Peter Hotez on Vaccines, Evolution, and Your Health
Vaccine skepticism and efforts to curb vaccine access are in the news almost daily. This despite the fact that for decades, vaccines have saved millions of lives and reduced suffering immeasurably all across the globe. In this episode, host Mat Kaplan speaks with Dr. Peter Hotez, a pediatrician and global health expert and an outspoken and well-known proponent of the value and science-backed efficacy of vaccines. Dr. Hotez describes the forces at play in the rise of the anti-vaxx movement and the potential harms that could result. Mat also talks with NCSE’s Wendy Johnson. She discusses a curriculum unit she helped author that focuses on the evolution of pathogens and how that evolution shapes the vaccines to combat them: for instance, why flu shots are recommended every year, but measles vaccinations are not.
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1:12:38
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1:12:38
Safeguarding Sound Science Season 2: Evolution Edition
The second season of Safeguarding Sound Science from The National Center for Science Education examines the everyday impacts of evolution, the grand theory that informs our understanding of all life on this planet. Host Mat Kaplan talks with scientists, researchers, and other experts as they dispel common misconceptions about evolution, discuss its sometimes invisible importance in our day-to-day lives, and marvel at the wonders of ongoing scientific discovery that help us piece together more of the evolutionary puzzle. Tune in beginning Oct. 1.
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2:42
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2:42
The New Face of Climate Denial: Online Influencers
Like nearly everything ever created by humans, social media can be used for good or evil. The same goes for podcasting and other streaming media shows. We’ll talk with two experts whose work helps us understand how these tools and platforms are misused, particularly when it comes to climate change denial, AND how they can contribute to the progress of good science and the public’s appreciation of it. John Cook, creator of the mobile game "Cranky Uncle," which aims to fight climate and science misinformation, discusses his years-long effort to help inoculate against climate denial arguments and the special problems posed by social media and online influencers. Samantha Harrington, from Yale Climate Connections, then discusses with host Mat Kaplan her findings from her recent article, "Eight of the top 10 online shows are spreading climate misinformation." Join us for this special bonus episode of Safeguarding Sound Science, Climate Change Edition.
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1:10:47
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1:10:47
Hope in the Face of the Climate Crisis: Youth Activism and Leadership
Though climate change represents a clear and present danger for all of us, it is young people who will suffer the most if we don't mitigate global warming. And they understand this. Nearly 70% of 16-25-year-olds are extremely worried or very worried about the climate, according to a recent global study. Faced with this mounting crisis, young people are raising their voices and actively engaging in solutions. Meet three such people in this week's episode: Cindy Le, Leilina Patel, and Jariel Ramos, all members of the Action for the Climate Emergency Youth Advisory Board. They're joined by Kelly Lê, Executive Director of Grades of Green, a nonprofit organization that supports schools in fostering environmental literacy worldwide, and NCSE's Amanda L. Townley. Host Mat Kaplan discusses with our guests their paths towards climate activism, their efforts to create systemic change, and the ways they maintain hope in the face of the climate crisis.
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1:07:45
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1:07:45
Making Every Classroom a Climate Classroom
What do teachers want and need to know about teaching climate change? And how can they best be prepared to tackle this critical topic, even in places where climate change is considered a taboo subject? Bertha Vazquez, a longtime science teacher and the education director of the Center for Inquiry, has co-written the just-published What Teachers Want to Know About Teaching Climate Change. She tackles these questions, as does guest Amanda L. Townley, executive director of the National Center for Science Education, who is also a former science teacher. Join host Mat Kaplan as he explores with Vazquez and Townley what can be — and is being — done to help every classroom become a climate classroom.
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Safeguarding Sound Science from the National Center for Science Education combats misinformation, disinformation, and misconceptions about climate change with actual science. In Season One: Climate Change Edition, Mat Kaplan (former host of Planetary Radio) talks to scientists, teachers, and other experts to explore who's behind some of the more insidious efforts to spread misinformation, how those efforts filter down to schools and classrooms, and what is being done to ensure that everyone, including students, get an accurate climate change education.
Ireland