Episode 10: Pathogen Wars: How Gut Bacteria Protect Against Cholera

Join expert Jonathan Mitchell and guests Nicolas Scrutton Alvarado and Raymond Uymatiao to learn about the beneficial bacteria in your gut that can help protect against diseases like cholera. You can download the paper on our website at inplainenglishpod.org. Check out Jonathan’s podcast Microbe Moment! Check out Nicolas’s podcast In the Spotlight! Remember to follow…

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Episode 9: Climate Change, Corporations, and Cap-and-Trade

In the 9th episode of In Plain English, expert Kelly-Anne Moffa and guests Leenah Abugisisa and Alexander Albury delve into the ups and downs of California’s cap-and-trade policy and its impact on climate change. Remember to follow In Plain English on Facebook , Twitter, and Instagram to keep up with the latest announcements! And check out our Discord server to talk…

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Episode 8: Parasites: Master Puppeteers

In the 8th episode of In Plain English, expert Abby Kimball and guests Jakayla Folarin and Olayinka Idowu discuss the fascinating world of parasites and the surprising ways in which they connect all life, from ants to elephants. If you want to learn more about this topic, check out the book Parasite Rex by Carl…

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Episode 7: Is the Standard History of Domestication Wrong?

In the 7th episode of In Plain English, expert Grace Ward and guests Caitlin Murphy and Marc Blanc discuss why the history of domestication we think we know is wrong, and what that says about our world today. If you want to learn more about this topic, check out the book The Dawn of Everything by David…

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Episode 6: The Aging Brain: the Good, the Bad, and the Unknown

In the 6th episode of In Plain English, expert Teodora Stoica and guests Emma Sward and Abby Kimball explore what we know about how the brain changes with age, how we study the aging brain, and how we can promote healthy cognitive aging. If you liked this episode, be sure to check out Teodora’s blog…

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Episode 4: Where Did Earth’s Water Come From?

In the fourth episode of In Plain English, we discuss the potential cosmic origins of Earth’s oceans. Expert Will Saunders and guests India Bland and Nick Wolslegel delve into the paper “How much water was delivered from the asteroid belt to the Earth after its formation?” by Rebecca Martin and Mario Livio, exploring whether asteroids…

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Episode 3: Are Humans Rational?

Join our expert Alexa Ruel and our guests Kelly-Anne Moffa and Mo Carr to discuss the paper “Interplay of Approximate Planning Strategies” by Quentin Huys, et. al. During our discussion, we touch on whether the human brain works like a computer, why people avoid large negative outcomes even when they could lead to even larger…

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Episode 2: Everyone is Mistaken About Cancer

In Episode 2 of In Plain English, presenter Gloria Marino and guests Teodora Stoica and Jacob Walker discuss the paper “Tumor Microenvironment Components: Allies of Cancer Progression” by Pablo Igor Ribeiro Franco et. al. They discuss the ways in which cancer cells can modify their environment to grow, multiply, and spread; the importance of individualized…

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Episode 1: Opioids, Marijuana, and Pain Relief

In the first ever episode of In Plain English, presenter Jamie Moffa and guests Brendan Ziebarth and Alex Marshall discuss the paper “Impact of co-administration of oxycodone and smoked cannabis on analgesia and abuse liability” by Ziva Cooper, et. al. They go over the promising possibility of using cannabis to lower the dose of oxycodone…

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