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Causes or Cures
For the Nerds and the Nerd Nots
Curious about health? So is Dr. Eeks.
Causes or Cures is an independent health podcast hosted by Dr. Eeks (ErinKate Stair, MD, MPH). It is an offbeat, grassroots show driven by curiosity and a genuine love of making complicated health topics easier to understand. Science is fascinating. It does not have to sound corporate to be credible.
Dr. Eeks is a public health professional specializing in applied epidemiology and health communication. By day, she works on complex national public health issues. By choice, she spends her free time asking scientists, physicians, researchers, authors, clinicians, and other fascinating people questions she hopes everyone else is wondering too.
The goal is simple. Make good science understandable without watering it down.
Along the way, the podcast has wandered into everything from memory and longevity to self medicating animals, migraines, gene drive mosquitoes, public health history, the spiritual realm, and the occasional existential detour. If it has something to teach us about health or what it means to be human, it is probably fair game.
Recurring segments include Public Health is Weird, which uncovers strange but true stories from public health history, WTF Health News, where Dr. Eeks breaks down bizarre or buzzworthy health headlines, and Eeks Speakeasy, a more personal corner of the podcast where curiosity occasionally spills over into life, philosophy, and whatever else deserves a drink and a discussion.
A few housekeeping notes...
This podcast is for information, curiosity, and conversation. It is not medical advice.
Although Dr. Eeks has an MD, she does not practice medicine. She is a full time public health nerd and will never tell you what to do with your own health. If you have a medical question, your healthcare provider knows you far better than a podcast ever could.
Guests are invited because they have something interesting to contribute, not because Dr. Eeks agrees with every opinion they hold. Likewise, she does not endorse miracle supplements, mysterious oils, magic socks, potions, or anything that promises to solve all of life's problems.
If an episode is sponsored or underwritten by a company she genuinely enjoys working with, she will always tell you.
Causes or Cures is also not a news site. It is a place for thoughtful conversations. Dr. Eeks believes people can disagree respectfully, ask difficult questions, change their minds, and occasionally laugh at themselves along the way. Some of the best conversations she has ever had happened in hole in the walls, on sidewalks, and in places where nobody was trying to win an argument.
Sometimes Barnaby, her dog and unofficial executive producer, contributes his thoughts as well. Fortunately, he is a pretty smart dog.
Above all, Dr. Eeks hopes this podcast encourages people to stay curious, compassionate, honest, open minded, and engaged. Freedom of discussion is a beautiful, delightfully messy thing, and one worth protecting.
The views expressed on this podcast are Dr. Eeks' own and do not reflect the views of any organization she contracts with or consults for.
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Want to work together or say hello? Visit bloomingwellness.com.
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Causes or Cures
How to Survive a Nuclear Bomb, with Nuclear Radiation Guru, Dr. Andrew Karam
Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.
Most people think that it's impossible to survive a nuclear bomb.
It is if you're stuck in the fallout plume or come outside before it's safe and get a lethal dose of radiation. But.., is it possible to increase your chances of surviving a nuclear bomb?
Dr. Andrew Karam, a world-wide nuclear radiation expert says it absolutely is. In this episode, Dr. Eeks chats with Dr. Andrew Karam. He will talk about where you should go once you hear a nuclear bomb is launched, how much time you have to prepare, what you should eat, drink, what you should do for your kids and pets, and he even talks about when it's okay to use hair conditioner again. And, since Iran was in the news recently, he talks about their nuclear capabilities, which might listen folks from an international relations perspective.
Dr. Karam has a doctorate degree in environmental sciences and a masters degree in geological sciences. He's a graduate of the Naval Chemistry and Radiological Controls School and the Naval Nuclear Power School. Since 1981, Andy has worked in the radiation safety field. He started out working for the Navy and designed numerous radiation safety courses for the military and universities, including The University of Rochester, Rochester Institute of Technology, American University of Kosovo and The Center for Advanced Defense Studies. He's a board-certified international consultant for all radiological and nuclear matters, including radiological terrorism, and has consulted for the NYPD Counterterrorism division, NYC Department of Health, NASA Lewis Research Center, Honeywell, the International Atomic Energy Agency, Panama Canal, the Canadian Army, Constellation Energy group and more. He's worked as a professor and has written over 200 peer-reviewed articles, several books and over 100 technical papers on the subject.
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