Mildly Intellectual, Mostly Nonsense is a conversational science and academia podcast hosted by Manpreet, a biotech scientist, and Tess, a PhD student in statistics.
We talk about science, research, and life in STEM, from biology and statistics to academia, industry, and nonlinear careers. We also end up discussing friendships, gender dynamics in STEM, and whatever else comes up while trying to understand how things actually work.
Sometimes thoughtful, sometimes unserious, always grounded in science and curiosity.
New episodes when life allows, hopefully every Wednesday.
So You Got a Science Degree. Now What? ft. Clueless Lab Girlies
This week, we’re joined by Julia & Kathleen from Clueless Lab Girlies for our FIRST EVER guest episode! 🧪
We talk grad school, leaving academia, science communication, career existentialism, AI, and the universal feeling that maybe none of us actually know what we’re doing.
This is Mildly Intellectual, Mostly Nonsense.
5 Aug 2026
Is Science More Creative Than We Think?
This week, we catch up on dating, and our weekly Rose, Bud & Thorn.
We also discuss whether scientists are actually creative, the left brain vs. right brain myth, and how problem-solving in research can be just as creative as art.
This is Mildly Intellectual, Mostly Nonsense.
29 Jul 2026
Are Scientists Bad at Explaining Science?
This week, we discuss some STEM hot takes: why science communication matters, whether STEM influencers are a good thing, and the tools every scientist loves to hate.
We also share our weekly Rose, Bud & Thorn, talk about marathon training, and a very dramatic dog at the cottage.
This is Mildly Intellectual, Mostly Nonsense.
22 Jul 2026
Squatting in the Desert, Literally
It's been a minute! This episode we catch up on everything: a move-in gone wrong , a week in the desert with zero showers and communal poop boxes, and why respecting your pet's boundaries might just make you a better person.
This is Mildly Intellectual, Mostly Nonsense.
1 Jul 2026
New Cats, New Apartments, and STEM Would You Rather
This week, Manpreet walks through adopting a cat, Tess updates us on moving apartments, and the episode wraps with a round of Would You Rather: STEM edition.
Equal parts life updates, science, and nonsense.
10 Jun 2026
Double Digits & Questions We’re Not Qualified to Answer
We hit double digits. In Episode 10, we celebrate with life updates, a new rose-thorn-bud segment, and some hosting stress. We discuss recent scientific progress around genetics and Down syndrome, ethics in science, and where progress meets uncomfortable questions.
Still mildly intellectual. Still mostly nonsense. 🎉
3 Jun 2026
Just Nonsense (feat. Summer House Reunion Drama)
Some life updates, then Tess breaks down the Summer House Season 10 reunion. Very unserious. Just nonsense.
27 May 2026
Never Have I Ever: Women in STEM Edition
This week we sat down for a round of Never Have I Ever - STEM edition. From rewriting perfectly reasonable emails to sound 'less intense,' to getting interrupted mid-explanation and just... letting it happen. Fingers are going down.
We discuss spontaneous piercings, pilates classes, and the small things that actually make life good.
This is Mildly Intellectual, Mostly Nonsense.
20 May 2026
Cringe, Burnout, and Other Shower Thoughts
In this episode, we talk about life updates, weddings, tattoos, cats, and absolutely no outline. Somewhere between Martha Stewart lore and Coachella discourse, we end up talking about burnout, balance, and why everyone is so tired all the time.
This is Mildly Intellectual, Mostly Nonsense.
13 May 2026
Artemis II Was Just the Beginning
In this episode we start with Artemis II and what it might feel like to see Earth from space, before drifting into paint and sip nights, 3 a.m. chicken tenders, and mild existential crises about academia.
From there, things spiral into research life, causality skepticism, ChatGPT and LinkedIn cringe.
A little science, a lot of nonsense.
6 May 2026
We're back!!
After a few quiet weeks, we’re back with a catch-up episode.
We talk about what we’ve been up to, why recording didn’t go as planned, Thanks for sticking with us — more nonsense soon.
13 Apr 2026
Recorded Without Peer Review
A solo mini episode while Tess is away at a conference and our pre-recorded episodes… vanished.
A quick update, a little reflection, a bit of molecular cloning, and zero peer review.
Regular episodes return soon.
8 Apr 2026
Post-Viral and Pre-Deadline
Tess is sick, Manpreet is deep in manuscript avoidance, and neither of us is emotionally prepared to be productive.
We talk academic burnout, fake productivity, reality TV drama, bad audio feedback, and why tone is apparently a crime.
This is Mildly Intellectual, Mostly Nonsense.
1 Apr 2026
I Texted My Supervisor at 3AM!!!
Tess recounts the chaos leading up to her PhD candidacy exam — from anxiety spirals and last-minute panic to passing with flying colours.
We talk imposter syndrome, academia brain, AI study tools, workplace sexism, and the question: if money didn’t matter, would we still choose this life?
This is Mildly Intellectual, Mostly Nonsense.
Audio disclaimer: editing was attempted. Results unclear.
25 Mar 2026
So… What Do We Actually Do?
We named the podcast!!!! In this episode, we explain our jobs, and talk about what working in STEM actually looks like - failures, misconceptions, industry vs academia, and all the uncertainty in between.
This is Mildly intellectual, Mostly nonsense.
22 Mar 2026
Unnamed!
We finally did it. No name, no script, no plan.
In this episode, we introduce ourselves, talk about our very different paths into STEM, what it’s like being women in science.
This is Mildly Intellectual, Mostly Nonsense.
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16 ratings
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