A short podcast about everyday risks from germs
ChatGPT image description: A clear plastic container of corn chowder sits on a refrigerator shelf. The creamy soup contains visible corn and potato pieces and shows separation and discoloration on the surface, suggesting it has been stored for an extended period.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating corn chowder stored in the refrigerator for a week.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
Image description: Ben's actual bath, trimmed to be a square image and exclude personal items.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from taking a bath at Ben's house when the water is very dirty.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A conspiracy-style corkboard uses red yarn to connect Bianca, a black-and-white Jack Russell mix with Addison’s disease, to President John F. Kennedy, who also had Addison’s, and vaccine skeptic RFK Jr. The board emphasizes that Bianca was vaccinated, but vaccines did not cause her disease.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from vaccines, after Don concocts a bizarre red string conspiracy theory because he really just wants to talk about his poor little sick doggo.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A cyclist kneels beside a quiet northern Minnesota road, squeezing a found McDonald's ranch dressing packet into his mouth. His road bike rests nearby, with evergreen trees and a "Northern Minnesota" roadside sign under a bright summer sky framing the humorous, unhygienic scene.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating McDonald’s ranch dressing found on the side of the road in northern Minnesota in the summer
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A plate of French toast sits abandoned on a kitchen counter, with syrup residue and scattered crumbs suggesting it has been left out since yesterday's brunch. The cozy kitchen background contrasts with the forgotten meal, emphasizing the passage of time and potential food safety concern.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating french toast left on counter for almost a day
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: An open countertop air fryer sits on a kitchen counter with only a few tiny browned chicken fragments and crumbs scattered across the basket. The appliance appears otherwise empty, suggesting small leftovers remained after cooking and serving.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating small pieces of chicken left behind in the airfryer, reheated days later.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: An open blue portable toilet stands outdoors. From the toilet bowl, a single arm reaches upward holding a bottle of Mountain Dew, creating a surreal, humorous scene. A safety sign and chain-link fence are visible in the background under a partly cloudy sky.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking a Mountain Dew that you accidentally dropped in a port-a-potty.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
ChatGPT image description: A sealed package of hot dogs floats in cloudy, dirty water in a stainless-steel kitchen sink. Food debris and bubbles surround the package, suggesting it was accidentally left soaking overnight.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating cooked frozen hot dogs in the package left in sink basin over night with water.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A man stands outside a Mexican fast-food restaurant, happily eating sliced jalapeños straight from a large plastic container. Holding the oversized tub in his arms, he appears to be snacking exclusively on peppers in front of the restaurant's entrance on a sunny day.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating fresh jalapeños right now.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
Actual tuna in questions, non-leaking version
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating shelf stable tuna with garlic in olive oil if the jar is leaking.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
Dane's actual cod liver
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating cod liver with a Proposition 65 warning about cadmium.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
Picture from the New York York Times article
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from roux raw dough cookies.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
Don's actual letter
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking water from a source that failed to maintain treatment for removing bacteria.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: Five bamboo toothbrushes stand in a rustic wooden holder on a weathered bathroom vanity. Four have colorful protective brush covers, while one exposed toothbrush is missing its cover. A pump soap dispenser, wood-framed mirror, and warm natural lighting complete the cozy, rustic setting.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from brushing your teeth with a toothbrush that was not in a toothbrush protector.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: The outline of Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas is formed entirely from crisp iceberg lettuce leaves, arranged on a dark textured background. The square, top-down composition highlights the state’s distinctive shape using layered pale-green lettuce pieces for a playful, food-inspired map.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating lettuce in Michigan right now
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A person holds a labeled container of cooked mixed vegetables while removing it from a refrigerator. The vegetables appear thawed and ready for reheating, with bright colors and no visible ice crystals. Other refrigerated foods and fresh produce are visible on the surrounding shelves.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from reheating refrigerated cooked frozen vegetables (when the package says not to).
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
This is an actual image of a water fountain, but it's probably not the one from the Louvre.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking from a bathroom sink water fountain at the Louvre.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A hand drops a white aspirin tablet into a glass pint jar packed with fresh raspberries on a kitchen counter. Nearby are an aspirin box, a blister pack of tablets, and a metal jar lid, suggesting a home remedy or food-preservation practice in a warm kitchen setting.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of aspirin canning.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
ChatGPT image description: A smiling man in a white lab coat labeled “Toxicologist” tends a wood-fired maple syrup evaporator in a snowy Canadian forest. Holding a beaker of finished syrup, he monitors the boiling sap while scientific glassware and a rustic sugar shack emphasize the blend of science and traditional maple syrup production.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from making your own maple syrup.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A restaurant worker in a black uniform and gloves leans over a large roast beef sub sandwich in a commercial kitchen. She is visibly spitting onto the sandwich, creating an intentionally unsanitary scene. Food-preparation ingredients and an employee handwashing sign are visible in the background.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating a sandwich contaminated with spit from someone with oral herpes.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️