A new, relatively intact human skull from China was analyzed recently and the results are.. promising. Some scientists think we found a new species but others aren't so sure. While we wait for the experts to sort this out, let's take a look at some of the more interesting aspects of early human evolution!
We're on summer break this week (plus my brother just got married) so no new episode today. But, next week we're talking again about evolution so we thought this would be a good opportunity to do a quick refresher on the "theory" of evolution. This was our second ever episode and a lot has changed since we first recorded this. I did a little bit of editing to make the episode sound better, but there's only so much I could do. So, if things sound a bit weird or different, that's why. We were still very nervous and I knew less about audio editing than I do now (if you can imagine that). We hope you enjoy this really old episode and if you have any questions about evolution, be sure to let us know on social media!
I know nothing about plants but luckily I know someone who does! Dr. Baliga is a lecturer at Texas Tech University and is also the host of the (amazing) podcast Plathropology which you can find on any podcast platform or just click the link below to find his socials, podcast, TikTok, and more!
Links to all things Planthropology
This week we're setting up a concept for a future episode. Epigenetics and genetics are complicated topics so we wanted to introduce them now before tackling other myths and misconceptions like DNA alteration and stuff like that!
We recently hit 500 Followers on Twitter recently and so I promised I would do an episode on making a podcast. Thank you so much to everyone who followed us on social media, we really appreciate the support! We obviously don't have a regular episode this week but we'll be back next week with more science myths and misconceptions.
Everyone knows these myths but are they true? This week we're talking about myths like bulls hating the color red, women syncing their menstrual cycles, giving babies alcohol for teething, and hair of the dog as a cure for hangovers! They sound convincing, but the logic is flawed and we talk about why.
Videos can be really convincing. But what happens when the news report you're watching isn't real? Or the interview you heard about was faked? This isn't a conspiracy theory or something in the distant future. Deepfakes and tampering of videos is happening now with real world consequences. The rampant spread of misinformation and the growing issue of deepfakes needs to be addressed. Luckily, a group of researchers from Binghamton University teamed up with engineers at Intel to tackle this problem.
There have been some recent changes to CDC guidelines about wearing masks and social distancing. In this episode we provide an update about COVID and some new conspiracy theories and a potentially deadly COVID cure. Be sure to follow expert guidance for the best ways to stay safe and healthy as cities and states being to reopen and restrictions lax.
Did you know I'm a published researcher? That's right, I have my name on at least 6 published scientific studies and at least 1 book chapter. So this week, we're going to talk a little bit about the publishing process, review boards, the peer review process, and journal impact factors. We don't go into detailed information, I just wanted to give a little look behind the curtain about how studies make it into the world. I also had Army drill this weekend and I'm exhausted so I decided to do a low key episode. We have a regular episode scheduled for next week!
This past weekend was Mother's Day here in the US, so we decided what better way to celebrate how great our moms are than by sharing the craziest myths they told us growing up. This week we're talking a lot about lightning, phones, and bats eating bananas. It's a weird one but Lauren and I had a lot of fun recording. Apparently, dedicating an episode to our moms didn't count as a Mother's Day gift.
We always wonder how myths and misconceptions start but in this episode we finally have an answer. We get to speak with Pulitzer Prize finalist and Payne award winner, former senior writer for the New York Times, and author of the book The Big Lie: How One Doctor's Medical Fraud Launched Today's Deadly Anti-Vax Movement, Kurt Eichenwald. He tells us the story of former Dr. Andrew Wakefield and the lies he put forth to the world on vaccines and their relation to Autism. Kurt's book is now now and available exclusively on Scribd - see the link below!
THE BIG LIE How One Doctor’s Medical Fraud Launched Today’s Deadly Anti-Vax Movement
We have a thing for food so naturally we're talking about even more food myths you probably believe (or at the very least heard). We're talking more about the science behind these myths so there's less of them BUT there's a lot of information behind each topic! Personally, I was most surprised to learn about the number of foods that have MSG in them. We're looking at you Pringles.
Stem cells are a controversial topic but one we think is really important to discuss and understand. There's also reports that the COVID vaccines use stem cells so we thought it was important to provide the details. We also talk about some of the good that stem cells can provide. Keep in mind we're going to be talking about embryonic stem cells a bit so if that makes you uncomfortable then this might not be the episode for you.
It's spring time which means people are reproducing like rabbits! Wait, no. That's actual rabbits. Humans reproduce all year. If you are pregnant, will be soon, or was at some point, you might have experienced pregnancy brain. But is pregnancy brain real? How severe is it? Will it ever go away? What am I still doing here? If you're confused like I am, click the play button and it will all make sense. Also, this episode description was stupid but I'm not writing a new one.
We're on spring break this week so I figured I'd share some questions that plague me every day. We'll be back next week (Apr 13, 2021) talking about pregnancy brain!
There are some wild and crazy science myths out there - some we never heard of. Most of these myths have some outdated science or technology behind them but they’re still believed today. Surprisingly, we did manage to find one that was true and you’d be shocked to hear which one!
Earth tilt vs Earth tilt on Equinox
There are a TON of myths surrounding your favorite pizza roll heater: the microwave oven. In this podcast episode we look at some of the more common and pervasive myths and misconceptions like: microwaves remove all the nutrients from food, they cause cancer, and they're generally unsafe and should be beaten with a bat Office Space style.
Now that the coronavirus vaccine is being distributed to millions of people, will life return to pre-pandemic conditions? Will we need COVID vaccine booster shots? What about new and emerging side effects. We answer all these questions and more! If you have a question you want answered, let us know on social media using the links below!
Laboratory grown meat is coming whether you want it or not. Plant based synthetic meat like Beyond Burger and Impossible Burger are already on the shelves and are a hit! But some people don't buy into the hype and think that lab grown or synthetic meat will cause serious health effects. Is there any truth to it or is this all misconceptions and pseudoscience? Dig into this episode to find out!
Disclaimer: We do talk about butchering cows. Nothing graphic, but we do mention it.
