Science Vs

We’ve got the goods on weight loss drugs, ketamine, pit bulls, skincare and more! Come for the science, stay for the jokes. Or vice versa. In your feeds March 23. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Science Vs has gone bilingual! La Ciencia Vs is the Spanish-language version of the show, and today we’re introducing the amazing hosts, Dr. Leonora Milán and Dr. Alejandra Ortíz, and sharing the Serial Killers episode: Asesinos Seriales. Find more episodes — like Veganos, Placebo, ASMR, Ejercicio — on the La Ciencia Vs feed on Spotify. This episode was produced by Michelle Dang and Wendy Zukerman. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Edited by Blythe Terrell. La Ciencia Vs es un podcast original de Spotify Producido por Soundshell Media. Producción ejecutiva Tania Miranda. Productoras: Patricia de la Rosa, Xiadani Gómez y Johanna El Zelah. Editado por Tania Miranda. Verificación de datos por Patricia de la Rosa y Xiadani Gómez. Consultora de localización: Carmen Graterol. Mezcla y diseño de audio por Pablo Betancourt, Marcos Cabal y Pablo Cervera. Música original por Bobby Lord. Gracias a todos los que colaboraron en este episodio como a Gabriela González. Gracias también a Rubén Bringas y Roberto Campos qu

There’s an Adderall shortage across the U.S., and it’s causing huge problems for people with ADHD. But on the flip side, we hear people saying that we shouldn’t be giving this drug out anyway. So we wanted to know: What is Adderall, exactly? What is it doing in people’s brains? And is there any truth to this idea that Adderall is like meth — could it be dangerous? We talk to psychiatrist Prof. Rachel Fargason, neuroscientist Prof. Habibeh Khoshbouei, and actor Kai Liu. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction, in the US you can call the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP or visit their website. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/sciencevsadderall This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, with help from Meryl Horn, Michelle Dang, and Disha Bhagat. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Editing help from Caitlin Kenney. Wendy Zukerman is our Executive Producer. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music wri

This is the THIRTEENTH season of the show! So we’re diving into stories about superstitions and luck. We’ll share the eerie tale of a 13-legged sea creature. We’ll talk about a hot new telescope that’s trying to look back 13 billion years ago to uncover the secrets of the universe. And we’ll talk about a squeaky superstition that involves a rat — as the tooth fairy. We speak to marine biologist Dr. Julian Evans, astrophysicist Dr. Jeyhan Kartaltepe, and biologist Dr. Philip Cox.  UPDATE 12/16/22: A previous version of this episode incorrectly conflated the units of pressure and force when comparing the bites of great white sharks and rats. The episode has been updated to make the distinction between pressure and force more clear. Here’s a link to our transcript: http://bit.ly/3ujIgo0 This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, and Disha Bhagat. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Wendy Zukerman is our Executive Producer. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka.

What is hypnosis? Is it mind control? Are some people just faking? We’re revisiting this episode in which we explore the science of hypnosis and take Science Vs to the edge of consciousness. In the service of journalism, Wendy tries to get hypnotized at a comedy club and in a doctor’s office. We talk to comedian Jim Spinnato, Prof. Philip Muskin, Prof. Amanda Barnier, and Prof. Amir Raz.  Find our transcript here: bit.ly/sciencevshypnosis  This episode was produced by Heather Rogers, Michelle Dang and Wendy Zukerman, with help from Kaitlyn Sawrey, Austin Mitchell, Diane Wu, and Shruti Ravindran. Edited by Annie-Rose Strasser, Caitlin Kenney and Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Michelle Harris and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. Sound design and music production by Matthew Boll, mixed by Martin Peralta and Peter Leonard. Music written by Martin Peralta, Bobby Lord, Peter Leonard and Emma Munger. Thanks to Alex Blumberg for being the man that spoke pretty often in the end … and Jonathan Goldstein from the very amazing

Today, we’re diving into your armpits! We’ll find out why some of us are so freaking smelly. And then we’re asking: Are deodorants and antiperspirants safe, or should we ditch our sticks? We’ll talk to microbiologist Professor Gavin H Thomas, microbiologist Research Associate Professor Julie Horvath, epidemiologist Associate Professor Hanno Ulmer, and epidemiologist Professor Julia Knight.  Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/sciencevsdeodorant  This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, with help from Michelle Dang, Disha Bhagat, Rose Rimler, Courtney Gilbert, and Wendy Zukerman. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Additional editing help from Caitlin Kenney and Nicole Beemsterboer. Wendy Zukerman is our Executive Producer. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord, and Peter Leonard. Thanks to all our listeners who left voicemails about their stinky pitties. And a big thanks to the researchers we spoke to, includin

A male birth control pill has been this big tease for decades. And today, with the overturning of Roe v. Wade … a male pill might matter more than ever. So we’re grabbing science by the balls to find out – where is it? Will it ever get to the shelves? We talk to physicians Prof. John Amory and Dr. Brian Nguyen.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/3zq9dcq This episode was produced by Michelle Dang, with help from Disha Bhagat, Rose Rimler and Meryl Horn. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Additional editing help on this episode from Caitlin Kenney and Jorge Just. Wendy Zukerman is our Executive Producer. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord, and Peter Leonard. Special thanks to Thomas Rossetti, Jacob Rimler and Jack Weinstein.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A dead body turns up with a stolen identity. We tell the story of how a grandmother tracked down the truth — and helped create a whole new and controversial world of crime fighting. To tell this story, we talk to U.S. Marshal Peter Elliott, Dr. Margaret Press, and Phil Nichols. [REBROADCAST] CN: This episode discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, in the U.S. you can call or text 988 to reach the government’s suicide and crisis help line. More mental health resources are available at spotify.com/resources. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/3Rf1Vj1 This episode was produced by Rose Rimler and Kaitlyn Sawrey with help from Wendy Zukerman, Meryl Horn and Odelia Rubin. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Editing help from Alex Blumberg and Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Michelle Harris and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. Mix and sound design by Emma Munger. Music by Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. A huge thanks to all the people we got in touch with for this episode, includ

Buffalo. Uvalde. Highland Park. These mass shootings keep happening. One side says the problem is the guns, and the other side says the problem is the people. Who’s right? And what policies might actually work to stop mass shootings? We talk to NSSF spokesperson Mark Oliva, gun control researcher Prof. Mark Gius, criminologist Dr. Jillian Peterson, and epidemiologist Dr. Veronica Pear.  CN: This episode discusses suicide. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, in the U.S. you can call or text 988 to reach the government’s suicide and crisis help line. More mental health resources are available at spotify.com/resources. Link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/3VsbWeY For more on this topic, check out Science Vs Gun Violence Science Vs Gun Control This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, with help from Disha Bhagat, Meryl Horn and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Additional editing help from Caitlin Kenney and Nicole Beemsterboer. Wendy Zukerman is our executive pro

What's the greenest way to die? Some nerds are saying that our bodies should go the way of our veggie scraps — and become compost. But will people get on board with spreading Grandpa in the garden? To find out, we talk to Brie Smith, Micah Truman, Katrina Spade and Thomas Bass. Link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/svhumancomposting  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 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 Lave

The EEG is an incredibly important medical tool — and it’s been failing Black patients for decades. So today we’ll hear from two young, Black scientists who teamed up with hairdressers to do something about it. We speak to neurologist Dr. Jessie Baity, engineer Arnelle Etienne, biomedical scientist Lietsel Jones, and hairstylist Nina Woodley.  Link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/sciencevsEEG  This episode was produced by Taylor White, Meryl Horn and Wendy Zukerman, with help from Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, Courtney Gilbert, and Disha Bhagat. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Wendy Zukerman is the Executive Producer. Fact checking by Eva Dasher and Disha Bhagat. Mix and sound design by Catherine Anderson. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord, Peter Leonard and SoWylie. Thanks to the scientists we spoke to for this episode, including Dr. Christina Patterson, Dr. Pulkit Grover, Dr. Katherine Stavropoulos, Dr. Shannon Burns, Dr. Achuta Kadambi, Dr. Lauren Whitehurst, Dr.

Do vegans have a right to be so smug? We’re finding out whether it really is better for the environment, and our bodies, to go vegan. We speak to environmental researcher Joseph Poore, historian Prof. Connie Hilliard, anthropologist Prof. Katharine Milton, and nutrition researcher Prof. Roman Pawlak. A version of this episode originally ran in 2018; today’s episode contains updated science. Check out the transcript here: https://bit.ly/vegansupdated  The episode was produced by Rose Rimler and Wendy Zukerman, along with Meryl Horn, Odelia Rubin and Kaitlyn Sawrey. Editing by Blythe Terrell and Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Michelle Harris and Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Emma Munger and Bumi Hidaka. Music by Emma Munger, Bumi Hidaka and Bobby Lord. Recording assistance from Robbie MacInnes, Paul Reece, Spencer Silva, and Hady Mawajdeh. For this episode we also spoke to Connie Weaver, Nathan H. Lents, Mark Bolland, Ambrish Mithal, Marco Springmann, Mary Beth Hall, Tara Garnett, Tom Sanders

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/3AEtH0W This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Nick DelRose, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, Courtney Gilbert, Rose Rimler and Disha Bhagat. We’re edited 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 Goodman, Dr. Ekua Annobil, Professor Barbara Rolls and Dr. Krista Casazza. Special thanks to Rasha Aridi,

There’s tons of misinformation, fads and strong opinions floating around out there — but then there’s SCIENCE. Season 13 starts on September 8! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We called up Dr. Anthony Fauci to talk about monkeypox. We wanted to know — what’s the deal with the slow response here? And why haven’t we gotten this virus under control? Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/3BB7WBi  This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, Courtney Gilbert, Rose Rimler, Nick DelRose and Disha Bhagat. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Monkeypox has been spreading around the world. So … what exactly is this disease? How worried should we be, and how can people stay safe? We talk to Dr. Carlton Thomas, Professor Chloe Orkin and Professor Yan Xiang. Check out our transcript (with 147 citations!): https://bit.ly/sciencevsmonkeypox  And if you are looking for another great podcast on this, check out A Bumpy Ride. It’s by Leo Herrera, and it’s really beautiful. This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, Courtney Gilbert, Rose Rimler, Nick DelRose, and Disha Bhagat. Additional help from Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord, Peter Leonad and SoWylie. Thanks to the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Agam Rao, Professor Asma Khalil, Professor Siddappa Byrareddy, Professor Preeti Malani, and Dr. Hugh Adler. Special thanks to LeRoy G. Robinson, Jr., R

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. And in their opinion, we found a lot of scientific-sounding statements. So we wanted to find out whether these statements are true. We’ll tell you what actually happens in an abortion, whether a fetus can feel pain, and what the risks are for a pregnant person. We visit an abortion clinic in Texas and talk to Dr. Amita Murthy, Dr. Lisa Harris, and Dr. Diana Greene Foster. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/3OBfveK This episode was produced by Heather Rogers, Meryl Horn, Wendy Zukerman, Ben Kuebrich, Kaitlyn Sawrey, Shruti Ravindran, Courtney Gilbert, Rose Rimler and Michelle Dang. Edited by Annie-Rose Strasser and Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. Extra help with production and editorial from Rachel Ward, Alex Blumberg and Jorge Just. Music production and original music written by Bobby Lord. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord, Catherine Anderson and Emma Munger. Thanks to Dr. Lola Pellegrino, Ronnie Shankar

Today, we’re sharing a collection of spooky science stories. You’ll hear about a nightmare in the ocean, a nightmare on land, and even a nightmare … IN YOUR MIND. We talk to scientists including marine biologist, Dr. Olga Shpak and malacologist Jaynee Kim. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/3O4Ag22  See the video Olga’s team shot of killer whales attacking a bowhead here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OskmkWV0Ypk  This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, Ilya Kolmanovsky, and Rose Rimler. Extra help from Courtney Gilbert. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Wendy Zukerman is the Executive Producer. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord and SoWylie. Our amazing Barbershop Quartet is Bobby Lord, Peter Leonard and Austin Mitchell. Thanks to the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Katharina Lüth and Dr. David Wyler. Special thanks to everyone who helped us this season!!

[REBROADCAST] Could fake medicine actually take away your pain or treat a disease? We dig into the science of placebos to find out more about the power of the mind to heal. We speak to medical researcher Prof. Ted Kaptchuk, neuroscientist Prof. Fabrizio Benedetti and medical psychologist Prof. Manfred Schedlowski.  Check out the full transcript here: https://bit.ly/3xaPKM3  This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, Kaitlyn Sawrey and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Editing help from Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Michelle Harris and Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka and Peter Leonard. Music by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. Recording assistance from Fabian Mirko May, Mary Dooe and Maggie Penman. A huge thanks to all the scientists we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr Diletta Barbiani, Dr Cynthia McRae, Dr J Bruce Moseley, Professor Apkar Apkarian, Professor Jon Stoessl,and others. And special thanks

When a little girl, Ella Kissi-Debrah, suddenly got sick and landed in the hospital, doctors were stumped. In this episode, her mom, Rosamund, takes on the fight to find out what exactly happened to Ella. And the answer has BIG implications — for us all. We’ll hear from Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah and Professor Stephen Holgate. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/3z17Gdv This episode was produced by Ekedi Fausther-Keeys with help from Rose Rimler, Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, and Courtney Gilbert. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Wendy Zukerman is the Executive Producer. Extra help from Saidu Tejan-Thomas, Nicole Beemsterboer, Kendra Pierre-Louis, and Alex Blumberg. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord and SoWylie. Thanks to the researchers and experts we got in touch with for this episode, including Jocelyn Cockburn, Professor Vernon Morris, Dr. George Thurston, Dr. Lauren Zajac, Dr.