This Podcast Will Kill You

Join Robert Alpert, an intellectual property lawyer turned film professor, along with historical experts Merle Eisenberg and Lee Mordechai, as they dive into the intriguing world of disease-themed movies. They discuss the evolution of cinematic portrayals of pandemics, revealing how narratives shifted from heroic to personal struggles. The conversation touches on societal reflections during crises, viewer motivations during COVID-19, and the importance of inclusive storytelling. Get ready for a captivating exploration of how film mirrors our hopes and fears about health!

Yes, the world may be out to get us with allergens around every corner, but we’ve got some tricks up our sleeve to help us cope. Our allergy treatment toolkit includes an impressive suite of tools, and in the second episode of our two-part series on allergies, we focus on three in particular: antihistamine medications, allergy shots, and the epinephrine auto-injector (aka the EpiPen). We take you through how exactly each of these work, trace their development from concept to product, and highlight some of the most promising areas of allergy treatment research today. Have you ever wondered why we have so many different types of antihistamines? Or thought about what the Cold War has to do with the EpiPen? Then this is the episode for you. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes it seems like the world is out to get us: bees in our garden, pollen in the air, nuts in our brownies, any number of other things that could trigger an allergic reaction ranging from itchy eyes and a runny nose all the way to anaphylaxis. Why must our bodies react in such over-the-top ways to these seemingly innocuous substances? In the first episode of our two-parter on allergies, we explore that very question. From the biological basis of an allergic reaction to the potential evolutionary significance of allergies, from the history of their discovery to the global status of allergies today, we cover it all. Tune in today! Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this insightful dialogue, journalist Philip Eil, author of *Prescription for Pain*, uncovers the dark journey of Dr. Paul Volkman, a physician turned notorious 'pill mill' operator. Eil discusses the shocking descent of a once-promising doctor into illegal prescribing, contextualizing it within the broader opioid crisis. They explore the regulatory failures that allowed such practices to thrive and reflect on the devastating impact on communities. This narrative showcases the urgent need for reform in pain management and medical oversight.

For decades, it seemed like the appendix would go the way of 8-track players, pagers, and the phonograph. Outdated, obsolete, not worth keeping around. Surgeons performed appendectomies like it was spring cleaning - when in doubt, cut it out. But then the tides began to turn as medicine started to question the long-held belief that the appendix is a defunct organ (on a good day) or a ticking time bomb (on a very bad one). In this episode, we trace the story of the appendix from its earliest descriptions to the latest advancements in treatment of appendicitis. If you’ve ever wondered whether the appendix actually serves any function and what that function might be, then this is the episode for you! Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Among the many conditions that creep under your skin and make scratching irresistible, scabies alone holds the honor of being called simply “The Itch” for centuries. In this episode, we examine how the burrowing scabies mites cause this extremely uncomfortable sensation, what we can do to halt their progress, and how contagious they really are (less than you probably think). Today, the word scabies instantly conjures up images of the mite responsible for The Itch, but for centuries, medicine failed to make that connection, even when the proof was right in front of them and when traditional wisdom had long since known mite=scabies. Tune in to learn how the great scabies debate was finally resolved with a public demonstration, what role conscientious objectors played in scabies research during WWII, and where we are with scabies around the globe today. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A mere 150 years ago, uttering the words “scarlet fever” was enough to strike fear into the hearts of many, especially parents of young children. For a brief period of time, this disease, caused by an infection with the bacterium Streptococcus pyogenes, reigned as a leading cause of childhood death in many parts of the world. It left its mark on gravestones, in public health decrees, in literature like the Velveteen Rabbit, but then something changed. The disease became milder, no longer the deadly threat it once was. But it didn’t go away entirely or lose its bite completely. In this episode, we examine the biology of scarlet fever and trace how it can make you sick before exploring its strange and tragic history. How did such a deadly disease change almost overnight, before any effective treatment was developed? And what can that tell us about its potential to change back? Tune in to find out. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We really don’t give fungi the credit they deserve. Over the years of this podcast, we’ve covered only a handful of fungal pathogens, and pathogenic fungi themselves represent a teeny tiny proportion of the incredible diversity of fungal life on this planet. But with this book club episode, we’re attempting to correct this oversight, at least a little bit. Toxicologist and science writer Dr. Emily Monosson joins us to discuss her book Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic. We chat about how fungal epidemics have shaped entire ecosystems, altered economies, and invaded hospitals. Despite the devastating impact pathogenic fungi have made, we still underappreciate their potential to cause harm in the future, as our climate changes, as our land use changes, and as globalization continues. In Blight, Monosson delivers an important reminder that we should use what we have learned about these historical outbreaks to limit the harm fungi may cause in the future. Tune in today to gain a new appreciation for this incredible group of organisms. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

That same little bottle of retinol serum sitting on your bathroom counter - how does it work? Does it actually work? Those are the questions we’re taking on in part two of our retinoids two-parter. The answers, as you might expect, are complicated. Because as it turns out, “retinoid” is a catch-all term for a bunch of different types of compounds, all of which work in slightly different ways. And on top of that, the testing required to demonstrate efficacy isn’t exactly held to the highest of standards. But we do the best with what we have to get to the bottom of this retinoid puzzle. Tune in to learn everything you ever wanted to know about retinoids. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

That little bottle of retinol serum sitting on your bathroom counter - what do you know about its history? This week, we’re digging deep into the man behind the medicine, renowned dermatologist Dr. Albert Kligman, and the unethical research he conducted at Holmesburg Prison in the mid-20th century. Kligman’s research program at Holmesburg spanned decades, involved dozens of experiments (including tretinoin) and thousands of individuals, received ample funding from public universities and many pharmaceutical companies, and was generally praised until it all came crashing down in the early 1970s. But, as we’ll discover, the unethical behavior persisted even after the program’s closure as Kligman fought to get tretinoin to market. The murky history of retinoids might be a bit too long to include on the label, but this episode forces us to consider the human cost of a household product and the importance of acknowledging that history. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.