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Science Vs

Spotify Studios

#41 in Science this week

There are a lot of fads, blogs and strong opinions, but then there’s SCIENCE. Science Vs is the show from Spotify Studios that finds out what’s fact, what’s not, and what’s somewhere in between. We do the hard work of sifting through all the science so you don't have to and cover everything from 5G and ADHD, to Fluoride and Fasting Diets.

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  • 27 episodes
  • weekly
  • Avg 40 min
  • English

Episodes 27

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  • April 9 · 34 min

    Artemis: Why Are We Really Going Back to the Moon?

    The moon race is back! NASA’s Artemis II mission just sent four astronauts around the moon. And other countries — and billionaires — are lining up to take a crack at returning to the moon too. But why are we really going? Some say this is a lunar gold rush, that countries want to mine the moon for resources. Others are saying the real reason to go to the moon today is that it’ll help us get to Mars. To find out, we talk to engineer Dr. Angel Abbud-Madrid, physicist Prof. Nicolle Zellner, and astronomer Prof. Gregg Hallinan. [REBROADCAST] Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsGoingBackToMoon UPDATE 4/9/26: We updated this episode with information about more recent efforts to mine Helium-3 from the moon. This episode was produced by Meryl Horn and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. Thanks to the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Tom Simko, Professor Jack Burns, Dr. Paul Byrne, Dr. Martin Elvis, Dr. John Mather, Dr. Jennifer Whitten, Dr. Ian Crawford, Dr. Simon J Lock, and Dr. Greg De Temmerman. Special thanks to Chris Suter, Jack Weinstein, the Zukerman family, the Fausther-Keeys 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. In this episode, we cover: (00:00) We’re going back to the moon! (06:23) Should we dig up rare earth elements on the moon? (10:05) Should we go back to the moon for Helium-3?(14:54) The moon as a training ground for Mars (19:55) The FARSIDE telescope: a portal into the universe’s history (27:12) So is it worth returning to the moon? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  • April 2 · 37 min

    How To Stop Scrolling

    The apps on our phones do an amazing job of sucking us in. In fact, a big court case just found that some of these companies should be held responsible for basically designing products to be addictive. And that might not be shocking for lots of us, who feel the pull of these algorithms every day. So, is there anything we can do to help us put down our phones?? Tons of solutions are bandied about: Buy this special device to stay off your phone! What we really need to do is up the friction! Or go hardcore — just get a flip phone! But what actually works to stop scrolling? We dive into the science to find out, with help from computer science and engineering researcher Dr. Jaejeung Kim and psychologist Dr. Lea-Christin Wickord. Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsStopScrolling In this episode, we cover: (00:00) The Apps Got Us Trapped (04:21) Yes, it’s the scrolling that’s to blame (06:18) The Hardcore Approach (11:45) The Gentle Nudge (14:09) What if we up the friction? (19:59) Is greyscale the solution? (28:50) If we stop scrolling, do we feel better? (30:37) Final tips to stop scrolling This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. Wendy Zukerman is our executive producer. 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, So Wylie, Emma Munger and Peter Leonard. Thanks so much to the researchers we spoke to, including Dr. Kai Lukoff, Hyunsung Cho, Dr. Alex Holte, Dr. Jan Ole Rixen, Dr. Jay Olson, and Dr. Noah Castelo. A big thanks to 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

  • March 26 · 54 min

    The Great Mysteries of Sex with Mary Roach

    Today, best-selling author and nerd Mary Roach joins us to talk all about sex. We’ll uncover the secrets of the female orgasm (does “upsuck” exist?), detail the bizarre methods of pioneering sex researchers like Masters and Johnson (including a famous penis camera), and get into the nitty-gritty of how to sexually stimulate a pig in Denmark. Plus, Mary tells us what it's like to have sex while getting an ultrasound — all in the name of science. Mary’s new book, Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy, is out now. Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsMaryRoach In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Meet Mary Roach, one of our favorite nerds (22:31) The masturbating fetus (27:53) Mary bonks in the lab (47:31) Oddball questions This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Meryl Horn, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, Michelle Dang, and Rose Rimler. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Video editing and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Emma Munger, So Wylie, Peter Leonard, Bumi Hidaka and Bobby Lord. Thanks to Skyline Studios and Humdinger Studios. 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

  • March 19 · 40 min

    Colon Cancer: Should Young People Worry?

    Colorectal cancer has long been thought of as a disease of older folks. But that's changing — fast. Rates in older people are actually going down, and more and more people under 50 are getting this disease. And a surprising number of them are dying from it. So what’s going on here? We dig into why young people are getting hit harder. Plus, we often hear that you should watch out for changes in your poo. But what changes?? We’ll find out. We talk to gastrointestinal medical oncologist Dr. Michael Foote and cancer biologist Prof. Ludmil Alexandrov. Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsColonCancer In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Becca’s story (05:52) What the rise looks like (09:06) Is there something different about this cancer? (14:13) What symptoms to look out for (17:41) Why is this happening? (21:34) The hunt for explanations This episode was produced by Michelle Dang, with help from Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. Wendy Zukerman is our executive producer. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko-Howard. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord and Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka, So Wylie, Emma Munger and Peter Leonard. And thank you to Prof. Caitlin Murphy. 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

  • March 12 · 27 min

    Sad Nipple Syndrome: A Booby Baffler

    People are reporting a very strange phenomenon: They say that when their nipples get touched, they feel this weird sinking feeling. People describe it like being homesick, or hung over. Some feel anguish and despair, others call it dread. The condition has a name: "Sad Nipple Syndrome." But how could just touching a nipple set off all of these feelings?? To get to the bottom of this booby baffler, we go deep into the mysteries of anatomy and through a world of hormones and nipple erections. You might never look at your nipples the same way again! Distinguished Professor Barry Komisurak and Lactation Specialist Alia Macrina Heise join us. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsSadNippleSyndrome In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Meet Sad Nipple Syndrome (05:14) Why is Nipple Play Arousing? (09:58) Dysphoric Milk Ejection Reflex (D-MER) (15:14) How Milk Ejects From a Booby (17:33) Is Oxytocin to blame? (19:36) Suspect Number 2: Dopamine (20:52) What might help This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Emma Munger, So Wiley, Peter Leonard, Bumi Hidaka and Bobby Lord. A special thanks to the researchers we reached out to including Dr. Christina Raimondi, Professor Caroline Pukall, Professor Craig Richard, and Prof. Dr. Inga D. Neumann. and a big thanks to 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

  • February 26 · 25 min

    How Do You Get Pregnant With No Vagina?

    UPDATE [June 30, 2026]: If we had our time again we would have produced this episode differently. We got carried away with the wildness of the story, from a scientific perspective, and didn't take time to really think about the fact that this is the story of a 15-year-old, who would have been going through a really difficult time. Many of our listeners rightly pointed this out, and we appreciate it." We have changed some of our language in this episode based on the feedback – we replaced all references to woman to teenager or girl, we cut some moments that we viewed as insensitive, and we removed the reference to the girl not being intersex, as some folks with the condition Mayer-Rokitansky-Küster-Hauser syndrome do identify as intersex. Here’s the story: It's 1988 in Lesotho, and doctors at a hospital see something they thought was impossible. A 15-year-old girl shows up pregnant and in labor, but she's missing something pretty crucial to her delivery: a vagina. So — how did this happen? We speak with Dr. Neel Shah to find out. Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/sciencevsnovagina In this episode, we cover: (00:00) A small war (04:42) How do you get pregnant without a vagina? (14:08) The final unbelievable chapter This episode was produced by Ekedi Fausther-Keeys with help from Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Rose Rimler, and Meryl Horn. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Emma Munger, So Wiley, Peter Leonard, Bumi Hidaka and Bobby Lord. Thank you to all the scientists we spoke to for this episode including, Dr. Sarah Ackroyd, Dr. Sarah Collins, Professor Adam Taylor, and Dr. Cathy Flood. Special thanks to 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

  • February 19 · 53 min

    Brian Can’t Stop Fact-Checking His Mother-in-Law

    We’ve all been there. Feeling stuck with a problem because no one in our life can relate. Or because the one person we need to talk to … won’t. Or can’t. Enter Yowei Shaw and the show Proxy. Proxy is built on a simple idea: no one is ever as alone with their problem as they think. So Yowei brings in a proxy, a perfect stranger, to help her guests work through their dilemma. Today we’re sharing the case of Brian, a journalist whose mother-in-law has Alzheimer's. Even though Brian knows she can’t help misremembering things, he can’t stop losing his patience with her, and with himself. This episode was mixed for Science Vs by Bobby Lord. – Find Proxy here. Resources from Claudia on dementia caregiving, caregiving in general, and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): On understanding dementia Dementia Reimagined: Building a life of joy and dignity from beginning to end by Tia Powell (and this accompanying Fresh Air episode) On preventing/addressing emotional or behavioral changes associated with dementia When a Family Member Has Dementia: Steps to Becoming a Resilient Caregiver by Susan M. McCurry On acceptance and commitment therapy (not specifically related to caregiving) Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life The New Acceptance and Commitment Therapy by Steven C. Hayes The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living by Russ Harris Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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