Curiosity Weekly

To help you celebrate Earth Day, Bill Nye discusses some unexpected ways we can save our environment, including raising the standard of living for women and girls. Then, you’ll learn about why spicy solar panels capture more sunlight — with a little help from capsaicin.Additional resources from Bill Nye:Official website https://billnye.com/Bill Nye’s podcast, Science Rules! https://www.askbillnye.com/Pick up “Bill Nye's Great Big World of Science” on Amazon https://amzn.to/3u8iKQi“Everything All at Once: How to Think Like a Science Guy, Solve Any Problem, and Make a Better World” on Amazon https://amzn.to/3whsk5jFollow @BillNye on Twitter https://twitter.com/BillNyeSpicy solar panels capture more sunlight by Grant CurrinMajor, J. (2021, January 13). Solar panels capture more sunlight with capsaicin - the chemical that makes chili peppers spicy. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/solar-panels-capture-more-sunlight-with-capsaicin-the-chemical-that-makes-chili-peppers-spicy-152901Xiong, S., et al. (2021). Direct Observation on p- to n-Type Transformation of Perovskite Surface Region during Defect Passivation Driving High Photovoltaic Efficiency. Joule, 5(2), 467–480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.joule.2020.12.009Fox, A. (2021, February 2). Chili Pepper Compound Increases Solar Cell Efficiency. Smithsonian Magazine; Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/chili-pepper-compound-increases-solar-cell-efficiency-180976893/Follow Curiosity Daily to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer — for free! You can also listen to our podcast as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing; Amazon smart speakers users, click/tap “enable” here: https://www.amazon.com/Curiosity-com-Curiosity-Daily-from/dp/B07CP17DJY Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/bill-nyes-earth-day-tips-to-save-our-planet Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Bill Nye explains why you should be excited about the Perseverance Rover and the Mars 2020 mission. Plus: learn about why old tech is better than new tech when it comes to connecting during COVID and a 5-minute trick for falling asleep faster.When it comes to connecting during COVID, old tech outranks new tech by Kelsey DonkCall me, maybe? UNLV study probes how people connected during the pandemic. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-03/uonl-cmm030521.phpHall, J., Pennington, N., & Holmstrom, A. (2021). Connecting Through Technology During COVID-19. Human Communication & Technology, 3(1). https://doi.org/10.17161/hct.v3i1.15026Additional resources from Bill Nye:Official website https://billnye.com/Bill Nye’s podcast, Science Rules! https://www.askbillnye.com/Pick up “Bill Nye's Great Big World of Science” on Amazon https://amzn.to/3u8iKQi“Everything All at Once: How to Think Like a Science Guy, Solve Any Problem, and Make a Better World” on Amazon https://amzn.to/3whsk5jFollow @BillNye on Twitter https://twitter.com/BillNyeThis 5-Minute Trick Can Help You Fall Asleep Faster originally aired October 2, 2018 https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/plants-that-light-up-when-attacked-a-5-minute-tricFollow Curiosity Daily to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer — for free! You can also listen to our podcast as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing; Amazon smart speakers users, click/tap “enable” here: https://www.amazon.com/Curiosity-com-Curiosity-Daily-from/dp/B07CP17DJY Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/bill-nye-on-why-mars-2020-is-so-exciting Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn about why cannabis gives people the munchies; the Bicameral Mind theory that says the ancient Greeks lacked consciousness; and the evolutionary reason why you listen to songs on repeat.Why does cannabis give you the munchies? by Grant CurrinHull, M. (2019, April 17). The science behind munchies: cannabis and your appetite. Examine.com; Examine.com. https://examine.com/nutrition/cannabis-munchies/How cannabis affects appetite: Brain changes. (2018). ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2018/07/180717094747.htmStromberg, J. (2014, February 9). A Scientific Explanation of How Marijuana Causes the Munchies. Smithsonian Magazine; Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/scientific-explanation-how-marijuana-causes-munchies-180949660/Deng, B. (2015). Marijuana flips appetite switch in brain. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature.2015.16957The "Bicameral Mind" Theory Says the Ancient Greeks Lacked Consciousness by Reuben WestmaasOverview of Julian Jaynes’s Theory of Consciousness and the Bicameral Mind | Julian Jaynes Society. (2020, October 7). Julian Jaynes Society. https://www.julianjaynes.org/about/about-jaynes-theory/overview/Patches, M. (2016, October 17). Why the Bicameral Mind Theory Is Crucial to Unlocking “Westworld.” Thrillist; Thrillist. https://www.thrillist.com/entertainment/nation/westworld-bicameral-mind-theory-realThere's an Evolutionary Reason Why You Listen to Some Songs on Repeat originally aired November 15, 2018 https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/why-you-listen-to-songs-on-repeat-aluminum-foil-wi12 THINGS I FORGOT by Steven Wilson on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/track/3U5qkg3OoX0KQxEaGqLYQT?si=9jL7NH_1SHGiw01W3BuHHAFollow Curiosity Daily to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer — for free! You can also listen to our podcast as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing; Amazon smart speakers users, click/tap “enable” here: https://www.amazon.com/Curiosity-com-Curiosity-Daily-from/dp/B07CP17DJY Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/why-cannabis-gives-you-the-munchies Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn about why you can BS a BS-er; how you can get your hands on some of the world’s oldest books at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library; and a sea slug in the genus Elysia that cuts off its own head when it wants a new body.You *can* BS a BSer — but it depends on the kind of BS by Steffie DruckerIt Turns Out You Can Bullshit A Bullshitter After All. (2021, March 5). Research Digest; Research Digest. https://digest.bps.org.uk/2021/03/05/it-turns-out-you-can-bullshit-a-bullshitter-after-all/Littrell, S., Risko, E. F., & Fugelsang, J. A. (2021). “You can’t bullshit a bullshitter” (or can you?): Bullshitting frequency predicts receptivity to various types of misleading information. British Journal of Social Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12447Research shows that BSers are more likely to fall for BS. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-03/uow-rst030821.phpYou Can Encounter Some of the World's Oldest Books at the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library by Reuben WestmaasThomas Fisher Rare Book Library. (2020). Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. https://fisher.library.utoronto.ca/Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. (2015, June 8). Atlas Obscura. https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/thomas-fisher-rare-books-libraryMonstorum historia (1642). Pinterest. https://www.pinterest.com/poppadoug/monstrorum-historia-1642-ulyssis-aldrovandi/There's a slug that cuts off its own head when it wants a new body by Cameron DukeMeet the Sea Slugs That Chop Off Their Heads and Grow New Bodies. (2021). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/08/science/decapitated-sea-slugs.htmlMitoh, S., & Yusa, Y. (2021). Extreme autotomy and whole-body regeneration in photosynthetic sea slugs. Current Biology, 31(5), R233–R234. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.01.014Follow Curiosity Daily to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer — for free! You can also listen to our podcast as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing; Amazon smart speakers users, click/tap “enable” here: https://www.amazon.com/Curiosity-com-Curiosity-Daily-from/dp/B07CP17DJY Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/you-can-totally-bs-a-bser Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn about a new computer model that may have gotten us closer to figuring out how we choose our mates; why Meno’s paradox says you can’t ever learn anything new; and whether the Earth weighs the same as it did billions of years ago.How do we choose our mates? A new computer model may have gotten us closer to the answer by Cameron DukeComputer love. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-02/uoc--cl021221.phpConroy-Beam, D. (2021). Couple Simulation: A Novel Approach for Evaluating Models of Human Mate Choice. Personality and Social Psychology Review, 108886832097125. https://doi.org/10.1177/1088868320971258Meno's Paradox Says You Can't Ever Learn Anything New by Reuben WestmaasS. Marc Cohen (2006). Meno’s Paradox. Washington.edu. https://faculty.washington.edu/smcohen/320/menopar.htm False equivalence and false balance – logical fallacies. (2017, December 17). Skeptical Raptor. https://www.skepticalraptor.com/skepticalraptorblog.php/logical-fallacies/false-equivalence-logical-fallacies/LISTENER Q: Does the Earth weigh the same as it did billions of years ago? by Ashley Hamer (Listener question from Rob in Cedar Falls)Is Earth Getting Bigger Over Time? (Published 2019). (2021). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/10/science/earth-size-mass.htmlMcDonald, C. (2012, January 31). Who, What, Why: Is the Earth getting lighter? BBC News; BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-16787636Is Earth getting heavier or lighter? (2018, August 31). CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/sept-1-2018-gene-editing-in-dogs-wildfire-prediction-zika-fizzles-and-more-1.4804892/is-earth-getting-heavier-or-lighter-1.4804900Follow Curiosity Daily to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer — for free! You can also listen to our podcast as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing; Amazon smart speakers users, click/tap “enable” here: https://www.amazon.com/Curiosity-com-Curiosity-Daily-from/dp/B07CP17DJY Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/has-the-earth-lost-weight Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn about how blind and low-vision gamers have an edge when it comes to certain games, with Cornell University Professor Andrew Campana. Then, learn how some viruses actually protect their hosts; and the shocking solution to the Monty Hall Problem, an infamous brain teaser that may leave you questioning your math skills.Additional resources from Andrew Campana:Andrew Campana's faculty page: https://asianstudies.cornell.edu/andrew-campanaAndrew Campana, Cornell University – Taking the Video out of Video Games, Cornell Academic Minute: https://academicminute.org/2020/12/andrew-campana-cornell-university-taking-the-video-out-of-video-games/A Blind Legend: http://www.ablindlegend.com/Believe it or not, some viruses protect their hosts and even have therapeutic uses by Cameron DukeCassella, C. (2021). Scientists Find a Virus That’s Evolved to Protect Its Host - Depending on The Weather. ScienceAlert. https://www.sciencealert.com/scientists-discover-a-virus-that-harms-or-protects-plants-depending-on-the-weatherGonzález, R., Butković, A., Escaray, F. J., Martínez-Latorre, J., Melero, Í., Pérez-Parets, E., Gómez-Cadenas, A., Carrasco, P., & Elena, S. F. (2021). Plant virus evolution under strong drought conditions results in a transition from parasitism to mutualism. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(6), e2020990118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2020990118Mathew, C. (2019, August 7). Viruses aren’t all nasty – some can actually protect our health. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/viruses-arent-all-nasty-some-can-actually-protect-our-health-117678The Monty Hall Problem Is the Probability Puzzle That Enraged 10,000 Readers originally aired December 4, 2018 https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/see-if-you-re-a-covert-narcissist-michelson-morleyMonty Hall Problem - Numberphile [Video] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Lb-6rxZxx0Follow Curiosity Daily to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer — for free! You can also listen to our podcast as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing; Amazon smart speakers users, click/tap “enable” here: https://www.amazon.com/Curiosity-com-Curiosity-Daily-from/dp/B07CP17DJY Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/some-viruses-do-you-good Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn about how blind and low-vision gamers are taking the “video” out of video games, with Cornell University Professor Andrew Campana. Then, learn about a newly discovered mammoth fossil that shatters the record for the oldest DNA we’ve ever found.Additional resources from Andrew Campana:Andrew Campana's faculty page: https://asianstudies.cornell.edu/andrew-campanaAndrew Campana, Cornell University – Taking the Video out of Video Games, Cornell Academic Minute: https://academicminute.org/2020/12/andrew-campana-cornell-university-taking-the-video-out-of-video-games/A Blind Legend: http://www.ablindlegend.com/New kind of mammoth fossil shatters the record for oldest DNA by Grant Currinvan der Valk, T., Pečnerová, P., Díez-del-Molino, D., Bergström, A., Oppenheimer, J., Hartmann, S., Xenikoudakis, G., Thomas, J. A., Dehasque, M., Sağlıcan, E., Fidan, F. R., Barnes, I., Liu, S., Somel, M., Heintzman, P. D., Nikolskiy, P., Shapiro, B., Skoglund, P., Hofreiter, M., & Lister, A. M. (2021). Million-year-old DNA sheds light on the genomic history of mammoths. Nature. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03224-9Callaway, E. (2021). Million-year-old mammoth genomes shatter record for oldest ancient DNA. Nature, 590(7847), 537–538. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-00436-xFollow Curiosity Daily to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer — for free! You can also listen to our podcast as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing; Amazon smart speakers users, click/tap “enable” here: https://www.amazon.com/Curiosity-com-Curiosity-Daily-from/dp/B07CP17DJY Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/blind-gamers-take-the-video-out-of-video-games Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn about why engineers tested a temporary “smart tattoo” that emits light via OLEDs; a female vampire bat that adopted her best friend’s baby after the friend’s death; and how you can sharpen your mind with device-free quiet time.Engineers tested a temporary "smart tattoo" that emits light by Steffie DruckerLight-emitting tattoo engineered for the first time. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-02/ucl-lte022621.phpBarsotti, J., Rapidis, A. G., Hirata, I., Greco, F., Cacialli, F., & Mattoli, V. (2021). Ultrathin, Ultra‐Conformable, and Free‐Standing Tattooable Organic Light‐Emitting Diodes. Advanced Electronic Materials, 2001145. https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.202001145Getting Photodynamic Therapy. (2018). Cancer.org. https://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatments-and-side-effects/treatment-types/radiation/photodynamic-therapy.htmlA female vampire bat adopted her best friend's baby after the friend's death by Kelsey DonkBaby vampire bat adopted by mom’s best friend. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-02/stri-bvb020921.phpNon-kin adoption in the common vampire bat | Royal Society Open Science. (2021). Royal Society Open Science. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.201927To Sharpen Your Mind, Try Taking Some Device-Free Quiet Time originally aired August 5, 2018 https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/the-healthiest-diet-w-michael-greger-space-volcanoFollow Curiosity Daily to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer — for free! You can also listen to our podcast as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing; Amazon smart speakers users, click/tap “enable” here: https://www.amazon.com/Curiosity-com-Curiosity-Daily-from/dp/B07CP17DJY Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/vampire-bats-adopt-babies-too Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn about how atheists and believers have different moral compasses; how scientists will know if life ever existed on Mars; and how to persuade people to do what you want using the foot-in-the-door technique.Atheists and believers both have moral compasses -- they're just different by Kelsey DonkStåhl, T. (2021). The amoral atheist? A cross-national examination of cultural, motivational, and cognitive antecedents of disbelief, and their implications for morality. PLOS ONE, 16(2), e0246593. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0246593The Local. (2015, April 13). Sweden “least religious” nation in Western world. The Local Sweden; The Local. https://www.thelocal.se/20150413/swedes-least-religious-in-western-world/How will scientists know if life ever existed on Mars? by Cameron DukeFossil Record of the Cyanobacteria. (2021). Berkeley.edu. https://ucmp.berkeley.edu/bacteria/cyanofr.htmlNASA’s Mars 2020 Will Hunt for Microscopic Fossils. (2019, November 12). NASA. https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/news/nasas-mars-2020-will-hunt-for-microscopic-fossilsPlanetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry (PIXL). (2020). Nasa.gov. https://mars.nasa.gov/mars2020/spacecraft/instruments/pixl/Stromatolites and other early life. (2020). Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety. http://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/Stromatolites-and-other-evidence-1666.aspxThe Foot-in-the-Door Technique Can Persuade People to Do What You Want by Annie HartmanFreedman, J. L., & Fraser, S. C. (1966). Compliance without pressure: The foot-in-the-door technique. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 4(2), 195–202. https://doi.org/10.1037/h0023552Patel, N. (2014, October 13). Foot-In-The-Door Technique: How To Get People To Seamlessly Take Action. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/neilpatel/2014/10/13/foot-in-the-door-technique-how-to-get-people-to-take-seamlessly-take-action/?sh=704615917d9eZuckerman, M., Iazzaro, M. M., & Waldgeir, D. (1979). Undermining Effects of the Foot-in-the-Door Technique with Extrinsic Rewards. Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 9(3), 292–296. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1559-1816.1979.tb02712.xSubscribe to Curiosity Daily to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. You can also listen to our podcast as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing; Amazon smart speakers users, click/tap “enable” here: https://www.amazon.com/Curiosity-com-Curiosity-Daily-from/dp/B07CP17DJY Find episode transcript: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/if-life-existed-on-mars-how-would-we-know Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn about how we could use DNA to store all of human knowledge for thousands of years. Then, test your podcast knowledge with the Curiosity Challenge trivia game. You’ll also learn about why becoming a parent may help you live longer.DNA data storage could store all human knowledge in a small space for thousands of years by Grant CurrinTED-Ed. (2017). Is DNA the future of data storage? - Leo Bear-McGuinness [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r8qWc9X4f6kYong, E. (2014). DNA storage: The code that could save civilisation. Bbc.com. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20130724-saving-civilisation-in-one-roomShankland, S. (2019, June 29). Startup packs all 16GB of Wikipedia onto DNA strands to demonstrate new storage tech. CNET; CNET. https://www.cnet.com/news/startup-packs-all-16gb-wikipedia-onto-dna-strands-demonstrate-new-storage-tech/Netflix. (2020). Biohackers | First Original Series stored in DNA | Netflix [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMYgjOHgHxcArmstrong, S. (2019, March 15). With AI and DNA, Massive Attack are hacking a new kind of music. WIRED UK. https://www.wired.co.uk/article/massive-attack-mezzanine-dnaAdi Robertson. (2016, July 7). Microsoft stored an OK Go music video in strings of DNA. The Verge; The Verge. https://www.theverge.com/2016/7/7/12114480/dna-storage-ok-go-microsoft-university-washington-twist-bioscienceEpisodes referenced in Curiosity Challenge Trivia game:Neanderthals: https://www.curiositydaily.com/how-to-know-youre-running-low-on-vitamins/Catnip: https://www.curiositydaily.com/time-management-can-make-you-happier/Holding your breath: https://www.curiositydaily.com/why-cant-you-hold-your-breath-to-death/If You Want to Live Longer, Become a Parent by Ashley HamerDavis, N. (2017, March 14). Parenthood can help you live longer in older age, research suggests. The Guardian; The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/mar/14/parenthood-can-help-you-live-longer-in-older-age-research-suggestsModig, K., Talbäck, M., Torssander, J., & Ahlbom, A. (2017). Payback time? Influence of having children on mortality in old age. Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health, 71(5), 424–430. https://doi.org/10.1136/jech-2016-207857Subscribe to Curiosity Daily to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. You can also listen to our podcast as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing; Amazon smart speakers users, click/tap “enable” here: https://www.amazon.com/Curiosity-com-Curiosity-Daily-from/dp/B07CP17DJY Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/we-can-use-dna-for-data-storage Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.