Birth of a Parent
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. The podcast is part of the Early Childhood Matters platform by the Van Leer Foundation.
Episodes
Ep. 1 - A Human Metamorphosis (with Oren Harman)
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 hi
Ep. 2 - The Mom Brain Revolution (with Susana Carmona)
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
Ep. 3 - The Dad Bod Theory (with Lee Gettler)
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
Trailer - Birth of a Parent
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 podca
