Why is one German tree considered to be the Cupid of Europe? Once upon a time a clandestine love led to a ritual that rivals the dating apps of today. From its centuries-old roots to love under the leaves, this feel-good tale of a tree is a testament to the real romantics out there. Modern courtship could use a little more nature, and thanks to its postal address, there is a charming and whimsical way to reach out to prospective connections via a knothole far, far away in the forest. Send your l...
Apr 16, 2025•23 min•Season 6Ep. 353
Ever wonder why some of the best stories make you say, “Oh no… please don’t do that” before immediately leaning in closer?From ancient mythology to modern prestige television, this taboo theme has been used to explore power, fate, trauma, and the unraveling of societies. In this episode, we trace its use from the tragedies of Greek myth to the shocking twists of contemporary cinema, unpacking why writers continue to return to this most controversial of narrative tools. Is it just for shock value...
Apr 09, 2025•37 min•Season 6Ep. 353
What if the secret to unlocking new dimensions of reality is simply letting your mind wander? Dive into the Default Mode Network (DMN)—the brain’s backstage crew, working away when there's no specific demand on it. Don’t be fooled—while it might seem it's like “doing nothing,” the DMN is busy with some of your brain’s most important work. We’ll dive into how this network influences creativity, self-reflection, and even your very sense of reality. From meditation to daydreaming, this episode unco...
Apr 02, 2025•39 min•Season 6Ep. 352
One minute, you’re smitten. The next, you’re watching someone pronounce “salmon” with the L and wondering how fast you can escape. This week, Bryde teaches Jeremie all about “the ick”—that sudden, irrational wave of disgust that can turn attraction into repulsion in an instant. Where does it come from? Is it evolutionary self-protection or just our brains being dramatic? From Love Island to TikTok trends, we explore how the ick has evolved, its connection to cringe, and why it might be keeping m...
Mar 26, 2025•44 min•Season 6Ep. 351
If you think modern dating is complicated, try navigating love, lust, and leeches in the Middle Ages. In this episode, Bryde takes Jer on a deep (and sometimes horrifying) dive into medieval sexuality, from bizarre birth control methods (weasel testicles, anyone?) to the church’s very strong opinions on sex positions. We explore the rise of shame, the fall of hygiene, and why monks were doodling dirty jokes in the margins of sacred texts. Plus, a pop quiz on medieval myths—did too much sex reall...
Mar 19, 2025•50 min•Season 6Ep. 350
Is post-sex affection the secret to long-term relationship satisfaction? In this final installment of Carnal Knowledge , we dive into the power of aftercare with resident expert Anna. From cuddles to heartfelt conversations, discover why those tender moments after intimacy matter more than you might think. Anna breaks down fascinating research linking aftercare to stronger bonds, better sex, and lasting relationship happiness—even for busy parents. Plus, hilarious tangents on dishwasher debates ...
Jan 03, 2025•26 min•Season 5Ep. 349
A compliment can be a real can of worms. Even a well intentioned compliment can set off a chain of emotional and psychological outcomes for a person, and this week the hosts sort out the reasons why that may be. Citing a well researched bbc.com article called “Why it’s so hard for some people to accept compliments” (Christine Ro, April 2024), Jeremie and Bryde discuss the impact of cultural and behavioural factors on the subject and have come up with some best and worst practices when it comes t...
Dec 20, 2024•48 min•Season 5Ep. 348
Puberty is a horrendous time when you don’t know what the fuck is happening to your body, mind, and worldview. Remember the tortuous days of sitting out of gym class because there was a pad in your underwear, or getting a nickname because of your body odour? Demetra Malios is an entrepreneur in tech and is the CEO and founder of Pu-berry, a platform offering interactive, gamified, and medically verified education to help young people navigate puberty with confidence. Demi shares the stats and in...
Dec 16, 2024•47 min•Season 5Ep. 347
Everyone's horny and sexual function is for every body, AND there are some unique considerations for folks living with disability when it comes to personal pleasure. This week, Anna breaks down a literary review that discusses the historical context for studying sex and disability, as well as the positive aspects and particular challenges to sex positivity. A mind-opening conversation is had about how our misconceptions of what disability feels and looks like may be limiting how we see the sexua...
Dec 06, 2024•31 min•Season 5Ep. 346
William A Moore is making (wet) dreams come true by providing penis enhancements that blow the competitors out of the water. Lips, cheeks, butts, boobs, of course there’s also filler for a penis you might want to plump up. Moore chats with the hosts about PhalloFill, a non-invasive procedure using hyaluronic acid to help someone reach their girth goal. They chat about the contraindications (of which there are few), the implications of body dysmorphia as a red flag for treatment, and the importan...
Dec 05, 2024•45 min•Season 5Ep. 345
Disney should really produce an adult, kink-themed experience for all the now grownups who first became aware of their fantasies after seeing them depicted by cartoon characters in beloved childhood movies. How did “Peter Pan” influence a young, religious cult community escapee to become her fully expressed self? Read all about it! Ariel Anderssen joins the hosts this week to discuss the life trajectory she covers in her memoir, “Playing To Lose: How a Jehovah’s Witness Became a Submissive BDSM ...
Nov 28, 2024•47 min•Season 5Ep. 344
If Lady Di (Princess of Wales) was still living, she could probably dominate only fans, right? Enter Lauren Spencer, a 50-something, successful adult content creator and ambassador for TurnOnVideo.com, adored for her soft, teasing manner, and of course, her uncanny resemblance to the OG Spencer MILF. Ms. Spencer shares a little about her journey as a naughty phone operator in the 90s and the no-brainer decision to go all in on camera when the pandemic shut her business in 2020. The hosts are “go...
Oct 30, 2024•37 min•Season 5Ep. 343
What if closeness was overwhelming to your senses? For neurodivergent individuals, sensory avoidant or sensory seeking behaviours can cause havoc in relationships if not properly understood. The good news is that communication, no surprise, can make a world of difference. This week the hosts sit down with certified somatic sex coach and trauma specialist, Nuria Reed, and the conversation takes some twists and turns, including some thoughts on spiritual frameworks for healing, a chaotic kundalini...
Oct 16, 2024•47 min•Season 5Ep. 342
Sex education rests in the hands of the media and serves the objectives of capitalism - sounds healthy and pleasurable, right? So not sexy. To undo this, let’s go back to school on the subject of childhood development. Dr. Tina Schermer Sellers is chatting with the podcast hosts once again, revisiting and diving deeper into the implications of abstinence only sex education and purity culture, and how we can make the future happier and healthier for the next generation by liberating ourselves fro...
Oct 09, 2024•57 min•Season 5Ep. 341
Sometimes the biggest challenges in a relationship come from within, and sometimes they come from how the world sees us. This week, Anna explores a study on intimacy and sexuality from the perspective of partners of transgender and non-binary individuals. She delves into the complexities of gender dysphoria during intimacy, the importance of consent and microaffirmations, and the many strategies couples use to navigate body dysphoria, such as regendering body parts or using prosthetics. Whether ...
Oct 04, 2024•24 min•Season 5Ep. 340
This one's for the penis'. Jeremie reviews the most recent product the podcast has received from a guest, made especially for the penis, inspired by real, watchable blow jobs. Truly the gift that will keep on giving. Take a listen to August's episode "Blowjobs Unlimited: The Mechanical Blowjob" to hear more about how Autoblow came to be and where you can find your very own VacuGlide, the toy that Jeremie is keeping for himself. Bryde tells Jeremie a bit about phalloplasty (penis surgery), the te...
Oct 02, 2024•53 min•Season 5Ep. 339
Window shopping for romance may define this era of dating. Apps have taken over the public spaces where we used to make social connections, and swiping takes seconds, where sifting through a pile of profiles at olympic speed gets you to the bottom of an empty barrel pretty quickly. Today, sex researcher Anna talks the hosts through a paper on the impact of choice overload when it comes to all those fish in the sea (in the barrel?). Turns out that the more fish, the less satisfaction. Have a list...
Sep 27, 2024•31 min•Season 5Ep. 338
Do you talk to your doc about your sex life? Dr. Evelin Dacker is a family practitioner and sexual health educator. Her experience over 30 years in practice has guided her towards being a leader among physicians, educating other doctors on how and why they should be talking to their patients about sex. The hosts chat with Evelin about the medical impact of pleasure, the healing nature of authenticity, and the result of a culture that glorifies suffering. Dr. Dacker breaks down her STARS framewor...
Sep 19, 2024•50 min•Season 5Ep. 337
History has been hard on our favourite hands-on hobby. Wanking has not been thoroughly explored in science research despite its significance in human sexuality from beginning to end of life, but Dr. Eric Sprankle has compiled his findings in a book all about our favourite pastime, “DIY: The Wonderfully Weird History and Science of Masturbation”. In this episode, Dr. Sprankle shares some curious and strange tales from the history of masturbation including how the act has been viewed by different ...
Sep 11, 2024•48 min•Season 5Ep. 336
When it comes to pelvic floor health, it’s not just about Kegels and crossed legs. Dr. Sara Reardon, a.k.a. "The Vagina Whisperer," demystifies the often-overlooked world of pelvic floor therapy, revealing that it’s not just for those with vaginas. In this episode, she dives deep into the common issues like urinary leakage, pain, and tension that can affect anyone, regardless of gender. Do you blow your nose while you pee like Bryde? Well, you shouldn't. From sneezing while peeing to managing sc...
Sep 04, 2024•44 min•Season 5Ep. 335
Brian Sloan has dedicated his career to perfecting the art of the machine-driven blowjob. This week Bryde and Jeremie enjoy a fascinating and hilarious conversation with Brian who details the ins and outs of AutoBlow, the leading brand of blowjob machines on the market. What makes a great blowjob? Tech and technique come together in the innovation of these machines, and if you want to hear how much further tech can take you, tune in to hear about the future potential of video syncing, voice cont...
Aug 28, 2024•48 min•Season 5Ep. 334
When we’re growing up, it’s hard to conceive that the future will feel any different than the present, but the slogan “it gets better”, made popular by sexpert Dan Savage specifically addressing LGBTQ+ youth, tries to bridge that gap with reassurance. But does it actually get better? This week, sex researcher Anna delivers a longitudinal analysis following 230 LGTBQ+ adolescents over three and a half years. The paper talks about the distress caused by harassment and the impact and correlation of...
Aug 23, 2024•28 min•Season 5Ep. 333
They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but sometimes a few well-chosen words can ignite the imagination in ways a picture never could. In this episode, Carly Pfeiffer, founder of Read Aurore, delves into the world of erotic storytelling, exploring how reading erotica can be a more nuanced and fulfilling experience than visual porn. Carly discusses the educational benefits of erotica, from inspiring fresh bedroom ideas to providing a platform for diverse voices in the genre. Whether you're...
Aug 21, 2024•44 min•Season 5Ep. 332
Does it really matter if one parent in a couple does more parenting? In today's episode, sex researcher Anna delivers some Carnal Knowledge to Jeremie and Bryde via a research study on how the division of child care can affect sexual intimacy and relationship quality in heterosexual couples. They chat about what influences parents when dividing up responsibilities, what those responsibilities really are, and the systemic barriers that prevent an equal division of child rearing. It turns out that...
Aug 16, 2024•27 min•Season 5Ep. 331
When it comes to love and connection, our childhood experiences often cast long shadows. Today’s guest is Alex Bishop, a registered professional counsellor with strong roots in the IFS - or - Internal Family Systems framework, and the main focus of the conversation is attachment theory and how it impacts the way we form relationships - at home, at work, and at play. Bryde introduces the concept of IFS, a way of examining one’s inner experience from a lens of compassion and curiosity, making spac...
Aug 14, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 5Ep. 330
Take a walk through a deep, dark, sexy dungeon and you know what you will find? Attachment styles doing what attachment styles do, playing out secure or anxious-attachment, matching lids to every pot, and finding the right configuration to work through deep desires and heal hurts. This week researcher Anna dishes out the Carnal Knowledge determined by a survey study of 771 BDSM and non-BDSM practitioners to explore whether BDSM is a maladaptive coping mechanism in response to early life dynamics...
Aug 09, 2024•21 min•Season 5Ep. 329
The best case scenario when your partner opens up about their fetish is that it turns out to be yours too. Demora Avarice is an adult content creator on Loyal Fans and she and her husband run her brand together while enjoying the gradual but consistent growth of her assets, currently landing around a 36W bra size. Jeremie and Bryde chat with Demora about what goes into (literally) breast expansion and how she came to know and love the experience of feeling her body expand. Demora talks about the...
Aug 07, 2024•53 min•Season 5Ep. 328
Mindfulness matters….in bed. Welcome back to another episode of Carnal Knowledge. This week, Anna tells Jeremie and Bryde about the findings of a 2019 systematic review on the role that meditation can play with sexual dysfunction. The review found three themes: sexual disorders related to pain, desire/arousal disorders, and erectile dysfunction. There’s a little more research on people with vulvas than on those with penises in this case (say what, science?), but the results are hopeful for eithe...
Aug 02, 2024•26 min•Season 5Ep. 327
Disconnection from one’s own body has a host of effects on the individual and on a partnership. Dr. Mazarin Molai is a sex and relationship therapist and clinical psychologist with extensive experience and training in the treatment of eating disorders and addiction. She hosts the Sexology Podcast, a weekly discussion with other psychologists and researchers to explore the most intriguing findings in psychology of sex and intimacy. Dr. Moali also hosts a podcast in Farsi, which broadcasts out to ...
Jul 31, 2024•51 min•Season 5Ep. 326
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Jul 24, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Season 5Ep. 325
