Originally aired in 2018, this episode features reporter Brenna Farrell as a new mom. Her son gave her and her husband a scare, prompting them to call Poison Control. For Brenna, the experience was so odd—and oddly comforting—that she decided to dive into the birth story of this invisible network of poison experts, and try to understand the evolving relationship we humans have with our poisonous planet. As we learn about how poison control has changed over the years, we end up wondering what a place devoted to data and human connection can tell us about ourselves in this cultural moment of anxiety and information-overload.
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