Curiosity Weekly

Learn about evolutionary compromises; the fractals of Romanesco cauliflower; and dolphins that learn each other’s names.

Conflict traits: when evolution and mating conflict with each other by Cameron Duke

• Experiments show natural selection opposes sexual selection. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-06/uoe-esn060721.php
• Mulder, M. B., & Rauch, K. L. (2009). Sexual conflict in humans: Variations and solutions. Evolutionary Anthropology: Issues, News, and Reviews, 18(5), 201–214. https://doi.org/10.1002/evan.20226
• Okada, K., Katsuki, M., Sharma, M. D., Kiyose, K., Seko, T., Okada, Y., Wilson, A. J., & Hosken, D. J. (2021). Natural selection increases female fitness by reversing the exaggeration of a male sexually selected trait. Nature Communications, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-23804-7

Here's why Romanesco cauliflower grows in a fractal pattern by Briana Brownell

• Ouellette, J. (2021, July 8). What fractals, Fibonacci, and the golden ratio have to do with cauliflower. Ars Technica; Ars Technica. https://arstechnica.com/science/2021/07/what-fractals-fibonacci-and-the-golden-ratio-have-to-do-with-cauliflower/
• Azpeitia, E., Tichtinsky, G., Le Masson, M., Serrano-Mislata, A., Lucas, J., Gregis, V., Gimenez, C., Prunet, N., Farcot, E., Kater, M. M., Bradley, D., Madueño, F., Godin, C., & Parcy, F. (2021). Cauliflower fractal forms arise from perturbations of floral gene networks. Science, 373(6551), 192–197. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abg5999

Dolphins can learn each other's names by Grant Currin

• Morell, V. (2021, April 22). Dolphins learn the “names” of their friends to form teams—a first in animal kingdom. Science | AAAS. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/04/dolphins-learn-names-their-friends-form-teams-first-animal-kingdom
• King, S. L., Connor, R. C., Krützen, M., & Allen, S. J. (2021). Cooperation-based concept formation in male bottlenose dolphins. Nature Communications, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-22668-1
• Shyr, L. (2021, May 5). Dolphins Help Those Who’ve Helped Them Before, Even When They’re Not Friends. Atlas Obscura; Atlas Obscura. https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/dolphins-work-in-teams

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/romanesco-fractals-dolphin-names-evolution-vs-mating

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Learn about a microwave to revive hamsters; whether humans are still evolving; and why art is more moving in a museum.

One of the earliest microwaves wasn’t for food… it was for reanimating frozen hamsters. by Cameron Duke

• Andjus, R. K., & Lovelock, J. E. (1955). Reanimation of rats from body temperatures between 0 and 1° C by microwave diathermy. The Journal of Physiology, 128(3), 541–546. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.1955.sp005323
• Felton, J. (2021, May 18). YouTuber Discovers The Bizarre Early Use Of Microwave Ovens. IFLScience; IFLScience. https://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/early-microwaves-hamsters/
• Scott, T. (2021). I promise this story about microwaves is interesting. [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2tdiKTSdE9Y

Are humans still evolving? by Ashley Hamer (Listener question from Jonathan)

• Milk episode: https://www.curiositydaily.com/our-ability-to-drink-milk-evolved-way-faster-than-scientists-thought/
• An Evolutionary Whodunit: How Did Humans Develop Lactose Tolerance? (2012, December 28). NPR.org. https://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2012/12/27/168144785/an-evolutionary-whodunit-how-did-humans-develop-lactose-tolerance
• Hoole, J. (2018). These “Sea Nomads” Are The First Known Humans to Have a Genetic Adaptation to Diving. ScienceAlert. https://www.sciencealert.com/indonesian-bajau-genetic-changes-adapt-them-to-aquatic-lifestyle-2
• Winter. (2013, January 29). How to Survive a Siberian Winter. Science | AAAS. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2013/01/how-survive-siberian-winter
• Hsu, J. (2010, July). Tibetans Underwent Fastest Evolution Seen in Humans. Livescience.com; Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/6663-tibetans-underwent-fastest-evolution-humans.html
• TED-Ed. (2020). Is human evolution speeding up or slowing down? - Laurence Hurst [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NTeOhj6dxsU
• SciShow. (2020). 4 Ways Humans Are Still Evolving [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oCjAAVk7Uis

Art is more moving when you see it in a museum by Cameron Duke

• Art affects you more powerfully when you view it in a museum. (2015, February 5). Research Digest. https://digest.bps.org.uk/2015/02/05/art-affects-you-more-powerfully-when-you-view-it-in-a-museum/
• Brieber, D., Nadal, M., & Leder, H. (2015). In the white cube: Museum context enhances the valuation and memory of art. Acta Psychologica, 154, 36–42. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actpsy.2014.11.004
• Situated Cognition: Theory & Definition | Study.com. (2021). Study.com. https://study.com/academy/lesson/situated-cognition-theory-definition.html

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/hamster-microwave-are-humans-still-evolving-art-is-better-in-a-museum

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Learn why Easter Island never had a population collapse; and how scientists are measuring the expansion of our universe.

Easter Island never had a population collapse, as commonly believed by Grant Currin

• Resilience, not collapse: What the Easter Island myth gets wrong. (2021, July 13). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/793195
• Johnson, S. (2021, July 16). Busting the Easter Island myth: there was no civilization collapse. Big Think; Big Think. https://bigthink.com/culture-religion/easter-island
• DiNapoli, R. J., Crema, E. R., Lipo, C. P., Rieth, T. M., & Hunt, T. L. (2021). Approximate Bayesian Computation of radiocarbon and paleoenvironmental record shows population resilience on Rapa Nui (Easter Island). Nature Communications, 12(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-021-24252-z

Scientists can't decide how fast the universe is expanding, but this scientist says there's no conflict at all by Briana Brownell

• “There may not be a conflict after all” in expanding universe debate. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-06/uoc-mn062921.php
• Freedman, W. L. (2021). Measurements of the Hubble Constant: Tensions in Perspective. arXiv preprint https://arxiv.org/abs/2106.15656

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/easter-island-mythbusting-and-the-universes-expansion-rate

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Learn about the benefits of living near a volcano; different types of carbonated water; and how to procrastinate right.

The stories in this episode originally aired May 30, 2018 “Perks of Procrastination, Volcano Dwellers, Club Soda vs Sparkling Waters” https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/perks-of-procrastination-volcano-dwellers-and-the

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/volcano-perks-club-soda-vs-seltzer-how-to-procrastinate-correctly

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Learn about whether being too clean makes kids sick; an ancient coronavirus epidemic; and a black hole-neutron star merger.

Is being too hygienic making kids sick? These researchers say the public has it all wrong by Grant Currin

• Being clean and hygienic need not impair childhood immunity. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-07/ucl-bca070221.php
• Rook, G. A. W., & Bloomfield, S. F. (2021). Microbial exposures that establish immunoregulation are compatible with targeted hygiene. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 148(1), 33–39. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2021.05.008
• Cara, E. (2021, July 6). Being Clean Doesn’t Have to Be Bad for Our Immune System, Scientists Say. Gizmodo; Gizmodo. https://gizmodo.com/being-clean-doesnt-have-to-be-bad-for-our-immune-system-1847238686

Genome study reveals East Asian coronavirus epidemic 20,000 years ago by Cameron Duke

• Souilmi, Y., Lauterbur, M. E., Tobler, R., Huber, C. D., Johar, A. S., Moradi, S. V., Johnston, W. A., Krogan, N. J., Alexandrov, K., & Enard, D. (2021). An ancient viral epidemic involving host coronavirus interacting genes more than 20,000 years ago in East Asia. Current Biology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.05.067
• Queensland University of Technology (2021, June 24). Genome study reveals East Asian coronavirus epidemic 20,000 years ago. Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2021-06-genome-reveals-east-asian-coronavirus.html

We got the first ever detection of a black hole gobbling up a neutron star by Briana Brownell

• Black holes swallow neutron stars like “Pac Man.” (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-06/anu-bh062521.php
• Astrophysicists detect first black hole-neutron star mergers. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-06/nu-adf062821.php
• Abbott, R., Abbott, T. D., Abraham, S., Acernese, F., Ackley, K., Adams, A., ... & Boudart, V. (2021). Observation of gravitational waves from two neutron star–black hole coalescences. The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 915(1), L5. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/2041-8213/ac082e/pdf
• Betz, E. (2020). How Big Are Neutron Stars? Discover Magazine; Discover Magazine. https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/how-big-is-a-neutron-star
• By Pallab Ghosh. (2021, June 29). Rare black hole and neutron star collisions sighted twice in 10 days. BBC News; BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-57639520
• What Is a Black Hole? (2015). NASA. https://www.nasa.gov/audience/forstudents/k-4/stories/nasa-knows/what-is-a-black-hole-k4.html

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/hygiene-hypothesis-ancient-coronavirus-black-hole-eats-neutron-star

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Learn about how cognitive flexibility helps you learn; why dinosaurs may have been warm-blooded; and noctilucent clouds.

A high IQ might mean you're smart, but high "cognitive flexibility" means you can learn by Grant Currin

• Barbara Jacquelyn Sahakian, Christelle Langley, & Leong, V. (2021, June 23). IQ tests can’t measure it, but “cognitive flexibility” is key to learning and creativity. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/iq-tests-cant-measure-it-but-cognitive-flexibility-is-key-to-learning-and-creativity-163284
• 3 Ways to Improve Your Cognitive Flexibility. (2019). Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/wild-connections/201912/3-ways-improve-your-cognitive-flexibility
• Dajani, D. R., & Uddin, L. Q. (2015). Demystifying cognitive flexibility: Implications for clinical and developmental neuroscience. Trends in Neurosciences, 38(9), 571–578. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tins.2015.07.003

At least 7 species of dinosaur lived and nested in the Arctic, which suggests the existence of warm-blooded dinosaurs by Cameron Duke

• Druckenmiller, P. S., Erickson, G. M., Brinkman, D., Brown, C. M., & Eberle, J. J. (2021). Nesting at extreme polar latitudes by non-avian dinosaurs. Current Biology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2021.05.041
• Multiple dinosaur species not only lived in the Arctic, they also nested there. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-06/cp-mds061721.php

Rare, glowing noctilucent clouds are appearing more frequently by Briana Brownell

• Q13 FOX. (2021, June 17). Night shining “noctilucent” clouds make mesmerizing appearance over Seattle. Q13 FOX; Q13 FOX. https://www.q13fox.com/weather/night-shining-noctilucent-clouds-make-mesmerizing-appearance-over-seattle
• Mortillaro, N. (2021, June 19). Keep an eye out for rare electric-blue noctilucent clouds in the northern sky. CBC. https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/noctilucent-clouds-northern-sky-1.6069959
• Rare glowing cloud phenomenon captured in timelapse ok UK’s night sky. (2021, June 17). Msn.com. https://www.msn.com/en-gb/news/other/rare-glowing-cloud-phenomenon-captured-in-timelapse-ok-uks-night-sky/vi-AAL8F2Q
• Spaceweather.com Time Machine. (2021). Spaceweather.com. https://www.spaceweather.com/archive.php?view=1&day=17&month=06&year=2021
• Umair Irfan. (2021, May 19). Why eerie, glowing noctilucent clouds are showing up more often. Vox; Vox. https://www.vox.com/22420935/glowing-cloud-noctilucent-mystery-unexplainable-podcast-climate

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/cognitive-flexibility-arctic-dinosaurs-noctilucent-clouds

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

Learn how to get better at talking to strangers; and how Red Dead Redemption 2 turns gamers into naturalists. Trivia too!

Additional resources from Joe Keohane:

• Pick up "The Power Of Strangers" at your local bookstore: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781984855770?aff=penguinrandom
• Website: https://joekeohane.net/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeKeohane

Red Dead Redemption 2 accidentally turns gamers into amateur naturalists without them even knowing by Cameron Duke

• Parker, R. (2018, October 30). “Red Dead Redemption 2” Breaks Records With $725 Million Opening Weekend. The Hollywood Reporter; The Hollywood Reporter. https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/red-dead-redemption-2-breaks-records-725-million-opening-weekend-1156235/
• Crowley, E. J., Silk, M. J., & Crowley, S. L. (2021). The educational value of virtual ecologies in Red Dead Redemption 2. People and Nature. https://doi.org/10.1002/pan3.10242
• Red Dead Redemption 2 teaches players about wildlife. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-07/uoe-rdr070721.php

Episodes referenced in the Curiosity Challenge trivia game:

• Brain-computer interface: https://www.curiositydaily.com/why-song-lyrics-are-getting-simpler/
• Dinosaur age: https://www.curiositydaily.com/weird-dreams-might-be-a-brain-feature-not-a-bug/
• Megalodon: https://www.curiositydaily.com/why-megalodon-was-so-huge-misophonia-in-the-brain-trivia/

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-strangers-red-dead-redemption-2-naturalists-july-curiosity-challenge

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

Learn why talking to strangers shouldn’t be scary; and a new map revealing hidden dark matter “bridges” between galaxies.

Additional resources from Joe Keohane:

• Pick up "The Power Of Strangers" at your local bookstore: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781984855770?aff=penguinrandom
• Website: https://joekeohane.net/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeKeohane

A new AI-generated map revealed hidden dark matter "bridges" that connect galaxies by Briana Brownell

• Pappas, S. (2021, May 28). Dark matter map reveals new filaments connecting galaxies. Livescience.com; Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/map-local-universe-dark-matter.html
• Ratner, P. (2021, May 27). Scientists find dark matter “bridges” that may reveal future of our galaxy. Big Think; Big Think. https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/dark-matter-bridges-future-galaxy
• Mapping the local cosmic web: Dark matter map reveals hidden bridges between galaxies. (2021, May 25). Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2021-05-local-cosmic-web-dark-reveals.html
• Hong, S. E., Jeong, D., Seong Hwang, H., & Kim, J. (2021). Revealing the Local Cosmic Web from Galaxies by Deep Learning. The Astrophysical Journal, 913(1), 76. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4357/abf040

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/history-of-talking-to-strangers-dark-matter-between-galaxies

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

Learn about how meat-eaters really feel; using cosmic rays in medical diagnoses; and the Oxford Electric Bell mystery.

People who eat meat think it's gross, which suggests new ideas for cutting consumption by Kelsey Donk

• Even Some Meat-Eaters Are Disgusted By Meat — And Encouraging Those Feelings Could Help Reduce Consumption. (2021, June 3). Research Digest. https://digest.bps.org.uk/2021/06/03/even-some-meat-eaters-are-disgusted-by-meat-and-encouraging-those-feelings-could-help-reduce-consumption/
• Becker, E., & Lawrence, N. S. (2021). Meat disgust is negatively associated with meat intake – Evidence from a cross-sectional and longitudinal study. Appetite, 164, 105299. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105299

Doctors can use cosmic rays in medical diagnosis by Grant Currin

• Gough, E. (2021, June 8). The Universe is Constantly Bathing you in Radiation. Incredibly, This Could be Used for Medical Diagnosis - Universe Today. Universe Today. https://www.universetoday.com/151419/the-universe-is-constantly-bathing-you-in-radiation-incredibly-this-could-be-used-for-medical-diagnosis/#more-151419
• Morris, C., Perry, J., & Merrill, F. E. (2021). Cosmic ray radiography of a human phantom. https://arxiv.org/ftp/arxiv/papers/2106/2106.01542.pdf

The Mysterious Battery That Has Lasted More Than 175 Years by Mae Rice originally aired May 28, 2018 https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/personality-predicting-eye-movements-a-mysterious

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/meat-disgust-cosmic-rays-for-medicine-immortal-battery

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

Learn about two newly discovered ancient human species; the Digital Library of Babel; and benefits of running to music.

Two new species of ancient human were just discovered by Grant Currin

• A new type of Homo unknown to science. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-06/tu-ant062321.php
• Hershkovitz, I., et. al. (2021). A Middle Pleistocene Homo from Nesher Ramla, Israel. Science, 372(6549), 1424–1428. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.abh3169
• TAUVOD. (2021). Dramatic discovery in Israeli excavation: A new type of Homo unknown to science [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OGPKRuyd-5M
• “Dragon man” fossil may replace Neanderthals as our closest relative. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-06/cp-mf061721.php
• Discovery of “Dragon Man” Skull in China May Add Species to Human Family Tree. (2021). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/25/science/dragon-man-skull-china.html
• Xijun Ni, Ji, Q., et. al. (2021). Massive cranium from Harbin in northeastern China establishes a new Middle Pleistocene human lineage. The Innovation, 0(0). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2021.100130

The Digital Library Of Babel Could Contain Every Book Ever Written by Ashley Hamer

• Introduction paragraph: https://libraryofbabel.info/bookmark.cgi?uu.pkr_ujhmd75
• Basile, J. (2021). About the Library. Libraryofbabel.info. http://libraryofbabel.info/About.html
• Adler, J. (2015, September 22). This Digital Library Contains Every Phrase That Could Ever Be Uttered. Smithsonian Magazine; Smithsonian Magazine. https://www.smithsonianmag.com/innovation/digital-library-contains-every-phrase-that-could-ever-be-uttered-180956623/
• Sturgeon, J. (2015, April 23). Brooklyn Author Recreates Borges’ Library of Babel as Infinite Website. Flavorwire; Flavorwire. https://www.flavorwire.com/515783/brooklyn-author-recreates-borges-library-of-babel-as-infinite-website

Running to music can counteract mental fatigue by Steffie Drucker

• Running to music combats mental fatigue a study suggests. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-06/uoe-rtm062221.php
• Lam, H.K.N., Middleton, H., & Phillips, S.H. (2021). The effect of self-selected music on endurance running capacity and performance in a mentally fatigued state. Journal of Human Sport and Exercise, in press. https://doi.org/10.14198/jhse.2022.174.16

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/new-human-species-digital-library-of-babel-running-to-music

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