Normal Curves Podcast
Normal Curves is a podcast about sexy science & serious statistics. Ever try to make sense of a scientific study and the numbers behind it? Listen in to a lively conversation between two stats-savvy friends who break it all down with humor and clarity. Professors Regina Nuzzo and Kristin Sainani discuss papers like a journal club does — except with more fun, less jargon, and some irreverent, PG-13 content sprinkled in. Join Kristin and Regina as they dissect the data, challenge the claims, and arm you with tools to assess scientific studies on your own.
Recent Episodes
Equipment Size: What is average?
Sugar Sag: Is Your Diet Aging You?
Hookworms: Can parasites improve your health?
Alcohol: Are happy hours good for your heart?
The Red Dress Effect: Are women in red sexier?
Vitamin D Part 2: Good for more than just your bones?
Listen On
About the Hosts
Regina Nuzzo
Professor at Gallaudet University and Freelance Science Writer
Regina Nuzzo, an award-winning science journalist and Gallaudet University professor, talks to audiences around the world about communicating statistics creatively. She’s written for Nature, New York Times, Reader’s Digest, Scientific American, New Scientist, Science News, and ESPN the Magazine, among others, including a column about the science of sex, dating, and relationships for the Los Angeles Times.
Regina's feature article on p-values in Nature earned the American Statistical Association’s 2014 Excellence in Statistical Reporting Award. Along with co-host Kristin Sainani, she wrote a statistics column for the journal Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation for several years, and she formerly served as a writer for the Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences and for the American Statistical Association.
Since 2022, Regina has also been a summer Lecturer at Stanford University, where she and Kristin teach a statistics course for clinical informatics management graduate students. In her lectures and teaching, Regina often incorporates sex-science examples to keep her audiences awake and professes no shame in doing so.
Kristin Cobb Sainani
Professor at Stanford University and Freelance Science Writer
Kristin Cobb Sainani is a Stanford professor and science journalist who brings statistics and scientific writing to students and audiences worldwide. She teaches the popular Coursera course Writing in the Sciences, available in 22 languages, and offers an online medical statistics certificate program through Stanford Online.
Kristin works as a statistician on sports medicine projects and serves as a statistical or associate editor for academic journals, including Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, Sports Medicine, and The American Journal of Sports Medicine.
Kristin has also written extensively about health, science, and statistics for diverse audiences. She authored a health column for Allure magazine, a beauty magazine, for ten years and authored a statistics column, along with co-host Regina Nuzzo, for the journal Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation for over a decade. In 2018, she received the Biosciences Award for Excellence in Graduate Teaching at Stanford University. Known for her statistical sleuthing and ability to cut through academic jargon, she champions sound statistics and clear language in science.