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In Plain English: Science Made Simple

In Plain English: Science Made Simple

In Plain English

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1 Creator

Welcome to In Plain English, where we're making science approachable, open source, and jargon free! I'm your host, Jamie Moffa, and every episode I bring on an expert in a field of research, and two guests who know nothing about the subject. Together, we'll learn about exciting topics, like what dinosaurs sounded like, or whether psychedelic drugs can treat depression. And in between full length episodes, I feature bonus interviews with scientists on their own, cutting-edge research! Subscribe to learn about all this and more, "In Plain English!"
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Top 10 In Plain English: Science Made Simple Episodes

Goodpods has curated a list of the 10 best In Plain English: Science Made Simple episodes, ranked by the number of listens and likes each episode have garnered from our listeners. If you are listening to In Plain English: Science Made Simple for the first time, there's no better place to start than with one of these standout episodes. If you are a fan of the show, vote for your favorite In Plain English: Science Made Simple episode by adding your comments to the episode page.

In Plain English: Science Made Simple - Why Should I Care About Surface Tension?

Why Should I Care About Surface Tension?

In Plain English: Science Made Simple

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02/07/23 • 49 min

What do the blood in your blood vessels, the waves on a beach, and bubbles from a bubble bath have in common? They're all fluids, interacting with other fluids in complex ways that can be modeled by computers! Join expert Alex Barrett and guests Cole Barker and Christina Niavi to learn more about the important role surface tension plays in interactions between fluids, and the many important applications of modeling these complicated processes.

In Plain English now has a Discord server! Join here to chat with other listeners, past experts, and guests about science, suggest new episode topics, and more!

Remember to follow In Plain English on Facebook , Twitter, and Instagram to keep up with the latest announcements! If you are able, please consider becoming a Patron to help support In Plain English!

And check out our Where to Listen page to subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform!

Photo Credit: Bavand Keshavarz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

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In Plain English: Science Made Simple - SfN Shorts Part 7: Opioids and Stress

SfN Shorts Part 7: Opioids and Stress

In Plain English: Science Made Simple

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02/13/24 • 33 min

In this set of interviews from the Society for Neuroscience 2023 conference, we cover how sex differences and pain affect opioid use disorder, and the brain regions involved in social interactions.

This is the sixth in a multi-part series called "SfN Shorts" that features these brief (5-10 minute) discussions. Check out Parts ⁠⁠1⁠⁠, ⁠⁠2⁠⁠, ⁠⁠3⁠⁠, ⁠4⁠, 5, and 6 as well as "⁠⁠Rigor Jeopardy⁠⁠!" with Community for Rigor.

In Plain English has a Discord server! Join ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to chat with other listeners, past experts, and guests about science, suggest new episode topics, and more!

Remember to follow In Plain English on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠to keep up with the latest announcements! If you are able, please consider ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠becoming a Patron⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help support In Plain English!

And check out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Where to Listen⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ page to subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform!

Intro/Outro music credit: Sam Brunwasser (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://soundcloud.com/visualsnowbeats⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠)

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In Plain English: Science Made Simple - Where did Earth's Water Come From?

Where did Earth's Water Come From?

In Plain English: Science Made Simple

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11/02/21 • 59 min

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 could have brought all this water to Earth.

If you like this episode, check out Will Saunders's podcast Astro[sound]bytes: https://astrosoundbites.com

Follow astrosoundbites on Twitter @astrosoundbites

You can catch up on our previous episodes, download the papers, and send us questions at our website: inplainenglishpod.org

Follow us on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the latest announcements!

In Plain English airs the first Tuesday of every month on Anchor, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

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In Plain English: Science Made Simple - An Open Science Round Table

An Open Science Round Table

In Plain English: Science Made Simple

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03/07/23 • 64 min

Currently, scientists need to pay to publish research and readers need to pay to access most research articles. This outdated approach to sharing science slows advancement by locking research behind paywalls, and prevents the public from being able to read the research that their tax dollars funded. In this round table, Sci-Hub founder Alexandra Elbakyan, eLife Editor-in-Chief Michael Eisen, and WashU neuroscientist Bryan Copits discuss the current state of open access science, efforts to make science more accessible, and what the future of scientific publishing could look like.

This conversation is an abridged version of the YouTube live stream that took place on Monday, February 27th. You can find the full live stream here. Additionally, I recorded a one-on-one follow-up conversation on this subject with Bryan Copits; I will upload that conversation next week.

In Plain English now has a Discord server! Join here to chat with other listeners, past experts, and guests about science, suggest new episode topics, and more!

Remember to follow In Plain English on Facebook , Twitter, and Instagram to keep up with the latest announcements! If you are able, please consider becoming a Patron to help support In Plain English!

And check out our Where to Listen page to subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform!

Image credit: NASA

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In Plain English: Science Made Simple - When Research Gets it Wrong, Part 1

When Research Gets it Wrong, Part 1

In Plain English: Science Made Simple

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08/02/22 • 73 min

Join expert Vera Thornton and guests Doris Meinerding and Hannah Waterhouse for Part 1 of a thought-provoking look "behind the scenes" of scientific research, to answer the question "Why are research findings sometimes wrong?" Part 2 will air on the first Tuesday of September.

Remember to follow In Plain English on Facebook , Twitter, and Instagram to keep up with the latest announcements! If you are able, please consider becoming a Patron to help support In Plain English!

And check out our Where to Listen page to subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform!

Disclaimers: Though this episode talks about medical tests, none of the guests are doctors, nor are they your doctor. If you have a question about your own health or medical care, please ask your doctor.

This article and the ensuing discussion should not be misconstrued to support any form of science denialism. As we discuss in the episode, science is a process, not a set of definite facts. Sometimes in this process, new evidence emerges that casts doubt on previous findings. We believe that it is important for scientists to be transparent about this part of the process..

The author of this article, Dr. John Ioannadis, has recently become (in)famous for using his platform as a prominent researcher to downplay the COVID-19 pandemic (https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/what-the-heck-happened-to-john-ioannidis/). His actions are unfortunately a perfect example of one possible pitfall of studies like this that call out issues with research rigor and reproducibility: misconstruing them to mean that no science should be trusted. My goal in making this podcast is to make science better and more accessible to the public, and to give you all the tools to be more educated consumers of scientific news and literature. The big takeaway is this: apply rigorous skepticism to both science that fits your world view and science that challenges it, and be open to changing your mind if the evidence leads you in a different direction from what you originally thought.

Photo Credit: Chokniti Khongchum

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In Plain English: Science Made Simple - Machine Learning: Revolutionizing Neuroscience

Machine Learning: Revolutionizing Neuroscience

In Plain English: Science Made Simple

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09/07/23 • 64 min

How can we use computers to learn more about the brain? Join expert Dr. Eric Yttri and guest Sarah Brown to learn about how open source machine learning algorithms are revolutionizing neuroscience!

You can download the paper here: ⁠https://inplainenglishpod.org/2023/09/07/season-2-episode-12-machine-learning-revolutionizing-neuroscience/

If you liked this episode, check out Sarah's podcast ⁠The Queerience⁠.

If you are a researcher interested in using BSOiD, you can find the tutorial here: ⁠https://bsoid.org⁠.

In Plain English now has a Discord server! Join ⁠here ⁠to chat with other listeners, past experts, and guests about science, suggest new episode topics, and more!

Remember to follow In Plain English on ⁠Facebook ⁠, ⁠Twitter⁠, and ⁠Instagram ⁠to keep up with the latest announcements! If you are able, please consider ⁠becoming a Patron⁠ to help support In Plain English!

And check out our ⁠Where to Listen⁠ page to subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform!

Intro/Outtro music credit: Sam Brunwasser (⁠https://soundcloud.com/visualsnowbeats⁠)

Image via ⁠www.vpnsrus.com⁠

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In Plain English: Science Made Simple - New Guidelines for Childhood Obesity

New Guidelines for Childhood Obesity

In Plain English: Science Made Simple

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07/06/23 • 72 min

In this episode I discuss the new guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics on treatments for childhood obesity with expert Dr. Nicole Cifra and guest Brad Hicks.

Content note: This episode contains discussions of eating disorders and weight stigma.

You can download the guidelines and supporting documents here: https://inplainenglishpod.org/2023/07/06/season-2-episode-10-new-guidelines-for-childhood-obesity/

If you liked this episode and want to learn more, you can follow Dr. Cifra on Twitter @DrNicoleC. You can find Brad on Tumblr and Reddit as InfamousBrad.

In Plain English now has a Discord server! Join here to chat with other listeners, past experts, and guests about science, suggest new episode topics, and more!

Remember to follow In Plain English on Facebook , Twitter, and Instagram to keep up with the latest announcements! If you are able, please consider becoming a Patron to help support In Plain English!

And check out our Where to Listen page to subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform!

Intro/Outtro music credit: Sam Brunwasser (https://soundcloud.com/visualsnowbeats)

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In Plain English: Science Made Simple - SfN Shorts Part 3

SfN Shorts Part 3

In Plain English: Science Made Simple

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12/19/23 • 34 min

Last month, I attended the Society for Neuroscience conference in Washington, DC and interviewed neuroscientists from across the world about their research. This is the third in a multi-part series called "SfN Shorts" that features these brief (5-10 minute) discussions. You can find Parts 1 and 2 here and here. I hope that these interviews showcase just how broad a field neuroscience is, and just how many different kinds of research are contained within this field.

Follow along with the posters here: https://inplainenglishpod.org/2023/12/19/season-3-episode-5-sfn-shorts-part-3/

Interview 1: Giovanna Campos, an undergraduate student at Temple university and an ENDURE Scholar, on the role of a brain region called the fornix on spatial reasoning and memory.

Interview 2: Manuel Vasconcelos, an undergraduate student at the University of California, San Diego and an ENDURE Scholar, on using machine learning to study how the brain responds to rewarding and aversive events.

Interview 3: Miles Carter, an undergraduate student at New York University and an ENDURE Scholar, on using nanobodies for early and non-invasive detection of Alzheimers Disease.

Interview 4: Samantha Sutton, a masters student at Syracuse University, on the role of astrocytes in maintaining excitatory/inhibitory balance in the brain, and how this could contribute to our understanding of epilepsy.

In Plain English has a Discord server! Join ⁠⁠⁠⁠here ⁠⁠⁠⁠to chat with other listeners, past experts, and guests about science, suggest new episode topics, and more!

Remember to follow In Plain English on ⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook ⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠to keep up with the latest announcements! If you are able, please consider ⁠⁠⁠⁠becoming a Patron⁠⁠⁠⁠ to help support In Plain English!

And check out our ⁠⁠⁠⁠Where to Listen⁠⁠⁠⁠ page to subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform!

Intro/Outro music credit: Sam Brunwasser (⁠⁠⁠⁠https://soundcloud.com/visualsnowbeats⁠⁠⁠⁠)

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In Plain English: Science Made Simple - Open Science Live Stream TOMORROW 2/27 @ 10 am ET

Open Science Live Stream TOMORROW 2/27 @ 10 am ET

In Plain English: Science Made Simple

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02/26/23 • 0 min

Tune in TOMORROW, February 27th at 10 am ET/9 am CT for the first ever In Plain English Live Stream! We will be hosting a round table discussion on Open Science and scientific publishing with the Editor-in-Chief of eLife, Michael Eisen; the founder of Sci-Hub, Alexandra Elbakyan; and WashU neuroscientist Bryan Copits.

You can find the live stream at this link: https://youtube.com/live/4oiTDnGmWXs

An edited version of the round table will be released on Tuesday, March 7th.

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In Plain English: Science Made Simple - Can Psychedelics Treat Depression?

Can Psychedelics Treat Depression?

In Plain English: Science Made Simple

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05/02/23 • 72 min

Interest in psychedelic therapy as a treatment for depression has been growing exponentially. But how do psychedelics leave a lasting impact on the brain, and why might this be useful for treating depression, anxiety, and similar conditions? Join expert Alex Kwan and guests Raven and Asmodeus to learn about the fascinating, long-lasting effects that psychedelic drugs have on the brain.

If you liked this episode, you can follow Alex Kwan on Twitter @kwanalexc. Also, be sure to check out Rayven and Asmodeus's podcast Smoking Out the Closet!

In Plain English now has a Discord server! Join here to chat with other listeners, past experts, and guests about science, suggest new episode topics, and more!

Remember to follow In Plain English on Facebook , Twitter, and Instagram to keep up with the latest announcements! If you are able, please consider becoming a Patron to help support In Plain English!

And check out our Where to Listen page to subscribe to our podcast on your favorite platform!

Intro/Outtro music credit: Sam Brunwasser (https://soundcloud.com/visualsnowbeats)

Image Credit: AlmudenaFM, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

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FAQ

How many episodes does In Plain English: Science Made Simple have?

In Plain English: Science Made Simple currently has 57 episodes available.

What topics does In Plain English: Science Made Simple cover?

The podcast is about Podcasts and Science.

What is the most popular episode on In Plain English: Science Made Simple?

The episode title 'Why Should I Care About Surface Tension?' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on In Plain English: Science Made Simple?

The average episode length on In Plain English: Science Made Simple is 52 minutes.

How often are episodes of In Plain English: Science Made Simple released?

Episodes of In Plain English: Science Made Simple are typically released every 27 days, 23 hours.

When was the first episode of In Plain English: Science Made Simple?

The first episode of In Plain English: Science Made Simple was released on Aug 3, 2021.

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