5min chapter

The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean cover image

The Screwiest—and Perhaps Most Original—Idea of the 20th Century

The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean

CHAPTER

X-Rays Can Sterilize Screwworms

Nippling lived in terror of Congress ever finding out about his work. He smuggled screwworms into a hospital near San Antonio to test their sterility. The results were encouraging, but nippling wanted to confirm things with a real-world test. Finally got the chance in 1951, and the test turned out to be a complete flop. Backblaze will back up all your important files for $7 per month.

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