Fairly Interesting

#013 - Ice Cream and Shark Attacks

In this podcast we discuss the limitations of epidemiology, especially as it relates to nutrition and health studies in human populations. We dig into a recent study (2023) published by a group at Harvard that created sensational headlines about red meat causing Type II Diabetes. We chat about why this study and others like it are deeply flawed.
From Ancel Keys in 1960 to Harvard in 2023, meat and fat has been demonized for 80 years. Americans consume 38% less red meat yet Type II Diabetes (& Obesity) now affects around 90 million Americans. Something doesn't add up. Tune in to learn why.
Harvard Study 2023
Harvard is Anti-Meat. Teicolz Article
Epidemiology Studies. Need to take with a grain of salt

#012 - Boil Your Boots

In this podcast we discuss Thermoregulation. From the USS Jeanette Voyage to the artic to The San endurance hunters of the Kalahari we discuss thermoregulation of our bodies, how to keep our bodies in the Goldilocks zone. We also chat about what heat stress and cold stress means to animal agriculture, why farmers work hard to keep our animals comfortable, why it matters and various strategies employed. We take staying warm for granted, thanks to 3.5 million years of endothermic evolution, but we seldom think about how and why. Join us for this rambling exploration.
Books Referenced
The Island of The Blue Foxes
The Kingdom of Ice
Why We Run
Madhouse At The End of The Earth
Benefits of Mitigating Heat Stress in Dairy Cows

#11 - Long Necks and Big Muscles

In this podcast we chat about the crazy world of epigenetics. From Jean Baptiste Lamark's half-baked theory of evolution, through Darwin and Mendel to today where scientist are confronted with more and more evidence of the environment shaping our genetic code. It seems our genetic potential is not as "fixed at birth" as we once assumed. Epigenetics is a hidden universe of potential. From the Dutch Famine (Hunger Winter) to Trofirm Lysenko and mass starvation in Soviet Russia and Maoist China to chick embryo's and heat stressed cattle, we discuss how epigenetics shapes life.
Epigenetics: How Environment Shapes Our Genes
Epigenetics Revolution: How Modern Biology Is Rewriting Our Understanding of Genetics, Disease and Inheritance
Lysenko’s Ghost: Epigenetics and Russia

#10 - Heavy Crows and Yellow Fingers

From Dwight Eisenhower's 7 heart attacks and Ancel Keys and the creation of the diet-food-pharma industrial complex. We discuss the low fat diet disaster (obesity epidemic) the cholesterol myth, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome and why diets fail. A far ranging discussion that puts animal fat, butter and meat back on the menu! Join us for the ride.
Books referenced: 
Big Fat Surprise, By Nina Teicholz
The Great Cholesterol Myth. By Bowden and Sinatra
The Clot Thickens. By Malcolm Kendrick
Why We Get Fat. By Gary Taubes
Catching Fire. By Richard Wrangham
Studies: 
Assessing the Link Between Statins and Insulin Intolerance: A Systematic Review
Carbohydrate-based diet may increase the risk of cardiovascular disease: A pooled analysis of two prospective cohort studies
Dyslipidemia paradox: Analysis from the veterans exercise testing study
Unprocessed Red Meat and Processed Meat Consumption: Dietary Guideline Recommendations From the Nutritional Recommendations (NutriRECS) Consortium | Annals of Internal Medicine
Associations of unprocessed and processed meat intake with mortality and cardiovascular disease in 21 countries [Prospective Urban Rural Epidemiology (PURE) Study]: a prospective cohort study | The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition | Oxford Academic
Intake of saturated and trans unsaturated fatty acids and risk of all cause mortality, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes: systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies | The BMJ
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0735109720356874?ref=pdf_download&fr=RR-2&rr=7ea46fafbd03114b
Associations of fats and carbohydrate intake with cardiovascular disease and mortality in 18 countries from five continents (PURE): a prospective cohort study
LDL-C does not cause cardiovascular disease: a comprehensive review of the current literature
Limited effect of dietary saturated fat on plasma saturated fat in the context of a low carbohydrate diet
Effects of a low-carbohydrate diet on insulin-resistant dyslipoproteinemia-a randomized controlled feeding trial
Total cholesterol and all-cause mortality by sex and age: a prospective cohort study among 12.8 million adults | Scientific Reports

#09 - Jack Lost His Tongue

In this episode we discuss parasites, our ancient and ubiquitous foes. Parasites have plagued us and every living organism since the dawn of time. This absolutely fascinating class of animals is supremely adapted to survival, in the most gross fashion (like eating your tongue to take its place in your mouth!) From the Panama Canal, mind control of cats and maggots devouring lambs, we cover the story of parasites and how we are in a Red Queen war, forever running to stay ahead of these relentless companions.
 
Books referenced:
Parasite Rex by Karl Zimmer
The Path Between The Seas by David McCollough
 

#08 - Henrietta and The Great Pyramid of Giza

From immortal cell lines (hint, Henrietta) to Fetal Bovine Serum and Bioreactors, we discuss the development and outlook for cell cultured meat, aka, Lab Meat. Join us in our wide ranging chat about cellular meat hype, hope and reality. We pull back the covers on ethical, technical and practical implications of this emerging technology. It’s quite the ride!
 
Book reference:
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

#07 - Send in the Gardener’s Son

In this episode we chat about vaccines and how they have saved the lives of hundreds of millions of people and animals. We also discuss the curious and mysterious nature of viruses – they are part of us and every living organism, and yet they are our biggest killers. From the advent of agriculture, viruses co-evolved with us and our domesticated animals, ever changing, fascinating shape-shifters hiding from our immune system and our vaccines to fight them. Legends such as Koch, Jenner, Salk, Hilleman have saved the lives of countless billions (of people and animals) from death, untold misery and sickness - but we are in an eternal war, and cannot rest on past success. 
Books referenced: 
Vaccinated: From Cowpox to mRNA, the Remarkable Story of Vaccines
Invincible Microbe: Tuberculosis and the Never-Ending Search for a Cure
Influenza: The Hundred-Year Hunt to Cure the 1918 Spanish Flu Pandemic
Polio: An American Story
 
 

#06 - Pigs Treat Us as Equals

"Dogs look up to us. Cats look down on us. Pigs treat us as equals.” - Winston Churchill.
From sperm whales hunting giant squid to bumble bees talking to flowers, we explore animal and plant intelligence. What is natural, why we eat some animals and not others and what is our obligation and responsibility for the food-animals we eat? We explore the slippery (and emotional) slope of defining what is permissible to eat, as well as why and how our growing understanding of all life forms makes the distinction between plants and animals less clear. 
Books Referenced: 
Animals in Translation - Temple Grandin
Catching Fire - Richard Wrangham
What a Plant Knows - Daniel Chamovitz
Alaska's Wolf Man - Jim Rearden
The Jungle - Upton Sinclair

#05 - It’s Just a Flesh Wound

In this episode we chatted about antibiotics and antibiotic resistance. What was the world like before the miracle of antibiotics was discovered? The unfolding of an epic drama: microbe versus man. How antibiotics (used to treat people and food animals) has helped humanity flourish from 2 billion people to 8 billion and how our average life expectancy rose from 35 years to 80 years. We cover the threat of antibiotic resistant bacteria and the growing threat to human health and reason for optimism. From throwing virgins into volcanoes to AI machine learning, it’s a wide ranging chat!
Books referenced include:
Demon Under The Microscope by Thomas Hager              
Justinian’s Flea by William Rosen
The First Miracle Drugs by John E. Lesch
Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry
Have topics and/or guests you'd like to recommend? Send us an email at fairlyinterestingpod@gmail.com!

#04 - Methane and Methane Accessories

In this episode we discuss methane emissions form ruminants and why you shouldn’t be alarmed by 'cow farts'. We chat about methane emissions from cattle and put it into an historical perspective of the massive North American buffalo, elk and deer herds. In a wide ranging discussion we cover The Plains Indians, the clearing of the Great American Prairie, the great cattle drives from Texas to Montana, the Corporate cattle boom and bust epoch, The Great Die Up, the battle between the Railroad Barons versus the Meat Packer Tycoons and the establishment of the US Cattle industry as we know it today. You can enjoy your steaks without any guilt or concern about destroying the planet. Eat more beef.
Books referenced: 
Cattle Kingdom by Christopher Knowlton
Empire of the Summer Moon by S. C. Gwynne
Sitting Bull by Robert M. Utley
The Jungle by Upton Sinclair
Undaunted Courage by Steven Ambrose
Have topics and/or guests you'd like to recommend? Send us an email at fairlyinterestingpod@gmail.com!