Curiosity Daily

Christmas Music Psychology, Most Influential Films, Mistletoe Science

Episode Summary

Learn about why Christmas music sounds like Christmas; the most influential films ever; and the truth behind mistletoe. The stories in this episode originally aired on these dates: December 21, 2018: "Scientists Have Determined the Most Influential Film of All Time" and "Mistletoe Is a Poisonous Parasite ... of Love?" https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/the-most-influential-film-ever-your-memory-on-ridi  December 23, 2018: "Here's Why Christmas Music Sounds Like Christmas" https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/christmas-music-psychology-rain-smell-science-croc Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day withCody Gough andAshley Hamer. Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.

Episode Notes

Learn about why Christmas music sounds like Christmas; the most influential films ever; and the truth behind mistletoe.

The stories in this episode originally aired on these dates:

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.

 

Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/christmas-music-psychology-most-influential-films-mistletoe-science

Episode Transcription

CODY: Hi! You’re about to get smarter in just a few minutes with Curiosity Daily from Discovery. I’m Cody Gough.

ASHLEY: And I’m Ashley Hamer. Today, you’ll learn about why Christmas music sounds like Christmas; what scientists say is the most influential film of all time; and the horrible truth behind mistletoe. We originally ran these stories in December 2018, and they’re so perfect for this time of year, we remastered them just for you.

CODY: Plus, stick around for a brand-new recap segment at the end of today’s episode to hear our fresh takes on all of today’s stories. But right now? Let’s satisfy some curiosity.

RECAP

Hey, we’re back in 2021! Let’s do a quick recap of what we learned today.

  1. CODY: Christmas music sounds like Christmas for a few reasons. First, it’s something you usually only hear this time of year, which makes you associate it with this time of year. That’s called classical conditioning. Sometimes these songs also hold a special place in your memory because of how old you were when you heard them for the first time, so you get a “reminiscence bump” when you hear them. And the songs employ a lot of the same sounds, like sleigh bells, trumpet fanfares, and simple melodies and chords. It’s a perfect recipe for making this time of year sound like this time of year.
  2. ASHLEY: A team of researchers say that the Wizard of Oz is the most influential film of all time. They came to that conclusion by looking at the number of references that film had in other films — AND how often THOSE films were referenced by other films. They used data from IMDb, which has a lot more information on English-language films. So the results had a Western skew. But still, it’s fun to think about!
    1. CODY: I have a love/hate relationship with 2001, also Hitchcock is the best
  3. CODY: Mistletoe is a poisonous parasite that sucks the life from its host. Many cultures have used mistletoe for medicinal purposes, but by the 18th century, it had also become a holiday decoration associated with kissing. There are more than 1,500 species of mistletoe throughout the world, and a lot of them are toxic. But birds like to eat them. Which is appropriate, because Ashley seems to feel that mistletoe is for the birds.

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ASHLEY: The writer for today’s influential films story was Mae Rice. 

CODY: Our managing editor is Ashley Hamer, who was also a writer on today’s episode. 

ASHLEY: Our producer and audio editor is Cody Gough.

CODY: Have a great weekend, and a very Merry Christmas! [AD LIB SOMETHING FUNNY] Join us again Monday to learn something new in just a few minutes.

ASHLEY: And until then, stay curious!