- All articles

All articles

- Special Episode: Professor Steven Mithen & The Language Puzzle: 2025 Jun 25

- Ep 179 Fluoride 2: Fighting tooth and nail: 2025 Jun 17

- Ep 178 Fluoride 1: The real tooth fairy: 2025 Jun 16

- Special Episode: Dr. Wendy Kline & Exposed: 2025 Jun 16

- Episode 177 Toxic Shock Syndrome: A shock to the system: 2025 Jun 16

- Episode 176 Strychnine: The WD-40 of Victorian Medicine: 2025 May 22

- Special Episode: Dr. Adam Ratner & Booster Shots: 2025 May 22

- Episode 175 What’s the deal with raw milk: Part 2: 2025 May 6

- Episode 174 What’s the deal with raw milk: Part 1: 2025 Apr 29

- Special Episode: John Green & Everything Is Tuberculosis: 2025 Apr 22

JUN 25, 2025, 3:44 PM EDT | PODCAST | EPISODE PAGE

Special Episode: Professor Steven Mithen & The Language Puzzle

From the earliest grunts and gestures to the complex sentences we use today to convey a multitude of concepts, language has evolved to become one of humanity’s most powerful tools. It allows us to connect, create, conspire, control, console, catch up, and so much more. How did we come to have this uniquely human trait? What anatomical changes or cultural developments were necessary for language to evolve? What differentiates language from communication? In this TPWKY book club episode, Professor Steven Mithen joins us to discuss his latest book The Language Puzzle: Piecing Together the Six-Million-Year Story of How Words Evolved. By combining scholarship across wide-ranging fields such as archaeology, genetics, anthropology, linguistics, neuroscience, and more, Professor Mithen presents a compelling story of the origins of language. If you’ve ever wondered how babies can go from babbling one day and talking in a torrent of words the next, or how an individual language changes with each generation, this is the episode and book for you.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission which helps us keep things running. Thanks!

This article was downloaded on Jun 28, 2025 at 12:35 PM EDT.

JUN 17, 2025, 3:00 AM EDT | PODCAST | EPISODE PAGE

Ep 179 Fluoride 2: Fighting tooth and nail

In last week’s episode, we traced the history of fluoridation (and the anti-fluoridation movement) to its roots in the early 20th century, but we left you wondering whether there’s anything to back up the health claims that anti-fluoridationists make. Today, we get deep into the weeds of the fluoride literature, explaining how this mineral works, the difference between topical and systemic fluoride, and whether fluoridation has been linked to any health issues. The details matter, and don’t you worry – we’ve got plenty of nitty gritty for you to feast on.

History

- Biology

- Pitts, N.B., Zero, D.T., Marsh, P.D., Ekstrand, K., Weintraub, J.A., Ramos-Gomez, F., Tagami, J., Twetman, S., Tsakos, G. and Ismail, A., 2017. Dental caries. Nature reviews Disease primers, 3(1), pp.1-16.

- Ten Cate, J.M. and Buzalaf, M.A.R., 2019. Fluoride mode of action: Once there was an observant dentist… Journal of dental research, 98(7), pp.725-730.

- Buzalaf, M.A.R., Pessan, J.P., Honório, H.M. and Ten Cate, J.M., 2011. Mechanisms of action of fluoride for caries control. Monographs in oral science, 22, pp.97-114.

- Taher, M.K., Momoli, F., Go, J., Hagiwara, S., Ramoju, S., Hu, X., Jensen, N., Terrell, R., Hemmerich, A. and Krewski, D., 2024. Systematic review of epidemiological and toxicological evidence on health effects of fluoride in drinking water. Critical reviews in toxicology, 54(1), pp.2-34.

- Kumar, J.V., Moss, M.E., Liu, H. and Fisher-Owens, S., 2023. Association between low fluoride exposure and children’s intelligence: a meta-analysis relevant to community water fluoridation. Public Health, 219, pp.73-84.

- Taylor, K.W., Eftim, S.E., Sibrizzi, C.A., Blain, R.B., Magnuson, K., Hartman, P.A., Rooney, A.A. and Bucher, J.R., 2025. Fluoride exposure and children’s IQ scores: a systematic review and meta-analysis. JAMA pediatrics.

- National Toxicology Program, 2024. NTP monograph on the state of the science concerning fluoride exposure and neurodevelopment and cognition: a systematic review. NTP Monograph, (8)

- Boehmer, T.J., 2023. Community water fluoridation levels to promote effectiveness and safety in oral health—United States, 2016–2021. MMWR. Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 72.

- Guth, S., Hüser, S., Roth, A., Degen, G., Diel, P., Edlund, K., Eisenbrand, G., Engel, K.H., Epe, B., Grune, T. and Heinz, V., 2020. Toxicity of fluoride: critical evaluation of evidence for human developmental neurotoxicity in epidemiological studies, animal experiments and in vitro analyses. Archives of toxicology, 94, pp.1375-1415.

- Jack, B., Ayson, M., Lewis, S., Irving, A., Agresta, B., Ko, H. and Stoklosa, A., 2016. Health effects of water fluoridation: evidence evaluation report. National Health and Medical Research Council: Canberra.

- Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health. 2020. Community Water Fluoridation Exposure: A Review of Neurological and Cognitive Effects. Ottawa: CADTH Rapid Response Reports: summary with critical appraisal.

- Iheozor-Ejiofor, Z., Walsh, T., Lewis, S.R., Riley, P., Boyers, D., Clarkson, J.E., Worthington, H.V., Glenny, A.M. and O’Malley, L., 2024. Water fluoridation for the prevention of dental caries. Cochrane database of systematic reviews, (10).

- McLaren, L., Patterson, S., Thawer, S., Faris, P., McNeil, D., Potestio, M.L. and Shwart, L., 2017. Exploring the short-term impact of community water fluoridation cessation on children’s dental caries: a natural experiment in Alberta, Canada. Public Health, 146, pp.56-64.

- Nezihovski, S.S., Findler, M., Chackartchi, T., Mann, J., Haim, D. and Tobias, G., 2024. The effect of cessation of drinking water fluoridation on dental restorations and crowns in children aged 3–5 years in Israel–a retrospective study. Israel Journal of Health Policy Research, 13(1), p.50.

- Moore, D., Nyakutsikwa, B., Allen, T., Lam, E., Birch, S., Tickle, M., Pretty, I.A. and Walsh, T., 2024. How effective and cost‐effective is water fluoridation for adults and adolescents? The LOTUS 10‐year retrospective cohort study. Community Dentistry and Oral Epidemiology, 52(4), pp.413-423.

- James, P., Harding, M., Beecher, T., Browne, D., Cronin, M., Guiney, H., O’Mullane, D. and Whelton, H., 2021. Impact of reducing water fluoride on dental caries and fluorosis. Journal of dental research, 100(5), pp.507-514.

- Belotti, L. and Frazão, P., 2022. Effectiveness of water fluoridation in an upper‐middle‐income country: A systematic review and meta‐analysis. International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry, 32(4), pp.503-513.

- Miranda, G.H.N., Alvarenga, M.O.P., Ferreira, M.K.M., Puty, B., Bittencourt, L.O., Fagundes, N.C.F., Pessan, J.P., Buzalaf, M.A.R. and Lima, R.R., 2021. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the association between fluoride exposure and neurological disorders. Scientific reports, 11(1), p.22659.

- Do, L.G., Spencer, A.J., Sawyer, A., Jones, A., Leary, S., Roberts, R. and Ha, D.H., 2023. Early childhood exposures to fluorides and child behavioral development and executive function: a population-based longitudinal study. Journal of Dental Research, 102(1), pp.28-36.

- Broadbent, J.M., Thomson, W.M., Ramrakha, S., Moffitt, T.E., Zeng, J., Foster Page, L.A. and Poulton, R., 2015. Community water fluoridation and intelligence: prospective study in New Zealand. American journal of public health, 105(1), pp.72-76.

- Grandjean, P., Meddis, A., Nielsen, F., Beck, I.H., Bilenberg, N., Goodman, C.V., Hu, H., Till, C. and Budtz-Jørgensen, E., 2024. Dose dependence of prenatal fluoride exposure associations with cognitive performance at school age in three prospective studies. European Journal of Public Health, 34(1), pp.143-149.

- Farmus, L., Till, C., Green, R., Hornung, R., Mier, E.A.M., Ayotte, P., Muckle, G., Lanphear, B.P. and Flora, D.B., 2021. Critical windows of fluoride neurotoxicity in Canadian children. Environmental research, 200, p.111315.

- Green, R., Lanphear, B., Hornung, R., Flora, D., Martinez-Mier, E.A., Neufeld, R., Ayotte, P., Muckle, G. and Till, C., 2019. Association between maternal fluoride exposure during pregnancy and IQ scores in offspring in Canada. JAMA pediatrics, 173(10), pp.940-948.

- Aggeborn, L. and Öhman, M., 2021. The effects of fluoride in drinking water. Journal of Political Economy, 129(2), pp.465-491.

- Till, C., Grandjean, P., Martinez-Mier, E.A., Hu, H. and Lanphear, B., 2025. Health Risks and Benefits of Fluoride Exposure During Pregnancy and Infancy. Annual Review of Public Health, 46(1), pp.253-274.

- WHO: Chemical Safety and Health – Inadequate or excess fluoride. https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/329484/WHO-CED-PHE-EPE-19.4.5-eng.pdf?sequence=1

- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, 2021. Review of the Revised NTP Monograph on the Systematic Review of Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopmental and Cognitive Health Effects: A Letter Report.

- National Toxicology Program, 2019. Draft NTP monograph on the systematic review of fluoride exposure and neurodevelopmental and cognitive health effects. US Department of Health and Human Services: Washington, DC, USA.

- *opinion piece in JAMA pediatrics in response to 2025 meta-analysis: Lanphear, B.P., Den Besten, P. and Till, C., 2025. Time to Reassess Systemic Fluoride Exposure, Again. JAMA pediatrics.

- *opinion piece in JAMA pediatrics in response to 2025 meta-analysis: Levy, S.M., 2025. Caution Needed in Interpreting the Evidence Base on Fluoride and IQ. JAMA pediatrics.

- McLaren, L. and Petit, R., 2018. Universal and targeted policy to achieve health equity: a critical analysis of the example of community water fluoridation cessation in Calgary, Canada in 2011. Critical Public Health, 28(2), pp.153-164.

- Patel, B., Patrick, A. and Dyer, T.A., 2025. The ethics of community water fluoridation: Part 1-an overview of public health ethics. British Dental Journal, 238(5), pp.311-315.

- Patel, B. and Dyer, T.A., 2025. The ethics of community water fluoridation: Part 2-how has the ethics of community water fluoridation been appraised in the literature? A scoping review. British Dental Journal, 238(5), pp.336-343.

Biology

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This article was downloaded on Jun 28, 2025 at 12:35 PM EDT.

JUN 16, 2025, 4:12 PM EDT | PODCAST | EPISODE PAGE

Ep 178 Fluoride 1: The real tooth fairy

Is it just us, or does it seem like every other week there’s a new headline about some state or town banning water fluoridation? As it turns out, this has been going on for decades, basically since fluoride was first introduced. Why are some people opposed to fluoride? Is there any basis to their fears? What does fluoride actually do? And how the heck did we find out about it? This week and next, we’re deep diving into our first dental discussion about this revolutionary mineral. In the first of these episodes, we explore the origins of fluoridation and the outcry against it – how did tuberculosis, a gold rush town, and a dentist with an insatiable curiosity set the stage for one of the greatest public health achievements of the 20th century? And why has there been pushback against it since its inception? Tune in to find out.

History

- McNeil, Donald R. “The Fight for Fluoridation.” (1957).

- Murray, John J. Fluorides in caries prevention. 1976.

- American Dental Association. Fluoridation facts. American Dental Association, 2018.

- J. Crichton-Brown. “An address on tooth culture.” Lancet 2 (1892): 6-9.

- Carstairs, Catherine, and Rachel Elder. “Expertise, health, and popular opinion: Debating water fluoridation, 1945–80.” Canadian Historical Review 89.3 (2008): 345-371.

- Carstairs, Catherine. “Debating water fluoridation before Dr. Strangelove.” American journal of public health 105.8 (2015): 1559-1569.

- Caselitz, Peter. “Caries—ancient plague of humankind.” Dental anthropology: fundamentals, limits and prospects. Vienna: Springer Vienna, 1998. 203-226.

- Corbin, Stephen B. “Fluoridation then and now.” American Journal of Public Health 79.5 (1989): 561-563.

- Dean, H. Trendley, and Frederick S. McKay. “Production of mottled enamel halted by a change in common water supply.” American Journal of Public Health and the Nations Health 29.6 (1939): 590-596.

- Ismail, Amid I., Hana Hasson, and Woosung Sohn. “Dental caries in the second millennium.” Journal of dental education 65.10 (2001): 953-959.

- Kargul, Betul, Esber Caglar, and Ilknur Tanboga. “History of water fluoridation.” Journal of clinical pediatric dentistry 27.3 (2003): 213-217.

- Knutson, John W. “Water fluoridation after 25 years.” The Journal of the American Dental Association 80.4 (1970): 765-769.

- Lanfranco, Luis Pezo, and Sabine Eggers. Caries through time: an anthropological overview. Rijeka, Croatia: INTECH Open Access Publisher, 2012.

- Lotto, Matheus, et al. “Analysis of fluoride-free content on Twitter: topic modeling study.” Journal of Medical Internet Research 25 (2023): e44586.

- McKay, Frederick S. “An investigation of mottled teeth.” Schneider S: Public Health: The Development of a Discipline 2 (2008): 123.

- McKay, Frederick S. “The study of mottled enamel (dental fluorosis).” The Journal of the American Dental Association 44.2 (1952): 133-137.

- McKay, F. S., and G. V. Black. “Mottled teeth.” Dental Cosmos 58 (1916): I29.

- McNeil, Donald R. “America’s Longest War: The Fight over Fluoridation, 1950–.” The Wilson Quarterly (1976-) 9.3 (1985): 140-153.

- Mullen, Joe. “History of water fluoridation.” British Dental Journal 199.7 (2005): 1-4.

- Newbrun, Ernest. “Effectiveness of water fluoridation.” Journal of Public Health Dentistry 49.5 (1989): 279-289.

- Ripa, Louis W. “A half‐century of community water fluoridation in the United States: review and commentary.” Journal of Public Health Dentistry 53.1 (1993): 17-44.

- Smith, F. C. “Mottled enamel and brown stain: A condition affecting the teeth in certain localities.” Public Health Reports (1896-1970) (1916): 2915-2918.

Biology

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This article was downloaded on Jun 28, 2025 at 12:35 PM EDT.

JUN 16, 2025, 4:10 PM EDT | PODCAST | EPISODE PAGE

Special Episode: Dr. Wendy Kline & Exposed

For many of us, pelvic exams are a routine part of our healthcare. Of course, that doesn’t mean we don’t await them with some dread or anxiety; naturally, these exams evoke a wide range of emotions. But they are a cornerstone in gynecological preventative care – a relatively new one at that. In this TPWKY book club episode, we sit down with Dr. Wendy Kline, Historian of Medicine at Purdue University, to discuss her book Exposed: The Hidden History of the Pelvic Exam. Dr. Kline takes readers through various chapters in the story of this exam: its murky origins at the hands of J. Marion Sims, its stint as a psychological diagnostic tool used by some misogynistic doctors, and its reclamation by feminist physicians and activists who sought to connect with their own bodies. Tune in for a fascinating conversation that exposes all sides of the pelvic exam, with heroes, villains, and more.

Exposed

This article was downloaded on Jun 28, 2025 at 12:35 PM EDT.

JUN 16, 2025, 4:06 PM EDT | PODCAST | EPISODE PAGE

Episode 177 Toxic Shock Syndrome: A shock to the system

If you’ve ever read the little instructions pamphlet included in a box of tampons, you probably came across a paragraph calling attention to a condition called toxic shock syndrome (TSS). It describes the association between TSS and tampon use, symptoms of TSS, and guidance on how to reduce risk. This legally mandated warning label has formed an indelible link connecting tampons and TSS, and indeed, tampons form a large part of the story of TSS. But they are not the entire story. In this episode, we delve into that full story, examining what TSS actually is, the pathogens it’s associated with, and how it was first identified. If you’ve had TSS questions ever since you first heard of it in health class or on your box of tampons, this is the episode for you!

History

- Vostral, Sharra L. “Toxic shock: A social history.” Toxic Shock. New York University Press, 2018.

- Centers for Disease Control: Toxic-shock syndromeUnited States. Morbid Mortal Weekly Rep 29:229-230, May 23, 1980.

- Centers for Disease Control: Follow-up on toxic-shock syndrome-United States. Morbid Mortal Weekly Rep 29:297-299, June 27, 1980.

- Dan, Bruce B. “Toxic shock syndrome: Back to the future.” JAMA 257.8 (1987): 1094-1095.

- Davis, Jeffrey P., et al. “Toxic-shock syndrome: epidemiologic features, recurrence, risk factors, and prevention.” New England Journal of Medicine

- Hanrahan, Susan Noll, and Haworth Continuing Features Submission. “Historical review of menstrual toxic shock syndrome.” Women & health 21.2-3 (1994): 141-165.

- Petitti, Diana B., Arthur Reingold, and James Chin. “The incidence of toxic shock syndrome in Northern California: 1972 through 1983.” JAMA 255.3 (1986): 368-372.

- Todd, James, et al. “Toxic-shock syndrome associated with phage-group-I Staphylococci.” The Lancet 312.8100 (1978): 1116-1118.

- Tofte, Robert W., and David N. Williams. “Toxic shock syndrome: evidence of a broad clinical spectrum.” JAMA 246.19 (1981): 2163-2167.

Biology

- Berger, S., Kunerl, A., Wasmuth, S., Tierno, P., Wagner, K. and Brügger, J., 2019. Menstrual toxic shock syndrome: case report and systematic review of the literature. The Lancet Infectious Diseases, 19(9), pp.e313-e321.

- Reame, N.K., 2020. Toxic shock syndrome and tampons: The birth of a movement and a research ‘Vagenda’. The Palgrave handbook of critical menstruation studies, pp.687-703.

- Schlievert, P.M. and Davis, C.C., 2020. Device-associated menstrual toxic shock syndrome. Clinical Microbiology Reviews, 33(3), pp.10-1128.

- Lappin, E. and Ferguson, A.J., 2009. Gram-positive toxic shock syndromes. The Lancet infectious diseases, 9(5), pp.281-290.

- Atchade, E., De Tymowski, C., Grall, N., Tanaka, S. and Montravers, P., 2024. Toxic Shock Syndrome: a literature review. Antibiotics, 13(1), p.96.

- Silversides, J.A., Lappin, E. and Ferguson, A.J., 2010. Staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome: mechanisms and management. Current infectious disease reports, 12, pp.392-400.

- Burnham, J.P. and Kollef, M.H., 2015. Understanding toxic shock syndrome. Intensive care medicine, 41, pp.1707-1710.

- Neumann, C., Kaiser, R. and Bauer, J., 2020. Menstrual cup-associated toxic shock syndrome. European Journal of Case Reports in Internal Medicine, 7(10), p.001825.

- DeVries, A.S., Lesher, L., Schlievert, P.M., Rogers, T., Villaume, L.G., Danila, R. and Lynfield, R., 2011. Staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome 2000–2006: epidemiology, clinical features, and molecular characteristics. PloS one, 6(8), p.e22997.

- Hajjeh, R.A., Reingold, A., Weil, A., Shutt, K., Schuchat, A. and Perkins, B.A., 1999. Toxic shock syndrome in the United States: surveillance update, 1979-1996. Emerging infectious diseases, 5(6), p.807.

- Sharma, H., Smith, D., Turner, C.E., Game, L., Pichon, B., Hope, R., Hill, R., Kearns, A. and Sriskandan, S., 2018. Clinical and molecular epidemiology of staphylococcal toxic shock syndrome in the United Kingdom. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 24(2), p.258.

- Nelson, G.E., Pondo, T., Toews, K.A., Farley, M.M., Lindegren, M.L., Lynfield, R., Aragon, D., Zansky, S.M., Watt, J.P., Cieslak, P.R. and Angeles, K., 2016. Epidemiology of invasive group A streptococcal infections in the United States, 2005–2012. Reviews of Infectious Diseases, 63(4), pp.478-486.

- Billon, A., Gustin, M.P., Tristan, A., Bénet, T., Berthiller, J., Gustave, C.A., Vanhems, P. and Lina, G., 2020. Association of characteristics of tampon use with menstrual toxic shock syndrome in France. EClinicalMedicine, 21.

- Vostral, S., 2017. Toxic shock syndrome, tampons and laboratory standard–setting. CMAJ, 189(20), pp.E726-E728.

- Cowart, L. 2016. Women are still getting Toxic Shock Syndrome, and no one quite knows why. Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/speaking-of-science/wp/2016/03/21/women-are-still-getting-toxic-shock-syndrome-and-no-one-quite-knows-why/?noredirect=on/?variant=d846d44221ecba95

- CDC NNDSS Summary Data 2016-2022. https://wonder.cdc.gov/nndss-annual-summary.html

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This article was downloaded on Jun 28, 2025 at 12:35 PM EDT.

MAY 22, 2025, 2:15 PM EDT | PODCAST | EPISODE PAGE

Episode 176 Strychnine: The WD-40 of Victorian Medicine

This week, we’re coming at you with a classic TPWKY episode on one of the most notorious poisons out there: strychnine. Although strychnine might not flash across too many headlines these days, it was once imported by the ton in certain regions of the world. What did people want with so much strychnine? Depends on who you ask. Maybe it was for a revitalizing tonic, maybe a rat poison, or maybe it was to murder the founder of a famous university. Tune in to learn how this deadly poison acts on the body and keep listening for a very special musical treat.

History

- Buckingham, John. Bitter nemesis: the intimate history of strychnine. CRC press, 2007.

- White, Richard. Who Killed Jane Stanford?: A Gilded Age Tale of Murder, Deceit, Spirits and the Birth of a University. WW Norton & Company, 2022.

- Simon, Jonathan. “Naming and toxicity: a history of strychnine.” Studies in History and Philosophy of Science Part C: Studies in History and Philosophy of Biological and Biomedical Sciences 30.4 (1999): 505-525.

- Christie, Agatha. The Mysterious Affair at Styles. 1920.

Biology

- Patocka, J., 2020. Chapter 16: Strychnine. In Handbook of toxicology of chemical warfare agents (pp. 239-247). Academic Press.

- Palatnick, W., Meatherall, R., Sitar, D. and Tenenbein, M., 1997. Toxicokinetics of acute strychnine poisoning. Journal of Toxicology: Clinical Toxicology, 35(6), pp.617-620.

- Smith, B.A., 1990. Strychnine poisoning. The Journal of emergency medicine, 8(3), pp.321-325.

- Hardin, J., Galust, H., Bensel, A., Bierly, S., Seltzer, J., Friedman, N., Clark, R.F. and Campbell, C., 2023. Taking the bait: Strychnine poisoning. The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, 74, pp.197-e5.

- Hong, B., Grzech, D., Caputi, L., Sonawane, P., López, C.E.R., Kamileen, M.O., Hernández Lozada, N.J., Grabe, V. and O’Connor, S.E., 2022. Biosynthesis of strychnine. Nature, 607(7919), pp.617-622.

- Paradis, C., Dondia, D., Nardon, A., Blanc-Brisset, I., Courtois, A., Vaucel, J.A., French PCC research group and Labadie, M., 2022. Strychnine, old still actual poison: description of poisoning cases reported to French Poison Control Centers over the past thirteen years. Toxin Reviews, 41(4), pp.1172-1178.

- Prat, S., Hoizey, G., Lefrancq, T. and Saint‐Martin, P., 2015. An unusual case of strychnine poisoning. Journal of forensic sciences, 60(3), pp.816-817.

- Negin, B. and Jander, G., 2023. Convergent and divergent evolution of plant chemical defenses. Current opinion in plant biology, 73, p.102368.

- Gummin, D.D., Mowry, J.B., Beuhler, M.C., Spyker, D.A., Rivers, L.J., Feldman, R., Brown, K., Pham, N.P., Bronstein, A.C. and DesLauriers, C., 2023. 2022 Annual report of the national poison data system®(NPDS) from America’s Poison Centers®: 40th annual report. Clinical Toxicology, 61(10), pp.717-939.

- Gummin, D.D., Mowry, J.B., Beuhler, M.C., Spyker, D.A., Rivers, L.J., Feldman, R., Brown, K., Pham, N.P., Bronstein, A.C. and DesLauriers, C., 2024. 2023 Annual Report of the National Poison Data System®(NPDS) from America’s Poison Centers®: 41st Annual Report. Clinical Toxicology, 62(12), pp.793-1027.

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This article was downloaded on Jun 28, 2025 at 12:35 PM EDT.

MAY 22, 2025, 2:10 PM EDT | PODCAST | EPISODE PAGE

Special Episode: Dr. Adam Ratner & Booster Shots

For the past few months, measles has been in regular rotation in the news cycle here in the US, with outbreaks occurring across the country in regions with low vaccine uptake. These outbreaks represent a worrying trend in the rejection of scientific and medical expertise, with long-term consequences not only for those individuals refusing vaccines but also the communities to which they belong. In this TPWKY book club episode (recorded March 14, 2025), Dr. Adam Ratner joins us to discuss his book Booster Shots: The Urgent Lessons of Measles and the Uncertain Future of Children’s Health. With his firsthand experience treating children with measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases, Dr. Ratner provides a powerful perspective on the dangers of the measles virus and vaccine hesitancy. What can we learn from the history of measles and the measles vaccine rollout? Why is measles such a dangerous virus? Where do we go from here? Tune in for all this and more.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission which helps us keep things running. Thanks!

This article was downloaded on Jun 28, 2025 at 12:35 PM EDT.

MAY 6, 2025, 3:00 AM EDT | PODCAST | EPISODE PAGE

Episode 175 What’s the deal with raw milk: Part 2

Last week, we started this two-parter with a big picture view of pasteurization and the raw milk movement. In this episode, we address the alleged health claims made by proponents of raw milk and dive into the very real risks carried by its consumption. Is raw milk actually better for you? Does it have more vitamins or prevent allergies? What deadly pathogens does it harbor? How much does drinking raw milk increase your chance of contracting a milk-related disease? (Spoilers: A LOT). We tackle these questions with reliable data that paint a very different picture of raw milk than that shown by many raw milk influencers. Tune in for all this and more.

History

- Biology and Current status of Raw Milk

- Firsthand account:Beecher, C., 2016  “Parents haunted by decisions as raw milk’s impact lingers”  Food Safety News. https://www.foodsafetynews.com/2016/11/parents-haunted-by-decisions-as-raw-milks-impact-lingers/

- Koski, L., Kisselburgh, H., Landsman, L., Hulkower, R., Howard-Williams, M., Salah, Z., Kim, S., Bruce, B.B., Bazaco, M.C., Batz, M.B. and Parker, C.C., 2022. Foodborne illness outbreaks linked to unpasteurised milk and relationship to changes in state laws–United States, 1998–2018. Epidemiology & Infection, 150, p.e183.

- Lucey, J.A., 2015. Raw milk consumption: risks and benefits. Nutrition today, 50(4), pp.189-193.

- Costard, S., Espejo, L., Groenendaal, H. and Zagmutt, F.J., 2017. Outbreak-related disease burden associated with consumption of unpasteurized cow’s milk and cheese, United States, 2009–2014. Emerging infectious diseases, 23(6), p.957.

- Robinson, T.J., Scheftel, J.M. and Smith, K.E., 2014. Raw milk consumption among patients with non–outbreak-related enteric infections, Minnesota, USA, 2001–2010. Emerging infectious diseases, 20(1), p.38.

- Sebastianski, M., Bridger, N.A., Featherstone, R.M. and Robinson, J.L., 2022. Disease outbreaks linked to pasteurized and unpasteurized dairy products in Canada and the United States: a systematic review. Canadian Journal of Public Health, 113(4), pp.569-578.

- Grace, D., Wu, F. and Havelaar, A.H., 2020. MILK Symposium review: Foodborne diseases from milk and milk products in developing countries—Review of causes and health and economic implications. Journal of dairy science, 103(11), pp.9715-9729.

- Ntuli, V., Sibanda, T., Elegbeleye, J.A., Mugadza, D.T., Seifu, E. and Buys, E.M., 2023. Dairy production: microbial safety of raw milk and processed milk products. In Present knowledge in food safety (pp. 439-454). Academic Press.

- Christidis, T., Pintar, K.D.M., Butler, A.J., Nesbitt, A., Thomas, M.K., Marshall, B. and Pollari, F., 2016. Campylobacter spp. prevalence and levels in raw milk: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of food protection, 79(10), pp.1775-1783.

- Taghizadeh, M., Nematollahi, A., Bashiry, M., Javanmardi, F., Mousavi, M. and Hosseini, H., 2022. The global prevalence of Campylobacter spp. in milk: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Dairy Journal, 133, p.105423.

- Zhang, J., Wang, J., Jin, J., Li, X., Zhang, H., Shi, X. and Zhao, C., 2022. Prevalence, antibiotic resistance, and enterotoxin genes of Staphylococcus aureus isolated from milk and dairy products worldwide: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Food Research International, 162, p.111969.

- https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6427a5.htm

- https://www.fda.gov/food/buy-store-serve-safe-food/raw-milk-misconceptions-and-danger-raw-milk-consumption

- Macdonald, L.E., Brett, J., Kelton, D., Majowicz, S.E., Snedeker, K. and Sargeant, J.M., 2011. A systematic review and meta-analysis of the effects of pasteurization on milk vitamins, and evidence for raw milk consumption and other health-related outcomes. Journal of food protection, 74(11), pp.1814-1832.

- Douglas Jr, F.W., Greenberg, R., Farrell Jr, H.M. and Edmondson, L.F., 1981. Effects of ultra-high-temperature pasteurization on milk proteins. Journal of Agricultural and food Chemistry, 29(1), pp.11-15.

- Cifelli, C.J., Maples, I.S. and Miller, G.D., 2010. Pasteurization: implications for food safety and nutrition. Nutrition Today, 45(5), pp.207-213.

- Mummah, S., Oelrich, B., Hope, J., Vu, Q. and Gardner, C.D., 2014. Effect of raw milk on lactose intolerance: a randomized controlled pilot study. The Annals of Family Medicine, 12(2), pp.134-141.

- House, J.S., Wyss, A.B., Hoppin, J.A., Richards, M., Long, S., Umbach, D.M., Henneberger, P.K., Freeman, L.E.B., Sandler, D.P., O’Connell, E.L. and Barker-Cummings, C., 2017. Early-life farm exposures and adult asthma and atopy in the Agricultural Lung Health Study. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 140(1), pp.249-256.

- Brick, T., Hettinga, K., Kirchner, B., Pfaffl, M.W. and Ege, M.J., 2020. The beneficial effect of farm milk consumption on asthma, allergies, and infections: from meta-analysis of evidence to clinical trial. The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology: In Practice, 8(3), pp.878-889.

- Brick, T., Schober, Y., Böcking, C., Pekkanen, J., Genuneit, J., Loss, G., Dalphin, J.C., Riedler, J., Lauener, R., Nockher, W.A. and Renz, H., 2016. ω-3 fatty acids contribute to the asthma-protective effect of unprocessed cow’s milk. Journal of allergy and clinical immunology, 137(6), pp.1699-1706.

- Ege, M.J., Mayer, M., Normand, A.C., Genuneit, J., Cookson, W.O., Braun-Fahrländer, C., Heederik, D., Piarroux, R. and von Mutius, E., 2011. Exposure to environmental microorganisms and childhood asthma. New England Journal of Medicine, 364(8), pp.701-709.

- Loss, G., Apprich, S., Waser, M., Kneifel, W., Genuneit, J., Büchele, G., Weber, J., Sozanska, B., Danielewicz, H., Horak, E. and van Neerven, R.J., 2011. The protective effect of farm milk consumption on childhood asthma and atopy: the GABRIELA study. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 128(4), pp.766-773.

- Joyce, E.Y. and Miller, R.L., 2016. Got milk? Understanding the farm milk effect in allergy and asthma prevention. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, 137(6), pp.1707-1708.

- Riedler, J., Braun-Fahrländer, C., Eder, W., Schreuer, M., Waser, M., Maisch, S., Carr, D., Schierl, R., Nowak, D. and Von Mutius, E., 2001. Exposure to farming in early life and development of asthma and allergy: a cross-sectional survey. The Lancet, 358(9288), pp.1129-1133.

- de Klerk, J.N. and Robinson, P.A., 2022. Drivers and hazards of consumption of unpasteurised bovine milk and milk products in high-income countries. PeerJ, 10, p.e13426.

- Dehghan, M., Mente, A., Rangarajan, S., Sheridan, P., Mohan, V., Iqbal, R., Gupta, R., Lear, S., Wentzel-Viljoen, E., Avezum, A. and Lopez-Jaramillo, P., 2018. Association of dairy intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 21 countries from five continents (PURE): a prospective cohort study. The Lancet, 392(10161), pp.2288-2297.

- Zhuang, P., Liu, X., Li, Y., Ao, Y., Wu, Y., Ye, H., Wan, X., Zhang, L., Meng, D., Tian, Y. and Yu, X., 2025. A global analysis of dairy consumption and incident cardiovascular disease. Nature Communications, 16(1), p.437.

Biology

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This article was downloaded on Jun 28, 2025 at 12:35 PM EDT.

APR 29, 2025, 3:00 AM EDT | PODCAST | EPISODE PAGE

Episode 174 What’s the deal with raw milk: Part 1

Seriously, what’s the deal? Lately, it seems like raw milk has started to pop up more and more frequently in our feeds, with influencers touting the alleged health benefits of raw milk over pasteurized milk. In this and next week’s episode, we explore the raw milk phenomenon as it has grown over the past few decades. We start this two-parter with a look at the dangers of milk in a pre-pasteurization world, how Pasteur developed the life-saving process that bears his name, the subsequent rise of anti-pasteurizers, and how the anti-science sentiment surrounding raw milk today reveals a larger and more troubling agenda.

History

- History of Raw Milk & Pasteurization

- Andrews, John, and Arthur Wolfram Fuchs. “Pasteurization and its relation to health.” Journal of the American Medical Association 138.2 (1948): 128-131.

- Atkins, Peter J. “Sophistication detected: or, the adulteration of the milk supply, 1850–1914.” Social history 16.3 (1991): 317-339.

- Atkins, Peter. Liquid materialities: A history of milk, science and the law. Routledge, 2016.

- Boor, Kathryn J., et al. “A 100-year review: microbiology and safety of milk handling.” Journal of dairy science 100.12 (2017): 9933-9951.

- Currier, Russell. “Pasteurisation: Pasteur’s greatest contribution to health.” The Lancet Microbe 4.3 (2023): e129-e130.

- Currier, Russell W., and John A. Widness. “A brief history of milk hygiene and its impact on infant mortality from 1875 to 1925 and implications for today: a review.” Journal of food protection 81.10 (2018): 1713-1722.

- Czaplicki, Alan. ““Pure Milk Is Better Than Purified Milk”: Pasteurization and Milk Purity in Chicago, 1908-1916.” Social Science History 31.3 (2007): 411-433.

- Erasmus Ellis, L. “A case against the general pasteurization of milk.” South African Medical Journal 21.12 (1947): 432-433.

- Evershed, Richard P., et al. “Dairying, diseases and the evolution of lactase persistence in Europe.” Nature 608.7922 (2022): 336-345.

- Hawthorn, J. “A history of milk in the food industry.” Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 37.3 (1978): 211-215.

- Hawthorne, C. O. “Pasteurization of Milk.” British Medical Journal 1.4033 (1938): 917.

- Hotchkiss, Joseph H. “Lambasting Louis: lessons from pasteurization.” NABC, 2001.

- Jenkins, Jane E. “Politics, pasteurization, and the naturalizing myth of pure milk in 1920s Saint John, New Brunswick.” Acadiensis 37.2 (2008): 86-105.

- Lederle, Ernst J. “Pasteurization of milk.” American journal of public hygiene 17.2 (1907): 164.

- Picton, Lionel J. “Pasteurization of Milk.” British Medical Journal 1.4031 (1938): 812.

- Rankin, S. A., et al. “A 100-Year Review: A century of dairy processing advancements—Pasteurization, cleaning and sanitation, and sanitary equipment design.” Journal of dairy science 100.12 (2017): 9903-9915.

- Rosenau, Milton Joseph. The milk question. Vol. 30061. Houghton Mifflin, 1912.

- Rotch, Thomas Morgan. “Pasteurization of milk for public sale.” American journal of public hygiene 17.2 (1907): 181.

- Schwartz, Maxime. “The life and works of Louis Pasteur.” Journal of Applied Microbiology 91.4 (2001): 597-601.

- Stănescu, Vasile. “White power milk’: milk, dietary racism, and the ‘alt-right.” Animal Studies Journal 7.2 (2018).

- Steele, James H. “History, trends, and extent of pasteurization.” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 217.2 (2000): 175-178.

- Stenn, Frederick. “Nurture turned to poison.” Perspectives in Biology and Medicine 24.1 (1980): 69-80.

- Sutherland, Halliday. “Pasteurization of Milk.” British Medical Journal 1.4031 (1938): 812.

- Ten Eyck, Toby A., and Melissa Williment. “The more things change…: Milk pasteurization, food irradiation, and biotechnology in the New York Times.” The Social Science Journal 41.1 (2004): 29-41.

- Treitel, Corinna. “Nature and the Nazi diet.” Food and Foodways 17.3 (2009): 139-158.

- Wilson, Graham Selby. “The pasteurization of milk.” British medical journal 1.4286 (1943): 261.

- https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/03/10/the-alt-right-rebrand-of-raw-milk-00145625

- https://www.sciencehistory.org/stories/magazine/the-lingering-heat-over-pasteurized-milk/

- https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/raw-milk-explained-tiktok-influencers-health-1235042145/

Biology

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission which helps us keep things running. Thanks!

This article was downloaded on Jun 28, 2025 at 12:35 PM EDT.

APR 22, 2025, 3:00 AM EDT | PODCAST | EPISODE PAGE

Special Episode: John Green & Everything Is Tuberculosis

Tuberculosis, or consumption as it was once known, might conjure up images of huge sanitoriums or writers and artists from the late 1800s (Moulin Rouge, anyone?). But this deadly disease is far from an illness of the past. In many parts of the world, tuberculosis remains an insidious killer, despite the fact that we’ve had effective drugs to treat the infection for decades. In this week’s TPWKY book club episode, we’re thrilled to be joined by the one-and-only John Green to chat about his latest book, Everything Is Tuberculosis. Tune in for a fascinating conversation that tours the past, present, and uncertain future of this devastating illness.

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, you won’t pay a penny more, but we’ll get a small commission which helps us keep things running. Thanks!

This article was downloaded on Jun 28, 2025 at 12:35 PM EDT.

Table of Contents

This Podcast Will Kill You: 2025 Jun 25

All articles

Special Episode: Professor Steven Mithen & The Language Puzzle: 2025 Jun 25

Ep 179 Fluoride 2: Fighting tooth and nail: 2025 Jun 17

Ep 178 Fluoride 1: The real tooth fairy: 2025 Jun 16

Special Episode: Dr. Wendy Kline & Exposed: 2025 Jun 16

Episode 177 Toxic Shock Syndrome: A shock to the system: 2025 Jun 16

Episode 176 Strychnine: The WD-40 of Victorian Medicine: 2025 May 22

Special Episode: Dr. Adam Ratner & Booster Shots: 2025 May 22

Episode 175 What’s the deal with raw milk: Part 2: 2025 May 6

Episode 174 What’s the deal with raw milk: Part 1: 2025 Apr 29

Special Episode: John Green & Everything Is Tuberculosis: 2025 Apr 22