Best Maikenscott Podcasts (2024)

1
Breaking the Silence on Medical Mistakes 51:08

8h ago51:08

51:08

When medical mistakes happen, patients and their families often find themselves at a loss trying to figure out exactly what went wrong. Something bad happened. And then, communication drops; there's no real explanation, and no apology. Suddenly, everybody seems on guard. Health care providers can often feel bound by an imposed cone of silence that'…

1
Living Greener — One Decision at a Time 56:22

7d ago56:22

56:22

Every day, we hear about countless environmental threats — from air pollution and microplastics, to deforestation and global warming. And a lot of us feel overwhelmed by the scale of these problems, and helpless to enact global big-picture solutions. But small, everyday decisions matter too — and they add up. How you do your laundry, how warm or co…

1
Bridging the Gaps for Latino Health 48:30

14d ago48:30

48:30

Over the past few decades, Latinos have become the largest racial or ethnic minority in the United States, making up nearly 20 percent of the country's population. Despite that, many Latinos feel alienated by our medical system, due to cultural and language barriers, and a lack of Latino physicians — and those barriers can have a real impact on the…

1
Boredom in the Age of Information Overload 51:33

22d ago51:33

51:33

It sneaks up on us while we're sitting in traffic, or waiting at the doctor's office, or doing our taxes — boredom, that restless feeling of dissatisfaction that arises when we harbor "the desire for desires," as Leo Tolstoy said. At the same time, we're living in an age of never-ending stimulation, all at our fingertips — texting, social media, 24…

1
Chasing the Eclipse 48:29

29d ago48:29

48:29

On April 8, a swath of North America will be treated to a rare and spectacular sight — a total solar eclipse; in some places, the first in more than a century, and the last for at least another 20 years. The path of totality, where it's possible to see the moon completely block out the sun, stretches in a narrow ribbon from Mexico, through Texas, a…

1
Discovering your True Identity 53:09

1M ago53:09

53:09

Identity's a complicated thing — a mixture of nurture and nature, ethnicity, gender, culture, conscious decisions, coincidences, and more. In many ways, though, who we think we are boils down to the stories we tell ourselves; stories based on our origins, our families, and how we came to be. But what happens when those stories change? When we disco…

1
The Lasting Impacts of COVID-19 56:59

1M ago56:59

56:59

It's been four years since COVID-19 struck, transforming our modern world in ways we'd never seen before — and we're still processing the aftershocks. The pandemic exposed fault lines lurking beneath the surface of our everyday lives — friendships and bonds that weren't as strong as we thought; political rifts that turned into chasms; shifts in our…

1
The New Mental Health Landscape 50:21

2M ago50:21

50:21

Know the signs of depression. Recognize symptoms of anxiety. Pay attention to your friend's changing moods. There's been a push to raise mental health awareness for decades, and now, the topic is everywhere. It's leading the charts on social media sites, and everybody from celebrities to politicians to sports superstars are talking about it more op…

1
Atomic Angst and the Teenage Spy 48:54

2M ago48:54

48:54

In 1944, a brilliant, young Harvard physics student named Ted Hall was recruited to work on the super-secret mission that had already assembled the country's top scientists: the Manhattan Project. Soon, Hall was on his way to Los Alamos, where he worked on the implosion mechanism for the nuclear bomb. As the project started to succeed, Hall became …

1
Bodies for Science 47:31

2M ago47:31

47:31

If you're training to become a physician, your first patient is usually dead. In fact, "first patient" is what med students call the human cadavers that they work on in anatomy class — when they first learn to make careful incisions, and lay eyes on the beautiful intricacies of bone, muscle, blood vessels, and organs that make our bodies work. Huma…

1
All the Rage 48:27

2M ago48:27

48:27

You can feel it coming on — your face flushes hot, maybe your fists clench, your heartbeat speeds up and blood pressure rises. It's rage — and it can go from zero to red-hot in a matter of seconds. Best-case scenario, it disappears just as fast. Worst-case scenario — it completely takes over. It's normal to feel angry when you or somebody else has …

1
The Mysteries of Attraction 48:14

3M ago48:14

48:14

It can show up as a spark or a lightning bolt; a glance or a touch; an easy rapport or butterflies in your stomach. Attraction — it's a feeling we know when we experience it, but we're often not sure exactly what fuels it. Is it about looks or personality? Psychology or chemistry? Instant fireworks or long-term compatibility? On this episode, we ex…

1
Setting the Medical Record Straight 50:27

3M ago50:27

50:27

Medical records are an important part of health care. They create a history of past issues, test results, and medications. They paint a picture of somebody's general health. Patients now have more access than ever before to their records, and these changes have come with some growing pains — like receiving test results straight from the lab, before…

1
Inside Facebook: A Conversation with Jeff Horwitz 36:04

3M ago36:04

36:04

After covering the 2016 U.S. presidential election, reporter Jeff Horwitz knew that "something really weird was going on," that social media sites, especially Facebook, had played a role in shaping the election. But how — exactly? In his new book, "Broken Code: Inside Facebook and the Fight to Expose Its Harmful Secrets," Horwitz details his chase …

1
Facebook at 20 50:14

3M ago50:14

50:14

Twenty years ago, a group of college sophomores created a website that would end up changing the world — fundamentally altering how we connect with other people, how much we know about each other, and how we curate our existence. That website was Facebook. In the years since, Facebook quickly grew from a quirky site for college students to a global…

1
When Healing Happens But We Don't Know Why 49:03

3M ago49:03

49:03

More than a third of Americans use complementary and alternative medicine, ranging from acupuncture to herbalism, Ayurveda to homeopathy. But despite its growing popularity, complementary and alternative medicine remains, for the most part, outside the Western medical mainstream — regarded by some as fringe, and by others as straight-up quackery. D…

1
How to Live with Uncertainty 49:09

4M ago49:09

49:09

Humans crave certainty — in science and politics, in our lives and our leaders, in our decisions and our futures. We find comfort in knowing the facts, and we fear the murky unknown. In the age of information, we've grown increasingly unnerved by uncertainty and do everything we can to mitigate that anxiety. We do research online, play out scenario…

1
Virtual Worlds, Virtual Lives 48:46

4M ago48:46

48:46

We're in a major technological revolution where artificial intelligence, gaming, and virtual reality allow us to create and enter totally new spaces and have new experiences there.In these virtual worlds, we can reinvent ourselves, connect with people around the world, or take on new challenges and adventures. But as these worlds grow bigger, more …

1
Why We Love and Hate Exercising — And How to Do It Either Way 48:35

4M ago48:35

48:35

We all know that exercise is good for us — for both our bodies and our minds — but motivating yourself to hit the gym, take a run, or even go for a walk sometimes feels like the hardest thing in the world. There are constant rebuttals that arise in our minds: We're too busy. We're too tired. We need a break — we'll start next week. At the same time…

1
The Transformative Power of Awe 48:18

4M ago48:18

48:18

It's the goosebumps you get at the crescendo of your favorite song; the stupefying wonder that comes with witnessing a birth or a death; the astonishing mystery we feel when gazing at the vast night sky. This is awe — a complex, often overwhelming emotion that can elicit everything from pleasure and connectedness to a crawling sense of uncertainty.…

1
The Blurred Line Between Life and Death 49:30

4M ago49:30

49:30

We think of life and death as clear cut — you're alive or you're not; your heart's beating or it isn't; your brain functions or it doesn't. But when you look a bit deeper, both on a biological level, and in terms of people's experiences, the border where life ends and death begins starts to look less firm, leading to questions about what comes next…

1
Lowering Barriers to Care 50:31

5M ago50:31

50:31

Lots of things can get in the way of taking care of your health, catching medical issues early on, and getting treatment. Navigating insurance woes, trouble scheduling appointments, big medical bills — but also broader issues like lack of access, distrust in the medical system, and language barriers can stand in the way of patient care. On this epi…

1
Uncovering the Inner Workings of the Oceans 49:29

5M ago49:29

49:29

What comes to mind when you think of the ocean? Maybe a day at the beach — swimming in the waves, snorkeling through coral reefs, fishing, surfing, and sunsets that kiss the blue horizon. But Earth's oceans are more than all of that; they're our planet's defining feature, its largest ecosystem, the original source of all life, and, according to phy…

1
How Gene Therapy is Offering Hope — Once Again 50:57

5M ago50:57

50:57

For decades, the idea that you could attack genetic illnesses right at the root — that you could modify people's genes to treat or cure disease — sounded like science fiction. But in recent years, several new gene therapy treatments have been FDA approved, and many others are showing promise in clinical trials. On this episode, we take a look at wh…

1
Changing Tastes 55:09

5M ago55:09

55:09

What we make for dinner, grab as a snack, or have for breakfast changes all the time — and there are some major forces at play: consumer tastes and marketing, but also climate change, global supply chains, nutrition science, health concerns, and social media influencers. On this episode, we'll look at what we eat and why. We'll find out how lima be…

1
Salty, Crunchy, and Addictive: A Physician's Fight Against Ultra-Processed Foods 33:00

5M ago33:00

33:00

Sugary cereals for breakfast, a protein bar as a snack, a microwave lasagna for lunch, and a frozen pizza for dinner sounds like a teenager's dream diet, but these are the types of foods physician Chris van Tulleken ate for four weeks. During this time, he got 80 percent of his daily calories from ultra-processed foods, to see how it would impact h…

1
Getting Better at Resolving Conflicts 49:14

6M ago49:14

49:14

In March of 2022, the war in Ukraine was weighing heavily on Fabian Falch, a Norwegian tech entrepreneur. The Russian government had started to censor news stories and social media posts about the war, and Falch wondered how Russian citizens would be able to access information, let alone voice criticism. Then he had an idea: to send emails to Russi…

1
Why Rejection Hurts So Much — And How to Cope 49:33

6M ago49:33

49:33

Rejection, or even the thought of it, can strike fear into our hearts, and leave a bad taste in our mouths. It often leads to a mix of sadness, shame, anxiety, and anger — along with nagging questions. What's wrong with me? Why did this person not like me? Why didn't I win this award? Why didn't I get the job? But it doesn't have to be that way, an…

1
How We Talk About Death 53:41

6M ago53:41

53:41

For most of the big moments in life, we have rituals — proposals, weddings, births, graduations, and anniversaries. We know how to talk about them, how to celebrate them, how to honor them. But there's one moment we all face that lots of people don't know how to deal with: dying. In fact, a majority of Americans avoid end-of-life planning, even tho…

1
How UFOs Went from Fringe to Mainstream 50:05

6M ago50:05

50:05

Flying saucers, little green men, and the X-Files — for years, that's what most people associated with unidentified flying objects, or UFOs. They were the stuff of sci-fi and supermarket tabloids, conspiracy theories and punchlines.But ever since a bombshell article in The New York Times several years back documented confirmed sightings by navy pil…

1
Shame and Blame: How Stigma Impacts Health 49:28

7M ago49:28

49:28

Dealing with a serious or chronic health condition is hard enough — but what happens when that condition comes with moral judgment? That's the case for millions of people around the world. From obesity to lung cancer, sexually transmitted diseases to mental illness, stigmatized conditions are shrouded in shame and blame that can not only hinder tre…

1
How Science is Transforming Weight Loss 49:21

7M ago49:21

49:21

Most of us have been there — feeling our jeans get tighter, watching the numbers on the scale creep up, declaring that this time we're going to lose the weight and keep it off. For a lot of people, though, it seems like no matter what they do — how many diets they try, calories they count, or hours they spend at the gym — losing weight isn't just h…

1
Space Pioneers 49:07

7M ago49:07

49:07

In 1978, NASA recruited six candidates out of thousands of applicants for a special, groundbreaking mission: to become the first American women in space. Over the next few years, the six women would endure sexism, grueling training, and unending scrutiny from the media. In her new book, "The Six: The Untold Story of America's First Women Astronauts…

1
Boredom in the Age of Information Overload 52:12

7M ago52:12

52:12

It sneaks up on us while we're sitting in traffic, or waiting at the doctor's office, or doing our taxes — boredom, that restless feeling of dissatisfaction that arises when we harbor "the desire for desires," as Leo Tolstoy said. At the same time, we're living in an age of never-ending stimulation, all at our fingertips — texting, social media, 24…

1
Face Recognition and What it Means for our Privacy 41:11

7M ago41:11

41:11

In November of 2019, New York Times tech reporter Kashmir Hill got a tip that immediately had her on high alert. It was about a secretive tech company called Clearview AI, that claimed to have developed a facial recognition app that could identify people with 99 percent accuracy. The company had apparently scraped billions of images from the intern…

1
How Art and Science Intersect 49:19

7M ago49:19

49:19

We often think of art and science as existing in different — even opposite — spheres. One revolves around creativity and imagination; the other around observable facts and data — and never the twain shall meet.But really, art and science aren't as far apart as we might think. For centuries, artists have drawn on the natural sciences, and the wonder…

1
Finding Happiness 59:37

8M ago59:37

59:37

We spend a lot of time thinking about happiness. Wondering if we are truly happy, and how we could get there. We try to predict what will make us happy in the future, or what might lead to misery down the road. We chase success, money, and love. We work hard or maybe move from place to place to find fulfillment. But what actually brings us contentm…

1
Helping Teens Navigate Mental Health Challenges 49:30

8M ago49:30

49:30

The teenage years can be an emotional rollercoaster. One moment everything is great, it's amazing, then suddenly life is terrible, and all is ruined. But - it seems like something else is going on right now, beyond these expected ups and downs. Statistics are rising across the board for issues like anxiety and depression, the number of kids receivi…

1
Remote Working vs. the Office — Which is Better? 49:20

8M ago49:20

49:20

Over the past few years, remote working has transformed millions of people's lives — giving them more time for family, more control over their schedules, and a better work-life balance. But now, a growing number of companies — including tech giants like Google and Meta — are making their employees return to the office, citing concerns about product…

1
Bringing Physics from Theory to Practice 49:26

8M ago49:26

49:26

Science is all about observing the world. But how do you study something you can't see, smell, or hear — like the tiniest particles all around us? How do you test a new energy source when it doesn't really exist yet? These are the challenges that the world of physics often faces. You can come up with theories, using modeling and calculations, and d…

1
Will A.I. Take Your Job — or Make It Better? 49:35

9M ago49:35

49:35

Whether you're a student or a doctor, a plumber or a truck driver, a university lecturer or a radio reporter, artificial intelligence is changing the way we work. For some workers, A.I. is taking over tedious and time-consuming tasks, freeing them up to focus and get more done. For others, it's led to questions about what A.I. means for the future …

1
Skin Care and the Quest for Eternal Youth 49:15

9M ago49:15

49:15

It seems like every day, new skin care products hit the market: lotions, serums, collagen boosters, light therapy, at-home lasers — potions and procedures designed to coax our skin into peeling and healing, plumping and renewing. Their promise: wrinkle-free faces, poreless, dewy skin, and an eternally youthful glow. But there's no one magic bullet …

1
What's Behind Health Care Shortages? 51:14

9M ago51:14

51:14

If you've tried to book a doctor's appointment lately, chances are, it's been challenging. Many practices are not taking new patients, or open slots are weeks or months away. For some patients, it has meant gritting their teeth through pain and anxiety. For others — like people living in rural areas or trying to see in-demand specialists like psych…

1
Searching for Utopia 49:26

9M ago49:26

49:26

For centuries, writers and philosophers have imagined what a perfect world might look like — if only we had a chance to start over, build it all from scratch. The term "utopia" comes from ancient Greek. It literally means "no place," but it's also a pun on "eutopia," meaning "good place." In other words, it's a good place that doesn't exist. But th…

1
Behind the Scenes — Challenges in Medicine 53:20

10M ago53:20

53:20

When you're at the doctor's office or a hospital, it's easy to get frustrated. Why is this taking so long? Why do the nurses look so tired? Why does my doctor seem distracted? Who's making sure my diagnosis is right? There are people, stories, and entire worlds that could provide answers to these questions — but as patients, we don't get to see the…

1
Inside the Minds of Thrill Seekers 49:20

10M ago49:20

49:20

Skydiving, BASE jumping, climbing the highest peaks, adventuring to remote parts of the world — pushing the boundaries of safety. For thrill-seekers, chasing the rush is what it's all about. Where lots of us would break into a cold sweat, they experience something different: calm, focus, even moments of sublime awe. So what is it that makes thrill-…

1
Degrees of Freedom 49:28

10M ago49:28

49:28

Freedom sounds great as an idea. Who doesn't want to be free to do what they want? But when you take a closer look, freedom becomes more complicated. What does it really mean to be free — and how free can we be? On this episode, we'll look at freedom from different perspectives. We'll talk with a neuroscientist who says we evolved to have free will…

1
Buried Secrets, Buried Waste 49:28

10M ago49:28

49:28

In October of 1947, a navy reserve pilot named George Earle IV received strange orders: He was to pick up several 55-gallon barrels at the Philadelphia Navy Yard, fly out 100 miles southeast of Atlantic City, and then dump them into the ocean — all in secret, in the dead of night. Earle would repeat the mission twice more without ever being told wh…

1
Black Health: Finding Solutions to End Disparities 49:15

11M ago49:15

49:15

Health disparities between Black and white Americans run deep in the U.S. Black people are more likely to suffer from chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, or asthma, and their life expectancy is shorter than that of their white peers. The causes for these inequities are far-reaching and include bias and systemic racism in …

1
The Social Self 49:07

11M ago49:07

49:07

It's a simple question with lots of answers: Who are you? You might answer with your name, age, gender, or race. Or you might define yourself by your family — as a sibling, a parent, or son or daughter. You might choose your profession, your passion, your culture, or values. We hear a lot about embracing our "true selves" — the essential core of ou…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Maikenscott Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

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