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- [00:00]
Capital One Bank Guy
With no fees or minimums on checking accounts, it's no wonder the Capital One bank guy is so passionate about banking. With Capital One, if he were here, he wouldn't just tell you about no fees or minimums. He'd also talk about how most Capital One cafes are open seven days a week to assist with your banking needs. Yep, even on weekends, it's pretty much all he talks about in a good way. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capitalone.com bank capital1na member FDIC
- [00:31]
Workday AI Representative / Paige from Giggly Squad
could AI help you do more of what you love? Workday is the AI platform for HR and finance that actually knows your business. We help you handle the have to dos so you can focus on the can't wait to do's. It's a new workday.
- [00:46]
Verizon Representative
Think Verizon is expensive? Think again. Anyone can bring their AT and T or T mobile bill to a Verizon store today and we'll give you a better deal. So bring us your bill, walk in running pogo sticking teleport. If you can, ride on the back of a rollerblading yak or fly in on the wings of a majestic falcon. Any way you can bring your AT and T or T mobile bill to a Verizon store today and we'll give you a better deal on the best Network based on RootMetric's best overall mobile network performance US 2nd half 2025 all rights preserved must provide a very recent postpaid consumer mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms, conditions and restrictions apply.
- [01:19]
Dr. Samantha Amien
Hey science lovers, just a quick note before we start the episode. If you're enjoying Curiosity Weekly and love exploring science with us, leave us a rating or review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify and it helps other science enthusiasts discover the show. And it keeps us going. And don't forget to share your favorite episode with a friend. Together we can inspire a lot more curiosity in the world, which we love to see. Thanks so much. Have you heard about the analog movement? I mean, these days I'm a strictly pen and paper gal. And our production team has made some digital cuts too. Like Teresa is back to wired earbuds and a tape deck and Kiara pays with cash. But what does it really take to go all analog all the time? And how does it impact our brain? That's what we're diving into with Dr. Natalia Horiari in this episode. Also, did you know nearsightedness is on the rise? We'll talk about a fascinating new hypothesis that may explain it. But first, the Classic hoarse whinny sound that's so hard to imitate. I'm about to tell you why. This is Curiosity Weekly, and I'm Dr. Samantha Amien. Totally normal question. Have you ever tried to whinny like a horse? Hey, it's not as easy as it seems. In fact, it's a sound that's so unique, it's been puzzling scientists for ages. But a 2026 study has some new insight into why horses whinny and how it's a sound truly unlike any other animals. Horses produce their distinctive whinny by blending two frequencies at once, something that resembles a combination of singing and whistling. An international team led by researchers at the University of Copenhagen have found that the low frequency part of The Whitney, around 200 hertz, comes from the vibration of the horse's vocal cords, similar to how we make a sound when we hum or sing. That's called vocal fold vibration because of the movement of the vocal cords, also known as vocal folds. But the higher frequency part, exceeding 1,000 hertz, wasn't as straightforward. So the team had to puzzle together a bunch of different information on the animal's vocal anatomy, clinical data, and even do an acoustic analysis. They found that it's produced by whistling. But the sound doesn't come through the lips or mouth like when you or I whistle. The sound is uniquely within the larynx, or voice box. In fact, horses are the only known large animal to whistle like this, and the only known animal to do it simultaneously with the other vocal fold vibration. To show how horses whinny, researchers did experiments using the larynxes of deceased horses. They blew air through these larynxes, then switched to helium and back to regular air. Since sound travels faster in helium, the high whistle sounds changed to higher frequencies, while the lower sounds stayed the same as expected. When they used helium, the high pitched part of the whinnie went up even higher, but the low pitch part didn't change. That told them that the high pitched part is produced aerodynamically like a whistle, rather than by vibrating tissue. Animal vocalizations generally follow certain rules. Typically, larger animals have lower frequency sounds, while smaller ones produce high pitched shouts. Think bear versus mice. But there are exceptions to that rule, and horses break that mold by being able to multitask their vocalizations. It's a phenomenon known as bifonation, and it's only found in a few other animals, including birds, elk and orangutans. But horses are unique in how they do it. Imagine trying to whistle while humming. That's the kind of vocal gymnastics that horses are pulling off. The researchers say this flexibility may allow them to convey multiple emotional messages simultaneously. In fact, the study suggests that every whinny may well carry various meanings depending on the blend of frequencies. Perfect. So the next time you hear a horse whinny, remember it's not just noise, it's a complex communication system.
- [05:21]
Capital One Bank Guy
Hi, this is Mark Bittman from the podcast Food with Mark Bittman. Spring means literally to burst forth, to grow, and that's what we're talking about both in our kitchens and at Whole Foods Market. Freshness and seasonality is what's happening at Whole Foods Market right now with the season's first new potatoes, spring onions, onions, artichokes, favas, snap peas, radishes, spinach and other spring greens and more. Enjoy the fresh flavors of spring and save at Whole Foods Market.
- [05:52]
Verizon Representative
Think Verizon is expensive? Think again. Anyone can bring their AT&T or T mobile bill to a Verizon store today and we'll give you a better deal. So bring us your bill walkin running pogo stickin' teleport. If you can ride on the back of a rollerblading yak or flyin on the wings of a majestic falcon. Any way, you can bring your AT&T or T mobile bill to a Verizon store today and we'll give you a better deal on the best network based on route metrics Best Overall Mobile Network Performance US Second Half 2025 all rights reserved. Must provide a very recent postpaid consumer mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms, conditions and restrictions apply.
- [06:22]
Workday AI Representative / Paige from Giggly Squad
Could AI help you do more of what you love? Workday is the AI platform for HR and finance that actually knows your business. We help you handle the have to dos so you can focus on the can't wait to dos. It's a new workday with no fees
- [06:38]
Capital One Bank Guy
or minimums on checking accounts. It's no wonder the Capital One bank guy is so passionate about banking with if he were here, he wouldn't just tell you about no fees or minimums. He'd also talk about how most Capital One cafes are open seven days a week to assist with your banking needs. Yep, even on weekends it's pretty much all he talks about in a good way. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capital1.com Bank Capital One NA Member FDIC.
- [07:13]
Dr. Samantha Amien
In our super connected world, more and more people are turning to the analog movement as a way to find genuine experiences and reconnect with what really matters. From picking up a physical book to enjoying the warm crackle of vinyl records. This trend is all about balancing the fast paced digital life with something more tangible and real. I'm excited to chat with Dr. Natalia Chorayari, a postdoctoral researcher at UC Davis whose research focuses on attention and the mental health implications of our digital habits. Welcome to the show, Natalia.
- [07:44]
Dr. Natalia Chlori
Thank you so much. Glad to be here.
- [07:47]
Dr. Samantha Amien
So I'm so curious about this. What do we know about what happens in the brain when we're constantly in front of screens that might be causing this digital fatigue that's making people run for analog stuff?
- [07:59]
Dr. Natalia Chlori
Yeah, it's a great question. It's the, it's the golden question. So there's a lot that we still need to understand. And what I find really interesting about this topic is we talk about compulsive media use. A lot of people experience having, you know, difficulty managing fully their media use and balancing what they, you know, want to do offline and what they want to do online. And one of the, I think big questions that's still outstanding is how much is compulsive media use relating to mechanisms of addiction and how are they different? And there has been some research that shows, you know, some similarities in terms of reward processes, but it's, it's nuanced and it's, it's interesting because there's both the potential components, the reward components, there's the social dynamics. How are they similar and different? We're still finding out. But I do have for you some stats that I don't want to, I don't want to worry you, but.
- [09:10]
Dr. Samantha Amien
No, tell us. We want to know the truth.
- [09:12]
Dr. Natalia Chlori
So reports show that the average phone use exceeds six hours per day. Six hours per day, with individuals checking their devices up to 200 times daily. And so there's questions about not only how long you can get stuck, you know, consuming digital media, but also the frequency. And you can imagine if you're working and you know, you're focusing and then all of a sudden you just check your phone for one second, but you do that 200 times a day. That can be really challenging to manage and refocus back. There's also studies that show that about one in five university students meet criteria for social media addiction, and about 1 in 4 children and adolescents show problematic smartphone use. And so compulsive media use has been shown to be associated with disrupted sleep, reduced productivity, elevated risk for depression, anxiety and suicide. So there are a lot of implications and we need to figure out what the mechanisms are that are affected.
- [10:21]
Dr. Samantha Amien
I want to get in More to attention, because you study attention and see what we. I mean, a lot of this is evolving as, let's say, social media changes. But what do we know about how attention might change when we're looking at a screen versus something that's like, in real life, like, let's say, a book or something?
- [10:43]
Dr. Natalia Chlori
Yeah, that's a great question, and I love that you brought attention. I think that there's, interestingly, some social psychology in this as well. There's questions about whether is there something about the digital exposure, staring at an LED screen for a long period of time, versus another component that we could ask is the intentionality and focus. And so there have been studies that show that, for example, writing down notes, you retain that information better than typing on a computer. And so there are some potential fundamental differences. Now, using an iPad to write out notes can maybe mediate some of that, but there might be some fundamental differences with how we engage with physical versus digital media in that component. But there's also the idea of intentionality that I think is very important. And it's a question of, when you do engage with media, are you intentional about it?
- [11:54]
Dr. Samantha Amien
When we think of analog activities, what do we know so far about any potential, like, cognitive or emotional benefits from engaging in analog activities?
- [12:06]
Dr. Natalia Chlori
There's this intentionality in being present. And there's a lot of actually great mindfulness research and meditation research at UC Davis by Cliff Sarin. Dr. Cliff Sarin. What he shows is you do have, you know, changes in oscillatory patterns in your brain and neural function as a result of mindfulness. So I think that this analog approach really kind of hits home in that mindfulness practice. So I think it can be really challenging to, you know, you can be somewhere, but being present when you have so many stimuli or you're thinking, oh, I could check my email and what's going on here? And what's going on there? Fear of missing out is shown to be a predictor of problematic media use. And so, you know, if you have anxiety of, I need to know what is happening at all times in the world with my friends, it can take you out of the moment. And I think that presence is very important in mindfulness.
- [13:15]
Dr. Samantha Amien
What do you think are the drivers of people becoming interested in the analog movement?
- [13:21]
Dr. Natalia Chlori
That is such an awesome question. And it's very interesting because we really do see this societal shift. It seems to me that people are widely aware of how this digital media exposure may be challenging for them. And what's interesting is through this analog movement, we're Using digital media to share like, hey, I want to use digital media yet less or I want to incorporate analog components and balance things better. And that communication is like, oh yeah, me too. You know, I said that daily phone use on average in the US six hours per day from reports, previous reports last year. And so when you put that in perspective, imagine if now the 24 hour day is 18 hours a day. You just lose six hours. And I think it could be anything. It doesn't, I don't think it has to be digital media. Your car broke down and it took six hours to fix your car. Imagine your car broke down every day. You had to spend six hours every single day and you don't have that time back. Now there's this compounding, you know, stress of trying to catch up. And what we also find is that in addition to fear of missing out, that avoidance is also a predictor of, of compulsive media use. And so when we think of compulsive media use, another way to think about it is potentially as a coping mechanism or strategy to alleviate stress because, you know, of whatever life events are happening, it can be used as a short term coping strategy. That's where reward comes in. And that short term reward that makes you feel better in the short term, but it could have compounding ramifications in the long term.
- [15:22]
Dr. Samantha Amien
How does that influence our mental health, us seeking out these short term rewards online instead of maybe the dealing with the other bigger challenges in our life?
- [15:32]
Dr. Natalia Chlori
Yeah, I mean it's quite astonishing to see the statistics in college students and in adolescents with compulsive and problematic media use. And compulsive media use is associated with higher risk of depression and anxiety and mental health diagnoses. And so we really have this new generation that is growing up with media and developing their attention mechanisms with media in a way that we have not seen before. And so I think the longitudinal research that's going to come out of this is going to be really impactful.
- [16:17]
Dr. Samantha Amien
I know some of your work is on clinical guidelines related to mental health. And so I was wondering if social media use or even like screen time, amount of time on phone, is that something that's starting to be factored in to clinical recommendations like are you being prescribed a medication therapy and limit phone time or something like that? Perhaps with the help of a therapist deciding what makes sense.
- [16:43]
Dr. Natalia Chlori
Researchers such as Dr. Yuru do and colleagues recently found that school avoidant behavior and how doom scrolling was the primary and only direct predictor of school avoidant behavior in kids the challenging thing is we have all of these terms. We have Internet addiction, we have problematic media use, we have compulsive media use. None of these terms are part of the clinical criteria or diagnoses within the DSM 5, which is the standardized criteria in mental health. There is a gaming use disorder or gaming addiction which is recognized, but I don't think it's yet officially added. It needs more research is the latest. We know that this is challenging and problematic for a lot of individuals, but there's no clinical criteria just yet or diagnosis. But your physical environment can also have a really big impact on behavior. A lot of people seem to have higher rates of compulsive media use at home rather than when we're outside. And just to give you a beautiful attention example, it's one of my favorite papers. It's a paper by Dr. Lucia Mason and colleagues. And it was really simple. They had these kids in a classroom and they measured sustained attention and heart rate variability. And they find this very clear negative correlation between heart rate variability and sustained attention. Meaning the more variable your heart rate, the less your sustained attention measure in the classroom. Take these Sid same kids, you put them in a green outdoor space. All of those kids who had lower sustained attention in the classroom, now their sustained attention is just as strong as all of the other kids. And so it's not just whether you are more vulnerable to compulsive media use. It's also whether certain contexts or environments change that vulnerability as well.
- [19:06]
Dr. Samantha Amien
Do you see the analog movement as a trend, something that might fade away? Or do you think it is something we we should keep around longer or will keep around longer?
- [19:17]
Dr. Natalia Chlori
I'm a little optimistic in the sense that I love the analog movement. I think it's a great thing. I think the work that comes out of research will kind of answer that question as well. The more research we do on compulsive media use, the better tools and strategies that we give individuals or can offer individuals as effective management solutions will go into how much people put into that self initiated goal of trying to balance and trying to get away from problematic phone use. We're a limited capacity system. We can only do so much. And so I think the more tools that we give individuals can help us manage and balance phones.
- [20:04]
Dr. Samantha Amien
Last quick one. Do you have a favorite digital habit or technology that you've consciously swapped with an analog alternative? I'll tell you mine is like I'm all pen and paper notebooks for writing and for even keeping my agenda.
- [20:18]
Dr. Natalia Chlori
Same same. I do the exact same thing. I have my little bring it out right here. I have my little journal and I put all of my notes there. Anything that you're trying to maintain in your mind, just put it on paper. It makes it so much easier in the same way. Oh yeah, and I had a flip phone for about a year. I'm probably actually going to switch back because it's just again, it creates this very nice boundary of phone is to call and it has Google Maps, which you won't get lost. Crucial, very crucial. And all of the other social stuff has a time and place. Just those small steps are very meaningful.
- [21:01]
Dr. Samantha Amien
Dr. Natalia Chlori is opponent postdoctoral researcher at UC Davis. Thank you so much Natalia for joining us on the show.
- [21:07]
Dr. Natalia Chlori
Thank you so much for having me.
- [21:14]
Workday AI Representative / Paige from Giggly Squad
Could AI help you do more of what you love? Workday is the AI platform for HR and finance that actually knows your business. We help you handle the have to dos so you can focus on the can't wait to dos. It's a new workday with no fees
- [21:29]
Capital One Bank Guy
or minimums on checking accounts. It's no wonder the Capital One bank guy is so passionate about banking with Capital One. If he were here, he wouldn't just tell you about no fees or minimums. He'd also talk about how most Capital One cafes are open seven days a week to assist with your banking needs. Yep, even on weekends it's pretty much all he talks about in a good way. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capitalone.com bank capital1na member FDIC
- [21:59]
Verizon Representative
think Verizon is expensive? Think again. Anyone can bring their AT&T or T mobile bill to a Verizon store today and we'll give you a better deal. So bring us your bill. Walk in, run in pogo stickin' teleport if you can ride on the back of a rollerblading yak or flyin on the wings of a majestic falcon. Any way you can bring your AT&T or T mobile bill to a Verizon store today and we'll give you a better deal on the best network based on RootMetric's best overall mobile network performance. US second half 2025 all rights reserved. Must provide very recent postpaid consumer mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms, conditions and restrictions apply.
- [22:29]
Dr. Natalia Chlori
We optimize everything about our health routines except the air we breathe. And when your air is off, your body feels it first. The blueair Blue signature air purifiers quietly remove tin airborne pollutants and odors supporting deeper sleep, better recovery and clearer focus. Visit blueair.com and use code signature30.
- [22:49]
Dr. Samantha Amien
So Fun Fact About Me I love lamps. I hate turning on the big overhead light that makes my living room look like a soulless office building. Mood lighting is one of my greatest passions. Scientists have tracked a global rise in myopia, also known as nearsightedness, and you'd think the culprit is obvious. We're all on our phones staring at screens up close. But researchers now say it may be less about screens and more about a common indoor habit long stretches of close up focus, especially in dim light. Sad news for me. Researchers from SUNY College of Optometry had participants look through custom glasses that made their eyes focus the same way they do if you're looking at something up close, like a phone screen. The glasses also allowed them to track where people were looking and how big their pupils were. With each trial, the researchers show participants a small square target. The squares were either light or dark with different contrasts. We know our pupils constrict when we go from a dark room to the bright outdoors, but they also constrict when we focus on something close up. And the stronger the contrast of what we're looking at, the the more they constrict. Using these special glasses, the researchers measured pupil sizes and eye movements under different conditions and discovered that people with myopia have overactive eye adjustments. When focusing on something close, their pupils constrict more strongly and their eyes turn inward more than probably necessary to accommodate. These adjustments reduce how much light can enter the eye and over time it may remodel the eye to elongate, which can lead to myopia. When you look at something up close indoors, like your phone or tablet, your pupils often tighten up not from bright light, but to help sharpen the image if the room is already dim, while otherwise your pupils would automatically widen to let in more light. In this case, they prioritize focusing over doing that so the pupils stay constricted. Overall, it cuts how much light reaches your retina quite a bit. Think of it this way. If you habitually stare at super blurry photos up close, your eyes are constantly accommodating. Over months and years. That prolonged near work, especially combined with low light, can alter the eye shape, so distance vision worsens. It's kind of like doing only bicep curls and neglecting the rest of your body. Our retinas need varied visual input to stay healthy. The study offers a new working hypothesis for why myopia rates are so high. In recent years. It may be caused by this near work or reading up close in low light. This may also explain why time spent outdoors, atropine drops which dilate the pupils and multifocal lenses all seem to help slow the progression of myopia. Sad as I am to ditch my vibey mood lighting while reading, I guess I'll try it if it means I can see farther away for longer. For Warner Bros. Discovery Curiosity Weekly is produced by the team at Wheelhouse DNA. The senior producer and editorial correspondent is Teresa Carey, our producer is Chiara Noni, our audio engineer is Nick Echami and head of Production for Wheelhouse DNA is Cassie Berman. And I'm Dr. Samantha Youmeen. Thanks for listening. Totally normal question have you ever tried to winnie like a horse? This is so hilarious.
- [26:28]
Dr. Natalia Chlori
Stop. Sorry sorry sorry. I'll stop, I'll stop.
- [26:32]
Dr. Samantha Amien
Can you do it? It's like like a moan. Guys, we're very smart. Me in the background just like he in the background. Just practicing. How dare you practice. It's hard.
- [27:01]
Verizon Representative
Think Verizon is expensive? Think again. Anyone can bring their AT and T or T mobile bill to a Verizon store today and we'll give you a better deal. So bring us your bill. Walking, Running, Pogo Sticking, Teleport. If you can ride on the back of a rollerblading yak or flyin on the wings of a majestic falcon. Any way you can bring your AT and T or T mobile bill to a Verizon store today and we'll give you a better deal on the best network based on route metrics Best Overall mobile network performance US second half 2025 all rights preserved. Must provide a very recent postpaid consumer mobile bill in the name of the person redeeming the deal. Additional terms, conditions and restrictions apply.
- [27:32]
Workday AI Representative / Paige from Giggly Squad
Could AI help you do more of what you love? Workday is the AI platform for HR and finance that actually knows your business. We help you hand handle the have to dos so you can focus on the can't wait to dos. It's a new workday with no fees
- [27:47]
Capital One Bank Guy
or minimums on checking accounts. It's no wonder the Capital One bank guy is so passionate about banking with Capital One. If he were here, he wouldn't just tell you about no fees or minimums. He'd also talk about how most Capital One cafes are open seven days a week to assist with your banking needs. Yep, even on weekends it's pretty much all he talks about in a good way. What's in your wallet? Terms apply. See capitalone.com bank capital1na member FDIC.
- [28:17]
Workday AI Representative / Paige from Giggly Squad
Hey, it's Paige from Giggly Squad. And if you've been thinking about tackling any home or yard projects lately, this is your sign. Lowe's Springfest is on Lowe's Spring Fest is happening right now at Lowe's, featuring great deals to help you refresh your homes and outdoor spaces. And just in time for spring, we talked about airing out your home, and Lowe's is just taking it to the next level. You can save up to 40% on major indoor appliances and help supercharge your chores. Springfest is happening now, and our best lineup is here at Lowe's. Valid through April 22, 2026, while supplies last selection varies by location. See lowe's.com for details. Mulch offer excludes Alaska and Hawaii.