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Useful Science

Science & Technology News

Science is useful, but its usefulness isn't always obvious. In this podcast we dive deep into scientific research to figure out how the science was done, what was discovered, and how you can use it to improve your life.

Location:

United States

Description:

Science is useful, but its usefulness isn't always obvious. In this podcast we dive deep into scientific research to figure out how the science was done, what was discovered, and how you can use it to improve your life.

Twitter:

@usefulsci

Language:

English


Episodes

Climate Anxiety and Winter Sports

4/19/2022
https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/60 This week we're talking about climate anxiety and winter sports. Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach. Follow us on Twitter as @usefulsci, Instagram as @usefulscience, or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org. Show Notes The 2021 Western North American heat dome increased climate change anxiety among British Columbians: Results from a natural experimenthttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2667278222000050#bib0024Association Between...

Duration:00:35:45

21 Rerelease: Sleep

1/20/2022
http://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/21 This week we're talking about sleep. Follow us @usefulsci or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org. Show Notes People who slept less than 6 hours a night were 4 times more likely to catch a cold.Higher nighttime temperatures due to climate change are projected to disrupt summer sleep patterns, particularly for people who cannot afford air conditioning and people who are more sensitive to heat, like the elderly.Not sleeping enough (staying up for 17...

Duration:01:15:06

Dog Ownership and Gift Giving

12/8/2021
https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/59 This week we're talking about dog ownership and gift giving. Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach. Follow us on Twitter as @usefulsci, Instagram as @usefulscience, or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org. Show Notes Dog owners have a 24% lower risk of dying early and a 31% lower risk of dying from cardiovascular disease.The Gift of Psychological Closeness: How Feasible Versus Desirable Gifts Reduce Psychological Distance to the Giver

Duration:00:38:48

Fatigue & Risk Management in Healthcare Workers

10/19/2021
https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/58 This week we're talking about fatigue & risk management in healthcare workers. Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach. Follow us on Twitter as @usefulsci, Instagram as @usefulscience, or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org. Show Notes Association of residency work hour reform with long term quality and costs of care of US physicians: observational studyEducation Outcomes in a Duty-Hour Flexibility Trial in Internal MedicineFiguring in fatigue: A...

Duration:01:09:45

Racial Disparities in Health and Medicine, Part 2

7/21/2021
https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/57 Deborah talks about two intervention programs designed to address the effects of discrimination on Black youth. Alex presents the results of the Oregon Water Futures Project, which revealed inequalities in water access throughout the state. Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach. Follow us on Twitter as @usefulsci, Instagram as @usefulscience, or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org. Show Notes Elevating Water Priorities for Oregon Communities.Program...

Duration:00:11:44

Racial Disparities in Health and Medicine, Part 1

7/1/2021
https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/56 This week we're talking about racial disparities in health and medicine. Ian and Deborah present research focusing on differences in cancer treatments for Black patients in contrast to White patients, and also discuss athlete head trauma and concussion education in the US. Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach. Follow us on Twitter as @usefulsci, Instagram as @usefulscience, or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org. Show Notes Black patients in the U.S....

Duration:01:02:49

Neighborhood Connections and Green Spaces

6/4/2021
https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/55 This week we're talking about neighborhood connections and green spaces. Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach. Follow us on Twitter as @usefulsci, Instagram as @usefulscience, or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org. Show Notes ‘It's real, not fake like a park’: Residents’ perception and use of informal urban green-space in Brisbane, Australia and Sapporo, JapanResidential relocation and change in social capital: A natural experiment from the 2011...

Duration:00:49:46

Cultural Change

5/12/2021
https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/54 This week we're talking about cultural change. Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach. Follow us on Twitter as @usefulsci, Instagram as @usefulscience, or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org. Show Notes Global Increases in IndividualismSocial Structure, Infectious Diseases, Disasters, Secularism, and Cultural Change in AmericaTuning in to psychological change: Linguistic markers of psychological traits and emotions over time in popular U.S. song...

Duration:00:53:25

Food and Allergies

4/13/2021
https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/53 This week we're talking about food and allergies. Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach. Follow us on Twitter as @usefulsci, Instagram as @usefulscience, or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org. Show Notes When surveyed, almost 1 in 5 Americans report that they have a food allergy, but only 1 in 10 report symptoms consistent with food allergies or have received a diagnosis from a physician. This suggests that around twice as many Americans believe they...

Duration:00:32:23

Behavior Change

3/23/2021
https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/52 On this episode we're joined by special guest, Erika Kirgios, whose research explores strategies for promoting prosocial behavior. Familiar hosts Avaneesh, Uyen, and Cameron discuss two of Erika's recent studies. One investigates “temptation bundling,” the process of pairing a pleasurable indulgence with a less-pleasurable behavior that confers delayed rewards in order to make it seem more appealing in the short-term. A second study demonstrates the...

Duration:00:52:09

Parenting, Part 2

3/2/2021
https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/51 This week we're talking about parenting. Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach. Follow us on Twitter as @usefulsci, Instagram as @usefulscience, or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org. Show Notes Curious Neuron

Duration:01:00:08

Parenting, Part 1

2/9/2021
https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/50 This week we're talking about parenting. Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach. Follow us on Twitter as @usefulsci, Instagram as @usefulscience, or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org. Show Notes Mothers In Science

Duration:01:11:50

Vaccine Skepticism

1/19/2021
https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/49 The COVID vaccine is a major medical triumph. But not everyone is so excited to receive it. What do we know about vaccine hesitancy? How about its more radical cousin, vaccine rejection? And how does the situation in the United States differ from other countries, like Australia? All that and more on this episode of the podcast, featuring Duncan, Avaneesh, and Cameron. Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach. Follow us on Twitter as @usefulsci, Instagram as...

Duration:00:57:24

Sleep and Lunch Breaks

12/29/2020
https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/48 The pandemic has affected all of us – and while we continue to manage the ongoing tragedy and loss, many have begun to look for silver linings as well. Here are two that can result from spending more time at home than usual: (1) nightly sleep among university students appears to have improved, and (2) having more flexibility in how you spend your lunch break (walking to a park, doing yoga) may decrease stress and fatigue, and increase concentration,...

Duration:01:01:20

Blind Cooperation

12/15/2020
https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/47 The way we make decisions says a lot about us. In this episode, we highlight two studies that delve into the idea of “Blind Cooperation.” It turns out that being the kind of person who spontaneously cooperates with others and offers help without calculation can confer social benefits in the long run. Namly, it’ll earn you the reputation of being trustworthy. Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach. Follow us on Twitter as @usefulsci, Instagram as...

Duration:00:41:58

The Ig Nobel Prize

11/24/2020
https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/46 In an annual ceremony at Harvard University, the Ig Nobel Prizes honor achievements that "first make people LAUGH, and then make them THINK.” It's a quirky and entertaining tradition, and we've featured their 2020 ​A​wards in this episode of the podcast. Hear from Susan, Duncan, and Camerom, who discuss their favorite Ig Nobel Prize winners, and learn more about the ​30-year-old tradition organized by the Annals of Improbable Research. "The prizes...

Duration:00:36:33

Laughter and Social Connection

11/10/2020
https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/45 Not all laughter is created equal, and the truth is you probably laugh differently around people you don’t know than you do with friends and family. While subtle, many people can tell the difference. And do social media sites like Facebook provide a replacement for real interactions? A famous study from 2013 says no. Facebook may even make people less happy. Find out more in this episode on Social Connection. Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach. Follow...

Duration:00:34:21

Climate Change and Health

10/21/2020
https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/44 Research suggests that higher local temperatures are associated with a greater incidence of antibiotic-resistant infections. In other words, climate change may exacerbate the already growing problem of antibiotic resistance in humans. On the flip side, scientists in Portland, Oregon find that planting more vegetation, using reflective materials on hard surfaces, and installing green roofs on buildings may help cool urban areas susceptible to extreme...

Duration:00:45:23

Microplastics

10/6/2020
https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/43 The average person eats at least 50,000 microplastics a year, and inhales a similar amount. Microplastics have been found in every part of our digestive tract, and are deleterious to the liver and gut. There is good news, however: researchers at Penn State are working on eco-friendly and biodegradable substitutes. They're made from squid teeth. Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach. Follow us @usefulsci or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org. Show...

Duration:00:43:27

5-Year Anniversary

9/22/2020
https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/42b 5-Year Anniversary Special. Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach. Follow us @usefulsci or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org.

Duration:00:32:26