In this episode of Okay, But Why?, we dive deep into the sinister world of ergot – a toxic fungus that has plagued human history through tainted grains. For centuries, ergot outbreaks have caused mass sickness and death, unleashing terrifying symptoms like hallucinations, seizures, gangrene, and madness. But how did this deadly fungus creep into th…

In this episode, we take a hard look at one of medicine’s most shameful secrets—the Tuskegee Syphilis Study. How did a 40-year “experiment” leave hundreds of African American men untreated for syphilis under the guise of science? We’ll break down the twisted logic, the ethical disasters, and how this scandal still haunts public trust today. It's a …

In this episode of Okay, But Why?, we dive into one of the most bizarre and tragic events in American history: the Great Molasses Flood of 1919. Imagine a tidal wave of sticky, thick molasses rushing through the streets of Boston, causing chaos and destruction in its wake. But how could such a sweet substance turn so deadly? Join us as we unravel t…

Imagine a future powered by clean, cheap energy. The Three Mile Island Nuclear Plant, built near major Pennsylvania cities, promised just that. But after only a year, a partial meltdown turned that dream into a near-catastrophe. Coincidentally, a movie predicting a similar disaster and cover-up had just been released. As the crisis unfolded, poor c…

The drug Thalidomide entered the marked in the late 50's and 10s of thousands of mothers around the world used it to fight morning sickness with no prescription needed. Little did they know, it would be linked to a 5 time increase in birth defects and infant death. The Thalidomide scandal changed drug regulations around the world but the drug is st…

In the late 80s a cow was diagnosed with Bovine spongiform encephalopathy, AKA Mad Cow Disease which started an outbreak that led to hundreds of thousands of animals diagnosed, millions culled, and almost 200 human deaths. The Mad Cow Disease outbreak changed what we know about prions and affects trade markets still. But cows aren't the only ones a…

The Radium Girls were one of the most sought-after jobs in the US during the war. The women who worked there were known for how beautifully the glowed and their skilled labor with Radium. Little did they know they were slowly being poisoned and their employers were hiding it even as they started to die.…

Imagine having a headache or pain and popping a few Tylenols only to be poisoned and die within a few hours. The Tylenol murders rocked the nation and changed how all of our items are packaged. Still unsolved, these cases caused massive public panic and recalls before our drugs and food completely changed how we sell and expect to receive our produ…

The story of Mary Malolon AKA Typhoid Mary. Who was she and how did her life and isolation teach us about pathogens and cross contamination. Her life altered what we know, not only about salmonella and food safety, but how diseases travel.Microbac による

A show that explains how some of the most significant pop culture events have changed our scientific world!Microbac による