1321149928

Photo by: Hafsteinn Karlsson / 500px

Hafsteinn Karlsson / 500px

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Volcanic Violence, a Salt & Battery, Crustacean Conspiracy

Today, you’ll learn about a massively mysterious volcanic explosion that literally sent shockwaves around the world, how salty batteries are set to sweeten the competition in the energy storage industry, and how scientists have no idea why animals keep evolving into crabs.

April 07, 2022

Episode show notes:

A volcanic eruption off the coast of Tonga affected the entire world.

Scientists are Racing to Understand the Fury of Tonga’s Volcano by Robin Andrews

Tonga Shrouded by Ash and Mystery After Powerful Volcano Erupts By Natasha Frost, Mitra Taj and Eric Nagourney

Experts explain why Tonga eruption was so big by Nick Perry

Why the Tongan eruption will go in the history of volcanology by Alexandra Witze

NASA scientists estimate Tonga blast at 10 megatons by Geoff Brumfiel

Will sodium-based batteries be the future of electronics?

Facts about Sodium by Stephanie Pappas

Sodium - Chemical Element by The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica

A Brief History of Salt by Time Staff

Sodium Batteries May Power Your New Electric Car by Gregory Barber

Sodium batteries are one step closer to saving you from a mobile phone fire by Robert F. Service

Why do animals keep evolving into crabs?

Animals Keep Evolving Into Crabs, and Scientists Don’t Know Why by Ed Browne

Why everything eventually becomes a crab by Sara Kiley Watson

Animals Keep Evolving Into Crabs, Which Is Somewhat Disturbing by Caroline Delbert

Creature Feature - Haunted Beaches: The Fleet-Footed Ghost Crabs by Andrew Hosie

Coconut Crab Claw Strength Rivals Lion’s Bite, Study Shows by Landess Kearns

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free! 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.

Next Up

Mt. Shasta, California’s Mysterious Volcano, is an Enigma Waiting to be Explored

At the northernmost tip of California lies the southern end of the dramatic Cascade mountain range. And the crowning glory of the range, which ripples down through British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon, before it comes to a stunning crescendo at Mount Shasta.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Space Slingshot, Ancient Modern Pants, Lifesaving Silence

Hear about a slingshot launching payloads into space, the impressively modern-looking world’s oldest pants, and how moth wings are able to absorb sound to avoid detection from bats.

Curiosity Daily: Asteroid-eating Fungi, Psychedelic…Maybe, Printing Organs

Today, you’ll learn about mushrooms that can eat asteroids to make space soil, how our thoughts affect us as we microdose psychedelics, and efforts to 3D print organs like kidneys and lungs!

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: Murdering Murder Hornets, ADHD & Hoarding, Pain Pill Ills

Learn about how Japanese honey bees protect themselves from murder hornets, how a new link has been discovered between ADHD and hoarding disorder, and how your over-the-counter pain meds, might actually be making your pain worse!

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: Glass Rain Dinosaur Pain, Snarge Science, Human Skin Cyborg

A new archeological discovery might be from the day of the big asteroid strike that took down the dinosaurs, bird goo is helping us understand airplane accidents, and find out about the most human-like robot finger you’ve ever seen.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Undead Spiders, Dandelion Drones, Dark Energy Made Light

Researchers are making small claws out of dead spiders, dandelion seeds are inspiring scientists to mimic their distribution with small sensors to be able to better track ecological information, and the Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument is helping us create a 3D map of the universe.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: DNA & Lookalikes, Extinct Lineage Found, Alzheimer’s Viruses

Today we learn about how doppelgangers can share similar DNA, a recent discovery of a lost lineage in Indonesia, and recent advancements in finding out what causes Alzheimer’s.

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.