A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

ChatGPT image description: An illustrated instructional diagram titled “How to Use a French Press” shows a circular process: add ground coffee, add hot water, press and brew, then rinse and clean. Arrows emphasize repetition, humorously suggesting the cycle of brewing coffee and cleaning the French press over and over.

876. Continuously Reusing an Unwashed French Press for Coffee and Tea

January 14, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from continuously reusing an unwashed french press for coffee and tea.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

Image description: Actual banana from Justin's post.

875. OneTrueJustin's Parents Half Eaten Banana

January 12, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from leaving a half a cut banana at room temperature for 24 hours.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

Image description: Actual potatoes from the Facebook reel.

874. Dry Canning Potatoes

January 09, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from pressure canning cooked potatoes without added water.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

ChatGPT image description: A single piece of sushi sits alone on a conveyor belt under a clear plastic dome. The fish looks dull and dried, the rice hardened. Around it, stacks of empty plates and blurred restaurant fixtures emphasize how long the sushi has been circling, forgotten.

873. Leftover Conveyer Belt Sushi

January 07, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating leftover conveyer belt sushi.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

ChatGPT image description: A close-up shows someone cutting into a seasoned chicken breast on a white plate. The golden-brown exterior contrasts with a visibly pink, undercooked interior. A fork and knife frame the slice, with juices pooling slightly, emphasizing the unsafe “medium-rare” appearance.

872. Medium Rare Chicken

January 05, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating medium rare (not ground) chicken.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

ChatGPT image description: A nervous man stares at a split sausage roll, revealing pink, undercooked ground pork inside. His eyes are wide and brows furrowed in concern as he holds the pastry close to his face, clearly alarmed by what he has just bitten into.

871. Eating 1 or 2 Bites of Undercooked Ground Pork

January 02, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating 1 or 2 bites of undercooked ground pork.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

Image description: Actual image from the TV show.

870. A Smoothie Made With a Cordless Drill

December 31, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from making a smoothie using a cordless drill.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

Image description: Actual clay from the Instagram video. Does that even look like mold?

869. Moldy Clay

December 29, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from moldy clay.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

ChatGPT image description: A square close-up shows an opened metal can of caramel sauce left on a kitchen countertop. Thick amber caramel overflows the rim, dripping down the sides and pooling on the surface below. A spoon coated in caramel rests nearby, emphasizing the sticky, glossy texture.

868. Homemade Caramel Sauce Left Out Over Night

December 26, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from leaving homemade caramel sauce out over night.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

ChatGPT image description: A worried epidemiologist in a white lab coat examines filthy, crusted buffet tongs beside a plate of food. Set in a restaurant buffet with warm lighting, his furrowed brow and uneasy expression highlight concern over contamination and poor sanitation.

867. Using Tongs

December 24, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using tongs to pick up food.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

Post by @bharrap.bsky.social — Bluesky

ChatGPT image description: A whole raw chicken sits submerged in a blue cooler filled with water, while an aquarium pump shoots a spray upward. Several bright orange goldfish swim around the chicken. The scene is surreal, mixing food storage with aquarium elements in an oddly calm, brightly lit setup.

866. Thawing Chicken With an Aquarium Pump

December 22, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of using an aquarium pump to circulate the water to aid in thawing a chicken in a cooler of water.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

ChatGPT image description: A slim-probe digital food thermometer is held under a running faucet, its metal tip directly in the water stream. The display reads 84°F. Water splashes around the stainless-steel sink, creating droplets and motion. The close-up composition emphasizes cleaning the temperature probe after use.

865. Cleaning a Food Thermometer With Just Water

December 19, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of cleaning a food thermometer with just water.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

ChatGPT image description: A person fills a water bottle at a grimy sink in a graffiti-covered Brooklyn music club bathroom. Rust, stains, and dim lighting emphasize the rundown setting while the bottle catches a small stream from the old faucet. The scene feels gritty, unsanitary, and characteristic of a dive-venue restroom.

864. Tap Water From a Sketchy Bathroom Sink

December 17, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking tapwater from a bathroom sink where the bathroom smells like a bathroom.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

ChatGPT image description: A small blue-and-white pill hovers above an empty bathroom sink, caught mid-bounce. The smooth white basin and metal drain create a clean, simple backdrop, while the faucet and tiled wall add muted detail. The scene feels quiet and precise, focused on the moment before the pill falls again.

863. Taking a Pill Dropped in the Bathroom Sink

December 15, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from taking a pill dropped in the bathroom sink for less than five seconds.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

ChatGPT image description: A cheerful hippie in a tie-dye shirt and headband steps out of a used clothing store, carrying a huge bundle of secondhand clothes. He smiles behind round sunglasses as he walks past the brick storefront, overflowing garments in his arms suggesting a successful thrift haul.

862. Wearing "New" Clothes Without Washing

December 12, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of wearing "new" (to you) clothes without washing first.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

ChatGPT image description: A stern restaurant inspector checks a prime rib roasting overnight, holding a thermometer showing under 120°F. The chef sleeps beside the oven, oblivious. The scene contrasts the inspector’s alarm with the chef’s exhaustion, highlighting unsafe cooking conditions and a tense, dimly lit kitchen atmosphere. Don's comment: I think this guy looks a little bit like Pete Snyder. Also very weird thermometer.

861. Russel's 120 °F Prime Rib

December 10, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from Russel's 120 °F prime rib recipe, which is a follow up to episode 854, Chef John's Perfect Prime Rib.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

ChatGPT image description: A pregnant woman grimaces while attempting to drink from a large jug labeled “Unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar.” Her eyes are squeezed shut and her mouth puckers from the sour taste. She holds the container hesitantly, standing against a plain background in a mauve maternity shirt, clearly regretting the sip.

860. Unpasteurized Apple Cider Vinegar for Pregnant or Immunocompromised People

December 08, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of unpasteurized apple cider vinegar for pregnant or immunocompromised people.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

Image description: Image from the actual video

859. Medium Rare Duck Breast and HPAI

December 05, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of contracting high pathogenicity avian influenza (HPAI) from medium rare duck breast.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

ChatGPT image description: A black crockpot sits unplugged on a countertop, its white power cord coiled beside it. Inside, several chicken breasts rest in chunky red salsa. The scene looks still and slightly concerning, suggesting the food has been left at room temperature all day without cooking. Don's comment: Interesting plug design. Might not have helped to plug this one in.

858. Crockpot Chicken at Room Temperature "All Day"

December 03, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of holding raw chicken at room temperature "all day" before cooking.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

Image description: the actual turkey noodle soup in question.

857. Water Bathed Canned Turkey Noodle Soup

December 01, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of turkey noodle soup that's been boiling water bath canning for 2 hours.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️