This week on Lab Libs, Debbie tells the chilling true story of the Markov Incident, a bizarre and unforgettable tale involving a tiger and a hunter, and what some describe as the tiger’s revenge. Debbie and Megan will attempt to puzzle out this mystery.
Then Megan takes us in a somewhat related direction with a rabbit hole about Alexander von Humboldt, a legendary explorer and naturalist whose adventures took him across mountains, jungles, and some of the most unexplored regions of his time. Humboldt helped change the way scientists understood the connections between the living world. With tiger revenge and scientific exploration, this episode has wild animals, wilderness, questionable human decisions, and as always, a few unexpected Lab Libs distractions.
Lab Libs
A large animal
A country near China
A number between 400- 700
Something wild that you might hunt
A year in the 1900s
A number between 10-30
A number between 70- 120
A home structure or building
A body part
A negative emotion Word ending in "-ful"
A type of bird
Sources:
John Vaillant (2010). The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival.
Kerley, L. L., Goodrich, J. M., Miquelle, D. G., et al. Studies on Amur tiger ecology and human-tiger interactions.
https://nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/news/new-zoo-amur-tiger
https://nc.iucnredlist.org/redlist/amazing-species/panthera-tigris/pdfs/original/panthera-tigris.pdf
https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/24030/Conservationists-Have-Successfully-Restored-Tiger-Population-in-Russia-Where-Absent-for-50-years.aspx.
https://www.npr.org/2010/09/14/129551459/the-true-story-of-a-man-eating-tigers-vengeance
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/us/news/why-do-tigers-avoid-humans-despite-being-apex-predators/articleshow/130109369.cms?from=mdr#google_vignette
https://conservewildcats.org/resources/amur-tiger-facts/
https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2010/08/25/following-the-trail-of-an-amur-tigers-victim-a922
https://newsroom.wcs.org/News-Releases/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/24030/Conservationists-Have-Successfully-Restored-Tiger-Population-in-Russia-Where-Absent-for-50-years.aspx
2 Aug 2026
Freedom House Ambulance: Pioneers __ EMS
In this episode of Lab Libs, Megan tells Debbie the incredible story of the Freedom House Ambulance Service, Pittsburgh's pioneering minority run ambulance service that revolutionized modern emergency medicine while breaking down racial barriers. Then Debbie takes Megan down a more reflective rabbit hole this week. They explore the history of reflecting pools, from the ancient, to Washington, D.C.'s famous Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool. They discuss engineering hurdles, algae blooms, and unexpected controversies. As always, the Lab Libs guesses help them drive, and occasionally veer, off the road. You won’t want to miss this episode of your favorite, funny, science and history podcast.
Lab Libs
A medical TV Show
A number from 1000-5000
A number from 1-500
An entry level job in a hospital
A common fatal emergency
A reason for shutting down a program
A year between 2000 and 2025
An award the government can give for honor
Sources:
https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/blog/general-the-history-and-legacy-of-the-freedom-house/
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/20/us/freedom-house-ambulance-service-congress.html
https://www.heinzhistorycenter.org/blog/general-the-history-and-legacy-of-the-freedom-house/
https://summerlee.house.gov/newsroom/press-releases/congresswoman-summer-lee-announces-state-of-the-union-guest-john-moon-former-freedom-house-emt-and-retired-assistant-chief-pittsburgh-emergency-medical-service
https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7623/text
https://www.instagram.com/p/DWzV_KcDIiM/?igsh=MTRkM2xmNmpoc2pyaA==a
https://teamrubiconusa.org/news-and-stories/freedom-house-ambulance-service-a-legacy-of-life-saving-care/
https://www.royalambulance.com/post/the-forgotten-founders-of-emergency-medicine-freedom-house
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC194106/
17 Jul 2026
#19 Holy Chaos: ___ Cadaver Synod
This week on Lab Libs, Debbie tells Megan the unbelievable, yet, true story of the Cadaver Synod, when a medieval pope had his predecessor's corpse dug up, dressed in papal robes, and put on trial. They use Megan’s Lab Libs ad-libs to try and navigate this silly story. They see how close or wildly off Megan is. Then Megan takes Debbie down an incredible rabbit hole into the world of child inventors.
You won’t want to miss this hysterical historical account of some good old Catholic chaos on your favorite science podcast.
Lab Libs:
A Religious leader
A famous European city
A number between 800-1000
A dramatic church action
An assassination method
A number between 800-900
A number between 1 and 10
An ancient civilization
A number less than 10
An assassination method
Sources:
https://allthatsinteresting.com/cadaver-synod
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/morbid-monday-cadaver-synod
https://www.medievalists.net/2025/05/cadaver-synod/
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Stephen-VI-or-VII
https://people.com/pope-pius-xii-alternative-embalming-led-to-an-unbelievable-sight-in-1958-11721713
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