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PODCAST

The Brain Candy Podcast

Susie Meister PhD & Sarah Rice AMFT

Laugh and learn with Susie Meister PhD & Sarah Rice MFT from MTV"s The Challenge as they cover psychology, pop culture, human interest, and science, and make everything from The Kardashians to quantum physics accessible to all.

society & culture

All Episodes

00:58:54

891: Barkley's Marathon, Monkey Business, &...

The Brain Candy Podcast ·

2025/02/24

Susie's mad at people for how they talk about a common ailment, so we're debating the origins of this odd phrase. We learn about the hardest ultramarathon in the world, the crazy rules around it, and how a woman finally completed it after a 37 year run of only male finishers. A monkey turned off the power in all of Sri Lanka, and it made us realize how tenuous everything really is. We're debating shoes on or off in the house again, and Susie is not budging. We learn why handedness is so mysterious

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01:04:42

890: Bob Dylan Science, Making Lemonade, & Broken Hearts

The Brain Candy Podcast ·

2025/02/20

Sarah's love for snowboarding has forced her into sleeping in her car, but don't worry she is armed with aluminum foil to keep her warm. We learn about some scholars who have been sneaking song lyrics into their research and it is Susie's dream come true. Sarah explains how scientists are boring into ice to see into the past, and lord only knows what they'll find. Let's hope it's not a dormant virus we bring back to life. Fun! We discuss the concept of "color spotlight effect" and how it can help

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01:05:32

889: Childhood Trauma, Misophonia, & Existential Animals

The Brain Candy Podcast ·

2025/02/17

Susie read a controversial article that is questioning the foundation of the psychological field, and explains why the author thinks our focus on our childhoods, trauma, and negativity are actually making us less happy and healthy. And we hear what you should do instead if you want joy and peace. We learn about misophonia and the challenges people face who hate the sound of others chewing, and we hear why their disgust is usually directed at one particular chewer. We debate whether animals know

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00:59:14

888: Orion's Shoes, ADHD Longevity, & VIP XXX Club

The Brain Candy Podcast ·

2025/02/13

Sarah went on a date to the nerdiest place ever and we are here for it. And Susie spoke at a university and Gen Z made her have hope for the future. We learn what an ADHD dignosis means for your lifespan and why the symptoms of the disorder affect your longevity. Sarah explains why people are paying $250,000 for membership in an exclusive adult club, and Susie argues they're wasting their money. We learn why the monumental study that showed human babies prefer helpers over "hinderers" was flawed,

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01:01:08

887: Elderly Inmates, Influencer Lawsuit, & Bridge to...

The Brain Candy Podcast ·

2025/02/10

Today we hear why Susie likes asking people uncomfortable questions without people getting offended. We learn about a technology being used to determine the contents of unopened trading card packs so the owner can decide whether to discard them or not, and whether this is an ethics violation of the tradition of collecting. Susie explains why Japan's prisons are showing a huge increase in elderly inmates, and what it says about the country in general. We hear why female nudes in the Renaissance had

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00:57:24

886: Swim Lessons, Mouse 2 Dads, & Optimal Stopping...

The Brain Candy Podcast ·

2025/02/06

Susie got into some trouble (again) and almost got booted from a concert. We hear what Boomerasking is and theorize why it's so common now. Susie tries to figure out why an old clip of Road Rules that she posted was so evocative. We discuss a documentary short film about swimming and consider why it's such a fundamental human skill. We learn about scientists who created mice using the DNA from two males, and why they would want to make people with two dads. Sarah explains what "optimal stopping

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01:08:29

885: Vow of Silence, Soup Candy, & Reality TV Surgery

The Brain Candy Podcast ·

2025/02/03

It's Sarah's birthday month, and Susie is debating what to get the woman who only wants snow. We discuss the SNL documentary, and hear why auditioning for the show is a nightmare, we all need more cowbell, and there is one very weird season of the show that almost ended its run forever. Plus, we predict the show will have much more daming documentaries that come out later. We hear about a man who gave up automobiles after an oil spill in the 70s, took a vow of silence that went on for a VERY long

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01:02:10

884: Audiobooks, Burn the Bra, & Brad Pitt's Girlfriend

The Brain Candy Podcast ·

2025/01/30

Susie somehow convinced Sarah to take off her bra on the air and Susie shares a shocking story about her implants. It's a lot of boob content. We hear what scientists have discovered about how women's bodies are basically going to save the world and we laugh again about them sending a woman into space with 100 tampons. Sarah is celebrating 1 year without a period, and Susie is very jealous. We debate whether reading audiobooks counts as reading and why it's a different experience from reading text

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01:05:46

883: Texas Cheerleader Mom, Egyptian Art Surprise, &...

The Brain Candy Podcast ·

2025/01/27

We discuss the famous Texas cheerleader mom murder-for-hire story from the 90s, and the new documentary that explains why the media got it all wrong and there was a lot more to the story that the public never knew. We talk about the Jerry Springer documentary and how the show with all its wacky guests and wild antics had real life consequences for some of the people who were on the show and the ways the ratings race led the producers to inadvertently hurt some of the guests. Susie talks about a

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00:54:37

882: Online Troll, Feeling Water, & Licorice Poison

The Brain Candy Podcast ·

2025/01/23

The world is on fire (literally and figuratively), but Sarah is showing how she can use her talents and skills to help those in need. We revel in the joy that is women's sports and wonder why some men are bothered by their existence. Sarah was trolled by a man online who criticized her snowboarding skills, and we hear what happened when she messaged him to try to change his mind about how he treats women. Sarah talks about a famous misogynist whose feelings about women might come from his own

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01:00:44

881: Girls Gone Wild, Shrink-Wrapped Dinosaurs, &...

The Brain Candy Podcast ·

2025/01/20

We check in on our New Year's resolutions and hear why Sarah's year is looking much better than last year. We discuss the new Girls Gone Wild documentary, the seeming sociopathy of Joe Francis, and why we as a society were ok with the series's exploitation of women. We explain how the techniques used by GGW to get women to comply remind us of some of our experiences on the Challenge. Sarah describes how much of what we know about how dinosaurs looked is probably inaccurate, some of our ideas about

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01:05:24

880: Lonely Bananas, Appreciate You, & Flat Earth...

The Brain Candy Podcast ·

2025/01/16

Sarah's coming in hot with camp jokes this year. And Susie is pissed about the move from "appreciate it" to "appreciate you," and she wants to know who is behind the shift. Sarah explains why she is a full-fledged "ma'am" these days. Susie shares how a group of flat-earthers went to Antarctica, and most of them realized the error of their ways, but some of them want to "do their own research." We hear about "no-burp syndrome" and how botox is helping these people live a burp-filled life. We debate

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01:00:48

879: Hairy Babies, Leaded Gas, & Air Travel Consultant

The Brain Candy Podcast ·

2025/01/13

Sarah's fear of mysterious wetness might be solved thanks to a researcher who set out to determine what the heck is in those puddles on the subway. We learn about a case of mistaken labeling on medicine that made babies grow hair all over their bodies, and a bunch of other medical mishaps that sparked reform. Susie reveals how she unknowingly became friends with a murderer in real life, and how he was eventually caught. We find out why everyone born before 1996 is at a much higher risk for mental

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01:04:19

878: Telescope Scare, Spanish Scrabble, & Goose Mystery

The Brain Candy Podcast ·

2025/01/09

Susie got an email about a class action settlement for a telescope she bought, but she was asked to answer a very spooky question about it and we have questions. We hear about the new Spanish Scrabble champion and how he was able to win despite not speaking the language, and why we hope he retires from competitive Scrabble. We discuss a goose that was born without feet, the adorable solution to his disability, and the shocking way he died. And we theorize who was responsible for his demise. We

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00:58:45

877: Beyonce, Bioluminescence, & Boneless Chicken Wings

The Brain Candy Podcast ·

2025/01/06

Susie can't stop talking about Luigi Mangione and the stranger-than-fiction nature of his crime and his similarities to the Unabomber. Sarah explains why the HALT (hungry, angry, lonely, tired) acronym about needs should include a P for pain as well. We discuss the Billboard designation of Beyonce as the artist of the century, whether it's premature (since we're only 25 years into the century) and why they are putting entertainment over musicianship. We find out how scientists are engineering wood

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00:58:03

876: Lisa Frank, Female Athletes, & Japanese Death Row

The Brain Candy Podcast ·

2025/01/02

Happy New Year, Brainiacs! It's 2025 and Sarah is feeling alive and as usual she is optimistic about this year. Which means it will be a great year (or not! who knows!) We learn how listening to certain songs can reframe your memories and why you might prefer sad songs when you're feeling blue, but maybe you should resist the urge. We discuss Nick Cannon's recent narcissistic personality disorder diagnosis and how it's the least surprising diagnosis ever. We learn about the Glitter and Greed

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00:58:44

875: New Year Goals, Testosterone Aggression, &...

The Brain Candy Podcast ·

2024/12/23

We are reviewing our year and our successes and failures with our New Year's Resolutions, and we're sharing our intentions for next year. We learn about a study by Robert Sapolsky that argues that testosterone does not increase aggression, but instead emphasizes existing tendencies and encourages people to behave in socially encouraged ways that already exist. But we have questions and concerns about his conclusions and wonder why when male animals of all species hit puberty they behave in ways that

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01:41:02

874: Dating Apps, Auditory Magic, & Superman

The Brain Candy Podcast ·

2024/12/19

🚨 Sarah is on the dating apps! 📢 And boy, does she have the scoop on what's going on with the dating community. We find out whether the full-blown lesbians are mingling with the dabblers, what the lesbian equivalent to the fish profile pic is, and whether she is getting a lot of bites (so to speak) from her suitors. It's a treat. Plus, we hear what's in her bio. Susie reveals the goods from Tinder's report on dating trends and she is not happy about it. We learn about a challenge created for

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01:03:39

873: Robot Pants, Matching Tattoos, & Free Velcro

The Brain Candy Podcast ·

2024/12/16

Sarah went to see Wicked, and she wants a little commotion for her ability to not sing out loud in the theater during the film. We also got a pro-tip--never get a matching tattoo with someone. If you do, your relationship is cursed according to Sarah. We learn what robot pants are, how they could help people who are disabled and/or elderly, and how much they'll cost you. We debate the virtues of having calorie counts on restaurant menus. Sarah explains what happens to astronauts's cognition after

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01:05:48

872: Yacht Rock, Nude Art, & Bald Harassment

The Brain Candy Podcast ·

2024/12/12

Susie is wound up about the Yacht Rock documentary and she doesn't care who knows it. We learn why Yacht Rock rocks (a little bit), why it has a great sense of humor, and some of her favorite tracks. We hear why hysterectomies are confusing, even to the people who've had them, and why it's not clear exactly what organs they take and the consequences of their removal. We learn about a woman who snuck onto a transcontinental flight from New York to Paris and managed to go undetected for almost the

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953 results

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