Why do we donate blood?

Deep in the basement of the San Diego Natural History Museum, there are thousands of jars filled with preserved reptiles and amphibians. In this episode, But Why takes a tour with collections manager Adam Clause to answer your questions about lizards! How do lizards climb walls? ...  Show more

But Why turns ten years old on April 1, 2026! To celebrate this milestone, we’re listening back to our very first episode. We’ve got owls and turtles and bears. Naturalist Mary Holland gets into the details about hibernation–including the questions you may not even have thought t ...  Show more

Friends and family are often called on to donate blood to loved ones in a medical emergency or ahead of routine surgery. But across the continent, there is a shortfall in blood needed for life saving transfusions. The World Health Organisation estimates that they are only meeting ...  Show more

Many people battling symptoms, conditions, or chronic illness are subjected to routine blood draws and tests. How can these routine blood draws affect the body? In this episode, I uncover important truths about blood draws and reveal why the blood testing and donation system is b ...  Show more

Knowing your blood group is handy information if you need a blood transfusion, or even an organ transplant. And it's essential information for the blood bank recruiting donors who match your blood type—and for people needing a blood product. 

Join EM physicians Mike Samuels and Dan McCollum as they discuss different blood products that can be transfused. Why don't we commonly use whole blood? Who needs to receive packed red blood cells? Are there any dangers to giving platelets? When is fresh frozen plasma needed? Epi ...  Show more