Season 1 · Episode 15
The Apothecary Diaries · S1E15
Aired on January 21, 2024
Science entries in this episode
Fugu and Tetrodotoxin
In The Apothecary Diaries, Maomao loves fugu and its poison. We explain tetrodotoxin, how it paralyzes, and why there's no antidote.
Salting and Brining
In The Apothecary Diaries, Maomao dates a batch of seaweed using her knowledge of brining. We explain how salt preserves food, and why it eventually fails.
Saxitoxin and Toxic Shellfish
Microalgae make saxitoxin and mussels store it: it blocks nerve signals, with no antidote. Red tides, the fugu comparison, and the case in The Apothecary Diaries.