Curiosity Weekly - Discovery

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**Curiosity Weekly – Discovery**

Welcome to Curiosity Weekly from Discovery, hosted by Dr. Samantha Yammine. Once a week, we’ll bring you the latest and greatest in scientific discoveries and break down the details so that you don’t need a PhD to understand it. From neuroscience to climate tech to AI and genetics, no subject is off-limits. Join Sam as she interviews expert guests and investigates the research guiding some of the most exciting scientific breakthroughs affecting our world today.

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

Latest Episodes:

Anger Looks Guilty, Quantum Microscope, Good News About Cancer Aug 03, 2021

Show notes

Learn about anger makes you look guilty; a new quantum microscope; and why the fight against cancer is going very well.

Anger makes you look guilty by Kelsey Donk

Johnson, S. (2021, June). Falsely accused? Stay calm, because anger makes you look guilty. Big Think; Big Think. https://bigthink.com/mind-brain/signs-of-guilt
DeCelles, Katherine, Gabrielle Adams, Holly S. Howe, and Leslie K. John. "Anger Damns the Innocent." Psychological Science (in press). https://www.hbs.edu/ris/Publication%20Files/DecellesEtAl20%20-%20Anger%20Damns%20the%20Innocent_7e5cda61-ed8b-4592-866e-bea68f944a70.pdf

New quantum microscope can reveal biological structures that would otherwise be impossible to see by Briana Brownell

Lu, D. (2021, June 9). Quantum leap for medical research as microscope zooms in on tiny structures. The Guardian; The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/jun/10/quantum-leap-for-medical-research-as-microscope-zooms-in-on-tiny-structures
Researchers create quantum microscope that can see the impossible. (2021, June 9). Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2021-06-quantum-microscope-impossible.html
Casacio, C. A., Madsen, L. S., Terrasson, A., Waleed, M., Barnscheidt, K., Hage, B., Taylor, M. A., & Bowen, W. P. (2021). Quantum-enhanced nonlinear microscopy. Nature, 594(7862), 201–206. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03528-w

We'll never "cure cancer," but the fight against cancer is going very well by Cameron Duke

Berezow, A. (2021, June 14). We’re winning the war on cancer. Big Think; Big Think. https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/were-winning-war-on-cancer
Mulcahy, N. (2021, April 14). Rankings of Most Common Cancers to Shift Over Next 20 Years. Medscape; Medscape. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/949253
Rahib, L., Wehner, M. R., Matrisian, L. M., & Nead, K. T. (2021). Estimated Projection of US Cancer Incidence and Death to 2040. JAMA Network Open, 4(4), e214708. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2021.4708

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/anger-looks-guilty-quantum-microscope-good-news-about-cancer

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

Kids v. Sarcasm, 24,000-Year-Old Worm, Why Betelgeuse Dimmed Aug 02, 2021

Show notes

Learn about why younger kids don’t understand sarcasm; a 24,000 year old living worm; and Betelgeuse’s “Great Dimming.”

Kids don't get sarcasm until around age 7 because of the kind of thinking it requires by Kelsey Donk

Pexman, P. (2021, June 8). Why it’s difficult for children to understand sarcasm. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/why-its-difficult-for-children-to-understand-sarcasm-160915
Do young children understand irony? (2007, January 25). Research Digest. https://digest.bps.org.uk/2007/01/25/do-young-children-understand-irony/
An Acquired Taste: Children’s Perceptions of Humor and Teasing in Verbal Irony. (2021). Discourse Processes. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1207/s15326950dp4003_5
Pexman, P. M., & Glenwright, M. (2007). How do typically developing children grasp the meaning of verbal irony? Journal of Neurolinguistics, 20(2), 178–196. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneuroling.2006.06.001

A 24,000 year old worm was discovered in Siberia, alive and kicking by Cameron Duke

Grover, N. (2021, June 7). 24,000-year-old organisms found frozen in Siberia can still reproduce. Theguardian.com; The Guardian. https://amp.theguardian.com/science/2021/jun/07/24000-year-old-organisms-found-frozen-in-siberia-can-still-reproduce
Shmakova, L., Malavin, S., Iakovenko, N., Vishnivetskaya, T., Shain, D., Plewka, M., & Rivkina, E. (2021). A living bdelloid rotifer from 24,000-year-old Arctic permafrost. Current Biology, 31(11), R712–R713. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.04.077

Remember when Betelgeuse was acting weird? Turns out it was just a dust cloud by Steffie Drucker

Original Betelgeuse episode: https://www.curiositydaily.com/live-longer-by-appreciating-art-betelgeuse-might-go-supernova-and-birds-freaky-fast-vision/
Mystery solved: Dust cloud led to Betelgeuse’s “Great Dimming.” (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-06/hcfa-msd061221.php
Plait, P. (2021, June 16). We may finally know why Betelgeuse dimmed so much. Bonus: No supernova. Yet. SYFY WIRE; SYFY WIRE. https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/we-may-finally-know-why-betelgeuse-dimmed-so-much-bonus-no-supernova-yet
Betelgeuse Merely Burped, Astronomers Conclude. (2021). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/17/science/betelgeuse-montarges-star-supernova.html
Castelvecchi, D. (2021). Why the supergiant star Betelgeuse went mysteriously dim last year. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-01633-4
Montargès, M., et. al. (2021). A dusty veil shading Betelgeuse during its Great Dimming. Nature, 594(7863), 365–368. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03546-8

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/kids-v-sarcasm-24-000-year-old-worm-why-betelgeuse-dimmed

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Your Brain on Music, Super-Singing Songbirds, Animal Sunburns Jul 30, 2021

Show notes

Learn about the social neuroscience of music; songbirds’ ultra-precise song control; and how animals can get skin cancer.

This is what happens in the brain when people make music together by Kelsey Donk

What happens in the brain when people make music together? (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-06/bu-whi060921.php
Greenberg, D. M., Decety, J., & Gordon, I. (2021). The social neuroscience of music: Understanding the social brain through human song. American Psychologist. Advance online publication. http://dx.doi.org/10.1037/amp0000819

Songbirds have ultra-precise control over their singing, controlling frequencies under 1 Hz by Grant Currin

Songbirds can control single vocal muscle fibers when singing. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-06/uosd-scc053121.php
Adam, I., Maxwell, A., Rößler, H., Hansen, E. B., Vellema, M., Brewer, J., & Elemans, C. P. H. (2021). One-to-one innervation of vocal muscles allows precise control of birdsong. Current Biology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.05.008
Hays, B. (2021, June 4). Songbirds can precisely control single vocal muscle fibers while singing. UPI; UPI. https://www.upi.com/Science_News/2021/06/04/denmark-songbirds-fibers-vocal-control/4951622821325/
Merlin Bird ID - Free, Instant Bird Identification Help and Guide for Thousands of Birds: https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org/

Do animals that spend time in the sun get skin cancer? by Ashley Hamer (Listener question from Toby in Longmont, Colorado)

Grey, H. (2018, June 28). Here’s How Much Damage a Really Bad Sunburn Can Do. Healthline; Healthline Media. https://www.healthline.com/health-news/heres-how-much-damage-a-really-bad-sunburn-can-do
van der Weyden, L., Brenn, T., Patton, E. E., Wood, G. A., & Adams, D. J. (2020). Spontaneously occurring melanoma in animals and their relevance to human melanoma. The Journal of Pathology, 252(1), 4–21. https://doi.org/10.1002/path.5505
Bryce, E. (2018, May 27). Do Animals Ever Get Sunburned? Livescience.com; Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/62677-do-animals-get-sunburned.html
Gambino, M. (2011, July 8). Ask an Expert: Do Animals Get Sunburned? Smithsonian Magazine; Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/ask-an-expert-do-animals-get-sunburned-28218217/
Why Would A Fish Make Its Own Sunscreen? (2015, May 13). NPR.org. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2015/05/13/404444731/why-would-a-fish-make-its-own-sunscreen

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/your-brain-on-music-super-singing-songbirds-animal-sunburns

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Alien Dataomes, How Animals Smell Viruses, Why to Read Aloud Jul 29, 2021

Show notes

Learn why aliens have a dataome; how animals sniff out viral infections; and how reading out loud can boost your memory.

Additional resources from Caleb Scharf:

Pick up "The Ascent of Information: Books, Bits, Genes, Machines, and Life's Unending Algorithm" on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ascent-Information-Machines-Unending-Algorithm/dp/0593087240
Website: http://www.calebscharf.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/caleb_scharf

When animals sniff out viral infections, what are they smelling? by Cameron Duke

Arakawa, H., Arakawa, K., & Deak, T. (2010). Sickness-related odor communication signals as determinants of social behavior in rat: A role for inflammatory processes. Hormones and Behavior, 57(3), 330–341. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.yhbeh.2010.01.002
Else, H. (2020). Can dogs smell COVID? Here’s what the science says. Nature, 587(7835), 530–531. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-03149-9
Geddes, L. (2020). How nosy mice sniff out sickness. New Scientist. https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17001-how-nosy-mice-sniff-out-sickness/
Jendrny, P., Schulz, C., Twele, F., Meller, S., von Köckritz-Blickwede, M., Osterhaus, A. D. M. E., Ebbers, J., Pilchová, V., Pink, I., Welte, T., Manns, M. P., Fathi, A., Ernst, C., Addo, M. M., Schalke, E., & Volk, H. A. (2020). Scent dog identification of samples from COVID-19 patients – a pilot study. BMC Infectious Diseases, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12879-020-05281-3
Rivière, S., Challet, L., Fluegge, D., Spehr, M., & Rodriguez, I. (2009). Formyl peptide receptor-like proteins are a novel family of vomeronasal chemosensors. Nature, 459(7246), 574–577. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature08029
Trained ferrets can smell avian flu in duck poo! (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-05/p-tfc051921.php

This Simple Reading Technique Can Boost Your Memory and Learning Speed originally aired August 17, 2018 https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/massive-ocean-beneath-earth-s-surface-road-trip-ga

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/alien-dataomes-how-animals-smell-viruses-why-to-read-aloud

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Accent-Changing Monkeys and the Information “Dataome” Jul 28, 2021

Show notes

Learn about why monkeys imitate other species’ accents; and the “dataome,” a new way to think about information.

You can vote for Curiosity Daily in the 2021 People's Choice Podcast Awards! Register at https://podcastawards.com, select Curiosity Daily in the categories of Education and Science & Medicine, and then click/tap "save nominations" at the bottom of the page. Voting in other categories is optional. Your vote is greatly appreciated!

Monkeys change their "accent" to get along with other species by Steffie Drucker

Primates change their “accent” to avoid conflict. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-05/aru-pct052521.php
Grover, N. (2021, May 27). Monkeys adopt “accent” of other species when in shared territory – study. The Guardian; The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2021/may/27/monkeys-adopt-accent-of-other-species-when-in-shared-territory-study
Sobroza, T. V., Gordo, M., Pequeno, P. A. C. L., Dunn, J. C., Spironello, W. R., Rabelo, R. M., & Barnett, A. P. A. (2021). Convergent character displacement in sympatric tamarin calls (Saguinus spp.). Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 75(5). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-021-03028-x

Additional resources from Caleb Scharf:

Pick up "The Ascent of Information: Books, Bits, Genes, Machines, and Life's Unending Algorithm" on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Ascent-Information-Machines-Unending-Algorithm/dp/0593087240
Website: http://www.calebscharf.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/caleb_scharf

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/accent-changing-monkeys-and-the-information-dataome

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

Brain Replays Memories at 20x Speed & A Real Maxwell’s Demon Jul 27, 2021

Show notes

Learn how your brain replays the things you’ve practiced at 20 times speed; and an engine that uses information as fuel.

On your practice breaks, your brain replays memories of your practice session at 20x speed by Kelsey Donk

Human brain replays new memories at 20 times the speed during waking rest. (2021). EurekAlert! https://eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-06/cp-hbr060321.php
Buch, E. R., Claudino, L., Quentin, R., Bönstrup, M., & Cohen, L. G. (2021). Consolidation of human skill linked to waking hippocampo-neocortical replay. Cell Reports, 35(10), 109193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2021.109193

Scientists built an ultrafast engine that they claim uses information as fuel by Briana Brownell

Ratner, P. (2021, May 24). Researchers design an engine that uses information as fuel. Big Think; Big Think. https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/fastest-ever-information-engine
World’s fastest information-fuelled engine designed by SFU researchers - University Communications - Simon Fraser University. (2021). www.sfu.ca. http://www.sfu.ca/university-communications/issues-experts/2021/05/world-s-fastest-information-fuelled-engine-designed-by-sfu-resea.html
Saha, T. K., Lucero, J. N. E., Ehrich, J., Sivak, D. A., & Bechhoefer, J. (2021). Maximizing power and velocity of an information engine. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(20), e2023356118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2023356118

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/brain-replays-memories-at-20x-speed-a-real-maxwells-demon

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Dog Days of Summer, Magic Tricks for Birds, Planck Time Jul 26, 2021

Show notes

Learn the “Dog Days of Summer”; why scientists did magic tricks for birds; and the smallest conceivable length of time.

What are the "Dog Days of Summer"? by Steffie Drucker

Farmers' Almanac Staff. (2015, June 29). What Are the Dog Days of Summer? Farmers’ Almanac. https://www.farmersalmanac.com/why-are-they-called-dog-days-of-summer-21705
Little, B. (2015, July 10). Why Do We Call Them the “Dog Days” of Summer? Animals; National Geographic. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/150710-dog-days-summer-sirius-star-astronomy-weather-language?loggedin=true
AstroPages | Precession. (2021). wwu.edu. https://www.wwu.edu/astro101/a101_precession.shtml

Scientists did magic tricks for birds to see how they perceive the world by Steffie Drucker

Garcia-Pelegrin, E. (2021, June 2). We performed magic tricks on birds to see how they perceive the world. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/we-performed-magic-tricks-on-birds-to-see-how-they-perceive-the-world-161772
Garcia-Pelegrin, E., Schnell, A. K., Wilkins, C., & Clayton, N. S. (2021). Exploring the perceptual inabilities of Eurasian jays (Garrulus glandarius) using magic effects. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(24), e2026106118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2026106118
Magic Tricks May Fool You, but These Birds Can See Through Them. (2021). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/01/science/birds-magic-tricks.html
Timmer, J. (2021, June 4). Researchers perform magic tricks for birds, who are not amused. Ars Technica; Ars Technica. https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/06/researchers-perform-magic-tricks-for-birds-who-are-not-amused/
Olkowicz, S., Kocourek, M., Lučan, R. K., Porteš, M., Fitch, W. T., Herculano-Houzel, S., & Němec, P. (2016). Birds have primate-like numbers of neurons in the forebrain. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(26), 7255–7260. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1517131113
Starr, M. (2018). Crows Can Build Compound Tools Out of Multiple Parts, And Are You Even Surprised. ScienceAlert. https://www.sciencealert.com/crows-are-so-smart-they-can-make-compound-tools-out-of-multiple-parts

Planck Time Is How Long It Takes Light To Travel One Planck Length by Joanie Faletto

The Planck scale: relativity meets quantum mechanics meets gravity. (from Einstein Light). (2021). Unsw.edu.au. https://newt.phys.unsw.edu.au/einsteinlight/jw/module6_Planck.htm
Williams, M. (2010, November 19). What is Planck Time? - Universe Today. Universe Today. https://www.universetoday.com/79418/planck-time/#ixzz2OhJ0gDig

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/dog-days-of-summer-magic-tricks-for-birds-planck-time

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Letting Wounds Breathe, Grocery App Benefits, Tardigrade Guns Jul 23, 2021

Show notes

Learn about when to use bandages; online shopping’s hidden health benefits; and why tardigrades were shot out of a gun.

LISTENER Q: Should you let a wound breathe or keep it covered? by Ashley Hamer (Listener question from Brian)

Bishop, S.M.; Walker, M.; Rogers, A.A.; Chen, W.Y.J. (2003). Importance of moisture balance at the wound-dressing interface. Journal of Wound Care, 12(4), 125–128. https://www.magonlinelibrary.com/doi/abs/10.12968/jowc.2003.12.4.26484
The Claim: Wounds Heal Better When Exposed to Air (Published 2006). (2021). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/01/health/01real.html?_r=0
Brouhard, R. (2021). Should I Use Neosporin on a Cut? Verywell Health. https://www.verywellhealth.com/should-i-use-neosporin-on-my-cut-1298910
Smack, D. P. (1996). Infection and Allergy Incidence in Ambulatory Surgery Patients Using White Petrolatum vs Bacitracin Ointment. JAMA, 276(12), 972. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.1996.03540120050033

Shopping online steers us away from sweets by Cameron Duke

Consumers spent less on candy and desserts when shopping online. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-06/e-csl060221.php
Shah, K. (2021). US consumers spend less on sweets and dessert when shopping online. New Scientist. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2279892-us-consumers-spend-less-on-sweets-and-dessert-when-shopping-online/
Zatz, L. Y., Moran, A. J., Franckle, R. L., Block, J. P., Tao Hou, Blue, D., Greene, J. C., Gortmaker, S., Bleich, S. N., Polacsek, M., Thorndike, A. N., & Rimm, E. B. (2021). Comparing Online and In-Store Grocery Purchases. Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior, 53(6), 471–479. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneb.2021.03.001

Scientists further abuse tardigrades by firing them out of a gun to see if they can survive space impacts by Grant Currin

Starr, M. (2021). Scientists Fired Tardigrades Out of a Gun to See if They Can Survive Space Impacts. ScienceAlert. https://www.sciencealert.com/tardigrades-can-survive-high-velocity-impacts-after-being-fired-from-a-gun
Tardigrade Survival Limits in High-Speed Impacts—Implications for Panspermia and Collection of Samples from Plumes Emitted by Ice Worlds. (2014). Astrobiology. https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/ast.2020.2405
Even hard-to-kill tardigrades can’t always survive being shot out of a gun. (2021, June 2). Science News. https://www.sciencenews.org/article/tardigrade-survival-shot-gun-crash-landing-planet

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/letting-wounds-breathe-grocery-app-benefits-tardigrade-guns

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Speech-to-Song Illusion and a High-Tech Use for Tree Rings Jul 22, 2021

Show notes

Learn about the links between language and music via the speech-to-song illusion and what we can learn from tree rings.

The speech-to-song illusion demonstrates the tight links between language and music by Steffie Drucker

The Speech-to-Song Illusion. (2020). Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/illusions-and-curiosities/202002/the-speech-song-illusion
Diana Deutsch - Speech-to-Song Illusion>. (2011). ucsd.edu. https://deutsch.ucsd.edu/psychology/pages.php?i=212
5th grade class: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Zr9BU0bJoc

Additional resources from Sturt Manning, a Distinguished Professor of Arts and Sciences in Classical Archaeology at Cornell University:

Cornell Faculty page https://classics.cornell.edu/sturt-manning
Revised tree ring data confirms ancient Mediterranean dates https://as.cornell.edu/news/revised-tree-ring-data-confirms-ancient-mediterranean-dates
Maize, not metal, key to native settlements’ history in NY https://news.cornell.edu/stories/2020/03/maize-not-metal-key-native-settlements-history-ny

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/speech-to-song-illusion-and-a-high-tech-use-for-tree-rings

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Daddy Longlegs, Dyson Spheres, and Exercising with a Partner Jul 21, 2021

Show notes

Learn about why daddy longlegs aren’t dangerous; the theoretical Dyson Sphere; and benefits of exercising with a partner.

“Daddy Longlegs Myths, Dyson Spheres, Benefits of Exercising with a Partner” originally aired May 15, 2018: https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/daddy-longlegs-myths-dyson-spheres-and-benefits-of

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/daddy-longlegs-dyson-spheres-and-exercising-with-a-partner

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