Curiosity Weekly

Bats aren’t just symbols of darkness and evil, they are incredible creatures that are unique among mammals. Just ask our guest, evolutionary biologist and bat expert, Dr. Dan Riskin. This episode, he talks about why bats are some of the most fascinating animals on the planet and how they got their dark reputation.

Before that, host Dr. Samantha Yammine looks into the recently-published map of a fruit fly nervous system and debunks some neurology myths surrounding its usage. Later, she explores how researchers are attempting to make a pill that gives you the benefits of exercise without any of the actual exercise.

Link to Show Notes HERE

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter withhttps://twitter.com/producercodyDr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. Terms apply.

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We encourage you to check out It Turns Out, a podcast hosted by award-winning journalist Kara Miller that explores surprising research and the big questions behind how our world really works.

We hope you enjoy it as much as we do!

Halloween is almost here! And we are leaning in. This episode, host Dr. Samantha Yammine goes all in on fear, death, and rebirth to celebrate spooky season. First, she looks into a new study that sheds light on how our brains interpret threats that lead to a fear response.

Then, she speaks with the co-founder of the Institute of Human Anatomy, Jonathan Bennion. They talk about what we can learn from bodies that have been donated to science and what it’s like to run a private cadaver lab. And finally, Sam explores research on an animal that doesn’t just regenerate itself, it ages backwards while doing so.

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Link to Show Notes HERE

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter withhttps://twitter.com/producercodyDr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. Terms apply.

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According to neuroscientist Dr. Jamie Ward, everyone knows someone with synesthesia. It’s an under-discussed form of neurodiversity that blends the senses and creates a unique way of perceiving the world. This episode, Dr. Ward joins host Dr. Samantha Yammine to chat about what is going on in the brain of someone with this condition and what it teaches us about the brain in general. Before that, Sam looks into a new study that uses the smell of breath to see how well the gut breaks down medications. Later, she breaks down research showing the link between eating and memory formation.

Link to Show Notes HERE

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter withhttps://twitter.com/producercodyDr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. Terms apply.

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English being the common language in scientific research has its pros and cons. Scientists can collaborate easier and research can become more accessible, but what do we lose in that process? And what role does AI play? To discuss the complexities of scientific translation, Dr. Samantha Yammine is joined by Dr. Lynn Bowker. Dr. Bowker is a Canada Research Chair in Translation, Technologies, and Society at Université Laval.

Sam also explores how a new mRNA vaccine is using AI to keep skin cancer from reccuring and a study measuring how guilty people feel when they’re relaxing.

Link to Show Notes HERE

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter withhttps://twitter.com/producercodyDr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. Terms apply.

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Like it or not, food safety is something that people often bend the rules on. We leave leftovers on the counter too long, we use the five second rule, or maybe we don’t wash our veggies as well as we should. Today, it’s more important than ever to make sure that we can trust the food we’re eating and know how to take care of it properly so that we don’t get sick. To discuss the science of food safety, Dr. Samantha Yammine is joined by food scientist and content creator @hydroxide.foodscience. Before that, Sam looks into a new paper that says humans are starting to talk less and later, a study digs into an enzyme that can supposedly shred cancer cells.

Link to Show Notes HERE

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter withhttps://twitter.com/producercodyDr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. Terms apply.

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Reproduction is the basis for life and yet, for many, it’s still a mystery. This episode, Dr. Samantha Yammine is joined by author and gynecologist Dr. Karen Tang to discuss the rumors, misconceptions, and realities of reproductive health. Before that, Sam explains why scientists were surprised to hear jaguars meow for the first time. Later, she’ll dig into some new research that suggests there may be a cure for paralytic shellfish poisoning in the body of a bullfrog.

Link to Show Notes HERE

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter withhttps://twitter.com/producercodyDr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. Terms apply.

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When someone goes into a coma or vegetative state, it is only natural for their doctors and loved ones to try to understand their level of awareness of the world around them. But, every patient is different and it’s not as simple as it looks in the movies. This episode, Dr. Samantha Yammine is joined by a noted expert in the field of covert consciousness, Dr. Adrian Owen. They discuss his work on how the brain perceives the world from an unconscious state. Sam also looks into new research that solves a years-old puzzle about the physics of sprinklers and a study that is trying to give our brains the benefit of sleep without sleeping at all.

Link to Show Notes HERE

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter withhttps://twitter.com/producercodyDr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. Terms apply.

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Microgravity causes a ton of changes in the human body and there’s been a lot of research showing how these changes affect astronauts. One bodily function that hasn’t been studied during an active space mission? Menstruation. This episode, Dr. Samantha Yammine is joined by Manju Bangalore, an astronaut-in-training and reproductive scientist aiming to research how the human body menstruates while in microgravity.

But there’s other space news in the science world so before that, Sam explores what it will take for NASA to build a nuclear reactor on the moon. Later, she looks into how some asteroids contain the raw ingredients for DNA and RNA.

Link to Show Notes HERE

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter withhttps://twitter.com/producercodyDr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. Terms apply.

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There’s a misconception that feeling deep emotions is a personality trait, rather than a neurological phenomenon. A lot of the time, it’s nature, not nurture that causes heightened emotional sensitivity. This episode, Dr. Samantha Yammine is joined by Dr. Sasha Hamdani, a board-certified psychiatrist and author of Too Sensitive: Rejection, Resilience, and the Science of Feeling Deeply. They discuss how the brain processes emotions and why some people feel their emotions more intensely than others. Sam also looks into some drama between mathematicians and OpenAI and a new study that reveals something bizarrely universal about the human race.

Link to Show Notes HERE

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter withhttps://twitter.com/producercodyDr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. Terms apply.

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Most people are right-handed. So this episode, we are celebrating International Left-Handers Day to honor the 10% of the population that are left-handed. To discuss the unique elements of the left-hand brain, host Dr. Samantha Yammine speaks with clinical neuropsychologist Dr. David Carey. She also dives into the question of why so many people are right-handed and later, she explores a study that shows how to figure out which paw preference your dog has.

Link to Show Notes HERE

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter withhttps://twitter.com/producercodyDr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. Terms apply.

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It’s been 57 years since humans first landed on the moon and there are a lot of ways that space travel has evolved since then. One of the major differences is that we now support and give credit to the families supporting the astronauts behind the scenes. Here to discuss how those communities shaped the Apollo Era and how we’ve learned to better support astronaut families is sociologist Dr. Tracy Scott. Dr. Scott runs the Moonshot Era Project and is the daughter of Apollo 15 commander David Scott.

Before that, host Dr. Samantha Yammine digs into a study that reveals the first evidence of dental work among neanderthals. And later, a new paper suggests that you may be able to make up for lost sleep more efficiently than we thought.

Link to Show Notes HERE

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter withhttps://twitter.com/producercodyDr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. Terms apply.

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Researching apex predators often means putting yourself in situations that are mind-boggling to the average person. Our guest, Rosie Moore, is no stranger to this. She’s found herself lost at sea researching bull sharks, waist deep the Everglades trying to find Burmese pythons, and in shark-infested waters right after an attack.

This episode, she talks to host Dr. Samantha Yammine about her research. They discuss Rosie’s experience on Shark Week, how to use forensics to analyze a shark attack, and the role of citizen science in understanding sharks.

Before that, Sam looks into a new study that alleges cats are more selfish than dogs (and people). And later, there’s evidence in a study that reveals how to keep mosquitoes from sticking around once summer ends.

If you want to learn more about sharks, be sure to check out Shark Week 2026, only on Discovery.

Link to Show Notes HERE

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter withhttps://twitter.com/producercodyDr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. Terms apply.

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It’s that time of year again… #SharkWeek starts July 26 on Discovery and HBO Max. To celebrate, Dr. Samantha Yammine is joined by renowned shark behavior expert and Shark Week star, Dr. Tristan Guttridge. The two talk all things sharks; from their social dynamics to their genetics to their migration patterns and beyond.

Before that, Sam looks at a study that explores how ocean acidification corrodes shark teeth. Later, new research is causing conversation about whether or not we’re classifying sharks the right way and reveals how some of their key traits evolved over millions of years.

Link to Show Notes HERE

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter withhttps://twitter.com/producercodyDr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. Terms apply.

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There is some recent research that’s testing out cancer treatments that can utilize the power of our immune systems to attack cancer cells. It’s called CAR T-cell therapy and it involves programming immune cells to target and attack cancer in the body. Here to explain more is Dr. Shreya Shukla, a biomedical engineer specializing in this treatment. But first, host Dr. Samantha Yammine will separate hype from fact when it comes to one of the internet’s most recent fixations: peptides. Later, Sam digs into a study trying to figure out how pigeons find their way home on a cloudy day.

Link to Show Notes HERE

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter withhttps://twitter.com/producercodyDr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. Terms apply.

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Everybody experiences feelings of the old green-eyed monster now and again, but for such a common mental state, there’s a surprising lack of scientific research about it. This episode, Dr. Samantha Yammine speaks with author Dr. Jennifer Bevan about her research on jealousy and how we communicate it to others. Before that, Sam digs into the latest sunscreen ingredient approved by the FDA and what that means for our skin. Later, a new study explores how our balance is affected as we age and what that means for preventing falls among the elderly.

Link to Show Notes HERE

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter withhttps://twitter.com/producercodyDr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. Terms apply.

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Understanding animal communication has always seemed out of reach, but as technology advances, it might be more possible than ever before. Project CETI is an organization aimed at translating the language of sperm whales. This episode, Dr. Samantha Yammine is joined by Dr. David Gruber– the founder and CEO of Project CETI– to discuss how and why his team is translating whale conversations. Before that, Sam looks into the discovery of a new octopus species and later, she explores a new study that describes a new treatment for lowering cholesterol.

Link to Show Notes HERE

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter withhttps://twitter.com/producercodyDr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. Terms apply.

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The universe is expanding and the people of Earth want to know more! The Nancy Grace Roman Telescope is set to launch sometime in 2026 which will bring about some answers when it comes to understanding dark energy and how it stretches the universe. Here to discuss this groundbreaking project is Swapna Krishna, a science journalist who specializes in all things space. Before that, Sam will look into how mathematicians were able to (almost) calculate pi using Minecraft and later, she’ll discuss how mental health questionnaires might need some updating.

Link to Show Notes HERE

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter withhttps://twitter.com/producercodyDr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. Terms apply.

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In this episode, host Dr. Samantha Yammine is asking a hard-hitting question: why are scientists giving salmon cocaine? Well, it turns out that the reasoning has less to do with throwing a fish rave and more to do with understanding how chemical pollutants affect animals living in our waterways. Sam is joined by study author Dr. Jack Brand to get further insight and talk about what exactly happens to salmon when they’re exposed to human drugs.

Before that, she’ll discuss a new study that explains how stress messes with the way our brains make connections. And later, Sam digs into why PCOS has been officially renamed PMOS and what that means for people who suffer from the condition moving forward.

Link to Show Notes HERE

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter withhttps://twitter.com/producercodyDr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. Terms apply.

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Science and art have always intersected but are still thought of as separate and opposing disciplines. This week, to talk about how the two concepts converge and how they benefit one another, host Dr. Samantha Yammine is joined by interdisciplinary artist Kindra Crick. Sam also investigates a very interesting finding about a previously unseen remora behavior as well as a study that looks into why there are so few cases of cancer in the heart.

Link to Show Notes HERE

Follow Curiosity Weekly on your favorite podcast app to get smarter withhttps://twitter.com/producercodyDr. Samantha Yammine — for free! Still curious? Get science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. Terms apply.

Hosted on Acast. See https://acast.com/privacy for more information.