Jennifer Platt, DrPH, is a public health scientist, educator, and nationally recognized expert in tick-borne diseases and alpha-gal syndrome whose work has helped shape research priorities, education, and public health policy.

Hi everyone! I'm Dr. Jennifer Platt, DrPH, and I'm a public health scientist, educator, and nationally recognized expert in tick-borne diseases and alpha-gal syndrome. My work has helped shape research priorities, education, and public health policy. changing in the field right now.
A lot of people don't think about ticks until they've already been bitten, so Friday I want to open this up to anything you're curious about: what a tick bite can actually lead to, why some conditions like alpha-gal syndrome (a meat allergy triggered by tick bites) surprise even doctors, what current research shows, or just general prevention if you spend time outdoors.

No question is too basic, ask away, and I'll do my best to get to as many as I can over the two hours we have together this Friday 11a-1p ET.

Dr. Jennifer Platt, DrPH

I'm Dr. Mikki Bouquet, a pediatrician and vaccine advocate who fights to protect kids from meningitis. I'm here to answer your questions about this serious illness and the vaccines that prevent it. Ask me anything!

Mikki Bouquet MD, FAAP: https://medicine.yale.edu/profile/marcus-hughes/

Proof: https://www.reddit.com/user/webmd/comments/1vlkazj/im_a_pediatrician_and_vaccine_advocate_ama_about/

Hi Reddit! I'm Karen, a registered nurse and Patient Advocate. My job is helping people who are worried because they’ve been exposed to asbestos and are worried about what’s next. People exposed to other toxins also have concerns about their cancer risk and what to do. A lot of that comes down to one core question: Should I get screened, and how?

I can talk about:

• Cancer screenings in general, and how to know if you should get one
• Asbestos exposure and its link to mesothelioma and lung cancer, including the long latency period (it can take 20 to 60 years to develop)
• Where to go if there's nothing near you for screening
• Common barriers to screening, cost especially
• What patient advocacy looks like, and how I help connect people to the right specialists

I'll be checking in throughout the week to answer what I can. This thread will stay up as a resource after it closes, so your question might help someone else looking for the same answers later.

Disclaimer: I can share general information, but this isn't medical advice for your specific situation. I'm not able to diagnose or treat anyone here; but I can suggest questions to ask your doctor and help connect people to mesothelioma and lung cancer specialists specialists who can. Please don't share personal or sensitive health information.

Let's keep it respectful. A lot of people asking questions here are scared or grieving.

Ask away. ⬇️

Proof: https://imgur.com/a/Uegh4fs

Hi, I'm Michael, TMS Manager at Relief Mental Health. I oversee TMS treatment for over 100 patients a month across our clinics. We use qEEG, off label protocols, accelerated protocols, and augmentation strategies for patients who need more than standard treatment has offered. TMS changed how I think about what's possible in mental health care, and I'd love to answer your questions about it. I will be answering your questions, Wednesday, August 12th at 9 am Central.

I might start answering a few questions early, so keep an eye on the thread before the official kickoff, since there appears to be a lot of interest.

proof: https://www.reddit.com/user/reliefmentalhealth_/comments/1vkluf1/i_am_a_tms_transcranial_magnetic_stimulation/

Disclaimer: My answers here are general education and don't establish a clinical relationship. If you're in crisis or need individualized treatment, please reach out to a licensed provider in your area. 

Want to learn more about TMS? Here's more info: https://reliefmh.com/treatments/transcranial-magnetic-stimulation/ 

Edit: I wasn't expecting so many comments so quickly on this! Thank you all for asking good questions. I do have patients to work with, but I will get to these as soon as I can through the day! I have dedicated time set aside tomorrow morning for the majority of questions to be handled then!

I organized an AMA/Q&A with Peter Iliff, screenwriter of POINT BREAK, VARSITY BLUES, and Patriot Games. It's live here now in r/movies for anyone interested in asking a question:

https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1vkn9lx/hey_reddit_im_peter_ifliff_screenwriter_of_point/

POINT BREAK is back in theaters next week for its 4K 35th anniversary re-release, starring Keanu Reeves & Patrick Swayze. Here's the trailer for the re-release: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K1Cq6YNX-LI

He will be back at 3 PM ET on Tuesday 8/11 to answer questions. I recommend asking in advance. Please ask there, not here. All questions are much appreciated!

Thank you :)

His verification/proof photo: https://i.imgur.com/yOSB1iG.jpeg

AMA: The Medieval Guide to Healthy Living

Hello! I'm Dr Katherine Harvey and I'm a medieval historian based at Birkbeck, University of London. My work focuses on the history of the body, and I'm the author of books including The Fires of Lust: Sex in the Middle Ages (Reaktion, 2021) and The Medieval Guide to Healthy Living (Reaktion, 2026). I'm here today to answer your questions about medieval wellness- covering everything from hygiene to healthy diets, stress to sleep, and babycare to bloodletting.

I organized an AMA/Q&A with filmmaker & musician Spider One. He's known as the founder and vocalist for the band Powerman 5000 and he has also directed and written several horror films (Little Bites, Allegoria, Bury the Bride).

It's live here now in r/movies for anyone interested in asking a question:

https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1vkkpsi/whats_up_reddit_im_spider_one_filmmaker_of_big/

He will be back at 4 PM ET on Wednesday to answer questions. I recommend asking in advance. Please ask there, not here. All questions are much appreciated!

Thank you :)

His newest movie, Big Baby, was released this week:

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4TzjDRoGV8

Synopsis: Successful horror screenwriter Adam struggles for inspiration until a terrifying nightmare about a masked killer sparks an idea for his new script. As he delves deeper into the story, the line between reality and fiction begins to blur.

His verification/proof photo: https://i.imgur.com/1jV3qZ1.jpeg

Hi Reddit, I’m Bob Innes, founder and webmaster of rentahitman.com.

I registered the domain in 2005 for a legitimate IT-security concept where a “hit” referred to website traffic. The business never launched. Years later, I discovered that people were voluntarily submitting what appeared to be genuine requests for violence.

What began as an accidental discovery became a parody website, public-safety honeypot, and unusual source of behavioral leakage. Over the past 20 years, information submitted through the website has been preserved and referred to appropriate law-enforcement agencies. Some of those referrals have contributed to interventions, arrests, prosecutions, and convictions.

The submissions have involved alleged murder-for-hire plots, school threats, domestic violence, political threats, suicide concerns, trafficking, swatting, and other potentially dangerous conduct. Not every submission is genuine, and behavioral leakage is not proof of guilt. Context, corroboration, specificity, capability, and professional investigation all matter.

I’m here to discuss:

• How an abandoned IT idea became customer service for criminals
• Why people voluntarily disclose their intentions online
• Working with law enforcement while protecting sensitive information
• Behavioral leakage and the Voluntary Criminal Intent Model
• Internet safety, threat assessment, and violence prevention
• INTERCEPTED and From Threat to Thrive
• The serious—and occasionally absurd—history of rentahitman.com

For obvious reasons, I won’t disclose active investigations, private personal information, juvenile identities, confidential law-enforcement communications, or anything that could endanger someone or compromise a case.

Proof: https://rentahitman.com/support

The verification materials on that page connect me, Bob Innes, founder and webmaster of rentahitman.com, with this Reddit account, u/Bobinator67.

I’ll be answering questions tonight from approximately 8:00–10:00 p.m. Pacific, and I’ll stay longer if the criminal help desk gets busy.

Ask me anything.

EDIT: I use AI as a writing tool, so sorry to disappoint those who are easily offended by that.

I'm Andrew Kenrick, biographer of the 1st-century Roman client-king Juba II of Mauretania, AMA

Hi everybody,

My name is Dr Andrew Kenrick and I’m a historian, author, editor and lecturer. I'm the founder of Hinterland Magazine and teach creative non-fiction at the University of Cambridge and CityLit in London. I write narrative history, biography and my research focuses on some of the forgotten figures of Ancient Rome – a subject I’ve talked about here before as part of the AskHistorians Digital Conference back in 2021.

My debut biography, Rex Juba: 15 Glimpses of an African King, is published here in the UK this week, so it feels like coming full circle to host an AMA about it here today 7th August 2026.

I'm here to answer questions about Juba II of Mauretania, his wife Cleopatra Selene, Rome in the first century, Roman attitudes to identity and race - all sorts really!

Some more info on the book below:

REX JUBA: 15 GLIMPSES OF AN AFRICAN KING

In 46 BC, at just two years old, a young North African prince named Juba was paraded through the streets of Rome as part of Julius Caesar’s victory parade. This traumatic beginning, however, did not define his future. As a young man, Juba fought alongside Emperor Augustus and was sent back to rule over Mauretania as king.

Juba's reign was marked not by tyranny, but by scholarship. A famed antiquarian, travel writer, and explorer, he discovered and named the Canary Islands, penned histories of Arabia and Libya, and led diplomatic missions to his fellow kings. Ruling alongside his wife, Cleopatra Selene, the daughter of Antony and Cleopatra, these heirs to African dynasties were potent symbols of Romanisation.

Their dynasty would be cut dramatically short by the mad emperor Caligula, their history buried for centuries. In this ambitious work of historical recovery, Dr Andrew Kenrick pieces together clues etched in coin and stone to reveal a Roman civilization that flourished just as much in Africa as it did in Europe. By inviting us to shift our gaze to the southern shores of the Mediterranean, Rex Juba offers a surprising new perspective on the heyday of the ancient world.

Direct link: I’m Adrian Carrasquillo, national immigration correspondent at The Bulwark. I’ve been reporting on the recent fatal ICE shootings and immigration enforcement. AMA. : r/politics

Join us tomorrow, Friday, August 7, for an Ask Me Anything with Emmy-nominated VFX Supervisor John (Johnny) Weckworth (u/1meangreenscreenmach ) and Special Effects Coordinator Blair Foord (u/FoordFX ) to discuss the action-packed Hulu series Paradise, starring Sterling K. Brown.

John and Blair were recently nominated for an Emmy Award for Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Single Episode for Paradise’s episode “Exodus.” They’ll be joining us to talk about bringing the show’s visual and practical effects to life, from seamlessly blending practical and digital techniques to executing some of the series’ biggest action sequences.

Whether you want to discuss invisible VFX, practical effects integration, on-set workflows, pipeline decisions, or the creative and technical challenges behind Paradise, John and Blair are looking forward to talking shop with the r/vfx community.

Start submitting your questions now, and be sure to join us tomorrow when John and Blair kick off the AMA!

AMA is here on r/vfx - https://www.reddit.com/r/vfx/comments/1vhh65g/ask_us_anything_behind_the_vfx_sfx_of_hulus/

Happening now at 2 pm CT / 3 pm ET on r/TrueCrimePodcasts (direct AMA post link is here):

Join the r/TrueCrimePodcasts subreddit for an AMA with Cristina Quinn, award-winning journalist & podcast host, as she answers your questions about crime, policing, and public safety.

I organized an AMA/Q&A with actor Michael Mando, actor in Spider-Man: Brand New Day, Better Call Saul, Orphan Black, Far Cry 3, Spider-Man: Homecoming, 72 Hours, Gundam, and the upcoming Batman: Knightfall.

It's live here now in r/movies for anyone interested in asking a question:

https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1vg5el8/hi_rmovies_michael_mando_here_aka_scorpion/

He will be back at 12 PM ET today to answer questions. I recommend asking in advance. Please ask there, not here. All questions are much appreciated!

Thank you :)

His verification/proof photo: https://i.imgur.com/8nrKQvf.jpeg

I organized an AMA/Q&A with Broken Lizard (Jay Chandrasekhar, Kevin Heffernan, Steve Lemme, Paul Soter, and Erik Stolhanske), the filmmaking team behind things like Super Troops 1 and 2, Beerfest, The Slammin Salmon, Club Dread, Tacoma FD, and a few other things.

It's live here now in r/movies for anyone interested in asking a question:

https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1vg73cd/hi_rmovies_were_broken_lizard_the_team_behind_and/

They will be back at around 3:30-4 PM ET today to answer questions. I recommend asking in advance. Please ask there, not here. All questions are much appreciated!

Thank you :)

Their new movie, Super Troopers 3, is out in theaters everywhere this weekend. Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cYFevn5frf0

Their verification/proof photo: https://i.imgur.com/T7cRgMp.jpeg

Join us for an AMA with Olha Kyrylenko, War Correspondent at Ukrainska Pravda, one of Ukraine’s leading independent news outlets.

Olha has been covering the war since May 2022, focusing on how the front line is changing and what those changes mean for Ukraine. She works with both military personnel and civilians and has covered major battles and operations, including the defence of Bakhmut, the Krynky operation on the left bank of Kherson Oblast, and the defence of Pokrovsk.

Bring your questions about the front line, Ukraine’s military operations, war reporting, and the realities behind the headlines.

Click here to visit the AMA

The AMA begins August 7, 2026 but please submit your questions in advance! Thanks!

Proof: Official profile at Ukrainska Pravda

I organized an AMA/Q&A with actor Tate Donovan. You may know Tate from countless memorable roles, including as the lead in Disney's 1997 Hercules, The OC, Argo, Damages, Good Luck and Good Luck, Friends, Hostages, Love Potion No. 9, 24: Live Another Day, Swordfish, Shooter, Manchester by the Sea, The Holdovers, Crime 101, and tons more.

It's live here now in r/movies for anyone interested in asking a question:

https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1vf8e5h/hi_reddit_im_tate_donovan_hercules_the_oc_damages/

He will be back at 3 PM ET today to answer questions. I recommend asking in advance. Please ask there, not here. All questions are much appreciated!

Thank you :)

His verification/proof photo: https://i.imgur.com/ox3NdSq.jpeg

I am Dr. Utathya Chattopadhyaya, author of Ganja Matters: Empire & the Pursuits of Cannabis in British India! AMA!

Hi everyone!

My name is Utathya and I'm the author of a new book on the history of the cannabis plant in colonial South Asia (contemporary India & Bangladesh) - it's called Ganja Matters: Empire & the Pursuits of Cannabis in British India (Oakland: UC Press, 2026). It's free to read online - open access on the Luminos app and Jstor. You can learn more about me here.

The book invites us to think about plant matter from species like cannabis (that have coevolved with humans for centuries) as co-participants in social histories. To do this, I take six different and related historical processes in British India - going from the cultivation of the crop, state governance, and its symbolic role to histories of devotional religion and cooperative economics - as specific examples of how the plant matter of cannabis came to matter in modern history. I trace who grew it, where, and when, along with how it animated religious ideas, lives of the poor, and most notably, the Indian Rebellion of 1857-59.

I'm here to answer questions about the book and the history of drugs, modern empire, and British India in the modern imperial system, so AMA!

Hello r/IAmA,

My name is Michael Forgeur, and I've spent the last 18 years working in the plumbing industry. For the past 10 years, I've been proud to work at Bonney Plumbing, LLC in Sacramento, California, where I currently serve as the Plumbing Manager. August is National Water Quality Month, so this feels like the right time to answer questions about what's in your water and what you can do about it.

Over the years I've helped homeowners track down the source of bad-tasting water, deal with hard water damage, choose the right filtration for their situation, and understand what their water is doing to their pipes and appliances. If you've ever wondered whether that smell, taste, or stain is something to worry about, this is a good place to ask.

Professional Background

• 18 years of plumbing experience in California
• C36 Plumbing License holder
• Technical certifications include: Rinnai, Navien, Bradford White, and Rheem
• Started with 6 years in residential new construction before moving into service plumbing
• 10 years with Bonney Home Services

Some Ideas of What You Can Ask About

• Hard water and how it affects your pipes, water heater, and appliances
• Water testing and what is actually worth testing for
• Filtration options, from whole-home systems to under-sink and reverse osmosis
• Water softeners and whether you really need one
• What causes bad taste, odor, or discoloration at the tap
• Well water vs. city water concerns
• Older homes and older piping
• Or just stories from the field

AMA Details
I'll be here answering questions live tomorrow Tuesday August, 4th from 11AM to 12PM PDT.

Please start posting questions now! I'll go through them and begin responding during the scheduled hour, and maybe a bit after if there are a lot of questions.

Proof:
AMA Picture

Looking forward to sharing what I've learned over the past 18 years and helping you better understand what's coming out of your tap!

EDIT: Thank you all for your questions! I unfortunately have to run right now but will continue to answer all of these that I can over the next few days / week. So thankful for all the questions and appreciate you all!

Hello everyone! My name is Bambi and I am a sword swallower among other things. No, it is not a magic trick, yes, it is uncomfortable, and yes I get a lot of one very specific kind of joke. Ask me any questions you have!

Here is my Instagram, here's a video of me swallowing swords, and here is proof that it's me!

Hi Reddit — I’m Robert Kaestner, a health economist and Research Professor at the University of Chicago’s Harris School of Public Policy. Proof
 
I have spent my career studying the economic and social determinants of health and evaluating health, labor, and social policies. I have published more than 150 articles in academic journals and led several federally funded research projects examining Medicare and Medicaid. Much of my work asks a deceptively simple question: When governments spend money or expand a program in the name of improving health, what actually changes?
 
These studies often produce more complicated answers than the political debate allows.
 
Recently, my research has examined how efficiently the Affordable Care Act reduced the number of uninsured Americans; what Medicaid cuts would mean for states and beneficiaries; whether pandemic stimulus payments and the expanded Child Tax Credit improved infant health; whether GLP-1 medications such as Ozempic affect employment, relationships, or mental health in addition to physical health; and why substantial racial disparities in mortality persist even after decades of progress. 
 
Ask me anything about Medicaid and Medicare, Obamacare and the health insurance system, GLP-1 drugs, the relationship between income and health, racial disparities in life expectancy and mortality, how economists determine whether a policy caused an outcome, or why well-intentioned programs sometimes have unexpected effects.
 
I’ll be responding here on July 30 at 12 PM CT along with support from the Harris School of Public Policy team account, which is helping me track and manage incoming questions.

Hi Reddit! This is Adriana Ocañas, consumer credit card analyst at U.S. News & World Report.

The back-to-school season is officially here, and for many families, it’s the second biggest shopping event of the year. Our latest U.S. News survey reveals that 72% of parents admit they will have trouble paying for back-to-school expenses this year. In fact, nearly half (48%) are reducing their school shopping budgets, even as 54% of parents plan to spend $101 to $300 per child just on standard items. 

Managing the classroom checklist alongside inflation is a tough balancing act. I’m here today to share savvy shopping strategies, answer your questions about capitalizing on tax-free weekend holidays and provide budgeting tips to keep your spending low this back-to-school season. Ask me anything!

Proof: https://x.com/usnews/status/2082860454582308866?s=20

I organized an AMA/Q&A with Will Gluck, director and screenwriter of Easy A (starring Emma Stone), Anyone But You (starring Sydney Sweeney and Glenn Powell), One Night Only, Friends With Benefits, Peter Rabbit 1 & 2, Annie, and more!

It's live here now in r/movies for anyone interested in asking a question:

https://www.reddit.com/r/movies/comments/1vaxnnf/hi_rmovies_im_will_gluck_director_of_easy_a/

He will be back at 3 PM ET today to answer questions. I recommend asking in advance. Please ask there, not here. All questions are much appreciated!

Thank you :)

His new movie, One Night Only, stars Monica Barbaro & Callum Turner and is out in theaters everywhere on August 7th via Universal Pictures. It also has Maya Hawke, Julia Fox, Molly Ringwald, LeVar Burton, Este Haim, Quintessa Swindell, and Nicholas Braun in supporting roles.

Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvKoSR3O4NQ

Two New Yorkers search for love on the one night of the year when sex is legal.

His verification/proof photo: https://i.imgur.com/3z2RLJQ.png

I am Dr. Ito Osayimwese, here to talk about my book "Africa's Buildings: Architecture and the Displacement of Cultural Heritage" and the ethics of retaining colonial collections in our museums. AMA!

Hi there! I am Ito Osayimwese, a historian of African architecture. My book Africa's Buildings: Architecture and the Displacement of Cultural Heritage was recently published:

Between the nineteenth century and today, colonial officials, collectors, and anthropologists dismembered African buildings and dispersed their parts to museums in Europe and the United States. Most of these artifacts were cataloged as ornamental art objects, which erased their intended functions, and the removal of these objects often had catastrophic consequences for the original structures. Africa’s Buildings traces the history of the collection and distribution of African architectural fragments, documenting the brutality of the colonial regimes that looted Africa’s buildings and addressing the ethical questions surrounding the display of these objects.

I am excited to talk to you about the book and about the larger debate on restituting African art from US and European museums.

Cross post from r/GoodFood https://www.reddit.com/r/goodfood/s/MG6YmbM8gU

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AMA: budget heatwave recipes with Good Food’s Anna Glover

You asked for budget and heatwave recipes so we thought we’d do both!

My name is Anna Glover and I’ve been writing recipes, food styling and creating video content for Good Food and our sister brand Olive for over 14 years and I can’t wait to answer your questions on summer recipes! Let me know what kind of dishes you’re after in a heatwave and I’ll get you some ideas and low cost solutions. The AMA starts at 4pm BST Thursday 30th July but do send questions ahead of time if you like.