

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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Jul 28, 2023 • 11min
Sharkphones, Cave Engravings, Diaper Houses
Today, you’ll learn about a new program that sort of gives sharks smartphones, the oldest known neanderthal engravings, and houses made of diapers. Shark Week continues all week long on Discovery. For the latest, head to SharkWeek.com.Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/sharkphones-cave-engravings-diaper-housesShark Sensors “‘Smartphones’ for Sharks: Scientists Upgrade Sensors to Keep Track of Cape Cod’s White Sharks.” by Mark Pratt. 2023.https://phys.org/news/2023-06-smartphones-sharks-scientists-sensors-track.htmlCave Engravings “Oldest Known Neanderthal Engravings Were Sealed in a Cave for 57,000 Years.” by Brian Handwerk. 2023.https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/oldest-known-neanderthal-engravings-discovered-in-french-cave-180982408/“Who were the Neanderthals?” by Lisa Hendry. N.d.https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/who-were-the-neanderthals.htmlDiaper Houses“This House Was Built Partly From Recycled Diapers.” by Carolyn Gramling. 2023.https://www.sciencenews.org/article/house-built-recycled-diapers“Disposable Diapers Add Millions Of Tons Of Waste To Landfills Each Year, According To EPA Report.” By Baby Tooshy. 2016. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/disposable-diapers-add-millions-of-tons-of-waste-to-landfills-each-year-according-to-epa-report-300384344.htmlFollow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free! 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 27, 2023 • 12min
Shark Deterrents, Earth Axis Tilt, Hair Loss Reversal
Today, you’ll learn about the good, the bad, and the ugly of shark repellents, how human’s thirst for groundwater is literally changing the tilt of the Earth, and how hairy moles might offer a clue to fighting hair loss. Shark Week continues all week long on Discovery. For the latest, head to SharkWeek.com.Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/shark-deterrents-earth-axis-tilt-hair-loss-reversalShark Deterrents “Shark Deterrents are Flooding the Market.” by Nick Kilvert. 2023.https://www.abc.net.au/news/science/2023-06-24/when-it-comes-to-shark-deterrents-here-s-what-the-science-says/102399294“Yearly Worldwide Shark Attack Summary.” Florida Museum. 2023.https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/shark-attacks/yearly-worldwide-summary/Earth Axis Tilt “Rampant Groundwater Pumping Has Changed the Tilt of Earth's Axis.” by Davide Castalecchi. 2023.https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-01993-z#Echobox=1687171115“Humans Have Used Enough Groundwater to Shift Earth’s Tilt.” by Aara’L Yarber. 2023.https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/2023/06/27/groundwater-use-planet-earth-tilt/Hair Loss Reversal “Common Form of Hair Loss Could Be Reversed by Targeting Aged Skin Pigment Cells.” by Ruairi J. Mackenzie. 2023.https://www.technologynetworks.com/tn/news/common-form-of-hair-loss-could-be-reversed-by-targeting-aged-skin-pigment-cells-375161Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free! 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

4 snips
Jul 26, 2023 • 10min
Shark-Eating Eels, Lonely Parrots, Whales Repair DNA
Today, you’ll learn about eels that burrow into the hearts of sharks and feast on their blood, parrots that love to gab on video calls, and the secret of the bowhead whale’s cancer fighting superpower. Shark Week continues all week long on Discovery. For the latest, head to SharkWeek.com.Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/shark-eating-eels-lonely-parrots-whales-repair-dnaShark-Eating Eels“Eels Have Been Found Living and Feeding On Blood Inside the Heart of Sharks.” by Rachael Funnell. 2021.https://www.iflscience.com/eels-have-been-found-living-and-feeding-on-blood-inside-the-heart-of-sharks-58317Lonely Parrots“Parrots Taught to Video Call Each Other Become Less Lonely, Finds Research.” by Hannah Devlin. 2023.https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2023/apr/21/parrots-taught-to-video-call-each-other-become-less-lonely-finds-research“Birds of a Feather Video-Flock Together: Design and Evaluation of an Agency-Based Parrot-to-Parrot Video-Calling System for Interspecies Ethical Enrichment.” by Rebecca Kleinberger. 2023.https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3544548.3581166Whales Repair DNA“Bowhead Whales May Have a Cancer-Defying Superpower: DNA Repair.” by Meghan Rosen. 2023.https://www.sciencenews.org/article/bowhead-whales-cancer-dna-repairFollow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free! 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 21, 2023 • 13min
Catatonic Wake Up, Forever Chemicals, Crops With No Sun
Today, you’ll learn how a catatonic woman’s reawakening could shake up the entire field of psychiatry, plans to stop using forever chemicals, and how scientists plan on growing crops without sunshine. Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/catatonic-wake-up-forever-chemicals-crops-with-no-sunCatatonic Wake Up “A Catatonic Woman Awakened After 20 Years. Her Story May Change Psychiatry.” by Richard Sima. 2023.https://www.washingtonpost.com/wellness/2023/06/01/schizophrenia-autoimmune-lupus-psychiatry/?pwapi_token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWJpZCI6IjQyNTY5MzQiLCJyZWFzb24iOiJnaWZ0IiwibmJmIjoxNjg1NTkyMDAwLCJpc3MiOiJzdWJzY3JpcHRpb25zIiwiZXhwIjoxNjg2ODg3OTk5LCJpYXQiOjE2ODU1OTIwMDAsImp0aSI6ImYyMWIyZDEwLTk1ZjEtNDg0OC04MGExLWI3ZTRmNzhiMGYzNiIsInVybCI6Imh0dHBzOi8vd3d3Lndhc2hpbmd0b25wb3N0LmNvbS93ZWxsbmVzcy8yMDIzLzA2LzAxL3NjaGl6b3BocmVuaWEtYXV0b2ltbXVuZS1sdXB1cy1wc3ljaGlhdHJ5LyJ9.83LQPVKW0IfmqRqj5vgUhWwdqhDw8tuEXqqhJdq1eic“Lupus.” CDC. 2022.https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/lupus.htmForever Chemicals “You probably have “forever chemicals” in your body. Here’s what that means.” by Benji Joneshttps://www.vox.com/2022/8/25/23318667/pfas-forever-chemicals-safety-drinking-water“PFAS and Your Health” by ATSDRhttps://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/pfas/index.html“Biden-Harris Administration Proposes First-Ever National Standard to Protect Communities from PFAS in Drinking Water” by EPAhttps://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-proposes-first-ever-national-standard-protect-communities“Low-temperature mineralization of perfluorocarboxylic acids” by BRITTANY TRANG et al.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abm8868?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D87405751245436731003476501941219687288%7CMCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1660658873&_ga=2.228389917.183627334.1660532753-1917198022.1509206891“New Study Finds PFAS in Bottled Water, as Lawmakers Call for Federal Limits” by Ryan Feltonhttps://www.consumerreports.org/health/bottled-water/pfas-in-bottled-water-new-study-finds-a1111233122/Crops With No Sun“Let There Be Dark.” by Robert F. Service. 2023.https://www.science.org/content/article/crops-grown-without-sunlight-could-help-feed-astronauts-bound-marsFollow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free! 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 20, 2023 • 10min
Post-Paralysis Walking, Important Naps, History of Kissing
Today, you’ll learn about a high tech brain-spine interference that could revolutionize spinal injury treatments, why you might want to let your child nap as long as they want, and the ancient secrets of the smooch. Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/post-paralysis-walking-important-naps-history-of-kissingPost-Paralysis Walking “Walking Naturally After Spinal Cord Injury/Paralysis Using a Brain-Spine Interface.” by Henri Lorach, et al. 2023.https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06094-5“This Brain-Spine Interface Sidesteps Spinal Cord Injuries.” by Michael Nolan. 2023.https://spectrum.ieee.org/brain-spine-interfaceImportant Naps “Study Highlights the Importance of Napping For Memory Consolidation in Early Childhood.” by Eric W. Dolan. 2023.https://www.psypost.org/2023/05/study-highlights-the-importance-of-napping-for-memory-consolidation-in-early-childhood-163785History of Kissing “The Ancient History of Kissing.” by Troels Pank Arbøll & Sophie Lund Rasmussen. 2023.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adf0512?adobe_mc=MCMID%3D71526409875569128722259358006205072405%7CMCORGID%3D242B6472541199F70A4C98A6%2540AdobeOrg%7CTS%3D1684744647&“The First Kiss in Recorded History Dates BAck Nearly 5,000 Years.” by Stephanie Pappas. 2023.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-first-kiss-in-recorded-history-dates-back-nearly-5-000-years/Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free! 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 19, 2023 • 12min
Space Hibernation, New York is Sinking, Baby Talk
Today, you’ll learn about a way we might, one day, be able to sleep our way to the stars, why some of the world’s cities are sinking, and how babies’ brain structures could be influenced by how much we speak to them. Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/space-hibernation-new-york-is-sinking-baby-talkSpace Hibernation “Hibernation-Like State Induced by Ultrasound Could Enable Long-Distance Spaceflights.” by Ruairi J. Mackenzie. 2023.https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/hibernation-like-state-induced-by-ultrasound-could-enable-long-distance-spaceflights-373862“Alpha Centauri: Facts about the stars next door.” by Robert Lea. 2023.https://www.space.com/18090-alpha-centauri-nearest-star-system.htmlNew York is Sinking“New York City Is Sinking. It's Far From Alone.” by Matt Simon. 2023.https://www.wired.com/story/new-york-city-is-sinking-its-far-from-alone/“New York City Is Sinking Under Its Own Weight.” by Meghan Bartels. 2023.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/new-york-city-is-sinking-under-its-own-weight/Baby Talk “Talking to Babies May Help Shape Brain Structure, Research Finds.” by Nicola Davis. 2023.https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/may/15/talking-to-babies-may-help-shape-brain-structure-research-findsFollow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free! 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 14, 2023 • 12min
Stem Cell Meat, Antarctica Cavern and Ants Playing Dead
Today you’ll learn about lab-grown meat, a world hundreds of feet below a West Antarctic glacier, and a new discovery about the mysterious behavior of ants. Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/stem-cell-meat-antarctica-cavern-and-ants-playing-deadStem Cell Meat “Cultured Meat Produced Using Immortal Stem Cells.” by Molly Campbell. 2023.https://www.technologynetworks.com/genomics/news/cultured-meat-produced-using-immortal-stem-cells-373195“Meat accounts for nearly 60% of all greenhouse gases from food production, study finds.” by Oliver Milman. 2021.https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/sep/13/meat-greenhouses-gases-food-production-study“Lab-Grown Meat’s Carbon Footprint Potentially Worse Than Retail Beef.” by Amy Quinton. 2023.https://www.ucdavis.edu/food/news/lab-grown-meat-carbon-footprint-worse-beef#:~:text=Under%20that%20scenario%2C%20researchers%20found,conventional%20beef%20production%2C%20they%20calculate.“Yes, Lab-Grown Meat Is Vegan.” by Jude Whiley. 2023.https://www.wired.com/story/lab-grown-meat-vegan-ethics-environment/Antarctica Cavern“A massive cavern beneath a West Antarctic glacier is teeming with life.” by Douglas Fox. 2023.https://www.sciencenews.org/article/cavern-west-antarctic-glacier-life“Melting and Refreezing in an Ice Shelf Basal Channel at the Grounding Line of the Kamb Ice Stream, West Antarctica.” by A Whiteford, et al. 2022.https://agupubs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1029/2021JF006532“The Six Moons Most Likely to Host Life in Our Solar System.” by Rebecca Boyle. 2023.https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-six-moons-most-likely-to-host-life-in-our-solar-system/#:~:text=Life%20could%20flourish%20in%20half,dwarf%20planets%20Ceres%20and%20PlutoAnts Play Dead“Kangaroo Island ants 'play dead’ to avoid predators.” University of South Australia. 2023.https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/05/230509122125.htm#:~:text=Summary%3A,is%20a%20recorded%20world%20first.Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free! 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

7 snips
Jul 13, 2023 • 13min
Brain Activity Decoder, No Pain Molecules and Psych Tech
Today you’ll learn how AI might be able to read your mind, what we can learn from a woman who doesn’t feel any physical pain, and a new app that aims to change our approach to mental health treatment. Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/brain-activity-decoder-no-pain-molecules-and-psych-techBrain Activity Decoder“Brain Activity Decoder Can Reveal Stories in People’s Minds.” n.a. 2023.https://news.utexas.edu/2023/05/01/brain-activity-decoder-can-reveal-stories-in-peoples-minds/“A.I. Is Getting Better at Mind-Reading.” by Oliver Whang. 2023.https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/01/science/ai-speech-language.htmlNo Pain Molecules “Study Reveals Unique Molecular Machinery of Woman Who Can't Feel Pain.” n.a. 2023.https://www.ucl.ac.uk/news/2023/may/study-reveals-unique-molecular-machinery-woman-who-cant-feel-pain“Molecular basis of FAAH-OUT-associated human pain insensitivity.” by Hajar Mikaeili, et al. 2023.https://academic.oup.com/brain/advance-article/doi/10.1093/brain/awad098/7169317?login=falsePsychiatry Tech“Tech Platform to Revolutionize Psychiatric Care Developed by CI MED Student and Harvard Team.” by Beth Hart. 2023https://medicine.illinois.edu/news/tech-platform-to-revolutionize-psychiatric-care-developed-by-ci-med-student-and-harvard-team“The State Of Mental Health In America.” MHA. 2023.https://mhanational.org/issues/state-mental-health-america“‘Asynchronous Telemedicine’ a CI MED RISE Seminar featuring Aditya Vaidyam.” YouTube Video. 2023.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuCa74jFNCIFollow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate— for free! 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 12, 2023 • 11min
Hallucinations, Music, And Invasions
Today you’ll learn about the science behind near-death-experiences, why some music is made for summer, and how the lionfish is invading southern Brazil. Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/hallucinations-music-and-invasionsDeath Hallucinations“Scientists Detect Brain Activity in Dying People Linked to Dreams, Hallucinations.” by Becky Ferreira. 2023.https://www.vice.com/en/article/dy3p3w/scientists-detect-brain-activity-in-dying-people-linked-to-dreams-hallucinations“Surge of neurophysiological coupling and connectivity of gamma oscillations in the dying human brain.” by Gang Xu, et al. 2023.https://www.pnas.org/doi/full/10.1073/pnas.2216268120“Taking Psychedelics Helps People Face Mortality Like a Near-Death Experience, Study Finds.” by Beccy Ferreira. 2022.https://www.vice.com/en/article/wxnxxw/taking-psychedelics-helps-people-face-mortality-like-a-near-death-experience-study-findsMusic and Weather“Here comes the sun: New study shows how UK weather conditions influence music success in the markets.” n.a. 2023.https://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2023-05-04-here-comes-sun-new-study-shows-how-uk-weather-conditions-influence-music-success“Here comes the sun: music features of popular songs reflect prevailing weather conditions.” by Manuel Anglada-Tort, et al. 2023.https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.221443Lionfish Invasion “Brazil's Invasion of Voracious Lionfish Has Reached a Worrisome Phase.” by Herton Escobar. 2023.https://www.science.org/content/article/brazil-s-invasion-voracious-lionfish-has-reached-worrisome-phaseFollow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free! 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jul 7, 2023 • 11min
Medicine Patch, Fast Learner Myth, Mediterranean Mega Flood
Today you’ll learn about a new patch that uses ultrasonic waves to deliver medicine through the skin, research that debunks the myth of the ‘fast learner’, and evidence that a megaflood ended an environmental crisis in the Mediterranean more than five million years ago. Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/medicine-patch-fast-learner-myth-mediterranean-mega-floodMedicine Patch “Wearable Patch Can Painlessly Deliver Drugs Through the Skin.” by Anne Trafton. 2023.https://news.mit.edu/2023/wearable-patch-can-painlessly-deliver-drugs-through-skin-0419“A Conformable Ultrasound Patch for Cavitation-Enhanced Transdermal Cosmeceutical Delivery.” by Chia-Chen Yu, et al. 2023.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/adma.202300066“Applications of Synthetically Produced Materials in Clinical Medicine.” by Maleka P. Hashmi, et al. 2018.https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/chemistry/transdermal“Ultrasonics.” by Richard E. Berg. n.d.https://www.britannica.com/science/ultrasonics Fast Learner Myth “The Myth of the Fast Learner.” by Caroline Sheedy. 2023.https://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2023/march/the-myth-of-the-fast-learner“An astonishing regularity in student learning rate.” by Kenneth R. Koedinger. 2023.https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2221311120Mediterranean Mega Flood “First direct proof of mega-flood in Mediterranean Sea region.” n.a. 2023.https://www.uu.nl/en/news/first-direct-proof-of-mega-flood-in-mediterranean-sea-region“A terminal Messinian flooding of the Mediterranean evidenced by contouritic deposits on Sicily.” by Gijs van Dijk, et al. 2023.https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/sed.13074Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free! 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.


