In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. John Hutton discuss the impact of early reading exposure on brain development in infants and young children. He explains that babies are born with 100 billion brain cells, each with around 1,000 connections and that these connections are shaped by experiences. Dr. Hutton emphasizes the importance of a nurturing home literacy environment, which includes regular reading routines and interactive reading. He also addresses the negative effects of excessive screen time on brain development, particularly in preschoolers, and advocates for reducing screen usage to allow for more real-world engagement. Additionally, he highlights programs like Reach Out and Read and Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library that aim to increase access to books for children from underprivileged backgrounds.

 Key Takeaways:

• It takes a long time for the human brain to develop compared to other animals. Humans are uniquely more sensitive to experiences in their environment than other organisms because of this long development process.

• The Home Literacy Environment can be divided into quantitative (such as the number of books and amount of time spent reading) and qualitative (such as questions asked, format of books, interest in reading, etc.) components.

• There is no “reading network” built-in to the brain. If kids aren’t taught to read, they are not going to just magically know how to read.

• Do your best to form your own routines, and try to make reading fun, enjoyable, and nurturing. 

• Kids want to emulate their parents. If we want them to use less screen time, as adults, we must also have less screen time. 

"Books, more than anything, are a catalyst that brings grown-ups and kids together to exchange language, to exchange emotions, to show love and affection, and that can be a source of nurturing for all these different aspects of development that are related to that experience." —  Dr. John Hutton

Episode References: 

• Read Aloud 15 Minutes: https://readaloud.org/ 

• Reach Out and Read: https://reachoutandread.org/ 

• Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library: https://imaginationlibrary.com/usa/ 

• Dr. John Hutton Introduces the SHARE STEP Method for Reading with Young Children: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GuQhnbrwutw 

Connect with Dr. John Hutton:

Professional Bio: https://profiles.utsouthwestern.edu/profile/226447/john-hutton.html 

Twitter: https://x.com/drjohnhutton 

Books: https://www.bluemanateepress.com/our-authors#/dr-john-hutton/ 

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: [email protected]

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Adina Wise discuss the complexities of Parkinson’s disease, including its causes, symptoms, and the role of environmental factors, such as air pollution. They discuss who Parkinson’s primarily affects, the genetic factors at play, the higher incidents in specific regions, and the increase in the frequency of Parkinson’s cases. They also talk about the recent advancements including continuous infusion therapy and stress that early detection is crucial, though challenging due to ethical considerations.

 Key Takeaways:

• Movement disorders are one of the few areas of medicine where diagnosis continues to rely heavily on careful observation.

• Parkinson’s is a heterogeneous disorder, not a single disease. Every case is a little different with the well-known motor symptoms - such as tremors, stiffness, and slowness, but also equally important non-motor symptoms - like sleep disturbances, mood changes, cognitive impairment, and more. 

• Parkinson’s mostly appears in people over the age of 60. For early-onset Parkinson’s (before the age of 50) accounts for about 4-10% of all cases. In these early-onset cases, there tends to be a stronger genetic influence. 

• The number one thing you can do to keep your brain healthy right now is regular aerobic exercise.

"Environmental factors, genes, lifestyle - these all may influence whether Parkinson’s manifests. This makes the Parkinson’s genetics quite complicated." —  Dr. Adina Wise

Connect with Dr. Adina Wise:

Professional Bio: https://profiles.mountsinai.org/adina-wise 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adinawise 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/awise.md/ 

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: [email protected]

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

Most of us take for granted that the seafood we eat is healthy and better for the atmosphere.  But there are hidden costs in our increasing consumption of seafood that we don’t see.  Why?  Because these costs are accrued on the high seas and under the sea where few journalists endeavor to cover them.  Sea slavery, overfishing, pollution, and loss of revenue for people already struggling to make a living are extensive, but not well known.  Pulitzer Prize-winning New York Times investigative reporter Ian Urbina has seen these horrors firsthand and talks with us today about his book “The Outlaw Ocean” and his foundation of the same name.

 Key Takeaways:

•  Approximately 50 of our seafood is farmed, and the other 50 percent arrives to consumers via practices involving human abuse and serious environmental damage. 

• Much of the farmed fish eat fish-meal that is derived from massive overfishing of fish less desirable for eating (but nonetheless ecologically important) and other species, such as whales, sharks, and turtles) caught up in the fishing process.  Cooked, ground up, and used to feed the farmed fish.  

• We tend to think about greenhouse gases as being the driver of global change, but these practices are wreaking severe havoc on the planet, underwater.

• Human abuse and slavery are often involved in the fleets that harvest from the sea.  Invisible people, disposable people.

• Because all of the above take place out of sight, the damage usually goes unseen due to a lack of journalistic coverage.  It’s expensive to document but it's critical that it’s brought to light.

"There is a dark irony to aquaculture and raising fish on land and in pens. It was meant, and supported for many years by environmentalists, as a way to slow the rate of depletion of the wild fish. Now, because those aquaculture fish are being fed pelletized wild-caught fish, it's actually speeding up the rate of ocean depletion." —  Ian Urbina

Connect with Ian Urbina:

Twitter:  twitter.com/ian_urbina

Facebook: facebook.com/IanUrbinaReporter

Website: theoutlawocean.com

Book: theoutlawocean.com/book

YouTube: youtube.com/channel/UCykiIhv2wP4-BftEiKb241Q

Instagram: instagram.com/ian_urbina

Connect with Therese:

Website:   www.criticallyspeaking.net

Twitter: @CritiSpeak

Email: [email protected]

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

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 of deodorants and antiperspirants.

 Key Takeaways:

• The majority of breast cancer is environmental or lifestyle-related. Only 5-10% of breast cancer is due to genetic causes. So what are the factors?

• Both breast cancer and prostate cancer are hormone-driven cancers.

• More research needs to be done, but there already is a significant and scary relationship between underarm hygiene and breast and prostate cancers. 

"In my paper, I showed that the earlier you began underarm habits, shaving your underarms and applying antiperspirant deodorant three times a week or more, the diagnosis of breast cancer began at a younger age, especially if you started using these products before the age of 16." —  Dr. Kris McGrath

Connect with Dr. Kris McGrath:

Professional Bio: feinberg.northwestern.edu/faculty-profiles/az/profile.html?xid=15819  

Connect with Therese:

Website:   www.criticallyspeaking.net

Twitter: @CritiSpeak

Email: [email protected]

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

In this episode, Therese Markow and Mark Greene discuss the pervasive issue of mansplaining, a phenomenon where men explain things to women despite their lesser expertise. Mark explains that mansplaining is rooted in "Man Box Culture," a set of rigid masculine rules that discourage emotional expression and promote dominance. He highlights that these rules, which include not showing emotions and being a breadwinner, have been ingrained since the Industrial Revolution and are still prevalent today. Mark emphasizes the need for men to unlearn these behaviors to form meaningful connections and improve their mental health. He also discusses the impact of these cultural norms on men's professional and personal lives, advocating for a shift towards more inclusive and emotionally open masculinity.

 Key Takeaways:

• No culture is monolithic. No culture is non-changeable. 

• Mansplaining is one direct product of a culture of masculinity that says: Don't show your emotions. Always be tough, be right, know more.. Never talk about anything deep.

• Man Box Culture is not traditional masculinity

• The breaking of connection is what leads to Man Box Culture and the increased rates of suicide in teenage boys and mental health challenges in adult men.

• Authentic, deep, caring relationships require emotional sharing. If you spend your life mansplaining, you don’t have connection.

"My work is around the idea that we want to get men to wake up to the limitations of Man Box Culture and shift that culture to a healthier culture of expression and connection." —  Mark Greene

Episode References: 

• Men Explain Things to Me by Rebecca Solnit: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1608464660 

• The Man Box Study by Equimundo: https://www.equimundo.org/resources/man-box-study-young-man-us-uk-mexico/ 

• When Boys Become Boys by Judy Chu: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0814764800 

• Niobe Way: https://www.niobe-way.com/ 

• Catalyst: How Combative Cultures Prevent Men from Interrupting Sexism: https://www.catalyst.org/research/combative-culture-sexism-infographic/ 

• The Good Men Project: https://goodmenproject.com/ 

Connect with Mark Greene:

Website: https://remakingmanhood.com/ 

Twitter: https://x.com/remakingmanhood 

Book: The Little #MeToo Book for Me: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0983466963 

Book: The Relational Book for Parenting: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1979378657 

Remaking Manhood Podcast: https://remakingmanhood.com/2019/04/01/the-podcast/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrkgreene/ 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/remakingmanhood/ 

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: [email protected]

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Anna Stokke discuss the decline in math education, noting that students lack basic arithmetic skills, hindering their ability to grasp complex concepts across multiple subjects. Dr. Stokke highlights the persistence of ineffective teaching methods, such as constructivism, despite evidence supporting direct instruction. She advocates for a return to systematic, explicit teaching methods to build a strong foundation in math. They also stress the importance of parents questioning educational practices and seeking evidence-based research. 

 Key Takeaways:

• Math is cumulative. It is like a ladder. To teach a student algebra, they need to know what happens before that.

• If you don't learn the basic math at the time you should, times tables, for instance, you should really know by the end of grade three, and then you don't get that fixed, it's just going to snowball.

• Memorization practices are sometimes called drill and kill. However, if students don’t get that practice, they will fall behind early on. 

• There is a lot of evidence from cognitive and neuroscientists that learning basic mathematics actually contributes to your problem-solving abilities for a range of different problems, not just mathematical ones.

"The decline in math is well documented in North America. We don't know why that is, but it's fairly clear that these changes in education seem to correlate with the decline in scores. It's very concerning, and I think we could turn it around if we'd focus on more of a bottom-up approach, building the foundation and using good instructional techniques." —  Dr. Anna Stokke

Episode References: 

• NCTM: https://www.nctm.org/ 

• Project Follow Through: https://www.nifdi.org/what-is-di/project-follow-through.html 

• Sold a Story: https://features.apmreports.org/sold-a-story/ 

Connect with Dr. Anna Stokke:

Professional Bio: https://www.annastokke.com/cv 

Twitter: https://x.com/rastokke 

Website: https://www.annastokke.com/ 

Podcast: https://www.annastokke.com/podcast 

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqqz6R2IoI5te260LbQeI5A 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-stokke-5b095626a/ 

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: [email protected]

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Joel Gallant discuss the history and evolution of HIV treatment and prevention. He highlights the changes of treatment from early AZT, to the extensive multi-drug regimens of the 90s, and the current single-pill treatment with minimal side effects. They also discuss the racial and regional disparities of new HIV cases in the US. Despite progress, challenges persist, including stigma, lack of healthcare access, and resistance to treatments. Dr. Gallant also gives more information on hope for ending the epidemic and hope for a cure.

Key Takeaways:

• With early diagnosis and treatment of HIV, AIDS is not commonly seen anymore, though it still exists.

• “HIV is a retrovirus, meaning that it has enzymes that allow it to transcribe RNA into DNA, the reverse of the usual process in which DNA is transcribed into RNA. The viral DNA can then be inserted into the DNA of human cells.

• With more research, we’ve seen a steady improvement with more, safer drug choices, and better and easier combinations. Most people can be treated with a single pill once a day and are expected to live a normal lifespan in good health.

• In the US, no one has to go without treatment based on inability to pay. Even people who are uninsured and live in states that didn't expand Medicaid can get comprehensive HIV care, including medications, through clinics established by the Federal Ryan White Care Program.

"We do know that treatment is highly effective at preventing transmission, including sexual and mother-to-child transmission. It’s so effective that the CDC says that if your viral load (how we measure how much virus there is in your blood) is fully suppressed on treatment (having an undetectable virus) then you cannot transmit  HIV. Treatment is 100% effective as prevention." —  Dr. Joel Gallant

Episode References: 

• Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program: https://ryanwhite.hrsa.gov/ 

Connect with Dr. Joel Gallant:

Professional Bio: https://www.iasusa.org/faculty/joel-e-gallant-md-mph/ 

Website: https://www.axcesresearch.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joel-gallant-b6875432/ 

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: [email protected]

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

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 is highlighted, emphasizing the need for further research and public acceptance.

 Key Takeaways:

• Medical scent dogs began first with observation as it was noticed that many dogs indicated carcinomas in their owners.

• Longnose dogs tend to be more beneficial than others, such as a French Bulldog or those with a shorter snout, in scent detection. 

• While the initial training can take several months, dogs have a long scent memory. If you want them to train a new scent, that can take a couple of months. 

• Dogs could detect covid infection prior to symptoms or testing

"The goal is early detection, but to be efficient and really valuable for a screening test, tests need to be accurate, it needs to be easy, and it should be cost-effective too." —  Dr. MacKenzie Pellin

Episode References: 

• The use of sniffer dogs for early detection of cancer: a One Health approach: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/375576717_The_use_of_sniffer_dogs_for_early_detection_of_cancer_a_One_Health_approach 

Connect with Dr. MacKenzie Pellin:

Professional Bio: https://www.vetmed.wisc.edu/people/mackenzie-pellin/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mackenzie-pellin-962a66b6/ 

Connect with Dr. Patricia Ungar:

Website: https://www.scentsolutiondogs.com/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patricia-ungar-dvm-cva-10598929b/ 

Connect with Dr. Laurie Malone:

Professional Bio: https://scholars.uab.edu/4812-laurie-a-malone 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-malone-a9754821a/ 

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: [email protected]

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

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 wind, building materials, and vegetation. This model, which has accurately reproduced historical fires, aims to identify "super spreaders" to target mitigation efforts effectively. The approach could potentially reduce wildfire damage by identifying critical structures and implementing preventive measures.

 Key Takeaways:

• Human-caused fires are far more common than weather-caused fires, up to 90% in the United States.

• There are things that can be done in both communities and in wildlands that can help to control wildfires. Preventing and controlling wildfires is more than just a one-person effort.

• Even if you make your house fireproof, there is still a probability of the house burning. But you can minimize the chance of the house burning. 

• Communities should look at fire prevention as a collective effort for a collective impact.

"I am incredibly hopeful that in the future we will get to the point where we minimize losses to a great extent. Maybe it will happen. We're not there yet, but I'm confident we'll get to that point." —  Dr. Hussam Mahmoud

Episode References: 

• TEDxMileHigh: Hussam Mahmoud Wildfires and Pandemics: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55uop7jsJaQ 

Connect with Dr. Hussam Mahmoud:

Professional Bio: https://www.engr.colostate.edu/~hmahmoud/ 

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hussam-mahmoud-4b16754 

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: [email protected]

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.  

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 women will get osteoporosis. 20% of men will get osteoporosis. 

• People should be getting bone density tests in their forties, not waiting until their fifties or sixties. The sooner it is discovered you are having symptoms, the sooner you can begin to treat and prevent. 

• Bone strength is a combination of bone density and bone quality. Get both the DEXA and Trabecular Bone Score or TBS.Usually physicians don’t request the TBS but it is very important.  Ask for it.

• Testing should include blood tests for bone turnover markers. Your blood is telling a larger story and it can get complicated. 

• Systemic inflammation also can be tested as it can contribute to loss of bone density.

• The more times you stimulate your body, the more you will stimulate the osteoblasts. 

"It's important to understand that you, the patient, are the boss, and you're paying that person, you're asking that person for help and that they should be working with you." —  Dr. Keith McCormick

Connect with Dr. Keith McCormick:

Website: https://www.osteonaturals.com/  

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/r-keith-mccormick-dc-433a2526/ 

Twitter: https://x.com/OsteoNaturals 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OsteoNaturals/  

Books: 

Great Bones: Taking Control of Your Osteoporosis: https://www.amazon.com/Great-Bones-Taking-Control-Osteoporosis/dp/B0BS8RJ2V3 

The Whole-Body Approach to Osteoporosis: https://www.amazon.com/Whole-Body-Approach-Osteoporosis-Strength-Harbinger-ebook/dp/B0056JX49Y 

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: [email protected]

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.