Strange Health from The Conversation dives into the science behind the most bizarre, viral, and sometimes questionable health trends dominating social media from period scooping and menstrual masking to stroboscopic light therapy, demodex mites, vagus nerve hacks and liver detox myths. Expect honest, engaging, and sometimes stomach-turning discussions. Hosted by Katie Edwards from The Conversation and Dan Baumgardt, a GP and lecturer at the University of Bristol.
Publisher
The Conversation
Category
health & fitness · health & fitness · health & fitness
The science of sunscreen – and the myths to watch out for
Pharmacologist Charareh Pourzand joins hosts Katie Edwards and Dan Baumgardt to debunk sunscreen myths and reveal the science behind effective sun protection.
27 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
Migraine hacks: do eyebrow clips, cold spoons or fries actually work?
Professor Amanda Ellison and hosts Katie Edwards and Dan Baumgardt investigate the science behind popular migraine hacks and the neurological causes of migraine pain.
20 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
Cottage cheese: protein superfood or fitness myth?
Host Katie Edwards interviews Dominic Farsi, a researcher, to explore if cottage cheese is a protein superfood or a fitness myth.
13 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT
Trailer: season 2 coming soon!
Hosts Katie Edwards and Dan Baumgardt explore bizarre health trends like cottage cheese's internet fame and sunscreen claims in this interview episode.
10 Mar 2026
What is period scooping? And other menstrual hacks you should think twice about
Host Katie Edwards interviews menstrual physiologist Sally King about the science behind viral period hacks and why they can be harmful.
3 Mar 2026
Does light therapy work? The science of stroboscopic stimulation
Host Katie Edwards and David Schwartzman, research fellow at the Sussex Centre for Consciousness Science, explore the science behind stroboscopic light therapy and its potential for treating depression.
24 Feb 2026
What your body odour says about you
Hosts Katie Edwards and Dan Baumgardt interview Professor Mats Olsson about how body odor reveals health insights and cultural perceptions, offering listeners a deeper understanding of this biological signal.
17 Feb 2026
Meet the mites that live on you: from demodex to dust mites and scabies
Host Katie Edwards and Dan Baumgardt interview Professor Alejandra Perotti about the common mites living on our skin and their impact.
10 Feb 2026
What is the vagus nerve and can you really reset it?
Hosts Katie Edwards and Dan Baumgardt interview Professor Arshad Majid about the vagus nerve's function and the validity of popular activation techniques.
3 Feb 2026
Is cracking my neck and knuckles bad?
Hosts Katie Edwards and Dan Baumgardt interview musculoskeletal injury specialist Clodagh Toomey about the science behind joint cracking and its link to arthritis.
27 Jan 2026
Tonsils, kidneys and gall: why your body makes stones
Hosts Katie Edwards and Dan Baumgardt interview Professor Adam Taylor about why our bodies form stones in organs like tonsils, kidneys, and gallbladders.
20 Jan 2026
Is detoxing your liver worth the hype?
Hosts Katie Edwards and Dan Baumgardt interview liver expert Trish Lalor about whether popular liver detox trends actually work, revealing your body naturally handles detoxification.
6 Jan 2026
Introducing Strange Health from The Conversation
Introducing Strange Health, a new podcast from The Conversation (https://theconversation.com/uk).
Time and again, the health stories that go viral are the ones that make people recoil slightly before clicking anyway. Worms. Smells. Leaks. Stones. Toxins. The things you Google at midnight and hope nobody ever finds in your search history.
Behind the gag reflex, there is usually a serious question. Is this normal? Is this dangerous? Has the internet just convinced me I am dying?
That is why The Conversation has launched Strange Health, a new podcast series hosted by Katie Edwards, a health editor at The Conversation, and Dan Baumgardt (https://theconversation.com/profiles/dan-baumgardt-1451396), a practising GP and lecturer in health and life sciences at the University of Bristol.
They take the health questions people are obsessing over online, especially the weird, gross or misunderstood ones, and examine them properly with the help of academic experts who are actively researching these issues. We ask where these ideas come from, what the science really says, and why misinformation spreads so easily when bodies get involved.
Episode 1 arrives on January 20. Follow Strange Health wherever you watch or listen to podcasts to never miss an episode.
The Conversation is an independent, not-for-profit news organisation. If you like the show, please consider donating to (https://tcnv.link/2S1cahf) support our work. You can sign up here for a free daily newsletter (https://theconversation.com/uk/newsletters/the-daily-2) from The Conversation here.
Hosts: Katie Edwards and Dan Baumgardt
Executive Producer: Gemma Ware
Editing and mixing: Sikander Khan
Artwork: Alice Mason
Inside a recent episode
The science of sunscreen – and the myths to watch out for
Published 3 Nov 2026 · Transcript excerpt
[…] So I've got two questions. The first is, is there any benefit from going on a sunbed or are they actually just really dangerous? And the second one is, is something that I did when I was 17 going to show up very soon? I hope not for the short answer to your second question. […]
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