Special Episode: Carl Zimmer & Airborne

This Podcast Will Kill You

Exactly Right and iHeartPodcasts

Health & Fitness, Science

4.8 • 17.1K Ratings

🗓️ 5 August 2025

⏱️ 50 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

In the first years of the COVID pandemic, a debate raged: was the virus transmitted via respiratory droplets, or was it airborne? For some, this distinction seemed overly technical, pedantic even. But for others, it represented decades of dismissal and missed opportunities - opportunities that had cost untold lives. In this week’s TPWKY book club episode, renowned science writer and journalist Carl Zimmer joins us to discuss his latest book Airborne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe, which uncovers the long-forgotten story of an entire field of study - aerobiology - and the pioneering scientists who discovered life where there was thought to be none. Tune in for a fascinating conversation about why airborne transmission matters and the incredible work that some researchers are doing to breathe new life into its study.

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Transcript

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0:00.0	This is exactly right.
0:07.2	Everyone thinks they'd never join a cult.
0:09.5	But it happens all the time to people just like you.
0:12.2	And people just like us.
0:13.5	I'm Lola Blanc.
0:14.6	And I'm Megan Elizabeth.
0:15.9	We're the hosts of Trust Me, a podcast about cults, manipulation, and the psychology of belief.
0:21.4	Each week, we talk to fellow survivors, former believers, and experts to understand why people get pulled in and how they get out.
0:28.1	Trust me, new episodes every Wednesday on Exactly Right. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.
0:33.3	Music The The
0:57.0	The Hi, I'm Erin Welsh, and this is, this podcast will kill you.
1:24.3	Welcome to our newest episode in the TPWKY Book Club series, where I get to chat with
1:31.2	authors about their latest books in science and medicine. We have covered some great books
1:37.5	so far this season and in past seasons, and we've got plenty more excellent books to add to your to read list throughout
1:45.8	the rest of this season.
1:47.5	If you would like to see the full list of books that we've covered so far, as well as get
1:52.5	a sneak peek of the books that will be featured later this season, head over to our website.
1:57.8	This podcast will kill you.com, where you'll find a link to our bookshop.org
2:02.1	affiliate account under the extras tab. There, you'll see several TPWKY lists, including a
2:08.9	book club list. Check back on that list regularly, as I'll be updating it throughout this season.
2:14.4	As always, we love getting your feedback, whether that's a topic request, a suggestion
2:19.5	for a book to feature in one of these episodes, or just any other thoughts you have. You can
	...

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