Curiosity Weekly

Today you’ll learn about how some researchers have activated a specific gene in the body that can make your muscles stronger without exercise, how a parasite that can still be found today was discovered in ancient viking poop, and how parrots understand timing when it comes to communication. 

Strong Muscle Gene

• “Researchers Discover a Gene That Makes Your Muscles Significantly Stronger” by The University of Melbourne
  • https://scitechdaily.com/researchers-discover-a-gene-that-makes-your-muscles-significantly-stronger/

The Secrets of Viking Poop

• “Viking Poop Helps Scientists Reconstruct Genome of Ancient Human Parasite” by Michelle Starr
  • https://www.sciencealert.com/viking-poop-helps-scientists-reconstruct-genome-of-ancient-human-parasite
• “DNA in Viking poop sheds new light on 55,000-year-old relationship between gut companions” by University of Copenhagen
  • https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/963666
• “Dietary Inulin and Trichuris suis Infection Promote Beneficial Bacteria Throughout the Porcine Gut” by Sophie Stolzenbach, Laura J. Myhill, Lee O’Brien Andersen, Lukasz Krych, Helena Mejer, Andrew R. Williams, Peter Nejsum, C. Rune Stensvold, Dennis S. Nielsen and Stig M. Thamsborg
  • https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fmicb.2020.00312/full

Parrot Chat  

• “900 PET PARROTS REVEAL RANGE OF VOCAL MIMICRY” BY U. PITTSBURGH
  • https://www.futurity.org/parrots-vocal-mimicry-2839832-2/
• “A survey of vocal mimicry in companion parrots” by Lauryn Benedict et al.
  • https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-022-24335-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/strong-muscle-gene-the-secrets-of-viking-poop-parrot-chat

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Today you’ll learn about how researchers have been able to grow embryos that have three genetic parents, how European moles can shrink down to a tenth of their size during winter, and whether or not being kind to narcissists makes any difference in their behavior. 

3-Parent Babies 

• “Study reveals how babies born from 3 parents are surprisingly similar to normal babies” by Rupendra Brahambhatt
  • https://interestingengineering.com/science/spindle-transfer-embryo-development
• “Single-cell multiomics analyses of spindle-transferred human embryos suggest a mostly normal embryonic development” by Shuyue Qi
  • https://journals.plos.org/plosbiology/article?id=10.1371/journal.pbio.3001741

Shrinking Moles 

“European moles can shrink by a tenth in winter to save energy” By James Ashworth

• https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/news/2022/september/european-moles-can-shrink-by-tenth-winter-save-energy.html

“Winter conditions, not resource availability alone, may drive reversible seasonal skull size changes in moles” by Lucie Nováková, Javier Lázaro, Marion Muturi, Christian Dullin and Dina K. N. Dechmann

• https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.220652

Being Kind to Narcissists 

• “New study investigates the role compassion may play in reducing certain narcissistic traits” by Laura Staloch
  • https://www.psypost.org/2022/12/new-study-investigates-the-role-compassion-may-play-in-reducing-certain-narcissistic-traits-64480
• “Narcissistic traits and compassion: Embracing oneself while devoiding others” by Vanessa Lea Freund et al.
  • https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.914270/full

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/3-parent-babies-shrinking-moles-being-kind-to-narcissists

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Today we explore how scientists are trying to find a way to make an “aging clock” that can determine your age and health by looking at your DNA, how looking at our gut could help us treat mental health disorders, and how there may be a new treatment option in the form of a vaccine for people suffering from brain tumors!  

Aging Clock  

• “Aging clocks aim to predict how long you’ll live” by INfotech Group
  • https://infotechgroup.co.uk/blog/aging-clocks-aim-to-predict-how-long-youll-live/
• “Want to know when you’re going to die?” By Karen Weintraub
  • https://www.technologyreview.com/2018/10/19/139463/want-to-know-when-youre-going-to-die/

Mental Health in Your Gut 

• “Gut Microbes May Lead to Therapies for Mental Illness” By UT Southwestern
  • https://neurosciencenews.com/gut-microbes-mental-health-21385/
• “Is there a link between gut health and anxiety?” by Rosie Slater
  • https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/gut-health-and-anxiety#link

Brain Tumor Vaccine  

• “Vaccine doubles brain tumour survival rate in medical breakthrough” by Sarah Knapton (PAYWALL)
  • https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2022/11/17/vaccine-doubles-brain-tumour-survival-rate-medical-breakthrough/
• “Vaccine shown to prolong life of patients with aggressive brain cancer” by Denis Campbell
  • https://www.theguardian.com/science/2022/nov/17/vaccine-shown-to-prolong-life-patients-aggressive-brain-cancer-trial-glioblastoma
• “Association of Autologous Tumor Lysate-Loaded Dendritic Cell Vaccination With Extension of Survival Among Patients With Newly Diagnosed and Recurrent Glioblastoma” by Linda M. Liau et al.
  • https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2798847
• “About Glioblastoma” by National Brain Tumor Society
  • https://braintumor.org/events/glioblastoma-awareness-day/about-glioblastoma/#:~:text=Glioblastoma%20Facts%20%26%20Figures&text=More%20than%2013%2C000%20Americans%20are,succumb%20to%20glioblastoma%20every%20year.

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/aging-clock-mental-health-in-your-gut-brain-tumor-vaccine

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Today you’ll learn about the development of a potential new Covid vaccine in the form of a nasal spray, how your circadian rhythm affects how intensely you feel pain, and how the old saying that you need 8 glasses of water a day could be a myth. 

Pain Worse at Night 

• “Why pain feels worse at night” by Allison Whitten
  • https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/09/why-pain-feels-worse-at-night/
• “Circadian rhythmicity of pain sensitivity in humans” by Inès Daguet, Véronique Raverot, Didier Bouhassira, and Claude Gronfier
  • https://academic.oup.com/brain/article/145/9/3225/6637506?guestAccessKey=e94c8f79-7fca-42ca-98e2-085eb26400c3&login=false

Who Needs Water?  

• “Stop counting cups. There’s an ocean of difference in our water needs” by UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON
  • https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/972344
• “Variation in human water turnover associated with environmental and lifestyle factors” by YOSUKE YAMADA et al.
  • https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.abm8668

Covid Nasal Spray  

• “How nasal-spray vaccines could change the pandemic” by Emily Waltz
  • https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-022-02824-3
• “Investigational Mucosal COVID Vaccine Protects Against Disease and Transmission” by Sarah Avery
  • https://corporate.dukehealth.org/news/investigational-mucosal-covid-vaccine-protects-against-disease-and-transmission

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/pain-worse-at-night-who-needs-water-covid-nasal-spray

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Today we discuss the science of delusion, how changes in the length of our days can cause changes in our behavior, and a potential new life saving drug to fight the current opioid crisis. 

Delusion Science 

• “What is walking corpse syndrome?” by Victoria Shepherd
  • https://www.sciencefocus.com/the-human-body/walking-corpse-syndrome/
• “Glass Bones and Walking Corpses: 9 Delusions from History” by Amy Irvine
• https://www.historyhit.com/common-delusions-in-history/

S.A.D. About Day Length 

• “How changes in length of day change the brain and subsequent behavior” by Scott LaFee
  • https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/09/220907093419.htm
• “Seasonal changes in day length induce multisynaptic neurotransmitter switching to regulate hypothalamic network activity and behavior” by Alessandra Porcu
• https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.abn9867

Fentanyl Vaccine 

• “An Immunconjugate Vaccine Alters Distribution and Reduces the Antinociceptive, Behavioral and Physiological Effects of Fentanyl in Male and Female Rats” by Colin N. Haile
  • https://www.mdpi.com/1999-4923/14/11/2290
• “New Fentanyl Vaccine Eliminates The Drug's High, Rat Study Finds” by Felicity Nelson
  • https://www.sciencealert.com/new-fentanyl-vaccine-eliminates-the-drugs-high-rat-study-finds
• “Fentanyl Vaccine Breakthrough – Potential “Game Changer” for Opioid Epidemic” by University of Houston
  • https://scitechdaily.com/fentanyl-vaccine-breakthrough-potential-game-changer-for-opioid-epidemic/
• “Fentanyl Vaccine Potential ‘Game Changer’ for Opioid Epidemic” by Laurie Fickman
  • https://uh.edu/news-events/stories/2022-news-articles/november-2022/11142022-fentanyl-vaccine-haile-kosten.php

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/delusion-science-sad-about-day-length-fentanyl-vaccine

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Today we discuss how nicknames for young boys can help them socialize better, how archaeologists in Poland have unearthed the grave of a woman people feared might return from the dead, and a new study that disproves Freud’s theory that more successful people are unhealthier than less successful people. 

Boyhood Nickname 

• “Why You Should Ask Men About Their Boyhood Nicknames” By Jett Stone
  • https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-souls-men/202209/why-you-should-ask-men-about-their-boyhood-nicknames
• “Why Men Need to Prioritize, and Celebrate, Their Friendships” by Jett Stone
• https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/the-souls-men/202202/why-men-need-prioritize-and-celebrate-their-friendships

Vampire Grave 

• “Archaeologists unearth remains of 17th-century female “vampire” in Poland” by Jennifer Oullette
  • https://arstechnica.com/science/2022/09/archaeologists-unearth-remains-of-17th-century-female-vampire-in-poland/
• “Ancient human bloodsucker? Skeleton of female 'vampire' unearthed in Europe during dig” by Natalie Neysa Alund
• https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2022/09/08/skeleton-female-vampire-unearthed-poland-dig/8020403001/

Wrecked by Success 

• “New psychology research rebuts Sigmund Freud’s “wrecked by success” hypothesis” by Vladimir Hedrih
  • https://www.psypost.org/2022/11/new-psychology-research-rebuts-sigmund-freuds-wrecked-by-success-hypothesis-64322
• “Wrecked by Success? Not to Worry” by Harrison J. Kell et al.
  • https://my.vanderbilt.edu/smpy/files/2013/02/Article-PPS-Kell-et-al-2022.pdf

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/boyhood-nickname-vampire-grave-wrecked-by-success

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Today you’ll learn about why some people are more popular with mosquitoes than others, what tickling rats tells us about being human, and how a recent discovery of ancient statues re-writes what we believed about historical Tuscany. 

Mosquito Magnets 

• “Why Are Some People Mosquito Magnets and Others Unbothered? A Medical Entomologist Points to Metabolism, Body Odor and Mindset” by Jonathan Day
  • https://theconversation.com/why-are-some-people-mosquito-magnets-and-others-unbothered-a-medical-entomologist-points-to-metabolism-body-odor-and-mindset-187957
• “Blood-feeding ecology of mosquitoes in two zoological gardens in the United Kingdom” by Arturo Hernandez-Colina, Merit Gonzalez-Olvera, Emily Lomax, Freya Townsend, Amber Maddox, Jenny C. Hesson, Kenneth Sherlock, Dawn Ward, Lindsay Eckley, Mark Vercoe, Javier Lopez & Matthew Baylis
  • https://parasitesandvectors.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s13071-021-04735-0
• “Comparison of people who request mosquito control services and their non-requesting neighbors” by C D Morris & K B Clanton
  • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1583492/

Laughing Rats 

• “What Tickling Rats Tells Us About Human Development” by Adam Omary
  • https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/natured-nurture/202209/what-tickling-rats-tells-us-about-human-development
• ““Laughing” rats and the evolutionary antecedents of human joy?” by Jaak Panksepp and Jeff Burgdorf
  • https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0031938403001598?via%3Dihub

Roman Relics 

• “Ancient Rome: Stunningly preserved bronze statues found in Italy” by BBC
  • https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-63564404
• “Italy hails 'exceptional' discovery of ancient bronze statues in Tuscany” by Reuters
  • https://www.cnn.com/style/article/italy-bronze-statues-tuscany/index.html
• “The Etruscans, an introduction” by Khan Academy
  • https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ap-art-history/ancient-mediterranean-ap/ap-ancient-etruria/a/the-etruscans-an-introduction
• “Ancient bronze statues found in prime condition will 'rewrite history,' Italian researchers say” by Camille Fine
  • https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2022/11/08/bronze-statues-italian-springs-roman-etruscan/8302449001/
• “A Trove of ‘Exceptional’ stunningly preserved bronze statues found at an Ancient Thermal Spa in Tuscany, Italy” by Arkeo News
  • https://arkeonews.net/a-trove-of-exceptional-stunningly-preserved-bronze-statues-found-at-an-ancient-thermal-spa-in-tuscany-italy/

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/mosquito-magnets-laughing-rats-roman-relics

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Today we discuss how watching cleaning or decluttering videos affects our mental state, the abilities of super-recognizers, and a recent discovery into how manipulating the neurons in paralysis patients might be able to improve their mobility.

Decluttering the Mind 

• “Why Watching Decluttering Videos Feels So Good” by Abby Alten Schwartz
  • https://www.wired.com/story/why-watching-decluttering-videos-feels-so-good/
• “How to Stop Doomscrolling—With Psychology” by Kenneth R. Rosen
  • https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-stop-doomscrolling-psychology-social-media-fomo/

Never Forget Faces

• “I Never Forget a Face: The Science of Super-Recognizers' Amazing Feat of Recognition” by Leah Thayer
  • https://neurosciencenews.com/super-recognizers-visual-learning-21379/
• ‘They never forget a face. Research delves into how ‘super-recognizers’ can do this.” By Marlene Cimons
  • https://www.washingtonpost.com/science/super-recognizer-facial-memory/2021/10/29/4cf80caa-2159-11ec-b3d6-8cdebe60d3e2_story.html

Paralysis Neurons

• “Nine Paralysis Patients Walk Again Thanks to Newly Identified Neurons” by Ruairi J Mackenzie
  • https://www.technologynetworks.com/neuroscience/news/nine-paralysis-patients-walk-again-thanks-to-newly-identified-neurons-367467
• “The neurons that restore walking after paralysis” by Claudia Kathe et al.
  • https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-022-05385-7

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/decluttering-the-mind-never-forget-faces-paralysis-neurons

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Today, you’ll learn about how COVID-19 may have revamped cities for the better, astounding new technology that could one day regrow human limbs and how an agricultural fertilizer is going from feeding the world to potentially powering the world.

Covid’s Bright Side 

• The Pandemic Might Have Redesigned Cities Forever by Adam Rogers
  • https://www.wired.com/story/the-pandemic-might-have-redesigned-cities-forever/
• Pandemic-led decline of US cities may be reversing by Howard Schneider
  • https://www.reuters.com/world/the-great-reboot/pandemic-led-decline-us-cities-may-be-reversing-2021-05-04/
• Car-Free Transportation Gets Boost from U.S. Grant Program by Laura Bliss
  • https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-11-29/bike-pedestrian-infrastructure-favored-in-raise-grants
• Pandemic-era Street Spaces: Parklets, Patios, and the Future of the Public Realm by John Bela
  • https://dirt.asla.org/2021/09/09/pandemic-era-street-spaces-parklets-patios-and-the-future-of-the-public-realm/
• The Status of Outdoor Dining Across the Country by Amy McCarthy
  • https://www.eater.com/22833407/pandemic-outdoor-dining-america-impact-neighborhoods

Frogs Out On a Limb

• A new device helps frogs regrow working legs after an amputation by Carolyn Wilke
  • https://www.sciencenews.org/article/frog-leg-regeneration-new-device-regrow-amputation
• Frogs regrow amputated legs in breakthrough experiment by Patrick Pester
  • https://www.livescience.com/frogs-regrow-amputated-legs-in-lab
• Could Humans Ever Regenerate a Limb? by Jesse Emspak
  • https://www.livescience.com/59194-could-humans-ever-regenerate-limbs.html
• How do we use frogs in research? by The Francis Crick Institute
  • https://www.crick.ac.uk/news/2019-12-16_how-do-we-use-frogs-in-research
• Scientists regrow frog’s lost leg by Tufts University
  • https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/940952

Fertilizing Fuel

• Can ‘Green’ Ammonia Be a Climate Fix? by Nicola Jones
  • https://www.wired.com/story/can-green-ammonia-be-a-climate-fix/
• Green ammonia could produce climate-friendly ways to store energy and fertilize farms by Stephen Ornes
  • https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.2119584118
• Ammonia: zero-carbon fertiliser, fuel and energy store by The Royal Society
  • https://royalsociety.org/topics-policy/projects/low-carbon-energy-programme/green-ammonia
• Satellite Data Detects Hundreds of New Sources of Ammonia Pollution by Jason Daley
  • https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/satellite-data-detects-hundreds-new-sources-ammonia-pollution-180970967/
• Watch this TED talk to get up to speed on green ammonia and shipping by Maria Gallucci
  • https://www.canarymedia.com/articles/sea-transport/watch-this-ted-talk-to-get-up-to-speed-on-green-ammonia-and-shipping

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/re-release-covids-bright-side-frogs-out-on-a-limb-fertilizing-fuel

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Today, you’ll learn about the benefits of shading rooftop gardens with solar panels, caffeine’s dark secrets, and how the first image from the James Webb telescope promises a great run for Hubble’s successor.

Solar Salads 

• “Your Rooftop Garden Could Be a Solar-Powered Working Farm” by Matt Simon
  • https://www.wired.com/story/your-rooftop-garden-could-be-a-solar-powered-working-farm/
• “Exploring The Potential of Rooftop Agrivoltaics” by Jennifer Bousselot and Thomas Hickey, Jr.
  • https://livingarchitecturemonitor.com/articles/potential-rooftop-agrivoltaics-sp22
• “Volunteer State (Finally) Discovers Solar Power — With A Regenerative Twist” by Tina Casey
  • https://cleantechnica.com/2022/04/04/volunteer-state-finally-discovers-solar-power-with-a-regenerative-twist/

Cursed Caffeine

• “The invisible addiction: is it time to give up caffeine?” by Michael Pollan
  • https://www.theguardian.com/food/2021/jul/06/caffeine-coffee-tea-invisible-addiction-is-it-time-to-give-up
• “Caffeine: How much is too much?” by Mayo Clinic Staff
  • https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20045678#:~:text=Caffeine
• “Caffeine - Uses, Side Effects, And More” from WebMD
  • https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-979/caffeine#:~:text=Caffeine
• “How and When Did Humans Start Consuming Alcohol?” by Sedeer el-Showk
  • https://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/accumulating-glitches/how_and_when_did_humans/#:~:text=According
• “Coffee and caffeine consumption and depression: A meta-analysis of observational studies” by Longfei Wang, Xiaoli Shen, Yili Wu, and Dongfeng Zhang
  • https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26339067/

Webb’s First Photo

• “1st image snapped by iconic Webb telescope pushes limits of the 'laws of physics'” by Tom Metcalfe
  • https://www.livescience.com/james-webb-telescope-image-limits-of-physics
• ““Better than our most optimistic prediction” – first images from James Webb exceed all expectations” by Jamie Priest
  • https://cosmosmagazine.com/space/james-webb-telescope-first-images/
• “About Webb Orbit” By NASA
  • https://webb.nasa.gov/content/about/orbit.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/re-release-solar-salads-cursed-caffeine-webbs-first-photo

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