How They Made Us Doubt Everything Podcast
From smoking and cancer to climate change, this is the story of how to manufacture doubt.
Investigating the industry response to claims there could be asbestos in make-up, and the tactics that could be used to cast doubt over the science and create controversy.
Episodes to download
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Talc Tales: 5. Talc on trial
Fri 10 May 2024
6/17 When we send off make-up for testing, the lab finds an asbestos fibre.
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Talc Tales: 4. 鈥楾ime for more confusion鈥�
Thu 9 May 2024
5/17 When talc might be listed as a carcinogen, the industry assembles a 鈥榯alc task force鈥�.
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Talc Tales: 2. Never 100% clean
Tue 7 May 2024
3/17 In the 1970s, a scientist discovers asbestos fibres in talcum powder.
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Talc Tales: 1. Asbestos in my make-up?
Mon 6 May 2024
2/17 After a cancer diagnosis, Hannah Fletcher asks if her make-up contained asbestos.
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The Tobacco Playbook: 10. Leaving the Tribe
Fri 7 Aug 2020
17/17 Our story ends at the very top, with a fax to the White House.
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The Tobacco Playbook: 9. Deep Pockets, Useful Allies
Thu 6 Aug 2020
16/17 Oil money is pumped to scientists and think tanks in the bid to make it a culture war.
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The Tobacco Playbook: 8. Jerry gets 鈥榙uped鈥�
Wed 5 Aug 2020
15/17 A climate change sceptic realises he鈥檚 been getting it wrong
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The Tobacco Playbook: 7. The Opponent
Tue 4 Aug 2020
14/17 In the battle for public opinion, the scientists were no match for a well-oiled PR machine
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The Tobacco Playbook: 6. From Fact to Theory
Mon 3 Aug 2020
13/17 鈥楿nless climate change becomes a non-issue鈥here may be no moment we can declare victory鈥�
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The Tobacco Playbook: 5. Big Oil's Big Group
Fri 31 Jul 2020
12/17 As the world鈥檚 scientists agree on man-made climate change, oil companies form a coalition
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The Tobacco Playbook: 4. Tobacco in the Dock
Thu 30 Jul 2020
11/17 As the evidence against tobacco mounts, the court suits mount up. Tobacco keeps winning.
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The Tobacco Playbook: 3. The White Coats
Wed 29 Jul 2020
10/17 The tobacco industry鈥檚 white coats are ready, the battle of science vs science begins.
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The Tobacco Playbook: 2. 鈥楧oubt is our product'
Tue 28 Jul 2020
9/17 In 1953 PR and tobacco execs draw up a plan to fight claims that smoking causes cancer.
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The Tobacco Playbook: 1. Big Oil鈥檚 Big Crisis
Mon 27 Jul 2020
8/17 From climate change to smoking and cancer, this is the story of how to manufacture doubt.
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Welcome to How They Made Us Doubt Everything: The Tobacco Playbook
Sun 26 Jul 2020
7/17 From climate change to smoking, this is the story of how doubt has been manufactured.
How the oil industry made us doubt climate change
From climate change to smoking and cancer, this is the story of how to manufacture doubt.
