logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2021
40m 7s

N95

NPR
About this episode
The N95 respirator has become one of the most coveted items in the world during the pandemic, especially by medical professionals. But how did this seemingly simple mask become the lifesaving tool it is today? From bird beaks to wrapping paper to bras, we follow the curious history of one of the most important defenses in our fight against COVID-19.

To manage podcast ad preferences, review the links below:

See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Feb 26
Why Super PACs have more power than ever in elections
What’s one thing people across the U.S. can agree on? Hint – it’s about money. Voters from all political parties overwhelmingly see unlimited spending in elections as a threat to our democracy. So if most people don’t like all this money in politics, then who does? The answer, on ... Show More
50m 10s
Feb 24
How the Civil War changed how we vote
When President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation in the middle of the Civil War, he was not just changing the terms of peace, he was risking his own political future and forcing the nation to confront what its democracy really stood for. On this week’s episode, ... Show More
16m 23s
Feb 19
Who profits from migrant detention?
The U.S. immigration detention system is spread out across federal facilities, private prisons, state prisons, and county jails. It’s grown under both Democratic and Republican presidents. And it’s been offered up as a source of revenue for over a century, beginning with the firs ... Show More
50m 8s
Recommended Episodes
Jul 2020
Behind the N95 Mask
Peter Tsai isn’t exactly a household name, but his invention is. In 1995 he patented the fabric used to make N95 masks, which are one of the most effective face coverings to prevent the spread of Covid-19. CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks to Tsai about the r ... Show More
9m 50s
Feb 2021
Double Masking, N95s, and the Latest Mask Guidance
Masks are crucial, but not all of them are created equal. The N95 respirator mask has been the gold standard from the beginning, and our need for its efficacy is only becoming clearer. CNN Chief Medical Correspondent Dr. Sanjay Gupta talks about the latest guidance on mask wearin ... Show More
8m 45s
Dec 2022
Modern Medicine
<p>The American Civil War saw a transformation in medical provision on the battlefield. A loose grouping of medical practitioners was reshaped into a burgeoning, professionalised occupation. How did the medical profession rise to the challenge of treating thousands of wounded sol ... Show More
34m 4s
Dec 2021
Does wearing a mask halve your chances of getting Covid-19?
Masks, you may not have worn them before 2020 but now we’re all at it. With the rise of the Omicron variant countries have scrambled to reintroduce public health policies, among them mask wearing. Health officials and scientists agree that masks help reduce the incidence of covid ... Show More
8m 58s
Apr 2024
Sharrona Pearl, "Mask" (Bloombury, 2024)
From the theatre mask and masquerade to the masked criminal and the rise of facial recognition software, masks have long performed as an instrument for the protection and concealment of identity. Even as they conceal and protect, masks – as faces – are an extension of the self. A ... Show More
30m 49s
May 2021
COVID-19 Chapter 19: Your Stories
From virology to vaccines, from education to economics, and from disparities to disease, our Anatomy of a Pandemic series has covered many different aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic. With such a broad range of topics and an often birds-eye view of the situation, it can be easy to ... Show More
57m 33s
Mar 2020
The Deadliest Pandemic in Modern History
April 5, 1918. The first mention of a new influenza outbreak in Kansas appears in a public health report. That strain, later called the Spanish Flu, would go on to kill at least 50 million people worldwide. In a time before widespread global travel, how did this disease spread so ... Show More
21m 24s