Podcasts · Science · Education

Science Vs

Spotify Studios

300 episodes

There are a lot of fads, blogs and strong opinions, but then there’s SCIENCE. Science Vs is the show from Spotify Studios that finds out what’s fact, what’s not, and what’s somewhere in between. We do the hard work of sifting through all the science so you don't have to and cover everything from 5G and ADHD, to Fluoride and Fasting Diets.

Episodes page 1 of 6

  1. Testosterone: Do We All Need a Boost?

    · 40 min

    We’re hearing a ton about the marvels of testosterone from influencers, celebrities, and even government officials. They say we should be thinking about our T levels, topping them off with extra if they’re too low. And…

  2. Fiber Maxxing and Poo Maxxing, with Dr. Trisha Pasricha

    · 59 min

    Have you been puzzled by your poos or felt down about your dumps?? You’re not alone! So many of us are struggling with gut issues, which is why fiber is having a major moment. But even though we’re secretly guzzling…

  3. Collagen Peptides: Should You Take Them?

    · 35 min

    Collagen peptides!! Can they make you look younger and be healthier? It feels like everyone wants to be bursting with collagen, and apparently the way to do it is by scooping up that white powder of collagen peptides…

  4. Why We Never Forget Our Teen Years, with Dr. Lisa Damour

    · 59 min

    Our brains go completely WILD when we go through our teenage years. It’s a time where it feels like every disagreement with our parents turns into World War III, and every idea that could get us killed sounds like the…

  5. Stress: The Science of Chilling Out

    · 40 min

    Stress! We’re all feeling it. And besides just feeling crappy, we’re also told that stress can wreak havoc on our bodies. The internet has a million solutions: vagus nerve stimulators, deep breaths, or a hot sauna! If…

  6. Could AI Really Kill Us All?

    · 45 min

    Could artificial intelligence really wipe out humanity? Claims that AI poses an existential threat are going gangbusters. AI agents from OpenAI recently hacked into another company, Hugging Face, which has people…

  7. Where Have The Insects Gone?? With Dr. Jessica Ware

    · 46 min

    Bugs are disappearing at alarming rates, scientists are telling us. Bees, butterflies, beetles: all of them have been dropping like flies. And scientists say there are a bunch of reasons to care about this — for…

  8. Protein-Maxxing: Is It Actually Bad For Us?

    · 31 min

    Protein is everywhere — tons of us are trying to cram more of it into our diets, and it's showing up in our lattes, our snack bars, even our popcorn. But just as we’re getting on board with protein-maxxing, a bunch of…

  9. Sunscreen: Could It Be Toxic??

    · 51 min

    Sunscreen is supposed to protect us from dangerous stuff like cancer, but all over social media, people are saying that we’ve been getting it all wrong. We’re being told that our sunscreen is full of toxic chemicals,…

  10. Hank Green: What No One Tells You About the Algorithm

    · 53 min

    Hank Green is one of the most beloved science creators on the interwebs. He’s been making videos for almost 20 years, spanning LOTS of eras of the Internet, from YouTube prank videos to TikTok dance challenges to AI…

  11. We Solve the 49ers Viral Conspiracy Theory

    · 1 h 01 min

    Is an electrical substation contributing to injuries on the San Francisco 49ers?? A bunch of people on the internet seem to think so, claiming that electromagnetic field waves could be to blame for players getting…

  12. Weight Loss: Why Won't It Stick?

    · 40 min

    If you have ever tried to lose weight only to find the weight crept back on, you’re not alone. In fact, for tons of people, this happens over and over again. This is called “weight cycling,” and a bunch of influencers…

  13. Free Will: Does It Exist?

    · 32 min

    Will you hit play on this episode?? It feels like that decision is totally within your control — but what if it’s not? What if free will is just an illusion? Lots of people are using science to say that free will is a…

  14. Narcissists: Are We Surrounded?

    · 45 min

    The internet tells us that narcissists are everywhere — and that the problem is only getting worse. It’s like narcissism is oozing out of our celebrities, politicians, partners, parents, maybe even ourselves?? So…

  15. Raw Milk: Secret Superfood??

    · 41 min

    Raw milk is having a major moment, with fans claiming it’s a gut-healing superfood that can prevent everything from asthma to allergies. But others are like HOLD ON — we pasteurize milk to make it safe! Drinking raw…

  16. Caffeine: How Much Is Too Much?

    · 42 min

    Today we’re revisiting caffeine. It’s a drug that tons of us take every day. So, is that a bad thing?? What is it really doing to our bodies and our brains? Plus — if we get it in the form of energy drinks, is that…

  17. The Woman Who Felt No Fear

    · 43 min

    A group of scientists meet a very unusual woman. A key part of her brain isn’t working: the amygdala. This is the part of the brain that we think is responsible for feeling fear. And in fact, this woman does seem…

  18. Peptides: The Ultimate Body Hack?

    · 38 min

    Peptides are huge right now. Influencers are telling us they can work wonders for all sorts of stuff. Struggling with an annoying injury that won't heal?? Belly fat that's pissing you off? Low energy? Gut issues??…

  19. How Toxic Is the Air You Breathe?

    · 41 min

    The Trump administration is rolling back restrictions on air pollution in the U.S., and some experts say this could affect the health of millions of people. And what makes air pollution especially dangerous is that we…

  20. Ibogaine: A Miracle Psychedelic?

    · 49 min

    Ibogaine. Fans say this psychedelic is a game changer for treating a bunch of mental health conditions — that even a single trip to your friendly ibogaine clinic could cure you of lifelong struggles with addiction. And…

  21. Hantavirus: How Scary Is It??

    · 32 min

    A weird virus has popped up on a cruise ship, and it’s making a bunch of us nervous. It’s a type of hantavirus called Andes virus, and scientists think that it’s infected almost a dozen people so far — three of them…

  22. Tattoos: Are They Toxic?

    · 30 min

    Tons of us are inked — one in three American adults has a tattoo — but lately, we’ve been hearing that tattoos are actually bad for us. We’re told that they mess with our immune system and could even lead to cancer.…

  23. Boredom: Is It Good For You?

    · 33 min

    We keep hearing that we need to be BORED more, with people online swearing that boredom can work magic — restoring your mind, and even supercharging your creativity. So, is boredom secretly good for us? We talk to…

  24. Vaping: Does It Really Cause Cancer?

    · 43 min

    Headlines have been screaming about a new study suggesting that vaping could cause cancer — and that vaping could be just as dangerous as cigarettes. And if this were true, it would be a HUGE deal. We’ve been hearing…

  25. Running: Will It Wreck Your Body?

    · 31 min

    Lots of us love — or love to hate — running. And we do it because it’s supposed to be healthy, right?! But then we hear tons of stories about runners getting hurt — sometimes so badly that they have to hang up their…

  26. Artemis: Why Are We Really Going Back to the Moon?

    · 35 min

    The moon race is back! NASA’s Artemis II mission just sent four astronauts around the moon. And other countries — and billionaires — are lining up to take a crack at returning to the moon too. But why are we really…

  27. How To Stop Scrolling

    · 37 min

    The apps on our phones do an amazing job of sucking us in. In fact, a big court case just found that some of these companies should be held responsible for basically designing products to be addictive. And that might…

  28. The Great Mysteries of Sex with Mary Roach

    · 54 min · Explicit

    Today, best-selling author and nerd Mary Roach joins us to talk all about sex. We’ll uncover the secrets of the female orgasm (does “upsuck” exist?), detail the bizarre methods of pioneering sex researchers like…

  29. Colon Cancer: Should Young People Worry?

    · 41 min

    Colorectal cancer has long been thought of as a disease of older folks. But that's changing — fast. Rates in older people are actually going down, and more and more people under 50 are getting this disease. And a…

  30. Sad Nipple Syndrome: A Booby Baffler

    · 27 min

    People are reporting a very strange phenomenon: They say that when their nipples get touched, they feel this weird sinking feeling. People describe it like being homesick, or hung over. Some feel anguish and despair,…

  31. How Do You Get Pregnant With No Vagina?

    · 26 min · Explicit

    UPDATE [June 30, 2026]: If we had our time again we would have produced this episode differently. We got carried away with the wildness of the story, from a scientific perspective, and didn't take time to really think…

  32. Brian Can’t Stop Fact-Checking His Mother-in-Law

    · 54 min

    We’ve all been there. Feeling stuck with a problem because no one in our life can relate. Or because the one person we need to talk to … won’t. Or can’t. Enter Yowei Shaw and the show Proxy. Proxy is built on a simple…

  33. Is Your Relationship … OK?

    · 47 min

    Forget the questionable relationship advice from internet influencers. Today, we’re diving into the science of lasting love, fighting, and "red flags” to find out what really matters for a healthy relationship. We’ll…

  34. What Do Tear Gas and ICE Raids Do to People?

    · 41 min

    Federal agents have descended on Minneapolis in the U.S., and things have gotten chaotic — and deadly. The Trump administration says the agents are there to enforce immigration law, but officers have shot three people…

  35. The Secret to Happiness?

    · 36 min

    There's claims out there that all kinds of things can make us happy in life, from making money to having kids to buying your dream home. But what actually works?? What does it take to have a happy life?? Professor Bob…

  36. Vaccines: Does Europe Do Them Better?

    · 34 min

    The U.S. just made a big change to its vaccine recommendations, cutting back on the number of shots it will routinely recommend for kids. The government says it wants to "better align" with countries like Denmark. But…

  37. Is AI Making Us Stupid?

    · 38 min

    AI tools like ChatGPT have taken the world by storm, with tons of people saying they use them regularly. This is especially true for students, many of whom say they use AI to get their schoolwork done. And this is…

  38. Manifesting: How Powerful Are Our Thoughts?

    · 30 min

    Influencers are out in full force, telling us how we can “manifest” anything we want using only the power of our thoughts. Want that dream car, dream boyfriend, or dream house? Act as if you already have it, and the…

  39. Chiropractors: Are They Legit?

    · 37 min

    Tons of people visit the chiropractor, saying it helps soothe pain in their neck or back. But we’re now hearing claims that chiro can do a whole lot more. Like, some say it can help kids with stuff like asthma, colic,…

  40. Should You Eat Like A Caveman? Plus — 10 Years of Science Vs!

    · 42 min

    Today, we’re celebrating 10 years of Science Vs with … science! We’ll tell you all about the so-called orgasm gap, the incorrect idea that vaccines are linked to autism, and the incorrect idea that ivermectin helps…

  41. Never Put Meatballs on Spaghetti, with Samin Nosrat

    · 56 min

    Every day we’re all doing a little bit of chemistry: when we bake potatoes, add a little salt to our pasta, or even bake a box cake. And award-winning chef Samin Nosrat just loves to nerd out over all this. She's the…

  42. AI: Is It Ruining the Environment?

    · 38 min

    The internet is abuzz with accusations that artificial intelligence is using up tons of energy and water. People are even protesting the building of new AI data centers, saying they’ll put a huge strain on local…

  43. Seed Oils: Should You Switch to Butter?

    · 44 min

    We’ve been told that foods like butter and bacon are bad for us — because they're packed with saturated fats. And top dogs in nutrition say that a better option is vegetable oil, like canola oil. But lots of people,…

  44. Daylight Saving Time: Should We End It?

    · 34 min

    Daylight saving time is ending, and the darkness is coming for us all. And many of us dread this time of year; we think that switching up our clocks sucks. But beyond that, we hear that all this clock changing can be…

  45. Semen Retention: Should You Stop Ejaculating?

    · 43 min · Explicit

    With “No Nut November” right around the corner, it's time to ask: What are the benefits of saving your seed and not ejaculating? People say that it'll boost your testosterone, giving you better libido — and even making…

  46. Birth Rates: Are We Running Out of Babies??

    · 43 min

    Birth rates are falling all over the world, and some people are freaking out, saying this could tank our society — and even spell the end of humans. In the U.S., so-called pronatalism is having a major moment, with…

  47. Sugar: How Bad Is It Really?

    · 37 min

    Sugar is getting tons of hate these days, from TikTok influencers telling us to cut added sugar out of our diets to RFK Jr. declaring that sugar is “poison.” But is sugar really that bad? And are certain kinds worse —…

  48. The Full Moon: Is It Messing With Us?

    · 43 min

    People swear that weird stuff goes down on a full moon. In fact, even SERIOUS folks like the nerds who work in ERs will tell you that something is off about those nights. And what’s amazing is that science has actually…

  49. How to Smell like a Dog, with Ed Yong

    · 48 min

    Ever wonder why your dog just loves to sniff your junk? Well, it turns out it’s because other animals perceive the world in wild ways that we’re just beginning to understand. So today, we’re immersing ourselves in…

  50. Does Tylenol Cause Autism?

    · 28 min

    RFK Jr.’s big report on autism is scheduled to come out this month, and we’re hearing that it might point the finger at Tylenol as a possible cause. And the science on this gets confusing fast. Because some studies do…

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