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Curiosity Daily Podcast: The Problem With Making Sand (w/ Vince Beiser), Happiest Spouses, and How Pyramids Were Built

Learn about a new discovery into how the pyramids were built; why spouses who are also best friends see the most health and happiness benefits; and why we don’t just make more sand, with some help from a special guest, author Vince Beiser.

December 13, 2018

Episode Show Notes:

In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com — and learn about sand from author Vince Beiser — to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:

Visit https://amazon.com to pick up Vince Beiser’s book, “The World in a Grain: The Story of Sand and How It Transformed Civilization,” on Amazon. It’s free with your Audible trial, and if you choose to make a purchase using this link, then Curiosity gets a share of the sale!

If you love our show and you're interested in hearing full-length interviews, then please consider supporting us on Patreon. You'll get exclusive episodes and access to our archives as soon as you become a Patron! https://www.patreon.com/curiositydotcom

Learn about these topics and more on Curiosity.com, and download our 5-star app for Android and iOS. Then, join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Plus: Amazon smart speaker users, enable our Alexa Flash Briefing to learn something new in just a few minutes every day!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next Up

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Beating Procrastination, Sand Science (w/ Vince Beiser), and How to Use Your Vacation Days

Learn about microvacations, a trick for actually using your vacation days even when you’re super busy; the science behind why darkness is actually faster than the speed of light; and why sand is one of the most valuable resources in human civilization — and why we’re running out of it — with some help from Vince Beiser, author of “The World in a Grain: The Story of Sand and How It Transformed Civilization.”

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Microvacations, Why Sand Matters and Why We’re Running Out of It (w/ Vince Beiser), and Savings Plan Tricks

Learn how to stay sane at work by taking a microvacation; an easy trick for building the best savings plan; and why sand is one of the most important materials in human civilization — and why we’re running out of it.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: The Math Bias That Makes You Misjudge COVID-19

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Curiosity Daily Podcast: The Dark Ages Weren’t Really Dark

Learn about the “smellicopter,” a drone that can smell via a live moth antenna; why the “Dark Ages” weren’t as dark as you might think; and how simple word swaps can secretly trick your brain.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: The Stressful Psychology of a Ghosted Email

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Curiosity Daily Podcast: The Best Time to Make a Gut Decision (w/ Annie Duke)

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Curiosity Daily Podcast: The Big Mistakes We Make in Virtual Gatherings (w/ Priya Parker)

Author Priya Parker explains how to fix the biggest mistakes you’re making in your virtual gatherings. Plus: learn about how language can affect the amount of pain a bilingual person experiences; and why the world’s largest waterfall probably isn’t what you think it is.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: The Curiosity Podcast Wraps Up with Yoga, Volcanoes, and Meditation

Learn from some of our favorite expert guests about yoga, volcanoes, meditation, and more on this special episode of the Curiosity Podcast. You'll hear from accomplished authors and academics from past episodes, in addition to a special guest you've never heard before on the show. Plus, hear about the past, present, and future of the Curiosity Podcast.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Can Swarm Intelligence Solve Humanity's Biggest Problems?

Artificial intelligence is all the rage, but using swarm intelligence might be the best way to solve the world's biggest problems. Dr. Louis Rosenberg is the Founder & CEO of Unanimous AI, an artificial intelligence company that amplifies human intelligence by building "hive minds" modeled after biological swarms. Learn how swarm intelligence can combine the brainpower of humans and computers to solve humanity's biggest problems.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: The Known Solar System Just Got Bigger

Learn about how mice seem to feel each other’s pain; why our known solar system just got a little bigger thanks to “Farfarout” 2018 AG37; and the history of quinine, the malaria cure that eventually led to the gin and tonic.