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 Fount...
Mar 07, 2024•35 min•Season 16Ep. 1
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
Feb 29, 2024•3 min
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/Sc...
Dec 14, 2023•48 min•Season 15Ep. 13
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 (...
Dec 07, 2023•44 min•Season 15Ep. 12
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 ...
Nov 30, 2023•42 min•Season 15Ep. 12
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://...
Nov 23, 2023•43 min•Season 15Ep. 11
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 g...
Nov 16, 2023•40 min•Season 15Ep. 10
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:...
Nov 09, 2023•53 min•Season 15Ep. 9
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 slee...
Nov 02, 2023•32 min•Season 15Ep. 8
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 autho...
Oct 26, 2023•44 min•Season 15Ep. 7
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:...
Oct 19, 2023•44 min•Season 15Ep. 6
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...
Oct 12, 2023•41 min•Season 15Ep. 5
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 Pre...
Oct 05, 2023•39 min•Season 15Ep. 4
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 con...
Sep 28, 2023•52 min•Season 15Ep. 3
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 ...
Sep 21, 2023•42 min•Season 15Ep. 2
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. P...
Sep 14, 2023•43 min•Season 15Ep. 1
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
Sep 07, 2023•3 min•Season 14Ep. 23
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 d...
Aug 24, 2023•44 min•Season 14Ep. 22
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, wi...
Aug 17, 2023•38 min•Season 14Ep. 21
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 H...
Aug 10, 2023•32 min•Season 14Ep. 20
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/SVFavDrug...
Aug 03, 2023•38 min•Season 14Ep. 19
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 S...
Jul 27, 2023•29 min•Season 14Ep. 18
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 Carm...
Jul 20, 2023•25 min•Season 14Ep. 17
Watch bats perform jaw-dropping high-flying acts — like landing upside down on the top of a cave — with topflight bat researcher Sharon Swartz. Come for the astounding bat video, stay for Wendy’s outsized facial reactions. Footage courtesy of Swartz and Breuer labs, Brown University, supported by the NSF. Produced by Flora Lichtman with help from Wendy Zukerman. Fact checking by Carmen Drahl. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music by Bobby Lord and Emma Munger. Learn more about your ad choic...
Jul 20, 2023•4 min•Season 14Ep. 16
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...
Jun 29, 2023•41 min•Season 14Ep. 15
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: Zo...
Jun 22, 2023•35 min•Season 14Ep. 14
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...
Jun 15, 2023•37 min•Season 14Ep. 13
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. He...
Jun 08, 2023•43 min•Season 14Ep. 12
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 hav...
Jun 01, 2023•41 min•Season 14Ep. 11
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 su...
May 25, 2023•37 min•Season 14Ep. 10
