Sing for Science
Talkhouse
Sing For Science is a science-and-music podcast where musicians sit down with scientists to explore the scientific ideas hidden in their most iconic songs. Listen to JD from Korn talk about “Dead Bodies Everywhere” with a mortuary-science expert, Sia explore one of her breakup ballads with an attachment-theory psychologist, and many, many more. Created and hosted by New York musician Matt Whyte, the show seeks to uncover connections wherever they may exist and build bridges between seemingly disparate voices, styles, and walks of life. Sing For Science is made possible in part by a grant from the Simons Foundation.
New episodes release every two weeks—subscribe now. Want to catch a live Sing For Science taping in your city? Sign up for our newsletter at SingForScience.org to be the first to know.
New episodes release every two weeks—subscribe now. Want to catch a live Sing For Science taping in your city? Sign up for our newsletter at SingForScience.org to be the first to know.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Apr 26, 2023 • 49min
Onuka (Ukraine): Vidlik (Radiobiology with Chernobyl researcher Olena Pareniuk)
Special Chernobyl anniversary episode with Nata Zhyzhchenko of the Ukrainian band, Onuka and Chernobyl radiobiologist, Olena Pareniuk. Both of today's guests joined us from Kyiv and have been in Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion. We talk about what life is like during wartime for a professional musician and a scientist, the horsehair construction of a Ukrainian folk instrument that stinks of beer and cheese, studying radioactivity in the Chernobyl exclusion zone, Ukrainian resilience and so much more! This episode was co-produced by Inscience, a nonprofit organization that promotes science and evidence-based medicine in Ukraine.
Mar 29, 2023 • 60min
Best of Season 2 (Part 1)
Join SFS host, Matt Whyte and SFS social media manager, Bailey Constas for a curated peak at some of Season Two's Best Moments! Featuring SIA with psychotherapist, Dr. Alexandra Katehakis, Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe with social psychologist, Dr. Tony Lemieux, Jose González with epidemiologist, Dr. Mike Osterholm, Blondie’s Debbie Harry and Chris Stein with climatologist, Dr. Michael Mann, and Majid Jordan with aquanaut, Fabien Cousteau.
Feb 22, 2023 • 55min
Best of Season 1 (Part 2)
Join SFS host, Matt Whyte and SFS social media manager, Bailey Constas for another trip down memory lane with some of Season One’s Best Moments! Featuring Living Colour and fascism expert, Dr. Ruth Ben-Ghiat, Aly & AJ and neuroscientist, Dr. Joseph LeDoux, Aluna and conflict resolution expert, Priya Parker and DMC with folklore expert, Dr. Jennifer Schacker.
Feb 8, 2023 • 58min
Best of Season 1 (Part 1)
Join SFS host, Matt Whyte and SFS social media manager, Bailey Constas for a trip down memory lane with some of Season One’s Best Moments! Featuring MGMT & forest ecologist, Dr Suzanne Simard, Norah Jones and science journalist, Shawn Otto, Connie Britton and rivers expert, Paul Gallay, Renée Fleming and Parkinson’s expert Dr. Bin Hu, Mac Demarco and acoustician Russ Berger.
Dec 21, 2022 • 30min
Ani DiFranco: The Atom (Quantum Physics with Melissa Franklin)
Today’s episode was hosted by the MIT Museum in Cambridge, Massachusetts and recorded in front of a live audience as part of an ongoing collaboration with Sing For Science. We discuss the Manhattan Project, the ethical implications of nuclear energy, climate change, quantum entanglement, quantum computing and more!
Dec 14, 2022 • 29min
Richard Reed Parry & Susie Ibarra: Overtone Heartbeats (Cardiology with Sandeep Jauhar)
This episode was recorded live at Public Records in Brooklyn, NY as part of the Offair event series. Arcade Fire multi-instrumentalist Richard Reed Parry and percussionist/composer Susie Ibarra talk about their album “Heart and Breath” with cardiologist and bestselling author, Dr. Sandeep Jauhar. Their album is set entirely to the rhythm of their own heartbeats and breath cycles so we dive deep on what’s at work with Dr. Jauhar. We cover the relationship between heart and lungs, the development of open heart surgery and more!
Dec 7, 2022 • 57min
Rhiannon Giddens: At the Purchaser's Option (Ethnomusicology with Portia Maultsby)
Grammy Award and Macarthur Fellowship winning artist Rhiannon Giddens talks about her collection of slave narratives, “Freedom Highways,” the origins of the banjo in Africa and the connection between African and African American music with trailblazing ethnomusicologist, Dr. Portia Maultsby.
Nov 30, 2022 • 48min
Jonathan Davis (Korn): Dead Bodies Everywhere (Mortuary Science with Mary Roach)
WARNING: This episode contains content related to mortuary science that some listeners may find disturbing.Korn frontman Jonathan Davis delves into his past as a mortician with popular science bestselling author, Mary Roach. Mary wrote the hit book Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers and the two have no shortage of gory details to discuss. We talk about the biology of human corpse decomposition and preservation, embalming techniques (including but not limited to anal suturing), Elvis’s autopsy, and more!
Nov 23, 2022 • 43min
Rivers Cuomo (Weezer): Come Undone (Computer Programming with Guido Van Rossum)
Rock icon Rivers Cuomo goes deep on coding talk with Python computer language creator and programming icon, Guido Van Rossum. We talk about the history of The Sweater Song, coding vs songwriting, the history of Python and much, much more!
Nov 16, 2022 • 42min
Alec Benjamin: Dopamine Addict (Addiction Science with Anne Lembke)
Singer/Songwriter Alec Benjamin talks about his song about social media addiction with Stanford Professor and MD, Dr. Anna Lembke, author of The NY Times bestseller, Dopamine Nation. Tune in to hear about the surprising and fascinating research about the relationship between pain and pleasure in our brains, the prescription to combat addiction and more!
