Big Picture Science

What's Your Poison?


Listen Later

“Aspirin and Old Lace?” Okay, it would take a bottle full of pills in a glass of elderberry wine to really harm you, but aspirin can be deadly. So can too much of anything, including water. Dose is key in toxicology, after all, but there are some poisons that can do deadly work in tiny amounts.

Hear about the chemistry of poisons … why Botox may freeze your emotions as well as your face… which animal is most lethal to humans… and how 19th-century poisoners got away with murder – until the birth of forensic science.

Guests:
  • Deborah Blum – Pulitzer Prize-winning science writer, author of The Poisoner’s Handbook: Murder and the Birth of Forensic Medicine in Jazz Age New York
  • Martyn Smith – Toxicologist, University of California, Berkeley
  • Joshua Ian Davis – Psychologist, Barnard College, New York
  • Jamie Seymour – Venom biologist, director of The Tropical Australian Stinger Research Unit, School of Marine Tropical Biology, James Cook University, Cairns, Australia

    Big Picture Science is part of the Airwave Media podcast network. Please contact [email protected] to inquire about advertising on Big Picture Science.

    You can get early access to ad-free versions of every episode by joining us on Patreon. Thanks for your support!


    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    Big Picture ScienceBy Big Picture Science

    • 4.5
    • 4.5
    • 4.5
    • 4.5
    • 4.5

    4.5

    899 ratings


    More shows like Big Picture Science

    View all
    Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

    Science Friday

    6,133 Listeners

    The Deadpod by J.Henrikson

    The Deadpod

    1,207 Listeners

    Nature Podcast by Springer Nature Limited

    Nature Podcast

    756 Listeners

    Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science by The Planetary Society

    Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

    1,345 Listeners

    Science Magazine Podcast by Science Magazine

    Science Magazine Podcast

    811 Listeners

    Science Quickly by Scientific American

    Science Quickly

    612 Listeners

    Radio Detective Story Hour by Dennis Humphrey

    Radio Detective Story Hour

    393 Listeners

    Common Sense with Dan Carlin by Dan Carlin

    Common Sense with Dan Carlin

    11,326 Listeners

    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History by Dan Carlin

    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History

    63,525 Listeners

    Astronomy Cast by Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela Gay

    Astronomy Cast

    2,866 Listeners

    Meditation Oasis by Mary and Richard Maddux

    Meditation Oasis

    3,922 Listeners

    Brain Science with Ginger Campbell, MD: Neuroscience for Everyone by Ginger Campbell, MD

    Brain Science with Ginger Campbell, MD: Neuroscience for Everyone

    817 Listeners

    Philosophy Bites by Edmonds and Warburton

    Philosophy Bites

    1,532 Listeners

    Science In Action by BBC World Service

    Science In Action

    344 Listeners

    Unexpected Elements by BBC World Service

    Unexpected Elements

    355 Listeners

    Universe Today Podcast by Fraser Cain

    Universe Today Podcast

    544 Listeners

    Ask a Spaceman! by Paul M. Sutter

    Ask a Spaceman!

    804 Listeners

    The Quanta Podcast by Quanta Magazine

    The Quanta Podcast

    500 Listeners

    SpaceTime: Your Guide to Space & Astronomy by Stuart Gary

    SpaceTime: Your Guide to Space & Astronomy

    320 Listeners

    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History: Addendum by Dan Carlin

    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History: Addendum

    8,234 Listeners

    Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe by iHeartPodcasts

    Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe

    2,307 Listeners

    The Supermassive Podcast by The Royal Astronomical Society

    The Supermassive Podcast

    287 Listeners

    Why This Universe? by Dan Hooper, Shalma Wegsman

    Why This Universe?

    363 Listeners