Curiosity Daily

Daddy Longlegs, Dyson Spheres, and Exercising with a Partner

Episode Summary

Learn about why daddy longlegs aren’t dangerous; the theoretical Dyson Sphere; and benefits of exercising with a partner. “Daddy Longlegs Myths, Dyson Spheres, Benefits of Exercising with a Partner” originally aired May 15, 2018: https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/daddy-longlegs-myths-dyson-spheres-and-benefits-of 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 daddy longlegs aren’t dangerous; the theoretical Dyson Sphere; and benefits of exercising with a partner.

“Daddy Longlegs Myths, Dyson Spheres, Benefits of Exercising with a Partner” originally aired May 15, 2018: https://omny.fm/shows/curiosity-daily/daddy-longlegs-myths-dyson-spheres-and-benefits-of

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/daddy-longlegs-dyson-spheres-and-exercising-with-a-partner

Episode Transcription

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 how dangerous daddy longlegs really are; how the theoretical “Dyson Sphere” could produce virtually unlimited power; and how you could get a better workout by exercising with a partner. We originally ran these stories on May 15, 2018, and they’re so good, 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. For right now? Let’s satisfy some curiosity.

5/15/18 - Daddy Longlegs Myths, Dyson Spheres, Benefits of Exercising with a Partner

RECAP

CODY: Hey, that was a blast from the past! It’s 2021 again. And, fun fact, we didn’t even start ending our episodes with recaps until several months after we launched Curiosity Daily. So Ashley, let’s recap the main things we learned today

ASHLEY: “Daddy Longlegs” is actually an informal term for a couple different groups of animals. “Harvestmen” are insects and they don’t have any venom at all. “Cellar spiders” have segmented bodies and they do have venom and fangs, but there’s no evidence their venom is toxic to humans, OR that they can even penetrate human skin. So don’t worry too much about getting hurt by them.
CODY: A Dyson Sphere is a theoretical structure that could harness ALL of the energy of a star. It would be a massive hollow sphere, probably made up of a loose collection of objects, that would completely surround a STAR. Those are pretty big, so it would take thousands of years to build one. But we can look at far-infrared wavelengths to see if any OTHER civilizations have made one. So who knows?
CODY: If you want a better workout, try working out with a partner or in a group! One reason this might give you a boost is an idea from psychology called the Köhler Effect, which says people work harder in a group so they’re not the “weak link” that brings the group down. And even just hanging out with people who are in good shape could motivate you to do so yourself. I think the biggest takeaway here is pretty clear: follow The Rock on Instagram!

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CODY: The writer for today’s stories was Ashley Hamer, who’s also our managing editor.

ASHLEY: Our producer and audio editor is Cody Gough.

CODY: Try to get up and move around a little today! If I’M doing it, then you absolutely can, too. Then, join us again tomorrow to learn something new in just a few minutes.

ASHLEY: And until then, stay curious!