Curiosity Daily Podcast: Why the US Military Made Shark Repellant, Why Moths Are Drawn to Lights, and the Difference Between Mummies and Fossils

To wrap up our Shark Week coverage, learn about why the US military tried to develop "Shark Chaser" shark repellent during World War II. Then, learn about the leading theories explaining why moths are drawn to lights; and the difference between mummies and fossils.

August 14, 2020

Episode Show Notes:

Get even more from Shark Week 2020 on Discovery’s Daily Bite Podcast: https://www.discovery.com/shark-week/everything-you-need-to-know-about-the-daily-bite-podcast

During WWII, the US military tried to develop shark repellant by Cameron Duke

We still don't know why moths are drawn to lights by Grant Currin

What's the difference between a mummy and a fossil? by Ashley Hamer (Listener question from Luke)

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

Next Up

The Oldest Complete Fish Fossil was Discovered Thanks to Kung Fu

Back in 2019, three Chinese paleontologists were playfighting during a break from working in the Chongqing Province, China. One was kung-fu kicked into a rocky outcrop, causing rubble to tumble down and exposing an opening in the rock face. Inside, a spectacular fossil lay undisturbed, preserved for millions of years.

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: 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: 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: 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.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: VR & Transcendence, Stonehenge Calendar, Pregnant With Covid

We discuss how VR is as effective as psychedelics at helping people reach transcendence, whether Stonehenge may have been an ancient calendar, and how COVID-19 has affected women in late pregnancy.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Magic Addiction Fix, Parkinson’s Detection, Wind Turbines

Today we talk about how psilocybin from magic mushrooms can help those struggling with alcohol addiction, a new device that can detect Parkinson’s disease from breathing patterns, and how we can recycle wind turbines.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Bee Venom Kills Cancer, Giant Manatees, Monkey Masturbation

Our stories today discuss how bee venom can potentially help fight cancer, the history of manatees, and recent discoveries in how monkeys use tools.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Dating App Data, Mass Frog Grave, Cure for Colorblind

Let’s talk about how dating apps stress us out, the discovery of a massive ancient frog grave, and how gene therapy can potentially cure colorblindness.

Related To: