Mildly Intellectual, Mostly Nonsense

Manpreet and Tess
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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.

Episodes

  1. 6d ago

    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. 🎉

    32 min

  2. Jun 3

    Just Nonsense (feat. Summer House Reunion Drama)

    Some life updates, then Tess breaks down the Summer House Season 10 reunion. Very unserious. Just nonsense.

    54 min

  3. May 27

    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.

    1h 9m

  4. May 20

    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.

    1 hr

  5. May 13

    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.

    1h 13m

  6. May 6

    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.

    36 min

  7. Apr 13 ·  Bonus

    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 min

  8. Apr 8

    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.

    1h 5m

  9. Apr 1

    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.

    55 min
  10. So… What Do We Actually Do?

    Mar 25

    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.

    45 min
  11. Unnamed!

    Mar 22

    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.

    38 min
  • 11 Episodes

About

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.

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