In this episode of Distillations, we look at the use of radioactive isotopes in medicine. First, a segment on using radioactive iodine to cure thyroid cancer. And an interview with two scientists who use PET scans to study the effects of alternative treatments like acupuncture and meditation. Image of PET scan from a former opioid…

Distillations celebrates Earth Day with a show on climate change. First, we profile Chad and Bangladesh – two countries facing opposite but equally devastating effects of climate change – extreme drought and extreme flooding. Then, an interview with atmospheric chemist Susan Solomon, a key member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, about what the…

Distillations April Fools’-themed show looks at medical trickery through the ages. First, a segment on 18th-century doctor Franz Mesmer and the earliest documented evidence of the placebo effect in action. (Origin of the term “to mesmerize!”) Then, a feature from super creative audio/video producer Josh Kurz on the modern placebo, and how the pesky human…