Learn about whether there’s actually such a thing as internet addiction; and, research-based tips for getting the most out of your next vacation. We’ll also answer a listener question about dust in space, with some help from astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell. Please support our sponsors! For $80 off your first month of HelloFresh, go to HelloFresh.com/curiosity80 and enter promo code curiosity80. 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: Is There Really Such a Thing as Internet Addiction? — https://curiosity.im/2unl3C5 6 Science-Backed Tips for Having a Fantastic Vacation — https://curiosity.im/2ugiH8a More from Jonathan McDowell: Jonathan McDowell's Personal Home Page — https://planet4589.org/jcm/jmcdowell.html Follow @planet4589 on Twitter — https://twitter.com/planet4589 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 whether there’s actually such a thing as internet addiction; and, research-based tips for getting the most out of your next vacation. We’ll also answer a listener question about dust in space, with some help from astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell.
Please support our sponsors! For $80 off your first month of HelloFresh, go to HelloFresh.com/curiosity80 and enter promo code curiosity80.
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:
More from Jonathan McDowell:
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/internet-addiction-dust-in-space-w-astrophysicist-jonathan-mcdowell-and-vacation-science
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 whether there’s actually such a thing as internet addiction; and, research-based tips for getting the most out of your next vacation. We’ll also answer a listener question about dust in space, with some help from astrophysicist Jonathan McDowell.
CODY: Let’s satisfy some curiosity.
Is There Really Such a Thing as Internet Addiction? — https://curiosity.im/2unl3C5 (Cody)
You’ve probably heard people throw around the phrase “addicted to the internet,” but is there really such a thing as Internet addiction? Well, yes, and no. Today we’ll reveal the research behind what goes into internet addiction.
CODY: So there IS a group of unhealthy behaviors that psychologists have termed “Internet Addiction Disorder.” But officially, there’s no such thing as an internet addiction. That’s because medical professionals haven’t added that disorder to the DSM, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. That’s used by everybody in the psychiatric health profession. The most recent edition is the DSM-5, and that DOES have an entry for something called “Internet GAMING Disorder.” The book notes that for some people playing online games, quote, “certain pathways in their brains are triggered in the same direct and intense way that a drug addict's brain is affected by a particular substance,” unquote. But the book also makes it clear that we don’t know enough to formally classify the disorder yet. So to get back to the original point: there’s no such thing as internet addiction, officially, YET. But it’s definitely under consideration. According to Dr. Jerald J. Block, there are three distinct types of internet addiction: excessive gaming, sexual preoccupation, and email/text messaging. He says all three of these can share four crucial similarities with drug addictions: excessive use, withdrawal, tolerance, and negative repercussions. Basically, it starts with overuse, then moves on to feeling irritable away from the keyboard, then the sufferer starts needing more and better technology and access, and finally, leads to arguments, lying, and social isolation. Sounds pretty open and shut, right? But the thing is, according to Dr. Ronald Pies, almost all the people who could be classified as internet addicts are usually suffering from at least one other mental disorder — and it could be that what we think is internet addiction disorder, is actually anxiety and depression. For example, one German study found that out of 30 participants who demonstrated "pathological internet use," 27 of those people also had another psychiatric disorder, like an anxiety disorder. That’s 90 percent. In other words, the internet might just be the way that modern mental maladies play out. We’ll keep an eye on internet addiction disorder as its scientific consideration develops.
6 Science-Backed Tips for Having a Fantastic Vacation — https://curiosity.im/2ugiH8a (Ashley)
A great way to ease anxiety is with a little vacation. If you want to get the most from your vacation, though, it’ll actually take some practice and planning. Fortunately, we’ve got your back with some research-based tips on how you can make your next trip pleasand and memorable. First off: don’t force it. A study published in March found that people who set broad emotional goals for an experience end up more satisfied than those who made specific goals. So maybe say “this vacation will be fun!” instead of “this trip will change my perspective on the world,” or “I’ll meet a bunch of new people.” Don’t make any concrete predictions. But another tip says that you should plan ahead! That comes from a 2010 study published in a journal called — wait for it — Applied Research in Quality of Life. Now THERE’S a journal worth signing up for. That study found that people going on vacation reported higher levels of happiness than non-vacationers before going on vacation. Remember to revel in that pre-trip high by researching activities, planning itineraries, buying stuff you need — you know, all that stuff that puts you in the vacation mindset. And when you do get to your destination, try to mix things up a bit. Studies have shown that doing novel and challenging activities together was a common thread among the happiest couples in long-term marriages. One routine especially worth breaking? Lay off the social medias. Studies show that even a five-day break from Facebook is enough to reduce your levels of the stress hormone cortisol, AND help you do more face-to-face socializing. One more tip from psychology research: if you can plan one fancy meal, try to do it on the last night. That's because of something called the peak-end rule, which says that you judge experiences not on how they felt overall, but on how they ended. Try to end your trip on a high note, and we hope you have a great vacation!
[HELLO FRESH]
ASHLEY: Today’s sponsor will give you something else to look forward to; and that sponsor is HelloFresh!
CODY: HelloFresh is a meal kit delivery service that shops, plans, and delivers step-by-step recipes and pre-measured ingredients so you can just cook, eat, and enjoy. HelloFresh does all the meal planning, shopping, and prepping, so you can focus on a healthier you and
happier family.
ASHLEY: You can look forward to a delivery straight to your door each week in a special insulated box. It’ll include fresh, pre-measured ingredients, and easy to follow 6-step recipe cards — with pictures! That’ll help you spend less time meal planning and grocery shopping so you can spend more time doing things like planning your next vacation.
CODY: You can choose from 3 meal plans — Classic, Veggie, and Family — with the option to switch between for when your tastes change. I’m a meat-eater, and lemme tell you, the sweet apple glazed pork chops I made were INCREDIBLE. I even tweeted a side-by-side picture of my plate next to the meal card, and I’m not gonna lie, even my wife was impressed with how it came out. She’s a pretty good cook, but we still both learned a thing or two from the recipe.
ASHLEY: As a Curiosity Daily listener, you can get EIGHTY DOLLARS off your first month of HelloFresh. Just go to Hello-Fresh-dot-com-slash-curiosity-80 and enter promo code curiosity-80.
CODY: It’s like receiving 8 meals for free! One more time, for EIGHTY DOLLARS OFF your first month of HelloFresh, visit Hello-Fresh-dot-com-slash-curiosity-80 and enter promo code curiosity-80.
Listener Question: Dust on satellites (Ashley)
ASHLEY: We have a question from one of our Patrons! On our Patron-exclusive Discord server, Luke asks: “I was thinking about Hubble / space telescopes and wondered how the mirrors and sensors don't get dirty or dusty... Or solar panels on satellites. Surely all the asteroids and collisions in space etc would create some sort of dust? Or is space just so vast that there's basically no concentration of dust particles anywhere?” Great question, Luke! To answer this question, we got in touch with an expert named Jonathan McDowell. He’s an astrophysicist at the Chandra X-Ray Center at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, and here’s what he told us about dust build-up in space. His audio came in a little hot, but we cleaned it up the best we could, so thanks for understanding — you’ll appreciate his detailed answer.
[CLIP 4:24]
ASHLEY: Again, that was Jonathan McDowell, an astrophysicist at the Chandra X-Ray Center at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. You can follow him on Twitter at-planet-4-5-8-9, and we’ll put other links to find him in today’s show notes. And thanks for your question, Luke!
CODY: Before we wrap up, we want to give a special shout-out to this episode’s executive producers, Muhammad Shifaz and Dr. Mary Yancy, for their generous support on Patreon. Thanks for your support!
ASHLEY: If you’re listening and you want to support Curiosity Daily, then visit patreon-dot-com-slash-curiosity-dot-com, all spelled out. We’ll put links to that and more 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!