A short podcast about everyday risks from germs
Picture from the New York York Times article
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from roux raw dough cookies.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
Don's actual letter
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking water from a source that failed to maintain treatment for removing bacteria.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: Five bamboo toothbrushes stand in a rustic wooden holder on a weathered bathroom vanity. Four have colorful protective brush covers, while one exposed toothbrush is missing its cover. A pump soap dispenser, wood-framed mirror, and warm natural lighting complete the cozy, rustic setting.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from brushing your teeth with a toothbrush that was not in a toothbrush protector.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: The outline of Michigan’s Upper and Lower Peninsulas is formed entirely from crisp iceberg lettuce leaves, arranged on a dark textured background. The square, top-down composition highlights the state’s distinctive shape using layered pale-green lettuce pieces for a playful, food-inspired map.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating lettuce in Michigan right now
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A person holds a labeled container of cooked mixed vegetables while removing it from a refrigerator. The vegetables appear thawed and ready for reheating, with bright colors and no visible ice crystals. Other refrigerated foods and fresh produce are visible on the surrounding shelves.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from reheating refrigerated cooked frozen vegetables (when the package says not to).
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
This is an actual image of a water fountain, but it's probably not the one from the Louvre.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking from a bathroom sink water fountain at the Louvre.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A hand drops a white aspirin tablet into a glass pint jar packed with fresh raspberries on a kitchen counter. Nearby are an aspirin box, a blister pack of tablets, and a metal jar lid, suggesting a home remedy or food-preservation practice in a warm kitchen setting.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of aspirin canning.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
ChatGPT image description: A smiling man in a white lab coat labeled “Toxicologist” tends a wood-fired maple syrup evaporator in a snowy Canadian forest. Holding a beaker of finished syrup, he monitors the boiling sap while scientific glassware and a rustic sugar shack emphasize the blend of science and traditional maple syrup production.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from making your own maple syrup.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A restaurant worker in a black uniform and gloves leans over a large roast beef sub sandwich in a commercial kitchen. She is visibly spitting onto the sandwich, creating an intentionally unsanitary scene. Food-preparation ingredients and an employee handwashing sign are visible in the background.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating a sandwich contaminated with spit from someone with oral herpes.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
Actual image from the video
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating smash tacos
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
Actual image of the package of the product in question.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating boiled fresh tortellini from a package with a few mold spots.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
ChatGPT image description: An open takeout container of chicken tikka masala and rice sits beside a crowded hot tub. The curry appears diluted and splashed, with water droplets covering the container and table. Several children are visible in the background, suggesting the meal has been contaminated by hot-tub splash water.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating chicken tikka masala splashed with hot tub water.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A visibly intoxicated man crouches in a driveway, lighting the fuse of an oversized fireworks mortar while holding a beer. Alarmed friends and family back away with raised hands and worried expressions. The nighttime suburban scene emphasizes unsafe behavior and the potential danger of mishandling fireworks.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from launching the "good" fireworks in your driveway.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
ChatGPT image description: A father sits at a kitchen table eating a deli meat sandwich while his smiling infant son reaches over and pulls a slice of meat from it. The candid family moment captures curiosity, playfulness, and shared mealtime interaction in a warm, homey setting.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from feeding lunchmeat to a baby.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
ChatGPT image description: A person stands at the entrance to a berry-picking field holding a basket, facing a prominent warning sign that reads, “Norovirus is spiking in this area.” The sunny farm setting and cheerful berry-picking signage contrast with the health warning, creating a clear food-safety dilemma.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating pick your own berries in an area during a norovirus spike in June 2026.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A plate of golden-brown French toast sits forgotten on a kitchen counter. Syrup has pooled around the slices, and the meal appears untouched. The ordinary home setting suggests it has been left at room temperature for several hours, creating a subtle food-safety concern.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating French toast that was made yesterday and sat out for 3 hours before refrigeration.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
A picture of the actual ham
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from him that's been in the freezer since 1992.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
This is an image of the actual device.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from a continuous homemade sichuan pickle fermenter.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: Two restaurant employees stand in front of a commercial grill, looking embarrassed and slightly frazzled. Their uniforms are dusty and rumpled, hair is messy, and both wear uneasy expressions. Smoke rises from the grill behind them, suggesting a hectic kitchen mishap or an especially challenging shift.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating food from a grill that had been previously used for sex.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
ChatGPT image description: A refrigerated meal kit labeled “Lemon Herb Chicken” sits prominently on a refrigerator shelf among fresh produce and food containers. Condensation dots the packaging, and a label indicates it is on day four of refrigerated storage, suggesting it is still within its intended use period.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating meal kit chicken that's been in the refrigerator for four days
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼