<p>As many of us know far too well, allergy season is upon us here in the Northern Hemisphere. But why do our bodies cause us such pain every spring? And why are people allergic to certain foods or animals?&nbsp;</p><p>---</p><p>Follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod">Twitter</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod">https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod</a></p><p>Hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">Claire Maldarelli</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">https://twitter.com/camaldarelli</a></p><p>Produced by <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">Jess Boddy</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy</a></p><p>Music by <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">Billy Cadden</a>: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq</a></p><p>Art by <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">Katie Belloff</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz</a></p>--- Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support</a>

<p>On long days, it's not unusual to conjure up scenes of lush beaches, serene mountaintops, or even a cozy blanket fort and a good movie. But what's happening in our brains when we do that? And is it healthy to do this so often?</p><p>---</p><p>Follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod">Twitter</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod">https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod</a></p><p>Hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">Claire Maldarelli</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">https://twitter.com/camaldarelli</a></p><p>Produced by <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">Jess Boddy</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy</a></p><p>Music by <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">Billy Cadden</a>: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq</a></p><p>Art by <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">Katie Belloff</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz</a></p>--- Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support</a>

<p>For the last year and a half, we've really only had one big virus on our minds—and it's a very bad one. But are there good viruses out there? And what can viruses do for us?</p><p>---</p><p>Follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod">Twitter</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod">https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod</a></p><p>Hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">Claire Maldarelli</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">https://twitter.com/camaldarelli</a></p><p>Produced by <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">Jess Boddy</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy</a></p><p>Music by <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">Billy Cadden</a>: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq</a></p><p>Art by <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">Katie Belloff</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz</a></p>--- Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support</a>

<p>At first glance, a volcano’s hot lava seems ideal for incinerating our trash. But, like so many things in science, it’s so much more complicated than that.</p><p>---</p><p>Follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod">Twitter</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod">https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod</a></p><p>Hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">Claire Maldarelli</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">https://twitter.com/camaldarelli</a></p><p>Produced by <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">Jess Boddy</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy</a></p><p>Music by <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">Billy Cadden</a>: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq</a></p><p>Art by <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">Katie Belloff</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz</a></p>--- Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support</a>

<p>There aren't any recorded deaths attributed solely to marijuana—you can't really blaze yourself to death. But even so, is it possible to overdose on it?&nbsp;</p><p>---</p><p>Follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod">Twitter</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod">https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod</a></p><p>Hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">Claire Maldarelli</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">https://twitter.com/camaldarelli</a></p><p>Produced by <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">Jess Boddy</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy</a></p><p>Music by <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">Billy Cadden</a>: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq</a></p><p>Art by <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">Katie Belloff</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz</a></p>--- Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support</a>

<p>If you know, you know—that jabbing, stabbing pain in your side just when you hit your groove in a work out. So what's actually going on in your body when you get a side stitch?&nbsp;</p><p>---</p><p>Follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod">Twitter</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod">https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod</a></p><p>Hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">Claire Maldarelli</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">https://twitter.com/camaldarelli</a></p><p>Produced by <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">Jess Boddy</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy</a></p><p>Music by <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">Billy Cadden</a>: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq</a></p><p>Art by <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">Katie Belloff</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz</a></p>--- Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support</a>

<p>We all lead busy lives, so it's easy to skimp out on catching all of those Zs. But the question is, how much sleep can you get without sacrificing any cognitive function?&nbsp;</p><p>---</p><p>Follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod">Twitter</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod">https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod</a></p><p>Hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">Claire Maldarelli</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">https://twitter.com/camaldarelli</a></p><p>Produced by <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">Jess Boddy</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy</a></p><p>Music by <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">Billy Cadden</a>: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq</a></p><p>Art by <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">Katie Belloff</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz</a></p>--- Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support</a>

<p>Black holes—humungous, dense, celestial objects—suck in everything that cross their jaws (also known as their event horizons). But what if one sucked YOU in?! Two words: lethal spaghetti.&nbsp;</p><p>---</p><p>Follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod">Twitter</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod">https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod</a></p><p>Hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">Claire Maldarelli</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">https://twitter.com/camaldarelli</a></p><p>Produced by <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">Jess Boddy</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy</a></p><p>Music by <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">Billy Cadden</a>: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq</a></p><p>Art by <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">Katie Belloff</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz</a></p>--- Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support</a>

<p>Grocery shopping can be a chore. But what if, even hypothetically, you could survive by only consuming one food for the rest of your life? There's a way to do it—but it involves a whole buttload of potatoes.&nbsp;</p><p>---</p><p>Follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod">Twitter</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod">https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod</a></p><p>Hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">Claire Maldarelli</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">https://twitter.com/camaldarelli</a></p><p>Produced by <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">Jess Boddy</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy</a></p><p>Music by <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">Billy Cadden</a>: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq</a></p><p>Art by <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">Katie Belloff</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz</a></p>--- Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support</a>

<p>Claire is 5'4", and Jess is 6'1", and most of the world is somewhere in between. But why is it that we don't just all end up being 10 feet tall? What's stopping us from growing sky-high?</p><p>---</p><p>Follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod">Twitter</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod">https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod</a></p><p>Hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">Claire Maldarelli</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">https://twitter.com/camaldarelli</a></p><p>Produced by <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">Jess Boddy</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy</a></p><p>Music by <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">Billy Cadden</a>: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq</a></p><p>Art by <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">Katie Belloff</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz</a></p>--- Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support</a>

<p>Between the COVID-19 pandemic and the classic flu season, many of us often wonder: is it possible to boost our immune systems so they can vanquish any threat?&nbsp;</p><p>---</p><p>Follow us on <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod">Twitter</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod">https://twitter.com/AskPopSciPod</a></p><p>Hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">Claire Maldarelli</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">https://twitter.com/camaldarelli</a></p><p>Produced by <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">Jess Boddy</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy</a></p><p>Music by <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">Billy Cadden</a>: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq</a></p><p>Art by <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">Katie Belloff</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz</a></p>--- Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support</a>

<p>Premiering Tuesday, March 16th, Ask Us Anything is a brand new podcast from the editors of Popular Science. It’s a bite-sized show that answers your most outlandish, mind-burning questions—from what the universe is made of to why not everyone can touch their toes. If you like The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week, we promise you’ll love Ask Us Anything—and you’ll hear a few familiar voices on it, too! Check out new episodes of Ask Us Anything every Tuesday and Thursday wherever you get your podcasts.</p> <p>Hosted by <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">Claire Maldarelli</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/camaldarelli">https://twitter.com/camaldarelli</a></p> <p>Produced by <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">Jess Boddy</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy">https://twitter.com/JessicaBoddy</a></p> <p>Music by <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">Billy Cadden</a>: <a href="https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq?si=w_P6kTN6Ruy_J9GccvOasQ">https://open.spotify.com/artist/6LqT4DCuAXlBzX8XlNy4Wq</a></p> <p>Art by <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">Katie Belloff</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz">https://twitter.com/Katie_Bellz</a></p> --- Support this podcast: <a href="https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support" rel="payment">https://anchor.fm/askusanythingbypopsci/support</a>