PODCAST · science
I Came For Science
by Laura Sirot
Welcome to I Came For Science: a show that explores all things sex, reproduction, and inclusion in STEM! Your host is Laura Sirot, a professor of Biology who has been studying animal sex for over 30 years. Join us as we normalize talking about the intersections of sex and science, as well as hearing about the lived experiences of the scientists that study it. To get in touch, email us at [email protected] or message us on X or Instagram @icameforscience. Visit our website at: https://www.icameforscience.org/
Episodes
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Episode 31: Paternal care #2: Flipping the Dad switch
How does the brain learn that babies are worth paying attention to? In the last episode, we focused on understanding how males behave in species with optional paternal care. We continue on this theme by learning about a species with obligate paternal care. Dr. Melina Acosta talks to us about her...
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Episode 30: Paternal Care #1: Finicky Fathers
Parents, have you ever felt like you face a tradeoff between parenting and self-care? You are not alone! In this episode, we talk about parenting-- specifically, male parental care in red-winged blackbirds. It turns out, in this species, some males help care for the offspring and others do not....
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Episode 29: Sneaky Spider Sex
Most of us have received a disappointing gift at some point, maybe an ugly sweater from a relative, or a beautifully wrapped package that turns out to be completely useless. Humans know this feeling well. But surprisingly, so do spiders. In this episode, our guest, Dr. Maria Albo, takes us into…
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Episode 28: Something Fishy: The Science of Sperm Parasitism
Imagine a species where females rely on males from another species to reproduce… but never use their genes. That’s not science fiction, that’s real biology, and we are here to tell you the story of the Amazon Molly. In this episode, Laura is joined by Sanaa Khan, a PhD Candidate at University of...
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Episode 27: Beauty is in the ear of the beholder: the science of mate choice in frogs
Ahhh, frogs calling. A sure sign of spring. But can you tell the difference between the songs of attractive and unattractive frogs? Our guest, Olivia Feagles, can. In this episode, Dr. Feagles explains how to measure the attractiveness of frog calls. In her studies, she found that female frogs…
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Episode 26: Longer penises, thicker vaginas, and other stories from the field of genital research
Welcome back to Season 5 of I Came For Science. We launch this season with an interview with Patty Brennan, the OG of genital co-evolution research and so much more. In this episode, we talk about her research, her science advocacy, and how her identity as a Latina in STEM has shaped her science...
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Episode 25: Masturbation: An Evolutionary Perspective
In the spirit of normalizing talking about topics related to sex, we give you "Masturbation: An Evolutionary Perspective". In this episode, Laura interviews evolutionary biologist Matilda Brindle about her research in which she uses evolutionary methods to test hypotheses about when and why...
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Episode 24: The Science of Adolescent Porn Use
Most tweens and teens have been exposed to porn, whether intentionally or unintentionally. What are the impacts of porn use on adolescents? How should parents or guardians respond to adolescent porn use? These are some of the important questions being addressed by our guest in this episode, Dr....
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Episode 23: Cetacean Clitorises: How they were discovered and why they matter
After Episode 22 where we discussed the diversity and evolution of male genitalia, we had lots of questions. One thing we were left wondering was why we know less about female genitalia and what is the current state of this field. To dig into this topic more, Laura interviewed Dara Orbach who...
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Episode 22: Wild and Wacky Penises: More than just sperm transporters
Did you know that animal penises come in a wide variety and that some animals have bones in their penises? In this episode, Laura talks with biologists Dave Hosken and Matt Dean about the wide variety of penises found in different animal species. We discuss some of our favorite examples and then...
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Episode 21: Plan M: The Past, Present, and Future of Male Contraceptives
Did you ever wonder why there are not more male contraceptives? In this episode, team member Daphne Trillana asks the question "where are the promised new male contraceptives"? Laura and Daphne discuss this issue and then Laura talks with two experts in the field: Logan Nickels of The Male...
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Episode 20: Sexy conservation: How the science of sex is saving pygmy rabbits and pandas
Welcome back to Season 4 of I Came For Science. In this episode, Laura interviews Dr. Meg Martin about her research on conservation breeding. Conservation breeding is a method of increasing the populations of endangered and threatened species by having them breed in captivity and then releasing…
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Episode 19: The State of Science Funding in the U.S.
In this episode, we embrace a different meaning of our title "I Came For Science" by standing up for science funding. One of our production team members, Lain Patton, interviews our host, Laura Sirot, about how science funding works in the U.S. and what the recent changes mean for the current and...
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Episode 18: Y is a crooked letter: A curious scientist's deep dive into asexuality, sexual cannibalism and dealing with criticism
Were you that kid who always kept asking "But, why?" after adults in your life answered questions. Or, do you know a kid like that? Our guest for this episode, Dr. Nathan Burke, was that kid. His parents and teachers would get annoyed by all his questions until he found "his people" among...
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Episode 17: The Science of Female Arousal, Part 2: The WaterSlyde
In this episode, we continue exploring the science of female arousal. Laura interviews Maureen Pollack, a mompreneur. She is the inventor of the WaterSlyde, a water-based device designed for female pleasure. Maureen explains how she developed the idea and the prototype for the WaterSlyde and what...
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Episode 16: The Science of Female Arousal, Part 1: The WISH Lab
We are now embarking on an exploration of the science of female arousal. In the first episode of this series, Laura interviews her former student and current colleague, Harper Jones. Harper is pursuing a PhD in clinical psychology in the Women's Integrative Sexual Health (WISH) Lab. In this...
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Episode 15: The Science of Sex Education: Debunking Misconceptions
Welcome back to Season 3 of I Came For Science. If you are just joining us as a listener, we encourage you to listen back to Seasons 1 and 2 to hear our episodes on a range of topics including pubic hair, polyamory, spider sex, reproductive losses, and queer family building. Whether you like it…
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Episode 14: The Science of Sperm Storage
In our final episode of Season 2, we explore the science of sperm storage. Sperm storage occurs when sperm viability is maintained outside of the male reproductive tract. This process happens, at least for some time period, naturally in all internally-conceiving animals. Sperm storage is also…
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Episode 13: Reproductive Losses Part 2: Non-human Animals
This episode follows up on Episode 12 which explored reproductive losses in humans. In this episode, Laura interviews primatologist and endocrinologist Dr. Jacinta Beehner about reproductive losses in non-human animals. Jacinta explores this topic through the lens of female reproductive…
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Episode 12: Reproductive Losses, Part 1: Humans
This episode follows up on our last episode about family building. In this episode, Laura talks with Dr. Christa Craven about reproductive losses, especially as they are experienced by people who are LGBTQ+. These losses come in a variety of forms and times during the family building process and...
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Episode 11: Queer Family Building
In this episode, Laura interviews Liam Kali a licensed midwife who is a pioneer in extending the practice of midwifery to queer families. Liam literally wrote the book about queer family building through conception. Liam describes their professional and personal journey becoming a parent, a…
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Episode 10: Polyamory 101
Are you curious about polyamory? If so, you’ve come to the right place. In this episode, Laura discusses scientific and personal aspects of polyamory with Amanda Anastasia Paniagua. Amanda is a graduate student in higher education administration, with an interest in the science of polyamory.…
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Episode 9: From politics to the Olympics: what people don't understand about the biology of sex
There has been a lot of talk this year about sex and gender. In this episode, Laura interviews Dr. Gita Kolluru who studies variation in sexual morphology and behavior across non-human animals. Dr. Kolluru explains the difference between sex and gender. Then, she explains the tremendous variation...
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Episode 8: What to expect from a sexual assault evidence collection
Welcome back to Season 2 of I Came For Science. This episode is a follow-up to Episode 6 from Season 1 about the clearing of Ohio's backlog of sexual assault testing kits. In this episode, Laura interviews forensic nurse, Joey Compton, of Aultman Serenity Program about what survivors of sexual...
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Episode 7: How I Came For Science
In this last episode of Season 1, Laura is interviewed by her former student and current co-host, Natalia, about her winding journey of studying the science of sex and reproduction. They discuss Laura’s lows as she struggled with not feeling like she belonged as well as her highs as she realized...
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Episode 6: From 14,000 to 0: How Ohio cleared its sexual assault test kit backlog and why it matters
Imagine if you were sexually assaulted, decided to get evidence collected from your body, and then that evidence sat uninvestigated for decades. In 2010, this was the reality for about 14,000 victims of sexual assault in Ohio alone. In this episode, Laura interviews criminologist Dr. Rachel…
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Episode 5: Fruit flies (and a scientist) without borders
Laura talks with her colleague, Dr. Diana Pérez Staples, a research professor at the Universidad Veracruzana in Xalapa, Mexico, who has conducted research in six different countries on four different continents. Dr. Pérez Staples provides a cross-cultural perspective on the challenges and…
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Episode 4: Spider Sex, Scientific Subjectivity, and Standing with Survivors
This is a powerful one. It is a discussion with your host, Laura Sirot, and her colleague, Eileen Hebets, who studies the reproductive behavior of arachnids. We talk about how our early life experiences influence our research questions, and the work Eileen is doing to support survivors of sexual...
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Episode 3: The Caramel Effect, X’s and O’s, and Other Insights for Mentorship in STEM
If you are a mentor or a mentee, this episode is for you! Laura talks with her mentor, Mariana Wolfner, who studies molecular and genetic mechanisms of reproduction in fruit flies. Mariana is a distinguished professor at Cornell University and a member of the National Academy of Sciences. We...
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Episode 2: Prepping for PrEP
Please join us for a very special episode. It’s a story about one man’s decision to take the HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, PrEP. But it is so much more. It is a story of love between a mother and son. It’s a coming out story. It’s a story about how trans-generational trauma can be turned into...
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Episode 1: Let's Talk About Pubic Hair
Welcome to I Came For Science: a show that explores all things sex, reproduction, and inclusion in STEM! Your host is Laura Sirot, a professor of Biology who has been studying animal sex for over 30 years. Join us as we normalize talking about the intersections of sex and science, as well as...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Welcome to I Came For Science: a show that explores all things sex, reproduction, and inclusion in STEM! Your host is Laura Sirot, a professor of Biology who has been studying animal sex for over 30 years. Join us as we normalize talking about the intersections of sex and science, as well as hearing about the lived experiences of the scientists that study it. To get in touch, email us at [email protected] or message us on X or Instagram @icameforscience. Visit our website at: https://www.icameforscience.org/
HOSTED BY
Laura Sirot
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does I Came For Science have?
I Came For Science currently has 31 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is I Came For Science about?
Welcome to I Came For Science: a show that explores all things sex, reproduction, and inclusion in STEM! Your host is Laura Sirot, a professor of Biology who has been studying animal sex for over 30 years. Join us as we normalize talking about the intersections of sex and science, as well as...
How often does I Came For Science release new episodes?
I Came For Science has 31 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to I Came For Science?
You can listen to I Came For 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 I Came For Science?
I Came For Science is created and hosted by Laura Sirot.
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