Why will we celebrate just about anything—and why does National Donut Day suddenly make you want a donut? Jess and Bryan explore the psychology of random holidays, rituals, and nostalgia, then dig into the science of food cravings, conditioning, and why your brain can make pizza feel like an emergency.

Episode Reference List

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Labor Day started with workers demanding better — and somehow we ended up talking about cesspits, dog poop, rats, and chimney science.

We dig into the real history of Labor Day, then trace some truly gross old jobs to their modern, science-driven counterparts. Same work. Smarter methods. Far less ew.

View this episode's reference list: reference list.
Listen to our "Word Soup" episode.
Listen to our Willie Wonka episode.

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Turn signals: optional suggestion or basic social contract? And while we’re asking important questions, could Willy Wonka’s chocolate river actually work without becoming a public health disaster? Jess and Bryan dig into the psychology of bad driving, the science behind Wonka’s most questionable inventions, and why one child falling into a chocolate river should probably shut down the entire factory.

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Episode 4 | Words & Worms

This week, we’re investigating two ways your brain can make everyday life unnecessarily complicated: the language people use when a perfectly normal sentence apparently isn’t fancy enough, and the mystery of why one tiny piece of music can take up residence in your head without paying rent. We get into what your word choices may be telling other people, why some tunes are remarkably hard to shake, and one surprisingly low-tech trick that might help when your internal playlist refuses to move on.

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Have some feedback, a question, or idea you want us to toss around on a future episode? Email us at [email protected]

Stay curious!

It's Back to School time! Let's celebrate! In this episode, we talk about how school is full of things we rarely stop to question. How much of your life disappears in the car line? Does recess actually help kids behave? Does it matter whether lunch comes before or after recess? And why are teenagers expected to learn when their brains would rather be asleep? We did the research, found some school-centered facts, and asked what science says about starting school later.

School Facts & References

Later Start Facts & References

PLUS: Be sure to vote in the School Lunch Specialties poll! What was your favorite school lunch? Cast your vote here! We'll share the results next week.

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Why are Cheerios shaped like O’s, and why do they huddle together in your bowl? Jess and Bryan start with the surprisingly scientific story behind a breakfast classic, then follow the evidence from cholera and how beer helped identify how it was spread to radioactive health tonics ('nuf said). It’s a conversation about the morning menu and what happens when science changes its mind.

It's on! Vote in the Favorite Cereal Face-Off! Click here or visit https://bit.ly/cereal-face-off to cast your vote. We'll share the results in our next episode.

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Ever get tired of the same old podcast playlist? What if 20 minutes could make you the smartest person in the room? If you love learning new things on the go, we've got the answer to your woes! Life Science Podcast offers fun, quick episodes that keep you inspired and connected—no boring science talk. Get your dose of curiosity twice a month and watch it spice up your conversations. Worth thinking about — are you ready to be everyone’s favorite trivia expert? Listen every other Tuesday for a new episode!

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Episode 1 References

Short Spine Syndrome

Westworth, D. R., & Sturges, B. K. (2010). Congenital spinal malformations in small animals. Veterinary Clinics of North America: Small Animal Practice, 40(5), 951-981. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cvsm.2010.05.009

🔗 PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20732600/⁠

Urban Raccoon Ecology

Prange, S., Gehrt, S. D., & Wiggers, E. P. (2004). Influences of anthropogenic resources on raccoon (Procyon lotor) movements and spatial distribution. Journal of Mammalogy, 85(3), 483-490.

🔗 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1644/BWG-109 (This DOI takes listeners directly to the paper.)

Why Things Go Viral

Berger, J., & Milkman, K. L. (2012). What makes online content viral? Journal of Marketing Research, 49(2), 192-205.

🔗 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.10.0353

Why False News Travels Faster

Vosoughi, S., Roy, D., & Aral, S. (2018). The spread of true and false news online. Science, 359(6380), 1146-1151.

🔗 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1126/science.aap9559

Why Humans Think Things Are Cute

Glocker, M. L., Langleben, D. D., Ruparel, K., Loughead, J. W., Gur, R. C., & Sachser, N. (2009). Baby schema in infant faces induces cuteness perception and motivation for caretaking in adults. Ethology, 115(3), 257-263.

🔗 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0310.2008.01603.x

Jimothy News Story

The Washington Post. (2026, July 25). How did Jimothy the raccoon survive? Thanks to his mom, most likely.

🔗 Washington Post article⁠