Learn about a key trait in group leaders; why DNA evidence is overrated; and a brainless slime mold that can “think.”

The "babble hypothesis" of leadership says people who talk more are seen as leaders by Steffie Drucker

• Dolan, E. W. (2021, July 17). New study finds people who speak more are more likely to be viewed as leaders. PsyPost; PsyPost. https://www.psypost.org/2021/07/new-study-finds-people-who-speak-more-are-more-likely-to-be-viewed-as-leaders-61540
• MacLaren, N. G., Yammarino, F. J., Dionne, S. D., Sayama, H., Mumford, M. D., Connelly, S., Martin, R. W., Mulhearn, T. J., Todd, E. M., Kulkarni, A., Cao, Y., & Ruark, G. A. (2020). Testing the babble hypothesis: Speaking time predicts leader emergence in small groups. The Leadership Quarterly, 31(5), 101409. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2020.101409

Contrary To Popular Belief, DNA Evidence Is Far From Perfect by Ashley Hamer

• Shermer, M. (2015). Forensic Pseudoscience. Scientific American, 313(3), 95–95. https://doi.org/10.1038/scientificamerican0915-95
• Shaer, M. (2016, May 17). The Atlantic. The Atlantic; theatlantic. https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2016/06/a-reasonable-doubt/480747/
• Dolan, M. (2019, January 29). The danger of DNA: It isn’t perfect. Chicagotribune.com; Chicago Tribune. me-dna26-2008dec26-story.html">https://www.chicagotribune.com/la-me-dna26-2008dec26-story.html

There's a brainless slime mold that can do things often associated with thinking by Cameron Duke

• Greenberg, A. (2020, September 21). Eight smart things slime molds can do without a brain. Pbs.org; Nova. https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/slime-mold-smart-brainless-cognition/
• Murugan, N. J., Kaltman, D. H., Jin, P. H., Chien, M., Martinez, R., Nguyen, C. Q., Kane, A., Novak, R., Ingber, D. E., & Levin, M. (2021). Mechanosensation Mediates Long‐Range Spatial Decision‐Making in an Aneural Organism. Advanced Materials, 2008161. https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202008161
• Thinking without a brain. (2021, July 15). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/762793

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Find episode transcript here: daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/talkers-are-leaders-dna-evidence-myth-thinking-sans-brain">https://curiosity-daily-4e53644e.simplecast.com/episodes/talkers-are-leaders-dna-evidence-myth-thinking-sans-brain