Episodes

  • Episode 28: What Exactly Makes and Expert?

    Episode 28: What Exactly Makes and Expert?
    Dec 26 2025

    Welcome back to the (more) regularly scheduled programming! This week, we take a deeper dive than usual into what (at least partially) makes up an expert. What are the differences between the novices and experts on the cognitive scale? How do we best go about developing our skills to become experts in our passions? And how to tap into the coveted benefits of expertise like the flow state, creativity, and high productivity? This one was really fun to look into, and there is certainly a lot more to learn about this topic! With that said, I tried to present the most actionable items I could find in the literature to best enhance your learning and development. Thanks for listening and stay curious!

    Following are the citations for this episode:

    Chunking and Template Theory:

    • Thought and Choice in Chess - Adriaan D. de Groot - Google Books
    • Perception in chess - ScienceDirect
    • Templates in Chess Memory: A Mechanism for Recalling Several Boards - ScienceDirect
    • Expertise in complex decision making: the role of search in chess 70 years after de Groot - PubMed
    • Chunks in expert memory: evidence for the magical number four ... or is it two? - PubMed
    • Classics in the History of Psychology -- Miller (1956)
    • Replication and Analysis of Ebbinghaus’ Forgetting Curve - PMC

    Automaticity, Flow, and Creativity:

    • Brain Scans of Jazz Musicians Reveal How to Reach a Creative ‘Flow State’ | Scientific American
    • A Review on the Role of the Neuroscience of Flow States in the Modern World - PMC
    • How Brain Efficiency Facilitates Flow State Experiences | Psychology Today
    • Flow State Mastery: Minimizing Cognitive Friction - Liminary
    • Frontiers | A Scoping Review of Flow Research
    • Physiological assessment of the psychological flow state using wearable devices | Scientific Reports
    • EEG-based functional connectivity patterns during boredom in an educational context | Scientific Reports
    • Turning on Flow Means Turning Off Parts of the Brain
    • (PDF) Neural Mechanisms and Benefits of Flow: A Meta Analysis
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    1 hr and 20 mins
  • Is the Future Nuclear? A Chat with Jonathan Iwasczyszyn

    Is the Future Nuclear? A Chat with Jonathan Iwasczyszyn
    Dec 9 2025

    After a too-long hiatus, we are officially back! Uploads will be a little sporadic for a little bit, but I am hoping to get back to some semblance of a schedule in the new year. Today, we have the pleasure of listening to a conversation with the writer of The Future is Nuclear, Jonathan Iwasczyszyn! A classic dive into the joys and wonders of nuclear energy and its current hurdles that we have yet to overcome. If you found this episode interesting, make sure to subscribe to The Future is Nuclear at The Future is Nuclear | Jonathan Iwasczyszyn | Substack!
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    1 hr and 32 mins
  • Episode 26: A Conversation With Dr. Eric Ravussin

    Episode 26: A Conversation With Dr. Eric Ravussin
    Jun 8 2025

    Welcome back, you curious folk! Was getting lots of requests to branch out to interviews outside of Virginia Tech (just kidding, I got none). Thus, backed by popular demand (technically the case), I present the first external to Virginia Tech interview!

    Today, we get to listen in on a conversation with Dr. Eric Ravussin. A world-renowned metabolic researcher known for his contributions to our understanding of the human metabolism, diabetes, and calorie restriction. It would be a lengthy list if I were to enumerate all his accomplishments, but Dr. Ravussin has contributed to the development of the first human respiratory chamber in North America, utilized doubly labeled water to determine the total daily energy expenditure of humans, and has recently conducted profound investigations into the impacts of calorie restriction. That just catches the surface of his impactful work, much of which he elaborates on in the episode.

    Thanks for listening and stay curious!
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    1 hr and 11 mins
  • Episode 25: A Conversation with Dr. Daniel Crawford

    Episode 25: A Conversation with Dr. Daniel Crawford
    May 20 2025

    We're finally back with the 25th episode. After a long hiatus battling with my finals, I got the opportunity to interview a professor of mine. Dr. Crawford is a theoretical chemist working on the generation of computational models to describe complex, chiral molecules. Not only that, he is extremely passionate about teaching, which shows through his work. We got the opportunity to talk about his research and teaching life, and how he balances all that with life as well.

    I am hoping to keep up the interviews, but I am also in Baton Rouge and limited on time. In any case, please reach out if you know anyone who could be cool to talk to :).
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    1 hr and 39 mins
  • Episode 24: Metabolic Impacts of Sleep and Transparent Cardboard

    Episode 24: Metabolic Impacts of Sleep and Transparent Cardboard
    Apr 14 2025
    The double dozen has been reached! Tune in next week for the quarter century. This week, we learn about the importance of sleep for high-level cognitive function and memory development. After that, a look into the jack-of-all-trades cardboard product that is transparent and biodegradable and can hold boiling water, quite the resume for some cardboard. As always (got it right this time, Nathan,) thanks for listening, and stay curious! Citations Follow: Sleep Loss as a Metabolic Disorder: Sleep loss is a metabolic disorder | Science SignalingMetabolic Disorders: Symptoms & Causes | NewYork-PresbyterianThe Role of Astrocytes in the Central Nervous System Focused on BK Channel and Heme Oxygenase Metabolites: A Review - PMCAstrocytes: The Unsung Heroes of Learning and Memory - Neuroscience NewsConnecting insufficient sleep and insomnia with metabolic dysfunction - PMC[2301.09565] Estimating the energy requirements for long term memory formationEstimating the energy requirements for long term memory formationIs plasticity of synapses the mechanism of long-term memory storage? | npj Science of LearningUI neuroscientists identify mechanism for long term memory storage | Carver College of MedicineGlucose enhancement of human memory: A comprehensive research review of the glucose memory facilitation effect - ScienceDirectUpregulated energy metabolism in the Drosophila mushroom body is the trigger for long-term memory | Nature CommunicationsAstrocyte-neuron lactate transport is required for long-term memory formation - PMCMetabolism - Wikipedia Transparent Cardboard Fully circular shapable transparent paperboard with closed-loop recyclability and marine biodegradability across shallow to deep seaEco-Friendly Polymers: The 2025 Shift to Biodegradable PlasticsThe Advances of Plastic Sustainability: 5 Trends to Watch in 2025How Long Does It Take for Plastic to Decompose? | Chariot EnergyHow long for biodegradable plastic to decompose? - BioBottles™Plastic Pollution Affects Sea Life Throughout the Ocean | The Pew Charitable TrustsPlastic pollution in the marine environment - PMCFully circular shapable transparent paperboard with closed-loop recyclability and marine biodegradability across shallow to deep sea - PMCDiscover Paperboard: Types, Uses, And Manufacturing ProcessHazy Transparent Cellulose Nanopaper | Scientific ReportsBiobased Biodegradable Plastics Market Outlook, 2025 to 2035100+ Plastic in the Ocean Statistics & Facts 2025How does plastic pollution affect marine life? | Fauna & Flora
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    36 mins
  • Episode 23: Brain Computer Interface Improvements and Making Humans Mosquito Repellant

    Episode 23: Brain Computer Interface Improvements and Making Humans Mosquito Repellant
    Apr 7 2025
    Happy Monday, everyone. This week, we learn about the improvements in the speech-related applications of brain-computer interfaces. An impressive decrease of over 100% for the response time needed has made these devices much more practically useful. After that, we learn how a completely unrelated drug for a rare metabolic disease can be used to make human blood poisonous to mosquitos. As always, thanks for listening, and stay curious! Citations Follow: Brain Computer Interfaces: Brain implant translates thoughts to speech in an instantA streaming brain-to-voice neuroprosthesis to restore naturalistic communication | Nature NeuroscienceA high-performance neuroprosthesis for speech decoding and avatar control | NatureBrain-reading device is best yet at decoding ‘internal speech’Brain Waves to Voice: Revolutionary Technology Gives Speech to the SpeechlessBrain-to-Voice AI Streams Natural Speech for People with Paralysis - Neuroscience NewsAi-powered system enables real-time speech generation for paralyzed individualsHarnessing Recent Online Data to Improve Brain-Computer Interface OperationClinical Applications of Brain-Computer Interfaces: Current State and Future Prospects - PMCThe future of brain–computer interfaces in medicineHarnessing Recent Online Data to Improve Brain-Computer Interface OperationHarnessing Recent Online Data to Improve Brain-Computer Interface OperationBrain–computer interface - WikipediaFrontiers | The Use of Brain–Computer Interfaces in Games Is Not Ready for the General PublicResearchers use BCIs to restore speech in people with paralysisBrain-to-Voice AI Streams Natural Speech for People with Paralysis - Neuroscience NewsAre Alexa And Siri Considered AI? | OpenGrowth | OpenGrowth Internal Mosquito Repellant: Anopheles mosquito survival and pharmacokinetic modeling show the mosquitocidal activity of nitisinone | Science Translational MedicineNitisinone - Wikipedia4-Hydroxyphenylpyruvate dioxygenase - WikipediaTyrosinemia - WikipediaDrug For Rare Disease Turns Human Blood Into Mosquito Poison : ScienceAlertFighting the World's Deadliest Animal | Global Health | CDC10 Mosquito Facts in Honor of World Mosquito Day | RTIVector-borne Diseases - American Mosquito Control AssociationVector-borne Diseases - American Mosquito Control AssociationDeclining malaria, rising of dengue and Zika virus: insights for mosquito vector control - PubMedWhat Purposes Do Mosquitoes Serve in Ecosystems? | BritannicaDrug For Rare Disease Turns Human Blood Into Mosquito Poison : ScienceAlertMalaria parasite life cycle | Malaria VaccinesNitisinone Side Effects: Common, Severe, Long TermMosquito Killer: A New Approach to ControlPlasmodium falciparum - WikipediaVector-borne diseases
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    32 mins
  • Episode 22: Using Stem Cells to Treat Paralysis and The Discovery of Novel Antibiotics

    Episode 22: Using Stem Cells to Treat Paralysis and The Discovery of Novel Antibiotics
    Mar 31 2025
    Welcome back to the traditional format today with no more money and politics involved. I know you are sad but that's ok, I'm not. Today, we learn about some progress in the treatment of Grade A spinal cord injuries through induced pluripotent stem cell therapy. After that, it's all about antibiotic-resistant bacteria resistant antibiotics, which is my new favorite pallandrome. Thanks for listening, and stay curious! Citations follow: Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells to Treat Paralysis: Paralysed man stands again after receiving ‘reprogrammed’ stem cells‘Reprogrammed’ stem cells to treat spinal-cord injuries for the first timeSpineSustained delivery of neurotrophic factors to treat spinal cord injuryInduced Pluripotent Stem Cells and Their Potential for Basic and Clinical Sciences - PMCCell therapy for spinal cord injury using induced pluripotent stem cells - PMCReprogramming methods and efficiency analysis of iPSCs - BOC SciencesDifferentiation and characterization of neural progenitors and neurons from mouse embryonic stem cells - PMCCharacterizing Natural Recovery after Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury | Journal of NeurotraumaStem Cell-Based Approaches for Spinal Cord Injury: The Promise of iPSCsInduced pluripotent stem cells: applications in regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and drug discovery - PMCiPSC Application - Creative BiolabsCell therapy for spinal cord injury using induced pluripotent stem cells - PMCDifferentiation and characterization of neural progenitors and neurons from mouse embryonic stem cells - PMCWhen Fibroblasts MET iPSCs: Cell Stem CellGeneration of induced pluripotent stem cells - PubMedJapanese scientists use stem cell treatment to restore movement in spinal injury patients Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria Resistant Antibiotic Discovery: New antibiotic that kills drug-resistant bacteria discovered in technician’s gardenLasso-shaped molecule is a new type of broad-spectrum antibioticScientists Discover A Potential Game Changer in Fighting Drug-Resistant Bacteria | Health and MeThe natural history of antibiotics - PMCFrontiers | Synergistic action of antimicrobial peptides and antibiotics: current understanding and future directionsTowards the sustainable discovery and development of new antibiotics | Nature Reviews ChemistryA Broad Spectrum Lasso Peptide Antibiotic Targeting the Bacterial Ribosome - PubMedNew peptide antibiotic stops bacteria by binding where no drug has before
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    33 mins
  • Episode 21: Recent Government Action and Its Impact on Scientific Research

    Episode 21: Recent Government Action and Its Impact on Scientific Research
    Mar 24 2025
    Week two of the politically adjacent Unqualified Curiosity Podcast! I know I know you love hearing about money, politics, and international relations but unfortunately, this is the last week of it );. For now, though we take a shallow dive into the recent government action and its impacts on grant-related research funding, the topics of research, and international collaboration in research. You will come to find that pretty much everything is up in the air right now, but still an important topic to stay up to date on in the scientific realm. As always thanks for listening and stay curious! Citations follow: Government Action Impacts on Scientific Research: Understanding the NIH's New Indirect Cost Rate Policy: What Nonprofit and Higher Education CFOs Need to Know | BDOImpact of Trump Administration Directives on Scientific Research in the U.S. | Advisories | Arnold & PorterMassive Cuts in Research Funding Hamper Necessary Innovations in Key Technologies for the Energy Transition - Fraunhofer ISEFiscal Year 2025 Department of Energy Funding: House vs. Senate Markups | Insights | Holland & KnightTrump blocks renewable energy approvals on federal lands and waters - DCDWhat Businesses Need to Know About DEI in the Trump Era: FAQs for Employers | Fisher PhillipsWhat Businesses Need to Know About DEI in the Trump Era: FAQs for Employers | Fisher PhillipsWhat Businesses Need to Know About DEI in the Trump Era: FAQs for Employers | Fisher PhillipsNIH Cuts Indirect Cost Payments: “Lights in Labs Nationwide Will Literally Go Out” - Ophthalmology AdvisorResearchers Respond to NIH Funding Cuts and Indirect Costs CapNSF Budget Cuts Would Put the Future of U.S. Innovation and Security at Risk - CRAHow cuts at U.S. aid agency hinder university researchTrump admin's NIH cuts threaten student admissions, medical researchWhat’s in store for US science as funding bill averts government shutdownTrump Administration Puts Subsidized Green-Energy Companies on a Diet | The Heritage FoundationUS science rues ongoing demotion of research under President Trump – Physics WorldHow Trump's executive orders are disrupting academic researchTrump orders cause chaos at science agencies | Science | AAASNIH funding freeze stalls $1.5 billion in medical research grant funding : Shots - Health News : NPRTrump’s NIH Is Right to Cap Funding for Universities’ Indirect Costs‘All this is in crisis’: US universities curtail staff, spending as Trump cuts take holdTrump team ‘survey’ sent to overseas researchers prompts foreign interference fears
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    34 mins