Curiosity Daily Podcast: Talkers Are Leaders, DNA Evidence Myth, Thinking Sans Brain

Learn about a key trait in group leaders; why DNA evidence is overrated; and a brainless slime mold that can “think.”

August 30, 2021

Episode Show Notes:

The "babble hypothesis" of leadership says people who talk more are seen as leaders by Steffie Drucker

Dolan, E. W. (2021, July 17). New study finds people who speak more are more likely to be viewed as leaders. PsyPost; PsyPost. https://www.psypost.org/2021/07/new-study-finds-people-who-speak-more-are-more-likely-to-be-viewed-as-leaders-61540
MacLaren, N. G., Yammarino, F. J., Dionne, S. D., Sayama, H., Mumford, M. D., Connelly, S., Martin, R. W., Mulhearn, T. J., Todd, E. M., Kulkarni, A., Cao, Y., & Ruark, G. A. (2020). Testing the babble hypothesis: Speaking time predicts leader emergence in small groups. The Leadership Quarterly, 31(5), 101409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2020.101409

Contrary To Popular Belief, DNA Evidence Is Far From Perfect by Ashley Hamer

Shermer, M. (2015). Forensic Pseudoscience. Scientific American, 313(3), 95–95. https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0915-95
Shaer, M. (2016, May 17). The Atlantic. The Atlantic; theatlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/06/a-reasonable-doubt/480747/
‌Dolan, M. (2019, January 29). The danger of DNA: It isn’t perfect. Chicagotribune.com; Chicago Tribune. https://www.chicagotribune.com/la-me-dna26-2008dec26-story.html

There's a brainless slime mold that can do things often associated with thinking by Cameron Duke

Greenberg, A. (2020, September 21). Eight smart things slime molds can do without a brain. Pbs.org; Nova. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/slime-mold-smart-brainless-cognition/
Murugan, N. J., Kaltman, D. H., Jin, P. H., Chien, M., Martinez, R., Nguyen, C. Q., Kane, A., Novak, R., Ingber, D. E., & Levin, M. (2021). Mechanosensation Mediates Long‐Range Spatial Decision‐Making in an Aneural Organism. Advanced Materials, 2008161. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202008161
Thinking without a brain. (2021, July 15). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/762793

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