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.

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

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See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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.

Screen names with your graduation year are out; but Ring cams, smart fridges, and “accept all” cookies seems to be in. This lab is all about how we’re using the internet! Titi and Zakiya sit down with Bridget Todd, host of There Are No Girls on the Internet, to talk about surveillance disguised as convenience, the rage-bait economy, and why our feeds feel worse. From doorbells to teaching the next generation, this lab is about taking our power and joy back online.

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.

Titi and Zakiya sit down with writer and image activist Michaela Angela Davis to talk about her book Tenderheaded and the tangled relationship between hair, colorism, and identity. From childhood memories to the legacy of magazines like Vibe and Essence, Michaela unpacks how beauty standards and media have shaped generations of Black women—and how healing begins when we tell our own stories.

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’s spooky season and the Dope Labs crew LOVES a good horror film. From Rosemary’s Baby to Get Out, horror movies have always reflected the fears and tensions of their time. This week, Titi and Zakiya dig into the art, psychology, and sociology of horror with Dr. Eleanor Johnson, a professor at Columbia University and author of Scream With Me. Together, they unpack how films like The Exorcist, Alien, and The Shining reveal cultural anxieties around feminism, bodily autonomy, and power—and why today’s horror feels more urgent than ever.

You can purchase her book Scream With Me here: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Scream-with-Me/Eleanor-Johnson/9781668087633 

Keep up with Dr. Johnson’s latest essays on horror and culture at her substack Eleanorshorrors.aubstack.com

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.

Jumping to conclusions, letting stories override statistics, and getting swept up in the crowd—turns out, we’re all wired for it. Titi and Zakiya explore how evolutionary psychology and group identity shape the way we process information, especially in our fast-paced digital world. From the spread of misinformation about Tylenol to viral rapture predictions, the hosts share relatable moments and surprising examples to illuminate why bias is so tough to beat. 

✨ Want to be part of our upcoming planetarium film, Remixed: The Unexpected Side of Science? We’d love for our Dope Labs community to join in! Find all the details and your chance to participate here - https://bit.ly/3VVkVa1

Previous Labs Mentioned:

Lab 037 - In Denial

Lab 038 - So Anxious

Lab 076 - Monkeypox: Fact vs Fiction

Lab 082 - In Your Feed: Social Media

Lab 112 - Addiction: A Chronic Condition

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.

We’ve been told addiction is about bad choices or weak willpower. But the science says otherwise. Addiction is a chronic brain condition that rewires circuits for reward, stress, and self-control. In this lab, Titi and Zakiya talk to Dr. Nzinga Harrison about what’s really happening in the brain when tolerance builds, cravings hit, and dependence takes hold. They also dig into how stigma and bias shape who gets treatment and who gets punished. Tune in to learn about the biology, myths, and the path towards recovery.

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.

Periods are more than just cramps and cravings. This week, Titi and Zakiya are joined by research psychologist and author of “Period Brain” Dr. Sarah Hill to break down what’s really going on in our brains and bodies throughout the menstrual cycle. They unpack the science behind hormonal shifts, why estrogen and progesterone are doing way more than we think, and how the medical field has ignored these complexities for too long. From PMS to PMDD, from stigma to science, this episode dives into how periods impact energy, mood, relationships—and how understanding your own cycle can change everything. Whether you have a period or love someone who does, this one’s 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

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.