British journalist
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First up on the podcast, Online News Editor Michael Greshko joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about stories set high above our heads. They discuss capturing fungal spores high in the stratosphere, the debate over signs of life on the exoplanet K2-18b, and a Chinese contender for world's oldest star catalog. Next on the show, a look into long-standing questions on why and how our bodies respond to tickling. Producer Meagan Cantwell talks to Konstantina Kilteni, an assistant professor at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and the Department of Neuroscience at the Karolinska Institute. They discuss how standardizing approaches to testing tickling in the lab could get us closer to answers. Finally in this episode, the first in our book series on the science of death, with books host Angela Saini. Saini interviews Nobel Prize–winning biologist Venki Ramakrishnan about developments in longevity research and his book Why We Die: The New Science of Aging and the Quest for Immortality. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Authors: Sarah Crespi, Angela Saini, Michael Greshko, Meagan Cantwell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
First up on the podcast, Online News Editor Michael Greshko joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about stories set high above our heads. They discuss capturing fungal spores high in the stratosphere, the debate over signs of life on the exoplanet K2-18b, and a Chinese contender for world's oldest star catalog. Next on the show, a look into long-standing questions on why and how our bodies respond to tickling. Producer Meagan Cantwell talks to Konstantina Kilteni, an assistant professor at the Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour and the Department of Neuroscience at the Karolinska Institute. They discuss how standardizing approaches to testing tickling in the lab could get us closer to answers. Finally in this episode, the first in our book series on the science of death, with books host Angela Saini. Saini interviews Nobel Prize–winning biologist Venki Ramakrishnan about developments in longevity research and his book Why We Die: The New Science of Aging and the Quest for Immortality. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Authors: Sarah Crespi, Angela Saini, Michael Greshko, Meagan Cantwell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
First up on the podcast, bringing Gregor Mendel's peas into the 21st century. Back in the 19th century Mendel, a friar and naturalist, tracked traits in peas such as flower color and shape over many generations. He used these observations to identify basic concepts about inheritance such as recessive and dominant traits. Staff Writer Erik Stokstad talks with host Sarah Crespi about the difficulty of identifying genes for these phenotypes all these years later. We also hear some other stories from the plant world, including evidence that wavy fields are more attractive to insects and a tree benefits from being struck by lightning. Next on the show, a carnivorous caterpillar that haunts spiderwebs, camouflaged in its insect prey's body parts. Producer Kevin McLean talks with Daniel Rubinoff, a professor in the department of plant and environmental protection sciences at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, about how such an adaptation might have evolved and the overlooked importance of insect conservation. Finally, we kick off our 2025 books series on the science of death and dying. Books host Angela Saini and books editor Valerie Thompson talk about the challenges of putting this year's list together and the reads they are looking forward to. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Authors: Sarah Crespi; Erik Stokstad; Kevin McLean; Valerie Thompson; Angela Saini Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
First up on the podcast, bringing Gregor Mendel's peas into the 21st century. Back in the 19th century Mendel, a friar and naturalist, tracked traits in peas such as flower color and shape over many generations. He used these observations to identify basic concepts about inheritance such as recessive and dominant traits. Staff Writer Erik Stokstad talks with host Sarah Crespi about the difficulty of identifying genes for these phenotypes all these years later. We also hear some other stories from the plant world, including evidence that wavy fields are more attractive to insects and a tree benefits from being struck by lightning. Next on the show, a carnivorous caterpillar that haunts spiderwebs, camouflaged in its insect prey's body parts. Producer Kevin McLean talks with Daniel Rubinoff, a professor in the department of plant and environmental protection sciences at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, about how such an adaptation might have evolved and the overlooked importance of insect conservation. Finally, we kick off our 2025 books series on the science of death and dying. Books host Angela Saini and books editor Valerie Thompson talk about the challenges of putting this year's list together and the reads they are looking forward to. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Authors: Sarah Crespi; Erik Stokstad; Kevin McLean; Valerie Thompson; Angela Saini Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Originally Recorded February 8th, 2025 Check out Angela's music: https://angelasaini.com/ https://open.spotify.com/artist/26IfUxXgnaFeFA1DM0Q54w?si=o0fm6R2xSFW8JYJxzcAdTwThe song played at the end is “Gatyari Mantra.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit musicallyspeaking.substack.com
This episode is a part of a mini series, featuring episodes from Global Health Lives. Ms Angela Saini is an award-winning science journalist, author and broadcaster. She is famous for her two best-selling books: ‘Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong' and ‘Superior: the Return of Race Science'. In this podcast she discusses these books and her journalism, as well as her own experiences of racism. Listen to GHL at https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/globalhealthlives
In this episode, I interviewed Angela Saini with Dr. Mike Love. Angela is a prominent author interested in bridging science and society. Her works include the fantastic books: Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong and the New Research That's Rewriting the Story Superior: The Return of Race Science The Patriarchs: The Origins of Inequality
Using robots to study evolution, the last installment of our series of books on a future to look forward to, and did reintroducing wolves really restore an ecosystem? First up this week, a new study of an iconic ecosystem doesn't support the “landscape of fear” concept. This is the idea that bringing back apex predators has a huge impact on the behavior of their prey, eventually altering the rest of the ecosystem. Host Sarah Crespi talks with Contributing Correspondent Virginia Morell about the findings. Next, using bioinspired robotics to explore deep time. Michael Ishida, a postdoctoral researcher in the Bio-Inspired Robotics Lab at the University of Cambridge, talks about studying key moments in evolutionary history, such as the transition from water to land by creating robotic versions of extinct creatures. Finally in the last in our series of books on an optimistic future, books host Angela Saini talks with Ruha Benjamin, a professor of African American studies at Princeton University and recently named MacArthur Fellow. The two discuss Benjamin's latest book, Imagination: A Manifesto, which explores the part that imagination plays in creating new and radical futures. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.zu8ch5j Authors: Sarah Crespi; Angela Saini; Virginia Morell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Using robots to study evolution, the last installment of our series of books on a future to look forward to, and did reintroducing wolves really restore an ecosystem? First up this week, a new study of an iconic ecosystem doesn't support the “landscape of fear” concept. This is the idea that bringing back apex predators has a huge impact on the behavior of their prey, eventually altering the rest of the ecosystem. Host Sarah Crespi talks with Contributing Correspondent Virginia Morell about the findings. Next, using bioinspired robotics to explore deep time. Michael Ishida, a postdoctoral researcher in the Bio-Inspired Robotics Lab at the University of Cambridge, talks about studying key moments in evolutionary history, such as the transition from water to land by creating robotic versions of extinct creatures. Finally in the last in our series of books on an optimistic future, books host Angela Saini talks with Ruha Benjamin, a professor of African American studies at Princeton University and recently named MacArthur Fellow. The two discuss Benjamin's latest book, Imagination: A Manifesto, which explores the part that imagination plays in creating new and radical futures. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.zu8ch5j Authors: Sarah Crespi; Angela Saini; Virginia Morell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The gene variant APOE4 is finally giving up some of its secrets, how putting dead trees underground could make carbon sequestration cheap and scalable, and the latest in our series of books on an optimistic future First up this week, Staff Writer and Editor Jocelyn Kaiser joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss APOE4, a gene linked with a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease. They talk about new research into why APOE4 might be a good target for preventing or treating this dreaded neurodegenerative disease. Next, Ning Zeng, a professor in the Department of Atmospheric & Oceanic Science and at the Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center at the University of Maryland, joins the show to discuss an unusual approach to carbon sequestration and a very old piece of wood. He talks about how an unearthed 3000-year-old log that has held on to most of its carbon is pretty good proof that we can efficiently put carbon underground at low cost by burying trees. Finally, we have the latest in our series of books on a future to look forward to. Books host Angela Saini talks with Peter Coveney and Roger Highfield, the two authors of the book Virtual You: How Building Your Digital Twin Will Revolutionize Medicine and Change Your Life. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.z8oerdq Authors: Sarah Crespi; Jocelyn Kaiser; Angela Saini Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The gene variant APOE4 is finally giving up some of its secrets, how putting dead trees underground could make carbon sequestration cheap and scalable, and the latest in our series of books on an optimistic future First up this week, Staff Writer and Editor Jocelyn Kaiser joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss APOE4, a gene linked with a higher risk of Alzheimer's disease. They talk about new research into why APOE4 might be a good target for preventing or treating this dreaded neurodegenerative disease. Next, Ning Zeng, a professor in the Department of Atmospheric & Oceanic Science and at the Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center at the University of Maryland, joins the show to discuss an unusual approach to carbon sequestration and a very old piece of wood. He talks about how an unearthed 3000-year-old log that has held on to most of its carbon is pretty good proof that we can efficiently put carbon underground at low cost by burying trees. Finally, we have the latest in our series of books on a future to look forward to. Books host Angela Saini talks with Peter Coveney and Roger Highfield, the two authors of the book Virtual You: How Building Your Digital Twin Will Revolutionize Medicine and Change Your Life. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.z8oerdq Authors: Sarah Crespi; Jocelyn Kaiser; Angela Saini Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
First up this week on the podcast, the latest conservation news with Staff Writer Erik Stokstad. Stokstad and host Sarah Crespi talk about the fate of snow crabs in the Bering Sea, how much we have been overestimating fishing stocks worldwide, and invasive snakes in Guam that bite off more than they can chew. Next, a fungus takes the wheel. Anand Mishra, a research associate in the department of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Cornell University, discusses a method of integrating electronics with fungal cells in a biohybrid robot. By using the hardy cells from a mushroom instead of the delicate cells of an animal, Mishra and colleagues hope to durably introduce the sensing and signaling capacity of these living organisms into robots. Finally, the fourth installment of our six-part series on books that look to an optimistic future. This month, host Angela Saini talks with science writer Akshat Rathi about how capitalism might just save us from climate change and his book Climate Capitalism: Winning the Race to Zero Emissions and Solving the Crisis of Our Age. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Authors: Sarah Crespi; Erik Stokstad; Angela Saini Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.zt21ifv Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
First up this week on the podcast, the latest conservation news with Staff Writer Erik Stokstad. Stokstad and host Sarah Crespi talk about the fate of snow crabs in the Bering Sea, how much we have been overestimating fishing stocks worldwide, and invasive snakes in Guam that bite off more than they can chew. Next, a fungus takes the wheel. Anand Mishra, a research associate in the department of mechanical and aerospace engineering at Cornell University, discusses a method of integrating electronics with fungal cells in a biohybrid robot. By using the hardy cells from a mushroom instead of the delicate cells of an animal, Mishra and colleagues hope to durably introduce the sensing and signaling capacity of these living organisms into robots. Finally, the fourth installment of our six-part series on books that look to an optimistic future. This month, host Angela Saini talks with science writer Akshat Rathi about how capitalism might just save us from climate change and his book Climate Capitalism: Winning the Race to Zero Emissions and Solving the Crisis of Our Age. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Authors: Sarah Crespi; Erik Stokstad; Angela Saini Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.zt21ifv Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tackling air pollution—indoors and outdoors, how burned-up satellites in the atmosphere could destroy ozone, and the latest in our series of books on a future to look forward to First up this week, Science Senior Editor Michael Funk joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about the magazine's special issue on air pollution. The two discuss the broad scope of air pollution, from home cooking to transmissible disease. Next, how burned-up satellites may cause pollution problems as megaconstellations take to the skies. Staff Writer Daniel Clery talks about how metals from deorbiting spacecrafts might change the chemistry of the upper atmosphere. Finally, books host Angela Saini is joined by author Daniela Rus, a roboticist and professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They discuss Rus's book The Heart and the Chip: Our Bright Future with Robots for this year's books series that takes an optimistic look at the future. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Authors: Sarah Crespi, Micheal Funk, Angela Saini; Daniel Clery Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.z01x70o Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Tackling air pollution—indoors and outdoors, how burned-up satellites in the atmosphere could destroy ozone, and the latest in our series of books on a future to look forward to First up this week, Science Senior Editor Michael Funk joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about the magazine's special issue on air pollution. The two discuss the broad scope of air pollution, from home cooking to transmissible disease. Next, how burned-up satellites may cause pollution problems as megaconstellations take to the skies. Staff Writer Daniel Clery talks about how metals from deorbiting spacecrafts might change the chemistry of the upper atmosphere. Finally, books host Angela Saini is joined by author Daniela Rus, a roboticist and professor of electrical engineering and computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. They discuss Rus's book The Heart and the Chip: Our Bright Future with Robots for this year's books series that takes an optimistic look at the future. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Authors: Sarah Crespi, Micheal Funk, Angela Saini; Daniel Clery Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.z01x70o Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Whose idea was the patriarchy? How long has it been a part of our lives? And how do we even define it?For something that's so prevalent in most of our lives, it can sometimes feel like there's an inevitability to it.However, there are so many examples of alternatives, and surprising reasons to its origins.Exploring all of this with Kate today is Angela Saini, author of The Patriarchs: How Men Came To Rule.This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Voting is open for the Listener's Choice Award at the British Podcast Awards, so if you enjoy what we're doing, we'd love it if you took a quick follow this link and click on Betwixt the Sheets: https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/votingEnjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code BETWIXT sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscription/You can take part in our listener survey here.
Guest host Meagan Cantwell talks to Staff Writer Erik Stokstad about a new weapon against crop-destroying beetles. By making pesticides using RNA, farmers can target pests and their close relatives, leaving other creatures unharmed. Next, freelance producer Katherine Irving talks to hydrologist Craig Brinkerhoff about a recent analysis of ephemeral streams—which are only around temporarily—throughout the United States. Despite their fleeting presence, Brinkerhoff and his colleagues found these streams play a major role in keeping rivers flowing and clean. Brinkerhoff is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Yale University, and completed this work as a Ph.D. student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Finally, the next segment in our books series on a future to look forward to. Books host Angela Saini talks with author Rachel O'Dwyer about her recent book Tokens: The Future of Money in the Age of the Platform. They'll discuss new and old ideas of currency, and what it means to have our identities tied to our money as we move toward a more cashless society. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Guest host Meagan Cantwell talks to Staff Writer Erik Stokstad about a new weapon against crop-destroying beetles. By making pesticides using RNA, farmers can target pests and their close relatives, leaving other creatures unharmed. Next, freelance producer Katherine Irving talks to hydrologist Craig Brinkerhoff about a recent analysis of ephemeral streams—which are only around temporarily—throughout the United States. Despite their fleeting presence, Brinkerhoff and his colleagues found these streams play a major role in keeping rivers flowing and clean. Brinkerhoff is currently a postdoctoral fellow at Yale University, and completed this work as a Ph.D. student at the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Finally, the next segment in our books series on a future to look forward to. Books host Angela Saini talks with author Rachel O'Dwyer about her recent book Tokens: The Future of Money in the Age of the Platform. They'll discuss new and old ideas of currency, and what it means to have our identities tied to our money as we move toward a more cashless society. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Studying color vision in with children who gain sight later in life, joining a cancer trial doesn't improve survival odds, and the first in our books series this year First on this week's show, Staff Writer Jennifer Couzin-Frankel joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss the pros and cons of participating in clinical trials. Her story challenges the common thinking that participating in a trial is beneficial—even in the placebo group—for cancer patients. Next, Lukas Vogelsang, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of brain and cognitive sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, talks about research into color vision with “late-sighted” kids. Studying children who were born blind and then later gained vision gave researchers new insights into how vision develops in babies and may even help train computers to see better. Last up on the show is the first in our series of books podcasts on a future to look forward to. Books host Angela Saini talks with author Claire Horn, a researcher based at Dalhousie University's Health Justice Institute. They discuss the implications of growing babies from fertilized egg to newborn infant—completely outside the body—and Horn's book Eve: The Disobedient Future of Birth. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Authors: Sarah Crespi; Angela Saini; Jennifer Couzin-Frankel Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.z6gdgb4 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Studying color vision in with children who gain sight later in life, joining a cancer trial doesn't improve survival odds, and the first in our books series this year First on this week's show, Staff Writer Jennifer Couzin-Frankel joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss the pros and cons of participating in clinical trials. Her story challenges the common thinking that participating in a trial is beneficial—even in the placebo group—for cancer patients. Next, Lukas Vogelsang, a postdoctoral fellow in the department of brain and cognitive sciences at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, talks about research into color vision with “late-sighted” kids. Studying children who were born blind and then later gained vision gave researchers new insights into how vision develops in babies and may even help train computers to see better. Last up on the show is the first in our series of books podcasts on a future to look forward to. Books host Angela Saini talks with author Claire Horn, a researcher based at Dalhousie University's Health Justice Institute. They discuss the implications of growing babies from fertilized egg to newborn infant—completely outside the body—and Horn's book Eve: The Disobedient Future of Birth. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Authors: Sarah Crespi; Angela Saini; Jennifer Couzin-Frankel Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.z6gdgb4 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
I've come across a book that makes the perplexing and painful things from my childhood AND professional life make sense within the broader context of the history of humanity. And I'd like to shout about it from the mountaintops. This book is The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule, by Angela Saini, a science journalist and author who teaches at MIT. Now, don't get this wrong. The book ISN'T about bashing men or making the female gender superior to another (that would just be perpetuating yet another form of oppression). It IS about going on an eye-opening journey back through time, 10,000 years before modern civilization, to uncover the true roots of gender roles. It's about challenging the deeply ingrained notion that men have always been the dominant sex. The book debunks the view that patriarchy is just "the way things are." It walks you, point-by-point, through the latest research findings in science and archaeology to show that the systemic favoring of men isn't a natural law, but a constructed one. This revelation matters because every day, women encounter the effect of gendered expectations, whether it's to handle more housework despite both partners working, or the glass ceilings in STEM fields and corporate leadership.Join me and Angela Saini as we dive into prehistory and history to challenge our perceptions and inspire change. Don't forget to subscribe and share this episode with someone who needs to hear this. Enjoy the show? Don't miss an episode, listen and subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Leave me a review in Apple Podcasts. Connect with me **You want to get promoted and better paid with best tools possible. That's what I offer inside my Executive Coaching Series, and you can learn all about it here: https://www.jamieleecoach.com/apply ** Connect with me on LinkedIn Email me at jamie@jamieleecoach.com
Researchers try to identify effective loneliness interventions, making the Sandmeyer safer, and books that look to the future and don't see doom and gloom First up on the show, Deputy News Editor Kelly Servick explores the science of loneliness. Is loneliness on the rise or just our awareness of it? How do we deal with the stigma of being lonely? Also appearing in this segment: ● Laura Coll-Planas ● Julianne Holt-Lunstad ● Samia Akhter-Khan Next, producer Ariana Remmel talks with Tim Schulte, a graduate student at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research and RWTH Aachen University, about making one of organic chemistry's oldest reactions—the Sandmeyer reaction—both safer and more versatile. Finally, we kick off this year's book series with books editor Valerie Thompson and books host Angela Saini. They discuss this year's theme: a future to look forward to. Book segments come out the last episode of the month. Books in the series: ● Eve: The Disobedient Future of Birth by Claire Horn (May) ● Tokens: The Future of Money in the Age of the Platform by Rachel O'Dwyer (June) ● The Heart and the Chip: Our Bright Future with Robots by Daniela Rus and Gregory Mone (July) ● Climate Capitalism: Winning the Race to Zero Emissions and Solving the Crisis of Our Age by Akshat Rathi (August) ● Virtual You: How Building Your Digital Twin Will Revolutionize Medicine and Change Your Life by Peter Coveney and Roger Highfield (September) ● Imagination: A Manifesto by Ruha Benjamin (October) This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Authors: Sarah Crespi; Kelly Servick; Ariana Remmel; Valerie Thompson; Angela Saini LINKS FOR MP3 META Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.zqubta7 About the Science Podcast: https://www.science.org/content/page/about-science-podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Researchers try to identify effective loneliness interventions, making the Sandmeyer safer, and books that look to the future and don't see doom and gloom First up on the show, Deputy News Editor Kelly Servick explores the science of loneliness. Is loneliness on the rise or just our awareness of it? How do we deal with the stigma of being lonely? Also appearing in this segment: ● Laura Coll-Planas ● Julianne Holt-Lunstad ● Samia Akhter-Khan Next, producer Ariana Remmel talks with Tim Schulte, a graduate student at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research and RWTH Aachen University, about making one of organic chemistry's oldest reactions—the Sandmeyer reaction—both safer and more versatile. Finally, we kick off this year's book series with books editor Valerie Thompson and books host Angela Saini. They discuss this year's theme: a future to look forward to. Book segments come out the last episode of the month. Books in the series: ● Eve: The Disobedient Future of Birth by Claire Horn (May) ● Tokens: The Future of Money in the Age of the Platform by Rachel O'Dwyer (June) ● The Heart and the Chip: Our Bright Future with Robots by Daniela Rus and Gregory Mone (July) ● Climate Capitalism: Winning the Race to Zero Emissions and Solving the Crisis of Our Age by Akshat Rathi (August) ● Virtual You: How Building Your Digital Twin Will Revolutionize Medicine and Change Your Life by Peter Coveney and Roger Highfield (September) ● Imagination: A Manifesto by Ruha Benjamin (October) This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Authors: Sarah Crespi; Kelly Servick; Ariana Remmel; Valerie Thompson; Angela Saini LINKS FOR MP3 META Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.zqubta7 About the Science Podcast: https://www.science.org/content/page/about-science-podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In Her Image: Finding Heavenly Mother in Scripture, Scholarship, the Arts, & Everyday Life
Amy McPhee Allebest, founder and host of the podcast Breaking Down Patriarchy, joins Meg in this episode to share what she has learned about prehistoric egalitarian societies. She highlights the discovery of Venus statues discovered all across Europe, the Near East, and Asia along with other evidence that suggests the practice of goddess worship not only in the Neolithic period, but extending back to Paleolithic times. Amy and Meg discuss the presence and subsequent fading of a belief in Goddesses from various ancient peoples. Looking back through the corridors of history illuminates that though these cultural changes often happen slowly and imperceptibly over hundreds of years, others occur swiftly and intentionally. Seeing these changes in how God has been perceived across the ages gives rise to the hope that one day a female deity will be revered as all-powerful once again, or perhaps even a more insclusive conception of God could materialize. Amy cites the work of archaologist Marija Gimbutas as well as Angela Saini. We recommend looking up their books for an even deeper dive into the history of patriarchy. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/inherimage/support
In this interview with award-winning science journalist Angela Saini, based on her bold and radical book The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule, we explore the roots and complex history of how patriarchy first became embedded in societies and spread across the globe from prehistory into the present. Angela discusses how gendered roles, pronatalism, and militarism – key features of patriarchies – are very recent phenomena, which emerged with the rise of the early states and empires, with pressure on women to have many children for the state and on men to defend the state. By detailing the diversity of human arrangements, including the prevalence of egalitarian and matrilineal societies around the world – past and present – Angela reveals that male-supremacy is neither natural nor immutable. However, she notes that as long as nation states remain committed to valuing productivity and growth – primarily by maintaining control over women's reproduction and over nature – achieving gender equality and ecological justice will remain illusory goals, even in the most progressive nations. See episode website for show notes, links, and transcript: https://www.populationbalance.org/podcast/angela-saini ABOUT US The Overpopulation Podcast features enlightening conversations between Population Balance executive director Nandita Bajaj, researcher Alan Ware, and expert guests. We cover a broad variety of topics that explore the impacts of our expanding human footprint on human rights, animal protection, and environmental restoration, as well as individual and collective solutions. Learn more here: https://www.populationbalance.org/
How do you connect with audiences on a deeper, truer level? Viv talks to award-winning journalist and author, Angela Saini, about combatting pseudo-science and reaching people by peeling back the layers of thinking. Her celebrated books include: Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong, Superior: The Return of Race Science and her latest The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule. Angela tells Viv how her grounding in news journalism in her 20s helped hone her skills to write succinctly, to deadline and to time in a way that helps her in every aspect of her work now – from writing to public speaking. There's a meticulousness to Angela's approach that combines keen organisation with keeping an open, ready to adapt and think differently. It's a winning formula that Viv delves into and pulls out some nuggets to take away. The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule by Angela Saini is out at the end of February 2024. Viv's new book, Happy High Status: How to Be Effortlessly Confident, is out now.
Eugenics is a concept closely tied to what makes us unwell, and its roots in race medicine amplifies the drivers of racial health inequities, ableism, and white supremacy. Though scientifically flawed, eugenic thinking is present throughout modern-day society and politics. We can see eugenic thinking in policies and protocols throughout the pandemic, through mental health, and much more. In the third episode of our collaboration with the Race & Health podcast, we learn about how eugenics was created, how it has been employed, and how today's public health world is still riddled with this divisive concept. Guests include Dr Ayah Nuriddin, who is the Cotsen postdoctoral fellow in the Society Fellows, a lecturer, and in the Council of the Humanities in African American Studies at Princeton University, Angela Saini, an award-winning journalist and author of books, including Superior, the Return of Race Science, and Professor Marius Turda, professor of biomedicine and director of the Centre for Medical Humanities at Oxford Brookes University.Continue this conversation on social!Follow us today at...https://twitter.com/thelancethttps://instagram.com/thelancetgrouphttps://facebook.com/thelancetmedicaljournalhttps://linkedIn.com/company/the-lancethttps://youtube.com/thelancettv
In this episode, Chris and Shaun welcome Angela Saini, award-winning journalist and author of The Patriarchs, Inferior and other science-based books. Angela and the guys discuss pseudoscience, the origin of the patriarchy, teaching at Harvard and MIT, menopause, the role of the sexes, Canadians and more.You can find Angela's books: The Patriarchs here and Inferior hereThis episode is brought to you by Half Acre Brewery. Check out the wonderful beers on Half Acre's website.
What's one thing you'd do if self-doubt couldn't hold you back in 2024? Would you put your hand up for the promotion, the speaking opportunity, the face-to-face time with leaders you trust and admire? And what might it be like if you experienced zero guilt about achieving all the growth and success you wanted in your career? What often holds women back from taking action is socialized self-doubt and guilt rooted in patriarchal norms that are divorced from real, lived experiences. In this episode, we're challenging patriarchal beliefs that disadvantage women (as well as non-binary folks and some men) so you can be equipped with tools to overcome self-doubt and negotiate your career on your own terms. You'll learn: How self-doubt is often socially constructed and influenced by internalized patriarchal norms Why it's important to debunk patriarchal myths that portray men as inherently dominant and women as needing protectionWhat happened to me when I tried to be "like one of the guys" at a nearly all-male trading desk as a hedge fund analyst, and why I'll never do it again What you'll gain by joining the training on LinkedIn Live: Feminist Cure for Self-Doubt on Wednesday 12/20/23 Mentioned: Read The Patriarchs by Angela Saini (https://www.angelasaini.co.uk/the-patriarchs)Watch The Feminist Cure for Self-Doubt (https://www.linkedin.com/events/7138578630053412864/about/)--As an executive coach for women, I'm super passionate about helping smart women who hate office politics get promoted and better paid. I do this through my unique combination of: Self-directed neuroplasticity tools backed by science Negotiation strategies proven to work for women by academic research Intersectional feminist lens that honors women's real, lived experiences To learn about my 1:1 coaching series and to book your free hour-long consultation with me, click here: https://www.jamieleecoach.com/apply--Enjoy the show? Don't miss an episode, listen and subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Leave me a review in Apple Podcasts. Connect with me **You want to get promoted and better paid with best tools possible. That's what I offer inside my Executive Coaching Series, and you can learn all about it here: https://www.jamieleecoach.com/apply ** Connect with me on LinkedIn Email me at jamie@jamieleecoach.com
What are the true origins of gendered oppression? Why does gender inequality persist despite efforts for change? What part do we all play in keeping patriarchal structures alive? In Summer 2023 award-winning science journalist Angela Saini came to Intelligence Squared to address these questions and challenge long-held beliefs about gender and power. In conversation with acclaimed zoologist Lucy Cooke she draws on the themes of her radical new book, The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule, and reveal the complex history of how male domination became embedded in societies across the globe from prehistory to the present. ... You can enjoy an extended version of this discussion by becoming a supporter of Intelligence Squared to get access to all of our longer form interviews and members-only content. Just visit intelligencesquared.com/membership to find out more. For £4.99 per month you'll receive: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared episodes, wherever you get your podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series - 15% discount on livestreams and in-person tickets for all Intelligence Squared events - Our member-only newsletter The Monthly Read, sent straight to your inbox ... Or Subscribe on Apple for £4.99: - Full-length and ad-free Intelligence Squared podcasts - Bonus Intelligence Squared podcasts, curated feeds and members exclusive series ... Already a subscriber? Thank you for supporting our mission to foster honest debate and compelling conversations! Visit intelligencesquared.com to explore all your benefits including ad-free podcasts, exclusive bonus content, early access and much more ... Subscribe to our newsletter here to hear about our latest events, discounts and much more. https://www.intelligencesquared.com/newsletter-signup/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
A leap in supercomputing is a leap for science, cracking the dolomite problem, and a book on where patriarchy came from First up on this week's show, bigger supercomputers help make superscience. Staff Writer Robert F. Service joins host Sarah Crespi to discuss how the first exascale computer is enabling big leaps in scientists' models of the world. Next, producer Meagan Cantwell talks with the University of Michigan's Wenhao Sun, professor of materials science and engineering, and graduate student Joonsoo Kim. They discuss solving the centuries-old problem of growing the common mineral dolomite in the lab. Finally, books host Angela Saini is back but this time she's in the hot seat talking about her own book, The Patriarchs: The Origins of Inequality. Science Books Editor Valerie Thompson and host Sarah Crespi chat with Angela about what history, archaeology, and biology reveal about where and when patriarchy started. See our whole series of books podcasts on sex, gender, and science. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Authors: Sarah Crespi; Valerie Thompson; Angela Saini; Robert Service Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adn0660
In today's powerful episode I speak with Elise Loehnen, author of the bestselling book, On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to be Good. Elise is also the host of the Pulling the Thread Podcast, and prior to her podcast she was chief content officer of Goop. Today we're talking about the Gluttony chapter of Elise's book, and how it relates to the patriarchal system we live in. Elise starts by describing the origins of that system, which has come to define our worldview, whether we realize it or not. While it's started as a hierarchical dominance-based external system, it's become an internal system that we all perpetuate, often unconsciously. We explore how the system specifically plays into our relationship with food and our bodies. Elise describes how the “sin” of gluttony isn't about extreme over-indulgence but rather about our moralizing of food. It's a policing of what we eat and how our bodies look in order to conform and express our goodness. While we're deeply influenced by powers outside of us (think diet culture) we also perpetuate the system internally. We police OURSELVES in an effort to be “good,” and to feel like we have control. However, this need for control disconnects us from real pleasure and from our true selves. We talk about how to get out of this giant web of patriarchal conditioning to gain sovereignty for ourselves.I think you're going to learn SO MUCH from this episode and begin to see how you can reclaim your own power and your own pleasure this holiday season. Resources, books and links mentioned in this episode:* Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD newsletter: https://mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/* Find Nicki on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickisizemore/* Elise's newsletter: https://eliseloehnen.substack.com/* Find Elise on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eliseloehnen/* On Our Best Behavior: The Seven Deadly Sins and the Price Women Pay to be Good, by Elise Loehnen, by Elise Loehnen: https://amzn.to/46iL5WL* The Patriarchs: The Origins of Inequality, by Angela Saini: https://amzn.to/3sEDhRC* The Dawn of Everything: A New History of Humanity, by David Graeber and David Wengrow: https://amzn.to/3QIwezb* Marion Woodman: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14630.Marion_Woodman* The Wisdom of Your Body, by Hillarly L. McBride, PhD: https://amzn.to/40KDPBT* Unbroken Brain: A Revolutionary New Way of Understanding Addiction, by Maia Szalavitz: https://amzn.to/3G0p18T Get full access to Mind, Body, Spirit, FOOD at mindbodyspiritfood.substack.com/subscribe
How natural is a sexual division of labour? Very natural, claims a popular theory. Indeed, it was the secret to our success: men evolved to hunt, women to forage. This allowed women to focus on childcare while staying economically productive; after all, one can gather food with children. Men, on the other hand, could focus on high-risk hunting. At the end of the day, everyone could have steak and veggies for dinner. But why exactly do we say this? Is this based on solid evidence? Or are we simply projecting our gender roles onto the human past? A recent piece in Scientific American argued that this theory is outdated and should be "buried for good". As you might imagine, some heated discussion ensued. This is understandable. But I felt that much of the science was lost under the storm. To clean things up, I invited one of the authors, Cara Ocobock, to discuss the paper on the show. I hope this can clarify the argument. It might even clear some of the unnecessary controversy. At the very least, this was a very stimulating discussion! I learned a lot of things, from the remarkable lifestyle of female Neanderthals to how oestrogen helps in muscle recovery. I hope you enjoy the conversation! If you do, consider becoming a supporter of On Humans on Patreon.com/OnHumans. ESSAYS AND NEWSLETTER Do you prefer reading to listening? You can now find breakdowns of new conversations from OnHumans.Substack.com. (This conversation's breakdown is now available!) MENTIONS Scholars: Sarah Lacy, Cara Wall-Sheffler, Vivek Venkataraman (ep. 14), Frank Marlow, Kristen Hawkes (ep. 6), Angela Saini, Richard Wrangham (ep. 21) Terms: archaeology, physiology, paleoanthropology, Holocene, Pleistocene, atlatl (spear-thrower), CT scanning, lactation, testosterone, oestrogen Ethnic groups and places: Martu (Australia), Agta (Philippines) Inuit, Batek (Malaysia), Çatalhöyük (Turkey) Books: Patriarchs (Saini), Why Men (Lindisfarne & Neale), Dawn of Everything (Graeber & Wengrow) For articles and other links, see https://onhumans.substack.com/p/links-for-episode-29 Thank you, as always, for listening!
In her latest book, The Patriarchs: The Origins of Inequality, science journalist Angela Saini argues that it's not biology alone that formed the basis for the patriarchy. The history of the patriarchal state is much more complex. For example, one of the most radical attempts to overhaul gender inequality came from an unlikely actor: the Soviet Union. Saini joins host Ravi Agrawal to discuss how to reset gender norms in our workplaces, homes, and communities. Global Reboot is produced in partnership with the Doha Forum. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
First up on this week's show, Staff Writer Erik Stokstad joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about why it might make sense to grow shorter corn. It turns out the towering corn typically grown today is more likely to blow over in strong winds and can't be planted very densely. Now, seedmakers are testing out new ways to make corn short through conventional breeding and transgenic techniques in the hopes of increasing yields. Next up on the show, the last in our series of books on sex and gender with Books Host Angela Saini. In this installment, Angela speaks with Nandita Jayaraj and Aashima Dogra about their book Lab Hopping: A Journey to Find India's Women in Science. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Authors: Sarah Crespi, Angela Saini, Erik Stokstad Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adl5269
Why farmers might want shorter corn, and the latest in our series on books on sex, gender, and science First up on this week's show, Staff Writer Erik Stokstad joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about why it might make sense to grow shorter corn. It turns out the towering corn typically grown today is more likely to blow over in strong winds and can't be planted very densely. Now, seedmakers are testing out new ways to make corn short through conventional breeding and transgenic techniques in the hopes of increasing yields. Next up on the show, the last in our series of books on sex and gender with Books Host Angela Saini. In this installment, Angela speaks with Nandita Jayaraj and Aashima Dogra about their book Lab Hopping: A Journey to Find India's Women in Science. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Authors: Sarah Crespi, Angela Saini, Erik Stokstad Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adl5269See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A book on utopias and gender roles, India looks to beat climate-induced heat in cities, and how ancient Amazonians improved the soil First up on this week's show: the latest in our series of books on sex, gender, and science. Books host Angela Saini discusses Everyday Utopia: In Praise of Radical Alternatives to the Traditional Family Home with ethnographer Kristen Ghodsee, professor of Russian and Eastern European studies at the University of Pennsylvania. See this year's whole series here. Also this week, as part of a special issue on climate change and health, host Sarah Crespi speaks with Vaishnavi Chandrashekhar, a freelance journalist based in Mumbai, India. They talk about how India is looking to avoid overheating cities in the coming decades, as climate change and urbanization collide. Finally, we hear about how ancient Amazonians created fertile “dark earth” on purpose. Sarah is joined by Morgan Schmidt, an archaeologist and geographer at the Federal University of Santa Catarina. They discuss recent research published in Science Advances on the mysterious rich soil that coincides with ancient ruins, which may still be produced by modern Indigenous people in Brazil. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Authors: Sarah Crespi, Vaishnavi Chandrashekhar, Angela Saini Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adl0606See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
A close look at a coronal hole, how salt and hackers can affect science, and the latest book in our series on science, sex, and gender First up on this week's show, determining the origin of solar wind—the streams of plasma that emerge from the Sun and envelope the Solar System. Host Sarah Crespi talks with Lakshmi Pradeep Chitta, a research group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, about how tiny jets in so-called coronal holes seem to be responsible. Sarah also talks with Science Editor Keith Smith about the source of the data, the Solar Orbiter mission. Read a related Perspective. Next, two stories on unlikely reasons for slowing science. First, cyberattacks on telescopes scramble ground-based astronomy in Hawaii and Chile, with Diverse Voices Interns Tanvi Dutta Gupta and Celina Zhao. Also, we hear about an unparalleled water crisis in Uruguay that has left scientists high and dry, with science journalist María de los Ángeles Orfila. Finally, in this month's books segment in our series on science, sex, and gender, host Angela Saini talks with author and political scientist Paisley Currah about his book, Sex Is as Sex Does: Governing Transgender Identity, on why and how government institutions categorize people by sex and gender. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Authors: Sarah Crespi, Angela Saini; María de los Ángeles Orfila; Celina Zhao; Tanvi Dutta Gupta Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adk4714See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode (part two): THE IDEALISTS. releases part two of our conversation with Angela Saini, award-winning science journalist and author. Her latest book “The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule” was published in spring 2023, and is a finalist for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing. As the founder and chair of the 'Challenging Pseudoscience' group at the Royal Institution, Angela researches and campaigns around issues of misinformation and disinformation. What we learned: Angela delves deeper into the construction of gender and why there is social tension and resistance to true equality. Join the conversation about THE IDEALISTS. and break*through. At our website: https://www.theidealistspodcast.co/On Instagram: @theidealistspodcast_On Twitter: @theidealistspodHelp us grow! Leave a review of the show on Apple or SpotifyOrder a copy of the*journal
In this episode: THE IDEALISTS. speaks with Angela Saini, award-winning science journalist and author. Her latest book “The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule” was published in spring 2023, and is a finalist for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing. As the founder and chair of the 'Challenging Pseudoscience' group at the Royal Institution, Angela researches and campaigns around issues of misinformation and disinformation. The BBC regularly refers to Angela's work and she sits on a number of boards, including the Royal Society's Science Policy Expert Advisory Committee.What we learned: Angela challenges the idea of a monolithic patriarchy where men in general oppress women in general. Instead, she recounts a complex history of patriarchies— neither chronological nor linear— where men and women have tussled for power in a myriad of ways.Join the conversation about THE IDEALISTS. and break*through. At our website: https://www.theidealistspodcast.co/On Instagram: @theidealistspodcast_On Twitter: @theidealistspodHelp us grow! Leave a review of the show on Apple or SpotifyOrder a copy of the*journal
On this week's show: Improvements in cryopreservation technology, teaching robots to navigate new places, and the latest book in our series on sex and gender First up this week on the show, scientists are learning how to “cryopreserve” tissues—from donor kidneys to coral larvae. Contributing Correspondent Warren Cornwall joins host Sarah Crespi to talk about the latest in freezing and thawing technology. Next up: How much does a robot need to “know” about the world to navigate it? Theophile Gervet, a Ph.D. student at Carnegie Mellon University, discusses a scavenger hunt–style experiment that involves bringing robots to Airbnb rentals. Finally, as part of our series of books on sex, gender, and science, host Angela Saini interviews author Dorothy Roberts, a professor of law and sociology at the University of Pennsylvania, about her book Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Authors: Sarah Crespi; Angela Saini; Warren Cornwall Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adj4684 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Patriarchy is a system of social organisation in which men hold the power and women are largely excluded from it, which is the discussion we have award-winning science journalist Angela Saini on her new book The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule on the "How To Be Books Podcast". Patriarchy can be seen in all aspects of society, from the family to the workplace to the government.Please hit subscribe to hear the whole series on life skills and social change! It should be short and sweet. I look forward to journeying with you through this maze of hacks.Other amazing guests who took part:Jenifer Joy is an artist, model, educator, performer, musician, and all-round professional unicorn.Libby Vincent, founder of a feminist leadership consultancy called Hodology.Other books/articles looked at:Jaclyn Friedman: Unscrewed: Women, Sex, Power, and How to Stop Letting the System Screw Us All
Why it's so hard to understand the tongue, a book on a revolutionary shift toward studying the female of the species, and using proteomics to find beer in a painting First on the show this week, Staff Writer Elizabeth Pennisi joins host Sarah Crespi to talk tongues: Who has them, who doesn't, and all their amazing elaborations. We also have the first in a new six-part series on books exploring the science of sex and gender. For this month's installment, host Angela Saini talks with evolutionary biologist Malin Ah-King about her book The Female Turn: How Evolutionary Science Shifted Perceptions About Females. Finally, detecting beer in early 19th century Danish paintings. Heritage scientist Fabiana Di Gianvincenzo of the Heritage Science Laboratory at the University of Ljubljana talks about her Science Advances paper on using proteomics to dig out clues to artistic practices of the day and how they fit in with the local beer-loving culture. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast Authors: Sarah Crespi; Angela Saini; Elizabeth Pennisi Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adi8592 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
In this episode of Talk Nerdy, Cara is joined once again by science writer and television presenter Angela Saini. They talk about her new book, "The Patriarchs: The Origins of Inequality." Together, they explore the history of the patriarchy, with an emphasis on matrilineal societies and what's really underlying gender inequality the world over.
Anchoring radiocarbon dates to cosmic events, why hibernating bears don't get blood clots, and kicking off a book series on sex, gender, and science First up this week, upping the precision of radiocarbon dating by linking cosmic rays to isotopes in wood. Producer Meagan Cantwell talks with Online News Editor Michael Price about how spikes in cosmic rays—called Miyake events—are helping archaeologists peg the age of wooden artifacts to a year rather than a decade or century. Next on the show, we have a segment on why bears can safely sleep during hibernation without worrying about getting clots in their blood. Unlike bears, when people spend too much time immobilized, such as sitting for a long time on a flight, we risk getting deep vein thrombosis—or a blood clot. Johannes Müller-Reif of the Max Planck Institute of Biochemistry talks with host Sarah Crespi about what we can learn from bears about how and why our bodies decide to make these clots and what we can do to prevent them. Stay tuned for an introduction to our new six-part series on books exploring science, sex, and gender. Guest host Angela Saini talks with scholar Anne Fausto-Sterling about the books in this year's lineup and how they were selected. We've been nominated for a Webby! Please support the show and vote for us by 20 April. This week's episode was produced with help from Podigy. About the Science Podcast [Image: Thomas Zsebok/iStock/Getty; Music: Jeffrey Cook] [alt: brown bear lying in a cave with podcast overlay] Authors: Sarah Crespi; Meagan Cantwell; Mike Price; Angela Saini Episode page: https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.adi2236See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Amy is joined by author Angela Saini to discuss her book The Patriarchs: The Origins of Inequality and re-examine patriarchy's foundational roots. Angela Saini is a British science journalist, broadcaster and the author. Saini has worked as a reporter and presenter for the BBC and has written for a number of publications including The Guardian, New Scientist, and Wired UK. She has also produced and presented several radio and television documentaries, including a BBC Radio 4 documentary on biofuels and a BBC World Service documentary on the impact of climate change on Indian agriculture. Saini's writing and reporting focus on how science interacts with society, especially on how it affects marginalized groups, and she has been acclaimed for her work by a diverse range of organizations and institutions.
Throughout history, have societies always been dominated by men? And how have patriarchal values shaped lives across centuries and continents? Historian June Purvis and writer and broadcaster Angela Saini discuss Angela's new book The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule, touching on examples from across world history. (Ad) Angela Saini is the author of The Patriarchs: How Men Came to Rule (Fourth Estate, 2023). Buy it now from Amazon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Patriarchs-How-Men-Came-Rule/dp/000841811X/?tag=bbchistory045-21&ascsubtag=historyextra-social-histboty Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
Listeners of this podcast are likely no strangers to the horrifying history of eugenics, a topic that has made an appearance in our episodes on epilepsy, Huntington's disease, hemophilia, sickle cell anemia, and many others. We have touched on eugenic policies that prohibited marriage, encouraged and permitted forced sterilization, and restricted immigration in the U.S. in the early 20th century. But what we haven't explored in great depth are the origins of eugenics as well as its disturbing persistence in scientific research today. This week's TPWKY book club selection, Superior: The Return of Race Science, goes way beyond filling in those gaps, offering a brilliant, disturbing, and much-needed examination of the history and continued practice of race science. In this bonus episode, Angela Saini, award-winning journalist and author of Superior (and many other must-read books), joins us to discuss this history, exploring questions such as “what role did colonialism play in the creation of racial categories?”, “where does the public image makeover of Neanderthals fit into this story?”, “what does race science look like today?”, and “how did race science make an appearance during the COVID pandemic?”. Tune in for a fascinating interview that highlights the need to remain vigilant against the insidious and damaging practice of race science.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
“People have always fought against anyone trying to impose power on them or trying to assert their status on them. That is true right throughout history, from written records onwards, certainly, you know, we have evidence of it, even in some of the most misogynistic societies on the planet, like ancient Greece, for instance. You can still see in legal records, for instance, or in written records, this tension, male anxiety, and women pushing back, you know, that is a kind of constant all the way through. And, not least, we have societies in which women do have more power and that is not seen as remarkable or weird in anyway by those societies themselves.” So says Angela Saini, an award-winning science journalist who is one of my favorite guides through topics that are sticky—and sometimes icky—and also defining, like the origins of highly problematic race science, and the way the scientific field has come to understand and codify what it is to be a woman. In her first appearance on Pulling the Thread, she talked about science as fact—and then “science” that becomes ripe with human bias and interpretation. As humans, we can really mess things up. Angela has written two books interrogating the divisive politics embedded in the science of human difference, Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong—and the New Research That's Rewriting the Story and Superior: The Return of Race Science. I'm most excited about her latest book, though: It's called The Patriarchs: The Origins of Inequality and it's about the origins of inequality. As she explains, patriarchy was not our predetermined fate. It's not biological, or natural, or inevitable. And women have been resisting our oppression ever since. Her book is loaded with fascinating insights, many of which we explore. MORE FROM ANGELA SAINI: The Patriarchs: The Origins of Inequality Inferior: How Science Got Women Wrong—and the New Research That's Rewriting the Story Superior: The Return of Race Science Watch her 2019 BBC Documentary: Eugenics: Science's Greatest Scandal Angela's Website Follow Angela on Instagram To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices
When you hear the word “Neanderthal,” you probably picture a mindless, clumsy brute. It's often used as an insult — even by our president, who last year called anti-maskers “Neanderthals.” But what if we have more in common with our ancestral cousins than we think? On this week's On the Media, hear how these early humans have been unfairly maligned in science and in popular culture. 1. John Hawks [@johnhawks], professor of anthropology at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, on our biological family tree—and the complicated branch that is Neanderthals. Listen. 2. Rebecca Wragg Sykes [@LeMoustier], archeologist and author of Kindred: Neanderthal Life, Love, Death and Art, on and what we know about how they lived. Listen. 3. Clive Finlayson [@CliveFinlayson], Director, Chief Scientist, and Curator of the Gibraltar National Museum, on how studying what's inside Gorham and Vanguard caves can help reconstruct Neanderthal life beyond them. Listen. 4. Angela Saini, science journalist, on how Neanderthals have been co-opted to push mythologies about the genetic basis of race. Listen. Music:Boy Moves the Sun by Michael AndrewsYoung Heart by Brad MehldauSacred Oracle by John ZornTomorrow Never Knows by Quartetto d' Archi Di Dell'Orchestra di Milano Guiseppe VerdiInvestigations by Kevin MacLeod