In the first part of this week’s podcast you’ll learn how to debunk a viral claim.  There are repeated claims that glyphosate, the active ingredient in the weed killer Roundup, is detected in a plethora of food, beverages and body fluids.  The reports are designed to scare people, especially targeting parents that are concerned about the food they feed to their families. This week a glossy brochure surfaced making claims that glyphosate was detected in Cheerios, Oreos, organic snack foods, and many other common groceries. However, this was not a legitimate report from a peer-reviewed journal and should not be given much weight.  Nonetheless, a well-meaning Snopes a response that gave the report undue credence.  Fortunately they corrected the record.

The second part of the podcast discusses hops, the flavor element of beer.  Where did it come from, why did people start using it in beer? These questions and others are discussed with Dr. Shaun Townsend, a plant breeder that creates new varieties for the craft brew industry.