The Disappearing Spoon: a science history podcast with Sam Kean · Sam Kean, Bleav
The Woman Who “Turned Back a Plague of Old Testament Proportions”
November 12, 2024·19 min·1 clip
Thalidomide caused birth defects in 100,000 European babies, and Frances Kelsey was the only person who could stop it in the US.
As heard by us
A bureaucratic refusal turns into a small, sturdy act of courage.
The episode uses Frances Oldham Kelsey's fading fame to tell a crisp story about a quiet FDA reviewer who pushed back on thalidomide. It keeps the facts moving: Kelsey was once honored by President John F.
Why you'd press play
Hear how Frances Oldham Kelsey at the FDA refused to rubber-stamp thalidomide.
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