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.
Monkeypox: What's Going On?
Monkeypox has been spreading around the world. So … what exactly is this disease? How worried should we be, and how can people stay safe? We talk to Dr. Carlton Thomas, Professor Chloe Orkin and Professor Yan Xiang. Check out our transcript (with 147 citations!): https://bit.ly/sciencevsmonkeypox And if you are looking for another great podcast on this, check out A Bumpy Ride. It’s by Leo Herrera, and it’s really beautiful. This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, Courtney Gilbert, Rose Rimler, Nick DelRose, and Disha Bhagat. Additional help from Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord, Peter Leonad and SoWylie. Thanks to the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Agam Rao, Professor Asma Khalil, Professor Siddappa Byrareddy, Professor Preeti Malani, and Dr. Hugh Adler. Special thanks to LeRoy G. Robinson, Jr., Randy Tigue, Nick Lem, The Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. And thanks so much to everyone who spoke to us about their experience with monkeypox. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Abortion: The Science and the Supreme Court
Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. And in their opinion, we found a lot of scientific-sounding statements. So we wanted to find out whether these statements are true. We’ll tell you what actually happens in an abortion, whether a fetus can feel pain, and what the risks are for a pregnant person. We visit an abortion clinic in Texas and talk to Dr. Amita Murthy, Dr. Lisa Harris, and Dr. Diana Greene Foster. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/3OBfveK This episode was produced by Heather Rogers, Meryl Horn, Wendy Zukerman, Ben Kuebrich, Kaitlyn Sawrey, Shruti Ravindran, Courtney Gilbert, Rose Rimler and Michelle Dang. Edited by Annie-Rose Strasser and Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. Extra help with production and editorial from Rachel Ward, Alex Blumberg and Jorge Just. Music production and original music written by Bobby Lord. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord, Catherine Anderson and Emma Munger. Thanks to Dr. Lola Pellegrino, Ronnie Shankar, Dr. Diane Horvath-Cosper, Rachel Jones, Elizabeth Nash, Dr Yoon-Jin Kim, Delma Limones. and Gilda Sedgh. Also thanks to Katie Bishop and Reverend David Gushee. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Nightmare on Science Street
Today, we’re sharing a collection of spooky science stories. You’ll hear about a nightmare in the ocean, a nightmare on land, and even a nightmare … IN YOUR MIND. We talk to scientists including marine biologist, Dr. Olga Shpak and malacologist Jaynee Kim. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/3O4Ag22 See the video Olga’s team shot of killer whales attacking a bowhead here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OskmkWV0Ypk This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, Ilya Kolmanovsky, and Rose Rimler. Extra help from Courtney Gilbert. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Wendy Zukerman is the Executive Producer. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord and SoWylie. Our amazing Barbershop Quartet is Bobby Lord, Peter Leonard and Austin Mitchell. Thanks to the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Katharina Lüth and Dr. David Wyler. Special thanks to everyone who helped us this season!! Rasha Aridi, Nick DelRose, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, Jack Weinstein, Chris Suter, Ingrid Gilbert, Kayla Stokes, Lonnie Ro, Wade and Christabel Nsiah Buadi, The Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Placebo: Can the Mind Cure You?
[REBROADCAST] 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. Check out the full transcript here: https://bit.ly/3xaPKM3 This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, Kaitlyn Sawrey and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Editing help from Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Michelle Harris and Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka and Peter Leonard. Music by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. Recording assistance from Fabian Mirko May, Mary Dooe and Maggie Penman. A huge thanks to all the scientists we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr Diletta Barbiani, Dr Cynthia McRae, Dr J Bruce Moseley, Professor Apkar Apkarian, Professor Jon Stoessl,and others. And special thanks to Lynda McKenzie, the Zukerman family, and Joseph Lavelle Wilson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A Mystery in the Air
When a little girl, Ella Kissi-Debrah, suddenly got sick and landed in the hospital, doctors were stumped. In this episode, her mom, Rosamund, takes on the fight to find out what exactly happened to Ella. And the answer has BIG implications — for us all. We’ll hear from Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah and Professor Stephen Holgate. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/3z17Gdv This episode was produced by Ekedi Fausther-Keeys with help from Rose Rimler, Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, and Courtney Gilbert. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Wendy Zukerman is the Executive Producer. Extra help from Saidu Tejan-Thomas, Nicole Beemsterboer, Kendra Pierre-Louis, and Alex Blumberg. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord and SoWylie. Thanks to the researchers and experts we got in touch with for this episode, including Jocelyn Cockburn, Professor Vernon Morris, Dr. George Thurston, Dr. Lauren Zajac, Dr. Jennifer Burney, Dr. Sacoby Wilson, Dr. Melissa Burroughs, Dr Wei Peng, Professor Barbara Hoffman, Dr. Michael Craig, and Dr. Wes Austin. Special thanks to Rachel Humphreys, BBC Motion Gallery / Getty Images, Jonah Delso, Jackie Llanos, The Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
ASMR: How Whispering Hijacks the Brain
ASMR is huge. People say these videos of someone whispering or making soft sounds can make them feel all tingly inside, and even help them feel calm and less anxious. So, what’s going on here? We talk to scientists who have looked into what’s happening in our bodies and brains when we experience an “autonomous sensory meridian response.” You’ll hear from Dr. Giulia Poerio, Dr. Bryson Lochte and Professor Craig Richard — as well as ASMR artist Mike Bryant - aka The Velvet Whisperer. Craig Richard has a book out on this called “Brain Tingles” if you want to check it out. Transcript: https://bit.ly/3w8nnh2 This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, with help from Courtney Gilbert, Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music Written by So Wylie, Bumi Hidaka, Bobby Lord and Peter Leonard. Thanks to the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Damiaan Denys, Dr. Phil Gander and Matt Frank. And thanks to Nolwazi Nene, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Serial Killers: The Mind of a Murderer
[REBROADCAST] What makes a serial killer? What drives them to kill again and again? To find out the truth about this ghastly lot, we talked to forensic psychologist Prof. Eric Hickey, criminologist Ass. Prof. Wayne Petherick, and psychiatrist Prof. Gwen Adshead. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/39HcSsv Note: in this episode we discuss homicide, and sexual violence. Please take care when listening to the show, and here are some resources: National Mental Health Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357). National Hotline for Crime Victims: 1-855-4-VICTIM (1-855-484-2846) National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-HOPE (4673) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Processed Food: A Load of Baloney?
We hear over and over that processed food is bad for us. But is there actually something funky going on here — or is it just junk food? We dig into what these foods are doing to our bodies. You’ll hear from Dr. Kevin Hall, Prof. Carlos Monteiro, Dr. Cathrina Edwards, and Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/3xYhHHZ This episode was produced by Rose Rimler with help from Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, and Rasha Aridi. Our executive producer is Wendy Zukerman. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, Marcus Bagala, and Bobby Lord. Thanks to all the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Anthony Fardet, Dr. Bernard Srour, Prof. Jose Miguel Aguilera, Dr. Mathilde Touvier, Dr. Melissa Melough, Dr. Rachel Laudan, Prof. Niyati Parekh, and lots of others. Special thanks to Paul Adams. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Story of a Covid Wonder Drug
Today, we’re digging into the weird and wooly world of ivermectin. When promising papers came out early in the pandemic, a lot of scientists got excited about the drug, but then … cracks started to show. We went down the rabbit hole and realized that there's way more to this story than the headlines. We’ll hear from Dr. Pierre Kory, as well as Jack Lawrence, Dr. Kyle Sheldrick, and Professor Roy Gulick. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/3k1dknq Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Spotify and Misinformation: An Update!
Today on the show an update about our push to get Spotify to do more to stop misinformation spreading on the platform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
The Abortion Underground
REBROADCAST. The Supreme Court is set to rule on a major abortion case this year, and the court could decide to overturn Roe v. Wade. Already, places like Oklahoma, Texas and Idaho are rolling out major abortion restrictions. So today, we’re going back to the pre-Roe years, when one group of women got fed up and decided to take their 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. Here’s the link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/3v5d23E This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Editing help from Caitlin Kenney, Kaitlyn Sawrey, Sruthi Pinnamaneni, Jorge Just, Lulu Miller and Chris Neary. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard and Bumi Hidaka. Music by Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. Recording assistance from Anny Celsi. Protest tape courtesy of Pacifica Radio Archives. A huge thanks to all the scientists we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Sara Matthiesen, Professor Verta Taylor, Professor John DeLancey, Professor Carole Joffe, Professor Johanna Schoen, and Dr. Denise Copelton. And special thanks to Michele Welsing and the team at Southern California Library, Dr. Becky Chalker, Jonathon Roberts, Jim Aspholm, Odelia Rubin, Alice Kors, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ukrainian War: Fighting Russia's Propaganda Machine
Russia attacked Ukraine more than a month ago — and the war has raged ever since. From the beginning, Russia has been pushing out propaganda and disinformation about what’s actually going on. So this week, we’re sharing parts of a podcast from independent journalists Pyotr Ruzavin and Natalka Gumenuyk, who have been covering what’s happening in Ukraine and what the people who live there are experiencing. Their show is called Fuck War. Find Fuck War here: https://zona.media/podcast/fuck-war Spotify link: https://open.spotify.com/show/2HitRAGEqtOHygJwpgvjqs English transcript of Episode 1, released March 15: https://bit.ly/FuckWarEp1 English for Episode 2, released March 17: https://bit.ly/FuckWarEp2 English for Episode 3, released March 21: https://bit.ly/FuckWarEp3 Here’s a link to our episode transcript: https://bit.ly/3wRhdmi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Ancient Aliens: Who Really Built the Pyramids?
[REBROADCAST] Is it possible that the pyramids were built with a helping hand ... from aliens? If not, how did the ancient Egyptians build them without modern technology? To get to the bottom of this, we speak to author Erich von Däniken, paleoanthropologist Dr. Shelby Putt, Egyptologist Dr. Mark Lehner, and archaeologist Prof. David S. Anderson. Check out the transcript here: https://bit.ly/3LbPnoJ This episode was produced by Rose Rimler with help from Wendy Zukerman, along with Meryl Horn, Kaitlyn Sawrey, Michelle Dang and Odelia Rubin. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Michelle Harris and Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Emma Munger. Music by Emma Munger and Bobby Lord. A huge thanks to the team at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, as well as Professor Pierre Tallet, Professor Roland Enmarch, Jens Notroff, Professor Erin L. Thompson and everyone else who spoke to us for this episode … thanks for your help. A special thanks to Sarah Hendricks, Jake Finnicum, Frank Lopez, Joseph Lavelle Wilson and the Zukerman Family. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Trans Kids: The Misinformation Battle
U.S. politicians are trying to keep trans kids from getting the medical care they need to transition — and states are banning them from playing on the sports teams that match their gender. So we’re looking at the science here, and asking: are the medical treatments for trans kids dangerous? And do trans folks have an advantage when it comes to sports? We talk to Florence Ashley, Dr. Jack Turban, and Joanna Harper to find out. Note: in this episode we discuss suicide and self-harm. Please take care when listening to the show, and here are some resources: Trans Lifeline: A Trans peer support hotline: 1-877-565-8860 Trevor Project: crisis support services to LGBTQ young people: Call 1-866-488-7386 or Text ‘START’ to 678-678 US National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-TALK (8255), or text the Crisis Text Line (text HELLO to 741741). International suicide hotlines: https://www.opencounseling.com/suicide-hotlines Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/3tmtFsh This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, Rasha Aridi, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, and Wendy Zukerman with help from Michelle Dang, Rose Rimler, and Courtney Gilbert. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Nick DelRose. Consulting by Rebecca Kling. Music written by Mr Mu Menage, Leon Trapedera, Robby Bold, and Lucas Ambarga. Thanks to the experts we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Arjee Javellana Restar, Dr. Jody Herman, and Dr. Toni D’Orsay. Very special thanks to all the trans kids and their parents we heard from, Crispin Torres, Alex Blumberg, Jack Weinstein, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Here’s What’s Coming Up!
There’s tons of misinformation, fads and strong opinions floating around out there — but then there’s SCIENCE. Find it here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices