"Sugar high" is a myth?

I remember reading that "sugar high" isn't actually real! In other words, children don't actually get overexcited after eating a bunch of sugar.

I find this hard to believe!

But, here's a (pretty old - 1995) meta-analysis which is pretty clear: sugar high is probably a myth.

The meta-analysis covered 23 other studies, and none of them found a significant effect (of sugar intake and child behaviour).

I'm still somewhat skeptical though 😆. Would be interested to delve into more recent analysis and debate.

Do phone bans in schools work?

Most parents have some concerns about phone use. This is an interesting study from the UK, that investigated phone bans in schools.

The study covered 30 schools (20 had phone bans, 10 didn't), with the students aged 12-15.

Their main finding: phone bans don't meaningfully affect/improve mental wellbeing.

Basically the phone bans only reduced phone and social media use slightly, and kids still used their phones at home.

Important point: the phone bans weren't uniform or super strict in all cases -- e.g. some schools just told students keep their phones in their bags.

So we can't say that "phone bans will NEVER work". They just didn't have a huge impact, on average, in the way they were implememted in those 20 schools.

The "Marshmellow" test

I remember reading somewhere about the "marshmellow test" – the finding that: if a child could wait longer for a marshmellow (or other snack they liked), the child would be more likely to do well later in life.

Found the original 1990 experiment!

Interestingly, this 2018 study replicated the 1990 experiment.

It basically found the link (between waiting for the marshmellow and later outcomes) to be smaller than the 1990 original – especially after controlling for other factors (like family background, early cognitive ability, etc).

What does this mean?

It doesn't "debunk" the marshmellow test entirely, it just says that other factors matter more.

It seems to me the "marshmellow test" is still an interesting "proxy" test for later outcomes – but unsurprisingly, the full picture matters more.

Plant-based diet - is it fine?

I'm an occasional vegetarian - for health, and environmental and ethical reasons. I think most would already agree that one can have a complete diet, without meat. Nonetheles, I found this paper useful.

It's a narrative review of evidence. A few helpful takeaways (gleaned from the Credo summary):

• A plant-based diet has health benefits, and is better environmentally.

• A plant-based diet can be complete, but there are some potential drawbacks. E.g. it's harder for the body to absorb certain nutrients from plant sources.

• And so, if you're a vegetarian or vegan, you do have to put in some thought, to ensure your diet is complete. (Though the same could be said of any diet!)

Do plants "fart"?

I had known that plants generally "breathe" and release carbon dioxide at night. But I didn't know that plants also "fart".

Learnt about this listening to this Brains On episode with my kid!

And here's the paper that published the discovery! The findings (from credo paper summary):

The study reveals that many types of terrestrial plants can produce methane under normal oxygen-rich conditions, which was not previously recognized. The authors demonstrate that this methane is formed inside the plant tissues, not by microbes in the soil.

So plants produce methane "farts" in a sense!

(The Brains On hosts were quick to say that despite this, trees/forests are generally carbon sinks i.e. they do not cause global warming 😀)

Social media and youth

Cool Board! This seems like an important overview on social media use and youth – given some countries have now banned social media use for those below 16. As expected, mixed findings:

The paper shows that social media can help teens connect and learn, but it can also cause problems like stress and sleep loss if not used carefully. (from the Credo summary)

Given the benefits, I wonder if banning is too blunt a tool; but you could say on the whole it's better. Also, this particular study is US-focused.

Let's dig into more research on this Board!

Coffee for women?

The general verdict seems to be clear, that coffee is generally good for you. Take this huge meta-analysis for example.

But interestingly the study also warns (from the credo tldr) pregnant women and women at risk of bone fractures should be careful.

The "pregnant case" seems straightforward enough, but what about the "risk of bone fracture" case? When should we not drink coffee?

I'd be interested to delve into this!

Do I need to microwave (cooked) cold/frozen food for it to be safe?

So I was eating a frozen pork bun. Well, it was frozen (fully cooked), and then I steamed it. But just enough until the bun was warm, not piping hot. I always assumed heating food up makes it safer (or indeed is necessary when the food is frozen), but is that actually true?

AI wins Nobel Prize?

Hi friends! Happy to be part of this board. This is my first post in the group! I was intrigued by a point made by Neil in the latest episode, that 'AI was awarded the Nobel Prize'.

So I looked into it, and found the papers! Yes not one, but two, both in 2024. One in Physics, and another in Chemistry.

Well actually, AI didn't win per se. Rather, researchers (humans!) won the prizes, for developing AI models.

Who were these researchers, what did their AI models do, and why does it matter? Check out this short and sweet article to find out.

I've attached a neat image from the article, that lays out how the research (for both prizes) developed over time.

So yes humans won the prize, but maybe oneday AI will win on its own.

Welcome!

Hi! Welcome to 'Podcasts We Love'. I listen to a lot of podcasts, and almost every episode leaves me wondering: Is that actually true? Wish I knew more about that! or That study sounds cool.

I created this board so we can share and discuss these "hmm" and "aha" moments from our favourite podcasts, and collaboratively look into the evidence! Hope you'll 'follow' the board and join in the fun!