DiscoverOur American StoriesHow a Miracle Mineral Became a Global Health Hazard
How a Miracle Mineral Became a Global Health Hazard

How a Miracle Mineral Became a Global Health Hazard

Update: 2025-10-29
Share

Description

On this episode of Our American Stories, asbestos began as a miracle. It could resist heat and strengthen concrete, and it seemed to promise safety in every home and factory it touched. For decades, people believed it was the key to a safer modern world. Then the coughing started, and the walls themselves became a threat. The History Guy shares the story of asbestos from its first mining to its slow discovery as a killer hidden in plain sight.

Support the show (https://www.ouramericanstories.com/donate)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Comments 
00:00
00:00
x

0.5x

0.8x

1.0x

1.25x

1.5x

2.0x

3.0x

Sleep Timer

Off

End of Episode

5 Minutes

10 Minutes

15 Minutes

30 Minutes

45 Minutes

60 Minutes

120 Minutes

How a Miracle Mineral Became a Global Health Hazard

How a Miracle Mineral Became a Global Health Hazard

iHeartPodcasts