We will be BACK with brand-new episodes in just one week! Join us for pun-packed science romps on microplastics, social media, climate tipping points, narcissism, fiber, lucid dreaming — and a ton more. Fact you Sept. 12! Video production by Bobby Lord. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord and Sam Bair. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We asked you all: Do you have questions for Wendy and the Science Vs team? And oh boy, did you have questions. Hundreds of questions from all across the globe. Today on the show, senior producer Rose Rimler gets the goss on Wendy's personal life, finds out what happened when Wendy got hypnotized, and spills the tea on Science Vs.  Watch this episode as a video on Spotify. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/sciencevsawa (00:00) Ask Wendy Anything! (02:20) Wendy’s bad date (04:05) Wendy gets hypnotized (10:45) Wendy and Rose’s Roman Empires (12:53) Behind the scenes at Science Vs (21:10)  How doing Science Vs has changed Wendy’s behavior (23:42) Wendy’s hair care routine (25:53) Wendy gets trolled by her sister This episode was produced by Blythe Terrell and Rose Rimler, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. Edited, mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord, So Wylie and Peter Leonard. Thanks to Evan Munro-Smith at Stupid Old Studios; Kevin Cureghian, Mark Amber, Nick Johnson, T Cruz and Paige Ransbury. Special thanks to The Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Since the beginning of women’s sports, there has been a struggle over who qualifies for the women’s category. So this week, we're sharing an episode of a new podcast we love, called Tested. Tested follows the unfolding story of elite female runners who have been told they can no longer race as women because of their biology. As they work toward the Olympics, they face hard choices: take drugs to lower their natural testosterone levels, give up their sport entirely, or fight. This episode asks: Would you alter your body for the chance to compete for a gold medal? You’ll meet runner Christine Mboma and hear about the difficult choice she faces.  Find more episodes of Tested at https://link.chtbl.com/XReiimtO Tested is from CBC, NPR’s Embedded, and Bucket of Eels. The show is written, reported, and hosted by Rose Eveleth. Editing by Alison MacAdam and Veronica Simmonds. Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman, Andrew Mambo, and Rhaina Cohen. Additional reporting, producing, and editing by Lisa Pollak. Sound design by Mitra Kaboli. Our production manager is Michael Kamel. Anna Ashitey is our digital producer. This series was mixed by Robert Rodriguez. Fact checking by Dania Suleman. Our intersex script consultant is Hans Lindahl. Archival research by Hillary Dann. Legal support from Beverly Davis. Mixed for Science Vs by Bobby Lord. Special thanks to Yeezir for letting us use his song Silent Hero, and Keith Houston, Amir Nakhjavani, and Damon Papadopoulos. French translation by Vanessa Nicolai. Special thanks also to CBC Licensing. Additional audio from World Athletics and Warner Brothers. At CBC, Chris Oke and Cesil Fernandes are Executive Producers, Tanya Springer is the Senior Manager, and Arif Noorani is the Director of CBC Podcasts. At NPR, Katie Simon is Supervising Editor for Embedded. Irene Noguchi is Executive Producer. NPR’s senior vice president for podcasting is Collin Campbell. We got legal support from Micah Ratner. And thanks to NPR’s Managing Editor for Standards and Practices, Tony Cavin. This series was created with support from a New America fellowship. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

[REBROADCAST] 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/sciencevshydrationrerun  We’re doing an “Ask Wendy Anything” episode! To ask Wendy a question, get in touch on Instagram: Science_Vs; Tiktok: @wendyzukerman. If you want to send us a voicemail you can email us on sciencevs@gimletmedia.com. If you're in the US, you can call us at 774-481-1238. This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Nick DelRose, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, Courtney Gilbert, Rose Rimler and Disha Bhagat. Editing 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 Goodall, Dr. Ekua Annobil, Professor Barbara Rolls and Dr. Krista Casazza. Special thanks to Rasha Aridi, Eric Mennel, The Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We’re hearing stories of people having amazing, cosmic orgasms. So what buttons are they pressing to do this?? Well, it's just one. The “male G spot,” also called the “P spot,” because that P stands for prostate. Word on the street is that if you touch your prostate in just the right way — BAM — one helluva orgasm. But is that really true? And if you don't have a prostate (ahem, me): are you stuck with your garden variety orgasms? To get to the bottom of this, Science Vs surveyed almost 16,000 people about anal sex and masturbation! We also speak with Dr Dan Dickstein, Dr Tom Gaither and Neuroscientist Dr Nan Wise. Have an idea for a Science Vs episode? Let us know! On Instagram we're Science_Vs, Wendy's Tiktok is @wendyzukerman and our email is sciencevs@gimletmedia.com Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsMind-BlowingOrgasms In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Absolutely cosmic orgasms (04:47) Anal sex is big right now (08:52) What makes the prostate special (12:02) The hole story. The butthole story. (20:19) How to get a cosmic orgasm (29:19) Tips and tricks for great anal sex (34:54) The real G spot This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler, and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Emma Munger, Bumi Hidaka and Peter Leonard. A huge thank you to Sam Levang for her help analyzing our data. And Professor Caroline Pukall and Dan Dickstein for your help with our survey questions. Thanks to the researchers we spoke to including Dr Devon Hensel. Thanks to Jack Weinstein, Hunter, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Protein influencers are big right now, telling us that we're probably missing out on the protein we need — and giving us a bunch of hacks for getting it. Why? They say that eating extra protein helps us build muscle, feel full, and lose weight. So is that true? We talk to kinesiology professor Stuart Phillips and nutrition professor Faidon Magkos.  Find our transcript here: bit.ly/ScienceVsPROTEIN In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Protein is all the rage right now (02:53) Why protein matters (05:32) How much protein is enough? (11:33) Do you need more protein if you’re working out? (15:06) Is it risky to eat a LOT of protein? (18:46) Should you pound protein right after a workout? (23:09) Protein and weight loss This episode was produced by Rose Rimler and Michelle Dang, with help from Wendy Zukerman and Meryl Horn. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord and Bumi Hidaka. Thanks so much to all the researchers we spoke with for this episode, including Prof. Brad Schoenfeld and Dr. Nicholas Burd. And special thanks to the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we’re presenting Trillion Dollar Shot, a new series that explores the business story behind the rise of Ozempic and other blockbuster drugs being used for weight loss. The first episode focuses on the Novo Nordisk scientist who invented the compound that paved the way for Ozempic. You can find every episode on The Journal’s show feed. Trillion Dollar Shot is part of The Journal, which is a co-production of Spotify and the Wall Street Journal. This episode was hosted by Jessica Mendoza, with Bradley Olson. It was produced by Matt Kwong, with help from Jeevika Verma. Additional production from Adrienne Murray Nielsen. The series is edited by Katherine Brewer. Sound design and mixing by Peter Leonard. Mixing for Science Vs by Bobby Lord. Music in this episode by Peter Leonard and Bobby Lord. Theme music by So Wylie, remixed for this series by Peter Leonard. Special thanks to Maria Byrne, Stefanie Ilgenfritz, Kate Linebaugh, Peter Loftus, Sara O’Brien, Enrique Perez De La Rosa, Sarah Platt, Sune Rasumssen, Jonathan Sanders, Nathan Singhapok, Leying Tang, Rolfe Winkler, Liz Essley Whyte, and Tatiana Zamis. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Health care for trans kids has been in the spotlight, with battles over what the science says and tons of U.S. states restricting the care that children can get. And then there’s a new report out of the UK, called the Cass Review, saying that a bunch of the evidence that doctors have been relying on to treat trans kids is “remarkably weak.” So what’s going on here? What is the best health care for trans kids? We sort through the science with Professor Stephen Russell, Dr. Cal Horton, and Dr. Ada Cheung. UPDATE 6/6/24: In a previous version of this episode, we said a study was published this year, when it was actually published last year. The episode has been updated. Mental health resources, including suicide lifelines, for around the world: spotify.com/resources Trans Lifeline: A Trans peer support hotline: 1-877-565-8860 Trevor Project: crisis support services to LGBTQ young people: Call 1-866-488-7386 or Text ‘START’ to 678-678 Find our transcript here: bit.ly/ScienceVsTransKidsCassReviewTranscript  Here are links to our previous episodes about the science of being transgender and misinformation about care for trans kids. In this episode, we cover: (00:00) The battle over care for trans kids (02:45) What to do when a kid wants to change their name and pronouns (13:44) Do puberty blockers help trans kids’ mental health? (20:44) Does hormone therapy help trans people’s mental health? (25:25) How often are people "retransitioning"? This episode was produced by Meryl Horn and Wendy Zukerman, with help from Michelle Dang and Rose Rimler. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Consulting by Rebecca Kling. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka and Peter Leonard. Thanks so much to all the researchers we spoke with for this episode, including Blake Cavve, Dr. Doug VanderLaan, and Dr. Quinnehtukqut McLamore. And a very special thanks to the trans folks and their families we talked to, Christopher Suter, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

More than 150 years ago, just before dino-mania struck, New York City was supposed to get a majestic dinosaur museum full of amazing models of dinos. There would have been nothing like it in the world. Until a bunch of thugs showed up with sledgehammers and smashed every bit of the models to smithereens — and buried it all in Central Park. Today we’re finding out what happened — and WHY. We speak with doctoral researcher Vicky Coules and paleontologist Carl Mehling. SURVEY!! HELP US SCIENCE!! WE NEED YOUR HELP TO UNCOVER THE LAST MYSTERIES OF SEX https://bit.ly/ScienceVsSurvey Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsTheGreatDinosaurSmashup In this episode, we cover: (00:00) ​​The amazing dino museum we didn’t get to have (03:15) What we knew about dinos in the 1800s (04:57) The famous Crystal Palace dinosaurs (06:48) The plan for the Paleozoic Museum is born (10:40) The Great Dinosaur Smashup of 1871 (12:52) Suspect No. 1: Boss Tweed (17:58) Vicky cracks the case! (26:17) One final mystery — where are the dino pieces?? This episode was produced by Blythe Terrell with help from Wendy Zukerman, R.E. Natowicz, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler and Joel Werner. Editing by Wendy Zukerman. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Emma Munger, So Wylie, Bumi Hidaka and Peter Leonard. Thanks so much to everyone we spoke to about this episode, including Gowan Dawson, Robert Peck, Wendy Anthony and Jessica M. Lydon. Also thanks to Jack Weinstein, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Abortion Pill is now the most common way to have an abortion in the US. Yet what exactly happens when you take these pills is shrouded in mystery. Even many doctors don't know how well they work! Today, we're letting the sun shine on the abortion pill. We'll walk you through what happens when you take these pills: what they do to your body, and how safe are they for your physical and mental health? To explore all this - and more - we speak to Dr Sara Whitburn, Professor Oskari Heikinheimo, and Professor Ushma Upadhyay. UPDATE 7/15/24: The episode has been updated to clarify that surgical abortions do not always happen at a hospital by a doctor, while the patient is under general anesthesia. They can also happen at clinics and patients can get a local anesthetic. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsTheAbortionPiill The Abortion Project's Instagram @theabortionproject Science Vs's Instagram @science_vs If you want to talk to someone - there's some great resources in here: spotify.com/resources In this episode, we cover: (00:00) The battle over the abortion pill  (04:28) How does the abortion pill work?  (09:05) How it feels to take the abortion pill (14:34) How often do people hemorrhage? (21:22) What's "normal" bleeding?  (24:11) Does taking the abortion pill affect your mental health?  (32:02) Why some people prefer the abortion pill This episode was produced by Meryl Horn and Wendy Zukerman, with help from Rose Rimler, and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Emma Munger, So Wylie, Bumi Hidaka and Peter Leonard. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including Dr. Tiffany Green, Dr. Ned Calonge, Professor Jenny Higgins, Dr. Daniel Aaron, Dr. Beverly Winikoff, and Dr. Abigail Aiken. Also thanks to Lauren Silverman, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

With the powers of the James Webb Space Telescope, scientists discovered some super weird things in the early Universe, and it's making some nerds question our theory of everything.  This story comes to us from our friends at Unexplainable at Vox Media. Find Unexplainable’s transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsUnexplainable In this episode, we cover: (0:00) Liftoff (01:10) The James Webb Space Telescope  (04:57) Party of the early universe  (08:39) Mysteries of the early galaxies  (15:23) How do we figure it out? This episode was produced by Brian Resnick, with help from Noam Hassenfeld and Meradith Hoddinott, who also manages the Unexplainable team. Editing from Jorge Just, music from Noam, and mixing and sound design from Cristian Ayala. Fact checking from Kelsey Lannin. Mandy Nguyen is searching for new forms of life. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Getting your heart broken sucks — and for some of us, it even feels physically painful. So why does it hurt so bad? And what can science tell us about how to get over it? We dive into all of this with neuroscientist Prof. Lucy Brown.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsHeartbreak In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Heartbreak sucks (07:17) What heartbreak does in the brain (12:14) What heartbreak does in the body (15:07) How to get over heartbreak  The episode does mention abuse. Here are some resources if you’re struggling to move on from abuse:  https://resources.byspotify.com/ https://www.loveisrespect.org/resources/why-am-i-struggling-to-move-on-after-abuse/ This episode was produced by Michelle Dang, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, Kaitlyn Sawrey and Lexi Krupp. Editing by Caitlin Kenney and Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly and Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard and Bobby Lord. Music written by Peter Leonard, Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. A huge thanks to all the scientists we got in touch with for this episode, including Professor Larry Young, Professor Tiffany Field, Professor Ethan Kross, Professor Sandra Langeslag, and Professor Naomi Eisenberger. Thanks to Lori Segal. A special thanks to the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.  Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Comedian Tig Notaro, who just released her fifth comedy special, "Hello Again," joins us for a chat about the science of her comedy: telling us how she builds jokes, and of course sharing a bunch of dumb and fabulous jokes. Enjoy!  Here's our Funniest Joke in the World Episode!!  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsTigNotaro In this episode, we cover: (00:00) We're interviewing Tig!  (01:22) I could be a comedian?  (02:47) How Tig creates a joke  (08:59) The element of surprise (12:27) The world's funniest joke? (13:55) Tig's favorite jokes This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Michelle Dang, Rose Rimler and Meryl Horn. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord and Bumi Hidaka.  Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you Google "The Funniest Joke in the World," you'll be very disappointed. The internet might serve you something like, "What has many keys but can't open a single lock??” (Answer: A piano). Screw that. That's not funny. Enter Science Vs. We’re going on a romp to find out once and for all: What is the funniest joke in the world. According to science. And for this quest we've interviewed a bunch of amazing comics including Tig Notaro, Adam Conover, Dr Jason Leong, Loni Love, as well as special guest Latif Nasser of Radiolab and, of course, some scientists: Neuroscientist Professor Sophie Scott and Psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman. Which Joke Will Win???    Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsFunniestJoke In this episode, we cover: (00:00) The Quest Begins (08:40) Why laughing matters (13:13) The scientific search for the world's funniest joke (17:40) Woof, quack or moo? (21:33) The comedy K (26:30) Do different cultures have different senses of humour? (28:27) The winner! (32:15) Scientific theories of humour (lol) (38:28) Why the winning joke isn't funny (40:26) How do you stop a dog from humping your leg?  (44:43) Meet the comedy gods This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Michelle Dang, Joel Werner, Rose Rimler and Meryl Horn. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Sarah Baum. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Peter Leonard, Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, So Wylie, and Bobby Lord. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including Dr Andrew Farkas, Professor Penny MacDonald, Dr Maggie Prenger and a huge thank you to Professor Chris Westbury for sharing your amazing spreadsheet!! Thanks to all the comedians we interviewed in this episode including Tig Notaro, Adam Conover, Loni Love, Takashi Wakasugi, Urooj Ashfaq, Dr Jason Leong, Penny Greenhalgh and Mohammed Magdi. Another big thanks to Lindsay Farber, Roland Campos, Lauren LoGiudice, Andrea Jones-Rooy and the other comics at Ha! or Nah!: A Joke Lab; and all the comics that we spoke to and couldn't fit into the episode, we really really appreciate you and your time! Thanks to Ben Milam, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Stupid Old Studios, Paige Ransbury, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

[Video available on Spotify] Wendy and emma chamberlain of the Anything Goes podcast sit down for a chat and get deep about “the guru effect,” science garbage on the internet, accusations Wendy’s faced of being a pyromaniac, orgasms and much more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tons of us are feeling run-down and crummy and are wondering: What can we do about it? Well, lots of influencers have an answer: balancing our hormones. These influencers, including some doctors, recommend special supplements, diets, exercises, and prescriptions to tame our cortisol, boost our testosterone, and tackle our estrogen. Are they on to something? We get to the bottom of it with endocrinologists Dr. Deena Adimoolam and Prof. Anne Cappola; and urologist Prof. Mohit Khera.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsHormoneBalancing (00:00) Hormones are hot right now  (02:57) A tale of cortisol and supplements (14:25) Are we in a testosterone crisis?! (20:42) Should you boost your T? (27:35) Is estrogen the enemy? This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang,  and Meryl Horn. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka, and Peter Leonard. Research help from Timmy Broderick. Recording help from Alex Stuckey. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including Dr. Amit Raval, Dr. Andrea Sansone, Prof. Bob Spencer, Dr. Daniel Rippon, Dr. Emma Adam, Dr. Hannah Troxel, Dr. John Hough, Dr. Jonathan Little, Prof. Paul Cooke, and Prof. Paula Hillard. Special thanks to Joel Werner, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.  Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s 1849, and a gruesome murder has just happened at Harvard. As body parts turn up, the science of the day is put to the ultimate test to find out: who committed this brutal killing? Prof. Paul Collins tells us how this morbid mystery unfolds.   Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsMurderInTheIvoryTower In this episode, we cover: (00:00) The murder that shocked Harvard (02:35) A very rich man disappears (06:08) The tea chest of horrors (07:34) The professor (09:33) The janitor (12:00) The case against the professor  (14:25) The trial (17:48) 1800s forensics enter the picture (25:29) The verdict This episode was produced by Kaitlyn Sawrey with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn and Odelia Rubin. Editing by Blythe Terrell, with help from Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Michelle Harris. Mix and sound design by Emma Munger. Music by Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. A huge thanks to Jessica Murphy and the team at the Harvard University Archives, plus Lars Trembly and Matthew Nelson, Frank Lopez, Joseph Lavelle Wilson and the Zukerman Family. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Weed has gone mainstream, and it's been rebranded as a wellness drug that you can customize to fit your needs. Want to feel relaxed? Well, you'll need a kind of pot called Indica. Want to get pepped up? Go for Sativa. But what can weed really do for us? We’re going to pack a bowl full of science facts, sit back, put our feet up and find out: Can cannabis really improve your mental health? Does it matter what strain you take? And how safe is it – can it mess with your memory? To find out, we talk to agricultural scientist Dr. Sean Myles, psychopharmacologist Dr. Amir Englund, and psychologist Dr. Carrie Cuttler.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsCannabisTranscript  In this episode, we cover: (00:00) A New World of Weed (05:32) Can Different Strains of Weed Do Different Things for You? (13:18) Can CBD Give You a More Mellow High? (22:46) Can Weed Help with Anxiety or Depression? (24:55) What Are The Risks of Using Cannabis? (35:30) What’s the Safest Way to Use Cannabis? (38:25) Can Weed Boost Your Creativity? This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, and Joel Werner. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka and Peter Leonard. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including Professor Ryan Vandrey, Professor Christopher Barnes, Dr. Siqi Xue, Professor Susan Tapert, Dr. Michael Dunn, Dr. Linda Parker, Professor Deepak D'Souza, Professor Vikaas Sohal, Professor Loren Frank, and Dr. Ethan Russo. Also thanks to Jill Conforti, the Zukerman Family, Joseph Lavelle Wilson, Bernadette Sciandra, and Chris Suter.  Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fasting diets are going bonkers right now — some tech bros are down to one meal a day! And health-fluencers claim that intermittent fasting can help you lose weight, live longer and even fight cancer. But meanwhile, recent headlines are screaming that these diets might actually be dangerous — and linked to death from heart disease. Can science sort this all out?? We speak to nutrition researchers Dr. Krista Varady and Dr. Courtney Peterson, as well as cancer researcher Professor Valter Longo.  Mental health and disordered eating resources are here: spotify.com/resources  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsFasting In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Fasting: the fad and the fears (03:07) Does fasting help you burn fat? (07:40) How much weight do people lose with intermittent fasting? (08:47) Is this just calorie restriction? (13:17) Can fasting help you live longer? (19:50) Can fasting fight cancer? This episode was produced by Kaitlyn Sawrey, Nick DelRose and Wendy Zukerman with help from Michelle Dang, Rose  Rimler, Joel Werner and Meryl Horn. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell, with extra editing help from Caitlin Kenney and Annie-Rose Strasser. Fact checking by Eva Dasher and Michelle Dang. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard and Bobby Lord. Music by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, Bumi Hidaka and Bobby Lord. A huge thanks to all the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr Peter Chisnell, Dr Mikkel Holm Vendelbo, Dr Jiahong Lu, Dr Dorothy Sears, Prof. Mark Mattson, Dr James D Dvorak, Dr Calloway Scott, Professor Richard Billows, Professor Nancy Worman, Dr  Barbara Kowalzig  and the University of Alabama, Birmingham. Also thanks to Kimmie Regler, Helen Zaltman, Frank Lopez, the Zukerman Family, and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.  Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dreaming might be the weirdest thing that our brains do. Out of thin air we may see ourselves battling a triceratops, or stressing for an exam that we don't have … so why do we do this?? What is going on in our brains to create these bonkers images? For years, the land of dreams was a place for mystics and philosophers, but with groundbreaking technology, we're getting closer to understanding the science of dreams than ever before. Comedians Toni and Ryan join us for a romp through the bizarre science of dreaming, along with neuroscientist Professor Francesca Siclari and dream/sleep researcher Professor Bob Stickgold. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsDreams In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Welcome to the Nodcast (05:11) How our dreams change all night (08:50) The myth of REM dreams (14:30) Why do dreams feel so real?  (22:02) What are we really dreaming about?  (30:45) Why do we dream?  (34:46) Could dreams help us process emotions? This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Joel Werner, Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka and Peter Leonard. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including Dr Dylan Selterman, Dr Nirit Soffer, Professor Caroline Watt, Pr Pilleriin Sikka, Professor Drew Dawson, Dr Başak Türker, Dr Katja Valli, Dr Delphine Oudiette, Dr Sarah Schoch and Dr Dan Rubin. Also thanks to Lauren Silverman, Stupid Old Studios, Andrew Paquette, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices