A short podcast about everyday risks from germs

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 👍🏼

Gregory Koch: "Me wearing my #RiskyOrNot no waffles shirt for Passover. @bugcounter.bsky.social @benjaminchapman.bsky.social" — Bluesky
Quantifying the Influence of Relative Humidity, Temperature, and Diluent on the Survival and Growth of Enterobacter aerogenes - ScienceDirect
Draft Genome Sequence for Klebsiella michiganensis B199A, Originally Identified as Enterobacter aerogenes | Microbiology Resource Announcements
Matt Igo | LinkedIn
Aqua North Carolina | Essential Utilities

A clear glass of milk sits on a wooden surface, featuring a vibrant purple crazy straw looping playfully above the rim. The background is softly lit with a neutral tone, highlighting the straw’s curves and the milk’s smooth texture. The image is balanced, nostalgic, and visually inviting.

755. Reusable Straws

April 07, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using re-usable straws.

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

A charming cartoon mouse in an apron stands on a stool, cheerfully churning butter in a rustic farmhouse kitchen. Warm lighting, wooden beams, and shelves filled with jars and herbs create a cozy, storybook atmosphere. The scene is whimsical, inviting, and full of delightful countryside detail.

748. Butter That a Mouse Churned

March 21, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating butter that a mouse churned.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

A modern home kitchen features an open oven with a small pile of rodent feces on the rack. In the background, a cute mouse with big eyes and a guilty expression peeks out, adding a humorous contrast to the otherwise clean and well-lit space.

747. Cooking in an Oven With Mouse Droppings

March 19, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from cooking in an oven with mouse droppings.

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

The image depicts a blonde-haired, bearded man standing outdoors, gently kissing a raven. He has a peaceful expression, and the raven appears calm. The background is a soft, blurred natural setting with trees and sky. The lighting is serene, highlighting the man’s flowing hair and the raven’s sleek feathers.

743. Kissing a Raven

March 10, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from kissing a raven.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

The image features a small, vibrant parrot perched on a person's finger, holding a tiny spoon in its beak and stirring a steaming cup of coffee. The background is warm and cozy, with soft lighting. The parrot appears curious and focused, adding a whimsical touch to the charming scene.

742. Stirring Your Coffee With "Pickle" the Barrista Bird Daily

March 07, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of letting a parrot stir you coffee with a spoon every day.

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

The image shows an open dishwasher in a modern kitchen. Inside, along with regular dishes, sits a very dirty bird feeder covered in grime, dirt, and birdseed remnants. The scene looks unusual and messy, highlighting the contrast between household cleaning and outdoor grime in an unexpected setting.

741. Using a Dishwasher to Wash a Bird Feeder

March 05, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using a dishwasher to wash a bird feeder.

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

The image depicts a caring parent using a snot sucker to remove mucus from their infant's nose. The baby appears calm, while the parent has a concerned yet gentle expression. Virus particles swirl around, glowing to emphasize the presence of germs. The setting is a cozy home with soft lighting.

740. Using a "Snot Sucker" With Ones Mouth

March 03, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks posed by using a "snot sucker" with ones mouth.

Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️

A blonde-haired toddler with chubby cheeks sits on the floor, mischievously placing a chicken nugget into their tiny slipper. They wear colorful pajamas, and the cozy home setting has scattered toys in the background. The child's playful expression and clear action make the scene both adorable and amusing.

739. Nugget Shoes

February 28, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from a toddler placing chicken nuggets in their shoes.

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

A person is drying their hands with a slightly dirty, wrinkled hand towel in a home bathroom. The towel shows visible signs of frequent use, with light stains and a worn texture. The background features a bathroom sink and mirror, emphasizing an everyday, lived-in atmosphere.

737. Using a Bath Towel (Laundered Weekly) to Dry Hands After Using the Bathroom and Before Preparing Food

February 24, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of using weekly laundered bath towel to dry hands after using the bathroom and before preparing food.

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 👍🏼

A rugged, bare-chested Canadian man with a bushy beard smiles while holding a rice ball. His wild hair and visible chest hair add to his outdoorsy charm. In the background, a shy Japanese girl blushes, covering her face with one hand, standing in a cozy, traditional Japanese-style kitchen.

735. Armpit Riceballs

February 19, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of making riceballs in an armpit.

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

A small strawberry sits at the bottom of an absurdly deep kitchen sink garbage disposal filled with a chaotic spiral of countless sharp blades. The exaggerated quantity of blades contrasts humorously with the strawberry’s vulnerability. A big red button labeled "Garbage Disposal" looms in the background, enhancing the scene’s comedic tension.

733. Ben's Garbage Disposal Strawberry

February 14, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating a strawberry that has fallen into a garbage disposal.

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

The image depicts a cyclist in professional gear standing beside their road bike on a scenic route. They are licking an energy chew, preparing to stick it to the bike frame. The background features mountains or countryside, with early morning light setting a serene atmosphere for the long ride ahead.

731. Sticking Energy Chews to a Bike's Frame for Easy Access

February 10, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from sticking energy chews to a bike's frame for easy access.

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

The image shows a transparent plastic container filled with brown sugar, with dry, crumbly pieces of stale bread mixed in. The container is placed on a clean kitchen countertop with a neutral background, emphasizing the sugar’s granular texture and the contrasting roughness of the bread.

728. Using Stale Bread in Brown Sugar

February 03, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of using stale bread to keep brown sugar moist.

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

The image shows a person loading dishes into an open dishwasher in a modern, well-lit kitchen. The dishes are visibly contaminated with red streaks and residue from raw meat juices, emphasizing cross-contamination risks. The individual, dressed casually, appears unaware of the contamination, with clean countertops and appliances surrounding them.

727. Placing Raw Meat Dishes Directly in the Dishwasher

January 31, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from not pre-washing raw meat dishes and placing them directly in the dishwasher.

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

A whimsical scene of a bearded professor in a tweed jacket sipping diet cola while licking orange cheese dust off his fingers from Cheetos. Surrounded by scattered books and papers in a cozy academic office, his quirky enjoyment adds charm to the playful, lighthearted atmosphere.

724. Licking Cheetos Dust Off Your Fingers

January 24, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from licking Cheetos dust off your fingers.

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

The image depicts a lively coffee cupping session where participants share spoons, simultaneously dipping them into small labeled coffee cups arranged on a rustic wooden table. The cozy café setting features sunlight streaming through large windows, green plants, and coffee equipment, creating a warm, collaborative, and interactive atmosphere.

721. Coffee Cupping in January

January 17, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from coffee tasting using shared cups, i.e., coffee cupping.

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

A blindfolded person leans over a table, humorously using their face to sort seven quirky objects: an egg, paper, cheese wedge, icy tetrahedron, banana, water-filled cube, and jello pentagonal prism. The colorful, playful setting highlights the absurdity of the task, blending surreal elements with a touch of whimsy.

716. Arranging Objects on a Table Using Only Your Face

January 06, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of arranging objects on a table using only your face.

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

A large wooden bowl is filled with fresh, vibrant blueberries. Nestled among the berries are two upside-down baseball hats, one red and one blue, with their interiors facing upward. The scene is set on a rustic wooden table, softly lit by natural light, creating a whimsical and cozy atmosphere.

715. Blueberries That Had a New Hat Fall Into Them Twice

January 03, 2025 by Don Schaffner

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating blueberries that had a new hat fall into them twice.

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