Episode Details

Today we discuss the link between gastrointestinal disorders and mental health, how the path you take walking through a crowd can be predicted by mathematics, and how we’ve now witnessed an example of super propulsion in nature for the first time! 

GERD Anxiety 

• “The causal role of gastroesophageal reflux disease in anxiety disorders and depression: A bidirectional Mendelian randomization study” by Youjie Zeng, Si Cao, and Heng Yang
  • https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2023.1135923/full
• “Linking the Gut and the Mind: New Evidence Shows GERD May Increase Risk of Anxiety and Depression” by Heng Yang, Youjie Zeng, and Si Cao
  • https://oa.mg/blog/gerd-may-increase-risk-of-anxiety-and-depression/
• “Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)” by Mayo Clinic
  • https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gerd/symptoms-causes/syc-20361940#:~:text=Gastroesophageal%20reflux%20disease%20(GERD)%20occurs,reflux%20from%20time%20to%20time.
• “GERD (Chronic Acid Reflux)” by Cleveland Clinic
  • https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17019-gerd-or-acid-reflux-or-heartburn-overview

Crowd Math 

• “Lane nucleation in complex active flows” by KAROL A. BACIK, BOGDAN S. BACIK, AND TIM ROGERS
  • https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.add8091
• “Stick to your lane: Hidden order in chaotic crowds” by University of Bath
  • https://phys.org/news/2023-03-lane-hidden-chaotic-crowds.html
• “Mathematicians have discovered the hidden patterns that exist within ‘chaotic’ crowds” by Connie Lin
  • https://www.fastcompany.com/90860429/mathematics-of-crowds-patterns-theory

Insect Catapult  

• “Droplet superpropulsion in an energetically constrained insect” by Elio J. Challita, Prateek Sehgal, Rodrigo Krugner & M. Saad Bhamla
  • https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-36376-5
• “Insect that flings pee with a butt catapult is 1st known example of 'superpropulsion' in nature” By Charles Q. Choi
  • https://www.livescience.com/insect-that-flings-pee-with-a-butt-catapult-is-1st-known-example-of-superpropulsion-in-nature
• “Sharpshooter Insects Use ‘Superpropulsion’ to Catapult Their Pee” by Jack Tamisiea
  • https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sharpshooter-insects-use-superpropulsion-to-catapult-their-pee1/

Follow Curiosity Daily on your favorite podcast app to get smarter with Calli and Nate — for free! Still curious? Get exclusive science shows, nature documentaries, and more real-life entertainment on discovery+! Go to