HOME DIAGNOSIS

#301 Where There’s Smoke There’s Fire
We kick off this exploration of disaster science with fire of all kinds- house fires, a smoke detector debacle, wildfire and ‘controlled’ burns, and a fiasco of flame retardants mixed into too many products that fill our homes.

#302 The Labyrinth Of Air Leakages
How important is air leakage, really? Short answer: it’s the single most important feature of your home’s performance, so let’s dig into the many side effects it creates and how to test it.

#303 Little Critters
Did you know we’re never actually home alone? Let’s look deep into the science of pest control, rodents, and rare home-dwelling insects, along with the homes they build for themselves and the microbes that live inside them.

#304 Like A Hurricane
We know wind and water can knock a home over, but for those that still stand, what physics, chemistry, and microbiology might be at work? All about tornadoes, tsunamis, floods, and hurricanes.

#305 ‘There, I Fixed It’
In trying to fix our problems, are we actually just rearranging them? For every product advertised to fix something in your home, there is its shadow- the byproduct you might not suspect. Explore air cleaners, essential oil diffusers and air fresheners, toxic materials, and how to build a home right the first time so you don’t need to worry about them.

#306 Rock Hard
Isn’t it creepy when solid ground gets mushy? Or when a nice fluffy cloud rains down frozen rocks? Featuring simulated earthquakes, the phenomena of liquefaction and landslides, and Grace firing a hail cannon.

#307 What’s That Smell?
Can you really become allergic to your home? And could my family be in danger? We explore the what/how/why of environmental sensitivity or ‘sick building syndrome’ and how to steer clear.

#308 Volcanoland
What is an extreme environment? Between the extremes of molten lava and the vacuum of space, there’s a wide variety of living conditions (even within a household), and you can bet that there’s lifeforms making a home in every one of them.

#309 Mold Of All Colors
How scared should I be about mold? Explore the latest fascinating science of a branch of life we know very little about, how our worlds intersect in helpful and horrible ways, and what to do about it.

#310 Outside Sneaking In
Can we ever truly be safe living in a bubble? It turns out that not only are we vulnerable to outdoor pollution from all sides, no matter how we build or how we live- once that pollution reacts with indoor pollution, we have a whole new cocktail to get under control.

#311 Equal Opportunity Disaster
Are we doing a good job preparing for, and recovering from disasters? In short, we could do better. Packed with advice on insurance claims, lawsuits, and the shockwaves inequity sends through our society as a whole, this episode is an important punctuation to our entire season.