Science Vs

Fasting diets are all the rage right now and health-fluencers claim it can help you lose weight, live longer and even fight cancer. So what does the science say? We speak to nutrition researchers Dr Krista Varady and Dr Courtney Peterson, as well as cancer researcher Professor Valter Longo. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/35FYJoP Selected references: Krista’s study comparing alte...

During a golden age for scientific progress, a group of scientists were given free rein to do whatever they wanted to their human lab rats. We got new drugs, and learnt exciting new things. But some researchers took it too far... And what seemed like a scientific fantasy turned into one of the largest American science scandals. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2MLBX6u Selected ref...

For decades we’ve been told that having a glass or two of wine is good for you. But recently there’ve been reports that even a little bit of booze is bad for you. So what is going on? Is just a bit of alcohol dangerous? To find out we talk to epidemiologist and nutritionist Prof. Eric Rimm, psychologist Prof. Tim Stockwell, and cancer researcher Dr. Susan Gapstur. Check out the full transcript her...

Season 6 is on it's way, fellow nerds! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A dead body turns up with a stolen identity. This week, we tell the story of how a grandmother tracked down the truth — and helped create a whole new and controversial world of crime fighting. To tell this story, we talk to U.S. Marshal Peter Elliott, Dr. Margaret Press, and Phil Nichols. Check out the transcript here; http://bit.ly/33CNj3i Note: in this episode we discuss suicide and homicide. Pl...

Recently we’ve been hearing a lot about transgender identity. That made us wonder… what makes us the gender that we are? And what should you do if your kid doesn’t fit the mold? To find out, we talked with endocrinologist Dr. Joshua Safer, psychologist Dr. Laura Edwards-Leeper, and psychologist Dr. Colt Keo-Meier. Check out the transcript: http://bit.ly/31k0oNk UPDATE 3/29/19 : An earlier version...

Before WikiLeaks, there was the Wank Worm. In this week’s episode, we tell you the story of how Australian hackers infiltrated NASA, just months after the country was hooked up to the internet in 1989. Joel Werner, host of Sum of All Parts, helps us tell this story, along with cybersecurity researcher Dr. Suelette Dreyfus. Check out the transcript here: http://bit.ly/35EkMw5 UPDATE 12/07/18: An ea...

Is it possible that the pyramids were built with a helping hand... from aliens? If not, how on Earth did the Egyptians built them without modern technology? To get to the bottom of this, we speak to author Erich von Däniken, paleoanthropologist Dr. Shelby Putt, Egyptologist Dr. Mark Lehner, and archaeologist Prof. David S. Anderson. Check out the transcript here: http://bit.ly/2P6tvl9 Selected ref...

The 7 Minute Workout is all the rage, but can working out for just 7 minutes really do anything? To figure out whether this fitness trend is a load of crock, we speak to exercise scientist Prof. Jeff Coombes. Plus, Wendy gives it a go. Check out the transcript right here: http://bit.ly/32qS7IO Selected references: The original 7 minute workout Jeff’s review paper on short intense workouts and weig...

CBD mania is in full swing and people are using it for just about anything, but what is this chemical in cannabis? In this week’s episode, we tell you unlikely origin story of CBD and if the science backs up the hype. We speak to Paige Figi, neuroscientist Prof. Kent Hutchison, clinical researcher Dr. Mallory Loflin, and Josh and Joel Stanley. Check out the transcript right here: http://bit.ly/2OV...

In the final installment of our election series, we tackle immigration: the #1 concern of Americans as they head to the polls. It's been a huge focus for President Trump... and people say immigrants are stealing jobs and driving up the crime rate. But what does the research say? There have been a bunch of new studies since we published our episode on immigration, so we've updated this to reflect w...

Recently we've been warned that climate change is scarier than ever -- and that we are to blame. Yet surveys find around half of Americans don't think climate change is caused by humans. So how does science know that? And how bad will climate change get? Science Vs has brought this episode up to date so you have the facts for next week's midterm elections. Check out the transcript with all the cit...

The battle over abortion is fast becoming one of the key issues of the midterm election. And in this battle you’ll hear many things about abortion: that it’s painful for the fetus, and that late-term abortions are a huge issue. But what does the science say? If you want to read our transcript, with all the citations - check it out right here: http://bit.ly/2Bn9u1i Learn more about your ad choices....

After 11 people were shot and killed in a Pittsburgh synagogue over the weekend, mass shootings are back in the news. With the midterm elections happening next week, we've updated our episode on guns and are re-releasing it to give you the facts ahead of polling day. Heads up: this episode contains the sound of guns - and we’ll be discussing homicide, suicide and domestic violence. Please take car...

Online dating can feel like drudgery… can science help you game the system? And do those matching algorithms actually work? To find out, we talked to psychologist Asst. Prof. Paul Eastwick, social psychologist Prof. Viren Swami, mathematician Asst. Prof. Hannah Fry, and Rose Reid. Check out the transcript right here: http://bit.ly/2E73qLH Selected references: Paul’s primer on speed dating experime...

It’s 1849, and a gruesome murder has just happened at Harvard. As body parts turn up, the science of the day is put to the ultimate test… to find out: who did it? We speak to Prof. Paul Collins, who tells us how this morbid mystery unfolds.  Check out the transcript right here: http://bit.ly/2BntpNU Selected references: Paul Collins’ book, Blood And Ivy: The 1849 Murder That Scandalized Harvard Th...

You’ve probably heard that gentrification changes neighborhoods for the worse: first come the hipsters and then the bankers. Soon, the neighborhood is overrun with dog spas and wine bars, and the original residents are nowhere in sight. But what does the science say? And, is there anything good about gentrification? We speak to Prof. Lance Freeman, Asst. Prof. Rachel Meltzer and Nicole Mader to fi...

Moooove over, dairy milk: the alternative milk craze is here. But are they more than just a frothy fad? To find out which is best for the planet, we speak to environmental researcher Joseph Poore. Check out the transcript right here: http://bit.ly/2P3H6c9 Selected references: Joseph’s study which has a comparison of soy and dairy milk, and his database which includes all his raw data and reference...

Do vegans have a right to be so smug? This week we find out whether it really is better for the environment, and our bodies, to go vegan. We speak to environmental researcher Joseph Poore, historian Prof. Connie Hilliard, anthropologist Prof. Katharine Milton, and nutrition researcher Prof. Roman Pawlak. Check out the transcript right here: http://bit.ly/2OeFye7 Selected references: Joseph’s study...

Essential Oils - and their claims - are huge right now. But is it all hype, or is there something special about these little brown bottles? To get to the bottom of it, we dig through the studies and speak to cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Rachel Herz and psychologist Prof. Mark Moss. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2PyEsKy Selected references: Rachel Herz’s books: Why You Eat What...

We’re back! This week we tackle the War on Straws and how worried we should be about all the plastic filling our oceans. We speak to marine biologist Christine Figgener, environmental educator Carrie Roble, physiology Prof. John Weinstein, and ecology Prof. David Barnes. Check out the full transcript here. Selected readings: The infamous turtle videoAn ambitious project that mapped the Great Pacif...

Season Five of Science Vs will be in your ears next Thursday. This season we're covering plastic straws, essential oils, veganism, ancient aliens and a lot of other topics that have got the internet hot and bothered.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We'll be back in your ears with season 5 of Science Vs in the Fall... but in the meantime, new listeners, here's some episode recommendations to get you started.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/34aoJXG Note: in this episode we discuss homicide, and sexual violence. Please take care when listeni...

Could aliens actually exist? Is there any chance they’ve visited Earth already? What really happened at Roswell? The truth... is right here. We talked to astronomers Dr. Jill Tarter, Dr. Seth Shostak, investigative journalist David Clarke, and physicist Prof. Jim Al Khalili. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2PqOHRj Selected readings: Seth’s account of that day in 1997The “Condon r...