Curiosity Daily

Today, you’ll learn about the so-called super synchronizers who are super attractive to potential partners, a new quantum compass that could one day replace GPS, and how a rare seabird rides out tropical cyclones.   Super Synchronizers    “Scientists discover ‘Super Synchronizers’ with heightened romantic appeal.” by Eric W. Dolan. 2024.  “Social and nonsocial synchrony are interrelated and romantically attractive.” by M. Cohen, et al. 2024.   Quantum Compass  “‘It’s the perfect place’: London Underground hosts tests for ‘quantum compass’ that could replace GPS.” by Robin McKie. 2024.  “Quantum ‘compass’ could allow navigation without relying on satellites.” by Hayley Dunning, et al. 2018.  “What Is GPS and how do global positioning systems work?” Geotab. 2024.   Seabirds & Cyclones  “Groundbreaking study reveals oceanic seabirds chase tropical cyclones.” EurekAlert! 2024.  “Oceanic seabirds chase tropical cyclones.” by Francesco Ventura, et al. 2024.   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 new way for doctors to use neural networks - or AI - to figure out the risks of organ transplants in individual patients, a new fabric that is - literally - cool, and how serotonin affects fertility.   Rejection Prediction  “Decoding the hallmarks of allograft dysfunction with a comprehensive pan-organ transcriptomic atlas.” by Harry Robertson, et al. 2024.  “History of transplantation.” UNOS. n.d.   Cool Fabric  “New fabric makes urban heat islands more bearable.” by Paul Dailing. 2024.  “Spectrally engineered textile for radiative cooling against urban heat islands.” by Ronghui Wu, et al. 2024.   Serotonin & Fertility  “Intriguing connection found between serotonin and fertility.” by Eric W. Dolan. 2024.  “Raphne glucose-sensing serotonergic neurons stimulate KNDy neurons to enhance LH pulses via 5HT2CR: rat and goat studies.” by Sho Nakamura, et al. 2024.   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 how an existing blood pressure drug might prevent epilepsy, the pint-sized 3D printer that can print inside your body, and why doing something kind for someone else can be a boost for your own well-being.    Epilepsy Preventer   “Epilepsy risk drops up to 30% on existing blood pressure drugs.” by Paul McClure. 2024.  “Types of Blood Pressure Medications.” Heart.org. 2024.  “The epidemiology of epilepsy in older adults: A narrative review by the ILAE Task Force on Epilepsy in the Elderly.” by Ettore Beghi, et al. 2023.  “Seizures and Epilepsy After Stroke: Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Management.” by Marian Galovic, et al. 2021.  “The role of inflammation in the development of epilepsy.” by Amna Rana & Alberto E. Musto. 2018.   Tiny 3D Printer  “This 3-D printer can fit in the palm of your hand.” by Claire Yuan. 2024.  “Silicon-photonics-enabled chip-based 3D printer.” by Sabrina Corsetti, et al. 2024.   Acts of Kindness  “New psychology research shows acts of kindness predict seven types of well-being.” by Eric W. Dolan. 2024.  “Everyday acts of kindness predict greater well-being during the transition to university.” by Tiara A. Cash, et al. 2024.   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 the part of the brain that keeps us focused on our goals - even when it would be better to quit, a massive discovery of lost wheat genes that could help feed a crowded planet, and the new wearable technology that could diagnose disease by monitoring your sweat.   Sunk Cost Fallacy   “The neuroscience behind the sunk cost fallacy: Key brain region identified.” by Eric W. Dolan. 2024.  “Goal commitment is supported by vmPFC through selective attention.” by Eleanor Holton, et al. 2024.   Wheat Genes “Hidden genetic treasure: wheat discovery could sustainably feed global population.” University of Bristol. 2024.  “The A.E. Watkins landrace collection of bread wheat: Who was AE Watkins?” John Innes Centre. 2024.  “Harnessing landrace diversity empowers wheat breeding.” by Shifeng Cheng, et al. 2024.   Sweat Monitor “Sweat health monitor measures levels of disease markers.” by Tina Hilding. 2024.  “3D-Printed Flexible Microfluidic Health Monitor for In Situ Sweat Analysis and Biomarker Detection.” by Chuchu Chen, et al. 2024.   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 the amazing transformative power of an out-of-body experience, how scientists want to use brain cells to do their computing, and a study that suggests eating cheese might make you live longer.   Out-Of-Body Experience   “Exploring the transformative potential of out-of-body experiences: A pathway to enhanced empathy.” by Marina Weiler, et al. 2024.  “Out of body experiences and their neural basis.” by Olaf Blanke. 2004.   Brain Cell Computing  “Open and remotely accessible Neuroplatform for research in wetware computing.” by Fred D. Jordan, et al. 2024.  “Neuromorphic wetware for artificial neural networks that overcome the limits of traditional computer hardware.” Innovation Toronto. 2023.  “How Many Joules Does My Surge Protector Need?” by Karenann Brow. 2024.   Cheese & Aging   “Eating cheese plays a role in healthy, happy aging - who are we to argue?” by Bronwyn Thompson. 2024.  “Mendelian randomization evidence for the causal effect of mental well-being on healthy aging.” by Chao-Jie Ye, et al. 2024.   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 how moms helped us evolve to live longer, the jumping leeches of Madagascar, and how cities affect bird diversity.   Maternal Bonds  “Mothers’ care is central factor in animal, human longevity.” by Caitlin Hayes. 2024.  “Why Humans Live So Long.” by Heather Pringle. 2013.  “Maternal care leads to the evolution of long, slow lives.” by Matthew N. Zipple, et al. 2024.   Jumping Leeches  “A jumping terrestrial leech from Madagascar.” by Mai Fahmy & Michael Tessler. 2024.  “New leech-like device to suck blood for sampling instead of needling.” by Shubhangi Dua. 2024.  “100-year-old mystery solved as first jumping leech found in Madagascar.” People Movers. 2024.   Urban Birds  “Dense city centers support less evolutionary unique bird communities than sparser urban areas.” by Federico Morelli, et al. 2024.  “2.5 The Impact Of Urban Greenspace On Bird Populations.” by Kristin J. Harpster. N.d.   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 the effect of space on our kidneys, how a simple display of pride can win a fight, and bad news for artists we know bad things about.   Kidneys & Space    “Would astronauts’ kidneys survive a roundtrip to Mars?” UCL. 2024.  “Cosmic kidney disease: an integrated pan-omic, physiological and morphological study into spaceflight-induced renal dysfunction.” by Keith Siew, et al. 2024.   Boxing Pride  “Pride displays can sway perceptions of victory in evenly matched boxing fights.” by Eric W. Dolan. 2024.  “The effects of nonverbal pride and skill on judgements of victory and social influence: a boxing study.” by Jason P. Martens & Lucy Doytchinova. 2024.   Art & The Artist  “Art perception is affected by negative knowledge about famous and unknown artists.” by Hannah Kaube & Rasha Abdel Rahman. 2024.  “The role of expertise and culture in visual art appreciation.” by Kohinoor M. Darda & Emily S. Cross. 2022.   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 potential breakthrough in stroke detection, how AI could help put a lid on online hate speech and create safer spaces, and the delicious development of healthier chocolate.   Stroke Blood Test   “Researchers develop ‘game-changing’ blood test for stroke detection.” EurekAlert! 2024.  “Large Vessel Occlusion in Acute Stroke.” by Lena-Alexandra Beume, et al. 2018.  “Prospective Validation of Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein, D-Dimer, and Clinical Scales for Acute Large-Vessel Occlusion Ischemic Stroke Detection.” by Yasir Durrani, et al. 2024.   Hate Speech Monitoring   “AI saving humans from the emotional toll of monitoring hate speech.” by Media Relations, University of Waterloo. 2024.  “Multi-Modal Discussion Transformer: Integrating Text, Images and Graph Transformers to Detect Hate Speech on Social Media.” by Liam Hebert, et al. 2024.   Healthy Chocolate  “Scientists develop method of making healthier, more sustainable chocolate.” by Ajit Niranjan. 2024.  “Valorization of cocoa pod side streams improves nutritional and sustainability aspects of chocolate.” by Kim Mishra, et al. 2024.   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.