A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

944. Infinite Sichuan Pickles

June 22, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from a continuous homemade sichuan pickle fermenter.

Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼

Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

ChatGPT image description: Two restaurant employees stand in front of a commercial grill, looking embarrassed and slightly frazzled. Their uniforms are dusty and rumpled, hair is messy, and both wear uneasy expressions. Smoke rises from the grill behind them, suggesting a hectic kitchen mishap or an especially challenging shift.

943. Eating Food Cooked on a Restaurant Grill That Employees Have Used for Sex

June 19, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating food from a grill that had been previously used for sex.

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

Don't Get The Grilled Cheese

ChatGPT image description: A refrigerated meal kit labeled “Lemon Herb Chicken” sits prominently on a refrigerator shelf among fresh produce and food containers. Condensation dots the packaging, and a label indicates it is on day four of refrigerated storage, suggesting it is still within its intended use period.

942. Meal Kit Chicken Prepared Four Days After Arrival

June 17, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating meal kit chicken that's been in the refrigerator for four days

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

941. Screwworm Infected Beef

June 15, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating beef from a screwworm infected cow.

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

940. Rockpot

June 12, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using a Rockpot.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

ChatGPT image description: A large stainless steel pressure cooker filled with cloudy chicken stock sits forgotten on a kitchen counter overnight. The broth’s surface shows separated fat and residue, surrounded by ordinary kitchen items under warm indoor lighting, creating a subtle sense of food safety concern and neglect.

939. Chicken Stock Out Overnight, Pressure Cooked Again for 30 Minutes

June 10, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating chicken stock left on the counter overnight, and then pressure cooked again for 30 minutes.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

ChatGPT image description: A pregnant woman stands in a bright home kitchen beside a glass dish of marinating raw chicken. Thoughtfully, she raises a marinade-covered finger toward her mouth while sunlight streams through the window, highlighting the cozy cooking scene and subtle food safety tension.

938. Licking the Chicken Marinade Spoon, While Pregnant

June 08, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from licking the chicken marinade spoon, while pregnant.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

ChatGPT image description: A dried, days-old tea bag stands stiffly on a ceramic dish atop a speckled kitchen counter. The paper is wrinkled and stained brown from old tea, with the string and tag lying limp beside it. Soft kitchen lighting and blurred containers create a quiet, slightly neglected atmosphere.

937. Re-Using Teabags After Hours or Days

June 05, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from re-using teabags after hours or days.

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

ChatGPT image description: A bright pink bag of Nerds Gummy Clusters sits on a bathroom counter beside a sink, toothbrush, toiletries, and a lavender candle. The oddly placed candy contrasts with the clean, everyday bathroom setting, creating a humorous and slightly unsettling scene.

936. Keeping Candy in the Bathroom

June 03, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of keeping candy in the bathroom.

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

935. Licking Someone Else's Ear Wax Off Your Finger

June 01, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of licking someone else's ear wax off your finger

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

934. Racing a Bike Through Belgian Toothpaste

May 29, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from racing a bike through belgian toothpaste (i.e., mud).

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

ChatGPT image description: A horrified home cook realizes a bag of frozen mixed berries has been left out for two hours. Purple berry juice pools across the counter while a handwritten timing note and wall clock emphasize the mistake. The square image captures panic, thawing fruit, and a relatable kitchen food-safety dilemma.

933. Leaving Frozen Berries Out for 2 Hours, Refreezing and Reusing

May 27, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from leaving frozen berries out of refrigeration for 2 hours, refreezing and reusing later in a smoothie.

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

ChatGPT image description: A hand pours homemade taco seasoning into a skillet of cooked ground meat after the burner has been turned off. Bold kitchen-style text emphasizes the seasoning step, while the warm, rustic background suggests taco night preparation in a cozy home kitchen.

932. Homemade Taco Seasoning Directly Added to Cooked Meat After Turning the Heat Off

May 25, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from adding homemade taco seasoning directly to cooked meat after turning the heat off.

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

Screenshot from the YouTube Video with human kibble (kibble FOR humans, not kibble FROM humans)

931. Freeze Dried Human Kibble

May 22, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating foods turned into freeze dried human kibble.

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

ChatGPT image description: A rustic ceramic pot holds thick, aging pease porridge on a wooden table. The lumpy greenish stew looks dense and stale, with dried residue clinging to the sides. A parchment-style sign reads “Pease Porridge Nine Days Old,” giving the scene a medieval nursery-rhyme atmosphere.

930. Nine Day Old Pease Porridge

May 20, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating pease porridge in the pot, nine days old.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

929. Car Ranch

May 18, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating ranch dressing stored in a warm car for an extended period of time.

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

928. Keeping Your Shampoo Bottle on the Floor of the Shower

May 15, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from keeping your shampoo bottle on the floor of the shower.

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

ChatGPT image description: A man stands at a stove in a warm kitchen, eating chicken wings while tending a simmering pot. As he finishes each wing, he drops the bones directly into the boiling stock, blending casual eating with cooking in an unusual, slightly unsanitary preparation method.

927. Making Stock With Chewed or Licked Chicken Bones (Normal Style)

May 13, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating stock made from chewed or licked chicken bones, where are the chicken has been eaten "normal style".

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

Making stock with “chewed” chicken bones? : r/Cooking

ChatGPT image description: A man cooks in a warm, modern kitchen while wearing earbuds, pausing thoughtfully with sauce-covered hands. A woman asks him a question nearby. A thought bubble shows his dilemma: touch his phone to pause a podcast or keep cooking. Fresh ingredients and a simmering pot surround him.

926. Touching Your Phone in the Middle of Prepping Dinner

May 11, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from touching your phone in the middle of prepping dinner.

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

ChatGPT image description: A conflicted man stands beside a trash can in a dim movie theater hallway, hesitating over a large tub of leftover popcorn resting on top. His hand hovers uncertainly as other patrons walk away. A nearby sign urges proper trash disposal, underscoring the awkward, tempting situation.

925. Eating Someone Else's Leftover Popcorn at the Movies

May 08, 2026 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating someone else's leftover popcorn at the movies.

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