In this episode, Therese Markow, Dr. MacKenzie Pellin, Dr. Laurie Malone, and Dr. Patricia Ungar explore how dogs can detect early signs of cancer and COVID-19. They discuss their collaborative research, how the dogs are trained, and the types of diseases that these medical scent dogs can help to identify. They also discuss how the dogs' accuracy rivaled or exceeded other tests, but logistical challenges exist in public screening. The potential for early cancer detection and mass COVID screening...
Nov 26, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 166
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Hussam Mahmoud discuss the increasing frequency and severity of wildfires, citing the 2023 Maui fire and the 2024 Ventura County fire. Dr. Hassam Mahmoud, an expert in wildfire control, explains that wildfires have risen by 5% annually since 2001 and are now more intense. He highlights that 90% of wildfires in the US are human-induced. Dr. Mahmoud discusses his research focusing on a model to predict fire spread in urban areas, considering factors like win...
Nov 19, 2024•33 min•Season 1Ep. 165
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Keith McCormick discuss what you need to know about osteoporosis and bone health. Dr. McCormick explains what causes osteoporosis, the importance of early bone density tests, and breaks down some of the lifestyle factors that affect bone health. They discuss the need for personalized treatment beyond only medication, and Dr. McCormick advocates for patient empowerment and comprehensive understanding to improve treatment outcomes. Key Takeaways: 50% of wome...
Nov 12, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 164
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Elizabeth Scott discuss the impact of cognitive distortions on stress. Dr. Scott explains what cognitive distortions are, how they lead to increased stress and emotional difficulties and gives examples of different types of distortions. They discuss how the distortions can be mitigated. They also talk about why addressing cognitive distortions is crucial for mental and physical health, reducing stress, and improving overall well-being. Finally, Dr. Scott p...
Nov 05, 2024•31 min•Season 1Ep. 163
In a world full of media, which may contain misinformation or fake news, there are conspiracy theories abounding. However, conspiracy theories, and the spreading of those theories, are not a new practice, it has been around and transmitted in any way that people communicate. In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Joseph Uscinski talk about the origin of conspiracy theories and how these formal theories differ (and are similar) to the fake news and misinformation that fills our media screens tod...
Oct 29, 2024•35 min•Season 1Ep. 163
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. John Sweller discuss the decline in student preparedness for college and how the modern education system, which has shifted from knowledge acquisition to inquiry-based learning, is at the root of that decline. Dr. Sweller explains his Cognitive Load Theory, breaks down the differences between working memory and long-term memory, and why ineffective teaching methods continue to survive. Finally, they talk about the changemakers in education and how politica...
Oct 22, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 161
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Hussam Mahmoud discuss the vulnerability of bridges to climate change. When we think about climate-related disasters, hurricanes, floods, and wildfires come to mind. Probably the last thing we think about is a bridge collapsing, but we should. With over half a million bridges in the US, each with a life expectancy of 75 years, it is more important than ever to consider the role of climatic factors on bridge stability. Dr. Mahmoud discusses how flooding, ex...
Oct 15, 2024•34 min•Season 1Ep. 160
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Ximena Lopez discuss the challenges faced by transgender youth, emphasizing the importance of gender-affirming care. Dr. Lopez explains the difference between sex and gender, noting that gender dysphoria is distress caused by a mismatch between one's gender identity and sex assigned at birth. She describes treatment options, including puberty suppression and hormone therapy, which can significantly improve mental health and reduce suicidality, particularly...
Oct 08, 2024•29 min•Season 1Ep. 159
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Janine LaSalle discuss Dr. LaSalle’s research on autism, focusing on prenatal gene-environment interactions. She explains that autism affects one in 36 children and talks about how genetic and prenatal environmental factors, such as maternal health and chemical exposures, play a role in autism. Dr. LaSalle discusses how they use placental DNA to identify epigenetic marks linked to autism, aiming to predict probability of autism before birth in order to int...
Oct 01, 2024•18 min•Season 1Ep. 158
In this episode, Therese Markow and psychologist Dr. Elizabeth Scott, discuss narcissism, its clinical definition and the characteristics of “malignant narcissism”. Dr. Scott explains that narcissism involves patterns of grandiosity, a need for constant admiration, a lack of empathy, high levels of manipulation, and the narcissist’s “kryptonite” - criticism. They view themselves as the victim, never at fault. Despite their arrogance, they are very insecure. Dr. Scott also discusses why treatment...
Sep 24, 2024•36 min•Season 1Ep. 157
Dr. Adam Schiavi is an assistant professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine and neurology at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. His areas of clinical expertise include anesthesiology, neurological critical care, disorders of consciousness and brain death diagnosis, clinical ethics, critical care medicine, and traumatic brain injury. In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Adam Schiavi discuss how the definition of death has changed throughout history, what the current d...
Sep 17, 2024•47 min•Season 1Ep. 156
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Katie Pelch discuss the harmful and pervasive effects of PFAS, also known as "forever chemicals." Found in various consumer and industrial products, contaminating air, water, and soil, they never break down. Dr. Pelch works for the Natural Resources Defence Council (NRDC) and has been studying PFAS throughout her career. Along with their many uses PFAS have been linked to serious health issues, including cancer and reduced vaccine effectiveness. The NRDC a...
Sep 10, 2024•30 min•Season 1Ep. 155
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Alex Hinton explore the potential for genocide in the U.S., highlighting historical and contemporary atrocities. Dr. Hinton emphasizes that genocide can target groups based on social constructs such as race, gender, and sexuality, among others. They discuss the rise of white supremacism and hate speech, and Dr. Hinton identifies risk factors such as political upheaval, economic instability, and armed militias. Dr.Hinton also stresses the importance of crit...
Sep 03, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 154
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Alex Hinton discuss the complexities of genocide, its definitions, and the role of perpetrators. Dr. Hinton gives us the conventional, legal, and social scientific definitions of genocide and gives examples of how these affect the legal battles and social impact of different incidents, highlighting the Khmer Rouge mass killings in Cambodia. They also discuss the moral and legal implications of perpetrators and why none of us can be complacent in our unders...
Aug 27, 2024•44 min•Season 1Ep. 153
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Alan Rogol discuss the complexities of gender, sex, and identity in elite sports, with a focus on the societal expectations and controversies surrounding gender eligibility in sports. Dr. Rogol touches on some of the history of women’s identities in elite sports, including some from the recent 2024 Paris Summer Games. Throughout the discussion, Therese and Dr. Rogol highlight the need for inclusive politics and having a respectful approach to athletes’ ide...
Aug 20, 2024•41 min•Season 1Ep. 153
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Charles Easley IV discuss the significance of a father’s lifestyle before conception and its effects on prenatal development. This comes about not by mutations in the sperm DNA, but through heritable changes in the way the father’s genes are turned on and off during the development of the fetus. THese changes are referred to as epigenetic. So it’s not just about the mom, They thus explore the paternal origins of health and disease, highlight animal studies...
Aug 13, 2024•37 min•Season 1Ep. 152
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Daniel Aaron discuss the inadequate oversight of food additives by the FDA, particularly the agency's GRAS or “Generally Recognized as Safe” process, which allows unsafe additives to reach the market without proper scrutiny. Dr. Aaron highlights industry conflicts of interest, the lack of reporting requirements, the need for stricter regulation to protect public health, and discusses what is needed for the FDA to be better able to make impactful changes. K...
Aug 06, 2024•21 min•Season 1Ep. 151
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Alexis Temkin, Senior Toxicologist at the Environmental Working Group, discuss toxic chemicals we can’t see or detect in our food and daily-use products. Dr. Temkin describes common pesticides and other chemicals used in agriculture and how they enter the human body. She also shares resources provided by the Environmental Working Group that can help keep you and your family safer. Key Takeaways: Chemicals in cosmetics and other daily-use products are often...
Jul 30, 2024•28 min•Season 1Ep. 150
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Tara Zimmerman discuss how to “Fake News” proof children so that they can better interpret the vast amount of information available in the digital age, especially around misinformation and disinformation. They emphasize the importance of critical thinking skills, building those critical thinking skills, and how those important skills can be taught and practiced with children of all ages. In this digital age with so much information at our fingertips, media...
Jul 23, 2024•26 min•Season 1Ep. 149
A serious type of turbulence has been encountered during commercial airline flights has been in the news lately. “Pancake turbulence”. Hard to detect in advance. Most recently, an Air Europa flight from Madrid to Uruguay was hit by “strong turbulence” and had to make an emergency landing in Brazil, In another recent event. a flight bound from London to Singapore with 211 passengers and 18 crew members encountered turbulence that resulted in the death of a passenger, and the hospitalization and c...
Jul 16, 2024•25 min
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Mary Rysavy discuss all aspects of obesity during pregnancy. This is a significant concern that is growing. A study of 2000 deliveries in a single year highlighted the need for proper care and management of obese pregnant women to minimize risks and help ensure a healthy delivery. With 60% of women having a BMI over 30, and 16% having a BMI over 40, this is becoming a larger concern for both expectant mothers and for the hospitals and care providers. They ...
Jul 09, 2024•21 min
In this episode, Therese Markow, Dr. Jerald Kay, and Dr. Joel Yager discuss the various forms of ambition. They discuss lack of ambition, mismatched ambition, and delve into some of the potential negative consequences of Machiavellian ambition and how to deal with malignant narcissists. Key Takeaways: There are biological underpinnings to ambition, but much of what we know about ambition is built on repeated interactions as children. Not everyone who is Machiavellian is ambitious. Not everyone w...
Jul 02, 2024•35 min
Infertility is on the rise, leading otherwise healthy young couples to seek a form of assisted reproductive technology appropriate for their particular situation. This increase infertility of considerable concern. Is one sex affected more than the other? What are the long-range implications if the trend keeps going? Is it only humans that appear to be affected? And the critical question is why? In today’s episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Shanna Swan, author of the new book Count Down, answer many...
Feb 02, 2022•37 min•Season 2Ep. 145
Dr. Richard P. Phelps is founder of the Nonpartisan Education Group, editor of Nonpartisan Education Review ( http://nonpartisaneducation.org ), a Fulbright Scholar, and fellow of the Psychophysics Laboratory. He has authored, or edited and co-authored Correcting Fallacies about Educational and Psychological Testing (APA); Standardized Testing Primer (Peter Lang); Defending Standardized Testing (Psychology Press); Kill the Messenger (Transaction), and several statistical compendia. Phelps has wo...
Jan 26, 2022•40 min•Season 2Ep. 144
In this culture where dreams and nightmares are such a part of our everyday language, the question becomes, what is dreaming? We all dream, so what does it mean, and how does it impact other areas of our lives, such as our mental health? In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Michael Nadorff discuss these questions, as well as diving deeper into the different cycles of sleep, the changes in our dreams and sleep as we age, different types of nightmare therapies, and the relationship between nigh...
Jan 19, 2022•33 min•Season 2Ep. 143
Various forms of cold therapy, from ice on wounds to cold showers, have been successfully used for ages. And ice baths help athletes after an event. But these temperatures don't fall below freezing, or 32°F, and are usually above this. Recently, tanks providing whole body cryotherapy have been promoted for a wide range of health problems, some serious and progressive. This involves subjecting the body to anywhere from minus 160°F to 250°F, for several minutes. While this extreme exposure, even i...
Jan 12, 2022•10 min•Season 2Ep. 142
Breast cancer is on the rise, especially in women under 40. This is pretty scary and the increase points to something environmental. In today’s episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Kris McGrath talk about one of these environmental factors and how our individual underarm hygiene may play a role in our risk for breast (and prostate) cancers earlier in life. Dr. McGrath has had a long time interest in this trend and they discuss some of his work on the relationship between underarm shaving and the use ...
Jan 05, 2022•20 min•Season 2Ep. 141
What's the placenta? Some people think of it as a bag filled with fluid that protects the fetus inside from accidental blows, or a structure that sends maternal nutrients to the fetus while removing its waste products. Well, it's actually much more than this. When we may think that the placenta is protective, it can also create detrimental effects to the fetus - effects that can be lifelong. In fact, the placenta is a complex organ on its own and we've only recently been discovering some of the ...
Dec 29, 2021•21 min•Season 2Ep. 140
Just about everybody has bumped their head at least once in their life. A number of these bumps on the head, especially those resulting from more obvious head injury, are more serious than most of us imagine. What is a concussion? When should head trauma receive more attention? Given the recent reports about long term effects of head injuries in athletes, and the risks of head traumas for sports and accidents, let's learn a little bit more. After all, each of us has a head. Today's guest neuro p...
Dec 22, 2021•32 min•Season 2Ep. 139
Millions of women are undergoing ovarian stimulation to harvest either their own eggs or to donate, for monetary compensation, to egg banks that can help infertile couples, gay couples, and single infertile women to, through in vitro fertilization, conceive. Donors can receive considerable payments for their donations and, in fact, many young women undergo multiple cycles of ovarian stimulation treatments. These payments can help with student loans, living expenses, and other things. The treatme...
Dec 15, 2021•12 min•Season 2Ep. 138
