LifeScience

From 19th-century horses to the peculiar joy of a tiny sticker, we're exploring the history and psychology behind two of Election Day's most familiar traditions.

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Why do we love being scared? Is Bigfoot camera-shy? And could the Loch Ness Monster really be an overachieving eel?

In this Halloween episode of Life Science, Jess and Bryan put ghosts, monsters, and our questionable taste for terror under the microscope. Turns out, the science might be even stranger than the stories. Happy Halloween!

Special shout out to Jonathan Perez of Latinos Against Spooky Sh*t, whose work we refer to during this episode. Highly suggest you check him out on Instagram, Facebook and YouTube @latinosagainstspookyshit

While this episode does not contain profanities, it does include content that may be frightening or disturbing to some listeners. Discretion is advised.

Episode Reference List

Image references:
Painting of a plesiosaur on land, by Heinrich Harder
Loch Ness Monster Surgeon's photograph

Frame 352 of the 1967 Patterson–Gimlin film, claimed by the filmmakers to depict a female Bigfoot
Hans Holbein the Younger - Portrait of a Lady, perhaps Katherine Howard
Woman looking in Mirror - Cottonbro Studios (Pexels)

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Please share and subscribe!

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Why is Gen Z reading television instead of just watching it? And why does boarding an airplane feel like an elaborate experiment in human incompetence?

This week on LifeScience, Jess and Bryan tackle two of life's surprisingly ridiculous mysteries. From the tricks our brains play when we read and listen simultaneously to the physics of cramming 180 people and their oversized carry-ons into a flying metal tube, they discover that science has some fascinating answers.

And apparently, getting everyone onto a plane shouldn't be nearly as difficult as airlines make it.

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New York bagels. Taylor Swift. Obviously, these belong in the same episode.

🥯 Is it really the water that makes a New York bagel better?
🎤 And how did Taylor Swift become so culturally enormous that even people who don’t listen to her somehow know what she’s doing?

This week on LifeScience, we investigate bagel chemistry, parasocial relationships, cultural saturation, and why humans really, really love a beautifully simple explanation.

Science gets weird. As usual.

Episode 8 Reference List

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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

Thank you for listening!
Catch all episodes of LifeScience on our website, lifesciencepodcast.info or wherever you get your podcasts.

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Have an idea for a topic you want us to explore? Got some feedback to share? Send it our way at [email protected]

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.

View the references from this week's episode here.

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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.

View/download references here.
And...be sure to like, follow, share, and comment on our   / lifesciencepodcast  ,   / lifescience_podcast  , and https://bsky.app/profile/lifesciencep... pages! We post fun stuff there.

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.

And be sure to like, follow, share, and comment on our Facebook, Instagram, and BlueSky pages! We post fun stuff there.

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

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.

For a list of references and recommended reading for this episode, click here.

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