Welcome back to The Deep Dive where we surprise and intrigue you with a brand-new timely topic explored every Tuesday.

This week we’re taking a deeper look into smog and air quality. I’m sure most of you felt the ashy air from the Canadian wildfires earlier last month, so let’s learn more about how the air affects our lives.

Yours in media,
Elizabeth He, Visual Communications Editor

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Smog Stinks

Smog on the Big Screen from Blade Runner to Godzilla (4 min clip)

Smog was pervasive in mid-century Los Angeles — so it’s no wonder that this real-life threat made it into Hollywood films. Take a look at these smog-filled movie scenes. Watch the new episode of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE’s Clearing the Air: The War on Smog. (52 min episode)

Long before “air quality” became a data point in our weather apps, smog was a terrifying mystery, rolling into cities like a silent killer. Read about history’s most dangerous smog events. (article)

Something in the Air (52 min episode)

Pollution is killing people every day around the world. How unsafe is pollution we can’t even see?

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Air Pollution: A Climate and Health Emergency & How We Can Tackle It (54 min talk)

Watch a discussion about the impacts of air pollution on our collective health and its consequences for public policy. Learn from the experts.

Recipe of the Week

Chilled Green Pea Soup (24 min episode)

Unlike the infamous “pea soup fogs” of industrial-era London — caused by coal smoke and pollution — this green dish is a breath of fresh air. Try making this cool and zesty soup.

Book of the Week

Guardians of the Valley: John Muir and the Friendship That Saved Yosemite by Dean King (1 hr author talk)

Here’s something to clear the air. Read the dramatic and uplifting story of legendary outdoorsman and conservationist John Muir as he strives to protect one of America’s most magnificent landscapes, Yosemite. Watch a chat with the author.

Smoky Wildfires

How To Protect Your Health from Wildfire Smoke (4 min audio & transcript)

Smoke from Canadian wildfires continues to bring poor air quality into the Northeast U.S. and the Upper Midwest. Learn how to protect yourself from the haze.

There’s Something Living in Wildfire Smoke (2 min clip)

Wildfire smoke can carry thousands of living microorganisms, like bacteria and fungi, across long distances. Find out which ones could potentially infect humans.

Let’s Chill Out

Zadie Teaches Belly Breathing (33 sec clip)

Okay, that was a lot of serious information. We all need a moment to belly breathe sometimes. Thanks for reminding us, Zadie!

Weekends with Yankee: “A Breath of Fresh Air” (26 min episode)

Speaking of deep breathing, let’s trade smog for some fresh air adventures: start in the White Mountains, then get a taste of Brookline’s art scene. Let’s go explore.

Off Topic

  1. In “Particles of Thought,” the new video interview podcast from NOVA, host Hakeem Oluseyi digs into the quirks of the world around us — joined by leading scientists. Dive into the mind of a fossil hunter. (1.5 hr video podcast)
  2. Judith Potts from MASTERPIECE’s The Marlow Murder Club’s isn’t the first sleuth to love a good crossword puzzle. Here are some fun facts about crossword puzzles. (article)
  3. What’s GBH Jazz’s Al Davis listening to this summer? Listen to the playlist. (8 min audio & playlist)