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Welcome to Curious by Nature, presented by Newswise—the podcast for curious people.
In each episode, listeners can travel briefly into the fascinating world that comes with years of dedication to one field of study. Be inspired by the many amazing things that are going on right now, some may have a major effect on our lives.
Enjoy this concentrated knowledge from experts. We hope you can take inspiration from glimpses of innovation, dedication, and discovery.
In each episode, listeners can travel briefly into the fascinating world that comes with years of dedication to one field of study. Be inspired by the many amazing things that are going on right now, some may have a major effect on our lives.
Enjoy this concentrated knowledge from experts. We hope you can take inspiration from glimpses of innovation, dedication, and discovery.
93 Episodes
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Dr. Robert Ferl, a molecular biologist and professor at the University of Florida, discusses his work on understanding how organisms, particularly plants, adapt to extreme environments, including space. He highlights his recent spaceflight aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard, where he conducted experiments to study the effects of space travel on plants. The goal was to analyze how plants respond during the initial moments of spaceflight and upon reentry. This unique opportunity allowed Dr. Ferl to gain first-hand experience of space, deepening his understanding of how biology behaves in space. He talked about the importance of allowing scientists to personally conduct research in space and advocates for expanding these opportunities for others in the scientific community.
Recent advances in artificial intelligence are beginning to reshape the world of education. While many leaders see AI as a tool that could improve learning and student outcomes, the reality is more complex. New technologies may offer exciting possibilities, but it may take time before they truly make teachers’ jobs easier.Our guest today has been studying what works in education and how new technologies are influencing classrooms. Dr. Samantha Keppler, Assistant Professor of Technology and Operations at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, joins us to discuss how AI is affecting teachers, what it could mean for student success, and how schools can thoughtfully adapt to these changes.
Joint replacement technology has advanced significantly in recent years. Improved materials and more precise surgical techniques have helped the number of procedures more than double over the past decade. But even with these advances, many patients struggle to regain the full range of motion and stability of their natural joints, often requiring extensive follow-up care and physical therapy.Our guest today is working to improve those outcomes. Dr. Marc Hungerford of Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore joins us to discuss how innovations such as robotic-assisted surgery and implanted sensors are helping patients get the most out of their knee and hip replacements, giving them a better chance at long-term mobility and recovery.
When British explorers first encountered Easter Island and the Rapa Nui people, they were struck by the island’s iconic stone heads, known as moai. Yet they were puzzled that such a remote island, more than 1,000 miles off the coast of Chile, was home to only a few thousand inhabitants. From a European perspective, many assumed that the Rapa Nui must once have been a much larger civilization that collapsed after exhausting the island’s resources. This idea became widely known as the theory of the “Easter Island Collapse.”Today, archaeologists are challenging that narrative. Dr. Carl Lipo of Binghamton University is among the researchers working to reexamine the evidence and provide a more nuanced understanding of Rapa Nui history and how its people adapted to their environment.
Addiction research has long focused on chemical dependence such as drugs and alcohol, but newer behaviors like excessive video gaming and social media use are only beginning to receive the same level of scientific attention. Many parents worry that their children may be developing addictive habits with these modern technologies. At the same time, game developers and social media platforms are designed to maximize engagement and keep users online for longer periods of time.So what safeguards exist to prevent technology from becoming manipulative or addictive?Dr. Puneet Manchanda, the Isidor and Leon Winkelman Professor of Marketing at the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan, joins us to explore these questions. His research examines how modern digital platforms influence user behavior and what that means for understanding the potential risks of technology-driven addiction.
Estimates suggest that 10 to 30 percent of students are neurodivergent, raising important questions about what the future of work will look like for them. Neurodiverse employees bring many unique strengths to the workplace, but companies may need to rethink how they design roles, environments, and expectations to support those strengths.Our guest today is Dr. Eric Patton, Professor of Management at Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia, and author of the book Neurodiversity and Work. In this episode, we explore how organizations can better support neurodivergent employees and why embracing neurodiversity can benefit both workers and companies.
When most people hear about youth suicide and depression, the reaction is immediate and understandably heavy. But understanding the early warning signs can make a critical difference. Research suggests that signals of mental health struggles may appear 10 to 12 years before a serious crisis, meaning early awareness and intervention can be life-changing.Our guest today has dedicated his career to improving how we identify and treat serious mental health conditions. Dr. Madhukar Trivedi, Professor of Psychiatry and Founding Director of the Center for Depression Research and Clinical Care at the O’Donnell Brain Institute at UT Southwestern Medical School, joins us to discuss how researchers and communities can recognize early signs of depression and help young people get support before problems escalate.
Researchers studying Alzheimer’s disease are examining how the condition changes the brain from every possible angle. Many people have heard about amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles, but another growing area of research focuses on how brain cells process small molecules like lipids and amino acids. This field, known as metabolomics, studies how these chemical processes function and how they may break down in disease.Dr. Stewart Graham, the John and Marilyn Bishop Endowed Chair for Alzheimer’s Disease Research at Corewell Health, joins us to discuss how metabolomics is revealing new clues about Alzheimer’s disease. His work focuses on understanding how these metabolic changes may help scientists diagnose the disease earlier, predict its progression, and develop new strategies to slow or prevent its impact.
In the post-Civil War South, segregated, state-run reform schools became a source of cheap farm labor through the convict-leasing system. Decades later, investigators have uncovered troubling patterns of abuse and discrimination in how these schools operated, as well as a striking lack of historical documentation about what actually happened there.Our guest today is one such investigator. Dr. Kaniqua Robinson of Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, an anthropologist who studies cultural and collective memory, explores how communities remember and confront difficult histories, particularly where they intersect with race and criminal justice.In this episode, we discuss how societies uncover hidden histories and ask a powerful question: How do we pass down knowledge of the past and ensure it is not forgotten?
Countless blockbuster movies have depicted a world where humanity is on the brink of destruction. But in the real world, what would it take to be an existential threat? Could a terrorist attack wipe us out? What can we do to prepare for the worst and ensure our survival?In this episode, we speak with Zak Kallenborn, a researcher affiliated with the Center for Strategic and International Studies, George Mason University, and the National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (START) at the University of Maryland, and Dr. Gary Ackerman, Professor and Associate Dean for Research in the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity at the University at Albany.
Patients with cancers of the blood, such as leukemia and lymphoma, often need to undergo a bone marrow transplant. In the past, this was a painful and complicated procedure that often didn’t always succeed.Dr. Shernan Holtan, Chief of Blood and Marrow Transplantation at Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, has dedicated her career to improving blood and bone marrow transplants and making them safer and more effective for patients. In this episode, we explore how advances in transplant medicine are helping more patients survive and recover.
We are all getting older, but scientists who study aging are learning more than ever about what happens to our bodies later in life and what we can do to stay healthier for longer. While everyone wants to know the secret to feeling young, researchers are uncovering practical ways to support healthy aging.Dr. Benjamin Miller of the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation joins us to talk about the science behind aging, what researchers are discovering about how our bodies change over time, and what it might take to help people live longer, healthier lives.
In Greenville, South Carolina, environmental scientists are finding new ways to understand the health and biodiversity of ecosystems. Sometimes, the key is simply listening. Birdsong has become a powerful tool for studying biodiversity and tracking changes in the environment.Dr. John Quinn, a researcher at Furman University, joined us to discuss how he uses recordings of bird calls to evaluate whether land management practices are truly helping ecosystems thrive. In this episode, we explore how listening to nature can reveal important clues about the health of the world around us.
When our guest today first began working as a scientist, our understanding of atomic particles was only beginning to take shape. Dr. Christina Kourkoumelis, from the University of Athens and CERN, is now part of an enormous global collaboration involving thousands of scientists and one of the most remarkable engineering feats in modern science: the 27-kilometer particle accelerator known as the Large Hadron Collider.In this episode, we talk about where she’s been, what she has witnessed throughout her remarkable career, and what continues to keep her curious and excited about science today.
When it comes to bosses, everyone seems to have a story about a good one or a bad one. But what actually makes the difference? For Dr. Stephen Courtright at the University of Iowa, that question has become a central focus of his research. Blending insights from business, psychology, and leadership studies, his work explores how leaders shape the people and teams around them.In this episode, we discuss his widely cited research on transformational leadership and what it reveals about motivation, workplace culture, and the qualities that separate great leaders from the rest.
What if your body is quietly guiding your food choices in ways you don’t even realize?Jeff Brunstrom is a professor of experimental psychology at the University of Bristol, where he studies how our brains, behavior, and environment shape the way we eat.His research suggests that we’re not just passively consuming food, we may have “nutritional intelligence,” where our bodies push us toward certain foods to meet our needs. But in today’s world of ultra-processed meals, that system can be disrupted, leading us to eat more without realizing why.
Why is brain cancer so hard to treat, and what if the brain itself is helping it spread? Glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive cancers, not because it forms a single tumor, but because it spreads like invisible threads throughout the brain, making it nearly impossible to remove completely. Dr. Sheila Singh is a Professor of Neuro-Oncology and Neurosurgery at King’s College London, Co-Head of the School of Cancer (with Pharmaceutical Sciences), and Director of the Comprehensive Cancer Center, while also serving as a part-time Professor of Surgery and Biochemistry at McMaster University. Her research uncovers how brain cells may actually be helping cancer grow and spread, and how existing drugs could be repurposed to stop it.
Every year, researchers publish discoveries that could improve our lives, from health to technology to public policy. But much of that work never reaches the people who could benefit from it. It stays behind paywalls, written in technical language, and shared mostly within academic circles.Dr. Quan Xie is an associate professor of digital advertising at Southern Methodist University. Her research explores how scholars can better share their work using storytelling, digital platforms, and tools like AI to bring research beyond the journal and into the real world.
How do you know if you have a genetic condition that increases your risk of certain types of cancer? For people with inherited conditions like Lynch syndrome, the risk of cancer is much higher, yet most don’t even know they have it. Dr. Eduardo Vilar-Sanchez is a physician-scientist at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, working on new ways to stop cancer early, including a vaccine designed to train the immune system to recognize and fight it.
Newswise’s Jessica Johnson shares highlights from a recent trip visiting communications teams and researchers across universities in the southeastern United States.Below are some of the research stories featured in this episode.ARPA-H PRINT Program Supports WFIRM-Led Award to Create on-Demand, Bioprinted Kidneys, Published by Wake Forest UniversityHow Studying Yeast in the Gut Could Lead to Better Drugs, Published by North Carolina State University How health risk communication best practices can improve community flood risk communication, Published by RTI InternationalHealthy habits can make your brain age more slowly, study finds, Published by University of FloridaNew FAU Research Strengthens Evidence Linking Alcohol Use to Cancer, Published by Florida Atlantic UniversityEfficacy of Service Dogs with Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Community Reintegration, Published by Nova Southeastern UniversityThe Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Selected as U.S. Site for Neuralink Clinical Trial, Published by University of Miami – Miller School of MedicineNew Study Could Show How TikTok’s Algorithm Affects Youth Mental Health, Published by Georgia Tech
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