This Podcast Will Kill You

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 [https://www.umass.edu/environmental-conservation/about/directory/emily-monosson] joins us to discuss her book Blight: Fungi and the Coming Pandemic [https://bookshop.org/a/3175/9781324007012]. 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 [https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

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 [https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

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 [https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

When the Massachusetts Institute of Technology admitted in 1999 that they had discriminated against women on its faculty, it sent shockwaves throughout institutions of higher learning across the country. In this TPWKY book club episode, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Kate Zernike [https://www.katezernike.net/] joins us to discuss her book The Exceptions: Nancy Hopkins, MIT, and the Fight for Women in Science [https://bookshop.org/a/3175/9781982131838], which details the sequence of events that led sixteen scientists to demand the equality that had been denied to them for so long. Zernike, who was one of the reporters to break the story in 1999, centers this story on molecular biologist Dr. Nancy Hopkins, who, armed with a tape measure, brought this history of marginalization to light. Simultaneously personal and panoramic, The Exceptions carefully illustrates the sexism entrenched in higher education and academia and sends an important message: this problem is far from solved. Tune in for a fascinating discussion about an infuriating topic. Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu [https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Stiff person syndrome, like many rare diseases, does not get nearly the same amount of screen time or name recognition that other, more common diseases do. For many people, Celine Dion’s announcement of her diagnosis with the condition in 2022 marked the first time they had heard of it. This limited awareness surrounding stiff person syndrome marks just one of the many challenges keeping this disease and other rare disorders in the dark. In this episode, we attempt to shed some light on stiff person syndrome, exploring the complex biology, frustrating history, and hopeful future of this disease. Because while the field of stiff person syndrome research faces many hurdles, there are also so many individuals - researchers, patients, advocates - and organizations that fight to bring this and other rare disorders into the light. Tune in today! Links: National Organization for Rare Diseases [https://rarediseases.org/] Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center [https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/] Johns Hopkins Stiff Person Syndrome Center [https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/neurology-neurosurgery/specialty-areas/stiff-person-syndrome] Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu [https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]