Science Vs

Last week, the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. And in their opinion, we found a lot of scientific-sounding statements. So we wanted to find out whether these statements are true. We’ll tell you what actually happens in an abortion, whether a fetus can feel pain, and what the risks are for a pregnant person. We visit an abortion clinic in Texas and talk to Dr. Amita Murthy, Dr. Lisa Harris, and Dr. Diana Greene Foster. Find our transcript here: https://bit...

Today, we’re sharing a collection of spooky science stories. You’ll hear about a nightmare in the ocean, a nightmare on land, and even a nightmare … IN YOUR MIND. We talk to scientists including marine biologist, Dr. Olga Shpak and malacologist Jaynee Kim. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/3O4Ag22  See the video Olga’s team shot of killer whales attacking a bowhead here: https://www.youtube...

[REBROADCAST] Could fake medicine actually take away your pain or treat a disease? We dig into the science of placebos to find out more about the power of the mind to heal. We speak to medical researcher Prof. Ted Kaptchuk, neuroscientist Prof. Fabrizio Benedetti and medical psychologist Prof. Manfred Schedlowski.  Check out the full transcript here: https://bit.ly/3xaPKM3  This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, Kaitlyn Sawrey and Michelle Dang...

When a little girl, Ella Kissi-Debrah, suddenly got sick and landed in the hospital, doctors were stumped. In this episode, her mom, Rosamund, takes on the fight to find out what exactly happened to Ella. And the answer has BIG implications — for us all. We’ll hear from Rosamund Adoo-Kissi-Debrah and Professor Stephen Holgate. Find our transcript here: https://bit...

ASMR is huge. People say these videos of someone whispering or making soft sounds can make them feel all tingly inside, and even help them feel calm and less anxious. So, what’s going on here? We talk to scientists who have looked into what’s happening in our bodies and brains when we experience an “autonomous sensory meridian response.” You’ll hear from Dr. Giulia Poerio, Dr. Bryson Lochte and Professor Craig Richard — as well as ASMR artist Mike Bryant - aka The Velvet Whisperer...

[REBROADCAST] What makes a serial killer? What drives them to kill again and again? To find out the truth about this ghastly lot, we talked to forensic psychologist Prof. Eric Hickey, criminologist Ass. Prof. Wayne Petherick, and psychiatrist Prof. Gwen Adshead. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/39HcSsv Note: in this episode we discuss homicide, and sexual violence...

We hear over and over that processed food is bad for us. But is there actually something funky going on here — or is it just junk food? We dig into what these foods are doing to our bodies. You’ll hear from Dr. Kevin Hall, Prof. Carlos Monteiro, Dr. Cathrina Edwards, and Dr. Sheela Sathyanarayana.  Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/3xYhHHZ  This episode was produced by Rose Rimler with help from Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, and Rasha Aridi...

Today, we’re digging into the weird and wooly world of ivermectin. When promising papers came out early in the pandemic, a lot of scientists got excited about the drug, but then … cracks started to show. We went down the rabbit hole and realized that there's way more to this story than the headlines. We’ll hear from Dr. Pierre Kory, as well as Jack Lawrence, Dr. Kyle Sheldrick, and Professor Roy Gulick. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/3k1dknq Learn more about your ad choices...

Today on the show an update about our push to get Spotify to do more to stop misinformation spreading on the platform. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

REBROADCAST. The Supreme Court is set to rule on a major abortion case this year, and the court could decide to overturn Roe v. Wade. Already, places like Oklahoma, Texas and Idaho are rolling out major abortion restrictions. So today, we’re going back to the pre-Roe years, when one group of women got fed up and decided to take their health into their own hands. We talk to “self-helpers” Carol Downer and Francie Hornstein, who led a movement for safe abortions and education for women by women...