If you could go on a first-class trip to space…would you? Titi and Zakiya learn more about the history of space exploration and its origins, the rise of commercial space flights, and what we should consider as more people are going to space. Guest: Dr. Jordan Bimm.

Lab 076: Monkeypox - Fact vs Fiction

Monkeypox has been around for a long time. But with the recent increase in cases, the virus seems to be dominating our headlines and social feeds. Titi and Zakiya learn what Monkeypox is, how it got here, and why public health recommendations don’t always align with science. Guests: Dr. Angie Rasmussen and Kenyon Farrow.

Lab 075: Can You Change Someone’s Mind?

We’ve all seen things blow up in the comments section on social media! And this week, we’re asking ‘how do you change someone’s mind’? We’re asking how we make up our mind, what happens when someone tries to change it, and why we see strong reactions when debating topics big and small. Guest: David McRaney. Transcript

Lab 074: forever chemicals - pfas in food packaging

This week we’re talking all about the chemicals found in food packaging and how they impact our bodies and the environment with guest expert Justin Boucher, Operations Director at the Food Packaging Forum.

Lab 073: On the Half SHell - Oysters & Aquaculture

This week we’re celebrating National Oyster Day! We’re talking all about shellfish aquaculture, and how cultivating oysters fits into our economy, environment, and changing climate. Guest: Dr. Bill Walton.

Lab 072: Mind the Digital Gap

It feels like everyone is online these days, but is that really the case? In this lab, Titi and Zakiya discuss the state of internet access in the US, digital disparities in minoritized communities, and how algorithm bias affects us in real life.

Lab 071: Semiconductor Chip Shortage

There are chips in every computing device out there, from refrigerators to smart phones to cars. They are vital to how our world runs – and right now, there's a shortage. Titi and Zakiya learn what’s behind the shortage and what’s being done to close the gap. Guest: Al Thompson.

Lab 070: Full Set - Nails

Nail art and nail styling has been trending in mainstream culture, and this week we’re talking all about it! This week, Titi and Zakiya are discussing the history and culture behind nails, the intimate relationship between nail techs and their clients, as well as some of the health, safety, and labor issues affecting the industry. Guest: Crystal Kayiza.

Lab 069: Dialects, Accents, and Linguistic Dexterity

Language is a huge part of culture, and this week we’re talking all about linguistics. We’re getting into the difference between accents and dialects, the linguistic history of Black American English, codeswitching, and more! Guest: Dr. John Baugh.

LAB 068: Black Music Month

Lab 067: Celebrating Juneteenth Through Food

Juneteenth is around the corner, and we can’t wait to celebrate! In this lab, Titi & Zakiya get into the history of Juneteenth, the food traditions behind the holiday, and the power that food has to connect people across families, communities, and cultures. Guest: Nicole Taylor.

LAB 066: Pride in STEM

It’s June and it’s also Pride month! To celebrate, we’re passing the mic and hearing from you about the amazing work you all are doing in STEM: biology, astronomy, engineering, and more! Join us as we celebrate Pride in STEM.

Lab 065: The Gamification of Life

You ever heard the phrase “you play too much” or you "playing games?” Well, despite what society’s told us, life is kind of like a game, because of the many ways different aspects of our day to day have been gamified, i.e given characteristics of gameplay and incentivized. We learn why we game, how we game, and the difference between gaming and gamification.

Lab 064: Healing through art therapy

Did you know that art is inherently therapeutic? If you listened to Beyoncé’s Lemonade album, then of course you did. But, not only is art therapeutic but art can be part of therapy, and psychotherapists and art therapists use it to express and unlock things things that go beyond the verbal.

LAB 063: Maternal Health in the U.S Part II

The conversation around the maternal healthcare system in the U.S. is far from over, especially now when reproductive rights are further at risk. This week we continue the conversation of maternal health and we ask all the why’s. Why has the maternal mortality rate tripled in the last 40 years? Why is maternal healthcare not prioritizing mothers and birthing people after birth? Why is the maternal healthcare system failing birthing people of color? We’re getting into it all, the data, what’s changing, and what needs to change A$AP.

LAB 062: Maternal Health IN THE U.S. Part I

As Mother’s Day is approaching and in light of SCOTUS’ recent overturn of Roe v Wade, we reflect on human rights, the maternal health care system, and birthing equity. People have been giving birth since the dawn of time but why is it that there are no many risks to maternal health and risk disparities for different birthing people? We investigate all that and more, and dig deep into what a safe and equitably resourced space for birthing people might look like in the future.

LAB 061: Sodium, Iron, Magnesium, Nickel... Why Metals Are So Important

Sodium, iron, magnesium—oh my! We’re going straight Avatar the Last Airbender in this lab and learning about what real earth-bending looked like. There are so many incredible metals on earth but not all are in abundance. We dive into where metals come from, the different processes they undergo to create different properties, and while we know metals are necessary in tech, did you know that humans need them to live?

Lab 060: Nuclear Energy: The Past, Present, and Future

In this lab, we are hitting all things nuclear energy. We immerse ourselves in the history of nuclear energy, its original uses, how nuclear energy actually works, and the benefits and risks of using nuclear energy as an alternative energy source in the future.

LAB 059: Biodiversity and Conservation: The Circle of Life

The ecosystem is a great example of the circle of life. How plants and animals interact is so integral to how our world functions. In this lab, we dig into food chains, ecology and ecosystems, environmental conservation as we know it, and how it needs to change.

LAB 058: Hypochondria, Psychosomatic Disorder, and Placebo Effect: Mind Over Matter

The mind-body connection is so underrated, despite it being so integral to our day-to-day functions. Our minds are so powerful that sometimes things in our minds can affect our body’s responses and sometimes even cause pain in our bodies. We’re taking it to the head in this lab, and learning about psychosomatic disorders.

LAB 057: Volcanic Winters, Microplastics, and More: Live from the Great Northern

In our live recording of Lab 057, we are at the Great Northern’s 2022 Festival in Minnesota’s Twin Cities! When you want to talk about winter, where better than one of the coldest places in America? Join us for an incredible convo about volcanic ash, snowflakes, microplastics, and ocean acidification.

LAB 056: THE RIGHT MATCH: ORGAN TRANSPLANTS

We’ve probably all seen an organ transplant scene on a medical drama, but how exactly does a transplant work and what does it mean when a donor and a recipient are a match and what does it mean when the body rejects a transplant? Also, new transplant technologies are making sci-fi look very non-fiction.

LAB 055: DON’T GET HACKED

Ever wonder how every time you log onto your favorite social media site, all the ads are of stuff you actually want? What about what it means when you accept cookies before you surf a favorite site? How is it that the internet seems to really know you? We’re learning all about cyber security, what’s legal, what’s not, and what to do to stay safe.

lAB 054: SAY AHHH

You kiss your mother with that mouth? Shouldn’t be a problem if we’re taking care of our oral health properly. We’re busting myths about teeth and the dentist while learning the super important connection between oral health and our overall health!

LAB 053: Unsustainable

We’ve been buying a lot of clothes. But what happens when serving lewks comes at the expense of the planet? We use this lab to dive into what fast fashion is, define sustainability, and what the heck are microplastics?

lab 052: Retail apocalypse

Raise your hand if you’ve been doing a LOT of online shopping since 2020. Well, us too. That’s why we go to the lab to unpack this change in shopping habits, the rise of e-commerce, and what augmented reality means in the context of beauty brands.

lab 051: BHM: HBCU edition

It’s BHM! so in this lab we are talking all about HBCUs, their culture, traditions, homecoming, and why being the product of an HBCU is so powerful.

lab 050: Gold Medal Physics

We are locked into the Olympics in Beijing and getting into all of the physics behind the winter games.

Lab 049: The habit equation

To bring our New Year’s series to a close we are talking all about how we can make our resolutions stick.

LAb 048: Your daily dose

We’ve been seeing a lot of folks investing a lot of money into vitamins and supplements in an attempt to improve their health. In this lab we talk about how sometimes you CAN have too much of a good thing.

Lab 047: All (immune) systems go

The immune system is so important to our overall health. So this week we tackle all the complexities our great protector.

Lab 046: do not disturb part 2

We are continuing our conversation about environmental and psychosocial factors that impact our quality of sleep, sleep disorders, and sleep remedies to improve our sleep habits.

Lab 045:do not disturb part 1

Sleep is something we all need more of. In this 2-part series we are diving into all things sleep.

lab 044: 2021 End of the year Mixtape

Its the end of the year so we are going through all of the major events in tech, health and wellness, politics, sports, and music.

Lab 043: understanding HIV part 2

In Part 2 of our Understanding HIV series we are shifting our focus to the people and the cultural context that has impacted how the HIV epidemic was handled.

Lab 042:understanding HIV Part 1

December is HIV Awareness Month and 40 years since the first cases of HIV were reported in the US. So we are doing a 2 part series on what has happened over the last 40 years and how close we are to an HIV vaccine.

Lab 041: out of control

The Supreme Court is hearing cases that question if its constitutional to ban abortion before viability for the first time since Roe v Wade in 1973. Some folks think birth control is the silver bullet for preventing pregnancy but not all the glitters is gold.

Lab 040: Money Moves

Now that we are in the throes of holiday shopping we are doing a deep dive in to fintech apps, how they work, and how they can (when used properly) create a more equitable world.

lab 039:ADD TO CART

Black Friday, Cyber Monday and holiday season shopping is upon us, which mean LOTS of online shopping. In this lab we are talking the good, the bad, and the ugly of the extremely complex system that gets our items to our front doors so quickly.

lab 038: So anxious

With the end of the year approaching a lot of folks are feeling anxious. So, we called on neuroscientist Dr. Wendy Suzuki to help us make our anxiety work for us.

lab 037: In Denial

It’s the start of Semester 4 and we are tackling the topic of science denial. In this Lab we get to the root of the scientific mistrust.

Lab 034:presently futuristic

On the heels of the Lovecraft Country finale, we are diving into all things Afro Futurism and horror. We also have the legendary LeVar Burton talk about representation in the genre.

lab 033: supermarket sweep

Since the pandemic hit in early 2020 we have been noticing a lot of food staples missing from the grocery store. In this lab we get to the bottom of it.

lab 032: Life avalanche

2020 has been STRESSFUL and causing us all to feel some level of burnout. In this lab talk about the signs, causes, and how to recover from burnout.

lab 031: persuadables

This lab is all about political ads. How and why they influence us AND how the internet aids in their targeting

lab 030: Signed, sealed, delivered

In this lab we talk about how supporting the USPS can also be good for your brain.

lab 029: The roof is on fire!

lab 028: there’s something in the water

In this lab, Titi and Zakiya are bringing the ocean to your front door to discuss how climate change affects the ocean and what we can do about it.

lab 027: Here comes the boom

In this lab, Titi and Zakiya talk about the fireworks that have been going off all of quarantine.

LAB 026: WHAT ABOUT YOUR FRIENDS

In this lab Titi and Zakiya talk about friendship, and how we can better manage our relationship insecurities to be a better bestie for our besties.

LAB 025: SKIN DEEP

In this lab, Titi and Zakiya hold up a mirror to the scientific community examining the intertwining history of race and science.

LAB 024: BHM: STEM EDITION

LAB 023: DON’T PASS THE CORONA

In this lab we talk about the 2019 novel coronavirus that is dominating the headlines, where it came from, and how we can protect ourselves.

lab 022: this is not a drill

In this lab we discuss the causes of the bush fires causing destruction in Australia

lab 021: New Bank Account, Who Dis?

Its the new year! So in this lab we want to help folks with their resolutions to save more money with the help of fintech.

lab 020: our 2019 mixtape

In this lab we give a mini dissection for our top music, sports, tech, and politics moments of 2019.

lab 019: What’s beef?

In this lab, we find out how all of the new plant based meat products taste SO much like meat!

LAB 017: FALL BACK

In this lab we look into the yearly practice of Daylight Saving.

LAB 016: HAUNT ME

In this lab we put ghosts under the microscope with the Ghost Brothers

lab 015: big poll energy

In this lab we dissect survey methodology and how we can make heads or tails of the information being thrown at us.

LAB 014:tHE ART OF THE CON

In this lab we get to the bottom of why we are all falling for scams and what we can do to better protect ourselves.

lab 013: Predator

Welcome to Semester 2! In this lab we are talking about the our apex predator …THE MOSQUITO! We all get bitten, but why? And how big is our risk of getting a mosquito born illness?? We find out in this lab.

LAB 012: THE COOKOUT

It’s the Semester Finale! And Titi & Zakiya would like to invite you to their virtual cookout. In this Lab, they dive into the science of taste, flavor, and neurogastronomy and serve it up right alongside the mac and cheese and potato salad (without raisins)

Lab 011: I Look Like BAE

From the red carpet to your living room, healthy skin is something that we ALL care about. So, in Lab 011 we are diving into all things SKIN to talk about what our skin is made of and what we need to do to protect, rejuvenate, and maintain it. Zakiya takes us through the biology of the skin, its properties, and the effects of different chemicals on the skin. Titi fills us in on the chemistry and materials science behind the composition of different products.

Lab 010: It Was ALl A Dream

Titi and Zakiya take a trip down memory lane but... it seems like their recollections are VERY different! In this episode they dive into the psychology and sociology or memory and try to understand why their memories of the same thing are so different.

Lab 009: How NOT to get away with murder

In this lab we learn about the science behind direct to consumer genetic testing, what happens to that DNA after you upload it into genealogy databases , and how law enforcement uses that information.

LAB 008: fair play

This week we took a brief tour of the endocrine system and zoomed in on testosterone. We want to know why this hormone is so important and how the IAAF is using it to determine whether or not women can compete in races

LAB 007: show me the money

Join us to learn more about student loan debt and it’s effect on the economy. What programs are available and which policies would be steps in the right direction to lower the overall student loan burden in the US?

LAB 006: STARCHELLA

This episode is all about stars! Beyoncé and the sun are basically the same, right?

LAB 005: WAKANDA FOREVER

In this lab we take a trip into the mythical world of WAKANDA and find out what parts of it are more science than fiction

LAB 004:PROTECT YA NECK

This lab is all about vaccines, how they work, and the recent outbreaks.

LAB 003: LIE TO ME

America runs on lies, and we’re getting to the bottom of it. Check out the cheat sheet for Lab 003 and leave us a comment to tell us what you thought about the episode.

LAB 002: EDGES SNATCHED

It’s all about hair! Hear from guest expert, Dr. Monte O. Harris, about hair growth, loss, and restoration.

LaB 001: CUFFING SEASON

Valentine’s Day marks the end of cuffing season. We interviewed Dr. Alex Trillo to learn about this mating phenomenon throughout the animal kingdom