Curious by Nature

Newswise Inc.

Welcome to Curious by Nature, presented by Newswise. The podcast for curious people.

In each episode, listeners can travel briefly into the fascinating world that comes with years of dedication to one field of study. Be inspired by the many amazing things that are going on right now, some may have a major effect on our lives.

Enjoy this concentrated knowledge from experts. We hope you can take inspiration from glimpses of innovation, dedication, and discovery.

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109 episodes
Updated Friday

Episodes109

Newest first

March 6 · 6 min
Jessica Johnson – Research on the Road
Newswise’s Jessica Johnson shares highlights from a recent trip visiting communications teams and researchers across universities in the southeastern United States. Below are some of the research stories featured in this episode. ARPA-H PRINT Program Supports WFIRM-Led Award to Create on-Demand, Bioprinted Kidneys, Published by Wake Forest University How Studying Yeast in the Gut Could Lead to Better Drugs, Published by North Carolina State University How health risk communication best practices can improve community flood risk communication, Published by RTI International Healthy habits can make your brain age more slowly, study finds, Published by University of Florida New FAU Research Strengthens Evidence Linking Alcohol Use to Cancer, Published by Florida Atlantic University Efficacy of Service Dogs with Veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Community Reintegration, Published by Nova Southeastern University The Miami Project to Cure Paralysis at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine Selected as U.S. Site for Neuralink Clinical Trial, Published by University of Miami – Miller School of Medicine New Study Could Show How TikTok’s Algorithm Affects Youth Mental Health, Published by Georgia Tech
February 27 · 4 min
Jessica Johnson – February’s Research Curiosities
February brought a wide range of compelling research stories from universities across the country. From the University of Utah’s powerful study, “Banning Lead in Gas Worked. The Proof Is in Our Hair,” to the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine’s findings in “Pink Noise Reduces REM Sleep and May Harm Sleep Quality,” scientists are uncovering insights that directly impact our daily lives. We also saw Binghamton University, SUNY publish “Record-Breaking Antarctic Drill Reveals 23 Million Years of Climate History,” the University of Nebraska–Lincoln explore business strategy in “Research Shows Companies Can Gain Advantage by Prioritizing Customer Privacy,” and Johns Hopkins Medicine report on long-term brain health in “Cognitive Speed Training Linked to Lower Dementia Incidence Up to 20 Years Later.” Let’s take a closer look at what made these stories stand out this month.
February 20 · 20 min
Jeff Grabmeier – Communicators Who Make Science Matter
Jeff Grabmeier who recently retired as the Senior Director of Research Communications at Ohio State University. Jeff spent decades working to help turn complex research into stories that informed and connected with the media and public readers. Jeff is a goldmine of information and knowledge about research communications. But also, he has changed the lives of many researchers through his amazing communications efforts. If you are a researcher, scholar, or leader in higher education, Jeff is the type of person you want to be close by.
February 13 · 29 min
Luca Ziegler – The Edge to Perform Under Stress
Luca Ziegler, PhD Candidate at West Virginia University and Mental Performance Consultant, studies how psychological flexibility helps athletes and performers succeed under pressure. Everyone tells athletes and performers to “stay calm under pressure.” But what if the secret to peak performance isn’t staying calm at all? High-stakes moments, from championship games to career-defining opportunities, don’t just test skill. They test how well we handle pressure. In this episode, Ziegler explains how psychological flexibility, staying open, aware, and in control during stressful moments, can help athletes reach flow and clutch states when it matters most, offering insights that apply not only to sports but to high-pressure situations in everyday life.
February 6 · 20 min
Dr. Bruce Stamos – Injury Recovery Like a Super Bowl Athlete
Dr. Bruce Stamos, Orthopedic Surgeon and Sports Medicine Specialist at Hackensack Meridian Ocean University Medical Center, treats athletic injuries and studies how players recover and stay on the field during high-stakes competition. The Super Bowl isn’t just a battle of talent, it’s also a test of endurance and physical resilience. By the end of the season, many players are dealing with fatigue, lingering injuries, and the constant risk that one sudden movement, like an ACL tear, could change the course of the game. In this episode, Dr. Stamos pulls back the curtain on what professional athletes are dealing with behind the scenes, explaining how medical teams manage injuries, monitor recovery, and make strategic decisions to keep players performing at the highest level.
January 23 · 25 min
Dr. Danielle Dick – Why Some Kids Are More Vulnerable to Addiction
Dr. Danielle Dick, Director of the Rutgers Addiction Research Center and Professor at Rutgers University, studies how genetics and environment interact to influence substance use and addiction across the lifespan. Most people will encounter alcohol or other substances at some point in their lives. For many, that use remains occasional and manageable. For others, it becomes something far more disruptive. Understanding why substance use leads to severe challenges for some but not for most has become a central question in addiction research. In this episode, Dr. Dick explains how the answer may lie in the complex interaction between our genes and our environments, unfolding from childhood into adulthood. By identifying genetic risk factors and tracing how they influence mental health and addiction outcomes, researchers hope to develop better strategies for prevention, early intervention, and treatment.
January 9 · 24 min
Dr. E.J. Masicampo – The #1 Mistake People Make With New Year’s Resolutions
Every January, we promise ourselves this will be the year we finally change. Better habits, bigger goals, stronger willpower. And yet, by February, most of those resolutions are already gone. So what’s really going on? We are joined this week by Dr. E.J. Masicampo of Wake Forest University to talk about the psychology behind why New Year’s resolutions fail, and the surprisingly simple strategies that actually make change stick. If you’ve ever wondered why motivation fades or how to work with your brain instead of against it, this conversation is for you.
January 2 · 19 min
Dr. Robert Haley – How a Researcher Discovered the Cause of Gulf War Illness
Dr. Robert Haley of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, has spent years researching the unexplained illnesses affecting veterans of the first Gulf War. For more than 30 years, many veterans have reported persistent symptoms including fatigue, cognitive problems, vertigo, and chronic pain, often without a clear medical explanation. Early theories struggled to solve the mystery, but advances in brain imaging are now providing new clues.
Dec 26, 2025 · 24 min
Interview with Roger Johnson, Founder of Newswise
In this episode, I’m joined by Roger Johnson, the founder of Newswise. Roger launched Newswise in the early days of personal computing with a simple but powerful idea: make credible science and research news easier for journalists to find and use. We explore the origins of Newswise, the role of curiosity in journalism and science, and how early technology reshaped the way information is shared. We also talk about creativity, asking better questions, and what the future may hold for science communication in an evolving media landscape.
Dec 19, 2025 · 23 min
Dr. Jessica Troilo – How to Survive and Enjoy Family Gatherings This Holiday Season
Dr. Jessica Troilo of West Virginia University, Associate Professor in Child Development and Family Studies and Associate Dean for Research and Faculty Affairs in the College of Applied Human Sciences, studies how families build healthy relationships and navigate everyday challenges. During the holidays, families often connect in more ways than just gathering around the table. Quality time can create opportunities for meaningful interaction and shared experiences, but it can also bring stress, expectations, and sometimes tension.
Dec 12, 2025 · 14 min
Dr. Edward Yoon – How to "Turn Off" a Certain Type of Back Pain
Dr. Edward Yoon of the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York, Chief of Interventional Radiology, is working on new ways to treat chronic back pain using advanced imaging and minimally invasive procedures. For millions of people who suffer from back pain, finding lasting relief can be an ongoing struggle. Traditional treatments like epidural injections often provide only temporary relief and don’t always address the root cause of the problem. Dr. Yoon explains how combining high-tech imaging with minimally invasive techniques can offer a more effective approach to treatment, helping patients find longer-lasting relief while considering the broader landscape of musculoskeletal care.
Dec 5, 2025 · 19 min
Professor Parke Wilde – Food Insecurity During the Holidays
Professor Parke Wilde of Tufts University, Professor of Nutrition Policy and Food Economics, studies the economics of nutrition assistance programs and how food affordability affects communities. Questions about food prices have become increasingly urgent for many Americans, especially during the holidays. As families make decisions about how to stretch their grocery budgets, food insecurity becomes a growing concern.
Nov 28, 2025 · 17 min
Dr. Cory Haltman – How Much Do People Dislike a Late Gift?
Dr. Cory Haltman, Assistant Professor of Marketing at Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business, studies the psychology behind gift-giving and how people make decisions when choosing presents. Gift-giving can be enjoyable, but it can also become stressful when we start overthinking it. Many people worry about finding the “perfect” gift, giving it at the right time, or making sure it feels meaningful enough. Dr. Haltman explains what research reveals about the psychology of gift-giving, why people often worry about the wrong things, and what actually matters most to the person receiving the gift.
Nov 21, 2025 · 18 min
Dr. Pooja Budhiraja – How Generosity Can Save Lives
Dr. Pooja Budhiraja, Transplant Nephrologist and Living Donor Medical Director at Mayo Clinic in Arizona, focuses on protecting the health and well-being of living organ donors while expanding access to transplantation. Every day, thousands of people are waiting for a life-saving transplant, and for many, that wait can last years. While the demand for organs continues to grow, one of the most powerful solutions comes from living donors, individuals who choose to donate a kidney or part of their liver to someone in need.
Nov 14, 2025 · 16 min
Dr. Chen Wang – The Security Risks of Video Conferencing Platforms
Dr. Chen Wang, Associate Professor of Computer Science at Southern Methodist University, studies privacy and security in modern communication technologies. Video calls have become part of everyday life, and most of us assume we’re safe when the camera is turned off. But Dr. Wang’s research shows that even small sounds during a call can reveal surprising details about a person’s surroundings. Dr. Wang explains how audio signals from platforms like Zoom and Teams can expose information about where someone is located, and why stronger privacy protections may be needed as virtual communication becomes more common.
Nov 7, 2025 · 23 min
Dr. Tiana Woolridge – The Mental Part of Athletic Recovery
Dr. Tiana Woolridge, Primary Care Sports Medicine Physician at the Hospital for Special Surgery, studies how factors like sleep, stress, and mindset influence injury risk and recovery in young athletes. When it comes to sports injuries, recovery isn’t just physical. Mental health, rest, and emotional resilience also play a critical role in how athletes heal and return to play. Dr. Woolridge discusses how the connection between physical health and mental well-being can shape recovery, and why helping athletes build resilience both on and off the field can lead to stronger, healthier outcomes.
Oct 31, 2025 · 13 min
Jennifer Nardine – Witches, Spirits, and the Story Halloween Forgot
Jennifer Nardine, Teaching and Learning Liaison Librarian at Virginia Tech, helps students and researchers explore the origins of ideas, cultures, and traditions. In this special Halloween episode, we take a closer look at the history behind one of the most beloved holidays of the year. When early American settlers from Celtic regions of Europe brought their pagan traditions to the New World, those customs blended with seasonal harvest festivals and religious observances, eventually shaping the Halloween we celebrate today. Jennifer guides us through the origins and evolution of Halloween, exploring how folklore, history, and cultural traditions combined to create a holiday where costumes, storytelling, and imagination allow us to express a different side of ourselves.
Oct 24, 2025 · 17 min
Professor Junling Guo – What’s Next in Weight Loss Science
Professor Junling Guo of Sichuan University is developing innovative ways to reduce fat absorption in the body using edible plant-based compounds. Imagine being able to reduce your body’s absorption of fat simply by ingesting tiny microbeads made from natural plant polyphenols. Professor Guo’s lab recently created edible microbeads designed to trap dietary fats in the gut, allowing them to pass through the body instead of being absorbed. We explore how this new approach could help with weight management. In animal studies, rats fed high-fat diets and given the microbeads lost about 17% of their body weight compared to controls, while also showing reduced fat tissue and lower stress on the liver. Researchers hope this method may offer a safer alternative to traditional fat-blocking drugs.
Oct 17, 2025 · 27 min
Dr. Alan Levinovitz – Healing with Words like Rumpelstiltskin
Dr. Alan Levinovitz, Professor of Philosophy and Religion at James Madison University, explores the surprising relationship between language, belief, science, and medicine. Does naming a disease help the patient heal? When dealing with a mysterious illness or a difficult diagnosis, research suggests that the sense of relief that comes with finally identifying the condition can actually help people feel better, even when there is no clear treatment or cure. Together with psychiatrist Dr. Awais Aftab, Dr. Levinovitz coined the term “The Rumpelstiltskin Effect.” Their study, published in the British Journal of Psychiatry Bulletin, found that patients often feel seen, understood, and more connected to a community when they hear an official name for what they are experiencing.
Oct 10, 2025 · 21 min
Dr. Julie Kolesar – The Surprising Way to Reduce Knee Pain
Dr. Julie Kolesar, Research Engineer at Stanford University’s Human Performance Lab, studies how small changes in human movement can improve joint health and reduce pain. Would you ever imagine that simply changing the way you walk could reduce knee problems? New research suggests that subtle adjustments in how we move, even something as simple as changing the angle of your foot, may help reduce pain and slow the progression of knee osteoarthritis. She explains how these small biomechanical changes could offer a drug-free, non-surgical way to help the more than 20% of adults over 40 who suffer from knee osteoarthritis live more comfortably.