Are performance-enhancing drugs banned in the Special Olympics? Short answer: yes—but the long answer is way more interesting.

In this episode of And Now You Know, Teresa breaks down how the Special Olympics approaches PEDs differently from the traditional Olympics. Instead of constant testing and harsh punishments, the focus is on fairness, athlete safety, and education—because the mission is about inclusion and personal achievement, not elite competition.

Along the way, we get into why you’ve never heard about cheating scandals, how certain medications can complicate things, and why the organization handles issues quietly. Plus: a surprising deep dive into The Ringer, a bizarre South Park controversy, and one of the wildest cheating scandals in Paralympic history.

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Ever wondered how many jalapeños it would take to actually kill you? Teresa did—so you don’t have to. In this episode, she breaks down the spicy science behind capsaicin, why your body throws up every red flag imaginable before things get truly dangerous, and the very real difference between feeling like you’re dying and actually being in danger.

From gut-wrenching regret and poor life choices to the absolute chaos of ultra-hot peppers and concentrated extracts, things escalate quickly. Along the way, Teresa dives into the risks behind viral spice challenges, the one documented fatality tied to extreme capsaicin consumption, and the frankly horrifying math of how many jalapeños it would take to push things too far.

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Ever popped something out of your tonsil and immediately regretted every life choice that led to that moment? Yeah… same.

This week, Teresa dives into the nasty little mystery of tonsil stones—what they are, why they form, and most importantly… why they smell like something crawled in your mouth and died. From bacteria and biofilm to literal “rotting corpse” compounds, we break down the science behind one of the grossest things your body casually does.

Plus: who’s most likely to get them, when they become a problem, and how to evict these tiny stink bombs for good.

You’re welcome. And also… sorry.

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Why does a word start to look completely ridiculous the longer you stare at it? This week, Teresa dives into the strange brain glitch known as semantic satiation—when repetition temporarily breaks the connection between a word and its meaning.

Along the way, she explores other weird mental hiccups, from tip-of-the-tongue moments and middle-of-the-night memory breakthroughs to déjà vu and misheard lyrics (looking at you, “In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida”).

Your brain is incredible… but sometimes it absolutely trolls you.

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Ever been told to “sleep like a baby” and thought… have you met a baby? Teresa takes on one of the most misleading phrases in the English language, unpacking what it actually means (spoiler: it’s about quality, not quantity of sleep). Along the way, she spirals—productively—into the strange and surprising origins of other sleep-related sayings like “sleep tight,” “don’t let the bed bugs bite,” “let sleeping dogs lie,” and “couldn’t sleep a wink.” From old literature to questionable logic about mosquitoes, it turns out our bedtime sayings are weirder than our sleep schedules.

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Some people wear oversized shoes on purpose—and no, it’s not just kids clomping around in their parents’ sneakers. This week, Teresa digs into why this is actually a thing, from wide feet struggles to questionable fashion choices.

Turns out, there are valid reasons… but that doesn’t mean it’s harmless. Wearing shoes that are too big can lead to everything from blisters to long-term foot problems. The good news? There are ways to make it less of a disaster.

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In this episode of And Now You Know, Teresa tackles one of the most anxiety-inducing questions out there: Is 5 inches a good size?

With a mix of science, history, and humor, we break down the actual anatomy, what research says about pleasure, and why size might not matter as much as you’ve been led to believe. From the surprisingly named “tenting effect” to what really increases satisfaction, this episode separates fact from insecurity—while roasting unrealistic expectations along the way.

If you’ve ever wondered (or worried), this one’s for you.

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Winter might be cold, miserable, and basically six months of living on Hoth—but every now and then, it throws us a bone. Like those weirdly beautiful pink skies at night.

In this episode of And Now You Know, Teresa dives into the surprisingly complex science behind those cotton-candy-colored winter sunsets. From low sun angles to something called Rayleigh scattering (don’t worry, it’s explained like you’re five), we break down why the sky turns pink—and why it looks even more magical when snow is on the ground.

Also: are your neighbors’ Christmas lights secretly helping? (Spoiler: kinda.)

It’s science, it’s winter, and it’s actually… pretty cool for once.

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