Curiosity Weekly - Discovery

Latest Episodes:

New Mom Pareidolia, Soapy Cilantro, Problem-Solving Birds Nov 09, 2023

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about how new moms see faces in inanimate objects, why some people think cilantro tastes like soap, and the problem solving prowess of vocal birds.

New Mom Pareidolia

“New mothers more likely to experience pareidolia, when your brain thinks it sees faces in inanimate objects.” by Emily Cooke. 2023.
“What is pareidolia?” by Tia Ghose. 2023.
“Oxytocin: Facts about the ‘cuddle hormone’.” by Stephanie Pappas & Ailsa Harvey. 2022.
“Why new mothers are more likely to see faces in everyday objects.” n.a. 2023.

Soapy Cilantro

“Why do some people think cilantro tastes like soap?” by Donavyn Coffey. 2023.
“Why do people like spicy food?” by Donavyn Coffey. 2023.
“A genetic variant near olfactory receptor genes influences cilantro preference.” by Nicholas Eriksson, et al. 2012.

Problem-Solving Birds

“Birds with more complex vocal skills are better problem-solvers.” by Darren Incorvaia. 2023.
“Cockatoos can tell when they need more than one tool to swipe a snack.” by Erin Garcia de Jesus. 2023.
“Songbird species that display more-complex vocal learning are better problem-solvers and have larger brains.” by Jean-Nicolas Audet, et al. 2023.

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Chameleon Buildings, Math Pattern of Cells, Gravity Waves Nov 08, 2023

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about a new tech that will turn buildings into chameleons, a mathematical mystery lurking in our cells, and how to spot gravitational waves.

Chameleon Buildings

“‘Warm in Winter and Cool in Summer’: Scalable Biochameleon Inspired Temperature-Adaptive Coating with Easy Preparation and Construction.” by Yan Dong, et al. 2023.
“Chameleon-Inspired coating could cool and warm buildings through the seasons.” EurekAlert! 2023.
“Namaqua Chameleon.” Animalia. N.D.
“Buildings.” IEA.Org. n.d.

Math Pattern of Cells

“A catalog of all human cells reveals a mathematical pattern.” by Darren Incorvaia. 2023.
“Human Cells Display a Mathematical Pattern That Repeats in Nature and Language.” by Margaret Osborne. 2023.
“The human cell count and size distribution.” by Ian A. Hatton, et al. 2023.
“Body’s bacteria don’t outnumber human cells so much after all.” by Tina Hesman Saey. 2016.
“Zipf’s word frequency law in natural language: A critical review and future directions.” by Steven T. Piantadosi. 2014.

Gravity Waves

“Scientists have two ways to spot gravitational waves. Here are some other ideas.” by Emily Conover. 2023.
“A newfound gravitational wave ‘hum’ may be from the universe’s biggest black holes.” by Emily Conover. 2023.
“Gravity waves from black holes verify Einstein’s prediction.” by Andrew Grant. 2016.

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Water Breakthrough, Suppress Stress, Ancient Wood Nov 03, 2023

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about a new way to turn saltwater into drinking water, research that suggests stuffing your bad feelings deep down might actually be a good thing, and an amazing 500,000 year old discovery in Tanzania.

Water Breakthrough

“New method for purifying drinking water could be used in disaster zones.” EurekAlert! 2023.
“Desalination.” by Water Science School. 2019.
“Tuning and Coupling Irreversible Electroosmotic Water Flow in Ionic Diodes: Methylation of an Intrinsically Microporous Polyamine (PIM-EA-TB).” by Zhongkai Li, et al. 2023.

Suppress Stress

“Suppressing negative thoughts may be good for mental health after all.” by Z. Mamat & MC Anderson. 2023.
“Suppress Negative Thoughts to Improve Mental Health, Study Says.” by Lisa O’Mary. 2023.

Ancient Wood

“‘Oldest wooden structure’ discovered on border of Zambia and Tanzania.” by Ian Sample. 2023.
“Evidence for the earliest structural use of wood at least 476,000 years ago.” by L. Barham, et al. 2023.

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Nano Zit Zapper, Super Strong Silk, Plant Communication Nov 02, 2023

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about a teensy tiny cure for zits, superpower spider webs, and how scientists have begun having conversations with plants.

Nano Zit Zapper

“Tiny nanocarriers could prove the magic bullet for acne sufferers.” by UNISA. 2023.
“Why is acne *so* hard to get rid of? Dermatologists explain.” by Maddy Sims. 2023.
“Nanotechnology and narasin: a powerful combination against acne.” by Fatima Abid, et al. 2023.

Super Strong Silk

“High-Strength and ultra-tough whole spider silk fibers spun from transgenic silkworms.” by Junpeng Mi, et al. 2023.
“Spider silk is spun by silkworms for the first time, offering a green alternative to synthetic fibers.” EurekAlert! 2023.

Plant Communication

“Conversations with plants: Can we provide plants with advance warning of impending dangers?” EurekAlert! 2023.
“Highligher: An optogenetic system for high-resolution gene expression control in plants.” by Bo Larsen, et al. 2023.

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Leaf Swab Tell All, Taffy Science, Persistence of Memory Nov 01, 2023

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about how swabbing leaves could save biodiversity, the science of saltwater taffy, and how some of our memories are surprisingly accurate.

Leaf Swab Tell All

“A new DNA leaf swab technique could revolutionize how we monitor biodiversity.” by Darren Incorvaia. 2023.
“Kibale: The primate capital of the world.” n.a. N.d.
“Detecting a vast diversity of rainforest animals by swabbing their DNA from leaves.” ScienceDaily. 2023.
“A ‘Crossroads’ for Humanity: Earth’s Biodiversity Is Still Collapsing.” by Catrin Einhorn. 2021.

Taffy Science

“The physics of saltwater taffy.” by Jennifer Ouellette. 2023.
“The rheology of saltwater taffy.” by San To Chan, et al. 2023.

Persistence of Memory

“How accurate are our first childhood memories?” by Joe Phelan. 2023.
“Infantile Amnesia: A Critical Period of Learning to Learn and Remember.” by Cristina M. Alberini & Alessio Travaglia. 2017.
“The Truth Is Out There: Accuracy in Recall of Verifiable Real-World Events.” by Nicholas B. Diamond, et al. 2020.

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Misophonia, Self-Relevant Artwork, Ancient Artillery Oct 27, 2023

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about the sounds that make some people want to run for the hills, how our sense of self determines what we find beautiful, and an ancient naval cannon with some secrets of its own.

Misophonia

“A symptom network model of misophonia: From heightened sensory sensitivity to clinical comorbidity.” by Nora Andermane, et al. 2023.
“Misophonia: When sounds really do make you ‘crazy’.” by James Cartreine, PhD. 2019.

Self-Relevant Artwork

“In the ‘I’ of the beholder: People believe self-relevant artwork is more beautiful.” EurekAlert! 2023.
“Art and Identity: The Profound Link Between Self-Relevance and Aesthetic Appeal Unveiled by AI.” by Niharika Singh. 2023.
“Self-Relevance Makes Art More Appealing.” n.a. 2023.

Ancient Artillery

“Early Artillery Piece Recovered Near Sweden.” n.a. 2023.
“The Marstrand Cannon: The earliest evidence of shipboard artillery in Europe?” by Staffan von Arbin, et al. 2023.

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Dirty Toothbrush, Smart Crows, Rare Supermassive Black Hole Oct 26, 2023

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about how a tool we use to keep clean might need a little cleaning of its own, the wild intelligence of wild crows, and the case of the missing black holes.

Dirty Toothbrush

“An updated systematic review on toothbrush contamination: An overlooked oral health concern among general population.” by Shahrukh Ali Khan, et al. 2023.
“Can Your Toothbrush Make You Sick?” n.a. 2019.
“Toothbrush Terror! Can Your Toothbrush Make You Sick?” by Stephanie Watson. N.d.

Smart Crows

“For the first time, research reveals crows use statistical logic.” by Kenna Hughes-Castleberry. 2023.
“Like humans, these big-brained birds may owe their smarts to long childhoods.” by Amanda Heidt. 2020.
“Crows flexibly apply statistical inferences based on previous experience.” by Melissa Johnston, et al. 2023.
“Crow Vocalizations Part II: Q&A.” Corvid Research. 2019.
“Flying in for the Crow Funeral.” by Anne Marshall-Chalmers. 2020.
“Canuck & I.” YouTube Video. 2021.

Rare Supermassive Black Hole

“Active supermassive black holes may be rarer than previously thought.” by Darren Incorvaia. 2023.
“James Webb Space Telescope reveals active supermassive black holes were surprisingly rare in early universe.” by Robert Lea. 2023.
“Supermassive black holes: Theory, characteristics and formation.” by Andrew May. 2022.
“James Webb Space Telescope Reveals Fewer Supermassive Black Holes Than Presumed.” The University of Kansas. 2023.

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Death Experiences, Breast Milk Cancer Test, Job Skill Value Oct 25, 2023

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about a study of near death experiences, how breast milk biopsies could lead the way to early cancer detection, and why employers hire the wrong people.

Death Experiences

“Patients Recall Death Experiences After Cardiac Arrest.” NYU Langone Health. 2023.
“Some Patients Who ‘Died’ but Survived Report Lucid ‘Near-Death Experiences,’ a New Study Shows.” by Rachel Nuwer. 2023.
“Surges of electroencephalogram activity at the time of death: a case series.” by Lakhmir S Chawla, et al. 2009.
“AWAreness during REsuscitation - II: A multi-center study of consciousness and awareness in cardiac arrest.” by Sam Parnia, et al. 2023.

Breast Milk Cancer Test

“Research opens the door to early detection of breast cancer through breast milk.” by Jessica Mouzo. 2023.
“Early-Stage Breast Cancer Detection in Breast Milk.” by Cristina Saura, et al. 2023.

Job Skill Value

“Misconceptions About Job Candidates Fitting In.” AOM Insights. 2023.
“A Consolidation of Competing Logics on Selecting for Fit.” by Jon Billsberry & Wouter Vleugels. 2023.

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False Memory, Logic in Toddlers, Cake Cutting Math Oct 20, 2023

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about why our memories are so bad, the amazing logical reasoning of toddlers, and why mathematicians want to have their cake and slice it, too.

False Memory

False Memories For Ending of Events.” by Petar P. Raykov. 2023.
“Factors Affecting the Accuracy of Eyewitness Identification.” by Sheena M. Lorenza. 2023.

Logic in Toddlers

“Toddlers learn to reason logically before they learn to speak, according to a study by UPF.” n.a. 2023.
“The scope and role of deduction in infant cognition.” by Kinga Anna Bohus, et al. 2023.

Cake Cutting Math

“Here’s why mathematicians are so interested in cake cutting.” by Stephen Ornes. 2023.
“13 More Equal than Others.” YouTube Video. N.d.
“Rental Harmony: Sperner’s Lemma in Fair Division.” by Francis Edward Su. 1999.

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Microbot Tumor Killer, Keto & PCOS, Do Opposites Attract? Oct 19, 2023

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about a tiny device that could have a huge impact on brain cancer, some news about keto and fertility, and the truth about the old saying opposites attract.

Microbot Tumor Killer

“Microdevices implanted into tumors offer new way to treat brain cancer.” EurekAlert! 2023.
“Gliomas.” by Fassil B. Mesfin & Mohammed A. Al-Dhahir. 2023.
“Treatment of Adult Gliomas: A Current Update.” by Joo Ho Lee & Chan Woo Wee. 2022.

Keto & PCOS

“Women with PCOS on keto diet may see improvements in fertility.” EurekAlert! 2023.
“Advantages and Disadvantages of the Ketogenic Diet: A Review Article.” by Jennifer T. Batch, et al. 2020.
“Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).” Mayo Clinic. 2022.

Do Opposites Attract?

“Study confirms it: Opposites don’t actually attract.” EurekAlert! 2023.
“Paula Abdul - Opposites Attract (Official Music Video).” YouTube. 2009.
“New academic study links rising income inequality to ‘assortative mating’.” by Rich Morin. 2014.
“Evidence of correlations between human partners based on systematic reviews and meta-analyses of 22 traits and UK Biobank Analysis of 133 traits.” by Tanya B. Horwitz, et al. 2023.