Curiosity Daily Podcast: Why Do Wombats Poop Cubes?
Learn about a newly discovered way to cut down on intrusive thoughts; why wombats poop cubes; and why UPS trucks almost never make left turns.
January 29, 2021
Episode Show Notes:
Cut down on intrusive thoughts by getting more sleep by Kelsey Donk
- Study reveals role of sleep deprivation in unwanted thoughts. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-10/uoy-srr102020.php
- Harrington, M. O., Ashton, J. E., Sankarasubramanian, S., Anderson, M. C., & Cairney, S. A. (2020). Losing Control: Sleep Deprivation Impairs the Suppression of Unwanted Thoughts. Clinical Psychological Science, 216770262095151. https://doi.org/10.1177/2167702620951511
Why do wombats poop cubes? by Ashley Hamer (Listener question from Emmaline)
- BBC News. (2018, November 20). Wombat poop: Scientists reveal mystery behind cube-shaped droppings. BBC News; BBC News. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-46258616
- Patricia, Y. (2018). How do wombats make cubed poo? Bulletin of the American Physical Society, Volume 63, Number 13. http://meetings.aps.org/Meeting/DFD18/Session/E19.1
- Why is wombat poop cube-shaped? (2018, November 19). Animals. https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/11/wombat-poop-cube-why-is-it-square-shaped/
- How wombats make their unique cube-shaped poop. (2018, December 10). Science News for Students. https://www.sciencenewsforstudents.org/article/how-wombats-make-their-unique-cube-shaped-poop
UPS Trucks Almost Never Make Left Turns — and Maybe You Shouldn't Either by Joanie Faletto
- Kendall, G. (2017, January 20). Why UPS drivers don’t turn left and you probably shouldn’t either. The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/why-ups-drivers-dont-turn-left-and-you-probably-shouldnt-either-71432
- Jacopo Prisco. (2017, February 16). Why UPS trucks (almost) never turn left. CNN Digital; CNN World. https://www.cnn.com/2017/02/16/world/ups-trucks-no-left-turns/index.html
Subscribe to Curiosity Daily to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. You can also listen to our podcast as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing; Amazon smart speakers users, click/tap “enable” here: https://www.amazon.com/Curiosity-com-Curiosity-Daily-from/dp/B07CP17DJY
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.
Luke Tipple vs Robert ‘Fly’ Navarro on Shark Fishing Tournaments - Part 2
Sparks continue to fly in part two of Luke Tipple’s debate with author, shark fishing advocate & founder of FlyZone Fishing Robert ‘Fly’ Navarro.
Shark Week: The Podcast - Superstar Kesha Lifts the Gag Order on Saving Sharks
Pop superstar Kesha joins Shark Week’s Luke Tipple on the podcast to discuss her love of sharks, how her music funds her addiction to diving, and how you can find inner peace while under the water. And at the end, our researcher Sierra drops in to tell us that some sharks have teeth in their eyes.
Shark Week: The Podcast - How Did a Shark Encounter Survivor Become an Advocate for Their Protection?
Shark Week’s Luke Tipple welcomes professional photographer Mike Coots, who lost his leg to a tiger shark attack when he was only 18. But after his horrific injury, he came to love sharks, and became a lifelong advocate for their safety. Luke and Mike discuss his career, his love for photographing sharks, and how to positively approach the big life-changing moments that can happen to any of us.
Shark Week: The Podcast - How To Have A Career in Shark Science
Shark Week’s Luke Tipple tackles the question “How can I work with sharks?” alongside two experts in the field – and their answers are not always the obvious ones. Luke is joined first by Kelly Link, Associate Curator of the Georgia Aquarium who talks about what it’s like to be an aquarist, how it differs from field work, and how to get yourself noticed. The second guest is Dr. Neil Hammerschlag who goes into detail on what it takes to become a prominent scientist, and what other paths you can take if a PhD isn’t for you. And at the end, researcher Sierra stops by to tell us about the world’s smallest shark.
Shark Week: The Podcast - How Many Sharks Are Yet to Be Discovered?
Luke Tipple is joined by Shark Week host and all-around adventurer Forrest Galante. They discuss his upcoming special Alien Sharks: South Africa, Forrest’s remarkable talent for finding creatures once believed to be extinct, and how many shark species may still be unknown. Then, our researcher Sierra stops by to tell us about the world’s most prehistoric shark.
Shark Week: The Podcast - Do Scientists Need to Kill Sharks?
Host Luke Tipple welcomes two guests to discuss how researchers can kill sharks in the name of science – and whether they need to at all. The first is Dr. Neil Hammerschlag, shark researcher and founder of Atlantic Shark Expeditions, and an expert on data-gathering in the field. He’s followed by explorer Fred Buyle, a world-record-breaking freediver whose innovative methods of shark tagging are explored. Plus, our researcher Sierra tells us about how a 50-year study changed our understanding of tiger sharks – and much of the work wasn’t even done by scientists.
Shark Week: The Podcast - How Shark Fishing Funds Human Trafficking
Luke Tipple is joined by Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author of the Outlaw Ocean Ian Urbina, who has dedicated his life to chronicling crime on the high seas. They discuss the state of our world’s oceans, how nearly 20% of your seafood was likely caught illegally, and the surprising link between modern slavery and the killing of sharks.
Shark Week: The Podcast - What is the Status of Sharks in our Oceans?
In this season’s final episode, Luke welcomes Emmy-winning filmmaker and conservationist Shawn Heinrichs to discuss the state of sharks in the ocean. They go over how both legal and illegal fishing operations are decimating the ocean’s wildlife, what it’s like to have a hit put out on you for exposing criminal enterprises to the world, and whether or not NOAA’s data on “sustainable” fishing can really be trusted.