#793 Rivalries at the Cutting Edge: How Personal Battles Forged Medical Miracles
Release Date: 03/08/2024
Separate Paths: Why Canada Rejected America’s Revolution
The Not Old - Better Show
📚 What if Canada had become part of the United States? In 1774, the Continental Congress sent heartfelt letters to Quebec—inviting Canadians to join the American Revolution. When the letters didn’t work, they tried something else: invasion. joins The Not Old Better Show in partnership with Smithsonian Associates to explain this little-known history. Smithsonian Associate Ralph Nurnberger will be appearing at Smithsonian Associates on August 21, 2025, and the title of his presentation is From diplomatic missions with Benjamin Franklin to failed military campaigns in the Canadian snow,...
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Birth of a City: From New Amsterdam to New York
The Not Old - Better Show
🚢 History wasn’t just written—it was negotiated. And in 1664, the fate of a small but thriving colony on Manhattan Island changed forever. I recently spoke with historian and author Russell Shorto, whose new book, Taking Manhattan: The Extraordinary Events That Created New York and Shaped America, pulls back the curtain on the overlooked moment when New Amsterdam became New York—not through bloody battle, but through bold negotiation. This story isn’t just about the Dutch and English. It’s about Indigenous displacement, the early seeds of American capitalism, and the founding...
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Grill Smarter, Cook Wilder: Inside BBQ’s Hottest Trends with Nicole Papantoniou!
The Not Old - Better Show
🔥👩🍳 Ready to revolutionize your grilling experience? Today on The Not Old Better Show, we're sizzling with Nicole Papantoniou, Director of Good Housekeeping’s Kitchen Appliances and Innovation Lab! From the timeless debate—charcoal vs. gas—to futuristic smart grills controlled by AI and Bluetooth, we’ve got the juiciest grilling insights just for you. 🌭📲🔥 Nicole shares expert tips on embracing eco-friendly grilling, experimenting with plant-based BBQ, mastering live-fire cooking, and even achieving restaurant-quality pizza right in your backyard oven. 🌱🍕🌿...
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Chains, Chords and Grace: The Redemption of John Lee Hooker, Jr
The Not Old - Better Show
🎸 From prison cell to pulpit. 🎤 From opening for his father to praying with Keith Richards. 🙏 From blues to grace. Rev. John Lee Hooker, Jr. has lived a life most wouldn’t believe—if it weren’t all true. Born into blues royalty as the son of John Lee Hooker, he seemed destined for the stage. But addiction, crime, and incarceration rewrote the script… until faith and purpose gave him a new one. In this episode of The Not Old Better Show, I sat down with Rev. Hooker to talk about: 🔁 Returning to Soledad Prison—first to perform, then to serve time, then again as a prison...
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Dignity, Data, and the Decisions That Shape Our Later Years
The Not Old - Better Show
📊 Over 450,000 voices. One powerful message: dignity in aging matters. I recently had the privilege of interviewing Liz Pearce, Senior Living Product Director at U.S. News & World Report, on The Not Old – Better Show. Liz and her team help families across the country navigate one of life’s biggest transitions: choosing the right senior living community. 🏡 U.S. News’ 2025 Best Senior Living Ratings are more than numbers—they reflect real experiences from residents and their loved ones. Their input shapes how communities are recognized for outstanding care, safety, and...
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Dignity, Data, and the Decisions That Shape Our Later Years
The Not Old - Better Show
📊 Over 450,000 voices. One powerful message: dignity in aging matters. I recently had the privilege of interviewing Liz Pearce, Senior Living Product Director at U.S. News & World Report, on The Not Old – Better Show. Liz and her team help families across the country navigate one of life’s biggest transitions: choosing the right senior living community. 🏡 U.S. News’ 2025 Best Senior Living Ratings are more than numbers—they reflect real experiences from residents and their loved ones. Their input shapes how communities are recognized for outstanding care, safety, and...
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Dignity, Data, and the Decisions That Shape Our Later Years
The Not Old - Better Show
📊 Over 450,000 voices. One powerful message: dignity in aging matters. I recently had the privilege of interviewing Liz Pearce, Senior Living Product Director at U.S. News & World Report, on The Not Old – Better Show. Liz and her team help families across the country navigate one of life’s biggest transitions: choosing the right senior living community. 🏡 U.S. News’ 2025 Best Senior Living Ratings are more than numbers—they reflect real experiences from residents and their loved ones. Their input shapes how communities are recognized for outstanding care, safety, and...
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Dignity, Data, and the Decisions That Shape Our Later Years
The Not Old - Better Show
📊 Over 450,000 voices. One powerful message: dignity in aging matters. I recently had the privilege of interviewing Liz Pearce, Senior Living Product Director at U.S. News & World Report, on The Not Old – Better Show. Liz and her team help families across the country navigate one of life’s biggest transitions: choosing the right senior living community. 🏡 U.S. News’ 2025 Best Senior Living Ratings are more than numbers—they reflect real experiences from residents and their loved ones. Their input shapes how communities are recognized for outstanding care, safety, and...
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Riding with History: Jefferson, Madison, and the Journey that Shaped a Nation
The Not Old - Better Show
🐎 When Friendship Shapes Nations: The Untold Journey of Jefferson & Madison 🇺🇸 Ever imagine two founding fathers on horseback, pondering America's future as they ride through rugged landscapes, confronting pest infestations, cultural discoveries, and their own biases? Thomas Jefferson and James Madison did exactly that in their remarkable 1791 journey through Upstate New York and New England. 📚 , author, historian Louis Masur explores this intriguing chapter in his compelling new book, A Journey North: Jefferson, Madison, and the Forging of a Friendship. Their trip wasn't...
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🔥 Forget boring BBQs… it’s time to grill with flavor, joy, and purpose! - Kate Merker
The Not Old - Better Show
We’re talking grill season like you’ve never heard it before with Good Housekeeping's Kate Merker Good Better Best, The Not Old Better Show, Good Housekeeping Interview Series 🔥 Summer just got a whole lot more delicious — and more intentional. This week on The Not Old Better Show, I had the pleasure of speaking with Kate Merker, Chief Food Director of the Hearst Lifestyle Group and the culinary genius behind Good Housekeeping’s legendary Test Kitchen. We’re talking smart summer grilling — not just sizzling steaks, but heart-healthy, high-flavor meals that celebrate aging,...
info_outlineRivalries at the Cutting Edge: How Personal Battles Forged Medical Miracles
The Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates Interview Series
Welcome to a riveting episode of the Not Old Better Show, Smithsonian Associates interview series, where today we dive into the fascinating world of medical innovation, rivalry, and the indomitable spirit of human progress. In a journey through time, we unravel how the worst in people sometimes leads to the best for humanity.
Imagine the relentless pursuit of breakthroughs that have saved millions of lives, shaped by the hands of brilliant but flawed individuals. These were not saints but driven, competitive beings whose envy, ambition, and rivalry, while often tarnishing their personal legacies, inadvertently spurred some of the most significant medical discoveries in history.
In this episode, we're honored to host returning guest and audience favorite, Smithsonian Associate Dr. Andrew Lam. Dr. Andrew Lam is a visionary surgeon, esteemed author, and assistant professor at the University of Massachusetts Medical School. Dr. Lam takes us behind the scenes of his upcoming Smithsonian Associates presentation, "Rivalries in Medicine: How Humanity Can Benefit from the Worst in People." For more information about Dr. Lam’s Smithsonian Associates presentation, please check out our show notes, but today, Dr. Lam will share a ‘tease’ from his latest book, "The Masters of Medicine," revealing the mavericks, the moments, and the mistakes that have sparked the greatest medical discoveries of our times, along with more about his upcoming Smithsonian Associates presentation.
Dr. Lam will tell us today about how we, as a society, should channel our competitive nature for the greater good? How do rivalries shape the advancements that push humanity forward? From the battlefields of ego and personal vendettas between legends like Louis Pasteur and Robert Koch to the contemporary corridors of cutting-edge medical research, we explore how these personal conflicts have paradoxically paved the way for innovations that define modern medicine.
Join us for an unforgettable exploration of how, in the quest to outdo one another, we often end up doing the best for all. This is not just a lesson from history; it's a blueprint for the future. Stay tuned, engage with curiosity, and let's discover together the incredible ways in which humanity's worst traits have, against all odds, led to some of our greatest achievements. Welcome to the
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