Episode 89 - The best of Amazing and Amusing III
Please enjoy this compilation of the best of Amazing and Amusing. Regular episodes will return in two weeks.
Jan 12, 2021•56 min•Ep. 89
Free Associations
Mad musings from the messy world of science
Episodes
Episode 88 - Live with Dean Sandro Galea
Matt, Chris, and Don are joined by Dean Sandro Galea for a live episode where we discuss a study that looks at whether decreases in COVID mortality are due to improvements in treatment, take audience questions, and Don measures our ears. Journal club article: Trends in COVID-19 mortality study
Dec 15, 2020•57 min•Ep. 88
Episode 87 - Survival after bariatric surgery
Matt, Chris, and Don discuss a study that looks at whether survival after bariatric surgery is increasing, they lament patterns of prescribing hydroxychloroquine, and Matt gets prideful. Journal club article: Bariatric surgery study
Dec 01, 2020•Ep. 87
Episode 86 - Vaccine misinformation blues
Matt, Chris, and Don examine a study that looks at whether social media micro-influencers can increase flu vaccine uptake, they discuss an alliance of western states to review COVID vaccine safety data, and Chris gets batty. *Editor’s note: Horseshoe bats are insectivores, not fruit bats. Journal club article: Micro-influencers study
Nov 17, 2020•Ep. 86
Episode 85 - Should I stay or should I go? Resuscitation and transport
Matt, Chris, and Jess go over a study that looks at whether it is better to try to resuscitate people on site or transport them to hospital, they discuss whether there is a role for a precision approach in public health, and Chris tells us about his back yard. Journal club article: Transport and resuscitation […]
Nov 03, 2020•50 min•Ep. 85
Episode 84 - Will convalescent plasma cure COVID?
Matt, Chris, and Jess discuss a study on whether plasma from those who have recovered from COVID can be used to treat people with COVID, they explore whether masks might actually help make people immune to SARS-CoV-2, and Jess has the solution to forgetting your mask at home (though maybe not for everyone). Journal club […]
Oct 20, 2020•53 min•Ep. 84
Episode 83 - Does vaccinating moms against RSV protect babies?
Matt, Chris, and Don examine a study that looks at whether vaccinating mothers against RSV prevents their babies from getting infected, they discuss attacks on health workers in the time of COVID, and Chris brings us all down with a new COVID study. Journal club article: Maternal RSV vaccination study
Oct 06, 2020•51 min•Ep. 83
Episode 82 - Is Vitamin D a magic cure-all or a bust?
Matt, Chris, and Don discuss a study that looks at whether vitamin D can prevent getting tuberculosis, they debate whether citation hacking is really a thing, and Don reminds us all that there is still amusement in the amazing and amusing. Journal club article: Vitamin D and TB prevention study
Sep 22, 2020•56 min•Ep. 82
Episode 81 - A treatment to prevent influenza?
Matt, Chris, and Jess discuss a study that looks at using an influenza treatment for prevention in exposed contacts, they debate whether we should be using lotteries to decide who gets scarce coronavirus treatments, and Matt shows he really does read the reference section. Journal club article: Influenza prevention study
Sep 08, 2020•52 min•Ep. 81
Episode 80 - The pro vs anti probiotics showdown
Matt, Chris, and Jess examine a study that looks at the effectiveness of probiotics in those in care homes, they discuss cognitive biases in relation to decisions about COVID policies, and Jess wows us with her first Amazing and Amusing. Journal club article: Probiotics study
Aug 25, 2020•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 80
Episode 79 - Gun ownership and suicide in California
Don, Chris, and Matt examine a study that looks at the impact of gun ownership and risk of suicide in California, they discuss whether we should be doing trials of coronavirus policies, and Matt proves he doesn’t know a thing about hens. Journal club article: Handguns and suicide study
Aug 11, 2020•57 min•Ep. 79
Episode 78 - Could vaccines for other infectious diseases help with COVID?
Don and Chris are back with Matt to go over a study that looks at the impact on survival in those who got tuberculosis and smallpox vaccination in Denmark, they discuss whether it is ethical to expose people to coronavirus in vaccine trials, and Chris gets snotty. Journal club article: BCG and vaccinia vaccination study
Jul 28, 2020•58 min•Ep. 78
Episode 77 - Does one pregnancy complication predict another?
Matt welcomes guests Nedghie Adrien and Julie Petersen to discuss a study that looks at whether having a complication in a first pregnancy predicts having one in a second, they debate whether anyone should make clinical decisions based on non-significant trial results, and Nedghie updates us on the latest in toilet technology. Journal club article: […]
Jul 14, 2020•1 hr•Ep. 77
Episode 76 - Did Netflix’s 13 Reasons Why lead to suicides?
Matt welcomes guests Lisa Bodnar and Jaimie Gradus to discuss a study that looks at the impact of the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why on suicides, they discuss whether epidemiologists should be called “Doctor”, and Lisa finally uses the word ‘twizpipe’ correctly. Journal club article: 13 Reasons Why study
Jun 30, 2020•52 min•Ep. 76
Episode 75 - A new treatment for adolescent obesity?
Matt, Jen, and guest Hailey Banack from The University of Buffalo discuss a study that looks at the effect of a new drug to treat adolescent obesity, they discuss the rise of armchair epidemiologists, and Jen reminds us of a past public health success. Journal club article: Adolescent obesity study
Jun 16, 2020•53 min•Ep. 75
Episode 74 - Which is worse, social media or eating potatoes?
Matt, Jen, and guest Kerry Keyes from Columbia University discuss a study that looks at the effect of digital media on health of adolescents, they debate whether COVID research is moving too fast, and Kerry warns us about taking medical advice from cartoons. Journal club article: Digital media and mental health study
Jun 02, 2020•51 min•Ep. 74
Episode 73 - Is fish oil all that useful?
Matt, Jen, and guest Laura Sampson discuss a study that looks at the effect of fish oil on cardiovascular disease, they get into the weeds on the proportional hazards assumption (no hate mail please), and Matt sits down to do some coloring. Journal club article: Fish oil study
May 19, 2020•54 min•Ep. 73
Episode 72 - Is it worth the risk to bike to work?
Matt, Jen, and guest Laura Sampson examine a study that looks at the risk of accidents from cycling to work, they discuss an impressive response to a mistake in a research study, and Laura gives us the skinny on doctors’ coffee consumption habits. Journal club article: Cycling and accidents study
May 05, 2020•57 min•Ep. 72
Episode 71 - Are C-sections increasing BMI in kids?
Matt, Jen, and guest Jennifer Weuve discuss a study that looks at whether elective and non-elective C-sections are leading to increased BMI in kids, they discuss a blog that asks whether bad statistical practices are crowding out good ones, and Matt breaks out his dance moves. Journal club article: C-section study
Apr 21, 2020•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 71
Episode 70 - Can kids with chicken pox protect you from shingles?
Matt, Jen, and guest host Jennifer Weuve discuss a study that looks at whether exposure to kids with chicken pox protects adults from shingles, they ask whether blinding in randomized trials really matters, and Jen survives a podcast episode that feels like a year on Mars. Journal club article: Chicken pox and shingles study
Apr 07, 2020•59 min•Ep. 70
Episode 69 - An informal chat about COVID-19
The gang paused their usual format this week to discuss how they are all dealing with the changes that have come about due to COVID-19. We got Chris, Matt, Don, Jen and newcomer Laura (and even a guest appearance by Nick) all on Zoom. We’ll be back to our regular format in two weeks.
Mar 24, 2020•42 min•Ep. 69
Episode 68 - Long-term follow up on a new prevention for breast cancer
Matt and Jen discuss a long-term follow up study of a drug to prevent breast cancer, they ask whether papers in predatory journals get cited, and Matt lets it all out watching guilty pleasure movies on planes. Journal club article: Breast cancer prevention study
Mar 10, 2020•50 min•Ep. 68
Episode 67 - What is hotspotting healthcare and does it work?
Matt and Jen discuss a study on the hotspotting of healthcare, they raise a toast to the error detectors, and Jen instructs us on surviving encounters with wildlife. Journal club article: Hotspotting healthcare
Feb 25, 2020•53 min•Ep. 67
Episode 66 - Social determinants of homicides in the US
Matt, Chris, and Jen examine a study on the social determinants of homicides, they discuss whether Mendelian randomization will save epidemiology, and Matt goes for the old BMJ Christmas edition. Journal club article: Social determinants of homicides
Feb 11, 2020•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 66
Episode 65 - Does quality of care affect maternal and neonatal outcomes?
Matt, Chris, and Jen discuss a study modeling the impact of improvements in quality of care, they discuss a poorly thought through letter from a group of publishers to the president, and Jen teaches us about worm memories. Journal club article: Quality of care impact
Jan 28, 2020•58 min•Ep. 65
Episode 64 - What's new for treating Ebola?
Matt, Chris, and Jen examine a study on new treatments for Ebola, they discuss whether retracted papers should still be cited, and Chris and Jen have the same Amazing and Amusing. Journal club article: Ebola treatment study
Jan 14, 2020•54 min•Ep. 64
Episode 63 - Can my Apple Watch detect atrial fibrillation?
Matt, Chris, and Jen discuss a study on whether Apple Watches can detect atrial fibrillation, they discuss a proposal to limit researchers to one published paper per year, and Matt wants to clown around. Journal club article: Smartwatches and atrial fibrillation
Dec 31, 2019•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 63
Episode 62 - Does the time you take your blood pressure meds matter?
Matt, Chris, and Jen discuss a study on whether taking blood pressure medication at night is better than taking it during the day, they discuss the harms that come from hyping medical research (and what we can do about it), and Matt finally has an amazing and amusing that goes in the amazing direction. Journal […]
Dec 17, 2019•54 min•Ep. 62
Episode 61 - Professional soccer and neurodegenerative disease
Matt, Chris, and Jen discuss a study on whether playing professional soccer increases the risk of death from neurodegenerative disease, they vent about how much it costs in time and money to reformat papers for journal submission, and Jen gives Chris and Matt an early Christmas present. Journal club article: Soccer and neurodegenerative disease
Dec 03, 2019•50 min•Ep. 61
Episode 60 - Low dose radiation and cancer
Matt and Jen examine a study from South Korea on the effects of low dose radiation on cancer, we discuss a fascinating study that was retracted and republished because of a coding error, and Matt shares Star Wars secrets gleaned from a figure in a research paper. Journal club article: Low dose radiation and cancer […]
Nov 19, 2019•58 min•Ep. 60