The Sceptically Inclined Science Podcast

40. Fertility Fraud

On this week's episode the lads recall their trip to New York while Tom gives his thoughts on a recent sexual harassment ruling for a bald man. 

In their science stories, Tom discusses the infamous "doorway" on Mars and the use of lunar soil to grow plants. Evan examines the phenomenon of Fertility Fraud, the topic of a new Netflix documentary, where women were inseminated with the sperm of their fertility doctor, without their consent.

39. Professor Michael Levin

On today's episode we are joined by Professor Michael Levin from Tufts University, Massachusetts. Michael completed his PhD at Harvard University in the field of Genetics, where he characterised the molecular genetic mechanisms of embryologic left-right asymmetry. His PhD research was recognised by the journal Nature as a “Milestone in Developmental Biology in the last century”. Currently he is the primary investigator and director at Allen Discovery Centre at Tufts University and Director at Tufts Centre for Regenerative and Developmental Biology.

We talk to Michael about Bioelectricity vs Genetics, the Technological Approach to Mind Everywhere (TAME), Limb Regeneration and Xenobots. So join us for a very interesting and informative discussion!

38. Sequencing The Human Genome For Real This Time

In this episode, Evan reveals how scientists actually flex on each other and Tom shares how an experience being blind truly opened his eyes. Evan re-examines the new Alzheimer's drug after trial data was finally released while Tom investigates the story of how gaps from the original human genome project have only been filled in now.

Here, you can learn more about a charity walk at the 'de4daagse' and have the opportunity to support Tom and his team. Listen to the episode to learn more:
https://bit.ly/3jZXs4i

37. Johnson & Johnson And The Opioid Crisis

In this episode Tom reveals his recent weight scare and talks about aphasia, a condition with recent relevance after Bruce Willis' diagnosis. Evan investigates the Opioid crisis and the unknown role Johnson & Johnson played in its propagation.

36. Professor Carel le Roux

Join the guys on a very special episode featuring Professor Carel le Roux. Carel is a physician working in St. Vincent’s Hospital in Dublin, he is also a Professor of experimental pathology at University College Dublin. His work and research are focused on the physiological role and pathological changes in appetite control, the impact of bariatric surgery on diabetes and concerns with increased mortality and morbidity associated with obesity and diabetes.

During the conversation we discuss the future of bariatric surgeries, research into appetite control via hormone therapy and general health concerns around obesity, asking the question if obesity should be considered an addiction or disease?

Our interview with Carel couldn’t be timed better as this week European Medical Agency approved the drug Semaglutide, also known as Wegovy. Wegovy is a hormone-based medication promoting long-term weight management.

If you would like to learn more about Professor Carel and his work, follow him on Twitter @carel_leroux, learn more about the disease of obesity at https://www.itsnotyourfault.ie/ and to hear more about Wegovy visit https://www.wegovy.com/

Thanks for listening!

35. The Potential For Limb Regeneration

In this episode Tom brags about his new tattoo and a habit of journaling. Evan brings us back to 2019 and tries to make sense of the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic while Tom explores the secrets of limb regeneration via a new paper which explores an animal model in which limb regeneration was achieved with promising results.

34. Ketamine Treatment of Mental Illness

In Episode 34 of the podcast, Tom discusses his aspirations to own a tooth necklace while the lads lament their nations' poor performance at the Winter Olympics. In his main story, Tom sets the story straight on the new HIV variant while Evan examines ketamine for acute suicidal ideation along with microdosing in anxiety treatment and what this could mean in the future of mental health treatment.

33. Facebook vs The BMJ

On today's episode the guys discuss the new marketing methods of crypto.com, Tom examines a new early diagnostic test for lung cancer while Evan dives into the recent row between the British Medical Journal and Facebook who labelled one of their articles as misinformation, and what this could mean for the future of science articles on the site.

32. Getting To The Heart Of Vaccines And Myocarditis

Welcome to the first episode of 2022 where the lads have a quick recap of science over the festive period, including sex in the pandemic era and the 'Shkreli' awards. In his main story, Tom questions the claims of higher rates of myocarditis in vaccinated people versus individuals infected with SARS-CoV-2.

31. 2021 Science In Review

Join us for our final episode of 2021 where Tom and Evan review the science of the past year. We remember the most exciting news stories, including mRNA breakthroughs and some of the weird and funny headlines, like, 'What animal would live in a communist society?'. We also make some predictions for science in 2022. So top your year off with some humour, discussion and education on The Sceptically Inclined Podcast!