Maternal Obesity and Childhood Cancer
Critically Speaking
In this episode, Therese Markow interviews Dr. Shaina Stacy about her studies on cancer risks in children depending upon the body mass index (BMI) of their mothers before and during pregnancy. Dr. Stacy explains how she obtained a sample of nearly 2 million mother-child pairs in the state of Pennsylvania, the largest sample size ever for such a study. They discuss how children of women with a BMI of over 30 when pregnant had a significantly higher risk of cancers compared to children of lean mothers. This was notable for leukemia in children under 5, especially acute lymphoblastic leukemia...
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Dr. Cheryl Hawkes: Maternal Obesity Harms Fetal Brain Development
Critically Speaking
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Cheryl Hawkes discuss the increasing scientific evidence that maternal obesity affects the developing fetal brain. While many of the effects manifest early, in infant temperament and childhood cognitive (IQ) decrements, other effects do not show up until years later, in adult psychiatric and neurodegenerative problems. The physical bases for these changes in fetal brains are also clearly evidenced in laboratory model systems, such as mice, where the maternal diets can be controlled, and the offspring not only can be given behavioral tests,...
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Dr. Diane Tober: Egg Donation Can Exploit Donors
Critically Speaking
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Diane Tober discuss the global egg donation industry, highlighting its lack of regulations and exploitative nature. Dr. Tober details some of her research on egg donors, revealing severe risks and some life-threatening complications that can affect 10-12% of donors. They discuss how donors are often uninformed about the risks and the pressures faced by donors to donate beyond current guidelines. With compensation varying wildly, there are often financial pressures that donors face, too. Finally, Dr. Tober advocates for standardized informed consent,...
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Kim Mutcherson: Millions of Frozen Embryos!
Critically Speaking
In this episode, Therese Markow and Kim Mutcherson discuss the legal and ethical implications of the increasing number of frozen embryos and the complications of assisted reproductive technologies. With an estimated over 1 million frozen embryos in the United States, this is a complex topic, particularly around state laws, embryo disposition, the financial costs of IVF, and the potential increased regulation and legal challenges moving forward. Key Takeaways: There is no hard data on how many embryos are currently frozen around the world, but there are estimated to be...
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Dr. Chris Beyrer: Cuts to USAID Harm the Health and Prosperity of US Citizens
Critically Speaking
The opinions expressed by Dr. Beyrer are his own and not those of his employer. In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Chris Beyrer discuss the importance of USAID, highlighting its role in global health and development, particularly through programs like PEPFAR, which has saved 25 million lives and prevented millions of HIV infections. Dr. Beyrer emphasizes that the economic and security benefits of USAID, whose support amounts to less than 1% of the total US federal budget, have had important benefits at home in the United States. It protects us from infectious diseases like Ebola and...
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Dr. Adam Berinsky: Political Rumors and Misinformation
Critically Speaking
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Adam Berinsky discuss political rumors and misinformation. Dr. Berinsky defines rumors as unsubstantiated claims without evidence, emphasizing their social transmission. He identifies two factors influencing rumor belief: conspiratorial thinking and partisan polarization. Berinsky's research reveals that while some people firmly believe rumors, others are ambivalent and more open to correction. He suggests focusing on these undecided individuals rather than entrenched believers. Berinsky also highlights the role of political leaders in spreading...
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Near Death Experiences
Critically Speaking
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. James Alcock discuss what near-death experiences are and the increase in them in recent years due to improvements in medical technology. While near-death experiences (NDEs) have been known about for a long time, we, as a scientific community, are starting to understand more about what they mean for neurological processes. However, despite knowing the science of what is happening, NDEs and how they are experienced are subject to one’s own beliefs, context, and even religious framework. Dr. Alcock and Therese also discuss the relationship between...
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Dr. Deborah Lang: What is Skin Cancer?
Critically Speaking
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Deborah Lang discuss the rise of skin cancer, particularly melanoma, and its causes. Dr. Lang explains that skin cancers are derived from different skin cells: basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, both linked to UV exposure, and melanoma, which can be UV-independent and linked to genetic susceptibility. Dr. Lang emphasizes the importance of early detection and personalized medicine, noting that melanoma can metastasize early. She also highlights the role of genetic mutations in cancer development and the impact of funding cuts on cancer...
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Dr. Anice Lowen: Bird Flu - Should We Worry?
Critically Speaking
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Anice Lowen discuss the bird flu outbreak, highlighting the virus’s spread from birds to dairy cattle and recorded cases of human infection. Dr. Lowen explains the differences between influenza A and influenza B viruses, talks about which type causes pandemics, and what we can do to try to prevent future pandemics from these flu strains. Key Takeaways: An epidemic affects a specific region, a pandemic is global. Only Influenza A viruses can cause pandemics and are often transmitted via birds and mammals. Humans can become...
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Dr. Joshua Weitz: Asymptomatic COVID-19 Spreaders
Critically Speaking
In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Joshua Weitz discuss his book "Asymptomatic: The Silent Spread of COVID-19 and the Future of Pandemics" and his work in understanding the risk of COVID spread from as early as spring of 2020. He highlights the double-edged sword of asymptomatic infections, discusses what governments could do to help mitigate at-risk populations, and what we, as individuals, can do to help keep everyone safe. Dr. Weitz criticizes early predictions of COVID-19's disappearance by mid-2020, attributing the error to underestimated infections and behavioral changes. He...
info_outlineIn this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Anna Stokke discuss the decline in math education, noting that students lack basic arithmetic skills, hindering their ability to grasp complex concepts across multiple subjects. Dr. Stokke highlights the persistence of ineffective teaching methods, such as constructivism, despite evidence supporting direct instruction. She advocates for a return to systematic, explicit teaching methods to build a strong foundation in math. They also stress the importance of parents questioning educational practices and seeking evidence-based research.
Key Takeaways:
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Math is cumulative. It is like a ladder. To teach a student algebra, they need to know what happens before that.
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If you don't learn the basic math at the time you should, times tables, for instance, you should really know by the end of grade three, and then you don't get that fixed, it's just going to snowball.
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Memorization practices are sometimes called drill and kill. However, if students don’t get that practice, they will fall behind early on.
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There is a lot of evidence from cognitive and neuroscientists that learning basic mathematics actually contributes to your problem-solving abilities for a range of different problems, not just mathematical ones.
"The decline in math is well documented in North America. We don't know why that is, but it's fairly clear that these changes in education seem to correlate with the decline in scores. It's very concerning, and I think we could turn it around if we'd focus on more of a bottom-up approach, building the foundation and using good instructional techniques." — Dr. Anna Stokke
Episode References:
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NCTM: https://www.nctm.org/
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Project Follow Through: https://www.nifdi.org/what-is-di/project-follow-through.html
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Sold a Story: https://features.apmreports.org/sold-a-story/
Connect with Dr. Anna Stokke:
Professional Bio: https://www.annastokke.com/cv
Twitter: https://x.com/rastokke
Website: https://www.annastokke.com/
Podcast: https://www.annastokke.com/podcast
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqqz6R2IoI5te260LbQeI5A
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-stokke-5b095626a/
Connect with Therese:
Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net
Threads: @critically_speaking
Email: [email protected]
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