Sophie, Steven and Shannon are going back to their roots, exploring the ins and outs of improv comedy! Comedians Gary Richardson and Patrick Keene join them as they discuss the science of creativity, the power of "yes and" and what happens in our brains when we make choices on the spot.

We aren't just humans—we're walking, talking bags of bugs! This week we're chatting with biomedical engineer Dr. Ana Maria Porras about THE MICROBIOME! Grab a pen and paper and listen up as the doctor introduces us to what's living inside of us, our unique butt colonies, and how to treat our guts well. We promise it's actually not as gross as it sounds.

Article reference:

Bacteria on the Brain by Emily Eakin for The New Yorker

We’re back for season two! Today we’re talking about reading—an activity you may be doing more or less of in these pandemic times. We bring on one of our most literary-minded pals, comedian and writer Nicole Drespel, to discuss the science behind what makes reading a form of self-care. Special shout outs to Scholastic Book Fairs, Dawson’s Creek, and your aunt’s favorite, Danielle Steel.

*TW: brief mention of sexual assault*

Books we referenced:

The Overstory by Richard Powers

Little Weirds by Jenny Slate

The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell 

In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado

Dog Songs by Mary Oliver

Muggie Maggie by Beverly Cleary 

Study References:

Kidd, David Comer, and Emanuele Castano. “Reading literary fiction improves theory of mind.” Science (New York, N.Y.) vol. 342,6156 (2013): 377-80. doi:10.1126/science.1239918

Berns, Gregory S et al. “Short- and long-term effects of a novel on connectivity in the brain.” Brain connectivity vol. 3,6 (2013): 590-600. doi:10.1089/brain.2013.0166

Cain, Kate, and Jane Oakhill. “Matthew effects in young readers: reading comprehension and reading experience aid vocabulary development.” Journal of learning disabilities vol. 44,5 (2011): 431-43. doi:10.1177/0022219411410042

Gualano, M R et al. “The long-term effects of bibliotherapy in depression treatment: Systematic review of randomized clinical trials.” Clinical psychology review vol. 58 (2017): 49-58. doi:10.1016/j.cpr.2017.09.006

New year, new us! We're coming back for a second season filled with even more self-care practices and the science behind them. Plus, we're bringing on guests to help join the conversation—experts, scientists, comedians and more. Our new season begins January 12th so subscribe now! And join our Patreon to help support the show at patreon.com/scienceofselfcare.

We're hitting a stride (kind of) with our recordings from home! Today is all about nature, aka house plants for all the isolators out there. Steven tells us about his herbs, Sophie about her prayer plant, and Shannon about her Excel docs. We discover a lot of ways that plants are metaphors for life, and children and pets. But without all the poop, thank god.

Send us pictures of your plants @thescienceofselfcare on Instagram or [email protected].

This week we made ourselves listen to a lot more music, and learned how our listening habits affected our quarantine lifestyles. For Steven, it helped him sleep. For Sophie, it eased her mood. For Shannon, it did absolutely nothing. We want to hear how music is helping YOU cope (or not) with the stress of isolation, so hit us up! We're on Instagram @thescienceofselfcare or Twitter @SOSCpodcast. Deets and boops xo

Hope you're all staying safe and socially distanced out there! We're coming to you live (not really) from a zoom call in our respective homes. Each week we'll be experimenting with a different practice to help us stay sane amid the covid chaos. First up, we have meditation—specifically the goal of 3x daily for a week. Results were mixed! Hear how we did and let us know if you've tried meditating on your own and how it went. We're at @SOSCpodcast on Twitter and @thescienceofselfcare on Instagram. We love you!

Sip sip! Today we’re discussing the highs and lows and middles of kombucha, everyone’s favorite fermented tea. Shannon explains the drink’s benefits, like blood sugar regulation and good gut bacteria, and Steven recounts how Greg has been making his own flavorful kombucha for years. Sophie decides she’ll take it on as her next “focus project” and the trio agrees we all want to see your scoby! #showusyourscoby on Instagram @thescienceofselfcare or Twitter @SOSCpodcast.

This is our last episode of the season! Thank you for listening along the way, and we’ll see you soon for season two. In the meantime, if you’d like to help support the show check out our Patreon at www.patreon.com/scienceofselfcare.

Prep your skin (and your ears) because we’re exploring the science of face masks! Shannon walks Steven and Sophie through the components of our skin and what the most popular skincare ingredients do for it. We also get the final word on whether that fancy gold sheet mask is worth the price tag. Steven and Sophie dish about their favorite products and tell us how they got through years of teen acne—even though our good friend the zit never really goes away.

To support the show, check out our Patreon at www.patreon.com/scienceofselfcare or follow us on Instagram @thescienceofselfcare and Twitter @SOSCpodcast!

Today we're trying something new: offering up an exclusive episode from our Patreon page! Listen and partake in three different games that Steven, Sophie and Shannon each offer up, on topics ranging from seasonal affective disorder to coffee to why grocery stores are all about your attitude. If you like what you hear, check out our Patreon at www.patreon.com/scienceofselfcare for more!