Dope Labs

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 place, what kind of illnesses do they carry, and why do some people (Titi) get bitten more than others. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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/adchoicesSee 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, Marsai Martin and Regina Hall.Show Notes: https://www.dopelabspodcast.com/podcast-episodes/2019/7/3/lab-011-i-look-like-bae Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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, JDShow Notes: https://www.dopelabspodcast.com/podcast-episodes/2019/6/6/lab-009-how-not-to-get-away-with-murder Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 notebooks! Guest: Dr. Anthony HackneyShow Notes: https://www.dopelabspodcast.com/podcast-episodes/2019/5/23/lab-008-fair-play Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 CampbellShow Notes: https://www.dopelabspodcast.com/podcast-episodes/2019/5/9/lab-007-show-me-the-money Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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 SteeleShow Notes: https://www.dopelabspodcast.com/podcast-episodes/starchella Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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/adchoicesSee 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 celebrity (ahem, Jenny McCarthy) and social media can affect our health behavior. Guest: Dr. Rupali Limaye of Johns Hopkins University.Show Notes: https://www.dopelabspodcast.com/podcast-episodes/2019/3/29/sq9i2u5cg7owxvxvobfmten973s8cs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.