Best Tpwky Podcasts (2025)

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Ep 182 SSRIs Part 1: Origin 1:02:00

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12h ago1:02:00

1:02:00

Since first hitting the shelves nearly 40 years ago, SSRIs have become one of the most commonly prescribed classes of antidepressants around the world, as well as one of the most discussed and misunderstood. This and next week, we tell the story of SSRIs in two parts. In Part 1, we explore the origins of these medications and their predecessors, a …

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Special Episode: Wendy Chin-Tanner & King of the Armadillos 56:21

8d ago56:21

56:21

We’ve got a very special episode of the TPWKY book club this week! We’re featuring our very first fiction book: King of the Armadillos by Wendy Chin-Tanner. This novel tells the story of a young man named Victor, who is sent from his home in New York City to a federal treatment facility in Carville, Louisiana after a diagnosis of Hansen’s disease (…

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Ep 181 PCOS: Beyond the cysts 1:26:36

15d ago1:26:36

1:26:36

What’s in a name? What can you really tell from a label like “polycystic ovarian syndrome”? And how much of that is more misconception than truth? The answer, as it turns out, is the former. In this episode, we delve into the world of PCOS, a world that shows us how preconceived notions of health and disease, gender and sexuality can do far more ha…

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Ep 180 Food Dyes: It’s all marketing 1:25:32

22d ago1:25:32

1:25:32

This episode, we aren’t asking you to taste the rainbow, but we are scrutinizing the artificial dyes that give it its color. When you’re munching on brightly colored candies or dipping a french fry in purple ketchup, what exactly is it you’re tasting? In this episode, we take you through the story of food dyes, from their serendipitous discovery to…

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Special Episode: Professor Steven Mithen & The Language Puzzle 49:29

29d ago49:29

49:29

From the earliest grunts and gestures to the complex sentences we use today to convey a multitude of concepts, language has evolved to become one of humanity’s most powerful tools. It allows us to connect, create, conspire, control, console, catch up, and so much more. How did we come to have this uniquely human trait? What anatomical changes or cu…

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Ep 179 Fluoride 2: Fighting tooth and nail 1:03:56

1M ago1:03:56

1:03:56

In last week’s episode, we traced the history of fluoridation (and the anti-fluoridation movement) to its roots in the early 20th century, but we left you wondering whether there’s anything to back up the health claims that anti-fluoridationists make. Today, we get deep into the weeds of the fluoride literature, explaining how this mineral works, t…

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Ep 178 Fluoride 1: The real tooth fairy 1:02:39

1M ago1:02:39

1:02:39

Is it just us, or does it seem like every other week there’s a new headline about some state or town banning water fluoridation? As it turns out, this has been going on for decades, basically since fluoride was first introduced. Why are some people opposed to fluoride? Is there any basis to their fears? What does fluoride actually do? And how the h…

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Special Episode: Dr. Wendy Kline & Exposed 56:56

2M ago56:56

56:56

For many of us, pelvic exams are a routine part of our healthcare. Of course, that doesn’t mean we don’t await them with some dread or anxiety; naturally, these exams evoke a wide range of emotions. But they are a cornerstone in gynecological preventative care - a relatively new one at that. In this TPWKY book club episode, we sit down with Dr. Wen…

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Ep 177 Toxic Shock Syndrome: A shock to the system 1:25:20

2M ago1:25:20

1:25:20

If you’ve ever read the little instructions pamphlet included in a box of tampons, you probably came across a paragraph calling attention to a condition called toxic shock syndrome (TSS). It describes the association between TSS and tampon use, symptoms of TSS, and guidance on how to reduce risk. This legally mandated warning label has formed an in…

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Ep 176 Strychnine: The WD-40 of Victorian Medicine 1:19:33

2M ago1:19:33

1:19:33

This week, we’re coming at you with a classic TPWKY episode on one of the most notorious poisons out there: strychnine. Although strychnine might not flash across too many headlines these days, it was once imported by the ton in certain regions of the world. What did people want with so much strychnine? Depends on who you ask. Maybe it was for a re…

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Special Episode: Dr. Adam Ratner & Booster Shots 52:32

2M ago52:32

52:32

For the past few months, measles has been in regular rotation in the news cycle here in the US, with outbreaks occurring across the country in regions with low vaccine uptake. These outbreaks represent a worrying trend in the rejection of scientific and medical expertise, with long-term consequences not only for those individuals refusing vaccines …

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Ep 175 What’s the deal with raw milk: Part 2 1:00:27

3M ago1:00:27

1:00:27

Last week, we started this two-parter with a big picture view of pasteurization and the raw milk movement. In this episode, we address the alleged health claims made by proponents of raw milk and dive into the very real risks carried by its consumption. Is raw milk actually better for you? Does it have more vitamins or prevent allergies? What deadl…

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Ep 174 What’s the deal with raw milk: Part 1 1:09:33

3M ago1:09:33

1:09:33

Seriously, what’s the deal? Lately, it seems like raw milk has started to pop up more and more frequently in our feeds, with influencers touting the alleged health benefits of raw milk over pasteurized milk. In this and next week’s episode, we explore the raw milk phenomenon as it has grown over the past few decades. We start this two-parter with a…

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Special Episode: John Green & Everything Is Tuberculosis 56:46

3M ago56:46

56:46

Tuberculosis, or consumption as it was once known, might conjure up images of huge sanitoriums or writers and artists from the late 1800s (Moulin Rouge, anyone?). But this deadly disease is far from an illness of the past. In many parts of the world, tuberculosis remains an insidious killer, despite the fact that we’ve had effective drugs to treat …

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Ep 173 Childhood Vaccine Schedule 2: Who’s making the call? 57:12

3M ago57:12

57:12

After last week’s episode, we all know about each of the diseases that we’re protected against thanks to our childhood vaccine schedule here in the US. And after this week’s episode, we’ll understand more about the schedule itself - why it might look different from other schedules around the world, how it gets made, and who makes the recommendation…

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Ep 172 Childhood Vaccine Schedule 1: Let’s give it a shot 1:07:43

4M ago1:07:43

1:07:43

We’re already back with our first episode of season 8! This week and next, we’re exploring childhood vaccine schedules - what diseases they protect us from, how the schedule is arranged, and who decides on the vaccines to include and the timing of vaccinations. In this first episode, we start with a refresher on how vaccines work before running thr…

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Ep 171 Pregnancy: Act 4 1:57:33

4M ago1:57:33

1:57:33

Content Warning: This episode includes mentions of miscarriage, pregnancy loss, pregnancy complications, traumatic birth experiences, and other potentially disturbing topics related to childbirth, pregnancy, and the postpartum period. We close out our pregnancy series with a big picture view of how the childbirth experience has changed over the pas…

Tpwky Podcasts

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This Podcast Will Kill You

Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts

1
Ep 182 SSRIs Part 1: Origin 1:02:00

1
Special Episode: Wendy Chin-Tanner & King of the Armadillos 56:21

1
Ep 181 PCOS: Beyond the cysts 1:26:36

1
Ep 180 Food Dyes: It’s all marketing 1:25:32

1
Special Episode: Professor Steven Mithen & The Language Puzzle 49:29

1
Ep 179 Fluoride 2: Fighting tooth and nail 1:03:56

1
Ep 178 Fluoride 1: The real tooth fairy 1:02:39

1
Special Episode: Dr. Wendy Kline & Exposed 56:56

1
Ep 177 Toxic Shock Syndrome: A shock to the system 1:25:20

1
Ep 176 Strychnine: The WD-40 of Victorian Medicine 1:19:33

1
Special Episode: Dr. Adam Ratner & Booster Shots 52:32

1
Ep 175 What’s the deal with raw milk: Part 2 1:00:27

1
Ep 174 What’s the deal with raw milk: Part 1 1:09:33

1
Special Episode: John Green & Everything Is Tuberculosis 56:46

1
Ep 173 Childhood Vaccine Schedule 2: Who’s making the call? 57:12

1
Ep 172 Childhood Vaccine Schedule 1: Let’s give it a shot 1:07:43

1
Ep 171 Pregnancy: Act 4 1:57:33