Science Vs

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Snake Bite Cures: Weasels, Pigeons, Pee Mar 30, 2021

Show notes

Venomous snakes entranced medieval Europe. And although bites were rare, this didn’t stop 14th century doctors from using everything but the kitchen sink to make snake bite treatments. We’re talking weasels, birds — even the pee of a young man. So was it all for snakes and giggles? Or is there something we’re missing in our treatments today? We speak to medieval animal expert Dr. Kathleen Walker-Meikle.

Check out the transcript here: https://bit.ly/3fqzNJp

This episode was produced by Taylor White with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, Michelle Dang and Nick DelRose. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Haley Shaw, Peter Leonard, Marcus Bagala, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. And special thanks to the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

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SNAKES!!! Mar 25, 2021

Show notes

Snake venom is a wily beast. It's packed with hundreds of toxins that can attack our blood vessels, muscles and nerves. That's why snake bites kill some100,000 people each year. On today's show — dangerous snake bites and the bizarre way we make the only thing that can save you from them: antivenom. (Spoiler alert: it takes snake milkers and stables filled with horses.) We'll also look at the groundbreaking research that could eventually revolutionise all this. We speak to Captain Pete Bethune, snake venom researchers Dr. Christina Zdenek, Professor José María Gutiérrez, Dr. Laura Albulescu and snake milker Greivin Corales.

To read more about Pete Bethune's work: https://www.earthrace.net/

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Check out the transcript right here: https://bit.ly/3ffV8oE

This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman with help from Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, Nick DelRose, and Taylor White. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. 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 Professor Abdul Razaq Habib, Dr. Gavin Smith, Professor Abina Crean, Professor Nick Casewell, Dr. Jessicah Kurere, and Dr. Tarek Mohamed. And special thanks to Pia Gadkari, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

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UFOs: Through the Wormhole Again Mar 18, 2021

Show notes

In 2017, a weird-looking space object called ʻOumuamua whipped past our sun. Now a Harvard scientist is suggesting it miiiight be an alien probe! So we’re revisiting this episode from a few years ago, where we ask: could aliens actually exist? Is there any chance they’ve visited Earth already? We talked to astronomers Dr. Jill Tarter, Dr. Seth Shostak, investigative journalist David Clarke, and physicist Prof. Jim Al Khalili.

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

This episode was originally produced by Kaitlyn Sawrey, Wendy Zukerman and Rose Rimler with help from Shruti Ravindran and Meryl Horn. Nick DelRose helped produce the updated version. Fact Checking by Michelle Harris, Meryl Horn and Nick DelRose. Music by Bobby Lord and Emma Munger, mixed by Emma Munger and Bumi Hidaka. Editing by Blythe Terrell. Additional editing help from Caitlin Kenney. Also thank you to Dr. Ravi Kumar Kopparapu, Dr. Craig O'Neill, Dr. Jessie Christiansen, Dr. Cameron Hummels, Dr. Phil Hopkins, Dr. Avi Loeb, and the many other researchers who helped us on this.

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Brood X: A Drug-fueled Cicada Orgy Mar 12, 2021

Show notes

Parts of the U.S. are about to see a surge of cicadas — masses of flying bugs, popping up all over the place. After 17 years underground, a crap ton of Brood X cicadas will emerge for a giant chorusing orgy — and it’s all for sex and drugs. So what does this cicada storm mean for us? Should we be bugging out? We speak to biologist Dr. John Cooley, ecologist Dr. Louie Yang, mycologist Dr. Matt Kasson, and evolutionary biologist Prof. Chris Simon.

Check out the transcript right here: http://bit.ly/3cnpD95

You can help scientists map out the 2021 Brood X emergence by snapping photos of the cicadas with your smartphone! – To join in, check out the Cicada Safari app at www.cicadasafari.org
To learn more and see if Brood X is going to pop up in your area, check out: https://cicadas.uconn.edu/brood_10/

This episode was produced by Michelle Dang with help from me, Wendy Zukerman, as well as, Nick DelRose, Taylor White, Meryl Horn, and Rose Rimler. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Haley Shaw, 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 Dr. DeAnna Beasley, Prof. Donald Steinkraus, and Prof. Marten Edwards. And to all folks we spoke to about their cicada experiences: Martin, Carrie Engel, Maureen Hoffmann, Ryan Hampel — and thanks to Brad Bolton for the cicada recording. And special thanks to Emmanuel Dzotsi, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

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Immune Boosting: Is It a Bust? Mar 05, 2021

Show notes

Internet influencers have been pushing “immune boosters” during the pandemic — claiming they’ve got just the pill, berry or brew to rev up our body’s defenses. But is there really a way to boost our immune system? We’re finding out whether these vitamins and supplements truly work as a shield against colds and viruses. We speak to public health Prof. Tim Caulfield, nutrition Prof. Carol Johnston, immunologist Shiv Pillai, and immune aging researcher Niharika Duggal.

UPDATE 3/12/21: An earlier version of this episode overstated the evidence that starting to exercise leads to fewer colds and flus. While we do have lots of evidence that suggests exercise is good for our immune system, the research around starting an exercise program is more mixed. We've updated the episode.

Check out the transcript right here: http://bit.ly/3cjIe6f

And find more rhymes from Shiv on TikTok: profpillaipoet

Credits:

This episode was produced by Rose Rimler with help from Wendy Zukerman, as well as Taylor White, Nick DelRose, Meryl Horn, and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. 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 Dr. Brian Crucian, Dr. Harri Hemila, Dr. Wendy Weber, Dr Shai Shen Orr, Dr. Ravindra PV, Prof. Philip Calder, Dr. Oveta Fuller, Dr. Kate Edwards, Dr. Hawley Kunz, Prof. Graham Rook, Prof. Emily Ho, Dr. Dayong Wu, Prof. David Nieman, Dr. Byron Quinn, Dr. Allison Kelliher, and Prof. Adrian Martineau. And special thanks to Willa Rubin, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

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Bringing the Science Back, Baby! Feb 25, 2021

Show notes

There are a lot of fads, blogs and strong opinions, but then there’s SCIENCE. Season 10 starts March 4!

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Butterflies Are Secret Monsters Jan 28, 2021

Show notes

Butterflies flit through life as the pride and joy of the insect world. But when we saw photos of butterflies swarming the eyes of turtles, we wondered if there was a dark side lurking behind all those flashy colors. Assistant Professor of Biology Chandreyee Mitra lets us in on these butterfly secrets.

Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/36osuwx

This episode was produced by Nick DelRose with help from Wendy Zukerman, Meryl Horn, Michelle Dang, Rose Rimler, and Taylor White. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard. And special thanks to the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

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Presenting Coronavirus: Fact Vs. Fiction Jan 21, 2021

Show notes

This week, we’re sharing an episode of Coronavirus: Fact Vs. Fiction, a podcast from CNN. This episode is The Hunt for Disease X: As human activity ventures further into the wilderness, scientists believe more diseases will emerge. CNN Senior International Correspondent Sam Kiley takes Dr. Sanjay Gupta on a journey deep into the rainforests of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where the hunt for the next pandemic pathogen continues.

Coronavirus: Fact vs. Fiction is a production of CNN Audio. Megan Marcus is the executive producer. Felicia Patinkin is the senior producer. Raj Makhija is the senior manager of production operations. This episode was produced by Anna Lagamayo, Rachel Cohn, Emily Liu, Eryn Mathewson, Madeleine Thompson, Zach St. Louis and Zoe Saunders. The medical writer is Andrea Kane. Nathan Miller is the engineer, and David Toledo is the team’s production assistant. Special thanks to Ben Tinker and Amanda Sealy of CNN Health, as well as Ashley Lusk, Courtney Coupe and Daniel Kantor from CNN Audio.

Mixed for Science Vs by Bumi Hidaka.

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Magic Mushrooms: Trip Through the Science Dec 10, 2020

Show notes

Magic mushrooms have hit the headlines, with people saying that shrooms cured their depression and anxiety. But is this for real? How can 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/37Th8QX

This episode does deal with depression. 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

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 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, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

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Coronavirus: More Scared or Less Scared? Dec 07, 2020

Show notes

MINI EPISODE! Tons of new science means fresh answers on a few things that really freaked us out at the start of the pandemic: coronavirus on surfaces; ibuprofen and Covid-19; and getting Covid twice.

Link to transcript: https://bit.ly/3lXu6Ca

This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, Nick DelRose, and Wendy Zukerman with help from Michelle Dang and Hannah Harris Green. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell with help from Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Marcus Bagala, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. Thanks to everyone we got in touch with for this episode, and special thanks to the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

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