The Skeptic’s Guide to Health, Medicine, and the Media
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Episodes
- Watch Trailer!May 31, 20202minWatch Trailer!This video is currently unavailable
- S1 E1 - Hormone Replacement TherapyJanuary 31, 201932minFor decades, the pharmaceutical industry and the press praised hormone replacement therapy as a panacea for menopausal symptoms and women’s long-term health. But that all came to a screeching halt in 2002. Discover what the scientific studies that caused this sudden turnaround really said. And are men falling prey today to the same marketing tactics regarding testosterone?Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E2 - Concussions and the Future of FootballJanuary 31, 201933minWhat happens to billions of neurons when the gelatinous brain slams into the side of the hard skull? While the media has focused some attention on high-profile cases of concussion and Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, learn how selective reporting can lull us into believing an issue has been adequately addressed when that is far from the truth.Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E3 - New Drugs on the BlockJanuary 31, 201932minIs prescription drug “X” a wonder drug or a disastrous failure? It can be almost impossible to answer that question based on what’s presented in the press. Using two drugs as case studies, you’ll learn how to better understand and evaluate the media description of prescription drugs, and why institutional changes regarding data availability can make all the difference.Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E4 - Is It Time for Medical Marijuana?January 31, 201933minBy examining our changing perceptions of marijuana's safety and usefulness, you’ll learn how different stakeholders can affect media coverage, drive social change, and influence legislation. Given that the medical use of cannabis in the United States has not been driven by well-designed scientific studies, how can we best interpret news reports addressing its efficacy and safety?Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E5 - The Media and Weight LossJanuary 31, 201930minThe media focus on weight loss comes as no surprise. With two of every three Americans being overweight, we certainly need sound nutrition and weight-loss advice based on solid science. But is that what we’re getting? Learn how to read beneath the hyperbole-filled headlines to determine if an article’s content is really salient to your own health.Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E6 - Alternative Medicine in the NewsJanuary 31, 201931minMillions of Americans every year turn to alternative-medicine approaches that have never been rigorously studied or have even been disproven. Learn why fish oil supplements are a $1.2-billion industry, despite research that shows no health benefit from their use, and why individuals continue to turn to stem cell “infusions” despite sometimes dire consequences.Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E7 - The Media’s Take on Mental HealthJanuary 31, 201931minWhile mentally ill individuals are more likely to become victims of crime than to be violent perpetrators, their depiction in TV and film has skewed our perceptions of the risk they pose to society. The Associated Press has recently encouraged journalists to cover these issues more fairly and accurately. But as you’ll discover by looking at related news articles, we still have a long way to go.Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E8 - The Media and the InternetJanuary 31, 201932minYou’d never believe people who told you they lived off air only, never eating. Yet one “Breatharian” couple received widespread media coverage on the internet, broadcast sites, and in print. Why are we so gullible? Learn how to think like a skeptic when reading news in any medium, remembering that while internet “clickbait” races continue to be faster and faster, real science is slow and steady.Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E9 - We Share Our World with ToxinsJanuary 31, 201930minWhile toxins are around us all the time and require a nuanced, sophisticated approach to understand, short and memorable headlines sell. Follow the fascinating media coverage of baby-food toxins and the new water system in Flint, MI, to discover the reasons for conflicting headlines and stories. Who got it right? And who got it so very wrong?Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E10 - Are Coffee and Wine Good for Your Heart?January 31, 201930minLearn why accurate reporting on the relationships between coffee, wine, and cardiovascular health requires an understanding of real clinical endpoints as well as a desire to clearly explain the complicated answer to a seemingly simple question: Is this good for me or bad for me? With its ups and downs and missteps, the history of reporting on these topics is fascinating.Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E11 - Life Expectancy and Infant MortalityJanuary 31, 201930minWhy is life expectancy in the United States decreasing and infant mortality so high compared to other industrialized nations? Take a captivating look behind the scenes at the debate between scientists fighting for their individual points of view. Does the media explain the statistics behind their competing theories? If not, who suffers from the oversimplification of a “clickbait” headline?Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E12 - Is It Really OK to Stop Flossing?January 31, 201931minYou might have seen a headline recently stating that flossing your teeth is a complete waste of time, or might have read that new guidelines mean your blood pressure might be high. But did you also read that many doctors do not agree with those changes? Probably not. Learn why health recommendations can suddenly change and how to determine if those changes apply to you.Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E13 - Does Cancer Screening WorkJanuary 31, 201930minWe’ve all seen the stories about a cancer survivor whose life was saved by early screening. These heart-warming stories can make us want to run out and take every early-warning test in sight. But cancer screening is full of complexities that rarely make the news. Learn about the very real dangers of overdiagnosing, and how to determine which screenings are important for you.Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E14 - Drug Prices in the NewsJanuary 31, 201931minIn an ideal world, all medications would be available and affordable to those who need them. But the minutiae of prescription drug pricing can create a significant barrier. Learn about the unique role of the pharmacy benefit manager, how pharmaceutical companies work to keep generics out of the marketplace, and how gifts given by drug reps still influence doctors’ prescribing habits.Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E15 - Selling DiseaseJanuary 31, 201932minDiscover how drug companies sometimes develop a drug first, and only then identify a disease the drug can address (think restless legs syndrome or chronic dry eye). Is the media helping us focus on our biggest health challenges, or pulling our attention over to the newest problems, problems potentially driven by pharmaceutical marketing?Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E16 - The Opioid CrisisJanuary 31, 201933minOpioids had been around for a century before exploding into the crisis we have today. But the cause of the current crisis is not as simple as the story we often hear: greedy drug companies pushing greedy doctors to overprescribe. Learn what the most common cause of opioid death is today, and the role the media can play with respect to educating families and creating pressure for policy change.Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E17 - Infections in the HeadlinesJanuary 31, 201931minWhile the media has played an important role in educating the public about hygiene and the avoidance of disease, it has also been known to spread false rumors resulting in very real health consequences. Learn what the media got right and wrong in covering the recent outbreaks of Ebola and influenza, and why we shouldn’t be skimming headlines.Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E18 - Heath Risks in Our EnvironmentJanuary 31, 201930minDoes your cell phone increase your risk for cancer? Does it really matter whether or not you use your seatbelt? Learn how to examine the research that supports (or doesn’t) the “risk” headlines to then make appropriate choices for you and your family. Exaggerating a risk might make for good “clickbait,” but it can lead to unnecessary fears and poor decision-making.Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E19 - Bad ScienceJanuary 31, 201931minWhen doctors tragically rely on fraudulent or shoddy science published in reputable medical journals, patients can suffer. Even worse, explore the dark side of medical publishing, in which for-profit “journals” with worthy sounding titles publish trash articles reviewed by no one. When researchers’ work can be published for a fee, who really pays the price?Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E20 - Diet, Health, and the Power of WordsJanuary 31, 201930minFrom “superfood” to “pink slime” to acai, the media exerts a powerful effect on our concepts of food, diet, and health. Learn how to differentiate between nutrition-related scientific statements and marketing statements. When does the desire to eat whole, healthy foods become an unhealthy obsession? What role does the media play in influencing those choices?Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E21 - Genetics and the MediaJanuary 31, 201932minUsing the example of genetic effects on obesity, you’ll discover how two antithetical headlines can result from the same scientific report. These overblown and overly simplistic headlines might attract readers, but they can muddy the waters of these complicated issues and even make readers skeptical of science itself.Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E22 - How to Stay YoungJanuary 31, 201930minProfessor Benaroch will lead you through the exercise of finding solid, credible answers to a question on all of our minds: What’s the best way to stay young and healthy? He’ll illustrate how the skeptic’s tools you’ve learned to use when reading or viewing media reports will help you answer this or any other health question. You’ll be surprised where the research takes you!Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E23 - Cures for the Common ColdJanuary 31, 201930minDiscover how to best address the common cold. What’s your best choice: Echinacea, good old chicken soup, vitamin C, vitamin D, or zinc? Will any of these options cure the cold or get rid of it faster than a placebo? You’ll find your answer by remembering that good journalism provides an honest headline followed immediately by solid facts and an accurate summary of the appropriate studies.Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
- S1 E24 - The Media’s Role in Improving HealthJanuary 31, 201936minDiscover the positive role the popular media played in encouraging us to put our cigarettes down, our seatbelts on, and not mix drinking and driving. This is media at its best, working creatively and effectively in the interest of public health. What issues could the media address today to positively impact our public health?Free trial of The Great Courses Living or buy
Extras
Bonus
In 24 fascinating episodes, Dr. Roy Benaroch of Emory University’s School of Medicine shows you how to recognize good reporting that provides accurate, well-sourced health information and bad reporting that’s incomplete at best and purposely misleading at worst. You’ll get answers to medical questions that take you past the headlines and beyond the way health news is typically reported.
In 24 fascinating episodes, Dr. Roy Benaroch of Emory University’s School of Medicine shows you how to recognize good reporting that provides accurate, well-sourced health information and bad reporting that’s incomplete at best and purposely misleading at worst. You’ll get answers to medical questions that take you past the headlines and beyond the way health news is typically reported.
In 24 fascinating episodes, Dr. Roy Benaroch of Emory University’s School of Medicine shows you how to recognize good reporting that provides accurate, well-sourced health information and bad reporting that’s incomplete at best and purposely misleading at worst. You’ll get answers to medical questions that take you past the headlines and beyond the way health news is typically reported.
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