Curiosity Daily

Today on the Curiosity Digest, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you learn something new in just a few minutes: Americans Are Aging More Slowly Than Ever The HAMMER Spacecraft Could Save the World from Killer Asteroids There Are Mirrors Next to Elevators for a Specific Reason Additional resources discussed: The "RealAge" Test has been taken by more than 45 million people. The scientifically-based assessment shows you the true age of the body you’re living in – the first step towards improving your well-being. The JPL Small-Body Database Browser provides data for all known asteroids and many comets. Available data include: orbital elements, orbit diagrams, physical parameters, and discovery circumstances. Newly discovered objects and their orbits are added on a daily basis and discovery circumstances are updated on a roughly monthly interval. Physical parameters (other than magnitude parameters) are updated on a less frequent basis.

A lot of science takes place at the zoo. Dr. Rachel Santymire, Director of the Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, discusses the animal research going on both behind the scenes and out in the wild. She also explains what animals can tell us about our environment, including her work with the black-footed ferret recovery project.  More reading from Curiosity: Temple Grandin Used Her Struggles To Help Animals The Return of Wolves Improved Life for Every Animal in Yellowstone LemurFaceID Is The Unconventional Way Technology Could Save Lemurs What's Fueling Portland's Garbage Trucks? Additional resources from the Lincoln Park Zoo: Davee Center for Epidemiology and Endocrinology Amphibious Intervention: Non-invasive Method of Measuring Amphibian Stress Using Only A Cotton Swab (Press Release) A novel method for the measurement of glucocorticoids in dermal secretions of amphibians (White Paper) Conserving the Black-Footed Ferret Other studies and resources discussed: The effect of a pressure wrap (ThunderShirt®) on heart rate and behavior in canines diagnosed with anxiety disorder | ScienceDirect Facts About Ferrets | Live Science Chicago Tops Orkin Top 50 Rattiest Cities List for Third Time | Orkin 

What are the limits of the human body, and how can we fully utilize them? Alex Hutchinson, award-winning journalist and author of "Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance," explains why humans are nearly always capable of pushing just a little bit harder — and how you can eke out just a little bit more effort even when you think your body's tank is empty.  More reading from Curiosity: The Boston Marathon Didn't Allow Women Until 1971, But These Women Ran It Anyway Your "Runner's High" is Actually Caused By This Cannabis-like Chemical Should You Change Your Running Stride? The Stroop Effect Is A Window Into Perception How Olympic Medalists Feel Additional resources from Alex Hutchinson: AlexHutchinson.net Alex Hutchinson on Twitter @sweatscience "Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance" "Big Ideas: 100 Modern Inventions That Have Transformed Our World (Popular Mechanics)"Other studies and materials discussed: What the Marshmallow Test Really Teaches About Self-Control | The Atlantic Gatorade: The Idea That Launched An Industry | University of Florida OCL Stroop Test | Open Cognition Lab Fatigue of Cognitive Control in the Stroop-Task Extra credit: Blemish: The truth about blackheads | Scientific American Everything you need to know about blackheads | Medical News Today

LeVar Burton has been a storyteller for decades. From his acting roles as Kunta Kinte in "Roots" and Geordi LaForge on "Star Trek: The Next Generation" to his decades of work with "Reading Rainbow," he's been a central figure in some of the most influential media in recent memory. Also a director, producer, and author, Burton has now turned his storytelling skills toward the world of podcasting with "LeVar Burton Reads." On this episode of the Curiosity Podcast, he discusses the power of literature and why books are such a meaningful tool for storytelling. More reading from Curiosity: Nostalgia Is More Than Just a Good Feeling TV Characters Might Be Fictional, But Your Relationship With Them Isn't How Knowing The Ending Changes A Story This 17-Year-Old Boy Stayed Awake for 11 Days, for Science Resources from LeVar Burton and other related links: "LeVar Burton Reads" Podcast LeVar Burton Kids The Science Of Breathing: How Slowing It Down Can Make Us Calm And Productive | Forbes Spontaneous Group Synchronization of Movements and Respiratory Rhythms | NCBI

B.J. Mendelson, author of "Privacy: And How to Get It Back," says that privacy is dead — but you don't have to take that lying down. On this podcast, he discusses your personal data that cell phone carriers, social media giants, and seemingly everyone in-between are collecting and selling. More importantly: what can you do about it?  More from Curiosity: Curiosity.com Privacy Policy Everybody Should Be Using a VPN — Here's Why TrackMeNot Helps Cover Your Online Trail The Real Rules for Strong Computer Passwords Go Against Everything You've Been Told Fighting in the Fourth Dimension: The U.S. Army on Cyber-warfare [Podcast] It's Illegal to Take a Photo of This Structure Illuminated at Night Privacy protection and resources from B.J. Mendelson: B.J. Mendelson's Website "Privacy: And How to Get It Back" Download Tor Browser What Is Tor and Should I Use It? | Lifehacker Signal (encrypted text messaging app) How to use a VPN | Tech Advisor Other studies and resources discussed: Edward Snowden's quotes on the importance of privacy | YourStory Why Microsoft Bought LinkedIn | Wall Street Journal This Is The Real Reason Microsoft Bought LinkedIn | Forbes Twitter unveils new way to make money from your tweets | MarketWatch Europe's New Privacy Law Will Change The Web, And More | WIRED

Is there a right or wrong way to learn? Dr. Stephen Kosslyn is an expert on the science of learning, with more than 30 years of experience working at elite institutions such as Harvard and Stanford. He also thinks that higher education could learn a lot about how people learn, and that's why he became the Founding Dean and Chief Learning Officer of the Minerva Schools at KGI. On this podcast, Dr. Kosslyn explains how people learn and how his institution is changing the way learning is approached — one student at a time.  More reading from Curiosity: Learn Anything In Four Steps With The Feynman Technique University of Miami Has A Field of Study's First Academic Chair Why Aren't Plants Black? Resources from Dr. Stephen Kosslyn: Minerva Schools at KGI "Building the Intentional University: Minerva and the Future of Higher Education" "Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses" Studies and research discussed: Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics | 2014 study Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses | Inside Higher Ed Tutors See Stereotypes and Gender Bias in SAT. Testers See None of the Above. | New York Times New Evidence of Racial Bias on SAT | Inside Higher Ed Stereotype Threat and the Intellectual Test Performance of African Americans | Claude M. Steele. Stanford University, 1995 Stereotype Susceptibility: Identity Salience and Shifts in Quantitative Performance | Margaret Shih, Todd L. Pittinsky, Nalini Ambady, 1999 Twenty Years of Stereotype Threat Research: A Review of Psychological Mediators | National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine "Cognitive Psychology: Mind And Brain" "Image and Brain: The Resolution of the Imagery Debate"

Mining asteroids, traveling on laser beams, and developing self-aware robots: science fiction or science fact? World-renowned physicist and futurist Michio Kaku says that these milestones are not only in humanity's future, but are beginning to occur right now. Dr. Kaku joins the Curiosity Podcast for a fascinating inside look at interstellar travel, artificial intelligence, human immortality, and alien contact.  More reading from Curiosity: We'll Say Goodbye To Our Planet In 1,000 Years, Says Stephen Hawking Two Countries Have Made Space Mining Legal. But Is That, Well, Legal? Astronomers Have Found 7 Earth-Sized Planets Around The Same Star String Theory Says We Have at Least 10 Dimensions, but That's Not the Weirdest Thing About It The Kardashev Scale Is A Tool To Measure A Civilization's Advancement Why the Three Laws of Robotics Wouldn't Work — and What Would Instead A Ban on Killer Robots is a No-Brainer, Right? Not So Fast... What's Elon Musk's Plan For Life On Mars? People Are More Comfortable Around Robots When They're Programmed To Do One Very Human Thing Learn About Life, The Universe, And Everything From A Theoretical Physicist Additional links from Dr. Michio Kaku: Official Website of Dr. Michio Kaku Dr. Michio Kaku on Twitter @MichioKaku "The Future of Humanity: Terraforming Mars, Interstellar Travel, Immortality, and Our Destiny Beyond Earth" "Physics of the Impossible: A Scientific Exploration into the World of Phasers, Force Fields, Teleportation, and Time Travel" "The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind" Other resources discussed: How Elon Musk Names His Inventions | Inverse New technology is forcing us to confront the ethics of bringing people back from the dead | Quartz Eternime wants you to live forever as a digital ghost | CNET Augmented Eternity and Swappable Identities | MIT When you have an itch, what is happening under your skin? | HowStuffWorks Cody Gough on Twitter @ProducerCody Ashley Hamer on Twitter @SmashleyHamer

Jared Bauer, co-founder and head of content at Wisecrack, believes it's important to explore big ideas and meaningful topics through the lens of pop culture and media. On this episode of the Curiosity Podcast, the man who helped bring you Thug Notes, 8-Bit Philosophy, Earthling Cinema, The Philosophy of Everything, What Went Wrong?, Show Me the Meaning!, and more joins the Curiosity Podcast to discuss how studying the humanities and understanding cinema and television shows (like South Park and Rick and Morty) can enrich your life and make society better.  More reading from Curiosity and additional resources discussed: Special Guest Cody Gough from Curiosity.com Discusses Andrew Niccol's Gattaca with the Wisecrack crew (Jared, Austin, and Ryan)! on "Show Me The Meaning!" America's Film History Is Stored In This Building | Curiosity 5 Ways The Incredibles Is Ayn Randian Propaganda | Houston Press Why is 10:10 the Default Setting for Clocks and Watches? | Mental Floss Wisecrack: Wisecrack on YouTube Wisecrack.co (Official Website) Christopher Nolan Video Playlist Star Wars: The Last Jedi – Themes Explained – Wisecrack Quick Take Show Me The Meaning! – A Wisecrack Movie Podcast (Explicit) Respect Our Authoritah! – A SOUTH PARK Podcast by Wisecrack (Explicit) Wisecrack's THE SQUANCH: A Rick & Morty Podcast (Explicit)

You might think you're not a "math person," but maybe that's because math doesn't mean what you think it means. Mathematical and logical thinking can open up new ways of thinking about everything from social and political issues to art to even gender. And on this episode, Dr. Eugenia Cheng, author and Scientist in Residence at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, explains how to tap into it. More reading from Curiosity: Search Engines Make You Feel Smarter Than You Really Are Chicago's Hotel EMC2 Is Themed Around Math's Greatest Woman Teachers Can Spread Math Anxiety To Their Students Meet Sabrina Pasterski, The 23-Year-Old "New Einstein" Additional resources discussed: Dr. Eugenia Cheng (Official Website) "How to Bake Pi: An Edible Exploration of the Mathematics of Mathematics" "Beyond Infinity: An Expedition into the Outer Limits of Mathematics" "The Art of Logic in an Illogical World" In Defense of Polymaths | Harvard Business Review Toni Morrison's tweet about writing books Why Don't Figure Skaters Get Dizzy When They Spin? | Scientific American The Brutal Neuroscience of Figure Skating: How Spinning Athletes Overcome Dizziness | LiveScience

Artificial intelligence is all the rage, but using swarm intelligence might be the best way to solve the world's biggest problems. Dr. Louis Rosenberg is the Founder & CEO of Unanimous AI, an artificial intelligence company that amplifies human intelligence by building "hive minds" modeled after biological swarms. Learn how swarm intelligence can combine the brainpower of humans and computers to solve humanity's biggest problems. More reading from Curiosity: How Do Animals Swarm Without A Leader? Researchers Are Teaching AI to be Curious Using A Video Game Google Is Teaching An AI To Create More AI Additional resources discussed: What is Swarm AI? Sports Predictions using Swarm Intelligence Business uses of Swarm Intelligence New hope for humans in an A.I. world | Louis Rosenberg | TEDxKC Waggle Dance Distances as Integrative Indicators of Seasonal Foraging ChallengesIndependence and interdependence in collective decision making: an agent-based model of nest-site choice by honeybee swarms | National Center for Biotechnology Information That "Old Book Smell" Is a Mix of Grass and Vanilla | Smithsonian.com Click here to follow along with a written transcript of this episode (and share clips with your friends).

Achieving goals can be difficult, but that may be because you're setting the wrong goals in the first place. That's why happiness expert and executive coach Stella Grizont returns to the Curiosity Podcast to discuss how to set the right goals and how to overcome the challenges of sticking to them.  More reading from Curiosity: Being Too Busy May Be Killing Your Creativity The Sunk Cost Fallacy Keeps You From Cutting Your Losses This Is the Healthiest Number of Cups of Coffee to Drink Per Day The Psychology of Happiness | Curiosity Podcast Episode 5 Additional resources discussed: The Vision Generator (free worksheet from Stella Grizont) Dopamine Functions | News-Medical.net Dopamine regulates the motivation to act, study shows | ScienceDaily Goal Progress and Happiness | Psychology Today A CONVERSATION WITH Daniel Kahneman; On Profit, Loss and the Mysteries of the Mind | The New York Times Overcoming an Aversion to Loss | The New York Times The Psychology of Sunk Cost | Ohio University WOOPAAH (Stella Grizont is Founder and CEO) @StellaGrizont on Twitter The Surprisingly Recent Time Period when Boys Wore Pink, Girls Wore Blue, and Both Wore Dresses | TodayIFoundOut.com No Girls Allowed | Polygon

Humans eat just like every other living creature. Have you ever wondered what drives us to binge eat, or spend too much time at the grocery store? And how does the food we eat impact us emotionally? We talk to Dr. Rachel Herz, author of "Why You Eat What You Eat: The Science Behind Our Relationship with Food," about the surprising science of food in our daily lives. Dr. Herz is a leading world expert on the psychological science of smell, and has been conducting research on olfaction, sensory perception, emotion, motivated behavior and cognition since 1990. She holds an adjunct appointment in the Department of Psychiatry and Human Behavior and sometimes teaches in the Department of Cognitive, Linguistic and Psychological Sciences at Brown University. More from Curiosity: Does Tapping A Soda Can Keep It From Exploding? Can Hot Water Can Freeze Faster Than Cold Water? Additional resources discussed: "Why You Eat What You Eat: The Science Behind Our Relationship with Food" Dr. Rachel Herz website (RachelHerz.com) Dr. Rachel Herz faculty bio (Brown University) Diet beverage drinkers compensate by eating unhealthy food, study finds (Science Daily) U.S. News Best Diets: How We Rated 40 Eating Plans (U.S. News & World Report) Think organic food is better for you, animals, and the planet? Think again (The Telegraph) Does organic farming reduce environmental impacts? – A meta-analysis of European research (ScienceDirect) Are Organic Foods Safer or Healthier Than Conventional Alternatives?: A Systematic Review (American College of Physicians) Conventional and organic foods: A comparison focused on animal products (Cogent) Grapefruit And Salt: The Science Behind This Unlikely Power Couple (NPR)

Language encapsulates every part of a culture, from its history of ideas to the way its speakers perceive reality itself. And according to linguistics expert Arika Okrent, author of "In the Land of Invented Languages," even "made-up" languages like Klingon and Esperanto serve an important purpose. She joins the Curiosity Podcast to discuss the field of linguistics and why we say what we say. In addition to her first-level certification in Klingon, Arika Okrent's education includes an M.A. in Linguistics from Gallaudet, the world's only university for the deaf, and a joint PhD from the Department of Linguistics and the Department of Psychology's Cognition and Cognitive Neuroscience Program at the University of Chicago.  More from Curiosity: ISS Astronauts Speak In A "Space Creole" Called Runglish Esperanto Is the World's Universal Language The Language You Speak Changes Your Perception Of Time—Literally It's Surprisingly Easy To Plant False Memories The Norman Conquest Is Why Steak Is "Beef" and Not "Cow" The Shocking Socioeconomic Word Gap Additional resources discussed: "In the Land of Invented Languages: Esperanto Rock Stars, Klingon Poets, Loglan Lovers, and the Mad Dreamers Who Tried to Build A Perfect Language" Arika Okrent's website Lingua Francas, Pidgins, and Creoles Development and Use of the Klingon Language "J.R.R. Tolkien: A Descriptive Bibliography" "The Return of the Shadow: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part One (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 6)" "The Treason of Isengard: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part Two (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 7)" "The War of the Ring: The History of The Lord of the Rings, Part Three (The History of Middle-Earth, Vol. 8)" The Klingon Language Institute's annual conference, qep'a' The Whorfian time warp: Representing duration through the language hourglass The Whites of Our Eyes (New York Times) Qapla'

On this special episode of the Curiosity Podcast, we celebrate the end of our show's first year with a look back at some of the stories you never got to hear. You'll hear stories and lessons from past guests that we didn't get to share the first time around! Plus, hosts Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer let their hair down and give you an inside look at how the show is produced. It's a refreshing (and very entertaining) look back at 2017 and forward towards the future of the Curiosity Podcast! Among other surprising facts and stories you'll hear, this episode features: Bryan Davis, founder and owner of Lost Spirits Distillery, telling a fascinating story about the international alcohol industry (with a hilarious history lesson on the side). Dr. Alan Hirsch of the Smell and Taste Treatment and Research Foundation dropping some knowledge about how your sense of smell is linked to your memory and more.  Handwriting analyst Dale Roberts swapping stories with Cody about the surprising world of hand modeling. Dr. Sam Sternberg, CRISPR-Cas9 gene editing expert, discussing classical music and finding some surprising things in common with both Cody and Ashley. Some behind-the-scenes fun that could change the way you think about the Curiosity Podcast. Plus, hear a quick lesson in communicating from our most popular episode to date. Click here to follow along with a written transcript of this episode (and share clips with your friends). More from Curiosity: Official Curiosity Merchandise | Don't Forget to be Awesome Smells Trigger Vivid Memories Because Of How Your Brain Is Wired The Atom Diagram "Monkey to Man" Evolution Diagram 2018 Curiosity Calendar More Curiosity Podcasts from this episode's guests: Teaching Yourself The History, Chemistry, And Business of Spirits (Bryan Davis) How Your Sense Of Smell Is Like A Superpower (Dr. Alan Hirsch) What Does Your Handwriting Say About Your Personality? (Dale Roberts) Customizing the Human Race with CRISPR-Cas9 Genome Editing Technology (Dr. Sam Sternberg) Communicate Like A Mind Reader (Jonathan Pritchard)

Curiosity is pretty important. And in this episode of the Curiosity Podcast, Anna Starkey, creative director of top UK interactive science center We The Curious, explains why she believes curiosity will allow humanity to survive and thrive in the 21st century. A curious person herself, Anna Starkey's areas of experience include live television production, comedy writing, classical music and live arts events, physics and neuroscience, and children's animation. Hear her discuss different types of curiosity, connections between curiosity, memory, and learning, and how to encourage a culture of curiosity. Plus, learn how Curiosity Podcast listeners can get $30 off your first week of HelloFresh using promo code CURIOSITY30. Click here to follow along with a written transcript of this episode (and share clips with your friends). More from Curiosity: For $30 off your first week of HelloFresh, enter promo code CURIOSITY30 Curiosity Makes Your Brain Happy The Colossus Penguin Additional resources discussed: We The Curious Anna Starkey's website Follow Anna Starkey on Twitter @annastarkey Do schools kill creativity? | Sir Ken Robinson TED Talk Bring on the learning revolution! | Sir Ken Robinson TED Talk How to escape education's death valley | Sir Ken Robinson TED Talk To learn more about this topic and many others, check out Curiosity.com, download our 5-star iOS or Android app, and join the conversation on Facebook and Twitter. Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play Music, and everywhere else podcasts are found so you don't miss an episode!