Dope Labs is a podcast hosted by best friends (and two of the dopest scientists you will ever meet), Titi and Zakiya. In each episode, they serve up scientific principles with a healthy dose of tea. From cuffing season to Cardi B, they'll take what's trending and put it under the microscope with the help of some very smart (and cool) scientific friends. At Dope Labs, we believe "science is for errybody" and our mission is to bring out the inner scientist in YOU.
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Titi and Zakiya are back with a bonus lab, and they brought a very special guest: author Alex Elle, whose new book The Company We Keep: Friendship, Connection, and Redefining What It Means to Grow Together is the perfect excuse to dig into everything "big friendship" and platonic love require. We're talking main ingredients like capacity, honesty, repair, and the courage to put down the "strong…
This week we're wrapping up Semester 5 in the lab. Over the past year we've explored everything from bird flu and the microbiome to AI, addiction, air quality, and the psychology of Black Friday. We've talked about how systems-technological, biological, economic, and cultural-shape the way we live. In this episode, Titi & Zakiya look back at some of the labs that surprised them the most and talk…
You've seen the headlines - Gen Z can't read, attention spans are shot, we're all getting dumber. But is any of that actually true? This week, Titi and Zakiya slow down and actually look at the research behind the literacy panic. From international assessments to the Nation's Report Card, they break down what the data really says, why the drops we're seeing aren't just a "kids these days" problem,…
We're revisiting one of our most personal labs. In this episode, we sit down with Ronald Young Jr., host of Wait For It, to unpack the complicated relationship many of us have with our bodies - and the ways we postpone our lives while we're "waiting." Waiting to lose weight. Waiting to look different. Waiting to feel worthy. We talk about how weight gets moralized, and how identity layers…
Valentine's Day used to be about cuffing season, double texting rules, and who's paying for dinner. But the love landscape has shifted and it's not just humans in the mix anymore. People are forming emotional and romantic relationships with AI chatbots. So what's actually happening here? This week in the lab, Titi and Zakiya talk with Arel Rocha about her work studying intimate relationships…
On Super Bowl Sunday, it can feel like sports are way beyond just watching! This week in the lab, Zakiya and Titi are joined by Jess Bryant, senior editor for fantasy sports and betting at The Athletic, to break down how fantasy sports, sports betting, and prediction markets actually differ and where they quietly overlap. From statistical modeling and intuition to player boundaries, we explore…
Titi and Zakiya are joined by Hilary J. Allen, a professor who specializes in corporate law and financial regulation, to discuss the effects of FinTech on our everyday lives. Are these new methods of decentralization providing more opportunities, or accelerating financial inequity? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this lab, Titi and Zakiya pull back the curtain on the Grammys with music critic Sidney Madden. They break down how the Recording Academy works, who gets to vote, and why categories and nominees often feel disconnected from culture and fans. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This lab examines two unfolding stories where science and power collide: Venezuela's century-long oil history and why the United States is now deeply involved, and the recent ICE shootings in Minnesota amid an unprecedented immigration enforcement surge. Listen to learn how these events reveal a critical moment in history, where decisions about resources, authority, and security are reshaping…
We usually think about viruses this time of year, but what about everything else floating around us? In this lab, Titi and Zakiya sit down with environmental health scientist Dr. Cavin Ward-Caviness to break down what's actually in the air we breathe. They cover everything from pollution and tiny particles to everyday indoor sources like cooking, candles, and fireplaces. Listen to learn how air…
