Science Vs

By Gimlet

Education

What's Science Vs about?

There are a lot of fads, blogs and strong opinions, but then there’s SCIENCE. Science Vs is the show from Gimlet Media 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. This season we tackle plastics, veganism, essential oils, gentrification and CBD cannabis.

4.5

8,864 ratings

Download our free app to listen on your phone

LAST EPISODE

How Science Created Morons

04.08.2021

REBROADCAST: This episode looks at how one of the worst ideas in science got a big push from a bad study… and intellectuals of the day lapped it up. We speak to science writer Carl Zimmer and Prof. J. David ...

Science Vs episodes:

04.08.2021 How Science Created Morons REBROADCAST: This episode looks at how one of the worst ideas in science got a big push from a bad study… and intellectuals of the day lapped it up. We speak to science writer Carl Zimmer and Prof. J. David ...
04.02.2021 Coronavirus: How Scary Are the Variants? Just as coronavirus vaccinations are ramping up, a bunch of new variants are here, threatening to muck everything up. So we’re wondering — will these jabs still work, or is this the pandemic that never ends? To find out, we ...
03.30.2021 Snake Bite Cures: Weasels, Pigeons, Pee Venomous snakes entranced medieval Europe. And although bites were rare, this didn’t stop 14th century doctors from using everything but the kitchen sink to make snake bite treatments. We’re talking weasels, birds — even the pee of a young man. ...
03.25.2021 SNAKES!!! Snake venom is a wily beast. It's packed with hundreds of toxins that can attack our blood vessels, muscles and nerves. That's why snake bites kill some 100,000 people each year. On today's show — dangerous snake bites and the ...
03.18.2021 UFOs: Through the Wormhole Again In 2017, a weird-looking space object called ʻOumuamua whipped past our sun. Now a Harvard scientist is suggesting it miiiight be an alien probe! So we’re revisiting this episode from a few years ago, where we ask: could aliens actually ...
03.12.2021 Brood X: A Drug-fueled Cicada Orgy Parts of the U.S. are about to see a surge of cicadas — masses of flying bugs, popping up all over the place. After 17 years underground, a crap ton of Brood X cicadas will emerge for a giant chorusing ...
03.05.2021 Immune Boosting: Is It a Bust? Internet influencers have been pushing “immune boosters” during the pandemic — claiming they’ve got just the pill, berry or brew to rev up our body’s defenses. But is there really a way to boost our immune system? We’re finding out ...
02.25.2021 Bringing the Science Back, Baby! There are a lot of fads, blogs and strong opinions, but then there’s SCIENCE. Season 10 starts March 4!
01.28.2021 Butterflies Are Secret Monsters Butterflies flit through life as the pride and joy of the insect world. But when we saw photos of butterflies swarming the eyes of turtles, we wondered if there was a dark side lurking behind all those flashy colors. Assistant ...
01.21.2021 Presenting Coronavirus: Fact Vs. Fiction This week, we’re sharing an episode of Coronavirus: Fact Vs. Fiction, a podcast from CNN. This episode is The Hunt for Disease X: As human activity ventures further into the wilderness, scientists believe more diseases will emerge. CNN Senior International ...
12.10.2020 Magic Mushrooms: Trip Through the Science Magic mushrooms have hit the headlines, with people saying that shrooms cured their depression and anxiety. But is this for real? How can taking a trip on psychedelics fix your brain? Today, magic mushrooms ditch their tie dye for a ...
12.07.2020 Coronavirus: More Scared or Less Scared? MINI EPISODE! Tons of new science means fresh answers on a few things that really freaked us out at the start of the pandemic: coronavirus on surfaces; ibuprofen and Covid-19; and getting Covid twice. Link to transcript: https://bit.ly/3lXu6Ca This episode ...
12.03.2020 Coronavirus: Shots! Shots! Shots! There’s a ton of hoopla over these new coronavirus vaccines. But given that they’ve been produced at warp speed — can we trust them? We also find out what’s going on with “long haulers.” How common is it to be ...
11.19.2020 Did the CIA do it? Part II When a deadly pig virus hit Cuba in 1971, some claimed the CIA was behind it all. But could it be true? In part two of our investigation into the outbreak, we finally hear directly from the CIA — and ...
11.13.2020 Did the CIA Plant a Virus in Cuba? When the Cuban government rounded up and killed thousands of pigs in 1971, people were angry and confused. Castro claimed they were trying to stop an outbreak. But then rumours started spreading that something much bigger was behind it all. ...
11.05.2020 Platypuses Get a Glow Up The eccentric platypus has always turned heads, and now it’s got something else up its sleeve. We talked with mammalogist Dr. Paula Anich to get the scoop. Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/34YfHR4 This episode was produced by Nick ...
10.30.2020 Reparations: How Could It Work? The idea of paying Black Americans reparations for slavery has been around for a long time, but it’s starting to get more support than ever. So we ask: If the country does agree to pay up, how do you calculate ...
10.22.2020 Supervolcanoes: Is Yellowstone Gonna Blow? We keep hearing that a Yellowstone supervolcano could blow at any moment — and possibly wipe us all out. So is Yellowstone overdue for the BIG ONE, and if it happens, how bad could it be? To find out, we ...
10.15.2020 Science Vs Presents: How to Save a Planet We’re sharing another great Gimlet show, How to Save a Planet. On this episode: It started with students walking out of school to demand more action on climate change, built into an international movement – and then was propelled forward ...
10.08.2020 Lab-Grown Meat: We Grill It Silicon Valley seems to be constantly pumping out "solutions" to fix our broken food system. The latest and greatest: cell-cultured meat — meat that's grown in vats, without needing to kill animals. Companies say their new techy meat will be ...
10.02.2020 Hunting an Invisible Killer An adventuring Swedish doctor takes on a decades-long medical mystery: What exactly was the 1918 flu? We talk to Dr. Johan Hultin, Eileen Hultin, Dr. Jeffery Taubenberger, Ann Reid, Rita Olanna and Annie Conger. Here’s a link to our transcript: ...
09.25.2020 Orgasms: Come for the Science There’s this idea that the female orgasm is a complicated riddle, but for a man with a penis, getting off is easy peasy. Is there really an orgasm gap? And if so — can science explain it? To learn more, ...
09.10.2020 SHARKS!!! Sink Your Teeth in Again NOTE: This episode first published 6/13/19. Are sharks the super-predators we think they are? Or have we been baited with great white lies? To find out, we interviewed shark researchers Dr. Taylor Chapple, Dr. Tricia Meredith and Dr. Chris Pepin-Neff, ...
09.03.2020 Astrology: Are Geminis the Worst? For centuries, people have been looking to the stars to tell us all kinds of things — what our future holds, who we should date. So what does the science say about astrology? It turns out, there’s some surprising stuff ...
09.01.2020 Mini Mask Update MASKS. Since the early days of the pandemic, it’s been tough to nail down how much they can really do to slow down the spread of the virus. We speak to industrial hygienist Dr. Rachael Jones and share some new ...
08.27.2020 Probiotics: Scam or Superfood? Kombucha, kefir and other probiotic-crammed foods are marketed as charmers of the human microbiome — and the key to immune, gut and brain health. But how much does the microbiome actually matter, and do probiotics live up to the hype? ...
08.20.2020 New Season! Time for Non-Coronavirus Content Science Vs is back August 27th. Fact you next week!
07.03.2020 Coronavirus: Are We Back Where We Started? We’re six months into this coronavirus pandemic, which has shaken the world and stunned scientists. What have we learned? Where are we headed? To find out, we talk to virologist Professor John Dennehy, virologist and immunologist Professor Ann Sheehy, and ...
06.23.2020 Fauci! He’s Back! Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force and America's favorite nerd joins Science Vs again. Wendy chats with Dr. Fauci about the pandemic’s past, present and ...
06.19.2020 Coronavirus: Dude, Where's My Vaccine? All through the pandemic, we’ve been waiting for a possible silver bullet: a vaccine. How soon could we actually get one? To find out, we talk to microbiologist and immunologist Professor Karla Satchell, immunologist Dr. Kathryn Stephenson, Pfizer executive Mike ...
06.12.2020 Coronavirus: Weirdest Virus Ever? The coronavirus seems to cause symptoms all over our body, from nose to toes. So how can one virus do so many strange things? To find out, we talk to gastroenterologist Dr. Anthony DeBenedet, virologist and immunologist Professor Ann Sheehy, ...
06.09.2020 Coronavirus: Protesting in a Pandemic Hundreds of thousands of people have joined the global protest movement sparked by the death of George Floyd. And a lot of doctors and public health experts are on board, despite concerns about the pandemic. So how can protesters stay ...
05.29.2020 Coronavirus: Labs Go Dark Life is on pause for many of us right now. But scientists don’t want to stop! Researchers have had to figure out how to keep experiments going and keep lab animals alive — all while keeping themselves safe. To find ...
05.22.2020 Coronavirus: Sweden Goes Rogue While a lot of countries have put in strict measures, like lockdowns, to stop the coronavirus, there’s been a conspicuous outlier: Sweden. The country has carved a different path, trying to keep its hospitals from being overrun while allowing society ...
05.15.2020 Coronavirus: The Mask Wars When the pandemic started, we were told not to bother with masks. But now it looks like experts have done a 180 here, and a lot of us are being told to cover our mugs when we leave the house. ...
05.08.2020 Coronavirus: Pregnant in a Pandemic How bad is the coronavirus for pregnant people and babies? Producer Meryl Horn is digging into this question for today’s episode. And it’s personal, because Meryl is pregnant and living in the pandemic hot spot that is New York City. ...
05.01.2020 Coronavirus: How Many Silent Spreaders Are There? We’re learning that people can spread the virus when they don’t have symptoms. But how often does that actually happen? We talk to Mark Jorgensen, clinician-scientist Dr. Vivek Naranbhai and CDC epidemiologist Dr. Mateusz Plucinski. Also: KOALA POP SONGS!! Here’s ...
04.24.2020 Coronavirus: Was It Made In a Lab? Since the outbreak started, we’ve been hearing that this coronavirus came from bats before jumping to humans. But recently, claims that the virus escaped from a lab have been getting a lot of attention. So did it? Is there an ...
04.20.2020 Working Out From Home — in 7 Minutes? [Rebroadcast] Social distancing has made it harder for a lot of us to get exercise. So we’re revisiting our episode on the seven-minute workout. Can this bite-size routine really keep us fit? Back in 2018, we asked exercise scientist Prof. Jeff ...
04.17.2020 Coronavirus: Can You Get It Twice? We’re hearing stories of people getting this coronavirus, recovering, and then getting it again. So what’s going on: Does getting this virus give you immunity or not? To find out, we talk to virologist Dr. Kirsty Short of the University ...
04.10.2020 Coronavirus: When Will It End? In the U.S. we've been social distancing for a few weeks now, and the question on everyone’s mind is: When can we go back to “normal”? And what’s happening in China, where they’ve already lifted the lockdown? To find out, ...
04.07.2020 Coronavirus: Should I Disinfect EVERYTHING? There are reports that the coronavirus can survive on surfaces for days. So how careful should we be about cleaning the stuff we touch? And do we need to be disinfecting our groceries? To find out, we talk to pathologist ...
04.03.2020 Coronavirus: Is It Airborne? We’re hearing conflicting things about how the coronavirus spreads — is it through coughs and sneezes only? Or could it be floating in the air, infecting us as we walk down the street or go grocery shopping? We ask Dr. ...
03.31.2020 Coronavirus: Are Young People Safe? From the early days of this coronavirus outbreak, it’s looked like the disease is way worse for older people. But now we’re hearing more stories of younger folks getting really sick. What’s going on? Is this virus scarier for younger ...
03.27.2020 Coronavirus: Will Chloroquine Save Us? President Trump says an anti-malarial drug could be a “gift from god” for treating Covid-19. Does it really work? And is it dangerous? We talk to toxicologist Professor Daniel Brooks, infectious disease specialist Dr. Matthew Pullen, and microbiologist Professor Karla ...
03.24.2020 Coronavirus: Unmasking the Facts and Ibuprofen Scares Healthcare workers across the U.S. are saying they don’t have enough protective gear to keep them safe against the coronavirus. They’re having to reuse masks, and they’re worried that they may have to resort to homemade cloth masks. Is all ...
03.19.2020 Coronavirus: A Story From the Front Lines As Covid-19 cases rise in the U.S., healthcare workers are already struggling to keep up. In a different kind of episode, we bring you an interview with Dr. Antoinette Ward, who is leading Covid-19 testing at a major hospital in ...
03.16.2020 Coronavirus: What Should You Do Now? The coronavirus pandemic is here, and in the U.S., this is starting to get very real. We talk to people in South Korea and Italy to see what life has been like for them. And we find out what the ...
03.12.2020 More Science Vs Coming Right Up Science Vs is back March 19th. Fact you next week.
03.04.2020 Coronavirus: Fears and Facts The new coronavirus continues to spread around the world, and it’s already killed several people in the U.S. People are starting to worry that this will turn into a full-blown pandemic. So how many of us could ultimately get infected ...

Older episodes

Science Vs

What's Science Vs about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

Science Vs episodes:

How Science Created Morons

Coronavirus: How Scary Are the Variants?

Snake Bite Cures: Weasels, Pigeons, Pee

SNAKES!!!

UFOs: Through the Wormhole Again

Brood X: A Drug-fueled Cicada Orgy

Immune Boosting: Is It a Bust?

Bringing the Science Back, Baby!

Butterflies Are Secret Monsters

Presenting Coronavirus: Fact Vs. Fiction

Magic Mushrooms: Trip Through the Science

Coronavirus: More Scared or Less Scared?

Coronavirus: Shots! Shots! Shots!

Did the CIA do it? Part II

Did the CIA Plant a Virus in Cuba?

Platypuses Get a Glow Up

Reparations: How Could It Work?

Supervolcanoes: Is Yellowstone Gonna Blow?

Science Vs Presents: How to Save a Planet

Lab-Grown Meat: We Grill It

Hunting an Invisible Killer

Orgasms: Come for the Science

SHARKS!!! Sink Your Teeth in Again

Astrology: Are Geminis the Worst?

Mini Mask Update

Probiotics: Scam or Superfood?

New Season! Time for Non-Coronavirus Content

Coronavirus: Are We Back Where We Started?

Fauci! He’s Back!

Coronavirus: Dude, Where's My Vaccine?

Coronavirus: Weirdest Virus Ever?

Coronavirus: Protesting in a Pandemic

Coronavirus: Labs Go Dark

Coronavirus: Sweden Goes Rogue

Coronavirus: The Mask Wars

Coronavirus: Pregnant in a Pandemic

Coronavirus: How Many Silent Spreaders Are There?

Coronavirus: Was It Made In a Lab?

Working Out From Home — in 7 Minutes? [Rebroadcast]

Coronavirus: Can You Get It Twice?

Coronavirus: When Will It End?

Coronavirus: Should I Disinfect EVERYTHING?

Coronavirus: Is It Airborne?

Coronavirus: Are Young People Safe?

Coronavirus: Will Chloroquine Save Us?

Coronavirus: Unmasking the Facts and Ibuprofen Scares

Coronavirus: A Story From the Front Lines

Coronavirus: What Should You Do Now?

More Science Vs Coming Right Up

Coronavirus: Fears and Facts

Other shows like Science Vs: