Taboo Science

Trans 101: How to Be an Ally Without Making It Weird

Good intentions, it turns out, are not the same thing as good allyship — and sometimes they can actually make things worse. In this season finale, diversity consultant Da

Trans 101: What Detransitioners Want You to Know

If you support trans people, you probably believe that detransition almost never happens and when it does, it's only due to discrimination. But new research shows that's

Trans 101: Trans Athletes & What the Science Actually Says

How many studies does it take for something to be "settled science"? For trans athletes—who face state bans across the country, which recently reached the Supreme Court—t

Trans 101: Dating While Trans (with Julia Serano)

Every notification is a gamble: Is this a genuine connection or another person who swiped right just to tell you you're disgusting? Welcome to dating while trans. In this

Trans 101: When a Loved One Comes Out, What Should You Do?

When someone in your family comes out as trans, what do you actually do? Turns out "I love you, I believe you" goes a long way—but it's also way more complicated than tha

Bonus Interview: Trans Technologies with Oliver Haimson

In this bonus episode, Ashley sits down with Oliver Haimson, associate professor at the University of Michigan's School of Information and author of Trans Technologies. T

Trans 101: Finding Healthcare That Won't Kill You

Here's a wild statistic: nearly a quarter of trans people in the U.S. avoid going to the doctor specifically because they expect to be disrespected. And honestly? They're

RERUN - Asexuality: The Sexual Orientation Missing From Your Sex Ed

It's Thanksgiving here in the US, so we're re-running one of the most popular Taboo Science episodes of all time. We'll be back in two weeks with an episode about trans h

Nonbinary 101: Beyond the Binary

What if the government declared you don't exist? In 2025, that's exactly what happened to nonbinary people—but they're not going anywhere. This episode breaks down what n

Trans 101: Trans Kids & the Reality of Youth Transition

The right says doctors are mutilating children. The left says nothing permanent is happening. They're both oversimplifying, but they're not equally wrong. Meet Maya, wh

FEED DROP: Sing for Science

Another podcast Taboo Science listeners may enjoy: Sing For Science! Sing for Science is a science-and-music podcast where musicians sit down with scientists to explore

Trans 101: How Transgender Hormone Therapy Changes Body and Brain

For decades, doctors tried to psychoanalyze trans people out of being trans. Spoiler: it didn't work. This episode dives into the medical reality of gender transition—fro

Trans 101: Everything You Think You Know (But Probably Don't)

Got a rainbow sticker? Follow trans creators? Have trans friends? Cool. But if you're like most people—even the well-meaning ones—you probably know just enough about tran

Coming Soon — Season 5: Trans 101

When it comes to transgender issues, most of us are working with incomplete information—and that's a problem when real people's rights hang in the balance. This season, w

Housekeeping: Audience Survey Results + Taboo Science Patreon!

Still working on Season 5 (Trans Science!). In the meantime, go to https://patreon.com/tabooscience to support the show—and get updates and behind-the-scenes tidbits as I

Introducing: CRAMPED

CRAMPED is an investigative podcast that answers the question "Why are so many people with uteruses in unexplained & untreated pain?"Listen to the entire season here: htt

Philias Bonus: The Q&A Episode

You requested and I delivered: I'm answering your Philias questions on the podcast. With the help of interviewer and podcast industry extraordinaire Arielle Nissenblatt,

Philias: Foot Fetishes Kick the Stigma

Ever wondered why some people have a thing for feet? In this final Philias episode, we're flying feet first into foot fetishes. Social psychologist Dr. Justin Lehmiller b

Introducing: Spellbound and Gagged (Plus an Announcement!)

Spellbound and Gagged is a podcast about all things that fascinate, unsettle, and disgust. It's back from hiatus with an episode all about the sex cult NASA doesn't want

Philias: 7 Kinks That Push the Envelope

Consider today's episode a sampler platter of unconventional kinks. We're talking exhibitionism, financial domination, wet and messy fun, fat fetishes, lactation fascinat