Learn about the worst year to be alive, according to at least one medieval historian; why you never hear about heart cancer; and why women prefer hotter showers than men do. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: Here's Why You Never Hear About Heart Cancer — https://curiosity.im/2MeZagD What Was the Worst Year to Be Alive? — https://curiosity.im/2MfNlqo There's a Scientific Reason Women Are Always Colder Than Men | Glamour — https://www.glamour.com/story/theres-a-scientific-reason-women-are-always-colder-than-men A Critical Appraisal of 98.6°F, the Upper Limit of the Normal Body Temperature, and Other Legacies of Carl Reinhold August Wunderlich | JAMA Network — https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/400116 If you love our show and you're interested in hearing full-length interviews, then please consider supporting us on Patreon. You'll get exclusive episodes and access to our archives as soon as you become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/curiositydotcom Download the FREE 5-star Curiosity app for Android and iOS at https://curiosity.im/podcast-app. And Amazon smart speaker users: you can listen to our podcast as part of your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing — just click “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing.
Learn about the worst year to be alive, according to at least one medieval historian; why you never hear about heart cancer; and why women prefer hotter showers than men do.
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:
If you love our show and you're interested in hearing full-length interviews, then please consider supporting us on Patreon. You'll get exclusive episodes and access to our archives as soon as you become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/curiositydotcom
Download the FREE 5-star Curiosity app for Android and iOS at https://curiosity.im/podcast-app. And Amazon smart speaker users: you can listen to our podcast as part of your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing — just click “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing.
Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/are-women-colder-than-men-plus-the-worst-year-to-be-alive-and-heart-cancer-rarity
CODY: Hi! We’ve got the latest and greatest from curiosity-dot-com to help you get smarter in just a few minutes. I’m Cody Gough.
ASHLEY: And I’m Ashley Hamer. Today, you’ll learn about the worst year to be alive, according to at least one medieval historian; and, why you never hear about heart cancer. We’ll also answer a listener question about why women prefer hotter showers than men do.
CODY: [ad lib] Let’s satisfy some curiosity.
What Was the Worst Year to Be Alive? — https://curiosity.im/2MfNlqo (Cody)
Do you ever feel like things are worse than they’ve ever been? Believe it or not, things have been worse. According to at least one medieval historian, the worst year ever to be alive was actually quite a while ago. And recent research has found some evidence as to what made this such a terribly tumultuous time. But first: any guesses? [ad lib]
CODY: The year I’m talking about, the worst year EVER... is 536 C.E. Here’s what went down. A mysterious fog engulfed Europe, the Middle East, and parts of Asia, resulting in 18 months of darkness. Temperatures dropped by as much as four-and-a-half-degrees Fahrenheit, or two-and-a-half degrees Celsius. And mid-summer snow fell in China. Even worse, no one knew where it came from — until now. For a while, scientists thought this cloud and drop in temperatures was the result of massive volcanic explosion. A study published in 2015 more or less confirmed this by looking at the chemical composition of tree rings that grew during the period. And in December 2018, a team of historians, archaeologists, and climate scientists released a new examination of ice cores found in the Swiss Alps. Thanks to the new, ultra-precise readings of the ice and the tiny slivers of volcanic glass inside them, this report has been able to create a much more exact match to known volcanoes in the world. The real source? Iceland. The researchers also discovered that the same volcanic system erupted two more times in quick succession, in 540 and 547. The events were so devastating that Europe would need about a century to recover. Funny enough, this newer study wasn't concentrated specifically on the geology of all this. It also wanted to track its economic recovery. The ice cores from the year 640 display a sudden spike in airborne lead, which would have been launched into the atmosphere as a side effect of silver mining and smelting. Another spike in lead came 20 years later, in 660, which is when medieval economies began transitioning from a gold- to a silver-based economy. It was the beginning of the rise of the medieval merchant class and a sign that even the darkest times don't last forever. [ad lib]
Here's Why You Never Hear About Heart Cancer — https://curiosity.im/2MeZagD (Ashley)
You've heard of brain cancer, lung cancer, breast cancer, prostate cancer ... the list goes on. Have you ever wondered why you’ve never heard about someone getting heart cancer? It’s rare, but it’s not impossible — and I’m here to tell you why. It’s SO rare, by the way, that the American Cancer Society doesn't even list it as its own cancer in their annual statistics. It falls under the umbrella of "soft tissue" cancers, which had just over 13-thousand new cases in 2018. For comparison, breast cancer reached nearly 300-thousand cases. The Mayo Clinic reports seeing only one case of heart cancer per year. And the reason lies in the way cancer operates. Cancer starts with a mutation in a cell's DNA. Most of those mutations happen when a cell is dividing: Every division requires making a copy of the DNA, and those copies aren't always perfect. It requires further copies still to pass that mutation to daughter cells, so even more cell division has to take place. That's why cancer happens so often in places like the skin and colon: those are organs that need to replace their cells frequently. But your heart's cells almost completely stop dividing after they've formed in the womb, except to replace damaged or injured cells. That means that even if there is a mutation, it'll have a hard time spreading. There are other things that can cause mutations that lead to cancer, too. UV radiation can cause skin cancer, carcinogens in your food can cause colon cancer, and even estrogen in the breasts can trigger a malignant tumor. But the heart doesn’t get exposed to many carcinogens, so you shouldn’t have to worry too much about harmful DNA mutations. And one less thing to worry about is always a good thing.
[PURPLE MATTRESS]
CODY: Today’s episode is sponsored by Purple Mattress. Do you have a hard time falling asleep at night or staying asleep? Do you wake up hot and sweaty… or are you stiff and sore in the morning? If you’re not sleeping on a Purple mattress, your mattress could be the problem. Only the Purple mattress’ hyper-elastic polymer and grid technology cradles your body while
giving you the support and comfort your body needs.
ASHLEY: If you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep, you’ve got to try a Purple mattress. The Purple mattress is made of a brand new material that was developed by an actual rocket scientist. It’s not memory foam!
CODY: The Purple material feels unique because it’s both firm and soft at the same time – so it
keeps everything supported while still feeling really comfortable. Plus it’s breathable so it sleeps
cool.
ASHLEY: You can get a hundred-night, risk-free trial. And if you’re not fully satisfied, then you can return your mattress for a full refund. It’s also backed by a 10-year warranty, with free shipping and returns, zero-percent APR Financing, AND free in-home setup and old mattress removal.
CODY: You’re going to love Purple. And right now Curiosity Daily listeners will get a FREE Purple pillow with the purchase of a mattress! That’s in addition to the great free gifts they’re offering sitewide. Just text CURIOUS to 47-47-47.
ASHLEY: The ONLY way to get this free pillow, is to text CURIOUS to 47-47-47. That’s C-U-R-I-O-U-S to 4-7-4-7-4-7. Message and data rates may apply.
Listener Question (Ashley)
We got a listener question from Liane (Lee-Ann) who asks, “Do women really enjoy hotter showers than men? In my household and in some of my friends households it seems to ring true. Is there science behind this? Or do women just have thicker skin and a higher pain tolerance?” Great question, Liane!
Cody, do you notice this? [WITTY?? BANTER?] Well, I couldn’t find any research on women liking hotter showers than men, but there’s plenty of science to back up the idea that women prefer higher temperatures than men in general. Back in 1992, a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that women’s core body temperatures run slightly hotter than men’s. You might think that would mean men like things warmer, but think of it this way — your body is going to want to stay at whatever its “normal” temperature is, and if it’s higher than the air in the room or the water in your shower, you’re going to feel cold. (Fun fact: this is also why cats are always hanging out on heater vents and clambering for your lap. Apparently, ladies, we’re just human-sized cats.) Plus, if you’re on hormonal birth control, that can raise your core body temperature even more and make you feel even chillier. At the same time, women’s metabolisms run slower than men’s, which means their bodies burn fewer calories and circulate blood more slowly, both of which translate into feeling colder. Thanks for your question, Liane! If you have a question, send it into podcast at curiosity dot com.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/400116
https://www.glamour.com/story/theres-a-scientific-reason-women-are-always-colder-than-men
CODY: Before we wrap up, we want to give a special shout-out to one of our Patrons for supporting our show. Today’s episode is brought to you by Dr. Mary Yancy, who gets an executive producer credit today for her generous support on Patreon. Thank you SO. MUCH. We hope you’re enjoying your Patreon-exclusive rewards, and we’ll do our best to keep bringing you a great show!
ASHLEY: If you’re listening and you want to support Curiosity Daily, then visit patreon-dot-com-slash-curiosity-dot-com, all spelled out. Any amount will help make 2019 our BEST year to be alive. One more time, that’s Patreon-dot-com-slash-curiosity-dot-com.
CODY: Thanks to Jess Raines for script assistance with today’s episode. Ashley Hamer is our managing editor [and Cody Gough is our podcast producer]. You can join us again tomorrow for the award-winning Curiosity Daily and learn something new in just a few minutes. I’m [NAME] and I’m [NAME]. Stay curious!