Strange things have been happening to science in the US. An executive order is freezing research, a website with once scientific information now looks kinda like it's advertising a reality show … even milkshakes have been caught in the fray. Milkshakes! On top of this, research projects studying everything from vaccine hesitancy to Covid-19 to climate change have been cut. The Trump administration says that a big reason for the cuts is to stop government waste and boost the economy. Today on the show: What is going on with science in the US right now, and will these cuts ultimately help the economy? To find out, we talk to Nature reporter Max Kozlov, virologist Dr. Seema Lakdawala and economist Professor Andrew Fieldhouse.
Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsWarKeepsRaging
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) A Science Milkshake Up
(08:04) Research on the Chopping Block
(12:15) How the NIH Justifies Cuts
(15:11) 25 million lives on the line
(16:48) When Nerds Fight Back
(24:46) ‘Dangerous’ Gain-of-Function Research Frozen
(27:27 ) Does Science Boost the Economy?
(36:05) Losing a Science Superpower?
This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact Checking by Sam Lemonick. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Emma Munger, Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, So Wiley and Bobby Lord. Thanks to Maya Golden-Krasner, Deputy Director at the Climate Law Institute at the Center for Biological Diversity – who you heard at the beginning of the show, saying this is just a daily stream of nightmare news, and also thank you Dr Shaye Wolf. Special thanks to Lindsey Cherner and Whitney Potter.
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46:15
Bird Flu: The Next Pandemic?
Bird flu has been in the headlines for ages, with scientists warning that we could be headed for a pandemic. But we’ve been hearing about this H5N1 virus for so long that it’s kind of starting to feel like the boy who cried wolf. So — what’s really going on with H5N1 bird flu? How scary is it, and how likely is it that we’re going to end up in a bird flu pandemic? We talk to virologists Dr. Seema Lakdawala and Dr. Richard Webby.
Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsBirdFlu
(00:00) Tons of people are freaked out about H5N1 bird flu
(03:38) Why H5N1 bird flu is scary
(05:01) Birds are falling out of the sky dead
(07:32) Things get weird when bird flu gets into mammals
(18:34) What happens when humans start getting this bird flu
(23:26) Is bird flu mutating?
(29:11) Should I worry about bird flu?
(30:50) Do we have anything to fight bird flu?
(32:14) We have had some silent cases of bird flu already
This episode was produced by Blythe Terrell, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell with help from Wendy Zukerman. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord and Sam Bair. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Music written by Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, So Wylie, and Bobby Lord. Thanks so much to all the researchers we spoke to for this episode, including Dr. Louise Moncla, Dr. Ted Elsasser, Dr. John Korslund, Victoria Rosado and Lindsey Adams. Thanks to Jeff DelViscio.
Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.
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45:28
Is There Really a Plastic Spoon in Our Brains?
Headlines are screaming that we have tons of microplastics in our brains — the equivalent of an entire plastic spoon. OK, that sounds terrifying, but is it true? We talk to chemist Prof. Oliver Jones.
Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/PlasticSpoonBrain
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) A plastic spoon’s worth of microplastics?!
(05:21) Something dodgy here?
(17:39) So how much plastic is in our bodies, really?
This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, with help from Wendy Zukerman, along with Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, Meryl Horn, and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Fact checking by San Lemonick. Music written by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, So Wylie, Bumi Hidaka, and Bobby Lord. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to for this episode, including Dr. Roger Kuhlman, Prof. Martin Wagner, Dr. Elke Fischer, Dr. Marie-France Dignac, and Rachel Kozloski.
Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.
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30:25
Methamphetamine: The Most Misunderstood Drug?
Methamphetamine has a scary reputation as one of the most addictive and dangerous drugs out there. But at the same time, it's an FDA-approved drug — and can even be used to treat ADHD in children. So just how dangerous and addictive is meth? And what’s going on in your brain when you use it? We hear from Science Vs listeners who’ve used it — and the scientists who study it, including neuroscientists Professor Martin Paulus and Dr. Jennifer Hsieh, as well as Dr. Kate O'Malley and Dr. Krista Siefried.
Find drug use resources here: spotify.com/resources
Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsMeth
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Methamphetamine: The Scariest Drug
(03:44) Super Meth?
(04:35) What it feels like to take Meth
(05:57) What meth does in the brain
(09:20) Can Meth break your brain?
(21:51) Meth Mouth: Is it real?
(25:55) How Meth Breaks your Heart
(26:52) How addictive is Meth?
(36:42) New research to help people with Meth Dependence
(38:08) Meth: The Most Misunderstood Drug
This episode was produced by me Wendy Zukerman, with help from Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Bobby Lord, Bumi Hidaka, So Wylie, Emma Munger and Peter Leonard. Thanks to all the researchers we spoke to including, Dr Heather Barkholtz, Professor Nadine Ezard, Dr Nicole Lee, Dr Samantha Brooks, Dr Steph Kershaw, Professor Steven Shoptaw, Dr Susan Calcaterra, Professor Harriet de Wit, and Professor Edyth London. Also thanks to the Zukerman Family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.
Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.
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47:46
Measles: How Worried Should We Be?
Measles is spreading in the U.S., with hundreds of cases across more than 20 states. And tons of people online are arguing over how we should feel about it. Some say this is bad because measles is SO contagious — and not enough people get the vaccine. But others say that measles isn't such a big deal, so why are we freaking out?? Didn't basically everyone get this virus back in the day and live to tell the tale? So we’ll find out — what is measles doing to our body (and our brain)? And how can we stop this outbreak ... and possibly rid the world of measles. We hear from New Scientist reporter Grace Wade, Prof. Peter Kasson, Dr. Meru Sheel and Dr. Katherine Gibney.
Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsMeasles
In this episode, we cover:
(00:00) Measles cases are popping off in the U.S.
(04:04) How measles messes with our immune system
(10:13) How measles can kill
(14:54) How contagious is measles - really?
(18:46) How good is the measles vaccine?
(25:11) What are the risks of the measles vaccine?
(28:34) What it will take to stop this measles outbreak
This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler, and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Emma Munger, So Wiley, Peter Leonard, Bumi Hidaka and Bobby Lord. A special thanks to the researchers we reached out to including Professor Rik de Swart, and a big thanks to Joseph Lavelle Wilson and the Zukerman family.
Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.
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There are a lot of fads, blogs and strong opinions, but then there’s SCIENCE. Science Vs is the show from Spotify Studios 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 ADHD, to Fluoride and Fasting Diets.
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