About Us

Experiment 31E is an independent podcast written, performed, and edited by Lauren Triola, with music by Shannon Triola.

Lauren Triola has been writing stories for as long as she can remember, but this is her first time making a podcast. When the idea for Experiment 31E originally occurred to her, she’d thought, how hard could it be? It turned out the answer was very. But after riding a steep learning curve, she made a podcast she is quite proud of.

While the initial idea for Experiment 31E first sparked in October 2021, Lauren didn’t begin writing the podcast until a few months later, shortly after she received her official diagnosis for autism spectrum disorder. Finally having a diagnosis—and finally having an explanation for why she is the way she is—inspired Lauren to explore her experience with autism, as well as asexuality and her complicated relationship with gender, through Experiment 31E’s protagonist, Victoria “Vic” Trafford.

Lauren is also a bit of a history nerd—people obsessed with the Franklin Expedition might be familiar with her series of blog posts about John Torrington. She recently started a Substack newsletter where she shares short pieces of memoir, essays, and fiction. A list of her other writing, including published short stories and poetry, can be found here.

Shannon Triola is Lauren’s older sister. She is a musical cryptid who shies away from the sight of mere mortals, but legend has it that she can be lured out of her blanket cave by playing the opening notes of “Welcome to the Black Parade.”