The tasks that AI is able to perform has grown exponentially over the years but there are a few things AI still struggles with, like accurately mimicking scientific methodology. Dr. James Zou joins host Dr. Samantha Yammine today to discuss recent updates in AI’s ability to play the role of scientist. He is an associate professor of Biomedical Data Science at Stanford University where he created a research lab of AI scientists. Sam also investigates the ins and outs of lab-grown meat and how MDMA is being used to treat PTSD.  

Link to Show Notes HERE 

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Dr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get 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. 

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When tackling solutions to climate change, we tend to focus on westernized approaches rather than listening to Indigenous Peoples about the best ways to protect our earth. So, today, just in time for Earth Day, Dr. Samantha Yammine speaks with Dr. Myrle Ballard about natural resource and environmental management from Indigenous perspectives. Then, Sam gets into a new AI-powered brain implant that was able to translate thought into speech and how thawing permafrost in the arctic has the potential to release ancient viruses. 

Link to Show Notes HERE 

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Dr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get 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. 

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Icebergs are natural behemoths, littered across the ocean. They are both subjects of awe and fear among sailors so today, Dr. Samantha Yammine discusses the ins and outs of these ginormous monoliths with an experienced sailor and iceberg admirer, producer Teresa Carey. Then, Sam speaks to Dr. Beth Culp, a lead author on a recent study that maps out your gut’s microbiome. After that, Sam asks the question we’ve all been thinking about: what’s the science behind non-alcoholic wine? 

If you're curious about a new theory on what happened to the Titanic, tune into Expedition Files on Wednesday, April 16 at 9pm Eastern on Discovery. 

Link to Show Notes HERE 

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Dr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get 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. 

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Fungal parasites like the ones shown in The Last of Us might not be starting up a zombie apocalypse anytime soon but that doesn’t mean they’re not causing trouble in other ways. Host Dr. Samantha Yammine speaks with Dr. Carolyn Elya, a mycologist specializing in fungi’s unique ability to take over the brains of insects. They discuss how that compares with the fungal zombies in the show and whether concerns over fungal influence on our brains are legitimate. Sam also explores how researchers were recently able to bend soundwaves creating what they call, “Audible Enclaves.” Then, Sam answers the age-old question: how do mRNA vaccines really work?  

Tune into the second season of The Last of Us, premiering April 13th on Max.  

Link to Show Notes HERE 

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Dr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get 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. 

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We’re all about answering questions here at Curiosity Weekly. Questions like: where do baby sea turtles actually go when they waddle from their cozy beach nest into the ocean? Host Dr. Samantha Yammine explores the mysteries of adolescent sea turtles before bringing on our special guest, Jessica Malaty Rivera, to answer even more questions, this time about the recent uptick in measles cases in the U.S. and common misconceptions about the MMR vaccine. Finally, is there really a difference between diamonds from the earth and ones grown in a lab? Listen in to find out!

Link to Show Notes HERE.

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Dr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get 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.

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 Spring has officially sprung! The birds are chirping, the bees are buzzing and flowers are blooming. But, have you ever wondered the journey that flowers take from the soil to your vase at home? Today on Curiosity Weekly, author Amy Stewart joins Dr. Samantha Yammine to chat about the global flower trade. Sam is also joined by producer Teresa Carey for a climate tech showdown, where Teresa tries to stump Sam and the listeners with some of the wildest ideas in climate tech. Then, you’ll learn about the secret ingredient hidden in your can of chickpeas that’s changing the way we make vegan food. 

Link to Show Notes HERE 

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Dr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get 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. 

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It’s Women’s History Month and to celebrate we have Katie Hafner on Curiosity Weekly to discuss the history of women in STEM and ways we can highlight their contributions today. Then, Sam looks into the Wooly Devil, aka the first new plant genus found in a national park in almost 50 years. Finally, Sam and producer Teresa Carey talk about what to know regarding male contraception.

Link to Show Notes HERE.

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Dr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get 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.

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Cells may be the building blocks of life (and highschool biology), but who knew they were so complicated? Dr. Samantha Yammine digs into different types of cells and their functions with editorial correspondent Teresa Carey as they discuss the difficulties in defining what a cell even is. Then, Sam speaks with Dr. Sébastien Calvignac-Spencer, a pathogen evolutionary biologist about his work investigating diseases from history. Finally, some curious researchers and entrepreneurs are cultivating actual salmon meat in bioreactors so Sam investigates the process behind growing fish in a lab including the potential ecological effects of cell-cultured salmon hitting the market.  

Link to Show Notes HERE 

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Dr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get 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. 

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The new season of Naked and Afraid premieres Sunday, March 9, 2025 at 8pm EST on Discovery.  

To celebrate, host Dr. Samantha Yammine talks to legendary survivalist Rob Nelson about his experiences thriving in some of the most extreme conditions on the planet. Rob also gets into some of the facts and myths behind common survival techniques. Then, Sam is joined by Naked and Afraid survivalist, Mandy Horvath. Mandy is the show’s first bi-lateral amputee contestant and she speaks on the physical, environmental, and emotional challenges of participating on the show. Sam also digs into the science behind what’s really going on with our bodies when trapped in the wilderness.  

Link to Show Notes HERE 

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Dr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get 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. 

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Dr. Samantha Yammine is joined by Dr. Tiara Moore who is a marine ecologist and the founder of Black in Marine Science to talk about her research as well as her advocacy work to ensure equitable systems are in place for Black scientists within the scientific community. Sam digs into a deep sea sponge that has inspired researchers to create a filter that can protect our oceans from a future oil spill and a recent study released where scientists created mice using the DNA from two sperms.  

Link to full Show Notes HERE 

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Dr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get 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.