Why do so many of us love a good scare? Whether it’s horror movies, haunted houses or creepy podcasts, there’s something thrilling about feeling spooked—especially around Halloween. In this episode, host Rachel Feltman dives into our fascination with fear and morbid curiosity with Coltan Scrivner, a behavioral scientist at the Recreational Fear Lab at Aarhus ... Show More
Mar 25
Can AI do math, or does it just act like a calculator?
In this episode of Science Quickly, Kendra Pierre-Louis and SciAm reporter Joe Howlett explore a new math challenge designed to test whether today’s AI models can truly tackle cutting‑edge proofs. They break down how the experiment works, what early results say about AI’s mathema ... Show More
16m 24s
Mar 23
Heat dome, legal win for vaccines, lead-tainted clothes
In this episode of Science Quickly, Andrea Thompson, senior desk editor for life sciences at Scientific American, joins host Kendra Pierre-Louis to discuss the recent heat wave in parts of the U.S. We’ll also dive into a recent district court ruling against a decision by the Trum ... Show More
11m 49s
Aug 2024
The Science of Morbid Curiosity w/ Dr. Coltan Scrivner
This week Scott is joined by true crime and morbid curiosity psychologist, Dr. Coltan Scrivner. Scott and Dr. Scrivner discuss how to determine your level of interest in morbid curiosity, why some people have a higher level of tolerance (and even attraction) to scary things, and ... Show More
1 h
Oct 2025
Serpopsychology (WHAT’S CREEPY?) with Frank McAndrew
<p>Are you creepy? How would you know? What’s “creepy” as opposed to scary or eerie? We talk to the pioneer of this research, Serpopsychologist, Dr. Frank McAndrew, a professor emeritus at Knox College. We chat: dates that give you the willies, Weary Willie the Clown, haunted dol ... Show More
1h 9m
Aug 2025
#984 - Coltan Scrivner - Why We’re Drawn to Death, Crime, & Danger
Coltan Scrivner is a behavioral scientist, an expert on morbid curiosity in horror and true‑crime media, and an author. Why are humans so curious about death? From car accidents to scary stories, roller coasters, and horror movies, some people are fascinated while others are repu ... Show More
1h 6m