In Plain English: Science Made Simple
In Plain English is a podcast where we discuss scientific research in terms that are accessible to everyone, not just the experts. Every episode will feature an expert in a particular field of science, such as genetics or anthropology. The expert will then present a paper in their field, and the podcast guests--people without much knowledge of the subject--ask questions and discuss the research. Each episode will conclude with a broader discussion of how the paper’s findings impact society as a whole.
Episodes
In April 2024, I attended the conference for the United States Association for the Study of Pain (USASP) in Seattle, Washington. This episode is the second in a series of interviews I conducted there, and features research on pain and sleep disturbances, muscle pain in Long COVID, and chronic pelvic pain.
Interview 1: Ashley Bocanegra, a graduate student at Indiana University, on the relationship between injustice and sleep disturb...
In April 2024, I attended the conference for the United States Association for the Study of Pain (USASP) in Seattle, Washington. This episode is the first in a series of interviews I conducted there, and features research on the role of skin cells in sickle cell and nerve pain, as well as risk and resilience factors that could contribute to prescription opioid misuse.
See the posters here: https://inplainenglishpod.org/2024/05/07/s...
Math is everywhere, even in places you didn't expect to find it. Join expert Will Lima and guests Parker Craft and Nick Wolslegel as we go down the rabbit hole of one of the most complex areas of mathematics: category theory.
Find the book on the website: https://inplainenglishpod.org/2024/04/02/season-3-episode-15-math-down-the-rabbit-hole/
In Plain English now has a Discord server! Join here to chat with other listeners, ...
Opioid drugs, like morphine or fentanyl, can cause death by stopping the brain from telling the body to breathe. But is the effect of opioids on breathing that straightforward? And how can a better understanding of the breathing centers of the brain help treat opioid overdoses? Join expert Nick Burgraff and guests James Reed and Gabi Sullens to learn more about the complex relationship between opioids and breathing!
In this set of interviews from the Society for Neuroscience 2023 conference, we cover a technology to help researchers study the behavioral and emotional aspects of pain, new research into treatments for ALS, and possibilities for early detection of glaucoma.
This is the ninth and final episode in a multi-part series called "SfN Shorts" that features these brief (5-10 minute) discussions. Check out Parts 1, 2, 3...
In this set of interviews from the Society for Neuroscience 2023 conference, we cover how your state of mind affects learning and memory, how COVID-19 infection during pregnancy affects the health of both parent and child, and how a treatment for trigeminal neuralgia causes measurable changes in the brain.
This is the sixth in a multi-part series called "SfN Shorts" that features these brief (5-10 minute) discussions. Che...
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 ...
Is degrowth a viable solution for climate change, or is the cure worse than the disease? Join expert Alejandro Gonzalez and guests William Lima and Evelyn Fraser for a critical discussion on the potential and pitfalls of degrowth.
You can follow along with the articles on the website: https://inplainenglishpod.org/2024/02/06/season-3-episode-10-interrogating-degrowth/
You can find more of Alejandro's work here.
In this set of interviews from the Society for Neuroscience 2023 conference, we cover deep brain stimulation for Parkinson's disease patients, how music therapy can help people with Alzheimers, and how opioids affect sleep and memory.
Follow along with the posters here: https://inplainenglishpod.org/2024/01/30/season-3-episode-9-sfn-shorts-part-6/
This is the sixth in a multi-part series called "SfN Shorts" that featu...
In this set of interviews from the Society for Neuroscience 2023 conference, we cover how opioids affect breathing and how we can use asthma medication to improve overdose reversal; a promising new treatment for one of the symptoms of spinal cord injury; and how our brains coordinate movements differently after a stroke.
This is the fifth in a multi-part series called "SfN Shorts" that features these brief (5-10 minute) d...
Last November, 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. Check out Parts 1, 2, and 3, as well as "Rigor Jeopardy!" with Community for Rigor. I hope that these interviews showcase just how broad a fi...
I chatted with William Ngiam of the ReproducibiliTEA podcast about scientific rigor and reproducibility, and the daunting, exciting, creative work of making science better.
If you liked this episode, check out Will & co. on the ReproducibiliTEA podcast!
2024 has already been hectic, but I hope to be back next week with more SfN Shorts!
In Plain English now has a Discord server! Join here to chat with other listeners, past e...
Play along with Rigor Jeopardy! featuring the wonderful folks at Community for Rigor!
I hope you all have a wonderful holiday and a Happy New Year! In Plain English will return with a full length episode on January 2nd, 2024!
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 ...
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 ...
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 second in a multi-part series called "SfN Shorts" that features these brief (5-10 minute) discussions. You can find Part 1 here. I hope that these interviews showcase just how broad a field neuroscience is, and just how many different kinds of research are...
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 first in a multi-part series called "SfN Shorts" that features these brief (5-10 minute) discussions. 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 fiel...
What is CRISPR gene editing, and how can it help us understand how the brain works? Join me and my guests Dong-gyu Kim and Rachel Privett to learn about how neuroscience researchers use CRISPR today, and how gene editing might be used in the future!
This episode is based on my first paper in the Copits lab, available now on BioRxiv: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.10.10.561249v1
Download the paper here: https://inplain...
The past year has brought exciting advances in nuclear fusion, bringing us closer than ever to a fusion-powered future. So how close are we to achieving viable nuclear fusion, and what are some of the hidden challenges to overcome before we get there? Join expert Daniel Mulrow and guest Ryan Perez to answer these and more questions about nuclear fusion.
Read the articles here: https://inplainenglishpod.org/2023/10/10/season-3-epis...
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.
What is "benevolent" sexism and does it predict opposition to abortion rights? Join expert Abby, of Political Psych with Abby, and guest Rebekah to discuss the links between hostile sexism, benevolent sexism, abortion rights, and motherhood.
You can download the paper here: https://inplainenglishpod.org/2023/08/01/season-2-episode-11-benevolent-sexism-abortion-and-motherhood/
Popular Podcasts
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
Every week comedian and infamous roaster Nikki Glaser provides a fun, fast-paced, and brutally honest look into current pop-culture and her own personal life.
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people.
A straightforward look at the day's top news in 20 minutes. Powered by ABC News. Hosted by Brad Mielke.