Curiosity Daily Podcast: Could Parasites Turn Us into Zombies?
Learn about whether parasites can turn us into zombies, why awkward silences are so awkward, and why bubbles form in boiling water.
October 23, 2020
Episode Show Notes:
Could parasites turn us into zombies? By Cameron Duke
- Ahmed, I. (2019, November). The science of zombies: Will the undead rise? Phys.Org; Phys.org. https://phys.org/news/2019-11-science-zombies-undead.html
- Blum, J., Schmid, C., & Burri, C. (2006). Clinical aspects of 2541 patients with second stage human African trypanosomiasis. Acta Tropica, 97(1), 55–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2005.08.001
- Flegr, J. (2007). Effects of Toxoplasma on Human Behavior. Schizophrenia Bulletin, 33(3), 757–760. https://doi.org/10.1093/schbul/sbl074
- McAuliffe, K. (2012, February 6). How Your Cat Is Making You Crazy. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2012/03/how-your-cat-is-making-you-crazy/308873/
- Pappas, S. (2011, October 20). Unrelenting Sex Drive May Signal Deadly Rabies. Livescience.Com; Live Science. https://www.livescience.com/16627-sex-drive-rabies-infection.html
- Thomas, B. (2015, October 29). Meet the Parasites That Control Human Brains. Discover Magazine. https://www.discovermagazine.com/planet-earth/meet-the-parasites-that-control-human-brains
The Science of Awkward Silences by Anna Todd
- Koudenburg, N., Postmes, T., & Gordijn, E. H. (2011). Disrupting the flow: How brief silences in group conversations affect social needs. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 47(2), 512–515. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2010.12.006
- Koudenburg, N., Postmes, T., & Gordijn, E. H. (2013). Resounding Silences. Social Psychology Quarterly, 76(3), 224–241. https://doi.org/10.1177/0190272513496794
Why do bubbles form in boiling water? by Ashley Hamer (Listener question from Abu)
- UCSB Science Line. (2020). Ucsb.Edu. http://scienceline.ucsb.edu/getkey.php?key=3197
- Why Does Water Bubble When It Boils? (2019, November 2). Wonderopolis.Org. https://wonderopolis.org/wonder/why-does-water-bubble-when-it-boils
- Helmenstine, A.M. (2019). Know the Chemical Composition of Bubbles in Boiling Water. ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/what-are-the-bubbles-in-boiling-water-4109061
- Breslyn, W. (2016). Boiling, Atmospheric Pressure, and Vapor Pressure [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ag4lLUXKuSM
- FAQ: Boiling and altitude/pressure. (2020). IAPWS.org. http://www.iapws.org/faq1/boil.html
Subscribe to Curiosity Daily to learn something new every day with Ashley Hamer and Natalia Reagan (filling in for Cody Gough). You can also listen to our podcast as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing; Amazon smart speakers users, click/tap “enable” here: https://www.amazon.com/Curiosity-com-Curiosity-Daily-from/dp/B07CP17DJY
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Next Up
Shark Week: The Podcast - How Smart Are Sharks?
The discussion turns this week to sharks’ intelligence, and how it varies among species. Host Luke Tipple is joined by Dr. Tristan Guttridge, a behavioral ecologist and veteran of Shark Week whose research has tackled the social smarts, and even personalities, of different kinds of sharks. He sheds light on why we shouldn’t just think of them as dumb fish with rows of razor-sharp teeth. And at the end, our researcher Sierra Kehoe tells us about shark hypnosis.
Shark Week: The Podcast - Superstar Kesha Lifts the Gag Order on Saving Sharks
Pop superstar Kesha joins Shark Week’s Luke Tipple on the podcast to discuss her love of sharks, how her music funds her addiction to diving, and how you can find inner peace while under the water. And at the end, our researcher Sierra drops in to tell us that some sharks have teeth in their eyes.
Shark Week: The Podcast - How Many Sharks Are Yet to Be Discovered?
Luke Tipple is joined by Shark Week host and all-around adventurer Forrest Galante. They discuss his upcoming special Alien Sharks: South Africa, Forrest’s remarkable talent for finding creatures once believed to be extinct, and how many shark species may still be unknown. Then, our researcher Sierra stops by to tell us about the world’s most prehistoric shark.
Shark Week: The Podcast - How To Have A Career in Shark Science
Shark Week’s Luke Tipple tackles the question “How can I work with sharks?” alongside two experts in the field – and their answers are not always the obvious ones. Luke is joined first by Kelly Link, Associate Curator of the Georgia Aquarium who talks about what it’s like to be an aquarist, how it differs from field work, and how to get yourself noticed. The second guest is Dr. Neil Hammerschlag who goes into detail on what it takes to become a prominent scientist, and what other paths you can take if a PhD isn’t for you. And at the end, researcher Sierra stops by to tell us about the world’s smallest shark.
Shark Week: The Podcast - Do Scientists Need to Kill Sharks?
Host Luke Tipple welcomes two guests to discuss how researchers can kill sharks in the name of science – and whether they need to at all. The first is Dr. Neil Hammerschlag, shark researcher and founder of Atlantic Shark Expeditions, and an expert on data-gathering in the field. He’s followed by explorer Fred Buyle, a world-record-breaking freediver whose innovative methods of shark tagging are explored. Plus, our researcher Sierra tells us about how a 50-year study changed our understanding of tiger sharks – and much of the work wasn’t even done by scientists.
Shark Week: The Podcast - How Did a Shark Encounter Survivor Become an Advocate for Their Protection?
Shark Week’s Luke Tipple welcomes professional photographer Mike Coots, who lost his leg to a tiger shark attack when he was only 18. But after his horrific injury, he came to love sharks, and became a lifelong advocate for their safety. Luke and Mike discuss his career, his love for photographing sharks, and how to positively approach the big life-changing moments that can happen to any of us.
Explore the Rugged, Remote Chaco Canyon in New Mexico
Photographer and conservationist Ian Shive photographs one of the most remote and rugged parts of the United States to take us on a journey to Chaco Canyon in New Mexico's Chaco Culture National Historical Park.
Curiosity Daily Podcast: Nobel Prize Winner Richard Thaler on How Nudge Changed the World — Plus, Squirrel-Inspired Robots
Nobel Prize-winning economist Richard Thaler explains how “Nudge” has changed the world. Plus: squirrel-inspired robots!
Curiosity Daily Podcast: Earth’s Core Growing Lopsided and the Science of Gut Feelings
Learn how to tap into your “gut feeling,” which knows more than you think it does; and why Earth's core is growing lopsided.
Curiosity Daily Podcast: Apes Say Hello, Life on Snowball Earth, Learn Twice as Fast
Learn about non-human animals that say hello and goodbye; life on Snowball Earth; and how to learn skills twice as fast.