Sep 19, 2026 · 11 min
Reading may strengthen minds while the Sun tests technological limits
Why we should all be 'bookmaxxing'
The episode connects everyday reading with lifelong brain health, then measures two very different threats and discoveries: solar super flares and adult T. rex behavior.
- 1Recreational reading is associated with stronger attention, memory, sleep, mental health, and brain health across the lifespan.
- 2A solar super flare could disrupt power and technology, but available evidence does not suggest it would end civilization.
- 3Rare adult T. rex tracks indicate a walking speed of roughly three to four miles per hour and support warm-blooded physiology.
Don't miss
The rare adult T. rex trackway provides an unusually direct glimpse of how the dinosaur moved, including an estimated walking speed.
The brief
Juana Summers joins Short Wave for a science roundup that begins with a familiar question: can recreational reading do more than entertain?
Research links childhood reading with attention, memory, sleep, and mental health, while later-life reading may protect brain health; reading to grandchildren is linked to hippocampal growth.
The Sun’s 2024 flare was modest beside super flares seen on other stars, but records in ice, tree rings, rocks, and sunspots help test whether our star could produce one.
A rare adult T. rex trackway from the Hell Creek Formation suggests the dinosaur walked roughly three to four miles per hour, with skin impressions still sought.
The episode closes by connecting those tracks to evidence that T. rex likely maintained a warm-blooded body temperature similar to humans.
Featuring
Juana SummersBooks & mentions
Goosebumps
A recognizable example of recreational childhood reading discussed in the episode.
Choose Your Own Adventure
A formative gamebook series mentioned in the conversation about early reading habits.
Consider This
Juana Summers’s podcast, recommended during the episode’s sign-off.
Listen to the full episode and explore every guest, topic, and moment on PodLume.