Learn about how lockdown is changing our perception of time; how the most devastating meteor on record may have never even landed; and why it’s a big deal that elephants can catch contagious yawning from humans. Why lockdown is changing our perception of time by Kelsey Donk Rocheleau, J. (2020, May 27). A Monday Is a Tuesday Is a Sunday as COVID-19 Disrupts Internal Clocks. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-monday-is-a-tuesday-is-a-sunday-as-covid-19-disrupts-inte...
Jun 22, 2020•10 min
Learn about Juneteenth, the oldest celebration of the end of slavery in the US; how switching up your routine can make you happier; and the grammar behind why Americans don’t say “maths” and do say “LEGOs.” Juneteenth, the oldest celebration of the end of slavery by Ashley Hamer Juneteenth World Wide Celebration (2020). Juneteenth.com. https://www.juneteenth.com/history.htm What Is Juneteenth? (2013, January 16). The African Americans: Many Rivers to Cross. https://www.pbs.org/wnet/african-ameri...
Jun 19, 2020•13 min
Learn about why peanut butter gets gum out of hair; why world-renowned climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe is so passionate about climate justice; and how gaslighting makes you question your sanity — along with some tips on how to protect yourself. Why does peanut butter get gum out of hair? by Andrea Michelson UCSB Science Line. (2020). Ucsb.edu. http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=2036 Polar Protic? Polar Aprotic? Nonpolar? All About Solvents. (2012, April 27). Master Organic Chemistry. ...
Jun 18, 2020•13 min
Learn about whether “fat-burning foods” are a real thing; why we probably can’t tell male and female dinosaurs apart; and how you can do great things by seeing yourself as part of something greater. Are "fat-burning foods" a real thing? Scientists performed a critical review to find out by Andrea Michelson Bo, S., Fadda, M., Fedele, D., Pellegrini, M., Ghigo, E., & Pellegrini, N. (2020). A Critical Review on the Role of Food and Nutrition in the Energy Balance. Nutrients, 12(4), 1161. https:...
Jun 17, 2020•11 min
Learn about the modern benefits we’re getting from new archaeological discoveries, from researchers Mary Prendergast and Elizabeth Sawchuk. Then, you’ll learn about how people can hear body language in your voice. Additional resources from Mary Prendergast and Elizabeth Sawchuk: Sawchuk, E., & Prendergast, M. (2019, December 23). Archaeological discoveries are happening faster than ever before, helping refine the human story. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/archaeological-disco...
Jun 16, 2020•9 min
Learn about why flipping a coin might be your best bet when making major life decisions; why otters juggle rocks; and how you respond differently to 2 types of injustice. An economist had people make big life decisions on a coin flip, and they ended up happier by Steffie Drucker Study finds people are more satisfied after quitting the status quo. (2020, May 18). Oxford University Press; Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2020-05-people-status-quo.html Levitt, S. D. (2020). Heads or Tails: The Impac...
Jun 15, 2020•12 min
Learn about why people protest and riot, according to social psychology; and how scientists stimulated the brains of blind people to make them “see” shapes. Then, test your knowledge with this month’s edition of the Curiosity Challenge. Why social psychology says people protest and riot by Kelsey Donk Klandermans, B. (2013). Demand and Supply of Protest. The Wiley-Blackwell Encyclopedia of Social and Political Movements. https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470674871.wbespm063 Fisher, N. (2020, May 29). ...
Jun 12, 2020•12 min
Renowned climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe explains why climate change isn’t as “doom and gloom” as you might think, and gives tips for how to talk about it to inspire action. Plus: learn about how to overcome “bedtime procrastination.” "Bedtime procrastination" may come down to beliefs about willpower by Kelsey Donk Bernecker, K., & Job, V. (2019). Too exhausted to go to bed: Implicit theories about willpower and stress predict bedtime procrastination. British Journal of Psychology, 111(1)...
Jun 11, 2020•13 min
Learn about why rainy days make you sleepy; why the “Great Unconformity” is one of the biggest mysteries in geology; and the problematic amount of energy it takes to power AI — along with a potential solution. Plus: how do you pronounce "Colorado," anyway? Why do rainy days make you sleepy? by Kelsey Donk Katherine Ellen Foley. (2016, May 29). Why does rain seem to make you sleepy? Quartz; Quartz. https://qz.com/672755/why-does-rain-seem-to-make-you-sleepy/ Kaye, K. (2009, July 11). Feel sleepy?...
Jun 10, 2020•12 min
Researchers Elizabeth Sawchuk and Mary Prendergast will talk about the lessons we’ve learned from amazing new discoveries of extinct human species. Plus: learn about how dogs can be moody teenagers, too. Dogs can be annoying teenagers, too by Steffie Drucker Adolescence is ruff for dogs too. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-05/nu-air051220.php Teenage dogs? Evidence for adolescent-phase conflict behaviour and an association between attachment to humans and puberta...
Jun 09, 2020•11 min
Learn about how our sun is different from similar stars; how deep sleep literally cleans your brain; and the psychology behind why some psychopaths are serial killers, while others are CEOs. Our sun is less active than other stars just like it, and scientists aren't sure why by Grant Currin Reinhold, T., Shapiro, A. I., Solanki, S. K., Montet, B. T., Krivova, N. A., Cameron, R. H., & Amazo-Gómez, E. M. (2020). The Sun is less active than other solar-like stars. Science, 368(6490), 518–521. h...
Jun 08, 2020•10 min
Learn about why NASA doesn’t launch rockets in the rain (which is why there was a delay launching the SpaceX Crew Dragon spacecraft carrying NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley); why llamas are so promising for protecting humans against viruses like COVID-19; and why things get cold — when they’re wet, when you’re chewing mint gum, and when you blow air through narrowed lips. Why NASA doesn’t launch rockets in the rain by Cameron Duke Analysis of Apollo 12 Lightning Incident. (1970...
Jun 05, 2020•13 min
Renowned climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe explains how we know that climate change is caused by humans. Then, learn about why there’s no such thing as “common sense.” Links to donate: Discovery’s Social Good Initiative RISE: Reducing Inequality and Supporting Empowerment https://www.discovery.com/dnews/help-reduce-inequality---support-empowerment NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund https://org2.salsalabs.com/o/6857/p/salsa/donation/common/public/?donate_page_KEY=15780 Equal Justice Initia...
Jun 04, 2020•13 min
Learn about the surprising way Japanese honeybees defend themselves against "murder hornets" (actual name: Asian giant hornets); how “atmospheric tidal waves” make Venus’s atmosphere rotate faster than the actual planet; and the wide spectrum of how people mentally visualize images, including aphantasia and hyperphantasia. Japanese honeybees defend against 'murder hornets' by forming bee balls by Cameron Duke Main, D. (2020, May 4). “Murder hornets” have arrived in the U.S.—here’s what you shoul...
Jun 03, 2020•12 min
Researchers Elizabeth Sawchuk and Mary Prendergast discuss the surprising discoveries archaeologists are making thanks to new technology. Plus: learn how eye-tracking software can tell you more about you than you think. Eye-tracking software can tell more about you than you think by Grant Currin Kröger, J. L., Lutz, O. H.-M., & Müller, F. (2020). What Does Your Gaze Reveal About You? On the Privacy Implications of Eye Tracking. Privacy and Identity Management. Data for Better Living: AI and ...
Jun 02, 2020•10 min
Learn about how your ancestors’ work habits might be influencing your own; the first evidence of an underwater dinosaur; and how an aquarium successfully reproduced coral in captivity for the first time. Societies with a history of hard farming labor tend to work more hours today by Kelsey Donk Arduous farm labor in the past means longer working hours today. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-04/oupu-afl041420.php Fouka, V., & Schläpfer, A. (2020). Agricultural ...
Jun 01, 2020•10 min
Learn about why selfish people have false memories of being generous; why we can’t do brain transplants; and why you used to be able to buy life insurance from airport vending machines. Selfish people actually have false memories of being generous by Kelsey Donk Memory misfires help selfish maintain their self-image. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-04/yu-mmh042820.php Carlson, R. W., Maréchal, M. A., Oud, B., Fehr, E., & Crockett, M. J. (2020). Motivated misr...
May 29, 2020•11 min
Learn about whether it’s a good idea to rub dirt on your wounds; how funny memes can help save endangered species like the proboscis monkey; and how space travel changes the shape of astronauts’ hearts. When it comes to wounds, science says "rub some dirt on it" might be good advice by Cameron Duke Dillow, C. (2013, May 23). Got A Wound? Science Says Rub Some Dirt In It. Popular Science; Popular Science. https://www.popsci.com/science/article/2013-05/antibacterial-clays-can-kill-antibiotic-resis...
May 28, 2020•10 min
Learn about how archaeologists are solving a prehistoric poop problem; what leads people to be “cultural omnivores”; and an easy trick for telling stars and planets apart when you’re stargazing. What can we learn from prehistoric poop? by Cameron Duke Borry, M., Cordova, B., Perri, A., Wibowo, M., Prasad Honap, T., Ko, J., Yu, J., Britton, K., Girdland-Flink, L., Power, R. C., Stuijts, I., Salazar-García, D. C., Hofman, C., Hagan, R., Samdapawindé Kagoné, T., Meda, N., Carabin, H., Jacobson, D.,...
May 27, 2020•12 min
Learn about breakthrough research into what our brains do while we sleep; how plants fight back when they hear they’re being eaten; and why the Y2K bug is actually what a well-handled crisis looks like afterward. This is the first direct evidence that our brains replay waking experiences while we sleep by Cameron Duke Eichenlaub, J.-B., Jarosiewicz, B., Saab, J., Franco, B., Kelemen, J., Halgren, E., Hochberg, L. R., & Cash, S. S. (2020). Replay of Learned Neural Firing Sequences during Rest...
May 26, 2020•11 min
Learn about why it might actually be pretty easy to drink an elephant under the table; how carrier pigeons like Cher Ami helped win the world wars; and why night owls may have worse emotion regulation than morning people. Apparently, elephants get drunk and they're total lightweights by Cameron Duke Burke, J. (2010, December 3). Elephants on drunken rampage kill three people. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/dec/03/elephants-drunken-rampage-india Elephants Drunk in the Wild? ...
May 25, 2020•11 min
Learn about why the marijuana classifications of indica and sativa aren’t based in science; how clean your washing machine really gets your clothes; and why researchers staged sword fights to learn about the Bronze Age. Indica and sativa marijuana classifications aren't based in science by Andrea Michelson Naftulin, J. (2020, April 20). There is no difference between the effects of indica and sativa marijuana strains, scientists say - Insider. Insider; Insider. https://www.insider.com/why-theres...
May 22, 2020•11 min
Learn about why people tune out facts and trust their guts in medical emergencies; a Victorian-era version of credit cards; and how scientists are trying to add an eighth row to the periodic table of elements. People tune out facts and trust their guts in medical emergencies by Kelsey Donk UTA study: In crisis, people trust feelings over facts. (2020). The University of Texas at Arlington. https://www.uta.edu/news/news-releases/2020/04/01/confidence-study Freling, T. H., Yang, Z., Saini, R., Ita...
May 21, 2020•11 min
Learn about how studying World of Warcraft helped researchers learn how to respond to the coronavirus pandemic; how scientists described mouse facial expressions for the first time; and how social rejection can fuel creativity. Scientists studied a "pandemic" in World of Warcraft to learn how to fight a real virus by Grant Currin Fenlon, W. (2020, March 13). The researchers who once studied WoW’s Corrupted Blood plague are now fighting the coronavirus. Pcgamer; PC Gamer. https://www.pcgamer.com/...
May 20, 2020•10 min
Learn about why natural selection favors superstitions; why the way our noses smell is way more complicated than we thought; and where scientists think 'Oumuamua, the first interstellar object, came from. How natural selection favors superstitions by Cameron Duke Foster, K. R., & Kokko, H. (2008). The evolution of superstitious and superstition-like behaviour. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 276(1654), 31–37. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2008.0981 Hájek, A. (2018). P...
May 19, 2020•11 min
Learn about what makes fruit mealy; a new therapy technique for parents that could reduce their kids’ anxiety; and what scientists learned when they tried to build a second Earth, in the notorious story of “Biosphere 2.” What makes fruit mealy? by Andrea Michelson SciShow. (2020). What Makes Fruit Mealy? [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TckZ4WK5N6U Christensen, E. (2009, September 16). Food Science: What Makes Apples Mealy. Kitchn; Apartment Therapy, LLC. https://www....
May 18, 2020•10 min
Learn about whether you should wad or fold toilet paper, according to science; why your brain evolved to hoard supplies but shame others for doing the same; and the purpose of grand unified field theory, with help from astrophysicist Adam Becker. Whether to wad or fold toilet paper, according to science by Andrea Michelson Myers, Q. (2019, March 12). Should You Fold or Wad Toilet Paper? A Physicist Settles the Debate for Good. MEL Magazine. https://melmagazine.com/en-us/story/fold-or-wad-toilet-...
May 15, 2020•12 min
Learn about where your emotions come from and how you can hack them, with help from psychology researcher and neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett. Plus: learn why tarantula venom could be an alternative to opioids. Maybe tarantula venom could be an alternative to opioids by Cameron Duke Agwa, A. J., Tran, P., Mueller, A., Tran, H. N. T., Deuis, J. R., Israel, M. R., McMahon, K. L., Craik, D. J., Vetter, I., & Schroeder, C. I. (2020). Manipulation of a spider peptide toxin alters its affinity...
May 14, 2020•11 min
Learn about the impact of maladaptive daydreaming, then learn about whether dogs can recognize our faces in photographs. Then, author Maryn McKenna will explain how antibiotics created modern agriculture and changed the way the world eats. People with 'maladaptive daydreaming' spend up to 4 hours a day lost in their imaginations by Kelsey Donk People with “Maladaptive Daydreaming” spend an average of four hours a day lost in their imagination. (2018, June 25). Research Digest; Research Digest. h...
May 13, 2020•12 min
Learn about a surprising tip for de-cluttering your house; 3 extinct relatives of humans that lived in the same place and time; and why the possibility that the universe might not be expanding at the same rate everywhere is a huge deal. What's The First Step for De-Cluttering Your House? by Reuben Westmas The Ohio State University. (2017, June 26). Scientists Find Clever Way to Help You De-Clutter Your Home; The Ohio State University. https://news.osu.edu/scientists-find-clever-way-to-help-you-d...
May 12, 2020•10 min
