Risky or Not? artwork

Life Sciences · Don Schaffner and Ben Chapman

Risky or Not?

by Don Schaffner and Ben Chapman

Risky or Not is a short podcast from Professor Ben Chapman from North Carolina State University, and Dr. Don Schaffner from Rutgers University. Dr. Don and Professor Chapman promise to do their best not to waffle, dither, dissemble or equivocate, and to give straight up answers about whether something is risky or not.

Chart trend

Position in the Life Sciences chart (US), last 90 days.

#7
all-time peak
4
days in the top 10 since Nov 2024

Latest episodes

Showing 20 · updated from the feed

977. Boiled Peanuts Left in a Hot Car for Two Days

#41 trending · Life Sciences

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating boiled peanuts left in a hot car for two days Dr. Don - risky ☣️ Professor Ben - risky ☣️ Best in Show (4/

Sep 7
14 min

976. Butchering a Legally Hunted Bear in a Communal Residence Hall Kitchen

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks associated with butchering a legally hunted bear in a communal residence hall kitchen. Dr. Don - risky ☣️ Professor Ben

Sep 4
31 min

975. A Bottle of Guinness From a 162-Year-Old Shipwreck

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking a really old bottle of Guinness found in a shipwreck. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

Sep 2
5 min

974. Leftover Rice Transported Out of Temperature Control for About 5 Hours

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating brown rice held out of temperature control for about five hours. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not

Aug 31
11 min

973. Out of Date $0.85 Jalapeno Snack From a Farmers Market

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks for eating an out of date discounted snack food purchased at a farmers market. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - no

Aug 28
15 min

972. Corn Chowder in the Fridge for a Week

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating corn chowder stored in the refrigerator for a week. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼  Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 T

Aug 26
8 min

971. To Take a Bath at Ben's House Yesterday

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from taking a bath at Ben's house when the water is very dirty. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Hy

Aug 24
16 min

970. Vaccines

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from vaccines, after Don concocts a bizarre red thread conspiracy theory because he really just wants to talk about his poo

Aug 21
16 min

969. McDonald's Ranch Found on the Side of the Road in Northern Minnesota in the Summer

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating McDonald's ranch dressing found on the side of the road in northern Minnesota in the summer. Dr. Don - not ri

Aug 19
10 min

968. French Toast Left on Counter for Almost a Day

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating french toast left on counter for almost a day. Dr. Don - risky ☣️  Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Bald Head

Aug 17
16 min

967. Eating Small Pieces of Chicken Left Behind in the Airfryer, Reheated Days Later

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating small pieces of chicken left behind in the airfryer, reheated days later. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor B

Aug 14
8 min

966. Drinking a Mountain Dew That You Accidentally Dropped in a Port-a-Potty

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking a Mountain Dew that you accidentally dropped in a port-a-potty. Dr. Don - risky ☣️ Professor Ben - risky ☣

Aug 12
14 min

965. Cooked Frozen Hot Dogs in the Package Left in Sink Basin Over Night With Water

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating cooked frozen hot dogs in the package left in sink basin over night with water. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Profe

Aug 10
15 min

964. Eating Jalapeños Right Now

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating fresh jalapeños right now. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Investigations of Foodborne

Aug 7
24 min

963. Eating Shelf Stable Tuna With Garlic in Olive Oil if the Jar Is Leaking

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating shelf stable tuna with garlic in olive oil if the jar is leaking. Dr. Don - risky ☣️  Professor Ben - risky

Aug 5
10 min

962. Dane's Cadmium Cod Liver

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating cod liver with a Proposition 65 warning about cadmium. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼

Aug 3
12 min

961. Roux Raw Dough Cookies

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from roux raw dough cookies. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Eating raw cookie dough can be risky.

Jul 31
8 min

960. Drinking Water from a Source that Failed to Maintain Treatment for Removing Bacteria

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from drinking water from a source that failed to maintain treatment for removing bacteria. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Profes

Jul 29
9 min

959. Brushing Your Teeth With a Toothbrush That Was Not in a Toothbrush Protector

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from brushing your teeth with a toothbrush that was not in a toothbrush protector. Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben

Jul 27
11 min

958. Eating Lettuce in Michigan Right Now

Dr. Don and Professor Ben talk about the risks from eating lettuce in Michigan right now Dr. Don - not risky 👍🏼 Professor Ben - not risky 👍🏼 Where People Got Sick: C

Jul 24
23 min

Chart positions

Where Risky or Not? ranks today in each Apple Podcasts chart (US, Sep 9, 2026).

#41 ▼ 11 Life Sciences US

What listeners say

A curated, balanced selection of Apple Podcasts reviews.

Previous to listening to Risky or Not? I knew most of the safe food handling rules I needed to know, which is great, but you often run into edge cases that don’t fit neatly under any of the rules. Since listening to the podcast, and gaining an understanding of the ‘why’ behind them, I can make informed decisions when faced with novel food safety questions, with an actual understanding of the specific risks involved in any particular food decision.

JustHappyToBeHere_ · Feb 2025

Love this show! The episodes are short but packed with lots of information. Don and Ben are great to listen to and make me laugh while I learn about the risks of eating food. But I obviously have to say that “the risks of not eating outweigh the risks of eating!” I’ve even submitted questions in a few times and received responses every time and have had my questions featured twice now. I only wish the episodes came out more frequently but the frequency is probably actually perfect to keep me interested and not overwhelmed (and Don and Ben too, I’m sure!)

michimochi · Oct 2022

Very useful and informative podcast. It’s great to have a source of reliable, thoroughly researched answers to important questions. And entertaining too. Everyone should listen to this!

seeareess · Nov 2021

This podcast does a great service and is very informative: they analyze the questions you’ve always had about good: can I eat that old X in the fridge? I left that on the counter for 4 hours, is it still safe? And they do it in about 10 minutes. And their fun! Thanks for all the great shows

DrHoigul · Oct 2020

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