Science Vs

Latest Episodes:

Chiropractors Dec 07, 2017

Show notes

Can they help with back pain or anything else? We talk to chiropractor Carl Cleveland III, physical therapist Anita Gross, neurophysiologist Dr. Marcello Costa...and Kaity Sawrey’s parents.

Check out our full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2P3g7NW

By the way… Gimlet’s doing a holiday pop up shop selling t-shirts and stickers. So show your support by getting your very own Science Vs tee shirt! Check it out at sciencevs.show/shirt.

Credits: This episode has been produced by Rose Rimler, Wendy Zukerman, with help from Shruti Ravindran and Heather Rogers. Our senior producer is Kaitlyn Sawrey. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Michelle Harris. Sound design by Martin Peralta and Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord. For this episode we also spoke to Dr. Richard Deyo, Prof. Tim Mirtz, Prof. Gregory Whitcomb, Dr. Adam Cifu, and Julie Knaak,-- Thank you for your insights. An extra big thanks to Rachel Ward, Emma Morgenstern, Christina Sullivan, Jasmine Romero and Phoebe Flanigan. As well as Alex Ward, Russell Gragg, Fiona Croall and Judy Adair. Also, a shoutout to the Sawreys! Thank you, Bill & Chris.

Selected readings:A history of DD Palmer and chiropractic, which Carl co-wrote Anita’s review on spinal manipulation and neck pain The UK evidence report on manual therapy JAMA editorial on spinal manipulation and lower back pain Clinical guidelines on treating lower back pain from the American College of Physicians An analysis of neck manipulation and stroke And of course….this

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Birth Control - The Biggest Myths Nov 30, 2017

Show notes

Everyone’s got a myth or two about birth control they want cleared up. Like... is 'pulling out' AKA withdrawal really such a bad idea? Does the pill change your brain? Are IUDs safe? And why isn’t there a pill for men, already?! We ask gynecologist Dr. Amita Murthy, neuroendocrinologist Dr. Nicole Petersen, men’s health researcher Prof. Robert McLachlan and a whole roomful of experts on sex -- teenagers.

UPDATE 05/12/17: We have updated this episode to further emphasize that the pre-cum studies are only very small. Use withdrawal at your own peril!

Check out our full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2P5creH

Selected readings:The Guttmacher report on unintended pregnancies Nicole’s research on the brain The Nurses’ Health Study results on oral contraceptives A history of the Dalkon Shield The latest on male contraception

Credits: This episode has been produced by Wendy Zukerman, Shruti Ravindran, Heather Rogers and Rose Rimler. Our senior producer is Kaitlyn Sawrey. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Extra editing help from Alex Blumberg and Eric Mennel. Fact checking by Michelle Harris. Sound design by Martin Peralta and Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord.

An extra thanks to Dr Aparna Sundaram at the Guttmacher Institute, Dr Sarah Prager, Prof Brittany Charlton, Dr Lisa Iversen, Prof James Trussell, Dr Sara Holton. Big thank you to Libby Shafer and all the Chicago teens, plus Jonathan Goldstein and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

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Molly - Scary Drug or Promising Therapy? Nov 16, 2017

Show notes

Molly, Ecstasy, MDMA... whatever you want to call it, it's all the same thing. This week, we’re turning up the bass and checking out what does it do to your brain. Is it bad for you? Could it be a potential medicine? To find out, we talk to public health researcher Prof. Joseph Palamar, DEA special agent James Hunt, and neuroscientist Prof. Harriet de Witt.

Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2YEl1V2

Selected reading:Harriet’s paper on MDMA and feelings of rejection Joseph’s paper on club kid hair This big British report on the risks of ecstasy

Credits: This episode was produced by Heather Rogers, Wendy Zukerman, Shruti Ravindran and Rose Rimler. Our senior producer is Kaitlyn Sawrey. Edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Michelle Harris, Rose Rimler and Ben Kuebrich. Sound design by Martin Peralta and Haley Shaw. Music written by Bobby Lord. An extra thanks to Johnny Dynell, Jesse Rudoy, Brian Earp, Prof. Jerrold S. Meyer, Prof. Niamh Nic Daéid and Dr. Carl Roberts.

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Balding - What Actually Works? Nov 09, 2017

Show notes

So... you’re losing your hair. Is there anything that can be done about it? And are the treatments dangerous -- for your or your penis? We talk to geneticist Prof. Stefanie Heilmann-Heimbach and dermatologists Dr. Wilma Bergfeld and Dr. Robert Bernstein.

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

Extra reading:A review of balding treatments Stefanie’s paper on balding genetics This research on the intersex population of the Dominican Republic Notes on hair transplants

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The Bee-pocalypse Nov 02, 2017

Show notes

What is killing the bees? And will we have enough food to eat if the bee-pocalypse becomes worse? We speak to Dave Goulson, Professor of Biology and Bumblebee ecologist at the University of Sussex, Judy Wu-Smart, Research Entomologist at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Steve Ellis, a beekeeper in Barrett, Minnesota.

Check out the full transcript here : http://bit.ly/2YEm0oc

Extra reading Judy Wu-Smart’s study on how neonicotinoid pesticides affect queen beesDave Goulson’s round-up of the parasites that plague beesA comprehensive laundry list of all the factors that make the world inhospitable to bees

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Vitamins & Supplements - Are They Worth It? Oct 19, 2017

Show notes

Americans spend billions of dollars on vitamins and supplements, but are they worth it? We look at the science behind some of the most popular supplements with nutritional epidemiologist Prof. Katherine Tucker, neuroscientist Dr. Simon Dyall, and medical researcher Dr. Mark Bolland.

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Credits: This episode has been produced by Wendy Zukerman, Heather Rogers, and Shruti Ravindran. Production assistance from Rose Rimler. Our senior producer is Kaitlyn Sawrey. Edited by Blythe Terrell with help from Alex Blumberg. Fact checking by Michelle Harris. Sound design by Martin Peralta and Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord. An extra thanks to the Zukerman Family, Joseph Lavelle Wilson, Chris Giliberti, Jasmine Romero, Matthew Nelson, Stevie Lane, Dr Harri Hemilä, Stephanie from the New York State Library and Dr Rajaprabhakaran Rajarethinam.

Selected Reading:The history of fortified foods The Institute of Medicine Report on calcium and Vitamin D Survey on vitamin shopping habits in the US Simon’s paper on Omega 3 and spinal cord injuries in rats Mark’s work on calcium This whopper of a study on multivitamins

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

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Bigfoot Oct 12, 2017

Show notes

All over the world people report sightings of big, hairy, human-like beasts, so could Bigfoot really be out there... somewhere? We ask Dr. Jeff Meldrum, Prof. Bryan Sykes, Prof. Todd Disotell, and the Round Rock, Texas, Department of Parks and Recreation.

CORRECTION: In a previous version of this podcast we said Dr Meldrum works at the University of Idaho. He actually works at Idaho State University. We've updated this episode with his correct title.

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Credits: This episode has been produced by our senior producer, Kaitlyn Sawrey, as well as Wendy Zukerman, Rose Reid, Heather Rogers and Shruti Ravindran. Production assistance from Rose Rimler. Edited by Blythe Terrell and Annie-Rose Strasser. Fact checking by Michelle Harris. Sound design by Martin Peralta. Music written by Bobby Lord. And a big thank you to Dr Michael J Hickerson and Professor James L. Patton for his 7 PAGE document describing the last large mammals discovered by western scientists in North America, suffice to say, Bigfoot wasn’t on the list.

Selected Reading:Paper on Bigfoot reports in North America Bryan’s paper on Bigfoot hairs A review of the human family tree Jeff Meldrum’s book

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

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100% Renewable Energy - Can We Do It? Oct 05, 2017

Show notes

We need to ditch fossil fuels. Can America go 100% renewable by 2050? Does the technology already exist? We speak to Prof. Mark Delucchi, Prof. Christopher Clack, and Prof. David Connolly.

UPDATE: Since this episode was published, Tesla have unveiled a prototype of a electric semi truck.

Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/38ku2a4

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Credits:

This episode has been produced by Wendy Zukerman, Heather Rogers and Shruti Ravindran. Production help from Rose Rimler. Our senior producer is Kaitlyn Sawrey. We’re edited this week by Blythe Terrell and Annie-Rose Strasser, with extra help from Rachel Ward. Fact checking by Michelle Harris. Sound design by Martin Peralta. Music written by Bobby Lord. For this episode we also spoke to Professor Vijay Modi, Professor Mark Jacobson, Dr Gorm Bruun Andresen, Professor Willett Kempton, Dr Dylan McConnell, and Dr Jane CS Long. And an extra thanks to the Zukerman family.

Selected reading: Mark Jacobson and Mark Delucchi paper showing that the US could be run on 100 percent renewable energy.Christopher Clack and his team’s paper criticising Mark’s work Survey published this year of more than 100 energy experts on the future of renewables.National Renewable Energy Lab’s look at Renewable Electricity Detailed report on California’s energy future

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The Rise of Anti-Vaxxers Sep 21, 2017

Show notes

Last week we explored the science behind vaccine safety. This week we try to understand where these fears came from, and why they persist. We speak to three historians: Prof. Nadja Durbach, Prof. Elena Conis, and Prof. Robert Johnston. And a concerned mom named Noelle.

Check out our full transcript here: http://bit.ly/355DlZz

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Credits:

This episode has been produced by Heather Rogers, Wendy Zukerman, and Shruti Ravindran. Production help from Rose Rimler. Our senior producer is Kaitlyn Sawrey. We’re edited this week by Blythe Terrell with editorial assistance from Alex Blumberg, Annie-Rose Strasser and Lynn Levy. Fact checking by Michelle Harris, with help from Rose Rimler. Sound design by Martin Peralta. Music written by Bobby Lord. For this episode we also spoke with Russ Bruesewitz, Prof. Sharon Kaufmann, Prof. Alison Buttenheim, Barbara Loe Fisher, Sally Mendelsohn, Prof. Mary Holland, Prof. Paul Jackson, Prof. Michael Willrich, Julie Livingston and Kari Christianson. Thanks to Gimlet producer Luke Malone, the whole Zukerman clan, Joseph Lavelle Wilson, and Leo Rogers.

Selected references:Dr. Robert Mendelsohn’s book, Confessions of a Medical Heretic, Nadja Durbach’s book, Bodily Matters, Vaccine hesitancy paper Paul Offit’s book, Deadly Choices

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Vaccines - Are They Safe? Sep 14, 2017

Show notes

Autism, seizures, and overloaded immune systems. Could these really be side effects of vaccines? This week, we dive into the science to find out how safe vaccines really are. We also talk to public health researchers Prof. Dan Salmon and Prof. Amy Kalkbrenner and neurologist Prof. Ingrid Scheffer.

Check out our full transcript: http://bit.ly/2PrqtX3

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Credits:

This episode has been produced by Heather Rogers, Wendy Zukerman, and Shruti Ravindran. Production help from Rose Rimler. Our senior producer is Kaitlyn Sawrey. We’re edited this week by Blythe Terrell and Annie-Rose Strasser. Fact checking by Michelle Harris, with help from Rose Rimler. Sound design by Martin Peralta. Music written by Bobby Lord. For this episode we also spoke with Dr. Saad Omer, Dr. Neal Halsey, Dr. Paul Offit, Dr. Frank DeStefano, and Prof. Alison Buttenheim. And an extra thanks to Bonnie Stanway,Ivona Stamatoska, Reese and Walter Ludwig, the Zukerman Family, Joseph Lavelle Wilson and - of course! - Leo Rogers.

Selected References:The National Academies (aka Institute of Medicine) report on vaccine safety A report on the genetic underpinnings of epilepsy This study looked for neurologic disorders after the MMR shot in half a million kids This one looked at all children born in Denmark between 1991 and 1998

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