The Science or Fiction Podcast

The Science or Fiction Podcast
  • 5.0 (7)
  • MENTAL HEALTH
The Science or Fiction Podcast

We interview researchers to separate the science from the fiction in news headlines. Catch new episodes on the first Monday of the month. www.scienceorfiction.co.uk

  1. What happens to the brain during pregnancy?

    6 DAYS AGO

    What happens to the brain during pregnancy?

    It’s October, which means, our first live event is just weeks away! Very excited (only a little bit terrified). Thank you to everyone who has signed up! We have sold out of in-person tickets but we do have a waiting list - if you’d like to come along please sign up. We also have an online option, which will remain open. More info and tickets here. Content warning: in this episode, we are discussing pregnancy. We use the terms 'women' and 'female' to discuss pregnancy-related topics, but we recognise that not all women will experience pregnancy, and not all who experience pregnancy identify as women. In this month’s episode, we talked to Dr Laura Pritschet about what happens to the brain during pregnancy. Around 140 million births take place each year, and 85% of women are likely to get pregnant when not taking contraception. This is a huge proportion of the population – but we know surprisingly little about what happens to the brain during pregnancy. Only 0.5% of neuroscience research is conducted on women’s health, let alone pregnant women’s health. A new study scanned a first-time mother’s brain 26 times throughout her pregnancy – this study has really captured people’s attention: it has been featured in over 300 news articles at the time of recording, including in the New York Times, Fox News, the BBC, the list goes on. Why has this study made such a splash and what have we learned about the brain? Kathryn and Chloe Carrick (PhD student studying structural brain development) interviewed the lead author of the paper, Dr Laura Pritschet, to answer these important questions. This is our first time covering a neuroscience topic! Make a coffee and settle in; Laura explains what brain changes mean, how the brain changes over the lifespan, and why we must understand brain changes in pregnancy. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this issue and whether you’d like to hear more about the brain in future episodes. Resources and recommendations The journal article discussed: Laura Pritschet and colleagues (2024), Neuroanatomical changes observed over the course of a human pregnancy, published in Nature Neuroscience Bowers Women’s Brain Health Initiative: more info here We also talked about adolescent brain development, here are some resources on this topic: Help and support If you are affected by any of the issues discussed in the episode, you can access free support via the following links: Samaritans contact information: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/ The Mix online chat and phone helplines for under 25s: https://www.themix.org.uk/get-support Mind Charity contacts: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/for-children-and-young-people/useful-contacts/ Thanks for reading The Science or Fiction Podcast! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.   This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.scienceorfiction.co.uk

    54 min

  2. 2 SEPT

    Is problematic smartphone use affecting mental health?

    We've been very busy in our month off! We have launched our very first Science or Fiction Live, we’ve got a snapshot of ADHD Babes in this month’s episode, and our new episode covers the latest findings on problematic smartphone use and mental health. First, the live event! We are hosting our first Science or Fiction Live: a live podcast recording in London and streamed online. We will be interviewing ADHD researcher Professor Ellie Dommett (King’s College London) and ADHD advocate and podcast director Shauna Campbell (ADHD Babes) on self-diagnosing ADHD: social media, statistics and everything in between. The live event is on Monday 28th October at 6.30pm at the Science Gallery London in London Bridge. There will be prizes, merch and nibbles if you come in person, or you can stream online and still send in your questions for the experts. All the information is on our webpage and you can sign up for free tickets on the eventbrite – hope to see you there!  Let’s get into this week’s episode. The debate as to whether young people should be using smartphones, how much they should use them and what they should use them for is all over media (for example, here and here) – and there is little consensus on what we should do. Some are calling for a smartphone ban – author Jonathon Haidt has claimed smartphones should be banned for under 14s and social media for under 16s. Not all scientists agree – digital health researcher Dr Amy Orben has said recently that we are a digital society and children and young people have the right to be a part of it. Two studies published by researchers at King’s College London have delved deeper into how young people feel about their smartphone use, and how problematic smartphone use is related to mental health symptoms. What makes smartphone use problematic and how does it affect us? Is there evidence to suggest we should ban smartphones for young people? This month we interviewed Dr Nicky Kalk, author of the two studies in question, and research and clinical lead at King’s College London, to find out. Listen here, wherever you get your podcasts, or watch on YouTube Resources and recommendations Journal articles we discussed: * A multi-school study in England, to assess problematic smartphone usage and anxiety and depression, published in Acta Paediatrica * ‘There’s more to life than staring at a small screen’: A mixed methods cohort study of problematic smartphone use and the relationship to anxiety, depression and sleep in 13–16-year-old students in the UK., published in BMJ Mental Health * Problematic smartphone use: What can teenagers and parents do to reduce use?, published in Acta Paediatrica Recommedations: * Nicky recommended The Conversation for articles written by scientists providing overviews of their research * I recommend Lucy Foulkes’ article discussing the nuances of this issue Help and support If you are affected by any of the issues discussed in the episode, you can access free support via the following links: Samaritans contact information: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/ The Mix online chat and phone helplines for under 25s: https://www.themix.org.uk/get-support Mind Charity contacts: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/for-children-and-young-people/useful-contacts/ This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.scienceorfiction.co.uk

    38 min
  3. Is AI a threat to elections?

    30 JUN

    Is AI a threat to elections?

    This month, we are talking about artificial intelligence and the potential impact on the integrity of elections and our democracy as a whole. A recent report on this topic published by AI researcher, Sam Stockwell, from the Alan Turing Institute hit the headlines. We unpack the evidence, explained the implications, and Sam outlined recommendations for what governments and regulators need to do to protect our democratic process. How do we measure the impact that AI might be having? Does AI pose a real danger to the future of elections across the globe? Read the report here: Briefing paper by Sam Stockwell and colleagues: AI-Enabled Influence Operations: The Threat to the UK General Election Recommendations Electoral Commission voter guidance on disinformation CETaS research publication page CETaS generative AI report Turing Public Policy misinformation survey Brennan Center for Justice AI and Democracy article series Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.scienceorfiction.co.uk

    36 min
  4. Under Review: Behind The Podcast with Mariam Shah

    3 JUN

    Under Review: Behind The Podcast with Mariam Shah

    In the first episode of our new series, Under Review, where a youth advisor takes over as host, Mariam Shah interviews Dr. Kathryn Bates, founder and producer of The Science or Fiction Podcast, to discover why we make the podcast, how science communication needs to adapt to the ever-changing landscape of social media, and what the podcast has coming up this year. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.scienceorfiction.co.uk

    24 min
  5. Why does the gender pay gap persist in higher education, and how can we eliminate it?

    5 MAY

    Why does the gender pay gap persist in higher education, and how can we eliminate it?

    The gender pay gap is identified as the difference in pay between men and women. A new report from the Higher Education Policy Institute has revealed that women are paid on average 11.9% less than men in higher education institutions – that’s colleges and universities across the UK where students undertake undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. Women outnumber men at university – 57% of undergraduate students are women – and they make up just under 50% of the higher education workforce – so why does the pay gap still exist and what are we doing to eliminate it? A new report from the Higher Education Policy Institute reveals insights into the statistics and what changes we need to make. This week we interviewed a panel of scientists and policymakers, including the author of the report to find out why the gender pay gap persists and how we can eliminate it. The panel: Rose Stephenson, author of the report and Director of Policy and Advocacy at the Higher Education Policy Institute Dr Sophie Scott, Professor of Cognitive Neuroscience and Director of the Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience Dr Salim Hashmi, Lecturer in Psychology Education and Culture, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion lead at King’s College London The report discussed: Stephenson (2024), Show me the money: an exploration of the gender pay gap in higher education: https://www.hepi.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Show-me-the-money-an-exploration-of-the-gender-pay-gap-in-higher-education-2.pdf Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.scienceorfiction.co.uk

    45 min
  6. How does science make the headlines?

    1 APR

    How does science make the headlines?

    Instead of talking to a researcher or scientist about a controversial headline, we interviewed Fiona Fox, CEO of the Science Media Centre and author of Beyond the Hype: Inside Science’s Biggest Media Scandals from Climategate to Covid to find out how the science makes it into the headlines. When news articles cover new research findings, you’ll often see a quote from a scientist giving their opinion on the evidence. This journalist has likely gone via the Science Media Centre to find an expert to comment on the story. Communication between journalists and scientists is not always smooth sailing. News articles can have sensational headlines and can include exaggerated research findings – which is part of the motivation for us to make this podcast. Journalists and news outlets aren’t always the ones to blame. Journalists are under pressure to write interesting stories and catch people’s attention, but scientists are under pressure to generate evidence and explain complex concepts in an accessible way.   This week we find out: how scientists and the media community and how science makes it into the headlines. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.scienceorfiction.co.uk

    48 min
  7. Is social prescribing the prescription for youth mental health?

    4 MAR

    Is social prescribing the prescription for youth mental health?

    The latest NHS figures show that in December 2023 nearly 750,000 children and young people were in contact with NHS mental health services. Reports from the previous year suggested young people waited on average between two weeks and 3 months to be seen by mental health professionals.  The NHS is not keeping up with the need for mental health support. Could social prescribing be the answer? Social prescribing involves connecting young people with the community, through activities like cinema clubs and nature walks. NHS England launched a social prescribing service in 2018 to link patients with non-medical support in the community. And it has been suggested that young people on waiting lists for child and adolescent mental health services or CAMHS might benefit from social prescribing. But what does the evidence show? Young people are often in crisis by the time they are referred for mental health support – is there evidence to suggest that social prescribing improves young people’s mental health? We interviewed Dr. Daniel Hayes, Senior Research Fellow at University College London, to find out. You can read the article we discussed here: Hayes and colleagues (2023), The impact of social prescribing on children and young people’s mental health and wellbeing: https://socialprescribingacademy.org.uk/media/lrif2emh/evidence-review-the-impact-of-social-prescribing-on-children-and-young-peoples-health-and-wellbeing.pdf Researcher recommendations Find out more about the research on The Social Biobehavioural Research Group website: https://sbbresearch.org Help and support If you are affected by any of the issues discussed in the episode, you can access free support via the following links: The Mix online chat and phone helplines: https://www.themix.org.uk/get-support Samaritans contact information: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/ Mind Charity contacts: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/for-children-and-young-people/useful-contacts/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.scienceorfiction.co.uk

    28 min
  8. Mental health in Punjabi communities: what insights does charity research reveal?

    4 FEB

    Mental health in Punjabi communities: what insights does charity research reveal?

    The mental health research findings we see in the news are not always produced by academic research teams. They often come from research conducted by charities. Mental health charities can shape the research and mental health support landscape; they are the organisations working directly with and for communities. How do charities conduct research? Who is it aimed at? And what can we learn from it? To answer these questions, we interviewed Shuranjeet Singh and Dr Gurmukh Panesar from Taraki: a charity reshaping the approach to mental health in Punjabi communities. They talk us through their work and their recent report on depression in Punjabi communities. Recommendations from the episode Read Taraki’s latest report on depression in Punjabi communities: https://www.taraki.co.uk/knowledge-hub/literature-summary-depression-and-punjabi-communities Help and support If you are affected by any of the issues discussed in the episode, you can access free support via the following links: The Mix online chat and phone helplines: https://www.themix.org.uk/get-support Mind Charity contacts: https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/for-children-and-young-people/useful-contacts/ Samaritans contact information: https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.scienceorfiction.co.uk

    37 min
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About

We interview researchers to separate the science from the fiction in news headlines. Catch new episodes on the first Monday of the month. www.scienceorfiction.co.uk

Information

  • Creator
    The Science or Fiction Podcast
  • Years Active
    2022 - 2024
  • Episodes
    15
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © The Science or Fiction Podcast
  • Show Website
    The Science or Fiction Podcast

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