Can we put the brakes on cancers’ ability to metastasize? In episode 33, John Lewis from the University of Alberta talks with us about his research into inhibiting cancer cell movement and metastasis through genomic targets.

Can auditory errors and illusions better help us understand how the brain works? In episode 32 Mike Vitevitch from the University of Kansas talks with us about his research into the cognitive mechanisms underlying the Speech-to-Song auditory illusion.

Might early hearing impairment lead to cognitive challenges later in life? Yune Lee from the Ohio State University talks with us about his research into how even minor hearing loss can increase the cognitive load required to distinguish spoken language.

Do people who willingly hold down multiple careers at the same time struggle like the rest of us to find authenticity in their work? Brianna Caza, Sherry Moss & Heather Vough (of the University of Manitoba, Wake Forest University, and the University of Cincinnati) talk with us about what their research found.

What leads people to stand up against authoritarianism? Philip Zimbardo, Professor Emeritus from Stanford University and lead investigator on the Stanford Prison Experiment, talks with us about his new research into how social modeling influences the likelihood of disobeying unjust authority figures.

Michael Kraus from Yale University’s School of Management talks with us about his research examining the role of the voice in our capacity to accurately estimate the emotions of others.

Sam Mehr and Manvir Singh from Harvard’s Music Lab talk with us about their research suggesting that people across the world can detect the social purpose of other cultures’ songs based only on how they sound.

Bill Clark from the University of California Los Angeles discusses his research applying the endowment effect of Prospect Theory to decisions of why people move from, or stay in, their homes.

In episode 14 we talk with Rafael Núñez from the University of California San Diego about his research into if human understanding of number has developed through biological evolution, or through the evolution of language and culture.

As 2017 comes to a close, we revisit our first 12 interviews to highlight some of the themes and trends across our inaugural episodes. Clips highlight everything from planning and carrying out research studies to the trials and tribulations of academic publishing. We also hear from guests about the use of crowdsourcing in science, the importance of collaboration, and the challenges and surprises of doing impactful research. Some clips have never aired, so check out even more of the unpublished stories behind the world’s most compelling science.

In this episode we talk with Laura Stephenson from the University of Western Ontario about her research into how the structures of electoral systems can shape support for female political candidates.

Sometimes our emotions and the power of illusions can put our sense of reality to the test. In this special Halloween episode, Beatrice de Gelder from Maastricht University in The Netherlands shares stories behind her study “Affective vocalizations influence body ownership as measured in the rubber hand illusion.

Open access to both the scientific process and results should be the default, not the exception. In the first of this two-part episode, Brian Nosek and Tim Errington from the Center for Open Science talk about the important role of open science in accelerating scientific progress.

Many people hear voices that aren’t really there. It drives some to seek psychiatric treatment, but others are able to make use of it in healthy ways. In this episode, Al Powers and Phil Corlett from Yale University talk about their research into the similarities and differences between these two groups, and what the rest of us can learn from their experiences.