Learn about the strangely-named hairy ball theorem that explains why there’s always a storm brewing somewhere; new research into how you can practice more effectively; and why there are safer ways to be eco-friendly than by reusing your disposable water bottle. 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: The Hairy Ball Theorem Says There's Always a Storm Brewing Somewhere — https://curiosity.im/2I4UtnN The Secret to Effective Practice? Taking Breaks — Even Short Ones — https://curiosity.im/2K4Rwr4 Don't Reuse That Disposable Water Bottle — There Are Safer Ways to Be Eco-Friendly — https://curiosity.im/2IapFlC 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 strangely-named hairy ball theorem that explains why there’s always a storm brewing somewhere; new research into how you can practice more effectively; and why there are safer ways to be eco-friendly than by reusing your disposable water bottle.
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:
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/hairy-ball-theorem-the-secret-to-effective-practice-and-disposable-water-bottle-dangers
CODY: Hi! We’re here 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 strangely-named theorem that explains why there’s always a storm brewing somewhere; new research into how you can practice more effectively; and why there are safer ways to be eco-friendly than by reusing your disposable water bottle.
CODY: Let’s satisfy some curiosity.
The Hairy Ball Theorem Says There's Always a Storm Brewing Somewhere — https://curiosity.im/2I4UtnN (Ashley) [FREELANCER]
You know how the hair on your head doesn't all grow in the same direction? Well there’s a scientific principle that says the same goes for wind on the Earth. In fact, the bizarrely named theorem says it's impossible for wind, or hair, to all move in the same direction on a sphere like the Earth. It's called the hairy ball theorem, and it has surprisingly far-reaching implications.
The theorem comes from a field of mathematics called topology, which deals with the properties of an object that you can’t change by deforming it. It essentially says that for any shape that can be morphed into a sphere and is fully covered in hair, there will always be one point where the hair stands straight up.
Of course, this theorem doesn’t really apply to the hair on your head, because hair doesn’t cover your entire head. That’s why the Fonz could easily comb all of his hair in the same direction. But the Earth's atmosphere covers every bit of its surface, so the hairy ball theorem definitely applies to our planet. In atmospheric terms, the point where the hair stands straight up would be a point with no wind. That means there's always one point on Earth where the wind isn't blowing.
Here’s a practical example: if all the wind across the globe is blowing East to West, then there will be no wind at the North and South Pole. The same goes for wind blowing North to South, except now those still points will be on the equator. There could be any number of points where the wind is still, but it can never be zero.
And if there’s always a still point somewhere, then there’ll also always be a storm somewhere. The two go hand in hand. Any point where the wind isn't blowing must have wind blowing around it, and in physical terms, that's found in the eye of a tropical cyclone. Think of a tropical cyclone as an atmospheric cowlick — just with more serious effects than a rotten picture day. [ad lib about Cody’s hair sticking straight up all the time]
The Secret to Effective Practice? Taking Breaks — Even Short Ones — https://curiosity.im/2K4Rwr4 (Cody)
A recent report in the journal Current Biology may have have found the secret to effective practice. If you’re trying to learn a new skill like playing an instrument, then listen up, because here’s the big finding: the breaks you take during your practice session may be as important as the practice itself. That’s because according to this report, our brains may solidify what we've learned a lot sooner than previously believed. Now, previous research has shown that the time between practice sessions is when your brain consolidates the memories and skills it’s learned. But we’ve previously thought that process of memory consolidation takes at least a few hours, if not a few days. What this team found is that the process of memory consolidation may begin within seconds. Researchers had the participants in this study type a sequence of keystrokes, which is a motor task commonly used to study the formation of procedural memory — that is, memory of skills and procedures rather than events and people. After measuring the participants’ keystroke speed at the beginning and the end of every practice period, they noticed that participants were faster after a 10-second break than they were just before the break. And these performance improvements developed during the rest periods, not during the practice periods. And the participants’ improvement over all the trials on the first day was four times greater than their overnight improvement from the first day to the second, so those 10-second breaks led to some rock-solid results. Researchers still haven’t pinned down the exact optimal length of rest periods vs. practice periods, but the potential is exciting. The revelation that our brains begin the process of memory consolidation the moment they're not engaged in learning just goes to show how constantly active they are. Anyway, the next time you take a short break from learning something else, consider it justified! Especially if you’re taking a break by listening to Curiosity Daily. [ad lib]
[INDEED]
ASHLEY: Today’s episode is sponsored by Indeed-dot-com.
CODY: When it comes to hiring, you don’t have time to waste. You need help getting to your shortlist of qualified candidates, fast. That’s why you need Indeed-dot-com.
ASHLEY: Post a job in minutes. Set up screener questions. Then, zero in on qualified candidates using an intuitive online dashboard. And when you need to hire fast, accelerate your results with Sponsored Jobs.
CODY: New users can try for free at indeed.com-slash-podcast. That’s indeed-dot-com-slash podcast. Terms, conditions and quality standards apply.
Don't Reuse That Disposable Water Bottle — There Are Safer Ways to Be Eco-Friendly — https://curiosity.im/2IapFlC (Ashley) [FREELANCER]
If you refill disposable bottles in an effort to reduce, reuse and recycle, then you might want to reconsider. Because multiple studies show that refilling disposable water bottles can pose a health risk. Don’t worry, though — today we’ll get into some safer ways to be eco-friendly.
By the way: the danger of reusing water bottles has nothing to do with the plastic leaching chemicals into your water, despite myths that claim plastic bottles contain DEHA, which is potentially carcinogenic. The truth is that the polyethylene terephthalate the bottles are made from has been thoroughly tested for safety.
In reality, the danger of reusing a disposable plastic bottle is that it’s particularly hospitable to bacteria. Disposable bottles aren’t designed for repeated fillings and tend to break down, which leaves room for bacteria to build up in the fine cracks. That’s what poses an increased health risk.
Before you run out to buy a reusable plastic bottle, you should know that they also have a chemical that the jury is still out on. That chemical is bisphenol A [BUYS-fee-nahl], also known as BPA. It's considered an endocrine disruptor, which is a chemical that interferes with the way hormones behave in your body. More research is needed, but, for now, it may be a good idea to avoid the stuff. BPA tends to lurk in polycarbonate plastic, which you generally find in sturdier plastic bottles.
So, what is the answer? You might want to avoid plastic water bottles altogether and go for another material. Glass water bottles don’t have an effect on the water’s flavor, like metal and plastic can, and they're sturdy enough to resist scratches and cracks. You can also wash them in your dishwasher without worrying about doing damage, which goes a long way in helping them resist bacterial growth. Another alternative is stainless steel bottles, which also keep your water cold thanks to double-wall insulation.
At the end of the day, if you're trying to stay healthy, it's always a great idea to drink plenty of water. Just make sure that water isn't full of harmful bacteria.
CODY: You can read about today’s stories and more on curiosity-dot-com!
ASHLEY: Today’s episode was brought to you in part by our Patrons. Special thanks to Lynn Smith, Scott Gates, Julian Gomez, Ryan Day, Stay-FAN Crate, and Mary Rose for supporting our show. You can help support our podcast at patreon-dot-com-slash-curiosity-dot-com, all spelled out. There’s also a link in today’s show notes.
CODY: 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!