Safeguarding Sound Science, Evolution Edition
The second season of Safeguarding Sound Science examines the everyday impacts of evolution, the grand theory that informs our understanding of all life on this planet. Host Mat Kaplan talks with scientists, researchers, and other experts as they dispel common misconceptions about evolution, discuss its sometimes invisible importance in our day-to-day lives, and marvel at the wonders of ongoing scientific discovery that help us piece together more of the evolutionary puzzle.
Episode 1: Peter Hotez on Vaccines, Evolution, and Your Health
October 1, 2025
Vaccine skepticism and efforts to curb vaccine access are in the news almost daily. This despite the fact that for decades, vaccines have saved millions of lives and reduced suffering immeasurably all across the globe. In this episode, host Mat Kaplan speaks with Dr. Peter Hotez, a pediatrician and global health expert and an outspoken and well-known proponent of the value and science-backed efficacy of vaccines. Dr. Hotez describes the forces at play in the rise of the anti-vaxx movement and the potential harms that could result. Mat also talks with NCSE’s Wendy Johnson. She discusses a curriculum unit she helped author that focuses on the evolution of pathogens and how that evolution shapes the vaccines to combat them: for instance, why flu shots are recommended every year, but measles vaccinations are not.
Additional Info:
- The Deadly Rise of Anti-Science, by Peter J. Hotez
- NCSE’s Pathogens and Vaccines Evolution Story Short