Aug 26

Life from scratch

Scientists stripped a cell down to its most essential genes in order to find out what makes life...alive. What they found was more bizarre than they could have imagined. This is the first episode of our new three-part series, Life from Scratch. Guests: Kate Adamala, associate pro ... Show More

29m 37s

Aug 24

The idea of a song

A few hundred milliseconds are often all you need to recognize a song, but a lot of recent hits have moved away from intros. Our friends at ⁠Switched on Pop⁠ (along with the National's Aaron Dessner) break down how song intros can shape our perception and what we lose when they d ... Show More

44m 19s

Aug 19

Why can’t I remember being a baby?

And if babies forget their earliest experiences, do they still matter? This episode is a collaboration with Vox's Explain It to Me podcast Guests: Kristin Ohlson, writer; Tristan Yates, cognitive psychologist at Columbia University; Dana Suskind, professor of surgery and pediatri ... Show More

26m 36s

Jan 2021

Crying: why do your eyes leak?

We are the only animals that cry emotionally. Scientists don't know exactly why we do it, but all of our theories lead us to believe it is a healthy practice, and maybe we should seek it out. Today we are going to explain all the up to date research about BALLING YOUR EYES OUT ... Show More

57m 50s

Dec 2022

I'm Crying Cuz... I'm Human

From misty eyeballs to full-on waterworks, what are tears? Why do we shed them? And what makes humans' ability to cry emotional tears unique? Hosts Emily Kwong and Aaron Scott get into their feelings in this science-fueled exploration of why we cry. (encore) To see more of Rose-L ... Show More

14m 31s

Jun 2021

Curious About Crying

In episode 143, we get curious about crying for Alexandia of Queen Creek, Arizona and Michael and Christopher of Denver, Colorado. We learn what tears are made of, about the different types of tears, and whether animals cry. Grab a tissue and join us to learn more about cryi ... Show More

12m 8s

Oct 2023

Big girls cry, so do boys

Spilling a tear or two is necessary. Crying is a human expression of emotions, and allowing ourselves to feel what we need to feel is crucial. How did crying become a taboo? And do crying clubs really exist? Tune in for a new chat talk about one of the most controversial topics : ... Show More

7m 19s

Apr 2025

Why do we cry? With Lauren Bylsma, PhD

Pain, sadness, joy, awe – under the right circumstances, any of these emotions can bring on tears. Lauren Bylsma, PhD, talks about why crying evolved, the psychological and social purposes of tears, why some people cry more easily than others, and whether having a good cry can ma ... Show More

26m 14s

Apr 2022

Is crying chemistry? (the fascinating science of tears)

#133 Have you ever wondered what tears are? If not, is it because you think you already know? Chances are, you don't actually know what tears are! It's probably more complex than you'd expect. Grab some tissues, let's get into it! <a href="https: ... Show More

38m 46s

Oct 2025

#525 - The Hardest I Have Ever Cried

Let's get those tears flowing! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1h 23m

Jul 2017

Ep 103. Why We Cry

You know that feeling. Your lip starts quivering and despite your best effort you're unable to stop the waterworks. Crying is an automated response to intense emotion and it's a part of our humanness. It's nothing we need to apologize for. Our natural response is to begin worr ... Show More

22m 6s

Mar 2024

179. Why can't I cry?

Sometimes all we want to do is a have a big, old fashioned sob and when we can't it leads us feeling emotionally pent up, defective and frustrated. There's an explanation for why we go through periods where we are unable to cry. In today's episode we discuss: <ul> <li>The ... Show More

38m 27s

Why we cry