Science Vs

When the Cuban government rounded up and killed thousands of pigs in 1971, people were angry and confused. Castro claimed they were trying to stop an outbreak. But then rumours started spreading that something much bigger was behind it all. The CIA.  To find out more, we speak to Professor Virgil Suarez, journalist Drew Fetherston, Professor Mary Louise Penrith, ex-CIA Carol "Rollie" Flynn and Professor Loch Johnson. Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/3ksSP0o A huge thanks to Dan Guillemette, Rebeca Ibarra and the team at WNYC's Scattered. This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Nick DelRose, Mathilde Urfalino, Hannah Harris Green, Rose Rimler and Michelle Dang. It was edited by Blythe Terrell and Caitlin Kenney, with help from PJ Vogt. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord and Marcus Bagala. Interpreting by Carmen Graterol and Julia Kaplan. Translation by Silvina Baldermann. Thanks to eve

The eccentric platypus has always turned heads, and now it’s got something else up its sleeve. We talked with mammalogist Dr. Paula Anich to get the scoop. Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/34YfHR4 This episode was produced by Nick DelRose with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, and Hannah Harris Green. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Mix and sound design by Bumi Hidaka. Music written by Peter Leonard. And special thanks to the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The idea of paying Black Americans reparations for slavery has been around for a long time, but it’s starting to get more support than ever. So we ask: If the country does agree to pay up, how do you calculate the bill? And how could the U.S. come up with that kind of cash? To find out, we talk to historian and farmer Leah Penniman, economist Prof. William Darity Jr., public policy scholar Assistant Prof. Naomi Zewde, and Ebony Pickett.  UPDATE 10/30/20: An earlier version of this episode said that the average White person who didn't finish high school makes more money than the average Black person who graduated from college. The actual statistic is about net worth, rather than income, so we removed this reference. We’ve updated the episode. Check out the transcript here: https://bit.ly/3kSFe3q Selected resources: Leah’s book, Farming While Black Sandy’s book, From Here to Equality This Time article about Rosewood This episode was produced by Rose Rimler and Anoa Changa with help from Wendy Zukerman, H

We keep hearing that a Yellowstone supervolcano could blow at any moment — and possibly wipe us all out. So is Yellowstone overdue for the BIG ONE, and if it happens, how bad could it be? To find out, we talk to paleoecologist Dr. Gill Plunkett, Yellowstone Volcano Observatory Scientist-in-Charge Dr. Mike Poland and Washington resident Christian Jacobsen.  Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/3kliFV6 Check out Yellowstone Volcano Observatory’s weekly blog the “Caldera Chronicles”: https://www.usgs.gov/volcanoes/yellowstone/caldera-chronicles This episode was produced by Michelle Dang and Nicholas DelRose, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler and Hannah Harris Green. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Barbra Rodriguez. 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 Brian Wilcox, Dr. Mike Rampino, Dr. Jazmin Scarlett, Dr. Joe McC

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

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. M

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 Learn more about Dr. Nicole Prause’s’s lab, the Liberos Center: https://www.liberoscenter.com/ Check out Dr. Nan Wise’s website and her book “Why Good Sex Matters”: https://askdoctornan.com/ And check out Dr. Candice Hargons' website: http://drcandicenicole.com/ 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

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

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,

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. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 th

Science Vs is back August 27th. Fact you next week! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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. S

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force and America's favorite nerd joins Science Vs again. Wendy chats with Dr. Fauci about the pandemic’s past, present and future.  Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/2V82uQg This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, Mathilde Urfalino and Sinduja Srinivasan. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell and Caitlin Kenney. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. And special thanks to the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

All through the pandemic, we’ve been waiting for a possible silver bullet: a vaccine. How soon could we actually get one? To find out, we talk to microbiologist and immunologist Professor Karla Satchell, immunologist Dr. Kathryn Stephenson, Pfizer executive Mike McDermott, and Ian Haydon, who’s participating in a vaccine clinical trial. Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/3egWFrc This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Michelle Dang, Sinduja Srinivasan, Laura Morris, Meg Driscoll, Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, and Mathilde Urfalino. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell with help from Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Lexi Krupp. 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 Dr. Barney Graham, Dr. Melvin Sanicas, Dr. Norbert Pardi, Professor Peter Waterhouse, Professor Edward Mocarski, Dr. Ramin Herati, Dr. Rachel Roper, and Dr. Yvonne

The coronavirus seems to cause symptoms all over our body, from nose to toes. So how can one virus do so many strange things? To find out, we talk to gastroenterologist Dr. Anthony DeBenedet, virologist and immunologist Professor Ann Sheehy, otorhinolaryngologist Professor Thomas Hummel, and dermatologist Professor Amy Paller.  Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/2zqehBZ  This episode was produced by Rose Rimler and Meryl Horn with help from Wendy Zukerman, Sinduja Srinivasan, Michelle Dang and Mathilde Urfalino. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell with help from Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Lexi Krupp. 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 Dr. Ahmad Sedaghat, Professor Richard Doty, Dr. Elnara Negri, Dr. Evgeniy Podolskiy, Prof. Yvonne Maldonado, Prof. Steven Mentzer, Dr. John Paget, Dr. Connor Bamford, and Dr Gaetano Santulli. And spe

Hundreds of thousands of people have joined the global protest movement sparked by the death of George Floyd. And a lot of doctors and public health experts are on board, despite concerns about the pandemic. So how can protesters stay safe — from coronavirus, and from police weapons like tear gas? To find out, we talk to epidemiologist Dr. Cassandra Pierre, Dr. Rohini Haar, and a protester who’s been tear gassed.  Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/2MFnsRM  This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman and Sinduja Srinivasan with help from Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, Michelle Dang and Mathilde Urfalino. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell with help from Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Lexi Krupp. 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 Nina Harawa, Professor Vincent Racaniello, Professor Peter Katona, Professor Wafaa El-Sadr, Dr. Anne Pa

Life is on pause for many of us right now. But scientists don’t want to stop! Researchers have had to figure out how to keep experiments going and keep lab animals alive — all while keeping themselves safe. To find out how they’re managing it, we talk to evolutionary biologist Dr. Ximena Bernal, plant biologist Professor Frank Telewski, marine conservation biologist Christine Figgener, and station manager Erin Heard. Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/3dgBZ2i This episode was produced by Laura Morris with help from me Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, Mathilde Urfalino, Michelle Dang and Sinduja Srinivasan. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell with help from Caitlin Kenney and Alex Blumberg. 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 big thanks to everyone who left us messages and spoke to us - including Dr. Stella Capoccia, Dr. Alessandra Fidelis, Professor Marco Festa-Bianchet, Dr. Joanna

While a lot of countries have put in strict measures, like lockdowns, to stop the coronavirus, there’s been a conspicuous outlier: Sweden. The country has carved a different path, trying to keep its hospitals from being overrun while allowing society to function as normally as possible. So, is the Swedish model working? To find out, we talk to medical epidemiologist Dr. Emma Frans, Professor Annelies Wilder-Smith, Dr. Gary Weissman, and Dr. Eric Schneider. Also: ANCHOVIES! Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/2XiRsYT This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, Wendy Zukerman and Rose Rimler with help from Mathilde Urfalino, Michelle Dang, and Sinduja Srinivasan. 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. A huge thanks to all the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Kirsty Short, Prof. Keith Humphreys, Prof. Pau