Shots of Science Vs

Latest Episodes:

Blue Balls: Are They Real? Jun 03, 2023

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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!

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The Dentist: Is It All a Lie? May 27, 2023

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The dentist tells us to floss, brush, avoid certain food and drinks ... but what actually matters when it comes to having healthy teeth? We talk to epidemiologist and dentist Professor Philippe Hujoel.

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Skin Care: Does Anything Wipe Out Wrinkles? May 20, 2023

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When it comes to keeping our skin looking younger, what works? Retinol, hyaluronic acid, vitamin C? This simple question has become confused by the billion-dollar skin-care industry, which floods us with scientific-sounding claims about the chemicals they say we should put on our face. We find out the real science on what you need for healthy skin with Dr Natalia Spierings and Dr Szu Wong.

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The Icy Grip of Death May 13, 2023

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When a snowstorm hits, a remote hike in the Pyrenees mountains turns deadly. Rohan Schoeman and Audrey Mash take us along their treacherous trails, and we speak to Dr. Eduard Argudo.

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Beavers Are Sticking It to Climate Change May 06, 2023

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Today, we give a dam about beavers. These busy rodents don’t just chill and go with the flow — it turns out their grabby paws are actually helping hands in the fight against climate change. We dive into how this works with ecologists Dr. Emily Fairfax and Dr. Ben Dittbrenner.

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Ketamine: Enter a K-Hole of Science Apr 29, 2023

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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 and Prof. Colleen Loo – and Fernanda Graciolli.

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Pit Bulls: Are Some Dogs Born Bad? Apr 22, 2023

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Pit bulls have a dark reputation. And some people say the science backs this up: that they bite people more often and do more damage when they chomp down. But other people say, no way — these dogs don’t deserve their bad rap. And if a dog has a problem, it’s really the owner’s fault. So who’s right? To find out, we talk to animal behavior expert Anna MacNeil.

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Superbugs: The End of Modern Medicine? Apr 15, 2023

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Imagine getting an infection, going to the doctor, and having no little pill to make you better. Welcome to a world of SUPERBUGS. For years we've been hearing that our antibiotics aren't working as well as they used to. But recently, it feels like things have really gotten out of hand — we’re told that these super scary antibiotic-resistant bugs are EVERYWHERE. In today’s episode, Wendy visits a freezer filled with superbugs to find out how worried we need to be, and what scientists are doing about this. Starring Dr. Fernando Gordillo Altamirano and Professor Edward Feil.

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Hangovers: Can Science Save Us? Apr 08, 2023

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What actually cures a hangover? Water? Crushed up Advil? Maybe a burger, fries and a Diet Coke? We wanted to know what the science says about how to bounce back when we’ve had a few too many. We talk to psychopharmacologist Andrew Scholey to find out.

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Alcohol: The Latest on the War on Booze Apr 03, 2023

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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, and substance use disorder researcher Dr. Peter Butt.

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