Science Vs

The smash hit Netflix documentary “Unknown: Cave of Bones” has kicked off an all-out science brawl. The film makes extraordinary claims about a strange ape-like creature that lived hundreds of thousands of years ago — claims that rewrite what it means to be human. But some scientists are pushing back, saying that at this point, these extraordinary claims aren’t backed up by extraordinary evidence. So, what’s going on? Is “Cave of Bones” a Cave of Lies? We chat to the man at the center of the controversy, National Geographic Explorer In Residence Lee Berger, as well as a couple of the scientists pushing back against his work: Professor Andy Herries and Associate Professor Jamie Hodgkins. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVSCaveOfBones  In this episode, we cover: (00:00) ‘Cave of Bones’ is a hit! (02:55) Lee Berger, Explorer in Residence (07:10) Meet Homo naledi (14:09) Extraordinary claims (20:54) The media campaign and the backlash (25:16) The evidence for burial (32:00) The evidence for rock

More and more people are puffing on vapes — but some governments are making moves to ban them. So how dangerous is vaping, really? And as we inhale that sweet cherry flavor into our lungs, could we also be changing our brains? To find out, we talk to tobacco researcher Dr. Michael Chaiton, inhalation toxicologist Professor Ilona Jaspers, and pharmacology researcher Melissa Herman. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsVaping  In this episode, we cover: (00:00) The fears around vaping (03:41) Could vaping make you sick? (09:45) Are vape flavors dangerous? (20:17) Nicotine and depression (32:03) Is vaping worse than smoking? This episode was produced by Nick DelRose with help from Wendy Zukerman, Joel Werner, Rose Rimler and Michelle Dang. Our original vaping episode was produced by Kaitlyn Sawrey with help from Lexi Krupp and Meryl Horn. Editing by Caitlin Kenney and Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka and Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter

The latest hot new trend is: breathing. Yeah, that’s right — there are claims that so-called breathwork can cure depression and supercharge your brain. Breathfluencers reckon that we're breathing all wrong but that with the right kind of breathing, you could be living a happier, healthier life. So what's the deal here? Are you really breathing badly? And if you learned the right way to breathe, could you become a better you? To find out, we talk to psychiatrists Professor David Spiegel and Dr. Patricia Gerbarg, memory researcher Dr. Artin Arshamian, and speech pathologist Ann Kearney.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsBreathwork In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Meet the Breathfluencers (05:27) Can breathwork reduce stress? (10:18) Can breathwork help with depression and PTSD?  (14:48) How does breathing work?  (21:04) Are you a mouth breather? (23:58) Can mouth-breathing ruin your memory?  (31:05) Benefits of nose breathing (33:41) Should you use mouth tape?  (35:47) Are the Breathfluence

Brand-new episodes will drop starting next week! Stay tuned for science deep dives on breathing and breathwork, seed oils (what SHOULD we cook with??), UFOs, self-care, energy drinks, personality tests and much much MUCH more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week – our episode that you voted as our BEST wild card episode!! You’ll have to listen to find out what it is.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/SVBestEverEp In this episode talk to Brie Smith, Micah Truman, Katrina Spade and Thomas Bass.  This episode was produced by Blythe Terrell and Wendy Zukerman, with help from Meryl Horn, Michelle Dang, Rose Rimler, Courtney Gilbert and Disha Bhagat. Were edited by Blythe Terrell and Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Mix and sound design of this episode was by Bobby Lord. Mix and sound design of our original episode was by Sam Bair. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord, So Wylie and Peter Leonard. Thanks to all of the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr John Paul, Dr Lynne Carpenter-Boggs, Dr Muriel Lepesteur, Jean F. Bonhotal, Dr Mark Pawlett, Professor Komla Tsey, Dr Ruth McManus and Dr Julie Rugg. Special thanks to Jimmy Olson, Jonathan Goldstein, Julia Martin, The Zukerman Family and Joseph La

Here’s the episode you picked as our best sex and sexual health episode: Orgasms! There’s this idea that the female orgasm is a complicated riddle, but for a man with a penis, getting off is easy peasy. Is there really an orgasm gap? And if so — can science explain it? To learn more, we talk to neuroscientist Dr. Nan Wise, neuroscientist Dr. Nicole Prause and psychologist Dr. Candice Hargons.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/SVFavSexEp This episode was produced by Hannah Harris Green, with help from, Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Rose Rimler and Nick DelRose. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Mix and sound design of this episode was by Bobby Lord. Mix and sound design of our original episode was by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Marcus Bagala, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. Data Analysis by Morgan Green. Consulting by Rebecca Kling. Thanks to everyone we got in touch with for this episode including Dr. Adam Safron, Pro

Here’s the episode you voted as our best wellness episode: Exercise! Lots of people hit the gym to shed unwanted pounds, but they don’t always see results on the scale. We tackle the power of exercise and why you should bother. We speak with obesity expert Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, psychiatrist Dr. Gary Cooney, neuroscientist Prof. Wendy Suzuki and urologist Dr. Stacey Kenfield. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/SVFavWellnessEp This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler and Lexi Krupp. Our senior producer is Kaitlyn Sawrey. We’re edited by Caitlin Kenney and Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design of this episode was by Bobby Lord. Mix and sound design of our original episode was by Peter Leonard. Music by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. Recording assistance from Joel Cox, Andrea Rangecroft, Natalie Jones, and Mark Totti.  A huge thanks to all the scientists we got in touch with for this episode, including Professor Virginia Ber

Here’s the episode you voted as our best drug episode: Magic Mushrooms! People are saying that shrooms cured their depression and anxiety. But is this for real? How could taking a trip on psychedelics fix your brain? Today, magic mushrooms ditch their tie dye for a lab coat as we go on a magical journey into the science. We talk to clinical psychologists Dr. Alan Davis and Dr. Albert Garcia-Romeu, and neuropsychologist Dr. Katrin Preller. Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/SVFavDrugsEp This episode does deal with 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  This episode was produced by Meryl Horn and Mi

Today we're going behind the scenes of Christopher Nolan's blockbuster film “Oppenheimer.” Professor David Saltzberg, one of the scientists who consulted on the movie (also “The Big Bang Theory”), joins us to chat about the science behind the movie. We also giggle about working with actors like Cillian Murphy to explain complicated science, and what the film got … maybe a little … wrong. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsOppenheimer  In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Meet David Saltzberg (04:09) Science and ‘The Big Bang Theory’ (07:55) Science and ‘Oppenheimer’ (17:22) Talking science with Cillian Murphy This episode was produced by Joel Werner and Wendy Zukerman with help from Rose Rimler, Nick DelRose and Michelle Dang. Editing by Blythe Terrell. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music by Bobby Lord, Peter Leonard and So Wylie. Special thanks to Rima Morris and Lindsay Farber. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Fol

Many bats can live a bizarrely long time, and brush off viruses that kill people. How do they do it and what can we learn from them? Zoology Professor Emma Teeling and bat researcher and clinician Matae Ahn fly through the science.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsBats  This episode was produced by Flora Lichtman with help from Wendy Zukerman, Joel Werner, R.E. Natowicz, and Michelle Dang, Rose Rimler. Editing by Jorge Just, Annette Heist and Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Carmen Drahl. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Billy Libby, Emma Munger, Darah Hirsch, So Wylie and Bobby Lord. Thanks to everyone we reached out to for this episode including Dr. Vera Gorbunova, Dr. Sharon Swartz, Dr. Gerry Wilkinson, and Dr. Lisa Cooper.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tons of people struggle to get revved up about sex. It can mess with their relationships and how they feel about themselves. So enter the multimillion-dollar supplement industry with miracle solutions. Even Big Pharma has joined the battle for our libido, with drugs that claim to work wonders. But what if our ideas about sex drive are completely wrong? What if a pill (or testosterone injection) isn't the answer? We dive into the groundbreaking science on libido — and what you can do if you can't get no satisfaction. With sex therapist Professor Heather Goltz, sexual health researcher Professor Caroline Pukall and endocrinologist Professor Waljit Dhilo. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsSexDrive  In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Chapter 1: Our limping libidos (04:16) Chapter 2: Sex drive and testosterone (08:24) Chapter 3: Kisspeptin: The new kid on the block (17:13) Chapter 4: Libido-boosting supplements and medications (24:39) Chapter 5: When your libido takes work We're performing at Be

Housing has gotten SO expensive — for many of us, buying something seems totally out of reach. And even renting a decent apartment is a struggle these days. Who, or what, is to blame for these high prices? We track down the culprit with urban planner Prof. Nicole Gurran and attorney Prof. Sara Bronin.   Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsAffordableHousing In this episode, we cover: (00:00) The Crime (03:48) Suspect 1: Greedy developers (07:20) Suspect 2: AirBnB (14:20) Suspect 3: Zoning (24:00) The Twist! This episode was produced by Rose Rimler along with Wendy Zukerman, with help from Joel Werner, R.E. Natowicz, Meryl Horn, and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord.  Thanks to everyone we reached out to for this episode, including Dr. Yonah Freemark, Prof. Stephen Sheppard, , Prof. Sonia Hirt, Prof. Solly Angel, Dr. Sherry Bokhari, Dr. Salim Furth, Dr. Norber

Going gluten-free is all the rage — we hear it’s the secret hack to being more healthy, even if you don’t have celiac disease. But is gluten actually bad for all of us? And what’s the deal with gluten sensitivity? We talk to immunologist Dr. Armin Alaedini, gastroenterologist Dr. Carolyn Newberry, and nutrition epidemiologist Dr. Natalie Riediger.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsGluten In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Chapter 1: Why the internet hates gluten (02:17) Chapter 2: How gluten can hurt some people (05:21) Chapter 3: What’s up with gluten sensitivity (11:35) Chapter 4: Gluten and the placebo effect (15:27) Chapter 5: Other stuff besides gluten could be to blame (22:05) Chapter 6: Can a gluten-free diet help you lose weight?  (28:03) Chapter 7: Downsides to going gluten free  (29:28) Chapter 8: A love letter to gluten  This episode was produced by Michelle Dang, Wendy Zukerman, Meryl Horn, R.E. Natowicz, Joel Werner, and Rose Rimler. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checki

Artificial Intelligence seems more human-like and capable than ever before — but how did it get so good so quickly? Today, we’re pulling back the curtain to find out exactly how AI works. And we'll dig into one of the biggest problems that scientists are worried about here: The ability of AI to trick us. We talk to Dr. Sasha Luccioni and Professor Seth Lazar about the science. This episode contains explicit language. There’s also a brief mention of suicide, so please take care when listening. Here are some crisis hotlines:  United States: US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (2755) (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) Full list of international hotlines here  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsAI In this episode, we cover: (00:00) 64,000 wi

We join forces with Sarah Marshall from You’re Wrong About to dive into a question for the ages: Blue balls — are they real? And we’ve got some BIG blue balls news in this episode! The survey we did when it originally aired has been turned into a peer-reviewed paper led by scientists at Queen’s University! WE MADE SCIENCE! And if you took our survey, you helped! So join us as we revisit this romp where we ask if blue balls are a ball-faced lie, something that men make up to pressure women to have sex with them. Our guests include Sam Pierstorff, Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, Professor Caroline Pukall and Dr. Jonathan Chalett. Find our blue balls paper in the journal Sexual Medicine: https://academic.oup.com/smoa/article/11/2/qfad016/7148610 Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/sciencevsblueballsupdate  Link(s) to related episode(s), if desired (and ask Jen Hahn to make a button once published):  In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Chapter One: We’ve published a scientific paper on blue balls! (04:05) Chapter

The dentist tells us to floss, brush, avoid certain food and drinks ... but what actually matters when it comes to having healthy teeth? We're drilling into the science on all of it. Plus, we go undercover to find out how many dentists are trying to upsell you when you go in for a checkup. We talk to epidemiologist and dentist Professor Philippe Hujoel, dentist Dr. Alisha Virmani, and economist Dr. Felix Gottschalk.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/sciencevsdentist  Fill out this quick survey to vote on the BEST SCIENCE VS EPISODE OF ALL TIME! blythet.typeform.com/to/oghHme3x   In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Chapter 1: Oral hygiene is confusing (02:08) Chapter 2: Do flossing and tooth brushing prevent cavities? (11:07) Chapter 3: Flossing: Good for the gums? (16:42) Chapter 4: Does seltzer mess up our teeth? What about other food and drink? (22:26) Chapter 5: How dodgy are dentists? Credits: This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, with help from Wendy Zukerman, R.E. Natowicz, Rose Rimler, Mi

When it comes to keeping our skin looking younger, what works? Retinol, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C? This simple question has become confused by the billion-dollar skin-care industry, which floods us with scientific-sounding claims about the chemicals they say we should put on our face. We find out the real science on what you need for healthy skin with Dr Natalia Spierings, Dr Szu Wong and Kirsten Drysdale.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/sciencevsskincare  In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Chapter 1: Promises of the skin care industry (04:12) Chapter 2: Why do we get wrinkles?  (06:36) Chapter 3: Can skin care products remove wrinkles?  (14:15) Chapter 4: Can vitamin A cream reduce wrinkles?  (21:30) Chapter 5: 99% reduction in fine lines!  (26:55) Chapter 6: Moisturizers and sunscreen (29:00) Chapter 7: Is skin care a waste of money? This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Joel Werner, Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, R.E. Natowicz, and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell

Just two months before Covid-19 broke out, we made a fictional pandemic episode that was like “Contagion” but with citations. And we played it for Dr. Anthony Fauci. Today, we’re looking back at that episode and asking — how much of the pandemic did we predict?  This episode has some unbleeped curse words.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsPandemic In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Chapter One: Why we’re sharing this episode (03:42) Chapter Two: Meet Dr. Anthony Fauci (07:10) Chapter Three: The fictional pandemic begins (26:50) Chapter Four: Fauci’s thoughts on our fake pandemic (33:53) Chapter Five: Wendy and Blythe’s reaction The original pandemic episode was produced by Kaitlyn Sawrey, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Lexi Krupp, Rose Rimler and Meryl Horn. It was edited by Caitlin Kenney and Blythe Terrell. Extra writing help from Kevin Christopher Snipes. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Bobby Lord and

Today, we give a dam about beavers. These busy rodents don’t just chill and go with the flow — it turns out their grabby paws are actually helping hands in the fight against climate change. We dive into how this works with ecologists Dr. Emily Fairfax and Dr. Ben Dittbrenner.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsBeavers In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Intro: How beavers “beaver away” (02:22) Chapter One: How beavers can help  (06:18) Chapter Two: Can we move beavers for the better?  This episode was produced by Disha Bhagat, with help from Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler and R.E. Natowicz. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Wendy Zukerman is our Executive Producer. Gimlet’s managing director is Nicole Beemsterboer. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Mix and sound design by Catherine Anderson. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. Science Vs is a Spotify Original Podcast and a Gimlet production. Follow Science Vs on Spotify, and if you want to get notifications every ti

For years, ketamine has been thought of mostly as a horse tranquilizer — or a street drug that puts you in a scary-sounding K-hole. But now, we’re hearing reports that it could be almost a miracle medicine, treating stubborn depression and other mental illnesses. So how good is it, really? And could using a drug like this for depression actually be dangerous? We talk to researchers Dr. Rebecca Price, Prof. Colleen Loo, and Prof. Gerard Sanacora – and Fernanda Graciolli.  UPDATE 4/28/23: A previous version of this episode incorrectly described Dr. Rebecca Price’s role in a 2009 study of ketamine’s effect on depression and suicidal thoughts, back when she was a graduate student. The episode has been updated accordingly. This episode does deal with depression and suicidal thoughts. Here are some crisis hotlines:  United States: US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (2755) (Online chat available); US Crisis Text Line Text “GO” to 741741 Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14 (Online chat available) Ca