Lorien tells Katharine about rattlesnakes. Katharine assumes New Mexico is carpeted in them.

Sources:

• https://www.reddit.com/r/trailrunning/comments/v1j7k6/what_to_wear_to_protect_against_rattlesnakes/?rdt=34400
• https://www.britannica.com/animal/rattlesnake
• https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/stereoscopic-vision#:~:text=Stereoscopic vision refers to the,3D) images and thus depth.
• https://www.denverhealth.org/blog/2017/01/rattlesnake-bite-prevention
• https://wildlife.utah.gov/news/utah-wildlife-news/1621-tips-to-help-you-stay-safe-and-avoid-conflict-with-rattlesnakes.html
• https://www.bannerhealth.com/healthcareblog/teach-me/invisible-rattlesnakes
• https://calpoison.org/about-rattlesnakes
• https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/snake-bites#:~:text=All snakebites should be considered,past venomous snakebites and therapy
• https://open.spotify.com/episode/2xjRKUta2YM63r14TfX5zT?si=4775791cfd664304
• https://open.spotify.com/episode/5FLM2gLO5YtgOEPwTBE5me?si=tL68CE-qQmKGg9gmfNNNwA
• https://www.healthline.com/health/rattlesnake-bite#timeline
• https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/life/2024/03/23/rattlesnake-bites-tips-symptoms-prevention/72900851007/#
• https://www.azcentral.com/story/entertainment/life/2024/03/23/rattlesnake-bites-tips-symptoms-prevention/72900851007/#
• https://peecnature.org/rattlesnake-safety/#:~:text=Be aware of your surroundings,pants is a good idea.
• https://www.nwf.org/Educational-Resources/Wildlife-Guide/Reptiles/Rattlesnakes#:~:text=Rattlesnakes are found in almost every part,deserts, and they are also capable swimmers.
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_handling_in_Christianity
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Went_Hensley#Death
• https://www.messynessychic.com/2017/11/22/americas-last-snake-handling-cults/

Katharine takes Lorien on a 100 year historical tour of US mass deportations.

Sources:

- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UEhMDAlX1Y

- https://www.history.com/articles/great-depression-repatriation-drives-mexico-deportation

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Immigration_Act_of_1924

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mexican_Repatriation

- https://www.history.com/articles/operation-wetback-eisenhower-1954-deportation

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Wetback

- https://www.aclu.org/news/immigrants-rights/exiled-obama-administrations-horrifying

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patriot_Act

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/September_11_attacks

- https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2014/10/02/u-s-deportations-of-immigrants-reach-record-high-in-2013/

- https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/obama-record-deportations-deporter-chief-or-not

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trump_administration_family_separation_policy

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_presidency_of_Donald_Trump#Immigration

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deportation_in_the_second_presidency_of_Donald_Trump

- https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-administration-says-it-will-pay-immigrants-in-the-u-s-illegally-1000-to-self-deport

- https://www.migrationpolicy.org/content/explainer-immigrants-and-us-economy#:~:text=Overall%20Economic%20Growth%20and%20Impacts&text=The%20foreign%20born%20also%20start,companies%20were%20founded%20by%20immigrants.

Nothing could be scarier to Lorien than a forever unsolved mystery. Just tell her!

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ghost_ship

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flying_Dutchman

https://www.kingmanyachtcenter.com/an-october-ghost-story-mary-celeste/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/abandoned-ship-the-mary-celeste-174488104/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=Nsjh_QeUL-w

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Celeste

https://www.iflscience.com/are-ghost-ships-really-traveling-the-world-s-oceans-with-no-one-aboard-to-crew-them-67071

https://www.historyextra.com/period/general-history/ghost-ships-famous-stories-list/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Joyita

None of these are the fever Peggy Lee was singing about.

Sources:

• - https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/25/health/congo-mystery-illness/index.html

  - https://www.wired.com/story/race-to-identify-drcs-mystery-illness-slowed-by-us-aid-cuts-democratic-republic-congo-usaid/

  - https://www.science.org/content/article/mysterious-congo-outbreak-likely-linked-contaminated-water-researchers-say

  - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/congo-mystery-disease-deaths-who-investigation-deepens/

  - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/mystery-disease-congo-what-we-know/

  - http://abcnews.go.com/Health/cdc-monitoring-unknown-disease-congo/story?id=119395101

  - https://www.cbsnews.com/news/congo-war-m23-rebels-rwanda-goma-un-warns-gang-rape-summary-executions/

  - https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/ebola#:~:text=What%20is%20Ebola%3F,leaks%20from%20small%20blood%20vessels.

  - https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/about/index.html

  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ebola

  - https://www.cdc.gov/ebola/outbreaks/?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/history/chronology.html

  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hot_Zone

  - https://newshour-classroom-tc.digi-producers.pbs.org/uploads/app/uploads/2014/09/Excerpt-from-The-Hot-Zone-for-PBS-NewsHour-Education-Random-House.pdf

  - https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marburg_virus_disease

Lorien talks about literal ticking time bombs.

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unexploded_ordnance
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_explosion
• https://apple.news/AT8BA2xInTWeIMDQUDcddTA
• https://www.epa.gov/fedfac/military-munitionsunexploded-ordnance
• https://www.icrc.org/en/law-and-policy/explosive-remnants-war
• https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna24441427
• https://abcnews.go.com/International/160-unexploded-bombs-world-war-ii-found-childrens/story?id=118724569
• https://abcnews.go.com/International/160-unexploded-bombs-world-war-ii-found-childrens/story?id=118724569
• https://www.hi.org/en/news/landmines--22--more-victims-in-one-year#:~:text=Published on 20 November, the,of the victims were civilians.
• https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/04/1135252

Black mold, and radon, and asbestos, oh my!

Sources:

- https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/24862-black-mold

- https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323419#Symptoms-of-black-mold-exposure

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stachybotrys_chartarum

- https://www.webmd.com/lung/can-black-mold-kill-you

- https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/radon-and-health#:~:text=Radon%20is%20a%20radioactive%20gas,and%20produces%20further%20radioactive%20particles.

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radon

- https://hsph.harvard.edu/news/millions-in-u-s-exposed-to-dangerous-radon-study-finds/

- https://www.mayoclinichealthsystem.org/hometown-health/speaking-of-health/radon-the-odorless-invisible-threat

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asbestos#:~:text=Asbestos%20(/%C3%A6s%CB%88b,%2C%20asbestosis%2C%20and%20lung%20cancer.

- https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/tysonbottenus/black-mold-growing-toxic-brain-vacation

- https://www.asbestos.com/news/2025/01/10/raging-california-wildfires-may-spread-toxic-asbestos/

- https://www.epa.gov/asbestos/protect-your-family-exposures-asbestos

- https://www.kxan.com/news/local/austin/how-toxic-mold-cost-one-austin-family-their-home-health/

In this podcast we hate otters but we love octopuses.

Sources:

• https://www.merriam-webster.com/grammar/the-many-plurals-of-octopus-octopi-octopuses-octopodes
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octopus
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cephalopod_attack
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Akkorokamui
• https://www.ibtimes.com/8-foot-octopus-wrestles-diver-calif-coast-rare-encounter-caught-camera-video-1556415
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greater_blue-ringed_octopus
• https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/01/new-york-staten-island-ferry-octopus-attack-fake-monument
• https://nycurbanlegends.com/octopus-disaster
• https://octonation.com/are-octopuses-dangerous/
• https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/animals-a-to-z/giant-pacific-octopus
• https://www.mysticaquarium.org/animals-and-exhibits/our-animals/giant-pacific-octopus/
• https://oceanconservancy.org/wildlife-factsheet/giant-pacific-octopus/
• https://www.livescience.com/55478-octopus-facts.html
• https://www.livescience.com/animals/octopuses/octopuses-rewire-their-brains-to-adapt-to-different-ocean-temperatures
• https://www.si.com/more-sports/2021/10/12/seattle-kraken-octopus-wrestling-daily-cover
• https://blog.animalogic.ca/blog/octopus-wrestling-the-lost-and-ancient-sport

Art imitates life imitates art.

Sources:

- https://www.stylist.co.uk/books/handmaids-tale-true-story/130001

- https://www.penguin.co.uk/discover/articles/margaret-atwood-handmaids-tale-testaments-real-life-inspiration

- https://www.businessinsider.com/handmaids-tale-based-on-real-world-origins-history-events-2019-8#the-forced-separation-of-mothers-and-children-continues-to-occur-in-modern-society-10

- https://www.history.com/news/chamberlain-kahn-act-std-venereal-disease-imprisonment-women

- https://newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/mary-webster-witch-hadley-survives-hanging/

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Webster_(alleged_witch)

- https://www.history.com/news/magdalene-laundry-ireland-asylum-abuse

- https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/22/us/roe-v-wade-overturned-2-years/index.html

- https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/political-commentary/conservatives-rebranding-pro-life-abortion-1235018370/

- https://www.npr.org/sections/shots-health-news/2025/03/19/nx-s1-5312115/margaret-carpenter-indictment-telemedicine-abortion-louisiana-mail-mifepristone-misoprostol

- https://jessica.substack.com/p/republicans-are-redefining-miscarriage

- https://jessica.substack.com/p/after-trump-pardons-clinic-attackers

- https://time.com/7269263/bills-punishing-people-seeking-abortions/

- https://academic.oup.com/book/25660/chapter-abstract/193101621?redirectedFrom=fulltext

- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/jun/25/roe-v-wade-abortion-christian-right-america