A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

A blonde Canadian man sits in a bathtub, spitting out red wine after discovering a fly in his glass. He grips a video game controller in his other hand, looking shocked and disgusted. A Canadian flag hangs behind him, emphasizing his nationality amid the tiled bathroom backdrop.

821. Consuming a Fly in Wine, Twice

September 08, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of Consuming a fly in wine, on two different occasions.

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

DALL·E image text: A woman in a white bathrobe stands in a hotel bathroom, holding a white towel with a large brown stain. She looks shocked and disgusted, her eyes wide and mouth open. The warm-toned bathroom shows a sink, mirror, and a glimpse of the hotel room in the background.

809. Using a Towel With a "Big Brown Streak"

August 11, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using a towel with a "big brown streak".

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

A sealed bag of chargrilled cooked chicken sits upright against a neutral background. One chicken piece is stuck in the top seam, with the exposed end unusually blue. The packaging features clear plastic with bold blue labels reading “COOKED CHICKEN” and “CHARGRILLED 60g,” showing grilled chicken pieces inside.

806. Chicken From a Bag With Chicken in the Seam

August 04, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating cooked chicken from a bag where one piece of chicken was caught in the bag seam.

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

805. Mamma Birding (Chewing Food for Other People)

August 01, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating food someone else has chewed and sent through the mail to you.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

“Figure” from Deep States original message

801. Letting Your Drunk Partner Cook Raw Chicken While You Prepare a Fresh Salad in a Small Kitchen

July 23, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of preparing a salad in a small kitchen while your drunk partner cooks raw chicken.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

This image shows a refrigerator shelf with four labeled bottles of breast milk and three sealed storage bags neatly stacked. The containers are marked with volume measurements, and a breast pump part is placed nearby. The scene is clean, organized, and well-lit, emphasizing safe and tidy milk storage.

799. Combining Breastmilk Collected in Shells Over Three Days to Feed a Healthy Infant

July 18, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of collecting breastmilk in shells over three days to feed to a healthy infant.

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

A Canadian man in a red maple leaf cap slyly slips two plastic forks, tines down, into his jeans pocket inside a colorful Mexican chain restaurant. He looks around nervously, framed by a neon cactus sign and a bright menu board in the background.

797. Ben's Pants Pocket Forks

July 14, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of putting plastic forks in your pants pocket for later use.

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

Peeled, hard-boiled eggs are submerged in water inside a fixed, built-in compartment of a refrigerator. The clear container appears seamlessly integrated into the fridge’s molded interior. A wire shelf sits above, and the eggs are uniformly packed, creating a sterile, institutional feel typical of a chain hotel appliance.

793. Peeled, Hardboiled Eggs Stored Immersed in Water in the Fridge at a Chain Hotel

July 04, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating peeled, hardboiled eggs stored immersed in water in the fridge at a chain hotel.

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

A filthy sponge sits in a shallow pool of murky water on a glass turntable inside a heavily soiled microwave. The sponge is stained with dark grime, and the microwave's interior is covered in splatters and residue, creating an overall impression of neglect and uncleanliness.

792. Microwaving Your Kitchen Sponges

July 04, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from microwaving your kitchen sponges.

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

792. Microwaving Your Kitchen Sponges

July 02, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from microwaving your kitchen sponges.

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

A realistic rocking-horse mascot in a “ROCKERS” jersey sits on a stadium bench, eating popcorn. The costume features lifelike horse details and hoof-like hands. A sunny ballgame crowd fills the background, capturing a playful yet convincing scene of mascot fun during a baseball game.

790. Eating From a Bag of Popcorn After Hype the Mascot Has “Eaten” From It

June 27, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating from a bag of popcorn that a sports team mascot has touched with their costumed hand,

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

A young man crouches on an astroturf field, licking a fake cupcake placed inside a chocolate-sprinkled inflatable donut. His eyes are closed, and he appears focused on the playful act. The scene is brightly lit, with the vibrant colors of the donut and cupcake contrasting the green synthetic grass.

789. Licking a Fake Cupcake That Has Been Repeatedly Tossed Into an Inflatable Donut on an Astroturf Field

June 25, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from licking a fake cupcake that has been repeatedly tossed into an inflatable donut on an astroturf field.

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

A grimy, yellowed salad spinner sits on a worn wooden surface. Its translucent plastic walls are stained with residue and dirt, suggesting years of use without proper cleaning. The lid and handle are similarly discolored, giving the entire object a neglected, unhygienic appearance.

786. Never Washing the Salad Spinner

June 18, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from never washing your salad spinner with soap and water.

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

A bunch of ripe red grapes hangs from a vine twisted through a chain-link fence. Behind it, a foggy graveyard lies near the intersection of two busy highways. Blurred headlights and drifting smoke from traffic lend an eerie, polluted atmosphere to the otherwise quiet, somber scene.

784. Eating Major Intersection Grapes

June 13, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from grapes grown at the intersection of two 4 lane highways.

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

A worried Canadian family—father with curly hair and beard, mother with long blonde hair, an older redheaded son, and a younger blonde son with a mullet—sits at a tropical restaurant table playing cards. A stern Gambling Police officer, badge and notebook in hand, writes a ticket as palm trees sway in the background.

780. Playing Games at a Table in a Restaurant

June 04, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from playing games at a table in a restaurant.

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

This image shows a half-eaten chocolate bar resting in its wrapper on a dusty desk, revealing layers of nougat, caramel, and peanuts. Several ants are crawling nearby, attracted to the sweet, decaying treat that has clearly been sitting for years. The scene feels old and forgotten.

776. Eating a Half Eaten Candy Bar After the Pandemic

May 26, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating a half eaten candy bar left on a desk during the COVID-19 pandemic

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

A grimy single-cup coffee maker sits on a speckled countertop, heavily stained with rust and old coffee residue. The machine looks neglected and unclean. A filthy, streaked paper cup rests on the drip tray, emphasizing the unhygienic condition. The setting evokes discomfort, like a poorly maintained hotel room.

773. Single Cup Hotel Coffee Makers

May 19, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using hotel single cup coffee makers.

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

A greasy cook licks his fingers while holding a steak over a grill. He wears a stained apron and chef’s hat. A young girl with long black hair looks on in horror, her mouth open in shock. The kitchen appears grimy, with a burger on a shelf in the background.

771. Eating Steaks Flipped With Licked Bare Hands

May 14, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating steaks flipped by someone who has licked their bare hands before flipping.

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

DALL·E image text: A young restaurant worker in a black shirt and beige apron pulls on a white glove while a stern manager in a black suit watches disapprovingly with arms crossed. The warm, rustic restaurant setting contrasts with the tension between them, hinting that the worker skipped proper handwashing before gloving up.

768. Putting on Gloves Without Washing Your Hands

May 07, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of putting on gloves without first washing your hands as required by the FDA model food code.

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

DALL·E image text: The image shows the entrance to "Jordan's Bar & Restaurant," with wooden double doors featuring baseball bat handles. A lake and trees are visible through the glass panels. A sign on one door reads "Shoes, Shirt, No Service," and a wooden sign above displays the restaurant's name. The image is square.
Don: The image is square, and so is DALL·E, man.

767. Eating and Drinking at Nudist Bar

May 05, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks eating and drinking at nudist bar.

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