Science Quickly

Rowan Moore Gerety, a science reporter for Scientific American, dives into the groundbreaking world of mRNA vaccines and their potential to treat cancers like pancreatic cancer. He unveils the transformative journey of cancer survivor Barbara Brigham, showcasing how these vaccines can enhance quality of life post-remission. The discussion also highlights the innovative mechanism of mRNA technology in teaching the immune system to target tumors, and addresses the pressing political and funding challenges facing cancer research today.

David Berreby, a science writer and AI enthusiast, shares his fascinating journey exploring griefbots—AI tools that simulate conversations with the deceased. He discusses why people turn to these digital companions, highlighting how they can aid in the mourning process. Berreby explains the creative process behind building a griefbot and how it helps individuals socialize and reengage with their feelings. He also addresses the societal implications of griefbots and expresses cautious optimism about their ethical use in navigating loss.

Kendra Pierre-Louis, a climate journalist known for her captivating food science essays, dives deep into the psychology of taste. She shares her hilarious disdain for mayonnaise and how this aversion connects to broader food textures. Discover the intriguing link between texture and taste perception, like how roughness can heighten sourness. Kendra also explores unique food texture vocabulary from other languages and categorizes preferences, revealing how people connect with food beyond just flavor.

Tom Zeller, Jr., a former New York Times journalist and current editor at Undark, dives into the perplexing world of headaches. He shares his personal battles with cluster headaches that inspired his upcoming book. The conversation uncovers the stark lack of research due to cultural biases, including gender-related misconceptions and the trivialization of pain. Zeller also demystifies various headache types and highlights emerging treatments, leaving listeners with a glimmer of hope in a field long overshadowed by disinterest.

Join Sunita Sah, a Cornell professor and author researching compliance and ethical decision-making, as she explores the virtue of defiance. She discusses how societal conditioning can suppress our voices, making it challenging to assert our boundaries. Learn how Milgram's experiments highlight compliance even under distress. Sah reframes defiance as a value-aligned action, offering insights on how to develop this skill and even how parents can encourage defiance in their children. Discover the empowerment that comes from saying 'no' and standing firm in your beliefs.

Andrea Thompson, a Senior Editor at Scientific American and expert in weather and climate, dives into the extraordinary Hurricane Melissa. She explains its rare Category 5 status and how it stunned meteorologists with peak wind speeds comparable to Pacific supertyphoons. The discussion highlights the storm's devastation in Jamaica and Haiti, including roof losses and landslides. Additionally, Thompson touches on intriguing topics like the links between viral infections and heart health, unusual black hole collisions, and the rationality of chimpanzees.

Christopher Damman, a clinical associate professor of gastroenterology at the University of Washington, chats about the impact of Halloween treats on your gut health. He explains how sugar overloads can upset the balance of gut microbes and why moderation is key. Damman also shares insights on which candies are kinder to your microbiome and emphasizes the benefits of whole foods, fiber, and polyphenols for gut health. After a sugar spree, he suggests wholesome foods to help restore your gut flora.

Kelley Cotter, an assistant professor at Pennsylvania State University specializing in algorithms and social media, dives into TikTok's influential algorithm and its potential U.S. spin-off. She discusses how ownership changes could impact transparency and content diversity. Kelley highlights what makes TikTok distinct, emphasizing short videos and user engagement. The conversation also touches on how new investors might reshape the platform's ideology and content curation, making the future of TikTok a fascinating area of exploration.

Iceland is now home to mosquitoes for the first time, a surprising sign of climate change's reach. With the planet's albedo decreasing, the effects could accelerate global warming. The resurgence of bird flu poses significant threats to agriculture, impacting turkey prices dramatically. Meanwhile, a study links urinary tract infections to contaminated meat, while hopeful news shines through: peanut allergies in toddlers are on the decline, and North Atlantic right whales are showing signs of recovery.

When the U.S. president claimed that acetaminophen use during pregnancy could cause autism in a person’s offspring, it reignited a deeper conversation about how little we know about medication safety for pregnant people. In this episode, Scientific American senior health editor Tanya Lewis explains why pregnant individuals are routinely excluded from clinical trials—and how that gap in research puts millions at risk.  Recommended Reading Nobody Knows How Tylenol Really Works Is Tylenol Safe for Children? Does Tylenol Use during Pregnancy Cause Autism? What the Research Shows E-mail us at sciencequickly@sciam.com if you have any questions, comments or ideas for stories we should cover! Discover something new every day: subscribe to Scientific American and sign up for Today in Science, our daily newsletter. Science Quickly is produced by Rachel Feltman, Fonda Mwangi and Jeff DelViscio. This episode was edited by Alex Sugiura. Shayna Posses and Aaron Shattuck fact-check the show. The theme music was composed by Dominic Smith. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices