Science Vs

Low calorie, no calorie and so sweet. Artificial sweeteners just seem too good to be true. Is there a catch? We dig into two big questions: Do artificial sweeteners cause cancer, and are they making us fat? We talk to Prof. John Glendinning, Prof. Susie Swithers, Dr. Kieron Rooney, and PhD student Jotham Suez about the latest research. Plus we do a fun experiment with PJ Vogt and Alex Goldman from Reply All!  Also, please sign up for our brand spanking new newsletter! We’ll share science that’s been blowing our minds, plus great content like the most amazing calculation from an academic of how much bigger 323 African Elephants are than nuclear waste. Head to: https://gimletmedia.com/newsletter/ 

Our Sponsors:

• Postmates - New customers get a $100 credit by downloading the app and entering the promo code SCIENCE
• Wordpress - go to wordpress.com/science to get 15% off a new website
• Hello Fresh - For $30 off your first week of meals go to hellofresh.com and enter the promo code SCIENCEVS30 

• Prof. Susie Swithers’s study on artificial sweeteners and feeding behavior in rats
• A 2015 systematic review of the relationship between artificial sweetener consumption and cancer in humans
• Jotham Suez’s study on artificial sweeteners and the gut microbiome

Fukushima. Chernobyl. Three Mile Island. There’s been some big nuclear accidents over the past few decades, but how dangerous is nuclear power really? We take you inside the core of America’s biggest nuclear power plant and trace what went wrong at Fukushima to try to figure out: when will the next meltdown happen? And what our chances are of getting cancer from it? This week we talk to Dr. Spencer Wheatley, Dr. Jonathan Samet, and Jack Cadogan, an executive at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station.

UPDATE! We’ve made a couple of small changes to this episode, thank you to all the listeners who picked up on them.  1. We called the energy that comes from nuclear power a chemical reaction… it’s not. It’s a nuclear reaction. Chemical reactions involve the electrons in an atom. Nuclear reactions involve the nucleus.  2. We said that the Joker became The Joker After falling into a vat of radioactive waste. This is disputed. It seems it was a vat chemicals.. But what those chemicals were , that’s unclear. 3. A clarification: We said that the waste that nuclear power produces in the US… 2200 metric tons per year… was like 323 male African Elephants. That was a weight comparison. They weigh roughly the same… It wasn’t a three dimensional size comparison. Nuclear waste is much denser than an elephant, and so it takes up much less room. And if you want to read the most amazing calculation from an academic of how much bigger 323 African Elephants are in 3D space you’ve got to sign up to our brand spanking new newsletter! To do that head to https://gimletmedia.com/newsletter/  And FINALLY! We got a lot of feedback from that episode that listeners really wanted to hear how nuclear power compares to other energy sources: like coal, solar and wind! Now we decided that to do a fair comparison that really needs it’s own episode - it wasn’t as simple as just throwing out some numbers. So we’re working on that episode for next season.

Our Sponsors:
Cloudflare - To learn more visit cloudflare.com/sciencevs

Credits:
This episode has been produced by Heather Rogers, Ben Kuebrich, Shruti Ravindran and Wendy Zukerman.Kaitlyn Sawrey is our senior producer. We’re edited by Annie-Rose Strasser. Fact checking by Ben Kuebrich and Heather Rogers. Original music and mixing by Bobby Lord. Extra thanks to Leo Rogers, Joseph Lavelle Wilson as well as Prof. Steven Biegalski, Prof. Mark Jacobson, Jussi Heinonen, and Dr. Eric Grant.

Selected References:

• Radiation Basics Primer from the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
• Dr. Spencer Wheatley’s paper ‘Reassessing the safety of nuclear power’
• National Research Council Report on Health Risks from Low Levels of Ionizing Radiation

Silicon Valley CEOs, Tibetan monks, and crunchy hippies alike describe meditation as blissful and life-changing, but what does the science say? Can it reduce stress, increase your attention, and improve mental health -- or is all this focus on breathing just a bunch of hot air?  Sit back, get comfortable, and focus your mind as we talk to Tim Ferriss, Professor Gaelle Desbordes, Dr. Clifford Saron, and Dr. Britta Hölzel. Please note: we have updated this episode. We removed a reference to Peter Thiel, the founder of Paypal. He was a guest on Tim Ferriss' show, but didn't discuss whether he meditates. 

Our Sponsors

• Everyday Bravery - Listen to Everyday Bravery, a podcast from Prudential, by going to everydaybravery.com
• Wordpress - go to wordpress.com/science to get 15% off a new website

• CDC Report: Trends in the Use of Complementary Health Approaches Among Adults: United States, 2002–2012
• Review of Neuroimaging Studies on Meditators 
• Meditation Programs for Psychological Stress and Well-being A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis - JAMA review of Clinical Trials with Active Controls
• Intensive meditation training, immune cell telomerase activity, and psychological mediators - Dr. Cliff Saron’s study on telomerase activity after a meditation retreat

What is love? With half of first time American marriages ending in divorce by the 20th anniversary, and infidelity being widespread, Science Vs asks: have we been lied to by our love songs?
On today’s episode we explore: What happens to the brain when we fall in love? Is the compulsion to stay together biological? And, is monogamy really unnatural? We talk to Dr. Helen Fisher, Professor Larry Young, and Dr. Dieter Lukas about their labors of love.

Our Sponsors:

• Everyday Bravery - Listen to Everyday Bravery, a podcast from Prudential, by going to everydaybravery.com
• Virgin Atlantic - Listen to their podcast, The Venture, wherever you get your podcasts
• Ziprecruiter - try Ziprecruiter for free by going to ziprecruiter.com/sciencevs

• CDC - Data on First Marriages in the United States
• Helen Fisher fMRI Paper on Early-Stage Love
• Larry Young Review Paper on the Neurobiology of Pair Bonding
• Dieter Lukas’s Paper on the Evolution of Monogamy in Mammals
• The monogamy camp - review paper arguing “we evolved to be monogamous”

Are chocolate, coffee and red wine actually good for us? Reading the news it seems that one day they are helping us live longer, and the next day they are giving us heart attacks.  So what’s going on here? Host Wendy Zukerman and DJ/senior producer Kaitlyn Sawrey explore the science live on stage, with interview clips from Prof. Bruce Ames, Prof. David Sinclair and author Aidan Goggins.

This show was recorded live at The Bell House on Thursday, March 23rd, 2017. If you want to listen to the Q&A after the show, sign up to become a Gimlet member for $5 a month. If you sign up for a year, you can receive a Science Vs t-shirt!

Our Sponsors:

• Cloudflare - To learn more visit cloudflare.com/sciencevs
• Wordpress - go to wordpress.com/science to get 15% off a new website
• Hello Fresh - For $30 off your first week of meals go to hellofresh.com and enter the promo code SCIENCEVS30

• JAMA Review - Are antioxidant supplements associated with higher or lower all-cause mortality? 
• David Sinclair’s Study: Resveratrol improves health and survival of mice on a high-calorie diet
• Alcohol and coronary heart disease: a meta-analysis
• Coffee Meta-analysis: Coffee consumption and mortality from all causes…
• Habitual chocolate consumption and risk of cardiovascular disease among healthy men and women

Abortion is so taboo. People don’t talk about abortions they’ve had. Doctors don’t talk about abortions they’ve given. But it's happening a lot. Almost a million abortions happened in the US in 2014. So, what actually happens in an abortion, can the fetus feel pain and what are the risks?  To find out we visit an abortion clinic in Texas and talk to Dr. Amita Murthy, Dr. Lisa Harris, Dr. Bhavik Kumar, and Dr. Diana Greene Foster. This episode is not about being pro-choice or pro-life, but pro-facts.

Credits:This episode has been produced by Heather Rogers, Wendy Zukerman, Ben Kuebrich, Shruti Ravindran and Rachel Ward. Kaitlyn Sawrey is our senior producer. We’re edited by Annie Rose Strasser.  Fact Checking by Michelle Harris and Ben Kuebrich. Extra help with production and editorial from Alex Blumberg and Jorge Just. Music production and original music written by Bobby Lord. Thanks to Lola Pellegrino, Ronnie Shankar, Dr. Diane Horvath-Cosper, Rachel Jones, Elizabeth Nash, Dr Yoon-Jin Kim, Delma Limones and Gilda Sedgh. Also thanks to Katie Bishop and Reverend David Gushee.

Our Sponsors:There is no sponsor! Weirdly we couldn’t find any companies were like ‘hey yeah we want to advertise on an episode about one of the most controversial issues in America’. So… you should be our sponsor! Support quality journalism that isn’t afraid to tackle controversial topics. Become a Gimlet Member for $5 a month to support our shows and receive exclusive perks like early access to new show pilots, an invite to our member Slack, first notice about Gimlet events, and for our annual members, your choice of a newly redesigned Gimlet t-shirt (we recommend the Science VS design).

Further Reading:

• CDC Statistics on Abortion
• Guttmacher Institute Report on Abortion
• The Turnaway Study - Women’s Mental Health and Well-being 5 Years After Receiving or Being Denied an Abortion
• Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists - The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion
• Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists - Fetal Awareness

Every Little Thing is a new show from Gimlet Media... plus, a mea culpa on last week's GMO episode. 

Science Vs peels back the label on GM foods to find out whether they’re safe to eat and what impact they can have on the environment. Both sides of the debate have written impassioned songs, but what does the science say? We talk to Prof. Fred Gould, Dr. Janet Cotter, and Prof. David Douches to find out.

***Please note*** this episode has been updated. In the original version we suggested that the Bt corn that killed monarch caterpillars was taken off the market as a direct result of studies demonstrating its harm. But although the corn was eventually taken off the market, the company that made it later told us it was phased out "for business reasons", such as declining sales -- and they did not mention the dead butterflies.

Credits:

This episode has been produced by Shruti Ravindran, Heather Rogers, and Wendy Zukerman.  Our senior producer is Kaitlyn Sawrey. Production assistance by Ben Kuebrich. Our editor is Annie-Rose Strasser. Fact Checking by Michelle Harris and Ben Kuebrich. Music production, mixing and original scoring by Bobby Lord. Thanks to Professor Elizabeth Ransom, Professor Stephen Long, Stephen Tindale, Dr Chuck Benbrook and Joseph Lavelle Wilson.

Our Sponsors:

• Ziprecruiter - Try Ziprecruiter for free by going to ziprecruiter.com/sciencevs
• Cloudflare - To learn more visit cloudflare.com/sciencevs

• The National Academy of Sciences report on GE crops
• Our favourite youtube videos about genetically modified crops here, here and here. 

Why do four out of five dentists recommend Colgate? How many Americans really approve of Trump? This special episode is a two-parter: First, we talk to Prof. Dan Levitin, author of ‘Weaponized Lies: How to Think Critically in the Post-Truth Era’, about some recent news stories and how to be skeptical of the statistics you see. Then, we bring you a surprise you won’t want to miss. It’s about deception, murder, and of course, ~science~.

Credits:

• Ebay - Listen to Ebay's podcast Open For Business on iTunes, or wherever you get your podcasts
• Wordpress - go to wordpress.com/science to get 15% off a new website
• Hello Fresh - For $30 off your first week of meals go to hellofresh.com and enter the promo code SCIENCEVS30

• Weaponized Lies by Prof. Dan Levitin
• A Theory on the Cause of Lemming Booms
• Linking Climate to Lemming Cycles

One third of Americans believe in ghosts, and one fifth have had a personal encounter. We go to a haunted house with some paranormal investigators and things get spooky. But, scientists aren’t scared - they have a range of explanations for why so many people encounter ghosts. We speak to Dr. Katie Mack, Baland Jalal, Dr. Shane Rogers, and Prof. Chris French and find out what ghosts are all about.

Credits:
This episode has been produced by Ben Kuebrich, Diane Wu, Heather Rogers and Shruti Ravindran me.  Senior Producer Kaitlyn Sawrey. Our editor is Annie-Rose Strasser. Production assistance: Audrey Quinn. Fact Checking by Michelle Harris. Sound engineering, music production and original scoring by Bobby Lord.   Thanks to Dr. Ciaran O’Keeffe, Dr Neil Dagnall, Dr. Giulio Rognini, Raymond Swyers,  Dr. Joseph Baker, Prof. Kwai Man Luk,  Prof. Kin Seng Chiang, Prof. Tapan Sarkar, Prof. Maxim Gitlits, The Zukerman family, Joseph Lavelle Wilson as well as Jorge Just, Devon Taylor ...and thanks to Haley Shaw for the spooooky violins in the Science Vs theme.

Our Sponsors:
Meet real Subaru owners and hear their stories on MeetAnOwner.com.

Selected References:

• Baland Jalal’s Sleep Paralysis Hallucination Hypothesis
• Review of Folklore Surrounding Sleep Paralysis
• World Health Organization’s Guidelines for Indoor Air Quality: Dampness and Mould
• Chris French’s Haunted Room Experiment