The science stories that will actually change your day — and maybe make you laugh. Science unscripted is a podcast, radio show & YouTube channel driven by listeners. Hello from Germany :)
https://www.dw.com/en/science-unscripted/program-19042269?maca=en-podcast_spectrum-31485-xml-mrss
Gesamtlänge aller Episoden: 12 days 1 hour 58 minutes
Friends, family, infections
Be honest: Have you ever dropped the social distancing ('Just this once!') to make an exception for friends or family? And if so, did it somehow feel... less risky than if you'd done it for a stranger at the supermarket? This little quirk of human psychology, which usually helps us more than it hurts, is behind a massive surge in COVID-19 cases.
Horror fans & pandemic psychology
Are horror fans better prepared for a pandemic? And if so, why? We speak with a researcher about how scary movies, haunted houses, and apocalyptic video games may help your psyche during this pandemic.
Weekly roundup — Neanderthals, horror films & saunas
Could having Neanderthal DNA be beneficial if you contract COVID-19? How can scary movies, haunted houses, and apocalyptic video games help us weather a pandemic? And we tackle a few listener questions on saunas and wiping down your groceries.
COVID-19 FAQs on saunas, groceries & surfaces
Are saunas safe (or safer) during the coronavirus pandemic? And when it comes to groceries, do we need to be disinfecting items when we bring them home?
When science gets political
Scientific journals have been breaking with precedent this year and endorsing a candidate for US president, in light of the country's high death toll from the coronavirus pandemic. But what does this mean for the future of science?
How would I know if I had (dangerous) Neanderthal genes?
Having Neanderthal DNA in your body means you face a higher risk of a severe COVID-19 infection. But how much higher? And how can I figure out if I'm part Neanderthal?
Predicting an election's aftermath with game theory
Humans are unpredictable, reality, chaotic. So how is it that from this mess, a certain kind of theorist can use tools and social science to look into the future — and often get it right? And what if that same theorist is now ringing the alarm bell about the potential for violent conflict in the US?
A coronavirus 'gargle test'
Let's face it: Swab tests kind of hurt. And if people are asked to do something that's painful and unpleasant, they'll tend to stop doing it over time. That's why it's so important that a new kind of COVID-19 test is being tried out in the city of Cologne, Germany — where authorities expect it to save lives.
Bad news from Germany
A sharp rise in new COVID-19 infections suggests Germany's second wave is building faster — and will rise far higher — than the initial outbreak in spring. What's going on?
COVID-19 FAQs: Swab skeptics, brain effects & eyeglasses
DW has been getting angry emails from people who don't believe PCR swab tests show an actual infection. So who's right? Also, new research shows an alarming rate of brain impairments in COVID-19 patients, and do eyeglasses really correlate with lower coronavirus infections?