The Body of Evidence

Bizarre behaviour on the beach leads Chris and Jonathan to discuss the merits of vitamin D. Where exactly in the sun’s rays does this vitamin hide? Is there a deficiency epidemic? And can this miraculous vitamin reverse the course of diseases? Also: a Superman geek fail; putting the “randomized” back in “randomized clinical trials”; why 1 and 2 are dirty numbers; and pot cures epilepsy (sort of… not really).   Vox pop by Thanos Michailopoulos (@ThanocMic on Twitter).   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/.

Jonathan takes Chris to a secret location for a surprise that doesn’t end well, and all because Chris allegedly said antidepressants don’t work. To clarify, we delve into the causes of depression, how antidepressants work, as well as the safety and effectiveness of SSRIs. Oh, and child suicides. Also: is putting fluoride in the water a communist plot and will NSAIDs give you a heart attack?    Special guest voice acting by Jacob Fortin.   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 Timothy Caulfield, author of the book Is Gwyneth Paltrow Wrong About Everything? Topics include Trudeau’s cupping marks; pseudoscience tailor made for athletes; the importance of anecdotes; Bill Nye and bridge destruction; the white hat bias in meditation research; the state of stem cell therapies; Tim Caulfield’s legal career path; celebrity culture; cognitive biases; J.K. Rowling’s experiment on luck; direct-to-consumer genetic testing for wine tasting; the science of science communication; the ironically postmodern far Right; troll talking points; upcoming media projects and happiness.

Jonathan is being more of a prick than usual by giving Chris a testosterone prick to boost his manliness. But is “low T” a real diagnosis or an ad man creation? Thanos, our comedian, takes us to his Brazilian jiu-jitsu class to interview sweaty men about aging and andropause. Back in the studio, Chris and Jonathan talk about the difficulties of measuring testosterone levels, whether or not T can reverse aging decline and will it give you cancer? Also: p-hacking in a famous food lab or how “hard work” doesn’t always pay off; Health Canada makes Chris sad; and why Montrealers are marching for science.   Vox pop by Thanos Michailopoulos (@ThanocMic on Twitter).   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/.   If you’re interested in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and live in the Montreal area, check out Gracie Barra and its head instructor, Bruno Fernandes, at http://gbmontreal.ca

On an eventful trip to Cincinnati, Chris and Jonathan discuss the possible dangers of aspartame and of arguing while behind the wheel. Will artificial sweeteners help you lose weight or will they give you cancer? Plus: Zamboni’s liberation therapy for multiple sclerosis fails to impress in a major Canadian trial and self-regulating naturopaths think it’s OK to prescribe with the laying of hands. Also, Jonathan and/or Chris may be coming to your town soon! Boston, Cincinnati and Montreal!   Vox pop by Thanos Michailopoulos (@ThanocMicon Twitter).   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/.   To check on our upcoming live events, go to http://www.bodyofevidence.ca/events/

Chris learns that he is a square when he can’t distinguish between tobacco cigarettes and pot reefers. Thanos interviews some marijuana-friendly comedians before an open-mic night to know if they think weed can help with health and performance anxiety. Back in studio, Jonathan and Chris talk about THC versus CBD, and whether or not weed has been shown to help treat glaucoma, pain, nausea, cancer, multiple sclerosis, insomnia, Tourette’s, HIV, anxiety, PTSD, epilepsy, Parkinson’s, IBS, ALS, and Huntington’s. Plus: a James Franco sound-alike; christopathic pain; beach umbrellas; conflicts of interest; and Patreon!   Vox pop by Thanos Michailopoulos (@ThanocMic on Twitter).   Jingle by Joseph Hackl from Voodoo Jazz.   Additional music by 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’ loneliness leads Jonathan to spray him in the eyes with a $20 concoction that will allegedly make him irresistible to the ladies. But do human pheromones actually exist? Their investigation leads them to contemplate pig husbandry and dentist chairs. Plus: what we know of seasonal affective disorder and whether you can cure it by shoving light into your ears; cancer mortality rates are decreasing despite what charlatans keep claiming; and a teething tablet manufacturer clearly believes in safety first.   Vox pop by comedian Kirsten Finch.   Jingle by Jillian Kate.   Additional music by Kevin MacLeod.   Theme music: “Troll of the Mountain Swing” by the Underscore Orkestra.   The Human Charger official website is https://www.humancharger.com   The MOT investigative journalism video (in Finnish, with English subtitles) is available on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXuNK4050m0   The EarLight clinical trial where the placebo group became a treatment group can be seen here: https://clinicaltrials.gov/archive/NCT01293409/2011_05_31/changes   For a more comprehensive history behind the EarLight/HumanCharger, http://earlightswindle.com

Jonathan interviews York University librarian John Dupuis on former Prime Minister Stephen Harper's War on Science. In light of recent actions by the Trump administration in the US, what lessons can American scientists learn from Canada's own struggle against a federal government that gagged its own scientists? John Dupuis' blog, Confessions of a Science Librarian, on which he chronicled Harper's War on Science, can be accessed here: http://scienceblogs.com/confessions/ 

Our full interview with Vox.com’s Julia Belluz, health reporter. How did a prominent Canadian media fail the public while covering the HPV vaccine; the philosophy behind Vox.com; the public’s perception of mainstream journalism; Zika versus Ebola; how journalists should cover pseudoscientists; and ISIS… sort of. 

Are energy drinks the answer to staying awake? Or are they harmful cans of poison? Or is this a false dichotomy? Our man-on-the-street finds out that Canadian students, on top of being polite, really care about their health. Plus: Vox.com reporter Julia Belluz on one of the most embarrassing Canadian science headlines, and will a new chocolate make your skin look twenty years younger? (answer: no, but a bunch of MDs think it tastes delicious).    Vox pop by Chris Sandiford (of the Ladies & Gentlemen Comedy Show).   Jingle by Joseph Hackl from Voodoo Jazz.   Additional music by Kevin MacLeod.   Theme music: “Troll of the Mountain Swing” by the Underscore Orkestra.   The Toronto Star’s retraction of the Gardasil story can be accessed here: https://www.thestar.com/news/2015/02/20/a-note-from-the-publisher.html   The Motto article on Esthechoc can be read here: http://www.notey.com/@motto_unofficial/external/13281448/eating-a-piece-of-this-chocolate-every-day-could-make-you-look-younger.html   The segment on THE DOCTORS promoting Esthechoc is viewable here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7Ax2ltEE-M