Curiosity Killed the Rat Kade Huckstep & Matt Huckstep

This episode on curiosity killed the rat, join Kade, Matt and Riley for a deep dive into the science of Narrative. How are human brains wired to understand the world via narrative, and how is this used both for and against us? We break down the concept of “narrative” into the components of setting, characters, and plot, and chat about some of the research being done in all of these areas. We also have a look at some real-life examples of the ways narrative is being harnessed to influence our beliefs and behaviour, from marketing to propaganda. Kade then answers a listener question about the metal in our blood: can it rust?
As always, you can find us @curiosityrat on X, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com
We also have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show.
References:
Book I read: The Science of Storytelling by Will Storr
YouTube video I mention revealing this research is funded by the department of defence:
https://youtu.be/zGrf0LGn6Y4?si=baBvBsstRUV2z30L
Video trying to spin narrative to blame Palestinian for Holocaust:
https://youtu.be/f9HmkRYlVZw?si=qpUScFJhhXFI8lP1
The effect of perceived cost on taste (of wine) studies:
https://oeno-one.eu/article/view/1017
https://www.pnas.org/doi/abs/10.1073/pnas.0706929105
Social Influence Research (hotel towel example):
https://www.psychologicalscience.org/observer/dont-throw-in-the-towel-use-social-influence-research
Social influence neuro:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/222561008_Neural_mechanisms_of_social_influence
Anthropomorphism and Dehumanization:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4020342/
Dehumanisation neuroimaging:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6696401_Dehumanizing_the_Lowest_of_the_Low_Neuroimaging_Responses_to_Extreme_Out-Groups
Self-perception and behaviour:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/6453731_The_spyglass_self_A_model_of_vicarious_self-perception
Narrative transportation:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/287364520_Effects_of_narrative_transportation_on_persuasion_A_meta-analysis
Framing and support for addiction policies:
https://www.frameworksinstitute.org/publication/can-redirecting-values-increase-support-for-addiction-policies-and-related-issues/
“War of the ghosts” story:
https://online-learning-college.com/knowledge-hub/gcses/gcse-psychology-help/bartletts-war-of-the-ghosts/
Paper on neuromarketing / consumer neuroscience:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1471-2377-13-13
Emotion and decision making:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24905597/
Coke and pepsi study:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15473974/
Relating to Media Bias:
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amc.2023.128219
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/17506352231178148
https://www.jstor.org/stable/41858380
https://fair.org/home/the-illusion-of-balance/?fbclid=IwAR02QPzY5_l3cg7NwKcZTKyr4ISHxt1PrWJiiWoumHT1nqlb1nAFlcU88rc
Propaganda rebranded as “Public Relations”:
https://theconversation.com/the-manipulation-of-the-american-mind-edward-bernays-and-the-birth-of-public-relations-44393

Welcome to season 5 of Curiosity Killed the Rat! To kick off the year, Kade and Matt welcome special guest Dr Jarrod McKenna onto the show once again to talk about his recent amazing experience visiting Antarctica: a place so cool it deserved another whole episode. What's it like to visit one of the most isolated places in the world as a tourist? How is climate change affecting this beautiful continent? What can we do as regular people to help? Stick around to the end of the episode to hear all this, and the listener question: alcohol and the menstrual cycle. How does one affect the other?
As always, you can find us @curiosityrat on X, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com. We also have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show.
Jarrod's website:
https://drjarrodmckenna.com/
Citizen science links:
https://citizenscience.org.au/
https://seadragonsearch.org/
https://happywhale.com/home
https://happywhale.com/whaleid

In one final episode for 2023 / season 4 of Curiosity Killed the Rat, Kade and Matt bring you an extended special reflecting on one of the biggest Australian milestones of 2023: the re-classification and approval of MDMA and Psilocybin to assist therapy. Kade leads us through the science accompanying the historical journey of these drugs; from their discovery and synthesis, through their recreational use (both legal and illegal), to their status today as promising therapeutic compounds. Stick around for a listener question of great seriousness and importance: If a tree in the forest falls and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound? As always, you can find us @curiosityrat on X, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com We also have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show.
References:
Kade’s Article The Therapeutic Odyssey of Psilocybin and MDMA: A Return to Roots https://rsv.org.au/psilocybin-and-mdma/ Seeking the magic mushroom — Originally published in 1957 Life Magazine https://www.trippingly.net/lsd/2018/5/14/seeking-the-magic-mushroom Hofmann, A. (1959). Psychotomimetic drugs. Acta physiologica et pharmacologica Neerlandica, 8, 240-258. Shulgin, A. T. (1964). 3-Methoxy-4 5-methylenedioxy Amphetamine, a New Psychotomimetic Agent. Nature, 201(4924), 1120-1121. Stolaroff, M. J. (1997). The secret chief revealed: Conversations with a pioneer of the underground psychedelic therapy movement. Multidisciplinary Association for Psychedelic Studies (MAPS). Sessa, B., Higbed, L., & Nutt, D. (2019). A review of 3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)-assisted psychotherapy. Frontiers in psychiatry, 10, 138. Nutt, D. J., King, L. A., & Nichols, D. E. (2013). Effects of Schedule I drug laws on neuroscience research and treatment innovation. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 14(8), 577-585. Grob, C. S., Danforth, A. L., Chopra, G. S., Hagerty, M., McKay, C. R., Halberstadt, A. L., & Greer, G. R. (2011). Pilot study of psilocybin treatment for anxiety in patients with advanced-stage cancer. Archives of general psychiatry, 68(1), 71-78. Mithoefer, M. C., Wagner, M. T., Mithoefer, A. T., Jerome, L., & Doblin, R. (2011). The safety and efficacy of±3, 4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine-assisted psychotherapy in subjects with chronic, treatment-resistant posttraumatic stress disorder: the first randomized controlled pilot study. Journal of psychopharmacology, 25(4), 439-452. Li, N. X., Hu, Y. R., Chen, W. N., & Zhang, B. (2022). Dose effect of psilocybin on primary and secondary depression: a preliminary systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Affective Disorders, 296, 26-34. Carhart-Harris, R., Giribaldi, B., Watts, R., Baker-Jones, M., Murphy-Beiner, A., Murphy, R., ... & Nutt, D. J. (2021). Trial of psilocybin versus escitalopram for depression. New England Journal of Medicine, 384(15), 1402-1411. Bogenschutz, M. P., Ross, S., Bhatt, S., Baron, T., Forcehimes, A. A., Laska, E., ... & Worth, L. (2022). Percentage of heavy drinking days following psilocybin-assisted psychotherapy vs placebo in the treatment of adult patients with alcohol use disorder: a randomized clinical trial. JAMA psychiatry, 79(10), 953-962. Johnson, M. W., Garcia-Romeu, A., & Griffiths, R. R. (2017). Long-term follow-up of psilocybin-facilitated smoking cessation. The American journal of drug and alcohol abuse, 43(1), 55-60. Peck, S. K., Shao, S., Gruen, T., Yang, K., Babakanian, A., Trim, J., ... & Kaye, W. H. (2023). Psilocybin therapy for females with anorexia nervosa: a phase 1, open-label feasibility study. Nature Medicine, 29(8), 1947-1953. Danforth, A. L., Grob, C. S., Struble,

This episode, join Kade and Matt as they spin their way into the world of spider webs – just in time for Halloween! Learn about the absolute wonder that is spider silk: its incredible properties, how it is made, why humans can’t yet mass-produce it, and some of the interesting efforts scientists are trying to change that! Stick around for a listener question all about glow sticks. As always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com We also now have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show. References: https://australian.museum/learn/animals/spiders/silk-the-spiders-success-story/ https://www.nhm.ac.uk/discover/what-are-spider-webs-made-of.html https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/spiderwebs-explained https://youtu.be/dMN_wQ6Zyy0?si=n7u43x7NBXnOTL5P https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5000687/ https://www.proquest.com/openview/2606e70bffecfe3e2df4260c10508f78/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=18750 https://ami-journals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1751-7915.12081 https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00018-006-6090-y https://www.cell.com/trends/biotechnology/fulltext/S0167-7799(08)00079-6?large_figure=true&code=cell-site https://youtu.be/xossR6eHv3I?si=4tm4f_wpvw3mBrvw https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/marc.201800516 https://edu.rsc.org/exhibition-chemistry/the-glow-stick-reaction/3010386.article

Link for Kade's video: https://youtu.be/rdOc2HB5sx0?si=-4B_koSDMxPxyNMi
This month on Curiosity Killed the Rat, we are taking a break from our usual content to present the audio from the YouTube video made by host Kade Huckstep this month in response to Channel 7’s blatant spread of disinformation and misrepresentation of science. It breaks down the “documentary” aired about detransitioning, and goes through the scientific evidence that does actually exist. As a show, we value the spread of correct information, and so this is our part in the fight against mis/disinformation.
As always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com. We also have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show.
References: (if people want access to any actual papers stuck behind paywalls please do hit us up)
Abreu, Roberto L., et al. "Supporting transgender students: School counselors’ preparedness, training efforts, and necessary support." Journal of LGBT Youth 17.1 (2020): 107-122.
Bailey, Louis, Sonja J. Ellis, and Jay McNeil. "Suicide risk in the UK trans population and the role of gender transition in decreasing suicidal ideation and suicide attempt." Mental Health Review Journal 19.4 (2014): 209-220.
Borges, Maria de Fátima, et al. "Evaluation of central precocious puberty treatment with GnRH analogue at the Triangulo Mineiro Federal University (UFTM)." Archives of Endocrinology and Metabolism 59 (2015): 515-522.
Bruce, Lauren, et al. "Long-term regret and satisfaction with decision following gender-affirming mastectomy." JAMA surgery (2023).
Butler, Gary, et al. "Discharge outcome analysis of 1089 transgender young people referred to paediatric endocrine clinics in England 2008–2021." Archives of Disease in Childhood 107.11 (2022): 1018-1022.
Choi, Seungtaek, and Andrew K. Lee. "Efficacy and safety of gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists used in the treatment of prostate cancer." Drug, Healthcare and Patient Safety (2011): 107-119.
Cheung, Ada S., et al. "Sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of transgender adults in Australia." Transgender health 3.1 (2018): 229-238.
Giacomelli, Giulia, and Maria Cristina Meriggiola. "Bone health in transgender people: a narrative review." Therapeutic Advances in Endocrinology and Metabolism 13 (2022): 20420188221099346.
Golan, A. "GnRH analogues in the treatment of uterine fibroids." Human reproduction 11.suppl_3 (1996): 33-41.
Hannema, Sabine Elisabeth, et al. "Continuation of gender-affirming hormones in transgender people starting puberty suppression in adolescence: a cohort study in the Netherlands." The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health 6.12 (2022): 869-875.
Jedrzejewski, Breanna Y., et al. "Regret after gender-affirming surgery: a multidisciplinary approach to a Multifaceted patient experience." Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery 152.1 (2023): 206-214.
Jeffery, Eiddwen. “Anti-Trans Group Raises False Alarm on Victorian Policy for Gender Diverse Students.” RMIT University, 4 Nov. 2022, www.rmit.edu.au/news/factlab-meta/anti-trans-group-raises-false-alarm-on-victorian-policy-for-gend.
Jones, Hannah Elizabeth, et al. "Decision Regret in Plastic Surgery: A Summary." Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Global Open 11.6 (2023).
Katz-Wise, Sabra L. “Gender Fluidity: What It Means and Why Support Matters.” Harvard Health, 3 Dec. 2020, www.health.harvard.edu/blog/gender-fluidity-what-it-means-and-why-support-matters-2020120321544.
Levine, Laurence A., and Stephen P. Guss. "Gonadotropin-releasing hormone analogues in the treatment of sickle cell anemia-associated priapism." The Journal of urology 1

This month on Curiosity Killed the Rat, Kade and Matt tackle a more serious issue: the science of antidepressants. What is depression? How is it caused? How do antidepressants work, and are they actually effective? Stick around to the end of the episode to hear sound guy Matt answer a listener question about the science of noise cancelling headphones!
As always, you can find us @curiosityrat on twitter, instagram, and facebook, and send your listener questions in to curiosityrat@gmail.com. We also have a Patreon! If you love our content and want to support us you can jump on to https://www.patreon.com/curiosityrat and become a patron. There is absolutely ZERO pressure but if you have as little as $1/month you can chuck it our way to help us out and show you appreciate all the time and effort that goes into making this show.
References:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41380-022-01661-0
https://www.kcl.ac.uk/news/a-response-to-the-serotonin-theory-of-depression-a-systematic-umbrella-review-of-the-evidence
https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-a-review-paper-on-the-serotonin-theory-of-depression/
https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/depression/what-is-depression science.org/content/blog-post/understanding-antidepressants---or-not https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK361016/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4309382/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2739676/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2896866/ https://www.nature.com/articles/mp201080 https://helda.helsinki.fi/items/5f15e844-28d8-41b9-a61c-38b2b3351a95
Listener Question References:
https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/blog/what-noise-cancelling-headphones-do/
https://www.scienceabc.com/innovation/why-are-noise-canceling-headphones-less-effective-at-blocking-high-pitched-sounds.html
https://www.soundguys.com/noise-canceling-anc-explained-28344/
https://hearingclinic.co.za/why-can-you-hear-when-your-ears-are-blocked/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK531483/