Science Vs

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 H

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/3aI1kAE This 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

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 b

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/2xu4ER8 This 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 Doerne

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/3agVF4i Selected References The best study we could find on cloth masks: https://bit.ly

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/TheWomenPodcast Here’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

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, Mery

Science Vs is back March 19th. Fact you next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The new coronavirus continues to spread around the world, and it’s already killed several people in the U.S. People are starting to worry that this will turn into a full-blown pandemic. So how many of us could ultimately get infected — and is it time to prepare for the worst? To find out, we talk to epidemiologists Dr. Cécile Viboud and Prof. Marc Lipsitch. Here’s a link to our transcript: https://bit.ly/2IjUqW0 and our Hand Washing Song: https://player.gimletmedia.com/7osxva Selected references: CDC’s FAQ Page: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/faq.html NEJM Editorial: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMe2002387 Big report from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention: https://bit.ly/32S4e2H This episode was produced by Michelle Dang, Wendy Zukerman, Meryl Horn, and Rose Rimler. We’re edited by Blythe Terrell, with editing help from Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking help from Michelle Harris. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger,

A new virus showed up in China late last year, and it’s making its way to other countries too. So what do scientists know about the virus so far? And how worried should we be? To find out we talk to infectious disease researchers Dr. Kristian Andersen and Dr. Catharine Paules, physician Dr. Hui, and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci. We did an episode on a *fictional* pandemic, which you can find here: https://gimletmedia.com/shows/science-vs/49hok3/pandemic  Check out the full transcript here: https://bit.ly/2S7JwXN Selected references: The WHO and the CDC are maintaining information centers that update regularly: https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019 and https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/index.html  Scientific journals The Lancet and the New England Journal of Medicine have taken down the paywall for papers related to the outbreak: https://www.thelancet.com/coronavirus and https://www.nejm.org/coronavirus  This episode was

This week — asteroids. Could a space rock really slam into us and destroy the world? And if we did spot one heading straight for us, is there anything we could do to stop it? We speak with asteroid researcher Dr. Alan Harris, astrophysicist Dr. Sergey Zamozdra, computational physicist Dr. Cathy Plesko, and physicist Dr. Andy Cheng.  Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2MrW1vp  Selected references:  Overview of Chelyabinsk impact and risk from asteroids: http://bit.ly/2ECSRQQ  How many asteroids are out there? http://bit.ly/34EhyHl  DART mission overview: http://bit.ly/2SkBBZ1  Ways to stop asteroids: https://bit.ly/2sJqGgv  Credits: This episode was produced by Wendy Zukerman along with Lexi Krupp with help from Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn and Rose Rimler. We’re edited by Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Michelle Harris. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Bobby Lord and Emma Munger. Recording assistance from Verónica Zaragovia, Sofi LaLonde, Lawrence Lan

American healthcare has big problems. Some say the solution is Medicare For All: one government plan for everybody. But others say government healthcare would be worse than what we already have. Who’s right? And how did things get this bad? We talk to health policy researchers Prof. Harold Pollack and Robin Osborn.  Check out the full transcript here: https://bit.ly/38ye0cY  Selected references:  Paper from last year on why American healthcare spending is so high: https://bit.ly/2t8gkqB  Report from Robin’s group that compares the US, the UK, and many other countries: https://bit.ly/2qRh7vy A WHO report on healthcare cost control: https://bit.ly/38AEHxl Big Lancet report on the health of countries around the world: https://bit.ly/2RLJB4N  Credits: This episode was produced by Rose Rimler with help from Lexi Krupp along with Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, and Meryl Horn. We’re edited by Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Michelle Harris. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leo

On today’s show, three f-ant-astic stories of survival, friendship and courage about some of the most underrated creatures in the animal queendom. Produced with our friends at Every Little Thing, another Gimlet podcast. We spoke with behavioral ecologist Dr. István Maák, biologist Dr. Erik Frank, entomologist Dr. Christina Kwapich, and biologist Prof Derrick Brazill.  Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/38cDgoU  Selected references:  István’s study on ants surviving in a nuclear bunker: http://bit.ly/2rkR2Fb  Erik’s study on ants helping each other in a termite hunt: http://bit.ly/2YlH6Y9  Christina’s study on ants destroying spider webs: http://bit.ly/2RnOMrt  Review on “dicty”- the amoeba we talk to Derrick about: http://bit.ly/2DQFoVk  Credits: Science Vs is produced by Wendy Zukerman along with Meryl Horn, Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, and Lexi Krupp. Every Little Thing’s piece was produced by Gabby Bulgarelli, Emily Forman, Phoebe Flanigan, Annette Heist and Flora Lichtman. This episo

It’s been five years since the high profile shootings of several unarmed black teenagers and men launched the Black Lives Matter movement. Since then, police departments have been doing all kinds of things to respond to the deaths and protests. But do any of them work? To find out we speak with social psychologist Prof. Jennifer Eberhardt, psychologist Prof. Phillip Atiba Goff, public policy expert Dr. David Yokum, criminologists Dr. Lois James, and Dr. Stephen James.  Check out the full transcript transcript here: http://bit.ly/2D23jAR  Selected references:  Jennifer’s study on respectful language during traffic stops, and her book on implicit bias: http://bit.ly/2XGHobN  Phil’s study on bias and the Las Vegas policy changes: http://bit.ly/2O8Ndf3  David’s study on whether body cameras reduce police use of force: http://bit.ly/2pJj5gU  Credits: This episode was produced by Meryl Horn with help from Wendy Zukerman, along with Rose Rimler, Michelle Dang, Lexi Krupp, and Kaitlyn Sawrey. We’re edited by C

A group of teenagers and college kids were fed up with the lousy healthcare in their neighborhood. So they decided to fight the system head on—a fight that still resonates today. Sid Davidoff, Mickey Melendez, and Cleo Silvers share their story.  Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/33QhYKX Selected references:  Mickey Melendez's Book: http://bit.ly/34Ww1ik  Interview with Cleo Silvers: http://bit.ly/2Xcg58S  Article about lead testing in the 1970s: http://bit.ly/2qTJSqN   To hear more on lead poisoning prevention today: http://bit.ly/2Qh3MXK  Pacifica Radio Archives: pacificaradioarchives.org     Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Not sleeping enough turning you into a monster? Cutting-edge science helps us understand why. And we sort through the fads to find out, what really works to get more ZZZs. We speak with lab coordinator Pam De Young, sleep researcher Dr. Brady Riedner, and circadian scientist Prof. Russell Foster.  Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2Ns26Zt  Selected references:  Consensus on the optimal amount of sleep: http://bit.ly/2Nu33Rc  Local sleep review: http://bit.ly/33rXWGL  Drunk study: http://bit.ly/33sN1wo  Melatonin review: http://bit.ly/2WXC1EW  E-reader study: http://bit.ly/2NU67EY  Credits: This episode was produced by Rose Rimler and Lexi Krupp with help from Wendy Zukerman, along with Michelle Dang, Meryl Horn and Kaitlyn Sawrey. We’re edited by Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, Bobby Lord, and Bach. Recording assistance from Dave Drexler, Tim Peterson, Zoe Sullivan, and Martin Wiggins. So

How should we feel about 5G? Is it a breakthrough technology that will revolutionize our world, or in a bid to get new gadgets, are we risking our health? To find out, we spoke with electrical engineer Prof. Jeff Andrews, biologist Prof. Henrik Mouritsen, radiology safety expert Prof. Chris Collins, and psychologist Prof. Rodney Croft.  Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2qd2MIR  Selected references:  Jeff’s paper on the future of 5G: http://bit.ly/36ob7tW  Chris's review on 5G’s safety: http://bit.ly/336losL  Henrik's article on the effect of electromagnetic radiation on migratory birds: https://go.nature.com/338t3Xy  Review on symptoms associated with electromagnetic waves: http://bit.ly/2JF7C8V  Credits: This episode was produced by Meryl Horn with help from Wendy Zukerman, Lexi Krupp, Michelle Dang and Rose Rimler. We’re edited by Caitlin Kenney. Fact checking by Michelle Harris, Lexi Krupp, and Michelle Dang. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard and Bobby Lord. Music written by Pete

Vaping is all the rage in the U.S., but young people are turning up at hospitals barely able to breathe. Over a thousand vapers have gotten sick⁠—34 are dead⁠—and no one knows why. We investigated the case of the mysterious vaping disease with help from Geri Sullivan, pulmonologist Dr. Louella Amos, lab director Iniobong Afia, inhalation toxicologist Prof. Ilona Jaspers and researcher Dr. Jamie Hartmann-Boyce.  Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/33VzzRi Selected references:  CDC Outbreak Page: http://bit.ly/2PheKvO  Case reports from 53 vaping patients who got sick over the summer: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1911614 “Chemical burn” analysis of patients’ lungs: https://bit.ly/2oexalC Jamie’s review “Electronic cigarettes for smoking cessation”: https://bit.ly/32GTN14 Credits:  This episode was produced by our senior producer Kaitlyn Sawrey and producer Michelle Dang, with help from me, Wendy Zukerman, Lexi Krupp, Rose Rimler and Meryl Horn. We’re edited by Caitlin Ke

If a pandemic ripped across the world, how bad would it really get? You’ve heard the horror stories, but you’ve never heard one like this. Dr. Anthony Fauci, who advises the President on emerging infectious diseases, helps us out. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2M4Tlnt  Selected references:  The CDC’s history of the 1918 Pandemic: http://bit.ly/2AXiGJP  Time-lapse tracking the transmission and evolution of H7N9: http://bit.ly/2B1nYnG  CDC’s Pandemic Influenza Plan: http://bit.ly/2pVroFZ  Institute for Disease Modeling’s flu pandemic death toll simulation: http://bit.ly/2M2ymSj  Credits: This episode was produced by our senior producer Kaitlyn Sawrey, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Michelle Dang, Lexi Krupp, Rose Rimler and Meryl Horn. Special thanks to Frank Lopez. We’re edited by Caitlin Kenney and Blythe Terrell. Extra writing help from Kevin Christopher Snipes. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Bobby Lord and Marcus

We’ve all been dumped, but some of us have felt physically sick from a heartbreak -- sometimes really sick. Neuroscientist Prof. Lucy Brown explains how pangs from a heartache might not just be in our heads. Check out the full transcript here: http://bit.ly/2OhEIi9 Selected references: Lucy’s FMRI study of the rejected in-love college students: http://bit.ly/355Xz5B The social/physical pain overlap in the brain: https://bit.ly/2IkRQiVHow psychological stress affects the immune system: https://bit.ly/333CsiS Credits: This episode was produced by Michelle Dang, with help from Wendy Zukerman, Rose Rimler, Meryl Horn and Lexi Krupp. Our senior producer is Kaitlyn Sawrey. We’re edited by Caitlin Kenney and Blythe Terrell. Fact checking by Diane Kelly. Mix and sound design by Peter Leonard. Music written by Peter Leonard, Emma Munger, and Bobby Lord. A huge thanks to all the scientists we got in touch with for this episode, including Professor Larry Young, Professor Tiffany Field, Professor Ethan Kross, Professor