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Every episode
Birth of a Parent
7 episodes
Ep. 6 - The Illusion of Knowing (with Lulu Miller)
Aug 12, 2026 · 41 min
The human brain loves a good explanation. Parenthood has other plans. Science journalist and Radiolab host Lulu Miller explores why we are so determined to make sense of the world, and what happens when life refuses to fit the story. Shownotes: Much of today's conversation draws on Lulu Miller's bestselling book Why Fish Don't Exist, a meditation on our deep human desire to impose order on the natural world, and why embracing uncertainty may ultimately be more liberating. Lulu reflects on…
Ep. 5 - The Rituals That Hold Us Together (with Dimitris Xygalatas)
Aug 5, 2026 · 32 min
Why does a bedtime routine feel so important? Anthropologist Dimitris Xygalatas studies rituals, from firewalking ceremonies to family traditions. His work reveals why humans return to rituals whenever life becomes uncertain, and why parenthood may be one of the most ritual-filled experiences of all. Shownotes: Much of today's conversation draws on Dimitris Xygalatas' book The Ritual Effect: From Habit to Ritual, Harness the Surprising Power of Everyday Actions, in which he explores why ri…
Ep. 4 - The Connected Mind (with Vicky Leong)
Jul 29, 2026 · 40 min
Sometimes a child is looking right at you and seems completely elsewhere, and sometimes they're completely with you. Developmental neuroscientist Vicky Leong studies those moments of connection, uncovering how parents and children synchronize their minds and get ready to learn from one another. Shownotes: Victoria Leong – Publications (link) Leong et al. (2017), Speaker gaze increases information coupling between infant and adult brains (link) Natural Pedagogy Theory – Gergely & Csibra (li…
Ep. 3 - The Dad Bod Theory (with Lee Gettler)
Jul 22, 2026 · 44 min
Why would evolution redesign a man's body after he has children? Anthropologist Lee Gettler helped uncover a surprising answer. His research on hormone changes including testosterone suggests that fatherhood doesn't just change how men think and feel, it changes their biology too. Shownotes: Lee’s landmark study Longitudinal Evidence that Fatherhood Decreases Testosterone in Human Males showed that men's testosterone levels decline after becoming fathers, helping reshape our understanding…
Ep. 2 - The Mom Brain Revolution (with Susana Carmona)
Jul 22, 2026 · 38 min
For centuries, scientists studied what pregnancy does to the body. Almost nobody studied what it does to the brain. Neuroscientist Susana Carmona helped change that, uncovering evidence that motherhood reshapes the human brain in ways scientists are only beginning to understand. Shownotes: Susana's book A Mother’s Brain brings together the latest research on how pregnancy and motherhood reshape the brain, body and identity. Susana leads the NeuroMaternal Lab in Madrid, where much of the research…
Ep. 1 - A Human Metamorphosis (with Oren Harman)
Jul 22, 2026 · 40 min
Three quarters of animal species undergo metamorphosis. Why are we so sure humans don't? Historian of science Oren Harman takes us from butterflies to starfish in search of an answer, and toward a surprising way of thinking about what happens when a baby turns someone into a parent. Shownotes: Much of the conversation draws on Oren Harman's exploration of metamorphosis across the natural world in his book Metamorphosis: A Natural and Human History. Long before founding psychoanalysis, a young Si…
Trailer - Birth of a Parent
Jul 8, 2026 · 2 min
When a baby is born, a parent is born too. But what if that's more than a metaphor? Birth of a Parent explores the emerging science of how parenthood transforms the human mind. Host Michael Feigelson speaks with leading scientists, writers, and thinkers to investigate whether becoming a parent is one of life's most profound – and least understood – developmental stages. By following the podcast, you support our message and never miss an episode. The first episodes will be available from 22…
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