A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

ChatGPT image description: A person fills a water bottle at a grimy sink in a graffiti-covered Brooklyn music club bathroom. Rust, stains, and dim lighting emphasize the rundown setting while the bottle catches a small stream from the old faucet. The scene feels gritty, unsanitary, and characteristic of a dive-venue restroom.

864. Tap Water From a Sketchy Bathroom Sink

December 17, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking tapwater from a bathroom sink where the bathroom smells like a bathroom.

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

DALL·E image text: A frustrated person furiously scrubs a glass under a stream of steaming hot water from a faucet. Their face is tense and teeth clenched, with steam rising and water splashing in all directions. No soap is used, and their reddened hands show the heat of the scalding water.

834. Washing Drinking Glasses With Only Hot Water and Friction

October 08, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of washing drinking glasses with only hot water and friction.

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

DALL·E image text: A white drip coffee maker sits on a beige countertop. The glass carafe is filled with dark coffee, while the clear water reservoir shows a small patch of green algae confined to the bottom left corner. The design is simple, clean, and highlighted by soft, even lighting.

831. Drinking Coffee Made With Water From a Reservoir With a Bit of Algae

October 01, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of drinking coffee made from a coffee maker that has algae growing in the transparent water reservoir.

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

ChatGPT: A sad-looking man rests his face in his hands at a table, staring at eight identical glasses of water lined up in front of him. His furrowed brow and downturned mouth suggest reluctance and weariness, as though the task of drinking them all feels overwhelming.

818. Not Drinking 8 Glasses of Water a Day

September 01, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks if you don't drink 8 glasses of water a day.

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

DALL·E image text: A person rinses fresh strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries under a modern faucet using a metal strainer. In the background, a sleek electronic fruit-washing gadget sits cracked and broken, unused on the counter. The contrast highlights the simplicity of hand-washing berries compared to the failure of the fancy device.

816. Washing Produce With Just Plain Water

August 27, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of just washing produce in plain water vs. a fancy gizmo.

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

DALL·E image text: A stack of smooth cedar planks soaks in a stainless steel tub filled with water. In the background, fresh salmon fillets rest on a metal tray, ready for cooking. The warm wood tones contrast with the cool, clean kitchen setting, evoking preparation for cedar plank grilling.

812. Soaking Cedar Planks for Salmon in Room Temperature Water

August 18, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from soaking cedar planks to be used for cooking salmon in water at room temperature.

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 person is cleaning a reddish-orange spill inside a refrigerator using a scrub brush and a bowl of water. Some food items, like eggs, milk, and condiments, have been removed and sit on the counter. The refrigerator shelves hold strawberries, jars, and bottles, creating a tidy but active cleaning scene.

761. Cleaning the Fridge With Water Only

April 21, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from cleaning refrigerator shelves using water only.

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

A panicked man frantically refills multiple plastic water jugs at a kitchen sink. His wide-eyed, stressed expression suggests urgency or impending crisis. The countertop and sink are crowded with empty jugs, and water spills slightly as he struggles to keep up with the task.

758. Reusing Plastic Drinking Water Jugs Without Washing

April 14, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from reusing plastic drinking water jugs without washing.

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

A man in cozy pajamas stands in his softly lit bedroom, pouring a glass of water into a sleek white humidifier on the floor. The room features a neatly made bed, a bedside table with a lamp, and a window with slightly open curtains, creating a warm, calm atmosphere.

736. Reusing Old Sleep-Water in Cold Humidifiers

February 21, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of using water from a bedside glass to refill a humidifier.

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

DALL·E - An elderly man with wrinkles and white hair, dressed in full kayaking gear including a life jacket, helmet, and paddling gloves, jumping enthusiastically under a ceiling fan.

671. Older Man Kayaking With Fresh Wounds in Water Which Regularly Fails Coliform Tests

September 23, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of kayaking with fresh wounds in water which regularly fails coliform tests while elderly.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

DALL·E - A cup of coffee placed on an airline tray table, with a mysterious and eerie atmosphere. The coffee is steaming, but the steam forms into strange shapes.

659. Drinking Coffee or Tea on an Airplane

August 26, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking coffee or tea brewed on an airplane.

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

DALL·E - A clear glass electric kettle is placed on a kitchen counter. Inside the kettle, water is boiling vigorously, with visible bubbles and steam rising…

601. Reusing Electric Kettle Water

April 12, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of reusing electric kettle water.

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

DALL·E - An illustration of a neti pot made of ceramic, gently pouring a clear stream of water. In the foreground, a magnifying glass hovers over the stream, revealing happy little bacteria.

597. Using a Netipot with Tap Water

April 03, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of using a netipot with tap water.

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

DALL·E - Imagine a serene Swiss lake, reflecting the beauty of the surrounding landscape with a majestic water jet in the center. This jet is teeming with microbes.

591. Drinking Water From Switzerland's 7,000 Lakes

March 20, 2024 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of drinking untreated lakewater from Switzerland.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

DALL·E - a pot of water on a stove teeming with bacteria

550. Water for Cooking Held in the Danger Zone

December 15, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of holding water used for cooking in a restaurant in the danger zone all day.

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

DALL·E Kids on a lawn playing in a water sprinkler in the style of norman rockwell

506. Kids on Lawns Irrigated With Water Containing Pathogenic E. coli

September 04, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of letting your kids play on a lawn 24 hours after that lawn has been irrigated with water containing pathogenic E. coli.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

DALL·E - Children bobbing for apples in the style of Norman Rockwell

451. Bobbing for Apples

April 28, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of bobbing for apples.

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

DALL·E: a wet slice of pepperoni pizza floating in a pool

448. Pool Pizza

April 21, 2023 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating a slice of pizza dipped momentarily in a pool.

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

Mystery Guest 1 - not risky 👍🏼
Mystery Guest 2 - not risky 👍🏼

DALL·E 2022-12-17 17.02.18 - cans of water in a boiling water bath canner

394. Home Canning Water

December 16, 2022 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of using a boiling water bath canning method for canning water for long-term storage.

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