Debunks

Mar 04 2024 23 ep. 18 mins 19

Debunks Podcast artwork

Debunks is your myth busting-guide to all the big science questions. We sort fact from fiction and tell you if something really is too good to be true.

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Screens: Should parents worry about kids screentime?

Mar 04 2024 19 mins

Excessive screen time is parents’ number one child health concern. But should they be so concerned? Let’s check the research. In this episode, Cosmos journalist Jacinta Bowler exceeds the screentime guidelines to chat with experts Anthea Rhodes, Taren Sanders and Luci Pangrazio to find out whether watching too many episodes of Bluey poses any real risk to young kids. This episo

Screens: Is social media bad for mental health?

Feb 26 2024 16 mins

From girl dinner to fitspiration, there’s no escaping social media – its memes and hashtags - for today’s teens and young people. In this episode, Cosmos journalist Jacinta Bowler does some mindless scrolling. They also DM experts Associate Professor Ivanka Pritchard, Dr Danielle Einstein, Associate Professor Gemma Sharp, and Nicola Palfrey uncover the evidence for whether so

Screens: Is the rise of streaming platforms making us watch more?

Feb 19 2024 22 mins

Streaming has changed everything in television and movies, offering us more choice than ever before, even more than titles available at the local video store. In this episode, Cosmos journalist Jacinta Bowler tracks down one of the last video rentals in the country, and then fast forwards to experts Professor Amanda Lotz and Associate Professor Ramon Lobato to view the evidence on

Screens: Does playing video games lead to violence?

Feb 12 2024 20 mins

Why is it that so many video games have violent content. And what is it about violent video games that makes them so popular? In this episode, Cosmos journalist Jacinta Bowler levels up by speaking with experts Associate Professor Michael Kasumovic, Associate Professor Jim Sauer and Dr Aaron Drummond to defeat the age-old question – does virtual violence in video games lead to re

Vices: Is there a safe limit of alcohol you can drink?

Feb 05 2024 16 mins

For a lot of people, alcohol is associated with partying, celebrating and an all-round good time. But does this social lubricant have its downsides? Is there any truth to the idea that a little bit of alcohol is actually good for you? Or is there no safe limit at all? In this episode, Cosmos journalist Petra Stock pops open the bottle to take a swig of the science of alcohol. She i

Vices: Should you avoid sugar?

Jan 29 2024 18 mins

Many of us love the sweet pleasure that comes with sugar. It brings joy to our taste buds in desserts, soft drinks and fruits. But could sugary goodness be doing harm to our bodies? In this episode, Cosmos journalist Petra Stock gets her bake on to investigate the science of sugar. Joined by Dr Felippe Oliveira, Dr Alexandra Jones and Dr Alan Barclay, they take a syrupy journey to

Vices: Is vaping better for you than cigarettes?

Jan 22 2024 14 mins

We all know that cigarettes are bad for our health. But now they’re old news - it’s flavoured puffs of white smoke that are on our minds instead. In this episode, Cosmos journalist Petra Stock puts her investigation hat on to find out what the science is on vaping. Joined by Professor Simon Chapman and Professor Matthew Peters, they coughtheir way through our understanding of v

Vices: Is coffee good or bad for you?

Jan 15 2024 15 mins

There’s not many of us who don’t wake up to a coffee or tea in the morning. But is this little ritual a good or bad thing for our collective health? In this episode, Cosmos journalist Petra Stock stocks up on caffeine to find out. Joined by Dr Crystal Yates and Kitty Pham, as well as the fantastic baristas at Heartattack and Vine in Melbourne, they grind down myths about coffee

BONUS EPISODE: An interview with Professor Jim McLennan

Dec 25 2023 36 mins

While the Cosmos office takes a short summer break, we’ve got some bonus summerlistening for you. This episode is the full interview Imma Perfetto did with Professor Jim McLennan, anadjunct at La Trobe University. A former psychologist, Jim has been involved in bushfire safety for decades. He researched community perceptions of risk following the Black Saturday bushfires in 2009,

Bushfires: Has Australia always had fires this bad?

Dec 20 2023 19 mins

Fire is a part of our history, and it will be a part of our future no matter how much more carbon gets into the atmosphere. But have we always had bushfires as bad as we’re seeing now? Are the fires truly unprecedented? And are they going to get worse? In this episode, Cosmos journalist Imma Perfetto talks to Dr Steve Sutton and Dr Pep Canadell about our history of fire, what cli