With forty eight labs this semester. You know, we had to double back, all right, So this is part two of the Dope Labs Semester four finale.
Welcome to Dope Labs, a weekly podcast that mixes hardcore science, pop culture, and a healthy dolsa friendship. This is part two of our semester four finale, and in part one we heard from some of our past experts on what's happened in their fields since they last appeared on Dope Labs, So we're going to keep that party going. We're also going to be hearing from you. So many of you called in to tell us about your favorite lab from
semester four and we can't thank you enough. We couldn't include all of your submissions.
Here, but we did pick a few and we'll be doing a little update on each lab as we go, So let's get into it. Our first update today is around reproductive healthcare. We had doctor Elizabeth Russeau join us to discuss the science of birth control in Lab forty one.
Hey, t t Zakia and Dope Lab listeners. This is Elizabeth Russeau from Aiden. I had the pleasure of being on Dope Labs this season to discuss all things related to the science of birth control and how we created the first test designed to prevent birth control side effects.
Yes, and birth control is just one part of reproductive health care. We also had labs on maternal healthcare with Simone Tate and doctor Sarah bennettar where we learned about some of the barriers facing birthing people. The US has a lot of work to do. Here's an update from Simone.
Tate, Moundate, founder and CEO of Poppyseed Health and since recording our episode this season on black maternal healthcare, a really big thing happened.
Roe v.
Wade was overturned, which means.
That our access to safe and legal abortions are no longer constitutionally protected. We are already seeing instances across the country of birthing people everywhere not being able to access the life saving healthcare that they need with getting safe and legal abortions.
Since our initial episodes, the political climate around reproductive rights and specifically abortion, has become even more hostile in the United States.
Reproductive rights in the US are under attack. With this landmark decision, the court held that the Constitution of the United States does not confer a right to abortion, thus overruling Roe v. Wade and giving individual states full power to regulate any aspect of abortion not preempted by federal law. Many states had so called trigger laws in place, which means that thirteen states already have a.
Total abortion ban, and the bands in these thirteen states have serious consequences. In Arkansas, for example, performing or attempting to perform an abortion could lead to ten years in prison or a fine of up to one hundred thousand dollars, and in some states like Alabama and Louisiana, there are no exceptions made for people who become pregnant due to rape or incest either.
With the overturning of Roe versus Weight, is not just abortion access that's under attack. Access to birth control is at risk.
Two.
The critical thing here is the right to privacy, which is the foundation of many other freedoms, including the right to obtain and use birth control. Immediately after the Dobs ruling, Justice Clarence Thomas said that the court should quote reconsider past precedents that establish the right to contra as well as same sex marriage.
This feels like a very slippery slope, and in addition to the trigger laws, there have been attempts to pass bills that target Plan B and even IUDs, which are another form of birth control, And just a reminder, birth control is not abortion, but it is part of reproductive health care.
What this means is that birth control is more important than ever, especially in states where abortion is now or will soon become legal.
There's so much happening, and it feels like what we're really talking about is having the agency to be a parent or not right and the.
State of things.
It's really scary because never in my wildest nightmares did I think that Roe v. Wade would be overturned, Like I just I didn't think it was even possible. In my mind, it was just never going to happen. So it makes me feel like, what's next? What else is going to happen that we aren't even thinking about right now?
Yes, and combining that with the awful state of maternal health care and healthcare in general, it feels like that meme where the dog is sitting at the table and the fire the room's on fire around him and he's just fine.
It's not right. It's not fine, Oh America, you and danger girl.
My biggest update for everyone is that our midterm elections are coming up on November eighth. In some states, you're even able to vote early, but I encourage everyone to go to the polls and vote for your local and state level legislations in the way that protects your rights.
Thank you so much to doctor Russo and Simon Tape for providing us with this important update. To learn more about their work, check out Lab forty one and Lab sixty two, or visit Aiden dot com and Poppyseed Health dot com. Before we dive into our next expert update, let's find out what you our listeners had to say about this semester so far.
Hi.
My name is Jimmy, and I've been a loyal and dedicated listener of Dope Labs since the beginning, and I'm calling in just to give my input in my favorite.
Episode from semester four, I think for me, it was the celebrating Juneteenth through Food episode with gus Nicole Taylor, and she's talking about recipes from her cookbook Watermelon and Redbird, as well as other Juneteenth food traditions.
I loved that episode because of how delicious everything sounded. I remember I was listening to it when I was outside mowing the lawn and it made me so hungry listening to the.
Episode that I had to stop part way through and come inside to the house to get a snack. So I love that one. Of course so many many others. But thank you to Zakia and t T and the rest of the Dope Lezartine for everything you do.
Have loved all the episodes, and congratulations on finishing up the semester, and I'm looking forward to semester number five.
I know Watermelon and Redbirds had quite a few of our listeners inspired. I remember somebody commenting and saying, but how do I keep the turkey burger from being dry? And I was like, girl, I don't have the answers. Do you have to talk to Nicole?
Yes, And a lot of folks were purchasing Watermelon and Redbirds and making the food and posting pictures, and so we really enjoy seeing y'all get into the kitchen and experiment with some cuisine that maybe you have never had, or using Nicole Taylor's twists to enhance the food that you're making.
Loved it now.
Watermelon Redbirds was really focused on celebrating traditions and it's time for a long love tradition in my family and that is homecoming season.
Oh kay mm hm m hm.
And we have to shout out one of our favorite episodes from semester four as well as one of our favorite people, Xavier Journ Again also known as X, who came on the show to talk to us all about homecoming and the HBCU experience.
What's up, Sequillah, what's up? TT? It's ex Exavier Journ Again. Proud HBCU Alum. HBCU, a pride Florida inn and University is in the.
House now TT. You know this is a topic that's near and dear to my heart because I went to an HBCU Hampton University, And even though I went to a different school from X, I can relate to the level of pride he has when he's speaking about his alma mater. And I think it's something that most of us who attended an hbc you can relate to.
Oh. I was in the airport recently.
And I had on my Hampton sweatshirt, the same one that you have, and this man came up to me and he was like, I heard Howard was real?
Hu.
I said, you want to fight in the general facility and he was like, he was like, I even go to Howard or Hampton. He was like, I just went to another HBCU, So I like to keep the HBCU pride riled up, you know. I was like, Bro, you're gonna get me kicked out of this was in TSA.
They're gonna put you on the no fly list, you know.
Like I said in LAB fifty one, I feel like I would have loved going to an HBCU and I should have went to Hampton so I could be there with you, my friend, Like that.
Would have been lick. Could you imagine us being together in undergrad we.
Went have graduated, think we can still be there or kicked out?
Now let's get to the juicy stuff. With homecoming season, there is always some t to b spilled, especially when it comes to football. Earlier in the semester, in LAP fifty one, we talked about the rise of HBCU football teams, especially with the former NFL players going back to coach at those teams, and we saw this with Jackson State and mister Prime Time himself Deon Sanders.
Yes, and I have to start with the fact that fam you, my beloved, all my Mary y'all know, I believe that Range and Green. We are the number one public HBCU for the fourth consecutive year. We're so proud of that. There was some drama between Alabama State and Jackson State during Alabama State's homecoming. Now, you know, it's disrespectful when you invite a good team to come and
play you on your homecoming. And what Coach Prime said is that Alabama State was trying to sell out their stadium by inviting Jackson State.
Listen, Coach Prime, Deon Sanders is gonna bring the crowd, and Jackson State has been winning, so people definitely want to come see them play.
They took that as disrespect. They even caught it a money game, basically saying, y'all gonna get y'all money because y'all gona sell out y'all stadium because y'all invited Jackson State to come, so y'all you want your money. All money ain't good money. And they got beat. It was a closely contested game, but listen, it led to some acrimony and after the game, you know, the coaches go out on the field to shake hands at the end
of the game. They shook hands, but coach Eddie Robinson junior of Alabama State refused to give him a bro hug. He put his hand out and put his hand on his chest, like, nah, get out of my face.
And in the press conference after the game, they were still exchanging some words.
I guess please, ain't up front.
It's just like I thought. There was a lot of disrespect the whole week, and so you're not gonna be disrespectful the whole week in the media.
We didn't talk.
In the pre game. I was out there the whole time, Like the fifty yard line, he walked through our whole huddle.
On our end zone.
He came a long way around to get to hit side of the field in pre game. But that wasn't classic at all. And so in the postgame, I'm not about to give you to Obama brothers. Y know, I'm gonna shake your hand.
I'm gonna go on.
I'm gonna always be respectful and respect the game. I'm living on the shows of the swag. He ain't swap.
You know, I'm swack.
He ain't swack.
So he's in the conference doing a great job. Came not that, got a great team. Love all that, but you're not gonna come here in disrespect being my team and my school and didn't want to grow up, shake my hand and get the hell on.
Period.
You got the w great job. I hope he comes.
Back next year.
I pray he don't get a part five the job so we can play them next year in Jackson, and I prayed they put us for their damn on.
So that's what Coach Robinson had to say, And let's listen to what Coach Prime or Deon Sanders had to say in response.
I listened very carefully when people are upset, because usually what they say they mean it, but's whatever you meant that mess. And one of the comments that kind of disturbed me out of all the comments, and I'm not swack?
Who is?
I got time today? Who is swack? If ain't Swacke? Who is swaite? If ain't swack? Who is Swacke? If I ain't who is swat baby?
Who is?
This is one of my favorite clips on the internet right now, and I've been saying if I'm not swack, who's swacked?
All over my house since that interview dropped.
But you know, all of this makes me think about our linguistics episode and how you know. Some of this might not make sense to some folks, but luckily for all of us, we've got a resident country grammar expert as one of the most of this podcast, a Kida break down. What coach Prime Dion Sanders what he's saying.
Well, first of all, I think I have to back up and just say he's saying swack because somebody I know thought he was saying swipe and I was like, no, swack, swac And his football team is in the Southwestern Atlantic Conference and so the acronym for that is swack. And so he's saying, if I ain't swag, like, if I am not the embodiment of what it means to be a part of this conference, then you tell me who is?
And so if you translate that to Shakespearean, now I'm just if not me, then who is what Deon Sanders is saying. And he's like, I am it? And the baby on there do you hear how he said?
Who is swack? Baby? And the pauses?
It's just it's a prime example of using space like I love it, and it is very confrontational.
Here's a lot of bravado. Yes, these are fighting words. If you don't know.
So it's a lot going on in the HBCU world, in the world of college football. And again shout out to fan you number one public HBCU or the fourth consecutive year in county. Love y'all tt love youse the key of my fellow HBCU Alum. I'm gonna talk to y'all, swet. I can't wait to come back on the show with the two dopest scientists around. I'm gonna holler at y'all, lady and all out peaks.
Okay, let's take a break, and when we come back, we're gonna talk about some of your favorite labs from the semester.
Hey, my name is Destiny. I'm from Brooklyn, and my favorite episode this season was Lab seventy eight. What about your Friend's Part two on attachment styles? Because that is something I have been struggling with for so long, but it's great to know, like how to work past it or how to work with other people with different attachment styles.
Thank you so much, Destiny.
It was so great to hear from you, and it's nice to hear that our conversation with doctor Marissa Gifranco was useful. And now I'm curious. Did the episode help you identify your attachment style? Have you had any difficult but necessary conversations with your friends since you listen to the episode.
I don't know about destiny, but I know that I have definitely been more aware of my attachment style and try not to make assumptions that my friends have the same attachment style that I do, especially after you told me it was a rough ride.
A no, but it's a ride you love to be on. You know, it's like a roller coaster. You screaming, but you're having a good time.
For more, please check out our recent episode What About Your Friends Part Two and doctor Marissa G. Franco's book Platonic How the Science of Attachment can help you make and keep Friends.
I really love doctor Franco's book. I have so many tabs in it and it really helped me personally because of the attachment style that I have, which is anxious, and so I tend to have more anxiety when it comes to making friends and keeping the friends that I have, and it helped me get out of my own head and give me the tool that I need to be able to be a better friend even though I am
feeling these feelings. You know, I feel like, even regardless of your attachment style, we all have some baseline anxiety going on. Yes, And that makes me think back to LAP thirty eight with neuroscientist doctor Wendy Suzuki in her book Good Anxiety. You remember she was telling us how to harness anxiety for.
Good and she's like, you should be a little bit concerned, you should be a little bit nervous. And I was like, girl, I'm past a little bit. I am paralyzed, okay, But you know, I remember being surprised to learn that anxiety was an emotion in the first place. Like, up until that point, I was like, oh, anxiety is a problem.
Yeah, but anxiety actually helps you in certain situations. I love the analogy that she had where you know, like if a animals in the woods and they hear a stick break, their anxiety levels go up, but it helps them be on alert so that they can, you know, defend themselves if need be.
And you know, she helped us understand how our modern lives are moving so much faster, with so much information and things always being on It's moving so much faster than our hardware. Our brains are still in the Woods, and we're living in Times Square with lights and bills and notifications, you know, And so we're on constant alert, right and we're seeing healthcare providers start taking note of this.
So in September, an advisory group called the US Preventive Services Task Force recommended that doctors screened all adult patients under sixty five for anxiety. But just recently, now that's adults. They also recommended it for children over eight to be screened for anxiety too.
Wow, honestly, it's not surprising that, you know, a majority of folks young and old are dealing with anxiety. We're coming off two plus years of a pandemic. Joe Biden says, the pandemic is over. I don't know if that's true. And we're dealing with inflation. I mean, even Cardi b has talked about it, and she's rich.
And starting to think about inflation makes my head hurt. Okay, inflation potential recession. I was so glad we got to talk to doctor Vanessa Perry in Lab seventy nine where she really unpacked inflation recession interest rates. And even though it was published last month, it's still relevant. It's still important right now exactly.
Just a couple of weeks ago, JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Diamond warned of quote very very serious changes in the economy that could pave the way for a recession in the next six to nine months.
Meanwhile, President Joe Biden is saying that he doubts there will be a recession, and if there is, that it will be very slight. Breah, I don't know what very slight means. Slight for who, Yeah, slight is very unclear. And while we can't know for sure what very slight means, we do know for sure that many Americans are continuing to struggle with rising prices.
Just a few weeks ago, the Labor Department released new data showing that consumer prices have been rising more quickly than expected.
And remember we talked about that in the lab. And there are also some really great graphs on our show notes just to show you how quickly it is.
Climbing.
I mean, I'm talking highest level in forty years climbing. M it's got on climbing gear and it needs to take it easy.
Crampons everything. It's ready. It's not free solo climbing.
TT What were some of your favorite moments from this season.
I think one of my favorite moments from the season, which I was really glad that we were able to publish on the feed, was our live show at the Great Northern.
That was our first in person live show. I was so nervous.
You didn't look nervous, and you kept looking at me like, why are you so nervous?
Yes, why are you nervous?
Girl?
We do this all the time. We do we get to have more friends laughing.
With us, I know, but I was just like, man, I really hope that they are laughing.
And if they don't laugh, I'm going to look at the audience and say, didn't you find that funny?
My friends making people feel awkward?
I think we should all be uncomfortable together now. If you're not laughing at I'm uncomfortable, now, it's your turn to be uncomfortable.
No, but I loved it. It was amazing.
It was such a great opportunity to take Dope Labs on the road, meet a lot of the people who have been longtime listeners, and you know, switch up the format a little bit from our normal Dope Labs episodes that we do in studio for a live audience. It was so much fun and I love being able to do that with you friend.
Yes, you know, we've done a few virtual live shows and we've done more live shows since now. I know this is early, but we do know in the spring we will be back for one of our favorite shows yep, with one of our favorite partners. Yes, and that's the Boston Museum of Science. So if you're in the Boston area the New England Corridor, look for us in spring twenty twenty three. Dope Labs will.
Be there, yes, and make sure you're following us on social media so that you find out when the exact day is.
What's your favorite episode?
One of my favorite episodes TT was the Oyster episode. Oh Yes, we've been supporting oysters for a long time.
Me and you oyster fans.
Yes, together friend, keeping the Gulf Coast alive. Yes, but to hear from Bill Walton about all the amazing efforts that he's doing with Oyster South. They just had a big oyster festival here in Atlanta. I think maybe it
was Indicator, Yes, and Bill's group was also there. It's called Landlocked, and so it's just bringing in all these different people in oyster aquaculture and I was like, hey, I know what that means now because I listened to our lab and we got to talk to him and learn so many different things about all that goes into growing, maintaining, and harvesting oysters. So it was a lot of fun for me. I really liked that episode.
You know another episode that I liked it. I know you liked what our.
Episode for Black Music Month where we had on Doctor Mark, Anthony Neil, and Ninth Wonder. That episode was so impactful and we were able to add in so much amazing music to help tell the story. And Ninth Wonder and doctor Neil are just I mean, they are leaders when it comes to the music, and so we were really happy to have them on the show and we made this really beautiful episode. I really encourage everybody to go back and listen to that episode. It is so sonically just powerful.
Yes, somebody was asking me recently, like, when they think about the music that's the soundscape to today's time, how can they find the music that was the soundscape to all these other eras? And I was like, first of all, you need to google doctor Mark Anthony Neil, and then you will have the answers to.
All of that.
Read every book that he's published. Yeah, and you can find doctor Mark Anthony Neil at Left of Black podcast. It's more like a video podcast and he brings on tons of guests and ask amazing questions. Definitely check him out. And ninth Wonder is doing a lot of kind of like live shows again. He's still teaching and he just released a shoot with KD.
Yeah. I saw that. I was like, dang, he's doing.
Everything's guests experts are doing it big.
You know.
When we first set out to make semester four and go weekly, a lot of people doubt it that we could do it, that we could go weekly, that we could quadruple our episodes and do it in such a short time skill a lot of people didn't believe in us. I was people, but I did.
Yeah.
I was just like, oh my gosh, this is a lot of episodes at such a rapid pace. I knew we could do it, and I knew we would get to this point, but I was a little bit nervous.
But listen, the reason I knew we could do it this is because we have such an amazing team and we don't talk about it a lot, but I think it's really important to highlight the folks that keep this going. And it's not just me and TT y'all, they're actually the people that are training us. They're like, please shut up, stop, it's too much. And so that's the audio guru herself, doctor Jenny Ratlick Mass, doctor of Audio.
And her right hand Lydia Smith, who is also a part of wave Runner Studios.
Yes, wave Runner Studios is saving the day all the time and making sure that even when TT and I are like, what about this one last thing and can we add this? And what do you think about that, they're really making sure that A we don't run over time, B we are factually accurate, and.
That we are staying true to who we say we want to be.
And so we're so grateful to be working with them. And wave Runner brought us some more friends, Rob Smerciak.
Yes, Rob has been doing such an amazing job on our sound design. He has really taking us up a notch this semester where we've been able to really do something that we thought was possible, but we didn't know if it was possible with us, and Rob just said yes you can and just made these really amazing episodes, So we're really grateful to Rob and we got to think our og mixer, Hannes Brown, who has been with
us since semester one. He does an amazing job and we are just so grateful to be able to work with him.
You don't want to hear our voices unmixed. We're yell right now they sound like this. And also throughout the season keeping things going. The shout out to Izzy Ross, Brianna Garrett Carral.
Orlando and Griffin Jennings, and a big shout out to all of the folks who help with the show, and a big shout out to Spotify for always being super supportive and making sure that Dope Labs is running smoothly. Our one thing for this lab our semester finale is you everyone listening right now. We are so grateful that you've all been such big fans of Dope Labs and for saying that we want more episodes, and so for us to be able to transition from bi weekly to weekly to give you more.
It's been so special, such.
A wild ride that we have loved every step of the way. We thank you all so much for sending all the messages. DMS tweets, emails, We read everything, and we love the support that we get from all of you, so thank you so much, and we'll see you next semester.
That's right. That's it for Lab eighty four.
You gonna miss us.
Even though this is the last lab of this semester, it's never too early to start preparing for next year, that's right. If you want to get ahead, you read the syllabus.
Yep, you got them.
Get the book before the semester starts and read the first couple chapters.
And so that's what we're trying to do. If you already know something you want to hear about, give us a call. Two zero two five six seven seven zero two eight. That's two zero two five six seven seven zero two eight.
And don't forget there's so much more for you to dig into on our website. There'll be a cheat sheet for today's lab and additional links and resources in the show notes. Plus, you can sign up for our newsletter check it out at Dope labspodcast dot com. Special thanks to today's guest experts, Xavier Journ Again, doctor Elizabeth Bruzzo, and Simon Tate.
You can hear them on past episodes. Of Dope Labs this semester. We'll have links to their labs in the show notes at Dope Labs podcast dot com and you.
Can find us on Twitter and Instagram at Dope Lab Podcast.
Tt is on Twitter and Instagram at dr Underscore T s h O, and you can find Zakia at z said So. Dope Labs is a Spotify original production from Mega Owned Media Group. Our producers are Jenny Radlett Mass and Lydia Smith of WaveRunner Studios. Our associate producer is Caro Rolando. Editing and sound design by Rob Smarziak, with additional mixing and sound design by Hannes Brown. Original music composed and produced by Taka Yasuzawa and Alex Zugiura from
Spotify Creative producer Miguel Contreras. Special thanks to Shirley Ramos, Jess Borrison, Till krat Key and Brian Marquis Executive producers from Mega Owned Media Group rs T T Show Dia and Zakiah Wattley. Why do you Like Me?
I was like, wish she about to say always like what ye smile on her face?
I was like she would have to say something crazy