Learn when you can catch the Geminid Meteor Shower this month, and why it’s unique; why jet lag is worse when you travel east; and research into how the Earth’s wandering poles may have caused our ice age.

Learn about why selfish people have false memories of being generous; why we can’t do brain transplants; and why you used to be able to buy life insurance from airport vending machines.

Do hollow bones really help birds fly?

Learn about developing cutting-edge technology, from photonic quantum computing to advanced artificial intelligence. Plus: the science behind making driverless cars as safe and reliable as we want them to be.

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

Learn about what would happen if you could actually stop time, scientifically speaking; the incredible health and wellness benefits of leaving your phone out of your bedroom; and “The Goblin,” a new world beyond Pluto.

Learn about a world beyond Pluto nicknamed “The Goblin” that astronomers just discovered; what neuroscience says about whether humans have free will; and “Blue Zones” where people live longer.

Learn about “carbon neutral” policies; a new twist on the legend of Merlin; and the giraffe’s bizarre circulatory system.

Learn how friction causes static electricity. Then, learn from renowned theoretical physicist Sean Carroll why understanding the Many Worlds Theory could be the best way for us to understand the universe.

This castle is a real-life fairytale oasis.

Learn how researchers test drugs for deadly diseases like COVID-19 (without exposing participants); how Fannie Farmer transformed cooking from folk art into science; and how the Shepard scale audio illusion makes it sound like a tone is rising forever.

Learn about how patient O became patient zero, what it takes for a species to evolve twice, and how pesky fruit flies keep getting into your garbage.

Learn about how your body type affects the way you should exercise; the New England Vampire Panic; what our constellations would look like if we saw them from Mars; and the benefits of writing a better, non-vertical list to organize your thoughts.

Learn about how social structures can shape how we think and behave from Matthew O. Jackson, the William D. Eberle Professor of Economics at Stanford University. Also in this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss a simple technique that will instantly make you a better listener, from this story on Curiosity.com: https://curiosity.im/2unmjoN

Learn what Chutes and Ladders can tell us about the way culture can influence art; how to survive the aftermath of a nuclear explosion, according to science; and how being kind to yourself can make you physically healthier.