Things Fell Apart cover image

Things Fell Apart

S2. Ep 2: We’re Coming After You, Honey

Jan 9, 2024
A chance encounter between a bartender and a wealthy couple with a sick daughter leads to the creation of a covid conspiracy theory. The podcast explores the cultural war and the debate about Covid being a threat or conspiracy. It also delves into the frustrations faced by scientists and Judy's belief of a conspiracy. Additionally, it discusses Judy's downfall and the unsettling encounter of the hosts on a highway.
33:59
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Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

  • The chance encounter between a bartender and a wealthy couple led to breakthrough findings on chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) and the discovery of XMRV virus in CFS patients' blood samples.
  • Judy Mikeovitz's controversial journey highlights the complexities of radicalization, personal grievance, and the power of conspiracy theories in the modern world.

Deep dives

The Breakthrough Findings on Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

In the weeks leading up to George Floyd's murder, a culture war about the pandemic was brewing. However, in 2006, at a yacht club in California, a chance encounter between bartender Judy Mikeovitz and a customer sparked a chain of events that led to breakthrough findings on chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Working with wealthy couple Annette and Harvey Whitimore, whose daughter suffered from CFS, Judy discovered the presence of XMRV, a little-known mouse virus, in the blood samples of CFS patients. The research, published in Science, initially brought hope for a possible link between the virus and CFS, offering potential treatments. However, subsequent attempts to replicate the findings failed, leading to skepticism and the retraction of the paper.

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