Learn about why it might actually be healthy to gain weight as you get older; the alkaloids responsible for why our pets can’t eat chocolate; and how small a minority can be to reshape society.

Gaining weight as you age may be healthier than staying at the same weight by Grant Currin

• Survival tip: Start at normal weight and slowly add pounds. (2021). EurekAlert! sts020121.php">https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2021-02/osu-sts020121.php
• Ingraham, C. (2016, January 29). Look at how much weight you’re going to gain. Washington Post; The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2016/01/29/the-age-when-you-gain-the-most-weight/
• Zheng, H., Echave, P., Mehta, N., & Myrskylä, M. (2021). Life-long body mass index trajectories and mortality in two generations. Annals of Epidemiology, 56, 18–25. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.annepidem.2021.01.003
• Your Fat Friend. (2019, October 15). The Bizarre and Racist History of the BMI - Elemental. Medium; Elemental. https://elemental.medium.com/the-bizarre-and-racist-history-of-the-bmi-7d8dc2aa33bb

Why can’t our pets eat chocolate? by Cameron Duke

• Biello, D. (2007, August 16). Strange but True: Cats Cannot Taste Sweets. Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/strange-but-true-cats-cannot-taste-sweets/
• Blum, D. (2013, February 14). The Poisonous Chemistry of Chocolate. Wired; WIRED. https://www.wired.com/2013/02/the-poisonous-nature-of-chocolate/?code=LecCOSJvlBgJVoqVnCpxVDg3cPEDfZqZwmtPhgOOWhI&state=%7B%22redirectURL%22%3A%22%2F2013%2F02%2Fthe-poisonous-nature-of-chocolate%2F%22%7D
• Hazel, S. (2017, December 21). Why can’t dogs eat chocolate? The Conversation. https://theconversation.com/why-cant-dogs-eat-chocolate-89374
• R Thomas Palo, & Robbins, C. T. (1991). Plant defenses against mammalian herbivory. Crc Press.

Research Shows How Small a Minority Can Be to Reshape Society by Mae Rice

• Tipping point for large-scale social change? Just 25 percent | Penn Today. (2018, June 7). Penn Today. https://penntoday.upenn.edu/news/damon-centola-tipping-point-large-scale-social-change
• Centola, D., Becker, J., Brackbill, D., & Baronchelli, A. (2018). Experimental evidence for tipping points in social convention. Science, 360(6393), 1116–1119. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aas8827
• Noonan, D. (2018, June 8). The 25% Revolution—How Big Does a Minority Have to Be to Reshape Society? Scientific American. https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-25-revolution-how-big-does-a-minority-have-to-be-to-reshape-society/
• Yong, E. (2018, June 7). The Atlantic. The Atlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2018/06/the-tipping-point-when-minority-views-take-over/562307/

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Find episode transcript here: daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/gaining-weight-with-age-might-be-healthier-than-staying-slim">https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/gaining-weight-with-age-might-be-healthier-than-staying-slim