Matt, Jess, and guest host Allegra Gordon discuss a study using tweets to see if there have been changes in racial sentiment over time, they debate whether in-person or remote work is better for paradigm shifts, and Allegra tells us how birds are smarter than people who don’t want birds nesting on their roofs. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Matt, Jess, and guest host Jonathan Jay discuss a study using cell phone data to see if living in cities gives us better economic integration, they explore whether AI will be developing our hypotheses in the future, and Matt naps with penguins. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Matt, Jess, and guest host Amruta Nori-Sarma examine a study testing the effect of a workplace intervention for cardiometabolic health, they discuss mental health as a human right, and Amruta tells us about the power of Taylor Swift. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Matt, Jess, and guest host Salma Abdalla discuss a study testing the efficacy of a blood-based cancer screening tool, they debate the role of the workplace in mental health, and Salma sees if she can pronounce the word “bubbles” while sounding angry. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Matt, Jess, and first-time guest host Allegra Gordon discuss a study of the effect of taxes and warning labels on purchases of red meat, they lament the impact of disinformation campaigns, and Matt tells us how AI is going to take our grant writing jobs. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Matt, Jess, and guest host Jonathan Jay discuss a study on child opportunity in the built environment and physical fitness, they debate whether to get rid of discussion sections, and Jon invites us to consider the Golden Bachelor. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Matt, Jess, and guest host Amruta Nori-Sarma examine a study of the effect of proximity to wildfires on medical visits, they discuss housing as harm reduction, and Matt goes to Olive Garden. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Matt, Jess, and guest host Salma Abdalla examine a study on the use of hearing aids to prevent dementia, they discuss whether loneliness is a public health problem (and, as usual, descend into talking about COVID), and Salma tells us the difference between coffee and concrete. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Matt and Jess go solo and Jess hosts for the first time! They discuss a study of the effectiveness of a new meningitis vaccine, whether active shooter drills do anything more than scare kids, and debate the best movie candy. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

We are taking a one-month break this summer. Please enjoy this "best of" episode celebrating Chris' contributions to the podcast. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Matt, Jess, and Chris examine a crossover study of the effects of coffee consumption on heart health, they discuss the commercial determinants of health, and Chris gives a heartfelt goodbye to the podcast and to BU. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Matt, Jess, and Chris discuss a complex ecologic study on the effect of various interventions for COVID, they debate whether living evidence syntheses can save science, and Chris updates us on what killed Beethoven. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Matt, Jess, and Chris examine a meta-analysis on whether masks reduce respiratory virus transmission, they discuss the peer review madness, and Jess tells us about vibrating pills. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Matt, Jess, and Chris discuss a study on the impact of gestational age at birth and cognitive outcomes, they debate who should be an author on an academic publication, and Jess tells us whether fish can recognize themselves. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Matt, Jess, and Chris discuss a phase 2 clinical trial on the use of psilocybin to treat severe depression, they lament the state of health literacy, and Chris finds out what happens when you give drugs to spiders. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Please enjoy this compilation of the best of Amazing and Amusing. Regular episodes will return in February. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Matt, Jess, and guest host Leo Martinez discuss a study on the respiratory syncytial virus during the pandemic, they debate the value of the evidence in preprints, and Jess redesigns the urinal. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Matt, Jess, and guest host Collette Ncube examine a study using different types of measurement to look at the effects racism has on health outcomes in New Zealand, they discuss what makes for a good research question when it comes to studying health disparities, and Jess teaches us how to hold a baby if you want them to sleep. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Matt, Jess, and guest host Sarah Lipson examine a study on synergistic mindsets to reduce stress in adolescents, they discuss what it’s like to study mental health, and Matt makes a friendly wager. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Matt, Jess, and guest host Jonathan Jay examine a study on the impact of historical redlining and structural racism on preterm birth rates in New York City, they discuss firearm research in the US, and Jess enlightens us on the smellscape. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Matt, Chris (that’s right, he’s back for an episode), and guest host Brooke Nichols review one of the earliest COVID modelling papers, they discuss the importance and value of COVID models in general, and Brooke tells us why we should care about losing our hats. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Matt, Jess, and guest host Amruta Nori-Sarma examine the impact of cyclones on mortality in the US, they discuss the uneven impacts of global climate change, and Jess tells us what we will be eating in the future. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Matt, Jess, and guest host Marcia Pescador Jimenez discuss the impact of cardiovascular risk factors in childhood and their relation to cardiovascular events as adults, they review the benefits of vaccination after infection with COVID, and Marcia tells a spooky story. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.

Matt, Jess, and guest host Junenette Peters examine a study on whether acetaminophen (paracetamol) increases blood pressure, they discuss what the best measure of the impact of the pandemic is, and Jess wonders what a world of all electric cars would be like. Music: "Duress" by Ketsa under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0.