Early Breakfast, Nanotech & Blindness, Crocodile Crying

Summary

Curiosity Weekly – September 14, 2023

Episode Title: Early Breakfast, Nanotech & Blindness, Crocodile Crying
Host: Dr. Samantha Yammine (“Sam”)
Co-Hosts: Nate & Callie

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Overview

This episode of Curiosity Weekly delves into three captivating recent scientific studies:

1. How breakfast timing might influence type 2 diabetes risk
2. A breakthrough nanotechnology technique for growing retinal cells to combat age-related blindness
3. An unusual study examining how Nile crocodiles react to the sounds of crying babies — both human and primate.

The hosts distill complex science into easily digestible explanations, peppered with humor, curiosity, and memorable analogies.

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Segment 1: Breakfast Timing and Diabetes Risk

[01:32–04:57]

Key Points

• Type 2 diabetes is a global crisis, affecting nearly half a billion people worldwide and around 40 million in the US alone.
• Risk factors include genetics, obesity, poor diet, and inactivity, but a new study spots another possible factor: when we eat breakfast.
• A massive French study of over 100,000 participants revealed those who ate breakfast after 9:00 AM had a 59% higher risk for developing type 2 diabetes than those eating before 8:00 AM.

Scientific Background

• Mechanisms aren’t fully understood; skipping breakfast changes how our bodies handle lipids and glucose.
• This research falls under the field of chrono nutrition, which explores how food timing interacts with our circadian rhythms.
• Prior studies by the same team revealed that an early dinner is also associated with reduced risk for certain cancers and type 2 diabetes.
• The study recommends dinner before 7:00 PM (with risk increasing if eaten after 10:00 PM) and multiple small meals per day.
• The research revealed correlation, not causation.

Notable Quotes

• “Those who ate breakfast after 9am had a 59% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who ate before 8am. Holy cow.”
  — Callie ([03:00])
• “It’s not just what we eat, but also when. So maybe next time you want to go to brunch, think again.”
  — Callie ([04:40])

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Segment 2: Nanotechnology and Blindness

[04:57–08:29]

Key Points

• Scientists at Anglia Ruskin University (UK) have pioneered a way to grow retinal cells with 3D nanotechnology.
• Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE) cells in the eye’s macula break down with age, causing age-related macular degeneration (AMD)—the leading cause of blindness in older adults (affecting up to 20 million Americans).

The Breakthrough

• Past cell-growing efforts struggled because lab dishes are not three-dimensional.
• With a process called electrospinning, scientists created a microscopic 3D nanofibrous scaffold (“like a microscopic trellis for vines,” per Callie) that mimics real eye structure.
• On this scaffold, retinal cells survived viably for 150 days.
• If transplantation to human eyes succeeds, it could reverse vision loss in millions affected by AMD.

Notable Quotes

• “Researchers have been trying to figure out how to grow retinal cells in the lab. If you can do that, you could probably implant them in the eyes of folks with AMD to treat vision loss.”
  — Nate ([07:00])

• “Instead of vines, they were able to use it to grow retinal cells.”
  — Nate ([08:00])

• “And at last, the fog is lifted.”
  — Callie ([08:25])

---

Segment 3: Crocodiles and Crying Babies

[09:11–13:15]

Key Points

• A French-led study played recordings of crying human, chimpanzee, and bonobo babies to over 300 Nile crocodiles at Croco Park in Morocco.
• Cries were captured from babies in various states — e.g., medical shots, bath time for humans; play-fighting for primates.
• Researchers analyzed 18 variables (pitch, harmonics, syllables, “chaos” in scream).

Crocodile Reactions

• Crocodiles responded immediately: some swam up to the speakers, others stalked below the surface, and a few even tried to bite the loudspeakers.
• Lead researcher Julie Tevenay suggests responses ranged from predatory excitement to possible (but unconfirmable) maternal instincts.
• The results point to a cross-species universality of distress cries, possibly rooted in evolutionary survival — even among species that did not co-evolve closely with humans.

Notable Quotes

• “Crocodiles have very good hearing. They responded to the cries almost immediately... Some of them even tried to bite the speaker.”
  — Callie ([11:47])

• “Obviously, some of them immediately figured an easy snack was just around the corner. But... a maternal instinct might have been stirred up.”
  — Callie ([12:30])

• “No matter how different we are, there’s a lot of evidence that some things are more universal than we might have thought.”
  — Callie ([12:54])

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Episode Recap

[13:21–14:02]

• Breakfast timing matters: Later breakfasts (after 9 AM) linked to higher diabetes risk; study advances chrono nutrition.
• Nanotech for vision: 3D scaffolds enable lab-grown retinal cells — a hopeful step toward AMD treatment and blindness prevention.
• Crying transcends species: Crocodiles react viscerally to cries of infant primates and humans, suggesting shared evolutionary signals.

Closing Quote

• “A baby’s cry is one of the things that’s universal, even to crocodiles.”
  — Callie ([14:02])

---

Useful Timestamps

• Breakfast and Diabetes: [01:32–04:57]
• Nanotech & Blindness: [04:57–08:29]
• Crocodile Crying Study: [09:11–13:15]
• Recap: [13:21–14:02]

---

Tone and Style

Throughout, the hosts balance clarity and levity, with approachable explanations (“like a microscopic trellis for vines”) and quick-witted banter (e.g., “electrospinning... sounds like what my friends do in the club on a Saturday night” — Callie, [07:29]). Listeners are left with actionable insights, a sense of wonder, and a few laughs.

---

Curiosity Weekly is produced by Wheelhouse DNA for Discovery. Follow for more science made simple and fun.

Transcript

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We played best friends on the Middle.

[Brock Charlelli]

And became best friends in real life.

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[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Hi, you're about to get smarter in just a few minutes with Curiosity Daily from Discovery. Time flies when you're learning super cool stuff. Hi, I'm Nate.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

And I'm Callie. If you're dropping in for the first time, welcome to Curiosity, where we aim to blow your mind by helping you to grow your mind. If you're a loyal listener, welcome back.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Today you'll learn about how when we eat might influence our risk for type 2 diabetes, a new use for nanotech in treating age related blindness and how crocodiles respond to the cries of human babies.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Without further ado, let's satisfy some curiosity. Type 2 diabetes is a massive global problem with nearly half a billion people worldwide suffering from it and almost 40 million people in the United States alone dealing with this potentially life threatening condition.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Half a billion people around the world? That's a way worse problem than I thought.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

It's a very serious public health concern and can lead to other problems like heart disease, nerve damage, eye problems, and even kidney disease.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Okay, so what exactly causes type 2 diabetes? I know it has something to do with diet, right?

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

There are a lot of factors including genetics. And while not everyone with type 2 diabetes is overweight, doctors know that obesity, a poor diet and physical inactivity can increase our risk for it. And a new study has found yet another possible risk factor. Breakfast.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Wait, breakfast?

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Well, specifically when we eat breakfast.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Okay, you mean like what time we eat breakfast?

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Yeah, A huge study of over 100,000 people in France looked at the timing of eating and its relationship to type 2 diabetes.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

That is a massive study.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Oh, it really is. That's one thing that makes it so compelling.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Okay, so when should we be eating breakfast?

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Well, researchers found that those who ate breakfast after 9am Had a 59% higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than those who ate before 8am Holy cow.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

That's a huge increase in risk. So what's going on here? Why would the timing be so important?

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

So the mechanisms aren't entirely clear, but they do know that skipping breakfast affects how our bodies are able to control lipids and handle glucose, both of which are involved in diabetes. But the big picture here has everything to do with what researchers call chrono nutrition, which is basically the connection between diet and our own circadian rhythms.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Right. Okay. I guess we know already that time affects our sleeping patterns, so why wouldn't it also affect our nutrition?

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Exactly. In fact, this same research team found in an earlier study that there was a connection between eating an earlier dinner and having a lower risk of breast or prostate cancer. And it turns out that an early dinner is also associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

So we should be eating breakfast before 8am when should we be eating dinner?

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

The study suggests dinner should come before 7pm, but they say the real risk comes from eating dinner after 10pm okay.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

I'd say that's good news. Eating before 10, I think is something most people can get with eating before seven. For some people, seems like it might be too early.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Yeah, I mean, it could be. They also found that your risk gets even lower if you eat around five small meals a day.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Okay, so eat early and often, I guess.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Yeah, something like that. It's important to note that this study found connections, not causation.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Okay, so in other words, eating late doesn't necessarily cause type 2 diabetes, right?

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

No, it just increases the risk. But that said, studies like this on chrono nutrition can at least give researchers and doctors new tools to keep us healthy. Turns out it's not just what we eat, but also when. So maybe next time you want to go to brunch, think again.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

A research team at Anglia Ruskin University in the UK have figured out a way to grow human retinal cells using 3D nanotechnology.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

That sounds amazing, but say more words.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Yeah, right. I'll admit, when I first saw it, I was just like, okay. And while it actually. It's actually a crazy high tech story, it is easier to understand than you might think. And the ramifications could be massive for millions of people suffering from age related macular degeneration, or amd. So let's start there.

[Eden Scher]

Okay.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

I know macular degeneration has something to do with vision loss, right?

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Right. By some estimates, nearly 20 million Americans have some form of AMD, and as many as 11 million have advanced AMD. And that can spell big time visual impairment and even irreversible blindness.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

I didn't realize it was such a huge problem.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

It is, and it's most common in people over 50 and gets progressively worse as we age. Basically, what's happening is these cells called RPE cells in the macula of the eye break down. The macula is the part of the eye that lets us see sharply straight ahead. So when those cells break down, it can get kind of blurry or hard to see right in front of us.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Okay, I'm just gonna be the one to say it here, but right in front of us is kind of the most important place to be able to see, right?

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Yeah, you could definitely make a strong case for that.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

All right, so why do these RPE cells break down?

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Good question. The actual mechanisms aren't totally understood, but there are basically two types of macular degeneration. Dry and wet. Dry is the most common, and it happens with age. The RPE cells just. Well, they just break down over time. Wet AMD is less common, but tends to be more severe. It happens when abnormal blood vessels pop under the macula and leak fluid and blood.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Yeah, that just doesn't sound like a good thing.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

You think? Yeah, definitely not.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Okay, so I think I understand the basics of age related macular degeneration. Where do these nano things come into play?

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Yes, the 3D nanotechnology. This is the cool part. So researchers have been trying to figure out how to grow retinal cells in the lab. If you can do that, then you could probably implant them in the eyes of folks with AMD to treat vision loss. But the thing is, most cells grown in the lab are grown in something like a dish. Right. Like on a flat surface in the real world of the eye, it's not flat.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

It has three dimensions.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Bingo. So they used a process called electrospinning.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Okay, that sounds like what my friends do in the club on a Saturday night.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Oh, are they scientists?

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Yeah, you could say that.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

All right, well, in the lab, electrospinning is a crazy process. Where go with me here on this. A polymer fluid is pulled through an electric field. As it's pulled through, it Breaks down into teensy, tiny microscopic fibers that scientists are able to use as a 3D nanofibrous scaffold.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Okay, so it's like a microscopic trellis for vines.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Yeah, totally. And instead of vines, they were able to use it to grow retinal cells.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

That is super cool.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

It's pretty exciting. The cells remain viable for 150 days. In other words, it just. It worked. If they can figure out an effective way to transplant these cells into the human eye, they think they might be on the verge of finally treating age related macular degeneration. And millions of people will be able to see clearly once again.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

And at last, the fog is lifted.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Trademarked? I don't know. That's the hope. At any rate, when they figure out how to transplant them, you'll hear about it right here.

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[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Scientists, in one of the strangest studies I've ever heard of, played the sounds of babies crying for a bunch of Nile crocodiles and found that the crocs could actually detect distress in their cries.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

So even crocs feel something when little babies cry. How sweet.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Yeah, except that something they feel is probably excitement for a little snack.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Oh, okay, boy. So wait, why would scientists play baby cries for crocodiles?

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

I was hoping you'd ask. The researchers were interested in how animals have evolved to respond to the sounds they and other animals make. The basic question was, would an animal like a crocodile be able to interpret or react to the sounds of other creatures? And because babies make especially unique sounds that elicit such powerful emotions in their human mothers, well, it was a good place to start.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Okay, so I. Yeah, that makes sense. But how could they tell that the crocs could actually identify the sounds?

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

So let's, let's talk about the study a little bit. They actually recorded the cries of human babies. Cute little chimpanzee chunksters and bonobo tots. All primates whose infants make pretty unique baby noises. They recorded each in different states of, unfortunately, agitation.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

How would you like to be the sound guy on that job.

[Eden Scher]

Right.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Some of the recordings were when the babies were crying out for mom. Some were when they were fighting with other babies.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Can I guess? The fighting sounds were from the chimps and the bonobos.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Yeah. The human babies were recorded during different kinds of situations, like during bath time and when they were getting shots at the doctor.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Okay, so poor squishy baby crying when she gets a little shot. Little heart melting.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Right. Crocodiles felt the same, honestly, except more like mouth watering. Anyway, the researchers analyzed all the different cries, screams, gurgles and goo goos and isolated about 18 different variables.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Like what pitch, I assume.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Right. And things like harmonic sounds or how many syllables were in a sound or the level of chaos in the scream. So once the recording and analysis was over, that's when the fun began. They set up speakers at a place called Croco park in Morocco, A facility with a bunch of croc filled ponds and hit play.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Like how many crocs are we talking?

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

300, maybe more.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

A speaker filled croc party. It's like an outdoor music festival for crocodiles. Woodcrock.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Okay, I actually like that. But anyways, so it turns out crocodiles have very good hearing. So they responded to the cries almost immediately. Some of them swam up to the speakers to investigate, floating on the surface of the water. Others approached below the surface as if stalking prey. Some of them even tried to bite the speaker.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Seems like a pretty big variety of behaviors, right?

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

It actually is. One of the lead researchers, Julie Tevenay from Claude Bernard University, Lyon in France, thinks that it's possible that the sounds of babies in distress triggered a variety of reactions. Obviously, some of them immediately figured an easy snack was just around the corner.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Helpless baby. Yum.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Yeah. But she thinks that in some a maternal instinct might have been stirred up. Obviously they can't know for sure, but they do think that in any case, the crocodiles are able to discern whether or not these babies are in distress. And that could have come from listening to our cries for thousands and thousands of years.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

I guess that makes sense. I've read studies that show that dogs can sense human emotions from the sounds of our voice. Right?

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Exactly. But think about this. Dogs and humans have really grown up together. We co evolved. Not exactly the same with crocs. And that's what makes this study so fascinating. No matter how different we are, there's a lot of evidence that some things are more universal than we might have thought.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Babies cry is a pretty important thing, even to crocodiles.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

I guess the final lesson here is don't give your babies, shots near a crocodile pond.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

All of my weekend plans gone. Let's recap what we learned today.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

To wrap up, A new study is showing a connection between eating breakfast past 9am and an increased risk for type 2 diabetes. The research takes a closer look at chrono nutrition or how our natural rhythms influence our diets and health, and could give those with risk factors new tools for keeping healthy.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Researchers have used nanotechnology to build a tiny scaffolding on which they grew human retinal cells. If they can figure out how to transplant those cells into human eyes, they could be on the cusp of treating age related macular degeneration, a vision problem that affects up to 20 million Americans and can lead to irreversible blindness.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

Scientists put speakers in a facility that was home to some 300 Nile crocodiles and played the sounds of chimpanzees, human and bonobo babies crying. The crocs immediately reacted. Some of them were maternal, while others heard the sounds of a potential snack. The study suggests that some sounds are relatively universal, even across vastly different species. A baby's cry is one of them.

[Nate (Curiosity Daily)]

Curiosity Daily is produced by Wheelhouse DNA for discovery.

[Callie (Curiosity Daily)]

You can follow our show wherever you get your podcasts and we would love it if you if you could take a second to leave us a five star review on Apple Podcasts.

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[Eden Scher]

I'm Eden Scher.

[Brock Charlelli]

And I'm Brock Charlelli.

[Eden Scher]

We played best friends on the Middle.

[Brock Charlelli]

And became best friends in real life.

[Eden Scher]

We're here to re watch the Middle with all of you.

[Brock Charlelli]

Each week we'll recap an episode with behind the scenes stories, guest interviews and what we think now, many years later.

[Eden Scher]

There's a lot to dive into. So let's get to middling.

[Acast Announcer]

ACAST helps creators launch, grow and monetize their podcasts everywhere. Acast.com.