99 Ways to (Not) Die: An ER Doc's Guide to Stayin' Alive

Unbiased Science

@unbiasedscipod

Education, Science, Health & Fitness

4.4 • 644 Ratings

🗓️ 7 January 2026

⏱️ 37 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In this episode, Jess and Sarah welcome Dr. Ashely Alker, an emergency medicine physician and author of '99 Ways to Die,' to discuss critical public health challenges. The scientists explore the intersection of vaccination, misinformation, and preventable deaths, drawing on Dr. Alker's clinical experiences and research. They examine the powerful role of storytelling in medical communication and how narrative can help convey complex health information effectively. Throughout the conversation, the experts address the dangers posed by health misinformation and emphasize the importance of public awareness in preventing avoidable deaths. The episode offers listeners valuable insights into emergency medicine perspectives on public health while highlighting strategies for improving health communication and combating misinformation. Watch the conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/Gq6hDxSlYts (00:00) Intro & Public Health Update (05:52) What Is A News Item That Caught Your Attention And Why? (08:04) 99 Ways To Die (10:37) How Did You Decide Which Cases Made The Book? (13:20) What Was Your Most Bizarre Or Shocking Case? (15:02) The Risks Of Butt Stuff (16:43) What Is The Most Misunderstood Medical Emergency? (20:02) Can This Book Save A Life? (23:17) Underestimated and Overestimated Dangers In Everyday Life (26:18) Correcting Medical Misconceptions In Media (29:40) What's the harm of medical myths and entertainment and social media? (31:43) What Is Giving Hope In Public Health? 99 Ways To Die: And How To Avoid Them on Amazon: https://amzn.to/493Hd0A Find Dr. Alker on: Substack https://aalkermd.substack.com/ LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashely-alker-b9b32869/ Facebook https://www.facebook.com/people/Ashely-Alker-MD/100039489626191/ TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@aalkermd Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/aalkermd.bsky.social Instagram https://www.instagram.com/aalkermd/?hl=en X https://x.com/aalkermd ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Interested in advertising with us? Please reach out to advertising@airwavemedia.com, with “Unbiased Science” in the subject line. PLEASE NOTE: The discussion and information provided in this podcast are for general educational, scientific, and informational purposes only and are not intended as, and should not be treated as, medical or other professional advice for any particular individual or individuals. Every person and medical issue is different, and diagnosis and treatment requires consideration of specific facts often unique to the individual. As such, the information contained in this podcast should not be used as a substitute for consultation with and/or treatment by a doctor or other medical professional. If you are experiencing any medical issue or have any medical concern, you should consult with a doctor or other medical professional. Further, due to the inherent limitations of a podcast such as this as well as ongoing scientific developments, we do not guarantee the completeness or accuracy of the information or analysis provided in this podcast, although, of course we always endeavor to provide comprehensive information and analysis. In no event may Unbiased Science or any of the participants in this podcast be held liable to the listener or anyone else for any decision allegedly made or action allegedly taken or not taken allegedly in reliance on the discussion or information in this podcast or for any damages allegedly resulting from such reliance. The information provided herein do not represent the views of our employers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	You're listening to an Airwave Media podcast.
0:04.6	Olivia Culpo here to tell you all about the launch of the new Abercrombie Spring Denom collection, made the way denim should feel.
0:12.3	Their denim has always been a staple in my wardrobe and has a wide range of fits, styles, and washes.
0:17.7	Every jean is available in both their classic fit and viral curve love.
0:22.1	Shop in the app, online, and in stores.
0:54.7	It's our encore. Welcome to Unbiased Science, where we bring scientific method to the madness.
0:59.1	We're your host, Dr. Jess Dyer, and Dr. Sarah Scheinman.
1:07.8	And today, we are going to talk about 99 ways to die and how to prevent those things.
1:09.9	We have an amazing special guest today.
1:11.5	We'll introduce her in just one moment.
1:18.2	And you'll hear that her background is an emergency medicine, which is near and dear to my heart.
1:24.5	I think I've mentioned a few times I'm married to an ER doctor, Ethan. So I hear all of his stories. We'll talk more about that in a moment, but really, really, really excited about this episode.
1:30.3	Before we do, we like to kick off the episode with just a super brief recap of something that's happened in public health.
1:36.3	We are recording this on December 9th.
1:39.3	Just a few days ago, the ACIP met.
1:43.3	As a reminder, that's the CDC's advisory committee on immunization practices.
1:48.5	There's a lot we could say about that. We've talked about it in our substacks and in our post,
1:53.5	so definitely go check those out. But one of the big takeaways was that they voted on the
1:58.2	hepatitis B universal birth dose of the hepatitis B vaccine.
2:04.1	And unfortunately, they voted to not recommend the universal vaccine.
2:09.6	For many of us in health science, we were really horrified about that
2:13.7	because the vaccine has done such an incredible job at preventing hepatitis B, which in infants
	...

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