Early approval of a COVID-19 vaccine could cause ethical problems for other vax candidates, and ‘upcycling’ plastic bags

Science Magazine Podcast

Science Podcast

News, News Commentary, Science

4.3 • 842 Ratings

🗓️ 22 October 2020

⏱️ 26 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

First up, host Sarah Crespi talks with Staff Writer Jon Cohen about some tricky ethical questions that may arise after the first coronavirus vaccine is authorized for use in the United States. Will people continue to participate in clinical trials of other vaccines? Will it still be OK to give participants placebo vaccines? Next, producer Meagan Cantwell talks with Bert Weckhuysen, a professor at Utrecht University, about a process for taking low-value plastic like polyethylene (often used for packaging and grocery bags) and “upcycling” it into biodegradable materials that can be used for new purposes. This week’s episode was produced with help from Podigy. Listen to previous podcasts. About the Science Podcast Download a transcript (PDF). [Image: Zeev Barkan/Flickr; Music: Jeffrey Cook] Authors: Sarah Crespi; Meagan Cantwell; Jon Cohen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This podcast is supported by the Icon School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, one of America's leading research medical schools.
0:07.8	Icon Mount Sinai is the academic arm of the eight hospital Mount Sinai health system in New York City.
0:13.9	It's consistently among the top recipients of NIH funding.
0:18.0	Researchers at Icon Mount Sinai have made breakthrough discoveries in many fields vital to
0:23.0	advancing the health of patients, including cancer, COVID and long COVID, cardiology, neuroscience, and
0:30.4	artificial intelligence. The Icon School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. We find a way.
0:48.9	Welcome to the science podcast for October 23, 2020. I'm Megan Cantwell. Each week, we feature the most interesting news and research published in Science and the Sister Journals. First up, senior producer Sarah Crespi talks with staff writer John Cohen about an interesting conundrum.
1:00.5	What should ethically happen in all of the other vaccine candidate trials once the first COVID-19 vaccine gets approved?
1:08.0	Next, we have researcher Bert Wechhausen.
1:10.6	He speaks with me about upcycling plastic waste into valuable chemical products.
1:16.4	Now we have staff writer John Cohen.
1:19.0	He wrote a story this week about an interesting question.
1:22.7	What happens to all the other COVID-19 vaccine candidates when the first one is approved.
1:30.3	Hi, John.
1:31.2	Hi, Sarah. How are you?
1:32.4	I'm good.
1:34.3	Let's be right.
1:35.5	Let's be honest. We're both sick of the pandemic.
1:38.0	Yeah, absolutely.
1:39.2	Let me leave my house.
1:40.6	Let my child leave the house.
1:41.9	That's all I want.
	...

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