Lab Libs

This week on Lab Libs, Debbie tells the chilling true story of the Markov Incident, a bizarre and unforgettable tale involving a tiger and a hunter, and what some describe as the tiger’s revenge. Debbie and Megan will attempt to puzzle out this mystery.

Then Megan takes us in a somewhat related direction with a rabbit hole about Alexander von Humboldt, a legendary explorer and naturalist whose adventures took him across mountains, jungles, and some of the most unexplored regions of his time. Humboldt helped change the way scientists understood the connections between the living world. With tiger revenge and scientific exploration, this episode has wild animals, wilderness, questionable human decisions, and as always, a few unexpected Lab Libs distractions.

Lab Libs

A large animal

A country near China

A number between 400- 700

Something wild that you might hunt

A year in the 1900s

A number between 10-30

A number between 70- 120

A home structure or building

A body part

A negative emotion Word ending in "-ful"

A type of bird

Sources:

John Vaillant (2010). The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival.

Kerley, L. L., Goodrich, J. M., Miquelle, D. G., et al. Studies on Amur tiger ecology and human-tiger interactions.

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/news/new-zoo-amur-tiger

https://nc.iucnredlist.org/redlist/amazing-species/panthera-tigris/pdfs/original/panthera-tigris.pdf

https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/24030/Conservationists-Have-Successfully-Restored-Tiger-Population-in-Russia-Where-Absent-for-50-years.aspx.

https://www.npr.org/2010/09/14/129551459/the-true-story-of-a-man-eating-tigers-vengeance

https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/us/news/why-do-tigers-avoid-humans-despite-being-apex-predators/articleshow/130109369.cms?from=mdr#google_vignette

https://conservewildcats.org/resources/amur-tiger-facts/

https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2010/08/25/following-the-trail-of-an-amur-tigers-victim-a922

https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/24030/Conservationists-Have-Successfully-Restored-Tiger-Population-in-Russia-Where-Absent-for-50-years.aspx

In this episode of Lab Libs, Megan tells Debbie the incredible story of the Freedom House Ambulance Service, Pittsburgh's pioneering minority run ambulance service that revolutionized modern emergency medicine while breaking down racial barriers. Then Debbie takes Megan down a more  reflective rabbit hole this week. They explore the history of reflecting pools, from the ancient, to Washington, D.C.'s famous Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. They discuss engineering hurdles, algae blooms, and unexpected controversies. As always, the Lab Libs guesses help them drive, and occasionally veer, off the road. You won’t want to miss this episode of your favorite, funny, science and history podcast.

Lab Libs

A medical TV Show

A number from 1000-5000

A number from 1-500

An entry level job in a hospital

A common fatal emergency

A reason for shutting down a program

A year between 2000 and 2025

An award the government can give for honor

Sources:

https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/blog/general-the-history-and-legacy-of-the-freedom-house/

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/20/us/freedom-house-ambulance-service-congress.html

https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/blog/general-the-history-and-legacy-of-the-freedom-house/

https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/congresswoman-summer-lee-announces-state-of-the-union-guest-john-moon-former-freedom-house-emt-and-retired-assistant-chief-pittsburgh-emergency-medical-service

https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7623/text

https://www.instagram.com/p/DWzV_KcDIiM/?igsh=MTRkM2xmNmpoc2pyaA==a

https://teamrubiconusa.org/news-and-stories/freedom-house-ambulance-service-a-legacy-of-life-saving-care/

https://www.royalambulance.com/post/the-forgotten-founders-of-emergency-medicine-freedom-house

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC194106/

This week on Lab Libs, Debbie tells Megan the unbelievable, yet, true story of the Cadaver Synod, when a medieval pope had his predecessor's corpse dug up, dressed in papal robes, and put on trial. They use Megan’s Lab Libs ad-libs to try and navigate this silly story. They see how close or wildly off Megan is. Then Megan takes Debbie down an incredible rabbit hole into the world of child inventors.

You won’t want to miss this hysterical historical account of some good old Catholic chaos on your favorite science podcast.

Lab Libs:

A Religious leader

A famous European city

A number between 800-1000

A dramatic church action

An assassination method

A number between 800-900

A number between 1 and 10

An ancient civilization

A number less than 10

An assassination method

Sources:

https://allthatsinteresting.com/cadaver-synod

https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/morbid-monday-cadaver-synod

https://www.medievalists.net/2025/05/cadaver-synod/

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Stephen-VI-or-VII

https://people.com/pope-pius-xii-alternative-embalming-led-to-an-unbelievable-sight-in-1958-11721713

For a special Pride Month episode of Lab Libs, Megan tells Debbie about the importance of learning queer history through the love story of two gender non-conforming lesbian artists from the 1920s whose work was forgotten for decades. Rediscovered years later, Claude Cahun and Marcel Moore’s surreal photography, feminist writing, and rebellious art revealed how deeply they shaped both the Surrealist movement and anti-Nazi resistance in France. Together they created wildly ahead of their time art filled with drag-esque photoshoots, fashion, poetry, and political activism woven directly into their work. Later in life, the pair became the masterminds behind an elaborate and whimsical scheme to confuse and sow doubt among Nazi soldiers using nothing more than anonymous slips of paper. Naturally, Debbie learns all of this through crazy ad-libs and chaotic guesses.

Then for the rabbit hole this week, Debbie tells Megan about the Freemasons, one of the world’s oldest and most mysterious fraternal organizations. But Debbie shares stories of some of their more charitable works. You won't want to miss this special episode of your favorite Science-y podcast.

Lab Libs:

A yearly celebration

A number from 1-5

A period of modern art

A piece of feminine clothing

A famous city in Europe

A type of story

A decade of life

A type of news publication

An animal that can be a pet

A famous rock star of the 80s

A major city in the Midwest USA

Sources:

https://icarusfilms.com/if-artis7

https://www.theartnewspaper.com/2020/11/04/extract-or-how-artist-couple-claude-cahun-and-marcel-moore-resisted-the-nazis-with-their-paper-bullets

https://www.splcenter.org/resources/stories/queer-people-have-always-existed-teach-like-it/

https://lithub.com/how-a-queer-couple-masterminded-a-nazi-resistance-campaign/

https://queerculturalcenter.org/claude-cahun/

https://camstl.org/exhibitions/and-i-saw-new-heavens-and-a-new-earth/

https://www.berlinale.de/en/2006/programme/20060123.html

This episode, Megan and Debbie turn the tables and quiz each other on some of the wildest facts from past Lab Libs episodes. From the chaos of the Great Emu War, UFO conspiracies like the UMMO affair, bizarre medical mysteries, and other science-y stories that sound completely fake. The two will try to remember the facts but getting distracted by the absolute nonsense they’ve covered along the way.

Expect bad memory, chaotic trivia, and callbacks to some of the funniest moments in Lab Libs history. Whether you’ve listened from the beginning or are just discovering the podcast, this episode is a perfect crash course in the funniest quirkiest, science stories we’ve ever talked about.

This week on Lab Libs, Debbie tells Megan the absolutely unbelievable story of the Great Emu War of 1932. Yes, an actual military operation where Australia went to war against thousands of giant flightless bird and somehow struggled to win. What started as an attempt to protect wheat farms from massive emu invasions quickly turned into a chaotic disaster involving machine guns, missed shots, military strategy failures, and emus that apparently mastered guerrilla Megan is trying to piece the whole thing together completely out of context, leading to some truly cursed guesses, increasingly dramatic descriptions of “gangly marauders,” and the growing realization that this story somehow gets more ridiculous every minute. Then Megan takes Debbie down a rabbit hole into the interesting history of the LGBTQ+ ballroom scene. You won’t want to miss your favorite funny and informative podcast this week! Don’t forget to use the Lab Libs to make your own guesses!

Lab Libs

A continent

A decade in the 1900s

Were or Were not

Two problems a farmer might have

A type of crop

A number between one and ten

A color

A number

A single-digit number

A large number

A body part

A weapon

A large quantity word

A number between 50,000 and 60,000

Sources

https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/emu

https://www.discoverwildlife.com/animal-facts/birds/the-emu-war-of-1932

https://www.historyhit.com/the-great-emu-war/

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/australian-emu-war-history

This week on Lab Libs, Megan tells Debbie the unbelievable true story of Joy Milne, the Scottish woman who discovered she could smell Parkinson’s disease before doctors could diagnose it. What started as her noticing a strange change in her husband’s scent eventually led researchers to realize that Parkinson’s may leave behind a unique odor signature on the skin. Meanwhile, Debbie dives headfirst into the completely chaotic rabbit hole about the 1904 Olympics, a story so ridiculous it sounds fake. Then they fall further into some other Olympic shenanigans. So naturally, this episode turns into a completely unhinged mix of superhuman noses and Olympic madness. Don’t forget to use the Lab Libs and see how well you do!

Lab Libs:

A neurodegenerative disease

A type of pollutant

One of the five senses

A type of in-person meeting

A middle school competition event

A type of scientist

A number between 1 and 5

A new kind of technology

A number between 50 and 100

You can check out Lab Libs on Instagram @lablibs_podcast

Sources:

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/a-supersmeller-can-detect-the-scent-of-parkinsons-leading-to-an-experimental-test-for-the-illness/

https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/03/23/820274501/her-incredible-sense-of-smell-is-helping-scientists-find-new-ways-to-diagnose-di

https://www.manchester.ac.uk/about/news/parkinsons-breakthrough-can-diagnose-disease-from-skin-swabs-in-3-minutes/

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/parkinsons-disease/symptoms-causes/syc-20376055

sciencedaily.com/releases/2022/02/220223085828.htm

https://www.sciencealert.com/parkinsons-disease-has-a-smell-that-some-dogs-can-detect

This week on Lab Libs, Debbie takes Megan into one of the strangest UFO stories in European history. The story of the UMMO letters. It starts with mysterious typewritten messages in the 1960s turned into a decades long saga involving aliens, Ufologists, advanced physics, supposed secret landings, and a confession that may or may not solve the mystery. In true Lab Libs fashion, Megan had no idea what the story was while filling in the blanks, so the result is a mix of aliens, science, philosophy, and chaos. Then Megan will drag Debbie down a rabbit hole into the wild world of Korean drama television. They give their opinions on  Dubbed vs. Not Dubbed.

Use the Lab Libs and come play along with your favorite funny science podcast!

Lab Libs

A Year in the early 1900s

Three traits a good scientific should have

A country in Europe

A method of   communication 

A country in Europe

A way for a Government to rule

A mode of transportation

A shape

A trait you might look for in a car

A decade in the late 1900s

A year in the 1990s

A category of experiment someone could conduct

Sources

https://www.ufodigest.com/article/the-ummo-affair-are-extraterrestrials-living-among-us

http://www.strangemag.com/ummo.html

UMMO: Alien Correspondence by Author VIDGITA

In this episode of Lab Libs, Megan takes Debbie beneath the surface of the ocean to explore the race to save the world’s coral. From cute coral nurseries to heat-resistant super corals, she unpacks the real science behind how researchers are fighting bleaching and rebuilding fragile ecosystems. It’s hopeful, innovative, and way more intense than you’d expect from something that just appears like colorful underwater rock. Then Debbie takes a sharp turn down into her rabbit hole of British slang, because what pairs better with coral restoration like some cheeky British chat? Debbie unpacks the history, humor, and crudeness of it all. It’s fun, science, culture, conservation, and questionable accents all wrapped into one episode. Don’t forget to create your own Lab Lib blanks and play along with your favorite science podcast!

Lab Libs

A worldwide crisis

A scientific job requiring a lot of math

A number 1-20

A type of pollution

A type of ocean animal

A common fraction

A method of sun protection

A type of coral

A percentage 1-100%

A short amount of time

A region of Florida

Sources:

https://www.bbc.com/news/Articles/c04gqez4lkyo

https://www.vox.com/down-to-eArth/24098428/scientists-oceAn-corAl-spAwning-bleAching-greAt-barrier-reef

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/article/how-coral-reefs-might-survive-climate-change-feature

https://www.flaquarium.org/conservation/leaders-in-conservation/coral-conservation/

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2025/oct/13/coral-reefs-ice-sheets-amazon-rainforest-tipping-point-global-heating-scientists-report

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.fox13news.com/news/florida-aquarium-works-renew-floridas-coral-reefs.amp

https://fsc.org/en/blog/good-climate-news

https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/jan/02/hannah-ritchie-not-the-end-of-the-world-extract-climate-crisis

https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/southeast/habitat-conservation/restoring-seven-iconic-reefs-mission-recover-coral-reefs-florida-keys

https://www.history.com/articles/archaeologists-find-new-clues-to-lost-colony-mystery

https://www.iflscience.com/archaeologists-shine-new-light-on-the-history-of-the-lost-roanoke-colony-74119

https://www.pbsnc.org/blogs/science/new-clues-bring-search-for-indigenous-village-of-roanoke-to-elizabethan-gardens

https://greekreporter.com/2025/06/11/lost-colony-roanoke-assimilated-native-americans

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Roanoke Descendants Revealed by DNA Test | In Search Of (Season 2)