia.com/education/encyclopedias-almanacs-transcripts-and-maps/abstinence-violation-effect-aveWhy Falling Off the Wagon Isn't Fatal | TIME — http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1868965,00.htmlBabies in the womb may see more than we thought | EurekAlert! — https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-11/uoc--bit112219.phpGap Junction Coupling Shapes the Encoding of Light in the Developing Retina | Current Biology — https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(19)31365-X?_returnURL=https%3A%2F%2Flinkinghub.elsevier.com%2Fretrieve%2Fpii%2FS096098221931365X%3Fshowall%3DtrueAmazon smart speaker users: you can listen to our podcast as part of your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing! Just click or tap “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing. Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/why-pets-get-the-zoomies-how-to-avoid-giving-up-after-a-mistake-and-why-vision-is-important-for-babies-in-the-womb Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 16, 2020 • 11min
2 Forces Determine What a Group Can Accomplish (w/ Safi Bahcall) and the Taste Receptors Beyond Your Tongue
Learn about why your taste buds aren’t the only part of your body that help you enjoy the flavor of food. Then, learn about the two major forces that determine what a group of people can accomplish, with physicist and entrepreneur Safi Bahcall.Additional resources from Safi Bahcall:Pick up “Loonshots: How to Nurture the Crazy Ideas that Win Wars, Cure Diseases, and Transform Industries” on Amazon — https://amazon.comFollow @SafiBahcall on Twitter — https://twitter.com/safibahcallOfficial Website — https://www.bahcall.com/Subscribe to the New Books Network to hear our full interview with Safi Bahcall — https://newbooksnetwork.com/The Taste Receptors Beyond Your Tongue by Grant CurrinSources:Taste receptors in the gastrointestinal system | Flavour — https://flavourjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/2044-7248-4-14Your Gut Has Taste Receptors | ScienceDaily — https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070820175426.htmGut feelings | Knowable Magazine — https://www.knowablemagazine.org/article/health-disease/2018/gut-feelingsT1R3 and gustducin in gut sense sugars to regulate expression of Na+-glucose cotransporter 1 | PNAS — https://www.pnas.org/content/104/38/15075Subscribe to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. Plus, Amazon smart speaker users: you can listen to Curiosity Daily as part of your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing! Just click or tap “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing. Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/2-forces-determine-what-a-group-can-accomplish-w-safi-bahcall-and-the-taste-receptors-beyond-your-tongue Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 15, 2020 • 11min
The 3-Encounter Rule, Why Weak Passwords Survive, and Saturn’s Rings Aren’t as Old as We Thought
Learn about how your weak passwords can get approved even when they shouldn’t; why Saturn’s rings might not be as old as we thought; and how much time you should spend with someone to know if you really enjoy their company.Sources:The Top 100 Worst Passwords of 2019 | SplashData — https://www.teamsid.com/100-50-worst-passwords-2019/'Inconsistent and misleading' password meters could increase risk of cyber attacks | EurekAlert! — https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/uop-am121819.php2019 Data Breach Investigations Report | Verizon — https://enterprise.verizon.com/resources/reports/dbir/Password meters: inaccurate advice offered inconsistently? | Computer Fraud & Security, Volume 2019, Issue 11, November 2019 — https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1361372319301162?via%3DihubAncestor of Humans Lived With Dinosaurs | Seeker — https://www.seeker.com/ancestor-of-humans-lived-with-dinosaurs-1768223125.htmlAre Saturn’s Rings Really as Young as the Dinosaurs? | Quanta Magazine — https://www.quantamagazine.org/are-saturns-rings-really-as-young-as-the-dinosaurs-20191121/The origin of Saturn's rings and moons | Science — https://science.sciencemag.org/content/364/6445/1028Measurement and implications of Saturn’s gravity field and ring mass | Science — https://science.sciencemag.org/content/364/6445/eaat2965The 3-Encounter Rule | The Art of Manliness — https://www.artofmanliness.com/articles/the-3-encounter-rule/Relational mate value: Consensus and uniqueness in romantic evaluations. | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology — https://psycnet.apa.org/record/2014-08116-001Relational Mate Value: Consensus and Uniqueness in Romantic Evaluations | Journal of Personality and Social Psychology (PDF) — https://static1.squarespace.com/static/504114b1e4b0b97fe5a520af/t/536558a7e4b00d4ffa0c60a0/1399150759190/EastwickHunt2014JPSP.pdfAmazon smart speaker users: you can listen to our podcast as part of your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing! Just click or tap “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing. Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/the-3-encounter-rule-why-weak-passwords-survive-and-saturns-rings-arent-as-old-as-we-thought Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 14, 2020 • 11min
Positive vs. Negative Goal-Setting, Kids Read More with Dogs, and Why Teleportation Is (Probably) Impossible
Learn about why we’ll probably never be able to teleport; how to set “approach goals” so you’re more likely to achieve your dreams; and how dogs can help improve kids’ reading skills.In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about why we'll (probably) never be able to teleport: https://curiosity.com/topics/why-well-probably-never-be-able-to-teleport-curiosityAdditional sources:Goal-Setting Secrets | Positive Psychology News — https://positivepsychologynews.com/news/bridget-grenville-cleave/2012013120696How to Overcome Your Fear of Failure | Harvard Business Review — https://hbr.org/2018/12/how-to-overcome-your-fear-of-failureApproach and Avoidance Social Motives and Goals | University of California, Los Angeles — http://www.coachingtowardhappiness.com/pdf/ApproachAndAvoidanceSocialMotives.pdfNew research demonstrates dogs promote page turning | EurekAlert! — https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/uobc-usd112719.phpTurning the Page for Spot: The Potential of Therapy Dogs to Support Reading Motivation Among Young Children | Anthrozoös: A multidisciplinary journal of the interactions of people and animals, Volume 32, 2019 - Issue 5 — https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/08927936.2019.1645511Amazon smart speaker users: you can listen to our podcast as part of your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing! Just click or tap “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing. Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/positive-vs-negative-goal-setting-kids-read-more-with-dogs-and-why-teleportation-is-probably-impossible Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jan 13, 2020 • 9min
What if Earth Stopped Turning, Why We Blurt Things Out, and the Little Black Dots on Your Windshield
Learn about why we blurt things out at inappropriate times; what would happen if Earth stopped turning; and what those little black dots are around your windshield.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 a few minutes:Why We Blurt Things Out, According to Research — https://curiosity.com/topics/why-we-blurt-things-out-according-to-research-curiosityWhat If Earth Stopped Turning? — https://curiosity.com/topics/what-if-earth-stopped-turning-curiosityAdditional sources:Here's What Those Little Dots Are On The Edges Of Your Car Windows | Jalopnik — https://jalopnik.com/heres-what-those-little-dots-are-on-the-edges-of-your-c-1791075995The Purpose of the Frit (Black Band) and Spots on Windshield | DeDona Tint & Sound — https://www.dedona.com/the-purpose-of-the-frit-black-band-and-spots-on-windshield/What is That Black Band Around Your Windshield? | Taylor Auto Glass — https://www.taylorautoglass.com/black-dots-windshield/Amazon smart speaker users: you can listen to our podcast as part of your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing! Just click or tap “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing. Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/what-if-earth-stopped-turning-why-we-blurt-things-out-and-the-little-black-dots-on-your-windshield Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


