In the first half, science and technology writer Cody Cassidy discussed what it takes to survive a cataclysmic historical event – like the Chicxulub doomsday asteroid, and the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, as well as other detailed battle plans for survival and safety. Oftentimes, it's only after the fact that people learn to take precautions for various disasters, he pointed out. In 79 AD, the Pompeii volcanic eruption took about five hours for the deadliest effects to occur, so people could have escaped in time. Those who ran right away when the first embers started falling, survived, while those who stayed and sought shelter didn't make it. Curiously, the safest escape plan in Pompeii was to run toward, and then past the volcano, he shared.
The Black Death wiped out 40% of London's population, yet it was actually safer to stay in the city, Cassidy revealed, as rural farms had a higher rate of plague-infected fleas. In a major earthquake, you're better off being inside a building if you live in a city, as brick and stone masonry can readily collapse onto a street. That's why the timing of an earthquake can play a significant role in survival rates, with more people generally inside at night. Cassidy also touched on his earlier work which explores fantastical ways a person might die, such as being swallowed whole by a sperm whale and digested by its stomach acid. Should that happen, some of the remains of a person might be found on shore in the rare rock-like substance known as ambergris that the whale expels.
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In the latter half, neurosurgeon Gary Simonds talked about how psychological stresses can affect the brain, which is explored in his new novel, as well as various neurological and medical issues. Workplace burnout is a state of emotional and/or psychic exhaustion, and someone suffering from it may not have the energy to do or face what they normally would every day. Healthcare workers, in particular, who deal with ongoing trauma and tragedy, may be especially susceptible to burnout. Other aspects of life, not just work, may contribute to burnout, he added, such as when an individual is exposed to a lot of stress. His novel, Death's Pale Flag, delves into the storyline of a surgeon experiencing burnout who begins seeing ghosts.
Simonds discussed the disease of Parkinson's and the type of tremors associated with it. In advanced stages, these tremors can become rather debilitating, he noted, with a patient unable to pick up a cup of coffee without spilling it. Their movements can become frozen, and other parts of the brain might be affected, he said. Yet, Parkinson's doesn't generally kill those afflicted with it, though they are prone to falling, which at times can be fatal. He also touched on the brain's different systems and its mutable qualities.
News segment guests: Howard Bloom, Mish Shedlock