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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…

Science Vs

by Spotify Studios · English · Tech & Science

There are a lot of fads, blogs and strong opinions, but then there’s SCIENCE. Science Vs is the show from Spotify Studios that finds out what’s fact, what’s not, and what’s somewhere in between. We do the hard work of sifting through all the science so you don't have to and cover everything from…

More from Science Vs

  1. 17 Sep 2026 · 45 min

    Could AI Really Kill Us All?

    Could artificial intelligence really wipe out humanity? Claims that AI poses an existential threat are going gangbusters. AI agents from OpenAI recently hacked into another company, Hugging Face, which has people talking about whether AI can go “rogue.” And some current and former AI company employees are raising the alarm. CEOs have called for a slowdown, and one Anthropic employee just quit, saying that the companies creating this tech are putting us all at risk — and adding that “the people building AI earnestly believe that it could kill us all by the end of the decade.” So — are we…

  2. 10 Sep 2026 · 46 min

    Where Have The Insects Gone?? With Dr. Jessica Ware

    Bugs are disappearing at alarming rates, scientists are telling us. Bees, butterflies, beetles: all of them have been dropping like flies. And scientists say there are a bunch of reasons to care about this — for example, fewer bugs means less pollination, which means less pasta in your pantry. But recently, some have suggested that all these scientists crying out about the insect apocalypse might just be crying wolf. They say that the math isn’t math-ing and that the insects are doing all right. And this has been bugging us! So we called up Dr. Jessica Ware, an entomologist and a curator at…

  3. 3 Sep 2026 · 31 min

    Protein-Maxxing: Is It Actually Bad For Us?

    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…

  4. 20 Aug 2026 · 53 min

    Hank Green: What No One Tells You About the Algorithm

    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…

  5. 13 Aug 2026 · 1 hr 1 min

    We Solve the 49ers Viral Conspiracy Theory

    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…

  6. 6 Aug 2026 · 40 min

    Weight Loss: Why Won't It Stick?

    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…

  7. 1 Oct 2026 · 59 min

    Why We Never Forget Our Teen Years, with Lisa Damour

    Our brains go completely WILD when we go through our teenage years. It’s a time where it feels like every disagreement with our parents turns into World War III, and every idea that could get us killed sounds like the most fun we could ever have. In this episode, we get into the science of what the brain is doing during the teenage years with clinical psychologist Dr. Lisa Damour. Lisa co-wrote the college textbook “Abnormal Psychology” and was a consultant on Disney's “Inside Out 2.” She takes us deep into the developing brain to explain what makes teens tick. Plus, we talk about mental…

  8. 24 Sep 2026 · 40 min

    Stress: The Science of Chilling Out

    Stress! We’re all feeling it. And besides just feeling crappy, we’re also told that stress can wreak havoc on our bodies. The internet has a million solutions: vagus nerve stimulators, deep breaths, or a hot sauna! If that doesn’t work, maybe a cold plunge? But what does the science say about all this — what works to lower our stress? And is it really THAT bad to be stressed out? We dive into the research to find out, with psychology Professor Mark Seery, psychology Professor Jeremy Jamieson, and anatomist Dr. Theresa Larkin. Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsStress In…

  9. 30 Jul 2026 · 32 min

    Free Will: Does It Exist?

    Will you hit play on this episode?? It feels like that decision is totally within your control — but what if it’s not? What if free will is just an illusion? Lots of people are using science to say that free will is a trick of the mind, that whether or not you listen to this episode, or eat a taco, or do a silly dance right now — it’s all predestined. But do we really have science receipts for that? We find out by talking to neuroscientist Prof. John-Dylan Haynes and theoretical physicist Prof. Sean Carroll. Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsFreeWill Check out Sean…

  10. 2 Jul 2026 · 45 min

    Narcissists: Are We Surrounded?

    The internet tells us that narcissists are everywhere — and that the problem is only getting worse. It’s like narcissism is oozing out of our celebrities, politicians, partners, parents, maybe even ourselves?? So today, we’re taking a long look in the mirror to find out: are we all a bunch of narcissists? And what should we do if we think someone in our life is a narcissist? We find out by talking to a real narcissist, Lee Hammock of the social media platform “The Self Aware Narcissist” as well as psychologists Prof. W. Keith Campbell, Prof. Kali Trzesniewski, and Dr. Craig Malkin.…

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