Useful Science

https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/42More people are working from home than ever before. These lifestyle changes can meaningfully impact productivity, stress, and mental health. For example, researchers found that merely thinking that your employer expects you to monitor work email during nonwork hours can ramp up anxiety and harm romantic relationships.Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach.Follow us @usefulsci or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org.Show NotesPressure to answer work emails during non-work hours negatively affected employees' health, and decreased the relationship satisfaction of both the employee and their significant other.Briefly looking at the color green before working on a creative task (such as coming up with unusual uses for common objects) increased creativity.

https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/41This episode examines the difficult issues that surround diversity, injustice, and trust. Multiple studies in the United States and Europe found that more ethnic diversity in residential settingis is associated with lower trust among neighbors. And an analysis from 2011 found that many African regions that were raided during the transatlantic slave trade developed cultures of distrust, which can still reverberate in the day-to-day interactions of people who inhabit these areas.Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach.Follow us @usefulsci or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org.Show NotesEthnic Diversity and Social Trust: A Narrative and Meta-Analytical ReviewThe Slave Trade and the Origins of Mistrust in Africa

https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/40The Useful Science team unveils the many benefits of dogs on our well-being. Researchers in Canada found that therapy dogs can positively impact patients’ experiences in stressful hospital settings plagued by long wait times. And in an observational study of families with young children, researchers found that pre-schoolers who played with the family dog three or more times per week displayed fewer conduct problems, and more prosocial behaviors, compared to children who had little or no dog-time in their lives.Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach.Follow us @usefulsci or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org.Show NotesA case study of the patient wait experience in an emergency department with therapy dogsThe relationship between dog ownership, dog play, family dog walking, and pre-schooler social–emotional development: findings from the PLAYCE observational study

https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/39This week we're talking about knots.Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach.Follow us @usefulsci or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org.Show NotesTopological mechanics of knots and tanglesThe roles of impact and inertia in the failure of a shoelace knot

[https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/38\](https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/38)The Useful Science team provides a breakdown on clinical trials - what they are, why they matter, and how long they take. As a wave of urgent clinical trials related to COVID19 is unfolding around the world, researchers try to balance the need for vaccines & treatment with ethical concerns and the health of study participants.Music by [Solomon Krause-Imlach](https://solomonkrauseimlach.com/).Follow us @usefulsci or email us at [podcast@usefulscience.org](mailto:podcast@usefulscience.org).Show NotesEthics of controlled human infection to address COVID-19What risks should be permissible in controlled human infection model studies?

https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/37Avaneesh Narla and Joshua Conrad Jackson discuss the insect that’s been making headlines lately. Also known as Asian giant hornets, these critters have received a lot of hype lately, not just for the scary name but also for their potential to wipe out the oh-so-important pollinating honey bees. Are these fears founded, or is there a bigger threat to our bees?Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach.Follow us @usefulsci or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org.Show NotesOver 40% of insect species are threatened with extinction globally due primarily to habitat loss and pollutants including fertilizer and pesticides.Unusual thermal defence by a honeybee against mass attack by hornets

https://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/36Uyen Nguyen and Joshua Conrad Jackson are back to discuss some things you might not have heard about sugar. More sugar consumption may lead to risky business in kids. We also examine whether the increasingly popular taxes on the sugar industry actually reduce sugary drink intake.Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach.Follow us @usefulsci or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org.Show NotesIn Mexico, a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages reduced the sales of sugary drinks by up to 12%, particularly among people of low socio-econonomic status.Sugar consumption is associated with more frequent risky behavior, such as fighting, bullying, drinking, and smoking, in adolescents. Consuming sugary drinks is more strongly associated with risky behavior than consuming sweets such as chocolate and candy.

http://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/35Returning hosts Avaneesh Narla and Dr. Susan Rogers Van Katwyk are here to demystify and unravel some of the mystery of “best by” or expiration dates. How much science is out there about these labels, and how much do they really tell us about health and safety? Does reducing the price of almost-expired food at the store increase overall waste?Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach.Follow us @usefulsci or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org.Show NotesConsumer behaviour towards price-reduced suboptimal foods in the supermarket and the relation to food waste in householdsThe Dating Game: How Confusing Food Date Labels Lead to Food Waste in America

http://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/34Duncan talks about VR in the classroom. Avaneesh talks about how ice is the most slippery at about -7 C and becomes less slippery at colder temperatures. Jaime talks about how to teach quantum physics.Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach.Follow us @usefulsci or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org.Show NotesReady student one: Exploring the predictors of student learning in virtual realityMolecular Insight into the Slipperiness of IceScience and Culture: Quantum games aim to demystify heady scienceFizzics Education Free Resources

A followup episode on COVID-19.Coronavirus antibody tests aren’t as accurate as they seem - QuartzThe False Hope of Antibody Tests - The AtlanticFood Safety and Coronavirus Disease 2019 - CDCMedical masks vs N95 respirators for preventing COVID‐19 in healthcare workers: A systematic review and meta‐analysis of randomized trialsShadowpox Game

http://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/33Ian talks about how to deal with kids who don't like their gifts. Cindy talks about the role of maternal behavior in regulating a child's emotions. This is a crossover with the Curious Neuron Podcast (Dr. Cindy Hovington)Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach.Follow us @usefulsci or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org.Show NotesKids with higher levels of 'effortful control' (the ability to replace one emotional behavior with another) were better at suppressing negative reactions to unwanted gifts.Sustained attention development during the toddlerhood to preschool period: Associations with toddlers’ emotion regulation strategies and maternal behaviour

http://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/32This week we're talking about office fitness.Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach.Follow us @usefulsci or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org.Show NotesTen minutes of moderate exercise (stair walking) increased feelings of alertness more than caffeine in chronically sleep-deprived women.Employees who used a walking treadmill workstation at speeds up to 2 mph showed an increase in productivity over a period of 1 year.

http://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/31 This week we're talking about politics and polarization. Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach. Follow us @usefulsci or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org. Show Notes Ecological and cultural factors underlying the global distribution of prejudice Could climate change fuel the rise of right-wing nationalism? Importing Political Polarization? The Electoral Consequences of Rising Trade Exposure

An emergency episode on COVID-19. CDC information on COVID-19 World Health Organization information on COVID-19 Public Health Agency of Canada information on COVID-19 Social Network Sites and Well-Being: The Role of Social Connection

http://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/30 This week we're talking about social inclusion and well-being. Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach. Follow us @usefulsci or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org. Show Notes Religious people tend to live longer than non-religious people, partly due to greater engagement in community and volunteer activities. Young adults felt worse and more socially excluded than they expected after talking about an extraordinary experience with a group who had shared an ordinary experience. This is possibly because people tend to bond more easily over common experiences.

http://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/28 This week we're talking about antibiotics. Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach. Follow us @usefulsci or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org. Show Notes Antibiotic use in animals raised for food is drastically increasing. This poses a risk for antibiotic resistance, which may limit our capacity to treat infectious diseases. Some non-antibiotic drugs prevent the growth of normal gut bacteria in similar ways to antibiotics, and may inadvertently contribute to the development of antibiotic resistance.

http://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/28 This week we're talking about red meat vs. the world Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach. Follow us @usefulsci or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org. Show Notes Mathematical Optimization Assessing the Role of Cattle in Sustainable Food Systems Comparison of Nutritional Quality Cronometer app Effects of red meat, white meat, and nonmeat protein sources on atherogenic lipoprotein measures in the context of low compared with high saturated fat intake: a randomized controlled trial Effect of Lower Versus Higher Red Meat Intake on Cardiometabolic and Cancer Outcomes: A Systematic Review of Randomized Trials Red and Processed Meat Consumption and Risk for All-Cause Mortality and Cardiometabolic Outcomes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Cohort Studies Reduction of Red and Processed Meat Intake and Cancer Mortality and Incidence: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis of Cohort Studies Patterns of Red and Processed Meat Consumption and Risk for Cardiometabolic and Cancer

http://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/27 This week we're talking about the Circadian Rhythm. Music by Solomon Krause-Imlach. Follow us @usefulsci or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org. Show Notes Wearing amber lenses that block blue light before bedtime can improve sleep quality. Going camping without artificial lights for the weekend can help reset your sleep cycle to more closely match natural light cycles and wake up earlier.

http://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/26 This week we're talking about the science of pets. Follow us @usefulsci or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org. Show Notes The “Domestication Syndrome” in Mammals: A Unified Explanation Based on Neural Crest Cell Behavior and Genetics Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body Are owners' reports of their dogs’ ‘guilty look’ influenced by the dogs’ action and evidence of the misdeed?

http://www.usefulscience.org/podcast/25 This week we're talking about smartphones. Follow us @usefulsci or email us at podcast@usefulscience.org. Show Notes 15-year-olds who had a moderate amount of daily screen time reported better mental well-being compared to those who had very little (less than 1-2 hours) or a lot (more than 5-6 hours) of screen time each day. Employees who regularly used a smartphone app to perform mindfulness meditation for 10 minutes or more per week experienced greater well-being and less perceived job strain (workload and intensity). Couples who had rules for not monitoring each other's cell phone usage and not repeatedly contacting each other via cell phone reported less relationship satisfaction than couples who did not have these rules.