Science Vs

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:

[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 V

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, al

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) Fu

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. Başak 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

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 c

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 Leon

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,

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: H

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 wa

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

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 L

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 Pu

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 cli

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

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-Sm

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

[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 sciencevs@gimletmedia.com. 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 Pet

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 sciencevs@gimletmedia.com 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 butth