Don Schaffner and Ben Chapman

Risky or Not?

Science EN ↓ 992 episodes

Risky or Not is a short podcast from Professor Ben Chapman from North Carolina State University, and Dr. Don Schaffner from Rutgers University. Dr. Don and Professor Chapman promise to do their best not to waffle, dither, dissemble or equivocate, and to give straight up answers about whether something is risky or not.

Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: riskyornot.co

Author

Don Schaffner and Ben Chapman

Category

Science

Podcast website

riskyornot.co

Latest episode

Oct 14, 2026

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Episodes

743. Kissing a Raven 10.03.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from kissing a raven. Dr. Don - risky ☣️ Professor Ben - risky ☣️ Ragnar raven in a lovely chatty and affectionate mood. | Raven Talking | TikTok Julie Andrews – My Favorite Things Lyrics | Genius Lyrics Elton John - Rocket Man (Official Music Video) - YouTube Salmonella ravens - Google Scholar Salmonella in Sheep in Iceland - PMC Prevalence, Characte...

742. Stirring Your Coffee With "Pickle" the Barista Bird Daily 07.03.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of letting a parrot stir you coffee with a spoon every day. Dr. Don - risky ☣️ Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Pickle the barista birb loves to stir my coffee every morning : r/aww Salmonella | Cornell Wildlife Health Lab Psittacosis (Ornithosis) fact sheet Human Salmonellosis Outbreak Linked to Salmonella Typhimurium Epidemic in Wild Songbirds, United...

741. Using a Dishwasher to Wash a Bird Feeder 05.03.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from using a dishwasher to wash a bird feeder. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Infectious Diseases of Garden Birds - Minimising the Risks - UFAW Outdoor Cleaning Products | Jeyes Fluid Method to Evaluate Factors Influencing the Microbial Reduction in Domestic Dishwashers | Journal of Applied Microbiology | Oxford Academic Jeyes...

740. Using a "Snot Sucker" With Ones Mouth 03.03.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks posed by using a "snot sucker" with ones mouth. Dr. Don - risky ☣️ Professor Ben - risky ☣️ NoseFrida the SnotSucker – Frida | The fuss stops here. NoseFrida: Winter Colds and Baby's Snot: A Better Way to Clear It Out • ItsaBelly Doulas Amazon.com : BABY-VAC Clinically Tested Baby Nasal Aspirator - Vacuum-Powered Nose Sucker with Suction Head & Cleani...

739. Nugget Shoes 28.02.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from a toddler placing chicken nuggets in their shoes. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 SJ 🥥🌴💙 (@sjmcgriff)'s video of Kids TikTok Videos | TikTok Pitted keratolysis: an infective cause of foot odour - PMC Why Do Feet Stink? (for Kids) | Nemours KidsHealth

738. Girl Scout Cookies 26.02.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from Girl Scout Cookies Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Girl Scouts of the USA Danger in the Dough: Unveiling the Toxic Contaminants in Girl Scout Cookies - GMOScience Questions and Answers on Glyphosate | FDA

737. Using a Bath Towel (Laundered Weekly) to Dry Hands After Using the Bathroom and Before Preparing Food 24.02.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of using weekly laundered bath towel to dry hands after using the bathroom and before preparing food. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Why you probably aren't washing your towels often enough Bacterial Occurrence in Kitchen Hand Towels A Study of Bacterial Contaminants of Cloth and Paper Towels Quantifying the Effect of Hand Was...

736. Reusing Old Sleep-Water in Cold Humidifiers 21.02.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of using water from a bedside glass to refill a humidifier. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Molecular analysis of single room humidifier bacteriology - ScienceDirect Severe neonatal legionellosis associated with use of home humidifiers – A case report - ScienceDirect Legionella - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics A review of l...

735. Armpit Riceballs 19.02.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of making riceballs in an armpit. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Human sweat-infused rice balls fashioned in the armpits of cute Japanese girls become unlikely culinary hit, at a price | South China Morning Post Sweat and Sebum Preferences of the Human Skin Microbiota | Microbiology Spectrum The Microbiota of the Human Skin |...

734. Sun Drying Onions, Ginger and Garlic for 4 Days 17.02.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of sun drying onions, ginger and garlic for 4 days. Dr. Don - risky ☣️ Professor Ben - risky ☣️ Study the effect of sun, oven and microwave drying on quality of onion slices - ScienceDirect Effect of Drying Characteristics of Garlic Salmonella survival during thermal dehydration of fresh garlic and storage of dehydrated garlic products - PubMed Surviv...

733. Ben's Garbage Disposal Strawberry 14.02.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating a strawberry that has fallen into a garbage disposal. Dr. Don - risky ☣️ Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Brach's Candy Cinnamon Imperial Hearts Brach's Candy Tiny Conversation Hearts This time I DIDN'T train a neural net to generate candy hearts - AI Weirdness

732. Don's Slow Cooling Veggie Chili 12.02.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of slow cooling vegetarian chili. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 FSIS Stabilization Guideline for Meat and Poultry Products (Revised Appendix B) December, 2021 Cooling Uncovered Foods at a Depth of ∼5.1 cm (2 in.) or Less Poses Little Risk of Pathogen Growth - ScienceDirect FDA Food Code | FDA Cooling Rates of Chili Using Refr...

731. Sticking Energy Chews to a Bike's Frame for Easy Access 10.02.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from sticking energy chews to a bike's frame for easy access. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Stewie Griffin - Wikipedia Energy Chews | Chewable Energy | GU Energy Labs Outbreak of Campylobacteriosis Associated with a Long-Distance Obstacle Adventure Race — Nevada, October 2012 Campylobacteriosis outbreak associated with ingest...

730. Accidentally Eating Some Seeds or Sprouts From a Chia Pet 07.02.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks posed by accidentally eating some seeds or sprouts from a Chia Pet. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 FAQ - Chia.com Chia Home - Chia.com Ice Spice Chia Pet - Chia.com Chia seed benefits: What you need to know - Harvard Health ISGA – International Sprout Growers Association International outbreak of multiple Salmonella serotype i...

729. Eating Raw Milk Gouda Cheese in an Unregulated Brazilian Facility 05.02.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks that Ben faced when eating raw milk gouda cheese in an unregulated Brazilian facility. Dr. Don - risky ☣️ Professor Ben - risky ☣️ Food Safety Talk NC Tobacco Trust Fund Commission Agricultural Leadership Development Program | NC State Extension Gouda Recipe | Cheese Maker Recipes | Cheese Making Supply Enumeration of Escherichia coli O157 in Outbreak...

728. Using Stale Bread in Brown Sugar 03.02.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of using using stale bread to keep brown sugar moist. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Carnac the Magnificent - Wikipedia The Rolling Stones – Brown Sugar Lyrics | Genius Lyrics Brown Sugar Saver | King Arthur Baking Company The Pioneer Woman Terracotta Sugar Saver at Walmart - Where to Buy Ree Drummond's Brown Sugar Savers How...

727. Placing Raw Meat Dishes Directly in the Dishwasher 31.01.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from not pre-washing raw meat dishes and placing them directly in the dishwasher. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Cardiff Metropolitan University - Study in Cardiff method to evaluate factors influencing the microbial reduction in domestic dishwashers | Journal of Applied Microbiology | Oxford Academic FSIS Cooking Guideline fo...

726. Sunny Side Up Egg From a Bird Infected With Bird Flu 29.01.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from sunny side up egg from a bird infected with bird flu. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 SHensley: "@benjaminchapman.bsky.social @bugcounter.bsky.social Georgia is like 15% of the US poultry production. Eggs sunny side up from a chicken with bird flu #riskyornot? www.wjcl.com/article/geor…" — Bluesky Full article: Heat inacti...

725. Landfilling Ground Up HPAI Infected Chickens Without PPE 27.01.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of workers landfilling ground up highly pathogenic avian influenza infected chickens without personal protective equipment. Dr. Don - risky ☣️ Professor Ben - risky ☣️ TWiV 1178: Clinical update with Dr. Daniel Griffin — This Week in Virology — Overcast CDC Interim Guidance for Landfill Workers in the United States Disposing of Poultry Carcasses Durin...

724. Licking Cheetos Dust Off Your Fingers 24.01.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from licking Cheetos dust off your fingers. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Home | Cheetos Hands Are Frequently Contaminated with Fecal Bacteria and Enteric Pathogens Globally: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis | ACS Environmental Au

723. Occasionally Eating Roof Icicles 22.01.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from occasionally eating icicles off your roof. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 What Are Roof Shingles? (2025) | Today's Homeowner Quality of roof-harvested rainwater – Comparison of different roofing materials - ScienceDirect A global review of the microbiological quality and potential health risks associated with roof-harvest...

722. Eating Baby Poop Regularly 20.01.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks of eating baby poop regularly. Dr. Don - risky ☣️ Professor Ben - risky ☣️ (3) Gregory Koch: "Eating baby poop - Risky or Not? @bugcounter.bsky.social @benchapmanncsu.bsky.social" — Bluesky Development of intestinal microbiota in infants and its impact on health: Trends in Microbiology Bifidobacterium - Wikipedia The First Microbial Colonizers of the...

721. Coffee Cupping in January 17.01.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from coffee tasting using shared cups, i.e., coffee cupping. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - risky ☣️ Coffee Cupping: A Step By Step Guide Responsible Coffee Cupping During Covid-19 - Perfect Daily Grind Detection of Norovirus in Saliva Samples from Acute Gastroenteritis Cases and Asymptomatic Subjects: Association with Age and Higher Sheddin...

720. Accidentally Leaving Your Contact Lens Solution Bottle Open 15.01.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from accidentally leaving your contact lens solution bottle open. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Eye & Contact Lens The Danger of Using Tap Water with Contact Lenses | US EPA National Outbreak of Acanthamoeba Keratitis Associated with Use of a Contact Lens Solution, United States - PMC Eye Infections From Contact Lenses - Amer...

719. Freezer Ajar for 24 Hours 13.01.2025

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from food in a freezer ajar for 24 hours. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Homepage - STOCKART Download 1000's of high resolution images | Stockarch Free Stock Photo Archive Avoid Foodborne Illness During Temporary Power Outages | FoodSafety.gov Food safety experts agree with 'when in doubt, throw it out,' here's why | Fox News

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