Recreational Science

By Scientafic

RecSciPod: the podcast where funny scientists discuss funny science. Hosted by Lu and Tirth, two goofs (with MD/PhDs) who love to talk science and make each other laugh. In each episode, the two tell ... more

· Science

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FAQs about Recreational Science:

How many episodes does Recreational Science have?

The podcast currently has 28 episodes available.

Recreational Science episodes:

April 28, 2026Bacon, sports cars, rollercoasters, knuckle cracking, and more (RecSci Quick Bites)
In this bonus RecSci Quick Bites episode, Lu and Tirth discuss a medical use of bacon, the relationship between penis size and sports cars, the effectiveness of rollercoasters in passing kidney stones, the long-term effects of knuckle cracking, surname sharing amongst economist coauthors, the jollity of visiting mall Santas, and the best scientific abstract ever written.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:57 Bacon study
3:50 Sports car study
6:48 Rollercoaster study
8:25 Knuckle cracking study
10:35 Author surname study
13:44 Mall Santa study
16:05 Best abstract ever
17:08 Outro
Article links:
Humphreys et al., 2011. Nasal packing with strips of cured pork as treatment for uncontrollable epistaxis in a patient with Glanzmann thrombasthenia. Annals of Otology, Rhinology & Laryngology. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/000348941112001107
Richardson et al., 2023. Small Penises and Fast Cars: Evidence for a Psychological Link. Psyarxiv. https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/uy7ph_v1
Mitchell & Wartinger, 2016. Validation of a Functional Pyelocalyceal Renal Model for the Evaluation of Renal Calculi Passage While Riding a Roller Coaster. Journal of Osteopathic Medicine. https://www.degruyterbrill.com/document/doi/10.7556/jaoa.2016.128/html
Unger, 1998. Does knuckle cracking lead to arthritis of the fingers? Arthritis and Rheumatism. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/1529-0131(199805)41:5%3C949::AID-ART36%3E3.0.CO;2-3
Goodmen et al., 2015. A Few Goodmen: Surname-Sharing Economist Coauthors. Economics Inquiry. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/ecin.12167
Trainkaus, 2004. Visiting Santa: an informal look. Psychological Reports. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/epdf/10.2466/pr0.95.2.587-588
Berry et al., 2011. Can apparent superluminal neutrino speeds be explained as a quantum weak measurement? Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and Theoretical. https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1751-8113/44/49/492001
You can find Recreational Science (#RecSciPod) everywhere great podcasts are found!
Follow us on social media @RecSciPod!
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@RecSciPod
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recscipod
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Theme music by Dasein: https://open.spotify.com/artist/77H3GPgYigeKNlZKGx11KZ
Recreational Science is produced by Scientafic (https://www.scientafic.com/recscipod)
...more
19min
April 07, 2026Bad knives, self-scoping, baby size, Olympics, and more (RecSci Quick Bites)
In this bonus episode of RecSci Quick Bites, Lu and Tirth discuss more funny studies they didn’t get to talk about at length during season one. These include making knives out of poop, performing colonoscopy on yourself, reasons why babies are so small, the happiness of Olympic medalists, the worst time to consume chili, zebra-striped mannequins, and giving it to Reviewer 2.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:50 Knife study
3:37 Self-scoping study
5:44 Babies study
7:56 Olympian study
10:57 Chili study
12:28 Zebra study
15:31 Reviewer 2 study
18:22 Outro
Article links:
Eren et al., 2019. Experimental replication shows knives manufactured from frozen human feces do not work. Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352409X19305371?via%3Dihub
Horiuchi & Nakayama, 2006. Colonoscopy in the sitting position: lessons learned from self-colonoscopy by using a small-caliber, variable-stiffness colonoscope. Gastointenstinal Endoscopy. https://www.giejournal.org/article/S0016-5107(05)03012-9/
Ellstrand, 1982. Why are juveniles smaller than their parents? Evolution. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1558-5646.1983.tb05637.x
Medvec et al., 1995. When Less Is More: Counterfactual Thinking and Satisfaction Among Olympic Medalists. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. https://psycnet.apa.org/doiLanding?doi=10.1037%2F0022-3514.69.4.603
Gupta, 2007. Red hot chilli consumption is harmful in patients operated for anal fissure - a randomized, double-blind, controlled study. Digestive Surgery. https://karger.com/dsu/article-abstract/24/5/354/116015/Red-Hot-Chilli-Consumption-Is-Harmful-in-Patients
Horvath et al., 2019. Striped bodypainting protects against horseflies. Royal Society Open Science. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/rsos/article/6/1/181325/94617/Striped-bodypainting-protects-against
Peterson, 2020. Dear reviewer 2: Go F’ Yourself. Social Science Quarterly. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ssqu.12824
You can find Recreational Science (#RecSciPod) everywhere great podcasts are found!
Follow us on social media @RecSciPod!
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@RecSciPod
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TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recscipod
BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/recscipod.bsky.social
Threads https://www.threads.com/@recscipod
Theme music by Dasein: https://open.spotify.com/artist/77H3GPgYigeKNlZKGx11KZ
Recreational Science is produced by Scientafic (https://www.scientafic.com/recscipod)
...more
20min
March 20, 2026Lady bugs, toilet seats, Japan, promiscuity, and more (RecSci Quick Bites)
In this bonus episode, Lu and Tirth do some RecSci Quick Bites or funny studies they didn’t get to discuss at length during season one. These include an unusual finding on colonoscopy, ergonomic toilet seats, Japan’s Phillips curve, the misuse of the word promiscuity, the deal with birds, fruit bat fellatio part 2, and a case of untreated writer’s block.
This episode is part of the 4th edition of Podcasthon! This is the world’s largest podcast charity initiative, bringing together podcasters globally to raise awareness for important causes.
Doctors Without Borders: https://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
Podcasthon: https://podcasthon.org/
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
2:27 Colonoscopy study
4:04 Toilet seat study
5:59 Japan study
7:02 Promiscuity study
8:47 Birds study
10:05 Fruit bat study
12:00 Writer’s block study
13:01 Outro
Article links:
Tahan et al., 2019. An Unusual Finding of a Ladybug on Screening Colonoscopy. ACG Case Reports Journal. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6791639/
Lustig et al., 2018. Beware of the toilet: the risk for a deep tissue injury during toilet sitting. Journal of Tissue Viability. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0965206X17300670?via%3Dihub
Smith, 2006. Japan’s Phillips Curve Looks Like Japan. Queen's Economics Department Working Paper No. 1083. http://qed.econ.queensu.ca/working_papers/papers/qed_wp_1083.pdf
Elgar et al., 2013. Promiscuous words. Frontiers in Zoology. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/1742-9994-10-66
Baldassarre, 2020. What’s the Deal with Birds? Scientific Journal of Research and Reviews. https://www.chm.bris.ac.uk/sillymolecules/birds.pdf
Maruthupandian et al., 2013. Cunnilingus apparently increases duration of copulation in the Indian flying fox, Pteropus giganteus. PLoS One. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0059743
Upper, 1974. The unsuccessful self-treatment of a case of “writer's block.” Journal of Applied Behavior Analysis. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC1311997
You can find Recreational Science (#RecSciPod) everywhere great podcasts are found!
Follow us on social media @RecSciPod!
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@RecSciPod
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recscipod
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recscipod
BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/recscipod.bsky.social
Threads https://www.threads.com/@recscipod
Theme music by Dasein: https://open.spotify.com/artist/77H3GPgYigeKNlZKGx11KZ
Recreational Science is produced by Scientafic (https://www.scientafic.com/recscipod)
...more
15min
March 10, 2026Swearing makes you stronger and how to potty train cows (season finale)
How do you make yourself lift more at the gym? Have you tried swearing?
Kids need potty training, but what about animals? Does potty training cows make them healthier and happier?
In the season 1 finale, Lu and Tirth do a year-end review and discuss how saying your favorite swear word makes you stronger at the gym and how to potty train cows using an electric trainer.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:45 Year-end review
7:37 Swearing study
25:25 Potty training study
37:01 Is this SPAM? An update
42:43 What did you learn today, outro
Article links:
Jiannine & Antonio, 2023. The Effects of Cursing on Exercise Performance. Journal of Exercise Physiology online. https://www.asep.org/asep/asep/JEPonlineOCTOBER2023_Lia%20Jiannine_Jose%20Antonio.pdf
Stephens et al., 2025. “Don’t Hold Back”: Swearing Improves Strength Through State Disinhibition. American Psychologist. https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2027-01514-001.html
Bergsten et al., 1992. The cleanliness of cows tied in stalls and the health of their hooves as influenced by the use of electric trainers. Preventive Veterinary Medicine. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/016758779290038H
You can find Recreational Science (#RecSciPod) everywhere great podcasts are found!
Follow us on social media @RecSciPod!
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@RecSciPod
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recscipod
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recscipod
BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/recscipod.bsky.social
Threads https://www.threads.com/@recscipod
Theme music by Dasein: https://open.spotify.com/artist/77H3GPgYigeKNlZKGx11KZ
Recreational Science is produced by Scientafic (https://www.scientafic.com/recscipod)
...more
46min
February 24, 2026Doping graphene and the hedonic benefits of garlic
Graphene is a fascinating material with the potential to help solve the world’s energy needs. Can you improve graphene with poop?
Garlic is a superfood packed with flavor and health benefits. Yes, garlic causes bad breath, but could it actually improve your body odor?
In this remunerative episode, Lu and Tirth discuss the electrocatalytic effects of doping graphene with guano and whether eating garlic makes men smell more desirable to women.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
2:16 Is this SPAM?
11:43 Graphene study
22:10 Garlic study
34:34 What did you learn today, outro
Article links:
Wang et al., 2020. Will Any Crap We Put into Graphene Increase Its Electrocatalytic Effect? ACS Nano. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acsnano.9b00184
Fialova et al., 2016. Consumption of garlic positively affects hedonic perception of axillary body odour. Appetite. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0195666315300787
You can find Recreational Science (#RecSciPod) everywhere great podcasts are found!
Follow us on social media @RecSciPod!
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@RecSciPod
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recscipod
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recscipod
BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/recscipod.bsky.social
Threads https://www.threads.com/@recscipod
Theme music by Dasein: https://open.spotify.com/artist/77H3GPgYigeKNlZKGx11KZ
Recreational Science is produced by Scientafic (https://www.scientafic.com/recscipod)
...more
38min
February 10, 2026Strip club economics and hot sauce aggression
How do economics work in a strip club? What are the factors that go into how much a stripper makes in tips? Do strippers earn more tips when they’re ovulating?
Men are prone to doing some dumb, poorly planned, and aggressive stuff. Is testosterone to blame? Does testosterone make men serve more hot sauce to other people?
In this episode, to celebrate the supposed end of Tirth’s bachelorhood, Lu and Tirth discuss surprising factors that affect how much money lap dancers make and how testosterone levels in men make them more aggressive with hot sauce.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:34 Tirth’s “not” bachelor party
8:37 Stripper study
20:51 Testosterone study
31:13 What did you learn today, outro
Article links:
Miller et al., 2007. Ovulatory cycle effects on tip earnings by lap dancers: economic evidence for human estrus? Evolution and Human Behavior. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1090513807000694
Klinesmith et al., 2006. Guns, Testosterone, and Aggression: An Experimental Test of a Mediational Hypothesis. Psychological Science. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1111/j.1467-9280.2006.01745.x
You can find Recreational Science (#RecSciPod) everywhere great podcasts are found!
Follow us on social media @RecSciPod!
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@RecSciPod
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recscipod
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recscipod
BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/recscipod.bsky.social
Threads https://www.threads.com/@recscipod
Theme music by Dasein: https://open.spotify.com/artist/77H3GPgYigeKNlZKGx11KZ
Recreational Science is produced by Scientafic (https://www.scientafic.com/recscipod)
...more
34min
January 20, 2026Recognizing butts and using clowns as anesthesia
Humans recognize each other’s faces. Chimps recognize each other’s butts. However, do chimps recognize human butts? Do humans recognize human butts? Do humans recognize chimp butts? All these questions must be asked.
Getting surgery, even minor procedures, triggers anxiety. Do clowns help kids relax pre-surgery? Is there room for clowns in pediatric operating rooms?
In this episode, Lu and Tirth discuss historic science gaffes, how human faces are quite similar to chimpanzee butts, and whether clowns can be good anxiolytics for children.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
0:55 Dave talk
5:27 Historic science gaffes quiz
19:22 Chimp butt study
36:49 Clown studies
50:29 What did you learn today, outro
Article links:
Kret & Tomonaga, 2016. Getting to the Bottom of Face Processing. Species-Specific Inversion Effects for Faces and Behinds in Humans and Chimpanzees (Pan Troglodytes). PLoS One. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0165357
Vagnoli et al., 2005. Clown doctors as a treatment for preoperative anxiety in children: a randomized, prospective study. Pediatrics. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2005-0466
Golan et al., 2009. Clowns for the prevention of preoperative anxiety in children: a randomized controlled trial. Pediatric Anesthesia. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1460-9592.2008.02903.x
You can find Recreational Science (#RecSciPod) everywhere great podcasts are found!
Follow us on social media @RecSciPod!
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@RecSciPod
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recscipod
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recscipod
BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/recscipod.bsky.social
Threads https://www.threads.com/@recscipod
Theme music by Dasein: https://open.spotify.com/artist/77H3GPgYigeKNlZKGx11KZ
Recreational Science is produced by Scientafic (https://www.scientafic.com/recscipod)
...more
53min
January 06, 2026Pâté vs dog food and smoochy woochy poochy
Dog food quality has risen over the years, and its ingredients are not too different from that of pâté, or liver mousse, a French delicacy. The question, then, must be asked: can people taste the difference between dog food and pâté?
Driving under the influence of marijuana is dangerous and illegal, but what about bicycling? Is it safe to ride bikes after cannabis use?
Happy 2026! In this episode, Lu and Tirth discuss whether blind taste testers can tell the difference between dog food and pâté, liverwurst, or SPAM, and whether cannabis users can safely navigate through traffic on a bicycle while stoned.
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:45 New Year’s celebrations and resolutions
8:04 Dog food study
20:17 Weed study
30:16 What did you learn today, outro
Article links:
Bohannon J et al., 2009. Can people distinguish pâté from dog food? AAWE Working paper No. 36 – Economics. https://wine-economics.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/AAWE_WP36.pdf
Hartung et al., 2016. The effect of cannabis on regular cannabis consumers’ ability to ride a bicycle. International Journal of Legal Medicine. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00414-015-1307-y
You can find Recreational Science (#RecSciPod) everywhere great podcasts are found!
Follow us on social media @RecSciPod!
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@RecSciPod
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recscipod
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recscipod
BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/recscipod.bsky.social
Threads https://www.threads.com/@recscipod
Theme music by Dasein: https://open.spotify.com/artist/77H3GPgYigeKNlZKGx11KZ
Recreational Science is produced by Scientafic (https://www.scientafic.com/recscipod)
...more
33min
December 19, 2025Eating Legos (for kids) and the fighting prowess of bearded men
Kids swallow little toys and other things they’re not supposed to all the time. Is it dangerous to swallow Legos? How long does it take for a swallowed piece of Lego to pass? There’s only one way to find out.
Why do some men have beards? Do beards signify virility and manliness? Do bearded men have higher power levels?
In this episode, Lu and Tirth discuss the rich history of self-experimentation in medicine, how long it takes Legos to pass through the digestive tract, and whether bearded men fight better.
Please vote for our show on the pod radar before Monday 12/22! https://thepodradar.com/
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
3:12 Hate caller follow-up
7:59 The rich history of self-experimentation
16:42 Lego swallowing study
23:23 Beard study
36:11 What did you learn today, outro
Article links:
Tagg et al., 2018. Everything is awesome: Don’t forget the Lego. Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jpc.14309
Dixson et al., 2018. Contest competition and men's facial hair: beards may not provide advantages in combat. Evolution and human behavior. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1090513817302660
Beseris et al., 2020. Impact Protection Potential of Mammalian Hair: Testing the Pugilism Hypothesis for the Evolution of Human Facial Hair. Integrative organismal biology. https://academic.oup.com/iob/article/2/1/obaa005/5799080
You can find Recreational Science (#RecSciPod) everywhere great podcasts are found!
Follow us on social media @RecSciPod!
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@RecSciPod
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recscipod
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recscipod
BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/recscipod.bsky.social
Threads https://www.threads.com/@recscipod
Theme music by Dasein: https://open.spotify.com/artist/77H3GPgYigeKNlZKGx11KZ
Recreational Science is produced by Scientafic (https://www.scientafic.com/recscipod)
...more
39min
December 09, 2025Batman makes people nicer and octopus fun time
Would you give up your seat to a pregnant woman on the train? Would you be more likely to give up your seat to a pregnant woman if Batman was also on the train?
What do octopuses do during their free time? Are they smart, curious, and bored enough to play catch by themselves?
In this episode, Lu and Tirth discuss how the presence of Batman makes people more kind to one another (aka the Batman effect) and whether octopuses play with toys.
Beef man origins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc-5StGiCb4
Octopus playing video: https://figshare.com/articles/media/An_adult_i_O_bimaculoides_i_Octopus_H_playing_with_test_tube_cap_/29494452?file=56034531
Timestamps:
0:00 Intro
1:25 Lu has a hater
10:39 Batman study
21:53 Octopus study
31:41 What did you learn today, outro
Article links:
Pagnini et al., 2025. Unexpected events and prosocial behavior: the Batman effect. npj Mental Health Research. https://www.nature.com/articles/s44184-025-00171-5
Jarmoulk et al., 2025. Evidence of play behavior in captive California two-spot octopuses, Octopus bimaculoides. PLoS One. https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0326379
You can find Recreational Science (#RecSciPod) everywhere great podcasts are found!
Follow us on social media @RecSciPod!
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@RecSciPod
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/recscipod
TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@recscipod
BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/recscipod.bsky.social
Threads https://www.threads.com/@recscipod
Theme music by Dasein: https://open.spotify.com/artist/77H3GPgYigeKNlZKGx11KZ
Recreational Science is produced by Scientafic (https://www.scientafic.com/recscipod)
...more
34min

FAQs about Recreational Science:

How many episodes does Recreational Science have?

The podcast currently has 28 episodes available.