The internet tells us that narcissists are everywhere ? and that the problem is only getting worse. It?s like narcissism is oozing out of our celebrities, politicians, partners, parents, maybe even ourselves?? So today, we?re taking a long look in the mirror to find out: are we all a bunch of narcissists? And what should we do if we think someone in our life is a narcissist? We find out by talking to a real narcissist, Lee Hammock of the social media platform ?The Self Aware Narcissist? as well as psychologists Prof. W. Keith Campbell, Prof. Kali Trzesniewski, and Dr. Craig Malkin.  We want to hear your ideas for new episodes of Science Vs! Tell us via: Instagram at science_vs X at @sciencevs  Bluesky at sciencevs Email at [email protected] Voicemail at +1(774) 481-1238?  This episode does mention depression. Here are some crisis hotlines:  United States: US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Dial 988 (Online chat available); US Crisis Text Line Text ?HOME? to 741741 Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14 (Online chat available) Canada: Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (See link for phone numbers listed by province) United Kingdom: Samaritans 116 123 (UK and ROI) Full list of international hotlines here  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsNarcissism  In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Lee?s Ratatouille Moment (07:06) The Narcissism Test (15:53) Are We In a Narcissism Epidemic? (25:41) It Kind of Sucks to be a Narcissist  (31:55) Narcissists in Therapy (35:11) How to Deal With a Narcissist in Your Life This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, So Wylie, Bumi Hidaka, and Bobby Lord.Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to for this episode, including Dr. Igor Weinberg,  Dr. April Ilkmen, Dr. Jennifer Gerlach, Dr. Betsy Edershile, Prof. Brad Bushman, Prof. Brent Donnellan, Prof. Chris Barry,  Dr. Glenn Geher, and Winkie Ma. Special thanks to Rachel Humphries for editing help. And big thanks to everyone who helped us this season! Jack Weinstein, Hunter, Chris Suter, Oscar, Elise, Dylan, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Willson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

People say that lowering inflammation is the key to boosting your mental and physical health. And there are all these claims about the best way to do it: add ?anti-inflammatory foods,? like blueberries or turmeric, and absolutely don?t do certain kinds of exercise. We?ll find out how you can really lower your inflammation, and what this can do for your body and mind. We talk to neuroscientist Dr. Caroline Ménard, nutrition scientist Dr. Rosa Casas, and exercise physiologist Dr. Grace Rose.  This episode does discuss depression and suicide a little bit. Here are some resources: United States:  National Alliance on Mental Health: Call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264), text ?HelpLine? to 62640  Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 International resources and general mental health resources can be found here: https://resources.byspotify.com/  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/sciencevsinflammation  In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Chapter 1: Everybody is talking about inflammation (03:23) Chapter 2: How inflammation can affect our bodies and minds (16:04) Chapter 3: Can we fix inflammation by cutting out nightshades? (19:48) Chapter 4: How to really lower your inflammation through your diet (28:44) Chapter 5: Does working out too hard raise chronic inflammation?  This episode was produced by Meryl Horn with help from Wendy Zukerman, along with Michelle Dang, Rose Rimler and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Music written by Bobby Lord, Emma Munger, So Wylie, Bumi Hidaka and Peter Leonard. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke with for this episode, including Professor Suzanne Segerstrom, Professor Andre Nel, Dr. Hannah Mayr, Professor Zhaoping Li, Dr. Jennifer Felger, Professor Andreas Michalsen, Professor Charles Serhan, Professor Heather Zwickey, Dr. Jian Tan and Professor Philip Calder. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

[VIDEO available on Spotify.] Imagine a vagina. You might be thinking of a passive tube, patiently waiting for a penis to shoot out sperm ? and you wouldn't be alone. From Aristotle to Darwin, tons of prominent nerds classified males as the active sexual players: They're coercing, manipulating and harassing to reproduce, while the females are passive, coy, chaste. But animal ecologist Dr. Tiana Pirtle is here to give us the real story. Because once scientists started investigating what really goes on in the vaginas of the animal queendom, they realized that ? far from being docile tubes ? vaginas are packed with their own weaponry, tools and secret chambers. It turns out that both penises and vaginas were allowed to fight in the evolutionary arms race. Pirtle breaks open a box filled with animal vaginas to tell us all about it.   Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsWhenVaginasAttack In this episode, we cover: (00:00) A Box Full of Vaginas (02:42) The 'Chaste' Female is Born (06:51) The Duck Vagina that Launched a Thousand Ships (11:06) Hyenas and their Pseudo Penises (13:23) Water Striders and their Genital Shields (16:53) Snakes and their Two Vaginas?!  (20:28) Alpacas and their Regal Vaginas (25:31) The Rainbow of Vaginas This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman with help from Michelle Dang, Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, and Ekedi Fauster-Keeys. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Michelle Dang. Video Editing Kait Plum. Additional editing help from Alex Button. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Thanks to Dr. Patricia Brennan, Dr. Andy Flies, Dr. Chang Han, Prof. Christine Drea, Samuel Cox and Nick Johnson. We first heard about Tiana's show at Beaker Street Festival in Tasmania. Also a big thanks to the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. If you are listening on Spotify, follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. And if you like the show - please give us a five star review ? it really helps new people find the show. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It?s the 1990s at a medical center in California, and patients are dying. At first, this doesn?t seem strange ? it?s a hospital, and deaths happen. But then rumors start to circulate about a particular health care worker: Difficult or needy patients in his care are ending up dead. The cops get involved, but there?s a huge problem: There?s no hard evidence. Until the so-called ?Lab of Last Resort? steps in. Crime Junkie host Ashley Flowers joins us as we speak to analytical chemist Armando Alcaraz, former Detective Sergeant John McKillop and Dr. Ian Musgrave.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsSerialKiller In this episode we cover:  (00:00) Deaths at a California Hospital (05:20) Meet Efren Saldivar (10:51) A Shocking Confession (15:40) Pavulon and Succinylcholine (21:00) Searching for Suspicious Cases (25:09) The Lab of Last Resort  (34:21) Testing the Bodies (39:30) The Story Ends  Credits: This episode was produced by Joel Werner and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, with help from Wendy Zukerman, along with Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler and Michelle Dang. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Music written by So Wylie, Bobby Lord and Bumi Hidaka. Thanks to Roland Campos, Steve Wampler, Audrey Williams, the audiochuck team, Jasmine Kingston, Connor Sampson, Stupid Old Studios, and Penny Greenhalgh. Special thanks to the LA times staff whose very thorough reporting we used to research this episode.  Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

For decades, taking the birth control pill to prevent pregnancy was seen as a no-brainer. But lately, people are saying that it?s actually a brain-changer. They say that the pill can affect who you?re attracted to, that it can tank your libido, and that it can make you depressed. Instead, some influencers are telling us to try an amazing, hormone-free method ? where all you have to do is listen to your body. So ? are they right?? We?re tackling these birth control claims and more, with psychologist Dr. Julia Stern, biologist Madita Zetzsche, neuroscientist Dr. Caitlin Taylor, and ob-gyn Dr. Jasmine Patel.  This episode does mention depression. Here are some crisis hotlines:  United States: US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Dial 988 (Online chat available); US Crisis Text Line Text ?HOME? to 741741 Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14 (Online chat available) Canada: Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (See link for phone numbers listed by province) United Kingdom: Samaritans 116 123 (UK and ROI) Full list of international hotlines here  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsThePill In this episode, we cover: (00:00) The Pill Under Fire (04:08) Does The Pill change who you?re attracted to? (13:00) Could The Pill turn off your ovulation scent? (18:59) How bad is The Pill for our sex drive and mental health?  (21:10) Does The Pill really change your brain? (24:40) Does The Pill make you gain weight?  (26:16) So how dangerous is The Pill ? really?  (27:10) Fertility Awareness Methods ? are they too good to be true?? (31:32) Can pre-cum get you pregnant? Credits:  This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, with help from Wendy Zukerman, along with Michelle Dang, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, and Meryl Horn. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Recording assistance from Emile B Klein. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, and Emma Munger. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke with for this episode, including Dr. Adriene Beltz, Prof. Alison Edelman, Dr. Emily Pfender, Prof. Jayashri Kulkarni, Dr. Jill Krapf, Dr. Rachel Urrutia, and Dr. Therese Johansson. Special thanks to Miah Foster.  Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Some people can control their dreams. While they're fast asleep: they fly, create new worlds, live other lives. But Wendy isn't one of them. So in today's episode, Wendy and the Science Vs team find a scientifically approved method to try to lucid dream. We test it out ? and bizarre things start happening. We also explore how scientists are trying to harness the strange powers of lucid dreaming to help people, as well as to crack huge scientific mysteries, like: What is consciousness? And what exactly goes on in all of our heads when we're asleep? To do all this and more, we talk to psychologists Dr. Denholm Adventure-Heart and Dr. Brigitte Holzinger, as well as cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Ba?ak Türker. ?Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsLucidDreaming In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Let's Fly! (04:24) Does Reality Testing Work? (11:30) Does the MILD Technique work? (14:10) Wendy and the Team Try to Lucid Dream (17:37) Can Drugs or Masks Help You Lucid Dream? (19:28) Inside the Mind of a Lucid Dreamer (26:24) Strange Windows of Consciousness  (27:58) The Lucid Dreaming Brain (34:53) Can We Use Lucid Dreaming to Help Us? (38:32) Did the Science Vs team have a Lucid Dream? This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, Joel Werner, Meryl Horn and Ekedi Fauster-Keeys. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka, So Wiley, Peter Leonard and Emma Munger. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including Dr Karen Konkoly, Dr Benjamin Baird, and Professor Ken Paller. Also thanks to the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week's episode comes to us from our friends at Radiolab! Close your eyes and imagine a red apple. What do you see? Turns out there?s a whole spectrum of answers to that question, and producer Sindhu Gnanasambandan is on one far end. In this episode, she explores what it means to see ? and not see ? in your mind. This episode was reported and produced by Sindhu Gnanasambandan with help from Annie McEwen. Original music and sound design contributed by Dylan Keefe. Mixing help from Jeremy Bloom and Arianne Wack. Mixing for Science Vs by Sam Bair. Fact-checking by Natalie Middleton. Edited by Pat Walters.  Special thanks to Kim Nederveen Pieterse, Nathan Peereboom, Lizzie Peabody, Kristin Lin, Jo Eidman, Mark Nakhla, Andrew Leland, Brian Radcliffe, Adam Zeman, John Green, Craig Venter, Dustin Grinnell, and Soraya Shockley. ?Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We hear about fiber as the main ingredient for a good poo. But we?re starting to hear that it?s much more than that! Fiber is being hailed as a powerhouse nutrient, from powering up your gut and boosting your mental health to even helping with weight loss. So, does fiber really live up to the hype? We dive into the science with microbiologist Dr. Deirdre Mikkelsen, neuroscientist Prof. John Cryan, and nutrition scientist Dr. Andrea Glenn.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsFiber ?In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Fiber is so hot right now (02:16) How fiber helps you poo (04:55) Fiber supercharges the gut  (14:02) Can fiber help your mental health?  (18:36) A goop for a healthy heart  (24:52) Fiber and weight loss  This episode was produced by Michelle Dang, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler, and Ekedi Fauster-Keeys. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Music written by Bobby Lord, Emma Munger, Peter Leonard and Bumi Hidaka. Recording help from Nick Kilvert. Extra thanks to Kafayat Yusuf. And thanks to Joseph Lavelle Wilson and the Zukerman family. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

About 40 percent of Americans believe in ghosts, and one in five even say they've had an encounter with one! So could ghosts really exist?? Or does some other spooky phenomenon explain these strange and sometimes terrifying experiences? To find out, we visit a haunted house with paranormal investigators, explore one very creepy basement searching for ghostly mold, and try to move cutlery with the help of quantum physics. Join us on this Halloween adventure with astrophysicist Dr. Katie Mack, environmental engineer Dr. Shane Rogers as well as psychologists Dr Baland Jalal, and Prof. Chris French. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsGhosts2024  This is an updated version of our ghosts episode from several years ago. In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Visiting a Haunted House  (06:09) Hunting for Ghosts in Theoretical Physics  (12:27) Eerie Electromagnetic Fields?  (16:49) Spooky Sleep Paralysis  (23:13) Spooky Spores (31:50) Spine Tingling Psychology This episode was produced by Ben Kuebrich, Kaitlyn Sawrey, Diane Wu, Heather Rogers, Shruti Ravindran and Wendy Zukerman. Editing by Annie-Rose Strasser and Blythe Terrell. Production assistance: Audrey Quinn. Fact checking by Michelle Harris. Sound engineering, music production and original scoring by Bobby Lord. Thanks to Dr. Ciaran O?Keeffe, Dr. Neil Dagnall, Dr. Giulio Rognini, Raymond Swyers, Dr. Joseph Baker, Prof. Kwai Man Luk, Prof. Kin Seng Chiang, Prof. Tapan Sarkar, Prof. Maxim Gitlits, The Zukerman family, Joseph Lavelle Wilson as well as Jorge Just, Devon Taylor ? and thanks to Haley Shaw for the spooooky violins in the Science Vs theme. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The climate is a mess. It's hot. There's fires, floods, hurricanes ? and we may have even crossed some rather scary climate tipping points. But there is hope. So today, we?re answering your questions about solving the climate crisis. We find out how you can help in the fight against climate change, if carbon offsets are a scam, whether renewables really work and what exciting new technologies could help save the planet. Our guests are Dr. Sven Teske at the University of Technology, Sydney, and Wei Sue, head of strategy at Monash University's Climateworks Center.  A video version of this episode is available on Spotify. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsClimateAMA  In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Is it the End of the World? (04:21) The biggest emitters (05:24) What can you do to help?  (07:07) Does recycling fight climate change? (08:42) Should you stop eating meat?  (09:58) Buying an Electric Vehicle (14:54) Can you really make a difference? (17:05) Carbon Offsets  (21:14) Renewables: How good are they? (26:31) Nuclear Power: The Silver Bullet? (31:21) Giant Shades in Space!  (34:14) Hope?  This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman and Meryl Horn with help from Joel Werner, Rose Rimler, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, and Michelle Dang. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Video editing by T Cruz. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Music written by Bumi Hidaka.  A huge thank you to Nick Johnson, Stupid Old Studios and Lily Kim. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Something is coming for 4 billion people on this planet, and if you've been watching the news ? it's horrifying. It can attack your brain, your heart, your bones and even your vagina. So what is this fresh hell? Apparently, it's menopause. So what's going on here? What are the real symptoms of menopause? How bad is it? And is hormone therapy the miracle cure that some are saying it is? To find out, we spoke to gynecologist Dr. Monica Christmas and Professor Susan Reed, as well as epidemiologists Professor Samar El Khoudary and Professor JoAnn E. Manson. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsMenopause  In this episode, we cover: (00:00) The Horror Show (04:12) The Most Common Symptoms of Menopause (13:00) Memory Problems and Weight Gain (19:10) The biggest screw-up of the entire medical field?  (26:00) Do Hormones Cause Breast Cancer and Heart Disease? (30:12) Which Menopausal Symptoms do Hormones help with? (33:00) Supplements, CBT and Menopause (36:27) Menopause isn't a disease This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, and Michelle Dang. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Music written by Bobby Lord, Peter Leonard, So Wylie, Emma Munger and Bumi Hidaka. Thanks to the researchers we spoke to, including Dr Caroline Gurvich, Professor Martha Hickey, Professor Nancy Woods, Professor Cindy Farquhar, Professor Jayashri Kulkarni, Dr Rebecca Thurston, Dr Sioban Harlow, Dr Susan Diem and Dr Yana Vinogradova. And extra thanks to Suren Jayemanne, Penny Greenhalgh,  Imogen Hayes, Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The ketogenic diet has been booming for years, with people swearing that it boosts their brainpower ? maybe even helping with mental health ? and that the diet can melt fat and make them better athletes. So does keto live up to the hype? To find out, we go keto ? (plus, we do a bunch of research and talk to scientists!). You?ll hear from neuroscientist Dom D?Agostino, psychiatrist Dr. Shebani Sethi, and nutritionist Louise Burke. Also, Wendy?s mum drops in. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsKetoDiet In this episode, we cover: (00:00) The promise of the ketogenic diet (06:58) Keto and epilepsy (09:43) Can keto help your brain ? and mental health? (17:06) Can keto help you lose weight? (20:36) Can keto boost athletic performance? (23:47) What are the risks of keto? This episode was produced by Kaitlyn Sawrey and Michelle Dang, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Shruti Ravindran, Meryl Horn, Ekedi Fauster-Keeys and Romilla Karnick. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Additional help from Eric Mennel and Simone Polanen. Fact checking by Michelle Harris and Eva Dasher. Research help from Dorea Reeser. Mix and sound design by Emma Munger and Sam Bair. Music written by Bobby Lord. Recording help from Marissa Shieh and Mary Shedden. Extra thanks to Professor Russell Swerdlow, Professor Jon Ramsey, Professor Judith Wylie-Roset, Professor Clare Collins, Dr Deirdre K Tobias, Thanks to Frank Lopez, and Joanna Lauder. And extra special thanks to Joseph Lavelle Wilson, Jack Weinstein and Ingrid Zukerman. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Microplastics have been turning up in our blood, our lungs, and even our balls! But exactly what are they doing to us? And what about all the chemicals in plastics ? can they mess with our hormones? We talk to reproductive biologists Prof. Patricia Hunt and Prof. Fred vom Saal, and pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Anne-Simone Parent.   Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsMicroplastics Chapters:  In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Pat?s mice (06:26) Our plastic world (08:03) What do microplastics actually do in our bodies? (11:53) Plastics contain endocrine disrupting chemicals (15:06) Endocrine disruptors and?obesity?! (20:38) Are they funking up our junk? (29:23) Are we really eating that much microplastic? (32:50) What should we do? This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, with help from Wendy Zukerman, along with Meryl Horn, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, and Michelle Dang. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka, and Peter Leonard. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke with for this episode, including Dr. Meiru Wang, Dr. Roger Kuhlman, Dr. Christopher Tubbs, Dr. Giusseppe Paolisso, Prof. Jerry Heindel, Dr. Laura Geer, Dr. Mohan Qin, Dr. Haoran Wei, Dr. Thaddeus Schug, Dr. Thava Palanisami, and Dr. Xiaozhong Yu. Special thanks to Miah Foster and Diana Kenney.  Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A group of teenagers and college kids were fed up with the lousy healthcare in their New York neighborhood. So they came together as a group, calling themselves the Young Lords, and fought the system head on ? a fight that still resonates today. Sid Davidoff, Mickey Melendez, and Cleo Silvers share their story. [REBROADCAST] Check out the full transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsProtestersWon  In this episode, we cover: (00:00) David vs. Goliath (05:01) The garbage offensive (10:20) Taking on lead paint and hunger (13:54) The tuberculosis offensive (17:08) The fight for Lincoln Hospital (28:39) The aftermath of the takeover  This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, Michelle Dang and Lexi Krupp. Editing by Caitlin Kenney with help from Jorge Just. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord. The archive for this story came from Pacifica Radio Archive, and the documentaries: El Pueblo Se Levanta, and Palante, Siempre Palante!  A big thanks to Denise Oliver Velez, Dr. Darrel Wanzer-Serrano, Iris Morales, Walter Bosque Del Rio, Professor Jose R. Sanchez, and Professor Lloyd Novick. An extra thanks to Blythe Terrell, Amanda Aronczyk, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Headlines are screaming that the world is about to reach a climate tipping point, which feels like a point of no return where the climate is screwed and there's nothing we can do. But it turns out, that's wrong. These visions of a climate apocalypse don't align with the science. So what exactly is going on with our climate? What even is a tipping point? And are we really about to lose control of the climate? Comedian Michael Hing joins us for a journey with climate scientists Dr. Ed Doddridge, Dr. Seaver Wang, and Dr. Sarah Das, as well as Dr. Felicity McCormack, who's at the Australian Research Council Special Research Initiative Securing Antarctica's Environmental Future at Monash University. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsClimateTippingPoint  In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Fire in the hole (06:14) What is a tipping point?  (11:04) Is Planet Earth "tipping"?  (17:00) How do we know when the ice sheets tip? (25:04) When will the ice sheets tip? (27:34) Have we lost control of the climate?  (31:58) Why tipping points are the distracted boyfriend meme (35:30) The good news! Send us your questions about How to Solve the Climate Crisis!!  Insta: @science_vs Tiktok: @wendyzukerman Send a voicemail or video to [email protected] Or! If you're in the U.S., you can call 774-481-1238  This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Meryl Horn Rose Rimler, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, and Michelle Dang. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Music written by Bobby Lord, Sparse Movement, Bumi Hidaka and So Wylie. Thanks to the researchers we spoke to, including Professor Andrew Dessler, Professor Christina Hulbe, Dr David Armstrong McKay, Professor Tim Lenton, Aditya Lolla, Dr Elizabeth Maroon, Dr Jan Nitzbon, Professor Johannes Quaas, Dr Jonathan Leung, Dr Kirsten Schell, Dr Madi Rosevear, Michelle Dvorak, Dr Robin Lamboll, Dr Zeke Hausfather, Dr Sam Krevor, Flowra Zhang and others. And extra thanks to the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Social media. Many of us don?t feel very good when we?re on it, and yet we sometimes spend hours a day scrolling, eyeballs glued to our screens. Some experts say that social media is causing a mental health crisis, and governments are even talking about banning social media for kids. So what?s going on ? can social media really shorten our attention span, hurt our body image or make us feel depressed? To find out, we talk to psychologists Professor Gloria Mark, Dr. Sophia Choukas-Bradley, Professor Silje Steinsbekk, and Dr. Rachel Hogg.  Resources to help with disordered eating: United States: National Eating Disorders: 800-931-2237 https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-help/     International resources and general mental health resources can be found here: https://resources.byspotify.com/  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsSocialMedia  Gloria Mark?s book, Attention Span: https://gloriamark.com/, and Substack: https://gloriamark.substack.com/  Vote for the New Zealand Bird of the Year here: birdoftheyear.org.nz ? we are supporting the tawaki piki toka! In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Our love/hate relationship with social media (06:36) Is social media ruining our attention spans? (14:04) Why is it so hard to stop looking at social media? (18:39) Is social media making us feel depressed? (25:56) Can social media affect your body image? (34:02) Tips for getting off social media. This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, and Michelle Dang. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Music written by Bobby Lord, Emma Munger, Bumi Hidaka and So Wylie. Thanks to the researchers we spoke to, including Professor Hunt Allcott, Dr. Jacqueline Nesi, Professor Patricia Conrad, Dr. Robert Kraut, Dr. Andrew Westbrook, and Dr. Niklas Ihssen. A big thanks to everyone who talked to us about social media in Washington Square Park! And thanks to Lori Segal, Ally Settelmayer and Whitney Potter. And extra thanks to Christopher Suter, Beverly, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We will be BACK with brand-new episodes in just one week! Join us for pun-packed science romps on microplastics, social media, climate tipping points, narcissism, fiber, lucid dreaming ? and a ton more. Fact you Sept. 12! Video production by Bobby Lord. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord and Sam Bair. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We asked you all: Do you have questions for Wendy and the Science Vs team? And oh boy, did you have questions. Hundreds of questions from all across the globe. Today on the show, senior producer Rose Rimler gets the goss on Wendy's personal life, finds out what happened when Wendy got hypnotized, and spills the tea on Science Vs.  Watch this episode as a video on Spotify. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/sciencevsawa (00:00) Ask Wendy Anything! (02:20) Wendy?s bad date (04:05) Wendy gets hypnotized (10:45) Wendy and Rose?s Roman Empires (12:53) Behind the scenes at Science Vs (21:10)  How doing Science Vs has changed Wendy?s behavior (23:42) Wendy?s hair care routine (25:53) Wendy gets trolled by her sister This episode was produced by Blythe Terrell and Rose Rimler, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. Edited, mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord, So Wylie and Peter Leonard. Thanks to Evan Munro-Smith at Stupid Old Studios; Kevin Cureghian, Mark Amber, Nick Johnson, T Cruz and Paige Ransbury. Special thanks to The Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Since the beginning of women?s sports, there has been a struggle over who qualifies for the women?s category. So this week, we're sharing an episode of a new podcast we love, called Tested. Tested follows the unfolding story of elite female runners who have been told they can no longer race as women because of their biology. As they work toward the Olympics, they face hard choices: take drugs to lower their natural testosterone levels, give up their sport entirely, or fight. This episode asks: Would you alter your body for the chance to compete for a gold medal? You?ll meet runner Christine Mboma and hear about the difficult choice she faces.  Find more episodes of Tested at https://link.chtbl.com/XReiimtO Tested is from CBC, NPR?s Embedded, and Bucket of Eels. The show is written, reported, and hosted by Rose Eveleth. Editing by Alison MacAdam and Veronica Simmonds. Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman, Andrew Mambo, and Rhaina Cohen. Additional reporting, producing, and editing by Lisa Pollak. Sound design by Mitra Kaboli. Our production manager is Michael Kamel. Anna Ashitey is our digital producer. This series was mixed by Robert Rodriguez. Fact checking by Dania Suleman. Our intersex script consultant is Hans Lindahl. Archival research by Hillary Dann. Legal support from Beverly Davis. Mixed for Science Vs by Bobby Lord. Special thanks to Yeezir for letting us use his song Silent Hero, and Keith Houston, Amir Nakhjavani, and Damon Papadopoulos. French translation by Vanessa Nicolai. Special thanks also to CBC Licensing. Additional audio from World Athletics and Warner Brothers. At CBC, Chris Oke and Cesil Fernandes are Executive Producers, Tanya Springer is the Senior Manager, and Arif Noorani is the Director of CBC Podcasts. At NPR, Katie Simon is Supervising Editor for Embedded. Irene Noguchi is Executive Producer. NPR?s senior vice president for podcasting is Collin Campbell. We got legal support from Micah Ratner. And thanks to NPR?s Managing Editor for Standards and Practices, Tony Cavin. ?This series was created with support from a New America fellowship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

[REBROADCAST] Celebs and wellness blogs treat water like a magic elixir that will make us the most attractive and healthiest version of ourselves. But do these claims hold water? And how much do we really need to be drinking to stay healthy? We speak to Professor Hollie Raynor, Professor Stavros Kavouras and Dr. Tamara Hew-Butler to find out. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/sciencevshydrationrerun  We?re doing an ?Ask Wendy Anything? episode! To ask Wendy a question, get in touch on Instagram: Science_Vs; Tiktok: @wendyzukerman. If you want to send us a voicemail you can email us on [email protected]. If you're in the US, you can call us at 774-481-1238. This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Nick DelRose, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, Courtney Gilbert, Rose Rimler and Disha Bhagat. Editing by Blythe Terrell with help from Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord, So Wylie and Peter Leonard. Thanks to the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Andrew Brown, Dr. Jason Lee Kai, Dr. Jodi Stookey, Dr. Vincent Ho, Dr. Tristan Struja, Dr. Stephen Goodall, Dr. Ekua Annobil, Professor Barbara Rolls and Dr. Krista Casazza. Special thanks to Rasha Aridi, Eric Mennel, The Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We?re hearing stories of people having amazing, cosmic orgasms. So what buttons are they pressing to do this?? Well, it's just one. The ?male G spot,? also called the ?P spot,? because that P stands for prostate. Word on the street is that if you touch your prostate in just the right way ? BAM ? one helluva orgasm. But is that really true? And if you don't have a prostate (ahem, me): are you stuck with your garden variety orgasms? To get to the bottom of this, Science Vs surveyed almost 16,000 people about anal sex and masturbation! We also speak with Dr Dan Dickstein, Dr Tom Gaither and Neuroscientist Dr Nan Wise. Have an idea for a Science Vs episode? Let us know! On Instagram we're Science_Vs, Wendy's Tiktok is @wendyzukerman and our email is [email protected] ?Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsMind-BlowingOrgasms In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Absolutely cosmic orgasms (04:47) Anal sex is big right now (08:52) What makes the prostate special (12:02) The hole story. The butthole story. (20:19) How to get a cosmic orgasm (29:19) Tips and tricks for great anal sex (34:54) The real G spot This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler, and Michelle Dang. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Emma Munger, Bumi Hidaka and Peter Leonard. A huge thank you to Sam Levang for her help analyzing our data. And Professor Caroline Pukall and Dan Dickstein for your help with our survey questions. Thanks to the researchers we spoke to including Dr Devon Hensel. Thanks to Jack Weinstein, Hunter, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Protein influencers are big right now, telling us that we're probably missing out on the protein we need ? and giving us a bunch of hacks for getting it. Why? They say that eating extra protein helps us build muscle, feel full, and lose weight. So is that true? We talk to kinesiology professor Stuart Phillips and nutrition professor Faidon Magkos.  Find our transcript here: bit.ly/ScienceVsPROTEIN In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Protein is all the rage right now (02:53) Why protein matters (05:32) How much protein is enough? (11:33) Do you need more protein if you?re working out? (15:06) Is it risky to eat a LOT of protein? (18:46) Should you pound protein right after a workout? (23:09) Protein and weight loss This episode was produced by Rose Rimler and Michelle Dang, with help from Wendy Zukerman and Meryl Horn. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord and Bumi Hidaka. Thanks so much to all the researchers we spoke with for this episode, including Prof. Brad Schoenfeld and Dr. Nicholas Burd. And special thanks to the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we?re presenting Trillion Dollar Shot, a new series that explores the business story behind the rise of Ozempic and other blockbuster drugs being used for weight loss. The first episode focuses on the Novo Nordisk scientist who invented the compound that paved the way for Ozempic. You can find every episode on The Journal?s show feed. Trillion Dollar Shot is part of The Journal, which is a co-production of Spotify and the Wall Street Journal. This episode was hosted by Jessica Mendoza, with Bradley Olson. It was produced by Matt Kwong, with help from Jeevika Verma. Additional production from Adrienne Murray Nielsen. The series is edited by Katherine Brewer. Sound design and mixing by Peter Leonard. Mixing for Science Vs by Bobby Lord. Music in this episode by Peter Leonard and Bobby Lord. Theme music by So Wylie, remixed for this series by Peter Leonard. Special thanks to Maria Byrne, Stefanie Ilgenfritz, Kate Linebaugh, Peter Loftus, Sara O?Brien, Enrique Perez De La Rosa, Sarah Platt, Sune Rasumssen, Jonathan Sanders, Nathan Singhapok, Leying Tang, Rolfe Winkler, Liz Essley Whyte, and Tatiana Zamis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Health care for trans kids has been in the spotlight, with battles over what the science says and tons of U.S. states restricting the care that children can get. And then there?s a new report out of the UK, called the Cass Review, saying that a bunch of the evidence that doctors have been relying on to treat trans kids is ?remarkably weak.? So what?s going on here? What is the best health care for trans kids? We sort through the science with Professor Stephen Russell, Dr. Cal Horton, and Dr. Ada Cheung. UPDATE 6/6/24: In a previous version of this episode, we said a study was published this year, when it was actually published last year. The episode has been updated. Mental health resources, including suicide lifelines, for around the world: spotify.com/resources Trans Lifeline: A Trans peer support hotline: 1-877-565-8860 Trevor Project: crisis support services to LGBTQ young people: Call 1-866-488-7386 or Text ?START? to 678-678 Find our transcript here: bit.ly/ScienceVsTransKidsCassReviewTranscript  Here are links to our previous episodes about the science of being transgender and misinformation about care for trans kids. In this episode, we cover: (00:00) The battle over care for trans kids (02:45) What to do when a kid wants to change their name and pronouns (13:44) Do puberty blockers help trans kids? mental health? (20:44) Does hormone therapy help trans people?s mental health? (25:25) How often are people "retransitioning"? This episode was produced by Meryl Horn and Wendy Zukerman, with help from Michelle Dang and Rose Rimler. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Consulting by Rebecca Kling. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka and Peter Leonard. Thanks so much to all the researchers we spoke with for this episode, including Blake Cavve, Dr. Doug VanderLaan, and Dr. Quinnehtukqut McLamore. And a very special thanks to the trans folks and their families we talked to, Christopher Suter, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More than 150 years ago, just before dino-mania struck, New York City was supposed to get a majestic dinosaur museum full of amazing models of dinos. There would have been nothing like it in the world. Until a bunch of thugs showed up with sledgehammers and smashed every bit of the models to smithereens ? and buried it all in Central Park. Today we?re finding out what happened ? and WHY. We speak with doctoral researcher Vicky Coules and paleontologist Carl Mehling. SURVEY!! HELP US SCIENCE!! WE NEED YOUR HELP TO UNCOVER THE LAST MYSTERIES OF SEX https://bit.ly/ScienceVsSurvey Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsTheGreatDinosaurSmashup In this episode, we cover: (00:00) ??The amazing dino museum we didn?t get to have (03:15) What we knew about dinos in the 1800s (04:57) The famous Crystal Palace dinosaurs (06:48) The plan for the Paleozoic Museum is born (10:40) The Great Dinosaur Smashup of 1871 (12:52) Suspect No. 1: Boss Tweed (17:58) Vicky cracks the case! (26:17) One final mystery ? where are the dino pieces?? This episode was produced by Blythe Terrell with help from Wendy Zukerman, R.E. Natowicz, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler and Joel Werner. Editing by Wendy Zukerman. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Emma Munger, So Wylie, Bumi Hidaka and Peter Leonard. Thanks so much to everyone we spoke to about this episode, including Gowan Dawson, Robert Peck, Wendy Anthony and Jessica M. Lydon. Also thanks to Jack Weinstein, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. ?Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Abortion Pill is now the most common way to have an abortion in the US. Yet what exactly happens when you take these pills is shrouded in mystery. Even many doctors don't know how well they work! Today, we're letting the sun shine on the abortion pill. We'll walk you through what happens when you take these pills: what they do to your body, and how safe are they for your physical and mental health? To explore all this - and more - we speak to Dr Sara Whitburn, Professor Oskari Heikinheimo, and Professor Ushma Upadhyay. UPDATE 7/15/24: The episode has been updated to clarify that surgical abortions do not always happen at a hospital by a doctor, while the patient is under general anesthesia. They can also happen at clinics and patients can get a local anesthetic. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsTheAbortionPiill The Abortion Project's Instagram @theabortionproject Science Vs's Instagram @science_vs If you want to talk to someone - there's some great resources in here: spotify.com/resources In this episode, we cover: (00:00) The battle over the abortion pill  (04:28) How does the abortion pill work?  (09:05) How it feels to take the abortion pill (14:34) How often do people hemorrhage? (21:22) What's "normal" bleeding?  (24:11) Does taking the abortion pill affect your mental health?  (32:02) Why some people prefer the abortion pill This episode was produced by Meryl Horn and Wendy Zukerman, with help from Rose Rimler, and Michelle Dang. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Emma Munger, So Wylie, Bumi Hidaka and Peter Leonard. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including Dr. Tiffany Green, Dr. Ned Calonge, Professor Jenny Higgins, Dr. Daniel Aaron, Dr. Beverly Winikoff, and Dr. Abigail Aiken. Also thanks to Lauren Silverman, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. ?Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the powers of the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists discovered some super weird things in the early Universe, and it's making some nerds question our theory of everything.  This story comes to us from our friends at Unexplainable at Vox Media. Find Unexplainable?s transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsUnexplainable In this episode, we cover: (0:00) Liftoff (01:10) The James Webb Space Telescope  (04:57) Party of the early universe  (08:39) Mysteries of the early galaxies  (15:23) How do we figure it out? This episode was produced by Brian Resnick, with help from Noam Hassenfeld and Meradith Hoddinott, who also manages the Unexplainable team. Editing from Jorge Just, music from Noam, and mixing and sound design from Cristian Ayala. Fact checking from Kelsey Lannin. Mandy Nguyen is searching for new forms of life. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Getting your heart broken sucks ? and for some of us, it even feels physically painful. So why does it hurt so bad? And what can science tell us about how to get over it? We dive into all of this with neuroscientist Prof. Lucy Brown.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsHeartbreak In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Heartbreak sucks (07:17) What heartbreak does in the brain (12:14) What heartbreak does in the body (15:07) How to get over heartbreak  The episode does mention abuse. Here are some resources if you?re struggling to move on from abuse:  https://resources.byspotify.com/ https://www.loveisrespect.org/resources/why-am-i-struggling-to-move-on-after-abuse/ This episode was produced by Michelle Dang, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, Kaitlyn Sawrey and Lexi Krupp. Editing by Caitlin Kenney and Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly and Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard and Bobby Lord. Music written by Peter Leonard, Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. A huge thanks to all the scientists we got in touch with for this episode, including Professor Larry Young, Professor Tiffany Field, Professor Ethan Kross, Professor Sandra Langeslag, and Professor Naomi Eisenberger. Thanks to Lori Segal. A special thanks to the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.  Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comedian Tig Notaro, who just released her fifth comedy special, "Hello Again," joins us for a chat about the science of her comedy: telling us how she builds jokes, and of course sharing a bunch of dumb and fabulous jokes. Enjoy!  Here's our Funniest Joke in the World Episode!!  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsTigNotaro In this episode, we cover: (00:00) We're interviewing Tig!  (01:22) I could be a comedian?  (02:47) How Tig creates a joke  (08:59) The element of surprise (12:27) The world's funniest joke? (13:55) Tig's favorite jokes This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Michelle Dang, Rose Rimler and Meryl Horn. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord and Bumi Hidaka.  Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you Google "The Funniest Joke in the World," you'll be very disappointed. The internet might serve you something like, "What has many keys but can't open a single lock??? (Answer: A piano). Screw that. That's not funny. Enter Science Vs. We?re going on a romp to find out once and for all: What is the funniest joke in the world. According to science. And for this quest we've interviewed a bunch of amazing comics including Tig Notaro, Adam Conover, Dr Jason Leong, Loni Love, as well as special guest Latif Nasser of Radiolab and, of course, some scientists: Neuroscientist Professor Sophie Scott and Psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman. Which Joke Will Win???    Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsFunniestJoke In this episode, we cover: (00:00) The Quest Begins (08:40) Why laughing matters (13:13) The scientific search for the world's funniest joke (17:40) Woof, quack or moo? (21:33) The comedy K (26:30) Do different cultures have different senses of humour? (28:27) The winner! (32:15) Scientific theories of humour (lol) (38:28) Why the winning joke isn't funny (40:26) How do you stop a dog from humping your leg?  (44:43) Meet the comedy gods This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Michelle Dang, Joel Werner, Rose Rimler and Meryl Horn. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Sarah Baum. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Peter Leonard, Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, So Wylie, and Bobby Lord. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including Dr Andrew Farkas, Professor Penny MacDonald, Dr Maggie Prenger and a huge thank you to Professor Chris Westbury for sharing your amazing spreadsheet!! Thanks to all the comedians we interviewed in this episode including Tig Notaro, Adam Conover, Loni Love, Takashi Wakasugi, Urooj Ashfaq, Dr Jason Leong, Penny Greenhalgh and Mohammed Magdi. Another big thanks to Lindsay Farber, Roland Campos, Lauren LoGiudice, Andrea Jones-Rooy and the other comics at Ha! or Nah!: A Joke Lab; and all the comics that we spoke to and couldn't fit into the episode, we really really appreciate you and your time! Thanks to Ben Milam, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Stupid Old Studios, Paige Ransbury, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

[Video available on Spotify] Wendy and emma chamberlain of the Anything Goes podcast sit down for a chat and get deep about ?the guru effect,? science garbage on the internet, accusations Wendy?s faced of being a pyromaniac, orgasms and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tons of us are feeling run-down and crummy and are wondering: What can we do about it? Well, lots of influencers have an answer: balancing our hormones. These influencers, including some doctors, recommend special supplements, diets, exercises, and prescriptions to tame our cortisol, boost our testosterone, and tackle our estrogen. Are they on to something? We get to the bottom of it with endocrinologists Dr. Deena Adimoolam and Prof. Anne Cappola; and urologist Prof. Mohit Khera.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsHormoneBalancing (00:00) Hormones are hot right now  (02:57) A tale of cortisol and supplements (14:25) Are we in a testosterone crisis?! (20:42) Should you boost your T? (27:35) Is estrogen the enemy? This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang,  and Meryl Horn. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka, and Peter Leonard. Research help from Timmy Broderick. Recording help from Alex Stuckey. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including Dr. Amit Raval, Dr. Andrea Sansone, Prof. Bob Spencer, Dr. Daniel Rippon, Dr. Emma Adam, Dr. Hannah Troxel, Dr. John Hough, Dr. Jonathan Little, Prof. Paul Cooke, and Prof. Paula Hillard. Special thanks to Joel Werner, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.  ?Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It?s 1849, and a gruesome murder has just happened at Harvard. As body parts turn up, the science of the day is put to the ultimate test to find out: who committed this brutal killing? Prof. Paul Collins tells us how this morbid mystery unfolds.   ?Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsMurderInTheIvoryTower In this episode, we cover: (00:00) The murder that shocked Harvard (02:35) A very rich man disappears (06:08) The tea chest of horrors (07:34) The professor (09:33) The janitor (12:00) The case against the professor  (14:25) The trial (17:48) 1800s forensics enter the picture (25:29) The verdict This episode was produced by Kaitlyn Sawrey with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn and Odelia Rubin. Editing by Blythe Terrell, with help from Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Michelle Harris. Mix and sound design by Emma Munger. Music by Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. A huge thanks to Jessica Murphy and the team at the Harvard University Archives, plus Lars Trembly and Matthew Nelson, Frank Lopez, Joseph Lavelle Wilson and the Zukerman Family. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Weed has gone mainstream, and it's been rebranded as a wellness drug that you can customize to fit your needs. Want to feel relaxed? Well, you'll need a kind of pot called Indica. Want to get pepped up? Go for Sativa. But what can weed really do for us? We?re going to pack a bowl full of science facts, sit back, put our feet up and find out: Can cannabis really improve your mental health? Does it matter what strain you take? And how safe is it ? can it mess with your memory? To find out, we talk to agricultural scientist Dr. Sean Myles, psychopharmacologist Dr. Amir Englund, and psychologist Dr. Carrie Cuttler.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsCannabisTranscript  In this episode, we cover: (00:00) A New World of Weed (05:32) Can Different Strains of Weed Do Different Things for You? (13:18) Can CBD Give You a More Mellow High? (22:46) Can Weed Help with Anxiety or Depression? (24:55) What Are The Risks of Using Cannabis? (35:30) What?s the Safest Way to Use Cannabis? (38:25) Can Weed Boost Your Creativity? This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, and Joel Werner. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka and Peter Leonard. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including Professor Ryan Vandrey, Professor Christopher Barnes, Dr. Siqi Xue, Professor Susan Tapert, Dr. Michael Dunn, Dr. Linda Parker, Professor Deepak D'Souza, Professor Vikaas Sohal, Professor Loren Frank, and Dr. Ethan Russo. Also thanks to Jill Conforti, the Zukerman Family, Joseph Lavelle Wilson, Bernadette Sciandra, and Chris Suter.  Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fasting diets are going bonkers right now ? some tech bros are down to one meal a day! And health-fluencers claim that intermittent fasting can help you lose weight, live longer and even fight cancer. But meanwhile, recent headlines are screaming that these diets might actually be dangerous ? and linked to death from heart disease. Can science sort this all out?? We speak to nutrition researchers Dr. Krista Varady and Dr. Courtney Peterson, as well as cancer researcher Professor Valter Longo.  ?Mental health and disordered eating resources are here: spotify.com/resources  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsFasting In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Fasting: the fad and the fears (03:07) Does fasting help you burn fat? (07:40) How much weight do people lose with intermittent fasting? (08:47) Is this just calorie restriction? (13:17) Can fasting help you live longer? (19:50) Can fasting fight cancer? This episode was produced by Kaitlyn Sawrey, Nick DelRose and Wendy Zukerman with help from Michelle Dang, Rose  Rimler, Joel Werner and Meryl Horn. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell, with extra editing help from Caitlin Kenney and Annie-Rose Strasser. Fact checking by Eva Dasher and Michelle Dang. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard and Bobby Lord. Music by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, Bumi Hidaka and Bobby Lord. A huge thanks to all the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr Peter Chisnell, Dr Mikkel Holm Vendelbo, Dr Jiahong Lu, Dr Dorothy Sears, Prof. Mark Mattson, Dr James D Dvorak, Dr Calloway Scott, Professor Richard Billows, Professor Nancy Worman, Dr  Barbara Kowalzig  and the University of Alabama, Birmingham. Also thanks to Kimmie Regler, Helen Zaltman, Frank Lopez, the Zukerman Family, and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.  Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dreaming might be the weirdest thing that our brains do. Out of thin air we may see ourselves battling a triceratops, or stressing for an exam that we don't have ? so why do we do this?? What is going on in our brains to create these bonkers images? For years, the land of dreams was a place for mystics and philosophers, but with groundbreaking technology, we're getting closer to understanding the science of dreams than ever before. Comedians Toni and Ryan join us for a romp through the bizarre science of dreaming, along with neuroscientist Professor Francesca Siclari and dream/sleep researcher Professor Bob Stickgold. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsDreams In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Welcome to the Nodcast (05:11) How our dreams change all night (08:50) The myth of REM dreams (14:30) Why do dreams feel so real?  (22:02) What are we really dreaming about?  (30:45) Why do we dream?  (34:46) Could dreams help us process emotions? This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Joel Werner, Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, and Michelle Dang. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka and Peter Leonard. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including Dr Dylan Selterman, Dr Nirit Soffer, Professor Caroline Watt, Pr Pilleriin Sikka, Professor Drew Dawson, Dr Ba?ak Türker, Dr Katja Valli, Dr Delphine Oudiette, Dr Sarah Schoch and Dr Dan Rubin. Also thanks to Lauren Silverman, Stupid Old Studios, Andrew Paquette, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We looked at this class of weight loss drugs a year ago, and they've only gotten more popular ? and more controversial. We?re hearing that these kinds of drugs can be tough on your stomach, and that the weight loss comes with worrisome loss of muscle. We?ve also heard claims that they might increase your risk of suicide. So ? should we be freaking out here?? We talk to endocrinologist Dr. Vibha Singhal, neuroscientist Dr. Nora Volkow, and gastroenterologist Dr. Michael Camilleri.   This episode does deal with depression and suicidal thoughts. Here are some crisis hotlines:  United States: US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Dial 988 (Online chat available); US Crisis Text Line Text ?HOME? to 741741 Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14 (Online chat available) Canada: Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (See link for phone numbers listed by province) United Kingdom: Samaritans 116 123 (UK and ROI) Full list of international hotlines here  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsOzempic2Scarier  Chapters: In this episode, we cover: (00:00) What are the fears around these weight loss drugs?  (04:46) Do these drugs melt your muscles? (11:49) Do these drugs increase the risk of suicidal thoughts?  (16:15) Can they really paralyze your stomach? (30:25) Some good news! (33:36) How Did You Find the Bezoar? CREDITS This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Meryl Horn, Michelle Dang, and Joel Werner. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Recording assistance from Selena Seay-Reynolds. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord and Peter Leonard. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, Peter Leonard, So Wylie and Bobby Lord. Thanks to all of the researchers we spoke to for this episode, including Dr. Kristen Beavers, Dr. Ellen Fallows, Dr. Joseph Henson, Dr. Dimitrios Papamargaritis, Prof. Roger McIntyre, Prof. Russ Waitman, Dr. Sahib Khalsa,, Dr. Travis Masterson, and Dr. Etienne Wang. Thanks also to Bryant Smith and Lori Segal. And special thanks to the listeners on these medications who checked back in with us.    A special thanks to the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We?ve been hunting for the fountain of youth for millennia, but if you go online, it looks like the search is over! So we?re looking at some of the buzziest anti-aging hacks out there: the potential powers of young blood, the latest supplements, and a drug that has some scientists really pumped. We talk to researchers Dr. Jim White, Dr. Melanie McReynolds and Prof. Nir Barzilai.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsAnti-Aging In this episode, we cover: (00:00) The Hunt for the Fountain of Youth (03:07) Can Young Blood Keep Us Sprightly? (13:05) Do NAD Boosters Work?  (21:25) Is Metformin a Game-Changer? (27:50) How the Nerds Stay Young This episode was produced by Michelle Dang and Wendy Zukerman, with help from Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler, and Joel Werner. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Research help from Timmy Broderick. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, Peter Leonard, So Wylie and Bobby Lord. A special thanks to all of the researchers we spoke to for this episode, including Dr. Janet Choi, Dr. Gideon Meyerowitz-Katz, and Dr. Xue Li. A special thanks to the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. ?Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Strap in, nerds: New Science Vs episodes are coming! This season, we?re diving into the science of longevity, cannabis, hormone balancing, dreams, menopause, squirting, protein and MUCH more. New episodes start March 7! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

DMT might be the weirdest drug in the already weird world of psychedelics. It?s the active ingredient in ayahuasca, but on its own, DMT can give you what?s nicknamed ?the businessman?s trip? ? a psychedelic journey that can be done and dusted inside 15 minutes. So what is this drug doing to our brains? And could it help people with depression? We catch up with Dr Chris Timmermann, Dr Graham Campbell, Michelle Baker Jones and Dr David Olson to find out. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsDMT  Listeners, we need you! Tell us: What should we versus in 2024? Also, we?re looking for your questions on topics including sex, diet and menopause! In the U.S., leave us a voicemail at 774-481-1238 or send an email or voice memo to [email protected]. Find us on Social Media! Instagram: @science_vs / TikTok: @wendyzukerman / Twitter: @sciencevs In this episode, we cover: (00:00) WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! (00:59) Celebs love ayahuasca (04:58) DMT (08:06) The ?Rick and Morty? Trip (13:30) Is DMT a portal? (15:42) DMT in our brains (21:53) DMT for depression? (29:33) Plastic psychedelics (36:10) Risks of DMT and ayahuasca (39:09) Where do we land on DMT? This episode was produced by Joel Werner, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Rose Rimler, and Nick DelRose. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, and Bobby Lord. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including Dr Rick Strassman, Dr David Erritzoe, Dr Jimo Borjigin, Dr. Steven Barker, Dr Brandon Weiss, Dr Pascal Michael, Dr Michael Gatch, Professor Jerome Sarris, Professor Deepak Dsouza, Sean Chiddy, and David Nickles. Special thanks to Jack Weinstein and Hunter, Katie Vines, Finn and Jules, Christian Darío Vásquez, Valentina Powers, Zac Schmidt, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.  Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Personality tests like the MBTI are all over the internet, the workplace, and dating apps ? but some say it?s all a bunch of baloney. So are any of these tests legit? And what can science actually tell us about personality? We talk to psychologists Dr. Alexander Swan, Dr. Emorie Beck, and Dr. Ted Schwaba. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsPersonalityTests In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Chapter 1: Personality tests and their impact (05:49) Chapter 2: Personality and the MBTI (13:21) Chapter 3: Why personality ?types? flop (24:52) Chapter 4: The scientist?s personality test (30:05) Chapter 5: What personality can predict (33:24) Chapter 6: Can you change your personality? This episode was produced by Michelle Dang, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Nick DelRose, Rose Rimler, and Joel Werner. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, Peter Leonard, So Wylie and Bobby Lord. Special thanks to all the researchers we spoke to for this episode, including Dr. Nicholas Turiano, Prof. Howard Friedman, and Prof. Paul Duberstein. And special thanks to the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.  Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Caffeine is a drug that tons of us take every day. But is that a bad thing? And if we get it in the form of energy drinks, is that super dangerous? We talk to Dr. Astrid Nehlig, Prof. Gregory Marcus, and Prof. Sachin Shah.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsCaffeineEnergyDrinks In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Chapter 1: We love/hate caffeine (02:12) Chapter 2: Coffee and our guts (07:12) Chapter 3: Coffee and our brains (12:40) Chapter 4: Coffee and our zzzzzzs (17:42) Chapter 5: Coffee makes us go vroom vroom vroom! (20:30) Chapter 6: Are we caffeine addicts?  (28:04) Chapter 7: Are energy drinks dangerous? This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, with help from Wendy Zukerman, as well as Nick DelRose, Joel Werner, and Michelle Dang. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Sarah Baum. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger and Peter Leonard. Special thanks to all the researchers we spoke to for this episode ? including Dr. Bryan Saunders, Dr. Sergi Ferré, Prof. Andreas Heinz, Prof. Christine Curran, Dr. Erikka Loftfield, Dr. Felix Oberhoffer, Dr. Alan Wayne Jones, and Dr. Vijay Yadav. Extra special thanks to Jason Vytlacil and the Zukerman family. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. We are everywhere that podcasts are! If you are listening on Spotify, follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. And if you like us, give a five star review!  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Molly, ecstasy, MDMA: whatever you call it, this drug is blowing up. Some say MDMA can be a legitimate medicine to treat conditions like PTSD. But others reckon it's a dangerous drug that can fry your brain, and even kill you ? from just one bad pill. Who's right? That's what we're snorting up today. We talk to psychiatrist George Greer, public health researcher Prof. Joseph Palamar, former DEA special agent James Hunt, and neuroscientist Prof. Harriet de Witt. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsMDMA2023  This is an updated version of our MDMA episode from a few years ago.  Chapters:  In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Chapter 1: Cops and club kids (05:02) Chapter 2: Therapists try MDMA (09:05) Chapter 3: Your brain on MDMA (15:34) Chapter 4: Can MDMA cure racism?  (20:32) Chapter 5: Can MDMA Cure PTSD?  (23:13) Chapter 6: Is the MDMA comedown real?  (26:40) Chapter 7: Can MDMA damage your brain?  (30:04) Chapter 8: Can MDMA kill you?  (33:23) Chapter 9: Buying MDMA on the street (37:01) Chapter 10: Conclusion This episode was produced by Heather Rogers and Wendy Zukerman, with help from Shruti Ravindran, Kaitlyn Sawrey, Rose Rimler, Joel Werner, Nick DelRose and Michelle Dang. Edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Michelle Harris, Ben Kuebrich and Diane Kelly. Sound design by Martin Peralta, Haley Shaw and Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bobby Lord, Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, So Wylie and Bumi Hidaka. Thanks to all the researchers we reached out to for this episode, including Prof. Jerrold S. Meyer, Prof. Niamh Nic Daéid, Dr Brian Earp, Dr. Carl Roberts and Dr. Matthew Baggott. An extra thanks to Lucy Little, Johnny Dynell, Jesse Rudoy, Joseph Lavelle Wilson, and the Zukerman family.  Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We all know gossip can be bad ? but some of us still can?t seem to get enough of it. So today we?re digging into the science of gossip to answer questions like: who really gossips? And why do we love it so much? We spill the tea with sociologist Dr. Stacy Torres and neuroscientist Professor Josep Marco-Pallarés. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsGossip In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Gossip has a bad rap (06:21) Who gossips? (17:13) Your brain on gossip (24:14) Can gossip be good? (32:27) How to fight nasty gossip Check out Tuck Woodstock?s podcast, ?Gender Reveal,? a podcast that centers nonbinary, transgender, and queer folks. The show interviews LGBTQ+ artists, activists, and educators; answers listener questions; analyzes current events; and gets a little bit closer to understanding what the heck gender is. Find us on instagram: @science_vs This episode was produced by Nick DelRose with help from Wendy Zukerman, Joel Werner, Rose Rimler, and Michelle Dang. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bobby Lord, Emma Munger, So Wiley, Peter Leonard, and Bumi Hidaka. Thank you to all the researchers we spoke to, including Dr. Megan Robins, Dr. Jan Engelmann, Dr. Konrad Rudnicki, Dr. Alex Karan, and Dr. Julie Wargo Aikins. Recording assistance from Jaz Williams. Special thanks to the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A dead man with a bitten penis and perplexing DNA, a terrifying syndrome where everything around you appears in miniature, and the big lie we all believe about lemmings: Wendy and Joel tell three science stories about times when things were not what they seemed, recorded live at the Beaker Street Festival in Tasmania.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsLIVE  Chapters:  (00:00) Welcome to Science Vs LIVE! (02:08) The Case of the Missing Penis (17:55) Alice In Wonderland Syndrome (31:35) The Big Lemming Lie This episode has been produced by Wendy Zukerman, Joel Werner and Austin Mitchell, with help from Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, and Nicholas DelRose. Our original version of lemmings was helped into the world by Kaitlyn Sawrey, Ben Kuebrich, Heather Rogers, and Shruti Ravindran.  Edited by Blythe Terrell and Annie-Rose Strasser. Fact Checking by Carmen Drahl. Mix and Sound Design by Bobby Lord and Bumi Hidaka. Scoring by Bobby Lord, Peter Leonard, Bumi Hidaka, and Emma Munger. Thanks to all of the researchers we spoke to including? Dr. Malte Andersson, Dr. Anders Angerbjörn, Dr. Rolf Anker Ims, Dr. Charles J. Krebs, and others. As well as the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation for the use of Cruel Camera. And special thanks to Barbara and Paul Werner, Tegan Taylor, Joseph Lavelle Wilson and the Zukerman family. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not sleeping enough turning you into a monster? In one of our most popular episodes, we bring you the cutting-edge science that helps us understand why. And we sort through the fads to find out, what really works to get more ZZZs. We speak with lab coordinator Pam DeYoung, sleep researcher Dr. Brady Riedner, and circadian scientist Prof. Russell Foster.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsSleep2023 In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Not sleeping sucks (03:00) What does lack of sleep do to us? (06:07) Our beer vs. sleepiness experiment (10:56) What happens in a sleepy brain (17:45) How circadian rhythm affects sleep (21:19) Does melatonin help with sleep? (23:50) Does blue light keep us awake? This episode was produced by Rose Rimler and Lexi Krupp with help from Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn and Kaitlyn Sawrey. Editing by Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Diane Kelly and Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard and Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord, and Bach. Recording assistance from Dave Drexler, Tim Peterson, Zoe Sullivan, and Martin Wiggins. Sonification of EEG data came from Dr. Gerold Baier and Dr. Thomas Hermann. A huge thanks to Dr. Amandine Valomon, Prof. James Krueger, Dr. Ari Shechter, Dr. Jade Wu, Dr. Bei Bei, Dr. Connor Sheehan, Dr. Jennifer Ailshire, Dr. Agostinho Rosa, and everyone else we spoke to for this episode, especially our frustrated sleepers. Thank you so much for all the voice messages! And special thanks to Chuma Ossé, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We?ve been told that foods like butter and bacon are bad for us ? because they're packed with saturated fats. And top dogs in nutrition say that a better option is vegetable oil, like canola oil. But there?s a trend popping off claiming that these top dogs are barking up the wrong tree. They say that butter is better and that those vegetable oils, aka ?seed oils,? are incredibly dangerous. So ? who?s right? Is canola oil really killing us? Or is butter the bad boy? To find out, we speak to author and physician Dr Cate Shanahan, professor of nutrition science Jason Wu, professor of endocrinology David Schade, and Dr David Iggman. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsSeedOils  A new Season of Heavyweight is out now! Find them here: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/heavyweight  In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Seed oils are the devil (05:35) Is saturated fat killing you? (12:25) Does cholesterol cause heart attacks?  (22:02) Do seed oils cause inflammation? (28:00) Are seed oils killing you? This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Joel Werner, Rose Rimler, Nick DelRose and Michelle Dang. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Carmen Drahl. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bobby Lord, Emma Munger, Peter Leonard, and Bumi Hidaka. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including Dr Lorena Pacheco, Dr Qi Sun, Dr Tetsumori Yamashima, Dr Idrees Mughal, Professor Rashika Ahmed, Dr Hatem Tallima, Dr Heidi Silver, Professor Ronald Krauss, Dr Yutang Wang, Dr David Sullivan, Professor Peter Clifton, Dr Lee Hooper and others. And a big thank you to Morgen Rockel, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A whistleblower claims that the U.S. government is covering up what it knows about aliens on Earth, and several military pilots recently testified to seeing strange objects in the sky. It kinda feels like the tide is turning on UFOs ? even NASA is taking these sightings seriously. So what?s going on here? Have aliens visited? And will we ever find alien life somewhere ? out there? We speak to astrophysicists Prof. Kevin Knuth, Dr. Sara Webb, and Prof. Adam Frank.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsUFOs2023  Check our previous episode on UFOs here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/60oChXf4TK7dN4NZslVUpx Prof. Adam Frank's new book, The Little Book of Aliens, comes out October 24. Chapters:  In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Chapter 1: Congress takes on aliens  (03:04) Chapter 2: Why is Rose Muldering?  (05:44) Chapter 3: The ?Tic-Tac? incident (13:54) Chapter 4: We need a Scully (26:45) Chapter 5: The new science on searching for alien life This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, with help from Wendy Zukerman, as well as Michelle Dang, Joel Werner and Nick DelRose. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, Peter Leonard, and So Wylie. Special thanks to Matt Shilts and Walter Rimler. An extra special thanks to researchers we spoke to for this episode ? including Prof. Seth Shostak and Julio Plaza Del Olmo.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Andrew Huberman is a skate punk turned neuroscientist, and he hosts one of the most popular podcasts in the U.S.: The Huberman Lab. Today, we talk to him about his unlikely path to becoming a scientist, his fascinating research into regrowing neurons, the Covid-19 lab leak theory, and some of the criticism he's gotten for promoting certain supplements. Coronavirus: Was It Made In a Lab? https://gimletmedia.com/shows/science-vs/dvheexn  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsHuberman  In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Chapter 1: Andrew Huberman: Skater Kid to Scientist (10:35) Chapter 2: Huberman's favorite study: Regrowing neurons (16:38) Chapter 3: Learning to Optimize (21:59) Chapter 4: Covid Lab Leak Theory (26:45) Chapter 5: Criticism for Promoting Certain Supplements  (35:06) Chapter 6: Huberman's favorite TV show: Love Island (jking) (36:33) Chapter 7: Life Advice This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman and Joel Werner, with help from Rose Rimler, Nick DelRose, and Michelle Dang. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can plunging into an ice bath make us feel happier? What about gratitude journaling? We?re digging into some of the quirkiest self-care hacks around the internet to find out what the science says ? and whether you should add them to your routine. We talk to environmental physiologist Dr. Heather Massey, counseling psychologist Prof. Joel Wong, and social psychologist Dr. Juliana Schroeder.  This episode does mention depression. Here are some crisis hotlines:  United States: US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline  988 (Online chat available); US Crisis Text Line Text ?GO? to 741741 Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14 (Online chat available) Canada: Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (See link for phone numbers listed by province) United Kingdom: Samaritans 116 123 (UK and ROI) (Online chat available) Full list of international hotlines here  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsSelfCare In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Chapter 1: Trendy self-care hacks (02:13) Chapter 2: Ice baths: How our body reacts (07:40) Chapter 3: Can cold plunges help with depression? (12:41) Chapter 4: The risks of ice baths (16:24) Chapter 5: Does gratitude journaling make us happier? (20:39) Chapter 6: How does gratitude work? (26:29) Chapter 7: When self-care isn?t just about yourself ? This episode was produced by Michelle Dang, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Nick DelRose, Joel Werner, and Rose Rimler. We?re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Carmen Drahl. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, Peter Leonard, and So Wylie. Thanks to everyone we spoke to for this episode ? especially Professor Megan Azad. And special thanks to the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.  Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices