Curiosity Daily

Today, you’ll learn about the possible dangers of growing leafy greens in microgravity, a study that let AI tag along with a toddler to learn language the human way, and research on stabilizing elephant populations on the African savannah.  Microgravity Gardening  • “Simulated microgravity facilitates stomatal ingression by Salmonella in lettuce and suppresses a biocontrol agent.” by Noah Totsline, et al. 2024.   • “The Future.” NASA. N.D.   • “What will astronauts eat during long missions in space?” Leidos. 2023.  AI Learns Language  • “AI learns language through the experience of a single child in groundbreaking study.” by Eric W. Dolan. 2024.   • “Grounded language acquisition through the eyes and ears of a single child.” by Wai Keen Vong, et al. 2024.  Elephant Numbers  • “Protecting and connecting landscapes stabilizes populations of the Endangered savannah elephant.” by Ryan M. Huang, et al. 2024.   • “The African Savanna.” by Michael Swiderek. 2021.   • “Africa’s great savannahs may be more endangered than the world’s rainforests.” by Jeremy Hance. 2012.  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. 

Today, you’ll learn about a bacteria that turns plastic into spider webs, a massive deep-sea discovery right in our own backyard, and how CRISPR could reshape agriculture for an entire continent. Silk-Making Bacteria  • “Researchers Engineer Bacteria That Eat Plastic, Make Multipurpose Spider Silk.” Technology Networks. 2024.   • “Two-step conversion of polyethylene into recombinant proteins using a microbial platform.” by Alexander Connor, et al. 2023.  • “Our planet is choking on plastic.” UNEP. n.d.   • “In Images: Plastic is Forever.” UN. n.d. Deep Coral  • “World’s largest deep-sea coral reef found lurking beneath the Gulf Stream ‘right on the doorstep’ of US coast.” by Harry Baker. 2024.   • “Status of Coral Reefs.” Reef Resilience Network. N.d.   • “Life Below Water.” UN. 2020.  CRISPR Agriculture  • “CRISPR-edited crops break new ground in Africa.” by Heidi Ledford. 2024.   • “Witchweed.” USDA. n.d.   • “Africa’s agricultural revolution: From self-sufficiency to global food powerhouse.” By Gareth Hodder & Brenda Migwalla. 2023.   • “GMOs or non-GMOs? The CRISPR Conundrum.” By Aftab Ahmad, et al. 2023.  

Today, you’ll learn about a new polymer that could battle antibiotic resistant infections, a possible new way to detect life on other planets from afar, and what to expect when you’re expecting to adopt a furry friend.Powerful Polymer  • “Texas A&M Team Develops Polymers That Can Kill Bacteria.” by Shana K. Hutchins. 2023.   • “The global threat of antibiotic resistance.” ReAct. N.d.   • “Ring-opening metathesis polymerization of N-methylpyridinium-fused norbornenes to access antibacterial main-chain cationic polymers.” by Sarah N. Hancock, et al. 2023.  Exoplanet CO2   • “A carbon-lite atmosphere could be a sign of water and life on other terrestrial planets, MIT study finds.” by Jennifer Chu. 2023.   • “Atmospheric carbon depletion as a tracer of water oceans and biomass on temperate terrestrial exoplanets.” by Amaury H.M.J. Triaud, et al. 2023.   • “How do astronomers find exoplanets?” by Daniela Breitman. 2017.  Adoption Science   • “What To Expect When You Adopt A Shelter Pet, According To Scientists.” by Holly Large. 2023.   • “18 Interesting Pet Adoption Statistics & Facts to Know in 2024.” by Misty Layne. 2024.   • “Do Dogs Cry? Signs Your Beloved Pup Might Be Sad.” by Tom Hale. 2023.  

Today, you’ll learn about why you may want to consider letting yourself daydream, how a sense of humor might protect you from depression and anxiety, and the effects of caffeine on the performance of soccer players.  Daydream Brain   • “What Happens in the Brain While Daydreaming?” by Catherine Caruso. 2023.   • “Is the role of sleep in memory consolidation overrated?” by Mohammad Dastgheib, et al. 2022.   • “Cortical reactivations predict future sensory responses.” by Nghia D. Nguyen, et al. 2023.   • “Why Daydreaming Is Good For Us.” by David B. Feldman Ph.D. 2017.  Power of a Laugh  • “Your type of humor might say something about your risk of depression and anxiety.” by Eric W. Dolan. 2023.   • “Understanding the Association Between Humor and Emotional Distress: The Role of Light and Dark Humor in Predicting Depression, Anxiety, and Stress.” by Alberto Dionigi, et al. 2023.  Caffeine & Soccer   • “Caffeine highs and lows footballers should be aware of.” n.a. 2023.   • “The effects of acute caffeine ingestion on decision-making and pass accuracy in young soccer players: A preliminary randomized controlled trial.” by Negar Jafari, et al. 2023.  

Today, you’ll learn about how babies pick up language before they’re even born, an AI that takes on the busy work for doctors, and new insight into how humans collaborate.  Baby Language  • “Babies’ Brains Are Primed For Their Native Language Before Birth.” by Nyla Husain. 2023.   • “Prenatal experience with language shapes the brain.” by Benedetta Mariani. 2023.   • “The What and When of Universal Perception: A Review of Early Speech Sound Acquisition.” by Katerina Chladkova & Nikola Paillereau. 2020.  AI Medicine  • “Medical AI tool from UF, NVIDIA gets human thumbs-up in first study.” by Jim W. Harper. 2023.   • “AI Training AI: GatorTronGPT at the Forefront of University of Florida’s Medical AI Innovations.” by Mona Flores. 2023.   • “A study of generative large language model for medical research and healthcare.” by Cheng Peng, et al. 2023.   • “Physicians, paperwork, and paying attention to patients.” by Dr. Monique Tello. 2016.  Human Collaboration   • “How we play together.” n.a. 2023.   • “The evolution of human cooperation.” Coren L. Apicella & Joan B. Silk. 2019.  

oday, you’ll learn about a new test that can show how well each of your organs are aging, some interesting links between comfort food and stress, and a surprising finding about certain snails. Organ Age  • “Are your organs ageing well? The blood holds clues.” by Max Kozlov. 2023.   • “Blood test shows if organs are ageing fast or slowly.” by Michelle Roberts. 2023.  Comfort Food   • “Comfort eating can impair body’s recovery from stress, study shows..” by Rachel Hall. 2023.   • “Stress and Eating Behaviors.” by Yvonne H. C. Yau & Marc N. Potenza. 2013.   • “Fatty foods can impair the body’s response to everyday stress - study.” by Jet Veldhuijzen van Zanten. 2023.  Speedy Snails   • “Japanese snail adaptation and speciation in anti-predation escape behavior.” by Yuta Morii. 2023.   • “The divergence of mobility and activity associated with anti-predator adaptation in land snails.” by Yuta Morii, et al. 2023.  

Today, you’ll learn about a new ink that can 3D print inside your body using soundwaves, why saying no to invitations isn’t as bad as you might think, and some new drugs that could potentially make your dog live longer.  3D Ink  • “Soundwaves Harden 3D-Printed Treatments in Deep Tissues.” by Michaela Martinez. 2023.   • “Dental curing light.” Wikipedia.   • “Self-enhancing sono-inks enable deep-penetration acoustic volumetric printing.” by Xiao Kuang, et al. 2023.  RSVP No  • “Just say no to that invitation.” n.a. 2023.   • “Saying No: The Negative Ramifications From Invitation Declines Are Less Severe Than We Think.” By Julian Givi & Colleen P. Kirk. 2023.  Old Dogs  • “Could a Drug Give Your Pet More Dog Years?” by Emily Anthes. 2023.   • “Forget Botox. Anti-Aging Pills May Be Next.” by Andrew Pollack. 2023.   • “We’re helping dogs like yours live longer.” Loyal website. N.d.   • “Discovering the keys to a healthy lifespan.” Dog Aging Project website. 2023. 

Today, you’ll learn about an ancient diagnostic tool getting an AI upgrade, the world’s slipperiest surface, and some insight into the minds of everyone who loves this show!  Healthy Tongue • “Eyes may be the window to your soul, but the tongue mirrors your health.” University of South Australia. 2023.   • “Ancient tongue diagnosis for the 21st century dental hygienist.” by Kathryn Gilliam. 2023.   • “Analysis of Tongue Color-Associated Features among Patients with PCR-Confirmed COVID-19 Infection in Ukraine.” by Liudmyla Horzov. 2021. Slippery Surface • “Droplet slipperiness despite surface heterogeneity at molecular scale.” by Sakari Lepikko, et al. 2023.   • “Slippery Science: Crafting the World’s Most Water-Repellent Surface.” by Aalto University. 2023.  Curious for Answers • “Curiosity evolves as information unfolds.” by Abigail Hsiung, et al. 2023.   • “Unraveling Curiosity: Why We Savor the Suspense and Shun Spoilers.” Neuroscience.com. 2023.  

Today, you’ll learn about the brain’s ability - or inability - to rewire itself, the imagination of rats, and how dogs can have a positive effect on those suffering from PTSD.  Brain Rewiring   • “Our brains are not able to ‘rewire’ themselves, despite what most scientists believe, new study argues.” University of Cambridge. 2023.   • “Against cortical reorganisation.” by Tamar R. Makin & John W. Krakauer. 2023.  Rat Imagination   • “Rats have an imagination, new research finds.” EurekAlert! 2023.   • “Volitional activation of remote place representations with a hippocampal brain-machine interface.” by Chongxi Lai, et al. 2023.  Dogs & PTSD  • “Contact with a service dog might help individuals with PTSD sleep better, study finds.” by Vladimir Hedrih. 2023.   • “Paws for Purple Hearts - Service Dogs for our Warriors.” Website. 2023.  • “Heart rate during sleep in PTSD patients: Moderation by contact with a service dog.” by Steven H. Woodward, et al. 2023.