Curiosity Weekly - Discovery

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Mushroom Robot, Horse Smarts, Strongman Muscles Oct 02, 2024

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about the mushrooms that are controlling the movements of robots, how horses might be a lot smarter than we thought, and what makes a strongman… strong.

Mushroom Robot

“Engineers Gave a Mushroom a Robot Body And Let It Run Wild.” by Mike Grace. 2024.
“Mushrooms as Nature’s Alchemists: Cycles, Connections, Healing, and Vision.” by Dana O’Driscoll. 2023.
“Fungi May Be Communicating in a Way That Looks Uncannily Like Human Speech.” by David Nield. 2022.
“‘Cyborg Soil’ Unearths a Complex Web of Hidden Microbial Cities.” by Edith Hammer. 2021.
“Mushrooms Appear to Have Electrical ‘Conversations’ After It Rains.” by Russell McLendon. 2023.
“Sensorimotor control of robots mediated by electrophysiological measurements of fungal mycelia.” by Anand Kumar Mishra, et al. 2024.

Horse Smarts

“Horses can plan ahead and think strategically, scientists find.” by Donna Ferguson. 2024.
“Horses can plan and strategise, new study shows.” by Jacqueline Howard. 2024.
“Whoa, No-Go: Evidence consistent with model-based strategy use in horses during an inhibitory task.” by Louise Evans, et al. 2024.

Strongman Muscles

“Strongman’s muscles reveal the secrets of his super-strength.” by Paul McClure. 2024.
“11 Things That Weight [sic] Around 1000 lbs (pounds).” by Niklas. 2024.
“Muscle and tendon morphology of a world strongman and deadlift champion.” by Thomas G. Balshaw, et al. 2024.

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Phones & Brain Cancer, Fungus Food, Crocs & Toads Sep 27, 2024

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about the massive new study that suggests cell phones don’t cause cancer as some feared, a fluffy orange fungus that could one day turn your food waste into dinner, and how scientists are helping crocodiles refine their tastes.

Phones & Brain Cancer

“Mobile phones are not linked to brain cancer, according to a major review of 28 years of research.” by Sarah Loughran & Ken Karipidis. 2024.
“Brain tumour risk in relation to mobile telephone use: results of the INTERPHONE international case-control study.” International Journal of Epidemiology. 2010.
“Mobile phone use and incidence of brain tumour histological types, grading or anatomical location: a population-based ecological study.” by Ken Karipidis, et al. 2018.

Fungus Food

“A fluffy, orange fungus could transform food waste into tasty dishes.” by Anna Gibbs. 2024.
“Neurospora intermedia from a traditional fermented food enables waste-to-food conversion.” by Vayu Maini Rekdal, et al. 2024.

Crocs & Toads

“Taste aversion training can educate free-ranging crocodiles against toxic invaders.” by Georgia Ward-Fear, et al. 2024.
“Introduction of cane toads.” National Museum of Australia. 2023.

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Moon Clock, Meat Allergy, Bird Culture Sep 26, 2024

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about how to sync up clocks on Earth with clocks on the moon, a nanoparticle that could help relieve stubborn allergies, and the culture of birds.

Moon Clock

“Researchers figure out how to keep clocks on the Earth, Moon in sync.” by John Timmer. 2024.
“The Relativistic Framework to Estimate Clock Rates on the Moon.” by Neil Ashby & Bijunath R. Patla. 2024.

Meat Allergy

“Tick-borne red meat allergy prevented in mice through new nanoparticle treatment.” by Jim Lynch. 2024.
“TAK-101 Nanoparticles Induce Gluten-Specific Tolerance in Celiac Disease: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.” by Ciaran P. Kelly, et al. 2021.

Bird Culture

“When birds build nests, they’re also building a culture.” by Nell Greenfieldboyce. 2024.
“Social learning in nest-building birds: a role for familiarity.” by Lauren M. Guillette, et al. 2016.

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Mantle Drill, Tongue Exam, Stonehenge Discovery Sep 25, 2024

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about a record-breaking deep drill into the Earth’s mantle, the new science behind the ancient Chinese diagnostic practice of tongue examination, and how a new discovery at Stonehenge is opening up yet more mysteries.

Mantle Drill

“Geologists drill 1.2 km into rare rocks from Earth’s mantle.” by Michael Irving. 2024.
“Internal Structure of Earth: Crust, Mantle & Core, Discontinuities.” Rau’s IAS. 2024.
“Earth’s layers: Exploring our planet inside and out.” by Daisy Dobrijevic. 2023.
“A long section of serpentinized depleted mantle peridotite.” by C. Johan Lissenberg, et al.

Tongue Exam

“Say ‘aah’ and get a diagnosis on the spot: is this the future of health?” University of South Australia. 2024.
“Tongue Disease Prediction Based on Machine Learning Algorithms.” by Ali Raad Hassoon, et al. 2024.

Stonehenge Discovery

“Stonehenge’s Strangest Rock Came From 500 Miles Away.” by Meghan Bartels. 2024.
“A Scottish provenance for the Altar Stone of Stonehenge.” by Anthony J. I. Clarke, et al. 2024.

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Bionic Leg, First Impressions, Nanoplastic Detection Sep 20, 2024

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about a new groundbreaking bionic leg, the problem with first impressions, and new tech that can detect microplastics in water in milliseconds.

Bionic Leg

“Bionic leg makes walking quicker and easier for amputees, trial shows.” by Hannah Devlin. 2024.
“5.6 Million++ Americans are Living with Limb Loss and Limb Difference: New Study Published.” Amputee Coalition. 2024.
“Agonist-antagonist Myoneural Interface (AMI).” MIT Media Lab. N.D.
“Continuous neural control of a bionic limb restores biomimetic gait after amputation.” by Hyungeun Song, et al. 2024.

First Impressions

“How first impressions can trap us into making suboptimal decisions.” by Eric W. Dolan. 2024.
“Missing out by pursuing rewarding outcomes: Why initial biases can lead to persistent suboptimal choices.” by Chris Harris, et al. 2023.

Nanoplastic Detection

“Cutting-edge technology detects nanoplastics in water - instantly.” McGill. 2024.
“Scientists find about a quarter million invisible nanoplastic particles in a liter of bottled water.” by Seth Borenstein. 2024.
“Nanoplastics in Water: Artificial Intelligence-Assisted 4D Physicochemical Characterization and Rapid In Situ Detection.” by Zi Wang, et al. 2024.

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Smart Soil, Smell Preferences, Mars Moss Sep 19, 2024

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about the smart soil that gives plants a massive boost even when they’re watered less, how our love of certain odors could be more nurture than nature, and a moss that could one day fill greenhouses on Mars.

Smart Soil

“‘Smart soil’ grows 138% bigger crops using 40% less water.” by Michael Irving. 2024.
“Climate Change Indicators: Drought.” EPA. 2024.
“Water for Prosperity and Peace.” Unesco. 2024.
“Self-watering SMAG-soil pulls moisture from the air.” by Ben Coxworth. 2020.
“Self-Irrigation and Slow-Release Fertilizer Hydrogels for Sustainable Agriculture.” by Jungjoon Park, et al. 2024.

Smell Preferences

“Do you smell what I smell? New study reveals surprising variability in odor preferences.” by Mane Kara-Yakoubian. 2024.
“Is the perception of odour pleasantness shared across cultures and ecological conditions? Evidence from Amazonia, East Africa, New Guinea, Malaysia, and Poland.” by Piotr Sorokowski, et al. 2024.

Mars Moss

“Scientists find desert moss ‘that can survive on Mars’.” by Nicola Davis. 2024.
“The extremotolerant desert moss Syntrichia caninervis is a promising pioneer plant for colonizing extraterrestrial environments.” by Xiaoshuang Li, et al. 2024.
“This desert moss has the potential to grow on Mars.” Science News. 2024.

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Larynx Transplant, Sleep Studies, Mammal Brains Sep 18, 2024

Show notes

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 sleep studies without all the wires, and how a new discovery is changing the way scientists understand the mammalian brain.

Larynx Transplant

“Mayo Clinic marks medical milestone with world’s first known successful total larynx transplant performed in a patient with an active cancer as part of a clinical trial.” EureAlert! 2024.
“Total Laryngeal Transplantation in the Setting of Active Laryngeal Malignancy.” by David G. Lott, MD, et al. 2024.
“Laryngeal Cancer Data.” Iowa Health & Human Services. 2024.

Sleep Studies

“Sleep studies simplified: Gold-standard results with far less wiring.” by Paul McClure. 2024.
“Cardiosomnography: ECG-only sleep studies.” Cardiosomnography.com. 2024.

Mammal Brains

“Co-evolutionary dynamics of mammalian brain and body size.” by Chris Venditti, et al. 2024.
“Brain size riddle solved as humans exceed evolution trend.” Durham University. 2024.

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Super Synchronizers, Quantum Compass, Seabirds & Cyclones Sep 13, 2024

Show notes

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 replace GPS, and how a rare seabird rides out tropical cyclones.

Super Synchronizers

“Scientists discover ‘Super Synchronizers’ with heightened romantic appeal.” by Eric W. Dolan. 2024.
“Social and nonsocial synchrony are interrelated and romantically attractive.” by M. Cohen, et al. 2024.

Quantum Compass

“‘It’s the perfect place’: London Underground hosts tests for ‘quantum compass’ that could replace GPS.” by Robin McKie. 2024.
“Quantum ‘compass’ could allow navigation without relying on satellites.” by Hayley Dunning, et al. 2018.
“What Is GPS and how do global positioning systems work?” Geotab. 2024.

Seabirds & Cyclones

“Groundbreaking study reveals oceanic seabirds chase tropical cyclones.” EurekAlert! 2024.
“Oceanic seabirds chase tropical cyclones.” by Francesco Ventura, et al. 2024.

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Rejection Prediction, Cool Fabric, Serotonin & Fertility Sep 12, 2024

Show notes

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, a new fabric that is - literally - cool, and how serotonin affects fertility.

Rejection Prediction

“Decoding the hallmarks of allograft dysfunction with a comprehensive pan-organ transcriptomic atlas.” by Harry Robertson, et al. 2024.
“History of transplantation.” UNOS. n.d.

Cool Fabric

“New fabric makes urban heat islands more bearable.” by Paul Dailing. 2024.
“Spectrally engineered textile for radiative cooling against urban heat islands.” by Ronghui Wu, et al. 2024.

Serotonin & Fertility

“Intriguing connection found between serotonin and fertility.” by Eric W. Dolan. 2024.
“Raphne glucose-sensing serotonergic neurons stimulate KNDy neurons to enhance LH pulses via 5HT2CR: rat and goat studies.” by Sho Nakamura, et al. 2024.

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Epilepsy Preventer, Tiny 3D Printer, Acts of Kindness Sep 11, 2024

Show notes

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 why doing something kind for someone else can be a boost for your own well-being.

Epilepsy Preventer

“Epilepsy risk drops up to 30% on existing blood pressure drugs.” by Paul McClure. 2024.
“Types of Blood Pressure Medications.” Heart.org. 2024.
“The epidemiology of epilepsy in older adults: A narrative review by the ILAE Task Force on Epilepsy in the Elderly.” by Ettore Beghi, et al. 2023.
“Seizures and Epilepsy After Stroke: Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Management.” by Marian Galovic, et al. 2021.
“The role of inflammation in the development of epilepsy.” by Amna Rana & Alberto E. Musto. 2018.

Tiny 3D Printer

“This 3-D printer can fit in the palm of your hand.” by Claire Yuan. 2024.
“Silicon-photonics-enabled chip-based 3D printer.” by Sabrina Corsetti, et al. 2024.

Acts of Kindness

“New psychology research shows acts of kindness predict seven types of well-being.” by Eric W. Dolan. 2024.
“Everyday acts of kindness predict greater well-being during the transition to university.” by Tiara A. Cash, et al. 2024.

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