This Week I Learned

This week I learned there's hope for nighttime smartphone addicts yet, that talking to yourself in the third person can instantly reduce stress, even babies know who's boss, and that the Mona Lisa skyrocketed to fame after being stolen from the Louvre in 1911.

I'm on vacation this week! So, I'm sharing some of my favorite discoveries from previous weeks: why airplane food is so bland, the science behind your attractiveness to mosquitoes, why you can stop using soap in the shower, and that some sharks are shy.

This week I learned that it would be surprisingly difficult to sterilize the planet, most of our DNA is thankfully useless, women used to be the ones who brewed all of the beer, and that taking a shower can cache your mind. Read more about the facts mentioned: TheWeek.com/Podcasts

This week I learned the gruesome way praying mantises are coming for your hummingbirds, the science behind a frog's tongue, grandparents helped us survive in the wild, and that deep-sea dwelling coral make their own sunlight to survive.

This week I learned your sense of smell affects how your body deals with calories, that being forgetful is good for the brain, that frogs are master survivors, and that Betty Crocker doesn't exist.

This week I learned your phone is draining your brain just by being around you, blinking is like a teeny tiny nap for your brain, that female vampire bats form tight friendships, and our obsession with avocados traces back to a California mailman.

This week I learned that puppies might be the key to a loving marriage, why heat can ground airplanes, that clownfish are exceptionally dutiful dads, and that the annual mass death of wildebeests during their migration is actually an essential part of the ecosystem.

This week I learned that a low-carb diet may be influencing how you make decisions, why Spaniards eat so late, that there’s a species of pine tree that grows at an angle, and why you shouldn’t use the word 'gypped.'

This week I learned that the invention of the seat belt has a dark origin story, that ravens can keep a grudge, and that there’s a simpler way to wash your hands.

This week I learned why airplanes are flying slower than ever, that mushrooms make it rain, why repeating words renders them useless, about the most villainous spider web in nature.

This week I learned why you shouldn't dare try the hottest chili, that your brain starts to eat itself when you're sleep deprived, why I (and maybe you?!) get an itchy throat when eating some fruits and veggies, and how flamingos balance so elegantly.

This week I learned medieval villagers went to extreme measures to protect themselves from a zombie apocalypse, that happy memories can alleviate stress, that orangutans breastfeed for nearly a decade, and that barbers used to be considered your best shot at a dentist.

This week I learned your smile is aging you, that the language you speak changes your perception of time, about the badass lady pirates of the 18th century, and why stripes mess with our brains.

This week I learned that having a squirrel as a pet was once wildly popular, that you should stop complaining at work, that NASA is running out of spacesuits, and why we wrinkle in the bath.

This week I learned female dragonflies have to go to extremes to avoid male suitors, that placebos can mend your broken heart, your dog can 'catch' your emotions, and that there’s a new space phenomenon stumping scientists called 'Steve.'

This week I learned that businessmen could fly in men-only flights, that the look of disgust has evolutionary value, about a new species of shrimp that kills its prey with sound, and why two lions went on a human-eating spree more than 100 years ago.

This week I learned there's a better way to tie your shoes, that new Supreme Court justices have special humbling duties, that women were recently forbidden from wearing pants on the Senate floor, and your baby would benefit from having a dog.

This week I learned that going to watch atomic bomb tests was once a mini tourism industry, that we're not sleeping because our brain doesn't think we're tired, that it doesn't always pay to be smart in the wild, and that loneliness affects your cold symptoms.

This week I learned why some people walk in their sleep, that leaves could one day heal our hearts, that not so long ago married women couldn't get their own passports, and that emojis are not a universal language.

This week I learned the word pink used to describe a murky yellowish color, that big eyes helped ancient creatures move from sea to land, that the brains of the blind are super enhanced, and that Jane Austen faked two marriages.