Immunity and Infection

83 episodes

#6079: Why Cupping Shows Up in Five Ancient Traditions

From Phelps's purple shoulders to Yiddish "bankes" — why the same suction technique was reinvented by five medical traditions.

medieval-worldancient-worldhealthcare-systemsrespiratory-healthimmunity-and-infection

#5876: Sloth Leaf Medicine: What's Real and What Isn't

A serious look at sloth leaf medicine — the rotation, the Cecropia pharmacology, and the fur microbiome nobody was told about.

animalsimmunity-and-infectiontaxonomy-and-classification

#5368: When Both Parents Get Sick and No One Can Help

Two caregivers, no family nearby, and a stomach bug. What actually happens when the backup plan doesn't exist.

public-healthhealthcare-systemsimmunity-and-infectionchild-safetystress-and-trauma

#5363: One Well Adult vs. a Stomach Bug

Solo caregiver, sick kid, sick partner — how to run fluids, spot red flags, and decide on night checks.

immunity-and-infectionpublic-healthchild-safety

#5336: Cholera and the 3.4 Billion Without Safe Sanitation

Cholera is fast, cheap to treat, and entirely preventable — yet 3.4 billion people lack safe sanitation. Here's why the numbers don't add up.

immunity-and-infectionpublic-healthwater-and-sanitationnutrition-and-diet

#5272: Soldering for Beginners: Badges, Fumes, and Real Safety

The smoke you see isn't the lead — and the cheap fume extractor most beginners buy doesn't work. Here's what actually does.

electronicsergonomicsimmunity-and-infectionair-qualitymaterials-science

#5214: Meningitis: Why It Kills So Fast

Meningitis is an anatomical description, not a prognosis. Same word, wildly different odds — from a bad week to five days from flu symptoms to a fu...

immunity-and-infectionpublic-healthhealthcare-systems

#5164: Reading the Child Who Can't Say What Hurts

How pediatric emergency specialists assess and sort children who can't describe their own symptoms — and what their observational discipline teache...

healthcare-systemspublic-healthimmunity-and-infection

#5157: When Labored Breathing in a Baby Means Go

A reassuring oximeter reading isn't the whole story. How to read the work of breathing, count infant breaths, and know when to head in.

respiratory-healthbaby-gearchild-safetyimmunity-and-infection

#5146: Who Decides What Food Aid Gets Sent?

There's no master list of survival foods — just a performance standard. And "acceptable" is written into it.

ceasefires-and-peace-dealshealthcare-systemspublic-healthimmunity-and-infectioninternational-law

#5023: The Three Machines Hiding in "Get a Small Vacuum

Dust, fume, and static are three different problems. One word — "vacuum" — can't solve them all.

hand-toolselectrical-safetyimmunity-and-infectionmanufacturing

#4886: Why Airplane Cabins Are Drier Than the Sahara

Why planes are drier than deserts, how HEPA filters miss pathogens, and whether crew really build immunity.

aviation-safetyimmunity-and-infectionair-qualityaircraft-technology

#4805: How a Pig Bladder Became a P100 Filter

From Roman miners using animal bladders to 3M's electrostatic breakthrough — the strange history of breathing protection.

history-of-technologyimmunity-and-infectionpublic-healthmanufacturing

#4744: Lyme Disease: Facts, Myths, and Tick Safety

What Lyme actually is, why Storrs is ground zero, and how to stay safe outdoors without spiraling.

immunity-and-infectionpublic-healthergonomics

#4705: The Parasite Hiding in Your Salad

Cyclospora isn't a bacteria—it's a parasite that turns lettuce into an incubator. Here's why outbreaks keep happening.

immunity-and-infectionpublic-healthtaxonomy-and-classification

#4646: A Single Slice of Turkey: Border Biosecurity Explained

Why a leftover sandwich triggered a full customs inspection — and the surprising science behind agricultural biosecurity.

public-healthimmunity-and-infectioncustoms-and-importscivil-defense

#4441: The Unforgiving Cold Chain

How Israel kept Pfizer's vaccine at -70°C from Belgium to Tel Aviv — and why one mistake destroys everything.

public-healthhealthcare-systemsimmunity-and-infectionsupply-chainshipping-and-freight

#4346: Pigeon Fortress: Removing Nests & Installing Netting in a Rental

How to safely remove pigeon nests and install balcony netting in a rental without losing your deposit.

immunity-and-infectionpublic-healthanimalsgallbladder-removal

#4140: The Peddler's Ledger: From County Cork to Jerusalem

One family's journey from a 1905 Irish peddler to present-day Israel — and what it reveals about immigration's hidden patterns.

jewish-historyimmunity-and-infectionmarket-competitionaliyahimmunity-and-infection

#4131: Perpetual Stew: Safe or Scary?

A simmering pot is self-sterilizing. Here's why the USDA says it's safe indefinitely above 140°F.

nutrition-and-dietimmunity-and-infectionpublic-health

#4101: What Actually Happens to Your Lungs During Hard Exercise

Why elite athletes get chest tightness after running — and why the old treatment advice has changed.

respiratory-healthexercise-and-fitnessimmunity-and-infection

#3894: Why Your Asthma Inhaler Won't Stop Construction Dust

Your steroid inhaler blocks one inflammatory pathway. Irritants like dust use another. Here's how to close the gap.

respiratory-healthimmunity-and-infectionhealthcare-systems

#3886: The Nurse Who Noticed: Catching a Poisoning Cluster

How a nurse's "that's strange" caught a baby food poisoning cluster in Jerusalem before it grew.

public-healthimmunity-and-infectionhealthcare-systemschild-safety

#3756: The Late-Phase Asthma Trap: How to Actually Escalate

Why you feel fine after smoke exposure, then crash hours later — and a practical 4-phase plan to stay safe.

respiratory-healthimmunity-and-infectionpsychiatric-medicationstress-and-traumahealthcare-systems