Science Vs

Autism rates are rising all over the world, and lots of people are wondering: why? In the U.S., HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has said the cause is an "environmental toxin" and has vowed to get to the bottom of it. But we already have lots of science on this — so what does that research tell us? We talk with epidemiologist Professor Brian Lee, Associate Professor Karen Heffler, clinical psychologist Professor Catherine Lord, epidemiologist Professor Maureen Durkin, and Senior Science Researcher Dena Gassner.

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Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsAutism 

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Rates of autism are going up

(03:33) The hunt for the cause of the ‘autism epidemic’

(13:43) Could screen time be causing autism?

(20:10) The changing definition of autism

(27:48) Could this explain the rise in autism?

This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, Michelle Dang, and Rose Rimler. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking, research assistance, and consulting by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Emma Munger, So Wylie, Peter Leonard, Bumi Hidaka and Bobby Lord. A special thanks to the researchers we reached out to, including Professor Karen Pierce, Professor David Mandell, Professor Deborah Bilder, Professor Frédérique Bonnet-Brilhault, Dr. Helen Tager-Flusburg, Dr. Isabella de la Lara, Katherine Byrne, Professor Sven Bölte, and Dr. Whitney Worsham. Special thanks also to Lynn Keeys and Mbella Beseka, Chris Suter, Elise and Dylan, Jack Weinstein and Hunter, and Joseph Lavelle Wilson and the Zukerman Family.

Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. 
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A lot of influencers are going on all-meat diets, saying that all this meat is clearing up inflammation, healing their guts, and sharpening their focus. But others say, hold up — this diet is sure to lead to heart disease, cancer, and even scurvy. So we’re asking: Is it possible to live on meat alone? Is there any benefit to the carnivore diet? And what are the risks? We talk to nutritionist Prof. Caryn Zinn and internist Dr. Adrian Soto-Mota. 



Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsCarnivore 



In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Carnivores Bring the Meat

(04:28) They’re Gonna Get Scurvy, Right?

(13:09) Fiber? Cholesterol? Heart Disease? Cancer?

(20:11) A Miracle Diet?

(22:31) Are Plants the Enemy?

(25:57) Is it Just Keto?

(27:50) Weight Loss

(28:50) Should You Go Carnivore?



This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, Michelle Dang, and Meryl Horn. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Erica Akiko Howard. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Emma Munger, So Wylie, Peter Leonard, Bumi Hidaka and Bobby Lord. A special thanks to the researchers we reached out to including Dr. Lawrence David, Dr. Andrija Karačić and others. 



Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications.


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Fitness buffs online can’t stop raving about creatine. They say it is THE supplement to get you shredded in no time — and that it can even boost your brain and memory too. Are they right? We dive into the science of creatine and talk to anatomy Professor Darryn Willoughby, physicist Dr. Ali Gordji-Nejad, and psychology researcher Julia Fabienne Sandkühler.



Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsCreatine



In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) The hype around creatine

(02:40) How creatine builds muscle

(08:41) Are the gains all muscle? 

(17:23) Does creatine help with sleep deprivation? 

(22:10) Does creatine boost cognition?

(27:05) Is creatine safe?



This episode was produced by Michelle Dang, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler, and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Marlowe Starling. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Emma Munger, So Wylie, Peter Leonard, Bumi Hidaka and Bobby Lord. A special thanks to the researchers we reached out to, including Dr. Imtiaz Desai and Prof. Phil Chilibeck. Thanks to Larry Lee and Lee Physical Therapy & Wellness.



Science Vs is a Spotify Studios Original. Listen for free on Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. Follow us and tap the bell for episode notifications. 
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This year there was huge news when scientists at the company called Collosal brought back the dire wolf! Some say these cute, white pups are not really dire wolves, but that didn't stop a huge media buzz. One of the wolves even made the cover of TIME Magazine … with the line "He's a dire wolf. The first to exist in 10,000 years. Endangered species could be changed forever." 

So, what exactly is going on here? Who is this company? And, is this a good idea or could it have dire consequences??  

This story comes to us from our friends at Vox's Today, Explained.

Transcript: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsTodayExplainedDireWolves 

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Meet the pups

(02:06) Did we really bring back the dire wolf?

(14:34) Should we be doing this? 

This episode was produced by Devan Schwartz, edited by Jolie Myers, fact-checked by Laura Bullard, engineered by Andrea Kristinsdottir and Patrick Boyd, and hosted by Sean Rameswaram.

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Strange things have been happening to science in the US. An executive order is freezing research, a website with once scientific information now looks kinda like it's advertising a reality show … even milkshakes have been caught in the fray. Milkshakes! On top of this, research projects studying everything from vaccine hesitancy to Covid-19 to climate change have been cut. The Trump administration says that a big reason for the cuts is to stop government waste and boost the economy. Today on the show: What is going on with science in the US right now, and will these cuts ultimately help the economy? To find out, we talk to Nature reporter Max Kozlov, virologist Dr. Seema Lakdawala and economist Professor Andrew Fieldhouse. 

Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsWarKeepsRaging

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) A Science Milkshake Up

(08:04) Research on the Chopping Block

(12:15) How the NIH Justifies Cuts

(15:11) 25 million lives on the line

(16:48) When Nerds Fight Back

(24:46) ‘Dangerous’ Gain-of-Function Research Frozen

(27:27 ) Does Science Boost the Economy?

(36:05) Losing a Science Superpower?

This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, with help from Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang and Ekedi Fausther-Keeys. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell. Fact Checking by Sam Lemonick. Mix and sound design by Bobby Lord. Music written by Emma Munger, Bumi Hidaka, Peter Leonard, So Wiley and Bobby Lord. Thanks to Maya Golden-Krasner, Deputy Director at the Climate Law Institute at the Center for Biological Diversity – who you heard at the beginning of the show, saying this is just a daily stream of nightmare news, and also thank you Dr Shaye Wolf. Special thanks to Lindsey Cherner and Whitney Potter.
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