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Science Vs
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Gimlet
There are a lot of fads, blogs and strong opinions, but then there’s SCIENCE. Science Vs is the show from Gimlet that finds out what’s fact, what’s not, and what’s somewhere in between. We do the hard work of sifting through all the science so you don't have to and cover everything from 5G and Pandemics, to Vaping and Fasting Diets.
There are a lot of fads, blogs and strong opinions, but then there’s SCIENCE. Science Vs is the show from Gimlet that finds out what’s fact, what’s not, and what’s somewhere in between. We do the hard work of sifting through all the science so you don't have to and cover everything from 5G and Pandemics, to Vaping and Fasting Diets.
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Pet Food: How Fancy Should They Feast?
There are soooo many options for what to feed your dog or cat, from the cheap stuff at the supermarket to fresh food delivered straight to your door. So what’s the best option? And just how fancy do we need to get to be good pet parents? We ask Prof. Maja Louise Arendt, Dr. Paul Pion and Prof. Marion Nestle. UPDATE 6/1/21: We adjusted the episode to better reflect Paul's opinion about the link between grain-free food, taurine, and heart problems in dogs. Get the transcript here: https://bit.ly/3wEyFXM This is our last episode of the season!! We’ll be back in September. This episode was produced by Rose Rimler with help from Wendy Zukerman and Nick DelRose, as well as Michelle Dang, Taylor White and Meryl Horn. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell, with help from Alex Blumberg. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, 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. Leslie Lyons, Prof. Greg Aldrich, Prof. George Fahey, Prof. Andrew Knight, Dr. Tony Moore, Dr. Marge Chandler and Professor Gregory Okin. And special thanks to Peter Leonard for voicing our wildcat ad, as well as Michelle Zassinhaus, Christopher and Elise Suter and Oliver Flinck. And to all of our friends and families and pets — Mattie and Fred White and Taylor’s cat Yessica, Walter Rimler and Rose's cat Fiona, Jack Weinstein and Hunter, Liwen Hu, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
27 May 2021
38 MINS
38:22
27 May 2021
The G Spot: Come Again?
We’re heading into a big summer, with more places and — ahem — people opening up. So we’re revisiting one of our favorite episodes about feeling good. Maybe you’ve heard about this magic button in the vagina that can cause amazing orgasms. What’s going on with it? Join us on a hunt for the elusive G spot. Our guides: Prof. Beverly Whipple, who introduced America to the G spot in the 1980s, and Prof. Helen O’Connell, a urologist and expert on female sexual anatomy. Get the transcript here: https://bit.ly/3bGtui5 Credits: This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman and Heather Rogers, with help from Austin Mitchell and Kaitlyn Sawrey. Edited by Caitlin Kenney, Blythe Terrell, Annie Rose Strasser and Alex Blumberg. Fact checking by Michelle Harris and Taylor White. Production Assistance by Dr. Diane Wu and Shruti Ravindran. An extra big thanks to Dr Lola Pellegrino, Andreas Montoya Castillo, Rose Reid, and Radio National’s The Science Show. Sound design by Matthew Boll, Martin Peralta and Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bobby Lord, Peter Leonard and Emma Munger. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
20 May 2021
38 MINS
38:51
20 May 2021
Back From the Dead
Today we're telling tales that push life to the ultimate limit. We're bringing things back from the dead, diving into the mysteries of immortality and asking just how much can the human body take? We talk to Rohan Schoeman, Dr. Eduard Argudo, Audrey Mash, Prof. Ferdinando Boero, Prof. Shin Kubota, Dr. Moiya McTier, and Prof. David Howard. UPDATE 5/17/21: An earlier version of this episode said that Nesyamun was scanned using MRI. While David has used MRI to scan vocal tracts in his research, Nesyamun’s vocal tract was imaged using a CT scan. Check out the transcript here: https://bit.ly/33NVcF7 Credits: This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, Nick DelRose, and Wendy Zukerman, with help from Taylor White. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell and Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Translation by Ben Milam, Kana Hatakeyama, and Bumi Hidaka. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, Bobby Lord, Marcus Bagala, Emma Munger and So Wylie. And special thanks to all the researchers we talked to for this episode, including Dr. Jordi Riera, Professor Lars J Bjertnæs, Dr. Peter Paal, Dr. Herman Brugger, Prof. Maria Pia Miglietta, and Dr. Jenna Valley. And a big thanks to Sinduja Srinivasan, Katie Cruickshank, Jessica Mack, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
14 May 2021
40 MINS
40:26
14 May 2021
A Seedy, Late-Night Adventure
Today, under cover of darkness, we're hunting buried treasure. This is a wild romp through one of the oldest science experiments in the world. And at first, everything was going to plan. Scientists had a secret map, headlamps, shovels … but then — out of nowhere — something got in the way. We go on this journey with plant biologists Professor Frank Telewski, Dr. Marjorie Weber, and Dr. David Lowry. Check out the transcript here: https://bit.ly/3h4BKMv To see sweet photos of the dig head to our instagram: Science_Vs And if you want to help out Science Vs, listen to us on Spotify. This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Rose Rimler, Nick DelRose, Taylor White, Meryl Horn, and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Extra recording from the amazing team at Michigan State University -- Kevin Epling, Greg Kohuth, and Jacob Templin-Fulton. And a big thanks to Kim Ward at MSU. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, Marcus Bagala, Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. And special thanks to the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
06 May 2021
34 MINS
34:08
06 May 2021
Screens: Are They Ruining Our Brains and Mental Health and Eyes and
Tons of us are spending waaaayyy more time using screens these days — and it’s freaking us out. We’ve got all kinds of worries. Like, is all this screen time rotting kids’ brains? Is social media destroying our mental health? And then there’s our eyes. Our eyes!! Are all these screens ruining them too?! To find out, we speak to psychologist Dr. Brenna Hassinger-Das, communication studies researcher Dr. Natalie Pennington and optical physicist Dr. Maitreyee Roy. Check out the transcript here: https://bit.ly/2Rfp0I4 This episode was produced by Michelle Dang with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, Nick DelRose and Taylor White. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. 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 Professor Seang Mei Saw, Professor Mark Rosenfield, Dr. Cristian Talens Estarelles, Dr. Rebecca Brand, Professor Wallace Dixon and Dr. Deborah Kloska. And thanks to all of our wonderful listeners who sent us messages about their screen use! It was so lovely to hear from all of you! And special thanks to Khairi, KC, and Makai Williams, Christina Couch and Lillian Adams, and Connie and Sekwan Walker, Kendra Pierre-Louis, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
29 Apr 2021
39 MINS
39:09
29 Apr 2021
Havana Syndrome: Did a Secret Weapon Fry Diplomats' Brains?
Back in 2016, U.S. Embassy workers in Cuba were struck by a mysterious noise, followed by symptoms like headaches, dizziness and memory problems. This sent the U.S. scrambling to try to find the culprit. Could it have been an ear-piercing sonic weapon? Or something even sneakier — a device that could beam microwaves into your brain?? We speak to journalist Tim Golden, Prof. Douglas Smith, Prof. Fernando Montealegre-Zapata, Dr. Mitchell Joseph Valdés-Sosa, Prof. Chris Collins, and Prof. Alan Carson. Our instagram is: science_vs Check out the transcript here: https://bit.ly/2Pf3jan Apply to the Science Vs internship! https://jobs.lever.co/spotify/4fd5b230-4bf5-463e-ac64-e13f369f1b1e This episode was produced by Nick DelRose and Wendy Zukerman, with help from Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang and Taylor White. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, Marcus Bagala, Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. Translation help by Kristin Torres. A huge thanks to the researchers who helped us out for this episode -- we spoke to around two dozen experts to get their thoughts on many different parts of this -- from the brain studies to the possibility of microwave weapons. Many of them just wanted to talk on background - but thank you so much for your time. And special thanks to Ayo Oti, Navani Otero, Andrea B. Scott, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
22 Apr 2021
41 MINS
41:50
22 Apr 2021
How Science Created Morons
REBROADCAST: This episode looks at how one of the worst ideas in science got a big push from a bad study… and intellectuals of the day lapped it up. We speak to science writer Carl Zimmer and Prof. J. David Smith, whose research helped get to the bottom of this messed-up story. Check out the full transcript here: https://bit.ly/3sZ3m8P This episode was produced by Kaitlyn Sawrey, Wendy Zukerman, and Romilla Karnick with help from Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler, Shruti Ravindran and Nick DelRose. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell, extra editing help from Alex Blumberg and PJ Vogt. An extra thanks to Phoebe Flanagan as well as Emily Ulbricht for help with German translations. Fact checking by Michelle Harris and Nick DelRose. Mix and sound design by Emma Munger and Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Peter Leonard, Bobby Lord and Emma Munger. We also spoke to Professor Peter Visscher for this episode. Thank you. A huge thanks to all the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
08 Apr 2021
36 MINS
36:22
08 Apr 2021
Coronavirus: How Scary Are the Variants?
UPDATE 4/13/21: Since this episode published, there has been some evidence linking the Johnson & Johnson coronavirus vaccine to rare blood clots. As of April 13, there were six cases in the U.S. out of more than 6.8 million doses, and one person had died. The CDC and FDA have recommended pausing the vaccine while they learn more. Details are here: https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2021/s0413-JJ-vaccine.html Just as coronavirus vaccinations are ramping up, a bunch of new variants are here, threatening to muck everything up. So we’re wondering — will these jabs still work, or is this the pandemic that never ends? To find out, we talk to Dr. Ben Reis, biochemist Prof. Pei-Yong Shi, virologist Prof. Ann Sheehy, and infectious disease expert Dr. Katy Stephenson. Check out the transcript here: https://bit.ly/3mbc0hQ This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Nick DelRose and Meryl Horn, with help from Michelle Dang and Taylor White. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell, editing help from Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Taylor White. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Peter Leonard, Marcus Bagala, Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. A huge thanks to the researchers we got in touch with for this episode as well as all the listeners who told us about their vaccine experience! And special thanks to the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
02 Apr 2021
34 MINS
34:24
02 Apr 2021
Snake Bite Cures: Weasels, Pigeons, Pee
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
30 Mar 2021
05 MINS
05:42
30 Mar 2021
SNAKES!!!
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 some 100,000 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/ Our instagram is: science_vs 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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
25 Mar 2021
33 MINS
33:42
25 Mar 2021
UFOs: Through the Wormhole Again
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
18 Mar 2021
36 MINS
36:59
18 Mar 2021
Brood X: A Drug-fueled Cicada Orgy
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
12 Mar 2021
34 MINS
34:04
12 Mar 2021
Immune Boosting: Is It a Bust?
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
05 Mar 2021
35 MINS
35:48
05 Mar 2021
Bringing the Science Back, Baby!
There are a lot of fads, blogs and strong opinions, but then there’s SCIENCE. Season 10 starts March 4! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
25 Feb 2021
02 MINS
02:41
25 Feb 2021
Butterflies Are Secret Monsters
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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
28 Jan 2021
06 MINS
06:32
28 Jan 2021