This month, we're talking to Sam from the Tiny Matters podcast and, appropriate for Halloween, we discuss the science behind vampire facials. So grab a treat, and maybe some garlic, and tune in for fun facts and great conversation.

In this revolting episode, our guest Dr. Sam Jones asks Julian to never see a man about a horse again, then she weeds out the filth in the animal kingdom, and finally Trace gives us a palate cleanser of starchy, potatoey goodness.

Sam Schultz is out this week, but worry not: he found another Sam to replace him! Sam Jones, host of the podcast Tiny Matters that is! Sam and her co-host, our own Deboki Chakravarti, join Ceri and Hank in our first ever team-based episode of Tangents! Two teams enter, one team leaves!

Sam Jones wears many hats. She’s executive producer of the podcast Tiny Matters. She’s also worked on other podcast and video projects. She’s written about science for The Washington Post, New York Times, Scientific American, and more. She’s also the current president of the D.C. Science Writers Association. Oh, and she got her Ph.D. in Biomedical Science at UCSD in 2018. Sam does good work and has to find her own way into science communication as an “alternative” to the more typical academic pathways laid out in grad school. In our conversation, we talk about her journey and what she’s learned about doing scicomm her way.

Dr. Sam Jones is all about science communication. In addition to being a freelance science journalist, she’s the producer and co-host of the Tiny Matters podcast, a podcast that answers many of life’s questions. She didn’t start off in science communication, though. She once was a biomedical scientist. What prompted the switch to science communication? Let’s find out!

In 2021, I chatted with hosts Margaret Burns and Gabriela Goldberg about how I discovered science communication, late nights during my Ph.D. while freelancing, and my role as a science host.

In 2020, I chatted with host Nick Edwards about curiosity, writing, podcasting, and YouTube trolls.

In 2020, I chatted with KSRO Good Food Hour about effective remedies for spicy foods.

In 2020, I was interviewed about my path from a BA at Vassar College to graduate research to science communication.