Two Brad For You

Have you ever thought about how knowledge, sometimes thought of as facts, get from the scientists, to journalists, to the articles and videos on your screen? Turns out there is a pipeline taking science discoveries from the lab to the news media. This pathway is a useful and well-used system but it is not without problems. Information can be distorted as it is translated and passed on and the fact checks you might assume are present sometimes aren't. My guest Elisa Nelissen is a Ph.D. researcher at KU Leuven the studying this pipeline and science media. Having worked as a press officer, freelance communications specialist and now academic she has worked at many stages along the knowledge pipeline. Our conversation was wide ranging and touched on how knowledge moves from the lab to the newsroom, the different incentives that distrot this message along the way. We discussed motivations for communicating science, what audiences are looking for when consuming science news, and the challenges of fitting science news into mass media structures. This is the only link you need to subscirbe and never miss an episode of Two Brad For You. Please do rate and review it really helps us out.If you'd like to support the show with currency click here. We are grateful for that too. Finally, you can check out the website here.Many thanks to Freak Motif for the music and Sebastian Abboud for the logo.

Ants and other eusocial insects have taken group living to the extreme and while we may not think of these animals as representative of human societies studying the fundementals of the evolution of and consequences of social living using ants makes a lot of sense. My guest Yuko Ulrich is a behavioral ecologist and group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany. She joined me to discuss how she uses a unique ant species, commonly known as the clonal raider ant, to ask basic questions regarding evolution and behavior. She explains why the clonal raider ants are such a useful model system and discusses the results from two studies that look at the evolution of group living itself and how an individuals behavior within a group affects their risk for disease. This conversation really highlights the importance of experimental biology for asking and answering questions that may seem obvious but that must answered before we can discover exactly why group living is so succesful or understand how groups evolved to defend against disease. It was also a nice reminder that working together in the face of an outbreak offers unique defenses solitary individuals don't have. Finally, we touch on what happens when the parasite takes things to the extreme and manipulates host behavior. That's right, zombie parasites. Links to both of the studies discussed can be found below.Fitness benefits and emergent division of labour at the onset of group living | NatureBehavioural individuality determines infection risk in clonal ant colonies | Nature CommunicationsThis is the only link you need to subscirbe and never miss an episode of Two Brad For You. Please do rate and review it really helps us out.If you'd like to support the show with currency click here. We are grateful for that too. Finally, you can check out the website here.Many thanks to Freak Motif for the music and Sebastian Abboud for the logo. Listen to Two Brad For You Support this Podcast

When's the last time you checked your butt? It could save your life. This episode I chat with Anthony Morgan, host of CBC's The Nature of Things, about their upcoming film Butt Seriously and so much more. As Anthony explains the idea for the arose because people are literally dying from embarassment by not getting their butt's checked out by a doctor. This soon expanded to a deep dive into butt's from all over the animal kingdom. Creatues that breathe through their butt's and the researchers who think we can too. Insect butts that shoot acid at enemies. The evolution of the butt and more. I also chat with Anthony about science communication and the lessons he's learned from vaccum sealing himself to a building in dowtown Toronto. How we can tackle polarizing topics and the live game he tours around Toronto to "undivide us". Find out more about Anthony and his "Freestyle Socials" at anthonymorganscience.com and on Instagram @anthonymorganscience and @freestylesocialsgameThis is the only link you need to subscirbe and never miss an episode of Two Brad For You. Please do rate and review it really helps us out.If you'd like to support the show with currency click here. We are grateful for that too. Finally, you can check out the website here.Many thanks to Freak Motif for the music and Sebastian Abboud for the logo.

Two major breakthroughs in gene editing recently occurred and show how our ability to edit the human genome is rapidly increasing. This episode we dive into how these technologies work and how they were able to treat two diseases. One a rather mundane sounding cholesterol problem and the other an exteremely painful and potentially deadly condition known as sickle cell disease. Both stories invovle a combination of new technologies, mRNA techniques and gene editing either using or inspired by CRISPER. These stories highlight how all of these technologies are combining to open new possibilities, that gene editing may become just a regular treatment as we age, and the less talked about downsides or hidden trade-offs that come with these treatments. Sources Base editing, a new form of gene therapy, sharply lowers bad cholesterol in a clincal trial - Science A Closer Look at the Approval of CRISPR/Cas9 Gene Therapy for Sickle Cell Disease - MedPage TodayNew gene therapies confront many sickle cell patients with an impossible choice: a cure or fertility - STAT WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Head to www.twobradforyou.wordpress.com to subscribe to, donate to and follow the show on social media. You can also leave a comment, send an email or voice message. We read/listen to them all and will put them on air. This is your show too so get involved and don't let Brad have all the fun.

Some recent episodes have really got me thinking about science communication and our responsibility as citizens to be informed. Also, about the challenges of being informed and of informing people about issues, discoveries and topics that will not only change our lives but could end them too. Contemplating these things led me to look back at the pandemic as a lens through which many of the issues facing science communication and public discourse become more clear. This episode is my attempt to talk through and honestly remember some of the moments and ways that shaped how we talked about and dealt with the pandemic. My hope is that we can find areas to improve because as I've said a few times now, the world is getting weirder and it behooves all of us to get a grip on the fast pace of change headed our way. I hope you find it helpful.

Responsible members of society should have some understanding of science. Hot take? I don’t think so. Decisions on personal and public health require some knowledge and look no further than debates surrounding the application and use of things like AI and gene editing technology. Citizens should have and use their voice to speak on these topics. And this is why science communication exists as a volunteer activity for many academics and as a career for people like me. Unfortunately, the very people who have the scientific expertise for this work, scientists etc., don’t have the training or data needed to improve their communication efforts. Social sciences and communications research has established tools to ask questions about effective communication strategies and how audiences are reacting. What are their beliefs, motivations, ideas and morals when it comes to science and controversial science topics like gene editing and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). I would argue, and I’m sure my guests today would agree, that science communicators need to use these tools more to investigate the science of science communication. On this episode I speak with professional science communicator Cristina Fonseca and genetics professor Jonathan Pettitt. Both were members of a team that published two papers that surveyed British audiences about their attitudes and trust toward science pre and post pandemic and explored the relationships between people’s knowledge of science, their confidence in their knowledge and their views on controversial science topics. This is a fascinating look at how researchers can apply the scientific method to their communication efforts and the results of the two papers raised excellent questions about who needs and wants to hear from scientists and what sorts of things influence their views on science. SourcesPeople with more extreme attitudes towards science have self-confidence in their understanding of science, even if this is not justifiedBoth trust in, and polarization of trust in, relevant sciences have increased through the COVID-19 pandemicThe Genetics SocietyWhy Peter Hotez Should Not Debate RFK Jr. On The Joe Rogan ExperienceWE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Head to www.twobradforyou.wordpress.com to subscribe to, donate to and follow the show on social media. You can also leave a comment, send an email or voice message. We read/listen to them all and will put them on air. This is your show too so get involved and don't let Brad have all the fun.

Psychedelics receive a lot of positive press regarding their potential as tools for introspection, therapy, and lifestyle or health improvements. And rightfully so, there is compelling evidence for their benefit in treating some mental health issues and a ton of anecdotal evidence and writings about the positive benefits both mentally and physically from tripping. But just below the surface of positive headlines there is a sea of unknowns. We really don’t know how these compounds work physically in the brain and why some people seem to benefit from the experience. This also leads to a huge gray area in terms of the systems of therapy and access different jurisdictions are experimenting with. On this episode we talk with Grace Browne, staff writer at Wired UK, about her reporting on the less illuminated corners of the psychedelic renaissance and why it’s important to have these conversations. We talk about everything from the influx of VC money to the dark side of psychedelic cults and the under reporting of negative experiences. Quick disclaimer though. We both believe this research is important and that we should explore psychedelic uses and reconsider the laws surrounding prohibition, but maybe let’s acknowledge just a wee bit more that we really don’t know much about the good, the bad and the strangeness of psychedelics. You can follow Grace Browne on Twitter and check out all of her writing for Wired here. Links to other pieces discussed in the episode:The Therapy Part of Psychedelic Therapy Is a Mess – Grace Browne for WiredPsychedelic Therapy Is Here. Just Don’t Call It Therapy – Grace Browne for WiredDark loops: contagion effects, consistency and chemosocial matrices in psychedelic-assisted therapy trials – Tehseen Noorani, et al.As psychedelics near approval, there’s no consensus on how they work – Olivia Goldhill for STATPeter Gasser: Psychedelic Psychotherapy in Switzerland – Psychedelic Science Sweden YouTube Channel Lower-dose psycholytic therapy – A neglected approach – Torsten Passie, et al. Do people who experienced long-term difficulties after tripping still think psychedelics are worth the risks? – Jules Evans on Medium On philosophy, theology and ‘psychedelic integration’ – Jules Evans on MediumWE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU!...

How does one go from believing in every conspiracy under the fake moon to being an atheist activist dedicated to critical thinking and reason? Read the Bible. At least that’s what did it for this episode’s guest Calvin Smith. Calvin is podcaster, Tik Tok’er (check below for all his links and handles) and the social media manager for the Secular Alliance of Michigan. In this episode we talk about his path from self-proclaimed conspiracy theorist to self-proclaimed atheist activist. We discuss the encroachment of religion into US politics and policy and how the Secular Alliance of Michigan pushes back. We also chat about using social media and conversation to reach those lost in the conspiracy rabbit hole and as you’ll see this leads to more than a few yet to be answered questions. When and if public debates are needed or useful? How to deal with alternative sources and how to harness the negativity of social media. You can find Calvin Smith and the Secular Alliance of Michigan below:Tiktok: @UnquestionableCalvinYouTube: @UnquestionableCalvinTwitter: @UWCSPodcastSecularAlliance.orgMichiganAtheists.comYouTube for SAM: @SecularMichiganWE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Head to www.twobradforyou.wordpress.com to subscribe to, donate to and follow the show on social media. You can also leave a comment, send an email or voice message. We read/listen to them all and will put them on air. This is your show too so get involved and don't let Brad have all the fun.

Every other month it seems there is some news coming out regarding psychedelic assisted therapy. Just recently the FDA posted some draft guidelines for clinical trials. But the topic of today’s episode concerns psychedelics outside of a clinical setting. As some places move to decriminalize or even legalize the use of LSD, psylocibin and other psychedelics there is a looming question. How can a society with very little context or experience with these substances and states of mind incorporate them? If we agree there is the potential for positive outcomes from there use how best to achieve it? These are strange and powerful experiences and not easily explained or put into context especially when society as a whole has demonized them for a long time. One group I’ve seen who is talking about these questions and attempting to offer answers with their Beyond Experience Workshop is the MIND Foundation. I’ve reported on and interviewed members of MIND before and was granted access to this workshop to see what it was all about and how it might help with the so-called integration or enculturation of psychedelics into a naïve society. Surprisingly this story turned out to be more difficult and personal to tell…. Music in the episode by Freak Motif, Brad van Paridon and MichaelBandacExtra ReadingOn philosophy, theology and ‘psychedelic integration’ – Jules EvansPsychedelic integration: An analysis of the concept and its practice – Bathje, et al.Acceptance and Commitment Therapy – Psychology TodayWE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Head to www.twobradforyou.wordpress.com to subscribe to, donate to and follow the show on social media. You can also leave a comment, send an email or voice message. We read/listen to them all and will put them on air. This is your show too so get involved and don't let Brad have all the fun.

How can AI improve upon the design of mRNA vaccines? How much is too much when it comes to sperm donations? Turns out the Netherlands has a problem with serial donators. And a quick note on some interesting patterns in data associating smartphone usage with adolescent depression, anxiety, self harm, and suicide. Plus, a special debut of an excellent new track by friends of the show The Dust Collectors.This episode is a mix of stories and were chosen for different reasons. The first is a more positive look at AI rather than a lot of the doom and gloom stuff that has dominated the conversation recently. It also offers an interesting perspective on the complexity and beauty of biology. The story of one Dutch man fathering upwards of 500 children via sperm donations is troubling and reminds us of the ethical challenges involved with medicine and biotech. Finally, an interesting look at some international data regarding adolescent mental health and smartphones hints that the problem isn’t as clear cut as we might think. It also gives a nice example of how data is used to generate new questions and challenge assumptions. Very big thanks to The Dust Collectors for providing their new track ‘Waiting Game’ as the outro music. Check out live show dates and the debut album release on their website or by following them on Instagram and/or Spotify. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Head to www.twobradforyou.wordpress.com to subscribe to, donate to and follow the show on social media. You can also leave a comment, send an email or voice message. We read/listen to them all and will put them on air. This is your show too so get involved and don't let Brad have all the fun. Links‘Remarkable’ AI tool designs mRNA vaccines that are more potent and stable https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-023-01487-y#ref-CR1Algorithm for Optimized mRNA Design Improves Stability and Immunogenicity https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-06127-zDutch court orders sperm donor to stop after 550 children https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/apr/28/dutch-court-orders-sperm-donor-to-stop-after-550-childrenDutch serial sperm donor case raises questions in Belgium https://www.brusselstimes.com/487914/dutch-serial-sperm-donor-case-raises-questions-in-belgiumSuicide rates for girls are rising. Are smartphones to blame? https://www.economist.com/graphic-detail/2023/05/03/suicide-rates-for-girls-are-rising-are-smartphones-to-blame 

Whether or not you think bugs (including spiders) are gross or awesome you probably have some bias about these animals. This episode we talk with Dr. Catherine Scott (@Cataranea) about black widows specifically and how our biases influence the way we think about and research species like spiders and bugs more generally. Catherine studies black widow mating strategies and was featured in an upcoming CBC The Nature of Things documentary titled Bug Sex: It's Complicated (@bugsexthedoc). She talks about overcoming a fear of spiders and becoming a araneaologist, i.e., a spider scientist, the amazing ways widow spiders find mates, how environment shapes the evolution and behavior of animals, and the many ways spider misinformation spreads online. Check out Catherine's blog spiderbytes.org and look for Bug Sex the movie March 10 on CBC. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Head to www.twobradforyou.wordpress.com to subscribe to, donate to and follow the show on social media. You can also leave a comment, send an email or voice message. We read/listen to them all and will put them on air. This is your show too so get involved and don't let Brad have all the fun. Don't forget to check out www.newsly.me and download the Newsly app to make the Internet listenable. Stop scrolling and start listening. Use promo code TwoBrad for a 1-month free premium subscription.

We’ve all seen The Last of Us right? The hit franchise is based on the real life Cordyceps fungus, but did you know the fungus doesn’t take over the brain? The true mechanism behind the zombie fungus is perhaps more terrifying. Also, there is actually a more compelling example of zombie parasites that receives shockingly little attention. In response to listener messages about The Last of Us, Brad puts his Ph.D. studying zombie parasites to work and explains the stories behind Cordyceps, Dicrocoelium and why Toxoplasma might not be all it’s cracked up to be. Relevant reading Adaptive host manipulation by Toxoplasma gondii: fact or fiction?You Know Those Parasites That Control Our Brains?Don't forget to check out www.newsly.me and download the Newsly app to make the Internet listenable. Stop scrolling and start listening. Use promo code TwoBrad for a 1-month free premium subscription. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Head to www.twobradforyou.wordpress.com to subscribe to, donate to and follow the show on social media. You can also leave a comment, send an email or voice message. We read/listen to them all and will put them on air. This is your show too so get involved and don't let Brad have all the fun. tLmu80gaiZ3owECxhqSR

Patent law is not front of mind for most people with an interest in psychedelics it is an important story to follow. Just like cannabis before it or pharmaceuticals like painkillers and insulin, companies are looking to patent not only psychedelic molecules but peripheral technologies like delivery methods and in some extreme cases therapy protocols too. Graham Pechenik is a registered patent attorney and founder of Calyx Law, a firm specializing in patents in the cannabis and now psychedelic field. He explains how the patent process works, why it's in place, and how the world of pharmaceutical patenting resembles the psychedelic one. He also points out some of the potential abuses of the process and the ways some are pushing back. Follow Graham on Twitter @calyxlaw to keep up with this quick moving and important area of the psychedelic movement. A great overview of the topic can be found here by former guest and premier reporter on the psychedelic beat Shayla Love - Psychedelic Patents are Broken Because the Patent System Is BrokenWE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Head to www.twobradforyou.wordpress.com to subscribe to, donate to and follow the show on social media. You can also leave a comment, send an email or voice message. We read/listen to them all and will put them on air. This is your show too so get involved and don't let Brad have all the fun. Don't forget to check out www.newsly.me and download the Newsly app to make the Internet listenable. Stop scrolling and start listening. Use promo code TwoBrad for a 1-month free premium subscription.

Friend of the show and go to source for weird internet stuff, Jared Cuthbertson, is back for our last episode of the year. This episode started as an experiment in Brad joining Tik Tok and seeing where the algorithm would take him. The guys chat about all things Tik Tok and social media. What is the future of content creation? Will Tik Tok replace YouTube? What are the most annoying social media sub cultures and what do we rage watch the most? It's always fun and weird when Jared is on the pod and it's a great way to end the year! Happy holidays and happy New Year to everyone!WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Head to www.twobradforyou.wordpress.com to subscribe to, donate to and follow the show on social media. You can also leave a comment, send an email or voice message. We read/listen to them all and will put them on air. This is your show too so get involved and don't let Brad have all the fun. Don't forget to check out www.newsly.me and download the Newsly app to make the Internet listenable. Stop scrolling and start listening. Use promo code TwoBrad for a 1-month free premium subscription.

Play. We all do it and we all know it when we see it. But what is play and why is it so crucial for brain development in a select group of animals (humans included) that do it?Dr.Sergio Pellis has studied play and specifically 'rough and tumble play' for decades and joins us to break down exactly what play is, how you study it and how it affects development. The question of nature versus nurture features prominently and Dr. Pellis recounts experiments that show behaviors like learning are more hard wired than you think. Plus the age old question....do animals have emotions??WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Head to www.twobradforyou.wordpress.com to subscribe , donate and follow the show on social media. You can also leave a comment, send an email or voice message. We read/listen to them all and will put them on air. This is your show too so get involved and don't let Brad have all the fun. Don't forget to check out www.newsly.me and download the Newsly app to make the Internet listenable. Stop scrolling and start listening. Use promo code TwoBrad for a 1-month free premium subscription.

Brad is solo this month and digging into his favorite topic...infectious disease! There is a report of possible 'herd safety' for COVID-19, a debate on the transmission route for monkeypox (is it sexually transmitted or just transmitted during sex and why that matters), plus a few interesting tidbits regarding hemorrhagic fevers Ebola and Marburg virus. Also, the show is now available on the Newsly App! Newsly curates articles and podcasts on topics of your choosing and get this, reads those articles to you, making the whole web listenable for the first time. Download and use Newsly for free or use the promo code TwoBrad to try out the premium version free for 1-month.Sources for this episode:Are we approaching 'herd safety' with COVID-19? - MedPage TodayWe can fight monkeypox without homophobia or hysteria - NY TimesSex between men, not skin contact, is fueling monkeypox, new research suggests - NBC NewsThe classification of monkeypox should include its STI status - MedPage TodayInfectious disease alerts and reports - International Society of Infectious DiseasesMusic by Matt Walkey and Freak Motif

Jonathan Pettit, professor at the University of Aberdeen joins to discuss the amazing story of how C. elegans, a rotting plant eating worm, changed biology. This is a story of an intrepid group of researchers who set out to "tame a metazoan" and ended up with one of the most important model systems for developmental biology, genetics and more! You can find Jonathan on Twitter @genotripe WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Head to www.twobradforyou.wordpress.com to subscribe to, donate to and follow the show on social media. You can also leave a comment, send an email or voice message. We read/listen to them all and will put them on air. This is your show too so get involved and don't let Brad have all the fun. Music by Freak Motif

The great Jay Ingram, author, broadcaster, and science communicator returns to talk about the latest season of Anthropomania, his fascinating podcast that explores the weird and complex ways humans interact with wildlife. Brad and Jay discuss a range of topics that come up on season 2 of Anthropomania, from our relationship with chickens, to the coming insect apocalypse. They spend a lot of time mulling over de-extinction and whether it’s worth the effort and explore the many ways trash is influencing animal populations around the world. You can find Anthropomania wherever you get podcasts and at their website www.anthropomania.com.WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Head to www.twobradforyou.wordpress.com to subscribe to, donate to and follow the show on social media. You can also leave a comment, send an email or voice message. We read/listen to them all and will put them on air. This is your show too so get involved and don't let Brad have all the fun.

Surprise, surprise, the latest big, well controlled, credible trials of ivermectin for COVID-19 found no effect. But this episode isn't about the illogical and frankly wrong arguments of the ivermectin for COVID booster club. Instead Brad and veterinarian / research scientist Dr. John Gilleard are here to restore the reputation of the anti-parasitic wonder drug by recounting the amazing story of it's discovery and the fascinating way in which it works. Basically everything we know and don't know about it. And then yes, they dive into why there was such a controversy and what might be done to avoid similar situations in the future. WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Head to www.twobradforyou.wordpress.com to subscribe, donate to and follow the show on social media. You can also leave a comment, send an email or voice message. We read/listen to them all and will put them on air. This is your show too so get involved and don't let Brad have all the fun.

Marvin Däumichen from the Mind Foundation joins to talk about uniMIND, an international network of journal clubs discussing all things related to psychedelic research and the uniMIND Symposium 2022 Synergies & Crossroads taking place Friday April 9th 2022 in Maastricht. Marvin also gives his take on the importance of the scientific approach for investigating the complicated topics of consciousness, spirituality and altered states as well as a why a new generation of people are interested in psychedelics and pursuing it as an intellectual career.Learn more about uniMIND and how to get involved here: https://mind-foundation.org/research/unimind/How to attend / register online for the symposium: https://mind-foundation.org/event/unimind-symposium-2022/WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU! Head to www.twobradforyou.wordpress.com to subscribe to, donate to and follow the show on social media. You can also leave a comment, send an email or voice message. We read/listen to them all and will put them on air. This is your show too so get involved and don't let Brad have all the fun.