One of the first cases of bioterrorism in the US started with a cult, the Wasco county election, and salmonella.
In the 99th episode of “This Podcast Will Kill You”, Dr. Erin Welsh and Dr. Erin Allmann Updyke did a deep dive into salmonella. Like this episode, many episodes in the podcast focus on infectious diseases, though the podcast is also known to tackle deadly poisons, revolutionary medications, as well as medical mysteries!
Normally, an episode from “This Podcast Will Kill You” begins with an account of someone who had suffered from the illness. Dr. Welsh and Dr. Updyke then explain in great detail how the disease works and its impact on society.
Between the easy-to-understand explanations of biology and the riveting retelling of history through the lens of disease, “This Podcast Will Kill You” is not only a staple podcast for aspiring med students, but also budding historians.
I will give fair warning, though, that some episodes handle heavier topics and some episodes are, for a lack of a better description, gross. Not to worry, though, because when this happens, the hosts of the podcast will warn the listener well in advance.
Now, one of my favorite things about this podcast is that Dr. Welsh and Dr. Updyke do so much research. Each episode is packed with fun, although slightly disturbing facts about the disease that keep the listener engaged. I don’t know if I needed to know about the medieval remedy for rabies where you beat a snake skin with a male crab, but it sure is interesting.
The best part about this is if a listener wants to know more, they can access the vast bank of resources that Dr. Welsh and Dr. Updyke used on their website. And in cases where research alone may not be enough, the two epidemiologists will host an expert.
But at the end of the day, the overall atmosphere of the podcast makes all the difference. Throughout the episodes, both hosts maintain a playful tone that makes the listener feel as though they are talking directly to you, not at you. 15 minutes into the podcast, and they no longer seem like strangers.
I listened to “This Podcast Will Kill You” with my family during a long road trip to remedy the dreadful boredom of having nothing much to do and nowhere to go.
It not only settled my restless mind, but proved greatly amusing to both me and my family. Episode 14 (rabies), and episode 97 (snake venom), quickly became our favorites. The explanation of how these two things evolved to be so specific was mind-blowing.
Even if you aren’t too big into the medical field, “This Podcast Will Kill You” is fun to listen to and easy to learn from. So if you have a big road trip coming up this summer, check the podcast out!
And maybe you’ll end up loving it as much as I do.
