A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

DALL·E - An image of George Washington hiding a bottle full of cherries under the floorboards of an old house. The scene is set in a rustic, colonial-era room

623. George Washington's Cherries

June 03, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of consuming cherries found under the floor of George Washington's house.

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

Archaeologists Found Two Epic Treasures Under the Floors of George Washington’s Mansion
Archaeologists Discover Two Intact, Sealed 18th Century Glass Bottles During Mansion Revitalization at George Washington’s Mount Vernon · George Washington's Mount Vernon
Cherry Tree Myth · George Washington's Mount Vernon
George Washington's stash of centuries-old cherries found hidden under Mount Vernon floor | Live Science
Jason Boroughs | George Washington's Mount Vernon - Academia.edu
A Summer Treat: Preserve Cherries a 19th Century Way | A Taste of History with Joyce White
Cherries-Whole - National Center for Home Food Preservation
Archaeologist uncovers George Washington's 250-year-old stash of cherries : NPR
Taskmaster Podcasts | Taskmaster

DALL·E,- A mallard duck floating on its back in a giant glass of whiskey. The duck is spitting whiskey out of its mouth like a fountain.

622. Duck Fat Washed Whiskey Cocktail

May 31, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of making duck fat washed whiskey cocktail, including if the duck fat is stored at room temperature.

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

DALL·E - A delicious-looking pizza with a perfectly baked crust, gooey cheese, and a variety of toppings like pepperoni, mushrooms, and bell peppers. Someone is squirting Elmers glue on the pizza.

621. Pizza With White Glue

May 29, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating pizza made with white glue.

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

DALL·E - A man eating a sandwich with a cow standing next to him. The cow is trying to eat the sandwich too, slobbering and drooling a lot.

620. Making a Sandwich With Bruce the Cow

May 27, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from making a sandwich with "help" from Bruce the Cow.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

DALL·E - A sausage inside a clear plastic package laying next to a baseball bat on a wooden table. The sausage looks worn and dirty, as if it has been rolled around on the ground a lot.

619. Eating the Minnesota Twins Lucky Sausage

May 24, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating the Minnesota Twins lucky sausage in its current state.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

DALL·E - A nice aged piece of cheddar (?) cheese with a rich, golden-yellow color and a few holes, sitting on a rustic wooden board. Around the cheese, there are a few unhappy microbes.

618. Raw Cheese Made With Milk Containing HPAI

May 22, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of consuming raw milk cheese made with milk containing highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) virus.

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

DALL·E - A close-up of a clear glass filled with raw milk, placed on a wooden table. The milk looks cold and creamy. Surrounding the glass and within the milk are many happy microbes.

617. HPAI in Pasteurized Milk

May 20, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) in pasteurized milk.

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

DALL·E - A refrigerated display case containing one package of ground beef. The ground beef package has a label that includes the words “The ground meats in this display have been produced using fresh and frozen meat”.

616. Thawing and Refreezing Meat Multiple Times

May 17, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of thawing and refreezing meat multiple times.

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

DALL·E - A jar of pickles with a pork chop inside. A hand is reaching into the jar and pulling out the pork chop. The jar is transparent, filled with green pickles.

615. Pickles From a Jar Used to Marinate Raw Pork

May 15, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating pickles from a jar used to marinate raw pork.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

DALL·E - A detailed illustration of a plate demonstrating the Waffle House marker system for orders. The plate features a standard breakfast setup with eggs… (note: this is total BS, DALL·E gets this completely wrong)

614. Waffle House Magic Marker System

May 13, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the food safety risks of the Waffle House magic marker system.

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

DALL·E 2024-05-02 - A pair of stainless steel kitchen tongs being rinsed under a stream of very hot water, with steam rising from the contact. Nearby, a thermometer displays the temperature…

613. Poultry Grill Tongs Rinsed Under Very Hot Water

May 10, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of reusing poultry tongs after touching raw poultry that have only been rinsed under very hot (190 °F) water.

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

DALL·E - A first-person perspective showing a woman's hands rinsing a blender under a stream of steaming hot water at a kitchen sink.

612. Making Smoothies in a Blender Carafe and Rinsing With Very Hot and High Pressure Water but No Soap

May 08, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of making smoothies in a blender carafe and rinsing with very hot and high pressure water but no soap.

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

DALL·E - An outdoor restaurant under a bridge on a river, as seen from a passing boat. The setting includes tables and chairs neatly arranged… Lots of birds too

611. Eating at a Restaurant Under a Bridge

May 06, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating at a restaurant under a bridge at the San Antonio Riverwalk.

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

DALL·E - A dusty jar of pickled quail eggs sits on a shelf in a dimly lit country store. The jar is old and unlabeled. Behind it, slightly out of focus, is another jar with a skull and crossbones.

610. Unrefrigerated Unlabeled Pickled Quail Eggs From a Country Store

May 03, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating unrefrigerated unlabeled pickled quail eggs from a country store.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

DALL·E - A mysterious scene featuring a package full of gray powder in the foreground. In the background, a turkey appears worried, with its feathers slightly ruffled.

609. Unexpected Powdered Gravy

May 01, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from receiving unexpected powder in the mail.

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

DALL·E - A French chef in a traditional white uniform, including a toque (chef's hat), is simultaneously cracking two eggs. In one hand the chef is cracking the egg on the side of the pan, and in the other hand they're cracking an egg on flat table… supposedly.

608. Breaking Your Eggs on Something Pointed

April 29, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of breaking your eggs on something pointed versus something flat.

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

DALL·E - A poignant scene outdoors where a woman is giving direct mouth-to-mouth CPR to a baby rabbit. She is casually dressed without any medical equipment. Her cat looks on, ready to pounce.

607. Giving CPR to a Baby Rabbit

April 26, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of giving mouth-to-mouth CPR to a baby rabbit.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

DALL·E 2024-04-21 - Two mature men, approximately 45 and 55 years old, wearing traditional academic regalia consisting of black gowns, caps, and hoods, shaking hands.

606. Shaking Hands

April 24, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks posed by shaking hands.

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

DALL·E - A close-up image of a woman's clean hands using a vegetable peeler to peel an extremely dirty carrot safely over a kitchen sink, with minimal dirt on her hands

605. Only Washing Your Veggies After Peeling

April 22, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of washing vegetables after peeling instead of before peeling.

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

DALL·E - A dark and ominous image showing a single small apple slice inside a tiny, translucent plastic bag resting on a kitchen counter.

604. A Cut Apple That Has Been to School Twice

April 20, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of sending a kid to school with a cut apple that has already been to school the day before.

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