In today's episode, Harini shares the incredible story of The Freedom House Ambulance Service. Freedom House was the first emergency medical service in the United States to provide training beyond first aid and other amazing things, such as being the first emergency service to supply Narcan in overdose cases! Freedom House, staffed entirely by black paramedics, was the blueprint for paramedic training and emergency medical services today (although back then, a ride in the ambulance was entirely free *sigh*).

Further Reading: "American Sirens" by Kevin Hazzard. 

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In today's episode, Megan provides a step-by-step update on her compounded semaglutide journey. She and Harini also contemplate the quick but quiet death of the Ozempic craze (at least by frenzied-netizen-discourse standards). Why were we all so passionately opiniated about Ozempic for five months, and now can barely get DailyMail to cover it? And what has the FDA had to say since the Ozempic name has become passé? Tune in to find out!

NOTE: Since the recording of this episode, the American Diabetes Association has released new data on a wide-array of novel GLP-1 agonists ("obesity drugs") that truly make semaglutide old news. Read about it here: https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2023/06/ozempic-pills-obesity-drugs-semaglutide/674541/

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Happy International Women's Day! If you're looking to learn about a rockstar woman scientist, check out Episode 40 - The Mirror Image Disaster. In it, we talk about Dr. Frances Oldhem Kelsey, the FDA scientist who single-handedly fought to keep Thalidomide off the market and out of our medicine cabinets.

In today's episode, Harini teaches Megan about how one of the biggest Allied cover-ups in WWII history led to the discovery and development of chemotherapy. During WWII, German bombers devastated the port of Bari, Italy where Allied personnel were stationed. Soldiers who were launched into the harbor, but survived the bombing, began to experience severe blistering and heightened internal temperatures. American doctor and chemical warfare expert, Stewart Francis Alexander, believed that all symptoms pointed to mustard gas. But when his report to Allied leaders was met with indifference and exasperation, he knew he had stumbled upon a possible conspiracy. Why were they denying the presence of mustard gas in the bay? Why was this form of gas causing these specific symptoms? Tune in to find out.

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We've been keeping a close eye on the Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. It has been over three weeks since the 38-car freight train derailed and leaked toxic chemicals - most significantly, vinyl chloride and butyl acrylate - into the soil. In an effort towards containment, the EPA authorized a control burn of these chemicals which has led to widespread concern, locally and nationally, about dioxin pollution in the air. In addition, the derailment has re-ignited scrutiny towards negligence in the railroad industry. Nearly one month later, how has this disaster impacted the natural environment and civilian health since its occurrence? And what long lasting consequences will the residents of East Palestine and surrounding communities feel in the years to follow?

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In today's episode, Megan addresses the recent uptick in public interest in fungi and fungal infections as a result of HBO's newest series, The Last of Us. When the series aired, frenzied netizens were quick to take to online forums - Reddit, TikTok - to draw parallels between the show/video game and real life. Zombifying fungi do exist in the real world and the rate of fungal infections have increased in the last six years (possibly due to an increase in global temperature). Scary! But how much stock should we really put into the science behind The Last of Us and frightening fungi? Megan has answers. 

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In Riverside, CA, 1994, a young woman by the name of Gloria Cecilia Ramirez was admitted to the emergency department of Riverside General Hospital for tachycardia and abnormal respiratory patterns. As emergency staff proceeded with defribillation, it was observed that Gloria's body was covered in an oily sheen and was emitting a garlicky-fruity smell. As a nurse drew blood, the smell of ammonia filled the room. Several hospital workers in proximity to Gloria became nauseaus and collapsed. What was happening in that hospital room? Had Gloria's body become a biomedical hazard? And, if so, how? This is the story of The Toxic Lady. 

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This is the epic story of Dr. Harvey Washington Wiley, an American chemist who pulled back the curtain on the unregulated, U.S. food industry of the late 1800s. With the assistance of his "Poison Squad" - a group of test subjects who willingly volunteered to eat food preserved with toxic substances such as formaldehyde and borax - and the indirect help of Upton Sinclair's sensational The Jungle, Harvey was finally able to influence the passing of the Meat Inspection Act and the Pure Food and Drug Act of 1906. Try not to listen on an empty stomach, because you may not have an appetite by the end. 

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We're rounding out the Four Big Pollution Disasters/Diseases of Japan with Yokkaichi asthma. Yokkaichi asthma was the name given to a breadth of respiratory ailments that the people of Yokkaichi, Japan suffered due to negligent industrial plant practices between 1960-1970. Sodium dioxide and sodium trioxide (in the form of acid mist) filled the skies above Yokkaichi and left a lasting impact on the city. Similar to Minamata and Itai Itai disease, Yokkaichi asthma was a result of a rapidly industrializing country that was laser focused on its chemical exports, sadly, to the detriment of its environment and its people.  

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Harini is launching a YouTube channel! Today I Learned Science by Dr. Harini Bhat goes live on Thursday, January 26th at 12pm PST. Click the link below and subscribe for additional, riveting science content that goes beyond the world of toxicology and poison. 

https://youtube.com/@tilscience

In this episode, we discuss Itai Itai disease -  one of the Four Big Pollution Diseases of Japan. Similar to Minamata disease, this excruciating bone and kidney disease was the outcome of mass, toxic metal poisoning through polluted waterways. It disproportionately impacted women and the elderly. Those who became sick were known to weep the phrase "Itai Itai!", meaning "It hurts! It hurts!".

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In this episode, Harini gives us a rundown of the history of vitamins and supplements. An unexpected byproduct of post-WWII, high-yield agricultural practices and the development of genetically modified, disease-resistant grains, supplements and supplemental vitamins quickly became a household staple to accommodate for nutrient-poor food. In less than a century, the world of "vits" and "sups" has evolved into a multi-billion dollar, unregulated industry. The FDA has no jurisdiction here. While the chance of supplement-poisoning is exceedingly rare, listeners will walk away from this episode raising eyebrows every time someone says, "Take your vitamins!".

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In this episode, Harini explains the importance of permafrost and how this frozen slurry of soil, rocks, and sand is the guardian of millennia-old bacteria, fungi, and viruses! Permafrost has become a greater topic of public interest as concerns around climate change and the reduction of our greater carbon footprint have intensified within the last decade. Is the permafrost melting and, if so, how fast? And what mysteries of the deep are finally coming to surface?

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In our first episode of 2023, Harini introduces us to Dartmouth professor and chemist Karen Wetterhahn, who specialized in toxic metal exposure. In the 1990s, Dr. Wetterhahn was a tour de force in the world of toxic metal research and greatly influenced an increased interest among women to pursue science majors through Dartmouth College's Women in Science Project (WISP). In a cruel twist of fate (or cosmic anomaly), Wetterhahn's career and life ended early doing exactly the thing she loved the most. 

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"AI, so hot right now. AI." - Mugatu

In today's episode, Harini and Megan discuss the perceived implications of artificial intelligence (AI) in healthcare. MegaSyn, an AI drug discovery platform originally invented to develop drugs to combat orphan (rare) diseases, made waves in 2021 when it's creators discovered that a simple change of code would lead MegaSyn to generate thousands of known AND novel toxic molecules (for example, VX). Of course, this raised flags across the international healthcare community and posed the questions: what happens if AI falls into the wrong hands, and how can we prevent this from happening? 

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Today we are celebrating our 100th episode! Join us as we reminisce on our favorite episodes and test each other's knowledge in a game of Deadly Dose trivia! We want to give a big, BIG "thank you" to all of the Poison Pals out there who have inspired us to keep creating and sharing these crazy, wonderful stories about science and poison. We could not have done it without you. Cheers to 100!

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In today's episode, Harini reviews the new Netflix documentary Capturing the Killer Nurse, a supplement to the streaming platform's recently released The Good Nurse. Both films depict the actions and eventual capture of serial killer Charles Cullen, and how the self-interest of healthcare employers and prioritization of hospital reputations ultimately prolonged his arrest and put patients at risk. Harini provides a play-by-play of how the documentary compares to the dramatized version of this tragic story. 

In today's episode, Harini provides a play-by-play of The Good Nurse, Netflix's recent true-crime biopic that details the harrowing story of nurse Amy Loughren who became a confidential informant for the New Jersey Police Department in their efforts to catch serial killer Charles Cullen. Cullen was a nurse who moved discreetly within the healthcare industry for 16 years before being caught for poisoning and murdering patients. As Part I, this episode will cover the film adaptation of this incredible story. Stay tuned for Part II which will shed more light on the events that occurred in real life. 

Sources:

If you liked this episode please rate, review and subscribe!

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In this episode, Megan takes us on an underwater adventure to swim alongside the magnificent and often misunderstood stingray! Megan even shares her own personal experience of being stung by one of these silly water pancakes, the traumatic event that inspired this episode! So don't hit that shuffle button just yet. The only shuffling we're doing today is the Stingray Shuffle. 

In today's episode, Harini provides a play-by-play of The Good Nurse, Netflix's recent true-crime biopic that details the harrowing story of nurse Amy Loughren who became a confidential informant for the New Jersey Police Department in their efforts to catch serial killer Charles Cullen. Cullen was a nurse who moved discreetly within the healthcare industry for 16 years before being caught for poisoning and murdering patients. As Part I, this episode will cover the film adaptation of this incredible story. Stay tuned for Part II which will shed more light on the events that occurred in real life. 

Sources:

If you liked this episode please rate, review and subscribe!

Follow us on Instagram: @deadlydosepod

TikTok: @tilscience

Email us your homegrown poison stories at deadlydosepod@gmail.com

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In today's episode, Harini provides a play-by-play of The Good Nurse, Netflix's recent true-crime biopic that details the harrowing story of nurse Amy Loughren who became a confidential informant for the New Jersey Police Department in their efforts to catch serial killer Charles Cullen. Cullen was a nurse who moved discreetly within the healthcare industry for 16 years before being caught for poisoning and murdering patients. As Part I, this episode will cover the film adaptation of this incredible story. Stay tuned for Part II which will shed more light on the events that occurred in real life. 

Sources:

• The Good Nurse (Netflix Film 2022)

• https://myaccount.nytimes.com/get-started/thank-you?o=0fd8cf46-d029-11ea-a072-340cee6a52b6&campaignId=9XHYQ&pt=UEFZUEFM&pi=UEFZUEFM&country=US

• https://www.nytimes.com/2006/03/03/nyregion/as-victims-relatives-watch-nurse-who-killed-29-gets-11-life-terms.html

• https://murderpedia.org/male.C/c/cullen-charles.htm

• https://theconversation.com/weekly-dose-digoxin-the-heart-medicine-that-may-have-given-us-van-goghs-starry-night-57980

• https://www.uspharmacist.com/article/digoxin-use-in-modern-medicine#:~:text=Digoxin%20is%20a%20cardiac%20glycoside,congestive%20heart%20failure%3B%20CHF).

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In this episode, Harini sheds light on Havana Syndrome, the mysterious ailment plaguing U.S. government officials since 2016. Alleged symptoms include auditory pain, ringing in the ears, and cognitive difficulty. Is this merely an example of mass psychogenic illness or is there something more malevolent in the air?

Sources:

• https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/20/us/politics/havana-syndrome-cia-report.html
• https://www.bbc.com/news/world-58396698
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2022/06/23/united-states-havana-syndrome-payments/
• https://www.wsj.com/articles/havana-syndrome-symptoms-11626882951
• https://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2021/10/havana-syndrome-sees-uptick-in-cases-concerns-and-questions/
• https://www.npr.org/2022/01/20/1074338995/cia-report-no-evidence-linking-havana-syndrome-cases-to-a-foreign-country
• https://today.tamu.edu/2022/04/22/exposure-to-high-powered-microwave-frequencies-may-cause-brain-injuries/#:~:text=The%20findings%20of%20Texas%20A%26M,energy%20and%20traumatic%20brain%20injuries.&text=While%20microwaves%20are%20generally%20considered,potential%20to%20cause%20brain%20injuries.

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In 1969, a river in the midwest caught on fire for 24 minutes. Despite its minimal damage and zero death-toll, this short-lived fire had a lasting impact on the United States. Its legacy includes the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Clean Water Act, and Earth Day. How did this pitiful fire become a raging beacon in the battle against environmental pollution? Megan explains. 

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We wish this episode was about the best breakfast cocktail ever, but alas, it is not. In our final installment of our Spooktober Series, Megan talks about the origins of the most infamous urban legend that plagues slumber parties and tween girls everywhere. Who is Bloody Mary and why is the act of summoning her of particular fascination to children? Is this spooky folktale a bizarre euphemism for puberty or is it just paranormal fun and games? If you stick around long enough, you'll get to witness Megan perform the ritual herself. WARNING: panic definitely ensues. 

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In today's episode, Harini takes us on a magical voyage through the Potterverse to study a handful of poisons and potions that have become iconic as world-building, plot devices in the series and franchise. Did you know that a majority of these enchanting elixirs and the lore behind them actually exist in the muggle world - our muggle world? Better pay close attention: the Potions Master is in and Professor Bhat does not take kindly to insubordinate witches and wizards.

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In this episode: Harry Potter (book and films)

Sources:

• https://www.mcgill.ca/oss/article/drugs-history-you-asked/what-truth-serum

• https://usfws.medium.com/the-real-magical-plants-in-harry-potter-e937ea3b560e

• https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-history-and-uses-of-the-magical-mandrake-according-to-modern-witches

• Harry Potter Wikifandom

• https://daily.jstor.org/from-the-belly-of-a-goat-to-the-mouth-of-a-king/

• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3540541/

• https://www.nationalgeographic.com/travel/article/love_potions

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For as long as humans have observed death, we still don't know a lot about what happens cognitively in our final days and hours. Anecdotes of dying loved ones seeing visions of deceased relatives or having moments of lucidity despite battling degenerative neurological diseases have been shared for centuries. What are deathbed visions and terminal (paradoxical) lucidity? Why do these phenomena occur as someone is about to pass? Is there a veil that opens between the human consciousness and a world beyond us? And if so, are these visions actually spirit guides, angels, ghosts, or something else? Megan talks about the empirical data that has been gathered so far about terminal lucidity and deathbed visions. But there are many questions that science has yet to answer...and, to us, that's pretty spooky. 

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In this episode:

• The Consciousness Podcast with Stuart Preston - Episode 14: Terminal Lucidity and Consciousness with Dr. Michael Nahm
• The Seeking I Life Exploration Podcast - Episode 27: Terminal Lucidity, Death Bed Visions and More with Dr. Marilyn Mendoza
• Shift Your Spirits with Slade Roberson - Deathbed Visions: Signposts of Dying with Dr. Martha Jo Atkins

Episode Sources: 

• https://www.alzheimers.org.uk/about-dementia/symptoms-and-diagnosis/hallucinations
• https://www.chicagotribune.com/lifestyles/health/ct-end-of-life-seeing-ghosts-20170724-story.html
• https://blogs.scientificamerican.com/bering-in-mind/one-last-goodbye-the-strange-case-of-terminal-lucidity/
• https://journals.lww.com/jonmd/Abstract/2009/12000/Terminal_Lucidity_in_Patients_With_Chronic.12.aspx
• https://psi-encyclopedia.spr.ac.uk/users/michael-nahm
• http://marthajoatkins.com/about-3
• https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260250637_The_Death_of_Anna_Katharina_Ehmer_A_Case_Study_in_Terminal_Lucidity

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Spooktober is officially here! In our first installment of our annual Spooktober series, we're talking all about Vampyres. To this day, we still celebrate the seductive, undying, Euro-centric interpretation of vampires in our media, literature, and costumes despite being a centuries-old trope. What is the history and science behind the mythology that we love? Were vampires ever real or was there a misunderstood virus involved at the root of vampire lore? Take a bite of this episode to find out!

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In today's episode, Megan talks about the slime-tastic world of snail mucin and how, in the past 10 years, it has gained a foothold in the beauty/skincare industry. Is slime mucin simply a gimmicky ingredient advertised to coerce the curious (or desperate) to shell out more money on skincare products? Or does it actually have scientifically-backed qualities that benefit human skin? Megan has the answers. 

Also mentioned...Harini is a Telly Award Winner! Check out her winning videos below: 

Where the Heck do Eels Come From?  (Silver Award 44th Annual Telly Awards)

Are F1 Drivers Athletes? (Bronze Award 44th Annual Telly Awards)

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House of the Dragon on HBO Max has been out for over a month now and fans of the original Game of Thrones are having a field-day comparing the two storylines, ourselves included! In this episode, we wanted to talk about notable drugs and poisons that play a large role in the Song of Ice and Fire universe. Moon tea, anyone?

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Episode Sources:

• https://gameofthrones.fandom.com/wiki/Poison#Known_poisonings
• https://gameofthrones.fandom.com/wiki/Tears_of_Lys
• https://gameofthrones.fandom.com/wiki/Strangler
• https://gameofthrones.fandom.com/wiki/Long_farewell
• https://awoiaf.westeros.org/index.php/Tears_of_Lys#A_Game_of_Thrones
• https://gameofthrones.fandom.com/wiki/Moon_tea
• https://www.kew.org/read-and-watch/tale-two-poppies

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In the last six years, Jordan Peterson has become one of the most polarizing public intellectuals to grace mainstream news outlets. At the peak of his ascent to sociopolitical celebrity, he fell off the face of the Earth. After a year of silence, he returned to his Youtube fanbase (with the help of his daughter) to share his story of battling benzodiazepine addiction and withdrawals. His recollection of his year-long rehabilitation and choices in detox treatments have been deemed controversial by drug experts and healthcare practitioners. All in all, we figured his story would be a great introduction to benzos, and what someone should be aware of when seeking a benzo prescription. 

If you liked this episode please rate, review and subscribe!

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Episode Sources:

• Maintenance Phase - Jordan Peterson Part 1 & Part 2
• Dr. Todd Grande - Jordan Peterson/Mikhaila Interview Analysis and Jordan Peterson Dangers of Benzodiazepine Withdrawal
• Joe Rogan Experience - Episode #1769 Jordan Peterson on Getting Off of Benzodiazepines 
• https://cardinalrecovery.com/blog/dr-jordan-peterson-talks-about-xanax-addiction/
• https://nypost.com/2021/01/31/jordan-peterson-says-he-was-suicidal-addicted-to-benzos/
• https://nationalpost.com/health/jordan-peterson-benzodiazepines
• https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/jordan-peterson-says-i-m-back-to-my-regular-self-after-drug-dependency-1.5008292

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The Deadly Dose is now on Patreon! Through the Deadly Dose Podcast Patreon (aka the DDPP... or should it be D2P2?) we'll be dropping exclusive content from bonus episodes to reaction videos to merchandise. Click the direct link below to see subscription options and what each membership-tier has to offer. OR sit back, relax, hit play, and we'll tell you all about it. 

Patreon

Official Website

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We've brought you an encore presentation of "The Devil's Nightcap" with added commentary and an update on a recent discovery in the ongoing investigation into Shastri's death. 

In 1966, the second Prime Minister of India, Lal Bahadur Shastri, died under mysterious circumstances in Tashkent, Uzbekistan a day after signing the Tashkent Agreement (a peace treaty to end the Indo-Pakistan War). Family and followers believed he was poisoned. To this day, the Indian Government keeps Shastri's post-mortem results sealed and confidential to the public. Did he die of natural causes, or is a geopolitical conspiracy afoot?

If you liked this episode please rate, review and subscribe!

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Episode Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Tashkent_Files
• https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/the-man-who-accompanied-shastri-to-tashkent-debunks-the-tashkent-files-119051001592_1.html
• https://www.dnaindia.com/bollywood/photo-gallery-the-tashkent-files-here-s-all-you-need-to-know-about-the-mysterious-death-of-dr-lal-bahadur-shastri-2730995
• https://www.dailyo.in/politics/lal-bahadur-shastri-tashkent-kgb-russia-rti-congress-pmo-mea-tn-kaul/story/1/8393.html
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aconitum
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/pharmacology-toxicology-and-pharmaceutical-science/aconitum
• https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13596-021-00565-8

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We're bringing you an encore presentation of the story that inspired this podcast (plus bonus commentary!). Harini talks about the Chicago Tylenol Murders (or Tylenol Murders) of 1982 and how this terrorizing event completely changed the pharmaceutical industry's drug-packaging practices. It also influenced stricter Federal anti-tampering legislation. Although copycat attempts of drug tampering and poisoning threatened the nation immediately following the Chicago murders, the case remains open to this day with no true leads. 

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In this episode:

• McMillions documentary on HBO 
• Avenue Beat (music) @avenuebeat

Sources:

• https://www.pbs.org/newshour/health/tylenol-murders-1982
• https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/cold-cases/chicago-tylenol-murders/
• https://www.chicagomag.com/Chicago-Magazine/October-2012/Chicago-Tylenol-Murders-An-Oral-History/
• https://publichealth.uic.edu/news-stories/people-politics-and-poison-the-tylenol-murders-revisited-forty-years-later/
• https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/16/us/tylenol-acetaminophen-deaths.html
• https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/cyanide-laced-tylenol-kills-seven
• https://allthatsinteresting.com/chicago-tylenol-murders
• https://forensicsciencesociety.com/thedrip/the-cold-case-tylenol-murders

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As the Russia-Ukraine war continues, and global outcry against the Russian Federation's invasion loses it's intensity, we wanted to bring back our coverage of the assassination attempt on Russian opposition leader and anti-corruption activist, Alexei Navalny.

In 2020, Navalny was poisoned with a nerve agent called Novichok. During his recovery, he organized a private investigation unit to uncover his assailants. The investigation implicated FSB agents and Putin himself.

In this encore presentation, we've added additional commentary on Navalny's current status as a prisoner of the Kremlin. 

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 Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poisoning_of_Alexei_Navalny
• https://news.un.org/en/story/2021/03/1086012
• https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/21/europe/russia-navalny-poisoning-underpants-ward/index.html
• https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/20/world/europe/navalny-poison-russia.html
• https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/02/world/europe/navalny-poison-novichok.html
• https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/08/20/alexei-navalny-was-poisoned-one-year-ago-his-fate-tells-us-lot-about-putins-russia/
• https://www.cnn.com/2020/12/21/europe/russia-navalny-poisoning-underpants-ward/index.html
• https://www.npr.org/2020/12/22/949053847/navalny-reportedly-dupes-agent-into-revealing-details-of-poisoning
• https://www.science.org/content/article/how-german-military-scientists-likely-identified-nerve-agent-used-attack-alexei-navalny

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We're back with another Deadly Dose re-release! In this episode, Megan talks about the most incredible poisoning/assassination event to have occurred in the 21st century: the assassination of Kim Jong-nam, half-brother of Supreme Leader of North Korea Kim Jong-un. What starts as an investigation into two women accused as assassins, develops into an unbelievable plot of geopolitical intrigue, an elaborate network of North Korean agents, a deadly nerve toxin, months of orchestration, and two unsuspecting women manipulated by the promise of stardom. 

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In this episode:

• Assassins - a documentary on Kim Jong Nam's assassination by Ryan White 
• Harini's current book - Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds and Shape Our Futures by Melvin Sheldrake 

Episode Sources:

• GQ: The Untold Story of Kim Jong-nam’s Assassination by Doug Bock Clark (photography by Jesse Chehak)
• WSJ Video: The Moment Kim Jong am Was attacked: CCTV Footage
• NPR Asia: North Korean Leader’s Slain Brother was Reportedly Working with the CIA by Scott Neuman
• WSJ: North Korean Leader’s Slain Half Brother Was a CIA Source by Warren P Strobel

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It’s a Deadly Dose re-release, Part II! We’re bringing back Harini’s coverage of MK-Ultra and all the questionable, unsanctioned sh*t that occurred under this infamous CIA mind-control program. One conspiracy of significance that came of MK-Ultra was the untimely and mysterious death of American bacteriologist, Frank Olson. Pour yourself some Cointreau (sans LSD - unless, you know, that's your thing) and settle into this mid-century thriller of espionage, conspiracy, murder and drugs. 

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In this episode:

• Wormwood on Netflix (a docuseries about Frank Olson's death and MK Ultra)

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Olson
• https://spyscape.com/article/frank-olson-the-cias-secret-quest-for-mind-control
• https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/sep/06/frohttps://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/27/us/family-of-frank-olson-man-drugged-by-cia-plans-suit.html
• m-mind-control-to-murder-how-a-deadly-fall-revealed-the-cias-darkest-secrets
• https://unsolvedmysteries.fandom.com/wiki/Frank_Olson
• https://frankolsonproject.com/
• https://www.fordlibrarymuseum.gov/library/document/0005/1561485.pdf

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It’s a Deadly Dose re-release! We’re bringing back Harini’s coverage of MK Ultra and all the questionable, unsanctioned sh*t that occurred under this infamous CIA mind-control program.  LSD and other drug experiments (read: torture?) ran rampant from the 1950s to 1970s in a bid to beat the Communists. Hold onto your bell bottoms and rose-colored glasses because it's going to be a TRIP! 

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In this episode:

• The Great British Bake Off

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It's a Deadly Dose re-release! With the recent Italian grinder sandwich trending across the internet, we wanted to bring back this incredible story of a serial sandwich poisoner in Germany. We've added bonus commentary reflecting on how far we've come in the last two years. We hope you enjoy! Just like how you'd enjoy a delicious sandwich.

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In this episode:

• Where the Crawdad's Sing by Delia Owens
• Arthur from PBS Kids 
• The Bridge or Bron/Broen 2011 TV Series 
• Fake or Fortune from BBC One, now streaming on Amazon Prime

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We're back(!)... with a continuation of Harini's coverage of significant Golden Goose Recipients. In today's episode, Harini talks about 2019 Golden Goose awardees, Dr. Jack Levin and Dr. Frederik Bang, who pioneered the Limulus Amebocyte Lysate (LAL) Test by identifying the sterilizing potential of horseshoe crab blood. To this day, the blood of horseshoe crabs is used in pharmaceutical testing to ensure safety during drug development. Harini and Megan talk about these fascinating, living fossils and the potential for synthetic alternatives. 

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We're back with another re-record! In this episode, Harini illuminates (see what we did there?) the once deadly fad of Radium-226. This enchanting, glowing isotope became a worldwide obsession and was literally the most fashionable commodity in the 1920s. It was used in food, makeup, clothes, decor, medicine, you name it! Even having a paid occupation in Radium-226 manufacturing was extremely coveted (eg. Radium Girls). Tune in to find out how this naive obsession bred painful, and sometimes deadly, results. 

In this episode:

• 'Radioactive' (film) on Amazon Prime
• 'The Radium Girls' (film) starring Joey King

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Episode Sources: 

• Radium Girls from the Wired written by Deborah Blum
• CNN article titled "Girls: the dark times of luminous watches" by Jacopo Prisco
• NPR article titled May Keane, One of the last ‘Radium Girls’ Died at 107 by Rebecca Hersher
• How We Realized Putting Radium in Everything Was Not the Answer from the Atlantic by Taylor Orci
• Mentalfloss
• Wikipedia  
• https://www.mskcc.org/news/hot-times-radium-hospital-history-radium-therapy-msk

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In this episode, Megan pays homage to her home city of Sacramento, CA by detailing the life and crimes of the serial poisoner, Dorothea Puente. Puente came to notoriety in the late 1980s when a welfare check-up on a missing tenant led to the discovery of seven bodies in her yard, thus christening her home as the infamous Murder House in Sacramento. How did this “feeble old woman” (as the media would have you believe) commit such sinister misdeeds? Tune in to find out!

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Episode Sources:

• Image 1: Left: Puente’s police booking photo from Nov. 17, 1988 (Courtesy of The Sacramento Archives) Right: The shovel that she lent to law officers to dig her backyard on Nov. 11, 1988 (Photo by Jeremy Sykes)
• Image 2: Nov. 12, 1988: Homicide detective John Cabrera (right) ushers Puente out of her home to a nearby hotel. She would flee the city that morning. (Courtesy of The Sacramento Bee/Genaro Molina)
• Image 3: A vial of flurazepam found in Puente’s home (Courtesy of The Sacramento Archives)
• Image 4: Police escort Puente after apprehending her in L.A.; Cabrera walks behind her. (AP Photo/Walt Zeboski)
• https://www.morbidtourism.com/locations/id/6125911ef267a10017299553
• https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/serial-killers/dorothea-puente/
• https://allthatsinteresting.com/dorothea-puente
• http://maamodt.asp.radford.edu/Psyc%20405/serial%20killers/Puente,%20Dorothea%20-%202005.pdf
• https://www.rxlist.com/dalmane-drug.htm
• https://www.mayoclinic.org/drugs-supplements/flurazepam-oral-route/side-effects/drg-20072260?p=1#:~:text=Flurazepam%20is%20used%20to%20treat,slow%20down%20the%20nervous%20system.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flurazepam

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REWIND: in honor of our new chapter as The Deadly Dose, we are re-recording some of our old, but gold episodes starting with our original Ep. 2. Harini takes you back in time with her and to Jonestown, Guyana to share the infamous tale of Reverend Jim Jones and The People's Temple cult. You can listen, but whatever you do, just don't drink the Kool-Aid!

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In this episode: 

• The Secret (book) 
• The Unexplained (Netflix series) 

Episode Sources:

• Kansas City Public Library
• Britannica article by Alison Eldridge
• Wikipedia
• The Legacy of Jonestown by Eric Banks from the Wall Street Journal
• PBS article the American Experience
• FBI.gov on Jonestown
• The Unexplained show on Netflix

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Spoilers for the Sinner Season 2 ahead!

In this episode, Megan debunks the portrayal of jimson weed in The Sinner Season 2. Though a small feature in the season, it leaves a lasting impression, violently incapacitating and killing two grown adults within minutes in the first episode. While the reality of this nightshade’s toxicity is a lot less frightening than the show would like you to believe, it remains an incredibly compelling plant. Tune in to find out more about this prolific, gorgeous weed that can simultaneously cure and intoxicate.

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In this episode: 

• The Sinner, Season 2 Episode 1
• Phantom Thread (Movie)
• Power of the Dog (Movie) 

Episode Sources:

• https://www.ecobeneficial.com/ask_ecobeneficial/does-this-plant-have-any-virtues-or-is-it-invasive/
• https://thebelmontrooster.com/families-of-familiar-plants/solanaceae-family/datura-stramonium-jimson-weed/
• https://www.bbg.org/news/weed_of_the_month_jimson_weed
• https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-921/jimson-weed
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9274142/
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6220643/
• https://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drug_chem_info/jimson_w.pdf
• https://www.healthline.com/health/anticholinergics#how-they-work
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4920643/#:~:text=Scopolamine%20is%20a%20high%2Daffinity,Klinkenberg%20and%20Blokland%2C%202010).
• https://www.emra.org/emresident/article/tripping-off-trumpets-diagnosis-and-management-of-jimson-weed-toxicity/

·  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_ointment

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In the late summer of 1976, a mysterious disease swept through the Bellevue-Stratford Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Hundreds of members of the American Legion, which was holding its annual convention within the Bellevue-Stratford, and several unaffiliated civilians fell ill. The disease took 29 lives. The outbreak was an epidemiological mystery that stumped the CDC for months. What was causing these illnesses and where in the hotel was it coming from? Join us in Epidemiology 101 as Harini details the discovery of Legionnaire’s Disease. 

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Episode Sources:

• Image 1: From left to right - The Bellvue Stratford Hotel, Legionella bacteria, CDC toxicology team investigating the outbreak (via PhillyMag) 
• Image 2: A Chest X-Ray of a patient with Legionnaire’s Disease with lungs like a “brillo pad” (via Special Pathogens Lab)
• Image 3: A veteran in the hospital with a mysterious disease (via The Washington Post)
• Forensic Files Season 1 Episode 7 
• https://www.osha.gov/legionnaires-disease
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK7619/
• Medical Microbiology 4th Edition - Chapter 40 on Legionella 

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Melatonin has become an increasingly popular supplement used by both adults and children. For some children, the ingestion of melatonin is completely accidental. And according to a recent report published by the CDC, accidental pediatric ingestions of melatonin have increased by over 500% in the last decade. In this episode, Megan provides an overview of the CDC’s concerns and the US’s relationship with the extremely popular endogenous hormone/ sleep aid, melatonin.

In this episode:

• Pediatric Melatonin Ingestions – United States 2012-2021

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Episode Sources:

• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9169525/
• https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/jpi.12782
• https://www.wdbj7.com/2022/06/13/melatonin-poisoning-children-rise-over-last-decade/
• https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/71/wr/mm7122a1.htm?s_cid=mm7122a1_w
• https://slate.com/technology/2022/06/melatonin-overdose-kids-drug-prescription.html
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5263069/
• https://www.healthline.com/health/sleep-hygiene
• https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/9406047/
• https://www.fox43.com/article/news/health/new-study-shows-increase-melatonin-poisoning-children/521-ff988ce9-f934-4f56-880d-579aa089ba9b
• https://www.fda.gov

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Amid the latest technology and scientific innovations in the modern world that allow us to swiftly catch and convict criminals - there is one seemingly archaic methodology that clearly still remains supreme. With only about a dozen specialists in the United States, forensic entomology is still a relatively new field of forensic science, but it is damn useful. Dropping like flies is an ironic phrase when in reality, flies are bringing new life to cold cases & solving what both machines & humans couldn’t. 

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POV: the sun is radiating down on you, warming your skin while you trek through a large expanse of meadow. To your right is the majestic monolith of El Capitan and overhead you hear the birds singing their morning songs to one another. At the end of the evening, you come home to the luxury of your glamping site and snuggle into bed with the warmth of blankets around you and a soft pillow to rest your head. But, little do you know that something sinister lurks beneath the wooden floorboards of your glamping tent, ready to feast on its new prey...

In this episode:

• Ted Lasso (Apple TV)
• Better Call Saul (Netflix Series) 

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You're getting double the dose of Harini this week. This story is the infamous Afrin Affair of 1991. An esteemed scientist, Dr. Barry Van Winkle, is on the verge of skyrocketing his career when he gets mysteriously targeted, but by who and why? The stakes are so high in the science world, and The University of Houston is no exception. This story is a real whodunnit and nothing is off the lab table. 

In this episode:

• Texas Monthly article written by the illustrious Skip Hollingsworth

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With summer on the horizon, all of us are coming out of the woodwork to bask in the sun, including rattlesnakes. In this episode, Harini retells an episode of "I Survived" where a man in the foothills of the Smoky Mountains is picking blueberries under a warm spring sun when he encounters an unwanted surprise... Keep your wits about you when listening to this episode!

In this episode:

• I Survived S5E23 

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In today's episode, Harini regales us with the origin story of the Golden Goose Awards (formerly Golden Fleece Awards) - a designation given to impactful research projects that, from the outset, may not seem potentially beneficial to society, but end up being so. One such project involved an obsession with cone snails and their ability to paralyze fish with a unique peptide cocktail hidden in their lethal stingers. Tune in to find out more! 

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When you are out in the wild, one of the rare pleasures in life is to see an animal in its natural habitat. Especially when that animal is our national bird, the bald eagle. Bald eagles are making the front page and not in a good way, unfortunately. More than 50% of the bald eagle population is poisoned with lead and we're diving deep into how and why.

In this episode:

• https://www.epa.gov/sites/default/files/2015-10/documents/tsca_ammo_petition_3-13-12.pdf

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Today's episode is about a woman you've probably never heard of, but absolutely should. Her story involves glamour, kidnapping, drugs, a perilous secret, and even the President of the United States. Let us tell you about Martha Mitchell and how her name became synonymous with a term in a psychology book.

In this episode:

• Gaslit (TV series on Starz) 

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We just *might* ruin your favorite food on today's episode. When you think of the one vegetable that is a staple in the majority of diets culturally around the world, what vegetable do you think of? The one we gobble up voraciously during Thanksgiving, that forms soft pillows under pasta sauce or douse with ketchup at our local bar? The very humble potato just got a little more sinister...

In this episode:

• https://www.iflscience.com/health-and-medicine/the-1979-poisoning-of-78-schoolchildren-or-why-you-should-never-eat-green-potatoes/
• Bridgerton (Season 2 on Netflix)  

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We're cutting to the chase. This story is the real life Breaking Bad. Two professors work together to make meth in their chem lab. But, it's so much more than that...

In this episode:

• Breaking Bad (TV series) 

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