Science Vs

Every day we’re all doing a little bit of chemistry: when we bake potatoes, add a little salt to our pasta, or even bake a box cake. And award-winning chef Samin Nosrat just loves to nerd out over all this. She's the author of the best-selling book “Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat” and has a new book out called “Good Things.” Today, Samin joins us to talk all about the science and art of cooking. Plus — why you should NEVER put meatballs on spaghetti.

Video available on Spotify.

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

Samin’s Book: https://ciaosamin.com/shop/good-things 

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Welcome to Science Chats with Samin Nosrat

(01:27) Samin’s childhood in California

(06:05) Samin’s obsession with boxed cake mix

(14:29) Why salt, fat, acid and heat matter

(17:17) The magic of salt

(21:11) Why soy sauce and cheese can bring out big feelings

(32:26) Why we bake with room-temperature eggs

(34:32) Why tomatoes don’t belong in the fridge

(37:00) The geopolitics of cinnamon

(40:07) Why vanilla beans cost so much

(42:15) The value of handmade food

(47:10) Why you shouldn’t put meatballs on spaghetti

This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Meryl Horn, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, Michelle Dang, and Rose Rimler. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Video editing and sound design by Bobby Lord. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Music written by Emma Munger, So Wylie, Peter Leonard, Bumi Hidaka and Bobby Lord. Thanks to Roland Campos, Skyline Studios and Humdinger 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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The internet is abuzz with accusations that artificial intelligence is using up tons of energy and water. People are even protesting the building of new AI data centers, saying they’ll put a huge strain on local resources. But some AI defenders say that this fear is overblown and that AI isn’t actually that bad for the environment. So who’s right? We talk to science and tech reporters Casey Crownhart and James O’Donnell, and computer scientist Prof. Shaolei Ren. 



UPDATE, 11/13/25: This episode has been updated to note that some AI companies advertise on the show.



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



Read James and Casey's article here: https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/05/20/1116327/ai-energy-usage-climate-footprint-big-tech/



Check out the Mythbusters GPU/CPU demonstration here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WmW6SD-EHVY



In this episode, we cover:

(0:00) Chapter One: No More AI For Dank Memes?!

(3:34) Chapter Two: How Much Energy Does Your AI Query Use?

(15:37) Chapter Three: How Much Energy Does AI Use Total?

(21:18) Chapter Four: Is AI Drinking All Our Water?

(29:29) Chapter Five: Should You Quit Using AI?



This episode was produced by Rose Rimler and Blythe Terrell, with help from Meryl Horn and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Emma Munger, So Wylie, Peter Leonard, Bumi Hidaka and Bobby Lord. Thanks to all the researchers we reached out to, including Prof. Melissa Scanlan, and special thanks to Andrew Pouliot and Jesse Rimler. 

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 new episode notifications.


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We’ve been told that foods like butter and bacon are bad for us — because they're packed with saturated fats. And top dogs in nutrition say that a better option is vegetable oil, like canola oil. But lots of people, including HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., are saying hold on. They're arguing that saturated fats are actually the way to go. And they're claiming that those vegetable oils, aka “seed oils,” are incredibly dangerous. So — who’s right?? To find out, we speak to author and physician Dr Cate Shanahan, professor of nutrition science Jason Wu, professor of endocrinology David Schade, and Dr David Iggman. [REBROADCAST]

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

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Seed oils are the devil

(05:35) Is saturated fat killing you? 

(12:25) Does cholesterol cause heart attacks? 

(22:02) Do seed oils cause inflammation?

(28:00) Are seed oils killing you?

This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Joel Werner, Rose Rimler, Nick DelRose and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Carmen Drahl. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bobby Lord, Emma Munger, Peter Leonard, and Bumi Hidaka. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including Dr Lorena Pacheco, Dr Qi Sun, Dr Tetsumori Yamashima, Dr Idrees Mughal, Professor Rashika Ahmed, Dr Hatem Tallima, Dr Heidi Silver, Professor Ronald Krauss, Dr Yutang Wang, Dr David Sullivan, Professor Peter Clifton, Dr Lee Hooper and others. And a big thank you to Morgen Rockel, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

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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Daylight saving time is ending, and the darkness is coming for us all. And many of us dread this time of year; we think that switching up our clocks sucks. But beyond that, we hear that all this clock changing can be bad for our health, contributing to stuff like heart attacks. So, should we ditch these annoying switches altogether? And if we do that, which way should we go: daylight saving time all year, or standard time?? We look at the science and talk to wildlife ecologist Prof. Laura Prugh and sleep scientist Prof. Jamie Zeitzer. 

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

In this episode, we cover:

(02:15) Why do we have daylight saving time?  

(05:25) What happens when we “fall back”

(14:15) Is daylight saving time bad for our health? 

(27:00) What should we do? 

This episode was produced by Michelle Dang, with help from Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, and Wendy Zukerman. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Our executive producer is Wendy Zukerman. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Bobby Lord, So Wylie, Emma Munger and Bumi Hidaka. And a special thanks to researcher Dr. Aiste Steponenaite, who also spoke to me for this episode. 

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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With “No Nut November” right around the corner, it's time to ask: What are the benefits of saving your seed and not ejaculating? People say that it'll boost your testosterone, giving you better libido — and even making your skin glow. Some say you'll feel like a beast, your energy is gonna be insane and it'll even improve the quality of your sperm. Is all this true?? And are there any risks when it comes to leaving your nut unbusted? We speak to urologist and andrologist Dr. Justin Dubinz and reproductive endocrinologist and fertility specialist Dr. Brent Hanson, alongside special guest comedian Suren Jayemanne.



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



In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) The idea behind saving your seed

(07:43) The idea of semen retention is huge online

(09:52)  Can semen retention bump up your testosterone?

(15:45) Can semen retention improve mood and athletic performance?

(23:22) Can semen retention improve your sperm quality?



This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler, and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Emma Munger, So Wylie, Peter Leonard, Bumi Hidaka and Bobby Lord. A big thanks to Joseph Lavelle Wilson and the Zukerman family. 



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. 


Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices