On this episode, sam-splains alcohol! We talk about alcohol fermentation and how it is used in beer brewing and winemaking! Cheers, friends! Sources: Alba-Lois L and Segal-Kischinevsky C. Yeast Fermentation and the Making of Beer and Wine (2010). Nature Education. 3(9):17. Link: https://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/yeast-fermentation-and-the-making-of-beer-14372813/ Bokulich NA and Bamforth CW. The microbiology of malting and brewing (2013). Microbiology and Molecular Biology Reviews. Link: https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3668669/ Sablayrolles, J.M. Control of Alcoholic fermentation in winemaking: Current situation and prospect. (2009). Food Research International. Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0963996908002524 If you or someone you love is in need of assistance with a substance abuse or alcohol addition, you can go to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration at: https://www.samhsa.gov/find-help/helplines/national-helpline or call 1-800-662-4357. Follow the Show: www.instragram.com/samsplainingsci www.tiktok.com/@samsplainingsci samsplainingsci.bsky.social Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@samsplainingsci Ask a Question: www.samsplainingscience.com/ask/

In this episode, sam-splains why exercise is good for your brain! Tl;dr - exercise gives you endorphins, endorphins make people happy, and happy people don’t kill their husbands! Sources: Basso JC and Suzuki WA. The Effects of Acute Exercise on Mood, Cognition, Neurophysiology, and Neurochemical Pathways: A Review. Brain Plasticity. 2016;2(2):127-152. doi:10.3233/BPL-160040 Macpherson H, Teo W-P, Schneider LA and Smith AE (2017) A Life-Long Approach to Physical Activity for Brain Health. Front. Aging Neurosci. 9:147. doi: 10.3389/fnagi.2017.00147 Follow the Show: www.instragram.com/samsplainingsci www.tiktok.com/@samsplainingsci samsplainingsci.bsky.social Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@samsplainingsci Ask a Question: www.samsplainingscience.com/ask/

On this episode, sam-splains the keys to scientific literacy! How should I search for an article? What types of articles should I read? How do I read a research article? Tune in as Sam gives you some pro-tips to scientific literacy! Sources: 1. Jarry J, McGill University Office for Science and Society, “Doing Your Own Research A Little Bit Better”. (2022). Link: https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/critical-thinking/doing-your-own-research-little-bit-better 2. Kelly Y et al. EClinical Medicine, The Lancet Psychiatry. (2018). Link: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(18)30060-9/fulltext Follow the Show: www.instragram.com/samsplainingsci www.tiktok.com/@samsplainingsci samsplainingsci.bsky.social Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@samsplainingsci Ask a Question: www.samsplainingscience.com/ask/

On this episode, sam-splains social media and discusses some recent studies on associations between social media use and mental health and well being. References: 1) Kross E et al. Trends in Cognitive Sciences. CellPress. (2021). Link: https://www.cell.com/trends/cognitive-sciences/fulltext/S1364-6613(20)30251-5?dgcid=raven_jbs_etoc_email 2) Kelly Y et al. The Lancet Psychiatry. (2018). Link: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(18)30060-9/fulltext Follow the Show: www.instragram.com/samsplainingsci www.tiktok.com/@samsplainingsci samsplainingsci.bsky.social Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@samsplainingsci Ask a Question: www.samsplainingscience.com/ask

On this episode, sam-splains aging! She’s goin gray and tryna figure out why! **note** - for question 2 at ~37ish mins - Bcl-2 typically prevents apoptosis! Sorry I got confused there!!! References: Gilbert SF. Developmental Biology. 6th edition. Sunderland (MA): Sinauer Associates; 2000. Aging: The Biology of Senescence. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK10041/ Jo SK et al., 2018. Annals of Dermatology. Link: https://synapse.koreamed.org/articles/1097520 Follow the Show: www.twitter.com/samsplainingsci www.instragram.com/samsplainingsci www.tiktok.com/@samsplainingsci Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@samsplainingsci Ask a Question: www.samsplainingscience.com/ask

In this episode, sam-splains tattoos! Specifically, we learn about skin, how/why tattoos are permanent in the skin, and what sorts of health risks may (or may not) be associated with getting tattoos! References: 1) NCI-National Cancer Institute SEER Training Program. US Department of Health and Human Services. Link: https://training.seer.cancer.gov/melanoma/anatomy/layers.html 2) Serup, J. et al., 2015. Curr Probl Dermatol. 48:48-60. Link: https://karger.com/books/book/174/chapter/5110237/Tattoo-Complaints-and-Complications-Diagnosis-and 3) What Makes Tattoos Permanent? TEDTalk link: https://www.ted.com/talks/claudia_aguirre_what_makes_tattoos_permanent?subtitle=en&trigger=5s 4) Food and Drug Administration. Think Before You Ink: Tattoo Safety. (2023). https://www.fda.gov/consumers/consumer-updates/think-you-ink-tattoo-safety 5) Cohen, PR. Tattoo-Associated Viral Infections: A Review. Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2021. Link: https://doi.org/10.2147%2FCCID.S284796 6) Dieckmann R et al., The Risk of Bacterial Infection After Tattooing. Dtsch Arztebl Inc. 2016. Link: https://doi.org/10.3238%2Farztebl.2016.0665 7) Lebhar et al., Skin cancers arising within tattoos: a systematic review. JAAD Int. 2024. Link: https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.jdin.2024.03.015 8) Nielsen et al., Tattoos as a risk factor for malignant lymphoma: a population-based case-control study. eClinicalMedicine May 2024. Link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2024.102649 Follow the Show: www.twitter.com/samsplainingsci www.instragram.com/samsplainingsci www.tiktok.com/@samsplainingsci Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@samsplainingsci Ask a Question: www.samsplainingscience.com/ask

Sam's bringing the podcast back! The return episode doesn't have much science, but does have some general updates about the show!! Links below if you'd like to donate to a few Orgs that I've been supporting recently! 1) World Central Kitchen: https://wck.org/donate 2) Doctors Without Borders: https://donate.doctorswithoutborders.org/secure/cro-26-paidsearch?ms=ADD2310U1U90&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=BRAND.DWB_CKMSF-BRAND.DWB-GS-GS-ALL-DonateDWB.E-BO-ALL-RSA-RSARefresh.2-MONTHLY&gclid=CjwKCAjw7s20BhBFEiwABVIMraWxZ6iNQL29uNBRBmkQL5qv3KTgQORjEgzSI3fhynMhvQc31RbRVxoC-F4QAvD_BwE 3) Palestine Children's Relief Fund: https://pcrf1.app.neoncrm.com/forms/general

It’s the first (and maybe last idk lol) samsplaining science state of the union (SSSOTU)! PLEASE take this short (<5min) ANONYMOUS survey!!!! Link here: https://forms.gle/io1jEhEJiBmW2CQN6 Thank you love you have a good day talk to you later bye!!! Follow the Show: www.twitter.com/samsplainingsci www.instragram.com/samsplainingsci www.tiktok.com/@samsplainingsci Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@samsplainingsci Ask a Question: www.samsplainingscience.com/ask

Did I waste my money on blue light glasses? On this episode of the podcast, let’s learn about blue light, how it can impact sleep, and whether blue light glasses help or not. Sources (in order of reference): Wahl, S. et al., The inner clock - Blue light sets the human rhythm. (2019) Journal of Biophotonics. Link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jbio.201900102 Bigalke, J.A. et al., Effect of evening blue light blocking glass on subjective and objective sleepe in healthy adults: A randomized control trial. (2021). Sleep Health. Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352721821000127?casa_token=BnnPpvDgQWEAAAAA:hk5RSAp2XbX2ZHYYbzfjtdd_h23TNc_boWm_prHwgXLhcEKxydXTQ1RReFcVTrYEtDPfpIlt7Q Singh, S. et al., Do Blue-blocking Lenses Reduce Eye Strain from Extended Screen Time? A Double-Masked Randomized Controlled Trial. (2021). American Journal of Ophthalmology. Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002939421000726?casa_token=MXT9-ifuHIsAAAAA:zFIQhooApkyVJqLKDJ-qUrYiY-31Ce1g_93jjD4PEeMuSIKn4dp7OPManwcBeKVbmQ5q17uang Follow the Show: www.twitter.com/samsplainingsci www.instragram.com/samsplainingsci www.tiktok.com/@samsplainingsci Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@samsplainingsci Ask a Question: www.samsplainingscience.com/ask

It's what we in ~the biz~ call a callback! For the last episode of 2022, we’re revisiting the FIRST episode of samsplaining science! Let’s talk more about the science of goal setting! I’m also sharing what science-backed tips I’m taking with me into 2023 to reach my goals! Source: Locke, E.A., and Latham G.P., (2015). Chapter Four: Breaking the Rules: A Historical Overview of Goal-Setting Theory. Advances in Motivation Science, Volume 2. Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S221509191500005X?casa_token=HQOMoHx4SDAAAAAA:vfrE2fu-oWaU0UcSkJLTzE1JTk4VpMXcw-IFll3Sb1fqU0qPIy3clSIjAD2J66TR3T0ZUizKAw Follow the Show: www.twitter.com/samsplainingsci www.instragram.com/samsplainingsci www.tiktok.com/@samsplainingsci Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@samsplainingsci Ask a Question: www.samsplainingscience.com/ask

In this episode, we’re learning about how the ear senses and processes sound! Also, we time travel back to 4 weeks ago when Spotify Wrapped was still relevant! Fun! Sources: 1. Deshpande, S. et al., (2019). System to Transform Sound Energy into Electricity. Proceedings on ICNNEE2019. Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/338391273_System_to_Transform_Sound_Energy_Into_Electricity  2. Manhattan Neighborhood Network. (2022). The Basics of Sound: What are Frequency and Amplitude? Link: https://www.mnn.org/blog/basics-sound-what-are-frequency-and-amplitude#:~:text=Amplitude%20describes%20the%20power%20of,per%20second%20is%20the%20frequency.  3. Alberti, P. W. (2001). The anatomy and physiology of the ear and hearing. Occupational exposure to noise: Evaluation, prevention, and control, 53-62. Link: https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C33&q=peter+w.+alberti+anatomy+and+physiology+of+the+ear+and+hearing&btnG=  4. Cortada, M. et al., (2021). mTOR Signalling in the Inner Ear as a Potential Target to Treat Hearing Loss. International Journal of Molecular Sciences. Link: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/352408655_mTOR_Signaling_in_the_Inner_Ear_as_Potential_Target_to_Treat_Hearing_Loss  5. Lesica, N.A. et al., (2021). Harnessing the power of artificial intelligence to transform hearing healthcare and research. Nature Machine Intelligence. Link: https://www.nature.com/articles/s42256-021-00394-z  Follow the Show: www.twitter.com/samsplainingsci  www.instragram.com/samsplainingsci  www.tiktok.com/@samsplainingsci  Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@samsplainingsci   Ask a Question: www.samsplainingscience.com/ask 

In the spirit of the Thanksgiving holiday, we’re talking about gratitude! What it is, how it can be good for us, and what’s going on in our brains when we process and experience gratitude! Sources: 1. Burton, L.R. Discovering the Health and Wellness Benefits of Gratitude. Wharton Club at the University of Pennsylvania. Link: https://www.whartonhealthcare.org/discovering_the_health 2. Fox, G.R. et al., Neural Correlates of Gratitude. (2015). Frontiers in Psychology. Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01491/full 3. Henning, M., A Potential Role for mu-Opioids in Mediating the Positive Effects of Gratitude. (2017). Frontiers in Psychology. Review. Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.00868/full Follow the Show: www.twitter.com/samsplainingsci www.instragram.com/samsplainingsci www.tiktok.com/@samsplainingsci Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@samsplainingsci Ask a Question: www.samsplainingscience.com/ask

Let’s talk about some ethical atrocities in the history of science! Links: History of Bioethics:  https://www.niehs.nih.gov/research/resources/bioethics/timeline/index.cfm Read more about the U.S. Public Health Service Syphilis Study at Tuskegee:  https://www.cdc.gov/tuskegee/index.html  Read more about the Stanley Milgram Shock Experiment: https://www.simplypsychology.org/milgram.html and https://nature.berkeley.edu/ucce50/ag-labor/7article/article35.htm  Follow the Show: www.twitter.com/samsplainingsci  www.instragram.com/samsplainingsci  www.tiktok.com/@samsplainingsci  Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPxRm2HxAdF8ahCJbD5Bj7Q  Ask a Question: www.samsplainingscience.com/ask 

This week we’re learning about clinical trials! We’ll cover some basics of clinical trials, learn some buzzwords, and learn about the different clinical trial Phases! Sources 1. National Institutes of Health - U.S. National Library of Medicine. “Learn About Clinical Studies”. Link: https://beta.clinicaltrials.gov/about-studies 2. The Basics | NIH Clinical Trials and You. National Institutes of Health. Link: https://www.nih.gov/health-information/nih-clinical-research-trials-you/basics Follow the Show: www.twitter.com/samsplainingsci www.instragram.com/samsplainingsci www.tiktok.com/@samsplainingsci Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPxRm2HxAdF8ahCJbD5Bj7Q Ask a Question: www.samsplainingscience.com/ask

HELLO U.S. FRIENDS PLEASE DON’T FORGET TO VOTE!!!! GO TO iwillvote.com TO GET UR $#!+ TOGETHER, AND MAKE SURE YOUR VOICE IS HEARD AND YOUR BALLOT IS CAST BY TUESDAY NOV 8!!!!! Since the creator/writer/host/producer of samsplaining science values a democracy, Sam took to an instagram poll to decide this week’s topic – the science of swearing! Sources: 1. Van Lanket D. and Cummings, J.L., Expletives: neurolinguistic and neurobbehavioral perspectives on swearing. (1999). Brain Research Reviews. Link: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10611497/ 2. Stapleton, K. et al., The power of swearing: What we know and what we don’t. (2022). Lingua. Link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/sdfe/reader/pii/S002438412200170X/pdf 3. Stephens, R. and Robertson, O. Swearing as a Response to Pain: Assessing Hypoalgesic Effects of Novel “Swear” Words. (2020). Frontiers in Psychology. Link: https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.00723/full Follow the Show: www.twitter.com/samsplainingsci  www.instragram.com/samsplainingsci  www.tiktok.com/@samsplainingsci  Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPxRm2HxAdF8ahCJbD5Bj7Q  Ask a Question: www.samsplainingscience.com/ask 

On this episode, sam-splains respiratory syncytial virus (R.S.V.). Let’s learn about the symptoms of r.s.v., how it’s transmitted, and how we can prevent it! We’ll also learn about two ongoing clinical trials that are exploring vaccinations for populations at high risk for severe RSV infection! Sources: RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus Infection (RSV). Center for Disease Control and Prevention. (2022). Link: https://www.cdc.gov/rsv/index.html What is RSV? What are RSV Risks and Symptoms? Link: https://www.synagis.com/what-is-rsv.html Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) meeting @ CDC - Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccines for Older Adults and for Maternal/Pediatrics: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/slides-2022-10-19-20.html “Nirsevimab for the prevention of RSV in all infants”. Nirsevimab by AstraZeneca and Sanofi. ACIP Presentation slides - October 20, 2022. Link: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2022-10-19-20/02-RSV-Mat-Ped-Felter-508.pdf “Safety and Efficacy of Bivalent RSV Prefusion F Vaccine in Adults >= 60 Years of Age”. RENOIR by Pfizer. ACIP Presentation slides - October 20, 2022. Link: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/acip/meetings/downloads/slides-2022-10-19-20/03-RSV-Adults-Gurtma-508.pdf Follow the Show: www.twitter.com/samsplainingsci www.instragram.com/samsplainingsci www.tiktok.com/@samsplainingsci Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPxRm2HxAdF8ahCJbD5Bj7Q Ask a Question: www.samsplainingscience.com/ask

This week, Sam-splains why the leaves change color in the fall - after a quick* summary of what makes a plant a plant! (*not quick) Sources: 1. SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry | Why Leaves Change Color. Link: https://www.esf.edu/pubprog/brochure/leaves/leaves.htm#:~:text=Chlorophyll%20Breaks%20Down,part%20of%20their%20fall%20splendor 2. Fecht, S. How Climate Change Impacts Fall Foliage. Columbia Climate School – State of the Planet. (2022). Link: https://news.climate.columbia.edu/2022/09/26/how-does-climate-change-impact-fall-foliage/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=spotlight101022 3. Additional figures in slides from from BioRender (BioRender.com), the Smithsonian Science Education Center (https://ssec.si.edu/stemvisions-blog/what-photosynthesis) and Khan Academy (https://www.khanacademy.org/science/ap-biology/cellular-energetics#photosynthesis) Follow the Show: www.twitter.com/samsplainingsci www.instragram.com/samsplainingsci www.tiktok.com/@samsplainingsci Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPxRm2HxAdF8ahCJbD5Bj7Q Ask a Question: www.samsplainingscience.com/ask

On this week’s episode of the podcast, we’re talking about the science of baking - inspired by the new season of the Great British Baking Show, now on Netflix (sponsor me pls, Paul and Prue). Sources 1. Ali, A.,  et al., Yeast, its types and role in fermentation during bread making process-A Review (2012). Pak. J. Food Sci. Link: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/A-Shehzad/publication/328052441_Yeast_its_types_and_role_in_fermentation_during_bread_making_process-_A_review/links/5bb52d78299bf13e605daffe/Yeast-its-types-and-role-in-fermentation-during-bread-making-process-A-review.pdf  2. Michaela Ureta, M. et al., Water transport  during bread baking: impact of the baking temperature and the baking time (2018). Food Science and Technology International. Link: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1082013218814144?casa_token=PZ04TrFSxs4AAAAA:xCPZuNHNEK7maUdR6OuSel-SpwI3Il6xN_9w4pnnksjTwXOnLCHEY-SdEo2o4BrZOkT-g9CwV-TY  Follow the Show: www.twitter.com/samsplainingsci  www.instragram.com/samsplainingsci  www.tiktok.com/@samsplainingsci  Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPxRm2HxAdF8ahCJbD5Bj7Q  Ask a Question: www.samsplainingscience.com/ask 

Get your boost on, baby! Sam is bivalently boosted, and in this episode, we’re talking about why that’s important and why we should care! Source: Chalkias, S. et al., A Bivalent Omicron-Containing Booster Vaccine Against COVID-19 (2022). New England Journal of Medicine. Link: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2208343  Follow the Show: www.twitter.com/samsplainingsci  www.instragram.com/samsplainingsci  www.tiktok.com/@samsplainingsci  Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPxRm2HxAdF8ahCJbD5Bj7Q  Ask a Question: www.samsplainingscience.com/ask 

This week’s episode of the podcast is brought to you by COFFEE. Actually, every week’s episode is. But in THIS episode, we’re talking about coffee - how it gives us energy and the effect it has on our body! Sources - Van Dam, RM., et al., Coffee, Caffeine, and Health. (2020). N Eng J Med. Link: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMra1816604 Follow the Show: www.twitter.com/samsplainingsci www.instragram.com/samsplainingsci www.tiktok.com/@samsplainingsci Subscribe on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPxRm2HxAdF8ahCJbD5Bj7Q Ask a Question: www.samsplainingscience.com/ask