The Science of Keeping Troops Alive, Well, and Whole
Show #132 | Guest: Mary Roach is a funny and fascinating writer who first arrived in San Francisco in the early 1980s. She\u2019s written six hugely popular science books including Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers (2003), Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex (2008), and Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal (2013). Clearly a common theme throughout Mary's books is a literary treatment of the human body. When asked by NPR how she picks her topics, she replied, "Well, it's got to have a little science, it's got to have a little history, a little humor - and something gross." | Show Summary: Mary Roach\u2019s new book Grunt tackles the science behind being a soldier. In it, Mary visits a re-purposed movie studio where amputee actors help prepare Marine Corps medics for facing combat wounds. She also samples caffeinated meat, sniffs a WWII stink bomb, and tends to the missiles on a nuclear submarine. Once you listen to this insightful interview, ou'll never see the art of war the same way again.