Learn about whether humans have an internal compass; how long a flu virus can last in the environment; and whether creativity and mental illness actually go hand in hand. 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: Do Humans Have An Internal Compass? — https://curiosity.im/36NcJha Here's How Long a Flu Virus Can Last in the Environment — https://curiosity.im/2Q0Y6B2 Do Creativity and Mental Illness Go Hand in Hand? — https://curiosity.im/2Q0TV81 Please vote for Curiosity Daily in the 2019 Discover Pods Awards! We're a finalist for Best Technology & Science Podcast. Every vote counts!https://awards.discoverpods.com/finalists/
Learn about whether humans have an internal compass; how long a flu virus can last in the environment; and whether creativity and mental illness actually go hand in hand.
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:
Please vote for Curiosity Daily in the 2019 Discover Pods Awards! We're a finalist for Best Technology & Science Podcast. Every vote counts! https://awards.discoverpods.com/finalists/
Find episode transcript here: https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/your-internal-compass-how-long-a-flu-virus-survives-and-the-creativity-mental-illness-link
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 humans have an internal compass; how long a flu virus can last in the environment; and whether creativity and mental illness actually go hand in hand.
CODY: Let’s satisfy some curiosity.
Do Humans Have An Internal Compass? — https://curiosity.im/36NcJha (Ashley) (from Sunday 11/17)
Do humans have an internal compass? Think about it: lots of animals have an instinctive sense of which way points north. Even dogs tend to poop in line with the planet's magnetic poles. So then, what about humans, especially those of us who never seem to be able to find where we’ve parked our car? Well it turns out the answer is probably yes, and researchers even have some theories on how it works, ranging from magnetite in our sinus bones to a protein called cryptochrome.
For most of the 20th century, research into the ability to sense magnetic fields, or magnetoreception, were ridiculed. But scientists have found that virtually every migratory animal, from birds to fish, have a built-in compass. So why not humans?
In the 1980s, British biologist Robin Baker performed experiments that suggested humans had magnetoreception. But these results couldn’t be replicated, and his claims of the human sinus bone being magnetic were contested by Caltech geophysicist Joseph Kirschvink [KIRSCH-vink].
Then Kirschvink himself performed experiments into human magnetoreception. To overcome drawbacks in the previous research, he measured subjects' brainwaves on an EEG and tested them inside a Faraday cage, which blocks any external electromagnetic interference. Like Baker, he concluded that humans do have the power of magnetoreception.
Scientists have two leading theories on how it works. One theory is around Magnetite, the magnetic iron mineral Baker claimed to find in the human sinus bone. It’s been found in birds’ beaks, fishes’ noses, and even in the human brain.
The other leading theory is an intriguingly named protein called cryptochrome. Certain wavelengths of light turn it into what's known as a "radical pair" molecule, with two unpaired electrons that spin in the same direction or in opposite directions. Pass a magnetic field over them, and the electrons flip between having aligned and nonaligned spins.
We don't know how powerful human magnetoreception is, or what could trigger it. But one thing is certain: Finding your car in a parking lot will always be tough.
Here's How Long a Flu Virus Can Last in the Environment — https://curiosity.im/2Q0Y6B2 (Cody) (Repub) (Freelancer due 11/7) (from Friday 11/15)
A 2018 study shows that the flu virus can last longer in the environment than we previously thought. And now that it’s flu season here in the U.S., we’re gonna dig into the implications of that research, along with giving you a few tips for staying happy and healthy this winter. Although first and foremost, I have to remind you to PLEASE GET YOUR FLU SHOT. Because influenza (or flu) viruses cause about 200,000 hospitalizations every year in this country alone. And although it’s not 100 percent effective, getting vaccinated is your best defense against the virus.
Anyway, back to the study I mentioned. We know that the flu spreads through direct or indirect contact with someone who is infected, or through aerosols including coughing, sneezing or even just breathing. For a long time, scientists thought that when it spread through the air, like in a cough or sneeze, the virus would become inactive pretty quickly. But it turns out that our mucus actually protects the virus, and the researchers behind this study have unpublished data suggesting the virus can persist for up to 16 hours. In a stable indoor environment, there’s a good chance it can survive in the air for an entire day. Yuck.
I’m not telling you this to freak you out though. I’m telling you this because there are little things you can do to remove the flu virus from the air — that is, in addition to the classic advice of hand-washing, wiping down frequently touched surfaces, and coughing into your shirt rather than your hand to catch the droplets.
First off, increasing the air circulation in a room can dilute flu viruses in the air and limit their spread. You can do this by increasing the exchange rate of building ventilation systems, turning on ceiling or portable fans, and, although it could get a bit chilly, by opening windows.
Second, it turns out that air purifiers designed to remove particles SHOULD effective at removing viruses from the air too, although that hasn’t been tested directly. A purifier with a HEPA filter and a high flow rate will remove the most particles.
And finally, consider wearing a surgical mask if you’re sick to protect those around you. If you’re not sick but you’re around people who have the flu, wearing a surgical mask will help — as long as it’s tight-fitting. If there are gaps around the sides, then it's not helping much.
These simple measure could significantly decrease the number of infections every year, but one more time: please get your flu shot if you haven’t already. Vaccines save lives, full stop.
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ASHLEY: Today’s episode is sponsored by Purple Mattress. How did you sleep last night?
CODY: I slept pretty well last night, and that’s good, because life is starting to get PRETTY busy with the holidays approaching. The last thing I need to do is have a rough night and then have to go to a holiday party all tired and cranky at the end of the day. And if you’re struggling to get a good night’s sleep, then you’ve gotta try a Purple Mattress.
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ASHLEY: You’re going to love Purple. And right now Curiosity Daily listeners will get a FREE Purple pillow with the purchase of a mattress! That’s on top of all the great free gifts they’re offering sitewide. Just text Curious to 84-888.
CODY: The ONLY way to get this free pillow, is to text Curious to 84-888. That’s C-U-R-I-O-U-S to 8-4-8-8-8. Message and data rates may apply.
Do Creativity and Mental Illness Go Hand in Hand? — https://curiosity.im/2Q0TV81(Ashley) (Freelancer due 11/7) (from Friday 11/15)
Do creativity and mental illness go hand in hand? Do you need to be mentally tortured to create works of genius? Luckily for those people who want to be truly creative but prefer to avoid a psychiatric disorder, a published review of the available research says the answer is no.
The idea of the “mad genius” is older than psychology itself, but it spread like wildfire after the release of two pivotal publications. They became the source for nearly all research into the link between mental illness and creativity, and their results were spread far and wide. The publications were studies published in 1987 by psychiatrists Nancy Andreasen and Arnold K. Ludwig, and in 1989 by psychologist Kay Redfield Jamison. Both studies found high links between mental illness and creativity, with Andreasen’s result claiming that 80 percent of writers have mood disorders.
But, as psychologist Judith Schlesinger wrote in 2009, neither of these studies were rigorous enough to warrant the regard that researchers hold for them today.
Inspired by Schlesinger's article, in 2017, psychology Ph.D. candidate Christa Taylor looked at the research that has been done since, and performed a systematic review and meta-analysis. That’s a type of super-study that re-analyzes the data from dozens or even hundreds of other studies, and she wanted to see what evidence there was for a link between creativity and mood disorders. And what do you know, she found no clear relationship. To be clear, that doesn't mean there isn’t a link, but it does mean that there's little good evidence for one.
This is important because the "mad genius" idea can be damaging both for people in creative pursuits and people with mental illness. Creatives are often judged harshly by potential romantic partners, landlords, and even banks who think they're too big of a risk to get involved with. And for creative people who have serious disorders, the myth could lead them to avoid treatment so they can keep their gift intact.
When psychiatrist Albert Rothenberg critiqued Andreasen's classic study in 1990, he concluded that all creatives did have one thing in common — but it wasn't mental illness. He said, quote: "Only one characteristic of personality and orientation to life and work is absolutely, across the board, present in all creative people: motivation ... they want specifically to create and to be creative, not merely to be successful or effective or competent," unquote. If you've got the motivation, you have the potential for greatness — mental illness or no.
CODY: Before we wrap up, we wanted to ask you to vote for Curiosity Daily in the 2019 Discover Pods Awards! We’re a finalist for Best Technology & Science Podcast, and we absolutley need your vote to help us win.
ASHLEY: We’ll put a link to vote in today’s show notes, but if you’re on your phone right now, then please just pull up awards-dot-discover-pods-dot-com to vote. You can find Curiosity Daiy in the category of Best Technology & Science Podcast, about two-thirds of the way down the page.
CODY: One more time, that’s awards-dot-discover-pods-dot-com. And THANK you!
ASHLEY: Okay, so what got us excited about today’s episode?
[ad lib optional]
CODY: Today’s stories were written by Ashley Hamer and by Seema Lakdawala and Linsey Marr for The Conversation. Stories were edited by Ashley Hamer, who’s the managing editor for Curiosity.com.
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!