I Came For Science
Episodes
Episode 27: Beauty is in the ear of the beholder: the science of mate choice in frogs
04 Apr 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Ahhh, frogs calling. A sure sign of spring. But can you tell the difference between the songs of attractive and unattractive frogs? Our guest, Olivia ...
Longer penises, thicker vaginas, and other stories from the field of genital research.
24 Feb 2026
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to Season 5 of I Came For Science. We launch this season with an interview with Patty Brennan, the OG of genital co-evolution research an...
Episode 25: Masturbation: An Evolutionary Perspective
23 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In the spirit of normalizing talking about topics related to sex, we give you "Masturbation: An Evolutionary Perspective". In this episode, ...
Episode 24: The Science of Adolescent Porn Use
21 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Most tweens and teens have been exposed to porn, whether intentionally or unintentionally. What are the impacts of porn use on adolescents? How should...
Episode 23: Cetacean Clitorises: How they were discovered and why they matter
04 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After Episode 22 where we discussed the diversity and evolution of male genitalia, we had lots of questions. One thing we were left wondering was why ...
Episode 22: Wild and Wacky Penises: More than just sperm transporters
16 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Did you know that animal penises come in a wide variety and that some animals have bones in their penises? In this episode, Laura talks with biologist...
Episode 21: Plan M: The Past, Present, and Future of Male Contraceptives
18 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Did you ever wonder why there are not more male contraceptives? In this episode, team member Daphne Trillana asks the question "where are the pro...
Episode 20: Sexy conservation: How the science of sex is saving pygmy rabbits and pandas
01 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to Season 4 of I Came For Science. In this episode, Laura interviews Dr. Meg Martin about her research on conservation breeding. Conserva...
Episode 19: The State of Science Funding in the U.S.
15 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we embrace a different meaning of our title "I Came For Science" by standing up for science funding. One of our production ...
Episode 18: Y is a crooked letter: A curious scientist's deep dive into asexuality, sexual cannibalism and dealing with criticism
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Were you that kid who always kept asking "But, why?" after adults in your life answered questions. Or, do you know a kid like that? Our gues...
Episode 17: The Science of Female Arousal, Part 2: The WaterSlyde
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we continue exploring the science of female arousal. Laura interviews Maureen Pollack, a mompreneur. She is the inventor of the Water...
Episode 16: The Science of Female Arousal, Part 1: The WISH Lab
08 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
We are now embarking on an exploration of the science of female arousal. In the first episode of this series, Laura interviews her former student and ...
Episode 15: The Science of Sex Education: Debunking Misconceptions
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to Season 3 of I Came For Science. If you are just joining us as a listener, we encourage you to listen back to Seasons 1 and 2 to hear o...
Episode 14: The Science of Sperm Storage
24 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In our final episode of Season 2, we explore the science of sperm storage. Sperm storage occurs when sperm viability is maintained outside of the male...
Episode 13: Reproductive Losses Part 2: Non-human Animals
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode follows up on Episode 12 which explored reproductive losses in humans. In this episode, Laura interviews primatologist and endocrinologis...
Episode 12: Reproductive Losses, Part 1: Humans
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This episode follows up on our last episode about family building. In this episode, Laura talks with Dr. Christa Craven about reproductive losses, esp...
Episode 11: Queer Family Building
31 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, Laura interviews Liam Kali a licensed midwife who is a pioneer in extending the practice of midwifery to queer families. Liam litera...
Episode 10: Polyamory 101
13 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Are you curious about polyamory? If so, you’ve come to the right place. In this episode, Laura discusses scientific and personal aspects of polyamor...
Episode 9: From politics to the Olympics: what people don't understand about the biology of sex
26 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There has been a lot of talk this year about sex and gender. In this episode, Laura interviews Dr. Gita Kolluru who studies variation in sexual morpho...
Episode 8: What to expect from a sexual assault evidence collection
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to Season 2 of I Came For Science. This episode is a follow-up to Episode 6 from Season 1 about the clearing of Ohio's backlog of sex...
Episode 7: How I Came For Science
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this last episode of Season 1, Laura is interviewed by her former student and current co-host, Natalia, about her winding journey of studying the s...
Episode 6: From 14,000 to 0: How Ohio cleared its sexual assault test kit backlog and why it matters
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Imagine if you were sexually assaulted, decided to get evidence collected from your body, and then that evidence sat uninvestigated for decades. In 20...
Episode 5: Fruit flies (and a scientist) without borders
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Laura talks with her colleague, Dr. Diana Pérez Staples, a research professor at the Universidad Veracruzana in Xalapa, Mexico, who has conducted res...
Episode 4: Spider Sex, Scientific Subjectivity, and Standing with Survivors
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is a powerful one. It is a discussion with your host, Laura Sirot, and her colleague, Eileen Hebets, who studies the reproductive behavior of ara...
Episode 3: The Caramel Effect, X’s and O’s, and Other Insights for Mentorship in STEM
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If you are a mentor or a mentee, this episode is for you! Laura talks with her mentor, Mariana Wolfner, who studies molecular and genetic mechanisms ...
Episode 2: Prepping for PrEP
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Please join us for a very special episode. It’s a story about one man’s decision to take the HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis, PrEP. But it is so much...
Episode 1: Let's Talk About Pubic Hair
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome to I Came For Science: a show that explores all things sex, reproduction, and inclusion in STEM! Your host is Laura Sirot, a professor of Biol...