Curiosity Weekly

Learn why soccer players miss penalty kicks; how we estimate population sizes; and how space helps us look back in time.

Pro soccer players miss penalty kicks because pressure makes them overthink by Kelsey Donk

• Johnson, S. (2021, May 12). Why professional soccer players choke during penalty kicks. Big Think; Big Think. https://bigthink.com/mind-brain/choking-under-pressure
• Slutter, M. W. J., Thammasan, N., & Poel, M. (2021). Exploring the Brain Activity Related to Missing Penalty Kicks: An fNIRS Study. Frontiers in Computer Science, 3. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcomp.2021.661466
• Guo, Z., Li, A., & Yu, L. (2017). “Neural Efficiency” of Athletes’ Brain during Visuo-Spatial Task: An fMRI Study on Table Tennis Players. Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2017.00072

How do we know the population sizes of species when there are too many to count? by Cameron Duke

• Allen, S. T., O’Rourke, A., White, R. H., Schneider, K. E., Kilkenny, M., & Sherman, S. G. (2019). Estimating the Number of People Who Inject Drugs in A Rural County in Appalachia. American Journal of Public Health, 109(3), 445–450. https://doi.org/10.2105/ajph.2018.304873
• Hammond, P. S. (2009). Mark–Recapture. Encyclopedia of Marine Mammals, 705–709. https://doi.org/10.1016/b978-0-12-373553-9.00163-2
• Krebs, C. J. (1999). Ecological methodology. Benjamin/Cummings.
• Mark-Recapture. (2021). Nau.edu. https://www2.nau.edu/lrm22/lessons/mark_recapture/mark_recapture.html

Looking Into Space Is Looking Back In Time by Reuben Westmaas

• Most distant object in the universe spotted by Hubble Space Telescope, shattering record for the farthest known galaxy. (2016, March 4). The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/most-distant-object-in-the-universe-spotted-by-hubble-space-telescope-shattering-record-for-the-farthest-known-galaxy-a6911096.html
• Cain, F. (2014, August 7). Are All the Stars Really Dead? - Universe Today. https://www.universetoday.com/113709/are-all-the-stars-really-dead/

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer — for free!

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/looking-into-space-is-looking-back-in-time

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Learn how mammals breathe through their butts; how babies remember their birth language; and your reflection in a spoon.

Mammals can breathe through their butts, and this could help humans with respiratory failure by Grant Currin

• Breathing Through the Rectum Saves Oxygen-Starved Mice and Pigs. (2021). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/14/science/rectum-breathing-oxygen.html
• Okabe, R., Chen-Yoshikawa, T. F., Yoneyama, Y., Yokoyama, Y., Tanaka, S., Yoshizawa, A., Thompson, W. L., Kannan, G., Kobayashi, E., Date, H., & Takebe, T. (2021). Mammalian enteral ventilation ameliorates respiratory failure. Med. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medj.2021.04.004

Even If They Don’t Use It, Babies Remember Their Birth Language by Ashley Hamer

• Adoptees advantaged by birth language memory. (2017). ScienceDaily. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170118082828.htm
• Early development of abstract language knowledge: evidence from perception–production transfer of birth-language memory | Royal Society Open Science. (2017). Royal Society Open Science. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/full/10.1098/rsos.160660

Why is your reflection upside down in a spoon? by Ashley Hamer (Listener question from Bella in Austin, Texas)

• Matthews, R. (2019). Why is your reflection upside-down in a spoon? BBC Science Focus Magazine; BBC Science Focus Magazine. https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/why-is-your-reflection-upside-down-in-a-spoon/
• Physics Tutorial: Reflection and Image Formation for Convex Mirrors. (2021). Physicsclassroom.com. https://www.physicsclassroom.com/class/refln/Lesson-4/Reflection-and-Image-Formation-for-Convex-Mirrors
• Q & A: Why is your reflection upside down in a spoon? | Department of Physics | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. (2021). Illinois.edu. https://van.physics.illinois.edu/QA/listing.php?id=1985&t=why-is-your-reflection-upside-down-in-a-spoon
• It's AumSum Time. (2017). Concave Mirror - Why is your reflection upside down on a spoon? | #aumsum #kids #science [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6n0FAZ_6N8
• Why mirrors flip horizontally but not vertically (Curiosity Daily listener question): https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/bad-news-about-your-wearable-sleep-tracker

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer — for free!

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/mammals-can-breathe-through-their-butts

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Learn about whether you should fear AI; the science of a good selfie; and how bats map the world by time, not distance.

Additional resources from Michael Wooldridge:

• Pick up "A Brief History of Artificial Intelligence: What It Is, Where We Are, and Where We Are Going" at your local bookstore: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781250770745
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/wooldridgemike
• Oxford faculty page: https://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/people/michael.wooldridge/

Selfies Really Do Make Your Nose Look Big originally aired April 24, 2018 https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/hubble-telescope-history-selfie-science-and-exerci

Bats map the world by time, not distance by Briana Brownell

• A surprising discovery: Bats know the speed of sound from birth. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-05/tu-asd050521.php
• Amichai, E., & Yovel, Y. (2021). Echolocating bats rely on an innate speed-of-sound reference. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 118(19), e2024352118. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2024352118
• How do bats echolocate and how are they adapted to this activity? (1998, December 21). Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-do-bats-echolocate-an/
• Thaler, L. (2015). Using Sound to Get Around. APS Observer, 28(10). https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/using-sound-to-get-around

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer — for free!

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/bats-map-the-world-by-time-not-distance

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Learn about "iconic sounds" of language. Plus: artificial intelligence’s limitations, with AI pioneer Michael Wooldridge.

Language may have started with "iconic sounds" rather than hand gestures by Grant Currin

• Ćwiek, A., Fuchs, S., Draxler, C., Asu, E. L., Dediu, D., Hiovain, K., Kawahara, S., Koutalidis, S., Krifka, M., Lippus, P., Lupyan, G., Oh, G. E., Paul, J., Petrone, C., Ridouane, R., Reiter, S., Schümchen, N., Szalontai, Á., Ünal-Logacev, Ö., & Zeller, J. (2021). Novel vocalizations are understood across cultures. Scientific Reports, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-89445-4
• Ancestors may have created “iconic” sounds as bridge to first languages. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-05/uob-amh051021.php
• No shared language? No problem! People across cultures understand clues from ‘vocal charades. (2021, May 14). No shared language? No problem! People across cultures understand clues from “vocal charades.” Science | AAAS. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/05/no-shared-language-no-problem-people-across-cultures-understand-clues-vocal-charades

Additional resources from Michael Wooldridge:

• Pick up "A Brief History of Artificial Intelligence: What It Is, Where We Are, and Where We Are Going" at your local bookstore: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781250770745
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/wooldridgemike
• Oxford faculty page: https://www.cs.ox.ac.uk/people/michael.wooldridge/

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer — for free!

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/why-we-wont-have-robot-butlers-any-time-soon-w-ai-researcher-michael-wooldridge

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Learn about a pregnant mummy; the three body problem; and why you should take off your shoes when you enter your house.

A newly discovered pregnant mummy is raising questions about ancient Egyptian beliefs by Grant Currin

• Johnson, S. (2021, May 5). First-ever pregnant Egyptian mummy discovered. Big Think; Big Think. https://bigthink.com/culture-religion/pregnant-mummy
• In a First, Researchers Discover a Pregnant Egyptian Mummy. (2021). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/02/world/europe/egyptian-mummy-pregnant-warsaw.html
• Ejsmond, W., Ożarek-Szilke, M., Jaworski, M., & Szilke, S. (2021). A pregnant ancient egyptian mummy from the 1st century BC. Journal of Archaeological Science, 105371. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jas.2021.105371

New development in solving the three body problem by Briana Brownell

• Kervella, P., Thévenin, F., & Lovis, C. (2017). Proxima’s orbit around α Centauri. Astronomy & Astrophysics, 598, L7. https://doi.org/10.1051/0004-6361/201629930
• Alpha Centauri System | Facts, Information, History & Definition. (2019, December 6). The Nine Planets. https://nineplanets.org/alpha-centauri-system/
• Wood,LiveScience, C. (2021, May 7). Physicists Edge Closer to Taming the Three-Body Problem. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/physicists-edge-closer-to-taming-the-three-body-problem/

How Important Is It to Take Your Shoes Off as Soon as You Get in the House? originally aired May 7, 2018 https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/aliens-studying-humans-an-ai-fairy-tale-and-the-im

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer — for free!

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/we-found-the-first-pregnant-mummy-ever-documented

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Learn 4 tips for managing WFH paranoia; flat-pack pasta; and how eye contact is affected by the shape of a dog’s face.

4 tips for managing your WFH paranoia by Kelsey Donk

• Managing Your WFH Paranoia. (2021, April 28). Harvard Business Review. https://hbr.org/2021/04/managing-your-wfh-paranoia
• Is Remote Work Making Us Paranoid? (2021). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/13/style/is-remote-work-making-us-paranoid.html
• Jacobs, E. (2020, June 18). Paranoia creeps into homeworking. @FinancialTimes; Financial Times. https://www.ft.com/content/e50ce245-09fd-4831-a90b-953ef51a2281

Scientists have created flat-pack pasta that curls into shape in water by Steffie Drucker

• Executive Summary: Environmental Footprint Literature Review — Food Transportation. (2016). State of Oregon Department of Environmental Quality. https://www.oregon.gov/deq/FilterDocs/PEF-FoodTransportation-ExecutiveSummary.pdf
• Tao, Y., Lee, Y.-C., Liu, H., Zhang, X., Cui, J., Mondoa, C., Babaei, M., Santillan, J., Wang, G., Luo, D., Liu, D., Yang, H., Do, Y., Sun, L., Wang, W., Zhang, T., & Yao, L. (2021). Morphing pasta and beyond. Science Advances, 7(19), eabf4098. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abf4098
• CMU lab leads development of pasta that morphs into shape when cooked. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-05/cmu-cll043021.php
• Gael Fashingbauer Cooper. (2021, May 6). This strange, flat pasta transforms into 3D shapes as you cook. CNET; CNET. https://www.cnet.com/news/this-strange-flat-pasta-transforms-into-3d-shapes-as-you-cook/
• Flat Pasta That Turns Into 3-D Shapes — Just Add Boiling Water. (2021). The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/05/science/pasta-3d-flat.html
• Video: https://vimeo.com/543657466

Your dog’s face shape determines how easily it makes eye contact with you by Cameron Duke

• Bognár, Z., Iotchev, I. B., & Kubinyi, E. (2018). Sex, skull length, breed, and age predict how dogs look at faces of humans and conspecifics. Animal Cognition, 21(4), 447–456. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-018-1180-4
• Bognár, Z., Szabó, D., Deés, A., & Kubinyi, E. (2021). Shorter headed dogs, visually cooperative breeds, younger and playful dogs form eye contact faster with an unfamiliar human. Scientific Reports, 11(1). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-88702-w
• Eötvös Loránd University. (2021, April 29). Researchers determine which dogs more often establish eye contact with humans. Phys.org; Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2021-04-dogs-eye-contact-humans.html
• Gácsi, M., McGreevy, P., Kara, E., & Miklósi, Á. (2009). Effects of selection for cooperation and attention in dogs. Behavioral and Brain Functions, 5(1), 31. https://doi.org/10.1186/1744-9081-5-31

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer — for free!

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/how-to-manage-your-work-from-home-paranoia

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Learn the easiest way to forgive and forget; whether human fossils can produce oil; and what bees yell when surprised.

The forgetting part of "forgive and forget" is easier when you forgive emotionally by Kelsey Donk

• Here’s The Best Way To Forgive And Forget. (2021, May 4). Research Digest. https://digest.bps.org.uk/2021/05/04/heres-the-best-way-to-forgive-and-forget/
• Noreen, S., & MacLeod, M. D. (2021). Moving on or deciding to let go? A pathway exploring the relationship between emotional and decisional forgiveness and intentional forgetting. Journal of Experimental Psychology: Learning, Memory, and Cognition, 47(2), 295–315. https://doi.org/10.1037/xlm0000948

If we get oil from dinosaur fossils, will future civilizations get oil from human fossils? by Steffie Drucker (Listener question from Hunter in Chicago)

• Hunter’s tweet: https://twitter.com/whuntah/status/1390766688354902019
• Do Fossil Fuels Really Come from Fossils? | Britannica. (2021). In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/story/do-fossil-fuels-really-come-from-fossils
• Westreich, S. (2021, March 29). Does Gasoline Really Come From Dinosaurs? - Sharing Science - Medium. Medium; Sharing Science. https://medium.com/a-microbiome-scientist-at-large/does-gasoline-really-come-from-dinosaurs-3d2d4e70c6d8
• What Are Fossil Fuels? | Smithsonian Ocean. (2020, March 26). Si.edu. https://ocean.si.edu/conservation/gulf-oil-spill/what-are-fossil-fuels
• Explainer: Where fossil fuels come from. (2018, September 20). Science News for Students. https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/explainer-where-fossil-fuels-come
• DINO History | Sinclair Oil Corporation. (2015). Sinclairoil.com. https://www.sinclairoil.com/dino-history

Bees Yell “Whoop” When They're Surprised by Anna Todd

• Wong, S. (2020). Honeybees let out a “whoop” when they bump into each other. New Scientist. https://www.newscientist.com/article/2121275-honeybees-let-out-a-whoop-when-they-bump-into-each-other/
• Ramsey, M., Bencsik, M., & Newton, M. I. (2017). Long-term trends in the honeybee “whooping signal” revealed by automated detection. PLOS ONE, 12(2), e0171162. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0171162

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer — for free!

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/will-future-civilizations-get-oil-from-human-fossils

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Learn about “digital body language” guidelines and how scientists brought multiple molecules into the same quantum state.

Additional resources from Erica Dhawan:

• Pick up "Digital Body Language: How to Build Trust & Connection No Matter the Distance" from your local bookstore: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781250246523
• Website: https://ericadhawan.com/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/ericadhawan
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ericadhawan_/

Scientists brought multiple molecules into the same quantum state, which is a big deal by Briana Brownell

• UChicago scientists harness molecules into single quantum state. (2021). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-04/uoc-ush042221.php
• Ultracold Molecules | JILA - Exploring the Frontiers of Physics. (2015). Colorado.edu. https://jila.colorado.edu/yelabs/research/ultracold-molecules
• Cornish, S. (2008). From atoms to molecules (and back). Physics, 1. https://physics.aps.org/articles/v1/24
• Physicists Turn Atomic Bose-Einstein Condensate into Molecular One | Physics | Sci-News.com. (2021). Breaking Science News | Sci-News.com. http://www.sci-news.com/physics/molecular-bose-einstein-condensate-09606.html
• Carr, L. D., DeMille, D., Krems, R. V., & Ye, J. (2009). Cold and ultracold molecules: science, technology and applications. New Journal of Physics, 11(5), 055049. https://doi.org/10.1088/1367-2630/11/5/055049
• Bose-Einstein Condensate: A New Form of Matter. (2001, October 9). NIST. https://www.nist.gov/news-events/news/2001/10/bose-einstein-condensate-new-form-matter

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer — for free!

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/what-does-your-digital-body-language-say

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

Learn why your mom calls you your sibling’s name; why pollen isn’t just plant sperm; and what really causes sore muscles.

If Your Mom Calls You Your Sibling’s Name, It Means She Loves You Both by Joanie Faletto

• Trudeau, M. (2017, January 16). When The Brain Scrambles Names, It’s Because You Love Them. NPR.org. https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/01/16/509353565/when-the-brain-scrambles-names-its-because-you-love-them
• Deffler, S. A., Fox, C., Ogle, C. M., & Rubin, D. C. (2016). All my children: The roles of semantic category and phonetic similarity in the misnaming of familiar individuals. Memory & Cognition, 44(7), 989–999. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13421-016-0613-z
• Dupont, M. (2019). Experimentally Induced Single and Repeated Personal Name Confusions: The Impact of Phonological and Semantic Similarity. Psychological Reports, 123(3), 781–805. https://doi.org/10.1177/0033294118825098

Pollen is not plant sperm. It’s something much weirder. by Cameron Duke

• Alternation of generations | Definition & Examples | Britannica. (2021). In Encyclopædia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/science/alternation-of-generations
• BD Editors. (2018, May 17). Alternation of Generations (Plant): Definition, Life Cycle | Biology Dictionary. Biology Dictionary. https://biologydictionary.net/alternation-of-generations/
• Pollen - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics. (2016). Sciencedirect.com. https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/pollen
• Reece, J. B., Urry, L. A., Cain, M. L., Alexander, S., Minorsky, P. V., Jackson, R. B., & Campbell, N. A. (2014). Campbell biology (10th ed.). Pearson.

Lactic Acid Is Not What Causes Sore Muscles originally aired April 24, 2018 https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/hubble-telescope-history-selfie-science-and-exerci

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer — for free!

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/pollen-is-not-actually-plant-sperm

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Learn why there could be stars made of antimatter. Plus: author Paul Greenberg’s tips to reduce your carbon footprint.

There could be stars made of antimatter in our galaxy by Briana Brownell

• NASA - JSC Engineering - Alpha Magnetic Spectrometer. (2013). Nasa.gov. https://www.nasa.gov/centers/johnson/engineering/projects/alpha_magnetic_spectrometer/index.html
• may. (2017, April 19). Giant space magnet may have trapped antihelium, raising idea of lingering pools of antimatter in the cosmos. Science | AAAS. https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2017/04/giant-space-magnet-may-have-trapped-antihelium-raising-idea-lingering-pools-antimatter
• Dr Alfredo Carpineti. (2021, April 29). Where Antimatter Stars Are Located In The Milky Way (If They Actually Exist). IFLScience; IFLScience. https://www.iflscience.com/space/where-antimatter-stars-are-located-in-the-milky-way-if-they-actually-exist/
• Poulin, V., Salati, P., Cholis, I., Kamionkowski, M., & Silk, J. (2019). Where do the AMS-02 antihelium events come from? Physical Review D, 99(2). https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.99.023016

Additional resources from Paul Greenberg:

• Pick up "The Climate Diet: 50 Simple Ways to Trim Your Carbon Footprint" at your local bookstore: https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780593296769
• Website: https://www.paulgreenberg.org/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/4fishgreenberg

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer — for free!

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/painless-tips-to-help-the-environment-w-paul-greenberg

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