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How to Be a Better Human from TED is a podcast for when self-help feels too daunting or maybe even unrealistic or just not for you.

I'm Chris Duffy, the host of How to Be a Better Human, and trust me, I do not have it all figured out.

But join me as I talk to experts about actually attainable ways we can try to improve our lives,

whether it's facing fears, setting boundaries, cleaning your house without feeling like a failure,

or all sorts of other topics.

Find how to be a better human wherever you get your podcasts.

Thank you. This is TED Health, a podcast from the TED Audio Collective.

I'm your host, Dr. Shoshana Ungerleiter.

Have you ever heard the phrase, don't worry, it's just a scratch?

Well, that small cut might carry more than you expect. In this TED-Ed lesson, Louise Thwaites uncovers the surprising history in science behind tetanus, an infection

that doesn't spread from person to person, but through something as simple as a scrape. From

ancient shipmasters to modern medical breakthroughs, this talk sheds light on a bacterial threat that's lingered across centuries of human history.

You'll rethink that rusty nail or garden shovel and realize why vaccines are more important than ever.

But before we dive in, a quick break to hear from our sponsors.

And now, Louise Thwaites for TED-Ed.

In the 5th century, Greek physician Hippocrates, creator of the Hippocratic Oath, was sailing with a very ill shipmaster. The captain was suffering a nasty infection that caused his jaws

to press together, his teeth to lock up, and the muscles in his

neck and spine to spasm.

Hippocrates dutifully recorded these symptoms, but he was unable to treat the mysterious

disease, and six days later, the shipmaster succumbed to his illness.

Today, we know this account to be one of the first recorded cases of tetanus, and thankfully,

...