Bad Ideas Podcast

In the wake of several terrible wildfires California, Albert breaks down the history of controlled burns, a radical fire prevention technique that involves setting small fires on purpose! Controlled burns are common in Florida (where Albert lives) but not in other parts of the country, and in this Episode we try to unravel a little of why that is. Our story spans from before the beginning of formation of the United States to today where some of the same debates about the process this rage today. Along the way we meet conservationist Herbert L. Stoddard who had to go toe to toe with the Forestry Service and a cute little bear named Smokey to save the idea of the controlled burn.

Much of the information in this episode was borrowed from this very informative document: https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/gtr/gtr_ne288/gtr_ne288_011.pdf

On this week's Bad Ideas Tony and Al take on the US Radium company and the treatment of their employees. It turns out that covering yourselves with radioactive material is a terrible idea. We also talk about radioactive water, the not so healing properties of radioactive medicine, and so much more!

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What is the Whale Cure? In Eden Australia in 1896 someone "discovered" that if you sat inside one of the rotting whale carcasses that had been dragged up onto the beach by the local whaling industry you could be "cured" of your rheumatism. So naturally this became a Thing. People with aches and pains from all over when to Eden Australia to sit inside their rotting whales for upwards of thirty hours. We could have had this in America too, but we had foolishly hunted our whales to the point of extinction before this miraculous cure was discovered.

Sources for this Podcast:

https://books.google.com/books?id=3tM-AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA312&lpg=PA312&dq=the+Medical+Record+whale+cure&source=bl&ots=EQQX1GwclX&sig=GNtyZmk41hQgeBXAHQ-LCXiy868&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjBq63f6KLZAhUB5oMKHf6bD04Q6AEIMDAB#v=onepage&q=the%20Medical%20Record%20whale%20cure&f=false

https://books.google.com/books?id=pW0BAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA400&lpg=PA400&dq=dublin+journal+of+medical+science+whale+cure&source=bl&ots=FrDWeVCQyi&sig=XwtDZYuaFMjknH-IhSdlr4sLQ9g&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiwjZH76KLZAhWE1IMKHT3FA5oQ6AEIKTAA#v=onepage&q=dublin%20journal%20of%20medical%20science%20whale%20cure&f=false

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP18960908.2.45

This week Al and Tony take on the fat substitute Olestra. Also known as Olean this particular supplement was well known for its side effects much more than its ability to cut caloric intake.

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In this episode of Bad Ideas Albert shares the early history of the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company, a business idea so legendarily awful is has to be heard to be believed.