This episode is presented by eBay.

Rob, everyone loves a deal and a bargain from time to time, don't they? Absolutely, mate. And you know where you can grab a great deal? Talk to me. Where? The eBay app. Yes, you are correct. You didn't need to talk to me. I already knew it. I love eBay. When you're buying, you can discover loads of hidden gems. there's so many items where you think I would have never found that anywhere else.

Then when you're buying, you can discover loads of hidden gems. There's so many items where you think I would have never found that anywhere else. Then when you're selling, it's so simple and most

importantly, free. It's free, Rob. When it's this easy to sell for free and there's great deals

on things you love. You can't help but say when it's eBay. It excludes vehicles and business

sellers.

Welcome to Scientific American Science Talk posted on August 1st, 2017. I'm Steve Murski.

On this episode, there is really a difference, apparently, between, you know, this curiosity that we feel when we are surprised or puzzled by something or see something ambiguous,

and that curiosity, epistemic curiosity, which drives us to really explore and find out.

That's Mario Livio. He's well known as an astrophysicist for his work on the Hubble Space Telescope

and his research on using supernovas to gauge the rate of the expansion of the universe.

And for the last two decades, he's written books for a general audience.

His latest is titled, Why? What Makes Us Curious?

To find out, I called him at his home in Baltimore.

What is curiosity for people who have not read your book?

Or I really should say, what are the different kinds of curiosity?

Yes.

Of course, in everyday language, curiosity usually refers to one thing.

But, you know, once you go more into the

research, you realize that there is more than one kind of curiosity. So let me just give

at least four kinds, according to psychologist Daniel Berline, who devised this scheme.

So there is perceptual curiosity.

...