Why Aren't You A Doctor Yet?

Episode 52: Spinning Electrons and Eating Cake (ft. Jess Wade)

Tue, 09 Aug 2022 01:37:25 GMT

We've got physicist/author/Wikipedia nerd Dr Jess Wade in the studio to find out how putting your hands on top of one other could hold the key to understanding more about what happens to very very very very small molecules.

Plus we learn what it's like to write a coffee table science book for children (who mostly lack disposable income/coffee tables) and why creating Wikipedia pages to highlight underrepresented figures in science can get messy.

You can find Jess at @jesswade on Twitter.

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Episode 51: Fighting The Infodemic (ft. Science Sam)

Sun, 10 Oct 2021 18:08:15 GMT

For more than 18 months, the global COVID-19 pandemic has affected almost every part of society. And with more and more data being shared by the minute, we've become swamped with information - and that's not a good thing right now.

So to learn more about the "infodemic", we're joined by Samantha Yammine (Canada's favourite science communicator/neuroscientist/podcast fan) to chat about how compassion leads the way in the fight against disinformation, super secret blacklists, and why hot-takes & clout-chasing can screw things up for everyone.

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You can find Sam at @heysciencesam on Twitter
You can check out @science.sam on TikTok
Follow her on Instagram @sciencesam
Going viral: how to boost the spread of coronavirus science on social media - Nature

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Stay In Touch:

Use the hashtag #whynotadoc on Twitter & IG

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Episode 50: The Science of Heartbreak

Mon, 16 Aug 2021 12:40:45 GMT

We're back for Episode 50!

Break ups can be hard for everyone but eventually, you get over them. Right?

This week, we take a deep dive into the world of relationships, neuroscience and medicine as we try to find out if science can answer the question: "can heartbreak actually break your heart?"

We jump into:

Coming to America (4:03)

Lockdown love lives (10:17)

Heartbreak heart damage & Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (18:25)

Is love is a drug? (25:55)

Can seeing your ex cause actually hurt you? (41:09)

Is there a rejection gene? (46:23)

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Extra reading:

https://www.cardiomyopathy.org/takotsubo-cardiomyopathy/intro

https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/jn.00784.2009

https://news.umich.edu/study-illuminates-the-pain-of-social-rejection/

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Use the hashtag #whynotadoc on Twitter & IG

https://twitter.com/whynotadoc

www.twitter.com/thermoflynamics

www.twitter.com/HanaAyoob

www.twitter.com/ozy_ismail

www.twitter.com/newshound1337

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Episode 49: Baked Off

Tue, 16 Mar 2021 02:30:59 GMT

This week, we find out what Suhail has been doing for all the months he's spent in lockdown.

From navigating work and sex during a global health crisis to lockdown vices and Discord vaccine conspiracies, we chat about how his life has changed over the last year.

A quick note: this episode talks about death, mental health issues and intensive care.

Email: whynotadoc@gmail.com

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Episode 48: Down the K-Hole (ft. Suzi Gage)

Wed, 01 Jul 2020 00:03:11 GMT

This week, Dr Suzi Gage takes us on a deep dive into the misconceptions, myths, and misinformation surrounding drugs.

Plus, we find out about jealous Buddhists, Suhail exposing hypocritical government officials, and re-wiring the brain.

(Just a quick note: this episode was recorded in March and contains some references to ketamine)

You can get Suzi on Twitter (@soozaphone)

Get Suzi's new book Say Why To Drugs on Amazon.

Check out her podcast (also called Say Why To Drugs)

Email: whynotadoc@gmail.com

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Episode 47: Dementia

Tue, 05 May 2020 13:15:00 GMT

This is the final episode in our mini-series exploring health conditions.

Oz sat down with Shaheen to find out about her expierences with her mum's rare form of dememntia and the journey to diagnosis. We chat about stigma, care responsibilities and gender roles in the Bangladeshi community, and what it's like to be isolated as a carer.

He also hears from Nadine Mirza, a researcher at the University of Manchester, who's exploring how her work revamping dementia testing services could make sure fewer PoC fall through the cracks and get the help they need.

You can find Shaheen on Twitter at @Shaheensloan98

You can find Nadine on Twitter at @thealmostpsych

For information relating to a specific dementia diagnosis, you can contact Rare Dementia support on contact@raredementiasupport.org or on their website contact page.

If you or someone you know is in the Greater Manchester area, over the the age of 65, are South Asian and speak Urdu - you could help with Nadine's research!

You can get in touch with her at nadine.mirza@postgrad.manchester.ac.uk

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Episode 46: Infertility

Tue, 28 Apr 2020 00:00:00 GMT

We're on the third episode of our mini-series looking at health conditions.

This week, we're chatting to Roma Agrawal (engineer/author/build-er of The Shard) about her experience with infertility and her journey through IVF. We hear about engineering a baby, overbearing aunties, and her very real fear of embryo mix-ups.

You can find Roma on Twitter (@RomaTheEngineer) and check out her podcast "Building Stories" wherever you got this one.

Thanks to British Podcast Awards, Wellcome Trust, and everyone that took the time out to chat to us about this.

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Episode 45: Autism

Wed, 08 Apr 2020 03:00:00 GMT

The second episode in our new series where we explore various aspects of health!

This episode, we're joined by Tyla Grant - an autism advocate behind the YouTube channel "Adulting Autistic." She talks us through what it's like being a Black woman diagnosed at 17, mental health, and why people need to stop talking about "curing" autism. Also there's chat about a terrible golden jumper.

We get to chat to neurodevelopmental psychologist Mary Agyapong. Based out of King's College London, her work looks at early signs and symptoms of Autism. We hear about the scientific advancements in diagnosis techniques and ask whether culture and language plays a role in how we perceive autism

You can find Tyla on Twitter (@tylgrnt) and on YouTube at Adulting Autistic.

You can get Mary on twitter (@_MaryAgyapong).

Thanks to British Podcast Awards, Wellcome Trust, and everyone that took the time out to chat to us

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Episode 44: Endometriosis

Wed, 01 Apr 2020 03:04:33 GMT

We're embarking on a new series where we explore various aspects of health!

To wave goodbye to its awareness month in March, we're looking into endometriosis, a chronic condition affecting 1 in 10 women in the UK.

Suhail had a chance to sit down with journalist Anita Jones (@AnitaNnekaJones) to find out more about her journey with endometriosis - discussing everything from her first experiences of it to her reliance on fluffy water bottles.

We hear from Dr Annabel Sowemimo (@SoSowemimo) - a sexual and reproductive health doctor, writer, and founder of Decolonising Contraception (@DecoloniseContr) - a not for profit, community interest group formed by people of colour working within sexual and reproductive health who are devoted to improving the outcomes for marginalised groups.

You can find out more about DC on their website.

You can read all of the articles written by Annabel on gal-dem

Thanks to British Podcast Awards, Wellcome Trust, and everyone that took the time out to chat to us about this.

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Episode 43: The Big Issue (ft. George Anderson)

Wed, 26 Feb 2020 01:28:17 GMT

This week, Suhail chats to George Anderson about his life.

The 2008 Financial Crisis left George homeless and wandering the streets of London. No longer having his job working within the NHS, he began selling the Big Issue magazine outside of the BBC building in the centre of the city. With a background in psychiatry, he talks to Suhail about how mental health issues can affect people who deal with rejection on a daily basis.

With the support of the Wellcome Trust, he's been gradually building up his own business - CRC Scotland & London - drawing on his previous experience working in biomedical research. It hopes to help researchers publish their work when English isn't their first language.

If you want to find out more about George, you can check him out at @andersongeorg15 on Twitter or on his website

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Episode 42: Coronavirus (ft. Shivani Dave)

Tue, 04 Feb 2020 00:05:00 GMT

We're joined in the studio by journalist Shivani Dave to discuss the current Coronavirus outbreak that has spread internationally from Wuhan, China. We break down the science of the virus (termed 2019-nCoV or 2019 novel coronavirus) and find out what steps the World Health Organisation has taken to limit the spread of it across the globe.

And in a situation where researchers are working rapidly to fight the virus, what role does social media have in providing the latest information on the outbreak? What happens when misinterpreted results go viral?

Plus, we take a look at how the disease has become a vessel for racism - both online and in the real world - and Hana explains what it was like living in Singapore during the 2002 SARS outbreak.

Email: whynotadoc@gmail.com

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Episode 41: No New Sperm

Wed, 15 Jan 2020 01:00:51 GMT

This week, we're talking about the male contraceptive injection. RISUG (Reversible Inhibition of Sperm Under Guidance) has passed clinical trials and is being touted as the first consumer available male contraceptive (capable of being effective up to 13 years).

From the pill to the coil, we look at the history of contraception and discuss what this new injection could this mean for contraception and healthcare in general. Would you trust someone who said they had the injection? Could it be misused to promote enforced sterilisation in certain places around the world?

Also everyone bullies Alex. A lot.

Email: whynotadoc@gmail.com

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Episode 40: Virginity Check

Wed, 25 Dec 2019 07:19:42 GMT

For the last episode of 2019, we're talking about T.I taking his daughter for an annual "virginity check", the sociology of sex, and how white feminism has put people around the world at risk

Email: whynotadoc@gmail.com

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Episode 39: Elections & Social Media

Wed, 20 Nov 2019 00:41:52 GMT

This week, we're back in the studio to discuss all things political. Now that the UK is gearing up to a General Election, we've got voting on the mind.

Mark Zuckerberg recently said that Facebook wouldn't be rejecting political adverts that were deemed to contain false information, with Twitter deciding to ban political adverts altogether. However, during the Leaders' Debate for the UK General Election, the Conservative Party press Twitter account (@CCHQ) rebranded itself - aiming to discredit Labour by pretending to be a fact-checking account. We discuss the role of social media platforms in political campaigns.

With midwife Clemmie Hooper being unmasked as a troll who attacked other "mum-fluencers" on Instagram, what do the banning of Kelechi Okafor (@kelechnekoff) from the platform and the the erasure of the racist elements of the story when reported the mainstream press tell us about online disinformation tactics ?

Plus - we find out why online voting isn't available in the UK yet, chat the psychology of voting, and discuss how electronic voting could change politics.

You can find Kelechi's podcast "Say Your Mind" on Twitter (@SayYourMindPod) and on all podcast apps.

Email: whynotadoc@gmail.com

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Episode 38: Cocaine Eels

Tue, 22 Oct 2019 12:53:37 GMT

We're back in the studio for a flying visit and talking about the amount of cocaine found in London and how it's affecting the local animals.

You can hear Oz on BBC Asian Network Network talking about Dating Disasters with Mobeen Azhar

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Music by Grapes & Evan Schaeffer

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Episode 37: The Clapback (ft. Elijah Lawal)

Thu, 19 Sep 2019 00:56:28 GMT

This week, we're joined in the studio by Elijah Lawal to discuss his new book - "The Clapback: Your Guide to Calling Out Racist Stereotypes"

From sex and sports to crime and drugs, Black people encounter stereotypes everyday. In his book, Elijah gives out the tools he thinks that people need to shut down racism - bringing together humour, research, and history.

We discuss why people think they can say the N-word, views on interracial dating from outside and within, and why the government seem to think that Black people love chicken so much that it could prevent knife crime.

Plus - what do the billions of dollars sent internationally by immigrants in the UK yearly have to do with Brexit?

You can find Elijah on twitter at @elijah_lawal

You can pick up The Clapback on Amazon

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Music by Grapes & Evan Schaeffer

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Email: whynotadoc@gmail.com

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Episode 36: You Live With Your Parents?

Wed, 14 Aug 2019 01:43:25 GMT

This week, we talk rent.

In the UK, the minimum cost of living by yourself is anything from £18,000 - £27,000 per year. It's of little surprise that 2 out of 3 single twenty-somethings live with their parents.

With multi-generational homes being common in countries around the globe - why do so many British people see it as a bad thing?

We find out why the idea of not moving out has become so demonised and its links to immigration in the UK and the USA.

Plus, we take a look at some of the ways people have been able to live cheaply in London (and find out how companies stop it from working).

Articles:

Half Your Brain Stands Guard When Sleeping In A New Place

The Return Trip Effect

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Music by Grapes & Evan Schaeffer

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Episode 35: UK Black Pride

Tue, 30 Jul 2019 23:15:00 GMT

This week, Oz is joined by Cerys Bradley from The Coming Out Tapes to talk about the history of bad science involving the LGBTQ+ community. We talk about the obsession with the "gay gene", the treatment of Caster Semenya, and how Britain's colonial history is linked to protests in Birmingham today.

Plus we head to UK Black Pride - Europe's largest celebration for people of colour in the LGBTQ+ community. Why do people come each year? Why do some people prefer to other Pride events? And how does stereotyping ethnic minority communities affect how people embrace their identity?

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Music by Grapes & Evan Schaeffer

Clips from Bojack Horseman, Sky News, BBC News, and Channel 4 News.

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Episode 34: Is The Shard Finished? (ft. Roma Agrawal MBE)

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 00:02:16 GMT

This week, we've got Roma Agrawal in the studio to talk about her life in engineering and how she ended up spending 6 years of her life building the Shard - one of the tallest skyscrapers in the world. We talk about beef with the Burj Khalifa, creating something new in the centre of a huge city, and Oz's history on a teleshopping channel (plus Alex gets dragged for being incredibly pedantic for the last 34 episodes).

You can find the first three episodes of Building Stories on the Building Stories website.

You can find BUILT in bookshops and available on Amazon.

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Music by Grapes & Evan Schaeffer

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Episode 33: Black People Don't Need Vaccines

Thu, 04 Jul 2019 08:00:00 GMT

In a 2018 interview, Akon stated that Black people don't need to be vaccinated in order to go to Africa. This week, we discuss the role of culture in medical misinformation. Plus, we chat to Dr Furaha Asani as to why certain communities might be less likely to accept vaccinations and why labeling them "anti-vax" ignores their legitimate concerns

- Here's a link to Furaha's article in New Scientist - Labelling people "anti-vaxxers" ignores real roots of their concerns

- You can find the full Akon interview here on Revolt TV's Youtube channel

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Music by Grapes & Evan Schaeffer

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Episode 32: Superior (ft. Angela Saini)

Thu, 06 Jun 2019 00:37:00 GMT

This week, we're live at the Royal Institution with journalist and author Angela Saini to discuss her new book Superior: The Return of Race Science.

We discuss the origins of scientific racism and how, through covert adaptation, the idea that there are superior and inferior races has survived up to now. Plus with a famous scientist lending credibility to the view that Black people are - genetically - less intelligent, we discuss the platforms that race scientists use to spread their work and how societal bias influences science.

Now that research institutes around the world are owning up to their past involvements with race science, we debate whether or not it's just to hold scientists of the past to the morals of today.

We tackle biggest question of them all: is there even such a thing as race?

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If you'd like to buy (and read + review) the book:

Amazon UK

Amazon US

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Episode 31: Black People Don't Get Depressed

Wed, 15 May 2019 12:16:36 GMT

This week, we discuss our journeys with mental health and what it means to seek help when your culture doesn't acknowledge mental health issues.

We learn about Alex's struggles with connecting to therapists, Suhail's journals, and how coming to the UK changed Oz's views on openly talking about mental health.

This is an updated and remastered version of the second half of Episode 6 - you can still listen to the original episode online.

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If you are searching for help in the UK and need to speak to someone:

BAATN

BAATN is the largest community of Counsellors and Psychotherapists of Black, African, Asian and Caribbean Heritage in the UK.

https://www.baatn.org.uk/

CALM

CALM is the Campaign Against Living Miserably, for men aged 15 to 35.

Phone: 0800 58 58 58 (daily, 5pm to midnight)

Website: www.thecalmzone.net

Samaritans

Confidential support for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair.

Phone: 116 123 (free 24-hour helpline)

Website: www.samaritans.org.uk

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Episode 30: Afrotech Fest (Part II)

Wed, 01 May 2019 11:15:00 GMT

We're still at Afrotech Fest! We speak to one of the youngest people teaching people how to code globally and chat about using machine learning to help people who communicate with sign language.

Plus we chat to Chama Kay about what it's like being a non-techie at a tech festival, working on community projects, and his plan for the perfect drink safety device.

You can contact Femi (and/or Grace) on twitter at @hackerfemo and @gowolade

You can find Chama on twitter at @chama_kay and check out the Artistic State of Mind podcast at @ArtisticSOM

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Music by Grapes & Evan Schaeffer

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Our live event is May 30th at the Royal Institution with Angela Saini (@AngelaDSaini) to discuss her new book Superior.

We'll be discussing the re-emergence of race science and dissecting the political roots of race, why scientists can’t seem to look beyond it, and the dark and dangerous ways in which scientific racism still exists today.

BUY YOUR TICKETS RIGHT HERE

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Episode 29: Afrotech Fest (Part I)

Wed, 01 May 2019 11:00:00 GMT

This week, we're at Afrotech Fest and chatting about Fyre Festival, what it's like to be a single parent, and how designing a product is a lot harder when nobody cares about the users.

Plus - do we really need an app for everything?

You can contact Lydia on her site and on twitter at @lydiaonlife

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Music by Grapes & Evan Schaeffer

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Our live event is May 30th at the Royal Institution with Angela Saini (@AngelaDSaini) to discuss her new book Superior.

BUY YOUR TICKETS RIGHT HERE

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Episode 28: Swipe Right

Wed, 03 Apr 2019 01:32:00 GMT

This week, we're diving into the world of dating as we discuss how websites and apps have changed the dating landscape.

With social media platforms being pushed to have a legal duty of care to protect the most vulnerable, we ask if apps like Tinder, Hinge and Bumble need to safeguard their users.

Oz talks race fetishes, Suhail talks bikinis, and Alex is spending the episode trying to get everyone else into relationships.

PLUS: we share some of our listeners' worst dating stories.

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Music by Grapes & Evan Schaeffer

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Our live event is May 30th at the Royal Institution with Angela Saini (@AngelaDSaini) to discuss her new book Superior.

BUY YOUR TICKETS RIGHT HERE

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Episode 27: The Internet Is A Repository of Evil (ft. Alex Fefegha)

Wed, 20 Mar 2019 01:36:00 GMT

This week, we've got Alex Fefegha in the studio to chat about how he uses emerging technology to make society better. We chat human-digital interactions, AI, and why he thinks that the internet is a "Repository of Evil".

With the rise of programs like the Met Gangs Matrix and other international initiatives, we discuss what algorithms mean for the future of policing and if we can ever code out biases.

@fxfegha on Twitter

@comuzi on Twitter

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Music by Grapes & Evan Schaeffer

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Our live event is May 30th at the Royal Institution with Angela Saini (@AngelaDSaini) to discuss her new book Superior.

BUY YOUR TICKETS RIGHT HERE

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Episode 26: Viruses & Visas (ft. Furaha Asani)

Wed, 06 Mar 2019 02:00:00 GMT

This week, we chat to Dr Furaha Asani about medical misinformation, drug trials, and how we can prevent people with HIV from getting other infections.

Plus, we talk mental health (while black), how to avoid people touching your hair, and what it's like to be a Nigerian who needs a visa to go (back) to Nigeria.

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Music by Grapes & Evan Schaeffer

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Our live event is May 30th at the Royal Institution with Angela Saini (@AngelaDSaini) to discuss her new book Superior.

BUY YOUR TICKETS RIGHT HERE

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Episode 25: Migration Trail Revisited (ft. Alison Killing)

Wed, 20 Feb 2019 01:00:00 GMT

We're returning to Migration Trail - the immersive web experience using maps, data and audio to chronicle the journey of migrants across Europe and beyond.

We chat to Alison Killing, the creator of Migration Trail, to find out more about the project and how they've used data visualisation to create engaging narratives. Everything from prototyping with Google Maps (kind of) and hand drawn routes, to combining open source databases with award winning writers. And what's next for storytelling like this?

You can follow Alison and Migration Trail on Twitter.

Check out the Migration Trail website and the Migration Trail podcast

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Music by Grapes & Evan Schaeffer

Additional music and sound design by Bora Yoon.

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Our live event is May 30th at the Royal Institution with Angela Saini (@AngelaDSaini) to discuss her new book Superior.

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Episode 24: Inferior

Sat, 19 Jan 2019 18:19:12 GMT

This week, we're discussing how James Watson, winner of the Nobel Prize for discovering the structure of DNA, caught heat for making comments about race, genetics, and intelligence.

For our book discussion, we're diving into Inferior by Angela Saini and looking at how science and society can feed into one another when it comes to bias. Plus, we look at Angela's upcoming book "Superior" and discuss our hopes (and fears) for it.

You can follow Angela on twitter at @angeladsaini

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Buy Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong by Angela Saini

Pre-order Superior: The Return of Race Science by Angela Saini

Check out Chaotic Adequate & 'Rial Talk

Music by Grapes & Evan Schaeffer

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Episode 23: Film Facts Don't Matter (ft. Kwasi Kwakwa)

Tue, 01 Jan 2019 23:00:00 GMT

This week, we're joined by Dr Kwasi Kwakwa to talk about microscopes, physics, and why Hana thinks scientists should stop trying to ruin films. Suhail finds out that he's not the only one who watches Sharknado and we discuss how correlation doesn't mean causation.

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Episode 22: Smart Drugs

Sun, 04 Nov 2018 00:44:17 GMT

This week, we look into the world of so-called "smart drugs" - from caffeine to modafinil. Alex makes Oz and Suhail trial cognitive enhancing supplements and we find out how online pharmacies use legal loopholes to sell prescription drugs.

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Episode 21: Binaural Head (ft. Nikhil Mistry & Charlie House)

Wed, 10 Oct 2018 00:15:00 GMT

This week, Alex and Suhail travel to the University of Southampton to meet with Nikhil and Charlie - two researchers at the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research (ISVR). We chat about 360 audio, soundscapes, cutting-edge car stereos, and how we can use vibrations in medicine, architecture, and more. Plus, we sit down with our experts and answer your questions about sound - what are the best noise-cancelling headphones and why?

(Also Nikhil works out how to make optimal pornography and Suhail tells us about his home invaders)

This episode has been recorded binaurally. For the best experience - listen to it with earphones or headphones.

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Episode 20: Robot Wars

Wed, 12 Sep 2018 09:24:07 GMT

This week, Alex goes to see Robot Wars (and drags along Simon and Dan).

Back in the studio we talk about real robot wars - the use of robotics in warfare.

From drone strikes to Boston Dynamics, we discuss contemporary robotics and what the future of warfare could look like.

You can find Simon on his YouTube channel and his podcast, The Wikicast.

You can find Dan on his podcast, Sparks and Quarks.

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Episode 19: Why Aren't You White? (Live in Bristol)

Wed, 29 Aug 2018 04:05:57 GMT

This is our live show in Bristol from our tour last month.

In the run up to our episodes on genetic testing, we discuss ancestry tests and Alex comes up with the most unethical way to show Hana and Suhail where they're supposedly from.

SORRY FOR THE AUDIO QUALITY. This is from our backup recorder as the ones provided by the venue didn't properly record.

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Episode 18: Migration Trail

Wed, 15 Aug 2018 08:33:22 GMT

Migration Trail is a project that uses maps, data and audio to chronicle the journey of migrants across Europe and beyond. Although the characters (David and Sarah) are fictional, their story is derived from real-world experiences of migrants coming to Europe.

We explore the immersive interactive web experience and join the characters on their journeys which are fraught with dangers - from unsafe boats to human exploitation - via GPS data and the instant messages to that they send to their loved ones.

You can follow the story of Migration Trail here

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Episode 17: Gastrophysics (ft. Jozef Youssef)

Wed, 01 Aug 2018 16:26:38 GMT

We talk to Jozef Youssef - Chef and founder of Kitchen Theory - about the psychology behind food, the importance of our senses and what the future of food might look like. Alex contemplates eating jellyfish, Suhail describes his perfect lab grown burger and Oz struggles with eating insects.

And with the news that Ötzi (a 5000 year old mummy found in Europe) has had his stomach contents profiled by DNA testing, we discuss what we'd want our last meal to be.

You can find Kitchen Theory online and in North London - be sure to check them out.

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Live Shows

Wilderness Festival, Oxford - 5th August

Green Man Festival, Wales - 17th August

Tickets for our live shows available on our website

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Recommendations

rial talk

Chaotic Adequate

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Merch

You can get our stickers here - these are limited run so once they're gone, they're gone (at this price).

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Episode 16: Trapped in the Gangs Matrix & The War on Plastics

Wed, 11 Jul 2018 00:42:19 GMT

This week, Alex breaks down the Gangs Matrix. Launched in London by the Metropolitan Police in 2012, this database of suspected Gang members has come under fire recently for racial profiling. In a city where 40% of people are Black, Asian or Ethnic Minority, this database is more than three quarters black (78%) with people as young as 12 are being placed on it. Amnesty International call it a human rights violation and have called for an inquiry into the process.We talk about how racial bias can seep into technology, how public and private data can be used against the public and what the future might hold for something like the Gangs Matrix.In our discussion, we talk about recycling. Now that China is no longer taking much of the world's plastic waste, what happens to all of the things that we throw away? With images of the sea becoming polluted, is it time to ban single-use plastic?Oz interviews Dr Anna Ploszajski, a materials expert, who has an interesting take on waste culture and narrative behind the war on plastics. In the studio, we explore how views on plastic and recycling culture are shaped globally and what cutting edge technologies might be the future of recycling.

Plus, we talk about bag of bags, Hana getting Dengue fever and work out if Africans or Asians are better at balancing things on their head.

Live Shows

We The Curious, Bristol - 27th July

Wilderness Festival, Oxford - 5th August

Green Man Festival, Wales - 17th August

Tickets for our live shows available on our website

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Recommendations

rial talk

Chaotic Adequate

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Merch

You can get our stickers here - these are limited run so once they're gone, they're gone (at this price).

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Episode 15: Airport Tech

Tue, 26 Jun 2018 23:16:54 GMT

This week, we get sad that Oz is leaving us to go to Portland for a while. To commemorate this, we break down the science and tech involved in travelling by plane - from purchasing tickets to baggage reclaim. What will the future of flying look like? Why do we have to turn our phones off during take-off and landing? Why do Suhail's bags always get lost and how will new tech make his life easier? Plus we discuss just how much extra security screening we've all been subjected to.

Selected Stories

Why We Turn Devices Off On Planes

The Airport of The Future

The Tech That's Making It Harder To Lose Luggage

Live Show

We've got a live show coming up on 27/06 in Bristol and we'd love to see you there! Tickets are available here.

Merch

You can get our stickers here - the last few are available on this limited run so once they're gone, they're gone.

If you want to cover your suitcase in them, be our guest.

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Episode 14: The Order of Time

Wed, 13 Jun 2018 00:00:00 GMT

This week, we review Carlo Rovelli's book - The Order of Time. Join us as we delve into the philosophy of time, quantum physics and the limitations of Benedict Cumberbatch's voice.

You can find The Order of Time on Amazon

Merch

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Episode 13: Sunscreen & Ancient Art

Wed, 30 May 2018 01:02:54 GMT

This week, we talk about the latest news in science and tech. We go into how ethnic minority people have to wear sunscreen (and how the guys never do). Suhail talks about the news that ancient humans might have expressed autistic traits and how that might have led to the world's first prehistoric art. Plus, Oz and Alex get neurotic about being dark and going to the doctor with skin conditions.

Merch

You can get our stickers here - these are limited run so once they're gone, they're gone (at this price).

News

We All Need To Wear Sunscreen

Prehistoric Autism May Have Led to Art

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Episode 12: Backpack Heart (ft. Rohin Francis)

Wed, 16 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

We're joined by Dr Rohin Francis - a cardiologist and PhD student looking at hearts. We talk about the coolest tech in cardiology, how hearts differ across the animal kingdom and how treatment of heart disease might change in the future.

Plus we find out how being dead might invalidate your right to having privacy on your phone and Oz plans a murder - for science.

You can find Rohin on twitter - @MedCrisis - and on YouTube.

Hana's Highlights

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Episode 11: The Dark Net (ft. Cerys Bradley)

Wed, 02 May 2018 00:00:00 GMT

We're joined by Cerys Bradley - a PhD student in the UCL Crime and Security Science department. We talk about the dark net and Cerys' research into the users of dark net markets and how they respond to law enforcement investigations.

Alex gets to find out about dark net infrastructure.

Suhail laments cheap internet hitman services.

Oz gets his background check invalidated.

Hana is ill.

Here's Oz's map of TOR users

The Coming Out Tapes

If you know of any barbers/hairdressers that do amazing work, please get in touch with Anna Ploszajski on Twitter: @RialTalk

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Episode 10: Mine My Facebook

Wed, 18 Apr 2018 19:35:01 GMT

We're back with a brand new host - the amazing Hana Ayoob!

This week, we talk about the attempted assassination of Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter Yulia with the nerve agent Novichok. Why have biohackers started using stem cells to make their genitals better? And why has someone been diagnosed with super gonnorhea (when Oz was so clear about it in Episode 3)?

In our discussion, we talk about the Cambridge Analytica story and how big data might be used to profile people. We download Oz's data to find out exactly what Facebook knows about him (and why his only interest is Jim Al-Khalili).

Hana's Highlights

Jennifer Crouch - @JenniferCrouch

Angela Saini - @AngelaDSaini

Adriana Lowe - @Adriana_Lowe

You can find Angela's book "Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong" on Amazon and in all good book retailers.

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Episode 09: Black Panther & Racist Cameras

Tue, 03 Apr 2018 23:00:00 GMT

Black Panther has broken massive barriers - the most successful superhero film of 2018 and a trendsetter in diverse film-making.

But it hasn't always been that way - once upon a time, cameras were kinda racist. Oz and Suhail take us back through the history of photography and film to explain how the cameras have evolved to shoot dark skin.

Expect stereotypical models, chocolate bars, angry furniture companies and South African ID cards.

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Episode 08: Thirst Trapping

Tue, 20 Mar 2018 23:00:00 GMT

The crew is back and filled to the brim with more interesting science and tech stories.

We look into #ReviewForScience: the hashtag where scientists repurpose everyday items for science work and then review them. Everything from collecting whale snot with paint poles to lab credit cards being used to buy sex toys.

Plus, Suhail discusses how Facebook's plans to change how users interact online could mean big things for fake news and mental health.

And, as an added bonus, Oz explains the science of Instagram thirst trap accounts.

Next Live Shows: Listed Here

Suhail's Latest Film: Refugee takes up running to tackle his depression

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Episode 07: Gay Blood

Tue, 20 Feb 2018 23:24:07 GMT

This week, we get into the science behind the news that Cheddar Man - the oldest Brit - was dark-skinned. What does it mean for the concept of race and ethnicity in the UK? And why are the Daily Mail and Twitter comments about it so funny?

And as the NHS is doing a massive push to get more black people to sign up to donate blood and organs, we talk about the intersection of health, science and culture and discuss what's stopping a lot of ethnic minority people from registering.And as a gay man, why is the NHS cock-blocking Oz?

How do I sign up to give blood/organs?

NHS Give Blood website

follow them on twitter

NHS Organ Donor website

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Episode 06: January Blues

Tue, 06 Feb 2018 23:21:20 GMT

We've got a special hour long episode (to make up for the fact that we've not put anything out in January)!

We talk about the idea of January Blues, Seasonal Affective Disorder, Swiss Mummies (maybe related to Boris Johnson). Plus the fact that Oz's genetic heritage is more confused than he is at a gym right now.

In the second half of the show, we discuss our journeys with mental health. We learn about Alex's Kebab Therapy, Suhail's scribbles and how child prodigy Oz learned about sex.

Live Shows

The Science Newseum - The Harrison, London - 15th Feb 2018

Science Showoff - The Star of Kings, London - 20th Feb 2018

Bright Club: 10th Anniversary - Stratford Circus Arts Centre, London - 22nd Feb 2018

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Episode 05: Fake Terrorism

Sat, 30 Dec 2017 22:03:03 GMT

Oz explains his coffee addiction, we talk about the fake terror attack at Oxford Circus and Suhail explains how misinformation can spread through the media.We also discuss the Irish Fright of 1688 - whatever that was.

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Episode 04: Racist Gaydar

Mon, 18 Dec 2017 10:43:45 GMT

This week, Oz talks about some software that some think can predict your sexual orientation based on how you look (if you're a white male).Our discussion for this week: Is there a science behind attractiveness?Follow us on social media and send us your questions!

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Episode 03.5: Is Cake A Material? (Bonus)

Sun, 03 Dec 2017 12:41:53 GMT

In which Suhail anthropomorphises semen, Oz drinks whiskey and Anna plays Coolio on a trumpet mouthpiece.

This is a special episode to say thank you for all the support we've received in the last few weeks.

You can follow Anna on Twitter @AnnaPloszajski and her podcast is 'Rial Talk.

If you're in London, you see Anna live on 07/12 for her special Christmas Quiz.

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Episode 03: Smart Materials (ft. Anna Ploszajski)

Mon, 27 Nov 2017 11:30:00 GMT

We have our first guest - comedian, author and materials expert Anna Ploszajski!

She talks about smart materials and why our future might look like Big Hero 6.

In the mean time, we've got Oz talking about his super gonorrhea problem and Suhail gets sad about fish depression.

You can follow Anna on Twitter @AnnaPloszajski and her podcast is 'Rial Talk.

To hear more about what the future might hold, you can get the book "What's Next" on Amazon and in all half-decent bookshops.

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News

Fish Depression Is Not A Joke

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Episode 02: Sad Flights

Fri, 17 Nov 2017 21:01:57 GMT

We find out which films make for the saddest flights and whether or not we're geniuses.

Alex and Oz go head to head to get Suhail to feel some kind of way about animals and Blue Planet 2

Plus, you can see 2/3 of us live in London at The Large Stand Up Collider on the 29th of November - more info on the Science Museum website.

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NewsA Tendency For Your Mind To Wander Is Correlated With Creativity and Intelligence

Why Are You More Likely To Cry On An Airplane?

Jozef Youssef - Kitchen Theory

Airplane Food: Get In The Mood

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Episode 01: Uber 2.0

Wed, 08 Nov 2017 11:14:13 GMT

We discuss Tinder hoarding data, what happens when you don't sleep and what might replace Uber in London.

Plus, Oz answers some of Suhail's amazing science questions!

Email us: whynotadoc@gmail.com

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