We usually think about viruses this time of year, but what about everything else floating around us?

In this lab, Titi and Zakiya sit down with environmental health scientist Dr. Cavin Ward-Caviness to break down what’s actually in the air we breathe. They cover everything from pollution and tiny particles to everyday indoor sources like cooking, candles, and fireplaces. 

Listen to learn how air quality affects the body beyond the lungs, why long-term exposure matters for inflammation and aging, and how awareness is the first step toward protecting our health.

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For our final lab in the New Years series, Titi & Zakiya want to learn all about the science behind habit formation. Dr. Wendy Wood, author of “Good Habits, Bad Habits,” tells us why bad habits are easier to make than good ones, and how to form new habits that stick. You can find more Dope Labs, show notes, and cheat sheets at dopelabspodcast.com.

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All the stress we are feeling in 2020 is leading to what feels like worldwide burnout. In Lab 032, Titi and Zakiya talk about what causes burnout, most common burnout behaviors, and how you can recognize burnout when it happens to you. Guest: Dr. Anne Helen Petersen. For more info and show notes, visit dopelabspodcast.com

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Hi! We're taking a quick break for the holidays and wanted to let you know about a new show we love. Alive with Steve Burns.

There are a thousand podcasts you can listen to. This one listens back. And this week, we’re here to tell you about it.

Alive with Steve Burns continues the conversation you began all those years ago. Back then it was letters and numbers and graham crackers. Now it’s death, sex, taxes, and all the big, messy questions of being alive. Why does money stress us out? Is the American dream dead? What’s the future of truth? 

Each week, a new guest drops by Steve’s window for a genuine and respectful dialogue between two people just trying to figure it out, together. Funny, tender, and just a little weird, this show invites you to sit down and think with Steve once again and wonder… what it really means to be alive.

You’re about to hear a clip from the first episode, where Steve sits down with Dr. Desiree Jones, Assistant Professor of Psychology and director of the SHINE Lab (Stigma, Human Interaction, and Neurodivergent Experiences) at the University of Maryland to discuss the difference between “normal” and “not normal”.  To hear more of Alive with Steve Burns, head to: https://lemonada.lnk.to/AlivewithSteveBurnsfd

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Why do Hallmark Christmas movies hit so hard when life feels complicated? We talk cozy psychology, evolving tropes, and which holiday movies are actually worth watching with Hallmark super-reviewer Jenna Golden. Happy Holidays!

Dope Labs is where science meets pop culture. Because science is in everything and it’s for everybody.

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In this episode, Titi and Zakiya take listeners behind the scenes of their new planetarium film, Remixed: The Unexpected Side of Science. They share how a four-year idea turned into a full-dome experience at the Museum of Science in Boston, and how the film helps people see themselves as scientists in their everyday lives. The episode features reactions from attendees at the premiere and a conversation with Dani LeBlanc, director of the Charles Hayden Planetarium, who explains how planetarium storytelling is evolving and why Remixed represents something new for the field. 

Dope Labs is where science meets pop culture. Because science is in everything and it’s for everybody.

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This episode originally aired November 21, 2019

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, Titi and Zakiya discuss the huge impact of European colonialism in North America, not only from the severe depopulation of Indigenous peoples, but also the relationships they cultivated with the plants, animals, and the environment around them. Guest: Dr. Nicholas Reo.

Dope Labs is where science meets pop culture. Because science is in everything and it’s for everybody.

Stay up to date with Dope Labs, Titi, and Zakiya on Instagram and at DopeLabsPodcast.com

Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. 

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors

To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air.

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Show Notes: Titi and Zakiya talk to behavioral economist Dr. Dan Ariely to unpack why Black Friday still pulls us in even when we swear we’re “saving.” They dig into the psychology behind sales, scarcity, cart reminders, buy now pay later, and why credit cards numb the pain of paying. They also look at how our “vintage” brains try to navigate money in a world built to separate us from it. If you’ve ever convinced yourself something was “basically free,” this lab is for you.

Dope Labs is where science meets pop culture. Because science is in everything and it’s for everybody.

Stay up to date with Dope Labs, Titi, and Zakiya on Instagram and at DopeLabsPodcast.com

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Titi and Zakiya sit down with Dr. Darrell West from the Brookings Institution to unpack what’s really going on behind the economy and job numbers. We talk about why unemployment stats can underestimate pain, how cuts to NIH/NSF and university funding hit entire local economies built on “eds and meds,” and why AI is shaking up the knowledge sector. We also hear from a Dope Labs listener who is a laid-off pharma worker. This lab asks what it will take for workers, students, and policymakers to keep the innovation engine running.

Dope Labs is where science meets pop culture. Because science is in everything and it’s for everybody.

Stay up to date with Dope Labs, Titi, and Zakiya on Instagram and at DopeLabsPodcast.com
Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. 

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors

To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It feels like everyone’s sneezing, coughing, or cutting out gluten—but what’s really behind the allergy explosion? Titi and Zakiya dig into why seasonal allergies seem worse than ever, how climate change and “too much cleanliness” play a role, and what the difference is between an allergy, an intolerance, and just being sensitive. With allergist and immunologist Dr. Purvi Parikh, they unpack myths from TikTok tests to peanut panic, reveal how science is rethinking early exposure, and call out how pop culture turned asthma into a punchline. 

Dope Labs is where science meets pop culture. Because science is in everything and it’s for everybody.

Stay up to date with Dope Labs, Titi, and Zakiya on Instagram and at DopeLabsPodcast.com

Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our show. Subscribe today at bit.ly/lemonadapremium. 

Click this link for a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this show and all Lemonada shows: lemonadamedia.com/sponsors

To follow along with a transcript, go to lemonadamedia.com/show/ shortly after the air.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.