Science Vs - Ask Wendy Anything: Behind the Scenes at Science Vs [VIDEO]

Episode Date: August 8, 2024

We asked you all: Do you have questions for Wendy and the Science Vs team? And oh boy, did you have questions. Hundreds of questions from all across the globe. Today on the show, senior producer Rose Rimler gets the goss on Wendy's personal life, finds out what happened when Wendy got hypnotized, and spills the tea on Science Vs.  Watch this episode as a video on Spotify. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/sciencevsawa (00:00) Ask Wendy Anything! (02:20) Wendy’s bad date (04:05) Wendy gets hypnotized (10:45) Wendy and Rose’s Roman Empires (12:53) Behind the scenes at Science Vs (21:10)  How doing Science Vs has changed Wendy’s behavior (23:42) Wendy’s hair care routine (25:53) Wendy gets trolled by her sister This episode was produced by Blythe Terrell and Rose Rimler, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. Edited, mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord, So Wylie and Peter Leonard. Thanks to Evan Munro-Smith at Stupid Old Studios; Kevin Cureghian, Mark Amber, Nick Johnson, T Cruz and Paige Ransbury. Special thanks to The Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hi, I'm Wendy Zuckerman and you're listening to and watching Science Versus. We're doing an Ask Me Anything while we are busily working on episodes for next season, diving into the science, doing a bunch of research. We thought we'd take a little break and take your questions. And if you are listening to this on Spotify, you can be watching this too, because we are on video. That's right. Hello. So you can see my face. You can also see the face of the quiz master, the person who will be asking me the questions, dishing out the goss, senior producer Rose Rimler. Hello.

Hello. Hello. Hi, Wendy. How are you feeling, Quizmaster? Is this a role you've always wanted to play in life, you know, asking questions? Yeah, I'm an extremely nosy person and I don't often get to pepper people with questions the way that I would like to. However, they are not my questions.

They are listener questions. So we put out various call-outs for questions from listeners and we got like hundreds on TikTok and Instagram and we heard from people all over the U.S. but also from Germany and Costa Rica

and this crazy backwater place called Melbourne, Australia. We even got some calls from there. So my mom called you? That's great. And, yes. I'm nervous. I'm nervous. I know, when I was kicked out of the AMA Slack channel. It was a bad sign.

It was, I know. Wendy has been removed. I was like, oh, man, what's this question? What are these questions? All right. I'm excited. I'm nervous. I don't talk about myself a lot on the show, I feel like. So here we go. Yeah. So most of these questions you are not aware of. You don't know what's coming. I have seen them, of course, in advance. Some of them are a little spicy. Some of them are a little personal. And I think we're going to get some interesting, we're going to squeeze the Wendy fruit and we're going to get some good juice, I think. We should be very excited. It sounds painful. We're going to get started after the break.

Chiara, it means smart in Italian. Too bad your barista can't spell it right. So you just give a fake name. Your cafe name. Julia. But the more you use it, the more it feels like you're in witness protection. Wait a minute. What kind of espresso drinks does Julia like anyway? Is it too late to change your latte order? But with an espresso machine by KitchenAid, you wouldn't be thinking any of this. Because you could have just made your espresso at home.

Shop now at KitchenAid.ca. Metrolinks and Crosslinks are reminding everyone to be careful as Eglinton Crosstown LRT train testing is in progress. Please be alert as trains can pass at any time on the tracks. Remember to follow all traffic signals. Be careful along our tracks and only make left turns where it's safe to do so. Be alert, be aware, and stay safe. Welcome back.

Today we are asking Wendy questions. It's an Ask Wendy Anything extravaganza. And I've got our first question queued up. It's from Jessa on Instagram. And she asked, Wendy, what's your worst and best dating experience story? Oh, wow. If you want, you could just tell us your worst because I feel like that's going to be a funnier story. Yeah, no one wants to hear.

Yeah, we fell in love. Worst dating experience was when I was meeting up with a guy, like maybe it was first date or something. Oh, my God. I was like, where did I meet him? You know where I met him, Rose? It was at a Model UN conference. Ah, I'm such a nerd. A Model UN conference, I think.

Anyway, so we met to go see a movie. We were going to get coffee before or whatever. He was really late. And then he just, like, arrived. Like, no apology, no real reason for it. So I was like, ugh. And then we go see a movie. But I'm like, whatever.

Go see a movie. He takes his shoes off in the movie and his socks and his feet really smell. Oh, my God. That is so weird. It was so weird. That's pretty bad. That's pretty bad. And he put them up.

Oh, that's critical. He put them up on the seat. Wow. So it was like closer to my nose. And I'm a very smelly person. I want to make that clear. Like I'm not someone who's like, oh, little BO or whatever. But this was next level.

Okay. Our next question is from Jenny on Instagram. What's something that you do even though the science doesn't support it? Okay. We got actually a lot of, a few different versions of this question, actually. Okay.

This is a very good question. I would say generally, I do follow the advice of science. Like I'm not, you know, squirreling away astrology charts. I am true to the show, but I, you know, but I, am I not human, Rose? Do I not bleed? That's the question. That's, and I, okay, so I've had moments of weakness. So, recently, I was getting a massage, which is not, that's fine. That's a

nice, that's a lovely thing to do. I do it every now and then. And the masseuse, who she's very lovely, she said that the jaw muscles, my jaw muscles were incredibly tight because I grind my teeth, which I know I do. And she said that she also does hypnosis for tooth grinding and would I be interested. So at first I was like, no, no, no, no. Like you're my masseuse and you're very good at that. Like I don't need hypnosis from my masseuse. But then so I did get hypnosis from my masseuse. Actually, she just sort of has like healing like

healing energy which is also not a very science versus you concept but she just seems like someone who might be able to help me um so I I in the end I was like let's give it a go let's give it a go um and so I I went in um have you ever done hypnosis, Rose? Have you ever been hypnotized? Okay, so for me what she said was basically to visualize that you're on the top of a staircase and there's ten steps and you're going down the steps. And so she's like, you know, step nine, step eight, and it's very slow and really imagining the staircase,

and I could feel myself, like, getting a little kind of woozy. The rest of the world, like, melted away a little bit. And then we get to step three, and a name pops into my head. Patrick ****. And out of the blue blue and this is the name of uh of someone who I used to be really good friends with in Sydney and then I went to New York and we weren't in touch for like I don't know almost 10 years and then when I moved back to Australia I was like oh I'd really like to get in touch with with that friend and I couldn't remember his name.

And so for like a year now, I've been like, oh, my God, like we organized a food fight together. We were like, how can I not remember his name? And here in the middle of hypnosis, it comes to me. And I'm so excited. I'm like, oh, my God, that's his name. That's his name. That I completely forget what I'm doing. And then I hear her say, and now open a door.

And I'm like, oh, no. I'm supposed to be sorting out my tooth grinding. So I was like, oh, can we go back? Can we go back to like the stair number three? Like maybe. And so she's like, sure, sure, sure. We'll go back to stair number three. So back on stair number three.

And then I was like, she's like, stair number two. And then she goes, stair number one. And then we see a door. And then you open a door. And like, I'm sort of getting back into it, but half my brain's like, no, no, no, we're out, we're out. And then she's like, what do you see? And the first image that popped into my head was my moon boot when I broke my foot. Do you remember when I broke

my foot? Yeah. In like 2018. And I just start crying. Wow. Like, just like out of nowhere, just like, and I just start crying and I'm like blubbering and I'm and like because the when I broke my foot it like took ages to heal and I was like very vulnerable during that I don't know I just I really didn't handle it well because I like couldn't run I couldn't live my life I couldn't bike anyway it was real and I just kept going for like x-ray after x-ray. And they were just like, it's not healing. It's not healing. And it was just like a really yucky time for me. And anyway, and I guess it just like, and maybe that was when I started grinding my teeth. I actually don't know. I don't know. But it was just very, it was a very strange experience. Have you been grinding your teeth since then? Did it help with the tooth grinding?

No, I still grind my teeth. You've been grinding tooth grinding? No, I still grind my teeth. You've been grinding your teeth. Yeah, I still grind my teeth. Yeah, so no, it didn't help, but something happened, you know? I guess that's sort of like an unscience-y thing to do. What about that experience was pseudoscience-y, I guess? Yeah, so we've done an episode on hypnosis, and I know hypnosis in itself isn't garbage. I didn't do any research on whether it can help with tooth grinding. I guess the idea that I didn't go to like a specialist, but instead went to my masseuse who had sort of just like healing, really nice energy.

I just, I went to a healer. Yeah. And so I think. I just have to circle back to one thing. Yeah. Did you say you organized a food fight with Patrick? I did We just invited our friends to lunch And then we just started throwing food

And hoped that they would join in And they did Yeah It was really fun Okay Next up We have one that is very sweet It's from a super fan named Ryan in California. I'm kind of curious, Wendy, what are the arts that help kind of fill you up and make you whole?

Like what music or movies or books or just any art at all? Like what helps complete you as the person, if you don't mind sharing that? Oh, that's a lovely question. Yeah, I really love going to galleries on my own and just soaking up the art and seeing beautiful things fills me up. I also love looking up at trees. It's something I've done ever since I was in primary school and you go to school camp. And I've just ever since then, if I'm ever just like really I've had enough, I could just go outside and like look up at a tree. Okay, so we're going

to do something a little different now. This is our lightning round. So fastest answer you can come up with. Okay. Are you ready? I've got like buzzer. This is what I was born to do. Yeah, you don't have to ring in because you're the only one here. But if that helps you.

I think I'm going to win. I think I'm going to win. You're 100% guaranteed of winning? Yeah. Okay, are you ready? Ready. What's your favorite coffee order? Oat cappuccino.

What's your favorite sandwich? A really good salad sandwich. Is a hot dog a sandwich? No. Top three movies? Indiana Jones, the third one. Back to the Future, the first one. The Mighty Ducks?

Nah, never really into The Mighty Ducks. Oh, I thought that was your movie. Nah. I recently returned to the Bourne films. And they're really good. And they really hold up. So let's go with like, you know, Bourne identity. What's your Roman Empire?

It's like your thing. Your big, big thing. A thing that you keep thinking about. I guess it's science verses. Like, I was thinking my Roman Empire. I do think about

Abraham Lincoln kind of a lot. Like, more than really makes sense. Like the assassination? It's so funny because I forget that you're American.

Like, I don't know. Thank you. I just see... Oh my God, thanks. I just see Rose. But then I see you are. Then I say something like that. We're going to go to the break now.

Okay. But when we come back from the break, we are going to talk about science versus. So we're moving on a little bit from some of the Super Wendy specific questions. And we're going to some of the behind the scenes that people wanted to know about how we make the show. We've actually got a very special guest who's going to make an appearance. So I recommend that people stick around for that. I feel much more comfortable talking about Science Versus than myself. So I'm very glad we're pivoting.

Makes sense if that's your Roman Empire. Chiara, it means smart in Italian. Too bad your barista can't spell it right. So you just give a fake name, your cafe name, Giulia. But the more you use it, the more it feels like you're in witness protection. Wait a minute. What kind of espresso drinks does Julia like anyway? Is it too late to change your latte order?

But with an espresso machine by KitchenAid, you wouldn't be thinking any of this because you could have just made your espresso at home. Shop now at KitchenAid.ca. All right. Welcome back. Today on the show, senior producer Rose Ribler is asking me a bunch of questions about me. Rose?

Yes. And these are all listener submitted questions. So we got a lot of questions from listeners about the show itself and how we make the show. Tom on Instagram asked this provocative question. What is an episode that you want to do but you aren't allowed to do oh what do you mean we did 40 minutes on anal sex you think i'm getting down to you yeah if that wasn't shut down what would be i don't know um i mean on season one ofus, we did two episodes on gun control. And I remember Matt Lieber, who was the co-CEO of Gimlet at the time, he was like, do I need to bring in security to the office? Because it was so unknown how people would react. We did the female G-spot in season one and talked about the clitoris. Yeah, I don't know. We'veitoris. Yeah, I don't know.

We've covered abortion. Yeah, I don't know. Rose, can you think of anything that we're like, I mean, definitely no one's telling us not to do them. It's just a matter of if we don't think it's interesting or surprising or important. I think that's right, yeah. Which I'm very proud of us that we'll just go for it. Me too.

Well, you know, this, I mean, people did ask, and maybe you could do kind of a short version, Wendy, of since you mentioned that very early days, season one, could you tell just a little bit about how the show started? Yeah, because it is pretty wild. I mean, I have been making this show for almost 10 years, which is like, it is like bonkers when I think back to when I like season one and there was no way that I thought this was going to be

a career and definitely no way I thought it was going to send me to New York. So the story is, so I was a science journalist, still am apparently, and I had been working at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the ABC, and they were getting interested in making podcasts. And so they asked me to pitch something. And it just so happened that that week, Gwyneth Paltrow, she had just suggested that women steam clean their vaginas or something, that there was like some cleaning required for vaginas. And so I was like, what about

Science vs. Gwyneth Paltrow was the very first pitch that I sent to the ABC. And so it got accepted. Caitlin Sori, who then came to join the team, was like, I get the concept. Yes, go make a pilot. I'd never made a podcast before. I'd made little bits of radio before. I had no idea what I was doing. Made a pilot. They picked it up. It did really well. The season did really well in Australia. Then it started charting in the US, which was unheard of. It was totally crazy. Then Gimlet, someone at Gimlet saw it. They sent me an email and I almost missed it because I was actually so exhausted making the show.

And then weeks went by and I was like, wait, what was that email? And like searching for it again and being like, oh, this podcast company, Gimlet. Huh. I was like, oh, hey, nice to hear from you. And then it just happened really fast. It was really wild. And they were like, you want to come make Science Versus in New York City?

And I was like, are you shitting me? And then I came to New York and they gave me like a whole team. They gave me Euros. I got rose. And so you got right back on the plane and went back to Australia. Yeah. And then we've been making it. I don't know. How long have you been on the team now?

It's been a long time. Seven years. Yeah. Yeah. And now Meryl's been on a long time. Almost as long as me and Blythe about the same. Our editor. Yeah.

And Michelle started a year or two after me. Yeah, it's very special. Yeah. So that is the story. This question from Lauren on Instagram is a good follow-up because we're doing a little walk down memory lane. So she wants to know what is the most fun you had on an episode? Oh, we've had a lot of fun I feel like um I mean recently I had a lot of fun making the male g-spot episode it was so funny it wasn't meant to be a whole episode whole episode but then I um

uh I just started talking to these academics just kept digging and digging and um and all the academics everyone was so excited and fun and funny I was like I to these academics. You just kept digging and digging. Just kept digging and digging. And all the academics, everyone was so excited and fun and funny. I remember, like, slacking Blythe and Meryl being like, I think there's a whole episode here. Let's do it. That was really, but I don't know. I feel like every time you and I get on a call,

like, I'm always looking forward to that. I'm like, we have a good giggle. Yeah, those are always fun. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And then, but I remember in the early days of Gimlet um I traveled a lot like pre-covid I like got to see the most like amazing places I got to go to a fracking site that was wild that was I don't know if it was fun, but I remember being, it was like one of my first reporting trips ever.

Like, and I went with Caitlin Kenney and we were getting driven around by like the media operator or whatever of this fracking site. But for some reason, we're in this car with one of the people who work on the site and the media team. And we're in this car with one of the people who work on the site and the media team. And we're in the back seat. I remember this so specifically. And I just start asking, like, what I didn't think were hard questions.

Like, I was just like, oh, you know, have you guys ever had a couple of leaks, some issues or whatever? But all of a sudden they're like, nope, no leaks, never had any problems at all. And I was like, oh, here we go. And because I had in my hot little hands like a document that was like where there had been leaks. I mean, it's a huge operation.

You have any industrial operation like this, you know, Jeff's going to drop the ball on a Tuesday morning or something like something's going to go wrong. And no need to be defensive about that. These things happen. But they were just like, no, no, no, no, no. And then, so we're in this car and I'm like, okay, I'm whipping out the document now. Like, do you want to read the document that says about the leaks?

Like, just acknowledge you've had some leaks. Like, and it just, like, like it went on then they read it and i could see like the like much like titanic the the windows steaming up as things got more and more dense and my memory is just like we're having this it's really tense and the windows are just completely fogged by the end of the conversation and then we were and i just to admit that, like, yes, there had been some leaks. And we were like, okay, now we'll open the door to the car. Just this feeling. Now on to the rest of the day.

Yes. Oh, wow. That is memorable. I was going to say, I think my favorite, one of the most fun times I had was when we were working on the original UFO episode. And you wrote a line that was like, something about like Nutbush City outer limits. Nutbush City and UFOs. And I was like, I never heard that song. And you and Katie Story, who's another Australian who was working on the show, were like, what are you talking about? That is the number one Tina Turner song. And I and the other Americans were like, what are you talking about?

The number one Tina Turner song? Everyone knows it's Proud Mary or like Nutbush City. And then it turns out like Nutbush City is like a huge song in Australia. Yes. Yes. Because there's a dance that goes with it, which is kind of like a Macarena style dance. Okay. We've got a voicemail from Caitlin next.

Okay. Hi there. My name is Caitlin, and my question for Wendy or the team in general is just if doing this podcast has resulted in any lifestyle changes or if it made you just stay the same and keep doing what you're doing. I feel like a lot, actually. I've talked about on the show before, I drink way less alcohol than I used to since we've covered that. And I'm more thoughtful about it. I do too. Yeah, right? Yeah, I do too. Ever since you told me that on some days my protein levels were too low,

I am more aware of my protein, even though I know the whole point of that episode was, like, most of us were eating enough protein. You know, Rose, the episode that's, like, sort of f***ed me up in an annoying way, because I feel like most of the time our shows really like help me live a healthier life or whatever and be my best self, which is what we want the show to be. But the episode that I feel like has turned me into my worst self is our skincare episode. Because until that episode, I didn't know I had wrinkles.

I didn't know what the fine lines were, you know? Oh, no. I was happy about that. I didn't know what anyone else's fine lines were. And now I see them everywhere. I see them everywhere on my face. I see them on other people's face. I'm like, are you using retinol?

Have you had work done? Like, that's in my brain. And I want to, it's been a year now and I like need to get it out. I'm surprised I thought you were going to say it brought your world, your worst self out and that you were like constantly poo-pooing everyone else's skincare routine. That's, that's not science fact. I mean, that's my best self, isn't it? You're just aware of everybody else's, the quality of other people's, and your own skin. Yeah, in a way that I really don't like. Yeah.

What about you, Rose? How have you changed your life? Well, the ultra-processed food episode, I pitched that, and I thought it was going to be overblown. And I thought, like, eh, it's kind of anti-science. Like, don't eat foods so that you can't pronounce the chemicals that are in the food. I was like, that just it's kind of anti-science like don't eat foods so that you can't pronounce the chemicals that are in the food I was like that just sounds kind of like anti-science but yeah I was pretty convinced by the research that's out there that like oh yeah they are bad for you and and sort of mysteriously and so um yeah I don't eat as much

I'm I'm more aware of that I get less fun out of having a bag of Cheetos than I used to. That's the thing, I never have a bag of Cheetos. It's funny you bring up skincare because another question that we got a lot of, and I actually, I wouldn't have put this on the list, Wendy, because I wouldn't think you'd really want to talk about it, but honestly, we got asked it like a dozen times, like several dozen times maybe. What is this question? Somebody, okay,

and someone, including a person called Stock Merchant on TikTok, asked, here's an example. What do you do for your hair? It looks great. I'm a man and I think I have the same type of hair

that not as long and I need tips. They're all complimentary. People want to know what is your hair care routine? Because for those who have, are not watching right now or who have not seen pictures or videos of wendy she has like fairly curly like voluminous beautiful lustrous hair how do you do it how do you do it how do i do it um thanks for the opportunity um

so uh okay so uh Um, thanks for the opportunity. Um, so, uh, okay. So, uh, um, I have tried to go to hairdressers like many people in the world and they all, it's like, I've spent a lot of money. I've spent a little bit of money and my hair looks exactly the same in within two days or whatever. It doesn't matter what they do. And so now to cut my hair, I'll show you, I cut my own hair now and this is what I do. I like, if you're watching on video, you can see it as a hot tip, but I just flick my hair over. I flick it over like that. And then I grab scissors and I just cut it like that.

I just cut it straight. That works. And that is what I do. That's all I do. And then, like, I guess I wash it when I go for a run. I also wash it when I go for a run. But only when I go for a run. With shampoo?

I just use whatever's there. I'm not particular at all. Literally whatever's there. Yeah. That's it. It's entirely genetic. Yeah. My dad has very, very thick hair.

Lucky. Yeah. So since we're wrapping up now, it makes sense to ask this question. It came from Jasmine on Instagram and it had 73 likes the last time I checked. Okay. People asked it on TikTok as well.

They want to know, why do you thank the Zuckerman family at the end of every episode? Oh, well, it started because back in Australia when I was making the show

at the ABC and I hadn't made radio before and I didn't really know what I was doing. So what I would end up doing is sending the episodes to my family. I'm very lucky because like my parents are scientists. My brother's an actor and really, he's really knows story and emotion very well. My sister is an artist and a clown. She's very funny. So it's like also very good at story. So I was like very lucky and they would listen,

not to every single episode, but most of them and give really good notes. And then when I got to come to Gimlet and have the team and everything, I still send my mom most of my episodes. And if I really feel like I'm struggling with an episode, I will still send it to other family members. So that's why I'm just so grateful. Did you send the anal sex episode to your family?

I did not. No? All we need to know okay well we're not going to end there because we have one last voicemail I want to play for you I'm going to just start it

hi I have a question for Wendy Debbie you recognize that voice? that's this is your life. That's my sister, Debbie.

So, my question is, what, Wendy, what do you think about the Kama Sutra being taught

in high school? Okay, but, Are you glad you said such nice things about your family and your sister, Debbie? I can't believe I'm being trolled by my sister.

Trolling you. How do you feel about the Kama Sutra being taught in high school? Okay, so it was in your ninth grade, as you kids call it in America. Thanks for translating. There was a history book. It was big. It was a history book. It was big. It was a big book. Roman Empire.

Earlier to later. Yeah, earlier to later. Exactly. And it had two pages on the Kama Sutra in it. And otherwise, just like a whole bunch of other history of the world. And the book was banned while I was there. Someone complained. And so we were no longer able to read this history book that covered so much of history, two pages on the Kama Sutra, which were like, I don't even remember there were diagrams in there. Whatever. it's just like it's part of history um and i was so appalled that they banned

this book that i photocopied the pages the banned pages of the kamasutra and i stuck them all around the school what that's awesome yeah and what happened did you get in trouble? No, they never found out who it was. And I think... Well, now. That's right. Can you believe that? That's so cool. That was it. Thanks, Debbie.

All right. That comes to the end of our list of questions. That was our very first Science vs. Ask Wendy. Anything I learned so much, but not too much. I learned a lot, but just the right amount. Well, that's it. So thank you so much to our listeners for submitting so many interesting questions. Yeah, thank you so much.

And thanks, Wendy. Thanks, Rose. We'll be back in a couple of weeks with fresh new episodes. Talking about science, not me. I'm really excited about next season. Rose, what are you most excited by? Should we give the listeners a little bit of spoilers? Yeah, I'm working on an episode about microplastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

It's going to be a good one and lots of new cutting-edge research there. Yeah, it's going to be a great season, so we'll be back in just a couple of weeks. Thanks for listening or watching or whatever you're doing, everyone. And while we're away, we're still posting fun stuff on social media, so you can find us on science underscore VS on Instagram. That's on Instagram.

And on TikTok, I am at Wendy Zuckerman. Thanks so much, Rose. Thanks, Wendy. All right. I'm Wendy Zuckerman. Back to you next time.