Episode description

The word “poison” is much more subjective than it may first appear. It’s likely you’ve come across the phrase, “the dose makes the poison”, referring to some compounds that are beneficial in small amounts but deadly in others - such as digitalis. And then there’s the intended recipient of the “poison”; a poison to one animal might be a boon to another, like milkweeds and monarch butterflies. Our own relationships to poisons can be unpredictable. Attracted, addicted, healed, repelled, harmed, neutral - all are possible alone or in combination. Why do organisms produce caffeine, penicillin, alcohol, capsaicin, opioids, cyanide, and countless other poisons, and why are our responses so varied? That’s exactly what author Dr. Noah Whiteman explores in his book Most Delicious Poison: The Story of Nature's Toxins--From Spices to Vices. Dr. Whiteman, who is Professor of Genetics, Genomics, Evolution and Development and Director of the Essig Museum of Entomology at UC-Berkeley, takes us through the evolution, chemistry, and neuroscience of plant- and animal-derived poisons and explores the fine line between healing and harm. Weaving together personal narratives with stories of scientific discovery and evolutionary biology, Dr. Whiteman presents an expansive view of the world of these poisons and what they mean to us. Tune in today!

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