Science Vs

Wendy Zukerman has a very specific talent: she can take a hot-button topic that everyone has strong opinions about and calmly walk through what the actual evidence says. Science Vs, produced by Spotify Studios, has been doing this since 2015 across 317 episodes, and the formula still works. Fad diets, wellness trends, gun control, happiness research — if people are arguing about it, Wendy and her team are reading the papers. The format is part interview, part investigative journalism. Wendy talks to researchers and experts, but the show also layers in original reporting, sound design from Bobby Lord, and music that gives each episode a distinct personality. Episodes run 35-50 minutes, releasing weekly, and they're marked explicit because the show doesn't shy away from direct language about sensitive subjects. That willingness to be blunt is part of its charm. The audience reception is split along predictable lines. Listeners who value evidence-based analysis rate it highly — the research is thorough and well-sourced. Critics argue the show occasionally picks sides or frames topics through a particular lens. That tension is probably inevitable for any show that fact-checks popular beliefs. The 4.4-star rating from nearly 12,000 reviewers reflects both camps. Recent episodes have tackled the science of relationships and the physiological effects of tear gas. The show goes where the questions are, and Wendy's Australian-accented delivery keeps even heavy topics from feeling grim. If you want a podcast that actually reads the studies instead of just citing headlines, Science Vs delivers.