The Present Illness
Society’s running a fever, and two sharp-witted physicians are on the case. Surgeon-scientist Arghavan Salles dives into social media’s wildest trends, while anesthesiologist-bioethicist Alyssa Burgart follows news and legal cases for their ethical twists. Together, they examine the cultural, political, and public health symptoms of our time with scalpel-sharp analysis, unflinching questions, and enough humor to keep us all going.
Podcasting since 2025 • 18 episodes
The Present Illness
Latest Episodes
Protect Trans Kids, Not Peter Attia
“Longevity” Doctor Peter Attia in Epstein Files 2,000 times; How to Leave Open Comments on Fed Regs Banning Gender Affirming Care; Bad Bunny’s Big Week; Trump wants women to smile more.Dr. Peter Attia and the Epstein Files...
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Season 1
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Episode 18
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54:55
Diabolical Dictators and Online Trolls
The doctors thrive on spite; Nurse Alex Pretti; Iran Update; How cheap bots/trolls drive disinformationNote: we had an audio issue for the first few minutes of the episode (4:55). Iran Update:Per Iran Inter...
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Season 1
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Episode 17
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1:12:29
Robots, Research & Rubik's Cubes
Unethical research in Guinea-Bissau; Robots won’t fix maternity care deserts; Louisiana tries to extradite California doctor.Americas public health system teeters on the edge of an ICU admission thanks to the abysmal leadership of RFK Jr...
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Season 1
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Episode 16
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1:05:50