Scientific writer Helen Pilcher recounts the 1970s case of Sam Schuman, who died three months after a terminal cancer diagnosis, only for an autopsy to reveal he had no significant cancer. The hosts argue that Schuman died from the *belief* he was dying, applying this to the 24/7 news cycle's effect on COVID-19 mortality. They propose that humor and awareness of the nocebo effect serve as a "mental vaccine" against media-induced illness.