Sample Size
37 episodes - English - Latest episode: over 2 years ago -News, politics, and society: they're all bad at science. Get a fresh take on the science and data that drives the news stories you read every day. Tune in each week as we go beyond the headlines to discuss science, math, and technology news stories and explain why these stories are important.
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Episodes
Cov-idiots
October 08, 2021 12:46 - 37 minutes - 34.1 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss coronavirus stories that wouldn't fit in our last episode! Discussion includes an NIH study about COVID-19 prevalence in the summer, the fight over masks in schools, and actual social media posts from health agencies combating misinformation. Post production by Scott Stronach. Check out other Sample Size episodes here and reach out to us on twitter or email us at samplesizeshow.gmail.com if you have any topics you want ...
Bad Apple
October 02, 2021 20:25 - 32 minutes - 29.5 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss Apple's new CSAM scanning. Discussion includes what is CSAM, how has Apple decided to scan for it, and why this noble pursuit may be problematic. Post production by Scott Stronach. Check out Cameron's Youtube video on the subject at youtube.com/WildcardCameron. Check out other Sample Size episodes here and reach out to us on twitter or email us at samplesizeshow.gmail.com if you have any topics you want us to cover in ...
COVID-19 Vaccine Boosters and Math Paradoxes
September 04, 2021 16:48 - 29 minutes - 26.8 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss the latest information on the COVID-19 vaccines. Discussion includes how effective are the vaccines against the delta variant, should the data from Israel have us worried, and do we need boosters. Post production by Scott Stronach. Check out other Sample Size episodes here and reach out to us on twitter or email us at samplesizeshow.gmail.com if you have any topics you want us to cover in the future! Remember to get va...
It's Fixed
August 06, 2021 11:15 - 31 minutes - 28.9 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss the right to repair movement. Discussion includes what is right to repair, why is it important, and why don't we have it. Post production by Scott Stronach. Check out other Sample Size episodes here and reach out to us on twitter or email us at samplesizeshow.gmail.com if you have any topics you want us to cover in the future! Remember to get vaccinated against COVID-19 if you can and stay safe! And please consider dona...
A Drug to Remember
July 10, 2021 13:39 - 26 minutes - 24.7 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss the FDA's approval of Aduhelm, a new drug developed to treat those with Alzheimer's disease. Discussion includes what is this drug, why is its approval controversial, and why did the FDA go ahead and approve it. Post production by Scott Stronach. Check out other Sample Size episodes here and reach out to us on twitter or email us at samplesizeshow.gmail.com if you have any topics you want us to cover in the future! Pl...
Feed Drop: The Decentralized Web Podcast
June 25, 2021 13:11 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBThis episode is not a Sample Size episode, but instead an interview given recently by Wildcard Cameron on The Decentralized Web podcast. We're excited to share this discussion with you about decentralized web technologies, data privacy, and why the way we think about data is changing. Don't know what decentralized web means? Find out by listening to this episode and other episodes from The Decentralized Web podcast! Check out Sample Size episodes here and reach out to us on twitter or email...
Uh-Opioids
June 11, 2021 11:15 - 30 minutes - 28.2 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss two recent stories about the opioid crisis in the U.S.: a county in Indiana ending their needle-exchange program and the Purdue Pharma bankruptcy settlement. Discussion includes background on the stories and their implications on the larger opioid crisis. Post production by Scott Stronach. Please consider donating to organizations providing supplies and relief to India to help with the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit UNICEF or...
The DarkSide of Ransomware
May 28, 2021 11:15 - 35 minutes - 48.7 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss the ransomware attack on the Colonial Pipeline. Discussion includes what was this ransomware attack, who is responsible, and what is being done to prevent more attacks like this in the future. Post production by Scott Stronach. Link to Cameron's YouTube video on VPNs: youtube.com/wildcardcameron Please consider donating to organizations providing supplies and relief to India to help with the COVID-19 pandemic. Visit U...
What You Need to Know about COVID-19 in India
May 14, 2021 11:45 - 27 minutes - 25.4 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss the recent spike in COVID-19 cases in India. Discussion includes why are cases spiking, what is the Indian government doing to help, and how are other nations responding. Post production by Scott Stronach. To donate to organizations providing supplies and relief, visit UNICEF or Mutual Aid India. Sources: https://www.cnn.ph/world/2021/5/1/India-record-high-COVID-19-cases.html https://www.theguardian.com/world/2...
The US is Making a Tariff-ic Mistake
April 30, 2021 11:45 - 36 minutes - 33 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss some recent UK tariffs proposed by the Biden administration. Discussion includes why the US wants tariffs on certain UK products, the history of tariffs in the US and Europe, and are tariffs good for the economy. Post production by Scott Stronach. For more background on your digital rights, check out Cameron's video! https://www.youtube.com/wildcardcameron Sources: https://www.bbc.com/news/business-56565636 https:...
Google Claps Back
April 16, 2021 12:19 - 31 minutes - 29.3 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss two recent Supreme Court rulings on things we discussed previously! Discussion includes background on Oracle v Google and Facebook v Duguid, how did the Supreme Court rule, and what does that decision mean. Post production by Scott Stronach. For the full previous episode, check out Episode 8: Supreme Court Cases Round-Up. For more background on Google's monopolization, check out Cameron's video! https://www.youtube.com/...
What's the deal with NFTs?!
March 19, 2021 16:08 - 42 minutes - 39.1 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss the new tech trend NFTs! Discussion includes what are NFTs, why have they become popular, and is it a good thing that tech billionaires are popularizing Bitcoin. Post production by Scott Stronach. For more NFT background, check-out Cameron's video! https://www.youtube.com/wildcardcameron And for more background on NFTs and the art market, listen to Planet Money's episode: https://www.npr.org/2021/03/12/976513031/the-69...
Making a Vac-Scene!
March 12, 2021 14:21 - 26 minutes - 24.1 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss updates on the COVID-19 vaccines. Discussion includes what vaccines are on the market, how production and distribution of the vaccines are going, and are they effective. Post production by Scott Stronach. Sources: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/science/coronavirus-vaccine-tracker.html https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/fda-says-johnson-johnsons-single-dose-shot-protects-against-covid-19 https://www.pbs....
Not So Groovy Mutations
February 20, 2021 01:28 - 19 minutes - 27 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss the new variants of the virus that causes COVID-19. Discussion include what is a variant, where did these variants appear, and should we be worried. Post production by Scott Stronach. Sources: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/transmission/variant.html https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/21/uk/coronavirus-variant-uk-intl/index.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Variant_of_Concern_202012/01 https://asia.nikkei.c...
Bitcoin Backlash
February 05, 2021 12:15 - 32 minutes - 30.2 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss Bitcoin's dramatic price fall recently. Discussion includes why Bitcoin's price dropped, was there a double spend flaw, and should there be more regulations on cryptocurrency. Post production by Scott Stronach. Sources: https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/news/bitcoin-price-double-spend-flaw-critical-report-suggests-2021-1-1029990921 https://markets.businessinsider.com/currencies/news/bitcoin-price-cryp...
r/WallStreetBets vs. Wall Street
January 31, 2021 15:30 - 32 minutes - 30 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss the surge in GameStop's stock price. Discussion includes why this is happening to GameStop, what is short-selling, why the stock price rose so much, and is this legal. Post production by Scott Stronach. Sources: https://www.fidelity.com/viewpoints/active-investor/selling-short https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2021/01/27/gamestop-amc-reddit-short-sellers-wallstreetbets/ https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/GME?g...
Parler on Pause
January 22, 2021 12:15 - 32 minutes - 29.8 MBSample Size is back with our first episode of 2021! Listen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss the downfall of Parler. Discussion includes the consequences of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, the ethics of big tech companies removing Parler so quickly, and the role of hacktivism. Listen to episode 18 "Parler Tricks" for information on what is Parler. Post production by Scott Stronach. Sources: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-55643774 https://slate.co...
Lesser Known Coronavirus Stories
December 18, 2020 12:50 - 25 minutes - 23.5 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss some overlooked stories about the coronavirus pandemic. Discussion includes mink culling in Denmark, CDC report on stay-at-home measures, study on temperature checks, and predatory journals. Happy holidays everyone! Post production by Scott Stronach. Sources: Denmark culling minks: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8923787/WHO-says-mutant-mink-coronavirus-outbreak-Denmark-concern.html https://www.bbc.com/news/...
Parler Tricks
December 04, 2020 12:15 - 28 minutes - 26.4 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss the new social media platform Parler. Discussion includes an overview of Parler, what is its purpose, and what are the rules of censorship on the internet. Post production by Scott Stronach. Check out this video to learn how to interpret terms of services: https://youtu.be/WvVM61Nn1Xs Sources: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/nov/13/parler-conservative-social-network-free-speech https://www.independent.co.uk...
Coronavirus Resurgence and Pfizer Vaccine News
November 20, 2020 12:15 - 19 minutes - 18 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss how COVID-19 cases are increasing and the update Pfizer gave on their vaccine. Discussion includes a summary of the current state of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pfizer vaccine effectiveness results, and what the next steps are before we get a vaccine. Post production by Scott Stronach. Sources: https://www.cnn.com/2020/11/08/health/us-coronavirus-sunday/index.html https://www.businessinsider.com/sweden-herd-immunity-s...
Just a Head's Up
November 13, 2020 12:15 - 1 minute - 1.14 MBA quick announcement, no episode this week, but stay tuned for next week when we discuss updates on the coronavirus pandemic! Follow us on Twitter @samplesizeshow Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/sample-size. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Google Antitrust Lawsuit
November 06, 2020 15:23 - 32 minutes - 29.4 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss the antitrust lawsuit from the Department of Justice against Google. Discussion includes an overview of the lawsuit, Google's response, and a look into past antitrust lawsuits. Post production by Scott Stronach. Video on how to change your default browser: https://youtu.be/6Zg8NoZJpwc Sources: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-sues-monopolist-google-violating-antitrust-laws https://techcrunch.com/20...
UBI for You and I
October 30, 2020 11:15 - 28 minutes - 26.2 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss a recent Universal Basic Income (UBI) experiment in Canada. Discussion includes an overview of the experiment, the pros and cons to UBI, and other UBI experiments worldwide. Remember, there's still time to get out and vote! Post production by Scott Stronach. For anyone who wants to donate to the Foundation for Social Change (the organization that conducted the Canadian UBI experiment to reduce homelessness), you can go ...
Power to the Polls
October 23, 2020 11:15 - 27 minutes - 24.8 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss U.S. presidential election polling. Discussion includes an overview of election polling, what happened in the 2016 election, and is there a shy Trump voters effect. Remember to get out and vote! Post production by Scott Stronach. Sources: https://www-nytimes-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.nytimes.com/2020/08/16/us/politics/trump-polls.amp.html?amp_js_v=a3&_gsa=1&usqp=mq331AQFKAGwASA%3D#aoh=15988830795848&referre...
Coronavirus Update
October 16, 2020 11:15 - 34 minutes - 31.6 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron give an update on coronavirus stories talked about in past episodes. Discussion includes an update on the vaccine clinical trials, the CDC, and COVID-19 cases as well as new stories on the FDA vaccine guidelines, President Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis, and a new stimulus package. Post production by Scott Stronach. Sources: Vaccine Trials: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/sep/09/oxford-university-astrazeneca-covid-vac...
ICE Whistleblower and Forced Sterilization
October 09, 2020 11:15 - 27 minutes - 24.9 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Wildcard Cameron discuss the ICE whistleblower who filed a complaint that immigrant women are receiving hysterectomies at an alarming rate in a Georgia detention center. Discussion includes an overview of the complaint and a history of forced sterilization in the U.S. Content warning for mention of abuse and forced surgeries. Post production by Scott Stronach. Sources: https://amp-cnn-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/09/15/pol...
Supreme Court Cases Round-Up
October 02, 2020 11:15 - 40 minutes - 37 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Cameron Boozarjomehri discuss recent Supreme Court cases, just in time for the beginning of the 2020 session on October 5. Discussion includes a memorial to Ruth Bader Ginsberg, an overview of some science and technology cases from the 2019 session, and some cases to watch out for this session. Post production by Scott Stronach. Sources: https://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/calendarsandlists.aspx https://www.vox.com/2020/9/9/21426056...
Mexico vs. Junk Food
September 25, 2020 11:15 - 36 minutes - 33.1 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Cameron Boozarjomehri discuss Oaxaca's ban on selling junk food to minors. Discussion includes an overview of the rule, why the rule was made, and what are other public health measures countries use to reduce obesity rates. Post production by Scott Stronach. Sources: https://mexiconewsdaily.com/news/more-states-follow-oaxacas-lead-and-move-to-ban-junk-food-sales-to-kids/ https://www.unicef.org/stories/what-are-we-waiting-for-obesity-mexico ht...
Animal Crossing: New Yard Signs
September 18, 2020 11:15 - 38 minutes - 35.2 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Cameron Boozarjomehri discuss the yard signs the Biden-Harris campaign released in Animal Crossing: New Horizons! And more importantly, if politics should be allowed in multiplayer video games. Discussion includes what are the yard signs, recent examples of politics and social issues appearing in multiplayer games, and laws around speech restrictions on the internet. Post production by Scott Stronach. Sources: https://slate.com/technology/20...
The 2020 Hurricane Season
September 11, 2020 11:15 - 26 minutes - 24.7 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Cameron Boozarjomehri discuss how two storms, Tropical Storm Marco and Hurricane Laura, unexpectedly hit Louisiana days apart! Discussion includes how hurricanes form, why this hurricane season has been so active, and what to do when sheltering from a hurricane. Post production by Scott Stronach. Sources: https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/hurricane-laura-updates/index.html https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2020/weather/laura-storm-path-tracker/ h...
Herd Immunity and Why Vaccines are Important
September 04, 2020 11:15 - 30 minutes - 28.3 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Cameron Boozarjomehri discuss vaccines, again! But this time in general, instead of specific to COVID-19. Discussion includes an overview of herd immunity, how vaccines work, why vaccines are important, and what vaccine effectiveness means. Post production by Scott Stronach. Sources: https://www.immune.org.nz/vaccines/efficiency-effectiveness https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/mmr/public/index.html https://www-the--scientist-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v...
COVID-19 Vaccine Trials
August 28, 2020 11:15 - 31 minutes - 28.4 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Cameron Boozarjomehri discuss the COVID-19 vaccine clinical trials. Discussion includes an overview of the phases in clinical trials, what we need to know about the COVID-19 trials, and how the vaccine will impact safety measures. Post production by Scott Stronach. Sources: https://www.nccn.org/patients/resources/clinical_trials/phases.aspx https://www.healthline.com/health/clinical-trial-phases#phase-iv https://www.healthline.com/health-news/heres...
CDC Part 2: CDC and Racism
August 21, 2020 11:00 - 22 minutes - 20.6 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Cameron Boozarjomehri end their two-part series on the CDC! On this episode, they discuss the letter some CDC employees sent to the CDC Director calling for the CDC to address the "ongoing and recurring acts of racism and discrimination" against black employees. Discussion includes an overview of the letter, statistics on health outcomes in black people compared to their white counterparts, and should racism be declared a public health crisis. Sources: ...
CDC Part 1: CDC vs Politics
August 14, 2020 11:00 - 21 minutes - 19.9 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Cameron Boozarjomehri begin a two-part series on the CDC! On this episode, they discuss the CDC's recent clash with politics. Discussion includes an overview of the relationship between the CDC and the Trump administration since the COVID-19 pandemic began and the role of politics in public health. Sources: https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/07/hundreds-health-groups-petition-trump-350154 https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/23/trump-cdc-overhaul...
Facebook in Trouble (Again!)
August 07, 2020 11:00 - 25 minutes - 23.1 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Cameron Boozarjomehri discuss how major companies have pulled ads from Facebook in protest of their censorship policies. Discussion includes an overview of the #stophateforprofit campaign, Facebook's response to how they will change, and if social media companies should be censoring content. Sources: https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/22/tech/facebook-boycott-hate-trnd/index.html https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-52880151 https://www.bbc.com/news/busine...
COVID-19 Studies Retracted due to Bad Data
August 07, 2020 10:45 - 22 minutes - 20.5 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Cameron Boozarjomehri discuss how two prominent medical journals retracted two popular studies on COVID-19 because the data used was flawed. Discussion includes an overview of the research studies, how the data was flawed, how research studies are published in journals, and if data should be shared with reviewers before studies are published. Sources: https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/stephaniemlee/lancet-hydroxychloroquine-coronavirus-retraction-sur...
HHS Sex Discrimination Rule
August 07, 2020 10:30 - 21 minutes - 19.2 MBListen to hosts Samantha Spiers and Cameron Boozarjomehri discuss the new Health and Human Services (HHS) rule that redefines discrimination on the basis of sex as discrimination against male or females, and not gender. Discussion includes an overview of the new rule, what is the biological definition of sex, and what this new rules means for discrimination in healthcare. Sources: https://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2020/06/12/868073068/transgender-health-protections-reversed-by-tru...