In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes: Why Do People Live Near Active Volcanoes? The Difference Between Club Soda, Seltzer, Sparkling, and Tonic Water Done Right, Procrastination Could Be Good for You Additional links: SodaStream Source Sparkling Water Maker Starter Kit, Black “Wait: The Art and Science of Delay”
In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:
Additional links:
Full episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/perks-of-procrastination-volcano-dwellers-and-the-difference-between-club-soda-and-sparkling-waters
[MUSIC PLAYING] CODY GOUGH: Hi, we've got three stories from curiosity.com to help you get smarter in just a few minutes. I'm Cody Gough.
ASHLEY HAMER: And I'm Ashley Hamer. Today you'll learn why people live near active volcanoes, the difference between club soda, seltzer, sparkling water, and tonic water, and how procrastination could be good for you when you do it right.
CODY GOUGH: Let's satisfy some curiosity.
ASHLEY HAMER: So, Cody, you're probably very aware of the volcano in Hawaii right now that is erupting and causing tons and tons of damage.
CODY GOUGH: Right. Kilauea. Not so good.
ASHLEY HAMER: Yeah, not very good. It started erupting this month, and it's causing tons and tons of damage. It's burning cars and decimating houses. It's causing a lot of mayhem. And our top story today is about why anybody would want to live near a volcano in the first place.
CODY GOUGH: Ah, you got some science in there.
ASHLEY HAMER: Yeah, right. It does make you wonder.
CODY GOUGH: Yeah.
ASHLEY HAMER: Well, it turns out that, actually, there's a lot of good that comes from volcanoes. They have a lot to offer local residents as long as those residents have a hasty exit plan. There are lots of agricultural, economic, and social reasons to live next to a volcano, and it all starts with the soil.
OK, so when a volcano erupts, the molten rock is called "lava" once it reaches the surface, but when it's still underground, it's called "magma." The thing with magma coming up from underground is that it takes other things up with it, things like valuable minerals and nutrients that are then broken down to make the soil extra fertile. The result is that on volcanic soil, tomatoes grow more plump, beans grow more green, and flowers grow brighter and more plentifully.
These benefits have been around for centuries, but these days, there are even more of them. In Iceland and New Zealand, for example, geothermal energy plants have become really important power sources. And, of course, volcanoes are also a major draw for tourists, and that kind of money is hard to walk away from, not to mention the cultural role that volcanoes have played throughout history in different myths, legends, and religions. You can find some more examples today on curiosity.com or on the Curiosity app for Android and iOS.
But suffice it to say, living near a volcano is a lot like gambling. You've just got to get out before things get too hot.
CODY GOUGH: Makes a lot of sense. And we hope that everybody in Hawaii is staying safe and that the eruption ends soon, I hope. We don't know when it's going to end, right?
ASHLEY HAMER: Right. I don't think we do. Lava has a mind of its own.
CODY GOUGH: Yikes. Why do you like LaCroix so much, Ashley?
ASHLEY HAMER: Because it's awesome. It's like water, except better.
CODY GOUGH: I can't get into it.
ASHLEY HAMER: Oh, it's so good.
CODY GOUGH: Everywhere I've ever worked, everybody's so into it. What is LaCroix? Is it seltzer water? Is it sparkling water? Do you know?
ASHLEY HAMER: It's magic is what it is.
CODY GOUGH: All right. Well, we're not talking about LaCroix today. I was just asking because I know it's very popular, and several lots of other carbonated beverages. What's the difference between club soda, seltzer water, sparkling water, and tonic water?
ASHLEY HAMER: I have no idea, actually.
CODY GOUGH: Well, we're going to answer that question right now.
ASHLEY HAMER: Perfect.
CODY GOUGH: OK, so first off, club soda, seltzer water, sparkling water, tonic water-- they're all different types of carbonated drinks. They have different processing methods and very small amounts of added minerals, and that's where you get the variety. So we'll go down the list.
First is sparkling water, or sparkling mineral water, if you want to get fancy. It's naturally carbonated, and it comes from springs or wells with fizzy carbonation. It might have trace minerals, including things like sodium, magnesium, and calcium, and it can taste very different, depending on where it came from, for that reason. You don't usually drink this as part of a cocktail because the flavors can vary.
ASHLEY HAMER: And it's a little more expensive, too.
CODY GOUGH: And there's that. Then there's seltzer water. This is just water that's been artificially carbonated. No minerals or other additives, which means no additional flavors. So seltzer water is a good option for mixing in flavors, like citrus. So if you have a SodaStream and you carbonate the water, then you're making seltzer water. It's just carbonated water.
"Seltzer water" gets its name from the German town of Selters, which was known for its natural springs. Then there's club soda. It's like a combination of sparkling water and seltzer water. Club soda has added minerals, just like sparkling water does, but it's artificially carbonated, like seltzer water. The minerals most commonly added to club soda can give it a slightly saltier taste than other waters, but it's similar enough to seltzer water that the two can be used pretty much interchangeably in cocktails, depending on how sensitive your taste buds are. So club soda and seltzer water-- not that different.
Last, we have tonic water. Just like club soda, tonic water is both carbonated and contains added minerals, but it contains quinine. That's a compound that comes from the bark of cinchona trees. Hundreds of years ago, when people had malaria, they would soak cinchona bark in water and drink the water. And because quinine is so bitter, someone along the way added sugar and carbonation, and also gin, to help the drink go down easier.
ASHLEY HAMER: There's actually craft tonic water that you can get. It's not just a thing that you buy in the grocery store. It tastes very different, depending on who makes it.
CODY GOUGH: So varying levels of bitterness, I guess.
ASHLEY HAMER: Yeah. If you're a real gin and tonic snob, you get craft tonic water.
CODY GOUGH: Shout-out to our listeners in the UK.
ASHLEY HAMER: Yeah.
CODY GOUGH: They make a mean gin and tonic. So to recap, sparkling water is just naturally carbonated water with a few trace minerals. Seltzer water and club soda are both artificially carbonated water. But club soda has some added minerals for flavor, and tonic water is carbonated and has added minerals that make it taste better. Got all that?
Pro tip-- if you love LaCroix like Ashley does but you want to save a lot of money, buy a SodaStream. I got one a few years ago, and it has saved us a ridiculous amount of money. You hit the button. You carbonate your water. You pour in just a little bit of grapefruit juice or whatever flavor you want. And it tastes like LaCroix, some might say, or like a little carbonated fruit juice. Do you ever do that with the flavors?
ASHLEY HAMER: Sometimes. Mostly, I just like the regular water. It's great.
CODY GOUGH: Yeah, it's wonderful. We'll put a link in the show notes to the SodaStreams that we're talking about. And if you make a purchase using that link, then Curiosity will get a share of the sale, and you'll have something refreshing to drink all summer long.
ASHLEY HAMER: Cody, are you a procrastinator?
CODY GOUGH: Can I tell you in five minutes?
[ASHLEY LAUGHING SARCASTICALLY]
[CODY SPUTTERS]
ASHLEY HAMER: Well, some experts think putting off your work actually isn't such a bad thing.
CODY GOUGH: Really?
ASHLEY HAMER: Yeah. So we're going to talk about how not working can work for you. One guy who knows a lot about procrastination is Frank Partnoy. He's a corporate lawyer who wrote the book "Wait, The Art and Science of Delay," and he says that procrastination isn't just something lazy people do, it's a universal statement of being for humans. He says it's inevitable, and that's why you need to learn how to procrastinate.
So try this two-step process. Step one, ask yourself, what is the absolute last moment that I can do this thing or make this decision? Step two, wait until that moment to do it. That gives you more time to think about your decision, weigh all the factors, and make room for any unexpected events that might influence how you go about your choice.
Say your friend invited you to this show they're doing. And you need to go, and you need to buy a ticket, but you just haven't yet. And you're waiting, and you're waiting. Well, have you ever maybe bought that ticket and then seen the next day that, oh, there was actually a discount code you could have used?
CODY GOUGH: Mm-hmm.
ASHLEY HAMER: That's a reason to wait. It might get sold out, and that's bad. But then you have an excuse to stay home. So whatever.
CODY GOUGH: Sure.
ASHLEY HAMER: But here are a few other ways that you can procrastinate the right way. First, plan your time wisely. Remember that the last second might be sooner than you think. If you need to write a 500-word essay, you have to plan for more than just the amount of time it takes to write 500 words. There's research and outlining and proofreading you have to think about, too.
Another good strategy is to stack your tasks. So you're waiting two hours before you have to start on that essay. Sure. What should you do in the meantime? Is there an email you need to reply to? Some papers that need organizing? Use that free time you suddenly have from procrastinating to get something else done.
CODY GOUGH: So don't procrastinate everything at the same time.
ASHLEY HAMER: Right. The magic is that if you're procrastinating one thing, you'll stop procrastinating on another thing, and then you're not really procrastinating at all. You just kind of think you are.
CODY GOUGH: Procrastination in moderation.
ASHLEY HAMER: Absolutely. We've got more tips today on curiosity.com or on the Curiosity app for Android and iOS. Don't procrastinate downloading our free app.
CODY GOUGH: Good call.
ASHLEY HAMER: Join us again tomorrow for the Curiosity Daily and learn something new in just a few minutes. I'm Ashley Hamer.
CODY GOUGH: And I'm Cody Gough.
ASHLEY HAMER: Stay curious.
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