Professor Adam Kucharski joins Gavin & Jessamy to discuss the intersection of mathematics, epidemiology, and truth, off the back of his new book, Proof. How do we generate scientific knowledge? How can we communicate uncertainty? What is the impact of social media and artificial intelligence on public trust in science?

Adam also tells us about the importance of public engagement, the nuances of misinformation, the importance of transparency in policy, the future of scientific communications, the need for adaptable definitions of proof, and the value of pragmatic, transparent approaches to decision-making in health and science.

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How safe is it to use period tracking and digital contraception apps? Who is your data being shared with? What regulation actually exists in this area to protect app users?

Femtech offers women digital tools for tracking reproductive health. Gavin and Jessamy are joined by Dr. Catriona McMillan, Senior Research Fellow in Medical Law and Ethics at the University of Edinburgh, to talk about how accurate these apps actually are, significant concerns about data privacy, and what regulatory oversight exists and can be applied.

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Richard, Jessamy, and Gavin reflect on developments at the 78th World Health Assembly, including the passage of the pandemic agreement and shifting dynamics in global health leadership. What's next for WHO without US engagement? How has WHA changed over the years?

We also address the importance of recommitting to adolescent health following our new Commission, and discuss a controversial recent study about the pace of scientific innovation.

You can read the second Lancet Commission on Adolescent Health & Wellbeing here:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(25)00503-3/fulltext?dgcid=buzzsprout_icw_podcast_lancetadolescenthealth25_lancet

This is the paper on the pace of scientific innovation discussed on the podcast:

https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-025-01548-4

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Read all of our content at https://www.thelancet.com/?dgcid=buzzsprout_tlv_podcast_generic_lancet

Check out all the podcasts from The Lancet Group:
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