Frass Happens Podcast

Arachnophobia is a common human fear, but where does it come from? Are we born with it? And if so, why? In this episode, Katie not only untangles a web of myths about spiders, but she also spins a tale about the nature of fear itself! Whether you are on Team Spider or Team Scream, we hope that you’ll join us for Episode 9 as we delve into the intriguing (and controversial!) world of spiders, confronting our own feelings about our eight-legged neighbors along the way. —- Science Vs (Dr. Jessica Ware clip): https://youtu.be/SrL5FQ-0s3w?si=pbwYnZAqtT_FthTz  Green Street Photo Collective (Arachnophilia Exhibit): https://www.greenstreetphoto.com/events —- Citations Referenced: Cardoso, P., Pekár, S., Birkhofer, K., et. al. (2025), Ecosystem services provided by spiders. Biol Rev, 100: 2217-2236. https://doi.org/10.1111/brv.70044 Michael C. Beuhler, Ryan Feldman, David D. Gummin, et. al. (2025) 2024 Annual Report of the National Poison Data System® (NPDS) from America’s Poison Centers®: 42nd Annual Report, Clinical Toxicology, 63:12, 1029-1280. https://doi.org/10.1080/15563650.2025.2571299  Garcia R. (2017) Neurobiology of fear and specific phobias. Learn Mem. 24(9):462-471. https://doi.org/10.1101/lm.044115.116  Grogans S.E., Bliss-Moreau E., Buss K.A., et. al. (2023) The nature and neurobiology of fear and anxiety: State of the science and opportunities for accelerating discovery. Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 151:105237.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105237  Frynta, D., Janovcová, M., Štolhoferová, I. et al. (2021) Emotions triggered by live arthropods shed light on spider phobia. Sci Rep. 11, 22268. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-01325-z  Grill M. and Haberkamp A. (2023) Out of control: The role of spider movement and intolerance of uncertainty in spider fear. J Exp Psychopathol. 14(1). https://doi.org/10.1177/20438087231151502  —- Instagram: @FrassHappensPodcast Website: https://frasshappenspodcast.com/ —- Logo artwork by Alyssa Carvara Music by Maxwell Burns