Get the latest science news. Broadcast from Germany throughout the week. Stay safe by being informed.
Can we hit ‘pause’ on a human embryo?
Scientists in Berlin have shown you can stop the development of an embryo-like model - *NO HUMAN EMBYROS WERE USED IN THE EXPERIMENT* - and keep it alive to be developed later. The implications could be huge for IVF.
10/20/2024 • 30 minutes
This is what a fake podcast sounds like
If a show made by AI sounds as good as one made by humans... what happens next?
10/11/2024 • 30 minutes
Want the job? Post a 'Duchenne' smile
Fake smiles aren't just bad for Instagram. They're bad for your reputation. That's the implication of a new study — with clear consequences for LinkedIn... and maybe your life? (Also, come with us to see Europe's 'answer to ChatGPT.')
10/4/2024 • 30 minutes
Assert yourself (especially if your partner drinks)
Alcohol? Bad for us. But a fascinating new study looks at what happens to the person who's watching the drinking happen. Also, college kids in Egypt saw their depression/anxiey/stress drop... by getting a crash course on 'assertiveness.'
9/23/2024 • 30 minutes
Cat-eating conspiracies & a heartless bot to stop them
Fresh off the birth of a brand-new conspiracy, researchers have unveiled a 'soulless' new tool to stop us from becoming victims of half-truths and full-blown lies.
9/12/2024 • 30 minutes
Weekly roundup — Waves in the dark
An email from a miner, scary sounds in outer space, and a powerful magnet aimed at 50 human heads.
9/8/2024 • 30 minutes
A dyslexia breakthrough
With the help of a powerful MRI, researchers in Germany have discovered where dyslexia appears to happen deep inside the human brain (in males). The peppercorn-sized structure may become the target of therapies for millions of people.
9/7/2024 • 11 minutes, 42 seconds
When you look in the mirror, does your face match your name?
A new study suggests your appearance 'drifts' as you age — toward the name you were given at birth.
9/6/2024 • 24 minutes, 21 seconds
Weekly roundup — My phone can smell things?
Ever take out your phone to identify a song that's playing near you? Pretty soon, you'll be able to do the same with smells. Also, fruit flies may have just given scientists the secret to happy hour.
9/1/2024 • 30 minutes
Unhoused people & what police should(n't) do about it
You've lost your job, lost your home and go to sleep surrounded by strangers. You're scared. But what is it, exactly, you're scared of?
8/31/2024 • 25 minutes, 35 seconds
Are you symbiosexual?
Demisexual, graysexual, pomosexual — it's hard to keep track of the (expanding) list of human sexualities. The Harvard Pleasure study just added another.
8/30/2024 • 11 minutes, 47 seconds
Weekly roundup — Together again
It's been a long, chaotic and somewhat dangerous summer for the hosts of Science unscripted. It's time to catch up on that — and on the beautiful emails you've sent along the way.
8/25/2024 • 30 minutes
What is 'benevolent' sexism?
All sexism is bad. But the kind you're probably most familiar with is called 'hostile' in science literature. So what is 'benevolent' sexism? And how's it connected to cheating on your partner?
8/24/2024 • 17 minutes, 56 seconds
Will mpox become the next pandemic?
As mpox spreads to Europe and Asia — and the WHO declares a public health emergency — a leading German virologist explains what we know (and don't know) about the infectious disease.
8/22/2024 • 13 minutes, 42 seconds
Weekly roundup — Oceans on Mars?
The discovery of gigantic resevoirs of water deep under the surface of Mars has implications for whether life was — or might be — possible on our hideous red neighbor.
8/18/2024 • 30 minutes
TikTok, misinformation, and the female pelvic floor
Why is it that content with the least credible information is often the most viewed and shared on social media?
8/17/2024 • 8 minutes, 54 seconds
Human Hobbits really existed?
With the help of an astute Australian reporter (who incidentally has joined the DW Science team), let's travel back in time to an Indonesian island and meet the smallest hominids ever.
8/15/2024 • 14 minutes, 9 seconds
Why do boys give better directions than girls?
Give kids a map, and the boys will outperform the girls in giving accurate directions — that's according to a new study on children aged 3-10. Is it nature or nurture?
8/9/2024 • 11 minutes, 33 seconds
Gabe & Conor got burgled (true crime episode)
When both hosts of Science unscripted see their homes burglarized within a span of weeks, they get help from a detective named Roland and come to a gut-wrenching realization.
8/1/2024 • 30 minutes
Weekly roundup — 20 billion clicks?
With YouTube's commentary, who needs emails? Also, a new German study hits the rewind button on our promiscuity reporting.
7/28/2024 • 30 minutes
Depressed after moving? You're not alone.
Moving into a new apartment or house is pretty exciting. It's also associated with depression — especially if it happens at a certain age. Why?
7/27/2024 • 9 minutes, 56 seconds
Sexual double standards & better sleep
Women, not men, are viewed more favorably if they've had a few recent sexual partners... even if a German study appears to suggest the opposite. Also, if you're gonna do some late-night scrolling (because who doesn't), do it right.
7/25/2024 • 18 minutes, 1 second
Young Germans are happier to be single (nowadays)
"Are you okay with being single?" If you were to pose that question to a young German, you would get a different answer these days compared to 10 years ago. Why?
7/11/2024 • 11 minutes, 43 seconds
Weekly roundup — Things just won't stop changing
On this week's show, we learn the first thing young people should do when they're struggling. Also, why exactly do our eyes get worse as we get older? Plus, a researcher gets in touch to thank us (DW) for teaching him German.
7/7/2024 • 30 minutes
Can you sing? And if so, does it have anything to do with lemurs?
Headlines implying human singing came from Madagascar... just aren't true. But lemurs are worth listening to.
7/6/2024 • 8 minutes, 35 seconds
Why do people ghost each other?
Ever had someone just... vanish out of your life? Or maybe you did it to them? A new study shows why people 'ghost' — and who actually suffers most from it.
7/5/2024 • 20 minutes, 9 seconds
Weekly roundup — A cure for lower back pain (that might injure your legs)
The number one cause of disabiliity worldwide is lower back pain. Great news, then, that a rigorous study says we can halve its recurrence by... walking. But there's a catch.
6/30/2024 • 30 minutes
Losing your job is worse for your health if you live in a different country
Why is it that migrants get physically unhealthier when they lose their jobs (compared to locals)? And can anything be done to stop it?
6/29/2024 • 9 minutes, 12 seconds
Granola poop & a deserving victim
Sadly, one of our recent episodes caused a listener to go outside and cover her jacket in human feces. Also, if you're trying to raise money for a good cause, remember the German word 'Schadenfreude.'
6/27/2024 • 20 minutes, 1 second
Weekly roundup — Hold the door & filter your phone
Does it make YOU happier to do a random act of kindness? Also, how to stop a smartphone from messing with your sleep, and a milkshake fathers can make for pregnant partners.
6/23/2024 • 30 minutes
Your body might not survive a trip to Mars
Why would our kidneys (possibly) fail when we're inside a spacecraft? And why do women's bodies do better in space than men's?
6/22/2024 • 12 minutes, 48 seconds
Where should you look during a video call?
Got an interview coming up? A study out of Japan has potentially life-changing advice for where to focus your gaze. Also, Gabe's back — and is recovering from an operation.
6/21/2024 • 20 minutes, 34 seconds
'Hunger games' in the jungles of Panama
Does having a big brain make you better at finding food? It's a difficult question to answer ethically. Unless you have access to an island.
6/15/2024 • 12 minutes, 53 seconds
The vending machine experiment (or why you don't live in a tree)
In a dream you see a vending machine. Instead of coins or cash, it has a square-shaped hole. That's it. No instructions. No one who walks past can explain it. At some point you shake it violently (still nothing) and see your own hands. They're furry.
6/11/2024 • 30 minutes
What to do when your hair falls out
Hormonal therapies? Hair transplant? Or just go bald? When a genetic test shows a Science unscripted host is bound to lose his hair, it leads to a shocking amount of bad science and (potentially) significant side effects.
5/30/2024 • 18 minutes, 50 seconds
Weekly roundup — Make things & stay healthy
Is it OK to pee on your feet to get rid of foot and nail fungus? Also, if you say 'hi' kinda differently to your boss than you would to a friend or family member, you have something in common with the biggest land mammal on earth.
5/26/2024 • 30 minutes
Drugs don't make you more creative
If you take drugs or drink alcohol and then write down your 'wildly creative,' chemically-inspired ravings... new research suggests you'll create a catalogue of useless garbage.
5/25/2024 • 14 minutes, 8 seconds
Scary microplastics news & how to eat during pregnancy
We all have microplastics inside our bodies. Until now, scientists weren't certain about the extent of the harm. Now they are.
5/24/2024 • 18 minutes, 53 seconds
Weekly roundup — Mea culpa!
Science unscripted got an email this week about orgasms. What's more, someone wrote to let us know why a dying countess in a classic German novel would rather spend her final moments with a chauvinist man than with Conor or Gabe. And finally, how your doctor's credentials might just save your life.
5/19/2024 • 30 minutes
Nurses & teachers suffer when you call them 'heroes'
When you applaud nurses, teachers, or member of military for being 'heroic,' you make it more OK for them to be exploited.
5/18/2024 • 13 minutes, 37 seconds
'Bigger penises' & learning from our mistakes
Are male sex organs really 'getting bigger' over time? Also, a new study suggests we don't actually learn from all our mistakes.
5/17/2024 • 17 minutes, 48 seconds
Weekly roundup — Around the rim
Gabe's voice undergoes an unexpected transformation, and why two people have been running around a 'wall of death' in Italy. Also, send your favorite SAD SONG to [email protected] - and let us know why you listen to it?
5/5/2024 • 30 minutes
Your body image, ice baths & sad music
Unhappy with your body? Deleting Instagram may help (if you're a woman). Also, forget 'cold tubs' if you want bigger muscles — and why do we consume content that makes us sad?
5/3/2024 • 18 minutes, 19 seconds
Avian flu, strangers & orgasms
How concerning is the spread of H5N1 from cows to humans? Also, random people know you better than you think, new research on why people make sounds during sex, and a listener... doesn't like a song we played.
4/26/2024 • 18 minutes, 39 seconds
Weekly roundup — Let's talk (to a whale)
If we wanted to talk to a gigantic underwater animal, how would we do that? Also, lose weight... by making friends!
4/21/2024 • 30 minutes
Yes, songs are getting simpler, angrier & more about 'me'
Dear elderly people, you were right. Today's music isn't what it used to be. The interesting part is why.
4/20/2024 • 13 minutes, 52 seconds
A (surprising) connection between bad eating & loneliness
If you're home alone on a Friday night, you might stuff your face full of chips, chocolate or candy. (Gabe and Conor do.) A study on brain activity shows it's not entirely your fault, though — and that there may be a way to solve it.
4/19/2024 • 16 minutes, 10 seconds
Weekly roundup — In your head, your heart & your tummy
Angry? New research shows you can 'export' it and then destroy it! Also, make yourself healthier and happier... by being touched... by something!
4/15/2024 • 30 minutes
Please touch me (it's for my health)
Are we touching each other less? Probably. Does it matter? Very much. If you're missing physical contact, new research will make you feel better.
4/13/2024 • 12 minutes, 34 seconds
Where do you feel music?
A good song resonates inside you. But the question is... where? Well, it depends — on 'surprise' and 'uncertainty.'
4/12/2024 • 17 minutes, 17 seconds
Solar eclipse? Drive carefully.
There's a 30% increase in car deaths due to solar eclipses, and it's important to know why that happens.
3/30/2024 • 12 minutes, 8 seconds
Weekly roundup — There's so much in this one we couldn't find a title
Frozen hands, subjective aging, understanding autism — this episode has a ton of science (and some angry YouTube comments).
3/30/2024 • 30 minutes
A vaccine for... cocaine?
Human trials are underway to stop cocaine addiction using vaccines. Do they work? And if so, how?
3/28/2024 • 7 minutes, 2 seconds
Weekly roundup — Fat dogs & a new gender bias
If you're tempted to blame dog owners for their chunky animals... think twice. Also, should Gabe and Conor be perfectly informed on every study they talk about?
3/24/2024 • 30 minutes
Angry? Don't run. Just breathe.
We all have ways of dealing with anger. And most of them don't really work.
3/23/2024 • 14 minutes, 9 seconds
You probably prefer studies that make women look better (and that's a problem)
When new research makes women look good, we tend to like it. When it makes men look good, we don't.
3/22/2024 • 17 minutes, 57 seconds
Weekly roundup — Want the job? Be first
A quirk in human psychology has a big impact on your chances of getting a job, a date or winning a talent show. Also, Conor puts 'social norms erosion' research to the test — twice.
3/17/2024 • 30 minutes
A blood 'breathalyzer' for tired drivers
Exhaustion is almost as dangerous as driving drunk. And researchers might have found a way to prove who's doing it.
3/16/2024 • 17 minutes, 43 seconds
Stop f***ing swearing & get some damn sleep
Did you notice? How the curse words above jolted your brain awake? That effect is real. Don't abuse it.
3/14/2024 • 13 minutes, 19 seconds
Weekly roundup — Make yourself do things
You a procrastinator? (We are.) New research suggests an unexpected cause of that. Also, if you have a tough time confronting rule breakers in public (because who doesn't), a new study shows there's a way to do it right.
3/10/2024 • 30 minutes
How to stop people from playing loud music & videos on their phones
Ever heard someone scrolling TikTok or YouTube Shorts ? It's really annoying — and there's a way to stop it.
3/9/2024 • 13 minutes, 14 seconds
The German man who got 200+ COVID vaccinations
Yes, he's real. And he was doing it (in part) to make money. But when doctors found out, they asked him to get jabbed a few times more.
3/8/2024 • 20 minutes, 5 seconds
Weekly roundup — Dark waters
A listener email sends us deep into the lakes of Latvia — and to honor victims of genocide, it's important to talk about what it is, how it happens and who it happens to.
3/3/2024 • 30 minutes
Is it possible to reintegrate people who committed genocide?
If a close neighbor had committed horrific murders 30 years ago and was released back into your community, could you accept that? That they'd been rehabilitated? Researchers are trying to answer that question in Rwanda.
3/2/2024 • 16 minutes, 20 seconds
Infectious empathy & a laptop with a nose
If someone had become more empathetic... how would you know? Also, people are willing to pay more for products that look and talk like humans — but only some products.
3/1/2024 • 11 minutes, 42 seconds
Weekly roundup — Smell & anti-depressants
Powerful smells may mitigate severe depression, and a new study suggests regular erections can help against ED. Also, the fascinating reason humans built a gigantic wall close to a lake roughly 10,000 years ago.
2/18/2024 • 30 minutes
Scared of crime? Motion lights won't help
A new study using VR suggests the things that make neighborhoods safer… don't necessarily make us FEEL safer. (And for God's sake, close the garage door.)
2/17/2024 • 13 minutes
What is the Alaskapox virus?
Deep in a remote forest, a sick, elderly man got scratched by a stray cat — and likely died as a result.
2/15/2024 • 15 minutes, 38 seconds
Weekly roundup — Understanding climate deniers (a little better)
Every third person thinks human-induced climate change — which is real and caused by us humans — is a fantasy. But if you think it's a psychological trick to drive SUVs or fly (guilt free), a new study suggests you're wrong.
2/11/2024 • 30 minutes
(Psst. Telling secrets is good for you.)
New research suggests we should divulge our secrets more often than we do. But how you do it matters. (Send secrets to [email protected])
2/10/2024 • 13 minutes, 10 seconds
Why is new music so terrible?
Look, we know we sound like boomers — but there really is something wrong with mass-produced music today, and it's connected to the science of how humans perceive beats.
2/8/2024 • 18 minutes, 43 seconds
Weekly roundup — A human was behind this episode
Should Science unscripted be using AI imagery for its shows? It's a real question, and we don't know how to answer it. Will you help us?
2/4/2024 • 30 minutes
Which decisions are you OK with AI making?
Imagine you got rejected by a university. Except a human didn't reject you — AI did. How do you feel now?
2/3/2024 • 11 minutes, 8 seconds
Alzheimer's 'infections' & walking around parking lots
Was Alzheimer's transferred to a handful of patients? Also, a new study shows what parking lots do to your brain.
2/1/2024 • 14 minutes, 28 seconds
Suffering from stress at work? (Play video games.)
Most of us employees only have a short time before going to bed to recover from the stress of the work day. Video games can help. But you have to be careful with how you use them.
1/28/2024 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Were we hunter-gatherers, or gatherer-hunters?
Let's be honest: 'Gatherer-hunters' doesn't quite roll off the tongue. And a new study from up in the Andes doesn't prove we've been plant-based all along.
1/26/2024 • 14 minutes, 52 seconds
Weekly roundup — The moral law within me
A new study suggests it's never a good idea to watch someone else eat raw broccoli. Also, what Job (from the Old Testament) got wrong about wind and wisdom, and the surprising side effect of phobia therapy.
1/21/2024 • 30 minutes
Kids don’t need God to tell them what’s right or wrong
By asking children whether they should stomp on another kid’s foot, researchers have answered one of the core questions of our existence.
1/19/2024 • 13 minutes, 1 second
Why more women are doing 'Veganuary'
Look, we're not trying to push a vegan lifestyle. But it’s worth figuring out why a diet that leads to better human health (and a cooler climate)… just isn't popular with men.
1/17/2024 • 16 minutes, 34 seconds
Weekly roundup — Buk, buk, buk, buk... ba-gawk!
Chickens can communicate emotions (like exasperation), and we humans can understand it. Also, our listeners have a wild variety of new status symbols (and one of them is Science unscripted).
1/14/2024 • 30 minutes
How do I become wise?
We all have an image of what a 'wise person' looks and sounds like. New research shows we're wrong.
1/13/2024 • 10 minutes, 38 seconds
A cure for morning sickness?
A new study on mice shows there may be an easy way to prevent — and treat — the debilitating nausea and vomiting that happens in 70% of pregnancies.
1/12/2024 • 12 minutes, 40 seconds
We're back!
Once in a while we have an episode that has nothing to do with science. This one's about how Gabe burned his hair off.
1/11/2024 • 7 minutes, 50 seconds
The status symbols they are a-changin’
An expensive car, a shiny watch, a hot body, video game skins, a vegan diet — regardless of how different they can be, status symbols will always be a part of the human experience. Why do we need them so deeply?
1/7/2024 • 30 minutes
Happy New Year from Science unscripted!
Thanks for listening to (or watching) our show this year. And please don't forget these quick tips on how to have a safe and fun party on December 31.
12/31/2023 • 30 minutes
Homeopathic sugar balls for Christmas!
Pain might rob your Christmas cheer -
And drag you through depressing muck -
But don't you worry, and don't you fear -
For you, my friend are in grand old luck -
Ho! There lies a simple remedy -
The balls of ho-me-o-pathy.
12/24/2023 • 30 minutes
Why is it so hard to say no to an invitation?
Sometimes we end up at social events because... it's just too awkward to say no. New research suggests you should feel better about declining (if you do it the right way).
12/17/2023 • 30 minutes
Weekly roundup — You can't deepfake this
Conor misplaces a telescope, our solar system is a ballerina, and how to protect your voice from being AI synthesized.
12/10/2023 • 30 minutes
Why are kids getting worse at math?
Across the globe, 15-year-olds are doing worse on standardized tests than five years ago. And it may have nothing to do with the pandemic lockdowns.
12/9/2023 • 15 minutes, 26 seconds
What was it like when the Earth formed? (And how could we ever know?)
Does that seem like an impossible question to answer? It sure does. Because you'd have to go back in time to answer it. Or you'd need 30 hours on the planet's most powerful telescope (James Webb).
12/7/2023 • 18 minutes, 54 seconds
Weekly roundup — Keep an eye out for bad science
Just about every study we talk about in this episode has a pretty significant caveat. Also, an emailed warning from a poet who chopped too much firewood.
12/3/2023 • 30 minutes
Do younger siblings make you stupider?
A longitudinal US study shows that having a younger sibling will tend to lower your cognitive development. But the effect vanishes after child number three.
12/2/2023 • 17 minutes, 47 seconds
A proliferation of positive language is making science more confusing
In an unprecedented interview about a unique and novel study, an Austrian researcher explains why the first three adjectives you just read are part of a growing problem.
12/1/2023 • 10 minutes, 39 seconds
Fasting doesn't work as well when you're older. Why?
As you age, your body can get stuck in 'fasting mode,' leading to muscle loss and other problems. New research from Germany gives a clue at how to change that — and maybe live longer?
11/28/2023 • 21 minutes, 6 seconds
Weekly roundup — Let's increase our healthspan
Once in a while there's a surfeit of positive news in the field of medicine. This week was one of 'em.
11/26/2023 • 30 minutes
Is eye contact rude?
A study on eye contact suggests it isn't aggressive, but actually improves conversation. So why don't we do it more?
11/24/2023 • 16 minutes, 55 seconds
Smartphone addiction, warring chimps & so little sulfur
Sometimes, improving pollution... makes global warming worse. Also, women are more addicted to their phones than men, chimpanzees use military strategy — and one of our new listeners didn't like us at first.
11/18/2023 • 16 minutes, 44 seconds
Climate change: We need cooler (genetically modified?) cows
One solution to unprecedented cattle die-offs: Modify cows so they can deal with record heat.
11/17/2023 • 17 minutes, 46 seconds
Weekly roundup — High temps & higher ground
The future of weather forecasting might have little to do with atmospheric physics. Also, our listeners had some really interesting things to say about a study on tattoos.
11/17/2023 • 30 minutes
Weekly roundup — We hear you
As expected, you had things to say about our interview with a masculinity influencer. Also, when a dozen parakeets are squawking, how do they know who's speaking?
11/12/2023 • 30 minutes
What do you think about people with tattoos?
If you're honest, you probably have an opinion on people with tattoos. And that makes you a lot like the police (and judges and juries).
11/11/2023 • 18 minutes, 22 seconds
How old will I be when I'm happiest?
A large, longitudinal study has some surprising conclusions about when we're most satisfied with our lives — and it's connected to how we humans tend to fill out questionnaires.
11/10/2023 • 10 minutes, 35 seconds
Weekly roundup — Music makes our hearts beat as one
A novel study out of Switzerland and Germany shows that human beings, under certain conditions, can end up synchronizing biologically — like a metronome.
10/28/2023 • 30 minutes
WARNING: This interview is toxically masculine
A few episodes back we did a deep dive into the science behind a toxically masculine mind. At that point not one of the influencers we'd reached out to had agreed to be interviewed — and it seemed they never would. Then we got an unexpected email.
10/25/2023 • 30 minutes
Weekly roundup — Making sense of human sound
Conor gets an email from a German island about his accent, Gabe does his best to make his mom 'proud,' and an in-studio experiment takes all of us to India.
10/8/2023 • 30 minutes
What makes a language 'beautiful' (or not)?
You probably have an opinion on which language is the 'most beautiful.' And you're probably (objectively) wrong.
10/7/2023 • 20 minutes, 20 seconds
How long does it take for you to understand these words?
As we age, we become slower at connecting words with the imagery that represents them. The interesting part is why.
10/6/2023 • 10 minutes, 31 seconds
Weekly roundup — Run fast & live happy
A breakthrough in brain science for alcoholics (but not just them), a shoe tech revolution is underfoot, and the startling fact that living in a city means you're far more likely to suffer from depression.
10/1/2023 • 30 minutes
The 'super shoe' debate & eight drunk monkeys
By delivering a gene to the brain, scientists appear to have 'cured' alcoholic primates of their booze lust. Also, why did the woman who shattered the marathon world record kiss her shoe as soon as she finished?
9/30/2023 • 22 minutes, 29 seconds
Mental health: Depression 30% more likely in a city
Why is it that people who live in an urban environment are 30%+ more likely to suffer depression than those in rural areas? And why does that rule just... absolutely not apply in developing countries?
9/29/2023 • 8 minutes, 30 seconds
Why do death tolls drop?
In the wake of natural catastrophes, the forensic work to identify the dead is critically important for loved ones' closure. But mistakes can be made.
9/25/2023 • 8 minutes, 21 seconds
Weekly roundup — Sometimes it's better to know
Humility, which is great to have, is also connected to whether you trust scientists (or people like Gabe and Conor). Also, what a tooth can tell us after a tragedy, and a fun study on what people do when they get a big lump sum of money.
9/24/2023 • 30 minutes
What would you do with $10,000?
It sounds like a thereotical question. But for 200 lucky participants in a pretty novel study, it became very real.
9/23/2023 • 13 minutes, 49 seconds
'Moderate' knowledge leads to science skepticism
You'd think that the less someone knows, the more likely it is they'll buy in to misinformation. Right? Surprisingly, a new study suggests that, up to a point, it's actually worse to know more.
9/22/2023 • 11 minutes, 9 seconds
Weekly roundup — What you don't know [will] hurt you
Anxiety about the climate crisis actually drops as you learn more about it. Also, to avoid dying unnecessarily early, you may need to get a new job.
9/17/2023 • 30 minutes
Risk of dying early rises 30% with 'precarious work'
Want to live longer? Sure, there's exercise and nutrition. But a new study makes a convincing case that a less 'precarious' work environment is the answer.
9/15/2023 • 10 minutes, 48 seconds
Deep inside the toxically masculine mind
What pops into your head when you hear the term toxic masculinity? You probably feel a strong response, but can you put it into words?
9/10/2023 • 37 minutes, 21 seconds
Weekly roundup — There's a first time for everything
On this week's show, we invite you to ponder roundworms in the human brain, a carbon tax that actually might have a chance, and a way to inject insulin that uses music instead of a needle.
9/3/2023 • 30 minutes
Is it time for a carbon tax on investors?
Recent data from the United States shows unequivocally that the rich are (by far) most responsible for CO2 emissions. Private jets, yachts...this is probably not new information. What might be new for you, however, is the role that investments play in all of this.
8/31/2023 • 10 minutes, 14 seconds
How to avoid getting a brain parasite from a snake
The worms that live inside pythons (and that can wriggle their way into a human brain) are a healthy reminder for all of us to — please — handle our food better.
8/30/2023 • 18 minutes, 47 seconds
Weekly roundup — Back to school
It is possible to 'download' a song clip directly from human brains — and that's good news for 'brain-to-speech' technologies of the future. Also, SU listeners (and others) have weighed in on the debate about intimate cosmetic surgery.
8/27/2023 • 30 minutes
Tears of blood & the real-life Dracula
Do you wear Crocs? Because that's the material Italian researchers used to see if the Prince of Walachia (aka 'Vlad the Impaler') was plagued by a rare condition called hemolacria.
8/26/2023 • 16 minutes, 21 seconds
I know what you did this summer
A dog in Iceland, Australians in Italy, and Gabe back in studio. Once in a while we have an episode that's not about science. This is one of them.
8/26/2023 • 8 minutes, 19 seconds
Why'd India delete the periodic table from textbooks?
How could a country that just put a lander on the moon's south pole decide to rob its students of fundamental science?
8/25/2023 • 12 minutes, 1 second
'Scrotum tuck': A surgery that needs parameters
A small German study on scrotum aesthetics has raised big questions: Does talking about 'beauty' in the context of genitalia lead to medically unnecessary surgeries? (Like some labiaplasties.) And do attempts to even define those standards contribute to the problem?
8/22/2023 • 17 minutes, 40 seconds
Why are so many people scared of clowns?
How could a character that's supposed to make us laugh cause 50% of people to feel terror?
8/18/2023 • 12 minutes, 55 seconds
When (if ever) do you stop the exchange of basic research?
When a DW co-investigation uncovers a path that leads from a German physics department to the Chinese military — and it involves technologies that could change the outcome of a war — it's time to ask uncomfortable questions.
8/11/2023 • 35 minutes, 31 seconds
Creating a 'super virus' (with gain of function research)
Yes, scientists really do create 'enhanced viruses' inside labs around the world. Should they?
7/22/2023 • 30 minutes
The 'Dusseldorf patient' — or the search for a safe HIV cure
Three people. Ever. That's how many have been cured of HIV. We visited one of them to learn about the extraordinarily rare (and risky) treatment — and to find out if it can, even indirectly, lead to a true cure for 40 million more.
7/13/2023 • 29 minutes, 59 seconds
Weekly roundup — Unless you've experienced it, you have no idea
Do you have a purpose in life? Would it matter if you didn't? Also, Gabe learns why it's wrong to say 'victims of sexual harassment.'
7/9/2023 • 30 minutes
Sexually harassed people don't do what you'd expect
Ever wonder why, after encountering sexual harassment, so many people don't report it? There's a good reason for that. We talked to women about their encounters with harassment — and asked social psychologist Manuela Barreto, author of a new study, to explain.
7/8/2023 • 24 minutes, 31 seconds
Breathe easier: As VO2 rises, cancer falls (in men)
The better your body is at sucking oxygen out of the atmosphere and pumping it toward your cells, the lower your risk of getting two kinds of cancer (and dying from three).
7/7/2023 • 13 minutes, 32 seconds
Weekly roundup — Press softly & don't pass out
A German urologist answers a listener email about fainting after urination, and why a prominent doctor thinks taurine won't extend human lives (like it did for mice and monkeys).
7/2/2023 • 30 minutes
Stop mosquitoes — with an 'armor' made of cream
Mosquito haters, rejoice: Researchers in Israel have created an insect repellant made of cellulose (plant compounds) that could save lives and make summer nights way more enjoyable.
7/1/2023 • 9 minutes, 31 seconds
Nature's great, but have you tried VR?
How would it make you feel to know a virtual reality forest could make you as happy as a real one?
6/30/2023 • 20 minutes, 33 seconds
Weekly roundup — Young, alone & happier for it
'Comparison is the thief of joy,' a listener reminds us — and also, a researcher explains why people are feeling younger than ever.
6/25/2023 • 30 minutes
Why do I feel younger than my age?
Forget your birth date. How old do you actually feel? That gap, or 'age bias,' is a real phenomenon — and for some reason it's getting wider.
6/24/2023 • 14 minutes, 46 seconds
Lonely? Being around other people can make it worse
A staggering amount data suggests our mental health goes down — not up — when we try to solve our loneliness by socializing.
6/23/2023 • 12 minutes, 25 seconds
Could you give us a minute?
We love the emails. [email protected] — keep them coming! But there's one more way you can help shape this show: https://surveys.dw.com/c/su?maca=en-podcast_spectrum-31485-xml-mrss
6/20/2023 • 1 minute, 47 seconds
Weekly roundup — How do you say ‘lost soul’ in Gaelic?
We learn this week that Conor truly is a Celtic music-making machine. All it took was a c# from some busted toilet pipes. Also, thanks for all the emails about seated urination.
6/18/2023 • 30 minutes
‘Ouch!’ — Physical pain rises with envy
Two people in the same neighborhood stub their toes. Whose hurts more? Unbelievably, it kind of depends on the size of their house.
6/17/2023 • 14 minutes, 28 seconds
Live a longer, healthier life — with taurine?
An excellent study shows that animals live substantially longer lives after daily doses of a natural amino acid. But please don't start chugging taurine-enhanced energy drinks (like Gabe does).
6/16/2023 • 19 minutes, 8 seconds
Weekly roundup — What's that gorgeous noise?
Seemingly inexplicable seated urination, a wildflower meadow amidst the immaculate lawns of Cambridge University, birds singing soothing songs on the eastern bank of the River Rhine, and an oddly beautiful sound that emanates from a DW bathroom — this one's got it all.
6/11/2023 • 30 minutes
The songs of birds (even mp3s of them) are good for our nerves
Birdsong is apparently so good for human wellbeing all it takes is an audio recording to bring down anxiety levels — and paranoia. This show goes out to our listener Brent.
6/10/2023 • 10 minutes, 12 seconds
German men sit when they pee. Why?
The results of a recent survey indicate that males in Germany — compared to 11 other nations involved — are leaders when it comes to seated urination. Any ideas why that could be?
6/7/2023 • 19 minutes, 53 seconds
Weekly roundup — This one's pretty much entirely about animals
Sometimes the most interesting research isn't about us, but about the creatures we share this planet with. This episode is dedicated to them — and to the fascinating (and sometimes comical) ways homo sapiens try to understand them.
6/4/2023 • 30 minutes
Chimpanzees 'talk' when you scare them with snakes
You, the person reading this, say about 1,000 unique words every day. Our closest primate relatives? Far fewer. To learn more, researchers went to the Ugandan jungle — and pranked the living daylights out of them.
6/3/2023 • 14 minutes, 28 seconds
The unexpected connection between memory & decision-making
Do you second-guess yourself? Even when you know you've made a good decision? That might be connected to having a "good memory" — in a bad way.
6/2/2023 • 15 minutes, 7 seconds
Weekly roundup — Staying alive with a dead philosopher
The four-day workweek can work for making airplanes, and how a dusty political treatise could save your life in a hospital.
5/28/2023 • 30 minutes
Google researcher reveals how to give AI 'human values'
We reached out to DeepMind to find out how their experiment on tree harvesting could possibly lead to equitable AI. Lead researcher Laura Weidinger says it really is possible — but only through a "veil of ignorance."
5/27/2023 • 18 minutes, 44 seconds
The perks (for moms) of giving birth under midwife care
Was your hospital birth a pleasant one? New data suggests that, despite increased risk to babies, home or "community" births are more enjoyable for mothers — especially women of color.
5/26/2023 • 19 minutes, 55 seconds
Sexual double standards are changing (in women's favor)
Most of us assume women are judged more harshly for promiscuous behavior. A study from Norway suggests the opposite is now true.
5/20/2023 • 14 minutes, 53 seconds
Bladders, bowels & mental health
Two studies show, in different ways, how the health of our urinary/digestive systems is intertwined with our brains. (Note: This episode mentions suicidal ideations. If you have suicidal thoughts, call a suicide hotline.)
5/19/2023 • 11 minutes, 3 seconds
Weekly roundup — An episode to make your life better
This podcast is full of practical tips. We hope it shortens your work week, improves your mood and changes the way you see the world (or think you see it).
5/14/2023 • 30 minutes
Your perception of reality may be distorted
We assume reality to be objective. But what if the way you perceive it is off — because of your imagination?
5/13/2023 • 11 minutes, 41 seconds
The four-day work week… usually works?
A German survey, a (huge) British study, research from Australia — all make a strong case for the four-day work week. So what's the hang-up?
5/11/2023 • 17 minutes, 17 seconds
Weekly roundup — Food for thoughts
It’s not usually fun to be in a room with 1,000 high schoolers, but it is if they've all made robots. Also, a counterintuitive experiment shows you can eat healthier… by sitting longer.
5/7/2023 • 30 minutes
How do I get my kids to eat more fruits and vegetables?
In a controlled experiment, researchers in Germany figured out a surprisingly easy way to get children to eat the food they're supposed to.
5/6/2023 • 16 minutes, 49 seconds
AI can take your thoughts and convert them into text
What would you do with an AI system that could read your thoughts — and then translate them into sentences and paragraphs for you (and others) to read?
5/5/2023 • 16 minutes, 59 seconds
Why do I believe in ghosts?
Aliens. Demons. The afterlife. The soul. Believing in the paranormal has many root causes. One appears to be bad sleep.
4/29/2023 • 30 minutes
Weekly roundup — A couple anti-headlines (that matter)
Sometimes it's not 'big' science stories, but the small ones, that will actually change your life.
4/23/2023 • 30 minutes
Would you trust a vaccine made by AI?
It might sound spooky. But is computer-generated medicine any different from the stuff we human beings come up with?
4/20/2023 • 17 minutes, 58 seconds
'Me time': Too much can tire you out
We all need time to ourselves. But a new study shows social isolation, when done incorrectly, can lead to a spiral of fatigue.
4/18/2023 • 14 minutes
Weekly roundup — Why it matters that insects are dying off in Germany's forests
There was a bombshell study published a few years back about flying insects disappearing near German farm fields. This latest entomological work might have similar repercussions.
4/16/2023 • 30 minutes
Would you want to live 140 years?
If you look purely at the math, a lot of human beings are going to be living a lot longer. Is that a good thing?
4/13/2023 • 24 minutes, 8 seconds
Tigers have personalities, too
Siberian tigers are known as some of the fiercest predators in the animal kingdom. Less is known about their character traits — until now.
4/12/2023 • 4 minutes, 59 seconds
Weekly roundup — High frequency listening
Yes, some plants really do 'scream' when you cut them — and it sounds… perplexing. Also, why is a tropical viral disease named after a German city?
4/9/2023 • 30 minutes
Marburg virus — we know it's deadly, but how contagious is it?
Is Marburg virus the 'next pandemic'? History says not — which is also why we don't yet have a vaccine.
4/8/2023 • 17 minutes, 48 seconds
What it actually looks like to be 'on the spectrum'
Your image of autism may be totally wrong, but you can reeducate (and even entertain) yourself from the comfort of your own sofa.
4/6/2023 • 10 minutes, 43 seconds
Weekly roundup — The sound of grass (not) growing
Turns out we have a lot of listeners who know things about rye grass, and another who had a spontaneous one-week romantic liason that started with an empty stomach.
4/2/2023 • 30 minutes
Being a loyal worker... isn't necessarily good for you
A new experiment shows managers treat loyal workers worse than others — and forces us to wonder whether loyalty really is a virtue.
4/1/2023 • 18 minutes, 11 seconds
'Powdered beer' from Germany — what is it, and does it have alcohol?
It might sound like a gimmicky new 'instant' product. (We thought so!) But there are compelling reasons to consider powdered beer.
3/31/2023 • 12 minutes, 11 seconds
Weekly roundup — Thin bodies & thin blood
A pre-print supports the idea of targeting microclots in long COVID patients. Also, hormonal diet drugs are the new big thing (thanks Elon and Kim Kardashian!), but a study on mice shows hormonal appetite suppressants… can have unintended sexual consequences.
3/26/2023 • 30 minutes
Food or flirt?
You're hungry, and you're standing in front of a buffet — when an attractive person starts flirting with you. Do you flirt back? Or go for the food?
3/25/2023 • 14 minutes, 18 seconds
You emailed us
A response from Jim, an important update on a potential long COVID treatment, and the question that keeps Gabe awake at night.
3/24/2023 • 19 minutes, 17 seconds
Weekly roundup — An email from Jim
Has our show gotten worse? A guy named Jim thinks so. We don't know if he's right, but his email sent us to outer space.
3/19/2023 • 30 minutes
A treaty to stop space from becoming like our oceans
Trillions of pieces of plastic, trillions of pieces of metal. It's easy to think the space above our planet could become a 'tragedy of the commons' like our oceans. It doesn't have to.
3/17/2023 • 9 minutes, 42 seconds
Drunk yourself dizzy? Have a shot of liver hormone
According to a study on binge-drinking mice, there's a quicker way to make boozed up mammals (like us) regain their sense of balance.
3/9/2023 • 20 minutes, 22 seconds
Running to treat depression and anxiety
For people suffering from depression and anxiety who have tried antidepressant medication without success, a study out of Amsterdam could have important information for alternative therapy.
3/8/2023 • 9 minutes, 53 seconds
Paid sick leave — Does it make sense?
From a purely economic perspective, should companies provide paid sick leave? Is it good for business? Turns out science the answer.
3/7/2023 • 18 minutes, 46 seconds
Weekly roundup — For couples, 'we-talk' is how to get the harmony going
Science says couples who take on life together, as a team, using the first person plural, are closer than those who don't.
3/5/2023 • 30 minutes
German scientist reveals what ChatGPT can't do
Have you heard people talking about how amazing these new AI chat bots are? About how much immaculate text they can generate in a split second? It's time to talk about what they can't do.
2/22/2023 • 16 minutes, 19 seconds
Weekly roundup — Let's get it on (but not get pregnant)
A libido-enhancing therapy did different things to the women and men who watched erotic videos in an fMRI machine, while a promising birth control drug for men ticks all the right boxes (and none of the scary ones).
2/19/2023 • 30 minutes
Menstruation, role models & screen time — your emails
An earlier episode helped one of our listeners realize she suffers from premenstrual dysmorphic disorder... while another calls Gabe and Conor 'Luddites.'
2/18/2023 • 6 minutes, 52 seconds
Birth control for mice and men
The perfect male contraceptive would be fast acting, 100% effective, temporary and painless — without affecting performance or libido. A new trial appears to have done that.
2/17/2023 • 21 minutes, 29 seconds
Weekly roundup — A tough week
A massively underreported premenstrual disorder (PMDD) leads to bouts of depression — but may have a treatment. Also, why aren't rescue workers equipped with the high-tech tools they need to save (more) lives?
2/12/2023 • 30 minutes
Like PMS, but worse — premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)
If the days before your period are REALLY bad – especially with mental health – you may have PMDD. The condition affects 3-8% of women worldwide, and research from Germany hints at how it can be treated.
2/10/2023 • 14 minutes, 13 seconds
Trapped
If people can post videos from inside collapsed buildings, how do we not have more available (and advanced) technologies to locate and rescue them?
2/6/2023 • 16 minutes, 53 seconds
Weekly roundup — The revolution's here
Electricity, telephones, the internet. Some technologies are so world-altering they create a 'before and after' divide. We're experiencing one of those moments right now.
2/5/2023 • 30 minutes
That's... not my voice?
We've talked a lot about AI on this show. It's time to let AI talk to you.
2/2/2023 • 17 minutes, 37 seconds
Chat GPTeach?
The AI text & essay generator ChatGPT has altered the idea of 'becoming educated,' or even 'critical thinking,' in a way we don't fully understand yet.
1/31/2023 • 14 minutes, 39 seconds
Weekly roundup — A few things to make your life better
Two ways to boost your mood (daily), a skill that’ll up your dating game, and a cannabis investment you shouldn't make.
1/29/2023 • 30 minutes
Playing music makes you more attractive (if you're a man)
A man's face literally becomes more attractive to a woman if she knows he can play an instrument. But the other way around... the effect is different. Why?
1/28/2023 • 15 minutes, 23 seconds
This has a LOT of wow factor
It’s a seemingly silly phrase — “wow factor.” But it conveys a real human emotion, and a new study shows you can get two doses every day.
1/27/2023 • 24 minutes, 51 seconds
The fake magic mind-reading experiment
What if a brain scan could tell your true political beliefs? And what if the whole thing was a cleverly crafted lie?
1/12/2023 • 30 minutes
It's the most wonderful time (to think about relationships)
Do you remember when, or where, you learned what a 'healthy' relationship was? Neither do we.