The Deadly Dose

In today's episode, Harini shares the incredible story of The Freedom House Ambulance Service. Freedom House was the first emergency medical service in the United States to provide training beyond first aid and other amazing things, such as being the first emergency service to supply Narcan in overdose cases! Freedom House, staffed entirely by black paramedics, was the blueprint for paramedic training and emergency medical services today (although back then, a ride in the ambulance was entirely free *sigh*). Further Reading: "American Sirens" by Kevin Hazzard. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, Megan provides a step-by-step update on her compounded semaglutide journey. She and Harini also contemplate the quick but quiet death of the Ozempic craze (at least by frenzied-netizen-discourse standards). Why were we all so passionately opiniated about Ozempic for five months, and now can barely get DailyMail to cover it? And what has the FDA had to say since the Ozempic name has become passé? Tune in to find out! NOTE: Since the recording of this episode, the American Diabetes Association has released new data on a wide-array of novel GLP-1 agonists ("obesity drugs") that truly make semaglutide old news. Read about it here: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2023/06/ozempic-pills-obesity-drugs-semaglutide/674541/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

"AI, so hot right now. AI." - Mugatu In today's episode, Harini and Megan discuss the perceived implications of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. MegaSyn, an AI drug discovery platform originally invented to develop drugs to combat orphan (rare) diseases, made waves in 2021 when it's creators discovered that a simple change of code would lead MegaSyn to generate thousands of known AND novel toxic molecules (for example, VX). Of course, this raised flags across the international healthcare community and posed the questions: what happens if AI falls into the wrong hands, and how can we prevent this from happening? See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, Megan talks about the slime-tastic world of snail mucin and how, in the past 10 years, it has gained a foothold in the beauty/skincare industry. Is slime mucin simply a gimmicky ingredient advertised to coerce the curious (or desperate) to shell out more money on skincare products? Or does it actually have scientifically-backed qualities that benefit human skin? Megan has the answers.  Also mentioned...Harini is a Telly Award Winner! Check out her winning videos below:  Where the Heck do Eels Come From?  (Silver Award 44th Annual Telly Awards) Are F1 Drivers Athletes? (Bronze Award 44th Annual Telly Awards)  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're back(!)... with a continuation of Harini's coverage of significant Golden Goose Recipients. In today's episode, Harini talks about 2019 Golden Goose awardees, Dr. Jack Levin and Dr. Frederik Bang, who pioneered the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) Test by identifying the sterilizing potential of horseshoe crab blood. To this day, the blood of horseshoe crabs is used in pharmaceutical testing to ensure safety during drug development. Harini and Megan talk about these fascinating, living fossils and the potential for synthetic alternatives. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, Harini regales us with the origin story of the Golden Goose Awards (formerly Golden Fleece Awards) - a designation given to impactful research projects that, from the outset, may not seem potentially beneficial to society, but end up being so. One such project involved an obsession with cone snails and their ability to paralyze fish with a unique peptide cocktail hidden in their lethal stingers. Tune in to find out more! See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Yup, there was another latex spill and, yup, we're covering it! Happy Earth Day? In this episode, Harini and Megan chat with long-time friend and Philly resident, Arizona Milotich, about the latex spill in Philadelphia (Delware River) this past March. What happens when the sixth most populous city in the United States suddenly faces water insecurity and uncertainty? Tune in to find out.  BONUS: Harini provides an update on the ongoing cleanup of East Palestine. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, Harini introduces Megan to Thomas Midgley Jr., the inventor of leaded gasoline and freon, two of the most harmful industrial pollutants to captivate the world. To this day, local environments and the ozone are still on long journeys to recovery.  In this episode: Ep. 48 - One Rock to Rule Them All Ep. 109 - Environmental Disaster Watch: The Norfolk Southern DerailmentSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, Harini and Megan discuss the recent pop-culture fascination in weight loss drugs. Specifically Ozempic, Wegovy, and generic semaglutide. What are these drugs, what do they do, and why have they (allegedly) taken the celebrity world by storm? Are these drugs legitimately controversial or has the online zeitgeist created artificial contention? We have answers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, Megan gives a quick mycology lesson on the most poisonous mushroom in the world: the DEATH CAP. Equipped with a toxin that inhibits DNA transcription, and whose only antidote (in extreme cases) is a liver transplant, this mushy is truly as metal as it's name. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Happy International Women's Day! If you're looking to learn about a rockstar woman scientist, check out Episode 40 - The Mirror Image Disaster. In it, we talk about Dr. Frances Oldhem Kelsey, the FDA scientist who single-handedly fought to keep Thalidomide off the market and out of our medicine cabinets. In today's episode, Harini teaches Megan about how one of the biggest Allied cover-ups in WWII history led to the discovery and development of chemotherapy. During WWII, German bombers devastated the port of Bari, Italy where Allied personnel were stationed. Soldiers who were launched into the harbor, but survived the bombing, began to experience severe blistering and heightened internal temperatures. American doctor and chemical warfare expert, Stewart Francis Alexander, believed that all symptoms pointed to mustard gas. But when his report to Allied leaders was met with indifference and exasperation, he knew he had stumbled upon a possible conspiracy. Why were they denying the presence of mustard gas in the bay? Why was this form of gas causing these specific symptoms? Tune in to find out.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We've been keeping a close eye on the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. It has been over three weeks since the 38-car freight train derailed and leaked toxic chemicals - most significantly, vinyl chloride and butyl acrylate - into the soil. In an effort towards containment, the EPA authorized a control burn of these chemicals which has led to widespread concern, locally and nationally, about dioxin pollution in the air. In addition, the derailment has re-ignited scrutiny towards negligence in the railroad industry. Nearly one month later, how has this disaster impacted the natural environment and civilian health since its occurrence? And what long lasting consequences will the residents of East Palestine and surrounding communities feel in the years to follow?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In today's episode, Megan addresses the recent uptick in public interest in fungi and fungal infections as a result of HBO's newest series, The Last of Us. When the series aired, frenzied netizens were quick to take to online forums - Reddit, TikTok - to draw parallels between the show/video game and real life. Zombifying fungi do exist in the real world and the rate of fungal infections have increased in the last six years (possibly due to an increase in global temperature). Scary! But how much stock should we really put into the science behind The Last of Us and frightening fungi? Megan has answers. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Riverside, CA, 1994, a young woman by the name of Gloria Cecilia Ramirez was admitted to the emergency department of Riverside General Hospital for tachycardia and abnormal respiratory patterns. As emergency staff proceeded with defribillation, it was observed that Gloria's body was covered in an oily sheen and was emitting a garlicky-fruity smell. As a nurse drew blood, the smell of ammonia filled the room. Several hospital workers in proximity to Gloria became nauseaus and collapsed. What was happening in that hospital room? Had Gloria's body become a biomedical hazard? And, if so, how? This is the story of The Toxic Lady. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This is the epic story of Dr. Harvey Washington Wiley, an American chemist who pulled back the curtain on the unregulated, U.S. food industry of the late 1800s. With the assistance of his "Poison Squad" - a group of test subjects who willingly volunteered to eat food preserved with toxic substances such as formaldehyde and borax - and the indirect help of Upton Sinclair's sensational The Jungle, Harvey was finally able to influence the passing of the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. Try not to listen on an empty stomach, because you may not have an appetite by the end. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're rounding out the Four Big Pollution Disasters/Diseases of Japan with Yokkaichi asthma. Yokkaichi asthma was the name given to a breadth of respiratory ailments that the people of Yokkaichi, Japan suffered due to negligent industrial plant practices between 1960-1970. Sodium dioxide and sodium trioxide (in the form of acid mist) filled the skies above Yokkaichi and left a lasting impact on the city. Similar to Minamata and Itai Itai disease, Yokkaichi asthma was a result of a rapidly industrializing country that was laser focused on its chemical exports, sadly, to the detriment of its environment and its people.  See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Harini is launching a YouTube channel! Today I Learned Science by Dr. Harini Bhat goes live on Thursday, January 26th at 12pm PST. Click the link below and subscribe for additional, riveting science content that goes beyond the world of toxicology and poison.  https://youtube.com/@tilscience In this episode, we discuss Itai Itai disease -  one of the Four Big Pollution Diseases of Japan. Similar to Minamata disease, this excruciating bone and kidney disease was the outcome of mass, toxic metal poisoning through polluted waterways. It disproportionately impacted women and the elderly. Those who became sick were known to weep the phrase "Itai Itai!", meaning "It hurts! It hurts!".See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Harini gives us a rundown of the history of vitamins and supplements. An unexpected byproduct of post-WWII, high-yield agricultural practices and the development of genetically modified, disease-resistant grains, supplements and supplemental vitamins quickly became a household staple to accommodate for nutrient-poor food. In less than a century, the world of "vits" and "sups" has evolved into a multi-billion dollar, unregulated industry. The FDA has no jurisdiction here. While the chance of supplement-poisoning is exceedingly rare, listeners will walk away from this episode raising eyebrows every time someone says, "Take your vitamins!".See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode, Harini explains the importance of permafrost and how this frozen slurry of soil, rocks, and sand is the guardian of millennia-old bacteria, fungi, and viruses! Permafrost has become a greater topic of public interest as concerns around climate change and the reduction of our greater carbon footprint have intensified within the last decade. Is the permafrost melting and, if so, how fast? And what mysteries of the deep are finally coming to surface?See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In our first episode of 2023, Harini introduces us to Dartmouth professor and chemist Karen Wetterhahn, who specialized in toxic metal exposure. In the 1990s, Dr. Wetterhahn was a tour de force in the world of toxic metal research and greatly influenced an increased interest among women to pursue science majors through Dartmouth College's Women in Science Project (WISP). In a cruel twist of fate (or cosmic anomaly), Wetterhahn's career and life ended early doing exactly the thing she loved the most. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.