Dog Days and Death Stars, Part 2
Summary
Hosts Robert Lamb and Joe McCormick explore the origins of the "dog days of summer," linking the term to the star Sirius and ancient beliefs that its heat caused rabies in dogs. They discuss 19th-century urban anxieties, the development of the rabies vaccine by Louis Pasteur, and the actual seasonal spikes in rabies cases. The episode also touches on cultural references, including Don Henley’s "Boys of Summer" and Robert Frost’s poetry.
Topics discussed
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Origins of the term 'dog days of summer'
Summer sadness, poetry, and music references
19th-century myths linking heat to rabies
Historical dog culling and spitz dog stereotypes
Pasteur's vaccine and modern rabies science
Global cultural interpretations of Sirius
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