Episodes

3d ago

Where does necrophilia come from? What makes people desecrate corpses? And do you have to be a serial killer to have a death fetish? Today’s guests are Dr. Victoria Hartmann , a clinical psychology researcher and executive director of the Erotic Heritage Museum in Las Vegas, and neuroscientist and science communicator Dr. Jens Foell .

Dec 10

Recorded live at London’s Natural History Museum on November 24, 2025. Breaking Bad fanatics, have a fresh pair of trousers at the ready—Bryan Cranston delivers an unforgettable conversation packed with behind-the-scenes stories from his years playing Walter White. He shares how DEA agents taught him the fundamentals of meth production, what he learned shadowing a USC chemistry professor to prepare for the role, and the surprising science details the show actually got right. A Hollywood legend through and through, Cranston does not disappoint. Joining him is the eminent Alan Hart—mineralogist, science historian, and keeper of extraordinary knowledge about the material world. Hart breaks down the real science behind Heisenberg’s Uncertainty Principle , the intricate chemistry of organic and inorganic crystal structures, and the remarkable history of how the Periodic Table came to be. Together, Cranston and Hart illuminate the scientific heart of Breaking Bad in a way fans have never heard before.

Nov 26

Recorded live at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto, this episode features world-renowned soprano Renée Fleming and vocal-science researcher Dr. Sean Hutchins in a conversation that plays like part masterclass, part science session. Together they explore how the anatomy and neuroscience of singing shape everything from breath and resonance to pitch and vocal control. Fleming reflects on the physical and artistic realities of life as a singer, while Hutchins breaks down what’s happening in the brain and body when a voice truly connects.

Nov 12

Recorded live at the Royal Conservatory of Music in Toronto on October 31, 2025, this episode brings together beloved children’s musician and advocate Raffi and University of Toronto psychologist Dr. Jennifer Stellar for a conversation about how music helps shape our earliest experiences of empathy, gratitude, and wonder. Raffi reflects on three songs spanning nearly three decades of his career— “The More We Get Together,” “Thanks a Lot,” and “Bananaphone” —and how they came to embody his philosophy of Child Honouring , a vision that places the well-being of children at the center of community and culture. Dr. Stellar, director of University of Toronto's HEAL Lab (Health, Emotions, and Altruism Laboratory), explains how these songs map onto what psychologists call self-transcendent emotions : feelings that expand our sense of self and deepen our connections with others. Together, they explore why compassion tends to emerge in children around the ages of five to eight, how gratitude can encourage cooperation and trust, and how awe invites us to reimagine what is possible. They discuss the science of co-regulation, the role of music in developing social awareness, and why playful imagination—like pretending a banana is a phone—can support a child’s ability to see the world in new ways. The episode ends with a joyful reflection on the enduring power of communal singing—reminding us that “the more we get together, the happier we’ll be,” not just as a lyric, but as a lifelong practice in belonging.

Oct 29

Recorded live at Emory IDEAS Fest in Covington, GA on October 18, 2025, this episode brings together Rosanne Cash—four-time Grammy winner, songwriter, and Americana icon—and psychologist Dr. Robyn Fivush for a conversation about how the stories we tell across generations shape who we become. Rosanne shares the story of “The List” —the 100 essential country songs her father, Johnny Cash, gave her when she turned 18—and how a vivid dream involving Linda Ronstadt sparked her decision to leave Nashville and reinvent herself in midlife. Dr. Fivush unpacks these moments through the lens of psychology, explaining how researchers classify such turning points, or “crises,” and how Erik Erikson’s theories of identity and midlife development help make sense of them. Together, they explore the overlap between Joseph Campbell’s power of myth and Rosanne’s work as a storyteller, and Dr. Fivush discusses her landmark dinnertime study , which found that children who grow up hearing family stories at the table tend to become more resilient and grounded adults. The episode ends on a high note as Matt and Rosanne lead the audience in a joyful sing-along—reminding us that sometimes the best way to pass down a story is through song.

Oct 22

Subscribe to Fela Kuti: Fear No Man. In a world that’s on fire, what is the role of art? What can music actually…do? Can a song save a life? Change a law? Topple a president? Get you killed? In Fela Kuti: Fear No Man , Jad Abumrad—creator of Radiolab , More Perfect , and Dolly Parton’s America —tells the story of one of the great political awakenings in music: how a classically trained 'colonial boy’ traveled to America, in search of Africa, only to return to Nigeria and transform his sound into a battering ram against the state—creating a new musical language of resistance called Afrobeat. For years, the world’s biggest stars made pilgrimages to Nigeria to experience Fela’s Shrine, the epicenter of his musical revolution. But when the mix of art and activism got too hot, the state pulled out its guns, and literally opened fire. Fela Kuti: Fear No Man is an uncategorizable mix of oral history, musicology, deep dive journalism, and cutting edge sound design that takes listeners deep inside Fela’s life, music, and legacy. Drawing from over 200 interviews with Fela Kuti’s family, friends, as well as scholars, activists, and luminaries like Burna Boy, Paul McCartney, Questlove, Santigold, and former President Barack Obama (just to name a few), Fela Kuti: Fear No Man journeys deep into the soul of Afrobeat to explore the transformative power of art and the role artists can play in this current moment of global unrest. An Audible Original presented by Audible and Higher Ground. Produced by Western Sound and Talkhouse. ©2025 Higher Ground, LLC (P)2025 Audible Originals, LLC.

Oct 15

Recorded live in front of a sold out crowd at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville on September 18, 2025, Kacey Musgraves and pioneering mycologist Paul Stamets dive deep into the biology, evolution, and mental health potential of psilocybin. From its ancient ritual roots to its emerging role in modern therapy, their conversation reveals how this once-taboo organism is transforming our understanding of consciousness, creativity, and healing. Along the way, they wander through unexpected terrain—spirituality, pandemics, AI, bees, dogs on mushrooms, and more—in a mind-expanding exploration of the heart of the woods.

Oct 1

“Amplify” author and AJR member Adam Met talks about the playbook he wrote applying fan-building strategies to the climate movement. Adam drops silver linings aplenty in our chat with Alexis Abramson, Dean of the Columbia Climate School, the world’s first truly comprehensive university climate program. Among the silver linings: it only takes 3.9% of a population to demand and create change, tremendous strides are being made in local government toward climate change mitigation, and more. This episode was recorded live at Columbia University’s Forum Theater during NYC Climate Week on September 26, 2025. Full video of this episode is available on our website, singforscience.org .

Sep 17

Laurie Anderson joins us live from NYC’s Poster House Museum in conversation with Dr. Zia Mian (Princeton physicist & nuclear policy expert). We explore her iconic 1982 hit “ O Superman ” and its album Big Science —how it anticipated many of the tensions of the nuclear age and still resonates powerfully in today’s disarmament debates. Together, they challenge the logic of deterrence, unpack how nuclear weapons work, and consider how networks—rather than traditional institutions—might better enact change. Also: the rifts within scientific communities, the role of “Big Science,” and more. Bonus content features producer and radio host Elia Einhorn joining to premiere Kronos Quartet’s Nobel Prize Committee commissioned rendition of “A Hard Rain’s Gonna Fall” featuring Laurie, Willie Nelson and a host of others.

Sep 3

Singer-songwriter Noah Cyrus talks about her haunting new album inspired by a hymn written by her great-grandfather, and her deepest fear—not death itself, but being separated from her loved ones. She also opens up about her near-death experience and the profound losses that shaped her experience with love and grief. Joining her is Dr. Kim Penberthy of UVA’s Division of Perceptual Studies, whose research into near-death experiences and after-death communication offers a fascinating look at what may await us beyond life.

Aug 20

WARNING: This episode contains content related to mortuary science that some listeners may find disturbing. Korn frontman Jonathan Davis delves into his past as a mortician with popular science bestselling author, Mary Roach. Mary wrote the hit book Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers and the two have no shortage of gory details to discuss. We talk about the biology of human corpse decomposition and preservation, embalming techniques (including but not limited to anal suturing), Elvis’s autopsy, and more!

Aug 6

Recorded live at Boston’s Museum of Science on July 31, 2025. Visionary singer-songwriter Neko Case joins ecological horticulturist and Brooklyn Bridge Park garden designer Rebecca McMackin for a wide-ranging conversation about land stewardship, biodiversity, and the joys of gardening. From Neko’s epic Vermont garden to Rebecca’s work creating pollinator-friendly urban habitats, the two share practical advice for beginning and urban gardeners alike, discuss the symbiosis between plants and wildlife, and explore how cultivating green spaces can nurture both ecosystems and the human spirit.

Jul 23

Join acclaimed singer-songwriter and Tiny Desk phenom Madison McFerrin as she bakes chocolate chip cookies live and chats with host Matt Whyte in the first Microscopes episode of Sing For Science . Madison shares how baking and music serve as parallel creative outlets—both shaped by improvisation, intuition, and love. They dig into the science of baking, from emulsification and leavening to the Maillard reaction, while Madison reflects on the influence of her family, how ADHD plays a role in her process, and why adding flaky salt is always a must.

Jul 9

Taped Live in Boston as part of the 2025 WBUR Festival at City Space. Join celebrated American songwriter, Josh Ritter for a chat about the night sky, the dimensionality of truth, UAP, creativity and more with Harvard Astrophysicist, Dr. Avi Loeb. This episode also includes a live performance of Josh’s song "Truth is a Dimension (Both Invisible and Blinding)"

Jun 25

Join UK superstar and boxing enthusiast, YUNGBLUD for his chat with renowned fitness performance scientist, Dr. Brad Schoenfeld. We chat about the mechanics of boxing, how YUNGBLUD’s boxing practice has improved not just his strength and stamina as a performer but aided in treating his ADHD, how to sculpt your body systematically with resistance training, myths about weight lifting and more!

Jun 18

Join UK superstar and boxing enthusiast, YUNGBLUD for his chat with renowned fitness performance scientist, Dr. Brad Schoenfeld. We chat about the mechanics of boxing, how YUNGBLUD’s boxing practice has improved not just his strength and stamina as a performer but aided in treating his ADHD, how to sculpt your body systematically with resistance training, myths about weight lifting and more!

May 28

Recorded Live at the Museum of Science in Boston on May 8, 2024, musician polymath and Talking Heads co-founder David Byrne talks with The Book of Eels author, Patrik Svensson. Even in today’s age of advanced science, no one has ever seen eels mating or giving birth, and we still don’t understand what drives them — after living for decades in freshwater — to swim great distances back to the ocean at the end of their lives. Join us for an incredibly fascinating talk on biology, philosophy and more!

May 7

Taped Live in Los Angeles at Dynasty Typewriter with cultural icon and comedy legend, Tommy Chong alongside world-renowned cannabis researcher, Dr. Staci Gruber (McLean Hospital/Harvard Medical School). Together, they do a deep dive on what science can tell us about cannabis use both recreational and clinical. Discover how cannabis is revolutionizing healthcare, its extraordinary biology, and its profound potential to treat disease. Don’t miss this enlightening and unforgettable episode!

Apr 16

Join Grammy-nominated Colombian-Canadian singer, Jessie Reyez for a chat about her hypnotic ode to “Palo Santo”. We talk about smudging, incense rituals in Colombia vs North America, crowd surfing accidents, how we smell, why smells produce such strong emotional responses, the DOD’s “Stink Bomb” and more!

Mar 26

Join RÜFÜS DU SOL lead singer Tyrone Lindqvist for a deep dive on the breathing tools he and his band use to sustain their demanding live performances and on the experience that inspired their latest album. Also joining us is perhaps the best known expert on the subject from the science world, UCLA neurologist Dr. Jack Feldman. We cover the psychedelic experience that Wim Hoff breathing technique can produce, how oxygen gets from the air we breathe to the bloodstream, cold plunges, the virtues of ginger shots over whiskey shots and much, much more!

Mar 5

Join massive Canadian DJ BLOND:ISH for a conversation about seeking a life of balance, her philosophy on the exchange of energy and her non-profit “Bye Bye Plastic” which she started to help eradicate single use plastics from all aspects of the music industry. Also joining us is Dr. Kara Wiggin, a plastics researcher at Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego. Kara is an ecotoxicologist and as such researches the impacts micro plastic ocean pollution can have on human health. Listen to the end for when arithmetic and numerology go head to head.

Feb 12

Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes and Particle Physicist Brian Cox discuss time travel, the intersection of politics and science and more!

Jan 22

This episode originally aired on Feb 2, 2022. Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, co-founders of Blondie speak with climatologist Dr. Michael Mann about ancient climate history, the relationship between agriculture and climate, preventing climate catastrophe and much more.

Jan 1

Star stuff! And lots of it. In this episode we chat with Rahim Redcar from Christine and the Queens and physicist, Matteo Cantiello about plasma - the most abundant form of matter in our universe: what is it, what’s it do and where is it found. We also cover extraterrestrial intelligence, the origins of life on earth, panspermia, Spirituality with a capital “S” and more.

Dec 11, 2024

Join Simpsons favorite, Moe The Bartender and his human counterpart Hank Azaria for a lively conversation with Social Neuroscientist, Dr. Kevin Ochsner. We talk about the legendary “Flaming Moe’s” Simpsons episode from both Moe’s and Hank’s perspectives, how and why our brains are wired to thrive in social contexts like Moe’s Tavern, Hank’s experience recovering from alcoholism, the neural underpinnings of practicing acceptance and more! Recorded live at the Forum Theater/Columbia University on October 8, 2024.

Nov 20, 2024

Recorded Live at the Museum of Science in Boston on October 8, 2024 as part of the Reno Family Foundation Symposium Series. #1 NY Times Bestselling Author Patricia Cornwell and Harvard astrophysicist Dr. Avi Loeb discuss the uncanny resemblance between Dr. Loeb and the primary murder victim in Patricia’s latest book “Identity Unknown”, the likelihood of alien life beyond our solar system, the connections between science research and detective work, playing nice with AI and more.

Oct 30, 2024

Recorded Live at the Emory Ideas Fest at Emory University’s Oxford Campus on September 22, 2024. Global dance music stars SOFI TUKKER celebrate the release of their bread themed album Bread with a conversation about the science that makes bread so delicious and universal. Joining us is food scientist Dr. Maria Ortiz who runs the popular Instagram page “All You Knead Is Bread”. We talk bread chemistry, bread culture, pandemic sourdough, carb free bread, the redeeming qualities of white flour and then some! Dr. Maria Ortiz is a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Functional Food Lab of North Carolina A&T State University, specializing in the development of healthy, high-fiber bakery products.

Oct 9, 2024

Live at WSA in New York City on September 24, 2024. Academy Award‒winning filmmaker, drummer, DJ, producer, director, culinary entrepreneur and New York Times bestselling author Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson talks with Williams College pioneering developmental psychologist, Dr. Susan Engel about his debut children’s picture book The Idea in You . The book was written to inspire kids to find and follow their own creative voice. We talk about Questlove’s childhood, his creative roadblocks, his current relationship to supporting his inner child, Susan’s pioneering work researching curiosity in children and what we know about how children come up with ideas. This podcast was produced in collaboration with Water Street Projects, NEW INC and the New Museum.

Sep 25, 2024

Recorded Live at the Emory Ideas Fest at Emory University’s Oxford Campus on September 20, 2024. Join Atlanta Music Icon Jermaine Dupri and Georgia Tech ethnographer Dr. Joycelyn Wilson for a conversation about how Atlanta grew to become a cultural phenomenon. We go into detail about Jermaine’s start in the music business through school talent shows, Joycelyn’s theory about how one superintendent during the 1970s-80s helped elevate Atlanta’s post-civil rights creative class, cultural appropriation, Drake and more.

Aug 28, 2024

Recorded Live at the Museum of Natural History in Oxford, England on August 8th, 2024. Folk icon Peggy Seeger talks with Oxford University Biology Professor Tim Coulson about her experience as feminist, ecologist, activist, mother, musician, Seeger and more. Eco Feminism can be defined as a branch of feminism and political ecology that explores the connections between women and nature. The theory argues that the oppression of women and the degradation of our natural environment are linked and caused by patriarchal, capitalist systems. Further, ecofeminist theory calls for an egalitarian, collaborative society in which there is no one dominant group. Professor Coulson provides compelling context from scholarship to further amplify these ideas including description of pre-patriarchal societies, the importance of educating women in developing countries and more.

Aug 7, 2024

This episode originally aired on 11/18/2020. In this encore episode, Vernon Reid and Corey Glover from the band Living Colour join us for a discussion with NYU fascism and propaganda professor, Dr. Ruth Ben-Ghiat , about the fascism playbook, how authoritarian regimes end, fascism and the illusion of authenticity, modern examples like Trump, and Billy Joel’s smashed piano.

Jul 17, 2024

Recorded Live at the Anime Station store in Little Tokyo, Los Angeles on July 13, 2024, rapper Denzel Curry talks with UC Irvine cultural anthropologist Dr. Mimi Ito about his relationship to anime and anime culture in Japan and abroad. We discuss Mimi’s research that tracked how manga and anime grew from just a Japanese export to a global phenomenon. Fascinatingly, anime spread through the promotion of fan groups of American ex-pats that would trade anime and create subtitles for the American audience. After decades of promo provided by this “fan subbing” and AMV (anime music video) conventions, the media industry caught on and now distributes anime across multiple platforms. Denzel does a deep dive into his favorite anime programs and traces how he was first introduced as a child in Florida and was later inspired to incorporate it into his music and fashion. Watch the full episode on our YouTube channel !

Jun 26, 2024

Recorded Live inside the Charles Hayden Planetarium at the Museum of Science in Boston on June 10, 2024. Join Bleachers frontman and 11-time Grammy Winning super-producer Jack Antonoff for a discussion about his track “The Waiter” on which he muses about the notion that time could stop hinting at the subjectivity of time perception. On hand to talk about the implications of time from a theoretical physicist’s perspective is MIT professor Dr. David Kaiser. We talk relativity, quantum mechanics, string theory, mortality, Donald Rumsfeld and more!

Jun 5, 2024

Pop icon SIA and psychotherapist, Dr. Alexandra Katehakis discuss attachment theory, infant brain development and sex addiction.

May 15, 2024

Recorded Live at the Museum of Science in Boston on May 8, 2024, musician polymath and Talking Heads co-founder David Byrne talks with The Book of Eels author, Patrik Svensson. Even in today’s age of advanced science, no one has ever seen eels mating or giving birth, and we still don’t understand what drives them — after living for decades in freshwater — to swim great distances back to the ocean at the end of their lives. Join us for an incredibly fascinating talk on biology, philosophy and more!

Apr 24, 2024

Recorded Live at the Totality 2024 Festival in Hannibal, NY following the Total Solar Eclipse and Laraaji’s performance of his Sun Piano/Moon Piano albums. Ambient/New Age music legend Laraaji talks about how he represents the moon’s energy in 12 musical notes, his time at Howard University in the 1960s, his experience observing the Total Solar Eclipse. Cornell University Astronomer Dr. Nikole Lewis talks about the necessary conditions to allow for a Total Solar Eclipse, extraterrestrial life, Carl Sagan and more. This event was supported by the Simons Foundation and was part of its In The Path of Totality Initiative.

Apr 3, 2024

Swedish Argentine folk singer José Gonzalez returns to the show along with our only other repeat guest, physicist Dr. Brian Cox of BBC and CERN fame. The two talk about secular humanism, atheism, finding meaning, black holes, Carl Sagan and more!

Mar 13, 2024

Recorded live at 2024 On Air Fest in Brooklyn, NY: Indian Carnatic superstar Sid Sriram talks about his song “Blue Spaces” with visual neuroscientist/color expert, Dr. Bevil Conway. We talk about Sid’s personal and cultural associations with color, cultural appropriation, the brain’s visual system, “the dress” from 2015 which some saw as blue and black and others as white and gold, the subjectivity and illusory nature of color perception and more!

Feb 21, 2024

Best Coast lead singer and Jungian analysand, Bethany Cosentino and “This Jungian Life Podcast" host Lisa Marchiano do a deep dive on you guessed it…Jungian Analysis! We cover dream analysis, the unconscious, creativity, archetypes, personae and then some!

Jan 31, 2024

Spyro Gyra co-founder Jeremy Wall talks about the height of the jazz fusion era, composing and about about the ins and outs of lake formation, spirogyra algae, harmful algal blooms or HABS and more with lake ecologist, Holly Waterfield. This episode was co-produced with the AJ Reid Science Discovery Center at SUNY Oneonta where it was taped in front of a live audience on December 6, 2023.

Jan 10, 2024

Queen of Percussion and Prince collaborator Sheila E talks about her 1984 hit, working with Prince, salsa music and learning from her legendary father with University of Mexico Neuroscientist, Dr. Hugo Merchant. Hugo shares fascinating findings about how the mechanisms in the brain process rhythm and help us keep a beat.

Dec 20, 2023

A FAMILY OF TREES : UNCOVERING NETWORKS IN OUR FORESTS' UNDERSTORY with Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser of MGMT and Dr. Suzanne Simard , forest ecology professor. In this episode we discuss: - how trees communicate with one another - the folly of industrialized logging - how trees help other trees - Native American ancestral DNA in cedar - where to buy mushrooms in Connecticut

Nov 29, 2023

Chanteuse Chan Marshall, best known as the artist Cat Power talks about her recreation of the historic 1966 Bob Dylan concert album at the Royal Albert Hall with Cornell University neuroscientist and nostalgia expert, Hetvi Doshi. We cover the origins of nostalgia study, the growing body of scientific evidence that suggests nostalgia has health benefits and improves social cohesion with one another. We also talk about the dynamics of food nostalgia and Hetvi’s community nostalgia initiative. For more information on Cat Power’s tour and Hetvi’s work please visit catpowermusic.com , hetvidoshi.com , aclab.human.cornell.edu , and thecommunitynostalgiaproject.com .

Oct 18, 2023

MAC DEMARCO: CHAMBER OF REFLECTION : UNDERSTANDING THE SCIENCE OF SOUND with Mac DeMarco and Russ Berger , acoustician. In this episode we discuss: - what sound is - how speakers work - how sound affects the human body - how the brain interprets sound in a space - Astronautical elimination

Sep 27, 2023

Recorded live at the MIT Museum in Cambridge, MA on 9/18/23: Heavy Metal frontman and horror movie expert Spencer Charnas chats with psychologist Dr. Sarah Rose Cavanagh about his favorite horror movies, why we like to be scared, the difference between fictional and real violence, monster theory, recreational fear lab research and more.

Sep 27, 2023

Spencer and Sarah field questions aplenty from the sold out crowd at the MIT Museum on 9/18/23. Lots of territory covered including favorite on-screen monsters, what we fear most, scary music, and how to take a class with Sarah in Boston.

Sep 6, 2023

Multidisciplinary artist Eartheater talks with NYU computational biologist and artist, Dr. Elizabeth Hénaff about cell division, snails, horseshit, gut biome health, artist residencies and more at this very special live event! This episode was recorded at DEMO2023, presented by NEW INC and the New Museum, June 2023

Aug 16, 2023

311 lead singer and eternal optimist Nick Hexum talks about their breakout hit “All Mixed Up” with best-selling author and Dutch Historian, Rutger Bregman. Rutger’s books “Utopia For Realists” and Humankind” draw on scientific evidence that demonstrate our inherent capacity for good and the viability of ideas like Universal Basic Income, a 15 Hour Work Week, Open Borders and more.

Jul 26, 2023

Pulitzer Nominated composer, Ted Hearne talks about his epic work “Farming”, a hybridized piece written for a 24 piece choir with text taken from William Penn correspondence, a Jeff Bezos speech, the Uber Eats Twitter feed and more. Dr. Sarah Taber joins us for a conversation about the impacts of settler colonialism on modern day agriculture, the romantic myth of the American family farm and more!

Jul 7, 2023

Fab Four drummer and peace activist, Ringo Starr talks about going to see the Maharishi with John and George, his upbringing in violent Liverpool of the 1950s and being saved by music and then the gift of meditation. Bob Roth, renowned meditation teacher of 60 years and CEO of the David Lynch Foundation, talks to Matt and Ringo about the scientifically documented capacity of meditation to cultivate peace for the individual and the collective. This episode is being released on July 7th in celebration of Ringo’s 83rd birthday on which he invites anyone to say or think peace and love at noon, their local time.

Jun 14, 2023

NYC Legend Joan As Police Woman (Joan Wasser) talks about her 2011 song “The Magic” with influential writer and science historian, Maria Popova (The Marginalian / Brain Pickings). We talk about measuring how music can transport us, the “magic” of making connections, pattern recognition, wonderment as a discipline, double dutch and so much more in this incredibly awe inspiring episode.

May 24, 2023

Irish balladeer and arena headliner, Dermot Kennedy talks about his experience coming up as a busker in Dublin with Hong Kong psychologist, Dr. Robbie Ho whose research seeks to quantify the effect “busking” has on the audience’s perception of a public space.

Apr 26, 2023

Special Chernobyl anniversary episode with Nata Zhyzhchenko of the Ukrainian band, Onuka and Chernobyl radiobiologist, Olena Pareniuk. Both of today's guests joined us from Kyiv and have been in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion. We talk about what life is like during wartime for a professional musician and a scientist, the horsehair construction of a Ukrainian folk instrument that stinks of beer and cheese, studying radioactivity in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukrainian resilience and so much more! This episode was co-produced by Inscience, a nonprofit organization that promotes science and evidence-based medicine in Ukraine.

Mar 29, 2023

Join SFS host, Matt Whyte and SFS social media manager, Bailey Constas for a curated peak at some of Season Two's Best Moments! Featuring SIA with psychotherapist, Dr. Alexandra Katehakis, Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe with social psychologist, Dr. Tony Lemieux, Jose González with epidemiologist, Dr. Mike Osterholm, Blondie’s Debbie Harry and Chris Stein with climatologist, Dr. Michael Mann, and Majid Jordan with aquanaut, Fabien Cousteau.

Feb 22, 2023

Join SFS host, Matt Whyte and SFS social media manager, Bailey Constas for another trip down memory lane with some of Season One’s Best Moments! Featuring Living Colour and fascism expert, Dr. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Aly & AJ and neuroscientist, Dr. Joseph LeDoux, Aluna and conflict resolution expert, Priya Parker and DMC with folklore expert, Dr. Jennifer Schacker.

Feb 8, 2023

Join SFS host, Matt Whyte and SFS social media manager, Bailey Constas for a trip down memory lane with some of Season One’s Best Moments! Featuring MGMT & forest ecologist, Dr Suzanne Simard, Norah Jones and science journalist, Shawn Otto, Connie Britton and rivers expert, Paul Gallay, Renée Fleming and Parkinson’s expert Dr. Bin Hu, Mac Demarco and acoustician Russ Berger.

Dec 21, 2022

Today’s episode was hosted by the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts and recorded in front of a live audience as part of an ongoing collaboration with Sing For Science . We discuss the Manhattan Project, the ethical implications of nuclear energy, climate change, quantum entanglement, quantum computing and more!

Dec 14, 2022

This episode was recorded live at Public Records in Brooklyn, NY as part of the Offair event series. Arcade Fire multi-instrumentalist Richard Reed Parry and percussionist/composer Susie Ibarra talk about their album “Heart and Breath” with cardiologist and bestselling author, Dr. Sandeep Jauhar. Their album is set entirely to the rhythm of their own heartbeats and breath cycles so we dive deep on what’s at work with Dr. Jauhar. We cover the relationship between heart and lungs, the development of open heart surgery and more!

Dec 7, 2022

Grammy Award and Macarthur Fellowship winning artist Rhiannon Giddens talks about her collection of slave narratives, “Freedom Highways,” the origins of the banjo in Africa and the connection between African and African American music with trailblazing ethnomusicologist, Dr. Portia Maultsby.

Nov 30, 2022

WARNING: This episode contains content related to mortuary science that some listeners may find disturbing. Korn frontman Jonathan Davis delves into his past as a mortician with popular science bestselling author, Mary Roach. Mary wrote the hit book Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers and the two have no shortage of gory details to discuss. We talk about the biology of human corpse decomposition and preservation, embalming techniques (including but not limited to anal suturing), Elvis’s autopsy, and more!

Nov 23, 2022

Rock icon Rivers Cuomo goes deep on coding talk with Python computer language creator and programming icon, Guido Van Rossum. We talk about the history of The Sweater Song, coding vs songwriting, the history of Python and much, much more!

Nov 16, 2022

Singer/Songwriter Alec Benjamin talks about his song about social media addiction with Stanford Professor and MD, Dr. Anna Lembke, author of The NY Times bestseller, Dopamine Nation . Tune in to hear about the surprising and fascinating research about the relationship between pain and pleasure in our brains, the prescription to combat addiction and more!

Nov 9, 2022

Join host Sing For Science host Matt Whyte in this fungi fantastic episode about psilocybin research! We learn about mushroom properties that can stave off dementia, decrease social ills and hear about Isaac’s experience with UFOs.

Nov 2, 2022

Country singer Margo Price talks about "Fight To Make It" a song on which she teamed up with Mavis Staples and Noise For Now to raise awareness and support for reproductive justice. We talk about Margo's correspondence with Ronnie Spector, her experience advocating for reproductive healthcare in Tennessee and the tragic loss of one of her children in infancy. Dr. Monica Mclemore, nurse-scientist and reproductive healthcare advocate joins us to tell us about the often surprising statistics uncovered by reproductive healthcare research. She was an expert witness in the Supreme Courts Dobbs case and brings an unparalleled level of expertise to the conversation on abortion. This episode was co-produced by Noise For Now.

Oct 26, 2022

Actor/Comedian Nick Kroll talks about his hit show on Netflix Big Mouth and about his personal experience with delayed puberty with NYU Langone Pediatric Endocrinologist Dr. Emily Breidbart. We talk about puberty disorders, how to treat them, transgender medicine, endocrinology, comedy, and more!

Oct 19, 2022

Singer/songwriter and apartment plant enthusiast mxmtoon talks about the loss and sense of place that inspired her song "Florida" with ethnobotanist, Dr Cassandra Quave. Dr. Quave is the author of "The Plant Hunter: A Scientist's Quest For Nature's Next Best Medicines". We cover plant identification, traditional medicine and how to talk to your plants.

Oct 12, 2022

Arlo Guthrie talks about the lyrics to the 1967 anti-war masterpiece, “Alice’s Restaurant” - we talk at length about the 1960s and being Woody Guthrie’s son. Tufts University Nutritional Anthropologist Dr. Ellen Messer talks about her awakening as a scholar-activist in the 1960s and the foundations of her term “food wars” which describes the relationship between food scarcity and armed conflict.

Oct 5, 2022

Less Than You Think: Demystifying the Hard Problem of Consciousness with Computational Psychology. Jeff Tweedy talks about the lyrics to "Less Than You Think" from Wilco's 2004 Grammy Winning Album, A Ghost is Born . We discuss creativity vis a vis his book "How To Write One Song", spirituality with a capital S, atheism, 9/11 and everything in between. Cornell University computational psychologist, Dr. Shimon Edelman weighs in on the lyrics with his theory of consciousness: that human consciousness is entirely the product of a virtual reality simulation created by our brains.

Mar 23, 2022

Recorded Live in Brooklyn, NY at the 2022 On Air Fest. Kish and NYU neuroscientist Dr. Wendy Suzuki discuss brain plasticity, memory formation and more!

Mar 16, 2022

What Neuroimaging Can Tell us About Improvisation in Music. Jazz Guitar Legend Pat Metheny and neurosurgeon Dr. Charles Limb talk language and music connection, freestyle rap brain scans and more!

Mar 9, 2022

Join Opera phenom Davóne Tines and data scientist and civil rights activist Todd Hendricks for a discussion about fighting gerrymandering in the courts with math and data science.

Mar 2, 2022

Canadian pop star Ruth B and NASA engineer Christina Hernandez talk rocket science, space travel and life on Mars.

Feb 23, 2022

PTM’s John Gourley and Zach Carothers and data scientist, Dr. Desi Small-Rodriguez discuss indigenous data sovereignty, the missing and murdered indigenous women project and our collective path forward.

Feb 16, 2022

Duran Duran's Nick Rhodes and Particle Physicist Brian Cox discuss time travel, the intersection of politics and science and more!

Feb 9, 2022

Canadian R&B duo Majid Jordan speak with aquanaut Fabien Cousteau (grandson of Jacques Cousteau) about the construction of his monolithic underwater space station, Proteus and marine conservation.

Feb 2, 2022

Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, co-founders of Blondie speak with climatologist Dr. Michael Mann about ancient climate history, the relationship between agriculture and climate, preventing climate catastrophe and much more.

Jan 26, 2022

Acclaimed Swedish Argentine singer-songwriter, José González speaks with leading US epidemiologist, Dr. Mike Osterholm about future pandemics, virus mutations and more! Fun fact: Jose has a background in biochemistry and was pursuing a PhD in the study of viruses before he began making records.

Jan 19, 2022

Lead singer of the multi-platinum selling heavy metal band, Lamb of God, Randy Blythe joins Georgia State Social Psychologist, Dr. Tony Lemieux for a conversation about identity politics, intergroup conflict in America, pathways to radicalization, mob psychology and more!

Jan 12, 2022

Pop icon SIA and psychotherapist, Dr. Alexandra Katehakis discuss attachment theory, infant brain development and sex addiction.

Dec 9, 2020

PETER PIPER : THE FOLKLORE OF NURSERY RHYMES with Hip hop legend Darryl McDaniels and University of Guelph English professor Dr. Jennifer Schacker discuss the folklore of nursery rhymes. In this episode we discuss: the element of play using language backstories to some of our most famous nursery rhymes how DMC used Peter Piper to explain what Jam Master Jay did as the group’s DJ

Dec 2, 2020

ALY AND AJ: ATTACK OF PANIC : THE NEUROSCIENCE OF ANXIETY DISORDERS with Pop duo and former Disney stars Aly and Aj and NYU neuroscientist, Dr. Joseph LeDoux . In this episode we talk about: - William James’ theory of anxiety’s origins - Medicating panic disorders - Meditation - Brain anatomy - Micro dosing AIRS 12/02/20

Nov 25, 2020

Aluna Francis of AlunaGeorge and trained facilitator, Priya Parker. In this episode we discuss: - the science of how we gather - “healthy heat” in conflicts - the importance of having a disputable purpose when we gather - the pitfalls of vulnerability focused culture - how to sell tickets AIRS 11/25/20

Nov 18, 2020

LIVING COLOUR: CULT OF PERSONALITY : THE PSYCHOLOGY AND DYNAMICS OF TYRANNY with Vernon Reid and Corey Glover from the band Living Colour and Dr. Ruth Ben-Ghiat , Fascism and propaganda professor at NYU In this episode we discuss: - The fascism playbook - How authoritarian regimes end - Fascism and the illusion of authenticity - Cause for hope - Billy Joel's smashed piano AIRS 11/18/20

Nov 11, 2020

MAC DEMARCO: CHAMBER OF REFLECTION : UNDERSTANDING THE SCIENCE OF SOUND with Mac DeMarco and Russ Berger , acoustician. In this episode we discuss: - what sound is - how speakers work - how sound affects the human body - how the brain interprets sound in a space - Astronautical elimination

Nov 4, 2020

Renée Fleming: AVE MARIA : HEALING THE BRAIN THROUGH THE POWER OF MUSIC with Renée Fleming and Dr. Bin Hu , neuroscientist and Parkinson's expert at the University of Calgary In this episode we talk about: - How neuroscientists measure brain activity - Oliver Sachs and Dr. Hu's research - Bypassing Parkinson's with music therapy - Dr. Hu's iphone app that helps Parkinson's patients - Supreme Court sing along

Oct 28, 2020

CONNIE BRITTON: THE RIVERS BETWEEN US : HOW WE PROTECT AMERICA'S WATERWAYS with Actress Connie Britton and Paul Gallay , rivers expert and president of Riverkeeper. In this episode we talk about: - Where drinking water comes from - How toxic spills in rivers are cleaned up - How to protect your local waterway - Covid and rivers - A romantic way to spend valentine's day in NYC ** "Restore Mother Nature Bond Act" referred to at the very end was pulled from the ballot

Oct 21, 2020

NORAH JONES: DON’T KNOW WHY : EMBRACING UNCERTAINTY IN ART AND SCIENCE with Norah Jones and "War On Science" author Shawn Otto In this episode we discuss: - how the war on science began - the story of how Exxon PR created climate change denial - the scientific method - how to talk to people with whom you disagree - Keith Richards' giant tape recorder

Oct 14, 2020

A FAMILY OF TREES : UNCOVERING NETWORKS IN OUR FORESTS' UNDERSTORY with Andrew VanWyngarden and Ben Goldwasser of MGMT and Dr. Suzanne Simard , forest ecology professor. In this episode we discuss: - how trees communicate with one another - the folly of industrialized logging - how trees help other trees - Native American ancestral DNA in cedar - where to buy mushrooms in Connecticut

Oct 8, 2020

"Sing for Science" trailer. Episodes released weekly starting October 14th.