Science Vs

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 by a pandemic. This is the surprising story behind Europe’s climate plan, and what the rest of us can learn from it.

Find more episodes here: https://open.spotify.com/show/1KzrasExlM5dgMYwgFHns6

How to Save a Planet is hosted by Alex Blumberg and Dr. Ayana Elizabeth Johnson. Reporters and producers are Kendra Pierre-Louis, Rachel Waldholz and Anna Ladd. Senior producer is Lauren Silverman. Editor is Caitlin Kenney. Sound design, mixing and original music by Emma Munger. Additional music by Bobby Lord. Mixed for Science Vs by Robert Hann.

Thanks to Manon Dufour and Annika Hedberg for talking with us about the European Green Deal. Special thanks to Sandra Riaño, Rachel Strom and Whitney Potter.

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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 safe and better for the planet than what we have now. We join forces with Chase Purdy, author of “Billion Dollar Burger,” to find out if this stuff is all it’s cracked up to be. In this episode, we speak to Ira van Eelen, Dr. Uma Valeti of Memphis Meats and Dr. Carolyn Mattick.

Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/2IbvIu1

This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman and Chase Purdy, with help from Rose Rimler, Nicholas DelRose, Michelle Dang and Hannah Harris Green. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Music written by Peter Leonard, Marcus Bagala, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. A huge thanks to all the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Hanna Tuomisto, Dr. Marco Springmann and Dr. Lini Wollenberg. And special thanks to Livia Padilha, Jack Weinstein, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

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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: https://bit.ly/30mnvt6

Check out Radiolab’s episode on the 1918 flu here: https://bit.ly/3n9cxkm

And the book Flu: The Story of the Great Influenza Pandemic of 1918 and the Search for the Virus That Caused it by Gina Kolata: https://bit.ly/3ipCeJU

This episode was produced by Rose Rimler with help from Wendy Zukerman, along with Michelle Dang, Hannah Harris Green and Nicholas DelRose. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Bobby Lord, Emma Munger, and Marcus Thorne Bagala. Special thanks to: Abbie Ruzicka, Abigail Collins, Davis Hovey, John White, Robyn Russell, Rachel Cohen, Warren Kakoona, Brian Crockett, Trefon Angasan, Brad Angasan, Matt Ganley, Dr. Adam Lauring, Dr. Matt Memoli, Prof. Susan Jones, and everyone else we spoke to for this episode. Plus a big thanks to Brendan Klinkenberg, Walter Rimler, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

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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, we talk to neuroscientist Dr. Nan Wise, neuroscientist Dr. Nicole Prause and psychologist Dr. Candice Hargons. 

Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/340vQDV

Thanks to everyone who participated in our survey and shared your orgasm stories with us!

This episode was produced by Hannah Harris Green, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Rose Rimler and Nick DelRose. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Marcus Bagala, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. Data Analysis by Morgan Green. Consulting by Rebecca Kling. Thanks to everyone we got in touch with for this episode including Dr. Adam Safron, Professor Larry Baskin, Professor Caroline Pukall, Dr. Laurence Levine, Dr. Jasmine Abrams, Dr. Justin Garcia, Dr. Laurie Mintz, Dr. Michael Brecht, Dr. Marcalee Alexander and Dr. Erica Marchand. A special thanks to the Zukerman family, Patty Harris, Richard Green and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. 

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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, along with surfer Mike Wells. 

We’re doing a survey for our episode on orgasms! We’d love for you to take it: https://blythet.typeform.com/to/qhESeova

Check out the full episode transcript here: https://bit.ly/32hPFac 

This episode was produced by Rose Rimler with help from Wendy Zukerman, along with Meryl Horn and Michelle Dang. Senior produced by Kaitlyn Sawrey. Edited by Blythe Terrell and Kaitlyn Sawrey. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. A huge thanks to the amazing team of musicians who helped us with Flaws and our Snark Week music: Peter Leonard, Bobby Lord, Emma Munger, and Marcus Thorne Bagala. Recording assistance from Caroline Perryman, Shannon Cason, Sam Turken, Beth McMullen, and Jesse Wentzloff. A big thanks to George Burgess, Peter Pyle, Dr. David Shiffman, Professor Peter Klimley, Prof. Jelle Atema, Prof. Stephen Kajiura, Dr. Blake Chapman, Nynke de Haas and others. Plus a special thanks to the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

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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 here. We speak to astronomer Prof. Caty Pilachowski, Prof. Dave Henningsen and astrology lover Natalie Norman. 

Here’s a link to the transcript: https://bit.ly/31VTDoM 

This episode was produced by Meryl Horn and Rose Rimler, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Hannah Harris Green and Nick DelRose. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell with help from Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Marcus Bagala, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. Thanks to everyone we got in touch with for this episode including Professor Todd Tinsley, Dr. Peter Hartmann, Dr. Katie Mack, Dr. Kathy Cooksey, Professor John Mcgrew, Professor Jim Kaler, Dr. Alex Storrs, Julius Bjerrekær, Laura Gilmore and others. And special thanks to Chris Suter, Max Gibson, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

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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 science that puts the final nail in the coffin of this debate (*hint* yes, you should wear a mask — your friends, family and neighbors too). 

Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/3lH5grh

This episode was produced by Michelle Dang, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Hannah Harris Green and Nick DelRose. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Marcus Bagala, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. And special thanks to the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

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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? To learn more we talked with biomedical engineering professor Ilana Brito, immunologist Dr. Yasmine Belkaid, psychiatry professor Ted Dinan, and microbiologist Dr. Namrata Iyer.

UPDATE 8/28/20: An earlier version of this episode said there was a little bit of evidence that specific microbes can help with irritable bowel disease. This should have been inflammatory bowel disease.

Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/34ElmvR

This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Nicholas DelRose, Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, Michelle Dang, Sinduja Srinivasan, and Hannah Harris Green. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Marcus Bagala, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. A huge thanks to all the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Professor Martin J Blaser, Dr Kirsten Berding Harold, Professor Andrew Holmes, Professor Eran Elinav, Professor Margaret J. Morris, Professor Tim Spector, Professor Dena Lyra, Professor Eric Alms, Dr Joel Babdor, Joana de Cruz Pereira, Josh Jones and all the others. And special thanks to Walter Rimler, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

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Science Vs is back August 27th. Fact you next week!

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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 hospital epidemiologist Dr. Cassandra Pierre. We also check back in with Dani Schuchman, who is now three months into his recovery from Covid-19. Also: MEAT-EATING SPONGES!!

Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/2CXa8GS

This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, Sinduja Srinivasan, Mathilde Urfalino, and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell with help from Caitlin Kenney and Alex Blumberg. Fact checking by Lexi Krupp. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Marcus Bagala, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. Translation help by Lisa Wang and Chiung H. Chuang. A huge thanks to all the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Merrick Ekins, Dr. Joshua Santarpia, Dr. Susan Tsang, Dr. Kirsty Short, Dr. Hue and Dr. Matt Pullen. And special thanks to Laura Morris, Meg Driscoll, Chris Suter, Jack Weinstein, Rose E. Reid, Luke Davenport, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

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