Rose Rimler

Hi, Rose. Hi, Wendy. I also have the honor of debuting the jingle for this new type of episode, which I know you had asked our very talented sound engineer to mix up a jingle. He sent it to me, and I have it here for you. Yes!

Hi, Rose. Hi, Wendy. I also have the honor of debuting the jingle for this new type of episode, which I know you had asked our very talented sound engineer to mix up a jingle. He sent it to me, and I have it here for you. Yes!

You can't just throw out a great melody like that. Or vocal performance.

You can't just throw out a great melody like that. Or vocal performance.

Oh, well, I hope everyone's excited. They should be excited. because today we're gonna talk about a paper that makes a very extraordinary claim. I'm just gonna play you some of the headlines here.

Oh, well, I hope everyone's excited. They should be excited. because today we're gonna talk about a paper that makes a very extraordinary claim. I'm just gonna play you some of the headlines here.

Yeah, it got a lot of American press, but internationally, it was everywhere. It was, you know, down in Australia, where you are, India, Brazil, Mexico. France. It got a ton of attention on socials as well. And that's because it sounds terrifying, right?

Yeah, it got a lot of American press, but internationally, it was everywhere. It was, you know, down in Australia, where you are, India, Brazil, Mexico. France. It got a ton of attention on socials as well. And that's because it sounds terrifying, right?

Yeah, but, you know, Wendy, my reaction here was less alarm and more like, really? Like, I was very skeptical. Tell me more. Well, we did this episode about microplastics last year. And in the course of working on that episode, I just came across a lot of bullshit, including like bullshit in the science and papers. We're talking really sloppy math and overestimates.

Yeah, but, you know, Wendy, my reaction here was less alarm and more like, really? Like, I was very skeptical. Tell me more. Well, we did this episode about microplastics last year. And in the course of working on that episode, I just came across a lot of bullshit, including like bullshit in the science and papers. We're talking really sloppy math and overestimates.

There's even a case where it looked like the scientists forgot to convert kilograms to milligrams. And then they overestimated this thing that they were trying to estimate by six orders of magnitude. What? That's a primary school era.

There's even a case where it looked like the scientists forgot to convert kilograms to milligrams. And then they overestimated this thing that they were trying to estimate by six orders of magnitude. What? That's a primary school era.

Yeah, exactly. And there's also all that stuff about how much of the chemicals and black plastic cooking utensils were like leaking into our food. Yeah. That made a big splash. You know, people were throwing out their spatulas. Yeah. But turns out that those researchers also screwed up their math.

Yeah, exactly. And there's also all that stuff about how much of the chemicals and black plastic cooking utensils were like leaking into our food. Yeah. That made a big splash. You know, people were throwing out their spatulas. Yeah. But turns out that those researchers also screwed up their math.

And in fact, the chemicals that are leaching out of the utensils are way lower than what first got reported. So I'm just skeptical of this whole field. Which takes us to the plastic spoon paper. Yes. And as it turns out, the science here is also kind of fraught. Actually, in a way that has big implications for a lot of the headlines that we see about microplastics.

And in fact, the chemicals that are leaching out of the utensils are way lower than what first got reported. So I'm just skeptical of this whole field. Which takes us to the plastic spoon paper. Yes. And as it turns out, the science here is also kind of fraught. Actually, in a way that has big implications for a lot of the headlines that we see about microplastics.

As wonderful as that melody was, I don't remember it. I would have to listen again. Wasn't an instant earworm. It was not an instant earworm.

As wonderful as that melody was, I don't remember it. I would have to listen again. Wasn't an instant earworm. It was not an instant earworm.

Well, we've been hearing about microplastics for years. We've been hearing that they're all around us, that they're in our food and our water and even in the air that we breathe. Right. And now we're hearing that they might be getting into our bodies. And that's alarming, you know, because we know that plastics kind of come hand in hand with endocrine-disrupting chemicals.

Well, we've been hearing about microplastics for years. We've been hearing that they're all around us, that they're in our food and our water and even in the air that we breathe. Right. And now we're hearing that they might be getting into our bodies. And that's alarming, you know, because we know that plastics kind of come hand in hand with endocrine-disrupting chemicals.