Podcasts · Plain English with Derek Thompson

Russia’s Plague Mystery and the Coming Age of Bioweapons

9 Oct 2026 · 1 h 06 min

AI apocalypse, recession fears, sky-high mortgage rates, and now, the plague? Last week, a researcher at a plague institute in Siberia died after developing severe pneumonia, sparking rumors of biowarfare and fears of a new epidemic. How much of the story is fact vs. fiction, and what does it tell us about the growing threat of biological weapons?

Today, Derek is joined by physician and former White House COVID-19 response coordinator Ashish Jha to make sense of the story. They discuss what’s really happening in Russia, the current state of bioweapons research around the world, how AI could make biological weapons more accessible, and what families, governments, and societies can do to prepare.

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Host: Derek Thompson Guest: Ashish Jha Producer: Devon Baroldi Additional Production Support: Ben Glicksman

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