The Mad Scientist Podcast

This is a quick update on the podcast and things going on in our lives! We are coming back this week with the continuation of our series on the science of death (and undeath). Love all of you who listen to us, and who have been so patient during this great summer of our discontent. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

How do individuals decide whether to accept human causes of climate change, vaccinate their children against childhood diseases, or practice social distancing during a pandemic? Democracies depend on educated citizens who can make informed decisions for the benefit of their health and well-being, as well as their communities, nations, and planet. Understanding key psychological explanations for science denial and doubt can help provide a means for improving scientific literacy and understanding—critically important at a time when denial has become deadly. In Science Denial: Why It Happens and What to Do About It, the authors identify the problem and why it matters and offer tools for addressing it. In this episode we interview the authors about the book, their work, and what we can do about it! Get a copy of the book, and the new paperback here: https://academic.oup.com/book/39889 or https://www.amazon.com/Science-Denial-Happens-What-About/dp/0190944684 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

This episode Chris and Marie discuss the last thing you'll ever do: die. What does it mean to die? We seem to think it is pretty simple to say something is alive versus dead, but actually it's a pretty difficult question. Join us as we begin our series on Death and human attempts to stave off the grim reaper. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Welcome to season 7! We are so lucky to be joined by Melanie Trecek-King, one of the best up and coming skeptics in the business. She leads Thinking is Power, a wonderful website with strategies, course guides, and other resources for educators looking to include critical thinking and science communication in their students education. You can find out more about the website here: https://thinkingispower.com/ Since its launch in January of 2021, Thinking Is Power has rapidly become a go-to resource in the area of science communication and critical thinking education. TIP’s content has been featured in a range of publications (such as Skeptical Inquirer [https://skepticalinquirer.org/authors/melanie-trecek-king/] and Skeptical Science [https://skepticalscience.com/reposted-articles-from-thinking-is-power.html]), translated into different languages (such as Italy’s CICAP [https://www.cicap.org/n/index.php], France’s Citizen4Science [https://citizen4science.org/thinkingispower/#.YXAdIy33bi0]), and used by dozens of educational institutions globally. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

It's bonus episode time of the season! This time, we are chatting about the world of social media, and if it is evil or not. It is. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]