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The Rest Is Science
The Rest Is Science

The Hole In Your Brain That Makes You Doomscroll

July 19, 2026 • 49m

Summary

⏱️ 11 min read

Overview

This episode of The Rest is Science explores the fascinating nature of human curiosity—from its historical status as a sin to its modern celebration as a virtue. Hosts Hannah Fry and Michael Stevens examine the psychological mechanisms behind curiosity, including the 'information gap' theory, the Pandora effect, and how curiosity can override self-preservation instincts. They discuss how curiosity evolved, its role in learning and memory retention, the dangers of social media exploitation, and why this once-condemned trait is now considered essential to human progress.

The Psychology of Curiosity and the Pandora Effect

The episode opens with Hannah demonstrating the power of curiosity through a sealed envelope, then dives into a 2016 psychology experiment where students voluntarily shocked themselves with electric pens. When told which pens would shock them, people avoided them entirely, but when left uncertain, they shocked themselves five times more often just to satisfy their curiosity. This phenomenon, called the Pandora effect, reveals how curiosity can overpower self-preservation instincts.

  • In a 2016 experiment, students shocked themselves 5 times more often when they didn't know which pens would shock them
  • Researchers call this the Pandora effect—the drive to know overcomes the desire to avoid pain
  • Curiosity is a force strong enough to beat self-preservation
" Our curiosity is quite often this force that is strong enough to beat self-preservation. The drive to not want to be shocked or not want to be hurt pales in comparison to our drive to want to find out. "
" They're just electrocuting themselves purely to discover whether they'd be electrocuted. "

Curiosity as Sin: 1,500 Years of Condemnation

For approximately 1,500 years, curiosity was considered a vice rather than a virtue in Western culture. Saint Augustine around 400 AD called curiosity the 'lust of the eyes' and a disease, while Aquinas condemned it as 'curiositas' versus acceptable 'studiositas.' Ancient literature from Pandora's box to Eve's apple consistently portrayed curiosity as dangerous, particularly when associated with women. The shift toward valuing curiosity only occurred in the 1500-1600s with the invention of the telescope and microscope.

  • Saint Augustine around 400 AD called curiosity 'lust of the eyes' and one of three lusts at the root of all sin
  • Aquinas called it 'curiositas,' a vice, as opposed to 'studiositas,' which was studying approved by God
  • Ancient literature consistently portrayed curiosity as dangerous: Pandora's box, Eve's apple, and Lot's wife turning to salt
  • The word 'curiosity' barely existed before 1640, then appeared hundreds of times per decade by 1700
  • The original 1598 phrase was 'care killed the cat,' not 'curiosity killed the cat' (changed around 1900)
" For about 1500 years it was considered a vice, not a virtue at all, and a proper named one. Saint Augustine called it a disease. "
" The original line from 1598 was 'care killed the cat.' They only switched to curiosity in about 1900. "

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