Curiosity Daily Podcast: Magic Mushroom Evolution and When Kids Gain Theory of Mind
Learn about why magic mushrooms evolved to be “magic” and new research into when children develop “theory of mind.”
November 16, 2021
Episode Show Notes:
Magic mushrooms evolved to scramble insect brains by Cameron Duke
- Hallucinogenic mushrooms drug profile. (2020). Europa.eu. https://www.emcdda.europa.eu/publications/drug-profiles/hallucinogenic-mushrooms_en
- Lee, N., & Benji Jones. (2021, April 27). How psychoactive psilocybin in magic mushrooms changes your brain. Business Insider; Business Insider. https://www.businessinsider.com/magic-mushrooms-psilocybin-psychoactive-drug-brain-denver-legal-2019-5
- Reynolds, H. T., Vijayakumar, V., Gluck-Thaler, E., Korotkin, H. B., Matheny, P. B., & Slot, J. C. (2018). Horizontal gene cluster transfer increased hallucinogenic mushroom diversity. Evolution Letters, 2(2), 88–101. https://doi.org/10.1002/evl3.42
The classic experiment testing children's theory of mind is flawed by Grant Currin
- Children do not understand concept of others having false beliefs until age 6 or 7. (2021, September 28). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/929684
- Fabricius, W. V., Gonzales, C. R., Pesch, A., Weimer, A. A., Pugliese, J., Carroll, K., Bolnick, R. R., Kupfer, A. S., Eisenberg, N., & Spinrad, T. L. (2021). Perceptual Access Reasoning (PAR) in Developing a Representational Theory of Mind. Monographs of the Society for Research in Child Development, 86(3), 7–154. https://doi.org/10.1111/mono.12432
- Cassella, C. (2021). We Might Be Wrong About How Children Understand The Minds of Others at a Young Age. ScienceAlert. https://www.sciencealert.com/new-evidence-suggests-children-may-not-have-theory-of-mind-until-age-6-or-7
Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to https://discoveryplus.com/curiosity to start your 7-day free trial. discovery+ is currently only available for US subscribers.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Next Up
Curiosity Daily Podcast: Mushrooms Are More Like Humans Than Plants
Learn how mushrooms are more like humans than plants; why your tongue isn’t a muscle; and ferret-training robot badgers.
Curiosity Daily Podcast: Poop of Youth, Robot Roaches, Chatty Fungus
Learn about how we might be flushing the secret to anti-aging down the toilet, how cyborg cockroaches could save your life one day and how mushrooms may be talking to each other!
Curiosity Daily Podcast: Burn Them Cals, Magic of Mushrooms, Flying at Mach 16
Today, you’ll learn about some new, emerging data that is giving us surprising insight into human metabolism, how magic mushrooms are at the forefront of mental health treatment, and new jet technology that could get us anywhere in the world in under two hours.
Curiosity Daily Podcast: Mushrooming Minds, Super Plants, Plz Call Your Friends
Magic mushrooms are giving researchers hope in treating conditions like anxiety and depression, a new study may have found the key to increasing photosynthesis efficiency in plants, and research shows that we love being reached out to by old friends!
Curiosity Daily Podcast: Fresh, Canned, and Frozen Vegetable Nutrition, Staying in Bed for Science, and IQs on Iodine
Learn which is healthiest: fresh, canned, or frozen vegetables; how iodized salt accidentally increased the American IQ; and how you can apply to participate in a new NASA-backed study to help scientists learn about the effects of space travel.
Curiosity Daily Podcast: New Laser Uses Sound Waves, Get Your Kids to Eat Veggies, and Better-Than-Average Effect
Learn about a new phonon laser that uses sound instead of light; a counterintuitive trick to get your kids to eat vegetables; and a cognitive bias that explains why most people think they’re better than other people.
Curiosity Daily Podcast: A Historic Friendship, Pumpkin Care, Declaring Sovereignty
Learn about Harry Houdini and Arthur Conan Doyle’s amity; how to keep a jack-o’-lantern fresh; and declaring sovereignty.
Curiosity Daily Podcast: Road to the 8-Hour Workday, the Liking Gap, Shocking Tomatoes
Learn about how guaranteed 8-hour work days came to the US; the liking gap; and the shocking defense systems of tomato plants.
Curiosity Daily Podcast: Alibi Memory, Denisova Cave History, Cleaning Fruit & Veggies
Learn how often people misremember alibis; new lessons from Denisova Cave; and how to remove pesticides from produce.
Curiosity Daily Podcast: How to Tell When Someone’s Lying, Out-of-Body Experiences, and Healthiest Way to Cook Broccoli
Learn about an easy way to catch someone in a lie; a possible scientific explanation for why your vestibular system may be to blame for out-of-body experiences; and the healthiest way to prepare broccoli, according to science.