#public-health
78 episodes · Page 2 of 4
#3254: When a Single Patient Changes Medicine: Case Reports That Matter
Why do doctors write case reports for free? And how have single-patient observations sparked drug approvals?
#3175: How Territorial Compression Triggers a Biological Chain Reaction in Gaza
Tracing the three specific mechanisms that turn territorial compression into disease outbreaks and rat infestations.
#3165: A Floor That Holds: Housing, Food, and Job Guarantees Explained
What happens when nobody can fall through the floor? The evidence from real experiments might surprise you.
#3160: The Five Pathways to Homelessness (You’re Wrong About One)
26,000 people tracked across 50 cities. Five distinct pathways. One surprising number: 40-50% are employed.
#3150: Can Life Skills Prevent Crime Before It Starts?
The evidence is decades old — why aren't we teaching life skills before people offend?
#3148: What Vaping Does to Your Lungs Beyond Nicotine
Formaldehyde, heavy metals, and popcorn lung — the real chemistry of vaping vs. smoking.
#3146: Why Youth Smoking Is Rising in Israel
Global smoking is down, but youth rates in Israel are rising. Here’s why.
#3145: Where Indoor Smoking Is Still Legal in 2026
Indonesia, Germany, Japan, Egypt, and Russia — the surprising places where lighting up indoors is still allowed.
#3089: How Climate Consensus Actually Formed
The surprising journey from skepticism to scientific certainty — and what the data says about summer 2026.
#3069: Why UV Index and Temperature Don't Match
Why Israel hit a UV index of 11 while the thermometer barely reached 28°C.
#3045: How Many People Actually Lack Clean Water?
The 2.2 billion figure is more complicated than it looks. Here's what the data actually says.
#3031: How Allergies Actually Work (And Why They're Getting Worse)
The immunology, the hygiene hypothesis, climate change's role, and how non-drowsy antihistamines really are.
#2958: The Lost Art of Bench-Sitting
What Mediterranean bench-sitters know about companionship, longevity, and why doing nothing together matters.
#2919: How CPR Guidelines Actually Get Updated
The surprising data loop that turns a single study into what millions learn to do with their hands.
#2882: How Deweathering Reveals Shabbat's True Air Quality Signal
How controlling for weather actually sharpens the signal of human activity on air quality in Jerusalem.
#2877: How China Cut Air Pollution 65% in a Decade
China's air quality has improved dramatically since 2013, but gains are uneven across cities and seasons.
#2858: The Five Platform Shifts in Vaccine History
From variolation to mRNA: how vaccine technology has evolved through five distinct platform shifts.
#2853: What the Nordics Actually Struggle With
Beyond bike lanes and pastries—what Sweden, Denmark, and Norway have genuinely figured out, and where their model cracks.
#2819: Did China's Wildlife Wet Market Ban Actually Stick?
The COVID origin investigation stalled. But what about China's wildlife wet market ban — did it actually work?
#2774: Open Data That Actually Works
The gap between open data promises and reality, and the rare cases where it actually changes policy.
#2757: Can Cities Engineer Calm?
How much green space per person do cities actually need? The WHO says 9 sq meters minimum. Most cities don't meet it.
#2580: When Laws Regulate Appearances
Why do open container laws exist, and do they actually reduce antisocial behavior?
#2561: What BMI Actually Tells You (And What It Hides)
BMI is useful but flawed. Here's when to trust it, when to ignore it, and what to measure instead.
#2560: Can You Actually Measure Happiness?
What does "happiness" really mean — and can you scientifically measure it? A deep dive into the data, flaws, and surprises.