Caution: Christmas Spoiler Warning for Children!

This week, Nikki and Leah talk about the festive season and question how contemporary traditions have changed and evolved over time. They also explore how people of different genders might have different experiences around this time of year. Nikki delves into the science of 'Christmas Cheer', which Leah aims to spread with a festive poem in Creative Corner. Wrap up warm and get cosy for this one!

Please Note: This episode was recorded prior to the UK Government's announcement of Tier 4 on 19 December 2020.

This week, Leah and Nikki recklessly tug at their own (and possibly your) heartstrings by talking about pets! They find out - from the most reliable source - what pets they should have, and explore why the "crazy cat lady" stereotype exists. In our regular segments, Nikki brings the science and Leah showcases a creative project with the "aww" factor.

Trigger warning: Grief, Bereavement.

Disclaimer: Our recording equipment *may* have been possessed by the poltergeist from our previous episode, and we apologise for the sound quality.

The girls switch it up for a slightly different Casefiles episode this week, and fall firmly down the rabbit hole of a specific haunting. Nikki presents the case and the two discuss their findings... Could a child really fabricate such an elaborate hoax? Or will Nikki finally convince Leah that ghosts are real? And why do they owe anyone named Meggy an apology?

This week's episode is all about comfort zones! What are they? Why do we want to stay inside them? And what happens if we venture out of those spaces? Nikki and Leah share their own thoughts and experiences - some good, some bad. Nikki's Science Section delves into the evolutionary reasons why we might go out of our comfort zones, and Leah's Creative Corner explores how narratives disrupt characters' comfort zones, and what effect this can have on us.

To celebrate getting into double figures and over 1,000 downloads (THANK YOU, ALL OF YOU!), Nikki and Leah kick things off by answering your burning questions. After that, they remain in the spooky theme to talk about all things paranormal. What are paranormal experiences? What have Nikki and Leah experienced? And what do we think these occurrences really are? In Science Section, Nikki looks at what causes paranormal experiences and Leah sheds light on a paranormal niche in Creative Corner.

Spooky season is here! Nikki and Leah take this opportunity to bring their fears and phobias to the surface, mere hours before streaming horror games for charity. They discuss where fear stems from, how it might affect different the genders, and how fears might be combatted. In Science Section, Nikki explores why fear has evolved, while in Creative Corner Leah looks at the changing tropes within the horror genre.

The horror stream has been organised by Dan from the Real Life Ghost Stories podcast in aid of CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably). If you'd like to learn more, please visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/31gamesofterror or www.thecalmzone.net.

Nikki and Leah open up their casefiles again this week to discuss time travel! They talk about what they'd do and where they'd go if time travel was actually possible and they investigate and discuss two reported instances of time travel. In Science Section, Nikki explores whether it's actually scientifically possible, whilst in Creative Corner Leah discusses the use of time travel as a plot device and why it's not always so easy.

Nikki returns this week and the girls fall down the rabbit hole of ancestry! They discuss their DNA test results, namedrop their famous ancestors, and talk about some of the genetic traits they've inherited. Nikki's Science Section explores the way these tests work and examines their reliability, while Leah's Creative Corner brings a nugget of inspiration and highlights some creative ways ancestry can be portrayed.

Leah is joined by Emma from the Real Life Ghost Stories podcast this week, to chat about Sex Education while Nikki moves house. Leah and Emma talk about their experiences of sex education at school, misconceptions they developed, and what needs to change about how sex education is taught. In Science Section, Emma drops some truth bombs about why we behave so irrationally as teenagers, and Creative Corner comes with a bunch of new recommendations for you to check out.

Welcome to the first Casefiles episode of Not For Girls, where Nikki and Leah talk about aliens - because, hey, why not? They discuss the reliability of information and investigate some first-hand accounts of alien encounters. In Creative Corner and Science Section, Nikki and Leah look at the gender politics of alien portrayals and the evidence of what really is out there...