Fresh Air · 2025-12-23 · 52 min · 8,859 words

Will Arnett

Listen to the original audio · Transcribed with NVIDIA Parakeet · Timestamps stay in sync with the live audio

This week on Shortwave, the internet is obsessed with inflammation. And yeah, it is true. Inflammation is at the heart of nearly every disease in the body. But it's also the body's natural response to danger. So who really needs to be worried about it?

Find out on Shortwave, the science podcast from NPR. Hi, it's Terry Gross. Somehow we're almost at the end of 2025. It's been a rough year for a lot of people and for NPR and all public radio stations because of the elimination of all federal funding for public media. Despite that loss and despite a tax on the free press, we are still here for you.

We will not shy away from exercising the right to editorial independence. Guaranteed by the First Amendment, and with your support, we will not be silenced. NPR will keep reporting the news without fear or favor. And here at Fresh Air, we will keep bringing you interviews with investigative reporters, uncovering some of the most important stories of our time, as well as interviews with authors, actors, directors, musicians, composers, scientists, health experts, religion scholars, and more.

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