Curiosity Daily
Latest Episodes
How Life Expectancy Doubled in Just 150 Years (w/ Author Steven Johnson)
Learn how we doubled life expectancy in the last 150 years. Plus: “impossible” quasicrystals formed from nuclear bombs. Additional resources from Steven Johnson: Pick up "Extra Life: A Short History of Living Longer": https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/b
We Found the Earliest Evidence of Ancient Human Activity
Learn about ancient evidence of humans using fire; Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle; and your memory on social media. We just found the earliest evidence of humans changing their ecosystems with fire by Grant Currin Nield, D. (2021). Scientists Find Ol
Looking Into Space Is Looking Back in Time
Learn why soccer players miss penalty kicks; how we estimate population sizes; and how space helps us look back in time. Pro soccer players miss penalty kicks because pressure makes them overthink by Kelsey Donk Johnson, S. (2021, May 12). Why profession
Mammals Can Breathe Through Their Butts
Learn how mammals breathe through their butts; how babies remember their birth language; and your reflection in a spoon. Mammals can breathe through their butts, and this could help humans with respiratory failure by Grant Currin Breathing Through the Re
Bats Map the World By Time, Not Distance
Learn about whether you should fear AI; the science of a good selfie; and how bats map the world by time, not distance. Additional resources from Michael Wooldridge: Pick up "A Brief History of Artificial Intelligence: What It Is, Where We Are, and Wher
Why We Won’t Have “Robot Butlers” Any Time Soon (w/ AI Researcher Michael Wooldridge)
Learn about "iconic sounds" of language. Plus: artificial intelligence’s limitations, with AI pioneer Michael Wooldridge. Language may have started with "iconic sounds" rather than hand gestures by Grant Currin Ćwiek, A., Fuchs, S., Draxler, C., Asu, E.
We Found the First Pregnant Mummy Ever Documented
Learn about a pregnant mummy; the three body problem; and why you should take off your shoes when you enter your house. A newly discovered pregnant mummy is raising questions about ancient Egyptian beliefs by Grant Currin Johnson, S. (2021, May 5). First
How to Manage Your Work-from-Home Paranoia
Learn 4 tips for managing WFH paranoia; flat-pack pasta; and how eye contact is affected by the shape of a dog’s face. 4 tips for managing your WFH paranoia by Kelsey Donk Managing Your WFH Paranoia. (2021, April 28). Harvard Business Review. https://hbr
Do Opposites Really Attract?
Learn about why opposites don’t really attract; the “propinquity effect” and how physical distance affects the way we feel about other people; and the history of when and why we started using last names.
Why Toilet Paper Is White
Learn about Starlink’s unintended consequences for astronomy from astrophysicist Vivienne Baldassare, NASA Einstein Postdoctoral Fellow at Yale University. Then, learn why toilet paper is white.