Public Health
282 episodes · Page 9 of 12
#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.
#2752: Why Water Flossers Beat String Floss
Water flossers beat string floss in clinical studies. Here’s what to buy and why.
#2719: How Streetlight-Level Light Disrupts Mammal Immunity
Even minimal artificial light at night—equivalent to street lighting—disrupts immune rhythms and increases mortality 2.35x in wild mammals.
#2711: What 28 Molecules Actually Do Inside You
Why 68% of US adults have subclinical deficiencies — and how missing one mineral can bottleneck your entire energy system.
#2709: POTS, Sodium, and Long COVID Explained
Why electrolyte water helps POTS, how autonomic dysfunction works, and the long COVID connection.
#2697: When Trust in Your Country Feels Like a Bad Relationship
What happens when the state you fund feels like it's deceiving you — and you can't opt out.
#2654: The Bachelor Brothers Who Built a University
Two brothers, a silk collapse, and a land donation that became the University of Connecticut.
#2628: Your Snake Plant Isn't Saving You
Why your houseplants aren't cleaning your air — and what they're actually doing for you.
#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.
#2526: How Peer Review Actually Works (and Fails)
The history of peer review, the Lancet's biggest scandals, and why arXiv is changing everything.
#2523: The OECD’s Quiet Power Over Environmental Data
How a “rich country club” became the world’s most reliable source for environmental data—and why that matters.
#2509: How Shabbat Reveals a Blind Spot in Air Quality Indexes
Jerusalem's Shabbat cuts traffic pollution 4x more than Western weekends—but standard air quality indexes barely register the change.
#2485: How Many Floors Up Before Stairs Become a Burden?
Research shows life gets measurably worse above the 4th floor. Here's what the data says about stairs, families, and safety.
#2423: How Leaders Hide Their Health: From Secret Yacht Surgeries to Falsified Reports
From secret yacht surgeries to falsified bulletins, how world leaders conceal medical conditions — and why it matters.
#2422: Rare Diseases: Incentives That Work and Backfire
How orphan drug policies created 800 new treatments—and the "orphan paradox" that lets blockbusters game the system.
#2420: How 4 Countries Actually Destigmatized Mental Health
Australia, New Zealand, Rwanda, and the Netherlands show what structural change looks like — not just awareness campaigns.
#2418: The Lossy Compression of Human Development
How the HDI measures progress, where it falls short, and what it reveals about inequality.
#2415: Autism Numbers vs. the Noise
What the data actually says about global autism rates, diagnostic history, and why the numbers keep changing.
#2393: Is Israel Really a High-Tax Country?
Is Israel really a high-tax country? We dive into the data to compare Israel’s tax burden with global peers and uncover surprising insights.
#2373: How Facial Recognition Maps Your Face—And Your Rights
The same AI that organizes your photos can track you in a crowd. How does facial recognition work—and why is it so hard to evade?
#2321: Kratom’s Double-Edged Leaf: Science vs. Marketing
From ancient remedy to modern supplement, Kratom’s story reveals gaps between marketing, science, and global regulation.
#2320: The Hidden Role of Khat in Yemen’s Collapse
How a single leaf became a driving force behind Yemen’s economic, social, and political unraveling.