Ep 185 The Great Smog of London: “Thick, drab, yellow, disgusting”

Ep 185 The Great Smog of London: “Thick, drab, yellow, disgusting”

Some things just go together: peanut butter and jelly, bacon and eggs, milk and cereal, London and smog. Or at least, that’s the way things used to be until the Great Smog of 1952. (Don’t worry, the first three pairings are safe). If you’ve watched The Crown, you may remember an early episode in which a thick, noxious smog surrounded the entire city of London for days on end. People coughing, hacking, collapsing. Traffic ground to a standstill. Authorities in denial. What was actually going on in December 1952 to lead to such conditions? What was in the smog to make it so toxic? And how did this severe pollution event lead to massive changes in air quality regulations around the world? Tune in to find out all this and more (including what The Crown got wrong).

Support this podcast by shopping our latest sponsor deals and promotions at this link: https://bit.ly/3WwtIAu

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jaksot(281)

Ep 60 Giving birth to "The Pill"

Ep 60 Giving birth to "The Pill"

Well, TPWKY listeners, it has been a heck of a year, and it’s not even over yet! But one thing has come to an end: our third season. Given the profound implications these next couple of months will ha...

13 Loka 20201h 33min

Ep 59 Thalidomide: Justice Delayed, Justice Denied

Ep 59 Thalidomide: Justice Delayed, Justice Denied

The story of thalidomide is often employed as a cautionary tale - why testing a drug’s safety during pregnancy is crucial or why it’s important to choose the right animal models. Or it’s framed as a s...

29 Syys 20201h 32min

Ep 58 Guinea worm: (Almost) Ancient History

Ep 58 Guinea worm: (Almost) Ancient History

You’ve heard about smallpox, and you’ve learned about rinderpest. Now it’s time to meet what may be the third disease to ever be eradicated: dracunculiasis, also known as Guinea worm disease. In this ...

15 Syys 20201h 9min

Ep 57 Herpes: Stop the STIgma

Ep 57 Herpes: Stop the STIgma

The harm caused by herpes simplex viruses (HSV) 1 & 2 often arises not from the pathology of the viruses themselves but rather from the stigma and shame associated with a positive diagnosis. In this e...

1 Syys 20201h 25min

Ep 56 Sickle Cell Disease: Invisible Illness, Enduring Strength

Ep 56 Sickle Cell Disease: Invisible Illness, Enduring Strength

Neglected and ignored by the medical establishment throughout most of its history, sickle cell disease remains one of the most common (and commonly misunderstood) genetic conditions in the world. In t...

18 Elo 20201h 59min

Ep 55 Rocky Mountain spotted fever: The tick must be destroyed!

Ep 55 Rocky Mountain spotted fever: The tick must be destroyed!

Despite what its name might suggest, the story of Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) takes us far beyond the jagged, snow-capped peaks of the western range. From the Bitterroot Valley to southeastern...

4 Elo 20201h 47min

Ep 54 Wake Up and Smell the Caffeine

Ep 54 Wake Up and Smell the Caffeine

Are you one of the billions of people around the world who starts your day with a freshly brewed and deliciously aromatic cup of coffee or tea or maybe even hot chocolate? Or are you caffeine-avoidant...

21 Heinä 20201h 23min

Ep 53 Radiation: X-Ray Marks the Spot

Ep 53 Radiation: X-Ray Marks the Spot

“I have discovered something interesting, but I do not know whether or not my observations are correct.” With these words, Wilhelm Röntgen introduced the world to an invisible power, a power which wou...

7 Heinä 20201h 53min

Suosittua kategoriassa Tiede

rss-mita-tulisi-tietaa
tiedekulma-podcast
rss-duodecim-lehti
rss-kasvikutsut
rss-poliisin-mieli
mielipaivakirja
rss-kasvatuspsykologiaa-kaikille
utelias-mieli
docemilia
vinkista-vihia
filocast-filosofian-perusteet
rss-ranskaa-raakana
rss-ammamafia
rss-astetta-parempi-elama-podcast
rss-tiedetta-vai-tarinaa