Curiosity Weekly

Learn about why music really is universal to humans; what studying “split-brain” patients taught scientists about the brain; and when in human history society decided that women should shave their bodies.In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about how studying “split-brain” patients taught scientists strange things about the brain: https://curiosity.com/topics/studying-split-brain-patients-taught-scientists-strange-things-about-the-brain-curiosityAdditional sources:Universal features of music around the world | ScienceDaily — https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/11/191122113300.htmUniversality and diversity in human song | Science — https://science.sciencemag.org/content/366/6468/eaax0868The world in a song | Science — https://science.sciencemag.org/content/366/6468/944Caucasian Female Body Hair and American Culture | Journal of American Culture — https://eportfolios.macaulay.cuny.edu/brundage13/files/2013/09/Caucasian-Female-Body-Hair-and-American-Culture.pdfThe History of Female Hair Removal | Women’s Museum of California — https://womensmuseum.wordpress.com/2017/11/22/the-history-of-female-hair-removal/Why women are growing out their body hair and what razor companies are doing about it | USA Today — https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/2019/09/07/women-body-hair-why-more-women-shaving-less-beauty-trend/2195286001/A Nick In Time: How Shaving Evolved Over 100,000 Years Of History | Gizmodo — https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2014/03/a-nick-in-time-how-shaving-evolved-over-100000-years-of-history/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/why-women-started-shaving-universal-features-of-music-and-split-brain-studies Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn about the surprising Medieval history of almond milk. Then, learn how some basic physics principles can help us understand why good teams kill great ideas, with physicist and entrepreneur Safi Bahcall.In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about how almond milk was a gourmet luxury in the Middle Ages: https://curiosity.com/topics/almond-milk-was-a-gourmet-luxury-in-the-middle-ages-curiosityAdditional 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/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/why-good-teams-kill-great-ideas-w-safi-bahcall-and-the-medieval-history-of-almond-milk Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn about why you’re happier before achieving a goal than you are after; why horsepower probably doesn’t mean what you think it means; and how to keep your skin safe from the potentially harmful bacteria in your makeup bag.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:Here's Why You're Happier Before Achieving a Goal Than You Are After — https://curiosity.com/topics/heres-why-youre-happier-before-achieving-a-goal-than-you-are-after-curiosityHorsepower Doesn't Mean What You Think It Means — https://curiosity.com/topics/horsepower-doesnt-mean-what-you-think-it-means-curiosityAdditional sources:Revealed: The deadly superbugs lurking in more than 9 in 10 make-up bags | EurekAlert! — https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/au-rtd120219.phpMicrobiological study of used cosmetic products: highlighting possible impact on consumer health | Society for Applied Microbiology — https://sfamjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/jam.14479What You Really Need to Know About Makeup Expiration Dates | Byrdie — https://www.byrdie.com/makeup-expiration-dates-mascara-foundation-lipstickAmazon 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-germs-lurking-in-your-makeup-why-progress-feels-better-than-achieving-a-goal-and-what-horsepower-really-means Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn about why most peoples’ favorite color is blue. Then, you’ll learn why the mystery of how how cats always land on their feet puzzled scientists for centuries, with help from author Greg Gbur.In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about the psychological reason why most people’s favorite color is blue: https://curiosity.com/topics/the-psychological-reason-why-most-peoples-favorite-color-is-blue-curiosityAdditional resources from Greg Gbur:Pick up “Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics” on Amazon — https://amazon.comFollow Greg Gbur on Twitter — https://twitter.com/drskyskullGreg Gbur’s website — https://skullsinthestars.com/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/how-cats-land-on-their-feet-w-greg-gbur-and-why-most-peoples-favorite-color-is-blue Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn about how to avoid committing “financial infidelity;” how scientists are fighting the effects of climate change by playing sounds underwater; and the science between weird winter weather phenomena, including “sea smoke” and thundersnow.In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about weird winter weather phenomena: https://curiosity.com/topics/4-weird-winter-weather-phenomena-explained-curiosityLove, lies and money: Study introduces, defines and measures financial infidelity | EurekAlert! — https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/uond-lla120319.phpLove, Lies, and Money: Financial Infidelity in Romantic Relationships | Journal of Consumer Research — https://academic.oup.com/jcr/advance-article/doi/10.1093/jcr/ucz052/5610529Sounds of the past give new hope for coral reef restoration | University of Exeter — http://www.exeter.ac.uk/news/featurednews/title_768084_en.htmlOne Way to Lure Fish Back to Damaged Reefs? Play the Sounds of Living Coral | Smithsonian Magazine — https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/loudspeakers-lure-communities-fish-back-degraded-coral-reefs-180973685/Acoustic enrichment can enhance fish community development on degraded coral reef habitat | Nature Communications — https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-019-13186-2Amazon 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/financial-infidelity-saving-coral-reefs-with-sounds-and-weird-winter-weather-phenomena-explained Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn about why it’s okay to only exercise on weekends; the real difference between brown and white eggs; and, how you can use a little psychology to enjoy the latest Star Wars movie more.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:What's the Real Difference Between Brown Eggs and White Eggs? — https://curiosity.com/topics/whats-the-real-difference-between-brown-eggs-and-white-eggs-curiosity/Yes, It's OK if You Only Exercise on Weekends — https://curiosity.com/topics/yes-its-ok-if-you-only-exercise-on-weekends-curiosityAdditional sources:Seeing the new Star Wars? Be careful what you wish for | EurekAlert! — https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-12/osu-stn122419.phpThe Cost of Clairvoyance: Enjoyment and Appreciation of a Popular Movie as a Function of Affective Forecasting Errors | Hogrefe — https://econtent.hogrefe.com/doi/pdf/10.1027/1864-1105/a000268Amazon 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/its-ok-to-only-exercise-on-weekends-difference-between-brown-and-white-eggs-and-setting-expectations-for-star-wars Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Entrepreneur, physicist, and author Safi Bahcall explains “loonshots” and how Robert Goddard, the father of modern rocketry, can help us understand where good ideas come from. Plus: learn about why illness puts your brain in a fog, and new research that found a place on Earth where there’s no life.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/Other sources:Link between inflammation and mental sluggishness shown in new study | University of Birmingham via EurekAlert! — https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2019-11/uob-lbi111519.phpSelective effects of acute low-grade inflammation on human visual attention | NeuroImage — https://linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1053811919306895What is an extremophile? | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration — https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/extremophile.htmlExtremophiles and Extreme Environments | National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4187170/The Father of Modern Spaceflight Was Originally Mocked By The New York Times | Curiosity.com — https://curiosity.com/topics/the-father-of-modern-spaceflight-was-originally-mocked-by-the-new-york-times-curiosity/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/where-good-ideas-come-from-w-safi-bahcall-why-illness-puts-your-brain-in-a-fog-and-a-place-on-earth-that-supports-no-life Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn about how “implementation intentions” could strengthen your New Year’s resolution and help you achieve long-term goals; whether apple cider vinegar is really a health tonic; and why Australia’s Wolfe Creek Crater could force us to rethink how we judge a planet’s age.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:Strengthen Your New Year's Resolution with Implementation Intentions — https://curiosity.im/2RUThKpAn Australian Crater Could Force Us to Rethink How We Judge a Planet's Age — https://curiosity.im/38Lh2uuOther sources:Is apple cider vinegar good for you? A doctor weighs in | The Conversation — https://theconversation.com/is-apple-cider-vinegar-good-for-you-a-doctor-weighs-in-102947Debunking the health benefits of apple cider vinegar | The University of Chicago Medicine — https://www.uchicagomedicine.org/forefront/health-and-wellness-articles/2018/august/debunking-the-health-benefits-of-apple-cider-vinegarApple cider vinegar diet: Does it really work? | Harvard Health Blog — https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/apple-cider-vinegar-diet-does-it-really-work-2018042513703Amazon 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/strengthen-your-new-years-resolutions-rethinking-how-we-judge-a-planets-age-and-the-truth-about-apple-cider-vinegar-and-health Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn about common misconceptions around learning that even educators believe; why sensory-specific satiety makes you feel like you always have more room for dessert; and how science writer Carl Zimmer responded when we asked him “what is life?”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:Even Educators Believe Common Myths About Learning — https://curiosity.im/2tFh7MRHere's the Scientific Reason You Always Have Room for Dessert — https://curiosity.im/2tDeMCaMore from Carl Zimmer:Carl Zimmer’s website — https://carlzimmer.com/“She Has Her Mother’s Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity” — https://amazon.com“Matter,” Zimmer’s weekly science column for The New York Times — http://www.nytimes.com/column/matter“What Is Life,” a podcast series of live conversations between writer Carl Zimmer and eight leading thinkers on the question of what it means to be alive — https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/what-is-life/id1451004288?mt=2Follow @CarlZimmer on Twitter — https://twitter.com/carlzimmerAdditional publications from Carl Zimmer — https://amazon.comAmazon 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/carl-zimmer-on-defining-life-learning-myths-even-educators-believe-and-the-truth-about-dessert-stomach Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn what it means when you have something “in your genes” with help from award-winning author Carl Zimmer; whether cockroaches really can survive a nuclear apocalypse; and how to change behaviors using a subtle suggestion.Carl Zimmer, award-winning author and columnist for The New York Times, explains how our growing knowledge of genetics could change the way we understand ourselves.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:Could Cockroaches Really Survive a Nuclear Apocalypse? — https://curiosity.im/2tGXOmoA Subtle Suggestion May Be More Powerful Than Direct Instruction — https://curiosity.im/2tF0SzdMore from Carl Zimmer:Carl Zimmer’s website — https://carlzimmer.com/“She Has Her Mother’s Laugh: The Powers, Perversions, and Potential of Heredity” — https://amazon.com“Matter,” Zimmer’s weekly science column for The New York Times — http://www.nytimes.com/column/matter“What Is Life,” a podcast series of live conversations between writer Carl Zimmer and eight leading thinkers on the question of what it means to be alive — https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/what-is-life/id1451004288?mt=2Follow @CarlZimmer on Twitter — https://twitter.com/carlzimmerAdditional publications from Carl Zimmer — https://amazon.comAmazon 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/heredity-isnt-what-you-think-w-carl-zimmer-how-nudge-theory-changes-behaviors-and-could-cockroaches-survive-a-nuclear-blast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.