Science Vs

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 headlines have started saying the opposite: that eating LESS protein could actually help you live longer. So what's going on here?? Should we be piling on the protein — or pulling back? And could going too low actually be dangerous? We talk to biologist Prof. Dudley Lamming and exercise physiologist Prof. Stuart Phillips to find out.



Note: This episode mentions calorie restriction. Please take care when listening, and here are some resources:

National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) helpline: 1(888)-375-7767

Crisis support:

United States: US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Dial 988 (Online chat available); https://www.crisistextline.org/text-us/ Text “HOME” to 741741

Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14 (Online chat available)

Canada: Call or text 988

United Kingdom: Samaritans 116 123 (UK and ROI)

Full list of international hotlines here 

Other help available: spotify.com/resources



Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsProteinMaxxing



In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Protein-Maxxing or Protein-Minning?

(02:15) Restricting Protein Makes You Live Longer??!?

(09:20) A Tale of Brown Fat and mTOR

(13:45) What Could Go Wrong?

(21:20) So What the Hell Should We Be Eating?



This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, with help from Meryl Horn, Michelle Dang, and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Wendy Zukerman is our executive producer. Fact checking by Marlowe Starling. Video editing and sound by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. Thanks to the researchers we spoke to for this episode including Prof. Edward Giovannucci, Prof. Holly Brown-Borg, Prof. John Speakman, Dr. Mingyang Song, and Dr. Jessica Biesiekierski. And thanks as well to Humdinger Studios in Melbourne and Wolff Island Studios in New York City. 

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.


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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, that wearing it could mess with our vitamin D levels — even that sunscreen itself actually increases our risk of skin cancer. So, what can the science tell us here? Should we toss our SPF-filled creams and sprays in the bin?? And could the answer here be different depending on your skin tone? We talk to researchers Dr. Brandon Adler, Prof. Rachel Neale, and Dr. Adewole Adamson to find out.

 Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsSunscreen

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) The internet freak-out over sunscreen

(05:06) Is sunscreen toxic?

(20:46) Does sunscreen mess with vitamin D?

(29:29) Does sunscreen work to prevent skin cancer?

(34:40) Do people with darker skin need sunscreen?

(44:38) How to wear sunscreen correctly

This episode was produced by Michelle Dang, with help from Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Wendy Zukerman is our executive producer. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Video editing and sound by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka, So Wylie, Emma Munger and Peter Leonard. Thanks to Humdinger Studios in Melbourne and Wolff Island Studios in New York City. 

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. You can also find us on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.
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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 slop. In this episode, Wendy sits down with Hank to talk about this wild ride. They reminisce about his path to YouTube stardom, and they’ll pull back the curtain on social media algorithms — how they’ve changed, and the sneaky ways they draw us in. And while Hank has been publicly fighting off internet trolls, he’s also been dealing with his own personal battle with cancer. He takes us through what’s changed for him since he got diagnosed, and the science he learned about pee and chemotherapy along the way. 

Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsHankGreen

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Hank Green’s journey to YouTube

(06:26) How ‘going viral’ has completely changed

(11:58) How social media captures your attention 

(23:47) What Hank is and isn’t worried about with AI

(29:33) Hank’s cancer diagnosis

(37:45) The fracturing of communication

(40:46) Oddball questions



Credits

This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, with help from Michelle Dang,  Rose Rimler, and Meryl Horn. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Wendy Zukerman is the executive producer. Video editing and sound mix by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. Thanks to the Humdinger Studios in Melbourne, and Wolf Island Studios in New York City. 

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. You can also find us on YouTube, TikTok and Instagram.


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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 hurt. We partner with the Pulitzer Prize-winning journalists at Pablo Torre Finds Out to get to the bottom of it. We talk to Peter Cowan, Dr. Ken Karipidis, and Dr. Zachary Binney.



Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/SVPTFO49ERSEMF



Watch and subscribe to Pablo Torre Finds Out here: https://www.youtube.com/@PabloTorreFindsOut



This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, Wendy Zukerman, Chris Tumminello and Bradley Campbell, with help from the rest of the Pablo Torre Finds Out team and the Science Vs team: Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, Meryl Horn, and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Wendy Zukerman is the executive producer. Fact checking by Marlowe Starling. Video editing and sound mix by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. Thanks to the researchers we spoke to for this episode including Dr. Joachim Schüz, Dr. Alexandra von Meier, Nekane Sandoval Diez, Prof. Eva Monsma, Dr. Dan Baaken, Professor Frank de Vocht, Professor David Carpenter, Professor Beatrice Golomb, Professor Rodney Croft, Dr. Mitchell Newberry, Professor Tony Blazevich, and Dr. Andrew Ross. Special thanks to Srishti Prabha, the San Jose Public Library, as well as Humdinger Studios in Melbourne, and Wolff Island Studios in New York City. 

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Find us on YouTube at ScienceVsPodcast, TikTok at @wendyzuk and Instagram at Science_Vs.






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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 are saying that this is terrible for us. They say that it can ruin your metabolism forever and that it can lead to stuff like diabetes and scary muscle loss. So could that be true?? And why does this happen at all? We find out with nutritionist Prof. Faidon Magkos, immunologist Prof. Alyssa Hasty, and health policy researcher Dr. Jamie Hartmann-Boyce. 



Note: In this episode we discuss weight and weight loss. Please take care when listening, and here are some resources:



National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated Disorders (ANAD) helpline: 1(888)-375-7767

Crisis support:

United States: US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Dial 988 (Online chat available); https://www.crisistextline.org/text-us/ Text “HOME” to 741741

Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14 (Online chat available)

Canada: Call or text 988

United Kingdom: Samaritans 116 123 (UK and ROI)

Full list of international hotlines here 

Other help available: spotify.com/resources



Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsWeightCycling 



In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) What we’re hearing about weight cycling

(07:14) Why is it so hard to keep the weight off?

(12:45) Does weight cycling break your metabolism?

(18:58) Will you gain fat and lose muscle?

(23:17) Weight cycling and inflammation?

(28:35) Will weight cycling make you sick?



This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, with help from Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, Meryl Horn, and Michelle Dang. Wendy Zukerman is our executive producer. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka, So Wylie, Emma Munger and Peter Leonard. Thanks so much to all the experts we spoke with for this episode, including Dr. Heidi Silver and Dr. Andrea Rossi. Special thanks to Jennifer C. Wolfe and Sasha Borissenko. And big big thanks to all the folks who called in to tell us about their weight cycling experiences. 



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.



Follow Wendy on TikTok @wendyzuk

Science Vs on Youtube @ScienceVsPodcast

Science Vs on Instagram @science_vs




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