The Body of Evidence

Jonathan and Chris interview Michael “Marsh” Marshall, project director of the Good Thinking Society and the vice-president of the Merseyside Skeptics Society in England. They discuss how Marsh and Simon Singh met; what a skeptical charity does; why Marsh interviews people with fringe beliefs; changing people’s minds with nudges; the Good Thinking Society’s campaign to stop the NHS from funding ho...

Returning from a memorable fishing trip, the boys tackle the evidence behind omega-3s, a group of molecules known as “PUFAs!” (try not to laugh). They talk about the EPA; kinky and bent molecules; carnivorous chickens; cardiovascular disease and brain development. Also: how big trials can go wrong; and an interview with Dr. Emma Jones on palliative care, cultivating quality of life, collaborations...

Part 2 of 2. Chris and Jonathan sit down to demystify how scientific research is conducted and what actually goes on in a lab. They talk about the following: data analysis; statistical literacy among scientists; cherry picking; biostatisticians’ greatest complaint; “students should figure it out!”; meta-analyses; hypothesis testing; publishing; structure of a paper; the secret appendices; peer rev...

Chris and Jonathan sit down to demystify how scientific research is conducted and what actually goes on in a lab. They talk about the following: defining terms; Ang Lee’s Hulk; laboratory hierarchy; graduate studies; postdocs; salaries; job opportunities; what scientists do with the 61 hours a week they work on average; funding; managerial skills; hiring practices; harassement; rewarding results i...

Jonathan and Chris interview three of the Science Moms: Alison Bernstein, Kavin Senapathy, and Natalie Newell. They discuss a bevy of important topics, such as the Dirty Dozen shopping list; the social justice aspect of GE and anti-GE activism; Monsanto; conflicts of interest in research; epigenetic; and, of course, Natalie’s film, Science Moms; also, Chris’ Spider-Man Theory of What Scares People...

A shameless Chris removes his belt at an all-you-can-eat buffet, which leads Jonathan to talk about the keto diet. How does it compare to other diets and will it do anything to your diabetes, cancer, or epilepsy? Learn about the mysterious food stuff known was “tufo”; hear someone say “carby” a lot; and watch in horror as Jonathan drinks a whole bottle of nail polish remover. Also: how does hormon...

Jonathan interviews public health and consumer advocate Ryan Armstrong, in whom the College of Chiropractors of Ontario is now taking a special interest. They discuss the internal split between “straights” and “mixers”; the Canadian origin of the chiropractic discipline; the College’s monitoring of Ryan’s public criticism; the divine claims of some practitioners; the safety of fast thrusts; the ch...

The podcast’s third-year anniversary celebration turns out to be the perfect time to discuss coffee. Does it prevent disease… or cause disease? Why are pregnant women told to avoid excessive caffeine consumption if it’s a wonder drug? And, if it’s a drug, is it addictive? We discuss its purported links to miscarriages, birth defects, fertility, cardiac risk, blood pressure, cancer, migraine, and P...

Chris’ goodwill to help out a young couple on Valentine’s Day backfires, which leads him and Jonathan to talk about contraception. What is the most effective form of birth control, and how come there’s no pill… for men? One thing’s for certain: McGill students are going to have a lot of unplanned babies if the vox pop is any indication! Also: can science really tell you how compatible you and your...

Dr. Yoni Freedhoff guest stars to discuss our changing food environment. He talks dieting, The Biggest Loser, food frequency questionnaires, and the Cornell Food Lab fiasco. He also valiantly defends his children against the Don Drapers of the world. Also on the show: California issues guidelines for people worried about cell phones and how these guidelines were released is a really wacky story in...

Our second end-of-year special is chock full of bloopers. Plus, the worst bits of medical news this year; favourite jingles; and science communication heroes. Happy holidays!   Additional music by Kevin MacLeod (www.incompetech.com) Original music by Seth Donnelly   To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.

A Christmas-themed delivery and Stanley-Kubrick-directed opening skit lead Chris and Jonathan to discuss the worth of chemotherapy. Do doctors themselves refuse chemo, and is chemotherapy only effective in 2% of cases? You may be surprised to find out the origin of the latter myth in the Worst Paper Ever (possibly). Also, Jonathan makes Chris cry; will doctors stop stenting stable angina; and Jona...

A conversation with Trevor Butterworth of Sense About Science USA and Adam Oliver Brown of the University of Ottawa on art, science, education, and communication.   Topics covered include the use of design in statistics; the silos of academia; false balance in science journalism and recent improvements; how science experts end up in the media; students sneaking into scicomm workshops; apartment de...

A Fantasia-inspired flirt with the dark arts strips Chris of his humanity. Does hypnotherapy work for smoking cessation, getting over phobias, weight loss and pain control? And is it any better than visualization, relaxation, or straight-up counselling? And will we ever find out what Tanya loves to do (no, no we won’t). Also: valid (and less valid) criticism of a retracted Canadian paper linking a...

A special message from the hosts of this award-winning podcast (we can say it now! it's true!)

An unfortunate accident befalls Chris in a stairwell, which prompts him to confront the opioid epidemic. What are these molecules, are they addictive, and are doctors solely responsible for their abuse? We talk about how all this relates to the Vietnam War, and we welcome back Myco Caine! Also: a fun lesson in cardiology as we debunk the movie FLATLINERS; a sing-along with The LEGO Movie; antidepr...

A lifting-related misunderstanding puts a strain on Jonathan and Chris’ relationship… and Chris’ back. What can one do when faced with nonspecific lower back pain, besides “nothing”? So many interventions to choose from: exercise, insoles, X-rays, NSAIDs, Tylenol, muscle relaxants, gabapentinoids, opioids, hot and cold, massages, acupuncture, chiropractic, mattresses, bed rest, and a partridge in...

Chris’ addiction almost leads to a car crash, so Jonathan decides to stage an intervention. Is sugar addictive? What even is an addiction? Could it be that the popular definition has little to do with the medical one? Talks of cocaine (or Michael Caine), binge-eating disorder, and How I Met Your Mother follow. Also: did somebody take antiviral Tamiflu’s medal away? And why were parents sending the...

Jonathan talks to a Reiki Grand Master about therapeutic touch, the clinical trials that allegedly show that it works, the concept of "energy", and her nutritional advice.  

Bizarre behaviour on the beach leads Chris and Jonathan to discuss the merits of vitamin D. Where exactly in the sun’s rays does this vitamin hide? Is there a deficiency epidemic? And can this miraculous vitamin reverse the course of diseases? Also: a Superman geek fail; putting the “randomized” back in “randomized clinical trials”; why 1 and 2 are dirty numbers; and pot cures epilepsy (sort of… n...

Jonathan takes Chris to a secret location for a surprise that doesn’t end well, and all because Chris allegedly said antidepressants don’t work. To clarify, we delve into the causes of depression, how antidepressants work, as well as the safety and effectiveness of SSRIs. Oh, and child suicides. Also: is putting fluoride in the water a communist plot and will NSAIDs give you a heart attack?     Sp...

Jonathan interviews Timothy Caulfield, author of the book Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything? Topics include Trudeau’s cupping marks; pseudoscience tailor made for athletes; the importance of anecdotes; Bill Nye and bridge destruction; the white hat bias in meditation research; the state of stem cell therapies; Tim Caulfield’s legal career path; celebrity culture; cognitive biases; J.K. Row...

Jonathan is being more of a prick than usual by giving Chris a testosterone prick to boost his manliness. But is “low T” a real diagnosis or an ad man creation? Thanos, our comedian, takes us to his Brazilian jiu-jitsu class to interview sweaty men about aging and andropause. Back in the studio, Chris and Jonathan talk about the difficulties of measuring testosterone levels, whether or not T can r...

On an eventful trip to Cincinnati, Chris and Jonathan discuss the possible dangers of aspartame and of arguing while behind the wheel. Will artificial sweeteners help you lose weight or will they give you cancer? Plus: Zamboni’s liberation therapy for multiple sclerosis fails to impress in a major Canadian trial and self-regulating naturopaths think it’s OK to prescribe with the laying of hands. A...

Chris learns that he is a square when he can’t distinguish between tobacco cigarettes and pot reefers. Thanos interviews some marijuana-friendly comedians before an open-mic night to know if they think weed can help with health and performance anxiety. Back in studio, Jonathan and Chris talk about THC versus CBD, and whether or not weed has been shown to help treat glaucoma, pain, nausea, cancer,...