Curiosity Weekly

Learn about a planet orbiting three stars at once; useless architectural relics; and deep conversations with strangers.

We found a planet orbiting three stars at once by Briana Brownell

• This May Be the First Planet Found Orbiting 3 Stars at Once. (2021). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/28/science/triple-sun-planet.html
• Siegel, E. (2021, September 30). Planet found orbiting three stars all at once. Big Think; Big Think. https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/planet-orbiting-3-stars/
• Scientists may have found the first known planet to orbit three stars. (2021). Science.org. https://www.science.org/content/article/scientists-may-have-found-first-known-planet-orbit-three-stars
• Smallwood, J. L., Nealon, R., Chen, C., Martin, R. G., Bi, J., Dong, R., & Pinte, C. (2021). GW Ori: circumtriple rings and planets. Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 508(1), 392–407. https://doi.org/10.1093/mnras/stab2624

Thomassons Are Functionally Useless Architectural Relics by Anna Todd

• Trufelman, A. (2014, August 26). Thomassons - 99% Invisible. 99% Invisible. https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/thomassons/
• Thomassons: Those Peculiar Architectural Relics That Serve No Purpose | 6sqft. (2014, August 28). 6sqft. https://www.6sqft.com/thomassons-those-peculiar-architectural-relics-that-serve-no-purpose/

Everything we assume about deep conversations with strangers is wrong by Cameron Duke

• Getting beyond small talk: Study finds people enjoy deep conversations with strangers. (2021, September 30). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/929731
• Kardas, M., Kumar, A., & Epley, N. (2021). Overly shallow?: Miscalibrated expectations create a barrier to deeper conversation. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. https://doi.org/10.1037/pspa0000281

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. 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 transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/circumtriple-planets-deep-convos-with-strangers-thomassons-in-architecture

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Learn about how someone can change their identity (and their mind); and “mushballs” on Uranus and Neptune. Plus: trivia!

More from Lee McIntyre:

• Pick up "How to Talk to a Science Denier: Conversations with Flat Earthers, Climate Deniers, and Others Who Defy Reason": https://www.amazon.com/How-Talk-Science-Denier-Conversations/dp/0262046105
• Website: https://leemcintyrebooks.com/
• Follow @leemcintyre on Twitter: https://twitter.com/leecmcintyre
• More on Jim Bridenstine changing his mind about climate change:

Pomeroy, R. (2018, June 12). Trump’s NASA Chief Changed His Mind on Climate Change. Space.com; Space. https://www.space.com/40857-trumps-nasa-chief-changed-his-mind-on-climate-change-he-is-a-scientific-hero.html

"Mushballs" may solve a mystery about the atmosphere on Uranus and Neptune by Briana Brownell

• Next-Generation NASA Instrument to Study Uranus & Neptune Atmospheres. (2019). NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2019/next-generation-nasa-instrument-advanced-to-study-the-atmospheres-of-uranus-and-neptune
• NASA thinks it’s time to return to neptune with its Trident mission. (2020). NASA thinks it’s time to return to Neptune with its Trident mission. Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2020-06-nasa-neptune-trident-mission.html

Episodes referenced in this month’s Curiosity Challenge Trivia game:

• Aging trick: https://www.curiositydaily.com/blowhole-origins-weather-manipulation-how-to-slow-aging
• Emotional hangovers: https://www.curiositydaily.com/your-extra-artery-emotional-hangovers-leds-are-bad-for-bugs/
• Painkillers: https://www.curiositydaily.com/pills-can-detect-radiation-metabolism-myth-waking-up-on-the-wrong-side-of-the-bed/

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. 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 transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/changing-someones-identity-mushballs-on-uranus-and-neptune-curiosity-challenge

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Learn about how to talk to someone who denies a scientific reality; and “raining sulfur” in the Biblical city of Sodom.

More from author Lee McIntyre:

• Pick up "How to Talk to a Science Denier: Conversations with Flat Earthers, Climate Deniers, and Others Who Defy Reason": https://www.amazon.com/How-Talk-Science-Denier-Conversations/dp/0262046105
• Website: https://leemcintyrebooks.com/
• Follow @leemcintyre on Twitter: https://twitter.com/leecmcintyre

Scientists think an impact event explains "raining sulfur" in the biblical city of Sodom by Briana Brownell

• Smithsonian Magazine, & Gershon, L. (2021, September 22). Ancient City’s Destruction by Exploding Space Rock May Have Inspired Biblical Story of Sodom. Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/destruction-of-city-by-space-rock-may-have-inspired-biblical-story-of-sodom-180978734/
• BBC - History - Ancient History in depth: The Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. (2011). Bbc.co.uk. https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/cultures/sodom_gomorrah_01.shtml
• Bressan, D. (2021, September 21). Study Suggests That A Tunguska Sized Explosion Destroyed A City 3,600 Years Ago. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/davidbressan/2021/09/21/a-tunguska-sized-explosion-destroyed-a-city-3600-years-ago/?sh=a02c2028b207

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. 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 transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/how-to-talk-to-a-science-denier-and-raining-sulfur-in-sodom

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Learn about how we may have found dark energy; a prehistoric coelacanth return; and a trick for getting what you want.

A dark-matter hunting experiment may have just found dark energy by Briana Brownell

• Schultz, I. (2021, September 17). Dark Energy Could Be Responsible for Mysterious Experiment Signals, Researchers Say. Gizmodo; Gizmodo. https://gizmodo.com/dark-energy-could-be-responsible-for-mysterious-experim-1847691132
• Rincon, P. (2020, June 17). Dark matter hunt yields unexplained signal. BBC News; BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-53085260

The time a prehistoric fish came back from the dead by Cameron Duke

• Coelacanth. (2018, December 20). Smithsonian Ocean. https://ocean.si.edu/ocean-life/fish/coelacanth
• Coelacanths | National Geographic. (2015). Animals. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/facts/coelacanths
• Smith, A. (2004, May 21). Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer. The Guardian; The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/news/2004/may/21/guardianobituaries

These 4 Words Can Double Your Chances of Getting What You Want by Joanie Faletto originally released May 11, 2018 https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/how-your-friendships-change-a-secret-airline-to-ar

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. 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 transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/finding-dark-energy-coelacanth-revival-words-of-persuasion

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Learn about a heroic experiment that helps explain asthma getting worse at night; and the largest living thing on earth.

A heroic experiment has shed light on the centuries-old mystery of why asthma gets worse at night by Grant Currin

• Harrison, S. (2021, September 21). Why Does Asthma Get Worse at Night? Wired; WIRED. https://www.wired.com/story/why-does-asthma-get-worse-at-night/
• Study explores why asthma worsens at night. (2021). ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/09/210906151456.htm
• Scheer, F. A. J. L., Hilton, M. F., Evoniuk, H. L., Shiels, S. A., Malhotra, A., Sugarbaker, R., Ayers, R. T., Israel, E., Massaro, A. F., & Shea, S. A. (2021). The endogenous circadian system worsens asthma at night independent of sleep and other daily behavioral or environmental cycles. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(37), e2018486118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2018486118

The largest living thing on earth is not the blue whale by Cameron Duke

• Fishlake National Forest - Home. (2021). Usda.gov. https://www.fs.usda.gov/detail/fishlake/home/?cid=STELPRDB5393641
• Lydia Ramsey Pflanzer. (2017, May 6). Largest living organism the Armillaria ostoyae fungus. Business Insider; Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/largest-living-organism-the-armillaria-ostoyae-fungus-2017-5
• Marshall, M. (2018). Humongous fungus is older than Christianity and weighs 400 tonnes. New Scientist. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2182291-humongous-fungus-is-older-than-christianity-and-weighs-400-tonnes/
• Prepelka, B. (2019). Sequoia Giants - General Sherman - California. Scenicusa.net. https://scenicusa.net/032906.html
• Schmitt, C. (n.d.). The Malheur National Forest Location of the World’s Largest Living Organism [The Humongous Fungus]. https://www.fs.usda.gov/Internet/FSE_DOCUMENTS/fsbdev3_033146.pdf

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. 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 transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/why-asthma-gets-worse-at-night-earths-largest-living-thing

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Learn about the smallest flying structure ever made; Myers-Briggs’ big problem; and why the biggest nuts end up on top.

Flying microstructure the size of a grain of sand is the smallest humans have ever made by Briana Brownell

• Neuman, S. (2021, September 23). Flying Microchips The Size Of A Sand Grain Could Be Used For Population Surveillance. NPR.org. https://www.npr.org/2021/09/23/1040035430/flying-microchip-sand-grain-northwestern-winged
• Winged microchip is smallest-ever human-made flying structure. (2021). Northwestern.edu. https://news.northwestern.edu/stories/2021/september/microflier-winged-microchip-is-smallest-ever-human-made-flying-structure/
• Kim, B. H., Li, K., Kim, J.-T., Park, Y., Jang, H., Wang, X., Xie, Z., Won, S. M., Yoon, H.-J., Lee, G., Jang, W. J., Lee, K. H., Chung, T. S., Jung, Y. H., Heo, S. Y., Lee, Y., Kim, J., Cai, T., Kim, Y., & Prasopsukh, P. (2021). Three-dimensional electronic microfliers inspired by wind-dispersed seeds. Nature, 597(7877), 503–510. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-021-03847-y
• Surveillance. (2019, June 27). PHCPI. https://improvingphc.org/improvement-strategies/adjustment-population-health-needs/surveillance

If You Swear By Your Myers-Briggs Type, We Have Bad News by Anna Todd

• The Myers & Briggs Foundation. (2021). Myersbriggs.org. https://www.myersbriggs.org/
• Pittenger, D. (n.d.). Measuring the MBTI... And Coming Up Short. https://jobtalk.indiana.edu/HRMWebsite/hrm/articles/develop/mbti.pdf
• Cunningham, L. (2012, December 14). Myers-Briggs: Does it pay to know your type? Washington Post; The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-leadership/myers-briggs-does-it-pay-to-know-your-type/2012/12/14/eaed51ae-3fcc-11e2-bca3-aadc9b7e29c5_story.html
• Burnett, D. (2013, March 19). Nothing personal: The questionable Myers-Briggs test. The Guardian; The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/science/brain-flapping/2013/mar/19/myers-briggs-test-unscientific
• Drake Baer. (2014, June 18). Myers-Briggs Personality Test Is Misleading. Business Insider; Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/myers-briggs-personality-test-is-misleading-2014-6

The Brazil Nut Effect Is The Mysterious Reason Big Nuts End Up On Top by Ashley Hamer

• Ouellette, J. (2016, April 14). The Brazil Nut Effect Is More Complicated Than You Think. Gizmodo; Gizmodo. https://gizmodo.com/the-brazil-nut-effect-is-more-complicated-than-you-thin-1770850855
• Ouellette, J. (2021, April 19). Cracking the case: New study sheds more light on the “Brazil nut effect.” Ars Technica; Ars Technica. https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/04/cracking-the-case-new-study-sheds-more-light-on-the-brazil-nut-effect/
• Gajjar, P., Johnson, C. G., Carr, J., Chrispeels, K., Gray, J. M. N. T., & Withers, P. J. (2021). Size segregation of irregular granular materials captured by time-resolved 3D imaging. Scientific Reports, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-87280-1

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. 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 transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/smallest-flying-tech-myers-briggs-myth-brazil-nut-effect

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Learn about how quickly certain people adjust to time changes; how you can help slow jungle loss; and why ice cubes grow spikes.

Early birds adjust to time changes faster than night owls by Grant Currin

• “Springing forward” affects early birds less than night owls, study finds. (2021, July 20). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/472466
• Nield, D. (2021). Your Genes Could Affect How Well Your Body Adjusts to Daylight Saving Changes. ScienceAlert. https://www.sciencealert.com/how-well-we-adjust-to-daylight-saving-time-can-depend-on-our-genetics
• Tyler, J., Fang, Y., Goldstein, C., Forger, D., Sen, S., & Burmeister, M. (2021). Genomic heterogeneity affects the response to Daylight Saving Time. Scientific Reports, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-94459-z

More from archaeologist Patrick Roberts:
 

• Pick up "Jungle: How Tropical Forests Shaped the World — and Us": https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/patrick-roberts/jungle/9781541600096/
• Website: https://www.patrickjroberts.com/
• Follow @palaeotropics on Twitter: https://twitter.com/palaeotropics
• Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping Guide app: https://www.cmzoo.org/conservation/orangutans-palm-oil/sustainable-palm-oil-shopping-app/
• WWF Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard: http://palmoilscorecard.panda.org/

Spiky ice cubes by Ashley Hamer (Listener question from Monica in Los Angeles)

• Occasionally the ice cubes in my freezer’s ice trays will develop a stalagmitelike shape without any obvious, unusual interference. Can you please explain what causes this? (2007, April 30). Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/experts-ice-spikes/
• Spikes on Ice Cubes. (2011). Utoronto.ca. https://www.physics.utoronto.ca/~smorris/edl/icespikes/icespikes.html
• Monica’s ice spike picture: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1oHVKZkDqGF5ktgNxnIU7QceAKa9u6-e0/view?usp=sharing

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. 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 transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/adjusting-to-time-changes-saving-jungles-spiky-ice-cubes

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Learn about the link between music download trends and epidemics; and how losing jungles contributes to climate change.

Music download patterns found to resemble infectious disease epidemic curves by Cameron Duke

• Rosati, D., Woolhouse, M., Bolker, B., & Earn, D. (2021). Modelling song popularity as a contagious process | Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences. Proceedings of the Royal Society A. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspa.2021.0457
• Smith, D., & Moore, L. (2020). The SIR Model for Spread of Disease - The Differential Equation Model | Mathematical Association of America. Maa.org. https://www.maa.org/press/periodicals/loci/joma/the-sir-model-for-spread-of-disease-the-differential-equation-model
• Yirka, B. (2021, September 22). Music download patterns found to resemble infectious disease epidemic curves. Phys.org; Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2021-09-music-download-patterns-resemble-infectious.html

More from archaeologist Patrick Roberts:
 

• Pick up "Jungle: How Tropical Forests Shaped the World — and Us": https://www.basicbooks.com/titles/patrick-roberts/jungle/9781541600096/
• Website: https://www.patrickjroberts.com/
• Follow @palaeotropics on Twitter: https://twitter.com/palaeotropics
• Cheyenne Mountain Zoo Sustainable Palm Oil Shopping Guide app: https://www.cmzoo.org/conservation/orangutans-palm-oil/sustainable-palm-oil-shopping-app/
• WWF Palm Oil Buyers Scorecard: http://palmoilscorecard.panda.org/

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. 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 transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/jungles-impact-on-climate-change-and-a-music-epidemic-link

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Learn about saving something for an occasion that never comes; and how much you’ve changed in the past vs. the future. Plus: Cody and Ashley celebrate Curiosity Daily’s 1,000th episode!

Join Cody and Ashley for a special live stream celebrating Curiosity Daily’s 1,000th episode on Wednesday, November 3! Register for free here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/curiosity-dailys-1000th-episode-celebration-tickets-191163133077

"Specialness spirals" could explain why we save some items for a special occasion that never comes by Steffie Drucker

• Rifkin, J. (2021, September 22). Psychological “specialness spirals” can make ordinary items feel like treasures – and may explain how clutter accumulates. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/psychological-specialness-spirals-can-make-ordinary-items-feel-like-treasures-and-may-explain-how-clutter-accumulates-165863
• How Nonconsumption Can Turn Ordinary Items into Perceived Treasures | Journal of the Association for Consumer Research: Vol 6, No 3. (2021). Journal of the Association for Consumer Research. https://www.journals.uchicago.edu/doi/10.1086/714363

You probably think you've changed more in the past than you will in the future, but, well… by Steffie Drucker

• We Think We’ve Changed More In The Past Than We Will Change In The Future — And Americans Seem Particularly Susceptible To This Illusion. (2021, September 21). Research Digest.
• Haas, B. W., & Omura, K. (2021). Cultural Differences in Susceptibility to the End of History Illusion. Personality and Social Psychology Bulletin, 014616722110368. https://doi.org/10.1177/01461672211036873
• Why You Won’t Be the Person You Expect to Be (Published 2013). (2021). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/04/science/study-in-science-shows-end-of-history-illusion.html
• Bence Nanay. (2018). The “End of History” Illusion. Ted.com; TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/talks/bence_nanay_the_end_of_history_illusion
• Gilbert, D. (2012). The psychology of your future self. Ted.com; TED Talks. https://www.ted.com/talks/dan_gilbert_the_psychology_of_your_future_self

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. 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 transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/specialness-spirals-and-how-much-you-will-and-have-changed-1000th-episode

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Learn about why mRNA vaccines are older than you think; and the scientific theories about why animals have white bellies.

mRNA vaccines are older than you think by Grant Currin

• Dolgin, E. (2021). The tangled history of mRNA vaccines. Nature, 597(7876), 318–324. https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-021-02483-w
• Lewis, T. (2021, September 15). An mRNA Pioneer Discusses How Her Work Led to the COVID Vaccines. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/an-mrna-pioneer-discusses-how-her-work-led-to-the-COVID-vaccines/
• Harvard University. (2021). How mRNA vaccines work [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TbaCxIJ_VP4

Why do so many animals have white bellies? Here are the theories by Cameron Duke 
 

• Exhibit Galleries Blog. (2016). Neaq.org. http://galleries.neaq.org/2014/09/countershading-camouflage.html
• Harris, J., & Olivier Penacchio. (2015, October 7). Sunscreen or camouflage? Why so many animals have dark backs and pale bellies. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/sunscreen-or-camouflage-why-so-many-animals-have-dark-backs-and-pale-bellies-48603
• Penacchio, O., Cuthill, I. C., Lovell, P. G., Ruxton, G. D., & Harris, J. M. (2015). Orientation to the sun by animals and its interaction with crypsis. Functional Ecology, 29(9), 1165–1177. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.12481
• Penacchio, O., Lovell, P. G., Cuthill, I. C., Ruxton, G. D., & Harris, J. M. (2015). Three-Dimensional Camouflage: Exploiting Photons to Conceal Form. The American Naturalist, 186(4), 553–563. https://doi.org/10.1086/682570

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. 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 transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/mrna-vaccines-are-decades-old-and-why-white-animal-bellies

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.