Episodes
Monday Oct 31, 2022
Gross Stuff: Pathology Edition (ft. Arin Oliver)
Monday Oct 31, 2022
Monday Oct 31, 2022
Just in time for halloween, Kade and Matt are joined by Arin Oliver to talk about weird, gross, and curious aspects of working in a pathology laboratory. From dismembered toes, to human soup, and a deep dive into working in science & sci-com in between, tune in for a spooktacular conversation. Stick around till the end of the episode to find out some of the scientific explanations for why vampires were once thought to be real!
If you want to hear more of Arin, check out their sound cloud at https://soundcloud.com/user-880237105
As always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com We also have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show. Images and Websites referenced in the show: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/born-to-the-purple-the-st/ https://www.livescience.com/24374-vampires-real-history.html https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1296679/pdf/jrsocmed00034-0052.pdf https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/primate-diaries/a-natural-history-of-vampires/ https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/porphyria/symptoms-causes/syc-20356066 http://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/motm/hemoglobin/hemoglobv.htm https://www.jstor.org/stable/3814375?saml_data=eyJzYW1sVG9rZW4iOiJjNDRlNzZjZi1lYjZkLTRjYmEtOWQzNS04MmE0ZTAyNmRiYjkiLCJpbnN0aXR1dGlvbklkcyI6WyIxMTQyMzMzMy00NmI0LTQ4MWItYTIyNy0yYzA4OGVhZmUxMTkiXX0#metadata_info_tab_contents https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/the-great-new-england-vampire-panic-36482878/
Friday Sep 30, 2022
Stomach Ulcers
Friday Sep 30, 2022
Friday Sep 30, 2022
This episode, Kate and Matt discuss stomach ulcers, gastritis, the bacteria h. pylori, and one man’s decision to use HIMSELF as a lab rat. That’s right, we tell the tale of Barry J Marshall, winner of the 2005 Nobel Prize for Physiology and Medicine for his work uncovering the cause of stomach ulcers… and, more importantly, the absolutely insane way he went about proving his hypothesis. We also tackle a listener question about snails… what happens, exactly, when they’re given amphetamines? If you love the logo that inspired this episode, you can find the artist Steff on Instagram @steff_tattoo_artist. You can find Kate on twitter @huckstepkate or on Insta @katehuckstep. And, as always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com We also now have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show. References: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/professor-barry-marshall-helicobacter-pylori-bacterium/id1212751478?i=1000389540444 https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/professor-barry-marshall-his-professional-history-h/id1212751478?i=1000388990736 https://medlineplus.gov/pepticulcer.html https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk/infectious-agents/h-pylori-fact-sheet#q4 https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2005/press-release/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK2432/ https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/medicine/2005/summary/ https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2012/10/22/germs-are-us https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1283743/ https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(84)91816-6/fulltext https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1539101/ Listener Question References: https://www.nationalgeographic.com/culture/article/100603-crystal-meth-snails-brains-addiction-science https://www.apa.org/monitor/2010/09/snails#:~:text=New%20research%20has%20found%20that,213%2C%20No
Thursday Sep 01, 2022
Telescopes: Hubble & beyond (ft. Stephenie Bernard & Benji Metha)
Thursday Sep 01, 2022
Thursday Sep 01, 2022
In light of science’s latest and greatest big project on everybody’s lips right now – the James Webb Space Telescope – Kate and Matt are joined by astronomer Stephanie Bernard (and our regular space consultant Benji Metha) to talk about some of the OTHER telescopes out there! What is the Hubble Space Telescope and why was it made? What advantages do space telescopes have over the ones here on earth? Where does astronomy even come from? Stick around ‘til the end to hear Kate answer this month’s listener question all about mozzies! If you loved what Stephi had to say, you can find more of her on her podcast: Spaghettification, at https://www.spaghettification.com.au/, @spagpod on Twitter, and @spaghettificationpodcast on Instagram. You can find Stephi personally on Twitter under @astro_stephi or on Insta under @stephoebe. As usual, you can find more from Benji on Instagram under @benjaminmetha, and find more of Kate @katehuckstep on Instagram or @huckstepkate on Twitter. You can find more of Matt on Soundcloud at https://soundcloud.com/user-865675098, or on https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv0HlknPTGfvHpFfv4wL6Qat And as always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, Instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com We also have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have some coin to chuck our way, it really helps with all the time and effort that does into making the show! Listener Question References: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12083361/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1127358/ https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0022191016303158?via%3Dihub https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6315685/#:~:text=Bananas%20and%20beer%20%5B20%2C21,likelihood%20of%20contact%20and%20biting. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41597-022-01541-w https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-022-28195-x https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0122716 https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/ps.6635 https://youtu.be/38gVZgE39K8
Monday Aug 01, 2022
Muscles
Monday Aug 01, 2022
Monday Aug 01, 2022
This time on Curiosity Killed the Rat, Kate and Matt discuss all things muscle. How do we grow bigger muscles? How to our muscles actually make us move? How do steroids effect our bodies? Stick around to the end for a listener question on how much of our brain do we really need. As always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com We also have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show
Sources:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29282553/ https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2019/01/190125084106.htm https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fphys.2018.01887/full https://medlineplus.gov/ency/article/003188.htm https://cob.silverchair-cdn.com/cob/content_public/journal/jeb/219/2/10.1242_jeb.124495/5/jeb124495.pdf?Expires=1662262469&Signature=GOSSKmvlLzQ5OmbhJexKPEShy~sLFrkAXdDps2EhHcj0VNHPYWJFmIYnhAZAz-Cwa7C9c1-kCNVbCUAIvo8q5QU6qcposdUvKgf2z7uC3ynKJOEgr3ajWHvHpsacKUj4fLPqs07zNb17Jlp85ou71lF8um23gpiHhnDTy3u8epxt6rpZwoacQVEWglTdTZWsMzglYVwdJIrhJnZLJv7o0J49g6kWwah5VFgngf8Ace7ilJcCFcKYhdap53VmO3dq8bPl8mysgabtU9YKjU4XwHtbLpUIUZIwiTka4JqcYbEnbDNjWylGQB93i6Av86t4pB~qWTmYYEun3t4ybkNzeQ__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAIE5G5CRDK6RD3PGA https://www.unm.edu/~lkravitz/Article%20folder/musclesgrowLK.html https://medicalxpress.com/news/2010-11-source-long-term-motor-memory.html https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/0047637482901051?via=ihub
Listener Question Sources:
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/strange-but-true-when-half-brain-better-than-whole/ https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn12301-man-with-tiny-brain-shocks-doctors/#.VBcSYy5dVoc https://www.medicaldaily.com/boy-born-without-brain-trevor-judge-waltrip-dies-after-living-12-years-hydranencephaly-300736
Friday Jul 01, 2022
James Webb Space Telescope: Round 2 (ft. Maddie Marshall & Benji Metha
Friday Jul 01, 2022
Friday Jul 01, 2022
Way back in 2020 we did an episode all about the James Webb Space Telescope. Since then, this Bad Boi has been launched, is in space, unfolded, and ready to deliver it’s first data to the world! Given this, we thought it was time for an update, getting the low-down from high-up about the current status of the James Webb Space Telescope! With Kate out this episode due to an unfortunately timed cased of COVID, friend-of-the-show Benji steps up alongside Matt to chat to fellow astronomer Maddie Marshall. If you loved the insight Maddie had to give, you can find more of her on twitter with the handle @AstroMad. As always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com We also have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show. Images and Websites referenced in the show: https://webb.nasa.gov/content/webbLaunch/whereIsWebb.html?fbclid=IwAR0D7H6gOcUf7dvrYIppFN8i9WlveSqFTIrvd8lwbA8-rBYhS9kw47ocCMA https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/05/09/miris-sharper-view-hints-at-new-possibilities-for-science/?fbclid=IwAR0euAWqWWJQcisv2kLscr_LOQkPmdz1ctE-c5cmXGP4qq-ymE79m7E7Sv0 https://blogs.nasa.gov/webb/2022/04/28/nasas-webb-in-full-focus-ready-for-instrument-commissioning/?fbclid=IwAR1crPVdoLNi8BL5CxXy7qN9yFe4YAcY1jFn6ECDLGnyWZHxX_quQFHhYn0 https://www.nasa.gov/press-release/nasa-s-webb-reaches-alignment-milestone-optics-working-successfully
Tuesday May 31, 2022
Refrigeration (ft. Mark Kelly)
Tuesday May 31, 2022
Tuesday May 31, 2022
The refrigeration cycle is so fundamental to human society, but it can be very easy to take for granted. This episode, Kate and Matt are joined by Mark Kelly, who teaches us all about the science and history of refrigeration. We dive into thermodynamics and heat transfer, as Mark explains just why he thinks refrigeration is amazing and how it relies on what feels like a bug in the physics engine of our world. We also tackle a listener question about dust… what is it, exactly? As always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com We also have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show. Referenced in this episode: https://youtu.be/AeJ9q45PfD0 https://youtu.be/4fuHzC9aTik Listener Question References: https://www.cabdirect.org/cabdirect/abstract/19820596810 https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/es104056m https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/es9003735 https://youtu.be/P21a5Uty-uc https://youtu.be/jn5M48MVWyg
Saturday Apr 30, 2022
Schizophrenia & Brain Development (ft. Ulysse Thivisol)
Saturday Apr 30, 2022
Saturday Apr 30, 2022
This episode, Kate and Matt are joined by Ulysse Thivisol to chat about the brain and some of the cool research he is doing to learn about it! We talk about everything from brain development and substance use to schizophrenia, and how those things overlap. We also tackle a listener question about the mysterious “alcohol jacket”… does drinking actually warm you up? If you enjoyed what Ulysse had to say and want to find more of him, you can follow him on twitter @Uthivisol. And, as always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com We also now have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show. Listener Q References: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/6974036/ https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(09)60746-7/fulltext https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2775500/ https://www.nature.com/articles/nn852 https://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/01/health/01real.html?_r=0 https://jpet-aspetjournals-org.eu1.proxy.openathens.net/content/309/3/1167.full https://rupress-org.eu1.proxy.openathens.net/jgp/article/125/6/531/44091/The-Salty-and-Burning-Taste-of-Capsaicin
Thursday Mar 31, 2022
Stingrays
Thursday Mar 31, 2022
Thursday Mar 31, 2022
This episode, join Kate and Matt as they take a deep dive into the world of Stingrays! The many species of stingray range so greatly in size and habitat, but they share some common incredibly cool features. Just how exactly do they hunt for their prey? How do they sense it? Of course, we also discuss the tragedy of Steve Irwin’s death. But just how dangerous are stingrays? What usually happens if you get stung by one, and what should you do? We also tackle a listener question about breathing and just how/why we breathe in oxygen and breathe out carbon dioxide. How long does that whole process take? As always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com We also have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show. Main Segment References: http://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2009/long_nico/Adaptation.htm https://www.nature.com/articles/187957a0.pdf https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joa.12342 https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0944200613000871?via%3Dihub https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0944200611000973?via%3Dihub https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6651/7/6/2272 https://www.seaparadise.com/manta-ray-vs-stingray-9-key-differences-explained/#:~:text=Aside%20from%20their%20size%2C%20one,the%20base%20of%20their%20tail. https://www.seeker.com/stingrays-chew-their-food-like-mammals-2004274358.html https://theculturetrip.com/pacific/australia/articles/the-prehistoric-super-fish-7-facts-about-stingrays/ https://australian.museum/learn/animals/fishes/smooth-stingray-dasyatis-brevicaudata-hutton-1875/ https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rspb.2013.0528 https://saveourseas.com/project/do-stingrays-have-superpowers/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-sharks-electric-sense/ https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2013Sci...340...66C/abstract https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.1230883 https://youtu.be/SSSpjXP6KNg https://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/stingrays-born-in-female-only-tank-20110810-1imik.html Listener Q References: https://ed.ted.com/lessons/oxygen-s-surprisingly-complex-journey-through-your-body-enda-butler https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/BF02111656 https://youtu.be/mZvzl8KH6iI https://www.almanac.com/fact/how-long-does-it-take-blood-to
Monday Feb 28, 2022
Fear (ft. Brandon Richards)
Monday Feb 28, 2022
Monday Feb 28, 2022
Kate and Matt bring in a brand new season of Curiosity Killed the Rat with the help of this week's guest, Brandon Richards, to talk about all things fear. What's the difference between fear and anxiety? Why do adrenaline junkies love fear so much? What actually occurs in the brain when we're scared, and how could we use this knowledge? Stay tuned till the end of the episode for our Listener Question, where Kate reveals the truth about what is actually inside those DO NOT EAT packets that seem to show up in all sorts of products.
As always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com. We also now have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show.
You can find more of Brandon on Twitter: @BrandonKRneuro
Chubby Emu Video on Silica Gel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChgIkbg0x80
Listener Question References:
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/pdf/10.1021/j100854a041 https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/je0255067 http://resources.culturalheritage.org/wp-content/uploads/sites/8/2015/02/osg009-12.pdf http://thescienceexplorer.com/technology/don-t-throw-away-your-desiccant-packets https://www.scienceworld.ca/stories/ever-wonder-about-silica-gel/ https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/19775/what-would-happen-if-you-ate-one-those-silica-gel-packets
Monday Nov 15, 2021
Botox
Monday Nov 15, 2021
Monday Nov 15, 2021
For the final episode of the season, we take a deep dive into the science of Botox! Or, more accurately, botulinum toxin: one of the most dangerous biological substances known to humankind. We mostly associate Botox with its cosmetic use, but there is so much more to it! This toxin was first discovered thanks to the illness it causes when accidentally eaten. From there, its powers were harnessed by the medical and cosmetic industries… but HOW does it work!? This episode, Kate goes into the history, the neuroscience, and the medical uses of botulinum toxin – resulting in a fun ride of science, story time, and self-reflection. We also tackle a listener question about “the sultana curse” – why do our fingers and toes go wrinkly after a bath? As always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com We also now have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show. Botox References: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1392572/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20418969/ https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdfdirect/10.1111/jnc.15181 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27363760/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16901418/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1312202/ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17458494/ https://headacheaustralia.org.au/botox-for-migraine/ https://accesspediatrics.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?bookid=2216§ionid=170340147 https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/drugsatfda_docs/label/2017/125274s109lbl.pdf https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/inside-aesthetics/id1450935718?i=1000520515573 Listener Q References: https://www.nature.com/articles/nature.2013.12175 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15095056/ https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsbl.2012.0999 https://www.karger.com/Article/FullText/328223