Curiosity Daily Podcast: The Sinister Darkness Factor Trait, Why Pluto’s Definition Matters, and World Record Pumpkins

Learn about a personality trait called the D Factor that might be behind all the evil in the world; why the Pluto planet debate just won’t go away; and how much time it takes to grow giant, prize-worthy pumpkins.

October 18, 2018

Episode Show Notes:

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:

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

How to Save Humanity from Extinction

Here are some goals we need to achieve if we want to reach our 500,000th birthday as a species.

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: 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: Flirting Cats, Walking Sharks, Preventing Cerebral Palsy

We discuss a new app that can translate a cat’s meow into human languages, how the Epaulette shark is teaching us about climate change, and a potential treatment that might prevent cerebral palsy.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Geckos & Skin Cancer, Music in Childhood, Underwater Camera

Today we discuss the connection between skin cancer and a leopard gecko named Mr. Frosty, how playing a musical instrument in childhood can affect brain function as we age, and how a new underwater camera can help us explore previously-unseen parts of the ocean.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Saturn’s Hexagon Hurricane, Planned Obsolescence, and Kaizen for Continuous Improvement

Learn about a hexagon-shaped hurricane on Saturn; a Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement; and why products are only built to last for a few years.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Why Uranus Is Sideways, What Blinking Means, and “The Blood Countess”

Learn about why blinking communicates a lot more than you probably thought; why astronomers think Uranus is tipped over; and the story of "The Blood Countess," a female murderer who may have inspired Bram Stoker’s Dracula.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Pink Noise Sleep Hack, Saturn’s Moon Dione Habitability, and Giving Versus Receiving Advice

Learn why scientists think Saturn’s moon Dione might be habitable; why new research shows that giving advice is better than receiving it; and how to get a deeper sleep and boost your memory by listening to “pink noise.”

Curiosity Daily Podcast: NASA’s New Planet-Hunting Telescope, the Light Triad, and Where You Spend Your Time

Learn about where NASA’s new planet-hunting telescope is looking for life first; the number of places where people spend most of their time; and, the new “Light Triad” of personality traits.

Related To: