Follow the Science
127 episodes - English - Latest episode: about 1 year ago - ★★★★ - 34 ratingsFiguring out what to believe is harder than ever in this pandemic, as we’re told we should trust scientists who often disagree or change their minds. In this podcast I’ll be covering the science behind Covid-19 and other medical issues while examining how we can distinguish scientific ideas from chatter, speculation, sanctimony, hype and noise. I’m Faye Flam and I’m a science journalist so it’s my job to sort it out.
I’ll also be investigating how misinformation spreads through social media and why so many people believe dubious claims – from miracle cures to Q-anon conspiracy theories.
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Episodes
38. The Science of Mask Mandates for Kids
September 10, 2021 13:00 - 29 minutes - 41.2 MBShould mask mandates for kids go all the way down to age 2? Should kids have to keep masks on at recess? Should kids wear cloth masks despite little evidence of protection? Is universal masking in schools the new normal? Emotions are running high and relevant scientific studies are in short supply. I’ll be talking with two doctors, Dr. Elissa Schechter-Perkins and Dr. Vinay Prasad (Plenary Session), to explore what science can tell us, not just about whether kids should wear masks to sch...
38. The Science of Mask Mandates for Kids w/ Elissa Schechter-Perkins & Vinay Prasad
September 10, 2021 13:00 - 29 minutes - 41.2 MBShould mask mandates for kids go all the way down to age 2? Should kids have to keep masks on at recess? Should kids wear cloth masks despite little evidence of protection? Is universal masking in schools the new normal? Emotions are running high and relevant scientific studies are in short supply. I’ll be talking with two doctors, Dr. Elissa Schechter-Perkins and Dr. Vinay Prasad (Plenary Session), to explore what science can tell us, not just about whether kids should wear masks to sch...
37. Beyond Covid-19 – Other Looming Threats w/ Rodney Rohde
September 03, 2021 13:00 - 16 minutes - 22.6 MBIf we weren’t all obsessed with the pandemic, there would be scare stories about a life-threatening fungus that’s infecting people in Texas and Washington DC. It can’t be cured with drugs that would normally be used for fungal infections. Even as we battle a virus, fungi and bacteria are evolving resistance to known drugs, and as clinical laboratory science professor Rodney Rohde says, Covid-19 may be making this other threat worse. “Follow the Science" is produced, written, and hosted by ...
37. Beyond Covid-19 – Other Looming Threats
September 03, 2021 13:00 - 16 minutes - 22.6 MBIf we weren’t all obsessed with the pandemic, there would be scare stories about a life-threatening fungus that’s infecting people in Texas and Washington DC. It can’t be cured with drugs that would normally be used for fungal infections. Even as we battle a virus, fungi and bacteria are evolving resistance to known drugs, and as clinical laboratory science professor Rodney Rohde says, Covid-19 may be making this other threat worse. “Follow the Science" is produced, written, and hosted by ...
36. Breakthrough Cases, Boosters, and Confusion
August 27, 2021 14:35 - 21 minutes - 29.7 MBThere’s still a strong consensus that getting vaccinated is better than not – but a surprising lack of information on which vaccines work best, how long protection lasts, and why cases are skyrocketing in some places with high vaccination rates, including Israel, where more than 60% of the population is fully vaccinated with the Pfizer shot. Here in the United States, tens of thousands are being hospitalized in a fourth wave, and many are vaccinated. Harvard Epidemiologist Bill Hanage will...
36. Breakthrough Cases, Boosters, and Confusion w/ Bill Hanage
August 27, 2021 14:35 - 21 minutes - 29.7 MBThere’s still a strong consensus that getting vaccinated is better than not – but a surprising lack of information on which vaccines work best, how long protection lasts, and why cases are skyrocketing in some places with high vaccination rates, including Israel, where more than 60% of the population is fully vaccinated with the Pfizer shot. Here in the United States, tens of thousands are being hospitalized in a fourth wave, and many are vaccinated. Harvard Epidemiologist Bill Hanage will...
35. Why is the Pandemic So Hard to Predict?
August 20, 2021 13:00 - 24 minutes - 33.5 MBWe take precautions, get vaccinated, and yet cases surge again and again. And then the waves decline unexpectedly, defying predictions. There’s no good explanation for why cases are going up in some places and not others. And there’s not nearly enough information on which venues or activities are the most dangerous. By contrast, weather forecasters look downright clairvoyant. Today’s guest, Sam Scarpino, is an expert on complex systems. He’s just started a new position as managing director...
35. Why is the Pandemic So Hard to Predict? w/ Sam Scarpino
August 20, 2021 13:00 - 24 minutes - 33.5 MBWe take precautions, get vaccinated, and yet cases surge again and again. And then the waves decline unexpectedly, defying predictions. There’s no good explanation for why cases are going up in some places and not others. And there’s not nearly enough information on which venues or activities are the most dangerous. By contrast, weather forecasters look downright clairvoyant. Today’s guest, Sam Scarpino, is an expert on complex systems. He’s just started a new position as managing director...
34. Official and Unofficial Misinformation on Vaccines
August 13, 2021 13:00 - 25 minutes - 35.4 MBVaccines aren’t perfect. Physician Art Krieg knows that all too well since his fully vaccinated 90-year-old father recently died from Covid-19. But he makes a good case that getting vaccinated still helps protect the community by lowering your odds of getting infected and vastly lowering your odds of being hospitalized. Dr. Krieg also tackles the question of whether people who have had Covid-19 should get the shots, whether some people are medically exempt, and how the delta variant changes ...
34. Official and Unofficial Misinformation on Vaccines w/ Art Krieg
August 13, 2021 13:00 - 25 minutes - 35.4 MBVaccines aren’t perfect. Physician Art Krieg knows that all too well since his fully vaccinated 90-year-old father recently died from Covid-19. But he makes a good case that getting vaccinated still helps protect the community by lowering your odds of getting infected and vastly lowering your odds of being hospitalized. Dr. Krieg also tackles the question of whether people who have had Covid-19 should get the shots, whether some people are medically exempt, and how the delta variant changes ...
33. Using Biology to Recalculate the Pandemic's Future w/ Vineet Menachery
August 06, 2021 15:00 - 25 minutes - 35.7 MBWhat can the scientific study of the delta variant tell us about the pandemic’s future? Does it make sense go back to taking precautions to deal with a temporary setback, or is it time we all learn how to live with some risk? Today I talk with immunologist and microbiologist Vineet Menachery from the University of Texas Medical Branch. He explains how the virus gets into cells, and why the delta variant does it better than earlier forms of the virus. He explains why a future variant that eva...
33. Using Biology to Recalculate the Pandemic's Future
August 06, 2021 15:00 - 25 minutes - 35.7 MBWhat can the scientific study of the delta variant tell us about the pandemic’s future? Does it make sense go back to taking precautions to deal with a temporary setback, or is it time we all learn how to live with some risk? Today I talk with immunologist and microbiologist Vineet Menachery from the University of Texas Medical Branch. He explains how the virus gets into cells, and why the delta variant does it better than earlier forms of the virus. He explains why a future variant that eva...
Help Us Improve!
July 30, 2021 13:00 - 1 minute - 1.94 MBHey, listeners! We're taking a break this week to catch up and get ahead! Lots of things are changing in the world and that means we'll have to do the same. We're wondering if you can help us with that? We'd like to hear your opinion so far on Follow the Science. What we're doing right, what we're doing wrong, and what we can do to improve! The survey shouldn't take any more than five minute and it's located at this link: https://forms.gle/G1WU6fhnGcPo3ycV7 Your help means the world to us, ...
32. The Long Memory of Vaccines: Explained w/ Monica Gandhi
July 23, 2021 14:15 - 21 minutes - 30 MBJubilation at the introduction of Covid-19 vaccines is giving way to debates about boosters and fears of breakthrough infections. And people are understandably confused about how vaccines work. How could they possibly help us fight a virus years or even decades in the future? Infectious disease expert Monica Gandhi of the University of California, San Francisco explains how this seemingly magical process works – with special B and T cells that hide away in your lymph nodes and bone marrow, r...
32. The Long Memory of Vaccines: Explained
July 23, 2021 14:15 - 21 minutes - 30 MBJubilation at the introduction of Covid-19 vaccines is giving way to debates about boosters and fears of breakthrough infections. And people are understandably confused about how vaccines work. How could they possibly help us fight a virus years or even decades in the future? Infectious disease expert Monica Gandhi of the University of California, San Francisco explains how this seemingly magical process works – with special B and T cells that hide away in your lymph nodes and bone marrow, r...
31. Ivermectin: The Chemistry of Hope and Hype w/ Derek Lowe
July 16, 2021 16:00 - 25 minutes - 34.8 MBThere are philosophical reasons that political conservatives are more likely to cheer for experimental Covid-19 drugs - hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin – and reasons that political liberals are more likely to cheer for vaccines. But you can’t always get what you want. In this episode, medicinal chemist Derek Lowe, author of the In the Pipeline blog, gets into the molecular workings of things to explain why it’s easier to fight a viruses with vaccines than with drugs. He explains why it’s w...
31. Ivermectin: The Chemistry of Hope and Hype
July 16, 2021 16:00 - 25 minutes - 34.8 MBThere are philosophical reasons that political conservatives are more likely to cheer for experimental Covid-19 drugs - hydroxychloroquine and Ivermectin – and reasons that political liberals are more likely to cheer for vaccines. But you can’t always get what you want. In this episode, medicinal chemist Derek Lowe, author of the In the Pipeline blog, gets into the molecular workings of things to explain why it’s easier to fight a viruses with vaccines than with drugs. He explains why it’s w...
30. Fear and Fatigue Shape Our Response to Delta w/ Müge Çevik & Shira Doron
July 09, 2021 15:39 - 23 minutes - 31.6 MBJust when Americans were getting back to normal life, a new variant is leading some public health officials to call for a return to distancing, masks and fear. How will the new, more transmissible variant change the future now that around half the population is vaccinated? Some clues come from the UK, where my first guest, Müge Çevik, works as an infectious disease doctor. She said the vaccines are still working despite the fact that Delta has been dominant in the UK for a while. Hospitals t...
30. Fear and Fatigue Shape Our Response to Delta
July 09, 2021 15:39 - 23 minutes - 31.6 MBJust when Americans were getting back to normal life, a new variant is leading some public health officials to call for a return to distancing, masks and fear. How will the new, more transmissible variant change the future now that around half the population is vaccinated? Some clues come from the UK, where my first guest, Muge Cevik, works as an infectious disease doctor. She said the vaccines are still working despite the fact that Delta has been dominant in the UK for a while. Hospitals t...
29. Are Doctors Misinformed About Stress? w/ Michael Romero
July 02, 2021 13:00 - 20 minutes - 28.7 MBIs the stress associated with being busy harming our health? If so, why are so many people stressed out by doing less during the pandemic? Stress is confusing because the concept is built on a questionable foundation. Tobacco companies paid researchers to show that a big rise in heart disease in the mid 20th century was caused by stress. But that was deceptive - the rise was caused by smoking. I talk to biologist Michael Romero of Tufts University, who has helped create a more coherent pic...
29. Are Doctors Misinformed About Stress?
July 02, 2021 13:00 - 20 minutes - 28.7 MBIs the stress associated with being busy harming our health? If so, why are so many people stressed out by doing less during the pandemic? Stress is confusing because the concept is built on a questionable foundation. Tobacco companies paid researchers to show that a big rise in heart disease in the mid 20th century was caused by stress. But that was deceptive - the rise was caused by smoking. I talk to biologist Michael Romero of Tufts University, who has helped create a more coherent pic...
28. Why Social Media Has Misinformation Overload
June 25, 2021 14:33 - 27 minutes - 38.2 MBScience doesn’t lend itself to fact checking, since science isn’t a set of facts but a process for finding things out. That’s why Facebook got criticized for deleting posts suggesting the virus causing Covid-19 might have had something to do with a lab accident. The reality is we don’t know where the virus came from. This week, social scientists David Rand of MIT and Gordon Pennycook of the University of Regina will discuss why there’s so much misinformation on social media, and how to fix t...
28. Why Social Media Has Misinformation Overload w/ David Rand & Gordon Pennycook
June 25, 2021 14:33 - 27 minutes - 38.2 MBScience doesn’t lend itself to fact checking, since science isn’t a set of facts but a process for finding things out. That’s why Facebook got criticized for deleting posts suggesting the virus causing Covid-19 might have had something to do with a lab accident. The reality is we don’t know where the virus came from. This week, social scientists David Rand of MIT and Gordon Pennycook of the University of Regina will discuss why there’s so much misinformation on social media, and how to fix t...
27. What the Mainstream Media Got Wrong About the Pandemic
June 18, 2021 19:04 - 34 minutes - 47.2 MBNewspapers, magazines and television played a critical role in informing people about the pandemic, and many news outlets did a good job. But some also fed misconceptions – often exaggerating risks, or equating small risks with large ones, as well as dismissing those who suggested a possible lab leak origin of the pandemic as conspiracy theorists. In this episode, I talk to two prominent journalists, David Leonhardt (New York Times) and David Wallace-Wells (New York Magazine), and one medi...
27. What the Mainstream Media Got Wrong About the Pandemic w/ David Leonhardt, David Wallace-Wells & Gary Schwitzer
June 18, 2021 19:04 - 34 minutes - 47.2 MBNewspapers, magazines and television played a critical role in informing people about the pandemic, and many news outlets did a good job. But some also fed misconceptions – often exaggerating risks, or equating small risks with large ones, as well as dismissing those who suggested a possible lab leak origin of the pandemic as conspiracy theorists. In this episode, I talk to two prominent journalists, David Leonhardt (New York Times) and David Wallace-Wells (New York Magazine), and one medi...
26. A Brief History of Lab Errors, Germ Warfare, and Secrecy
June 11, 2021 17:16 - 34 minutes - 46.8 MBWe were told the first person to get Covid-19 was probably a rural farmer or hunter or trafficker in wildlife, but now the attention has turned to the possibility it was a scientist or lab technician. In this episode I’ll try to give that idea some historical context. Jamie Metzl is a WHO advisor and former State Department official who talks about the history of secrecy in China. He explains why he argued on 60 minutes that we need to keep investigating a lab leak. Bill Sargent is the autho...
26. A Brief History of Lab Errors, Germ Warfare, and Secrecy w/ Jamie Metzl & Bill Sargent
June 11, 2021 17:16 - 34 minutes - 46.8 MBWe were told the first person to get Covid-19 was probably a rural farmer or hunter or trafficker in wildlife, but now the attention has turned to the possibility it was a scientist or lab technician. In this episode I’ll try to give that idea some historical context. Jamie Metzl is a WHO advisor and former State Department official who talks about the history of secrecy in China. He explains why he argued on 60 minutes that we need to keep investigating a lab leak. Bill Sargent is the autho...
25. Our Post-Vaccine Future w/ Monica Gandhi
June 04, 2021 14:00 - 36 minutes - 49.7 MBThe history of Covid-19 is already littered with bad predictions. There are exceptions, such as AIDS expert Monica Gandhi, who foresaw from the first clinical trial results that the pandemic would wane where vaccines – and good public health information - were readily available. Her vision of the future now is that Covid will fade as a major source of mortality and fear for the wealthy. But in poor areas, it will continue to kill, as AIDS did for many years after the invention of effective d...
25. Our Post-Vaccine Future
June 04, 2021 14:00 - 36 minutes - 49.7 MBThe history of Covid-19 is already littered with bad predictions. There are exceptions, such as AIDS expert Monica Gandhi, who foresaw from the first clinical trial results that the pandemic would wane where vaccines – and good public health information - were readily available. Her vision of the future now is that Covid will fade as a major source of mortality and fear for the wealthy. But in poor areas, it will continue to kill, as AIDS did for many years after the invention of effective d...
24. Hazardous Research at Virology Labs w/ Richard Ebright
May 28, 2021 18:09 - 27 minutes - 38.3 MBWhat is going on in virology labs around the world? Are they really using genetic technology to create superviruses? Though scientists still don’t know whether a lab accident had anything to do with the start of Covid-19, the possibility has raised questions about dangers lurking in labs. Biologist Richard Ebright, a professor at Rutgers University, lays out a historical tour of germ research, and argues that it’s been too loosely regulated given the dangers inherent in collecting, storing...
24. Hazardous Research at Virology Labs
May 28, 2021 18:09 - 27 minutes - 38.3 MBWhat is going on in virology labs around the world? Are they really using genetic technology to create superviruses? Though scientists still don’t know whether a lab accident had anything to do with the start of Covid-19, the possibility has raised questions about dangers lurking in labs. Biologist Richard Ebright, a professor at Rutgers University, lays out a historical tour of germ research, and argues that it’s been too loosely regulated given the dangers inherent in collecting, storing...
23. Can We End This Nightmare Yet?
May 21, 2021 13:35 - 24 minutes - 33.1 MBLife suddenly feels normal in the United States, with Covid cases down, hospitals clearing out, and people taking off their masks. But India, recently praised for controlling the virus, is now immersed in a crisis worse than anything seen so far in the pandemic. UCSF physician and infectious disease expert Babak Javid talks with me about the changing fortunes of the two countries, and why we should be sending India vaccine doses. He was an early proponent of universal masking, and while he s...
23. Can We End This Nightmare Yet? w/ Babak Javid
May 21, 2021 13:35 - 24 minutes - 33.1 MBLife suddenly feels normal in the United States, with Covid cases down, hospitals clearing out, and people taking off their masks. But India, recently praised for controlling the virus, is now immersed in a crisis worse than anything seen so far in the pandemic. UCSF physician and infectious disease expert Babak Javid talks with me about the changing fortunes of the two countries, and why we should be sending India vaccine doses. He was an early proponent of universal masking, and while he s...
22. The Painfully Slow Return to Normalcy w/ Denis Nash & Tana Smith
May 14, 2021 13:30 - 22 minutes - 31.3 MBOn Friday, the CDC finally told vaccinated people they don’t have to wear masks anymore except in a planes, public transportation and a handful of other places. It’s an important step in the return to normalcy, but why now? And what’s taken so long? And when will CDC let up on children? In the days before the mask recommendation changed, I grilled a few experts (Denis Nash, CUNY Institute for Implementation Science on Population Health & Dr. Tara Smith, Kent State University College of Publ...
22. The Painfully Slow Return to Normalcy
May 14, 2021 13:30 - 22 minutes - 31.3 MBOn Friday, the CDC finally told vaccinated people they don’t have to wear masks anymore except in a planes, public transportation and a handful of other places. It’s an important step in the return to normalcy, but why now? And what’s taken so long? And when will CDC let up on children? In the days before the mask recommendation changed, I grilled a few experts (Denis Nash, CUNY Institute for Implementation Science on Population Health & Dr. Tara Smith, Kent State University College of Publ...
21. Why We Feel Naked Without a Mask
May 07, 2021 16:00 - 24 minutes - 33.6 MBPeople around the country have changed their behavior in big and small ways that don’t always line up with rules or guidelines to prevent Covid-19. People flout rules and take risks, and then take measures that go far beyond the rules, including wearing masks outdoors in situations where CDC says it’s not necessary. Neurobiologist Mark Changizi has some unconventional views on what’s happening. In this episode, I talk with him about ways societies sometimes change their own behavioral norms ...
21. Why We Feel Naked Without a Mask w/ Mark Changizi
May 07, 2021 16:00 - 24 minutes - 33.6 MBPeople around the country have changed their behavior in big and small ways that don’t always line up with rules or guidelines to prevent Covid-19. People flout rules and take risks, and then take measures that go far beyond the rules, including wearing masks outdoors in situations where CDC says it’s not necessary. Neurobiologist Mark Changizi has some unconventional views on what’s happening. In this episode, I talk with him about ways societies sometimes change their own behavioral norms ...
20. The Fake Science Detectives
April 30, 2021 13:00 - 31 minutes - 43.8 MBTo cheat is human – and cheating affects most human endeavors, even science. Fake science refers to a growing problem with papers that look like they describe real experimental results but the data are made up, or copied from someone else’s work, often on a different disease altogether. Meet two scientists who’ve volunteered to become fake paper sleuths. David Sanders is a virologist at Purdue University who tracks scientific plagiarism, and has acted as a whistle blower. Elisabeth Bik is a...
20. The Fake Science Detectives w/ David Sangers & Elisabeth Bik
April 30, 2021 13:00 - 31 minutes - 43.8 MBTo cheat is human – and cheating affects most human endeavors, even science. Fake science refers to a growing problem with papers that look like they describe real experimental results but the data are made up, or copied from someone else’s work, often on a different disease altogether. Meet two scientists who’ve volunteered to become fake paper sleuths. David Sanders is a virologist at Purdue University who tracks scientific plagiarism, and has acted as a whistle blower. Elisabeth Bik is a...
19. From Fringe to Fact: How to Follow the Science w/ Michael Gordin
April 23, 2021 13:00 - 38 minutes - 53.2 MBWhat do I mean by Follow the Science? I picked this title for the show because it was catchy, but I thought I should take a deeper look at what it’s come to mean. It’s not always obvious what’s real science, what’s pseudoscience, and my guest for this episode is an expert on both. Historian Michael Gordin is author of "On the Fringe, Where Science Meets Pseudoscience". We talk about how hard it is to find one rule to separate science from pseudoscience, and how science has changed and evolve...
19. From Fringe to Fact: How to Follow the Science
April 23, 2021 13:00 - 38 minutes - 53.2 MBWhat do I mean by Follow the Science? I picked this title for the show because it was catchy, but I thought I should take a deeper look at what it’s come to mean. It’s not always obvious what’s real science, what’s pseudoscience, and my guest for this episode is an expert on both. Historian Michael Gordin is author of "On the Fringe, Where Science Meets Pseudoscience". We talk about how hard it is to find one rule to separate science from pseudoscience, and how science has changed and evolve...
18. The Science of Social Media Misinformation w/ Filippo Menczer
April 16, 2021 14:10 - 39 minutes - 54.6 MBSocial media has become the primary source of news for millions, and yet it’s not in the business of giving people reliable or accurate information. I’ll be talking to Indiana University computer scientist Filippo Menczer about the way social media divides us, manipulates us and deceives us. We talk about bad actors who set up deceptive automated accounts, called bots, and about the recent Scientific American piece he co-authored, Information Overload Helps Fake News Spread, and Social Media...
18. The Science of Social Media Misinformation
April 16, 2021 14:10 - 39 minutes - 54.6 MBSocial media has become the primary source of news for millions, and yet it’s not in the business of giving people reliable or accurate information. I’ll be talking to Indiana University computer scientist Filippo Menczer about the way social media divides us, manipulates us and deceives us. We talk about bad actors who set up deceptive automated accounts, called bots, and about the recent Scientific American piece he co-authored, Information Overload Helps Fake News Spread, and Social Media...
17. Diseases Lurking in Nature: How Wildlife Viruses Have Sparked Pandemics
April 09, 2021 12:00 - 26 minutes - 36 MBPast pandemics have started because people trafficked, sold, ate or encroached on wild animals. In this episode we’ll discuss how pandemics start with science writer David Quammen, author of the 2012 book Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic. He’s accompanied international teams of disease detectives investigating how SARS1, Nipah Virus and other disease agents jumped from animals to humans and started to spread. We may never know whether the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic...
17. Diseases Lurking in Nature: How Wildlife Viruses Have Sparked Pandemics w/ David Quammen
April 09, 2021 12:00 - 26 minutes - 36 MBPast pandemics have started because people trafficked, sold, ate or encroached on wild animals. In this episode we’ll discuss how pandemics start with science writer David Quammen, author of the 2012 book Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic. He’s accompanied international teams of disease detectives investigating how SARS1, Nipah Virus and other disease agents jumped from animals to humans and started to spread. We may never know whether the current SARS-CoV-2 pandemic...
16. Clues Withheld, Questions Unanswered – The Pandemic’s Origin, Revisited w/ Matt Ridley
April 02, 2021 14:00 - 28 minutes - 39.2 MBThe World Health Organization recently sent a team to China to investigate the origin of the coronavirus that sparked our pandemic. But they returned with little new information beyond a vague assertion that the virus probably had a “natural” origin in an animal. There was no explanation for how, where or when it jumped to humans. Matt Ridley, a journalist with a background in biology, says the possibility of a lab accident is far from ruled out. He talks about potential clues being withhe...
16. Clues Withheld, Questions Unanswered – The Pandemic’s Origin, Revisited
April 02, 2021 14:00 - 28 minutes - 39.2 MBThe World Health Organization recently sent a team to China to investigate the origin of the coronavirus that sparked our pandemic. But they returned with little new information beyond a vague assertion that the virus probably had a “natural” origin in an animal. There was no explanation for how, where or when it jumped to humans. Matt Ridley, a journalist with a background in biology, says the possibility of a lab accident is far from ruled out. He talks about potential clues being withhe...
15. Herd Immunity and the Coming Tide of Normalcy w/ Monica Gandhi & Paul Offit
March 26, 2021 15:00 - 30 minutes - 41.3 MBNow that vaccines are available to younger people who are unlikely to die from Covid-19, many are getting their shots with the understanding that they can finally bring down the barriers to normal social lives, and even dating and romance. While most experts agree the vaccines work, they disagree on whether people should feel okay about returning to normal interactions any time soon. And some warn of a pandemic that will linger for months, if not forever. In this episode, I’ll talk with UC...
15. Herd Immunity and the Coming Tide of Normalcy
March 26, 2021 15:00 - 30 minutes - 41.3 MBNow that vaccines are available to younger people who are unlikely to die from Covid-19, many are getting their shots with the understanding that they can finally bring down the barriers to normal social lives, and even dating and romance. While most experts agree the vaccines work, they disagree on whether people should feel okay about returning to normal interactions any time soon. And some warn of a pandemic that will linger for months, if not forever. In this episode, I’ll talk with UC...
14. When Trust in Experts Goes Too Far w/ Vinay Prasad & Peter Sandman
March 19, 2021 16:24 - 34 minutes - 47.7 MBEven before the pandemic, trusting experts had become synonymous with trusting science. But there’s a world of difference between “science” and the opinion of a scientist. In this episode I’ll examine the value, and the limitations, of expert opinion. Physician, epidemiology professor and podcaster Vinay Prasad (Plenary Session) will discuss the reasons certain experts get all the limelight while others, despite being better qualified, might be drowned out. He’ll also talk about the oversize...