Telepathy: Is It For Real?

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1. 

   22 May 2025 · 43 min

   The War Keeps Raging Against Science

   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…

2. 

   15 May 2025 · 42 min

   Bird Flu: The Next Pandemic?

   Bird flu has been in the headlines for ages, with scientists warning that we could be headed for a pandemic. But we’ve been hearing about this H5N1 virus for so long that it’s kind of starting to feel like the boy who cried wolf. So — what’s really going on with H5N1 bird flu? How scary is it, and how likely is it that we’re going to end up in a bird flu pandemic? We talk to virologists Dr. Seema Lakdawala and Dr. Richard Webby. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsBirdFlu (00:00) Tons of people are freaked out about H5N1 bird flu (03:38) Why H5N1 bird flu is scary (05:01) Birds…

3. 

   8 May 2025 · 27 min

   Is There Really a Plastic Spoon in Our Brains?

   Headlines are screaming that we have tons of microplastics in our brains — the equivalent of an entire plastic spoon. OK, that sounds terrifying, but is it true? We talk to chemist Prof. Oliver Jones. Find our transcript here: https://tinyurl.com/ScienceVsPlasticSpoonBrain In this episode, we cover: (00:00) A plastic spoon’s worth of microplastics?! (05:21) Something dodgy here? (17:39) So how much plastic is in our bodies, really? This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, with help from Wendy Zukerman, along with Ekedi Fausther-Keeys, Meryl Horn, and Michelle Dang. We’re edited by Blythe…

4. 

   1 May 2025 · 45 min

   Methamphetamine: The Most Misunderstood Drug?

   Methamphetamine has a scary reputation as one of the most addictive and dangerous drugs out there. But at the same time, it's an FDA-approved drug — and can even be used to treat ADHD in children. So just how dangerous and addictive is meth? And what’s going on in your brain when you use it? We hear from Science Vs listeners who’ve used it — and the scientists who study it, including neuroscientists Professor Martin Paulus and Dr. Jennifer Hsieh, as well as Dr. Kate O'Malley and Dr. Krista Siefried. Find drug use resources here: spotify.com/resources Find our transcript here:…

5. 

   24 Apr 2025 · 36 min

   Measles: How Worried Should We Be?

   Measles is spreading in the U.S., with hundreds of cases across more than 20 states. And tons of people online are arguing over how we should feel about it. Some say this is bad because measles is SO contagious — and not enough people get the vaccine. But others say that measles isn't such a big deal, so why are we freaking out?? Didn't basically everyone get this virus back in the day and live to tell the tale? So we’ll find out — what is measles doing to our body (and our brain)? And how can we stop this outbreak ... and possibly rid the world of measles. We hear from New Scientist…

6. 

   10 Apr 2025 · 40 min

   Fluoride: Is Your Water Safe?

   The battle over whether we should be putting fluoride in our water has reached fever pitch. We’ve got U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and anti-fluoride activists saying it’s a neurotoxin that’s lowering our IQs. But supporters say that fluoride is a safe and effective way to protect our teeth from cavities, and that stopping water fluoridation would lead to a spike in tooth decay. To find out who’s right, we talk to epidemiologist Dr. Ashley Malin and community health scientist Professor Lindsay McLaren. Find our transcript here: https://bit.ly/ScienceVsFluoride In this episode,…

7. 

   3 Apr 2025 · 42 min

   ADHD: Do We All Have It?

   ADHD is all over the internet, with people saying that it’s way different than we thought it was — and that tons of us might have it without even knowing it. Influencers are telling us that ADHD can cause all sorts of things, like hyperfocused states, serious emotional dysregulation, even something called rejection sensitivity dysphoria. So — is all this true? Plus, when you do have ADHD — what’s going on inside your brain? And what are the best ways to cope with it? We talk to Prof. Maggie Sibley, Prof. Philip Shaw, and Dr. J. Russell Ramsay. This episode does mention depression. Here are…

8. 

   27 Mar 2025 · 52 min

   Squirting: What's Really Happening?!

   [Video available on Spotify] To start off the new season we’re getting into the science of one of the most controversial and taboo sex topics around. Squirting! For some people, it’s a major sex goal — but for others, it’s a source of major embarrassment. And it turns out that people have been writing or talking about squirting and female ejaculation for CENTURIES. So in this episode, we’re going to find out: what IS squirting (like, what is this fluid??), how common is it, and if you want to start doing it … how can you? We’ll hear from Sex Educator and World Record Holder, Lola Jean. As…

9. 

   S18 · E2 · 20 Mar 2025 · 3 min

   We're Back to Science Harder Than Ever

   Have you been missing your weekly dose of science?? Well, we've got good news: Science Vs is BACK next week, and we’ll be tackling ADHD, squirting, creatine, the carnivore diet, bird flu, fluoride, meth, memory and much more. New episodes start March 27. Fact ya soon! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

10. 

    S18 · E1 · 19 Feb 2025 · 35 min

    The War on Science

    U.S. science is in turmoil. Amid agency firings and confusion over federal funding, researchers are freaking out. Many can’t do their work, and they have no idea what the future holds. Plus, we’re hearing that all of this could jeopardize medical treatments for people in the U.S. and all over the world. So, what exactly is going on? And how bad is it? We speak with Nature reporter Max Kozlov and Science magazine reporter Jocelyn Kaiser. Find our transcript here: bit.ly/ScienceVsWarOnScience In this episode, we cover: (00:00) Scientists are freaked out (02:40) The chaos on government science…