Science Shouldn’t Be This Much Fun…But It Was on the Star Talk Podcast! Director’s Page Helene M. Langevin, M.D.

https://www.nccih.nih.gov/about/offices/od/director/past-messages/science-shouldnt-be-this-much-funbut-it-was-on-the-star-talk-podcast?nav=govd I recently had the pleasure of joining a lively discussion on the StarTalk podcast, hosted by Neil deGrasse Tyson alongside Chuck Nice and Gary O’Reilly. We covered so much ground—from complementary medicine and health trends to discussing inflammation, acupuncture, vitamins, and whether there is a right “dose” of stretching. It was not only informative but also a lot of fun—we laughed our way through some serious science. While I encourage you to watch the entire episode, I want to bring your attention to a few highlights from our discussion: We explored the mysteries of the placebo effect—how something as deceptively simple as a sugar pill can influence our health outcomes. We also tackled the concept of resilience, diving into how cold therapy and other physiological stressors can potentially bolster our ability to bounce back from illness and injury. And of course, we couldn’t ignore the pressing question: Is sitting as detrimental to our health as smoking?