Today we discuss how only four minutes of small talk with a stranger can help you predict their personality traits, an exciting biodegradable battery option on the horizon, and a new discovery into the origins of dragons!  

Small Talk 

• “Four Minutes of Small Talk Can Reveal Key Personality Traits” by Sascha Pare
  • https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/aug/31/four-minutes-of-small-talk-can-reveal-key-personality-traits-study-says
• “Small Talk and Theory of Mind in Strategic Decision-Making” by Neha Bose and Daniel Sgroi
  • https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/economics/staff/dsgroi/theoryofmind.pdf

Crab Battery 

• “Crab and Lobster Shells Could Be Used To Make Renewable Batteries” by Sofia Quaglia
  • https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/sep/01/crab-lobster-shells-could-used-make-renewable-batteries
• “A sustainable chitosan-zinc electrolyte for high-rate zinc-metal batteries” by Meiling Wu, Ye Zhang, Lin Xu, Chunpeng Yang, Min Hong, Mingjin Cui, Bryson C. Clifford, Shuaiming He, Shuangshuang Jing, Yan Yao, and Liangbing Hu
  • https://www.cell.com/matter/fulltext/S2590-2385(22)00414-3

Ancient Dragons

• “Ancient 'dragons' were Earth’s first gliding reptiles” By Jennifer Nalewicki
  • https://www.livescience.com/ancient-gliding-reptile-dragon-trees
• “The postcranial skeleton of the gliding reptile Coelurosauravus elivensis Piveteau, 1926 (Diapsida, Weigeltisauridae) from the late Permian Of Madagascar” by Valentin Buffa, Eberhard Frey, J. Sébastien Steyer & Michel Laurin
  • https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/02724634.2022.2108713?utm_medium=email&utm_source=EmailStudio&utm_campaign=Tree+canopy+changes+facilitated+the+evolution+of+the+first-ever+gliding+reptile%2C+new+study+suggests_4423303&cookieSet=1

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Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/small-talk-crab-battery-ancient-dragons

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Let’s talk about a potential new high-tech mine in Minnesota, how scientists have created a synthetic mouse embryo using stem cells, and a major breakthrough in the cause of and treatment for Down Syndrome.  

Remote Mines

• “This Remote Mine Could Foretell the Future of America’s Electric Car Industry” by Ana Swanson
  • https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/30/business/economy/electric-cars-us-nickel-mine.html
• “Fight over Minnesota nickel mine plan by Talon Metals is local — and global, too” by Mark Reilly
  • https://www.bizjournals.com/twincities/news/2022/08/31/talon-metals-nickel-mine-minnesota.html

Mouse Embryos 

• “Scientists Use Stem Cells To Create Synthetic Mouse Embryos” by Associated Press
  • https://www.nbcnews.com/science/science-news/scientists-use-stem-cells-create-synthetic-mouse-embryos-rcna44881
• “Post-gastrulation synthetic embryos generated ex utero from mouse naive ESCs” by Shadi Tarazi, Alejandro Aguilera-Castrejon, Carine Joubran, Nadir Ghanem, Shahd Ashouokhi, Francesco Roncato, Emilie Wildschutz, Montaser Haddad, Bernardo Oldak, Elidet Gomez-Cesar, Nir Livnat, Sergey Viukov, Dmitry Lokshtanov, Segev Naveh-Tassa, Max Rose, Suhair Hanna, Calanit Raanan, Ori Brenner, Merav Kedmi, Hadas Keren-Shaul, Tsvee Lapidot, Itay Maza, Noa Novershtern, and Jacob H. Hanna
  • https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674%2822%2900981-3

Down Syndrome Treatment

• “Hormone that could improve cognitive function in Down syndrome identified” By Helen Floersh
  • https://www.fiercebiotech.com/research/scientists-have-identified-hormone-could-restore-cognitive-function-down-syndrome#:~:text=Now%2C%20a%20team%20of%20researchers,it%20could%20improve%20cognitive%20performance.
• “GnRH replacement rescues cognition in Down syndrome” by MARIA MANFREDI-LOZANO et al.
  • https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abq4515

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.

Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/remote-mines-mouse-embryos-down-syndrome-treatment

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Today we discuss the science behind a wandering mind, the ins and outs of songs composed by humpback whales, and how an innovative new robotic capsule might help our digestive systems absorb drugs that aren’t as effective to take orally. 

A Wandering Mind   

• “The science of a wandering mind” By Tim Vernimmen
  • https://knowablemagazine.org/article/mind/2022/science-wandering-mind
• “How Self-Generated Thought Shapes Mood—The Relation between Mind-Wandering and Mood Depends on the Socio-Temporal Content of Thoughts” by Florence J. M. Ruby, Jonathan Smallwood, Haakon Engen, and Tania Singer
  • https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0077554

Song of the Humpback

• “Humpback Whales Pass Their Songs Across Oceans” by Carl Zimmer
  • https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/30/science/humpback-whale-songs-cultural-evolution.html
• “Humpback Whales Almost 9,000 Miles Apart Have Been Caught Singing The Same Song” by Carly Casella
  • https://www.sciencealert.com/humpback-whales-almost-9000-miles-apart-have-been-caught-singing-the-same-song

Robocap

• “RoboCap – The Robotic Capsule Designed to Improve Drug Delivery in the Gut” by Sarah Whelan
  • https://www.technologynetworks.com/drug-discovery/news/robocap-the-robotic-capsule-designed-to-improve-drug-delivery-in-the-gut-366073
• “RoboCap: Robotic mucus-clearing capsule for enhanced drug delivery in the gastrointestinal tract” by SHRIYA S. SRINIVASAN et al.
  • https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.abp9066
• “Tiny robotic pill RoboCap delivers drugs to guts and could end injections like insulin” by Nergis Firtina
  • https://interestingengineering.com/health/tiny-robotic-pill-robocap-drugs-guts
• “Human Insulin Injection” by MedLine Plus
  • https://medlineplus.gov/druginfo/meds/a682611.html

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.

Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/a-wandering-mind-song-of-the-humpback-robocap

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Today we discuss how frog skin stem cells were recently used to create microscopic living machines, how scientists are trying to replicate the powerful punch of a mantis shrimp, and a new breakthrough in the creation of an oral insulin tablet. 

Frog Skin Cells  

• “Frog skin cells turned themselves into living machines” by Laura Sanders
  • https://www.sciencenews.org/article/frog-skin-cells-self-made-living-machines-xenobots
• “A cellular platform for the development of synthetic living machines” by Douglas Blackiston, Emma Lederer, and Michael Levin
  • https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scirobotics.abf1571

Shrimp Robots  

• “Small, Mighty Robots Mimic the Powerful Punch of Mantis Shrimp” by US Army Research Laboratory
  • https://neurosciencenews.com/mantis-shrimp-robot-19301/
• “Robot mimics the powerful punch of the mantis shrimp” by Harvard University
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If4IURa2Joo

Oral Insulin Tablet  

• “Breakthrough results in developing an oral insulin tablet” by University of British Columbia
  • https://medicalxpress.com/news/2022-08-breakthrough-results-oral-insulin-tablet.html
• “Major Breakthrough In Development Of Oral Insulin Tablet Made In Rat Study” by Katie Spaulding
  • https://www.iflscience.com/major-breakthrough-in-development-of-oral-insulin-tablet-made-in-rat-study-65127

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.

Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/frog-skin-cells-shrimp-robots-oral-insulin-tablet

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Today you’ll learn about how squirrels are parkour experts and can be used to teach robots to move in a similar way, how artificial intelligence can help expectant mothers predict childbirth risks, and the gangs of dolphins that are roaming our oceans. 

Robot Squirrels 

• “Science’s next great leap: using squirrels to teach robots how to ‘parkour’” by Joe Pinkstone
  • https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/08/05/sciences-next-great-leap-using-squirrels-teach-robots-parkour/
• “Squirrel parkour: How leaping squirrels could inspire more nimble robots” by Lucia F. Jacobs, Nathaniel Hunt & Robert J. Full
  • https://bigthink.com/life/squirrel-biomechanics/
• “SCIENCE’S NEXT GREAT LEAP: USING SQUIRRELS TO TEACH ROBOTS HOW TO ‘PARKOUR’” by Joe Pinkstone
  • https://www.impactlab.com/2021/08/15/sciences-next-great-leap-using-squirrels-to-teach-robots-how-to-parkour/

AI Labor Prediction 

• “Successful Labor Outcomes in Expectant Mothers Using AI” by Mayo Clinic
  • https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/08/220830131708.htm
• “Artificial intelligence is being used to accurately predict women’s childbirth risks” by Tristan Bove
  • https://www.yahoo.com/now/artificial-intelligence-being-used-accurately-115041630.html?guccounter=1

Dolphin Gangs

• “Dolphins form largest alliance network outside humans, study finds” by University of Bristol
  • https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/08/220829153233.htm
• “How Do Dolphins Communicate?” by Discovery Cove
  • https://discoverycove.com/orlando/blog/how-do-dolphins-communicate/#:~:text=Dolphins%20Speak%20Body%20Language,each%20other%20and%20spy%20hopping.
• “Dolphins Have Formed the 'Largest Alliance Network Known Outside of Humans'” by Robyn White
  • https://www.newsweek.com/dolphins-formed-largest-alliance-network-known-outside-humans-1738428

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.

Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/robot-squirrels-ai-labor-prediction-dolphin-gangs

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Today you’ll learn about how music is being used to combat dementia, how scientists are making more efficient rocket fuel from bacteria, and the environmental effects of bitcoin mining.

Music and Dementia  

• “Music Helps Patients With Dementia Connect With Loved Ones” by Marla Paul
  • https://neurosciencenews.com/music-alzheimers-connection-21316/
• “Music: Bridging Memories for People With Alzheimer's” by Dennis Thompson
  • https://www.usnews.com/news/health-news/articles/2022-09-06/music-bridging-memories-for-people-with-alzheimers

Microbe Rocket Fuel

“Bacteria for Blastoff: Using Microbes to Make Supercharged New Rocket Fuel” by Aliyah Kovner

• https://newscenter.lbl.gov/2022/06/30/bacteria-for-blastoff/

“Microbes May Hold the Secret to Creating More Powerful Rocket Fuel” By Kevin Hurler

• https://gizmodo.com/microbes-produce-powerful-and-cleaner-rocket-fuel-1849142045

Bitcoin Mining 

• “Technology: University of New Mexico researchers find Bitcoin mining is environmentally unsustainable” by University of New Mexico
  • https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/966192
• “How Does Bitcoin Mining Work?” by Matt Whittaker
  • https://www.forbes.com/advisor/investing/cryptocurrency/bitcoin-mining/

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.

Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/music-and-dementia-microbe-rocket-fuel-bitcoin-mining

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Let’s talk about whether “man flu” is fact or fiction, how the Arctic lakes just threw a curveball at our climate change projections, and the genius new way bats are tricking their predators. 

The Myth of Man Flu 

• “Man flu is not a thing – Gender-specific secondary analysis of a prospective randomized-controlled trial for acute rhinosinusitis” by Reidl et al.
  • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022399922003324?via%3Dihub
• “Stop accusing men of overreacting – 'man flu' really does exist, doctor claims” by Nicola Davis
  • https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2017/dec/11/stop-accusing-men-of-overreacting-man-flu-really-does-exist-claims-doctor
• “'Man Flu' May Be Real After All, Study Says” by Alice G. Walton
  • https://www.forbes.com/sites/alicegwalton/2017/12/12/man-flu-may-be-an-actual-thing-study-finds/?sh=723fbdb31240
• “The science behind “man flu”” by Kyle Sue
  • https://www.bmj.com/content/359/bmj.j5560
• “Is "man flu" really a thing?” By Robert H. Shmerling, MD
  • https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/man-flu-really-thing-2018010413033

Arctic Lakes 

• “Bats buzz like hornets to scare off owl predators” by Freda Kreier
  • https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-01274-1
• “Bats buzz like hornets to scare away predators” by Tess Joosse
  • https://www.science.org/content/article/bats-buzz-hornets-scare-away-predators#:~:text=One%20of%20the%20mouse%2Deared,and%20send%20owls%20scurrying%20away

Buzzing Bats 

• “Arctic lakes are vanishing in surprise climate finding” by University of Florida
  • https://phys.org/news/2022-08-arctic-lakes-climate.html
• “In a surprise climate change finding, Arctic lakes are vanishing” by Karen Graham
  • https://www.digitaljournal.com/tech-science/in-a-surprise-climate-change-finding-arctic-lakes-are-vanishing/article#ixzz7hLx9zkz6

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.

Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/the-myth-of-man-flu-arctic-lakes-buzzing-bats

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We discuss the latest in phone hacking technology, how aquaculture may be able to help the global food crisis, and how engaging with people who speak in a foreign accent may help us retain language.

Hacking Device  

• “Hacking device can secretly swipe and tap your smartphone screen” by Jeremy Hsu
  • https://www.newscientist.com/article/2335970-hacking-device-can-secretly-swipe-and-tap-your-smartphone-screen/
• “‘Invisible finger’ demo hacks the touchscreen” by Billy Hurley
  • https://www.itbrew.com/stories/2022/08/22/invisible-finger-demo-hacks-the-touchscreen

Designer Seaweed 

• “New aquaculture technology can help ease the global food crisis” by Tel-Aviv University
  • https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/08/220831094703.htm
• “Enriched seaweed may be a key element in the fight against world hunger, experts flag” by William Bradford Nichols
  • https://www.nutritioninsight.com/news/enriched-seaweed-may-be-a-key-element-in-the-fight-against-world-hunger-experts-flag.html

Accent Exposure 

• Exposure to accents helps children learn words by University of Freiburg
  • https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/966388#.YzXammCICB0.reddit
• “Why do some accents sound better than others?” By Gerry Howley
  • https://theconversation.com/why-do-some-accents-sound-better-than-others-77732

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.

Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/hacking-device-designer-seaweed-accent-exposure

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We discuss a new app that can translate a cat’s meow into human languages, how the Epaulette shark is teaching us about climate change, and a potential treatment that might prevent cerebral palsy.

Flirting Cats  

• “Did My Cat Just Hit On Me? An Adventure in Pet Translation” by Emily Anthes
  • https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/29/science/cats-pets-ommunication-artificial-intelligence.html
• “Melody matters: An acoustic study of domestic cat meows in six contexts and four mental states” by Susanne Schötz​​, Joost van de Weijer​, and Robert Eklund
  • https://peerj.com/preprints/27926/
• “The Animal Translators” by Emily Anthes
  • https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/30/science/translators-animals-naked-mole-rats.html

Walking Sharks 

• “These Sharks Can Walk, and They Might Help Us Understand More About Climate Change” by Orlando Mayorquin
  • https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2022/08/25/walking-epaulette-shark-climate-change/7879031001/
• “Aquatic Walking and Swimming Kinematics of Neonate and Juvenile Epaulette Sharks” by Marianne E Porter, Andrea V Hernandez, Connor R Gervais, and Jodie L Rummer
  • https://academic.oup.com/icb/advance-article-abstract/doi/10.1093/icb/icac127/6650877?redirectedFrom=fulltext&login=false

Preventing Cerebral Palsy 

• “Study offers hope for preventing cerebral palsy” by University of Auckland
  • https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/966360
• “Tumour necrosis factor blockade after asphyxia in foetal sheep ameliorates cystic white matter injury” by Christopher A. Lear, Benjamin A. Lear, Joanne O. Davidson, Jialin Sae-Jiw, Johanna M. Lloyd, Simerdeep K. Dhillon, Alistair J. Gunn, and Laura Bennet
  • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36087304/
• “Cerebral Palsy Facts and Statistics” by Pierrette Mimi Poinsett, M.D.
  • https://www.cerebralpalsyguidance.com/cerebral-palsy/research/facts-and-statistics/#:~:text=Around%20764%2C000%20people%20in%20the,with%20cerebral%20palsy%20each%20year.
• What is Cerebral Palsy?
  • https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/cp/facts.html#:~:text=Cerebral%20palsy%20(CP)%20is%20a,problems%20with%20using%20the%20muscles.

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.

Find episode transcripts:  https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/flirting-cats-walking-sharks-preventing-cerebral-palsy-0hmynifc

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Today we discuss the connection between skin cancer and a leopard gecko named Mr. Frosty, how playing a musical instrument in childhood can affect brain function as we age, and how a new underwater camera can help us explore previously-unseen parts of the ocean. 

Geckos & Skin Cancer 

• “This Gecko Named Mr. Frosty and His 900 Babies May Inspire Human Skin Cancer Treatments” by Elizabeth Gamillo
  • https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/reptiles-frosty-yellow-skin-may-reveal-future-treatments-skin-cancers-humans-180978075/
• “Leopard Gecko Skin Tumors Traced to Cancer Gene” by Longua Guo et al.
  • https://www.hhmi.org/news/leopard-gecko-skin-tumors-traced-to-cancer-gene

Music in Childhood

• “Playing music in childhood linked to a sharper mind in old age, study suggests” by Guardian Staff
  • https://www.theguardian.com/education/2022/aug/29/playing-music-in-childhood-linked-to-a-sharper-mind-in-old-age-study-suggests
• “Experience of playing music in childhood and adolescence linked to better cognitive ability in old age: Study” Edited By: Srishti Singh Sisodia
  • https://www.wionews.com/science/experience-of-playing-music-in-childhood-and-adolescence-linked-to-better-cognitive-ability-in-old-age-study-511864

Underwater Camera

• “MIT engineers build a battery-free, wireless underwater camera” by Adam Zewe
  • https://news.mit.edu/2022/battery-free-wireless-underwater-camera-0926
• “Battery-free wireless imaging of underwater environments” by Sayed Saad Afzal, Waleed Akbar, Osvy Rodriguez, Mario Doumet, Unsoo Ha, Reza Ghaffarivardavagh & Fadel Adib
  • https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-33223-x

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.

Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/geckos-skin-cancer-music-in-childhood-underwater-camera

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