Been feeling a little strange lately? A bit impulsive, maybe? Feeling a sudden urge to get a pet cat? Sorry to say it, but maybe you’re infected with a scary mind control parasite: specifically, the paraside Toxoplasma gondii. Or… maybe not. It turns out that, despite popular belief, the supposed behavioural effects of T. gondii are supported by ve…

A while back, The Studies Show covered the question of whether smartphones and social media cause mental health problems. Amazingly, that podcast didn’t settle the issue, and the debate has continued—and continued rather acrimoniously. Psychologists—most notably Jonathan Haidt—are currently laying into each other, analysing, re-analysing, and meta-…

It’s in a peer-reviewed paper, so it must be true. Right? Alas, you can only really hold this belief if you don’t know about the peer-review system, and scientific publishing more generally. That’s why, in this episode of The Studies Show, Tom and Stuart break down the traditional scientific publishing process, discuss how it leads science astray, …

Okay, it’s time to finally answer the question: is drinking booze good or bad? Is there really a “J-curve”, such that it’s bad to drink zero alcohol, good to drink a little, and then bad to drink any more than that? What exactly is the “safe level” of alcohol consumption, and why do the meta-analyses on this topic all seem to tell us entirely diffe…

Everyone knows your brain hasn’t finished maturing until you’re 25. That’s so well-known, in fact, that some countries (like Scotland) have built it into their criminal justice system, giving lower sentences to under-25s—even very violent ones—on account of their immature brains. But in this episode of The Studies Show, Tom and Stuart discuss what …

Did your schoolteacher also do the thing with the banana and the condom? It might’ve been cringe and awkward, but just ask the experts: the evidence is “clear and compelling” that sex education classes reduce the likelihood of teenage pregnancy, the transmission of STIs, and even the prevalence of sexual abuse. In this paid-subscriber-only episode …

It’s one of the best-known findings of psychology research: kids who can delay gratification by not eating a marshmallow will grow up healther, wiser, and more successful. But guess what? Later studies had trouble finding the same results. What do we actually know about delaying gratification? Get ready to control yourselves, because in this episod…

We’ve now been making this podcast for a year(!). We thought we’d mark the occasion with a grossly self-indulgent look back through our favourite episodes - and our least favourites, too. We’ve still got a massive list of potential episode topics, but we always want more. Which topics would you like us to look into? Comments below are open to all. …

Remember when they were coming to take your gas stove away? Every so often a study about the effects of air pollution on health goes viral, and we’re reminded again that seemingly innocuous objects—like your kitchen cooker—could be bad for us in unexpected ways. How bad is air pollution? And is it getting any better? In this episode of The Studies …

We all agree that misinformation is bad. So why do we cringe when we hear prominent scientists and commentators talking about “misinformation” these days? It’s because the public discussion on misinformation bears very little relation to what we actually know about it and its effects. Ironically, some scientists—misinformation researchers who shoul…

Last week’s episode covered a man-made existential risk to humanity—nuclear war. But what about natural risks? Could there, right now, be a vast asteroid sailing through space that’ll collide with Earth, sending us go the way of the dinosaurs? In this rocky episode of The Studies Show, Tom and Stuart look at the data on how often we should expect c…

The UK has a new Prime Minister, and one of his first acts will have been to write letters to the captains of our nuclear missile submarines, telling them what to do in the event that the UK gets obliterated by a nuclear strike. But what else might happen after a full-scale nuclear war? Many scientists—most notably Carl Sagan—have theorised that nu…

This week it’s the UK General Election, and lots of other countries either have elections coming soon or have recently voted. Lots of pollsters and political scientists have been attempting to predict the outcomes - but how successful will they be? In this Studies Show election special, Tom and Stuart discuss the various quirks and downsides of opi…

There’s one thing we know Viagra does very well. But what other uses does it have? Can it, as has now been claimed in three separate studies, prevent Alzheimer’s disease? In this priapic paid-only episode of The Studies Show, Tom and Stuart ask if there might be something to the theory that, through some vascular mechanism, Viagra might slow the ef…

The criminal justice system and science are both broadly looking for the same thing - the truth. But in many cases the two don’t mix well. Whether it’s court cases that attempt to decide the truth of a scientific dispute, or the use of fingerprints, DNA, or statistics by the prosecution in a murder case, a lot can go wrong - and there’s a lot at st…

To be addicted to something, you’ve got to… er, actually, what does it mean to be “addicted” to something? We all agree you can be addicted to heroin, but can you also be addicted to videogames, or sex, or listening to podcasts? And actually, it turns out we don’t all agree you can be addicted to heroin - or, at least, people have very different mo…

Should you avoid giving your child peanuts to ensure they don’t develop an allergy? If you’d asked medical authorities this question in the late 90s and early 2000s, you’d get an answer that’s completely opposite to what you’d get now. In this episode of The Studies Show, Tom and Stuart discuss the science behind the medical recommendations on pean…

Many Western countries, most notably the US, had a major decline in their crime rate in the 1990s. About 20 years earlier, the US had banned the use of lead in gasoline. Perhaps you wouldn’t think those two facts are related - but many researchers think this wasn’t a coincidence. After getting distracted and doing a whole episode on lead and IQ a c…

Welcome to another exciting episode of the Social Studies show! Today, we are thrilled to introduce our special guest, Fred Sands IV, an exceptionally talented Art Director and Graphic Designer hailing from the vibrant city of New York. Fred Sands, IV has an impressive background, having served as the Design & Production Coordinator at PAPER Magazi…

In this episode, we're thrilled to introduce you to Reggie Casagrande, an integrated marketing powerhouse whose expertise in brand development, strategy, and digital communications is nothing short of awe-inspiring. With over a decade of experience under her belt, Reggie has carved a unique path in the industry, leaving an indelible mark on culture…

The second part of Amy V. Cooper's Social Studies Show dives into the details of the photography business. She gives a window to the perspective of creatives looking to get their work out to brands as well as working through the ethics of finding the right clients and partners. Amy brings over 25 years of experience in the photography industry to t…

On this episode of the Social Studies Show we have AMY V. Cooper. Amy is a photography consultant, creative business mentor, marketing strategist, thought partner, and mindset coach with over 25 years of experience in the photography industry. She has worked as a photographer agent, advertising agency art buyer, and entertainment & magazine photo e…

On this episode of the Social Studies Show we have Samira Jackson - Account Executive at Art Machine in Hollywood, - Samira has made her way through the ranks working on award winning campaigns Like BlackKKKLansman with Gravillis and taking insights from Spike Lee. On her rise in the entertainment industry she navigated the career path at Leroy and…

On this episode of the Social Studies Show we have Toby Kaufmann - The Creative Director of the Facebook App. She is also the Creative Director of Pur·suit, a digital archive and deck of playing cards re-imagining Catherine Opie’s seminal work from the 90’s, in collaboration with artist Naima Green. In 2020, she curated a show of Naima’s work at Fo…

Keith Hodges' journey to fitness was an unusual one . He got his start by experimenting on himself and transitioned to working with weight loss clients. In this episode of the Social Studies Show he talks about the effects of advertising health within diverse communities and bringing that process to action through procedure in unique training metho…

SANJA KOMLJENOVIC Founder & CEO of ONA CREATIVE began her career in digital marketing with the Los Angeles Clippers and was recruited by Nike.The day after leaving Nike, they hired her as a contractor. This “accidentally” led to more collaborative work and the launch of her creative agency, ONA, developed with a focus on initiatives that move the w…

Terence Lester is a storyteller, public scholar, speaker, community activist, and author who is the founder and Executive Director at Love Beyond Walls a nonprofit organization focused on raising poverty and homelessness awareness and community mobilization. He’s known for nationwide campaigns that bring awareness to homelessness, poverty, and econ…

As Winter approaches we have an appropriate guest to discuss winter fashion and diversity in the marketplace. For this episode of the Social Studies Show we have Eric Tung CEO of Fera Ski Brand. A minority owned, female founded, LGBTQ+ led apparel company that is extremely rare in the outdoor space. Sharing a love of fashion and winter sports Eric …

Val Harvey shares her journey into the entertainment industry as a Hair and Makeup Artist working in Hollywood. Her clients are a who's who of the studios - Disney, ABC, FOX TV and HBO have her on speed dial. Her career in makeup ten years ago starting out at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills. Early on, Val has been sought out by celebrities, photogra…

Kortel Autrey is a Hollywood Stuntman that is on the rise! You’ve seen his work in Straight out of Compton, Bad Boys for Life, Gemini Man, Charm City Kings, Fast and Furious - Hobbies and Shaw, commercials, awards shows and music videos. This all comes from humble beginnings and the desire to create a better life. In this episode we discuss his jou…

Karin Kildow has spent her career focused on helping professional athletes and mission-based brands leverage their social platforms to change the world and impact the causes they care about. Over the last 10 years, she has created social strategies for brands including Beyond Meat, UNINTERRUPTED/The Springhill Company, More Than A Vote, HBO’s The S…

Andrew Alexander King is an African American Explorer but beyond climbing, surfing and diving he is investigating culture, business and philosophy in a unique way through his Between Worlds project. Fresh off his climb to Denali and our first in person interview for The Social Studies Show since the pandemic hit, Andrew shares his perspective of wh…

Jeff Staple is the latest guest on the Social Studies Show. A creative visionary with work encompassing creative direction, fashion design, footwear design, and brand marketing. He has been a driving force in defining what streetwear is. If you aren’t aware of his podcast The Business of Hype you should be, it's one of the best marketing assets on …

Big mountain skiing icon Angel Collinson talks to our host Stan Evans about redefining boundaries and finding serenity in unexpected places. Her journey into the unknown goes beyond exploring remote slopes and venturing into being a catalyst, changing how women in winter sports are perceived and marketed. To round out all the excitement and adventu…

This session will examine the importance of creating content that reflects and connects with diverse communities and how to build stronger connections through content. Moderator: Stan Evans, Stan Evans Photography and Social Studies Show Evans is a portrait photographer that has a deep passion for lifestyle, athletic and motorized imagery. He also …

When you look up OG of climbing Conrad Anker’s picture is the dictionary. He’s been to the mountaintop as many times as MLK’s speech has been repeated. His accolades are fascinating and people really should Google them all, he was the team leader of The North Face climbing team for 26 years until 2018. In 1999, he located George Mallory's body on E…

After the cover portrait session with Russell Winfield, the First Black Professional Snowboarder, I sat down to have a frank discussion on the origins of my photo career and what it took to become the First Black Professional Snowboard Photographer. Some stories take place behind the lens and while I have spent so much of my time documenting winter…

In this episode we have Peter Stark, Executive Creative Director of A/V PRINT, the new print division at A/V SQUAD. Beneath the laid back exterior of one of my favorite spiritual gurus and a great mentor lies the heart of a creative powerhouse. Peter’s vision has driven print campaigns for movies and shows such as Game of Thrones, Joker, Wonder Wom…

In this episode we talk with Brendon Ayanbadejo, Super Bowl Champ, 3 time Pro Bowler and former Baltimore Raven. As an NFL player, Brendon wasted no time in establishing himself as a leader in the locker room, through his role as Team Captain and NFL Players Union representative yet his tenacity off the field possibly eclipses his goals on the grid…

Over the past week I’ve had more phone calls, emails, texts, and DMs from friends, acquaintances and colleagues, than ever before in my life…. The overwhelming theme of these conversations was the difficulty of white America to understand the depth and severity of Racism. This is nothing new to me, as I have dealt with it my whole life. However, fo…

Over the past week I’ve had more phone calls, emails, texts, and DMs from friends, acquaintances and colleagues, than ever before in my life…. The overwhelming theme of these conversations was the difficulty of white America to understand the depth and severity of Racism. This is nothing new to me, as I have dealt with it my whole life. However, fo…

"In this episode of the Social Studies Show, Arturo Nunez of AIE creative returns to discuss brands and collabs that can provoke social awareness and authenticity. Engaging with customers, lending a voice to the causes and a positive way to monetize. He discusses why Bryan Stevenson is his hero and the humanity of his TED Talk inspired his own abou…

Tony has been honored as a History Shaker by Coca Cola, A Barrier Breaker by Marriott International, and received the Generation Titan Prize from Google.His work has been featured by NBC, Forbes 30 under 30, The Huffington Post, Inc. MAGAZINE, HelloBeautiful, EdSurge, and Quartz.He’s shared his message at SXSW, Columbia University, and San Diego Co…

In this episode we talk with Rebecca Feaman Williams VP, Group Creative Director at Burrell Communications She has been creating award-winning, campaigns for variety of products and services for over 20 years. Her adaptive and energetic style has garnered numerous awards from the Association of National Advertisers, Ad Age as well as the Telly and …

In this episode we meet with Colonel Stanley Evans –(Ret) in his current job as Assistant Dean of Students at the University of Oklahoma. As a career soldier and an educator we discuss the impact of Colin Kaepernick kneeling from a military service point of view and what ARMY as a brand means in the realm of marketing for someone who served over 30…

A podcast exploring the relationship between advertising and activism. Using both methods to influence change in culture, mindfulness, and profitability. In this episode we explore advertising, activism and the impact of global brands with a rare inside view from Arturo Nunez, who previously was CMO Apple Latin America and Vice President Global Mar…

We discuss representations of love in the media, heteronormative dating apps, and the algorithms behind the technology which more and more people are using to find "love." What does the data show? What are the limits of our free will in modern dating - are our decisions being invisibly guided?Articles discussed: "How AI Can Help You Find a Date"htt…

We sit down with Samara Mejia Hernandez, Senior Associate at MATH Venture Partners, and Sabrina Mutukisna, co-founder and CEO of The Town Kitchen, to discuss bias and discrimination in tech. More about Sabrina and The Town Kitchen: https://thetownkitchen.com/about/ More about Samara and MATH Venture Partners: http://www.mathventurepartners.com/sama…

After a few weeks away, we're getting back into Studies Show and recording new episodes. Here's a brief update on what we've been up to, and look for another new post very soon!Studies Show

We discuss the New York Times op-ed, "Do Millenial Men What Stay-at-Home Wives?": https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/31/opinion/sunday/do-millennial-men-want-stay-at-home-wives.htmlPepin and Cotter research: https://contemporaryfamilies.org/2-pepin-cotter-traditionalism/Fate-Dixon research: https://contemporaryfamilies.org/7-fate-dixon-millennials-ret…