Curiosity Didn’t Kill the Cat, Part 1: Research and Righting Reflexes

This episode of 6 Degress of Cats, the world's #1 (and only) cat-themed culture, history and science podcast is part one of a two-episode series on cats and science!

In part 1, we take a cue from cats and let our curiosity lead us through an exploration of how science and cats go hand in hand - er, paw in paw.

Join your host as she welcomes a stellar lineup of scientists - and comes to a slightly scientific conclusion of her own about cats! Materials scientist Titilayo Shodiya, Ph.D., host of hit pop science podcast Dope Labs and Vienna-based biophysicist Kareem Elsayad, Ph.D., share their insights on the invaluable role curiosity plays in hypothesis-driven research and break down the basics of scientific methodology. And writer and physicist Greg Gbur, Ph.D., of hit pop science book, “Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics” provides a fun survey of cats’ partnerships with scientists across time. Get ready to - once again - see cats in a whole new light. 

Check out part 2 here!

Support the podcast, sign up for The Captain’s Log, the companion podcast newsletter and more here: linktr.ee/6degreesofcats.

Reference image:

• Nicola Tesla’s letter about Macek the cat

About the experts:

• Kareem Elsayad, Ph.D., heads the Advanced Microscopy team at the Vienna Biocenter Core Facilities (VBCF) in Vienna, Austria. His research has broadly contributed to the fields of microscopy, high-resolution optical spectroscopy, and nanophotonics. Dr. Elsayad can be followed @kelsa909 on Twitter.
• Greg Gbur, Ph.D., is an American author and physicist who specializes in the study of classical coherence theory in optical physics. He is a full professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in the Department of Physics and Optical Science. He writes the popular science blog, Skulls in the Stars and has published several hit pop science books, including Falling Felines and Fundamental Physics and Invisibility: The History and Science of How Not to Be Seen (both Yale University Press). Dr. Gbur can be followed @drskyskull on Twitter and Mastodon.
• Titilayo Shodiya, M.S., Ph.D., is the host of hit pop culture and science podcast, Dope Labs with co-host Zakiya Watson, Ph.D. Dr. Shodiya received her B.S. in Materials Science from Penn State University and her M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science from Duke University. She currently works at the National Institute of Standards and Technology. Dr. Shodiya can be followed @dr_tsho on Instagram and Twitter.

Producer, writer, editor, sound designer, host, basically everything*

• Captain Kitty (Amanda B.)

* with co-executive producers Binky & Snuggles

Animal voices include:

• Binky & Snuggles _^..^_

Opening and closing credits:

• Leathered: "Look Alive" (c) 2022
• Samples licensed via Loopcloud
• Additional sound effects from Pixabay.com

Logo design:

• Edward Anthony © 2024 (Instagram: @itsmyunzii)

Research used:

• Felton, J. (2022, September 22). The cat flap is surprisingly ancient, and not the work of Isaac Newton. IFLScience. Retrieved from  https://www.iflscience.com/the-cat-flap-is-surprisingly-ancient-and-not-the-work-of-isaac-newton-65443 
• Gbur, G. (2019). Falling felines and fundamental physics. Yale University Press. 
• Gbur, G. (2022, July 22). The oldest falling cat explanation. Retrieved from https://skullsinthestars.com/2022/07/02/the-oldest-falling-cat-explanation/. 
• George, S. C. (2022, September 23). 5 cats who owned famous scientists. Discover Magazine. Retrieved from https://www.discovermagazine.com/the-sciences/5-cats-who-owned-famous-scientists 
• Tearle, O. (2023, March 16). The interesting meaning and history of the phrase “curiosity killed the cat.” Interesting Literature. https://interestingliterature.com/2019/12/meaning-and-history-phrase-curiosity-killed-the-cat/