Curiosity Daily Podcast: Why Humans Built Cities in the First Place and What They Looked Like (w/ Monica L. Smith)

Learn about what the first cities looked like — and why humans built them — from author Monica L. Smith, an archaeologist and professor in the department of anthropology at UCLA. Then, learn what makes pedestrians run into each other.

May 19, 2019

Episode Show Notes:

Get your copy of “Cities: The First 6,000 Years” on Amazon: https://amazon.com

Additional resources from Monica L. Smith:

Additional resources discussed:

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

Download the FREE 5-star Curiosity app for Android and iOS at https://curiosity.im/podcast-app. And Amazon smart speaker users: you can listen to our podcast as part of your Amazon Alexa Flash Briefing — just click “enable” here: https://curiosity.im/podcast-flash-briefing.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Next Up

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Hacking Device, Designer Seaweed, Accent Exposure

We discuss the latest in phone hacking technology, how aquaculture may be able to help the global food crisis, and how engaging with people who speak in a foreign accent may help us retain language.

Curiosity Daily Podcast:The Myth of Man Flu, Arctic Lakes, Buzzing Bats

Let’s talk about whether “man flu” is fact or fiction, how the Arctic lakes just threw a curveball at our climate change projections, and the genius new way bats are tricking their predators.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Modern and Ancient Cities Faced the Same Problems (w/ Monica L. Smith), Ear Dominance

Learn about the similarities between problems facing ancient and modern cities from author Monica L. Smith, an archaeologist and professor in the department of anthropology at UCLA. You’ll also learn about whether you have a dominant ear.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Ancient Cities Can Help Us Plan Modern Cities (w/ Monica L. Smith) and Where Light Goes

Learn about how studying ancient cities can help us plan modern cities from author Monica L. Smith, an archaeologist and professor in the department of anthropology at UCLA. Plus, learn what happens to light when you turn off the light switch.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Be the Best Host or Guest (w/ Jihan Murray-Smith), Avoid Conflict at Family Meals, and High Heels for Men

Learn about how to avoid conflict at family meals, and why high heels were originally meant for men. Plus, get some tips on how to host and be a polite guest from etiquette expert Jihan Murray-Smith — just in time for the holidays!

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Introducing If/Then

What gets you curious? Virtual experiences, celestial bodies, water worlds or maybe just the tiniest mysteries inside your brain? The endlessly curious and curiously funny, Gillian Jacobs (Community, Netflix's LOVE) and Diona Reasonover (NCIS), step off set to go on tangents with real-life astronauts, astrophysicists, science artists, mathematician-types and other really smart people that investigate what seems impossible.

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: Are Facial Expressions Universal?

Learn about common ancestors shared by every human; evolution’s multiple directions; and universal facial expressions.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Does ESP Exist?

Learn about ESP; why people panicked about electricity in the 1800s; and how embryos use sound to prepare for the world.

Curiosity Daily Podcast: Do Opposites Really Attract?

Learn about why opposites don’t really attract; the “propinquity effect” and how physical distance affects the way we feel about other people; and the history of when and why we started using last names.