At the dawn of the social media era, Belle Gibson became a pioneering wellness influencer - telling the world how she beat cancer with an alternative diet. Her bestselling cookbook and online app provided her success, respect, and a connection to the cancer-battling influencer she admired the most. But a curious journalist with a sick wife began asking questions that even those closest to Belle began to wonder. Was the online star faking her cancer and fooling the world? Kaitlyn Dever stars in the Netflix hit series Apple Cider Vinegar . Inspired by true events, the dramatized story follows Belleâs journey from self-styled wellness thought leader to disgraced con artist. It also explores themes of hope and acceptance - and how far weâll go to maintain it. In this episode of You Can't Make This Up, host Rebecca Lavoie interviews executive producer Samantha Strauss. SPOILER ALERT! If you haven't watched Apple Cider Vinegar yet, make sure to add it to your watch-list before listening on. Listen to more from Netflix Podcasts .âŠ
Host Rachel Feltman, alongside leading science and tech journalists, dives into the rich world of scientific discovery in this bite-size science variety show.
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Love isnât just about romance. This Valentineâs Day, weâre exploring the power of deep nonromantic bonds. Host Rachel Feltman sits down with Rhaina Cohen, a producer and editor for NPRâs podcast Embedded and author of The Other Significant Others, to discuss the history and psychology of friendshipâand the reasons these connections deserve just as âŠ
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The European Space Agency recently announced that the near-Earth asteroid 2024 YR4 has a 2 percent chance of hitting our planet in 2032. The probability of impact is difficult to predict exactly and will be clearer in 2028, when 2024 YR4 will whiz by us. But if the asteroid really is on a collision course with Earth, what can we do about it? SeniorâŠ
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A subtype of H5N1 bird flu that has been found in cattle for the first time suggests that the virus jumped from birds to the animals twice. A headline-making study estimates that we have a spoonâs worth of microplastics in our brain. Streams of rock from a cosmic impact created the moonâs two deep canyons, Vallis Schrödinger and Vallis Planck. A laâŠ
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The first few weeks of the Trump administration have been marked by chaos and confusion for the nationâs health and science agencies. A funding freeze broadly targeting language around diversity, equity and inclusion has agencies evaluating research and initiatives. A hold on public communications from health agencies is affecting public health repâŠ
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Itâs almost impossible not to feel outraged these days. But overexposure to information that makes us angry can wear us down. Senior health and medicine editor Tanya Lewis joins host Rachel Feltman to discuss how to combat outrage fatigue. Plus, we discuss a surprising finding about outrage and the spread of misinformation. Recommended reading: âReâŠ
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This week weâre recapping Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.âs confirmation hearings. Highly pathogenic H5N9, a strain of bird flu, was found in U.S. poultry. A tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas is making headlinesâbut how severe is the spread? Health equity reporter Bek Shackelford-Nwanganga of the Kansas News Service and KCUR joins host Rachel Feltman to unpacâŠ
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Itâs easy to be cynical about the state of the worldâeven when youâre a researcher who studies empathy and kindness. Stanford University psychologist Jamil Zaki turned his own negativity into his new book Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness. The book busts common myths about cynicism and explores what it could be doing to our âŠ
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The sun is in the middle of its solar maximum, the part of its 11-year solar cycle that was responsible for the stunning auroras seen across the globe last year. This year is looking equally exciting, with more incoming space weather and a handful of science missions to study the sunâs wide-reaching behavior. Senior reporter Meghan Bartels reviews âŠ
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Executive orders that impact science and health in the U.S. came quickly after the inauguration of President Donald Trump. Tanya Lewis, senior editor of health and medicine, explains how grievances over COVID and funding led Trump to order the U.S.âs withdrawal from the World Health Organizationâand what that withdrawal would mean for global healthâŠ
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Itâs easy to feel overwhelmed with the news these days and to fear for the future. What if you could interrupt doomscrolling and contribute to conservation at the same time? Thatâs the idea behind programs like Adventure Scientists, eBird and iNaturalist. Guest Gregg Treinish, founder and executive director of Adventure Scientists, joins host RacheâŠ
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Net neutrality, the principle that all Internet traffic should be treated equally, was heralded by the Federal Communications Commission and open Internet advocates. A federal court struck down the FCCâs ability to enforce the policy earlier this month. What does that mean for the free and open Internet? Associate technology editor Ben Guarino joinâŠ
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A report that was recently released by the Department of Health and Human Services highlights the risks of drinking alcohol, even moderately. The Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of the dye Red No. 3 in food and other products. Experts argue that body mass index (BMI) is a flawed way to diagnose âobesity.â A SpaceX rocket successfullâŠ
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Ouch! Ah! AĂŻe! The words we use when we stub our toe or receive a pinch may point to a common way to express pain across languages. Associate news editor Allison Parshall explores what linguistic commonalities in expressions of pain and joy might mean for our shared biology. Plus, Parshall and host Rachel Feltman chat about onomatopoeias, the âboubâŠ
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H5N1 avian influenza has now reached almost 1,000 herds of dairy cattle in 16 states and has infected around 66 people, many of them agricultural workers, in the U.S. Host Rachel Feltman is joined by Amy Maxmen, a public health reporter at KFF Health News, to get the latest on bird flu. They explore how government and industry players lost control âŠ
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Norovirus cases are up this year, with 91 reported outbreaks nationwide. Human metapneumovirus (HMPV) cases are up in China and India. There has also been an increase in the U.S., but HMPV is currently a cause for concern in the nation, where its relative commonality gives many people some immunity. Louisiana has reported the first U.S. death from âŠ
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Pluto was unseated as our solar systemâs ninth planet in 2006. Since then astronomers have found signs that a real ninth planet could be hiding at the edges of our solar system. Clara Moskowitz, senior editor for space and physics, explains how the forthcoming Vera Rubin Observatory could give researchers a way to find the real Planet Nineâif itâs âŠ
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Going outside has many benefits, from positively affecting our nervous system to diversifying our microbiome. But you donât need a forest preserve to benefit from natureâsometimes even a houseplant or the smell of lavender can improve our life. Kathy Willis, a professor of biodiversity at the University of Oxford, joins host Rachel Feltman to discuâŠ
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2024 brought heat waves and hurricanes, bird flu and breakthroughs, and an overwhelming amount of progress in AI. Science Quickly host Rachel Feltman is joined by sustainability editor Andrea Thompson, health and medicine editor Tanya Lewis and technology editor Ben Guarino to recap a busy year and weigh in on the stories theyâre watching in 2025. âŠ
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The New Conservationists: Thanks to Conservation Efforts, Pandas, Wolves and Panthers Are Making a Comeback (Part 4)
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Tens of thousands of animal species are facing extinction, mostly because of human activity. But thanks to conservationists, there are some animals that are making a comeback. This is part four of âThe New Conservationists,â a four-part series about the evolving world of animal conservation. Listen to part one, part two and part three. Recommended âŠ
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Ashleigh Papp, an animal scientist turned storyteller, shifts our perspective on the modern conservationist. With low wages and expectations of free work, conservation science lacks diversity as a fieldâbut dedicated graduate students and new programs are trying to change that. Isaac Aguilar, a graduate student in the geology division at the CalifoâŠ
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The New Conservationists: AI is Making Meaning from the Sounds and Visuals of Wildlife (Part 2)
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Ashleigh Papp, an animal scientist turned storyteller, takes us on into the field. Conservationists and animal behaviorists were once restricted to wildlife data gathered manually. Now new technologies are expanding the amount of passively collected dataâand machine learning is helping researchers cut through the noise. This is part two of The New âŠ
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Ashleigh Papp, an animal scientist turned storyteller, takes us on a trip to the zoo. People are divided on zoos, but as Papp explains, the thoughtful work that goes into caring for animals makes modern zoos conservation powerhouses. This is part one of The New Conservationists, a four-part Friday Fascination series about the evolving world of animâŠ
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If you were intriguedâor disturbedâby the artificial intelligence podcast on your Spotify Wrapped, you may wonder how AI audio works. Audio Overview is a feature of the tool NotebookLM, released by Google, that allows for the creation of short podcasts with AI âhostsâ summarizing information. But questions remain about the accuracy, usefulness and âŠ
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An outbreak of an unknown illness has occurred in the Democratic of the Congo, which has already been dealing with the spread of mpox. A new study finds that leaded gasoline could be responsible for 151 million cases of mental health disorders, with impacts highest among members of Generation X. Upping your daily movement could protect you from carâŠ
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Low iron levels can cause fatigue and impact mental health, but doctors often miss cases of iron deficiency and anemia. Pediatric hematologist Angela Weyand, a clinical associate professor at the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor, points to one population that could be at a higher riskâyoung women with heavy menstrual bleeding. In âŠ
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Anthony Fauci speaks with Tanya Lewis, senior editor for health and medicine at Scientific American, about his remarkable career, as detailed in his new book On Call: A Doctorâs Journey in Public Service. They discuss the experiences he faced while guiding the U.S. through the pandemic, the lessons learned by public health practitioners and the chaâŠ
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Black Friday sales have gone from one-day in-person shopping bonanzas to a multiday deals extravaganza. Itâs tempting to give in to the seasonal pressures to shop, but knowing the tricks companies use to make sales so appealing can help us avoid overconsumption. Cathrine Jansson-Boyd, a professor of consumer psychology at Anglia Ruskin University iâŠ
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Donald Trump has nominated RFK, Jr., to run the Department of Health and Human Services, a position that includes oversight of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Food and Drug Administration and the National Institutes of Health. Senior health and medicine editor Tanya Lewis explains what that would mean for antivaccine policies, fâŠ
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Writings and records are how we understand long-gone civilizations without being able to interact with ancient peoples. A recent opinion paper suggested we could feed chatbots writings from the past to simulate ancient participants for social psychology studies. Similar survey experiments with modern participant data closely matched the outcomes ofâŠ
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Disparities in health are not indicated by adverse outcomes alone. Adriana Corredor-Waldron, an assistant professor of economics at NC State University, sought to understand why Black infants are more likely to be delivered by C-section than white infants. A working paper she co-authored found that the elevated number of low-risk Black pregnant peoâŠ
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A wildfire in Brooklyn, N.Y.âs Prospect Park was in part linked to drought conditions nationally. Plastic waste is set to grow with our expanding economy, but potential solutions look promising. Drops in gonorrhea and early-stage syphilis point to the first decline in sexually transmitted infections in 20 years. Voyager 2âs fly-by of Uranus in the âŠ
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Tomorrow marks the 50th anniversary of a transmission from the Arecibo Observatory, intended as our first attempt to send a message to intelligent life across the universe. Journalist Nadia Drake talks about the careful crafting of the signal and her personal connection with the astronomer who authored the transmission: her father Frank Drake. RecoâŠ
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What does the Declaration of Independence have in common with Vincent van Goghâs sketches? The ink used to produce them came from wasps. From pests to products, insects have played an enormous role in human history. Entomologist and animal behaviorist Barrett Klein encourages a historical and scientific perspective on these creatures and invites usâŠ
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A wooden solution to metal satellites polluting space. Water woes create droughts in 48 of the 50 U.S. statesâand climate change is of course a culprit. Microplastics could make wastewater recycling more challenging. And researchers figure out how mud from a secret spot off the Delaware River makes baseballs easier to grip. Recommended reading: HowâŠ
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Could our fixation on weight actually be harming, rather than helping, peopleâs health? Host Rachel Feltman is joined by Ragen Chastain, a writer, researcher and board-certified patient advocate, to discuss how weight stigma could be fueling many of the negative health outcomes we commonly link to weight gain. This episode is part of âHealth EquityâŠ
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Rising Signs: The Medieval Science of Astrology, a new exhibit at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, takes a look at medieval manuscripts to showcase the importance of astrology to the periodâs elites. Larisa Grollemond, an assistant curator at the museum, takes us through the impact of astrology on day-to-day decisions and the way it became âŠ
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The 2024 U.S. presidential candidates have very different visions for the country. On todayâs show, host Rachel Feltman is joined by associate sustainability editor Andrea Thompson to talk about the climate choices faced by the next president and the shifting energy landscape. Senior news reporter Meghan Bartels reviews the gun control policies of âŠ
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The 2024 U.S. presidential candidates offer very different policy perspectives. On todayâs show, host Rachel Feltman is joined by health editors Tanya Lewis and Lauren Young to discuss how Kamala Harris and Donald Trump plan to address reproductive rights and health care accessibility and affordability. Plus, senior opinion editor Dan Vergano drawsâŠ
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Why do so many of us love a good scare? Whether itâs horror movies, haunted houses or creepy podcasts, thereâs something thrilling about feeling spookedâespecially around Halloween. In this episode, host Rachel Feltman dives into our fascination with fear and morbid curiosity with Coltan Scrivner, a behavioral scientist at the Recreational Fear LabâŠ
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An enormous meteoriteâs impact 3.26 billion years ago may have made conditions on Earth more hospitable for life in the long run. Washington State is the sixth state to report cases of bird flu in humans. Weight-loss procedures and treatments could lead to an uptick in scurvy cases if patients and physicians arenât vigilant about vitamin C. And sciâŠ
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Artist and author Geo Rutherford created Spooky Lake Month to highlight the strange and eerie waters of the world. She first fell in love with the Great Lakes during graduate school in Milwaukee. Rutherford was an early educational video creator, but it was a video about spooky lakes that skyrocketed her to viral fame. She has a new book, Spooky LaâŠ
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Host Rachel Feltman is joined by Jasmine McDonald, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Columbia Universityâs Mailman School of Public Health, to discuss the disturbing trend of an increase in early-onset breast cancer diagnoses. They explore how chronic exposure to endocrine disruptors could be fueling this rise and examine the surprising rolâŠ
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NASA and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration have confirmed weâre in the solar maximum, a period of increased solar activity that could lead to more auroras. Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reported a fivefold surge in whooping cough cases. And a new study suggests that some microbes might be using our disinâŠ
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Thereâs a lot of excitement and apprehension over the seemingly sudden proliferation of artificial intelligence in just about everything. Technological progress often outpaces regulation, and the next U.S. president will set the tone for AI policy. Scientific Americanâs associate technology editor Ben Guarino walks us through AI policies and plans âŠ
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How do you stop implicit bias from getting in the way of better health? This doctor wants to make learning how to manage bias as important as learning how to suture. SHOWNOTES: Have you ever felt judged at the doctorâs office, even before you said a word? Unfortunately, thatâs not uncommon, and itâs often not intentional. Like everyone, doctors havâŠ
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Everything you need to know about last weekâs physics, chemistry, and physiology or medicine Nobels. COVID could raise the risk of heart attacks and strokes years after original infection. Hurricane Milton causes tornadoes across Florida and delays the launch of Europa Clipper. Recommended reading: How Does Sharing a Nobel Prize Work? https://www.sâŠ
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Scientific American associate news editor and music enthusiast Allison Parshall takes Science Quickly through what we know about how singing came to be. Scientists arenât sure why humans evolved to sing, but commonalities in traditional music offer clues to how the practice evolved. Neuroscience shows us where speech and singing live in the brain aâŠ
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Hurricanes Beryl, Francine and Helene have battered the Gulf Coast this year. Hurricane Milton is expected to add to the destruction, particularly in parts of the west coast of central Florida that are already reeling from Hurricane Helene. Scientific Americanâs associate editor of sustainability Andrea Thompson joins Science Quickly to help us undâŠ
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Hurricane Heleneâs death toll continues to rise. Marburg virus is spreading in Rwanda, but risks for a global outbreak are low. Researchers in Beijing used stem cell treatments to reverse diabetes in a patient. Plus, we discuss a map of a fruit flyâs brain and dolphin smiles. Recommended reading: Hurricanes Kill People for Years after the Initial DâŠ
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Drag queen and mathematics communicator Kyne Santos tells us the questions that modern mathematicians are grappling with, from infinite tiling to the structure of math itself. We hope you enjoyed the final episode of this Friday miniseries about magical math. You can listen to parts one and two wherever you get your podcasts or at the links below. âŠ
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