Underwear & pregnancy
30 min
Boxer briefs? Tighty whities? Strings? All seem to influence sperm quality. Also, a study on miscarriages in primates shows they happen more often when raising a small (demanding) child.
About the show
The science stories that will actually change your day — and maybe make you laugh. Science unscripted is a podcast, radio show & YouTube channel driven by listeners. Hello from Germany :)
Newest episodes
How bad is the mental load gap?
30 min
A new study sheds light on how people perceive their own mental load — and what that does to the relationship.
Smart women get punished at the workplace
30 min
A new cross-cultural study points at a universal truth: Women who are intelligent pay for it at the office.
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All episodes
Underwear & pregnancy
30 min
Boxer briefs? Tighty whities? Strings? All seem to influence sperm quality. Also, a study on miscarriages in primates shows they happen more often when raising a small (demanding) child.
How bad is the mental load gap?
30 min
A new study sheds light on how people perceive their own mental load — and what that does to the relationship.
Smart women get punished at the workplace
30 min
A new cross-cultural study points at a universal truth: Women who are intelligent pay for it at the office.
Muscle dysmorphia: a 'reverse anorexia' that mostly affects men
29 min
Ripped. Jacked. Swole. And... limp? When does wanting bigger muscles turn toxic? And how's that linked to unhappiness in the bedroom?
The politics of disgust
30 min
Ever feel disgusted by other groups of people? That makes it more likely you're conservative. Unless you're 'interoceptive.'
Have you seen my wallet?
30 min
Tylenol is not causally connected to pregnancies and autistic children, according to a meta-meta study. Also, if you lost your wallet in a 'diverse' neighborhood, is it more (or less) likely to come back?
Is AI going to kill us?
30 min
Who can actually say what AI can (or can't) do? Maybe the guy who developed the 'box' it escaped from.
Is your life meaningful? (pt. 2)
30 min
Ever freaked out about finding 'meaning' in your life? A new study might help you understand where that (uniquely human) feeling comes from. (Note: We published part 1 on June 15, 2025)
Pathological cringe & a pill to 'delete' trauma
30 min
A single drug undid the damage in mice who'd suffered early-life trauma. Also, a contagious form of 'cringe avoidance' is spreading — and listen in to the soft sounds of Jurassic crickets.
Can a dog understand these facial expressions?
30 min
If dogs could understand our faces... how could we prove that, scientifically? Also, AI gets banned from the classroom and a study that put heavy metal festival fans through.... some serious pain.
How to speak without saying anything
30 min
Gabe and Conor are back to talk about a science museum you should never visit, a cosmic event you shouldn't miss... and a well-researched communications strategy used by Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.
Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
30 min
If you could put on VR goggles and talk to your future self... would that help you become who you want to be? Or would it harm you?
SpaceX & a low-g baby?
30 min
When Elon Musk talks about a human 'civilization' on Mars, he's suggesting we'll have babies there. Should we?
The 'Google maps' inside a pigeon's liver
30 min
A new experiment shows pigeons use immune cells to navigate our planet. The discovery redefines our understanding of how an animal can 'feel' Earth's magnetic field.
Do you want to have kids?
30 min
There are plenty of reasons NOT to have kids. But a new paper suggests having them may be the only way to protect gender equality over the long term.
The testosterone age (or Honey, I shrunk my testes)
30 min
Influencers, billionaires, even the US health secretary. Proponents of testosterone — as a hormonal therapy or barometer of "masculinity" — are causing men to self-medicate. With nasty consequences.
Hantavirus: What to expect from here
30 min
This ship phase is over. But the nature of this virus means cases may rise — even as officials contain it.
Is the hantavirus the next pandemic?
30 min
If you want to understand why the Andes variant of the hantavirus is different than COVID-19, this episode's for you.
The ad that makes you drink more
30 min
We know advertising works. (It's why the industry exists.) But a new study on beer ads in Germany shows how. Causally.
How can I tell if someone's smart?
30 min
Some people seem to know if others are intelligent. Others... don't. A new study suggests why.
There's almost no way to make us like AI art. Why?
30 min
A new study tried just about everything to get people to have a more positive reaction to AI poetry and prose. It failed. Almost always. And it's worth talking about why. (NOTE: A human wrote this.)
Deepfake nudes & why men make them
30 min
Lust? Humiliation? Control? If you think you know why men and boys make fake AI nudes of women and girls... first-of-its-kind research suggests a motivation that's almost more troubling. (Note: If you or anyone you know is the victim of non-consensual intimate imagery, the global non-profit StopNCII.org provides step-by-step support in 38 languages.)
When do you think the world will end?
30 min
A shockingly high number of people believe a global calamity will happen in their lifetime. Are you one of them?
The war on phone blasting
30 min
A viral TikTok of a woman kicked off a plane is a good time to talk about how to (productively) confront loud people.
Why do I get goosebumps when I listen to music?
30 min
Some of us get chills from music, movies or art. And others... never do. Why is that?
Wait — who's friendzoning who here?!
30 min
It's usually guys who complain about being 'friendzoned.' But new research says it definitely happens to women, too — sometimes.
How different are the brains of boys and girls?
30 min
A new study shows a sex difference in the early growth of the human brain. Does it matter?
When a pet’s death really hurts
29 min
The loss of a pet can affect you more than losing a loved one, a new study shows. With one exception.
Why do humans have (relatively) large penises?
30 min
Compared to chimps or gorillas, human males are unusually well endowed. A new study suggests it's partly because men 'size each other up' before a fight.
How casual hookups are good (and healthy) for singles
30 min
You really do benefit from 'friends with benefits,' a new study suggests. Also, a forgotten birthday can tank employee morale and a look at how the Autobahn lead to more support for the Nazi party.
The anomie within
30 min
When it feels like society's breaking down right before your eyes, it's called anomie. And it can lead to an even a darker place.
Do you think animals can think?
30 min
It's an interesting question. Even more intriguing is why you believe what you do — and whether you live near a city.
Neanderthals chose to eat each other?
29 min
Cannibalism happened among the Neanderthals. That much we knew. Now, a paleoanthropological discovery has possibly uncovered an ugly truth about our distant cousins. Conor and Gabe head to a cave in Belgium to check it out.
Happy New Year!
30 min
Thanks to everybody who listened during this year. Most of all, thank you to those who wrote to us and — in the process — became part of our show.
Imagine your way to better friendships...?
30 min
Want to like someone more? It just takes eight seconds. Also, mice that smelled bacon... had more obese children?
Who do you give to? (And who do you not?)
30 min
$1,000 is put in your hand. With one condition: You have to donate it. What do you do next?
The Batman effect
30 min
A pregnant woman enters a tram. Nearly 40% of the time, she's offered a seat. Unless someone else enters. Dressed as batman.
Does the world feel... off to you?
30 min
If you feel overwhelmed... and you don't know why... new research suggests you may be experiencing something called 'mismatch.'
Mountain gorilla menopause & why raccoons are the next dogs
30 min
We're on our way to having a new housepet, a study suggests. Also, mountain gorillas join humans as part of the (exclusive) 'grandmother hypothesis.'
Gen Z can't sleep (but at least they're not out committing crimes)
30 min
An alarming number of young people are using two very unhelpful drugs to help them sleep. Also, what's behind the sharp decline in youth crime?
When people talk about 'dehumanization,' listen
30 min
Dehumanizing a group of people is step 4 on the 10-step path to genocide. We should pay attention when politically powerful people start saying it.
Can you tell the difference?
29 min
Is a hair-loss product causing men (primarily) to become depressed and suicidal? Also, can you pass our AI voice test?
Women have more to lose when healthcare gets cut
30 min
Women will die at disproportionately higher rates as the US rolls back access to public insurance programs (like medicaid). Also, AI tools like ChatGPT change how honest we are... and not in a good way.
Why do men die earlier?
30 min
Five years. That's the (significant) difference between male/female life expectancies in human beings. If we'd like to change that (and shouldn't we try?), a new study suggests we look at the animals that reverse this rule, and how they do it.
Keeping score (or how to doom a relationship)
12 min
If you're keeping a mental list of what your partner 'owes' you, a new study suggests... maybe don't?
Does getting married make your life more satisfying?
29 min
On this week’s Science unscripted, a quantitative and qualitative glimpse into how harmful politics can be for relationships, a glimpse into the future of pregnancy, and an unabashed analysis of what marriage does for our feeling of satisfaction.
Huntington's disease: Curing the incurable?
30 min
On Science unscripted this week, we dissect the latest research on political violence. Also, we look into what scientists are calling a breakthrough for an incurable neurodegenerative disease.
Rate my professor? No thanks.
30 min
Think you're getting a fair review of a teacher from a rating site? Think again. Also, two studies shed light on who wakes up more when a baby cries... and the connection between 'stereotypes' and condoning political violence.
Painkillers, pregnancy & autism — what the research says
30 min
A metastudy on pregnant women taking the painkiller acetaminophen is at odds with the leaked 'autism report' commissioned by US Health Secretary RFK Jr. Also, why so many people avoid information about their own health, and a beautiful obituary.
Have you lived a good life?
30 min
If you read enough obituaries, you might unearth what people (and society) find important about existence. What do you want yours to say?
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