Multimedia

Video blogs, video series, podcasts, science art, photo essays

Is more DNA better?

pineapplesandwhales Biology and Life Sciences, Communication, Education and Outreach, Multimedia
Plants are pretty flexible when it comes to chromosome numbers. Whole genome duplications–aka, when a whole extra set of chromosomes are made by accident– is a major route by which plants evolve. Humans, by contrast, generally have 2 copies of each chromosome. If this same mutation were to happen in a human egg or sperm cell, it would nope outta there. Pretty normal day in the plant kingdom, though. Today’s infographic is about a hybrid…

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052 – Baldness and Vaping

The Body of Evidence Biology and Life Sciences, Health, Medicine and Veterinary Science, Multimedia
  Chris tries to shave Jonathan's head as a poorly thought-out prophylactic measure against baldness. Meanwhile, comedian Jacob Meza interviews the cast of his comedy show: do baseball caps cause baldness... or treat it? Back in the studio, the boys talk about the many reasons why people lose their hair; Rogaine and Propecia; whether or not women can go bald; and the fact that it's not technically testosterone that's to blame for baldness. Also: peacocks;…

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#531 Induced Seismicity

Rachelle Saunders General Science, Multimedia
This week we're talking about earthquakes. If you live in Alberta or Oklahoma, you've probably heard about fracking or waste water wells causing earthquakes. We'll speak with seismologist Ruijia Wang about how that happens, and what we can control with these earthquakes. Then we speak to Sara McBride, with the United States Geological Survey, who explains why earthquake response communication should be taking embarrassment into account. Related links: Canadian Induced Seismicity Collaboration Great ShakeOut Earthquake…

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Evolution at the edge

pineapplesandwhales Biology and Life Sciences, Communication, Education and Outreach, Multimedia
Evolution and adaptation to different environments seem like straightforward processes. If you treat bacteria to a low dose of antibiotics, chances are they’re going to evolve resistance. But this process isn’t as simple as it seems: different factors determine whether or not those bacteria will develop resistance. Our latest infographic deals with conditions when populations wouldn’t be able to evolve, and what this means for conservation (we’re not talking about antibiotic resistance today!). The paper in…

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Interview – Ryan Armstrong on Regulating Pseudoscience

The Body of Evidence Biology and Life Sciences, Health, Medicine and Veterinary Science, Multimedia
  Jonathan and Chris interview Ryan Armstrong, the executive director of Bad Science Watch, a consumer protection watchdog and science advocacy organization. They discuss what Bad Science Watch does; the lobbying forces surrounding Health Canada; homeopathy; the antagonist in Braveheart; the Stop Nosodes campaign; vaccine misinformation on social media; chiropractic complaints not taken seriously; innate intelligence; predatory practice building; how to lodge a complaint, the Ryan way; internecine squabbles between vitalists and evidence-based chiropractors; osteopaths…

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#530 Why Aren’t We Dead Yet?

Rachelle Saunders General Science, Multimedia
We only notice our immune systems when they aren't working properly, or when they're under attack. How does our immune system understand what bits of us are us, and what bits are invading germs and viruses? How different are human immune systems from the immune systems of other creatures? And is the immune system so often the target of sketchy medical advice? Those questions and more, this week in our conversation with author Idan Ben-Barak…

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051 – Diet Pills and Hot Yoga

The Body of Evidence Biology and Life Sciences, Health, Medicine and Veterinary Science, Multimedia
  A discussion around ice cream reveals that Jonathan may have fallen into the Twilight Zone. Comedian Jacob Meza goes to ComicCon to talk diet pills and accidentally meets "a good swallower" he knows. Back in the studio, the boys discuss the green coffee bean marketing apocalypse; how to spot fake diet pills; and genuine pharmaceuticals that may kill you, give you hallucinations, or make you leak. The biggest question is: will losing 10 pounds…

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Why we vaccinate babies against Hepatitis B

The Body of Evidence Biology and Life Sciences, Health, Medicine and Veterinary Science, Multimedia
Given the rising number of measles cases, being up to date with your immunizations (it takes two doses for measles) is very important. But there are always questions from concerned parents, including a few raised in a recent letter to my editors at the Gazette, and this seems like a good opportunity to provide some answers. First off, why do we vaccinate babies against hepatitis B? See the answer here: https://montrealgazette.com/opinion/columnists/christopher-labos-why-we-...

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