Episodes

  • Ep 151 Stethoscope: Lub dub

    Ep 151 Stethoscope: Lub dub
    Sep 10 2024
    The stethoscope. It’s iconic. You’re playing Pictionary and you pull the “doctor” card? Easy - sketch a stethoscope. Need a last-minute Halloween costume? Easy - throw a stethoscope around your shoulders. Google image search “doctor” and you can count the number of stethoscope-less doctors on one hand. How did this instrument become so emblematic of the field of medicine? What can it tell us about our heart and lungs? And is its future under threat? That’s where this episode comes in. We explore the invention, evolution, and application of this tool, from the tragic life story of its inventor to the surprising amount of controversy over whether the stethoscope still holds a place in medicine today. Tune in for all this and so much more, including a doctor’s-ear perspective of the heart and lungs, complete with all the heart and lung sounds you could want! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 24 mins
  • Ep 150 Norovirus: Tip of the poop iceberg

    Ep 150 Norovirus: Tip of the poop iceberg
    Sep 3 2024
    “Is it gonna be poop or is it gonna be barf?” It’s the question we all fear during a bout of food poisoning when time is of the essence and a decision has to be made before it’s made for us. Often, the germ forcing this question upon us is none other than the dreaded norovirus. First called “winter vomiting disease” for reasons obvious to anyone who has been unfortunate enough to become infected, norovirus now conjures up images of puking passengers aboard cruise ships or oysters on the half shell secretly harboring a vomiting virus. In this episode, we delve into the world of norovirus, examining what qualities make it spread so rapidly and sicken us so quickly. Our tour of norovirus history takes us down some surprising roads, where we meet Vomiting Larry and chat about vulture vomit. We round out the episode by looking at norovirus by the numbers, dispelling the notion that norovirus can only be found aboard cruise ships. Spoilers: it’s everywhere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 20 mins
  • Special Episode: Maria Smilios & The Black Angels

    Special Episode: Maria Smilios & The Black Angels
    Aug 27 2024
    In the pre-antibiotic era, tuberculosis was one of the biggest killers humanity ever faced. The specter of the ‘great white plague’ hung over towns and cities across the world, cities like New York whose population boom in the early 20th century paved the way for this deadly disease to spread throughout crowded tenements. As tuberculosis rates in NYC reached a breaking point, city officials sought to solve the problem by establishing a sanatorium on Staten Island. But they quickly ran into an issue - who would be willing to work there, exposing themselves to this untreatable deadly disease? In The Black Angels: The Untold Story of the Nurses Who Helped Cure Tuberculosis, author Maria Smilios tells the story of the courageous nurses who worked at Sea View Hospital on Staten Island, facing the constant threat of disease and perpetual racism from patients, colleagues, and neighbors. Smilios brings these women’s stories to life, describing how they persevered in these difficult conditions to ultimately help bring about the cure for tuberculosis, for which they have only recently been recognized. Tune in for a fascinating discussion about a monumental time in tuberculosis history! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 5 mins
  • Ep 149 Poison Control Part 2: Call me maybe

    Ep 149 Poison Control Part 2: Call me maybe
    Aug 20 2024
    In last week’s episode/love song to poison control centers, we journeyed through the history of these centers, from idea to institution. This week, we pick up where we left off by taking stock of the incredible impact that poison control centers have had on public health and individual lives. We also get a thrilling behind-the-scenes look at the operational side of things - who is on the other end of the line when you call poison control? How do they know so much and where do they get their information? Dr. Suzanne Doyon, Medical Director at the Connecticut Poison Control Center and Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Connecticut joins us to answer these questions and so many more. If last week’s episode didn’t turn you into a poison center superfan, this one certainly will. Tune in today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr
  • Ep 148 Poison Control Part 1: Who you gonna call?

    Ep 148 Poison Control Part 1: Who you gonna call?
    Aug 13 2024
    If you’ve ever called poison control, you probably already have a deep appreciation for the voice on the other end of the line who provides solid answers, emanates calm, and empowers you to take whatever steps necessary to be safe and healthy. If you haven’t, this episode will turn you into a superfan anyway. How did this incredibly valuable yet often overlooked service come to be, and why did it arise when it did? In the first of what ends up being a two-part ode to poison control centers, we explore the origins of poison control centers in the US, from the early days when literally one guy answered calls from all over the country to the lifesaving nationwide coordinated organization it is today? Tune in to find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    56 mins
  • Special Episode: Ben Goldfarb & Crossings

    Special Episode: Ben Goldfarb & Crossings
    Aug 6 2024
    Roads are essential to our modern lives, so much so that they largely exist in the background of our minds. When we do think of roads, we’re either complaining about traffic or celebrating them for enabling our restless need to explore. Can you imagine if all of the world’s 40 million miles of roads were suddenly erased? Chaos for humanity. But a boon perhaps to natural ecosystems. In Crossings: How Road Ecology is Shaping the Future of Our Planet, author Ben Goldfarb takes readers on a fascinating tour of the relatively recent science of road ecology. Even beyond their impact on roadkill, roads are powerful disruptors of natural ecosystems, bringing noise, pollution, and humans to natural areas and fragmenting landscapes. And as Goldfarb demonstrates, we are only just starting to reckon with the widespread effects of roads and integrate this knowledge into road design. After this fascinating conversation, you’ll never think of roads in the same way again! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr
  • Ep 147 Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumor Disease: Sympathy for the Devil

    Ep 147 Tasmanian Devil Facial Tumor Disease: Sympathy for the Devil
    Jul 30 2024
    Think of an infectious disease. What comes to mind? A viral infection like influenza? Or a bacterial illness like cholera? Maybe some of you thought of a fungal pathogen or a parasite. But how many of you thought of a cancer? In this episode, we explore the bizarre, stranger than fiction story of devil facial tumor disease (DFTD), a transmissible cancer that has devastated Tasmanian devil populations over the past few decades. And when we say transmissible cancer, we don’t mean a cancer caused by a virus - we mean the cancer itself is transmissible. How is that possible? What does it do to the devils? What are Tasmanian devils like? What role do they play in the ecosystem? What does the future hold for these adorable creatures? Tune in for a lively discussion all about these devils and their disease, featuring Dr. Rodrigo Hamede, Senior Lecturer at the University of Tasmania and DFTD expert. This episode will have you looking up pictures of baby devils, listening to their wide range of sounds, and rethinking the lines between contagious and non-contagious disease. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 27 mins
  • Ep 146 Celiac Disease: Rootin tootin gluten

    Ep 146 Celiac Disease: Rootin tootin gluten
    Jul 23 2024
    CW: discussion of disordered eating, eating disorders Did the word gluten manifest in everyone’s consciousness one day in 2010? Suddenly, grocery stores were filled with gluten-free crackers, cookies, buns, you name it. Everyone went on gluten-free diets or knew someone with a gluten intolerance or sensitivity. For some, it might seem that gluten-related disorders went from 0 to 60 overnight, but those who had lived with these illnesses for decades knew better. In this episode, we delve into the story of gluten intolerance and celiac disease, a story which begins thousands of years ago, not just in the 2010s. We break down why gluten makes some people sick, how scientists finally made the link between grain and pain, and what promising new research is on the horizon for treating gluten-related disorders. Tune in today! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    1 hr and 34 mins