Podd: Science Vs

Social Media: Is It Rotting Your Brain?

12 september 2024 | 50 min

Social media. Many of us don’t feel very good when we’re on it, and yet we sometimes spend hours a day scrolling, eyeballs glued to our screens. Some experts say that social media is causing a mental health crisis, and governments are even talking about banning social media for kids. So what’s going on — can social media really shorten our attention span, hurt our body image or make us feel depressed? To find out, we talk to psychologists Professor Gloria Mark, Dr. Sophia Choukas-Bradley, Professor Silje Steinsbekk, and Dr. Rachel Hogg.

Resources to help with disordered eating:

United States: National Eating Disorders: 800-931-2237 https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/get-help/
International resources and general mental health resources can be found here: https://resources.byspotify.com/

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsSocialMedia

Gloria Mark’s book, Attention Span: https://gloriamark.com/, and Substack: https://gloriamark.substack.com/

Vote for the New Zealand Bird of the Year here: birdoftheyear.org.nz — we are supporting the tawaki piki toka!

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Our love/hate relationship with social media

(06:36) Is social media ruining our attention spans?

(14:04) Why is it so hard to stop looking at social media?

(18:39) Is social media making us feel depressed?

(25:56) Can social media affect your body image?

(34:02) Tips for getting off social media.

This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Music written by Bobby Lord, Emma Munger, Bumi Hidaka and So Wylie. Thanks to the researchers we spoke to, including Professor Hunt Allcott, Dr. Jacqueline Nesi, Professor Patricia Conrad, Dr. Robert Kraut, Dr. Andrew Westbrook, and Dr. Niklas Ihssen. A big thanks to everyone who talked to us about social media in Washington Square Park! And thanks to Lori Segal, Ally Settelmayer and Whitney Potter. And extra thanks to Christopher Suter, Beverly, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

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Coming Up On Science Vs [VIDEO]

5 september 2024 | 3 min

Ask Wendy Anything: Behind the Scenes at Science Vs [VIDEO]

8 augusti 2024 | 36 min

When the Olympics Wants You to Take Drugs

1 augusti 2024 | 38 min

Since the beginning of women’s sports, there has been a struggle over who qualifies for the women’s category. So this week, we're sharing an episode of a new podcast we love, called Tested. Tested follows the unfolding story of elite female runners who have been told they can no longer race as women because of their biology. As they work toward the Olympics, they face hard choices: take drugs to lower their natural testosterone levels, give up their sport entirely, or fight. This episode asks: Would you alter your body for the chance to compete for a gold medal? You’ll meet runner Christine Mboma and hear about the difficult choice she faces.

Find more episodes of Tested at https://link.chtbl.com/XReiimtO

Tested is from CBC, NPR’s Embedded, and Bucket of Eels. The show is written, reported, and hosted by Rose Eveleth.

Editing by Alison MacAdam and Veronica Simmonds. Production by Ozzy Llinas Goodman, Andrew Mambo, and Rhaina Cohen. Additional reporting, producing, and editing by Lisa Pollak. Sound design by Mitra Kaboli. Our production manager is Michael Kamel. Anna Ashitey is our digital producer. This series was mixed by Robert Rodriguez. Fact checking by Dania Suleman. Our intersex script consultant is Hans Lindahl. Archival research by Hillary Dann. Legal support from Beverly Davis. Mixed for Science Vs by Bobby Lord.

Special thanks to Yeezir for letting us use his song Silent Hero, and Keith Houston, Amir Nakhjavani, and Damon Papadopoulos. French translation by Vanessa Nicolai. Special thanks also to CBC Licensing. Additional audio from World Athletics and Warner Brothers.

At CBC, Chris Oke and Cesil Fernandes are Executive Producers, Tanya Springer is the Senior Manager, and Arif Noorani is the Director of CBC Podcasts.

At NPR, Katie Simon is Supervising Editor for Embedded. Irene Noguchi is Executive Producer. NPR’s senior vice president for podcasting is Collin Campbell. We got legal support from Micah Ratner. And thanks to NPR’s Managing Editor for Standards and Practices, Tony Cavin.

This series was created with support from a New America fellowship.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hydration: Are You Drinking Enough Water?

25 juli 2024 | 43 min

Mind-Blowing Orgasms: Does the Male G-Spot Exist?

20 juni 2024 | 43 min

Protein: Are You Getting Enough?

13 juni 2024 | 34 min

Introducing The Journal: Trillion Dollar Shot

11 juni 2024 | 41 min

Trans Kids’ Healthcare: Are We Getting It Wrong?

6 juni 2024 | 38 min

Health care for trans kids has been in the spotlight, with battles over what the science says and tons of U.S. states restricting the care that children can get. And then there’s a new report out of the UK, called the Cass Review, saying that a bunch of the evidence that doctors have been relying on to treat trans kids is “remarkably weak.” So what’s going on here? What is the best health care for trans kids? We sort through the science with Professor Stephen Russell, Dr. Cal Horton, and Dr. Ada Cheung.

UPDATE 6/6/24: In a previous version of this episode, we said a study was published this year, when it was actually published last year. The episode has been updated.

Mental health resources, including suicide lifelines, for around the world: spotify.com/resources
Trans Lifeline: A Trans peer support hotline: 1-877-565-8860
Trevor Project: crisis support services to LGBTQ young people: Call 1-866-488-7386 or Text ‘START’ to 678-678

Find our transcript here: bit.ly/ScienceVsTransKidsCassReviewTranscript

Here are links to our previous episodes about the science of being transgender and misinformation about care for trans kids.

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) The battle over care for trans kids

(02:45) What to do when a kid wants to change their name and pronouns

(13:44) Do puberty blockers help trans kids’ mental health?

(20:44) Does hormone therapy help trans people’s mental health?

(25:25) How often are people "retransitioning"?

This episode was produced by Meryl Horn and Wendy Zukerman, with help from Michelle Dang and Rose Rimler. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Consulting by Rebecca Kling. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka and Peter Leonard. Thanks so much to all the researchers we spoke with for this episode, including Blake Cavve, Dr. Doug VanderLaan, and Dr. Quinnehtukqut McLamore. And a very special thanks to the trans folks and their families we talked to, Christopher Suter, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Great Dinosaur Smashup

30 maj 2024 | 35 min

The Abortion Pill: How Dangerous Is It Really?

23 maj 2024 | 39 min

The Abortion Pill is now the most common way to have an abortion in the US. Yet what exactly happens when you take these pills is shrouded in mystery. Even many doctors don't know how well they work! Today, we're letting the sun shine on the abortion pill. We'll walk you through what happens when you take these pills: what they do to your body, and how safe are they for your physical and mental health? To explore all this - and more - we speak to Dr Sara Whitburn, Professor Oskari Heikinheimo, and Professor Ushma Upadhyay.

UPDATE 7/15/24: The episode has been updated to clarify that surgical abortions do not always happen at a hospital by a doctor, while the patient is under general anesthesia. They can also happen at clinics and patients can get a local anesthetic.

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsTheAbortionPiill

The Abortion Project's Instagram @theabortionproject

Science Vs's Instagram @science_vs

If you want to talk to someone - there's some great resources in here: spotify.com/resources

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) The battle over the abortion pill

(04:28) How does the abortion pill work?

(09:05) How it feels to take the abortion pill

(14:34) How often do people hemorrhage?

(21:22) What's "normal" bleeding?

(24:11) Does taking the abortion pill affect your mental health?

(32:02) Why some people prefer the abortion pill

This episode was produced by Meryl Horn and Wendy Zukerman, with help from Rose Rimler, and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Emma Munger, So Wylie, Bumi Hidaka and Peter Leonard. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including Dr. Tiffany Green, Dr. Ned Calonge, Professor Jenny Higgins, Dr. Daniel Aaron, Dr. Beverly Winikoff, and Dr. Abigail Aiken. Also thanks to Lauren Silverman, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What the Hell Is at the Edge of Space?

16 maj 2024 | 22 min

Heartbreak: Why It Feels So Achy Breaky

9 maj 2024 | 29 min

Tig Notaro Shares Her Favorite Jokes

7 maj 2024 | 23 min

The Funniest Joke in the World

2 maj 2024 | 56 min

If you Google "The Funniest Joke in the World," you'll be very disappointed. The internet might serve you something like, "What has many keys but can't open a single lock??” (Answer: A piano). Screw that. That's not funny. Enter Science Vs. We’re going on a romp to find out once and for all: What is the funniest joke in the world. According to science. And for this quest we've interviewed a bunch of amazing comics including Tig Notaro, Adam Conover, Dr Jason Leong, Loni Love, as well as special guest Latif Nasser of Radiolab and, of course, some scientists: Neuroscientist Professor Sophie Scott and Psychologist Professor Richard Wiseman. Which Joke Will Win???

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsFunniestJoke

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) The Quest Begins

(08:40) Why laughing matters

(13:13) The scientific search for the world's funniest joke

(17:40) Woof, quack or moo?

(21:33) The comedy K

(26:30) Do different cultures have different senses of humour?

(28:27) The winner!

(32:15) Scientific theories of humour (lol)

(38:28) Why the winning joke isn't funny

(40:26) How do you stop a dog from humping your leg?

(44:43) Meet the comedy gods

This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Michelle Dang, Joel Werner, Rose Rimler and Meryl Horn. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Sarah Baum. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Peter Leonard, Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, So Wylie, and Bobby Lord. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including Dr Andrew Farkas, Professor Penny MacDonald, Dr Maggie Prenger and a huge thank you to Professor Chris Westbury for sharing your amazing spreadsheet!! Thanks to all the comedians we interviewed in this episode including Tig Notaro, Adam Conover, Loni Love, Takashi Wakasugi, Urooj Ashfaq, Dr Jason Leong, Penny Greenhalgh and Mohammed Magdi.

Another big thanks to Lindsay Farber, Roland Campos, Lauren LoGiudice, Andrea Jones-Rooy and the other comics at Ha! or Nah!: A Joke Lab; and all the comics that we spoke to and couldn't fit into the episode, we really really appreciate you and your time! Thanks to Ben Milam, the Melbourne International Comedy Festival, Stupid Old Studios, Paige Ransbury, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Wendy Talks About Her Pyromaniac Past — and More [Video]

25 april 2024 | 70 min

Hormone Balancing: Should You Try It?

18 april 2024 | 37 min

Murder in the Ivory Tower

11 april 2024 | 33 min

Cannabis: I Get High With a Little Help From … Science

4 april 2024 | 46 min

Intermittent Fasting: Hungry for Facts?

28 mars 2024 | 34 min

Fasting diets are going bonkers right now — some tech bros are down to one meal a day! And health-fluencers claim that intermittent fasting can help you lose weight, live longer and even fight cancer. But meanwhile, recent headlines are screaming that these diets might actually be dangerous — and linked to death from heart disease. Can science sort this all out?? We speak to nutrition researchers Dr. Krista Varady and Dr. Courtney Peterson, as well as cancer researcher Professor Valter Longo.

Mental health and disordered eating resources are here: spotify.com/resources

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsFasting

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Fasting: the fad and the fears

(03:07) Does fasting help you burn fat?

(07:40) How much weight do people lose with intermittent fasting?

(08:47) Is this just calorie restriction?

(13:17) Can fasting help you live longer?

(19:50) Can fasting fight cancer?

This episode was produced by Kaitlyn Sawrey, Nick DelRose and Wendy Zukerman with help from Michelle Dang, Rose Rimler, Joel Werner and Meryl Horn. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell, with extra editing help from Caitlin Kenney and Annie-Rose Strasser. Fact checking by Eva Dasher and Michelle Dang. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard and Bobby Lord. Music by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, Bumi Hidaka and Bobby Lord. A huge thanks to all the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr Peter Chisnell, Dr Mikkel Holm Vendelbo, Dr Jiahong Lu, Dr Dorothy Sears, Prof. Mark Mattson, Dr James D Dvorak, Dr Calloway Scott, Professor Richard Billows, Professor Nancy Worman, Dr Barbara Kowalzig and the University of Alabama, Birmingham. Also thanks to Kimmie Regler, Helen Zaltman, Frank Lopez, the Zukerman Family, and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dreams: What Could They Mean?

21 mars 2024 | 45 min

Ozempic: Is It Scarier Than We Thought?

14 mars 2024 | 40 min

We looked at this class of weight loss drugs a year ago, and they've only gotten more popular — and more controversial. We’re hearing that these kinds of drugs can be tough on your stomach, and that the weight loss comes with worrisome loss of muscle. We’ve also heard claims that they might increase your risk of suicide. So — should we be freaking out here?? We talk to endocrinologist Dr. Vibha Singhal, neuroscientist Dr. Nora Volkow, and gastroenterologist Dr. Michael Camilleri.

This episode does deal with depression and suicidal thoughts. Here are some crisis hotlines:

United States: US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline Dial 988 (Online chat available); US Crisis Text Line Text “HOME” to 741741

Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14 (Online chat available)

Canada: Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (See link for phone numbers listed by province)

United Kingdom: Samaritans 116 123 (UK and ROI)

Full list of international hotlines here

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsOzempic2Scarier

Chapters:

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) What are the fears around these weight loss drugs?

(04:46) Do these drugs melt your muscles?

(11:49) Do these drugs increase the risk of suicidal thoughts?

(16:15) Can they really paralyze your stomach?

(30:25) Some good news!

(33:36) How Did You Find the Bezoar?

CREDITS

This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Meryl Horn, Michelle Dang, and Joel Werner. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Recording assistance from Selena Seay-Reynolds. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord and Peter Leonard. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, Peter Leonard, So Wylie and Bobby Lord. Thanks to all of the researchers we spoke to for this episode, including Dr. Kristen Beavers, Dr. Ellen Fallows, Dr. Joseph Henson, Dr. Dimitrios Papamargaritis, Prof. Roger McIntyre, Prof. Russ Waitman, Dr. Sahib Khalsa,, Dr. Travis Masterson, and Dr. Etienne Wang. Thanks also to Bryant Smith and Lori Segal. And special thanks to the listeners on these medications who checked back in with us.

A special thanks to the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Anti-Aging: Can We Be Forever Young?

7 mars 2024 | 35 min

Get Ready for Our BIGGEST SEASON EVER

29 februari 2024 | 3 min

Ayahuasca: WTF is up with DMT?

14 december 2023 | 48 min

DMT might be the weirdest drug in the already weird world of psychedelics. It’s the active ingredient in ayahuasca, but on its own, DMT can give you what’s nicknamed “the businessman’s trip” — a psychedelic journey that can be done and dusted inside 15 minutes. So what is this drug doing to our brains? And could it help people with depression? We catch up with Dr Chris Timmermann, Dr Graham Campbell, Michelle Baker Jones and Dr David Olson to find out.

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsDMT

Listeners, we need you! Tell us: What should we versus in 2024? Also, we’re looking for your questions on topics including sex, diet and menopause! In the U.S., leave us a voicemail at 774-481-1238 or send an email or voice memo to [email protected].

Find us on Social Media! Instagram: @science_vs / TikTok: @wendyzukerman / Twitter: @sciencevs

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!

(00:59) Celebs love ayahuasca

(04:58) DMT

(08:06) The ‘Rick and Morty’ Trip

(13:30) Is DMT a portal?

(15:42) DMT in our brains

(21:53) DMT for depression?

(29:33) Plastic psychedelics

(36:10) Risks of DMT and ayahuasca

(39:09) Where do we land on DMT?

This episode was produced by Joel Werner, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Rose Rimler, and Nick DelRose. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, and Bobby Lord. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including Dr Rick Strassman, Dr David Erritzoe, Dr Jimo Borjigin, Dr. Steven Barker, Dr Brandon Weiss, Dr Pascal Michael, Dr Michael Gatch, Professor Jerome Sarris, Professor Deepak Dsouza, Sean Chiddy, and David Nickles. Special thanks to Jack Weinstein and Hunter, Katie Vines, Finn and Jules, Christian Darío Vásquez, Valentina Powers, Zac Schmidt, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Personality Tests: Who Are You Really?

7 december 2023 | 44 min

Caffeine: How Much is Too Much?

30 november 2023 | 42 min

MDMA: Can Ecstasy Cure Your Agony?

23 november 2023 | 43 min

Pssst!! The Science of Gossip

16 november 2023 | 40 min

When Your Eyes See Lies

9 november 2023 | 53 min

Sleep: How Do We Get More?

2 november 2023 | 32 min

Seed Oils: Is Your Canola Oil Killing You?

26 oktober 2023 | 44 min

UFOs: The Truth Is Right Here

19 oktober 2023 | 44 min

Andrew Huberman on Supplements, the Covid Lab Leak Theory and more

12 oktober 2023 | 41 min

Self-Care: Can You Hack Your Mood?

5 oktober 2023 | 39 min

Why Fossil Nerds Are Pissed Right Now

28 september 2023 | 52 min

Vaping: Is It Really That Bad?

21 september 2023 | 42 min

Breathwork: A Bunch of Hot Air?

14 september 2023 | 43 min

We're Back! And Boldly Going Where We've Never Gone Before

7 september 2023 | 3 min

The Best Ever Episode of Science Vs

24 augusti 2023 | 44 min

Orgasms: Your Favorite Sex Episode!

17 augusti 2023 | 38 min

Exercise: Your Favorite Wellness Episode!

10 augusti 2023 | 32 min

Magic Mushrooms: Your Favorite Drugs Episode!

3 augusti 2023 | 38 min

Here’s the episode you voted as our best drug episode: Magic Mushrooms! People are saying that shrooms cured their depression and anxiety. But is this for real? How could taking a trip on psychedelics fix your brain? Today, magic mushrooms ditch their tie dye for a lab coat as we go on a magical journey into the science. We talk to clinical psychologists Dr. Alan Davis and Dr. Albert Garcia-Romeu, and neuropsychologist Dr. Katrin Preller.

Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/SVFavDrugsEp

This episode does deal with depression. Here are some crisis hotlines:

United States: US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 988 (Online chat available); US Crisis Text Line Text “GO” to 741741
Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14 (Online chat available)
Canada: Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (See link for phone numbers listed by province)
United Kingdom: Samaritans 116 123 (UK and ROI) (Online chat available)
Full list of international hotlines here

This episode was produced by Meryl Horn and Michelle Dang with help from Wendy Zukerman, Nick DelRose, Rose Rimler and Hannah Harris Green. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design of this episode was by Bobby Lord. Mix and sound design of our original episode was by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Marcus Bagala, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. A huge thanks to all the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Prof. David Nichols, Dr. James Rucker, Prof. Bryan Roth, Dr. Erika Dyck, Dr. Daniel Wacker, Mary Cosimano, Dr. Fred Barrett, Dr. Natalie Gukasyan, Dr. Jeff Guss, Dr. Suresh Muthukumaraswamy. Prof. Harriet de Wit, Dr. Nadia Hutten, Dr. Vince Polito, Dr. Kim Kuypers and Dr. Matt Kasson. Thanks to all the clinical trial participants and ‘psychonauts’ who spoke to us. And special thanks to Lexi Krupp, Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Behind the Scenes of ‘Oppenheimer’

27 juli 2023 | 29 min

How Bats Break Science

20 juli 2023 | 25 min

Sex Drive: The Dirrrrrrty Science

29 juni 2023 | 41 min

Tons of people struggle to get revved up about sex. It can mess with their relationships and how they feel about themselves. So enter the multimillion-dollar supplement industry with miracle solutions. Even Big Pharma has joined the battle for our libido, with drugs that claim to work wonders. But what if our ideas about sex drive are completely wrong? What if a pill (or testosterone injection) isn't the answer? We dive into the groundbreaking science on libido — and what you can do if you can't get no satisfaction. With sex therapist Professor Heather Goltz, sexual health researcher Professor Caroline Pukall and endocrinologist Professor Waljit Dhilo.

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsSexDrive

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Chapter 1: Our limping libidos

(04:16) Chapter 2: Sex drive and testosterone

(08:24) Chapter 3: Kisspeptin: The new kid on the block

(17:13) Chapter 4: Libido-boosting supplements and medications

(24:39) Chapter 5: When your libido takes work

We're performing at Beaker St in Tasmania and Wendy Zukerman will be at Splendour in the Grass.

This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman with help from Joel Werner, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, R.E. Natowicz, and Meryl Horn. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, Peter Leonard and Bobby Lord. Data Analysis by Sam Levang.

Thanks to everyone we reached out to for this episode, including Professor Sari Van Anders, Dr Emily Harris, Dr Jennifer Power, Dr Simone Buzwell, Dr Alexandra James, Professor Sheryl Kingsberg, Professor Barbara Mintzes, Dr Leonor Tiefer, Dr Mats Holmberg, and Dr Alexander Comninos.

Special thanks to Jack Weinstein and Hunter, Katie Vines and Finn and Jules, Chris Suter, Elise and Dylan, the Natowicz family, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Who Killed Affordable Housing?

22 juni 2023 | 35 min

Gluten: Should You Give It Up?

15 juni 2023 | 37 min

AI: Is It Out Of Control?

8 juni 2023 | 43 min

Artificial Intelligence seems more human-like and capable than ever before — but how did it get so good so quickly? Today, we’re pulling back the curtain to find out exactly how AI works. And we'll dig into one of the biggest problems that scientists are worried about here: The ability of AI to trick us. We talk to Dr. Sasha Luccioni and Professor Seth Lazar about the science.

This episode contains explicit language.

There’s also a brief mention of suicide, so please take care when listening. Here are some crisis hotlines:

United States: US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (2755) (Online chat available); US Crisis Text Line Text “GO” to 741741
Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14 (Online chat available)
Canada: Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (See link for phone numbers listed by province)
United Kingdom: Samaritans 116 123 (UK and ROI)
Full list of international hotlines here

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsAI

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) 64,000 willies

(05:13) A swag pope

(06:36) Why is AI so good right now?

(09:06) How does AI work?

(17:43) Opening up AI to everyone

(20:42) A rogue chatbot

(27:50) Charming chatbots

(29:42) A misinformation apocalypse?

(33:16) Can you tell me something good?!

(36:08) Citations, credits, and a special surprise…

This episode was produced by Joel Werner, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Meryl Horn, R.E. Natowicz, Rose Rimler, and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Jonathon Roberts. Music written by Bobby Lord, Peter Leonard, Emma Munger So Wylie and Bumi Hidaka. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including Dr Patrick Mineault, Professor Melanie Mitchell, Professor Arvind Narayanan, Professor Philip Torr, Stella Biderman, and Arman Chaudhry.

Special thanks to Katie Vines, Allison, Jorge Just, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

Science Vs is a Spotify Original Podcast. Follow Science Vs on Spotify, and if you wanna receive notifications every time we put out a new episode, tap the bell icon!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Blue Balls: A Ball-Faced Lie?

1 juni 2023 | 41 min

We join forces with Sarah Marshall from You’re Wrong About to dive into a question for the ages: Blue balls — are they real? And we’ve got some BIG blue balls news in this episode! The survey we did when it originally aired has been turned into a peer-reviewed paper led by scientists at Queen’s University! WE MADE SCIENCE! And if you took our survey, you helped!

So join us as we revisit this romp where we ask if blue balls are a ball-faced lie, something that men make up to pressure women to have sex with them. Our guests include Sam Pierstorff, Dr. Jamin Brahmbhatt, Professor Caroline Pukall and Dr. Jonathan Chalett.

Find our blue balls paper in the journal Sexual Medicine: https://academic.oup.com/smoa/article/11/2/qfad016/7148610

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/sciencevsblueballsupdate

Link(s) to related episode(s), if desired (and ask Jen Hahn to make a button once published):

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Chapter One: We’ve published a scientific paper on blue balls!

(04:05) Chapter Two: A cautionary blue balls tale

(09:25) Chapter Three: Could a semen backup cause blue balls?

(15:00) Chapter Four: Is blue balls caused by blood flow?

(19:05) Chapter Five: We do our own blue balls research!

Credits:

This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman with help from Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, Meryl Horn, Nick DelRose, Michelle Dang, and Rose Rimler. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Gimlet’s managing director is Nicole Beemsterboer. Fact checking by Eva Dasher, update fact checked by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. The updated version was mixed by Catherine Anderson. Music written by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord and Bumi Hidaka. A huge thanks to all the experts we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr Gordon Muir, Dr Michael Leapman, Dr Karan Rangarajan, Dr Randal Rockney, Dr Nan Wise, and Dr Kevin Gandhi. A big thanks to Joel Werner, R.E. Natowicz, Eric Mennel, Ayo Oti, Andrea Scott, Jack Weinstein, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

Science Vs is a Spotify Original Podcast and Gimlet production. Follow Science Vs on Spotify, and if you wanna receive notifications every time we put out a new episode, tap the bell icon!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Dentist: Toss the Floss? Flush the Brush?

25 maj 2023 | 37 min

Skin Care: Is Anti-Aging a Scam?

18 maj 2023 | 36 min

Did We Predict the Pandemic?

11 maj 2023 | 50 min

Just two months before Covid-19 broke out, we made a fictional pandemic episode that was like “Contagion” but with citations. And we played it for Dr. Anthony Fauci. Today, we’re looking back at that episode and asking — how much of the pandemic did we predict?

This episode has some unbleeped curse words.

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsPandemic

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Chapter One: Why we’re sharing this episode

(03:42) Chapter Two: Meet Dr. Anthony Fauci

(07:10) Chapter Three: The fictional pandemic begins

(26:50) Chapter Four: Fauci’s thoughts on our fake pandemic

(33:53) Chapter Five: Wendy and Blythe’s reaction

The original pandemic episode was produced by Kaitlyn Sawrey, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Lexi Krupp, Rose Rimler and Meryl Horn. It was edited by Caitlin Kenney and Blythe Terrell. Extra writing help from Kevin Christopher Snipes. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Bobby Lord and Marcus Thorne Bagala. This new update was produced by Rose Rimler and fact checked by Erika Akiko Howard, and mixed by Bobby lord.

Thank you to all the scientists and researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Eric Toner, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Beth Maldin Morgenthau, Dr. Melvin Sanicas, Dr. Mandy Izzo, Dr. Kurt Frey, Professor Michael Osterholm, Dr. Patrick Saunders Hastings, Rosemary Gibson, Thomas Bollyky, Dr. Ashleigh Tuite, Professor Stephen Morse, Dr. Lalitha Sundaram, Professor David N. Fisman, Lynette Brammer, the late Dr. Mohamed Naguib, Dr. Yeulong Shu, Dr. Dan Jernigan, Dr. Kirsty Short, and special thanks to Bess Davenport at CDC.

Thanks to our actors, Annabelle Fox as Mindy, as well as the late William Dufris, Alice Kors, Dani Cervone, Robin Miles, Jordan Cobb, Jonathan Woodward, Ian Lowe and Casey Wortmann. Directed by William Dufris with help from Wendy Zukerman, Kaitlyn Sawrey and Fred Greenhalgh. Recording by Fred Greenhalgh and Peter Leonard. Also thank you to all the Gimlet people who performed various drafts during edits, including Chad Chenail, Gabe Lozada, Jasmine Romero and MR Daniel. And a huge thank you to Frank Lopez, Jorge Just, Joel Werner, R.E. Natowicz, Stevie Lane, Phoebe Flanigan, Chris Giliberti, Justin McGolrick, Katie Pastore, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

Gimlet’s managing director is Nicole Beemsterboer. Science Vs is a Spotify Original Podcast and a Gimlet production. Follow Science vs on Spotify. Tap the bell to receive new episode notifications.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

I’ll Be Dammed: Beavers Fighting Climate Change

4 maj 2023 | 18 min

Ketamine: How Special is Special K?

27 april 2023 | 32 min

For years, ketamine has been thought of mostly as a horse tranquilizer — or a street drug that puts you in a scary-sounding K-hole. But now, we’re hearing reports that it could be almost a miracle medicine, treating stubborn depression and other mental illnesses. So how good is it, really? And could using a drug like this for depression actually be dangerous? We talk to researchers Dr. Rebecca Price, Prof. Colleen Loo, and Prof. Gerard Sanacora – and Fernanda Graciolli.

UPDATE 4/28/23: A previous version of this episode incorrectly described Dr. Rebecca Price’s role in a 2009 study of ketamine’s effect on depression and suicidal thoughts, back when she was a graduate student. The episode has been updated accordingly.

This episode does deal with depression and suicidal thoughts. Here are some crisis hotlines:

United States: US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (2755) (Online chat available); US Crisis Text Line Text “GO” to 741741
Australia: Lifeline 13 11 14 (Online chat available)
Canada: Canadian Association for Suicide Prevention (See link for phone numbers listed by province)
United Kingdom: Samaritans 116 123 (UK and ROI)
Full list of international hotlines here

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsKetamine

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Intro: Ketamine - a new wonder drug?

(05:47) Chapter One: Ketamine and depression

(10:37) Chapter Two: What does ketamine do in the brain?

(15:04) Chapter Three: But ketamine doesn’t help everyone …

(20:17) Chapter Four: The risks of using ketamine

(24:30) Chapter Five: Ketamine and addiction

(25:54) Chapter Six: Overall — what should we make of ketamine?

This episode was produced by Michelle Dang,Wendy Zukerman, R.E. Natowicz, Joel Werner, Rose Rimler, and Meryl Horn. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Gimlet’s managing director is Nicole Beemsterboer. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Catherine Anderson. Music written by Bobby Lord, Peter Leonard, Bumi Hidaka, So Wiley, and Emma Munger. Thank you to researchers Prof. Bita Moghaddam and Grace Forsyth. Special thanks to Flora Lichtman, Jorge Just, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

Science Vs is a Spotify Original Podcast and a Gimlet production. Follow Science Vs on Spotify, and if you want to get notifications every time we put out a new episode, tap the bell icon in your app.

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Pit Bulls: Bad to the Bone?

20 april 2023 | 37 min

Superbugs: Apocalypse … Now?

13 april 2023 | 39 min

Hangovers: What Really Helps?

6 april 2023 | 19 min

Alcohol: Time to Put a Cork in It?

30 mars 2023 | 32 min

For decades we’ve been yanked around over alcohol: one day it’s actually good for us, the next day it’s a killer. And recently there’ve been reports that even a little bit of booze is bad for you overall. We first looked into this back in 2019, and since then the research has evolved faster than a nanobrewery’s tap list. So today we’re diving back into the science to find out: is just a bit of alcohol dangerous? We talk to epidemiologist and nutritionist Prof. Eric Rimm, psychologist Prof. Tim Stockwell, cancer researcher Dr. Susan Gapstur, and substance use disorder researcher Dr. Peter Butt.

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/AlcoholCorkinItScienceVsTranscript

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) The debate over alcohol

(03:26) Why alcohol might be good for us

(10:10) Why alcohol might be bad for us

(16:30) Why are experts recommending even less alcohol now?

(19:30) Alcohol and cancer risk

(25:32) Our conclusion on alcohol

Credits:

This episode was produced by Meryl Horn with help from R.E. Natowicz, Wendy Zukerman as well as Disha Bhagat, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, Joel Werner, and Kaitlyn Sawrey. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Editing help from Caitlin Kenney. Gimlet’s managing director is Nicole Beemsterboer. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard, Michelle Harris and Michelle Dang. Mix and sound design by Catherine Anderson, Bobby Lord and Peter Leonard. Music by Peter Leonard, Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. A huge thanks to all the researchers we got in touch with for this episode including Dr. Arthur Klatsky, Dr. Krishna Aragam, Dr. William Kerr, Dr. Tim Niami, Professor William Ghali, Dr. Wendy Chen, Max Griswold and many others. Recording help from Andrew Stelzer, Susanna Capelouto, Katie Sage, and Joseph Fridman. Also thanks to Lynn Levy, the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Science Vs is a Spotify Original Podcast and a Gimlet production. Follow Science Vs on Spotify, and if you wanna receive notifications every time we put out a new episode, tap the bell icon!

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Weight Loss Meds: Is Ozempic a Miracle Drug?

23 mars 2023 | 41 min

Nerds, Assemble! Science Vs Is Back

16 mars 2023 | 4 min

Listen to Science Vs in Spanish!

9 februari 2023 | 37 min

Adderall: What's It Doing to Your Brain?

9 december 2022 | 34 min

When Science and Superstitions Collide

2 december 2022 | 40 min

Hypnosis: Does It Really Work?

17 november 2022 | 39 min

Deodorant: Is It Dangerous?

10 november 2022 | 34 min

The Male Pill: When Is It Coming?

3 november 2022 | 31 min

The Mystery of the Man Who Died Twice

20 oktober 2022 | 42 min

Mass Shootings: How Do We Stop Them?

13 oktober 2022 | 44 min

Should We Compost Human Bodies?

6 oktober 2022 | 44 min

The Fight to Fix a Racist Medical Gadget

22 september 2022 | 37 min

Vegans: Are They Right?

15 september 2022 | 34 min

Hydration: Are You Drinking Enough Water?

8 september 2022 | 45 min

We're Back for Season THIRTEEN

1 september 2022 | 2 min

Fauci on Monkeypox: What Went Wrong

3 augusti 2022 | 18 min

Monkeypox: What's Going On?

2 augusti 2022 | 44 min

Abortion: The Science and the Supreme Court

30 juni 2022 | 47 min

Nightmare on Science Street

9 juni 2022 | 45 min

Placebo: Can the Mind Cure You?

2 juni 2022 | 37 min

A Mystery in the Air

26 maj 2022 | 41 min

ASMR: How Whispering Hijacks the Brain

12 maj 2022 | 43 min

Serial Killers: The Mind of a Murderer

5 maj 2022 | 36 min

Ultra-Processed Foods: A Load of Baloney?

28 april 2022 | 42 min

Ivermectin: The Story of a Wonder Drug

21 april 2022 | 56 min

Spotify and Misinformation: An Update!

15 april 2022 | 3 min

The Abortion Underground

7 april 2022 | 44 min

Ukrainian War: Fighting Russia's Propaganda Machine

29 mars 2022 | 40 min

Ancient Aliens: Who Really Built the Pyramids?

24 mars 2022 | 34 min

Trans Kids: The Misinformation Battle

18 mars 2022 | 51 min

U.S. politicians are trying to keep trans kids from getting the medical care they need to transition — and states are banning them from playing on the sports teams that match their gender. So we’re looking at the science here, and asking: are the medical treatments for trans kids dangerous? And do trans folks have an advantage when it comes to sports? We talk to Florence Ashley, Dr. Jack Turban, and Joanna Harper to find out.

UPDATE 5/24/24: We have removed identifying information about the trans children we interviewed.

UPDATE 5/17/22: A previous version of this episode incorrectly summarized a study from Seattle. We said those who got gender-affirming healthcare "felt better" after getting the treatment. The study actually found that those who got this treatment felt better compared to those who didn't get the treatment. The episode has been updated.

Note: in this episode we discuss suicide and self-harm. Please take care when listening to the show, and here are some resources:

Trans Lifeline: A Trans peer support hotline: 1-877-565-8860
Trevor Project: crisis support services to LGBTQ young people: Call 1-866-488-7386 or Text ‘START’ to 678-678
US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741).
International suicide hotlines: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines

Find our transcript here: bit.ly/sciencevstranskidstranscript

This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, Rasha Aridi, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, and Wendy Zukerman with help from Michelle Dang, Rose Rimler, and Courtney Gilbert. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Nick DelRose. Consulting by Rebecca Kling. Music written by Mr Mu Menage, Leon Trapedera, Robby Bold, and Lucas Ambarga. Thanks to the experts we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Arjee Javellana Restar, Dr. Jody Herman, and Dr. Toni D’Orsay. Very special thanks to all the trans kids and their parents we heard from, Crispin Torres, Alex Blumberg, Jack Weinstein, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Here’s What’s Coming Up!

11 mars 2022 | 2 min

Misinformation: What Should Our Tech Overlords Do?

25 februari 2022 | 46 min

Joe Rogan: The Malone Interview

5 februari 2022 | 44 min

The Moon: Why Are We Really Going Back?

10 december 2021 | 37 min

Fauci on How This Ends

4 december 2021 | 17 min

Omicron: Do You Need to Freak Out?

3 december 2021 | 42 min

Presenting Gastropod: How Chilis Conquered the World

25 november 2021 | 51 min

Jurassic Park: Hold On to Your Butts

18 november 2021 | 41 min

Killer Asteroids: NASA Strikes Back

11 november 2021 | 37 min

Monkey Say What? LEOPARD!!

4 november 2021 | 11 min

Chronic Pain: Can Our Brains Fix It?

28 oktober 2021 | 32 min

The Legendary Condom Queen

21 oktober 2021 | 38 min

Burnout: Can We Fix Work?

14 oktober 2021 | 37 min

Blue Balls: You're Wrong About Them

7 oktober 2021 | 43 min

True Love: Is Monogamy Unnatural?

30 september 2021 | 41 min

The Secret World of Plants

28 september 2021 | 11 min

Childbirth: Are Doctors Messing It Up?

23 september 2021 | 40 min

Weight: Is Fat Unhealthy?

16 september 2021 | 35 min

Therapy: Does It Work?

9 september 2021 | 36 min

Let’s Do Science Again!!

2 september 2021 | 3 min

Presenting Not Past It: The Vax That Got Axed

19 augusti 2021 | 35 min

The Delta Variant: How Bad Is It?

10 augusti 2021 | 25 min

Pet Food: How Fancy Should They Feast?

27 maj 2021 | 41 min

The G Spot: Come Again?

20 maj 2021 | 41 min

Back From the Dead

14 maj 2021 | 43 min

A Seedy, Late-Night Adventure

6 maj 2021 | 37 min

Screens: Are They Ruining Our Brains and Mental Health and Eyes and

29 april 2021 | 42 min

Havana Syndrome: Did a Secret Weapon Fry Diplomats' Brains?

22 april 2021 | 44 min

How Science Created Morons

8 april 2021 | 39 min

Coronavirus: How Scary Are the Variants?

2 april 2021 | 37 min

Snake Bite Cures: Weasels, Pigeons, Pee

30 mars 2021 | 6 min

SNAKES!!!

25 mars 2021 | 36 min

UFOs: Through the Wormhole Again

18 mars 2021 | 39 min

Brood X: A Drug-fueled Cicada Orgy

12 mars 2021 | 37 min

Immune Boosting: Is It a Bust?

5 mars 2021 | 38 min

Bringing the Science Back, Baby!

25 februari 2021 | 3 min

Butterflies Are Secret Monsters

28 januari 2021 | 7 min

Presenting Coronavirus: Fact Vs. Fiction

21 januari 2021 | 19 min

Magic Mushrooms: Trip Through the Science

10 december 2020 | 41 min

Coronavirus: More Scared or Less Scared?

7 december 2020 | 8 min

Coronavirus: Shots! Shots! Shots!

3 december 2020 | 36 min

Did the CIA do it? Part II

19 november 2020 | 36 min

Did the CIA Plant a Virus in Cuba?

13 november 2020 | 34 min

Platypuses Get a Glow Up

5 november 2020 | 6 min

Reparations: How Could It Work?

30 oktober 2020 | 35 min

Supervolcanoes: Is Yellowstone Gonna Blow?

22 oktober 2020 | 31 min

Science Vs Presents: How to Save a Planet

15 oktober 2020 | 42 min

Lab-Grown Meat: We Grill It

8 oktober 2020 | 36 min

Hunting an Invisible Killer

2 oktober 2020 | 39 min

Orgasms: Come for the Science

25 september 2020 | 42 min

SHARKS!!! Sink Your Teeth in Again

10 september 2020 | 42 min

Astrology: Are Geminis the Worst?

3 september 2020 | 29 min

Mini Mask Update

1 september 2020 | 5 min

Probiotics: Scam or Superfood?

27 augusti 2020 | 36 min

New Season! Time for Non-Coronavirus Content

20 augusti 2020 | 2 min

Coronavirus: Are We Back Where We Started?

3 juli 2020 | 37 min

Fauci! He’s Back!

23 juni 2020 | 25 min

Coronavirus: Dude, Where's My Vaccine?

19 juni 2020 | 33 min

Coronavirus: Weirdest Virus Ever?

12 juni 2020 | 29 min

Coronavirus: Protesting in a Pandemic

9 juni 2020 | 25 min

Coronavirus: Labs Go Dark

29 maj 2020 | 30 min

Coronavirus: Sweden Goes Rogue

22 maj 2020 | 29 min

Coronavirus: The Mask Wars

15 maj 2020 | 32 min

Coronavirus: Pregnant in a Pandemic

8 maj 2020 | 28 min

Coronavirus: Was It Made In a Lab?

24 april 2020 | 28 min

Working Out From Home — in 7 Minutes? [Rebroadcast]

20 april 2020 | 15 min

Coronavirus: Can You Get It Twice?

17 april 2020 | 31 min

Coronavirus: When Will It End?

10 april 2020 | 24 min

Coronavirus: Should I Disinfect EVERYTHING?

7 april 2020 | 29 min

Coronavirus: Is It Airborne?

3 april 2020 | 27 min

Coronavirus: Are Young People Safe?

31 mars 2020 | 28 min

Coronavirus: Will Chloroquine Save Us?

27 mars 2020 | 27 min

Coronavirus: Unmasking the Facts and Ibuprofen Scares

24 mars 2020 | 27 min

Coronavirus: A Story From the Front Lines

19 mars 2020 | 23 min

Coronavirus: What Should You Do Now?

16 mars 2020 | 28 min

More Science Vs Coming Right Up

12 mars 2020 | 2 min

Coronavirus: Fears and Facts

4 mars 2020 | 28 min

Coronavirus Outbreak: How Scared Should You Be?

31 januari 2020 | 29 min

How to Stop A Killer Asteroid

20 december 2019 | 37 min

Healthcare: How Do We Fix It?

13 december 2019 | 39 min

Ants: Tales from the Underground

5 december 2019 | 34 min

Police Shootings: The Data and the Damage Done

22 november 2019 | 37 min

When a Hospital becomes The Butcher Shop

15 november 2019 | 41 min

Sleep: All Aboard the Snooze Cruise!

8 november 2019 | 36 min

5G: Welcome to the Revolution?

31 oktober 2019 | 39 min

Vaping: What the Hell is Going On?!

25 oktober 2019 | 37 min

PANDEMIC!!!

11 oktober 2019 | 40 min

If a pandemic ripped across the world, how bad would it really get? You’ve heard the horror stories, but you’ve never heard one like this. Dr. Anthony Fauci, who advises the President on emerging infectious diseases, helps us out. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2M4Tlnt

Selected references:

The CDC’s history of the 1918 Pandemic: http://bit.ly/2AXiGJP
Time-lapse tracking the transmission and evolution of H7N9: http://bit.ly/2B1nYnG
CDC’s Pandemic Influenza Plan: http://bit.ly/2pVroFZ
Institute for Disease Modeling’s flu pandemic death toll simulation: http://bit.ly/2M2ymSj

Credits: This episode was produced by our senior producer Kaitlyn Sawrey, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Lexi Krupp, Rose Rimler and Meryl Horn. Special thanks to Frank Lopez. We’re edited by Caitlin Kenney and Blythe Terrell. Extra writing help from Kevin Christopher Snipes. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Bobby Lord and Marcus Thorne Bagala. Comments and thoughts from Dr. Eric Toner, Dr. Demetre Daskalakis, Beth Maldin Morgenthau, Dr. Melvin Sanicas, Professor Michael Osterholm, Dr. Patrick Saunders Hastings, Rosemary Gibson, Thomas Bollyky, Dr. Ashleigh Tuite, Professor Stephen Morse, Dr. Lalitha Sundaram, Professor David N. Fisman, Lynette Brammer, Dr. Mohamed Naguib, Dr. Yeulong Shu, Dr. Dan Jernigan, Dr Kirsty Short, and special thanks to Bess Davenport at CDC. Death toll modeling came from the Institute for Disease Modeling, with valuable guidance from Dr. Mandy Izzo and Dr. Kurt Frey.

Thanks to all our actors:

Annabelle Fox as Mindy Tuckerman

Casey Wortmann as Dr Rosie Morales

William Dufris as Dr Uzdienski

Dani Cervone as Dr Emily Ragus

Jordan Cobb as the Triage Nurse

Alice Kors as the distressed Mum

Robin Miles as the Nurse

Jonathan Woodward as Voiceover, 911 Operator, and Police Officer

Ian Lowe as Emergency Services Officer

Matt Lieber as the Politician

Newscasters include: Kaitlyn Sawrey, Renita Jablonski and Gabriel Lozada

Plane landing voice over: Peter Leonard

Directed by William Dufris with help from Wendy Zukerman, Kaitlyn Sawrey and Fred Grenhalgh. Recording by Fred Greenhalgh and Peter Leonard. Also thank you to all the Gimlet people who performed various drafts including Chad Chenail, Gabe Lozada, Jasmine Romero and MR Daniel. And a huge thank you to everyone who listened and gave comments - especially the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Finally, a huge thank you to Jorge Just, Stevie Lane, Phoebe Flanigan, Chris Giliberti, Justin McGolrick and Katie Pastore.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Heartbreak: Why does it hurt so bad?

3 oktober 2019 | 19 min

Football: Should We Cancel It?

27 september 2019 | 32 min

Exercise: Fat Buster or Belly Flop?

19 september 2019 | 35 min

Let's...science...AGAIN!

12 september 2019 | 2 min

The Dinosaur Explosion

8 augusti 2019 | 26 min

How Bad Science Killed A President

6 juni 2019 | 31 min

Peanuts: Public Enemy No. 1?

30 maj 2019 | 17 min

The Abortion Underground

23 maj 2019 | 43 min

Placebo: Can the Mind Cure You?

9 maj 2019 | 35 min

Could fake medicine actually take away your pain or treat a disease? We dig into the science of placebos to find out more about the power of the mind to heal. We speak to medical researcher Prof. Ted Kaptchuk, neuroscientist Prof. Fabrizio Benedetti and medical psychologist Prof. Manfred Schedlowski.

UPDATE 5/13/19: We changed a few things in this episode to clarify facts. An earlier version of this episode implied that the placebo surgery for knee and back pain was really effective in itself. In fact, these studies found that some placebo surgeries work as well as real surgeries. In other words, patients reported less pain after both the real surgery and the placebo surgery.

We also said that Pavlov’s studies used a bell to condition dogs. Whether Pavlov himself used a conventional bell is debated in the literature. Some say this was an early translation error from Russian to English. Later studies by his colleagues definitely used a bell.

Finally! We have added a caveat into placebo research more generally to highlight that this research is early and that we don’t have many have long-term studies into placebos, so we don’t know how long the placebo effect can last.

Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2Pug4tK

Selected References:

Great summary paper on placebo: https://bit.ly/30cFSzd

Cure: A journey into the science of mind over body https://jomarchant.com/cure

Ted’s IBS “open label” placebo study with Linda…: https://bit.ly/2E2O4Zk

Fabrizio’s high altitude headache study: https://bit.ly/2vMZj3z

Manfred’s first immunosuppression study with the green drink: https://bit.ly/2VXPDll

Credits: This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, and Michelle Dang. Our senior producer is Kaitlyn Sawrey. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Editing help from Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Michelle Harris. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. Recording assistance from Fabian Mirko May, Mary Dooe and Maggie Penman. A huge thanks to all the scientists we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Diletta Barbiani, Dr. Cynthia McRae, Dr. J Bruce Moseley, Professor Apkar Apkarian, Professor Jon Stoessl, and others. And special thanks to Lynda McKenzie, the Zukerman family, and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Vaccines: Time for a Booster Shot [Rebroadcast]

2 maj 2019 | 42 min

Fertility Cliff: Is It Real?

25 april 2019 | 45 min

Race: Can We See It In Our DNA?

19 april 2019 | 37 min

DNA Kits: Can You Trust Them?

12 april 2019 | 39 min

Pets on Planes: Are Emotional Support Animals Legit?

4 april 2019 | 12 min

Fasting Diets: What's the Skinny?

29 mars 2019 | 30 min

Science's Rotten Underbelly

22 mars 2019 | 38 min

Alcohol: A Pour Decision?

15 mars 2019 | 33 min

We're back next week!

7 mars 2019 | 2 min

The Mystery of the Man Who Died Twice

20 december 2018 | 43 min

The Science Of Being Transgender

13 december 2018 | 41 min

Recently we’ve been hearing a lot about transgender identity. That made us wonder… what makes us the gender that we are? And what should you do if your kid doesn’t fit the mold? To find out, we talked with endocrinologist Dr. Joshua Safer, psychologist Dr. Laura Edwards-Leeper, and psychologist Dr. Colt Keo-Meier.

Check out the transcript: http://bit.ly/31k0oNk

UPDATE 3/29/19 : An earlier version of this episode misinterpreted a study regarding the question of how many children who visited a gender identity clinic grow up to be trans. The episode has been updated accordingly. We've explained the change in detail in the transcript.

UPDATE 1/17/19: An earlier version of this episode implied that all people who are intersex are born with indeterminate genitalia. This is incorrect and the episode has been updated.

Selected references:

A paper from the 70s about shock therapy A review of the science behind the trans kids debateBest Practice Standards of Care for Trans PeopleRebecca’s podcast Trans Specific PartnershipThanks to our sponsor, Cole Haan. You can hear more of Wendy and other Gimlet hosts in conversation at ExtraordinariesOnTheMic.com, produced in partnership with Cole Haan.

Credits:

This episode was produced by Odelia Rubin and Meryl Horn along with Wendy Zukerman and Rose Rimler. Our senior producer is Kaitlyn Sawrey. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Editorial assistance by Rebecca Kling. Fact checking by Michelle Harris, Meryl Horn and Rose Rimler. Mix and sound design by Emma Munger. Music by Emma Munger and Bobby Lord.

A huge thanks to all the researchers we got in touch with for this episode - including Dr. Jack Turban, Professor Anne Fausto- Sterling, assistant professor Samantha Busa, Associate Professor Susan Stryker, Dr. Katrina Karkazis, Professor Neill Epperson, Paula Neira, Professor Michelle Forcier, and Professor Joan Roughgarden. And thanks to all the trans folks who shared their stories with us. Thank you! Also thanks to the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Wank Worm: How NASA Got Hacked

6 december 2018 | 33 min

Ancient Aliens: Who Really Built the Pyramids?

29 november 2018 | 34 min

7 Minute Workout: Fit or Fad?

21 november 2018 | 11 min

CBD: Weed Wonder Drug?

15 november 2018 | 37 min

Election Special: Immigration

2 november 2018 | 41 min

Election Special: Climate Change

1 november 2018 | 49 min

Election Special: Abortion

31 oktober 2018 | 48 min

Election Special: Gun Violence

30 oktober 2018 | 36 min

Online Dating: Can Science Find You Love?

26 oktober 2018 | 39 min

Murder Mystery: An 1850s Whodunnit

18 oktober 2018 | 38 min

Gentrification: What's Really Happening?

11 oktober 2018 | 36 min

Soy, Almond, Oat Milks: Are They Udder Bull?

4 oktober 2018 | 12 min

Vegans: Are They Right?

27 september 2018 | 31 min

Essential Oils: Science or Snake Oil?

20 september 2018 | 30 min

Plastics: The Final Straw?

13 september 2018 | 33 min

We Return... With A Twist.

6 september 2018 | 2 min

Welcome, New Listeners!

17 juli 2018 | 2 min

Serial Killers: Science of the Lambs

28 juni 2018 | 33 min

UFOs: What the Government Covered Up

21 juni 2018 | 40 min

Lyme Disease: How Scary Is It?

15 juni 2018 | 38 min

Circumcision: Why Are We Doing This?

31 maj 2018 | 35 min

How Science Created Morons

25 maj 2018 | 37 min

Polar Bears: A Surprising Tail

17 maj 2018 | 34 min

Scott Kelly: How A Year in Space Changes You

3 maj 2018 | 33 min

Ketogenic Diet... Is Fat Good For You?

26 april 2018 | 34 min

Nuclear War... Total Annihilation?

19 april 2018 | 37 min

Sex Addiction: Are They Faking It?

5 april 2018 | 36 min

Opioids: Kicking America's Addiction

29 mars 2018 | 38 min

Opioids: How America Got Hooked

23 mars 2018 | 45 min

Brand New Science Vs!

16 mars 2018 | 2 min

Obesity - Is It Your Fault?

14 december 2017 | 38 min

Chiropractors

7 december 2017 | 35 min

Birth Control - The Biggest Myths

30 november 2017 | 37 min

Molly - Scary Drug or Promising Therapy?

16 november 2017 | 40 min

Balding - What Actually Works?

9 november 2017 | 37 min

The Bee-pocalypse

2 november 2017 | 36 min

Vitamins & Supplements - Are They Worth It?

19 oktober 2017 | 40 min

Bigfoot

12 oktober 2017 | 37 min

100% Renewable Energy - Can We Do It?

5 oktober 2017 | 41 min

The Rise of Anti-Vaxxers

21 september 2017 | 38 min

Vaccines - Are They Safe?

14 september 2017 | 41 min

Detoxing & Cleanses - Do They Work?

7 september 2017 | 39 min

New Season... Coming Soon!

31 augusti 2017 | 3 min

Artificial Sweeteners - not so sweet?

8 juni 2017 | 54 min

Nuclear Power - what are the Risks?

1 juni 2017 | 43 min

Fukushima. Chernobyl. Three Mile Island. There’s been some big nuclear accidents over the past few decades, but how dangerous is nuclear power really? We take you inside the core of America’s biggest nuclear power plant and trace what went wrong at Fukushima to try to figure out: when will the next meltdown happen? And what our chances are of getting cancer from it? This week we talk to Dr. Spencer Wheatley, Dr. Jonathan Samet, and Jack Cadogan, an executive at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station.

UPDATE! We’ve made a couple of small changes to this episode, thank you to all the listeners who picked up on them. 1. We called the energy that comes from nuclear power a chemical reaction… it’s not. It’s a nuclear reaction. Chemical reactions involve the electrons in an atom. Nuclear reactions involve the nucleus. 2. We said that the Joker became The Joker After falling into a vat of radioactive waste. This is disputed. It seems it was a vat chemicals.. But what those chemicals were , that’s unclear. 3. A clarification: We said that the waste that nuclear power produces in the US… 2200 metric tons per year… was like 323 male African Elephants. That was a weight comparison. They weigh roughly the same… It wasn’t a three dimensional size comparison. Nuclear waste is much denser than an elephant, and so it takes up much less room. And if you want to read the most amazing calculation from an academic of how much bigger 323 African Elephants are in 3D space you’ve got to sign up to our brand spanking new newsletter! To do that head to https://gimletmedia.com/newsletter/ And FINALLY! We got a lot of feedback from that episode that listeners really wanted to hear how nuclear power compares to other energy sources: like coal, solar and wind! Now we decided that to do a fair comparison that really needs it’s own episode - it wasn’t as simple as just throwing out some numbers. So we’re working on that episode for next season.

Our Sponsors:

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Credits:

This episode has been produced by Heather Rogers, Ben Kuebrich, Shruti Ravindran and Wendy Zukerman.Kaitlyn Sawrey is our senior producer. We’re edited by Annie-Rose Strasser. Fact checking by Ben Kuebrich and Heather Rogers. Original music and mixing by Bobby Lord. Extra thanks to Leo Rogers, Joseph Lavelle Wilson as well as Prof. Steven Biegalski, Prof. Mark Jacobson, Jussi Heinonen, and Dr. Eric Grant.

Selected References:Radiation Basics Primer from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission Dr. Spencer Wheatley’s paper ‘Reassessing the safety of nuclear power’National Research Council Report on Health Risks from Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation

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Meditation

25 maj 2017 | 37 min

True Love

11 maj 2017 | 49 min

Antioxidants

4 maj 2017 | 39 min

Abortion: What You Need To Know

27 april 2017 | 46 min

Abortion is so taboo. People don’t talk about abortions they’ve had. Doctors don’t talk about abortions they’ve given. But it's happening a lot. Almost a million abortions happened in the US in 2014. So, what actually happens in an abortion, can the fetus feel pain and what are the risks? To find out we visit an abortion clinic in Texas and talk to Dr. Amita Murthy, Dr. Lisa Harris, Dr. Bhavik Kumar, and Dr. Diana Greene Foster. This episode is not about being pro-choice or pro-life, but pro-facts.

Credits:This episode has been produced by Heather Rogers, Wendy Zukerman, Ben Kuebrich, Shruti Ravindran and Rachel Ward. Kaitlyn Sawrey is our senior producer. We’re edited by Annie Rose Strasser. Fact Checking by Michelle Harris and Ben Kuebrich. Extra help with production and editorial from Alex Blumberg and Jorge Just. Music production and original music written by Bobby Lord. Thanks to Lola Pellegrino, Ronnie Shankar, Dr. Diane Horvath-Cosper, Rachel Jones, Elizabeth Nash, Dr Yoon-Jin Kim, Delma Limones and Gilda Sedgh. Also thanks to Katie Bishop and Reverend David Gushee.

Our Sponsors:There is no sponsor! Weirdly we couldn’t find any companies were like ‘hey yeah we want to advertise on an episode about one of the most controversial issues in America’. So… you should be our sponsor! Support quality journalism that isn’t afraid to tackle controversial topics. Become a Gimlet Member for $5 a month to support our shows and receive exclusive perks like early access to new show pilots, an invite to our member Slack, first notice about Gimlet events, and for our annual members, your choice of a newly redesigned Gimlet t-shirt (we recommend the Science VS design).

Further Reading:CDC Statistics on Abortion Guttmacher Institute Report on Abortion The Turnaway Study - Women’s Mental Health and Well-being 5 Years After Receiving or Being Denied an Abortion Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists - The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists - Fetal Awareness

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GMO... OMG?

17 april 2017 | 48 min

Lemmings

6 april 2017 | 36 min

Ghosts

30 mars 2017 | 53 min

Climate Change... the Apocalypse?

16 mars 2017 | 49 min

Less than half of Americans think climate change is caused by humans, but scientists are sure about it. So, how do they know that humans are to blame? We also look into the climate change crystal ball to figure out are we doomed? Is the apocalypse nigh? We speak to Prof. Ralph Keeling, Prof. Chris Field, and Dr. David Pierce to find out.

UPDATE 12/10/20: An earlier version of this episode incorrectly said that Svante Arrhenius came up with the idea that rising carbon dioxide levels could warm the planet. Scientists including Eunice Newton Foote had this idea before Arrhenius. The episode has been updated.

Science Vs Live!

Come see our live show on the science behind red wine, coffee and chocolate - could our favorite treats actually be good for us? Thursday 3/23 at the Bell House. Get your tickets here: http://bit.ly/2mnNNpv

Credits:

This episode has been produced by Wendy Zukerman, Dr Diane Wu, Shruti Ravindran, and Heather Rogers. Senior Producer is Kaitlyn Sawrey. Production assistance from Ben Kuebrich. We’re edited by Annie Rose Strasser. And a big thanks to Eric Mennel, Pat Walters, Caitlin Kenney and Alex Blumberg. Fact Checking by Michelle Harris and Ben Kuebrich. Sound engineering, music production and original scoring by Bobby Lord. Even more thanks to Dr Alexander Robel, Dr. Ted Scambos, Dr Pieter Tans, Prof. Jason Box, Ass. Prof. Martha Buckley, Assoc Prof. Zanna Chase, Sarah Shackleton, and Stevie Lane.

Our Sponsors:

Audible Channel's Sincerely X - Go to audible.com/sincerelyx to listen. Audible and Amazon Prime members can listen for free.

Selected References:David Keeling on his life’s work: “I too pondered the significance of returning a half a billion years’ accumulation of carbon to the air”.National Academy of Sciences Report on Climate Change in 1983National Academy of Science Report on Climate Change in 2014EPA Report: Greenhouse Gas Emissions and SinksIPCC Evaluation of Climate Models

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Acne

9 mars 2017 | 50 min

Immigration

9 mars 2017 | 51 min

New season... coming soon!

28 februari 2017 | 2 min

Antidepressants

28 oktober 2016 | 43 min

There’s an intriguing body of research that suggests the power of antidepressants doesn’t come from chemicals in the drugs, but from the power of placebo. Not everyone agrees, though. We speak to researchers and medical professionals on either side of the debate, and some wedged in-between -- Prof. Peter Kramer, psychiatrist and author of Ordinarily Well: the Case for Antidepressants; Prof. Irving Kirsch, psychologist and author of The Emperor’s New Drugs: Exploding the Antidepressant Myth; psychiatrist and radiologist Prof. Helen Mayberg; and psychiatrist Prof. Gregory Simon.

Crisis Hotlines:US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK (2755)US Crisis Text Line Text “GO” to 741741Australian Lifeline 13 11 14Canadian Association for Suicide PreventionOur SponsorsCasper - Get $50 towards any mattress by visiting casper.com/sciencevs and use the promo code SCIENCEVSThird Love - Go to thirdlove.com/sciencevs to start your free trialWealthsimple – Investing made easy. Get your first $10,000 managed for free.Credits

This episode has been produced by Wendy Zukerman, Heather Rogers, Shruti Ravindran, and Diane Wu. Our senior producer is Kaitlyn Sawrey. Edited by Annie-Rose Strasser and Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Michelle Harris. Sound design and music production by Matthew Boll, mixed by Martin Peralta and Matthew Boll. Music written by Bobby Lord and Martin Peralta.

Selected References2008 study suggesting that antidepressants are not much better than placebo for people suffering in severe depression.2016 study suggesting that antidepressants were way better than placebo in treating people suffering from severe depression. 2016 study on how drug companies under-report side effects in clinical trials. 2003 round-up of the most common side-effects of antidepressants. 2013 study which uses brain imaging to try to pinpoint whether patients would respond better to medication or psychotherapy.

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DNA and the Smell of Death

21 oktober 2016 | 52 min

Forensic Science

7 oktober 2016 | 42 min

There are a slew of scientific techniques that forensic experts use to solve crimes. But how reliable are they? We’re putting forensic evidence under the microscope. To help us crack the case, we talk to Assoc. Prof. Sibyl Bucheli, attorney Chris Fabricant, former crime lab director Barry Fisher, Dr. Itiel Dror, and Assoc. Prof. Patrick Buzzini.

Our Sponsors

Hello Fresh – To get $35 off your first week of deliveries visit hellofresh.com and enter promo code “ScienceVS”.

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Wealthsimple – Investing made easy. Get your first $10,000 managed for free.

Credits

This episode has been produced by Wendy Zukerman, Shruti Ravindran, Diane Wu, Austin Mitchell and Heather Rogers. Our senior producer is Kaitlyn Sawrey.

Edited by Annie-Rose Strasser and Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Michelle Harris.

Sound design and music production by Matthew Boll, mixed by Martin Peralta and Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord.

Selected References

2009 National Academy of Sciences and 2016 President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology reports on forensic science

Overview of forensic entomology Amendt et al, “Forensic entomology,” Naturwissenschaften, 2004

Study modeling precision of dating time of death from flies Faris et al, “Forensic Entomology: Evaluating Uncertainty Associated With Postmortem Interval (PMI) Estimates With Ecological Models,” Journal of Medical Entomology 2016.

Review paper on bite mark analysis Clement et al, “Is current bite mark analysis a misnomer?”

Department of Justice review of Brandon Mayfield case

Context can change how fingerprints are read Dror et al, “Contextual information renders experts vulnerable to making erroneous identifications,” Forensic Science International, 2006.

Hair microscopy can lead to incorrect matches Houck et al, “Correlation of microscopic and mitochondrial DNA hair comparisons,” Journal of Forensic Science, 2002.

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Zika

30 september 2016 | 40 min

Hypnosis

23 september 2016 | 43 min

This week, we explore the science of hypnosis, and take Science Vs to the edge of consciousness. In the service of journalism, Wendy tries to get hypnotized at a comedy club and in a doctor’s office. We talk to comedian Jim Spinnato, Prof. Philip Muskin, Prof. Amanda Barnier, and Prof. Amir Raz.

Credits:

This episode has been produced by Heather Rogers, Wendy Zukerman, Caitlin Kenney, Austin Mitchell, Dr. Diane Wu, and Shruti Ravindran. Our senior producer is Kaitlyn Sawrey.

Edited by Annie-Rose Strasser. Fact Checking by Michelle Harris.

Sound design and music production by Matthew Boll, mixed by Martin Peralta. Music written by Martin Peralta and Bobby Lord.

Thanks to Alex Blumberg for being the man that spoke pretty often in the end… and Jonathan Goldstein for being our CIA agent… and if you like his CIA agent you’ll love his new show Heavyweight. It’s out next week and you can subscribe now.

Selected References2013 paper reviewing 100 journal articles on hypnosis Kihlstrom, JF, “Neuro-Hypnotism: Prospects for Hypnosis and Neuroscience,” Cortex, 2013.Is hypnotizability a genetic trait? Maybe, but it’s complicated Raz, A, et al. “Neuroimaging and genetic associations of attentional and hypnotic processes,” Journal of Physiology, 2006.Script for the Stanford test of hypnotizability Weitzenhoffer, AM and Hilgard, ER. “Stanford hypnotic susceptibility scale, Form C.” 1962.Highly hypnotizable people can be hypnotized to not recognize their own reflections Connors, MH et al. “Using hypnosis to disrupt face processing: Mirrored-self misidentification delusion and different visual media,” Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, 2014.There's more to hypnosis than expectation Lifshitz, M et al. “Can expectation enhance response to suggestion? De-automatization illuminates a conundrum,” Consciousness and Cognition, 2012.Brain study of a hypnotized man responding to suggestion that his leg is paralyzed Halligan, PW et al. “Imaging hypnotic paralysis: implications for conversion hysteria,” The Lancet, 2000.1955 CIA memo on hypnosis, 1960 CIA report on hypnosis

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The G-spot

2 september 2016 | 43 min

Organic Food

26 augusti 2016 | 38 min

People are going bonkers for organic, but what are you really getting when you buy them? Better taste? Fewer toxic chemicals? A cleaner environment? Farmers Mark, Andy, and Brian Reeves, nutritional epidemiologist Dr. Kathryn Bradbury, Ass. Prof. Cynthia Curl, and Prof. Navin Ramankutty help us sort it all out.

Credits:

This episode has been produced by Wendy Zukerman, Heather Rogers, Lynn Levy, Caitlin Kenney, Austin Mitchell, and Kaitlyn Sawrey. Editing by Annie-Rose Strasser and Alex Blumberg. Fact checking by Michelle Harris. Production Assistance by Diane Wu and Shruti Ravindran. Special thanks to Stevie Lane and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Sound design and music production by Matthew Boll, mixing by Martin Peralta, Austin Thompson and Haley Shaw. Music written by Bobby Lord.

Selected Resources:Organic vs conventional tomato taste test

Johansson et al, “Preference for tomatoes, affected by sensory attributes and information about growth conditions,” Food Quality and Preference, 1999Nutritional analysis of organic vs organic food

Smith-Spangler et al, “Are Organic Foods Safer or Healthier Than Conventional Alternatives?: A Systematic Review,” Annals of Internal Medicine, 2012.2012 USDA report on pesticide residues in organic produce Largest (620,000 women) long-term (9 year) study of how eating organic food affects human health -- focusing on cancer

Bradbury et al, “Organic food consumption and the incidence of cancer in a large prospective study of women in the United Kingdom”, British Journal of Cancer, 2014Biodiversity is higher on organic farms

“Tuck et al, “Land-use intensity and the effects of organic farming on biodiversity: a hierarchical meta-analysis,” The Journal of Applied Ecology, 2014.Nitrogen leaching is higher per unit product on organic farms

Tuomisto et al, “Does organic farming reduce environmental impacts? – A meta-analysis of European research”Crop yield on organic farms is on average 75% that of conventional farms

Seufert et al, “Comparing the yields of organic and conventional agriculture,” Nature 2012If we want to feed the world without cutting down more forests, we’re going to need more vegetarians

Erb et al, “Exploring the biophysical option space for feeding the world without deforestation,” Nature Communications, 2016On combining organic and conventional farming techniques

Letourneau et al, “Crop protection in organic agriculture,” Chapter 4 of Organic agriculture: a global perspective, 2006.

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Gun Control (Pt 2)

12 augusti 2016 | 44 min

Guns

4 augusti 2016 | 43 min

Attachment Parenting

28 juli 2016 | 40 min

Fracking

27 juli 2016 | 45 min

Sneak Peek

28 juni 2016 | 3 min

Science Vs

There are a lot of fads, blogs and strong opinions, but then there’s SCIENCE.

Om podden

Avsnitt

Social Media: Is It Rotting Your Brain?

Coming Up On Science Vs [VIDEO]

Ask Wendy Anything: Behind the Scenes at Science Vs [VIDEO]

When the Olympics Wants You to Take Drugs

Hydration: Are You Drinking Enough Water?

Mind-Blowing Orgasms: Does the Male G-Spot Exist?

Protein: Are You Getting Enough?

Introducing The Journal: Trillion Dollar Shot

Trans Kids’ Healthcare: Are We Getting It Wrong?

The Great Dinosaur Smashup

The Abortion Pill: How Dangerous Is It Really?

What the Hell Is at the Edge of Space?

Heartbreak: Why It Feels So Achy Breaky

Tig Notaro Shares Her Favorite Jokes

The Funniest Joke in the World

Wendy Talks About Her Pyromaniac Past — and More [Video]

Hormone Balancing: Should You Try It?

Murder in the Ivory Tower

Cannabis: I Get High With a Little Help From … Science

Intermittent Fasting: Hungry for Facts?

Dreams: What Could They Mean?

Ozempic: Is It Scarier Than We Thought?

Anti-Aging: Can We Be Forever Young?

Get Ready for Our BIGGEST SEASON EVER

Ayahuasca: WTF is up with DMT?

Personality Tests: Who Are You Really?

Caffeine: How Much is Too Much?

MDMA: Can Ecstasy Cure Your Agony?

Pssst!! The Science of Gossip

When Your Eyes See Lies

Sleep: How Do We Get More?

Seed Oils: Is Your Canola Oil Killing You?

UFOs: The Truth Is Right Here

Andrew Huberman on Supplements, the Covid Lab Leak Theory and more

Self-Care: Can You Hack Your Mood?

Why Fossil Nerds Are Pissed Right Now

Vaping: Is It Really That Bad?

Breathwork: A Bunch of Hot Air?

We're Back! And Boldly Going Where We've Never Gone Before

The Best Ever Episode of Science Vs

Orgasms: Your Favorite Sex Episode!

Exercise: Your Favorite Wellness Episode!

Magic Mushrooms: Your Favorite Drugs Episode!

Behind the Scenes of ‘Oppenheimer’

How Bats Break Science

Sex Drive: The Dirrrrrrty Science

Who Killed Affordable Housing?

Gluten: Should You Give It Up?

AI: Is It Out Of Control?

Blue Balls: A Ball-Faced Lie?

The Dentist: Toss the Floss? Flush the Brush?

Skin Care: Is Anti-Aging a Scam?

Did We Predict the Pandemic?

I’ll Be Dammed: Beavers Fighting Climate Change

Ketamine: How Special is Special K?

Pit Bulls: Bad to the Bone?

Superbugs: Apocalypse … Now?

Hangovers: What Really Helps?

Alcohol: Time to Put a Cork in It?

Weight Loss Meds: Is Ozempic a Miracle Drug?

Nerds, Assemble! Science Vs Is Back

Listen to Science Vs in Spanish!

Adderall: What's It Doing to Your Brain?

When Science and Superstitions Collide

Hypnosis: Does It Really Work?

Deodorant: Is It Dangerous?

The Male Pill: When Is It Coming?

The Mystery of the Man Who Died Twice

Mass Shootings: How Do We Stop Them?

Should We Compost Human Bodies?

The Fight to Fix a Racist Medical Gadget

Vegans: Are They Right?

Hydration: Are You Drinking Enough Water?

We're Back for Season THIRTEEN

Fauci on Monkeypox: What Went Wrong

Monkeypox: What's Going On?