

Science Vs
Spotify Studios
There are a lot of fads, blogs and strong opinions, but then there’s SCIENCE. Science Vs is the show from Spotify Studios that finds out what’s fact, what’s not, and what’s somewhere in between. We do the hard work of sifting through all the science so you don't have to and cover everything from 5G and ADHD, to Fluoride and Fasting Diets.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 17, 2020 • 28min
Coronavirus: Can You Get It Twice?
We’re hearing stories of people getting this coronavirus, recovering, and then getting it again. So what’s going on: Does getting this virus give you immunity or not? To find out, we talk to virologist Dr. Kirsty Short of the University of Queensland and Dr. Robin Berzin of Parsley Health.Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/3ajK5omThis episode was produced by Meryl Horn, Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Rose Rimler, Sinduja Srinivasan and Laura Morris. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell and Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Michelle Harris. Mix and sound design by Emma Munger. Music written by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. A big thanks to all the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Marion Snyder, Professor Ann Sheehy, and Dr. Helen Petousis-Harris. Thanks also to Kyle Gunderson, Nora McKenna, Mike Pendleton, Hannah Wei, and Matt Weinberg. And special thanks to the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Apr 10, 2020 • 21min
Coronavirus: When Will It End?
In the U.S. we've been social distancing for a few weeks now, and the question on everyone’s mind is: When can we go back to “normal”? And what’s happening in China, where they’ve already lifted the lockdown? To find out, we talk to Dr. Swapnil Mishra, part of the Imperial College Covid-19 Response Team, and Dr. Franz-Josef Schmitt. Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/2y5nJtcYou can listen to The Journal’s full interview with Dr. Anthony Fauci here: https://spoti.fi/2x99xQ8This episode was produced by Sinduja Srinivasan, Wendy Zukerman, Laura Morris, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler and Meg Driscoll. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell and Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Lexi Krupp. Mix and sound design by Emma Munger. Music written by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. A big thanks to all the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Yaneer Bar-Yam, Michael te Vrugt and others. And special thanks to the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Apr 7, 2020 • 26min
Coronavirus: Should I Disinfect EVERYTHING?
There are reports that the coronavirus can survive on surfaces for days. So how careful should we be about cleaning the stuff we touch? And do we need to be disinfecting our groceries? To find out, we talk to pathologist and microbiologist Dr. Josh Santarpia and toxicologist Dr. Joshua King.UPDATE 4/7/20: An earlier version of this episode suggested that Alex was wiping down his groceries with bleach, but the wipes he was using didn't contain bleach. We've updated the episode.Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/2VbYbTr This episode was produced by Rose Rimler, Wendy Zukerman, Meg Driscoll, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, Sinduja Srinivasan, and Laura Morris. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell and Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Lexi Krupp. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. A big thanks to all the researchers that we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Christine Bruhn, Dr. Erin Leigh Dicaprio, Prof. Kalmia Kniel, Dr. Linda Harris, Dr. Megan Freeman, Prof. Jovana Kovacevic, and others. And special thanks to the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Apr 3, 2020 • 24min
Coronavirus: Is It Airborne?
We’re hearing conflicting things about how the coronavirus spreads — is it through coughs and sneezes only? Or could it be floating in the air, infecting us as we walk down the street or go grocery shopping? We ask Dr. Rachael Jones, an industrial hygienist, and Dr. Zhi Ning, an environmental engineer. Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/3aI1kAEThis episode was produced by Rose Rimler, Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, Sinduja Srinivasan, Laura Morris, and Meg Driscoll. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell and Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Michelle Harris. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. A big thanks to all the researchers that we got in touch with for this episode, including Prof. Natasha Crowcroft, Prof. Linsey Marr, Dr. Stephanie King, and Noah Miller. And special thanks to the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mar 31, 2020 • 25min
Coronavirus: Are Young People Safe?
From the early days of this coronavirus outbreak, it’s looked like the disease is way worse for older people. But now we’re hearing more stories of younger folks getting really sick. What’s going on? Is this virus scarier for younger people than we thought? We hear from a Gen-Xer who landed in the hospital with Covid-19, and we talk to immunologist Professor Vincent Racaniello. Also: THE HIGHEST MOUSE!We’ve set up a voicemail to collect all of your questions about coronavirus. Or if you’re a healthcare worker with a personal story you want to share, please call (774) 481-1238 and leave us a message.Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/3dILR5i And you can check out the video of the mouse that breaks the record for high-altitude living: https://go.unl.edu/f8tx.This episode was produced by Michelle Dang, Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn, Laura Morris, Meg Driscoll and Sinduja Srinivasan. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell and Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Lexi Krupp. Mix and sound design by Haley Shaw. Music written by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. A big thanks to all the researchers that we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr. Helen Petousis-Harris. Thanks also to Anna and Daniel Schuchman, Lauren Dulay, Maggie Kaltwasser, Adria Mallett, Holly Ryan, and Ash Tilbury. And special thanks to the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mar 27, 2020 • 24min
Coronavirus: Will Chloroquine Save Us?
President Trump says an anti-malarial drug could be a “gift from god” for treating Covid-19. Does it really work? And is it dangerous? We talk to toxicologist Professor Daniel Brooks, infectious disease specialist Dr. Matthew Pullen, and microbiologist Professor Karla Satchell. Also: VAMPIRE BATS!We’ve set up a voicemail to collect all of your questions about Coronavirus. Or if you’re a healthcare worker with a personal story you want to share, please call (774) 481-1238 and leave us a message.Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/2xu4ER8This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, Laura Morris, Meg Driscoll and Sinduja Srinivasan. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell and Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Eva Dasher. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. Thanks to the NBC News Archives. A big thanks to all the researchers that we got in touch with for this episode, including Professor Thomas Doerner, Dr Hue, Professor David Boulware, Dr. Anne Melzer. And special thanks to the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mar 24, 2020 • 24min
Coronavirus: Unmasking the Facts and Ibuprofen Scares
Healthcare workers across the U.S. are saying they don’t have enough protective gear to keep them safe against the coronavirus. They’re having to reuse masks, and they’re worried that they may have to resort to homemade cloth masks. Is all this safe? Plus, reports are saying that ibuprofen, the stuff in Advil, is making people with coronavirus sicker. But what does the science say? To find out we spoke to infectious disease expert Professor Raina MacIntyre, industrial hygienist Dr. Rachael Jones, public health researcher Professor Carlos Del Rio, and cardiologist Dr. Yogendra Kanthi. UPDATE 4/23/20: An earlier version of this episode said that health care workers using N95 masks had roughly half the infection rate of workers using classic surgical masks. We’ve updated the episode to clarify that the study only compared the infection rates to a control group, not each other.Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/3agVF4iSelected References
The best study we could find on cloth masks: https://bit.ly/3bmRHaI
Study showing that N95 masks are best for healthcare workers: https://bit.ly/2xfvKLT
The Lancet letter theorizing about why ibuprofen might be risky: https://bit.ly/2QEDFt6
This episode was produced by Meryl Horn, Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, Laura Morris and Sinduja Srinivasan. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell and Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Lexi Krupp. Mix and sound design by Catherine Anderson. Music written by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. A big thanks to all the researchers and healthcare workers that we got in touch with for this episode, including Professor Paul Little, Dr Kirsty Short, Siyab Panhwar, and Ayman Saeyeldin. And special thanks to Meg Driscoll, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mar 19, 2020 • 20min
Coronavirus: A Story From the Front Lines
As Covid-19 cases rise in the U.S., healthcare workers are already struggling to keep up. In a different kind of episode, we bring you an interview with Dr. Antoinette Ward, who is leading Covid-19 testing at a major hospital in Atlanta — and finding ways to treat the rapidly increasing number of patients. This interview comes from iHeartRadio’s The Women. For more stories from those on the front lines, listen here: http://bit.ly/TheWomenPodcastHere’s a link to the transcript: https://bit.ly/3bczJHW This episode was mixed by Adriene Lilly and Peter Leonard. Special thanks to Sonya Green, Gail Reid, and Jen Shipon. Fact checking by Lexi Krupp. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Mar 16, 2020 • 28min
Coronavirus: What Should You Do Now?
The coronavirus pandemic is here, and in the U.S., this is starting to get very real. We talk to people in South Korea and Italy to see what life has been like for them. And we find out what the problem was with America’s tests — are they fixed now? And now that social distancing is on everyone’s mind, do we have evidence that it will really “flatten the curve”? We speak to public health expert Prof. Josh Sharfstein, virologist Prof. Vincent Racaniello, and epidemiologist Prof. Elizabeth Radin.UPDATE 3/17/20: An earlier version of this episode said that Hong Kong had zero deaths, but according to figures on Friday from WHO 4 people died. We've updated the episode.Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/2QmpJUf Selected references:
A look at what’s happening in Italy: https://bit.ly/3d56AA4
Josh’s paper on the testing debacle: https://bit.ly/2x3oT84
How different cities reacted to the 1918 flu pandemic: https://bit.ly/2waLYWk
This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn, Sinduja Srinivasan, and Rose Rimler. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell and Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Lexi Krupp. Mix and sound design by Sam Bair. Music written by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. A big thanks to all the researchers we got in touch with for this episode, including Dr Neeltje van Doremalen, Prof. Nigel McMillan, Prof. Jeffrey Shaman, and Prof. Stephen Morse. And special thanks to Salvatore Incontro, Gabriella Doob, the Zukerman family and Joseph Lavelle Wilson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

4 snips
Mar 12, 2020 • 2min
More Science Vs Coming Right Up
Get ready for an exciting new season filled with fascinating discoveries! The hosts dive into the latest research on coronavirus and vaccine science, unraveling complex topics. Plus, they explore the surprising benefits of magic mushrooms and delve into what gut health really means. With daring explorations on the horizon, this season promises to unveil science in the most intriguing ways!