Skeptic Check: How Low Can You Go?

Big Picture Science - Skeptic Check: How Low Can You Go?

ENCORE: Baby, it’s cold outside… but you still might want to be there.  Some people claim that chilly temperatures are good for your health, and proponents of cryotherapy suggest you have a blast – of sub-zero air – to stave off wrinkles and perhaps halt aging altogether.

Meanwhile the field of cryonics offers the ultimate benefit by suggesting that you put future plans – and your body – on ice when you die.  That way you might be revived when the technology to do so is developed.

So, will a chill wind blow you some good?  Possibly, as scientists are discovering that the body can endure colder temperatures than previously thought.  We examine the science of extreme cold and claims of its salubrious benefits.

It’s our monthly look at critical thinking, Skeptic Check … but don’t take our word for it!

Guests:

• Seth Abramovitch - Senior writer at the Hollywood Reporter
• Gordon Giesbrecht - Professor of thermal physiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada
• Grant Shoffstall - Sociologist, Williams College

This encore podcast was first released on 03/28/2017

Download podcast at - http://bigpicturescience.org/episodes/skeptic-check-how-low-can-you-go

You can listen to this and other episodes at http://bigpicturescience.org/, and be sure to check out Blog Picture Science, the companion blog to the radio show.