Curiosity Daily Podcast: Real-Life Zombification (w/ author Matt Simon), Most Annoying Sounds, and Leaders Who Are Too Smart

Matt Simon, author of “Plight of the Living Dead,” discusses real-life zombification in nature. Plus, learn about the most annoying sounds ever, according to research, and why leaders who are too smart are actually less effective.

November 01, 2018

Episode Show Notes:

In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com — plus learn about real-life zombification from “Plight of the Living Dead” author Matt Simon — to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:

More from Matt Simon:

Please tell us about yourself and help us improve the show by taking our listener survey! https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/curiosity-listener-survey

If you love our show and you're interested in hearing full-length interviews, then please consider supporting us on Patreon. You'll get exclusive episodes and access to our archives as soon as you become a Patron!

Learn about these topics and more on Curiosity.com, and download our 5-star app for Android and iOS. Then, join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Plus: Amazon smart speaker users, enable our Alexa Flash Briefing to learn something new in just a few minutes every day!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next Up

Curiosity Daily Podcast: How Life Expectancy Doubled in Just 150 Years (w/ Author Steven Johnson)

Learn how we doubled life expectancy in the last 150 years. Plus: “impossible” quasicrystals formed from nuclear bombs.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: 5 Steps to Hitting Work-Life Balance

Learn about a 5-step process for finding work-life balance; photosynthetic bacteria that have never seen the sun; and why researchers build a digital model of the ancient Greek Antikythera mechanism: the first known analog computer.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Why Is Life Based on Carbon and Not Silicon?

Learn about why life is based on carbon and not silicon, whether you should be using plastic or wood cutting boards, and how jealous feelings can help maintain friendships.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Parsecs, the Difference Between Weather and Climate, and Scandinavian Life Philosophies

Learn about the difference between weather and climate; how astronomers actually use parsecs to measure distances; and some Scandinavian life philosophies that could make you happier.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Superbugs and Antibiotic Resistance (w/ Dr. Matt McCarthy) and Third-Person Pep Talks

Learn why talking to yourself in the third person can help you keep your emotions in check. Then, learn about “superbugs” (and why we need to stop them) with Dr. Matt McCarthy, author of the new book “Superbugs: The Race to Stop an Epidemic.”

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Developing Drugs to Fight Superbugs (w/ Dr. Matt McCarthy) and What Dark Mode Does

Learn about whether dark mode really is easier on your eyes, according to research. Then, learn about how new antibiotics are being developed with Dr. Matt McCarthy, author of the new book “Superbugs: The Race to Stop an Epidemic.”

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Weight Changes in Different Places, How Shoelaces Come Untied, and Longer Life Mentality

Learn about why you don’t weigh the same everywhere on Earth; the personality traits shared by people who live past 90; and how researchers figured out how shoelaces come untied.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: If Life Existed on Mars, How Would We Know?

Learn about how atheists and believers have different moral compasses; how scientists will know if life ever existed on Mars; and how to persuade people to do what you want using the foot-in-the-door technique.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Life After Life Hacking (w/ Professor Joseph M. Reagle, Jr.) and White Hole Science

Learn about what happens after your life is "fully optimized" from a special guest: Professor Joseph M. Reagle Jr., author of the new book “Hacking Life: Systematized Living and Its Discontents.” You’ll also learn why white holes could explain some of the universe’s most unexplainable characteristics — at least, if they exist.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Relationship Attachment Styles, Why Flamingo Beaks Look Weird, and Finding Life’s Purpose with Ikigai

In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: