In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Alexis Temkin, Senior Toxicologist at the Environmental Working Group, discuss toxic chemicals we can’t see or detect in our food and daily-use products. Dr. Temkin describes common pesticides and other chemicals used in agriculture and how they enter the human body. She also shares resources provided by the Environmental Working Group that can help keep you and your family safer.

Key Takeaways:

• Chemicals in cosmetics and other daily-use products are often considered safe until proven otherwise. It often takes years before the harm is discovered and the chemical banned

• Pesticides are introduced into our bodies through the food we consume.

• Despite a lack of EPA regulations, consumers can decrease their exposure to potentially harmful pesticides.

• Always wash your fruits and vegetables. It may not remove all pesticides, but it is good practice and will reduce at least some of your exposure to the chemicals.

"It’ll depend on the pesticide, but we’ve seen exposure to pesticides being linked to a variety of health harms. That could include brain and nervous system toxicity, we’ve seen associations with increased cancer after exposure to certain types of pesticides, impacts on reproduction, and dietary pesticide consumption has also been associated with cardiovascular health." — Dr. Alexis Temkin

Episode References:

• EWG Consumer Guides: https://www.ewg.org/consumer-guides

• Center for Biological Diversity: https://www.biologicaldiversity.org/

• EWG’s 2024 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce: https://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary.php

Connect with Dr. Alexis Temkin:

Professional Bio: https://www.ewg.org/news-insights/our-experts/alexis-temkin-phd

Website: https://www.ewg.org/

Email: alexis@ewg.org

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexis-temkin-46345750

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

In this episode, Therese Markow and Dr. Tara Zimmerman discuss how to “Fake News” proof children so that they can better interpret the vast amount of information available in the digital age, especially around misinformation and disinformation. They emphasize the importance of critical thinking skills, building those critical thinking skills, and how those important skills can be taught and practiced with children of all ages. In this digital age with so much information at our fingertips, media literacy and critical thinking are more important than ever and Dr. Zimmerman discusses how to empower everyone to make more informed decisions and draw more informed conclusions from what they see and hear every day.

Key Takeaways:

• When we hear information from someone we know and generally agree with, we are more likely to perceive that information as true. That same information coming from someone you have a history of disagreeing with, the more likely you are to disbelieve that information.

• Humans have developed a tendency to believe the information shared with us unless there is an overwhelming amount of evidence to the contrary. One person cannot know everything, so we trust others to pass on information to survive.

• We can't possibly think critically about every single piece of information we're exposed to. The key is to determine what information is vital versus what information is superfluous to us.

• Bias happens to everyone, no matter their social class, race, gender, intelligence, education level, or anything else.

• As a society, we need to normalize being open to new information and changing our opinions when necessary.

"I believe the best way to help society overall is to focus on teaching children how to think critically about all the information that they encounter, because by helping them develop the skills and the habits of critical thinking early on, they will make the biggest long term effect on how society responds to information." — Dr. Tara Zimmerman

Connect with Dr. Tara Zimmerman:

Professional Bio: https://apps.twu.edu/my1cv/profile.aspx?type=twp&id=JyyM03CAxnlQZrrdrpan7Q%3d%3d

Website: http://www.tarazimmerman.net/

Email: tzimmerman1@twu.edu

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-zimmerman-813421152/

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.

A serious type of turbulence has been encountered during commercial airline flights has been in the news lately. “Pancake turbulence”. Hard to detect in advance. Most recently, an Air Europa flight from Madrid to Uruguay was hit by “strong turbulence” and had to make an emergency landing in Brazil, In another recent event. a flight bound from London to Singapore with 211 passengers and 18 crew members encountered turbulence that resulted in the death of a passenger, and the hospitalization and critical care of about 20 more with spinal injuries. What's this type of turbulence all about? How concerned should we be about flying? Dr. Thomas Gwynn, head of the Department of Applied Aviation Sciences at the distinguished Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, explains about this type of turbulence and how turbulence may be increasing with global warming.

Key Takeaways:

• Turbulence result from eddies in the atmosphere and can be light, moderate, severe, and extreme.

• Chop turbulence is usually more moderate and rhythmic, similar to driving a car over a rumble strip. It can be annoying but isn’t usually dangerous.

• While onboard radar can help determine storms enabling pilots to avoid them, pancake turbulence, such as what affected these recent flights, cannot be detected by instruments. Pilots can only learn of these from other pilots.

• Some studies seem to suggest that turbulence could be increasing with climate change.

• No form of travel is without some level of risk, but flying is still, statistically, the safest mode of travel.

"The smaller the aircraft, the more vulnerable it's going to be to turbulence. For commercial airliners, generally, they have roughly the same vulnerability. So what really determines the vulnerability is something called the wing loading. The least vulnerable aircraft is going to be heavy aircraft with smaller wing sizes like your large jets. The greater weight makes it harder for the airflow to disrupt or move the aircraft." — Dr. Thomas Guinn

Connect with Dr. Thomas Guinn:

Professional Bio: https://faculty.erau.edu/Thomas.Guinn

Email: guinnt@erau.edu

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-guinn-37686439

Connect with Therese:

Website: www.criticallyspeaking.net

Threads: @critically_speaking

Email: theresemarkow@criticallyspeaking.net

Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it.