Science in Society

Have you ever felt your phone buzz in your pocket only to find that there was no notification waiting to be cleared? If you have seen The Social Dilemma, you know that in the age of social media, our phones can have quite the addictive potential. In this episode, Drew & Liv have the privilege of interviewing Dr. Anna Lembke, one of the leaders in addiction medicine who also made an appearance in The Social Dilemma. From this episode, you will learn the biochemical basis of opioid addiction, the key players that catalyzed their overprescription, and the parallels between the opioid epidemic and today’s social media usage. You can learn more about Dr. Lembke’s research and find her books on her website, dopaminenation.com.

Additionally, you can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans.

What do magic and cutting-edge biotechnology research and development have in common? This month, Drew & Liv had the pleasure of hearing from one scientist-entrepreneur who is doing both! Dr. Parag Mallick sits down to describe exactly how his company, Nautilus Biotechnology, is building the next generation of diagnostic and prognostic tools that he hopes to bring to labs across the world. In this episode, you will learn about how the crossroads of computer science and biology led Parag to found Nautilus, why the company's technology may remind you of the game "Guess Who?", and how a chip will unlock information about human proteins and physiology that we never thought possible.

You can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans. To connect with Dr. Mallick, visit his personal Linkedin page, follow Nautilus on Twitter, or check out the company's Linkedin page.

Do you find yourself reaching for the cookie jar a little more frequently during the holidays? Maybe this time of year gets your appetite for baked goods going and, while it’s our brain telling us we want that chocolate chip cookie, our stomachs have a lot of influence on those signals. Tune into episode 3, The Science of Metabolism, to find out why. 

In this episode, Liv & Drew interview Dr. Oliver Fiehn to discuss the development of the gut microbiome, its role in regulating appetite, and all of the pathways currently being uncovered. You will learn why the gut microbiome is so important, how a technological breakthrough is changing the way scientists study metabolism, and why metabolomics is improving the lives of premature babies.

To learn more about Dr. Fiehn’s work, click here. You can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans.

Are stem cells the key to the fountain of youth? If you listen to the news, that’s what you would think. While the true answer to that question may elude us for decades, new research in stem cells is coming out faster than the newest TikTok trend. In this episode, Drew & Liv sit down with Dr. Thomas Carmichael to discuss some of the cutting edge science behind stem cells and their newest applications throughout our brains. You will learn everything from the organization of our nervous systems to how stem cells might soon be used in stroke, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s patients. You can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans.

Have you ever met someone that doesn’t like chocolate? -- neither have Drew & Liv. Everyone has that one food they absolutely can’t resist, but is there real science to support this temptation? This week, Drew & Liv bring on Dr. Maggie Westwater to discuss another perspective on the science behind food addiction. You will learn about the other side of the argument against food addiction and why it may not live up to the attention it has received.

Dr. Westwater can be found on twitter @maggieeastfire. To read about the research discussed in this week's episode, check out Dr. Westwater's peer-reviewed paper,  "Sugar Addiction: The state of the science".

You can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans.

We have reached the point of spring where the New Year’s Resolutions have begun to fade and the usual realization is beginning to set in: beach season is fast approaching. That begs the question, “Why am I still going back to the grocery store for my third pint of ice cream this week?”.

You will need to wonder no longer as, this week, Drew & Liv host Dr. Nicole Avena – a research neuroscientist and expert in the fields of nutrition, diet and addiction. Together, we uncover some uncomfortable truths about certain foods, when you may be more susceptible to their effects, and provide strategies to mitigate those unwanted effects.

To learn more about Dr. Avena, follow her work, or read one of her books, head to her website, Facebook page, Instagram, or Twitter.

You can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans. 

This week on "Science and Society", Drew & Liv sit down with scientist-turned-author, Dr. David Adam, to get a look into his journey with OCD and why society must bring attention to this disease. Before it's all over, you'll know how to recognize obsessions, the current progress of pharmaceutical research and development for OCD, and how one chemical engineer became an author and advocate.

David's incredible book, The Man Who Couldn't Stop: OCD and the True Story of a Life Lost in Thought is available on Amazon.

If you or a loved one is struggling with OCD, the International OCD Foundation can provide you with  resources and first-step support.

You can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans. 

They say March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb, but what happens when a pig or a bat get involved?  As you may well know, those animals have been linked to major viral outbreaks in recent memory and – thanks to our immune systems – we have been able to fight those outbreaks.

This week,  Drew & Liv bring on infectious disease expert, Dr. John Flaherty to talk all things immunity. You’ll learn about the new COVID-19 vaccine, why playing in a sandbox when you were little has benefitted you to this day, and the role animals play in population health.

You can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans. 

So nice, it’s an episode topic twice! Ebbs and flows, distance alarms, and the COVID-19 pandemic all have played a role in our relationships in one way or another. This week, Drew & Liv interview science power couple, Drs. Jacqueline Olds & Richard Schwartz of Harvard Medical School, to talk all things love. From this episode, you will learn how to better communicate in your relationships and the impact COVID-19 has had on relationships worldwide.

You can find Dr. Old’s and Dr. Schwartz’s books Marriage in Motion and The Lonely American on Amazon.com and, as always, you can find Drew & Liv’s latest science shenanigans on Instagram @scienceinsociety.

February is the month of love and, as wonderful as that is, there is more biochemistry behind romcoms and the fairytale ending of your favorite Disney movie than you might think. In Part 1 of their two-part series on Love, Drew & Liv sit down with Emory Psychiatry professor, Dr. Larry Young, to discuss the molecules responsible for giving you butterflies as you talk to your crush this Valentine's Day. You will learn how social bonds are formed in every mammal from voles to humans and why everyone thinks their dog is the cutest.

You can find Dr. Young’s book, The Chemistry Between Us: Love, Sex, and the Science of Attraction on Amazon.com. You can follow Drew & Liv on Instagram @scienceinsociety to stay in the know on upcoming episodes, new content, and their ~nearly~ famous science shenanigans.