Finding Genius Podcast

How can bacteria, viruses, and even cuts and burns lead to cancer? Could cancer one day become a manageable, livable disease akin to HIV? For expert answers to these questions and more, tune in. You’ll discover: How the mutagenic repair system leads to novel genome sequences and extrachromosomal DNA, particularly in many types of cancers, and why this repair system might have evolved How cancer cells alter their genomes and heredity, and how this can impact epigenetic regulation Whether cancer derives from a single tumor cell, or groups of cells Under what circumstances chemotherapy can trigger a transformation into a more deadly, malignant type of cancer James Shapiro is a biologist working in the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Chicago, and he has decades of research under his belt. On today’s show, he pulls from years of research and accumulated knowledge to discuss various topics in the field of cancer and cancer research. These inc...

Starvation, suicide, and failure to thrive: these are the leading causes of death resulting from COVID-19 policies. In 2020 alone, these policies have killed more people than Hitler killed in the death camps throughout all of WWII. What is really going on here? Press play to learn: Who is driving the COVID-19 situation, what their end goal is, and the mistakes they’ve made along the way Why the healthcare field is fundamentally different than any other, and how this blocks your access to accurate, honest information about your life and health What Popper and others are doing to both save small businesses and equip people with the information necessary to push back against the powers that be Why the WHO completely stopped reporting flu deaths in February 2020 Pamela Popper is driven to educate the public about the truth of the U.S. medical system, and the reality behind what you’ve been told about COVID-19. To this end, she serves people through her company, Wellness Forum ...

Imagine a disease-free world. If it were easy enough to establish and maintain, most people on earth would choose it. Some species of ants and termites seem to have figured out a way to do just this. Tune in to discover: How certain ant and termite species might produce and use antimicrobial substances in their fungal gardens in the same way that humans use pesticides for disease-free crops How termites and ants prevent the invasion and spread of disease within colonies How termite nests differ or remain the same depending on environmental conditions Michael Poulsen is a professor of ecology and evolution at the University of Copenhagen whose work is about understanding beneficial symbioses between various species. In particular, he focuses on fungus-farming ants in Central and South America, and fungus-farming termites in Africa and Asia. His goal is to understand how these fungi and ants or termites co-evolve and optimize the services they provide for one another, as well as h...

Could a simple diet change make cancer therapies more effective, thereby helping people fight cancer and extend their lives? The evidence seems to suggest that it might. Tune in to discover: Whether the ketogenic diet can slow DNA repair in cancer cells, and/or increase the anti-tumor immune response What might be different about cancer cells that are resistant to cancer therapies versus those that are killed by cancer therapies How the ketogenic diet seems to reduce the migration and invasion of cancer cells , and which model shows this the best Adrienne Scheck is Senior Research Scientist at the Institute of Molecular Medicine at Phoenix Children’s Research Institute, and she's studying how the ketogenic diet impacts brain tumor therapies, namely radiation and chemotherapy. Past studies have found that the ketogenic diet makes these therapies more effective, and that even when used alone, seems to reduce tumor cell growth. Based on experiments using mouse models and ce...

Still scrabbling with Excel? Consider Python language uses, says programmer and podcaster Michael Kennedy. A general programming language that is easy to use in multiple environments, Python programming is limitless and has numerous open source utilities. He shares how listeners can grab hold of the advantages of Python. Listen and learn Examples of Python uses in industry, from Perseverance on Mars to how well Netflix works across devices, How Python and Excel compare and why jumping to Python will take less time than you might think, and What are additional Python language benefits and applications and what are helpful resources to learn more. Programmer Michael Kennedy of the podcasts Talk Python to Me and Python Bytes helps listeners get a jump start on this useful tool for researchers. He gives a fascinating description of the spectrum of its uses, from most AI algorithms and machine learning to YouTube and Netflix's performance across different technologies. But it...

How can you verify the efficacy and safety of the nutritional supplements you are taking? Functional medicine doctor and clinical consultant for Biotics Research shares his advice and experience. Tune in to learn about: How a consumer can find product validation from supplement companies Nutrient-nutrient interactions and their effects on the body How dietary and lifestyle changes can bolster supplementation Dr. Arland Hill works as a clinical consultant at Biotics research and is an experienced functional medicine doctor. While many supplement companies offer GMP labels, it does not speak to the product's quality or efficacy. A consumer may, however, request FDA evaluation sheets by directly contacting the company. It is also revealed that clinical testing can be very beneficial to consumers when formulating a supplementation regimen. Interactions between combinations of supplements can lead to deficiencies and other issues if improperly dosed by the consumer without cons...

How can cancer and cancer cells be understood through the lens of cellular metabolism , and what insights can be gained into various forms of treatment? Many studies suggest that metabolic changes and the environment in which the cells inhabit can significantly impact how they function. Listen in to learn: How cancer cells are affected by oxygen availability Some often-overlooked benefits of Chemotherapy How cellular metabolism and pathways can affect the development of cancer cells Oncologist and cancer researcher at the Koch Institute at MIT, Dr. Matthew Vander Heiden, shares his research experience and some surprising cellular processes that can dramatically impact cancer cells. Dr. Vander Heiden sheds light on the Warburg effect, which describes how cancer cells tend to uptake glucose and ferment it rather than burning it in respiration. The fermentation of glucose rather than respiration is revealed to be how FDG PET scans function by differentiating cancer cells tha...