A short podcast about everyday risks from germs
A joyful 2025 New Year's baby, wearing a "2025" sash, holds and playfully licks a colorful, harmless snake. The backdrop features vibrant New Year's decorations, including fireworks, balloons, and a festive atmosphere, creating a whimsical and celebratory scene that blends innocence, humor, and the excitement of the new year.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of letting your baby lick a snake.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
The image shows a person wearing gloves and an apron, using a cloth towel to dry a poultry carcass on a clean kitchen counter. A modern white washing machine is visible in the background, emphasizing a bright, hygienic environment. The scene highlights care and cleanliness during food preparation.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from washing poultry blotting towels in cold water.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
The image on the left depicts a kitchen setting where a person is preparing a smoothie using unconventional ingredients. The scene shows a pair of hands actively dumping pieces of freeze-dried beef organs into an open blender. The freeze-dried meat looks dark, shriveled, and somewhat unappealing, contrasting with the lighter, powdery texture of the colostrum being added alongside it. The blender jar is clear, showcasing the mixture of unusual ingredients inside.
The countertop is cluttered, enhancing the feeling of a work-in-progress. The kitchen itself has a somewhat dim, rustic appearance, with faint, warm lighting casting subtle shadows that accentuate the strangeness of the ingredients. The scene evokes a sense of curiosity and slight discomfort due to the odd nature of the items being used to create the smoothie.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of drinking a freeze dried beef organs and colostrum smoothie.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
The image portrays a tender and dynamic moment in a cozy kitchen setting. A toddler with chubby hands and wide, curious eyes is reaching up toward a wooden table where raw flour is scattered. The child’s expression is one of wonder and excitement, emphasizing the natural curiosity of toddlers. The child is dressed in a simple, colorful outfit that adds a sense of innocence to the scene.
Beside the toddler, a mother is shown mid-action, leaning over to gently snatch the child's hand away from the flour. Her face reflects a mix of concern and warmth, illustrating the protective nature of a parent. Her gesture is quick but careful, ensuring that her movement doesn’t startle the toddler.
The background details a cozy kitchen space with warm, ambient lighting. On the table, there are hints of baking supplies, such as a rolling pin, a small mixing bowl, and perhaps a bag of flour, which has slightly spilled and created a thin dusting across the tabletop. Flour particles can be seen faintly suspended in the air, adding a sense of motion and realism.
Overall, the scene captures a candid moment of parenting, highlighting both the toddler's sense of discovery and the mother's nurturing attentiveness.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of letting a toddler eat raw flour.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
DALL·E - An idyllic setting in Los Angeles with a store named 'Cookie Dough Dreams'. The storefront has a warm, inviting atmosphere, painted in soft pastels.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating raw cookie dough from Cookie Dough Dreams in LA.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
DALL·E - An open carton of eggs with several uncracked eggs neatly arranged. One of the eggs in the middle has a small, noticeable crack.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating a properly cooked egg with a crack in it.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
DALL·E - A realistic image of a cut avocado wrapped in plastic wrap, sitting on a kitchen counter. The kitchen counter is dimly lit, indicating it's the middle of the night.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from leaving a cut unripe avocado at room temperature for a day.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
DALL·E - A detailed image of a spatchcocked chicken resting in a refrigerator. The chicken is spread out flat, with the skin facing up, and placed on a rack next to a fan.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of blowing air over raw chicken.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
DALL·E - A half of a cut watermelon sitting on a kitchen counter in the middle of the night. The kitchen is dimly lit, with a soft glow from a nearby light.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating cut watermelon at room temperature for a day or more.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
DALL·E - A turtle standing on a golf course. The turtle is holding a golf club in one hand and a can of beer in the other. The golf course has green grass...
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using a turtle to open a beverage on a golf course.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
DALL·E - A refrigerated display case containing one package of ground beef. The ground beef package has a label that includes the words “The ground meats in this display have been produced using fresh and frozen meat”.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of thawing and refreezing meat multiple times.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
DALL·E - A jar of pickles with a pork chop inside. A hand is reaching into the jar and pulling out the pork chop. The jar is transparent, filled with green pickles.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating pickles from a jar used to marinate raw pork.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
DALL·E - An outdoor restaurant under a bridge on a river, as seen from a passing boat. The setting includes tables and chairs neatly arranged… Lots of birds too
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating at a restaurant under a bridge at the San Antonio Riverwalk.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
DALL·E - A French chef in a traditional white uniform, including a toque (chef's hat), is simultaneously cracking two eggs. In one hand the chef is cracking the egg on the side of the pan, and in the other hand they're cracking an egg on flat table… supposedly.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of breaking your eggs on something pointed versus something flat.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
DALL·E - A clean-shaven man eating a big piece of very raw chicken. He looks very nauseous, with his eyebrows furrowed and a grimace on his face…
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating raw chicken every day.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
Don wrote a small QMRA on this topic, available here https://go.rutgers.edu/rcQMRA
DALL·E 20 - A piece of cheese that appears to be made entirely out of cashews, sitting on a wooden cheese board. The cheese should have an unusual and slightly unsafe look, like it contains dangerous bacteria.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of homemade cashew cheese.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
Here's the image of a fictional package of beef jerky labeled as "Uncle Mike's Beef Jerky Company," designed for social media promotion.
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating homemade beef jerky from facebook marketplace.
Dr. Don - risky ☣️
Professor Ben - risky ☣️
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of storing raw ground beef in a deli preparation station near ready-to-eat foods.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
DALL·E - a Meringue pie
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from consuming meringue.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼
DALL·E - A raindrop falling off an awning into a cup of coffee in the style of MC Escher
Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of drinking a cup of coffee into which a drop of water from an awning has fallen.
Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼
Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼