Pigeon with A Mustache

On the Media

WNYC Studios

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4.6 • 8.7K Ratings

🗓️ 3 December 2021

⏱️ 52 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

By now, the new coronavirus variant has been detected in dozens of countries – including the U.S. On this week’s On the Media, hear what pigeons can tell us about how to react to the omicron variant. Plus, why we should know the names of the scientists in Botswana, South Africa, and Hong Kong who found the new strain. And what rights we do, and don't, have when it comes to when we die.

1. Katherine J. Wu [@KatherineJWu], staff writer at The Atlantic covering science, on what we do (and mostly don't) know about the new omicron variant. Listen.

2. Jeremy Kamil [@macroliter], associate professor of microbiology and immunology at Louisiana State University Health Shreveport, on the scientists who found omicron, and why we should know their names. Listen.

3. Katie Engelhart [@katieengelhart], journalist and New America fellow, on the complicated right to die. Listen.

Music from this week's show:

Horizon 12.2 - Thomas NewmanEye Surgery - Thomas NewmanSlow Pulse Conga - William PasleyCello Song - Nick DrakeBerceuse in D Flat Major, Op. 57 (Chopin) - Ivan MoravecTime After Time (Cyndi Lauper) - Miles Davis

Transcript

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0:00.0	Hey, podcast listeners, it's Kat. I'm here to tell you about an upcoming event that you don't want to miss.
0:05.8	December 7th, we are hosting our very first OTM trivia night.
0:10.8	I'll be there, Brooke will be there, the OTM producers, and hopefully a whole bunch of you guys answering questions, having some laughs, and there will be tons of prizes.
0:20.2	Ever wanted a hat crocheted by Brooke? Now's your chance.
0:24.3	We'll also be giving away OTM Toats and Mugs, maybe even a lipstick. You don't want to miss it.
0:30.7	All you need to do to get an invite for this event, which we'll be on Zoom, is become a sustaining member.
0:36.8	If you've never donated before, just take a second, go to onthemedio.org, hit the support button, or text the letters OTM to 70101.
0:48.0	It's those sustaining donations, the monthly support, 10, 12, 20 bucks. That's money that helps us ensure that we have enough funds to keep this show coming to your ears for months and years to come.
1:00.4	If you're already an OTM sustainer, thank you. We will be emailing you an invite to join us for trivia.
1:06.4	And everyone else who's listening who isn't yet a sustainer, sign up and see you there.
1:12.8	The US, Australia and Indonesia are among countries to bar travelers from southern Africa nations, where the variant was first reported.
1:23.2	When it comes to alerting the world about a new variant, no good deed goes unpunished.
1:29.2	From WNYC in New York, this is on the media, I'm Brooke Gladstone.
1:33.6	On the show this week, a consumers guide to navigating stories about Almacron.
1:39.2	For one thing, beware headlines that stress its nooness.
1:43.2	It is a new variant, but it's not a completely new virus. It's not a pigeon transforming into a tiger. It's a pigeon that's maybe grown a mustache.
1:51.6	Also, we've been talking about death so much in the last 22 months. Are we having the right conversations?
1:58.4	There's so much obfuscation and euphemism around end of life care.
2:02.8	So in my book, people don't pass away. They are given sedative drugs, which lead to dehydration and then kidney failure, which is their ultimate cause of death.
2:10.4	It's all coming up after this.
2:16.4	From WNYC in New York, this is on the media. I'm Brooke Gladstone.
2:21.6	By now you know we have a new arrival in the pandemic landscape, Almacron.
	...

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