It’s the 1990s at a medical center in California, and patients are dying. At first, this doesn’t seem strange — it’s a hospital, and deaths happen. But then rumors start to circulate about a particular health care worker: Difficult or needy patients in his care are ending up dead. The cops get involved, but there’s a huge problem: There’s no hard evidence. Until the so-called “Lab of Last Resort” steps in. Crime Junkie host Ashley Flowers joins us as we speak to analytical chemist Armando Alcaraz, former Detective Sergeant John McKillop and Dr. Ian Musgrave. 

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsSerialKiller

In this episode we cover: 

(00:00) Deaths at a California Hospital

(05:20) Meet Efren Saldivar

(10:51) A Shocking Confession

(15:40) Pavulon and Succinylcholine

(21:00) Searching for Suspicious Cases

(25:09) The Lab of Last Resort 

(34:21) Testing the Bodies

(39:30) The Story Ends 

Credits:

This episode was produced by Joel Werner and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, with help from Wendy Zukerman, along with Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Music written by So Wylie, Bobby Lord and Bumi Hidaka. Thanks to Roland Campos, Steve Wampler, Audrey Williams, the audiochuck team, Jasmine Kingston, Connor Sampson, Stupid Old Studios, and Penny Greenhalgh. Special thanks to the LA times staff whose very thorough reporting we used to research this episode. 

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. 

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For decades, taking the birth control pill to prevent pregnancy was seen as a no-brainer. But lately, people are saying that it’s actually a brain-changer. They say that the pill can affect who you’re attracted to, that it can tank your libido, and that it can make you depressed. Instead, some influencers are telling us to try an amazing, hormone-free method — where all you have to do is listen to your body. So … are they right?? We’re tackling these birth control claims and more, with psychologist Dr. Julia Stern, biologist Madita Zetzsche, neuroscientist Dr. Caitlin Taylor, and ob-gyn Dr. Jasmine Patel. 

This episode does mention depression. Here are some crisis hotlines: 

United States: US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Dial 988 (Online chat available); US Crisis Text Line Text “HOME” to 741741

Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14 (Online chat available)

Canada: Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (See link for phone numbers listed by province)

United Kingdom: Samaritans 116 123 (UK and ROI)

Full list of international hotlines here 

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsThePill

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) The Pill Under Fire

(04:08) Does The Pill change who you’re attracted to?

(13:00) Could The Pill turn off your ovulation scent?

(18:59) How bad is The Pill for our sex drive and mental health? 

(21:10) Does The Pill really change your brain?

(24:40) Does The Pill make you gain weight? 

(26:16) So how dangerous is The Pill — really? 

(27:10) Fertility Awareness Methods — are they too good to be true??

(31:32) Can pre-cum get you pregnant?

Credits: 

This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, with help from Wendy Zukerman, along with Michelle Dang, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, and Meryl Horn. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Recording assistance from Emile B Klein. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, and Emma Munger. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke with for this episode, including Dr. Adriene Beltz, Prof. Alison Edelman, Dr. Emily Pfender, Prof. Jayashri Kulkarni, Dr. Jill Krapf, Dr. Rachel Urrutia, and Dr. Therese Johansson. Special thanks to Miah Foster. 

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.

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Some people can control their dreams. While they're fast asleep: they fly, create new worlds, live other lives. But Wendy isn't one of them. So in today's episode, Wendy and the Science Vs team find a scientifically approved method to try to lucid dream. We test it out — and bizarre things start happening. We also explore how scientists are trying to harness the strange powers of lucid dreaming to help people, as well as to crack huge scientific mysteries, like: What is consciousness? And what exactly goes on in all of our heads when we're asleep? To do all this and more, we talk to psychologists Dr. Denholm Adventure-Heart and Dr. Brigitte Holzinger, as well as cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Başak Türker.

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsLucidDreaming

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Let's Fly!

(04:24) Does Reality Testing Work?

(11:30) Does the MILD Technique work?

(14:10) Wendy and the Team Try to Lucid Dream

(17:37) Can Drugs or Masks Help You Lucid Dream?

(19:28) Inside the Mind of a Lucid Dreamer

(26:24) Strange Windows of Consciousness 

(27:58) The Lucid Dreaming Brain

(34:53) Can We Use Lucid Dreaming to Help Us?

(38:32) Did the Science Vs team have a Lucid Dream?

This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, Joel Werner, Meryl Horn and Ekedi Fauster-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka, So Wiley, Peter Leonard and Emma Munger. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including Dr Karen Konkoly, Dr Benjamin Baird, and Professor Ken Paller. Also thanks to the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. 

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This week's episode comes to us from our friends at Radiolab! Close your eyes and imagine a red apple. What do you see? Turns out there’s a whole spectrum of answers to that question, and producer Sindhu Gnanasambandan is on one far end. In this episode, she explores what it means to see — and not see — in your mind.

This episode was reported and produced by Sindhu Gnanasambandan with help from Annie McEwen. Original music and sound design contributed by Dylan Keefe. Mixing help from Jeremy Bloom and Arianne Wack. Mixing for Science Vs by Sam Bair. Fact-checking by Natalie Middleton. Edited by Pat Walters. 

Special thanks to Kim Nederveen Pieterse, Nathan Peereboom, Lizzie Peabody, Kristin Lin, Jo Eidman, Mark Nakhla, Andrew Leland, Brian Radcliffe, Adam Zeman, John Green, Craig Venter, Dustin Grinnell, and Soraya Shockley.

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.

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We hear about fiber as the main ingredient for a good poo. But we’re starting to hear that it’s much more than that! Fiber is being hailed as a powerhouse nutrient, from powering up your gut and boosting your mental health to even helping with weight loss. So, does fiber really live up to the hype? We dive into the science with microbiologist Dr. Deirdre Mikkelsen, neuroscientist Prof. John Cryan, and nutrition scientist Dr. Andrea Glenn. 

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsFiber

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Fiber is so hot right now

(02:16) How fiber helps you poo

(04:55) Fiber supercharges the gut 

(14:02) Can fiber help your mental health? 

(18:36) A goop for a healthy heart 

(24:52) Fiber and weight loss 

This episode was produced by Michelle Dang, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler, and Ekedi Fauster-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Music written by Bobby Lord, Emma Munger, Peter Leonard and Bumi Hidaka. Recording help from Nick Kilvert. Extra thanks to Kafayat Yusuf. And thanks to Joseph Lavelle Wilson and the Zukerman family.

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. 

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About 40 percent of Americans believe in ghosts, and one in five even say they've had an encounter with one! So could ghosts really exist?? Or does some other spooky phenomenon explain these strange and sometimes terrifying experiences? To find out, we visit a haunted house with paranormal investigators, explore one very creepy basement searching for ghostly mold, and try to move cutlery with the help of quantum physics. Join us on this Halloween adventure with astrophysicist Dr. Katie Mack, environmental engineer Dr. Shane Rogers as well as psychologists Dr Baland Jalal, and Prof. Chris French.

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsGhosts2024 

This is an updated version of our ghosts episode from several years ago.

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Visiting a Haunted House 

(06:09) Hunting for Ghosts in Theoretical Physics 

(12:27) Eerie Electromagnetic Fields? 

(16:49) Spooky Sleep Paralysis 

(23:13) Spooky Spores

(31:50) Spine Tingling Psychology

This episode was produced by Ben Kuebrich, Kaitlyn Sawrey, Diane Wu, Heather Rogers, Shruti Ravindran and Wendy Zukerman. Editing by Annie-Rose Strasser and Blythe Terrell. Production assistance: Audrey Quinn. Fact checking by Michelle Harris. Sound engineering, music production and original scoring by Bobby Lord. Thanks to Dr. Ciaran O’Keeffe, Dr. Neil Dagnall, Dr. Giulio Rognini, Raymond Swyers, Dr. Joseph Baker, Prof. Kwai Man Luk, Prof. Kin Seng Chiang, Prof. Tapan Sarkar, Prof. Maxim Gitlits, The Zukerman family, Joseph Lavelle Wilson as well as Jorge Just, Devon Taylor … and thanks to Haley Shaw for the spooooky violins in the Science Vs theme.

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. 

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The climate is a mess. It's hot. There's fires, floods, hurricanes — and we may have even crossed some rather scary climate tipping points. But there is hope. So today, we’re answering your questions about solving the climate crisis. We find out how you can help in the fight against climate change, if carbon offsets are a scam, whether renewables really work and what exciting new technologies could help save the planet. Our guests are Dr. Sven Teske at the University of Technology, Sydney, and Wei Sue, head of strategy at Monash University's Climateworks Center. 

A video version of this episode is available on Spotify.

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsClimateAMA 

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Is it the End of the World?

(04:21) The biggest emitters

(05:24) What can you do to help? 

(07:07) Does recycling fight climate change?

(08:42) Should you stop eating meat? 

(09:58) Buying an Electric Vehicle

(14:54) Can you really make a difference?

(17:05) Carbon Offsets 

(21:14) Renewables: How good are they?

(26:31) Nuclear Power: The Silver Bullet?

(31:21) Giant Shades in Space! 

(34:14) Hope? 

This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman and Meryl Horn with help from Joel Werner, Rose Rimler, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Video editing by T Cruz. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Music written by Bumi Hidaka.  A huge thank you to Nick Johnson, Stupid Old Studios and Lily Kim.

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. 

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Something is coming for 4 billion people on this planet, and if you've been watching the news — it's horrifying. It can attack your brain, your heart, your bones and even your vagina. So what is this fresh hell? Apparently, it's menopause. So what's going on here? What are the real symptoms of menopause? How bad is it? And is hormone therapy the miracle cure that some are saying it is? To find out, we spoke to gynecologist Dr. Monica Christmas and Professor Susan Reed, as well as epidemiologists Professor Samar El Khoudary and Professor JoAnn E. Manson.

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsMenopause 

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) The Horror Show

(04:12) The Most Common Symptoms of Menopause

(13:00) Memory Problems and Weight Gain

(19:10) The biggest screw-up of the entire medical field? 

(26:00) Do Hormones Cause Breast Cancer and Heart Disease?

(30:12) Which Menopausal Symptoms do Hormones help with?

(33:00) Supplements, CBT and Menopause

(36:27) Menopause isn't a disease

This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Music written by Bobby Lord, Peter Leonard, So Wylie, Emma Munger and Bumi Hidaka. Thanks to the researchers we spoke to, including Dr Caroline Gurvich, Professor Martha Hickey, Professor Nancy Woods, Professor Cindy Farquhar, Professor Jayashri Kulkarni, Dr Rebecca Thurston, Dr Sioban Harlow, Dr Susan Diem and Dr Yana Vinogradova. And extra thanks to Suren Jayemanne, Penny Greenhalgh,  Imogen Hayes, Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. 

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The ketogenic diet has been booming for years, with people swearing that it boosts their brainpower — maybe even helping with mental health — and that the diet can melt fat and make them better athletes. So does keto live up to the hype? To find out, we go keto … (plus, we do a bunch of research and talk to scientists!). You’ll hear from neuroscientist Dom D’Agostino, psychiatrist Dr. Shebani Sethi, and nutritionist Louise Burke. Also, Wendy’s mum drops in.

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsKetoDiet

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) The promise of the ketogenic diet

(06:58) Keto and epilepsy

(09:43) Can keto help your brain — and mental health?

(17:06) Can keto help you lose weight?

(20:36) Can keto boost athletic performance?

(23:47) What are the risks of keto?

This episode was produced by Kaitlyn Sawrey and Michelle Dang, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Shruti Ravindran, Meryl Horn, Ekedi Fauster-Keeys and Romilla Karnick. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Additional help from Eric Mennel and Simone Polanen. Fact checking by Michelle Harris and Eva Dasher. Research help from Dorea Reeser. Mix and sound design by Emma Munger and Sam Bair. Music written by Bobby Lord. Recording help from Marissa Shieh and Mary Shedden. Extra thanks to Professor Russell Swerdlow, Professor Jon Ramsey, Professor Judith Wylie-Roset, Professor Clare Collins, Dr Deirdre K Tobias, Thanks to Frank Lopez, and Joanna Lauder. And extra special thanks to Joseph Lavelle Wilson, Jack Weinstein and Ingrid Zukerman.

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.

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Microplastics have been turning up in our blood, our lungs, and even our balls! But exactly what are they doing to us? And what about all the chemicals in plastics — can they mess with our hormones? We talk to reproductive biologists Prof. Patricia Hunt and Prof. Fred vom Saal, and pediatric endocrinologist Dr. Anne-Simone Parent.  

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsMicroplastics

Chapters: 

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Pat’s mice

(06:26) Our plastic world

(08:03) What do microplastics actually do in our bodies?

(11:53) Plastics contain endocrine disrupting chemicals

(15:06) Endocrine disruptors and…obesity?!

(20:38) Are they funking up our junk?

(29:23) Are we really eating that much microplastic?

(32:50) What should we do?

This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, with help from Wendy Zukerman, along with Meryl Horn, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka, and Peter Leonard. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke with for this episode, including Dr. Meiru Wang, Dr. Roger Kuhlman, Dr. Christopher Tubbs, Dr. Giusseppe Paolisso, Prof. Jerry Heindel, Dr. Laura Geer, Dr. Mohan Qin, Dr. Haoran Wei, Dr. Thaddeus Schug, Dr. Thava Palanisami, and Dr. Xiaozhong Yu. Special thanks to Miah Foster and Diana Kenney. 

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. 

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