Science Vs

Today we’re revisiting caffeine. It’s a drug that tons of us take every day. So, is that a bad thing?? What is it really doing to our bodies and our brains? Plus — 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. [REBROADCAST]

Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsCaffeine

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Our love/hate relationship with caffeine

(04:40) How coffee affects our gut

(07:29) How coffee affects our brain

(12:59) How coffee affects our sleep

(17:58) Coffee makes us go vroom vroom vroom!

(20:45) Are we caffeine addicts?? 

(28:15) Are energy drinks dangerous?

This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, with help from Wendy Zukerman, as well as Nick DelRose, Joel Werner, and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Sarah Baum. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger and Peter Leonard. Special thanks to all the researchers we spoke to for this episode – including Dr. Bryan Saunders, Dr. Sergi Ferré, Prof. Andreas Heinz, Prof. Christine Curran, Dr. Erikka Loftfield, Dr. Felix Oberhoffer, Dr. Alan Wayne Jones, and Dr. Vijay Yadav. Extra special thanks to Jason Vytlacil 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. 
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A group of scientists meet a very unusual woman. A key part of her brain isn’t working: the amygdala. This is the part of the brain that we think is responsible for feeling fear. And in fact, this woman does seem pretty fearless. Researchers test her fear response using some very unconventional methods, but she takes everything in stride. Then, finally, they stumble onto the one thing that makes the woman who can’t feel fear absolutely panic. We scare up some science with neuropsychologist Dr. Justin Feinstein.



Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsWomanWhoFeltNoFear



In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Meet the Woman Who Felt No Fear 

(04:38) Fear and the Amygdala

(10:27) Scientists Start Running Experiments With the Woman Who Felt No Fear

(11:48) Scientists Try to Scare SM

(12:59) Scientists Try to Scare Her With Snakes

(16:08) Scientists Try to Scare Her with a Haunted House

(19:58) The Risks of Feeling No Fear

(25:46) Scientists Try a New Approach

(34:20) How Breathing Too Much Carbon Dioxide Causes Fear



This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman with help from Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, and Meryl Horn. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. 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, 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. 


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Peptides are huge right now. Influencers are telling us they can work wonders for all sorts of stuff. Struggling with an annoying injury that won't heal?? Belly fat that's pissing you off? Low energy? Gut issues?? There’s a peptide out there for you. People are buying peptides off the internet and injecting themselves with them, saying it's life changing. But away from the internet hype, there is actually a potential revolution happening in medicine around peptides. So we’re finding out what scientists are excited about here, and we look deeply at the science behind two massive peptides: BPC-157 and MOTS-c. And we’ll also look at the risks: Could peptides give you cancer? On this episode we talk to Dr. Hassy Cohen, Dr. Keith Baar, Dr. Dhruv Khullar and Dr. Cory Mayfield to get to the bottom of this.



Find us on Youtube! We're at https://www.youtube.com/@ScienceVsPodcast 



Find our transcript here:https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsPeptides



In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Peptides are everywhere right now

(03:56 ) What are peptides?

(04:39 ) The peptide revolution in medicine

(09:56) MOTS-c: Should you take it?

(15:56 ) BPC-157: Can it heal you?

(26:33) What are the risks?



This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from, Rose Rimler, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, Meryl Horn and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Video editing and sound mix by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. Thanks to the researchers we spoke to for this episode including Dr. Dana Lis, Dr. Pouya Faridi and Dr. Timothy Piatkowski, as well as the Australian Science Media Centre. 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.
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The Trump administration is rolling back restrictions on air pollution in the U.S., and some experts say this could affect the health of millions of people. And what makes air pollution especially dangerous is that we often can’t see it at all. 

So today, we’re going back to the story of Ella Kissi-Debrah, a little girl who suddenly got sick and landed in the hospital. In this episode, her mom, Rosamund, takes on the fight to find out what exactly happened to Ella. And the answer has BIG implications — for us all. We’ll hear from Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah and Professor Stephen Holgate.

Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsAirPollution

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Ella’s story 

(13:02) The campaign and investigation

(21:01) Why air pollution is so dangerous

(25:39) Accountability and change

This episode was produced by Ekedi Fausther-Keeys with help from Rose Rimler, Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, and Courtney Gilbert. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Wendy Zukerman is the Executive Producer. Extra help by Saidu Tejan-Thomas, Nicole Beemsterboer, Kendra Pierre-Louis, and Alex Blumberg. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord and SoWylie. Thanks to all of the researchers and experts we got in touch with for this episode, including Jocelyn Cockburn, Professor Vernon Morris, Dr. George Thurston, Dr. Lauren Zajac, Dr. Jennifer Burney, Dr. Sacoby Wilson, Dr. Melissa Burroughs, Dr Wei Peng, Professor Barbara Hoffman, Dr Michael Craig, and Dr Wes Austin. Special thanks to Rachel Humphreys, BBC Motion Gallery / Getty Images, Jonah Delso, Jackie Llanos, 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. 
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Ibogaine. Fans say this psychedelic is a game changer for treating a bunch of mental health conditions — that even a single trip to your friendly ibogaine clinic could cure you of lifelong struggles with addiction. And recently President Trump signed an executive order fast-tracking research into this psychedelic drug. But how well does it really work? And is it safe?? To find out, we talk to clinical psychologist Dr. Alan Davis and psychiatrist Prof. Paul Glue. 

Some resources for help with substance use and domestic violence:



Substance use and mental health concerns (U.S.): SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357)




National Domestic Violence Hotline (U.S.): 800.799.7233 or www.thehotline.org




Find international resources and more at spotify.com/resources




Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsIbogaine 

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) The hot new psychedelic on the block 

(07:25) Can ibogaine help with opioid addiction? 

(18:31) How does ibogaine help people?

(20:50) How long do the benefits last?

(26:10) What are the risks?

(29:31) Is there a safe dose that can help people?

This episode was produced by Meryl Horn with help from Rose Rimler, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, Michelle Dang and Wendy Zukerman. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Wendy Zukerman is the executive producer. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka, So Wylie, Emma Munger and Peter Leonard. Thanks to the researchers we spoke to about this, including Dr. Rafael Santos, and a special thanks to those who talked to us about their ibogaine experiences.

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.
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