Dope Labs

Plant-based meat substitutes have come a long way since frozen veggie patties with big chunks of carrots and sharpie grill marks. Now, companies like Impossible Foods are making plant-based burgers that look, smell, taste and bleed like real meat. In this Lab, Titi and Zakiya learn about what new ingredients are making these burgers more like real meat, and the scientific process of mass producing...

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, Titi and Zakiya discuss the huge impact of European colonialism in North America, not only from the severe depopulation of Indigenous peoples, but also the relationships they cultivated with the plants, animals, and the environment around them. Guest: Dr. Nicholas Reo. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/liste...

Daylight Saving time has just ended and we are NOT happy! In this lab Titi and Zakiya take a closer look at this yearly practice to find out whose bright idea this was, what time is, and if anything is REALLY saved with daylight saving. Guest: Dr. Laura Grant. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

It’s officially Titi and Zakiya’s favorite time of year! SPOOKY SEASON! So they called on the hosts of the Travel Channel’s Ghost Brothers: Haunted Houseguests to walk them through the tech they use for hunting ghosts, and then break down the science of paranormal activity. Guests: Juwan Mass, Marcus Harvey, and Dalen Spratt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnys...

The primary election is in full swing, and our feeds are full of political polls that are surveying everything from who’s on top, to each candidates favorite comfort food. In this episode, Titi & Zakiya dive into polling to understand survey methodology (how polls are designed) and how to make sense of the results. Guest: Dr. Rachel Bitecofer. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone....

Whether it’s robocalls, catfishing, Tekashi 6ix9ine, or Aunt Becky - it seems like everyone is out here scamming!! But why do WE keep falling for them? We turned to Dr. Lasana Harris to help us understand human motivations and interpersonal behaviors making us susceptible to these schemes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy inform...

Our city boy/hot girl summers are coming to a close, and while we will miss summer, there’s one thing we won’t miss - mosquitoes. We all were bitten by mosquitoes…A LOT. But mosquitoes don’t just make us itchy - a recent New York Times article called them “the deadliest human predators on the planet.” In this episode, we put mosquitoes under the microscope - why do they need our blood in the first...

Dope Labs is back for Semester 2 on September 12, with a whole new batch of episodes dropping every other Thursday. And we want to hear from you! Call us at 202-567-7028 and tell us what you think we should dissect this semester.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

From the BET awards to the NBA awards folks are coming out looking GOODT from head to toe! Getting dressed up is easy, but Titi and Zakiya want to know how everyone's faces look so flawless. So, in this episode they dive into the chemistry, material science and biology of looking like BAE. And for a little help, they enlist all-star beauty expert Joanna Simkin, whose clientele includes Issa Rae, M...

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. Show Notes:  https://www.dopelabspodcast.com/podcast-episodes/AllADream Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystud...

If you are into true crime this lab is for you! For decades, the “Golden State Killer” case had zero leads. Then, in 2018, investigators found a suspect using an online genealogy database. In today’s Lab, Titi & Zakiya dive into all things commercial genetic testing to find out how all of these at-home DNA kits are getting your 3rd cousins locked up! Guest: Erin Murphy, JD Show Notes:  https:/...

Caster Semenya lost her case against the International Association of Athletics Federation (IAAF). Titi & Zakiya take a deep dive into the world of hormones, specifically testosterone. What makes it so special? How does it affect performance? How does the IAAF decide cutoff values? What in the policing women’s bodies hell is going on here?!? They have questions and want to see the IAAF's lab n...

Prompted by Elizabeth Warren's bold proposal, the 3,582 Democratic Primary candidates are starting to get serious about addressing the student loan crisis. T & Z use economics and policy (yes, it's science!) to better understand the root of the problem, and what we can do to fix it. Guest: Colleen Campbell Show Notes: https://www.dopelabspodcast.com/podcast-episodes/2019/5/9/lab-007-show-me-th...

Beyonce just dropped Homecoming, basically forcing us all to bow down to the EPITOME of a star. But Titi and Zakiya want to know, what do the stars in our galaxy have in common with the biggest star on Earth? Guest: Amy Steele Show Notes: https://www.dopelabspodcast.com/podcast-episodes/starchella Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privac...

We want vibranium and we want it now! Titi and Zakiya explore the depths of vibranium's capabilities and try to find things in the world that come close. Guest: Dr. James Kakalios. Show Notes: https://www.dopelabspodcast.com/podcast-episodes/wakanda Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After being eradicated in the US in 2000, measles is back with a vengeance. There are already over 250 confirmed cases in 2019. What's next, the Black Plague is back?! In this week's lab, Titi and Zakiya apply the sciences of epidemiology, medicine, and communication to better understand all of the back and forth that's happening around viruses and vaccines, and how various influences, including c...

The internet has become a petri dish for lies and we are SHOOK. So we decided to unpack all kinds of scientific theories around why we lie, and what we can do to stop it. Guest: Iyamide House of Sabanoh Mental Health. To learn more, visit sabanoh.com. Show Notes: https://www.dopelabspodcast.com/podcast-episodes/2019/3/15/lab-003-lie-to-me Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoi...

<p> It’s not just women wearing weaves and wigs! Thanks to Safaree and Tyga, men are no longer keeping their hair restoration procedures a secret. Titi and Zakiya use psychology, biology and genetics to get to the root of what’s going on with our hair, or lack thereof. Guest: Dr. Monte Oyd Harris. To learn more about Dr. Harris, visit here .</p> <p> Show Notes: https://www.dopela...

Dope Labs premieres on February 14th, with new episodes dropping every other Thursday. Follow us on Spotify, or wherever you get your podcast fix. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.