PODCAST · science
Frivolous Science
by Frivolous Science
Politicians love to mock "wasteful" government spending on research—from shrimp on treadmills to the sex lives of screwworm flies. But what's the real story behind these headline-grabbing studies? In Frivolous Science, we go beyond the soundbites to talk with scientists about the research that gets ridiculed. Discover what your tax dollars are actually funding, why this research matters, and experience the unexpected joy of scientific discovery that happens when curiosity leads the way.Creator & Host: Houda KhaledArtwork: Houda Khaled
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Fly Propaganda
Today's bonus episode features the full interview with Dr. Christina May, who shares her thoughts on the wonders of working with flies, and a peek into the effect of sugar on the brain.Creator & Host: Houda KhaledLink to the papers: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2019.04.027https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.54530Music by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue):Castor Wheel PivotGriddleKake*Minor correction: The human brain has closer to ~100 billion neurons, rather than a trillion - Dr. May's initial guess. Still orders of magnitude more than the ~100K in a fly!*
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Sweet, Salty & Savory Dreams
Dr. William Ja uses fruit flies to study food comas. Do flies get sleepy after eating? Do we? Why is that even worth knowing? And what do flies and Lamborghini's have in common? Dr. Ja discusses his research, the unknown purpose of food comas, and how what we eat might affect our sleep (and vice versa)!Creator & Host: Houda KhaledMusic by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)Link to paper: https://elifesciences.org/articles/19334Full transcript at: https://frivolousscience.substack.com/
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Squeaky Sonnets
Dr. Ralph Emilio Peterson follows rats around New York City with a mic and a camera. Is it a silly pet project, or a creative pest control solution? Dr. Peterson discuss his research, and we get a sneak peak into the secret "language" of rats.Creator & Host: Houda KhaledMusic by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)Link to the preprint: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.07.21.665423v1.fullFull transcript and rat videos at https://frivolousscience.substack.com/***Correction: I say that the rat recordings are pitched up for us to hear, but they are actually pitched down! They are altered from high frequency (that we can't hear) to lower frequency.***
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Meet Frivolous Science!
Are your taxes being wasted on scientist pet projects? What do headlines get wrong when they lambast studies on "fruit flies in Paris" and "shrimp on treadmills"? Welcome to Frivolous Science, where we meet with scientists behind some of the silliest sounding studies to get to the bottom of what their research is really about. The first episode premieres December 1st - tell all your friends!Creator & Host: Houda KhaledMusic by Blue Dot Sessions (www.sessions.blue)Full transcript at https://frivolousscience.substack.com/
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Politicians love to mock "wasteful" government spending on research—from shrimp on treadmills to the sex lives of screwworm flies. But what's the real story behind these headline-grabbing studies? In Frivolous Science, we go beyond the soundbites to talk with scientists about the research that gets ridiculed. Discover what your tax dollars are actually funding, why this research matters, and experience the unexpected joy of scientific discovery that happens when curiosity leads the way.Creator & Host: Houda KhaledArtwork: Houda Khaled
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Frivolous Science
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Frivolous Science have?
Frivolous Science currently has 4 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Frivolous Science about?
Politicians love to mock "wasteful" government spending on research—from shrimp on treadmills to the sex lives of screwworm flies. But what's the real story behind these headline-grabbing studies? In Frivolous Science, we go beyond the soundbites to talk with scientists about the research that gets...
How often does Frivolous Science release new episodes?
Frivolous Science has 4 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Frivolous Science?
You can listen to Frivolous Science on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Frivolous Science?
Frivolous Science is created and hosted by Frivolous Science.
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