All Episodes

Did Neanderthals make us morning people?: Ancient DNA and the messiness of human evolution

January 24, 2024— Although Neanderthals died out around 40,000 years ago, advances in genetic sequencing have revealed that their DNA lives on in all of us today. READ MORE »

Cosmic clues, shrinking transistors, debunking a Salem witch trials theory, and more! Faves from the second year of Tiny Matters

December 27, 2023— Sam and Deboki are looking back at a handful of their favorite episode moments from the second year of Tiny Matters. READ MORE »

The history of a monumental forensic tool and the ethical debate sparked by wrongful convictions based on trace DNA evidence

December 13, 2023— DNA profiling transformed forensics, but it’s not without its ethical implications. READ MORE »

The rise and fall of a fake decongestant: What phenylephrine tells us about the history of the FDA

November 29, 2023— The FDA just found that a cold medicine ingredient first approved in the 1930s is no better than a placebo. How did this happen? READ MORE »

The opioid crisis: From pill mills to the rise of fentanyl, and current glimmers of hope

November 15, 2023— In 2021, there were 10 times as many opioid overdose deaths as in 1999. How did we get here? And what can we do to fix it? READ MORE »

We don't deserve dogs: The science behind the human-canine relationship

November 1, 2023— We often hear that dogs help lower our blood pressure, decrease our allergy risk, and alert us to disease. But is there science behind those claims? READ MORE »

The Salem witch trials LSD theory and the fascinating evolution of mummification in ancient Egypt

October 18, 2023— Sam and Deboki tackle two Halloween themed topics: The Salem witch trials LSD theory and the science behind ancient Egyptian mummification practices. READ MORE »

Asteroid Bennu, OSIRIS-REx, and the Apollo 11 moon microbe scare: The challenge of bringing home samples from space

October 4, 2023— A couple weeks ago, NASA collected material from asteroid Bennu. What could it teach us? And what are the risks of bringing samples back from space? READ MORE »

It’s flu season: What’s in the shot? Should we be worried about avian influenza? And the promise of a universal vaccine

September 20, 2023— What’s in the shot? Should we be worried about avian influenza? And the promise of a universal vaccine READ MORE »

Q&A and coffee mug giveaway: Plastic-decomposing mushrooms, allergy-curing hookworms, the end of the universe, and more!

September 6, 2023— A special Q&A episode where Sam and Deboki answer listener questions about science and scicomm and wrap things up with a Tiny Matters mug drawing! READ MORE »

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