Learn about the invisible harms of thirdhand smoke; massive viruses that blur the line between the living and non-living; and why whales get lost during solar storms.

Learn about why you don’t weigh the same everywhere on Earth; the personality traits shared by people who live past 90; and how researchers figured out how shoelaces come untied.

Learn what causes that fresh rain smell; how astronauts can actually see cosmic rays; and a trick you can use to stop procrastinating called the “frog rule.”

Learn how to see the Ursids, the last meteor shower of the year; how researchers figured out whether dogs can understand what you tell them; and how long it takes before you believe your own lies.

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:

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 the Battle of Puebla, the real reason why we celebrate Cinco de Mayo; how placebos of psychedelics can have psychedelic effects; and how early career choices may influence your personality.

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:

Contrary to popular belief, bones are not that easy to break.

Learn about why everyone claims they’re awful at remembering names; how “hobo code” helped itinerant workers communicate in the 1900s; and whether you probably see yourself as more attractive than you really are.

In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the following stories — and discuss injury odds with the National Safety Council’s Ken Kolosh, manager of statistics — to help you get smarter and learn something new in just a few minutes:

Learn about how lightning strikes led to life on Earth; the self-control of cuttlefish; and your roommate’s feelings.

Award-winning photographer, filmmaker, and environmentalist Ian Shive gives the inside scoop on a research expedition to the Aleutian Islands. Then, learn how researchers solved a molecular mystery about how our ears turn sound into what you hear.

Forrest Galante, host and star of “Extinct or Alive” on Animal Planet, explains what happens when you find an extinct animal. Then, learn about how bacteria don’t compete to survive — they cooperate.

In this podcast, Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer discuss the innovative Active Learning Initiative with Cornell University’s Vice Provost for Academic Innovation Julia Thom-Levy, who is also a professor in their department of physics.