Learn how swapping bodies with our pals can alter the way we view ourselves, why California’s redwoods have been able to survive relentless wildfires, and the real reason there are colorful bumps on the sidewalk. (If this episode sounds familiar, congratulations! You got the episode that escaped a week ago. Oops! This one is cleaned up and ready for prime-time.)

Learn about why you have tiny rocks in your ears; why the self-congruity effect of music says you may prefer music by artists who have a similar personality to you; and how chemotherapy began as a chemical weapon.

Learn about how culture plays a role in feeling sick; that time scientists measured all the light in the known universe; and what Jurassic Park got wrong about the Dilophosaurus, that venomous dinosaur with the frilly collar.

Learn about how saying no to kids makes them more resourceful and why humans aren’t the only animals capable of deception. We’ll also answer a listener question about whether rocket stages ever hit ships in the ocean, with a little help from Cody Chambers at NASA's Kennedy Space Center.

To celebrate Shark Week, learn about why people are afraid of sharks; how scientists discovered four new species of “walking” sharks (also called epaulette sharks); and how enhanced rock weathering might help us fight climate change with rocks.

Learn about why life is based on carbon and not silicon, whether you should be using plastic or wood cutting boards, and how jealous feelings can help maintain friendships.

Learn about the Luhn algorithm (the genius math behind credit card numbers) and how parents’ brains synchronize when they’re together. Then, play along at home and test your podcast knowledge with this month’s Curiosity Challenge trivia game.

Learn the surprising reason why religious people tend to have more children; why sea turtles are actually pretty clumsy navigators; and where astronomers found the center of our solar system (spoiler alert: it’s not the center of our sun).

Learn about how scientists discovered that Venus flytraps can store short-term “memories,” why you shouldn't use real-time updates when waiting for the bus, and how epigenetics can make your DNA change within your lifetime.

Neil Shubin is back to talk about the viruses lurking in your DNA. You’ll also learn about whether it’s true that turkeys are so dumb that they drown in rainstorms, and why domineering people don't rise through the ranks any faster.

Learn about the “superhabitable” planets that may have conditions better for life than Earth. Then, biologist and best-selling author Neil Shubin will explain a common misconception about how animals evolve.

Learn about how to avoid the too-familiar trap of mental accounting, the story of when a glitchy instrument led to evidence for the Big Bang, and the real science behind how to make cut flowers last longer.

Learn about how a ghosted email causes different stress than a rude response does, the 15-year grudge match between rival dino hunters known as The Bone Wars, and crown shyness, the forest’s version of social distancing.

Learn about a nearly mile-long trackway of fossilized human footprints is the longest ever found, a trick to keep experiences feeling fresh and new, and the more you wish for self-control, the less of It you have.

Forrest Galante, host of “Extinct or Alive” on Animal Planet, explains why sharks are so important to their ecosystems. You’ll also learn about giant prehistoric sea scorpions called Eurypterids who used to rule the sea and how cats affect online dating.