What are the limits of the human body, and how can we fully utilize them? Alex Hutchinson, award-winning journalist and author of "Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance," explains why humans are nearly always capable of pushing just a little bit harder — and how you can eke out just a little bit more effort even when you think your body's tank is empty.

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 how the color of pills influences how well they’ll work on you; the weird things scientists are learning about a substance that made up the early universe; and the science behind why CEOs make time for hobbies.

Popular mathematics writer and Cornell University Professor Steven Strogatz discusses the difference between calculus and algebra, and what calculus can do that other math can’t. Plus: learn about how distraction can alter your memory, and the science behind the Hindenburg disaster of 1937.

This exotic beach is invisible from the outside.

Learn about why peanut butter gets gum out of hair; why world-renowned climate scientist Katharine Hayhoe is so passionate about climate justice; and how gaslighting makes you question your sanity — along with some tips on how to protect yourself.

Learn about simple solutions for resolving human-wildlife conflict; and how exposure to sunlight can increase romance. Plus: Trivia!

Stanford behavior scientist Dr. BJ Fogg, author of “Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything,” explains why the best new habits are tiny ones. Then, learn why human infants are late bloomers compared to other baby animals.

Learn about how you can become an early riser; whether we all see the same colors; and why sound carries farther on cold days.

Learn about how radar technology came from a failed attempt to build a death ray; how self-regulation helps you handle intrusive thoughts; and why self-determination theory might explain why the video game Animal Crossing: New Horizons is so incredibly popular.

Learn about why cavities are so cold-sensitive; an ant that shrinks its brain; and why swimming makes you extra hungry.

Learn about time crystals; why researchers freeze-dried sperm on a postcard; and batching tasks instead of multitasking.

Learn why Cygnus X-1, the first black hole ever discovered, is bigger than we thought. Then, learn about spider hearing with help from Ron Hoy, a professor of neurobiology and behavior at Cornell University who studies acoustic communication in insects.

In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories from Curiosity.com (along with some outside research into a listener question) to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:

Learn about why we remember things in the opposite order as we see them and how spiders use atmospheric electricity to balloon through the air. You’ll also learn who actually ate the first oyster from author Cody Cassidy.