Curiosity Daily Podcast: Monks Meditating After Death and a Marathoning Woolly Mammoth

Learn about the mystery of how Tibetan monks seem to keep meditating after death; and a woolly mammoth that walked VERY far.

September 21, 2021

Episode Show Notes:

Thukdam Project scientists still stumped over how deceased Tibetan monks continue to meditate after death by Grant Currin

  • Berman, R. (2021, August 5). The strange case of the dead-but-not-dead Tibetan monks. Big Think; Big Think. https://bigthink.com/surprising-science/thukdam-study
  • ‌Burke, D. (2021, July 28). Inside the First-Ever Scientific Study of Post-Mortem Meditation. Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. https://tricycle.org/trikedaily/thukdam-project/
  • ‌Lott, D. T., Yeshi, T., Norchung, N., Dolma, S., Tsering, N., Jinpa, N., Woser, T., Dorjee, K., Desel, T., Fitch, D., Finley, A. J., Goldman, R., Bernal, A. M. O., Ragazzi, R., Aroor, K., Koger, J., Francis, A., Perlman, D. M., Wielgosz, J., & Bachhuber, D. R. W. (2021). No Detectable Electroencephalographic Activity After Clinical Declaration of Death Among Tibetan Buddhist Meditators in Apparent Tukdam, a Putative Postmortem Meditation State. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.599190

Researchers found a Pleistocene era woolly mammoth that walked far enough to circle the Earth…twice by Cameron Duke

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next Up

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Hacking Device, Designer Seaweed, Accent Exposure

We discuss the latest in phone hacking technology, how aquaculture may be able to help the global food crisis, and how engaging with people who speak in a foreign accent may help us retain language.

Curiosity Daily Podcast:The Myth of Man Flu, Arctic Lakes, Buzzing Bats

Let’s talk about whether “man flu” is fact or fiction, how the Arctic lakes just threw a curveball at our climate change projections, and the genius new way bats are tricking their predators.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Reverse Aging, Cooperation Increase, Time & Covid

Today we explore a potential scientific fountain of youth, how cooperation among strangers has, contrary to popular belief, actually increased in recent years, and how the pandemic has caused the perception of time distortion.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Magic Addiction Fix, Parkinson’s Detection, Wind Turbines

Today we talk about how psilocybin from magic mushrooms can help those struggling with alcohol addiction, a new device that can detect Parkinson’s disease from breathing patterns, and how we can recycle wind turbines.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: VR & Transcendence, Stonehenge Calendar, Pregnant With Covid

We discuss how VR is as effective as psychedelics at helping people reach transcendence, whether Stonehenge may have been an ancient calendar, and how COVID-19 has affected women in late pregnancy.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Bee Venom Kills Cancer, Giant Manatees, Monkey Masturbation

Our stories today discuss how bee venom can potentially help fight cancer, the history of manatees, and recent discoveries in how monkeys use tools.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Dating App Data, Mass Frog Grave, Cure for Colorblind

Let’s talk about how dating apps stress us out, the discovery of a massive ancient frog grave, and how gene therapy can potentially cure colorblindness.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Parents & Screens, BFFs Smell the Same, Locusts Find Cancer

We discuss how digital media affects parents and caregivers, how friends often have similar body odor, and the cancer-sniffing abilities of locusts.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Pee and Seagrass, Heart Sound Maps, Modified Mosquitos

Today we talk about how crystallizing human urine can help save seagrass, a new AI program that can detect early signs of heart disease, and how mosquitos can be used to vaccinate against malaria.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Online Learning, Alcohol Cravings, Manipulative Dogs

We explore how online learning affects the body, how mood affects alcohol cravings in both men and women, and how dogs have evolved to manipulate us.