On the SCIdelines: Recent Episodes
Science for Everyone
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by all the science in the news? Take a step back and join us On the SCIdelines to have some candid conversations about this stuff, and arm yourself with the knowledge you need to join the conversation going on around you.
Join Madi in interviewing Alyssa Burrows on how she got involved in regulatory affairs!
Join Jun in his interview with Will Callaghan on how he navigated from a microbiology major to becoming a computer scientist!
On a typical bottle of alcohol you’ll see the brand on the front, a small-font ingredients list, and maybe a warning against overconsumption of alcohol. But there is one label that is missing. Alcohol is actually the largest preventable risk factor for cancer after smoking and obesity, a fact that has not been widely discussed. Today On the Scidelines, we invite Dr. Tim Stockwood to discuss how alcohol increases cancer risk and some potential policies that can save lives.
Nuclear energy has been and continues to be an idea connected to both large promises and large amounts of fear. Today, Garik Patterson helps us break down why the government is investing in the latest nuclear technology, and why the promise might just outweigh the fear.
Resources
World Nuclear Association
World Nuclear News
Space. The Final Frontier. These are the voyages of the starship DART. Its ten-month mission: to knock an asteroid off its path in the hopes of bolstering earth’s planetary defence mechanisms. Believe it or not, it’s not science fiction, as Mitchell Kurnell discusses with us today On the Scidelines.
Resource
NASA DART
There are over 20,000 species of bees on Earth. In Canada alone, there are hundreds of different kinds of bees. So why is it that when you hear the word “bee”, you probably think of the classic, black-and-yellow honey bee? This week, we’re joined by Entomologist Syndey Worthy to discuss the incredibly diverse world of native bees, and why honey bees aren’t always the do-gooders we think they are.
Resources
Alberta Native Bee Council
Let's face it, there are certain phrases that evoke nothing but panic. For most people, "let's legalize drugs" is probably one of them, and yet, that's exactly what the Government of British Columbia is doing to help combat the opioid crisis. Dr. Susan Boyd joins us On the Scidelines today to help break down how legalizing certain drugs could actually help curb the healthcare crisis.
A lot of us probably associate pigs with a few common ideas. Maybe you think of food - bacon, ham, sausage. Maybe you think of cute farm animals rolling in the mud, with their curly tails and iconic snorking sounds. But, did you know some pigs are invasive here in Canada, and are causing massive amounts of damage? Megan Evans from the Alberta Invasive Species Council joins us On the Scidelines this week to discuss!
Resources
Alberta Invasive Species Council
Squeal on Pigs Manitoba
Canadian Council on Invasive Species (Provincial Councils)
Humans have been polluting the environment for a long time, and much of the time we only realize it after we've already caused significant damage. This week, we talk to Dr. Alissa Cordner and Ms. Kira Mok, researchers working at the PFAS project lab at Northeastern University, about how we've made rainwater toxic and what we can do about it.
This episode was hosted by Sam Marchetti and edited by Jay Gerantonis.
Resources
https://pfasproject.com/
Spring signals the end of the winter but for many, it also signals the start of seasonal allergy season. From the triggers of these allergies, how they develop, and even what you can do to reduce your allergic symptoms, tune into this week’s conversation On the Scidelines!
We may appreciate the world that we can see through our eyes but we rarely consider the things we cannot see. Many animals are able to see a larger spectrum of light or are more sensitive to light. For example, frogs are able to see in far more detail at night compared to humans. More on the interesting world of vision science in this week’s discussion On the Scidelines.
From micrometeoroids to real-life terminators, it's the Weekly Scideshow! If you want to learn more about the topics we talked about today, check out the links below.
Space Telescopes vs. Micrometeoroids
Human Skin... On Robots
Naming Heat Waves
Great White Sharks
Taco Bell of the Future
Extinct Tortoise Found Alive
Evusheld is one of the newest preventative medicine approved by Health Canada against COVID-19. Unlike a vaccine, Evusheld is a prophylactic tool that contains antibodies and protect individuals who cannot get vaccinated or are immunocompromised.
After two years of COVID, news of something called "Monkeypox" definitely sounds a little scary. Join us On the Scidelines today for a discussion with Alyssa, our resident disease expert, about what Monkeypox actually is and whether or not it's worth the worry.
From robot crabs to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch (and did we mention ROBOT CRABS?), it's the Weekly Scideshow! If you want to learn more about the topics we talked about today, check out the links below.
Robot Crabs
HIV Drugs for Memory Loss
Social Hamsters
Great Pacific Garbage Patch
Water from Desert Air
Skydiving Salamanders
On our Monday show, we bring you interviews with experts that can help us understand what's going on in the world around us. These interviews are often so good, however, that we're forced to cut out parts of them for time. This week, in recognition of Pride month right around the corner, we bring you an extended outtake from our conversation with Maria Denk about the myth of a sex binary.
From tomatoes to trilobites, it's the Weekly Scideshow! If you want to learn more about the topics we talked about today, check out the links below.
Trilobite Designer Lenses
Parkinson's Disease Target
Plastic-Eating Enzymes
Scientists Made High-Vitamin D Tomatoes
Mind-Controlled Prosthetics
Dolphin Spas
After decades of knowledge imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope, NASA promises much more with the brand new James Webb Space Telescope. The implications of an updated and more powerful telescope are vast. We may discover more about our universe and peer deeper into the night sky. Tune into this week’s conversation On the Scidelines to learn more about the exciting future the James Webb Space Telescope may bring.
From the microscopic to the extraterrestrial, it's the Weekly Scideshow! If you want to learn more about the topics we talked about today, check out the links below.
Algae Burgers
Microscopic AI
Earthquake Sensing AI
Growing Plants on the Moon
"I Want Pictures of Humanity's Black Hole!" - J. Jonah Jameson
Lunar Soil + Human Breath = Rocket Fuel?
From the far reaches of the solar system to microbes in your gut, it's the Weekly Scideshow! If you want to learn more about the topics we talked about today, check out the links below.
Induction Stoves vs Gas Stoves
Genetically Sabotaging Mosquitoes
The Crane Game, but with Rocket Boosters
Pluto's Ice Volcanoes
Io's Lava Dunes
Microbiota Impact Your Cravings
While we used to live in fear of cancer, modern science has made countless advances to lessen how much we actually need to worry. One critical arm of advancement in the study of cancer has been cancer screenings, like the pap smear! In today's discussion On the Scidelines, we break down exactly what a pap smear is, who should get it, and how effective it can be at saving lives.
From paper-thin speakers to DNA in space, it's the Weekly Scideshow! If you want to learn more about the topics we talked about today, check out the links below.
The Future of Solar Energy
NASA's 10-Year Plan
Paper-thin Speakers
Seawater to Drinking Water
Mountain-Climbing Marine Dinosaurs
DNA & RNA in Space
From the perfect piece of chocolate to geoengineering, it's the Weekly Scideshow! If you want to learn more about the topics we talked about today, check out the links below.
Chocolate Physics
Next-Gen (or Last-Gen?) Rubisco
Big Brain Ravens
Anti-Aging of Skin Cells
Golden Chiral Vaccines
Geoengineering and Malaria
Sound waves are all around us. We use them for entertainment, mapping, imaging, and even to alter or break down physical materials. Now, however, we may have another use for them: treating cancer. Join us On the Scidelines with Tejaswi Worlikar, a PhD candidate and a pioneer in the field, as we break down what this new treatment is and what it means for us.
Resources:
The Histotripsy Lab Group at the University of Michigan
HOPE4LIVER Clinical Trial Details
A Histotripsy Clinical Trial Patient's Story
From self-driving rideshares to an update on animal heart transplants, it's the Weekly Scideshow! If you want to learn more about the topics we talked about today, check out the links below.
Pig Heart Transplant Patient Dies
Drone Delivery
Ozone - A Climate Killer?
Nanotherapy for Diabetes
X Marks the RNA Virus Treasure
Talking Mushrooms
From microplastics in your blood to fish that can do math, it's the Weekly Scideshow! If you want to learn more about the topics we talked about today, check out the links below.
Microplastics in the Blood
The Human Genome Project
Bird Flu
Self-Driving Rideshares
Navigation Skills
Fish Math
Amidst the growing concern over inflation, people have been especially worried about the rise in food prices. But what causes food inflation? Usually prices go up when high demand meets low supply due to labour shortages, fertilizer shortages, or transportation issues. But there has been a factor in food price inflation that has gone largely undiscussed: climate change. Tune into this week’s conversation On the Scidelines to learn more about the impacts of climate change on food prices.
From parthenogenic mice to plastic pollution, it's the Weekly Scideshow! If you want to learn more about the topics we talked about today, check out the links below.
A Treaty on Plastic Pollution
Making Carbon Fiber from Petroleum
Shark Naps
Fatherless Mice
Polio Outbreaks
Ketamine - an Unsuspected Antidepressant?
Vaccines have always seemed to be everywhere, from our routine flu shots to our childhood vaccinations against things like measles, mumps, and tuberculosis. Especially now that we've come out on the other side of mass vaccination campaigns against COVID-19, vaccines have become a critical part of the public discourse. One vaccine that's often overlooked in the mainstream discussion, however, is the HPV vaccine. Join us this week as we break down what the HPV vaccine is, who should get it, and how it can actually protect you from cancer!
From salt-loving pollinators to next-gen gene editing, it's the Weekly Scideshow! If you want to learn more about the topics we talked about today, check out the links below.
Masks Reduce Transmission Distance by 50%
Pollinators Like It Salty
Next-Gen Gene Editing
Using the Mosquitoes to Destroy the Mosquitoes
COVID Shrinks Your Brain
Return of the Corals
An often taboo area of health is fertility and reproductive health, which is odd considering how much society values family and having children. Some people may be afraid to ask questions about fertility or seek help with their reproductive health. In breaking this stigma and answering some of your lingering questions about fertility, find all this and more, in today’s discussion On the Scidelines.
From ninja molecules that can evade our immune system to turtle deafness, it's the Weekly Scideshow! If you want to learn more about the topics we talked about today, check out the links below.
Dendrimers - Immuno-ninjas
Regrowing Frog Legs
Resistance Training Could Help You Sleep
Earthworms - Masters of Nitrogen Fertilization
Memories Clutter Our Brains
Marine Animals Are Going Deaf
In an age where information is more accessible than ever, it has become more important than ever to be able to pick apart the sources we can rely on from those that are spreading misinformation. Join us On the Scidelines this week for a discussion about why we need to do this, and more importantly, how you can go about it!
From climate change to space telescopes, it's the Weekly Scideshow! If you want to learn more about the topics we talked about today, check out the links below.
Bacteria That Upcycle Carbon Waste
Climate Lag Down to 3-5 Years
Rapid Evolution of Flowers
James Webb Takes a Selfie
Ukraine Neon Shortages
Looking Beyond Chernobyl
With Valentine's Day just in the rearview, we thought it was high time someone explained the point of it all. No, not the reason we get half-price chocolate at the end of February, but the scientific reasons for love and attraction. Join us On the Scidelines this week and find out why love might not be quite as complicated as it seems!
From a bacterial war on your skin to AI-powered Beethoven, it's the Weekly Scideshow! If you want to learn more about the topics we talked about today, check out the links below.
Eggs Show Their True Colours
We Have Too Much Methane
Fight Microbes with Microbes
Regrowing Your Hearing
Self-Sailing Ships
Faking Beethoven
When we learn about science in education or hear about science in the news, that research must come from somewhere. More importantly, there must be processes that keep researchers accountable and ensure that they are sharing findings that are reliable. That is where the standard practice of the scientific method comes in, creating a process that all researchers can follow to reliably make a hypothesis, test it, and make conclusions. Join us On the Scidelines this week as we break it down.
From emojis to a whole new kind of sound therapy, it's the Weekly Scideshow! If you want to learn more about the topics we talked about today, check out the links below.
A Whole New Kind of Sound Therapy?
Emoji Science
Distractions, Distractions
Cells Controlled by Sound
Coral Reef Crisis
Super Plastic
At some point or another, we all get scared. Being scared is an innate part of being human, and in many cases, of being alive! Join us On the Scidelines this week as we chat about what being scared actually is, from a scientific point of view.
For the last few months, we've been giving you weekly updates about the most relevant science topics that our researchers at Science for Everyone have been looking into. Like many of you, we were wondering what was going on in the background. This is the first in a new weekly series, the Scideshow, where your hosts will get together and talk about their favourite science stories that have been overshadowed by bigger news lately. If you want to learn more about the topics we talked about today, check out the links below. Squirrels Bulking During Hibernation Yakei, the Alpha Female Macaque COVID Might Be Attacking Our Brains The Curiosity Rover Might Have Found Signs of Life Autonomous Mobile Robots
Big Oil generally isn’t a group of corporations you’d associate with environmentalism, unless you’re talking about their fundamental opposition to it. Last week, however, one of the biggest oil companies in the world, ExxonMobil, committed to seemingly impressive greenhouse gas emissions reductions targets. So, why the shift in attitude, and is this something we can trust? All this and more, in today’s discussion On the Scidelines.
Male vs. female might not be as big of a divide as we once thought! Although there are many differences between the male and female sexes, you may be surprised to learn that many of those differences aren't as clear-cut as they once seemed, and provide a scientific basis for a spectrum of sexes.
Usually, we imagine physicists as people messing with lasers, thermodynamics, or nuclear energy, among other stereotypes. This year, however, the Nobel Prize in physics was awarded to three individuals for helping shape our understanding of climate change, something many people wouldn't usually associate with the field. Take a step back and join us On the Scidelines as we unravel the link between physics and a changing climate.
There's a growing interest, especially among young people, to get involved with science and science communication. Join Thanesh and Randy On the Scidelines and dive deep into what that actually looks like (it's more than just people in lab coats) and how you can get involved!
The latest variant of concern of SARS-CoV-2 has been identified by the WHO and is starting to spread globally, despite government responses and restrictions. There's lots that we still don't know about the Omicron variant, but today we're going to focus on what we do know and what it may mean for you.
MSG is a popular ingredient used in many Asian countries and Asian foods. However, since the late 60s, it’s gotten a lot of bad PR in Western countries. Join the conversation this week as we unravel MSG, its history, and its implications for us as consumers.
Most of our vaccinations are shots that we receive before we’re even old enough to understand what they are. All we might remember is being afraid of a needle. The COVID-19 vaccines probably broke a trend for many of us, adding a second and third vaccination appointment to our schedule this year on top of the annual flu shot. Which begs the question, why is the flu shot something we need every year? Join us On the Scidelines this week as we break it down and talk about the potential of a one-shot flu shot.
Flu Shot Clinics
Shoppers Drug Mart - https://www1.shoppersdrugmart.ca/en/health-and-pharmacy/pharmacy-services/flu-shot
Rexall - https://www.rexall.ca/appointment
Costco Pharmacy - https://www.costcopharmacy.ca/appointment
PC Supermarkets - https://vaccinations.pchealth.ca/en
Have you ever wondered why we humans only have two sets of teeth in our lifetimes? Evidently, the answer is yes. This week's episode is brought to you by a question from our audience: why can't we regrow teeth like sharks?
We brought in Lauren Vamos, a master's candidate in anthropology who studies teeth, to find out that and a little bit more about what teeth can tell us.
Lots of kids spend time thinking about how cool it would be if we could have superpowers like invisibility, super strength, or even mind control. As far as we know, such abilities only exist in the pages of comics and science fiction movies. But, what if someone was to take this concept and run wild with some questionable science? Enter the CIA’s MK-Ultra program and the terrifying search for mind control.
What in the name of physics...?
Yes, you read the title right. Self-healing concrete mixes, among other variations of everyone's favourite building material, are quickly moving through testing and might soon be seen in our homes and workplaces. Tune in this week and join the discussion about why we're heading down this road and what we can look forward to in the future!
Honey bees are pollinators that are essential to sustain many environments - but did you know they're not the only ones? Join us today as we discuss native bees and their roles as pollinators.
The Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine has been hailed as one of the best options for protecting yourself against the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Recently, however, data has been published that suggests it may not be nearly as effective after a few months. Join us On the Scidelines this week as we give some context to this story and talk about what it means for the pandemic, and what it means for us.
Frankie Jonas... Loki... Jamie Lynn Spears... and the flu vaccine. All famous figures, overshadowed by their more popular siblings. While it may be COVID-19 vaccines that have dominated the news lately, the seasonal influenza vaccine is just as important. Join us On the Scidelines this week to talk about what the flu is, why we should get the flu shot, and where we can get it!
We've been receiving the COVID-19 vaccines for months now, but only recently has the first vaccine received "full approval" from the FDA. While this may seem a bit alarming, it's actually a very common process! Join us this week as we break it down with Lilian Diaz.
The scientific method is one of the most reliable ways for us to learn more about our world. But what happens when the scientific method is used improperly? Join us this week for our first discussion about bad science, and the infamous Stanford Prison Experiment.
Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, John Glenn, Sally Ride, Chris Hadfield, and now... Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson? Where space travel was once a mission with scientific purpose and government sponsorship, it's beginning to look more and more like a mission to entertain billionaires. With two members of the ultra-rich society having been to space and back in the last few weeks, and a space hotel set to open by 2027, it's about time we sit back and discuss the implications of this futuristic industry.
The latest IPCC report on the state of the climate provides a small amount of hope that we may avoid 2.0C of warming and avert the worst of the climate catastrophe. This week, we welcome back Samm Reynolds to talk about who's really responsible and what we each need to do to reach that goal.
X & Y. For a long time, these two letters were thought to be the only thing determining whether you were a male or a female. If your male biological parent’s sperm contained the X chromosome, you would be a female, and if it was a Y chromosome, you’d be a male. But, like all science, recent progress has started to change our perspective.
When it comes to Alberta's tar sands, there seems to be a constant debate about the importance of the environment vs the economy. Recently, however, there was a huge development in this debate: the planned Keystone XL pipeline was cancelled for good.
"Radioactive waste" isn't usually a term that comes with positive news. In dealing with the fallout of the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster, Japan has been storing a large amount of radioactive wastewater, and now they're going to release it into the Pacific Ocean. Is this something we should be concerned about? Join us On the Scidelines to find out!
It's been many moons (pun intended) since Neil Armstrong's first "small step for man." Modern space travel seems to be fixated on billionaires, space hotels, and landing humans on Mars. So then, why are we building a space station in orbit around the moon?
First, Ontario saw Stages 1, 2, and 3 of reopening in the summer of 2020. Then, the government pulled the "Emergency Brake" around the holidays and used a colour-coded system to define COVID restrictions across the province. Over the last couple of months, we've been through the first two steps of the new "Roadmap to Reopening." Tomorrow, Ontario will enter Step 3 of its new reopening plan. Join us On the Scidelines as we break down what this means for you and where we go from here!
Plastic, much like an embarrassing memory from your childhood, tends to stick around for awhile. This week, find out what happens to most of our plastic, what it's doing, and how it affects us!
Seaspiracy, a recent ocean conservation documentary on Netflix, has exploded in popularity and captivated audiences around the world with its message. However, as with any source of information, it’s important to take a step back and examine the validity of what’s being told.