A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

DALL·E Image of boiled Yukon gold potatoes in a clear glass bowl, teeming with colorful, cartoon-style bacteria.

590. Kejni's Extra-Crispy Roast Potato Recipe

March 18, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of leaving boiled chunks of Yukon gold potatoes at room temperature overnight.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

J. Kenji López-Alt
James Neal (ice hockey) - Wikipedia
Last night I followed the beginning of my extra-crispy roast potato recipe (I boiled chunks of Yukon golds in water with salt and a pinch… | Instagram
Large Outbreak of Botulism: The Hazardous Baked Potato | The Journal of Infectious Diseases | Oxford Academic
Restaurant-Associated Type a Botulism: Transmission by Potato Salad | American Journal of Epidemiology | Oxford Academic
Combined effect of water activity and pH on inhibition of toxin production by Clostridium botulinum in cooked, vacuum-packed potatoes | Applied and Environmental Microbiology
Presence and Significance of Bacillus cereus in Dehydrated Potato Products - ScienceDirect
Influence of temperature shifts on survival, growth, and toxin production by psychrotrophic and mesophilic strains of Bacillus cereus in potatoes and chicken gravy - ScienceDirect
Presence and Growth of Bacillus cereus in Dehydrated Potato Flakes and Hot-Held, Ready-to-Eat Potato Products Purchased in New Zealand - ScienceDirect
154. Michael Scott Bacon Method — Risky or Not?

Here's the revised image, with the hamburger a bit hard to see, as if it's under a seat in the car.

589. Hamburger Left in Car for Three Days

March 15, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating a smelly hamburger left in car for three days.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

Here's the image of a swollen can of Surströmming, showcasing the high pressure inside due to the fermentation process. The can is set on a rustic wooden table, featuring a label with classic Swedish design elements.

588. Swollen Can of Surströmming

March 13, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating surströmming from a swollen can.

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

Here's the image of a fictional package of beef jerky labeled as "Uncle Mike's Beef Jerky Company," designed for social media promotion.

587. Homemade Jerky From Facebook Marketplace

March 11, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating homemade beef jerky from facebook marketplace.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

586. Jane's Raw Ground Beef in the Deli Station

March 08, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of storing raw ground beef in a deli preparation station near ready-to-eat foods.

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

DALL·E - An illustration showing a priest, dressed in traditional religious attire, solemnly holding a communion cup. The cup is intricately designed but covered in exaggerated, cartoonish germs.

585. Drinking From a "Common Cup" for Communion

March 06, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of drinking from a "common cup" for communion.

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

DALL·E - A whimsical scene of a chicken sitting in a kitchen sink, embodying an unusual and humorous juxtaposition. The chicken, with its feathers fluffed out…

584. Chicken Washed With Bleach and Soap

March 04, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating chicken washed with bleach and soap

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

DALL·E - A whimsical and surreal scene where a goldfish is swimming through a hole in a wooden table filled with clear, sparkling water…

583. Food From a Table With Live Fish Swimming in It

March 01, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating at a table with live fish swimming in it.

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

DALL·E - An elderly man stands in a grocery store, next to a large pot of soup, eating soup directly from a ladle with no bowl in his hands…

582. Soup After Someone Has Tasted That Soup From the Ladle in a Grocery Store Hot Bar

February 28, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of getting soup after someone has tasted that soup from the ladle in a grocery store hot bar.

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

DALL·E - A two-year-old child, looking realistic, has a runny nose with boogers, but 50% less than before, visibly coming out…

581. Bread Pudding Made From a 2 Year Old Child's Leftover Crusts

February 26, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of bread pudding made from a 2 year old child's leftover crusts.

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

DALL·E - Create an image of a white hand towel hanging on a sleek metal towel rack, with exactly three dirty handprints visible on its surface.

580. Not Washing Hand Towels After 3 Uses

February 23, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of not washing hand towels after 3 uses.

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

579. Mike's Car Baked Mac and Cheese

February 21, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of Mike's car baked mac and cheese at Bonnaroo.

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

DALL·E - A 1950s Chevrolet with a giant refrigerator sticking out the roof

578. Haley's Aunt's Car "Refrigerator"

February 19, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of Haley's Aunt using her car as a refrigerator

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

DALL·E - A chocolate chip cookie on a sea of bubbling wax

577. Baking Cookies on Wax Paper

February 16, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from baking cookies on wax paper.

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

576. Driving With a Teen on a Learner's Permit

February 14, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks associated with teenagers driving with a learners permit.

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

DALL·E - a tray of ice cubes underneath a package of frozen ground beef

575. Ice Stored Under Factory Packaged Frozen Raw Ground Beef

February 12, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of consuming ice stored under factory package frozen raw ground beef.

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

DALL·E - a sliced loaf of bread with sawdust falling out

574. Sawdust Bread

February 09, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating bread made with some amount of sawdust.

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

573. Meringue

February 07, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from consuming meringue.

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

DALL·E - A raindrop falling off an awning into a cup of coffee in the style of MC Escher

572. Awning Drip Coffee

February 05, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of drinking a cup of coffee into which a drop of water from an awning has fallen.

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

DALL·E - A hockey referee gracefully bending over to pick gum up off the ice in the style of Johannes Vermeer

571. Hockey Ice Gum

February 02, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of chewing a piece of gum that you picked off the ice at a hockey game.

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