Audiobooks by Dr. Joe Schwarcz

Quack Quack: The Threat of Pseudoscience

Let the one and only Dr. Joe battle pseudoscience and cast a life preserver out to all those drowning in a sea of misinformation We are in a crisis. A tsunami of misinformation and disinformation is threatening to engulf evidence-based science. While quackery-loosely defined as the spread of false 'knowledge,' often accompanied by various versions of 'snake oil'-is not a novel phenomenon, it has never posed as great a threat to public health as today. COVID-19 has unleashed an unprecedented flurry of destructive information that has fueled vaccine hesitancy and has steered people toward unproven therapies. Conspiracy theorists have served up a distasteful menu of twisted facts that create distrust in science. In Quack Quack, Dr. Joe Schwarcz, who has been battling flimflam for decades, focuses on the deluge of anecdotes, cherry-picked data, pseudoscientific nonsense, and seductive baseless health claims that undermine efforts to educate the public about evidence-based science. The wide scope of the topics drawn from past and present aims to cast a life preserver to people drowning in a sea of misinformation.

Dr. Joe Schwarcz (Author), Jonathan Yen (Narrator)

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Science Goes Viral: Captivating Accounts of Science in Everyday Life

Bestselling popular science author Dr. Joe Schwarcz breaks down the science of essential oils, placenta creams, intermittent fasting, and of course the spread of COVID-19 misinformation in this new collection from the master of demarcating non-science from science Science has gone viral! In more ways than one. Since we first heard rumblings about a novel type of pneumonia in Wuhan, China, terms like pandemic, spike protein, viral particles, variants, mRNA vaccines, antibodies, hydroxychloroquine, social distancing, immune response, convalescent plasma, aerosol transmission, and of course, face coverings, have entered our everyday vocabulary. The scientific literature has exploded with studies exploring every facet of COVID-19, but unfortunately the "viral" spread of misinformation about the pandemic has also reached epic proportions. Science Goes Viral provides a framework for coming to grips with the onslaught of COVID-19 information and misinformation in this ever-changing pandemic. Here, you'll learn about the first antibodies ever identified, the connection between tonic water and coronavirus, and whether we can zap COVID with copper. And although our thoughts and daily activities have been hijacked by the pandemic, life does go on, as does the pursuit of science. Dr. Joe features his usual array of diverse topics, including biblical dyes, essential oils, Jean Harlow's hair, Lincoln's magician, and bioplastics, along with assorted examples of quackery. Delving into the many fascinating facets of science can serve as a welcome distraction from the COVID curse. In fact, enchantment with science can also be contagious. Will you be infected?

Dr. Joe Schwarcz (Author), Raoul Bhaneja (Narrator)

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Is That a Fact?: Frauds, Quacks, and the Real Science of Everyday Life

Dr. Joe Schwarcz takes on the quacks and doles out the facts in this eye-opening look at the science around us Eat this and live to 100. Don't, and die. Today, hyperboles dominate the media, which makes parsing science from fiction an arduous task when deciding what to eat, what chemicals to avoid, and what's best for the environment. In Is That a Fact?, bestselling author Dr. Joe Schwarcz carefully navigates the storm of misinformation to help us separate fact from folly and shrewdness from foolishness. Are GMOs really harmful? Or could they help developing countries? Which "miracle weight loss foods" gained popularity through exuberant data dredging? Is BPA dangerous or just a victim of unforgiving media hype? Is organic better? Dr. Joe questions the reliability and motives of "experts" in this easy-to-understand yet critical look at what's fact and what's plain nonsense.

Dr. Joe Schwarcz (Author), Garrett Goodison (Narrator)

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Monkeys, Myths, and Molecules: Separating Fact from Fiction, and the Science of Everyday Life

A healthy dose of scientific skepticism in the information age, from bestselling author Dr. Joe Schwarz The internet is a powerful beast; no matter what question you may have, the answer is just a few keystrokes away. But with so many sources available, and so many conflicting answers, how do you know what information is reliable? In Monkeys, Myths, and Molecules, Dr. Joe Schwarcz takes a critical look at how scientific facts are misconstrued in the media, debunking myths surrounding canned food, artificial dyes, SPF, homeopathy, cancer, chemicals, and much more. Unafraid to expose the sheer nonsense people are led to believe about health, food, drugs, and our environment, Dr. Joe confronts pseudoscience and convincingly and entertainingly advocates for a scientific approach to everyday life.

Dr. Joe Schwarcz (Author), Garrett Goodison (Narrator)

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A Grain of Salt: The Science and Pseudoscience of What We Eat

A curated collection of new and updated Dr. Joe essays on food and nutrition Of all the dietary and nutritional claims pitched to us, what can we believe? How does cinnamon affect your health? How splendid is Splenda? Should you buy farmed, wild, or canned food? What's fishy about fish-oil supplements? Will a diet of Twinkies and M&M's lead to weight loss? Water from a tap or from a plastic bottle-which should you choose, and which is better for the environment? Should you carry your groceries home in plastic or brown paper? We all have questions, and Dr. Joe Schwarcz has the answers, some of which will astonish you. Guaranteed to satisfy your hunger for palatable and relevant scientific information, bestselling author Dr. Joe Schwarcz separates fact from fiction in this collection of new and updated articles about what to eat, what not to eat, and how to recognize the scientific basis of food chemistry.

Dr. Joe Schwarcz (Author), Jonathan Yen (Narrator)

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