Only two countries, the United States and New Zealand, allow prescription drug ads on television. Thanks to those ads, you've probably heard of the little purple pill, can name two sources of cholesterol, and have a whole list of medical conditions in the back of your mind. But is a little knowledge a dangerous thing? While some doctors say that the advertisements bring uninformed but very determined patients who simply must have Drug X into their offices, others say that allowing drug ads on television encourages people to talk about their health and may bring otherwise undiagnosed problems to light. Join Ira and guests in this hour of Science Friday for a look at the pros and cons of allowing drug ads on TV.

Plus, Space Exploration Technologies' "Falcon-1" rocket exploded during its maiden launch last Friday. We'll talk with the founder of the company about what happened, and plans for the next launch. Call in with your questions and comments at 1-800-989-8255 (3-4 Eastern). Teachers, find more information about using Science Friday as a classroom resource in the Kids' Connection.

Guests:
Gwynne Shotwell
Vice President of Business Development
Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX)
El Segundo, California

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John Kamp
Executive Director
Coalition for Healthcare Communication
New York, New York

Richard Kravitz
Professor, Internal Medicine
Director, Center for Health Services Research in Primary Care
University of California Davis
Davis, California

Robert Centor
Professor, Internal Medicine
University of Alabama School of Medicine
Birmingham, Alabama

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This segment produced by Annette Heist