Science Vs

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 lots of people making the case for more babies — President Trump has called for a “baby boom” and has pledged to be “the fertilization president.” So today, we’re going to find out: Is humanity really hurtling toward population disaster? And if this IS a problem — is it even possible to flip the switch from baby bust to baby boom? To find out, we speak with economists Prof. Jisoo Hwang and economics lecturer Dr. Neha Deopa.

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

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) People are freaking out about the birth rate

(02:51) Are fertility rates really declining?

(07:42) Why South Korea’s fertility rate is so low

(14:51) How low fertility rates can mess up society

(20:24) Can influencers bump up fertility rates??

(28:17) Which government policies could bump up fertility rates?

(35:43) What SHOULD we do if we want people to have more babies?

This episode was produced by Blythe Terrell, with help from Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, Michelle Dang, and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Our executive producer is Wendy Zukerman. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Research help from Erica Akiko Howard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Bobby Lord, So Wylie, Emma Munger and Bumi Hidaka. A very special thanks to all the researchers who spoke to me for this episode, including Professor Rannveig Kaldager Hart, Dr. Janna Bergsvik, Professor Amy Tsui, Dr. Gretchen Donehower, Dr. Emily Klancher Merchant and Professor Landon Schnabel.

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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 — or better — than others? We’ll find out by diving into the wild world of cane sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, honey and maple syrup. We talk to nutritionist Professor Jim Mann and research nutritional biologist Dr. Kimber Stanhope. 

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

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Sugar: The villain in our diets

(02:22) The good side of sugar

(04:51) How sugar is bad for us

(12:19) Is high fructose corn syrup that bad?

(23:44) Agave Syrup, Maple Syrup, and Honey

(30:15) How much sugar is too much?

This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, with help from Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Our executive producer is Wendy Zukerman. Fact checking by Sam Lemonick. Music written by Peter Leonard, Bobby Lord, So Wylie, Emma Munger and Bumi Hidaka. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including Professor Barry Popkin, Dr. John White, Dr. Nick Fuller, Professor Paul Breslin, Dr. Richard Johnson, and Dr. Vasanti Malik. 

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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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 looked at this. And … there is some weird stuff here! From animals to ERs to our circadian rhythms to our menstrual cycles, we’ll find out — is something afoot during a full moon? We talk to Emeritus Prof. of emergency medicine Dr. Wendy Coates and circadian rhythm researchers Prof. Horacio de la Iglesia, Prof. Kristin Teßmar-Raible, and Prof. Charlotte Helfrich-Förster. 

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

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) What do people think the full moon is doing to us?

(03:54) How the moon influences animals

(07:47) Does the full moon make ERs busier?

(15:09) Does the full moon affect our sleep?

(22:11) HOW is the full moon messing with us?

(31:05) Does the full moon affect our menstrual cycles?

This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Fact checking by Marlowe Starling. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Bobby Lord, Emma Munger, So Wylie, and Peter Leonard. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to for this episode, including Dr. Ron Flick, Dr. Michael Smolensky, Michael Bevington, Dr. Laurel Symes, Professor Laura Prugh, and Dr. Maarten Nijsten. Special thanks to Kevin Walsh and all the folks who chatted with me about the full moon. 

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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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 their world, talking about the cutting-edge science of how animals perceive with Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer Ed Yong. He’s spinning yarns from his latest book: “An Immense World: How Animal Senses Reveal the Hidden Realms Around Us.” After this journey, you'll look at your dog in a totally different light, you'll appreciate how eyes have literally painted the world — and you might even feel sorry for the humble cockroach.

Video available on Spotify.

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

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Ed Yong’s amazing book on animal perception

(03:58) Magnificent sniffers

(11:20) Every possible degree of eye

(18:15) Hearing in different ways

(25:11) Touch and vibrations

(33:05) Science under threat in the U.S.

(41:10) Oddball questions



This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, and Rose Rimler. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Video editing and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Emma Munger, So Wylie, Peter Leonard, Bumi Hidaka and Bobby Lord. Thanks to Skyline Studios and Stupid Old Studios.

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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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 suggest that taking acetaminophen while you’re pregnant could increase your kid’s chance of being autistic or having ADHD. But other research doesn’t find a clear connection — and scientists think there could be a whole other explanation here. So, what’s going on?? We sort it out, with help from epidemiologist Prof. Brian Lee. 

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

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) The fears around acetaminophen and autism

(02:18) Could acetaminophen be an endocrine disruptor?

(06:25) Could acetaminophen affect brain development?

(10:44) What if something else is going on?

(20:26) Is there a link between acetaminophen and autism — or not??

This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, with help from Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Our executive producer is Wendy Zukerman. Fact checking and consulting by Erica Akiko Howard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Bobby Lord, So Wiley, Emma Munger and Bumi Hidaka. Thanks to the researchers we spoke to for this episode and our other episode on autism. 

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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