Uploaded March 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
From the Radiolab podcast: Death, disbelief and a watermelon doctor who disappears into thin air.
Today we uncover an invisible killer, hidden for over a hundred years, by reasonable disbelief. Science journalist extraordinaire Carl Zimmer tells us the story of a centuries-long battle of ideas that came to a head, with tragic consequences, in the very recent past. His latest book, called Airborne, details a largely forgotten history of science that never quite managed to get off the ground. Along the way, Carl helps us understand how we can fail, over and over again, to see a truth right in front of our faces. And how we finally came around thanks to scientific evidence hidden inside a song.
EPISODE CREDITS:
Reported by Carl Zimmer
Produced by Sarah Qari
with mixing help from Jeremy Bloom
Fact-checking by Natalie Middleton
EPISODE CITATIONS:
Books -
Check out Carl Zimmer’s new book, Airborne (zpr.io/Q5bdYrubcwE4).
Articles -
Read about the study on the Skagit Valley Chorale COVID superspreading event (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32979298/).
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Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab today: radiolab.org/the-lab
Photo illustration by Jared Bartman
Video by W. Harry Fortuna
From the Radiolab podcast: Death, disbelief and a watermelon doctor who disappears into thin air.
Today we uncover an invisible killer, hidden for over a hundred years, by reasonable disbelief. Science journalist extraordinaire Carl Zimmer tells us the story of a centuries-long battle of ideas that came to a head, with tragic consequences, in the very recent past. His latest book, called Airborne, details a largely forgotten history of science that never quite managed to get off the ground. Along the way, Carl helps us understand how we can fail, over and over again, to see a truth right in front of our faces. And how we finally came around thanks to scientific evidence hidden inside a song.
EPISODE CREDITS:
Reported by Carl Zimmer
Produced by Sarah Qari
with mixing help from Jeremy Bloom
Fact-checking by Natalie Middleton
EPISODE CITATIONS:
Books -
Check out Carl Zimmer’s new book, Airborne (zpr.io/Q5bdYrubcwE4).
Articles -
Read about the study on the Skagit Valley Chorale COVID superspreading event (pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32979298/).
🎧 Subscribe to Radiolab wherever you listen to podcasts: lnk.to/radiolab!youtube
🔎 Subscribe to Radiolab on YouTube: bit.ly/3I9KI53
🖋 Subscribe to Radiolab’s Newsletter: radiolab.org/newsletter
🌱 Check out Radiolab's Starter Kit Playlist: bit.ly/3sX8f4P
👍 Like this video ✏️ and leave us a comment!
Follow Radiolab:
Instagram — instagram.com/radiolab
X — https://x.com/Radiolab
Facebook — facebook.com/Radiolab
Threads — threads.net/@radiolab
TikTok — tiktok.com/@radiolab
Our newsletter includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up here: radiolab.org/newsletter
Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab today: radiolab.org/the-lab
Photo illustration by Jared Bartman
Video by W. Harry Fortuna
