Sciencetits

This week we dive into the science of friendship and stress. Prompted by a social media post claiming that women’s friendships help them handle stress better, Brenda investigates the origins of this claim—only to discover the cited “recent” study dates back to 2000 and isn’t even primary research.Together, the hosts unpack the “tend-and-befriend” theory, a biobehavioral hypothesis proposed by UCLA researchers that suggests women respond to stress through nurturing and social bonding. The paper, published in Psychological Review, synthesizes findings from psychology, neuroendocrinology, and evolutionary biology, but notably lacks empirical data. Brenda and Frances explore the implications of theoretical models in science, the importance of distinguishing between hypothesis and evidence, and how scientific ideas evolve through citation and critique—this one has over 5,600 citations!With their signature blend of humor and insight, the duo challenge listeners to think critically about what “recent” means in science and how social connections shape our health. Tune in for a smart, sassy look at friendship through the lens of science.As always if you have questions or suggestions please get in touch!Our email address: Sciencetitspod@outlook.comFollow us on all the socials!Instagram and Tiktok- @sciencetitspodBlueSky - @sciencetitspod.bsky.socialContent outlined and presented by Brenda Finney and Frances Hall. Music from audiojungle.net – Konstantin KasyanovLinks:Biobehavioural Responses to stress in females: tend-and-befriend, not flight-or-flight, https://psycnet.apa.org/fulltext/2000-08671-001.htmlAcute Stress Processing in Burnout, https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-3-658-49752-1.pdf Holt-Lunstad J, Smith TB, Layton JB (2010) Social Relationships and Mortality Risk: A Meta-analytic Review. PLoS Med 7(7): e1000316. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316 https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-023-03055-7 Presence of a Friend is Associated with Progesterone Response after Social Exclusion, https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5496214

In this unapologetically raw and refreshingly honest episode, Hayley Field—aka the Lifestyle Ninja—joins us to tear down the myths, marketing fluff, and outright nonsense that plague the fitness and wellness industry, especially when it comes to menopausal women. With her signature no-BS attitude and a few well-placed expletives, Hayley dives into what actually works when it comes to managing whole body health—not just chasing abs or step counts.We talk about the importance of integrating physical and emotional wellbeing, and why cookie-cutter fitness plans and “miracle” supplements are just not doing anything good. Hayley shares practical, science-backed strategies for building strength, resilience, and self-trust, while calling out the toxic narratives that shame women into submission.This episode is for anyone tired of being sold quick fixes and ready to embrace a more empowered, holistic approach to health. Expect laughter, truth bombs, and a whole lot of swearing. Because sometimes, the only way to cut through the crap is to call it what it is.As always if you have questions or suggestions please get in touch!Our email address: Sciencetitspod@outlook.comFollow us on all the socials!Instagram and Tiktok- @sciencetitspodBlueSky - @sciencetitspod.bsky.socialContent outlined and presented by Brenda Finney and Frances Hall. Music from audiojungle.net – Konstantin KasyanovLinks:Hayley Field - Lifestyle Ninja: https://lifestyle.ninja/ https://lifestyle.ninja/blog-2/Hayley's Midlife Mailbag: https://www.instagram.com/p/DPoJKjDCLQD/https://examine.com/

This week Frances gives Brenda a pop quiz on several random topics which caught her eye. From the dichotomy of good and evil in babies to electric animals, here we go! We have also tacked on our first bit of Bonus Content which got us in the right, cheery frame of mind for podcasting! Enjoy!As always if you have questions or suggestions please get in touch!Our email address: Sciencetitspod@outlook.comFollow us on all the socials!Instagram and Tiktok- @sciencetitspodBlueSky - @sciencetitspod.bsky.socialContent outlined and presented by Brenda Finney and Frances Hall. Music from audiojungle.net – Konstantin KasyanovLinks: Are we born good or evil? | BBC EarthWynn-Bloom-Moral-Handbook-Chapter-2013-14pwpor.pdfInfluence of light exposure during early life on the age of onset of bipolar disorder.The potential influence of LED lighting on mental illness.https://www.bbcearth.com/news/the-worlds-most-electric-animals

Welcome Back! We are rested and ready to go after our summer break. We kick off this week with Karin, a toxicologist Frances found synergy with as they kept running into each other at conferences. Our chat just goes to show how different scientific minds impact how we move through the world - but also get sucked in by clever (or nefarious - depending on your point of view) marketing. We cover skincare, muscle care and working out as we age.Also - I do apologise - there may be quite a lot of background noise in this episode - despite my best efforts and AI tool assistance, I couldn't seem to get it all cleaned out!As always if you have questions or suggestions please get in touch!Our email address: Sciencetitspod@outlook.comFollow us on all the socials!Instagram and Tiktok- @sciencetitspodBlueSky - @sciencetitspod.bsky.socialContent outlined and presented by Brenda Finney and Frances Hall.Music from audiojungle.net – Konstantin KasyanovLinks:www.examine.com - Great independent resource for pulling together facts and data about nutritional supplements. Examine is an entirely independent organization, and does not accept any money from outside sources.Impact of creatine supplementation on menopausal women’s body composition, cognition, estrogen, strength, and sleep. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC12291186/ (This is an example of the creatine studies we discuss - with 15 participants!)Most important step of skincare: https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-secrets/routine/healthier-looking-skin - Number 1 is sunscreen!

For our last show before our summer break (we should be back in late August/September), we are chatting to @tobytheneuroscientist, who came across the Sciencetits TikTok FYP feed and Brenda immediately knew it would be great to get him on the show. Toby is a PhD student studying dementia at UCL and his social media content is just...*Chefs kiss.We talk to Toby about how he decided to do his PhD, and what he wants to do with his career, with a little advice thrown in along the way.Including the importance of networking and making use of British pub culture in all the right ways!Find him as @tobytheneuroscientist on TikTok and send him some love!Right as we are off for the summer, catch up on all our episodes, leave us a review or send us a note. We would love to hear from you!Our email address: Sciencetitspod@outlook.comFollow us on all the socials!Instagram, Threads and Tiktok- @sciencetitspodBlueSky - @sciencetitspod.bsky.socialContent outlined and presented by Brenda Finney and Frances Hall. Music from audiojungle.net – Konstantin Kasyanov

In this fiery episode, the Sciencetits team dives into the burning question: Do redheads really feel more pain? From personal horror stories of dental procedures gone wrong to the surprising science behind red hair and pain perception, this episode explores the genetics, pharmacology, and myths surrounding the MC1R gene and its impact on pain, anesthesia, and sedation.As always if you have questions or suggestions please get in touch! Email: Sciencetitspod@outlook.comInstagram & Tiktok- @sciencetitspodBlueSky - @sciencetitspod.bsky.socialX deactivated because it’s a cesspool due to its owner.Content outlined and presented by Brenda Finney and Frances Hall.Music from audiojungle.net – Konstantin KasyanovLinks:The aim of this narrative review was to explore and present the current state of knowledge on red hair and its plausible associations with altered responsiveness to pain, analgesics, and hypnotics. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38929804/Second review – also from 2024 – this one from researchers in USA https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11227258/https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/medical-matters-truths-among-those-redhead-myths-1.2353984 https://www.amazon.co.uk/stores/author/B00ZAQXHCW/about