FULL EPISODE: The Awkward Art of Friendship - April 8, 2026
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Unfiltered discussions.
What are the dangers of overusing antibacterial chemicals?
Unexpected guests. No topic is off-limits. From sex and relationships to the human condition. Personal anxieties and so much more. The only talk show of its kind in the world. World This Is. It's Hump Day, welcome in. The last show this is, the program where you'll learn something but might be stupider for it. Here's some of the things we'll cover on tonight's program.
What does the data say about Americans moving to Canada?
I'm sure you've read this headline, Americans furious about politics packing up and moving to Canada. But the data says, not really. So where is everyone going, if anywhere at all? Are Americans making a mass exodus? And why are Canadians leaving Canada too? What do the numbers actually say about migration north and south of the border? That we'll cover in 10 minutes time. Then after that, if you're feeling lonely or know anyone who is and you want to make friends, or you want them to make friends, we'll discuss with a therapist the best way to make friends as an adult. I know it sounds embarrassing, but it goes with saying that halfway through the hour. Okay, those are some of tonight's topics.
How can adults effectively make new friends?
There will be more. Let's dive in. Germs in your house, kill them on sight. We've spent decades trying to sanitize our lives. I mean, with chemicals, things like antibacterial soaps, disinfectant sprays, antimicrobial everything. But what if our obsession with sterilizing the world is training bacteria to become unstoppable? Let's talk about it with Professor Miriam Diamond, an environmental chemist at the University of Toronto. Miriam, welcome to the show.
David, thank you so much. I'm so pleased to be speaking with you.
So we hear the phrase antimicrobial resistance and we think antibiotics. We think antibiotics are getting weaker and getting resistant. Sorry, the germs are getting resistant to the drugs. We don't think of other things. Your research points the finger at perhaps something more ordinary. What might that be?
Those are biocides or antimicrobials used in consumer products. But let me just start a little bit ahead and say, you know, like we really should be concerned about the rise of antimicrobial resistance. Like for me, it is super scary.
Why is patience considered a transformative skill?
So right now, about worldwide over 1 million deaths a year, but that's poised to increase. Antimicrobial resistance could be the leading cause of death by 2050. So this is something that we should really be paying attention to.
It certainly is. And I know I want to talk about household sprays and stuff contributing to it, but I heard the phrase antibiotic of last resort the other day. And that kind of scared me, this idea that we have certain antibiotics that work and then they don't. And then once they stop working, we're kind of screwed. A simple cold could put us in the grave.
That's right. Well, I don't know if a simple cold could put us in a grave, but it is scary because, especially in certain settings, there's this rise in these superbugs that are resistant to first-line antibiotics, second-line, then you have to go to third and fourth-line, which those are reserved for really serious cases.
What are the implications of sycophantic AI chatbots?
We want to make sure that antibiotics work to save lives. And actually, it's not just our lives, but antibiotics are used overall in agriculture. We rely heavily on antibiotics for raising animals, for fish farms. So antibiotics are used a lot. We should only be using them where they're really effective and when we really need them. And that does not include your hand soap, it does not include spray disinfectants for surfaces, and it doesn't include laundry sanitizers.
Now, how important is it to use antibacterial soap? If I don't use one, am I putting myself at risk? Or are people using these products because of advertising, because of information they're hearing not from the scientific community, because of big corporations putting them on the shelves? And we think, great, it kills all the bacteria.
How does vulnerable narcissism relate to celebrity worship?
Do we need that stuff in our everyday life? Or is regular old soap fine?
There is no evidence to show that antibacterial soaps and those types of products are effective,
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Chapters
8 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:00–0:03
2
What are the dangers of overusing antibacterial chemicals?
0:03–0:34
3
What does the data say about Americans moving to Canada?
0:34–1:16
4
How can adults effectively make new friends?
1:16–2:21
5
Why is patience considered a transformative skill?
2:21–3:26
6
What are the implications of sycophantic AI chatbots?
3:26–4:25
7
How does vulnerable narcissism relate to celebrity worship?
4:25–5:18
8
What surprising effects does drinking coffee at night have?
5:18–1:20:10
Speakers
9 identifiedMore from The Last Show with David Cooper
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