On the SCIdelines

Join Jun in interviewing Nolan De Leon on his journey pursuing an MD-PHD!

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!