Learn about how to avoid conflict at family meals, and why high heels were originally meant for men. Plus, get some tips on how to host and be a polite guest from etiquette expert Jihan Murray-Smith — just in time for the holidays!

Learn about what starquakes can tell us about our universe; why quitting is underrated; and the truth behind some of the most-Googled scientific misconceptions.

Learn about how social connection may be as basic of a human need as hunger; the ongoing scientific debate around how ice skating actually works; and the Uberman sleep cycle, a polyphasic sleep schedule that was allegedly used by Leonardo da Vinci and Nikola Tesla.

Learn about why Wolf-Rayet stars are the brightest stars in the sky; why immune cells in your brain may have started out in your gut; and the history of why we can thank Grace Hopper for calling computer glitches “bugs.”

The mind-body connection is stronger than you think.

Learn about how the universe’s rate of expansion could change our understanding of physics; how the saliva in your body changes to enjoy bitter flavors; and the biggest factors that determine how much you pay for a flight, along with some tips on finding the cheapest airplane tickets.

Learn about how researchers could tap into a tardigrade superpower to protect medicines and vaccines; the Ithaa Undersea Restaurant in the Maldives where you can dine with the fishes; and whether “breaking the seal” is a real thing when you’re drinking.

Learn why fish never quit wiggling; how a donut-shaped planet is technically possible; what researchers have learned from “S.M.,” the woman who can’t feel fear; and why you can touch aluminum foil in a hot oven.

Learn about new research into how social anxiety works in the brain; how scientists developed the first synthetic self-replicating genome; and the adorable sounds penguins make underwater.

Learn about a robotic “third thumb”; how measuring time increases entropy; and how to distinguish friends from foes.

Learn about why the Big Five personality traits may not be reliable in developing countries; why Brazil's Ilha da Queimada Grande island is full of outrageously venomous snakes; and why wounds in your mouth heal so quickly.

Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you learn something new in just a few minutes:

Learn about why people protest and riot, according to social psychology; and how scientists stimulated the brains of blind people to make them “see” shapes. Then, test your knowledge with this month’s edition of the Curiosity Challenge.

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.

Learn about the time pirates stopped the US from switching to the metric system; and new learnings about Mars’ interior.