The Body of Evidence

Lost on the highway, the boys look for a cell phone signal and wonder about the potential dangers of their lifeline. Comedian Jacob Meza explores the possibilities of groin cancer while learning that some people may be scared of cell phones but are unwilling to give them up. Back in the studio, Chris and Jonathan discuss fava beans; the Larry King Show and brain cancer; subgroup analyses (which lie, they always lie); what male rats got that other rodents didn’t; infertility; ICQ; and pacemakers. Also: how prevalent are peanut allergies and do peanut bans in school really work? Plus an interview with Dr. David Gorski on the U.S.’ right-to-try laws: how they compare to compassionate use and what is the link to libertarianism.   For more on right-to-try laws, David Gorski’s blog post from June 4th: https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/right-to-try-is-now-law-let-patients-beware/   David Gorski writes for Science-Based Medicine and Respectful Insolence.   Vox pop by comedian Jacob Meza. His podcast is So It Is Told.   Jingle by Jillian Kate.   Additional music by Seth Donnelly and Kevin MacLeod.   Theme music: "Troll of the Mountain Swing" by the Underscore Orkestra.   To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.

Jonathan and Chris interview Michael “Marsh” Marshall, project director of the Good Thinking Society and the vice-president of the Merseyside Skeptics Society in England. They discuss how Marsh and Simon Singh met; what a skeptical charity does; why Marsh interviews people with fringe beliefs; changing people’s minds with nudges; the Good Thinking Society’s campaign to stop the NHS from funding homeopathy in the UK; how PR releases get used by journalists to create “churnalism”; and crowdfunding campaigns for alternative cancer cures.   Michael Marshall on Twitter: https://twitter.com/MrMMarsh The Good Thinking Society website: https://goodthinkingsociety.org The podcasts Marsh is involved with: http://www.merseysideskeptics.org.uk/podcasts/   Theme music: "Troll of the Mountain Swing" by the Underscore Orkestra.   To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.

Returning from a memorable fishing trip, the boys tackle the evidence behind omega-3s, a group of molecules known as “PUFAs!” (try not to laugh). They talk about the EPA; kinky and bent molecules; carnivorous chickens; cardiovascular disease and brain development. Also: how big trials can go wrong; and an interview with Dr. Emma Jones on palliative care, cultivating quality of life, collaborations in paediatric oncology, and myths about medicinal cannabis!   Julia Belluz’s article about the PREDIMED trial paper retraction: https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/6/20/17464906/mediterranean-diet-science-health-predimed   Vox pop by Ada McVean of the McGill Office for Science and Society.   Jingle by Joseph Hackl.   Additional music by Seth Donnelly and Kevin MacLeod.   Theme music: "Troll of the Mountain Swing" by the Underscore Orkestra.   To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.

Part 2 of 2. Chris and Jonathan sit down to demystify how scientific research is conducted and what actually goes on in a lab. They talk about the following: data analysis; statistical literacy among scientists; cherry picking; biostatisticians’ greatest complaint; “students should figure it out!”; meta-analyses; hypothesis testing; publishing; structure of a paper; the secret appendices; peer review; open data; registered reports; types of journals; opening a Dairy Queen; and things are improving. Seriously, science is awesome… but its practice could be improved.   Theme music: "Troll of the Mountain Swing" by the Underscore Orkestra.   To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.

Chris and Jonathan sit down to demystify how scientific research is conducted and what actually goes on in a lab. They talk about the following: defining terms; Ang Lee’s Hulk; laboratory hierarchy; graduate studies; postdocs; salaries; job opportunities; what scientists do with the 61 hours a week they work on average; funding; managerial skills; hiring practices; harassement; rewarding results instead of the process; subpar research; and negative findings. Also, Simpsons references galore.   Theme music: "Troll of the Mountain Swing" by the Underscore Orkestra.   To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.

Jonathan and Chris interview three of the Science Moms: Alison Bernstein, Kavin Senapathy, and Natalie Newell. They discuss a bevy of important topics, such as the Dirty Dozen shopping list; the social justice aspect of GE and anti-GE activism; Monsanto; conflicts of interest in research; epigenetic; and, of course, Natalie’s film, Science Moms; also, Chris’ Spider-Man Theory of What Scares People.   The Science Moms documentary can be accessed at ScienceMomsDoc.com, while the moms themselves continue their adventure, bringing good science to the public, at SciMoms.com. You can follow Natalie Newell at @NCNewell; Kavin Senapathy at @KSenapathy; and Alison Bernstein at @MommyPhD2.   Theme music: "Troll of the Mountain Swing" by the Underscore Orkestra.   To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.

A shameless Chris removes his belt at an all-you-can-eat buffet, which leads Jonathan to talk about the keto diet. How does it compare to other diets and will it do anything to your diabetes, cancer, or epilepsy? Learn about the mysterious food stuff known was “tufo”; hear someone say “carby” a lot; and watch in horror as Jonathan drinks a whole bottle of nail polish remover. Also: how does hormone replacement therapy compare to vaginal moisturizers for vaginal dryness; Chris talks about how much he loves the phrase “clot busters” and what to watch out for if you think you’re having a stroke; and Jonathan and Chris have a very important announcement. They placed it at the end of the show so that you have to listen to the whole episode to get to it.   The JAMA Internal Medicine paper on the estrogen tablet vs. vaginal moisturizer trial: https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2674257?redirect=true   Vox pop by Ada McVean of the McGill Office for Science and Society.   Jingle by Jillian Kate.   Additional music by Seth Donnelly and Kevin MacLeod.   Theme music: "Troll of the Mountain Swing" by the Underscore Orkestra.   To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.

Jonathan interviews public health and consumer advocate Ryan Armstrong, in whom the College of Chiropractors of Ontario is now taking a special interest. They discuss the internal split between “straights” and “mixers”; the Canadian origin of the chiropractic discipline; the College’s monitoring of Ryan’s public criticism; the divine claims of some practitioners; the safety of fast thrusts; the chiropractor-antivaxx link; and more. Ryan weighs in on two important questions: can chiropractors self-regulate and can the profession be moved to a more science- and evidence-based position?   Ryan’s blog is PostTruthHealth and you can find him on Twitter at @RyArmst   Music by Seth Donnelly.   Theme music: "Troll of the Mountain Swing" by the Underscore Orkestra.   To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.

The podcast’s third-year anniversary celebration turns out to be the perfect time to discuss coffee. Does it prevent disease… or cause disease? Why are pregnant women told to avoid excessive caffeine consumption if it’s a wonder drug? And, if it’s a drug, is it addictive? We discuss its purported links to miscarriages, birth defects, fertility, cardiac risk, blood pressure, cancer, migraine, and Parkinson’s disease. Plus: why complications are not the same as medical error, and the really bad study that led to the pronouncement that cell phone exposure was associated with increased risk of miscarriages.   The BMJ article on medical errors being the third leading cause of death: http://www.bmj.com/content/353/bmj.i2139   The Vox.com article on cell phones and miscarriages: https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2018/2/15/17008482/cellphones-cancer-miscarriage-health   Details on the Science Moms screening taking place on March 26: https://mcgill.ca/oss/channels/event/science-moms-film-screening-and-panel-discussion-284437   Jingle by Joseph Hackl of Voodoo Jazz.   Additional music by Seth Donnelly and Kevin MacLeod.   Theme music: "Troll of the Mountain Swing" by the Underscore Orkestra.   To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.

Chris’ goodwill to help out a young couple on Valentine’s Day backfires, which leads him and Jonathan to talk about contraception. What is the most effective form of birth control, and how come there’s no pill… for men? One thing’s for certain: McGill students are going to have a lot of unplanned babies if the vox pop is any indication! Also: can science really tell you how compatible you and your lover are?; Britt Marie Hermes, ex-naturopath and prominent skeptic, needs your help; and we tear into the pilot episode of FOX’s new medical drama, The Resident. You’ll learn about central lines, the diver’s reflex, and how to precipitate catastrophic blindness.   To donate to Britt Hermes’ legal defence fund: https://www.skeptics.com.au/features/britt-hermes-legal-costs-fundraising-campaign/   Vox pop by Ada McVean of the McGill Office for Science and Society.   Jingle by Jillian Kate.   Additional music by Seth Donnelly and Kevin MacLeod.   Theme music: "Troll of the Mountain Swing" by the Underscore Orkestra.   To contribute to The Body of Evidence, go to our Patreon page at: http://www.patreon.com/thebodyofevidence/.