| January 4, 2012 |
27 Club Myth
- Statisticians test whether famous musicians are really more likely to die at age 27.
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| December 30, 2011 |
Podcast for 30 December 2011
- DRUGS & ROCK 'N ROLL - Predicting drug side-effects before they can harm patients. A blood test for antidepressant effectiveness. Is 27 really an unlucky number for famous musicians? Are collecting and hoarding related? And why babies favor vigilante justice.
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| March 1, 2011 |
Poison Pits
- A listener asks whether it's safe to eat fruit seeds and pits.
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| February 8, 2011 |
Left-Handed Brains
- Left-handers suffer more from learning disabilities but can also excel in spatial visualization.
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| November 12, 2010 |
Podcast
- UNUSUAL ANIMALS - Mice that smell light, asexual boa constrictors, unloving lobsters, butterfly medicine, and why simply being pink isn't good enough for flamingos.
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| September 29, 2010 |
Microwaves
- Some people think microwave ovens and cell phones are dangerous, but their fears are not backed up by science.
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| July 30, 2010 |
Podcast
- SCIENCE OF SOUND: Male penguins attract females by the sound of their voice, tropical wrens sing duets, and there's a new screening test for autism that analyzes speech patterns. Also: exposing "facilitated communication".
*Image originally appeared in: http://dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.0020406
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| July 28, 2010 |
Facilitated Miscommunication
- Wishful, rather than scientific thinking led health care professionals to believe that that a man in a persistent vegetative state was writing elaborate messages to them.
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| April 30, 2010 |
Podcast
- THE BRAIN: Empathy and aggression share the same neural circuitry, chronic pain sufferers process acute pain differently, how a brain implant made of silk could help epilepsy patients, the effects of pre-natal air pollution exposure on children's cognitive performance, and the psychology behind the Ouija board.
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| April 16, 2010 |
Podcast
- WEIRD SCIENCE: Behind the legend of the chupacabra, does cracking your knuckles cause arthritis? A physiological explanation for near-death experiences, and animals that live without oxygen.
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| April 13, 2010 |
Chupacabra
- A legendary beast called the chupacabra has a surprisingly recent origin.
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| January 21, 2010 |
Gelatin Source
- Reality Check investigates the urban legend that gelatin is made from cow hooves.
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| January 15, 2010 |
Podcast
- THE FOOD SHOW - High school students expose food fraud in New York City. Does gelatin really come from cow hooves? And the hormone behind eating when you're already full.
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| December 3, 2009 |
Chewing Gum Myth
- A listener asks: If you accidentally swallow chewing gum, does it really take years to go through your system?
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| November 20, 2009 |
Podcast
- Ancient insect pollinators, your body's unique microbes, a marine creature that could fix broken bones. Also: does chewing gum really take years to digest?
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| November 10, 2009 |
Planetary Alignment Myth
- A NASA scientist de-bunks the myth that an alignment of the planets affects gravity on earth.
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| October 5, 2009 |
Heart Surgery Timing
- A hospital puts full-moon folklore to the test.
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| September 26, 2009 |
2012 Apocalypse Myth Exposed
- A planet called Nibiru won't be slamming into earth in December, 2012, but the hype surrounding the myth is hardly harmless.
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| September 16, 2009 |
Reading in Dim Light
- In this episode our new series Reality Check: Does reading in dim light ruin your eyes?
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| September 7, 2009 |
Vitamin C & Colds
- Does vitamin C really prevent the common cold?
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