Birth of a Parent

Early Childhood Matters with Michael Feigelson
  • 4.8 (19)
  • Parenting
  • Weekly Series

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. Production by Studio Becq, sound design and mixing by Felix Richel, theme by Daniel Galili. This podcast is part of the Early Childhood Matters platform by the Van Leer Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episodes

  1. Jul 8

    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 podcast, you support our message and never miss an episode. The first episodes will be available from 22 July. Follow the podcast here so you never miss an episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Trailer - Birth of a Parent

  2. Jul 22

    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 his book Metamorphosis: A Natural and Human History.Long before founding psychoanalysis, a young Sigmund Freud spent weeks dissecting hundreds of eels in an unsuccessful search for their reproductive organs at the Zoological Station in Trieste. Oren reflects on Ludwig Wittgenstein's famous proposition: "Whereof one cannot speak, thereof one must be silent," from Wittgenstein's Tractatus Logico-Philosophicus.This podcast is part of the Early Childhood Matters platform by the Van Leer Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep. 1 - A Human Metamorphosis (with Oren Harman)

  3. Jul 22

    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 brain, body and identity.Susana leads the NeuroMaternal Lab in Madrid, where much of the research discussed in this episode is conducted.Browse Susana's scientific publications on pregnancy, the maternal brain and parental neuroplasticity.One of the world's largest biomedical databases, the UK Biobank, was used in studies showing that pregnancy leaves measurable, long-term signatures in the brain.Several of Susana's findings relate to changes in the brain's Default Mode Network, a network involved in self-reflection, memory and understanding other people.The London Taxi Driver Study is the classic neuroscience study showing that the adult brain changes in response to experience.This podcast is part of the Early Childhood Matters platform by the Van Leer Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep. 2 - The Mom Brain Revolution (with Susana Carmona)

  4. Jul 22

    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 that men's testosterone levels decline after becoming fathers, helping reshape our understanding of paternal biology.The Cebu Longitudinal Health and Nutrition Survey (CLHNS) is one of the world's longest-running birth cohort studies, following thousands of families in the Philippines. Many of Lee's landmark findings on fatherhood are based on this dataset.Ruth Feldman's pioneering research on oxytocin, caregiving and parent–infant bonding is discussed during the episode.Explore Lee Gettler's research on fatherhood, hormones and human development.This podcast is part of the Early Childhood Matters platform by the Van Leer Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep. 3 - The Dad Bod Theory (with Lee Gettler)

  5. Jul 29

    Ep. 4 - The Connected Mind (with Vicky Leong)

    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 (link)Early Childhood Matters Shownotes 2: Vicky’s Speaker Gaze Increases Information Coupling Between Infant and Adult Brains is the landmark study demonstrating that eye contact increases neural synchrony between adults and infants, one of the central findings discussed in this episode.Natural Pedagogy Theory by Gergely & Csibra is a foundational theory proposing that humans are uniquely adapted to teach and learn through social signals such as eye contact, infant-directed speech and shared attention.Browse Vicky Leong's research on parent–infant synchrony, learning and early brain development.This podcast is part of the Early Childhood Matters platform by the Van Leer Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep. 4 - The Connected Mind (with Vicky Leong)

  6. Aug 5

    Ep. 5 - The Rituals That Hold Us Together (with Dimitris Xygalatas)

    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 rituals are a universal feature of human life and how they shape our bodies, minds and relationships.Dimitris also discusses the Bayesian brain, the influential theory that the brain continuously predicts what will happen next and updates those predictions when reality surprises us – a framework that helps explain why rituals can reduce uncertainty.Dimitris leads the Experimental Anthropology Lab at the University of Connecticut, where he studies rituals using tools from psychology, neuroscience and physiology, often in real-world settings rather than laboratory experiments.Many of the ideas discussed in this episode build on the work of anthropologist Bronisław Malinowski, whose observations of the Trobriand Islanders – published in Magic, Science and Religion – helped establish the idea that rituals become especially important during moments of uncertainty.To explore more of Dimitris' work on ritual, cooperation and human behaviour, browse his publications.This podcast is part of the Early Childhood Matters platform by the Van Leer Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep. 5 - The Rituals That Hold Us Together (with Dimitris Xygalatas)

  7. Aug 12

    Ep. 6 - The Illusion of Knowing (with Lulu Miller)

    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 the life of David Starr Jordan, the pioneering ichthyologist whose lifelong quest to classify every species of fish became the starting point for Why Fish Don't Exist. His story ultimately led Lulu to explore the promises – and dangers – of our desire to impose order on a messy world.Lulu also reflects on The Eleventh Word, her essay for The Paris Review, in which she explores how her son's first words reshaped the way she thinks about language, parenthood and our illusion of understanding the world.Many of the ideas in this episode continue in Terrestrials, Lulu's award-winning podcast for children, where science, storytelling and play invite young listeners to stay curious about the natural world. For Father's Day, Lulu teamed up with Michael Feigelson for a special episode exploring the surprising diversity of fatherhood in the animal kingdom – from seahorses and poison dart frogs to owl monkeys – and what these stories can teach us about human dads.This podcast is part of the Early Childhood Matters platform by the Van Leer Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep. 6 - The Illusion of Knowing (with Lulu Miller)

  8. Aug 19

    Ep. 7 - The World’s Best Managers (with Emily Oster)

    Every parent eventually becomes the CEO of a small, chaotic organization. Economist and data expert Emily Oster explains what parenting can teach us about decision-making, leadership, and why good management matters more than perfect answers. Shownotes:  Much of today's conversation draws on Emily Oster's book The Family Firm, in which she argues that families can benefit from applying principles of good management – such as deliberate decision-making, clear communication and long-term planning – to everyday family life.The episode also touches on Emily's earlier bestselling books, Expecting Better and Cribsheet, which introduced millions of parents to her evidence-based approach to pregnancy and the early years of parenting.Emily reflects on taking part in developmental psychologist Katherine Nelson's research as a child. Nelson's pioneering work explored how conversations between parents and children shape language, memory and the development of autobiographical identity.When discussing negotiation and conflict, Michael references Getting to Yes, the classic book developed through the Harvard Negotiation Project, whose ideas continue to influence negotiation in diplomacy, business and everyday life.This podcast is part of the Early Childhood Matters platform by the Van Leer Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep. 7 - The World’s Best Managers (with Emily Oster)

  9. 1d ago

    Ep. 8 - Is a Blade of Grass Enough? (with Nadina Galle)

    Before children, a city is something you move through. After children, it's something you start to see. Ecological engineer Nadina Galle explores how parenthood reshapes our relationship with nature—and why even a blade of grass can begin to matter. Shownotes:  Nadina's book The Nature of Our Cities explores how technology – from AI to sensors and satellite imagery – can help us better understand, protect and reconnect with urban nature.As a National Geographic Explorer Nadina works at the intersection of ecology, cities and technology.The Internet of Nature is Nadina's concept for using emerging technologies to map, monitor, manage and reconnect people with urban nature.The Emerald Ash Borer natural experiment is one of the strongest pieces of evidence discussed in the episode: The widespread loss of ash trees across North America and its measurable impact on human mortality.Nadina discusses BioBlitzes – community events where people work together to identify as many plants and animals as possible in a given area. These citizen science projects help monitor biodiversity while encouraging people to reconnect with the nature around them, an approach that sits at the heart of Nadina's Internet of Nature framework.Nadina discusses the Philadelphia LandCare Program, an initiative that transforms vacant lots into simple green spaces by removing debris and planting grass. A series of studies found that these low-cost interventions were associated with reductions in gun violence, improvements in mental health and stronger neighbourhood cohesion, illustrating how nature can reshape not only environments, but communities.The Belgian study on green space and children's IQ is research showing that children growing up in greener neighbourhoods scored higher on measures of cognitive development, even after controlling for socioeconomic factors.Forest bathing for postpartum mothers is the pilot programme discussed by Nadina, exploring how guided nature experiences may improve maternal wellbeing, sleep and parent–infant bonding.This podcast is part of the Early Childhood Matters platform by the Van Leer Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    Ep. 8 - Is a Blade of Grass Enough? (with Nadina Galle)

Trailer

4.8
out of 5
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About

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. Production by Studio Becq, sound design and mixing by Felix Richel, theme by Daniel Galili. This podcast is part of the Early Childhood Matters platform by the Van Leer Foundation. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Information

  • Creator
    Early Childhood Matters with Michael Feigelson
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    9
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Van Leer Foundation
  • Show Website
    Birth of a Parent