Learn about common mistakes people make in the shower. Then, learn about the history and science of the two-by-four from author Kevin O’Connor, host of the home renovation television series This Old House. 5 Common Mistakes People Make In The Shower by Anna Todd http://www.curiosity.com/topics/5-common-mistakes-people-make-in-the-shower-curiosity Additional resources from This Old House host Kevin O’Connor: From This Old House, Clearstory is a podcast that sheds light on the surprising stories behind our homes — https://www.thisoldhouse.com/clearstory More about This Old House — https://www.thisoldhouse.com/ Follow @KevinOConnorTOH on Twitter — https://twitter.com/KevinOConnorTOH Follow @ThisOldHouse on Twitter — https://twitter.com/ThisOldHouse This Old House on YouTube — https://www.youtube.com/user/thisoldhouse Subscribe to Curiosity Daily to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. You can also listen to our podcast as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing; Amazon smart speakers users, click/tap “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing
Learn about common mistakes people make in the shower. Then, learn about the history and science of the two-by-four from author Kevin O’Connor, host of the home renovation television series This Old House.
5 Common Mistakes People Make In The Shower by Anna Todd
http://www.curiosity.com/topics/5-common-mistakes-people-make-in-the-shower-curiosity
Additional resources from This Old House host Kevin O’Connor:
Subscribe to Curiosity Daily to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. You can also listen to our podcast as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing; Amazon smart speakers users, click/tap “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing
Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/the-invention-of-the-two-by-four-w-kevin-oconnor-and-common-mistakes-you-make-in-the-shower
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 common mistakes people make in the shower. Then, you’ll learn about the history and science of the two-by-four, from author and TV host Kevin O’Connor.
CODY: Let’s satisfy some curiosity.
ASHLEY: Do you take long, hot showers, shampoo your hair every day, and use your fingernails to lather your scalp in the shower? Well it turns out that these are among the common mistakes that people make in the shower.
CODY: Yes, “mistakes.” It turns out there’s a good chance you’re actually showering… wrong? Luckily, we have a few easy tweaks you can make to your shower routine, so you can improve the health of your skin, hair and even your mood.
ASHLEY: First off: if you’re washing and conditioning your hair every day, then it’s likely you’re drying out your hair strands. Your scalp does need to be hydrated and cleansed of excess oil, but it’s better to leave at least a day in-between washes so you’re not stripping your hair of its natural, healthy oils.
CODY: Speaking of scalp health, resist the urge to use your fingernails when massaging shampoo into your hair. Your fingernails can scratch your scalp and cause flaking, as well as cause hair damage including split ends.
ASHLEY: You've likely heard that you should only condition the tips of your hair, but the skin on your scalp needs to be moisturized too! Just be sure to wash the conditioner out completely and buy the correct products for your hair type.
CODY: We all love a hot shower, but taking long hot showers dries out your skin and makes you sleepy — definitely not how you want to start your morning. Here's one thing you should try right before you end your morning shower: quickly turn the water freezing cold, then hot, then cold again for 30 seconds. The heat expands your capillaries and increases blood flow, while the blast of cold water may lead to increased tolerance to stress, weight loss stimulation, and antidepressant effects.
ASHLEY: And after you leave the shower, don't wait to apply your lotion. Your post-shower skin is prime for hydration, and the heat and humidity in your bathroom will open up your pores, making it easier for lotion to soak into your skin. Here’s to a new year of new and improved showering habits.
CODY: You know what we take for granted? The 2x4. Wood didn’t just arrange itself neatly into 2x4s, you know. Someone had to actually invent it. And we have a special guest today to tell you why it happened. Kevin O’Connor is the host of the Emmy-winning home-improvement series “This Old House.” And he just wrapped the first season of a brand-new podcast called Clearstory. The show sheds light on the surprising stories behind our homes, and the 2x4 is no exception. Here’s Kevin with the story.
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ASHLEY: Okay, so how do you go from using super-long logs to using tiny little 2x4s? Kevin told us that at the time, a lot of traditional homebuilders said it would never work. The phrase “balloon framing” was actually used as a prejorative term. People said houses would literally float away like a balloon, like in the Wizard of Oz. But you can think of a house like a skeleton. You can use geometry and physics to take a lot of pieces of tiny material to put together a strong skeletal structure. That way, instead of a couple big thick posts, you nail together hundreds of smaller pieces to make a skeleton that’s as strong as you need. The joys of engineering, right?
CODY: Again, that was Kevin O’Connor. You can listen to all 10 episodes of the first season of his new podcast, “Clearstory” — right now! Find Clearstory wherever you listen to podcasts, or look for a link in today’s show notes.
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CODY: Today’s first story was written by Anna Todd, and edited by Ashley Hamer, who’s the managing editor for Curiosity Daily.
ASHLEY: Scriptwriting was by Cody Gough and Sonja Hodgen. Curiosity Daily is produced and edited by Cody Gough.
CODY: Join us again tomorrow to learn something new in just a few minutes.
ASHLEY: And until then, stay curious!