Wednesday, April 25, 2018

V is for Science Vs.

Welcome to the A-Z challenge! This year I am reviewing podcasts. Day 22 is not only super near the end, it is also the letter V... not an easy letter, I can tell you. But I found a great podcast. 


Science Vs. is the Australia based podcast that looks at opinions and trends and uses science to figure out what is fact, what is opinion and what is a little bit of both. Wendy Zukerman is the narrator. The lastest podcast looked at nuclear war and asked the question, "Would it really annihilate us?" They spent two episodes looking at the the Opioid epidemic in the U.S., tracking down the things that led to it and talking about which treatment options work.  

Category: Science and Medicine

What's my time commitment here?
It's a little more random than most podcast schedules, but if you average it all out, episodes seem to appear about 3 times a month, and they are approximately 30 minutes long.

My Review
That series on the opioid epidemic was thorough. I was absolutely fascinated to trace the history, and to remember little pieces of it brushing my life--for example, I totally remember the first time I saw the little piece of paper with the smiley faces on it that asked me to rate my pain. It seemed so innocuous, but in reality that was a huge piece of the opioid puzzle! About a week after listening to it, I was traveling in a car with a friend of mine who happened to be a doctor, and the subject came up and there I was, completely educated and ready to converse deeply about opioids. I felt like a rock star. (I'd like to take this moment to acknowledge the incredible privilege it is that my understanding of opioids is completely academic. I know many people are not so lucky, and this was a haunting glimpse into that.) I absolutely recommend this podcast.

You can listen to it here or wherever you listen to podcasts. 

   

6 comments:

  1. It sounds really interesting and engaging - and educational. And to top it off it's Australian (can't beat that!)

    Leanne | www.crestingthehill.com.au
    V for Visualise and Plan

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  2. Melanie,

    I can't relate to drug addiction but I know it's an epidemic world wide problem and there probably isn't a family that's not affected directly or indirectly by it. Thanks for visiting today. Happy A2Zing!

    ~Curious as a Cathy
    A2Z iPad Art Sketch 'V' Victorian Lady

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  3. The episode on the opioid epidemic must have been hard to listen too although it's such an important topic. Terrifying how many lives it touches.Weekends In Maine

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  4. Now i have to go listen to the one on opiods. Working with street people, as well as knowing addicts who are fighting to get clean, the more i know, the better.

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  5. Thank you, Melanie! It sounds like a fascinating listen. I have watched a few short programs on the opioid epidemic but this sounds like it will give a fuller picture. I will add it to my list!

    Emily In Ecuador

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  6. This is a great one- They cover a wide range of topics, something for everyone! And Wendy is such a goofball...

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