President Trump says an anti-malarial drug could be a “gift from god” for treating Covid-19. Does it really work? And is it dangerous? We talk to toxicologist Professor Daniel Brooks, infectious disease specialist Dr. Matthew Pullen, and microbiologist Professor Karla Satchell. Also: VAMPIRE BATS! We’ve set up a voicemail to collect all of your questions about Coronavirus. Or if you’re a healthcare worker with a personal story you want to share, please call (774) 481-1238 and leave us a messag...
Mar 27, 2020•27 min•Season 8Ep. 4
Healthcare workers across the U.S. are saying they don’t have enough protective gear to keep them safe against the coronavirus. They’re having to reuse masks, and they’re worried that they may have to resort to homemade cloth masks. Is all this safe? Plus, reports are saying that ibuprofen, the stuff in Advil, is making people with coronavirus sicker. But what does the science say? To find out we spoke to infectious disease expert Professor Raina MacIntyre, industrial hygienist Dr. Rachael Jones...
Mar 24, 2020•27 min•Season 8Ep. 3
As Covid-19 cases rise in the U.S., healthcare workers are already struggling to keep up. In a different kind of episode, we bring you an interview with Dr. Antoinette Ward, who is leading Covid-19 testing at a major hospital in Atlanta — and finding ways to treat the rapidly increasing number of patients. This interview comes from iHeartRadio’s The Women. For more stories from those on the front lines, listen here: http://bit.ly/TheWomenPodcast Here’s a link to the transcript: https://bit.ly/3b...
Mar 19, 2020•23 min•Season 8Ep. 2
The coronavirus pandemic is here, and in the U.S., this is starting to get very real. We talk to people in South Korea and Italy to see what life has been like for them. And we find out what the problem was with America’s tests — are they fixed now? And now that social distancing is on everyone’s mind, do we have evidence that it will really “flatten the curve”? We speak to public health expert Prof. Josh Sharfstein, virologist Prof. Vincent Racaniello, and epidemiologist Prof. Elizabeth Radin. ...
Mar 16, 2020•28 min•Season 8Ep. 1
Science Vs is back March 19th. Fact you next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Mar 12, 2020•2 min
The new coronavirus continues to spread around the world, and it’s already killed several people in the U.S. People are starting to worry that this will turn into a full-blown pandemic. So how many of us could ultimately get infected — and is it time to prepare for the worst? To find out, we talk to epidemiologists Dr. Cécile Viboud and Prof. Marc Lipsitch. Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/2IjUqW0 and our Hand Washing Song: https://player.gimletmedia.com/7osxva Selected references...
Mar 04, 2020•28 min•Season 7Ep. 14
A new virus showed up in China late last year, and it’s making its way to other countries too. So what do scientists know about the virus so far? And how worried should we be? To find out we talk to infectious disease researchers Dr. Kristian Andersen and Dr. Catharine Paules, physician Dr. Hui, and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci. We did an episode on a *fictional* pandemic, which you can find here: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/science-vs...
Jan 31, 2020•29 min•Season 7Ep. 13
This week — asteroids. Could a space rock really slam into us and destroy the world? And if we did spot one heading straight for us, is there anything we could do to stop it? We speak with asteroid researcher Dr. Alan Harris, astrophysicist Dr. Sergey Zamozdra, computational physicist Dr. Cathy Plesko, and physicist Dr. Andy Cheng. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2MrW1vp Selected references: Overview of Chelyabinsk impact and risk from asteroids: http://bit.ly/2ECSRQQ How many ...
Dec 20, 2019•37 min•Season 7Ep. 12
American healthcare has big problems. Some say the solution is Medicare For All: one government plan for everybody. But others say government healthcare would be worse than what we already have. Who’s right? And how did things get this bad? We talk to health policy researchers Prof. Harold Pollack and Robin Osborn. Check out the full transcript here: https://bit.ly/38ye0cY Selected references: Paper from last year on why American healthcare spending is so high: https://bit.ly/2t8gkqB Report from...
Dec 13, 2019•39 min•Season 7Ep. 11
On today’s show, three f-ant-astic stories of survival, friendship and courage about some of the most underrated creatures in the animal queendom. Produced with our friends at Every Little Thing, another Gimlet podcast. We spoke with behavioral ecologist Dr. István Maák, biologist Dr. Erik Frank, entomologist Dr. Christina Kwapich, and biologist Prof Derrick Brazill. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/38cDgoU Selected references: István’s study on ants surviving in a nuclear bunke...
Dec 05, 2019•34 min•Season 7Ep. 10
It’s been five years since the high profile shootings of several unarmed black teenagers and men launched the Black Lives Matter movement. Since then, police departments have been doing all kinds of things to respond to the deaths and protests. But do any of them work? To find out we speak with social psychologist Prof. Jennifer Eberhardt, psychologist Prof. Phillip Atiba Goff, public policy expert Dr. David Yokum, criminologists Dr. Lois James, and Dr. Stephen James. Check out the full transcri...
Nov 22, 2019•37 min•Season 7Ep. 9
A group of teenagers and college kids were fed up with the lousy healthcare in their neighborhood. So they decided to fight the system head on—a fight that still resonates today. Sid Davidoff, Mickey Melendez, and Cleo Silvers share their story. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/33QhYKX Selected references: Mickey Melendez's Book: http://bit.ly/34Ww1ik Interview with Cleo Silvers: http://bit.ly/2Xcg58S Article about lead testing in the 1970s: http://bit.ly/2qTJSqN To hear more on...
Nov 15, 2019•41 min•Season 7Ep. 8
Not sleeping enough turning you into a monster? Cutting-edge science helps us understand why. And we sort through the fads to find out, what really works to get more ZZZs. We speak with lab coordinator Pam De Young, sleep researcher Dr. Brady Riedner, and circadian scientist Prof. Russell Foster. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2Ns26Zt Selected references: Consensus on the optimal amount of sleep: http://bit.ly/2Nu33Rc Local sleep review: http://bit.ly/33rXWGL Drunk study: http...
Nov 08, 2019•36 min•Season 7Ep. 7
How should we feel about 5G? Is it a breakthrough technology that will revolutionize our world, or in a bid to get new gadgets, are we risking our health? To find out, we spoke with electrical engineer Prof. Jeff Andrews, biologist Prof. Henrik Mouritsen, radiology safety expert Prof. Chris Collins, and psychologist Prof. Rodney Croft. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2qd2MIR Selected references: Jeff’s paper on the future of 5G: http://bit.ly/36ob7tW Chris's review on 5G’s safe...
Oct 31, 2019•39 min•Season 7Ep. 7
Vaping is all the rage in the U.S., but young people are turning up at hospitals barely able to breathe. Over a thousand vapers have gotten sick—34 are dead—and no one knows why. We investigated the case of the mysterious vaping disease with help from Geri Sullivan, pulmonologist Dr. Louella Amos, lab director Iniobong Afia, inhalation toxicologist Prof. Ilona Jaspers and researcher Dr. Jamie Hartmann-Boyce. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/33VzzRi Selected references: CDC Out...
Oct 25, 2019•37 min•Season 7Ep. 5
If a pandemic ripped across the world, how bad would it really get? You’ve heard the horror stories, but you’ve never heard one like this. Dr. Anthony Fauci, who advises the President on emerging infectious diseases, helps us out. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2M4Tlnt Selected references: The CDC’s history of the 1918 Pandemic: http://bit.ly/2AXiGJP Time-lapse tracking the transmission and evolution of H7N9: http://bit.ly/2B1nYnG CDC’s Pandemic Influenza Plan: http://bit.ly/2...
Oct 11, 2019•40 min•Season 7Ep. 4
We’ve all been dumped, but some of us have felt physically sick from a heartbreak -- sometimes really sick. Neuroscientist Prof. Lucy Brown explains how pangs from a heartache might not just be in our heads. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2OhEIi9 Selected references: Lucy’s FMRI study of the rejected in-love college students: http://bit.ly/355Xz5B The social/physical pain overlap in the brain: https://bit.ly/2IkRQiVHow psychological stress affects the immune system: https://bi...
Oct 03, 2019•19 min•Season 7Ep. 3
America’s favorite pastime seems to be plagued by tragedy. Former NFL players have come forward to say they’re suffering from a serious brain disease. Others have ended their lives. So we wanted to know: how risky is playing football? Cornerback Isiah Swann, neuroscientist Dr. Kevin Bieniek, neurosurgeon Prof. Bob Cantu, and neurologist Dr. Ira Casson weigh in. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2mWkuyR Note: In this episode we discuss depression and suicide. Please take care when...
Sep 27, 2019•32 min•Season 7Ep. 2
Lots of people hit the gym to shed unwanted pounds, but they don’t always see results on the scale. This week, we tackle the power of exercise and why you should bother. We speak with obesity expert Dr. Yoni Freedhoff, psychiatrist Dr. Gary Cooney, neuroscientist Prof. Wendy Suzuki and urologist Dr. Stacey Kenfield. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2kqreUR UPDATE 10/31/19: An earlier version of this episode said that exercise isn’t a reliable treatment for depression. Some scien...
Sep 19, 2019•35 min•Season 7Ep. 1
Science Vs is back September 19th. Fact you next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Sep 12, 2019•2 min
Why are there so many new, weird dinosaurs? Friend of the show Joel Werner goes down the rabbit hole, and finds a surprising answer. He speaks to paleontologists Dr. Steve Brusatte and Dr. Jonathan Tennant. Listen to Joel’s podcast The Sum Of All Parts here: https://ab.co/2YujtzU. Check out the transcript here: http://bit.ly/2Ts169i Science Vs will be back in September with a brand new season! UPDATE 8/13/19: We removed some lines suggesting that the reason that Joel and other people growing up ...
Aug 08, 2019•26 min•Season 7Ep. 1
When President Garfield was shot by an assassin in 1881, the best and brightest in medicine and science did everything they could to save him - and turned the President into a human guinea pig. But they missed something big, that could have saved him. To find out what it was, we spoke to surgeon and medical historian Dr Ira Rutkow, and Sara Murphy - collections manager at the National Museum of American History. To find out more about this story, read Dr Ira Rutkow’s book - James A. Garfield: Th...
Jun 06, 2019•31 min•Season 6Ep. 12
Peanut allergy in children has been on the rise since the 1990s. What’s to blame? We find a clue in a very unexpected place, and talk to pediatric allergist Prof. Gideon Lack. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2rkEcqL Selected References: Gideon’s landmark 2015 study: https://bit.ly/2QsvOMvThe mouse rash study: https://bit.ly/2Mf6hZVCDC’s report on rising skin and food allergies (1997-2011): https://bit.ly/2XgjGlJ This episode was produced by Rose Rimler with help from Wendy Zuke...
May 30, 2019•17 min•Season 6Ep. 11
Before Roe v. Wade, there were thousands of illegal abortions in the U.S. every year. Some of these were incredibly dangerous; women would use knitting needles or coat hangers to end pregnancies. This, and other illegal methods, could lead to injury or death. In the 1970s, one group of women got fed up and decided to take women's health into their own hands. We talk to “self-helpers” Carol Downer and Francie Hornstein, who led a movement for safe abortions and education for women by women. Check...
May 23, 2019•43 min•Season 6Ep. 10
Could fake medicine actually take away your pain or treat a disease? We dig into the science of placebos to find out more about the power of the mind to heal. We speak to medical researcher Prof. Ted Kaptchuk, neuroscientist Prof. Fabrizio Benedetti and medical psychologist Prof. Manfred Schedlowski. UPDATE 5/13/19: We changed a few things in this episode to clarify facts. An earlier version of this episode implied that the placebo surgery for knee and back pain was really effective in itself. I...
May 09, 2019•35 min•Season 6Ep. 9
Autism, seizures, and overloaded immune systems - could these really be side effects of vaccines? From the archives, we bring back our dive into the science to find out how safe vaccines really are. We spoke to public health researchers Prof. Dan Salmon and Prof. Amy Kalkbrenner and neurologist Prof. Ingrid Scheffer. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2IVgabd Selected References: The National Academies (aka Institute of Medicine) report on vaccine safety A report on the genetic un...
May 02, 2019•42 min•Season 6Ep. 8
We’re often told to have kids quickly, before our biological clock strikes and we fall off the fertility cliff. This week we find out if that’s true for women or men. And if the cliff is real, can you do anything about it, like freezing your eggs? Plus, the sperm-aggedon! We speak to epidemiologist Prof. Lauren Wise, reproductive endocrinologist Dr. Mary Sabatini, and andrologist Prof. Allan Pacey. UPDATE 7/10/19: A previous version of this episode incorrectly identified the nationality of a cha...
Apr 25, 2019•45 min•Season 6Ep. 7
For decades, we've heard that race is a social and cultural idea — not scientific. But with the changing world of genetics, is race science back? We speak to sociologist Prof. Dorothy Roberts, evolutionary biologist Prof. Joseph L. Graves Jr. and psychological methodologist Prof. Jelte Wicherts. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2nTDU8w Selected references: Dorothy’s book on the history of scientific racism One of Joseph’s books unpacking raceThe 2005 paper on population structur...
Apr 19, 2019•37 min•Season 6Ep. 6
Millions of people are sending off their DNA to companies like Ancestry.com and 23andme to find out where they come from, and what diseases they might get. But how much can you trust these DNA kits? To find out, we speak to anthropologist Prof. Jonathan Marks and geneticist Dr Adam Rutherford. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2OSICOD Selected references: This academic paper on genetic ancestry testingAncestry.com’s white paper The genetics of Alzheimer DiseaseA perspective piece...
Apr 12, 2019•39 min•Season 6Ep. 5
Can petting Fluffy or Fido help with anxiety on planes? Or are emotional support animals a load of croc? We talk to psychologist Prof. Hal Herzog to find out if science has anything to say on whether these pets should fly high or be grounded. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2MD2lPC Selected references: Hal’s critical review on whether pets can improve mental health Study showing that blankets worked just as well as dogs to reduce anxiety in childrenHere’s a good article describ...
Apr 04, 2019•12 min•Season 6Ep. 4
