Curiosity Weekly - Discovery

Latest Episodes:

Infinity in a Used Prayer Book and Vampire-Like Sea Slugs Aug 31, 2021

Show notes

Learn about the earliest use of infinity we’ve found; and vampire-like sea slugs that absorb other organisms’ attributes.

The earliest mathematical use of infinity was found in a reused prayer book by Briana Brownell

Reviel Netz. (2021). The Diagrams as Floating Bodies by Reviel Netz of Stanford University. Archimedespalimpsest.org. http://archimedespalimpsest.org/about/scholarship/method-infinity.php
NOVA | Infinite Secrets | Working with Infinity | PBS. (2021). Pbs.org. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/archimedes/infinity.html
Lloyd, R. (2009, February 17). Idea of Infinity Stretched Back to Third Century B.C. Livescience.com; Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/3336-idea-infinity-stretched-century.html
The Archimedes Palimpsest Project. (2021). About the Archimedes Palimpsest. Archimedespalimpsest.org. http://archimedespalimpsest.org/about/

Some species of nudibranchs can absorb other organisms' attributes like vampires by Grant Currin

Jonny Thomson. (2021, July 9). Nudibranchs: psychedelic body snatchers of the deep. Big Think; Big Think. https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/nudibranchs-strange-body-snatchers-ocean
Goodheart, J. (2018, May 9). How Sea Slugs Steal the Defenses of Their Prey. Si.edu. https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/invertebrates/how-sea-slugs-steal-defenses-their-prey
Nudibranchs: psychedelic thieves of the sea. (2017). Nhm.ac.uk. https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/nudibranchs-psychedelic-thieves-of-the-sea.html
Nudibranchs (2016). National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/invertebrates/facts/nudibranchs-1?loggedin=true

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/infinity-in-a-used-prayer-book-and-vampire-like-sea-slugs

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

Talkers Are Leaders, DNA Evidence Myth, Thinking Sans Brain Aug 30, 2021

Show notes

Learn about a key trait in group leaders; why DNA evidence is overrated; and a brainless slime mold that can “think.”

The "babble hypothesis" of leadership says people who talk more are seen as leaders by Steffie Drucker

Dolan, E. W. (2021, July 17). New study finds people who speak more are more likely to be viewed as leaders. PsyPost; PsyPost. https://www.psypost.org/2021/07/new-study-finds-people-who-speak-more-are-more-likely-to-be-viewed-as-leaders-61540
MacLaren, N. G., Yammarino, F. J., Dionne, S. D., Sayama, H., Mumford, M. D., Connelly, S., Martin, R. W., Mulhearn, T. J., Todd, E. M., Kulkarni, A., Cao, Y., & Ruark, G. A. (2020). Testing the babble hypothesis: Speaking time predicts leader emergence in small groups. The Leadership Quarterly, 31(5), 101409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2020.101409

Contrary To Popular Belief, DNA Evidence Is Far From Perfect by Ashley Hamer

Shermer, M. (2015). Forensic Pseudoscience. Scientific American, 313(3), 95–95. https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0915-95
Shaer, M. (2016, May 17). The Atlantic. The Atlantic; theatlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/06/a-reasonable-doubt/480747/
Dolan, M. (2019, January 29). The danger of DNA: It isn’t perfect. Chicagotribune.com; Chicago Tribune. https://www.chicagotribune.com/la-me-dna26-2008dec26-story.html

There's a brainless slime mold that can do things often associated with thinking by Cameron Duke

Greenberg, A. (2020, September 21). Eight smart things slime molds can do without a brain. Pbs.org; Nova. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/slime-mold-smart-brainless-cognition/
Murugan, N. J., Kaltman, D. H., Jin, P. H., Chien, M., Martinez, R., Nguyen, C. Q., Kane, A., Novak, R., Ingber, D. E., & Levin, M. (2021). Mechanosensation Mediates Long‐Range Spatial Decision‐Making in an Aneural Organism. Advanced Materials, 2008161. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202008161
Thinking without a brain. (2021, July 15). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/762793

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/talkers-are-leaders-dna-evidence-myth-thinking-sans-brain

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

How COVID Tests Work, Making Decisions with Math, Dog Talent Aug 27, 2021

Show notes

Learn how COVID tests work; how math can help you with major life decisions; and how some dogs have natural talent.

How COVID PCR tests work by Ashley Hamer (Listener question from Lydia)

Tiner, S. (2020, March 27). The Science Behind the Test for the COVID-19 VirusDiscovery’s Edge. Https://Discoverysedge.mayo.edu/. https://discoverysedge.mayo.edu/2020/03/27/the-science-behind-the-test-for-the-covid-19-virus/
Amoeba Sisters. (2020). PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5jmdh9AnS4
PCR: Thirty-five years and counting. (2018, May 10). PCR: Thirty-five years and counting. Science | AAAS. https://www.sciencemag.org/features/2018/05/pcr-thirty-five-years-and-counting
Ask A Scientist Staff. (2020, October 23). Why qPCR is the gold standard for COVID-19 testing. Ask a Scientist; Thermo Fisher Scientific. https://www.thermofisher.com/blog/ask-a-scientist/why-qpcr-is-the-gold-standard-for-covid-19-testing/

Additional resources from David Sumpter:

Pick up "The Ten Equations that Rule the World and How You Can Use Them Too" https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250246967
Faculty page: https://katalog.uu.se/profile/?id=N7-525
Twitter: https://twitter.com/soccermatics?lang=en

Dogs have talent, yes they do by Steffie Drucker

Not only humans got talent, dogs got it too! (2021, July 7). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/553737
Fugazza, C., Dror, S., Sommese, A., Temesi, A., & Miklósi, Á. (2021). Word learning dogs (Canis familiaris) provide an animal model for studying exceptional performance. Scientific Reports, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-93581-2
Genius Dog Challenge. (2021). Exceptional DOGS & what they can TEACH us [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WF6ZpjdH2Sc
Follow Christina Hunger, Speech Pathologist, on Instagram @Hunger4Words https://www.instagram.com/hunger4words/?hl=en

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/how-covid-tests-work-making-decisions-with-math-dog-talent

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

Turning the Table on Addictive Apps, Black Hole Reflections Aug 26, 2021

Show notes

Learn how to turn the table on addictive apps; and how black holes can make us see multiple versions of the same thing.

Additional resources from David Sumpter:

Pick up "The Ten Equations that Rule the World and How You Can Use Them Too" https://us.macmillan.com/books/9781250246967
Faculty page: https://katalog.uu.se/profile/?id=N7-525
Twitter: https://twitter.com/soccermatics?lang=en

New mathematical model shows why black holes can make us see multiple versions of the same thing by Briana Brownell

Danish Student solves how the Universe is reflected near black holes. (2021, July 26). Nbi.ku.dk; University of Copenhagen. https://nbi.ku.dk/english/news/news21/danish-student-solves-how-the-universe-is-reflected-near-black-holes/
Snepppen, A. (2021). Divergent reflections around the photon sphere of a black hole. Scientific Reports, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-93595-w

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/turning-the-table-on-addictive-apps-black-hole-reflections

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

Alibi Memory, Denisova Cave History, Cleaning Fruit & Veggies Aug 25, 2021

Show notes

Learn how often people misremember alibis; new lessons from Denisova Cave; and how to remove pesticides from produce.

People often misremember where they were on a given date, which puts criminal alibis into question by Cameron Duke

Faulty memories of our past whereabouts: The fallacy of an airtight alibi. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-07/afps-fmo070721.php
Laliberte, E., Yim, H., Stone, B., & Dennis, S. J. (2021). The Fallacy of an Airtight Alibi: Understanding Human Memory for “Where” Using Experience Sampling. Psychological Science, 32(6), 944–951. https://doi.org/10.1177/0956797620980752
Young, E. (2021, June 7). It’s Surprisingly Common To Misremember Where You Were On A Specific Time And Date. Research Digest. https://digest.bps.org.uk/2021/06/07/its-surprisingly-common-to-misremember-where-you-were-on-a-specific-time-and-date/

Huge analysis of sediment DNA tells a deeper story of Denisova Cave by Cameron Duke

Pleistocene sediment DNA from Denisova Cave: Sediment DNA tracks 300,000 years of hominin and animal presence at Denisova Cave. (2021). ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/06/210623113857.htm
Zavala, E. I., Jacobs, Z., Vernot, B., Shunkov, M. V., Kozlikin, M. B., Derevianko, A. P., Essel, E., de Fillipo, C., Nagel, S., Richter, J., Romagné, F., Schmidt, A., Li, B., O’Gorman, K., Slon, V., Kelso, J., Pääbo, S., Roberts, R. G., & Meyer, M. (2021). Pleistocene sediment DNA reveals hominin and faunal turnovers at Denisova Cave. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03675-0

The Best Ways to Remove Pesticides From Produce was originally published June 29, 2018: https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/how-to-remove-pesticides-from-produce-the-misattri

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/alibi-memory-denisova-cave-history-cleaning-fruit-veggies

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

Pirates Plundered the Metric System, What Marsquakes Teach Us Aug 24, 2021

Show notes

Learn about the time pirates stopped the US from switching to the metric system; and new learnings about Mars’ interior.

The US once tried switching to the metric system, but got stopped by pirates by Steffie Drucker

How Pirates Of The Caribbean Hijacked America’s Metric System. (2017, December 28). NPR.org. https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/12/28/574044232/how-pirates-of-the-caribbean-hijacked-americas-metric-system
Kaplan, S. (2017). Pirates Are to Blame For Why The US Doesn’t Use The Metric System. ScienceAlert. https://www.sciencealert.com/pirates-are-to-blame-for-why-the-us-doesn-t-use-the-metric-system
Esser, M. (2017, September 19). Pirates of the Caribbean (Metric Edition). NIST. https://www.nist.gov/blogs/taking-measure/pirates-caribbean-metric-edition
Materese, R. (2016, December 23). Busting Myths about the Metric System. NIST. https://www.nist.gov/blogs/taking-measure/busting-myths-about-metric-system

We just learned a ton about the interior of Mars by Briana Brownell

The anatomy of a planet. (2021, July 22). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/612165
Hays, B. (2021, July 23). Insight data offers clues to Mars’ deep interior, formation in solar system. UPI; UPI. https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2021/07/23/marsquakes-insight-lander/9331627055442/
NASA’s InSight Reveals the Deep Interior of Mars. (2021, July 22). Nasa.gov. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-insight-reveals-the-deep-interior-of-mars
“Felt” Earthquakes = Ones That People Feel. (2018). Usgs.gov. https://www.usgs.gov/observatories/hawaiian-volcano-observatory/felt-earthquakes

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/pirates-plundered-the-metric-system-what-marsquakes-teach-us

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

Romanesco Fractals, Dolphin Names & Evolution vs. Mating Aug 23, 2021

Show notes

Learn about evolutionary compromises; the fractals of Romanesco cauliflower; and dolphins that learn each other’s names.

Conflict traits: when evolution and mating conflict with each other by Cameron Duke

Experiments show natural selection opposes sexual selection. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-06/uoe-esn060721.php
Mulder, M. B., & Rauch, K. L. (2009). Sexual conflict in humans: Variations and solutions. Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews, 18(5), 201–214. https://doi.org/10.1002/evan.20226
Okada, K., Katsuki, M., Sharma, M. D., Kiyose, K., Seko, T., Okada, Y., Wilson, A. J., & Hosken, D. J. (2021). Natural selection increases female fitness by reversing the exaggeration of a male sexually selected trait. Nature Communications, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23804-7

Here's why Romanesco cauliflower grows in a fractal pattern by Briana Brownell

Ouellette, J. (2021, July 8). What fractals, Fibonacci, and the golden ratio have to do with cauliflower. Ars Technica; Ars Technica. https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/07/what-fractals-fibonacci-and-the-golden-ratio-have-to-do-with-cauliflower/
Azpeitia, E., Tichtinsky, G., Le Masson, M., Serrano-Mislata, A., Lucas, J., Gregis, V., Gimenez, C., Prunet, N., Farcot, E., Kater, M. M., Bradley, D., Madueño, F., Godin, C., & Parcy, F. (2021). Cauliflower fractal forms arise from perturbations of floral gene networks. Science, 373(6551), 192–197. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abg5999

Dolphins can learn each other's names by Grant Currin

Morell, V. (2021, April 22). Dolphins learn the “names” of their friends to form teams—a first in animal kingdom. Science | AAAS. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/04/dolphins-learn-names-their-friends-form-teams-first-animal-kingdom
King, S. L., Connor, R. C., Krützen, M., & Allen, S. J. (2021). Cooperation-based concept formation in male bottlenose dolphins. Nature Communications, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22668-1
Shyr, L. (2021, May 5). Dolphins Help Those Who’ve Helped Them Before, Even When They’re Not Friends. Atlas Obscura; Atlas Obscura. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/dolphins-work-in-teams

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/romanesco-fractals-dolphin-names-evolution-vs-mating

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

Hamster Microwave, Are Humans Still Evolving?, Art Is Better in a Museum Aug 20, 2021

Show notes

Learn about a microwave to revive hamsters; whether humans are still evolving; and why art is more moving in a museum.

One of the earliest microwaves wasn’t for food… it was for reanimating frozen hamsters. by Cameron Duke

Andjus, R. K., & Lovelock, J. E. (1955). Reanimation of rats from body temperatures between 0 and 1° C by microwave diathermy. The Journal of Physiology, 128(3), 541–546. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.1955.sp005323
Felton, J. (2021, May 18). YouTuber Discovers The Bizarre Early Use Of Microwave Ovens. IFLScience; IFLScience. https://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/early-microwaves-hamsters/
Scott, T. (2021). I promise this story about microwaves is interesting. [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tdiKTSdE9Y

Are humans still evolving? by Ashley Hamer (Listener question from Jonathan)

Milk episode: https://www.curiositydaily.com/our-ability-to-drink-milk-evolved-way-faster-than-scientists-thought/
An Evolutionary Whodunit: How Did Humans Develop Lactose Tolerance? (2012, December 28). NPR.org. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/12/27/168144785/an-evolutionary-whodunit-how-did-humans-develop-lactose-tolerance
Hoole, J. (2018). These “Sea Nomads” Are The First Known Humans to Have a Genetic Adaptation to Diving. ScienceAlert. https://www.sciencealert.com/indonesian-bajau-genetic-changes-adapt-them-to-aquatic-lifestyle-2
Winter. (2013, January 29). How to Survive a Siberian Winter. Science | AAAS. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2013/01/how-survive-siberian-winter
Hsu, J. (2010, July). Tibetans Underwent Fastest Evolution Seen in Humans. Livescience.com; Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/6663-tibetans-underwent-fastest-evolution-humans.html
TED-Ed. (2020). Is human evolution speeding up or slowing down? - Laurence Hurst [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTeOhj6dxsU
SciShow. (2020). 4 Ways Humans Are Still Evolving [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCjAAVk7Uis

Art is more moving when you see it in a museum by Cameron Duke

Art affects you more powerfully when you view it in a museum. (2015, February 5). Research Digest. https://digest.bps.org.uk/2015/02/05/art-affects-you-more-powerfully-when-you-view-it-in-a-museum/
Brieber, D., Nadal, M., & Leder, H. (2015). In the white cube: Museum context enhances the valuation and memory of art. Acta Psychologica, 154, 36–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2014.11.004
Situated Cognition: Theory & Definition | Study.com. (2021). Study.com. https://study.com/academy/lesson/situated-cognition-theory-definition.html

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/hamster-microwave-are-humans-still-evolving-art-is-better-in-a-museum

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

Easter Island Mythbusting and the Universe’s Expansion Rate Aug 19, 2021

Show notes

Learn why Easter Island never had a population collapse; and how scientists are measuring the expansion of our universe.

Easter Island never had a population collapse, as commonly believed by Grant Currin

Resilience, not collapse: What the Easter Island myth gets wrong. (2021, July 13). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/793195
Johnson, S. (2021, July 16). Busting the Easter Island myth: there was no civilization collapse. Big Think; Big Think. https://bigthink.com/culture-religion/easter-island
DiNapoli, R. J., Crema, E. R., Lipo, C. P., Rieth, T. M., & Hunt, T. L. (2021). Approximate Bayesian Computation of radiocarbon and paleoenvironmental record shows population resilience on Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Nature Communications, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24252-z

Scientists can't decide how fast the universe is expanding, but this scientist says there's no conflict at all by Briana Brownell

“There may not be a conflict after all” in expanding universe debate. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-06/uoc-mn062921.php
Freedman, W. L. (2021). Measurements of the Hubble Constant: Tensions in Perspective. arXiv preprint https://arxiv.org/abs/2106.15656

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/easter-island-mythbusting-and-the-universes-expansion-rate

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

Volcano Perks, Club Soda vs. Seltzer, How to Procrastinate Correctly Aug 18, 2021

Show notes

Learn about the benefits of living near a volcano; different types of carbonated water; and how to procrastinate right.

The stories in this episode originally aired May 30, 2018 “Perks of Procrastination, Volcano Dwellers, Club Soda vs Sparkling Waters” https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/perks-of-procrastination-volcano-dwellers-and-the

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/volcano-perks-club-soda-vs-seltzer-how-to-procrastinate-correctly

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

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Curiosity Weekly – Discovery

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected