meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
Unexplainable

The accidental rise of Botox

Unexplainable

Vox

Life Sciences, Science, Natural Sciences

4.62.4K Ratings

🗓️ 18 March 2026

⏱️ 30 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

One of the deadliest poisons known to man is now used to treat wrinkles, migraines, and even, maybe, depression. How did that happen? Guests: Jean Carruthers, ophthalmologist and “godmother” of cosmetic Botox. David Simpson, neurologist at Mount Sinai hospital in New York. Axel Wollmer, psychiatrist at the Asklepios clinic in Hamburg, Germany. For more, go to http://vox.com/unexplainable It’s a great place to sign up for our newsletter, view show transcripts, and read more about the topics on our show. Also, email us! unexplainable@vox.com We read every email. Support Unexplainable by making a financial contribution to Vox! bit.ly/givepodcasts Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Dell PCs with Intel inside are built for every moment.

0:03.5

With long-lasting battery life and built-in intelligence, you can stay focused on what matters most.

0:08.6

Dell Technologies, built for you.

0:10.5

Dell.com slash del PCs.

0:15.4

Security program on spreadsheets, new regulations piling up, and audit dread?

0:20.0

It's time for Vanta. Vanta automates security

0:22.9

and compliance, brings evidence into one place, and cuts audit prep by 82%. Less manual work, clear

0:29.1

visibility, faster deals, zero chaos. Call it compliance, or call it, compliance. Get it? Join the 15,000 companies using Vanta to prove trust. Go to VANTA.com

0:42.6

slash calm. It's unexplainable. I'm Sally Helm. And a couple of months ago, I was up very early

0:50.6

walking down the street in Manhattan. Oh my lord, there's someone on a 5 a.m. run.

0:56.3

Wow.

0:57.5

I was heading to the hospital to get this procedure that would help me learn to burp.

1:03.3

Before that, I had been a lifelong no burper.

1:06.0

You can go back and listen to the whole episode about this if you want.

1:08.7

But all you need to know today is that the treatment for this condition involves a drug,

1:15.0

a very famous one.

1:16.7

I'm getting Botox in my throat and not in like a make my throat look younger kind of way,

1:23.8

but like inside my throat.

1:25.4

I guess inside it will look very young.

1:28.8

Botox has this amazing, unusual ability to paralyze a muscle locally, like just the muscle

1:36.8

that you injected into.

1:38.4

So in my case, a muscle in my throat was clamping up so that I couldn't burp.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Vox, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Vox and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.