Curiosity Weekly - Discovery

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Blood Pressures, Mercury’s Crusty Diamonds, Dad or Mom Genes Jul 07, 2022

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about how high blood pressure can reduce the gray matter in your brain, why scientists think the surface of Mercury is covered in diamonds, and how while we have gene pairs from both parents, our bodies will use one parent’s gene over the other’s depending on the circumstances.

50 Shades of Gray Matter

“Study: An Early Spike in Blood Pressure Can Pummel Your Brain” by Nick Keppler
- https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/high-blood-pressure-brain-health
“10 Ways to Control High Blood Pressure Without Medication” by Mayo Clinic Staff
- https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/high-blood-pressure/in-depth/high-blood-pressure/art-20046974

Diamonds a Plenty

“Diamonds may stud Mercury’s crust” by Nikk Ogasa
- https://www.sciencenews.org/article/mercury-diamond-surface-crust-meteorite-impact-graphite
“Mercury Could Be Littered With Diamonds” by Ramin Skibba
- https://www.wired.com/story/mercury-could-be-littered-with-diamonds/
“Diamonds Unearthed” by Cate Lineberry
- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/diamonds-unearthed-141629226/

Mom and dad genes aren’t just at the mall.

“Parental Control: How Genes From Mom Or Dad Shape Behavior” by Jennifer Michalowski
- https://healthcare.utah.edu/publicaffairs/news/2022/03/genes-behavior.php
“Researchers uncover how parent’s genes shape behavior, parental controls”
- https://theprint.in/features/researchers-uncover-how-parents-genes-shape-behavior-parental-controls/941227/
“Brain Basics: Genes At Work In The Brain” by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
- https://www.ninds.nih.gov/health-information/patient-caregiver-education/brain-basics-genes-work-brain

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Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/blood-pressures-mercurys-crusty-diamonds-dad-or-mom-genes

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Orangu-slang, Easing Car Queasing, Kicked Across Space Jul 06, 2022

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about how orangutans use slang a lot like we do, what causes and can alleviate everyday motion sickness, and how one black hole kicked another across the galaxy.

Orangutans are dope.

“Orangutans use Slang to Show off Their “Coolness”, Study Suggests" by Nicola Davis
- https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/mar/21/orangutans-use-slang-to-show-off-their-coolness-study-suggests
“Orangutan Squeaks Reveal Language Evolution Says Study" by Victoria Gill
- https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-38907681
“What did Language Grow From? Ape Hands, Mouths, or Both? – Kristen Marie Gillespie-Lynch, Emily Sue Savage-Rumbaugh, Heidi Lyn, and Patricia Greenfield
- https://kids.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/frym.2019.00061
“Apes Communicate, Humans Have Language" by Max Planck Institute
- https://www.cbs.mpg.de/research-topics/language-interview

A solution beyond not looking at your phone.

“How To Fight Motion Sickness — And The Scientific Reason Some People Suffer More” By Saima Rajasingam
- https://www.inverse.com/mind-body/motion-sickness-treatment
“A study of cybersickness and sensory conflict theory using a motion-coupled virtual reality system” by Adrian K.T. Ng, Leith K.Y. Chan, Henry Y.K. Lau
- https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0141938218300301

Soccer but with black holes.

“Gravitational waves gave a new black hole a high-speed ‘kick’” By Emily Conover
- https://www.sciencenews.org/article/black-hole-gravitational-waves-kick-ligo-merger-spacetime
“A black hole formed by a lopsided merger may have gone rogue” By Robert Lea
- https://www.space.com/black-hole-escaping-galaxy-from-collision
“Ripples in spacetime: Science's 2016 Breakthrough of the Year” by Adrian Cho
- https://www.science.org/content/article/ripples-spacetime-sciences-2016-breakthrough-year
“How Scientists Captured the First Image of a Black Hole” by Ota Lutz
- https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/edu/news/2019/4/19/how-scientists-captured-the-first-image-of-a-black-hole/
“What is an Interferometer?” by the Laser Interferometer Gravitational-wave Observatory
- https://www.ligo.caltech.edu/page/what-is-interferometer

Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/orangu-slang-easing-car-queasing-kicked-across-space

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The Explorers Club - An Interview with Steve Elkins Jul 01, 2022

Show notes

Today, we’re hearing from an explorer and filmmaker named Steve Elkins. Steve spent decades searching for a legendary lost city deep in the jungles of Honduras. His search for the city was documented in the New York Times best selling book, “The Lost City of the Monkey God,” by Douglas Preston.

Steve Elkins Interview from 4/23/22

Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/the-explorers-club-an-interview-with-steve-elkins

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Drink = Brain Shrink, Secret Tree Species, L.H.C. Round 3 Jun 30, 2022

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about how a single drink a day can add years to the age of your brain, how scientists figured out that thousands of tree species are yet to be discovered, and how the world’s biggest and best particle accelerator is powering up for its third run.

A drink away does not keep the doctor away.

“Just One Beer or Glass of Wine a Day may Cause Your Brain to Shrink, Study Suggests” by Mike Snider
- https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/health/2022/03/09/beer-glass-wine-daily-brain-shrink/9425508002/
“Just One Extra Drink a Day may Change the Brain” by Tara Haelle
- https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20220310/one-extra-drink-a-day-changes-brain
“It’s Time to Rethink How Much Booze May be too Much” by Julia Belluz
- https://www.vox.com/2018/4/24/17242720/alcohol-health-risks-facts
“The ‘French Paradox’ Turned out to be an Illusion, but it led to some Interesting research” by Emma Wightman
- https://theconversation.com/the-french-paradox-turned-out-to-be-an-illusion-but-it-led-to-some-interesting-research-78196

No, that tree is not the same as that other one.

“Earth May Have 9,200 More Tree Species Than Previously Thought” by Jude Coleman
- https://www.sciencenews.org/article/tree-species-earth-biodiversity
“How Much Space Does Nature Need? 30 Percent of the Planet May Not be Enough” by Jonathan Lambert
- https://www.sciencenews.org/article/nature-will-protecting-30-percent-earth-prevent-extinction-crisis
“Thousands of Tree Species Remain Undiscovered, Say Scientists” by Lucy Sherriff
- https://www.discovery.com/nature/unknown-trees

Imagine two needles smashing into each other.

“Large Hadron Collider is waking up after a 3-year nap, and it could help explain why the universe exists.” by Mara Johnson-Groh
- https://www.livescience.com/large-hadron-collider-third-run
“CERN’s particle accelerator starts up after a three-year hiatus” by Nicole Wetsman
- https://www.theverge.com/2022/4/22/23037077/cern-particle-accelerator-restarts-upgrades-dark-matter”
“The Large Hadron Collider is about to turn back on after a 3-year hiatus” by Chelsea Gohd
- https://www.space.com/cern-large-hadron-collider-turn-on-run-3
“The Large Hadron Collider” by CERN
- https://home.cern/science/accelerators/large-hadron-collider
AT&T’s Internet Data Calculator
- https://www.att.com/support/pages/data-calculator/
“Standard Model” by Wikipedia
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Standard_Model

Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/drink-brain-shrink-secret-tree-species-lhc-round-3

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Nightlight Plight, Cancer Stinks, Literal Green Energy Jun 29, 2022

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about how that light coming in through your window at night is in fact ruining your sleep, how some diseases—including cancer—can be smelled by dogs and we’re on the verge of being able to smell them with modern technology, and how algae may one day provide the power for our smallest devices.

Close your blinds.

“Light exposure during sleep impairs cardiometabolic function” by Ivy C. Mason, Kathryn J. Reid, Chloe D. Warlick, Roneil G. Malkani, Sabra M. Abbott, and Phyllis C. Zee
- https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2113290119
“Sleeping with a light on may be bad for your heart and blood sugar” by Nicoletta Lanese
- https://www.livescience.com/sleep-in-lit-room-worse-heart-metabolic-health
“Sleeping with the light on may be harmful to you” by Erin Blakemore
- https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2022/03/20/sleep-lights-health/
“What is the difference between lux and lumens?” by Waveform Lighting
- https://www.waveformlighting.com/home-residential/what-is-the-difference-between-lux-and-lumens
“Insulin Resistance & Prediabetes” by the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases
- https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/what-is-diabetes/prediabetes-insulin-resistance

What’s that smell?

“Cancer has a smell. Someday your phone may detect it.” by Noam Hassenfeld
- https://www.vox.com/unexplainable/22323113/unexplainable-smell-mystery-nanonose
“Dogs Are Teaching Machines to Sniff Out Cancer” by Asher Jones
- https://www.the-scientist.com/news-opinion/dogs-are-teaching-machines-to-sniff-out-cancer-68469
“The Quest to Make a Bot That Can Smell as Well as a Dog” by Sara Harrison
- https://www.wired.com/story/quest-to-make-robot-smell-cancer-dog/
“What DARPA Does” by DARPA
- https://www.darpa.mil/about-us/what-darpa-does

Get used to algae-power.

“Algae-powered computing: Scientists create reliable and renewable biological photovoltaic cell” by Eureka Alert
- https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/952203
“Algae-powered computing: scientists create reliable and renewable biological photovoltaic cell” by University of Cambridge
- https://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/scientists-create-reliable-biological-photovoltaic-cell-using-algae
“Scientists create algae computer powered by photosynthesis” by James Vincent
- https://www.theverge.com/2022/5/16/23074715/algae-computer-chip-photosynthesis-arm-cortext-iot-biophotovoltaics
“A Potato Battery Can Light Up a Room For Over a Month” by Tuan C. Nguyen
- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/a-potato-battery-can-light-up-a-room-for-over-a-month-180948260/

Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/nightlight-plight-cancer-stinks-literal-green-energy

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The Explorers Club - An Interview with Peter Tattersfield Jun 24, 2022

Show notes

Today we are speaking to another member of the Explorers Club, Peter Tattersfield. Peter has an awesome story for us today about his work finding the shipwreck of the Steamship Independence, which sank off the coast of Baja, Mexico in 1853.

Peter Tattersfield Interview from 4/23/22

Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/the-explorers-club-an-interview-with-peter-tattersfield

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Gray Matter Gabfest, Our Pulsating Earth, Smarty Cats Jun 23, 2022

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about how a man with advanced ALS, who can’t move a muscle, was able to communicate with his family using his thoughts, about a sixty-year-old mystery involving the earth and why it pulsates every twenty-six seconds, and how cats can learn the names of their fellow cats under the right conditions.

A man with ALS can communicate with his thoughts.

“Brain Implant Allows Fully Paralyzed Patient to Communicate” by Jonathan Moens
- https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/22/science/brain-computer-als-communication.html
“Brain Implants Allow Paralyzed Man to Communicate Using His Thoughts” by Margaret Osborne
- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/brain-implants-allow-paralyzed-man-to-communicate-180979817/

The earth pulsates underneath your feet.

“Earth Pulsates Every 26 Seconds. Know One Knows Why” by Caroline Delbert
- https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a34531984/earth-pulsates-every-26-seconds/
“Earth is Pulsating Every 26 Seconds and Seismologists Don’t Agree Why” by Anna Funk
- https://www.discovermagazine.com/environment/the-earth-is-pulsating-every-26-seconds-and-seismologists-dont-agree-why

Cats know the names of their friends.

“Cats learn the names of their friend cats in their daily lives” By Saho Takagi, Et al.
- https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-10261-5
“Cats know the names of other cats that are their friends, study says” by Matthew Rozsa
- https://www.salon.com/2022/05/16/cats-know-the-names-of-other-cats-that-are-their-friends-study-says/
“Cats can memorize their friends' names, new study suggests” By Brandon Specktor
- https://www.livescience.com/cats-remember-names

Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/gray-matter-gabfest-our-pulsating-earth-smarty-cats

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Hungry Plants, Concussion Confusion, An Alzheimer’s Theory Jun 22, 2022

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about how carnivorous plants evolved from their more peaceful ancestors, how there’s an apparent difference in the frequency and severity of head injuries between male and female athletes, and about a new theory regarding the cause of Alzheimer’s.

Plants that eat flesh?

“How Carnivorous Plants Evolved” by Stephanie Pain
- https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/how-carnivorous-plants-evolved-180979697/
“Adapted to kill: How the pitcher plant traps its prey” by Alun Salt
- https://botany.one/2013/10/adapted-kill-pitcher-plant-traps-prey/

Male and female concussions are not the same.

“Why Sports Concussions are Worse for Women” by Katharine Sanderson
- https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-021-02089-2
“Sports-Related Concussions in Female Athletes: A Systematic Review” by Neil McGroarty, Symone Brown, and Mary Mulcahey
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7366411/

Hope for Alzheimer's research.

“A New Hypothesis for Alzheimer’s Disease: The Lipid Invasion Model” by Jonathan D’Arcy Rudge
- https://content.iospress.com/articles/journal-of-alzheimers-disease-reports/adr210299
“Alzheimer’s brain barrier damage theory proposed” By University of Reading
- https://www.reading.ac.uk/news/2022/Research-News/Alzheimers-Disease-lipid-invasion-theory
“New hypothesis argues leaky blood-brain barrier triggers Alzheimer's” By Rich Haridy
- https://newatlas.com/science/new-hypothesis-alzheimers-disease-blood-brain-barrier-lipid-invasion/

Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/hungry-plants-concussion-confusion-an-alzheimers-theory

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The Explorers Club - An Interview with George Nield Jun 17, 2022

Show notes

Today, we’re talking to Explorers Club member, Dr. George C. Nield. Dr. George C. Nield is currently the Associate Administrator for Commercial Space Transportation at the Federal Aviation Administration (or FAA). He has over 30 years of aerospace experience and has worked with the Air Force and NASA. Dr Nield came to the FAA from the Orbital Sciences Corporation, where he served as a Senior Scientist for the Advanced Programs Group. He has a wealth of experience from working as an Astronautical Engineer at the Space and Missile Systems Organization to working on the Shuttle/Mir Program and the International Space Station Program.

George Nield Interview from 4/23/22
Autonomous Flight: What We Mean and Why It’s First - Wisk Blog
- https://wisk.aero/news/blog/autonomous-flight-what-we-mean-and-why-its-first/#:~:text=By%20autonomy%2C%20we%20mean%20that,remote%20pilot%20on%20the%20ground
International Astronautical Federation (IAF) - Biographies - George Nield
- https://www.iafastro.org/biographie/george-nield.html

Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/the-explorers-club-an-interview-with-george-nield

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Shoo Shoes!, Murmuration Information, Nanoplastic Particles Jun 16, 2022

Show notes

Today, you’ll learn about why it's best to leave your shoes at the door when you come inside, how animals form and maintain their mesmerizing murmurations, and how certain food storage products release sub-microscopic, plastic particles when exposed to hot water.

Your mom was right about taking your shoes off inside.

“The science is in: wearing shoes inside your home is just plain gross” by Mark Patrick Taylor and Gabriel Filippelli
- https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/mar/17/the-science-is-in-wearing-shoes-inside-your-home-is-just-plain-gross
“Scientists Discover Why You Should Take Off Your Shoes Before Entering Your Home” by Robert Locke
- https://www.lifehack.org/317735/scientists-discover-why-you-should-take-off-your-shoes-before-entering-your-home
“Should You Take Your Shoes Off While Indoors?” by Ally Spier
- https://www.architecturaldigest.com/story/should-you-take-your-shoes-off-while-indoors

Murmurations not murmuring.

“The Secrets and Science Behind Starling Murmurations” by John Donovan
- https://animals.howstuffworks.com/birds/starling-murmurations.htm
“Gazing at the “Black Sun”: The Transfixing Beauty of Starling Murmurations” by Søren Solkær
- https://www.nytimes.com/2022/04/04/travel/starling-murmurations.html
“Swarm Robotics Promises to Boost Diagnostics, Treat Cancer” by Inga Shugalo
- https://www.roboticsbusinessreview.com/health-medical/swarm-robotics-boosts-diagnosis/

The tiny side of plastic.

“Your Take-Out Coffee Cup May Shed Trillions of Plastic 'Nanoparticles'” By Dennis Thompson
- https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-05-03/your-take-out-coffee-cup-may-shed-trillions-of-plastic-nanoparticles
“NIST Study Shows Everyday Plastic Products Release Trillions of Microscopic Particles Into Water” By NIST
- https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2022/04/nist-study-shows-everyday-plastic-products-release-trillions-microscopic
“What are microplastics?” by The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
- https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/microplastics.html

Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/shoo-shoes-murmuration-information-nanoplastic-particles

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