Chapter 1: Ask Wendy Anything
WZ: Hi, I'm Wendy Zukerman and you're listening to, and watching Science Vs.
WZ: We're doing an Ask Me Anything, while we are busily working on episodes for next season, diving into the science, doing a bunch of research. We thought we'd take a little break and take your questions. And if you are listening to this on Spotify, you can be watching this too, because we are on video.
That's right. Hello. So you can see my face. You can also see the face of the Quizmaster, the person who will be asking me the questions, dishing out the goss.
Senior producer, Rose Rimler. Hello.
RR: Hello.
WZ: How are you feeling, Quizmaster? Is this a role you've always wanted to play in life? You know, asking questions.
RR: Um yeah, I'm an extremely nosy person and I don't often get to, uh, pepper people with questions, um, the way that I would like to. However, they are not my questions, they are listener questions. So we put various call outs for questions from listeners and we got like hundreds on TikTok and Instagram. We heard from people all over the US, but also from Germany and Costa Rica and, um, this crazy backwater place called Melbourne, Australia. Even got some calls from there.
WZ: [00:04:00] So that’s my mom? My mom called you? That's great.
RR: And, uh, yes.
WZ: I'm nervous. I'm nervous. I know when I was kicked out of the AMA Slack channel, it was the Wendy has been removed. I was like, Oh man, what's this? What are these questions? Um, all right. I'm excited. I'm nervous. I don't talk about myself a lot on the show, I feel like, so, um, [00:05:00] here we go.
RR: Yeah, so most of these questions you are not aware of, you don't know what's coming, I have seen them, of course, in advance. Some of them are a little spicy, some of them are a little personal.
WZ: Oh, no.
RR: And I think, uh, we're gonna get some interesting, we're gonna squeeze the Wendy fruit and we're gonna get some good juice, I think. So, we're going to get started after the break.
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Chapter 2: Wendy’s bad date
RR: Welcome back. Today We are asking Wendy questions. It's an ask Wendy anything extravaganza and I've got our first question queued up. It's from Jessa, um, on Instagram and she asked [00:11:00] Wendy, what's your worst and best dating experience story?
RR: If you want, you can just tell us your worst because I feel like that's going to be a funnier story.
WZ: Yeah, no one wants to hear Yeah, we fell in love. Um, yeah. Ah! Ah! Almost made you laugh. Um, okay. Worst, worst dating experience, um, was when I was meeting up with a guy, uh, like maybe it was the first date or something. Oh my God. I just, I was like, where did I meet him?
WZ: You know where I met him, Rose? It was at a model UN conference. Ah I’m such a nerd.
Um, a model UN conference, I think. Anyway, so we met, we met to go see a movie. We were going to get coffee before or whatever. He was really late. And then he just arrived, like no apology, no real reason for it. But I'm like, whatever, we go see a movie.
WZ: He takes his shoes off in the movie and his socks and his feet really smell.
RR: Oh my god, that is so weird.
WZ: Yeah, it was so weird.
RR: That's pretty bad. That's pretty bad.
WZ: And he put them up! Oh, that's critical. He put them up on the seat. So, so it was like closer to my nose. Like, and I, I'm a very smelly person. I want to make that clear. Like I'm not someone who's like, Oh, a little BO or whatever. Like, but this [00:13:00] was, this was next level.
Chapter 3: Wendy gets hypnotized
RR: Okay, our next question is from Jenny on Instagram. Um, what's something that you do even though the science doesn't support it? We got actually a few different versions of this question, actually.
WZ: Okay, this is a very good question. Um, I would say [00:16:00] generally I do follow the advice of science. Like I'm not, you know, squirreling away astrology charts, I am true to the show, but, you know, but I, am I not human Rose? Do I not bleed?
RR: That's the question .
WZ: Okay. So, um, I've had moments of weakness. So, um, somewhat recently I was, um, I was getting a massage, which is not, that's fine, uh, that's a nice, that's a lovely thing to do. I do it every now and then. Um, and, my, the masseuse who, she's very lovely. She said that the jaw muscles, um, my jaw muscles were incredibly tight cause I grind my teeth, which I know I do. And she said that she also does hypnosis for tooth grinding, and would I be interested? So, um, at first I was like, no, no, no, no, like you're my, you're my masseuse and you're very good at that. Like, I don't, I don't need hypnosis from my masseuse. Um, but then, so, uh, uh, yeah, I did get hypnosis from my masseuse.
RR: You’re like actually …
WZ: And, um, she just, she just sort of has like healing, like healing energy, which is also not a very science versus-y concept, but she just seems like someone who might be able to help me. So in the end, I was like, let's give it a go. Let's give it a go. Um, and so I went in – Have you ever done hypnosis, Rose? Have you ever been hypnotized?
RR: No, nuh-uh.
WZ: Okay. Okay. So, for me, what she said was basically to visualize that you're on the top of a staircase and, um, there's 10 steps and you're going down the steps. And so she's like, you know, sttep nine, step eight. And it's very slow and I’m really imagining the staircase. And I could feel myself like getting a little kind of woozy the rest of the world, like melted away a little bit. And, um, then we get to step three and a name pops into my head, Patrick bleep, out of the Blue. And this is the name of, uh, of someone who I used to be really good friends with in Sydney. And then I went to New York and we weren't in touch. For like, I don't know, almost 10 years. And then when I moved back to Australia, I was like, oh, I'd really like to get in touch with that friend and I couldn't remember his name.
WZ: And so for like a year now, I've been like, oh my God, like we, we organized a food fight together. How could I not remember his name? And here in the middle of hypnosis, it comes to me. And I'm so excited, I'm like, oh my God, that's his name, that's his name! Um, that I completely forget what I'm doing. And then I hear her say, And now open a door. And I'm like, Oh no! I'm supposed to be sorting out my tooth grinding.
WZ: And I like, I was like, Oh no. So I was like, Oh bleep. Can we go back? Can we go back to like the stair number three? Like maybe. And so she's like, sure, sure, sure. We'll go back to stair number three. It's back on stair number three. And then I was like, She's like, stair number two. And we, and then she goes, stair number one. And then we see a door and then you open a door and like, I'm sort of getting back into it, but half my brain's like, nah, nah, nah, we're out, we're out. And then she's like, what do you see? And the first image that popped into my head was. My moon boot when I broke my foot.
RR: Yeah
WZ: In like 2018 and I just start crying
RR: Wow
WZ: Just like, out of nowhere. Um, and I just start crying and I'm like blubbering and I'm like, because when I broke my foot, it like took ages to heal. And I was very vulnerable during that. I don't know. I just, I really didn't handle it well cause I like couldn't run, I couldn't live my life, I couldn't bike, anyway. And I just kept going for like x-ray after x-ray. And they were just like, it's not healing, it's not healing. And it was just like a really, yucky time for me. And, um, anyway, and I guess it just like – and maybe that was when I started grinding my teeth. I actually don't know. I don't know. But it was just a very, it was a very strange experience.
RR: Have you been grinding your teeth since then? Did it help with the tooth grinding?
WZ: No, I still grind my teeth.
RR: Yeah.
WZ: Um, yeah, so no, it didn't help, but, uh, something happened, you know? I guess that's sort of like an unsciencey thing to do.
RR: What’s the, what about that experience is pseudoscience-y, I guess.
WZ: Yeah, so we've done an episode on hypnosis, and I know hypnosis in itself isn't. Isn't garbage, but I didn't do any research on whether it can help with tooth grinding. Oh, okay. I guess the idea that I didn't go to like a, a specialist, but instead went to my masseuse who had sort of just like healing, really nice energy I just, I just, I went to a healer, um, yeah.
RR: I just have to circle back to one thing. Did you say you organized a food fight with Patrick bleep?
WZ: I did. I did. Um, so we just invited our friends and we went to lunch. And then we just started throwing food and hoped that they would join in, and they did. Yeah, it was really nice. It was really nice, it was really fun,
RR: Next up we have, uh, one that is very sweet. It's from a super fan named Ryan, um, in California.
Ryan: Uh, I'm kind of curious, Wendy, what are the arts that help kind of fill you up and make you whole? Like what music or movies or books or just any art at all. Like what helps complete you as a person? If you don't mind sharing that.
WZ: Oh, that's a lovely question.
RR: Yeah
WZ: Um, I, I really love going, um, to galleries on my own and just soaking up the art and seeing beautiful things, um, fills me up. I also love looking up at trees. Um, it's something I've done ever since I was in primary school and you go to school camp. And I've just ever since then, if I'm ever just like, really, I've had enough, I could just go outside and like look up at a tree
Chapter 4: Wendy and Rose’s Roman Empires
RR: Okay, so we are gonna do something a little different now.
WZ: Mm-Hmm.
RR: This is our lightning round. So, fastest answer you can come up with wins.
WZ: Okay
RR:Okay. Ready? Are you ready?
WZ: I've got like a buzzer. I've got like a buzzer. This is what I was born to do.
RR: Yeah, you don't have to ring in because you're the only one here. Um, but if that helps you. WZ: I think I'm going to win. I think I'm going to win.
RR: You're 100 percent guaranteed of winning.
WZ: Yeah.
RR: Okay. Are you ready?
WZ: Ready.
RR:What's your favorite coffee order?
WZ: Uh, oat cappuccino.
RR: What's your favorite sandwich?
WZ: a really good salad sandwich.
RR: Is a hot dog a sandwich?
WZ: No.
RR: Top three movies?
WZ: Indiana Jones, the third one. Back to the Future, the first one. Uh.
RR: The Mighty Ducks?
WZ:. Nah, never really into the Mighty Ducks.
RR: Oh, I thought that was your movie.
WZ: Nah. I recently returned to the Bourne films and they're really good and they really hold up. So let's go with like, you know, Bourne Identity.
RR: What's your Roman empire?
WZ: It's like your thing, your big, big thing.
RR: A thing that you keep thinking about.
WZ: I guess it's Science Vs.
RR: Like I was thinking, my Roman empire, I do think about Abraham Lincoln kind of a lot. More than really makes sense.
WZ: Like the assassination or?
RR: All aspects
WZ: it's so funny because I forget that you're American.
RR: Thank you. Oh my God, thanks.
WZ: Like, I dunno. I just see, I just see Rose. But then I see you are.
RR: But then I say something like that.
RR: We're going to go to the break now. But when we come back from the break, we are going to talk about Science Vs. So we're moving on a little bit from some of the super Wendy specific questions, and we're going to some of the behind the scenes that people wanted to know about how we make the show. We've actually got a very special guest who's gonna make an appearance. So, I recommend that people stick around for that.
WZ: Great. I feel much more comfortable talking about Science Vs than myself, so I'm very glad we're pivoting.
RR Makes sense if that's your Roman Empire.
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Chapter 5: Behind the scenes at Science Vs
WZ Welcome back. Today on the show, senior producer Rose Rimler is asking me a bunch of questions about me. Rose?
RR Yes. These are all listeners submitted questions, so we got a lot of questions from listeners about the show itself and how we make the show. And,Tom, on Instagram asked this provocative question: What is an episode that you want to do, but you aren't allowed to do?
WZ Oh, what do you mean? We did 40 minutes on anal sex. You think I'm getting gagged here?
RR Yeah, if that wasn’t shut down what would be?
WZ I don't know. Um, I mean, on season one of Science Vs we did two episodes on gun control. And I remember Matt Lieber, who was the CEO – co CEO of Gimlet at the time, he was like, do I need to bring in security to the office? Because it was so unknown how people would react.
WZ We did the female G spot in season one and talked about the clitoris. Um, yeah, I don't know. We've covered abortion. Yeah. I don't know. Rose, can you think of anything that we're like – I mean, definitely no one's telling us not to do them.
RR No
WZ It's just a matter of, uh, if we don't think it's interesting or surprising or important, right?
RR Yeah. I think that's right. Yeah.
WZ Yeah. Yeah. Which I'm very proud of us that we'll just go for it. Yeah.
RR Me too. Well, you know, people did ask, and maybe you could do kind of a short version, Wendy, since you mentioned that very early days, season one, could you tell just a little bit about how the show started?
WZ Oh, yeah, sure. Um, yeah, cause it is pretty wild. I mean, I have been making this show for almost 10 years. Which is like, it is like bonkers when I think back, uh, like season one and there was no way that I thought this was going to be a career and definitely no way I thought it was going to send me to New York.
WZ Um, so the story is, so I, um, was a science journalist, still am apparently. Um, and I had been working at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the ABC, and they were getting interested in making podcasts and so they asked me to pitch something. And it just so happened that that week, uh, Gwenyth Paltrow, um, she had just suggested that women steam clean their vaginas or something that there was like some cleaning required for vaginas.
And, uh, so I was like, what about science versus Gwenyth Paltrow, was the very first pitch that I sent to the ABC. Um, and so it got accepted. Kaitlyn Sawrey who then came to join the team was like, I get the concept. Yes. Go make a pilot. I'd never made a podcast before. I bet I'd made like little bits of radio before, I had no idea what I was doing.
Made a pilot. They picked it up. Um, it did really well. Like, the season did really well in Australia, then it started charting in the US which was like, unheard of. It was totally crazy. Then someone at Gimlet saw it. They sent me an email. And I almost missed it because I was, I was actually so exhausted making the show. And then weeks went by and I was like, wait, what was that email? And like searching for it again and being like, oh, this podcast company, Gimlet. Huh? I was like, oh, hey, nice to hear from you. And then, um, and then it just happened really fast. It was really wild, and they were like, do you want to come make Science Versus in New York City. And I was like, are you shitting me?
WZ And then I came to New York and they gave me a whole team. They gave me you, Rose.
RR And so you got right back on the plane and went back to Australia.
WZ Um, yeah. And then we've been making it, I don't know, how long you’ve been on the team now. It's been a long time.
RR Seven years.
WZ Yeah.
RR Yeah. And now Meryl's been on a long time, almost as long as me. And Blythe about the same, our editor, and Michelle started a year or two after me.
WZ Yeah. It's very special. Yeah. Um, so that is the story.
RR This question from Lauren on Instagram is a good follow up because we're doing a little walk down memory lane. So, she wants to know what is the most fun you had on making an episode?
WZ Oh, um, we've had a lot of fun, I feel like. Um, I mean, recently I had a lot of fun making the male G spot episode. It was so funny. It wasn't meant to be a whole episode. But then I, um, I just started talking to these academics.
RR You just kept digging and digging.
WZ Just kept digging and digging. Um, and all the academics, everyone was so excited and fun and funny. I remember like slacking Blythe and Meryl being like, I think there's a whole episode here, let's do it. Um, but I don't know. I feel like every time you and I get on a call, like, I'm always looking forward to that, we have a good giggle.
RR Yeah Those are always fun
WZ. Yeah. And then, I remember in the early days of Gimlet, um, I traveled a lot like pre COVID. I got to see the most amazing places. I got to go to a fracking site. That was wild. That was wild. I don't know if it was fun, but I remember, it was like one of my first reporting trips, um, ever and, um, and I went with Caitlin Kenney and we were getting driven around by like the media operator or whatever of this fracking site. But for some reason we're in this car with, uh, one of the people who work on the site and the media team and we're in the backseat. I remember this so specifically and I just start asking what I didn't think were hard questions. I was just like, oh, you know, have you guys ever had a couple of leaks, some issues or whatever?
But all of a sudden they're like, nope, no leaks. Never have never had any problems at all. And I was like, oh, here we go. Because I had in my hot little hands, a document where there had been leaks. I mean, it's a huge operation. You have any industrial operation, like there's, you know, Jeff's gonna drop the ball on a Tuesday morning or something.
RR Something's gonna go wrong.
WZ Something's gonna go wrong. And no need to be defensive about that, these things happen. But they were just like, no, no, no, no, no. And then, so we're in this car and I'm like, okay, I'm whipping out the document now. Like, do you want to read the document that says about the leaks? Just acknowledge you've had some leaks. And it just went on and then they read it and I could see, much like Titanic, the windows steaming up as things got more and more tense and my memory is just like it's really tense and the windows are just completely fogged by the end of the conversation. And then we got the, we, we finally got them to admit that like, yes, there had been some leaks. Um, and we were like, okay, now we'll open the door to the car.
RR Now onto the rest of the day.
WZ Yes.
RR Yeah, that is memorable. I was going to say, I think my favorite, one of the most fun times I had was, um, when we were working on the original UFO episode and you wrote a line that was like, something about like, Nutbush City Outer Limits.
WZ Nutbush City Limits.
RR Yeah, it was like a pun on a Tina Turner song, Nutbush City and UFOs. And I was like, I never heard that song. And you and Kaity Sawrey, who's another Australian who's working on the show, were like, what are you talking about? That is the number one Tina Turner song.
And I and the other Americans were like, what are you talking about? The number one Tina Turner song? Everyone knows it’s like Proud Mary or like –Nutbush city? Then it turns out it's like a huge song in Australia
WZ Yes. Yes. Because there's this, there's a dance that goes with it, which is kind of like a Macarena style dance.
Chapter 6: How doing Science Vs has changed Wendy’s behavior
RR Okay. We've got a voicemail from Caitlin.
Caitlin: Hi My name is Caitlin, My question for Wendy or the team in general is, has doing this podcast resulted in any lifestyle changes, or has made you stay the same doing what you're doing?
WZ I feel like a lot actually. Um, I've talked about on the show before, I drink way less alcohol than I used to since we've covered that. And I'm more thoughtful about it.
RR I do too.
WZ Yeah. Right. Um, ever since you told me that on some days my protein levels were too low, I am more aware of my protein, even though I know the whole point of that episode was like most of us are eating enough protein. Um, you know, Rose, the episode that's like sort of bleep me up in an annoying way. Cause I feel like most of the time our show is really like helped me live a healthier life or whatever and be my best self, which is what we want the show to be. But the episode that I feel like has turned me into my worst self is our skincare episode.
RR Mmmm.
WZ Because until that episode, I didn't know I had wrinkles. I didn't know what the bleep fine lines were. You know, and I was happy about that. I didn't know what anyone else's fine lines were. And now I see them everywhere. I see them everywhere on my face. I see them on other people's faces. I'm like, are you using retinol? Have you had worked out? Like that's in my brain. It's been a year now. And I like need to get it out.
RR I thought you were going to say it brought your world, your worst self out in that you were like constantly poopooing everyone else's skincare routine. Ah that’s not science backed.
WZ I mean, that's my best self, isn't it?
RR You’re just aware of the quality of other people’s and your own skin? Sounds like
WZ Yeah, in a way that I really don't like.What about you, Rose? How have you changed your life?
RR Well, the ultra processed food episode, I pitched that and I thought it was going to be overblown. I thought, eh, it's gonna be kind of anti-science, like don't eat foods where you can't pronounce the chemicals that are in the food. I was like, that just sounds kind of like anti-science. But I was pretty convinced by the research that's out there that like, oh yeah, they are bad for you and sort of mysteriously.
WZ Mmmm.
RR And so, um, yeah, I don't eat as much – I'm more aware of that. I get less fun out of having a bag of Cheetos now than I used to.
WZ Mm hmm.
RR I'm not saying I never have a bag of Cheetos.
Chapter 7: Wendy’s hair care routine
RR: It's funny you bring up skin care because another question that we got a lot of, and I actually I wouldn't have put this in the list Wendy because I don't I wouldn't think you'd really want to talk about it, but honestly we got asked it like a dozen times, like several dozen times maybe.
WZ What is this question?
RR Somebody, okay, and someone, including a person called Stock Merchant on TikTok. Asked, here's an example. What do you do for your hair? It looks great. I'm a man and I think I have the same type of hair though not as long, and I need tips. They're all complimentary. People want to know what is your hair care routine? Because for those who have, are not watching right now or who have not seen pictures or videos of Wendy, she has like fairly curly, voluminous, beautiful, lustrous hair. How do you do it? How do you do it?
WZ How do I do it? Um, thanks for the opportunity. Um, so, uh, okay. So, um, I have tried to go to hairdressers like many people in the world and they all, it's like I've spent a lot of money, I've spent a little bit of money and my hair looks exactly the same in, within two days or whatever. It doesn't matter what they do. And so now to cut my hair, I'll show you, I cut my own hair now and this is what I do. It's funny. If you’re watching it on video, you can see it, um, as a hot tip, but I just flick my hair over. I flick it over like that. And then I grab scissors and I just cut it like that. I just cut it straight.
RR That works
WZ And that, and that is what I do. That's all I do. And then like, I guess I wash it when I go for a run. I also wash it when I go for a run, but only when I go for a run.
RR And you use shampoo? And conditioner?
WZ It's just, it's just whatever's there. I'm not particular at all, literally whatever's there. Yeah, that's it. That's it. It's entirely genetic. Yeah, my dad has very, very thick hair.
Chapter 8: Wendy gets trolled by her sister
RR Uh, lucky. So since we're wrapping up now, it makes sense to ask this question. It came from Jasmine on Instagram and it had 73 likes the last time it was checked. Um, people asked it on TikTok as well. They want to know, why do you thank the Zukerman family at the end of every episode?
WZ Oh! Well, it started because back in Australia when I was making the show at the ABC, um, and I hadn't, made radio before and I didn't really know what I was doing. What I would end up doing is sending the episodes to my family. I'm very lucky because like my parents are scientists, uh, my brother's, an actor and, he really knows story and emotion very well. My sister is an artist and a clown. She's very funny. So it's like, uh, also very good at story. So I was very lucky and they would listen, um, not to every single episode, but, uh, but most of them and give really good notes. And then when I got to come to Gimlet and have a team and everything, I still send my mom most of my episodes. Um, and if I really feel like I'm struggling with an episode, I will still send it to other family members. But so that's, that's why I'm just so grateful.
RR Did you send the anal sex episode to your family?
WZ I did not! Hahahha
RR All ll we need to know. Okay, well, we're not going to end there, because we have one last voicemail I want to play for you. I’m going to just start it.
Debbie: Hi, I have a question for Wendy.
WZ Bebby!
RR You recognize that voice?
WZ That's, this is your life. That's my sister, Debbie.
Debbie: So my question is Wendy, what do you think about the Kama Sutra being taught in high schools? Okay. Bye.
RR Are you glad you said those nice things about your family? Your sister Debbie?
WZ I can't believe I'm being trolled by my sister.
RR So, how do you feel about the kama sutra being taught in high schools?
WZ Um, Okay. So it was in year nine, ninth grade, as you kids call it in America.
RR Thanks for translating.
WZ Um, and there was a history book. And it was like, it was big. It was a big book like Roman empire,
RR Earlier to later
WZ Yeah, at least, exactly, Um, and it had two pages on the Kama Sutra in it. And otherwise just like a whole bunch of other history of the world. And the book was banned while I was there, someone complained and so we were no longer able to read this history book that covered so much of history, two pages on the Kama Sutra. I don't even remember there were diagrams in there. Um, whatever. It's just like, it's part of history. And I was so appalled that they banned this book that I photocopied the pages, the banned pages of the Kama Sutra, and I stuck them all around the school.
RR What? That’s awesome! What happened? Did you get in trouble?
WZ No, they never found out who it was.
RR Well they will now..
WZ That's right. Can you believe that?
RR That's so cool.
WZ So that was it. Thanks, Debbie.
RR Well alright. that comes to the end of our listener questions. That was our very first Science Ss. Ask Wendy Anything. I learned so much, but not too much. I learned a lot, but just the right amount. Well, that's it. So thank you so much to our listeners for submitting so many interesting questions.
WZ Yeah, thank you so much.
RR And thanks, Wendy.
WZ Thanks, Rose. We'll be back in a couple of weeks with fresh new episodes. Talking about science, not me. Which I'm very, I'm really excited about next season.Rose, what are you most excited by? Should we give them, give listeners a little bit of excitement? Should we give the listeners a little bit of spoilers?
RR Yeah, I’m working on an episode about microplastics and endocrine-disrupting chemicals. It's going to be a good one. And, um, lots of new cutting edge research there.
WZ Yeah, it's going to be a great season.
WZ So we'll be back in just a couple of weeks. Thanks for listening or watching or whatever you're doing, everyone. and while we're away, um, we're still posting fun stuff on social media.
So you can find us on science_VS on Instagram. That's on Instagram and on TikTok. I am @Wendy Zukerman. Thanks so much, Rose.
RR Thanks, Wendy.
WZ I'm Wendy Zukerman. Fact you next time.