We discuss the latest in phone hacking technology, how aquaculture may be able to help the global food crisis, and how engaging with people who speak in a foreign accent may help us retain language.
We discuss the latest in phone hacking technology, how aquaculture may be able to help the global food crisis, and how engaging with people who speak in a foreign accent may help us retain language.
Hacking Device
Designer Seaweed
Accent Exposure
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Find episode transcripts here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/hacking-device-designer-seaweed-accent-exposure
[SFX: INTRO MUSIC/WHOOSH]
NATE: Hi! You’re about to get smarter in just a few minutes with Curiosity Daily from Discovery. Time flies when you’re learnin’ super cool stuff. I’m Nate.
CALLI: And I’m Calli. If you’re dropping in for the first time, welcome to Curiosity, where we aim to blow your mind by helping you to grow your mind. If you’re a loyal listener, welcome back!
NATE: Today we are gonna talk about the latest in phone hacking technology, how aquaculture may be able to help the global food crisis, and how engaging with people who speak in a foreign accent may help us retain language!
CALLI: Without further ado, let’s satisfy some curiosity!
[SFX: WHOOSH]
CALLI: Nate, have you ever had someone break into your phone?
NATE: My phone has never been hacked, and I’m really careful about not letting it out of my sight.
CALLI: Well, keeping it within sight might not be enough. Two separate groups of researchers recently showed that it is possible to use electromagnetic signals to break into your phone and swipe on your screen, from up to three centimeters away. With access to the screen, they could download viruses and even send money to themselves from your account, all without ever actually laying a finger on your phone.
NATE: What?! How can that even happen!?
CALLI: Both groups, one from the University of Florida, and the other from a university in China created shockingly simple, and similar devices: small machines with an antenna for sending electromagnetic signals, and a phone locator to help determine your phone’s position. When you use your phone normally, you create a disturbance in the phone’s electromagnetic field. Rather than touching the screen, these small devices send out electromagnetic signals to the right parts of the screen to mimic the disturbances your finger causes in the electromagnetic field. Your phone thinks it's being touched, even though you can SEE nothing is touching it.
NATE: What! That’s terrifying! But wouldn’t I be able to see my phone screen lighting up as it thought the screen was being touched, tapped, and swiped?
CALLI: That is actually one of the limitations of the system! The phone has to happen to be placed face down on the table, so that the signals can reach the screen and mimic the touch. On top of that, the antenna that sends the signal to the screen has to be pretty close, about an inch away.
NATE: Even if they could get that close to my phone though, can these systems crack my phone passcode? I change mine pretty regularly.
CALLI: It doesn’t hack your phone, and it just touches the buttons on the screen. So, researchers say that anyone trying to use these devices would either have to peer over your shoulder to watch you put the passcode in yourself, or they’d have to find another way to get your passcode, so you’d better not make it 1, 2, 3, 4. Once they had your passcode, though, and the phone ended up on the table face down, they’d have full access.
NATE: Is there any phone that wasn’t fooled by the system? Some more secure model?
CALLI: The first device, GhostTouch worked on most android phones, and some iPhones, but the other device, Invisible Finger, worked on both iOS and Android. So unless you go with a flip phone, your phone is susceptible.
NATE: Ugh, I am never going to put my phone down! Especially not at a coffee shop.
CALLI: It might be too early for the average person to worry about. The way the system works at the moment only really makes sense for espionage, think spying, rather than stealing from a stranger in a coffee shop. Think about this: you set up a sting operation and lure your target into a conference room with the device installed under the table. You get them to sit in the right seat and place their phone down and voila! You’ve broken into their device. So, you probably don’t need to worry about it at Starbucks…yet.
NATE: This is like a modern James Bond device, or something from Mission Impossible.
CALLI: It’s totally something Agent Luther Stickell would use. But yes, it makes more sense as a spy tool than a legitimate daily fear. Researchers say we’d be better off looking at other security weaknesses like shoddy unsecure apps, or passwords we never update.
NATE: But what if you do have something worth committing espionage over?
CALLI: Most of us can relax, but if anyone out there is an activist, journalist, political operative, or otherwise someone who might be considered a “high-value target,” be careful where you put your phone!
[SFX: WHOOSH]
NATE: Calli, did you know that someday in the future we might all be eating a lot more seaweed as a result of climate change? And not just your regular nori snacks but seaweed fed with fish poop.
CALLI: Nate, what are you talking about? Seaweed I’d try, I like it with sushi…but fish poop?
NATE: Hear me out. Researchers from Tel-Aviv University have come up with a new way to grow what they are calling “enriched seaweed” which can potentially be used as an UNLIMITED food source. It has tons of nutrients, protein, fiber, and minerals that humans need, and it can be grown cheaply, while also helping the environment. And yes, the special ingredient that makes it all work is….fish poop.
CALLI: Ok, I still think that’s pretty gross but I’m definitely into the idea of a sustainable unlimited food source. Wouldn’t regular seaweed already have some of those nutrients naturally, though?
NATE: It does, but not nearly as much as the enriched seaweed. Traditional seaweed farms are usually in shallow, coastal waters and are isolated from other aquaculture. But recently it was discovered that there are a lot of benefits to growing the seaweed near fish farms! These fish farms create water packed with fish poop, which means a whole lot of nutrients plants love. So, they took the water from the farming system, and moved it into seaweed cultivation tanks. The seaweed in these tanks grew 25% more a day, and it increased the levels of protein, healthy carbs, and minerals!
CALLI: And you mentioned that this is more environmentally sustainable than other crops?
NATE: Exactly. Not only is seaweed a superfood, but it also doesn’t need a lot of resources or artificial fertilizer to grow, making it better for the environment. Plus, it does a really good job at removing nitrogen and phosphates from the water, which can help clean the water coming out of fish farms.
CALLI: Ok ok, I like the environmental angle. So will we just eat this stuff raw? A seaweed salad?
NATE: Researchers say we could eat it, or use it to make supplements, even medicine. It's a superfood, so it has a lot more of the things we need in our diet than most other foods do. Because of that, they think it could be really great for helping populations struggling with malnutrition or who don’t get enough nutrients. Along those lines, it could really help vegans or vegetarians get all the nutrients they need!
CALLI: Alright alright so maybe I’ll have to eat seaweed with more than just my sushi!
NATE: Absolutely, your body, and the environment, will thank you!
[SFX: WHOOSH]
CALLI: [in bad British accent] Have you ever noticed that whenever anybody is talking to you in a British accent that they sound much smarter and more disciplined? There is science to support that idea, old chap, especially for the younger blokes. [coughs, switches to normal voice] Sorry about that. But seriously, Nate, there’s new research out of the University of Fryburg in Germany that supports the claim that children are more likely to learn new words from children with different accents.
NATE: I completely lost track of everything you said after you dropped the British accent, unfortunately, but I’m curious about this science you speak of. What is it about other accents that helps kids better retain information? And can you tell me in a British accent again?
CALLI: No. The study revealed that children are more likely to give their undivided attention to an accent they don’t find familiar. Now, the exact reason why accents appeal to us wasn’t the focus of THIS study, but a similar study from 2017 revealed that the human mind prefers certain accents because of long-held stereotypes.
NATE: Ah. So when we hear a British accent, we assume the person is authoritative, smarter, and more knowledgeable?
CALLI: Exactly. Or in the case of this study, if natural German speakers hear a Swiss or Hebrew accent, it’s less of a focus on stereotypes associated with the accents and more about the novelty of hearing those accents speak German.
NATE: I see! It’s interesting to think about how different stereotypes must be depending on where you are culturally. So how did they figure out that children were more likely to retain knowledge this way?
CALLI: The same way you learn anything effectively with children: by playing a game with them! It was a pretty simple computer-based memory game, known as “Dobble” in Germany. The game goes like this: there are a bunch of cards displayed on the screen that have an image on the back. Each card has an identical image to another card and you need to find the pairs of images and name them as quickly as possible.
The kids were matched with some peers who would help them out with finding the matching cards, some of whom had traditional German accents and some with Swiss or Hebrew accents. The game was designed so that the instructions contained words that were a bit too advanced which allowed the partners to teach the kids what the words meant while helping them with the game. At the end of the game, researchers sat the kids down and asked each of them what they learned.
NATE: That’s a really interesting study. What were the results?
CALLI: It was found that the children who spoke with native German speakers all had a fairly mixed experience with learning new words. Most learned only one or two new words from their sessions. However, the children who spoke with accented speakers were MUCH more likely to retain new information. Not only that, but it benefited them in the long term by allowing them to more carefully identify different accents.
NATE: Fun! It’s interesting to think about how some people’s gut instincts with accents are to react unfavorably, when in all actuality, science supports the idea that we have a lot to learn from our friends overseas and across borders. Did the study happen to cover language barriers at all? As in: what about multilingual speakers?
CALLI: Interestingly, the researchers found that bilingual children had more of a neutral set of results similar to the children speaking to native speakers. They concluded that it’s not bilingual children who benefit from this, but children exposed to different accents in the long term.
NATE: That’s surprising. So what’s next for this scientific dream team?
CALLI: More studies. It’s always more studies. The researchers want to investigate the specifics of which experiences in a child’s life actually helps them retain information from other accents. They also want to see if the same effect can be seen in adults, as well. No matter what, the researchers believe the “Spot It” game is a perfect tool for this study and plan to keep using it.
NATE: Terrific. Last question: will you tell me all of this again in another accent so I can actually learn it?
CALLI: [sighs] [bad French accent] Oui oui, mon ami. Oui oui.
[SFX: WHOOSH]
NATE: Let’s recap what we learned today to wrap up.
CALLI: Researchers have created a new device capable of tapping and swiping on your phone, all without touching it. This electromagnetic device could soon become a tool for spies.
NATE: Researchers in Israel recently found a way to grow healthier, more efficient, seaweed. The secret ingredient? Fish poop. This enriched seafood could soon change how we get nutrients as more crops struggle with climate change.
CALLI: A groundbreaking study revealed that children are MORE likely to retain information when learning it from someone with another accent.