About this episode
<p>New York City’s mayor called them “public enemy number one.” History books say they caused the Black Death — although recent scientific evidence disputes that claim. In an updated episode from 2025, we ask: Is the rat a scapegoat? And what does our rat hatred say about us?</p> <p> </p> <ul> <li><strong>SOURCES:</strong> <ul> <li><a href="https://bethanybrookshire.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bethany Brookshire</a>, author of <i>Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains.</i></li> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathleen-corradi-0678514a/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kathy Corradi</a>, senior vice president of resident services, partnerships, and initiatives at the New York City Housing Authority.</li> <li><a href="https://scholar.harvard.edu/glaeser/home" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ed Glaeser</a>, professor of economics at Harvard University.</li> <li><a href="https://www.mn.uio.no/english/people/adm/fac/research/nilsst/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Nils Stenseth</a>, professor of ecology and evolution at the University of Oslo.</li> </ul></li> </ul> <p> </p> <ul> <li><strong>RESOURCES:</strong> <ul> <li>"<a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/article/rat-czar-kathleen-corradi-eric-adams.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">On Patrol With the Rat Czar,</a>" by Mark Chiusano <i>(Intelligencer,</i> 2024).</li> <li>"<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-rats-took-over-north-america/" rel="noopener noreferrer">How Rats Took Over North America,</a>" by Allison Parshall <i>(Scientific American,</i> 2024).</li> <li>"<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/24/realestate/rats-nyc-boroughs-study.html" rel="noopener noreferrer">Where Are the Rats in New York City,</a>" by Matt Yan <i>(New York Times,</i> 2024).</li> <li><a href="https://amzn.to/4hQ725I" rel="noopener noreferrer"><i>Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains</i></a><i> </i>by Bethany Brookshire (2022).</li> <li>"<a href="https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1715640115" rel="noopener noreferrer">Human ectoparasites and the spread of plague in Europe during the Second Pandemic,</a>" by Nils Stenseth, Katharine Dean, Fabienne Krauer, Lars Walløe, Ole Christian Lingjærde, Barbara Bramanti, and Boris Schmid <i>(Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences,</i> 2018).</li> </ul></li> </ul> <p> </p> <ul> <li><strong>EXTRAS: </strong> <ul> <li>"<a href="https://freakonomics.com/podcast/freakonomics-radio-live-jesus-could-have-been-a-pigeon/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Freakonomics Radio Live: 'Jesus Could Have Been a Pigeon.'</a>" by <i>Freakonomics Radio </i>(2018).</li> </ul></li> </ul><br/> <p>Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See <a href="https://pcm.adswizz.com">pcm.adswizz.com</a> for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.</p>