Learn about why you should close the lid before you flush the toilet; the “planfulness” personality trait that makes you more likely to exercise; and how men and women have different attitudes toward their exes. In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: Researchers Determined the Personality Trait That Makes You More Likely to Exercise — https://curiosity.im/2XBOUVt Men and Women Have Different Attitudes Toward Their Exes — https://curiosity.im/2D9RfNO Additional sources: Here's why you should always close the toilet lid when you flush | Today — https://www.today.com/home/it-necessary-close-toilet-lid-when-you-flush-t143776 Please, for the Love of God, Close the Toilet Lid When You Flush | Good Housekeeping — https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/a22777060/close-the-toilet-seat/ Lifting the lid on toilet plume aerosol: A literature review with suggestions for future research | National Center for Biotechnology Information, U.S. National Library of Medicine — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4692156/ Potential for aerosolization of Clostridium difficile after flushing toilets: the role of toilet lids in reducing environmental contamination risk. | NCBI — https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22137761 Probable Transmission of Norovirus on an Airplane | JAMA Network — https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/200725 Amazon smart speaker users: you can listen to our podcast as part of your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing! Just click or tap “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing.
Learn about why you should close the lid before you flush the toilet; the “planfulness” personality trait that makes you more likely to exercise; and how men and women have different attitudes toward their exes.
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:
Additional sources:
Amazon smart speaker users: you can listen to our podcast as part of your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing! Just click or tap “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing.
Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/close-the-lid-before-you-flush-how-men-and-women-feel-about-their-exes-and-a-trait-that-makes-you-more-likely-to-exercise
CODY: Hi! You’re about to get smarter in just a few minutes with Curiosity Daily from curiosity-dot-com. I’m Cody Gough.
ASHLEY: And I’m Ashley Hamer. Today, you’ll learn about why you should close the lid before you flush; the personality trait that makes you more likely to exercise; and how men and women tend to feel differently about their exes.
CODY: Let’s satisfy some curiosity.
Audio script — close the lid before you flush (Kelsey due 11/29) (need edited / ready to record for Wed. 12/4 session) (Cody)
Public service announcement! If you’re not someone who closes the toilet lid before you flush, you should start doing that right now. Why? Three words: "toilet plume aerosols.” I’m not talking about hairspray here. “Toilet plume” is the scientific term for germs and fecal matter that spray up to 15 feet in the air every time you flush. And it’s as gross as it sounds.
Whenever a toilet flushes, these aerosols float into the air to spray the toilet seats and lid, the floors, and any nearby surfaces — think towels, washcloths, and toothbrushes. The spray can contain scary things like Salmonella, norovirus, E. coli, and other pathogens. Those bacteria could linger and keep on spraying for a few flushes after an infected person uses the toilet. And once out of the toilet, some of those germs could survive on counters and floors for weeks — or even months.
In a letter to JAMA, a team of physicians reported the results of a very unlucky eight-hour flight where eight of the 14 crew members got sick with norovirus and either vomited or had diarrhea in the airplane’s bathroom. The team found that the passengers who developed norovirus symptoms in the days after the flight had also visited the bathroom significantly more than those who didn’t get sick. So, yes, toilet spray can certainly be harmful.
Now, it’s important to note that the vast majority of microbes that end up in toilet aerosols are totally harmless, and to get sick you’d have to not only ingest those microbes, but ingest them in high enough numbers to actually cause an infection. Still, it isn’t too hard to stop harmful bacteria from escaping the toilet. Just close the lid. Science says it works: one 2012 study found that leaving the lid up led to 12 times as much dangerous C. diff bacteria in the air as there was when the lid was down. Lids exist for a reason, and that reason is to keep you safe and clean.
True, sometimes that isn’t an option — like when you’re in a public restroom. In those cases, lean away from the bowl when you flush and wash your hands right away. And maybe cover your toothbrush at home, just to be on the safe side.
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Summary: When you flush the toilet, it releases "toilet aerosols," which can play a role in contributing infectious diseases — especially in health care facilities. From Today: "The easiest way to avoid this nastiness coating your bathroom is, simply, to close the toilet seat. If you’re in a public bathroom where there is no toilet seat to be found, keep as clean as possible by not leaning over the bowl when you flush and washing your hands immediately afterward.
Sources: https://www.today.com/home/it-necessary-close-toilet-lid-when-you-flush-t143776
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/a22777060/close-the-toilet-seat/
Study: A new peer-reviewed study looked at existing literature to make sure "toilet plume" really exists and that it really is bad: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4692156/
Researchers Determined the Personality Trait That Makes You More Likely to Exercise — https://curiosity.im/2XBOUVt (assigned to freelancer; due 12/2) (Ashley)
In “getting into shape” is on your list of New Year’s resolutions, then you’ll be interested in this next story. Researchers have determined the personality trait that makes you more likely to exercise. According to a new study published in Psychological Science, people high in a trait called "planfulness" are more likely to engage in regular physical activity. That is, people who make concrete plans to meet long-term goals go to the gym more often than those who don't plan far ahead. And the good news is that you don’t have to even be that detailed about the plan to make it work. You just need to have one.
The study had participants write down their exercise plans and fill out surveys to measure their self-control, grit, planning, and general personality traits. Then, researchers recorded their gym attendance at the university rec center for 20 weeks and measured it against their survey responses.
All of the participants hit the gym less and less often as the semester went on. But those who said they liked planning went more often than their peers.
What the researchers didn't find was a significant relationship between the detail of plans and their execution. So basically, just making the plan could be enough.
If you're not naturally "planful," the good news is that you can change your personality — although it does takes effort. (I know, I know — there’s ANOTHER goal to achieve!) But don’t stress yourself out. Just remember that planful people demonstrate three central strategies that you can work toward, too.
The first is Mental flexibility. That means taking an abstract idea and actually translating it into concrete actions. For example, imagine your ideal diet, and then break down what your grocery lists, cooking routine, and dining-out behaviors will look like.
Second: Cognitive strategies. Make plans that evolve as you check goals off the list. Start small and grow your objectives.
And the third strategy? Future orientation. Think about the future, make sacrifices and delay gratification in favor of long-term goals.
According to research, those are the key strategies you need to use to set goals, monitor your progress, and finally achieve something. Working out regularly isn't something that just “happens” when inspiration strikes or when you feel like doing it. It's a long-term goal that you need those strategies to achieve. You can become a planner, and those planning skills could help you meet all kinds of goals. So don’t wait for that feeling to hit. Get planning today!
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Men and Women Have Different Attitudes Toward Their Exes — https://curiosity.im/2D9RfNO (already scripted - from 12/3) (Cody)
Breaking up is hard to do, but who is harder for – men or women? New research into heterosexual ex-partner relationships shows that men tend to view their exes more positively, but does that mean they find break-ups easier too?
Thoughts on our exes matter when you consider there are often shared investments like couches, dogs and children. Not to mention how these thoughts could affect future relationships
Recently, scientists wanted to find out if they could change people's feelings about their exes — and the answer was no. But they stumbled upon another discovery: men tend to have slightly more positive feelings about their exes than women do. This was based on a series of studies consisting of questionnaires taken by heterosexuals in their early 20s who were currently in a relationship lasting at least 4 months, and who had been in a long-term relationship in the past lasting at least that long.
So, where could this difference in attitudes come from?
From an evolutionary perspective, we partner to have babies. The idea here is that women need to invest more time in their offspring so they benefit from long-term, exclusive relationships. Men, however, may be less constrained by extended parental investment, so it’s possible that they increase their genetic fitness with more sexual partners and have a more relaxed attitudes about sex.
The researchers reasoned that this attitude could mean men hold onto positive memories or feel open to rekindling past romances, while women have more negative views so they can focus on future long-term, exclusive relationships.
Social conditioning could also play a part. Men tend to rely on their female partners for emotional and practical needs, while women get support from other sources like friends and family.
Another possibility demonstrated by past research is that women experience more severe emotional pain from a breakup, but also recover more completely while men remain emotionally attached.
So, who wins out when it comes to breakups? Well, no one really. But past research suggests that people who pine for their exes have lower quality future relationships. As a result, the researchers say that despite their rosy attitudes, men might have a harder time here.
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CODY: Today’s stories were written by Kelsey Donk, and edited by Ashley Hamer, who’s the managing editor for Curiosity.com.
ASHLEY: Scriptwriting was by Cody Gough and Sonja Hodgen. Curiosity Daily is produced and edited by Cody Gough.
CODY: Join us again tomorrow to learn something new in just a few minutes.
ASHLEY: And until then, stay curious!