Curiosity Weekly - podcast cover

Curiosity Weekly

Discoverywww.discovery.com

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.

Last refreshed:
Follow this podcast in the Metacast mobile app to refresh it and see new episodes.
Download Metacast podcast app
Podcasts are better in Metacast mobile app
Don't just listen to podcasts. Learn from them with transcripts, summaries, and chapters for every episode. Skim, search, and bookmark insights. Learn more

Episodes

Types of Teen Popularity, Milky Way’s Black Holes, and Are Conspiracy Theories on the Rise?

Learn about whether conspiracy theories are really on the rise; why there may be tens of thousands of black holes in the center of the Milky Way; and, the 3 versions of teen popularity, according to research. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: The 3 Versions of Teen Popularity, According to Research — https://curiosity.im/2ntYPic There May Be Tens of Thousands of Blac...

Oct 17, 201910 min

Cherenkov Radiation, How to Be More Extroverted, and Changing Your Perception of Time

Learn about how introverts can be happier by tapping into the powers of extroverts; how something can produce Cherenkov radiation by going faster than the speed of light; and, how the language you speak changes your perception of time. Please support today’s sponsor, Skura! Visit https://skurastyle.com to get sponges delivered right to your door, and enter promo code CURIOSITY to get your first month FREE! In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity....

Oct 16, 20198 min

How to Deal with Having Too Many Choices, Wormhole Shadows, and a Language “Wug Test”

Learn about why having too many choices stresses us out; how wormholes might cast a visible shadow; and the adorable Wug Test that measures how well children understand the rules of language. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: Having Too Many Choices Stresses Us Out — Here's Why — https://curiosity.im/2lKjb5Y Wormholes Might Cast a Visible Shadow — https://curiosity.i...

Oct 15, 20199 min

Quitting Smoking Doesn’t Lead to Food Cravings, Narcissism Over Time, and Seeing Photons

Learn about how people become less narcissistic as they get older; how it’s possible that we can see a single photon with the naked eye; and, new research that says cigarette smokers won’t crave more food if they quit smoking. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: Most People Become Less Narcissistic With Age — Unless They Have These Characteristics — https://curiosity.i...

Oct 14, 20199 min

The Science of Cooking Meat with ButcherBox Head Chef Yankel Polak (Special Episode)

Learn about how to choose the right cooking method for different cuts of meat; how to figure out the perfect temperature for your meat; pro tips for searing and tempering; and the best way to capture that juicy flavor, including the science of what’s actually happening to those juices while you’re cooking. Please support today’s sponsor, ButcherBox! Visit https://www.butcherbox.com/curiosity In this special sponsored episode of Curiosity Daily, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer talk to ButcherBox Head...

Oct 13, 201920 min

Women’s Restroom Lines, Superhuman Memory, and Is Bamboo Good for the Environment?

Learn about the surprising reasons why the women’s restroom line is always longer; HSAM, the incredibly rare condition of having superhuman memory; and, how bamboo products impact the environment. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: This Is the Surprising Reason the Women's Restroom Line Is Always Longer — https://curiosity.im/2lLiWHS HSAM Is the Incredibly Rare Condit...

Oct 11, 201910 min

Cure for the Common Cold, What Really Killed the Dinosaurs, and Beatboxing in MRI Machines

Learn about how researchers may have figured out a way to cure the common cold; what exactly happened when the dinosaur-killing asteroid struck the Earth; and, why researchers have been putting beatboxers in a real-time MRI machine. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: Curing the Common Cold May Come down to this Simple Scientific Fix — https://curiosity.im/32PxIgz Here...

Oct 10, 20199 min

We Don’t Know How Gravity Works (w/ Sean Carroll) and the Milky Way’s Bubble Mystery

Learn from theoretical physicist Sean Carroll why we don’t understand how gravity works — and how we can figure it out. You’ll also learn about enormous balloon-like structures that scientists have discovered in the center of our galaxy. Please support our sponsors! Visit capterra.com/curiosity to find the best software solution for your business — for free! In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about enormous balloon-like structures that sci...

Oct 09, 20199 min

Many Worlds Theory Explains the Universe (w/ Sean Carroll) and What Causes Static Electricity

Learn how friction causes static electricity. Then, learn from renowned theoretical physicist Sean Carroll why understanding the Many Worlds Theory could be the best way for us to understand the universe. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about how friction causes static electricity: https://curiosity.im/32T2CEy Publications and more from Sean Carroll: “Something Deeply Hidden: Quantum Worlds and the Emergence of Spacetime” on Amazon — ht...

Oct 08, 20199 min

Signals Dogs Use to Talk to You, NASA’s Lost Moon Photos, and the Sugar Rush Is a Myth

Learn about why there’s no such thing as a sugar rush; why it took more than 40 years to see NASA’s high-resolution images of the Moon; and, how dogs use referential signals to communicate with humans. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: Sorry, Parents: There's No Such Thing as a Sugar Rush — https://curiosity.im/2LAgH4a NASA Had High-Res Images of the Moon in the '60s...

Oct 07, 201910 min

Where Dogs Get Their Personalities, How Smells Work, and a Skill that Improves with Age

Learn about how dogs’ personalities are rooted in their DNA; one skill that doesn’t get worse as you get older; and how your sense of smell works. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: Dogs' Personalities Are Rooted in Their DNA — https://curiosity.im/2OfDwvJ Scientists Have Identified One Skill that Doesn't Deteriorate with Age — https://curiosity.im/2LwW5tm Additional ...

Oct 04, 201910 min

Destroying Space-Time for Power (w/ Randall Munroe), Hourglass Figure Myths, Clown Science

Learn how to power your house by destroying the fabric of space-time, with help from xkcd creator Randall Munroe. Then, learn about the surprising reasons why hourglass figures are considered attractive; and, the scientific reason why clowns creep us out. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: The Evolutionary Reason Hourglass Figures Are Considered Attractive Isn't What ...

Oct 03, 201910 min

Predict the Weather Using Facebook Photos (w/ Randall Munroe) and Spoken Data Speeds

Learn about how quickly different languages can transmit information. Then, learn how you can predict the weather by analyzing the pixels of your Facebook photos, with some help from Randall Munroe, creator of the popular geek webcomic xkcd. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about how languages all transmit information at the same rate, no matter how fast they’re spoken: https://curiosity.im/2OgvR0j Additional resources from Randall Munro...

Oct 02, 20199 min

How to Pick a Profile Photo, Handedness, and Gravitational Wave Detectors Seeking Dark Matter

Learn about why you’re bad at choosing good pictures of yourself; how scientists could use gravitational wave detectors to detect dark matter particles; and, a questionnaire to help you figure out how left- or right-handed you are. Please support our sponsors! Get two months of unlimited access to over 25,000 classes on Skillshare — for free. To sign up, go to skillshare.com/curiosity In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get sm...

Oct 01, 20198 min

Personalities Associated with Certain Names, Working Less to Save the Earth, and Superbolts

Learn about the big impact we could have on our planet by cutting work hours; the strange behavior of superbolts of lightning; and, which personalities people associate with the sounds of certain names. Please support our sponsors! Get 10% off your first order from Saturday Morning Coffee Company at SaturdayMorningCoffeeCompany.com In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: C...

Sep 30, 20199 min

Pure Chance of Political Positions, Why Earth Has Oxygen, Infrared and Ultraviolet in Rainbows

Learn about why political parties may arrive at their positions by pure chance, with some help from opinion cascades; why the Great Oxygenation Event led to a bigger die-off than the asteroid that killed the dinosaurs; and, whether infrared and ultraviolet light show up in rainbows. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: What If Political Parties Arrive at Their Positions...

Sep 27, 20199 min

Cutting Back on Plastic in Your Home (w/ Will McCallum) and How Shapes Can Be Angry

Learn tips for using less plastic to help keep our planet clean, from Greenpeace UK’s Head of Oceans, Will McCallum. Then, you’ll learn about whether shapes can be angry, with some help from the spectral centroid. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about whether shapes can be angry: https://curiosity.im/32Yz0Gd Additional resources from Will McCallum: “How to Give Up Plastic: A Guide to Changing the World, One Plastic Bottle at a Time” on ...

Sep 26, 20199 min

How to Save the World from Plastic (w/ Will McCallum) and Your Puppies Love Baby Talk

Learn why puppies really do love your “who’s a good boy?” voice. You’ll also learn about small changes you can make in your daily routine to help us clean up the world’s oceans, with help from special guest Will McCallum. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about how puppies really do love your “who’s a good boy?” voice: https://curiosity.im/2ZOHn5c Additional resources from Will McCallum: “How to Give Up Plastic: A Guide to Changing the Wo...

Sep 25, 201910 min

Constellations Across Cultures, Female vs. Male Hurricanes, and Animals Scientists Study

Learn about whether hurricanes with female names are deadlier than those with male names; research into why so many different cultures see the same things in constellations; and, animals besides lab rats that are essential to science. Please support this episode’s sponsor! Get your first month of KiwiCo FREE by visiting https://www.kiwico.com/curiosity In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in ...

Sep 24, 20199 min

A Mutation That Makes You Need Less Sleep, Why “Like” Isn’t Lazy Language, and Zealandia

Learn about a genetic mutation that makes people need less sleep; a lost, sunken continent at the bottom of the Pacific Ocean called Zealandia; and why the word “like” is not just a lazy language filler. Please support our sponsors! Get 10% off your first order from Saturday Morning Coffee Company at SaturdayMorningCoffeeCompany.com In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: ...

Sep 23, 20198 min

3D Printed Fashion (w/ Dana Thomas), Difference Between THC and CBD, Quiet Smart People

Learn about how 3D printing could shape the future of fashion, from best-selling author Dana Thomas. You’ll also learn about the difference between THC and CBD when it comes to cannabis; and, why the smartest people in the room are often the quietest. Additional resources from Dana Thomas: “Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes” on Amazon — https://amazon.com Official website — http://www.danathomas.com/ Follow @DanaThomasParis on Twitter — https://twitter.com/danath...

Sep 20, 20199 min

The Price of Fast Fashion (w/ Dana Thomas) and Why You Miss What’s Right in Front of You

Learn why inattentional blindness makes you miss what’s right in front of you. Then, learn from author Dana Thomas about the environmental costs of “fast fashion” and what you can do to help. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about why you sometimes miss what’s right in front of you: https://curiosity.im/32IFhWe Additional resources from Dana Thomas: “Fashionopolis: The Price of Fast Fashion and the Future of Clothes” on Amazon — https://...

Sep 19, 20199 min

Dark DNA, Why Married Couples Slept in Twin Beds, and Do Baths Get You Clean?

Learn about whether taking a bath actually gets you clean; “dark DNA,” the genetic code that should be there, but isn’t; and why married couples used to sleep in twin beds. Please support our sponsors! Get 10% off your first order from Saturday Morning Coffee Company at SaturdayMorningCoffeeCompany.com In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: Do Baths Actually Get You Clean...

Sep 18, 20199 min

Don’t Use Your Phone on Breaks, How to Stop Being Materialistic, and Why We Roll Our Eyes

Learn about why using your phone during a break is a bad idea; why we roll our eyes; and how the material values scale can help you measure your materialism so you can see how much you’re influenced by consumer culture. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: Here's Why Using Your Phone on a Break Is a Bad Idea — https://curiosity.im/2ZGIt2C Why Do We Roll Our Eyes? — http...

Sep 17, 20198 min

You Can Enjoy Play Before Work, Life After Asteroid Impacts, and an Eyepatch Eyesight Hack

Learn about why it’s okay to put play before work; a surprising reason why pirates may have worn eyepatches; and how life bounced back surprisingly quickly after the asteroid killed the dinosaurs. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: It's OK to Put Play Before Work — Research Says So — https://curiosity.im/34ssI2R Pirates Probably Didn't Wear Eyepatches for the Reason Y...

Sep 16, 20199 min

Your Brain on Books vs. Podcasts, How Hard Babies Kick in the Womb, and Fart Humor History

Learn about why scientists measured how hard babies kick in the womb; the difference in brain scans between people when they were reading a book versus listening to a podcast; and how long humans have thought farts were funny. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: Scientists Have Measured How Hard Babies Kick in the Womb — https://curiosity.im/34wHJRA Brain Scans of Peop...

Sep 13, 20199 min

Your Body’s Electromagnetic Field, Winning Pep Talk Tips, and Brightly Colored Ancient Statues

Learn about your body’s electromagnetic field; why you probably never learned that ancient Greek and Roman statues used to be brightly colored; and the surprising trick to a winning pep talk. Please support our sponsors! Get 10% off your first order from Saturday Morning Coffee Company at SaturdayMorningCoffeeCompany.com In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: You Have an ...

Sep 12, 20198 min

You Don’t Run Out of Willpower, What Came Before the Big Bang, and Hookah Health Risks

Learn about why inflation theory says the Big Bang wasn’t actually the beginning of the universe; why hookah may be worse for you than cigarettes; and why you don’t actually run out of willpower, even if you think you do. Please support our sponsors! Visit capterra.com/curiosity to find the best software solution for your business — for free! In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few...

Sep 11, 20199 min

Emoji Around the World (w/ Gretchen McCulloch) and Plants May Have a Sense of Sight

Learn about how some plants may have a sense of sight. Then, learn about how emoji reflect cultural differences around the world, in the final edition of our “Hashtag Tuesdays” mini-series with internet linguist Gretchen McCulloch. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following story from Curiosity.com about how some plants may have a sense of sight: https://curiosity.im/2KMMgHw Additional resources from Gretchen McCullough: “Because Internet: Understanding the New Rules of L...

Sep 10, 20199 min

Beliefs That Boost Grades, Optimism for Better Sleep, and Planets More Habitable Than Earth

Learn about why there could be planets even more habitable than Earth; an online class that boosted grades by changing students’ beliefs; and why optimism may lead to better sleep. Please support our sponsors! Get two months of unlimited access to over 25,000 classes on Skillshare — for free. To sign up, go to skillshare.com/curiosity In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes...

Sep 09, 20198 min
For the best experience, listen in Metacast app for iOS or Android