An all-ages podcast in which two horror authors discuss strange-but-true science facts that are scary, disturbing, and even downright spooky. Hosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David Wellington.Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labArtwork by Errick Nunnally (https://erricknunnally.myportfolio.com/)Theme "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan Boyle (c/o premiumbeat.com)
In the Season 2 finale, Nick explores the chilling (in more ways than one) world of ice mummies. From Beechey Island in the Arctic to the summits of the Austrian Alps, the bodies of the dead lay frozen and preserved, including one "iceman" discovered to be 5,300 years old! Then, Dave examines the difference between perception and reality. Are we seeing the world around us as it really is? The answer will blow your mind!Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
3/31/25 • 65:53
In this episode, Nick takes us back in time to the eruption of Krakatoa in 1883, one of the most devastating volcanic eruptions in modern history. Not only did it kill tens of thousands and lead to unimaginable devastation, it also changed the Earth's climate in ways that still affect us over one hundred years later. Then, Dave drops us off on Io, Jupiter's innermost moon and one of the deadliest spots in the solar system. How exactly can Io kill you? Let Dave count the ways!Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
3/24/25 • 54:21
In this episode, Nick brings us back to the ocean to visit one of its most bizarre inhabitants, the jellyfish. Some have tentacles over 100 feet long, others have a sting that can kill a human being in under five minutes, but most fascinating of all are the ones who've achieved immortality. Then, Dave asks one of the most difficult questions in science: If a catastrophic, world-ending event was on the way, who would you choose to survive in order to repopulate the Earth and how would you save them? It's a moral quandary with no easy answer, but it's one humanity may have to face someday.Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
3/17/25 • 68:25
In this episode, Nick takes us to the deepest ocean depths to meet the alien-looking anglerfish and its bizarre, disturbing mating habits. Think you've been on weird dates? You haven't seen anything yet! Then, Dave ponders what teleportation would be like in the real world. Star Trek makes it look easy, but what would it entail to break you down into atoms and reassemble you somewhere else? Provided you survived the experience, would you still be you?Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
3/10/25 • 51:42
In this episode, Nick introduces listeners to the horrifying horsehair worm, a water-dwelling parasitic organism whose brutal lifecycle puts its insect host through hell, culminating in the worm's unique ability to compel its host to drown itself. Then, Dave asks the question, "How many planets are there in our solar system?" The answer might seem simple to you, but throughout history the number has fluctuated wildly, taking into account celestial bodies both real and theoretical. So how many are there *really*? Listen and find out!Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
3/3/25 • 53:50
In this episode, Nick explores Lazarus Syndrome, a rare occurrence where people who are declared dead suddenly and mysteriously wake up hours later, sometimes just minutes away from being embalmed. The dead are rising, but this isn't a zombie movie, it's real life! Then, Dave introduces us to cerebral organoids, lab-grown living human brain cells in petri dishes. These mini-brains are capable of learning, including how to play video games, and now some want to turn them into organic supercomputers.Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
2/24/25 • 55:01
In this episode, Nick shrinks Dave to the size of a bacterium and sends him into the savage battlefield of the human immune system, a breathtaking biological enterprise that's second in complexity only to the human brain. Then, Dave takes us to the very edge of the universe, where something unknown lurks beyond observable space, emitting such an immense gravitational pull that this mysterious celestial body is believed to be the largest, densest object in the universe.Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
2/17/25 • 55:37
In this episode, Nick gets too close for comfort to a tree the Guinness Book of World Records called "the deadliest tree in the world." With poisonous fruit, toxic bark, and lethal sap, there's no doubt the manchineel tree wants you dead. Only one creature can survive in its branches, but you'll never guess what it is. Then, Dave takes a deep dive into the deep Earth, where there's no light, intense pressure, and unbearable heat, and yet life is thriving down there. These life forms are unlike anything we've ever seen and far outnumber the organisms that exist on the surface. How they survive in these extreme conditions will amaze you.Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
2/10/25 • 51:02
In this episode, Nick recounts the true story of a young Australian man in the peak of health who, in 2010, ate a common garden slug on a dare. What followed was a swift and brutal physical deterioration, eventually putting him into a coma. But slugs aren't poisonous, so what happened? The answer will shock you! Then, Dave takes us on a guided tour of several fascinating and spooky exoplanets, strange and completely alien worlds that orbit distant stars. Could any of them support life as we know it?Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
2/3/25 • 49:02
In this episode, Nick recounts the bizarre events that befell the small coastal city of Capitola, California in 1961, when thousands of seabirds attacked the city, an incident eerily similar to Alfred Hitchcock's famous movie The Birds, yet this happened two years before the movie. What caused the birds to swarm Capitola and peck madly at its residents, and could it happen again? Then, Dave tells the sad story of American servicemen purposely exposed, without their knowledge or consent, to the radiation of nuclear blasts at Yucca Flat, Nevada in the 1950s. The dark and tragic secret they were forced to keep for decades has finally been revealed. Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
1/27/25 • 39:25
In this episode, Nick leads us deep into the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone to the remains of the deadly reactor itself, where a most unexpected organism has made its home. Not only is it resistant to the radiation bombarding it, it appears to be feeding on radiation to grow and reproduce. Then, Dave takes us on a journey to the Phoenix Cluster, a massive and beautiful collection of galaxies billions of light years from Earth. Yet something terrifying lurks at the center of the Phoenix Cluster, something we know is there but cannot see.Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
1/20/25 • 47:31
In this episode, Nick explores the strange and spooky phenomenon of bog mummies in northern Europe. How are they so well preserved after thousands of years, and what dark, deadly secret do they share? Then, Dave examines what intelligent alien life might look like should we ever encounter them. The answer might surprise you!This episode was recorded before a live audience at the Flying Fox Tavern in Queens, NY, on September 15, 2024. As a result, the sound quality is a little dicey. You'll want to increase the volume -- but beware of the occasional cocktail shaker of death!Also, there was a slideshow for the audience that accompanied the episode. If you'd like to see the slides, they can be found here: https://www.nicholaskaufmann.com/spooky-science-lab-live/Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
1/13/25 • 47:28
In the final episode of Season 1, Nick tells the story of a massive herd of earthworms discovered in the shape of a perfect spiral on the ground--a "wormnado"--and examines what could have caused this seemingly impossible phenomenon. Does it have anything to do with a rare phase of the moon known as the "Worm Moon"? Then, Dave looks into the "Dark Forest Hypothesis," which tackles the question, if the universe is so infinitely large that it's statistically unlikely for humankind to be all alone, why haven't we seen any aliens yet?Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
6/17/24 • 55:20
Nick introduces us to the busy, relentless world of leafcutter ants, who spend their whole lives harvesting leaves from the forest to bring back to their nest and feed to the fungus that lives there. These tiny, six-legged personal chefs live to serve the fungus, which raises the question: Who's in charge? Then, Dave discusses the theory of "panspermia," which suggests that life on Earth might have started in outer space. Is it possible human beings are actually aliens?Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
6/10/24 • 55:15
Nick shrinks Dave and drops him inside a Venus flytrap to explore what happens to the prey of this fascinating carnivorous plant. Don't worry, it's for science! Then, Dave looks into the infamous Tunguska Event of 1908, when a colossal explosion blasted the snowy Siberian landscape. The cause of the explosion has long been a mystery, but have scientists finally discovered the answer?Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
6/3/24 • 52:43
Join Nick in a return to the watery deep to meet the creature with the fastest draw on Earth -- the pistol shrimp, a cannibalistic predator with a surprising secret! Then, Dave teleports Nick into outer space without a spacesuit to study exactly how and why you would die in the vast expanse between planets, and what would happen to your body over time. Don't worry, it's for science!Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
5/27/24 • 54:27
Dive under the sea to encounter a crustacean assassin, the mantis shrimp! Nick explains why this creature has the best eyesight of any animal on the planet, and why it isn't actually a shrimp. Stick around to hear Dave discuss the Multiverse, which it turns out was not just invented for the movies but might actually be real--and potentially the answer to one of the biggest questions in theoretical physics!Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
5/20/24 • 54:33
In this episode, Nick changes Dave into a caterpillar and puts him in a chrysalis to study his intense, disturbing transformation into a butterfly and Dave takes us on a tour of our galactic neighborhood to introduce us to some of the strangest stars in the night sky!Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
5/13/24 • 52:18
In this episode, Nick discusses the horrors that parasitoid wasp larvae inflict on common orb-weaver spiders and Dave explains how there could be a black hole growing at the center of our sun -- a black hole we'll never see until it's too late!Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
5/6/24 • 55:48
In this episode, Nick examines the bizarre behavior of caterpillars impregnated with wasp larvae and Dave uses a shrink ray on Nick again to continue exploring the mysterious miniature world all around us!Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
4/29/24 • 63:57
In this episode, Nick reveals the hidden threat of scientists resurrecting bacteria that's been dead for millions of years and Dave describes the bizarre miniature world Nick would find himself in after being hit with a shrink ray!Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
4/22/24 • 55:10
In this episode, Nick relates the horrific story of a decapitated snake that refused to die and Dave explains how to tell if you're living in a computer simulation of reality!Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
4/15/24 • 56:18
In this episode, Nick introduces you to a fungus that turns cicadas into sex-crazed zombies and Dave reveals the shocking truth about human poop on the moon!Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
4/8/24 • 50:26
In this episode, Nick takes us to Lake Natron, widely known as the deadliest lake in the world thanks to its alarming tendency to turn animals to stone, and Dave describes the shocking effects of throwing Nick into a black hole.Merch: https://www.teepublic.com/user/spooky-science-labHosted by Nicholas Kaufmann and David WellingtonEdited by David WellingtonAdditional voices by Jennifer Dikes and Alexa AntopolLogo by Errick NunnallyTheme song "Phantom Fun" by Jonathan BoyleConnect with us on social media at Facebook, Bluesky, and Instagram, or email us at contact@spookysciencelab.com!
3/27/24 • 57:34
