I’m not proud of it, but recently I’ve been asking ChatGPT about a medical issue. I know, I KNOW. But I’ve been running to cope with stress and an old hip injury has been flaring up. Thus, in the dark of night (or whenever, I’m just being dramatic) I sheepishly turn to generative AI for answers.
I’m aware that it’s an extremely fallible tool. (The whole poisonous recipe thing? Yikes.) But it’s right there on my phone, speaks with authority and doesn’t have a co-pay. I’m a little ashamed of using it, which is probably why I haven’t mentioned it to anyone… until now.
You can imagine my relief when I heard Stanford’s Dr. Steve Lin say, “I don’t blame patients.” Ugh, thanks Dr. L. He was on WABE’s Health Wanted talking about DIY medicine, which yes, includes AI but also telehealth companies with Silicon Valley funding. This episode is chock full of red flags about internet medicine, but host Laurel Bristow and her guests are also very interested in the potential opportunities — for patients and providers alike.
Maybe there’s a world where AI can be an educational starting place (though these companies may sell your data to the highest bidder). But that would require us to have a nuanced view of what generative AI can and can’t do. As Lin says, these large language models are just “people-pleasing, next-word predictors.”
Surprise surprise, ChatGPT’s suggestions haven’t fixed my hip — I still can’t run more than a mile without feeling pain. Honestly, writing this newsletter was the kick in the butt I needed to make an appointment with a physical therapist, thanks Pod Club! I really do recommend this Health Wanted episode though. It’s a meaty 53 minutes, and you can trust every fact-checked word.
Don’t forget to stretch y’all,
🧘🏻Julia
The week’s best episodes
…to share with your running buddy or primary care physician
🦟 Mosquitos were the good guys?!
You know it’s a good episode when you’re on the edge of your seat for a centuries-old story. Throughlineshares how mosquitos were actually a crucial part of the Revolutionary War. (This episode is a part of NPR’s America in Pursuitseries. Stay tuned for more.)
🥤Forever chemicals, tap water and the people who look for answers
A New Hampshire community found out its water was contaminated. This four-part series, Safe to Drink, looks at what happened next, and asks the question: if you’ve been exposed to something harmful, what are you supposed to do?
🐲 What you read is political. Yes, even romantasy.
This conversation from It’s Been a Minute covers big questions about the romantasy genre. Do these books reinforce misogynistic ideas? Do they make excuses for totalitarian governments? And, the big one, why do people love policing what women read?
➕ “Stodgy in a good way” The Federal Reserve Open Committee met on Tuesday and voted to hold interest rates steady. What are those meetings like, though? Do they get 5-inch binders beforehand? Is there catering? Planet Money’s Darian Woods asks the important questions in this bonus episode. Get access to this episode (and sponsor-free listening) by signing up for NPR+.
One to Watch
Who’s cutting onions in here?! On Wild Card, THE Oprah Winfrey waxes nostalgic about her first dog, the chickens at her grandma’s house and her complicated, lifelong relationship with her weight.
@YouTube/Wild Card with Rachel Martin
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