Ill Conceived

Josh Boerman & June Sternbach

A podcast about natalism. Hosted by Josh Boerman (The Worst of All Possible Worlds, Traditional Scrench) and June Sternbach (Kill The Computer, The Onion).

  1. -1 ч

    Aporia / The Human Diversity Foundation

    Back in December 2025, when we talked about the book The Bell Curve, we kept running into the Human Diversity Foundation. This organization, which disseminates bunk pseudo-science through its journal Mankind Quarterly and its blog Aporia, has long been dedicated to advancing the white nationalist cause. This week, two news stories broke—one fairly minor and silly, the other devastating and tragic—that find a common thread in HDF, so Josh and June decided to finally do a full episode about this organization and its key figures. ***WANT MORE ILL CONCEIVED? Every other week, we release B-side supplements to the main episodes where we read your e-mail responses and discuss things further. Come check us out at Patreon.com/illconceived!*** ***WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE WORLD FAMOUS MAILBAG! Send an email with feedback about this week's episode to illconceivedpod@gmail.com*** EPISODE ART: Nathan Cofnas, a proponent of so-called scientific racism who was recently suspended from his doctoral program at Ghent University in Belgium. Cofnas, who is frequently cited in HDF publications and has appeared on their podcast numerous times, published an article to his blog alleging that recently appointed Cambridge professor Jason Arday, who was a black man, plagiarized his PhD dissertation. Though an investigation cleared Arday of the charges, the story gained overwhelming coverage in the British media. Arday was found dead on August 14. SOURCES: “Race Science Inc.” by Harry Shukman & Patrik Hermansson (Hope Not Hate, October 16, 2024) “The Peter Thiel-Linked Race Science Network that Penetrated Cambridge University and Targeted Jason Arday” by Nafeez Ahmed (Byline Times, August 18, 2026) “Academic who accused Jason Arday of plagiarism suspended by university” by Maia Davies (BBC, August 20, 2026) “A statement in support of Nathan Cofnas's Right to Academic Freedom of Expression” (online petition) Slutcon website Summary of Slutcon events from their Substack “Three Reasons Possession Of Child Porn Must Be Re-Legalized In The Coming Decade” by Rick Falkvinge (note comments on bottom by Emil Kirkegaard) Summary of Emil Kirkegaard libel litigation from 2019 “DEI Fraud and Cover-Up at Cambridge” by Nathan Cofnas Emil Kirkegaard buys Aella a bed on Amazon Aella with Diana Fleischman’s baby “The Beats: Decadence and Disease” by Simon Maass “Why does success run in families?” by Noah Carl “Adding genetic interests to utilitarianism” by Emil O. W. Kirkegaard “Ideas Have Consequences” by Bo Winegard FOLLOW THE SHOW: Website: illconceivedpodcast.com Bluesky: ‪@illconceivedpodcast.com Tumblr: @illconceivedpod FOLLOW JOSH: Website: joshboerman.com Bluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.world Other podcast: The Worst of All Possible Worlds Stream: Traditional Scrench FOLLOW JUNE: Bluesky: @junlper.beer Other podcast: Kill The Computer Writing: June's Substack ILL CONCEIVED THEME SONG BY: Caleb (Linktree / Bluesky)

    Aporia / The Human Diversity Foundation
  2. 10 авг.

    Vladimir Putin

    Under President Vladimir Putin, the Russian Federation managed for a time to greatly slow the population and fertility decrease that the country experienced in the wake of the fall of the Soviet Union. However, things stalled out in the mid-2010s, and the escalation of the war in Ukraine has only made matters worse. This week, Josh and June take a look at Putin's attempts to engineer demographic growth in Russia over the years and discover how the war has created an insurmountable roadblock that is nevertheless changing fundamental principles of Russian society. ***WANT MORE ILL CONCEIVED? Every other week, we release B-side supplements to the main episodes where we read your e-mail responses and discuss things further. Come check us out at Patreon.com/illconceived!*** ***WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE WORLD FAMOUS MAILBAG! Send an email with feedback about this week's episode to illconceivedpod@gmail.com*** EPISODE ART: Vladimir Putin, the president of the Russian Federation. First elected president in 2000, Putin will theoretically be able to serve as Russia's president until 2036 thanks to a series of rule changes and constitutional amendments. AUDIO CLIPS: 1:17:25 – Putin's remarks at the 2026 Mother Heroine Awards SOURCES: Announcement of The Order of Parental Glory (Russian Kremlin, June 1, 2026) Announcement of the Year of the Family (Russian Kremlin, January 23, 2024) Putin's remarks from meeting with participants and winners of all-Russian family contests (Russian Kremlin, January 23, 2024) Announcement of Executive Order on social support measures for large families (Russian Kremlin, January 23, 2024) Total fertility rate statistics for Russia and Ukraine (The World Bank) English-language constitution of the Russian Federation, including the 2020 amendments Full text of Russia's demographic growth concept Coverage of a Yakutian family winning in the 2025 Family of the Year competition (Yakutiya 24, 2025) "Putin Honors Large Families, Links Mother Heroine Awards to Traditional Values" (APT, June 1, 2026) "There are almost no reasons left for abortion" by Varvara Petrenko (Gazeta.ru, February 14, 2012) "The Russian Orthodox Church and its fight against abortion: taking on the state and losing" by Pål Kolstø (Religion, State & Society, 2023, vol. 51 no. 2) "Putin considers it necessary for families to "be born early" in Russia" (TASS, January 25, 2024) "Russia Is in Demographic Free Fall. Putin Isn’t Helping." by Anna Nemtsova (The Atlantic, April 29, 2025) "Russian kindergarteners, schoolchildren and students began to be massively taken to taken on excursions to registry offices" (Verstka, March 3, 2026) VKontakte post about a school trip to a civil registry office CDC data on births in the United States from 1999 FOLLOW THE SHOW: Website: illconceivedpodcast.com Bluesky: ‪@illconceivedpodcast.com Tumblr: @illconceivedpod FOLLOW JOSH: Website: joshboerman.com Bluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.world Other podcast: The Worst of All Possible Worlds Stream: Traditional Scrench FOLLOW JUNE: Bluesky: @junlper.beer Other podcast: Kill The Computer Writing: June's Substack ILL CONCEIVED THEME SONG BY: Caleb (Linktree / Bluesky)

    Vladimir Putin
  3. 18 июл.

    Natalism and The New York Times

    As part of the national push by natalists to roll back the clock on gender policy in the United States, recent articles about birth rates have started popping up in the country's paper of record. One of those articles, published just last week, was written by someone we've covered quite a bit on the show already. This week, Josh and June check it out alongside four other articles about birth rates in The New York Times to get a sense of how the issue is being framed, both in good and bad faith, as a matter of news and public opinion. ***WANT MORE ILL CONCEIVED? Every other week, we release B-side supplements to the main episodes where we read your e-mail responses and discuss things further. Come check us out at Patreon.com/illconceived!*** ***WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE WORLD FAMOUS MAILBAG! Send an email with feedback about this week's episode to illconceivedpod@gmail.com*** EPISODE ART: The headquarters of The New York Times in midtown Manhattan AUDIO CLIPS: 26:07 – The "Gen Z boss and a mini" TikTok that made a lot of men extremely angry SOURCES: “The Quest to ‘Make America Fertile Again’ Stalls Under Trump” by Caroline Kitchener  (The New York Times, January 13, 2026) “The Birthrate Is Plunging. Why Some Say That’s a Good Thing.” by Sabrina Tavernise and Jeff Adelson (The New York Times, February 27, 2026) “Women in Their 20s May Not Be Having Babies, but by 45 Most Probably Will” by Claire Kane Miller (The New York Times, April 9, 2026) “A Conservative Role Model for Ending the Fertility Crisis” by Anenoma Hartocollis (The New York Times, July 8, 2026) “The Population Bust Is Coming Sooner Than Anyone Is Prepared For” By Lyman Stone (The New York Times, July 11, 2026) FOLLOW THE SHOW: Website: illconceivedpodcast.com Bluesky: ‪@illconceivedpodcast.com Tumblr: @illconceivedpod FOLLOW JOSH: Website: joshboerman.com Bluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.world Other podcast: The Worst of All Possible Worlds Stream: Traditional Scrench FOLLOW JUNE: Bluesky: @junlper.beer Other podcast: Kill The Computer Writing: June's Substack ILL CONCEIVED THEME SONG BY: Caleb (Linktree / Bluesky)

    Natalism and The New York Times
  4. 21 июн.

    Viktor Orbán

    ***TICKETS TO OUR JULY 2 SHOW IN CHICAGO ARE ON SALE! GET YOUR TICKETS NOW BY CLICKING HERE!!!!*** While natalism as a political project has its proponents, few heads of state have been willing to attempt to use the full force of the state to raise birth rates. However, one leader does stand out: Hungary's recently-ousted prime minister, Viktor Orbán. This week, June and Josh take a look at Orban's 16-year term as PM, the effects of his policies, and the ways that right-wing authoritarianism in Europe both mirrors and partners with similar movements in the United States. ***WANT MORE ILL CONCEIVED? Every other week, we release B-side supplements to the main episodes where we read your e-mail responses and discuss things further. Come check us out at Patreon.com/illconceived!*** ***WE WANT YOUR THOUGHTS FOR THE WORLD FAMOUS MAILBAG! Send an email with feedback about this week's episode to illconceivedpod@gmail.com*** EPISODE ART: Viktor Orbán, the former prime minister of Hungary. AUDIO CLIPS: 1:08:34 – Marco Rubio speaking in Budapest in February 2026, declaring a "golden era" in relations between Hungary and the United States 1:14:09 – JD Vance calling Donald Trump at an April 2026 Viktor Orban election rally in Budapest SOURCES: How Viktor Orban hollowed out Hungary’s democracy How Viktor Orbán’s Hungary Eroded the Rule of Law and Free Markets Hungary’s opposition struggles to beat Viktor Orban’s stealth autocracy Home Building Allowance for Families Viktor Orban’s pro-natalist policies are not working In a state of necessity. How has Orban changed Hungary Hungary passes constitutional amendment to ban LGBTQ+ public events Hungary Ends Legal Recognition for Transgender and Intersex People Hungary’s ongoing demographic decline: an increase in birth rates is the only hope Authoritarian Populism in Disguise: Orbán’s Anti-Worker ‘Pro-Worker’ Regime Hungary races to build border fence as migrants keep coming Orbán rejects the European Union’s migration agreement and defends keeping asylum seekers out of EU territory Conference of U.S. conservatives opens in Orban’s Hungary Hungary offered €30,000 to couples having 3 kids—but its birth rate has still fallen to a record monthly low Vance, after rallying in Hungary for Orban, says he wasn’t surprised by the autocrat’s defeat Hungary: Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced a seven-point family protection action plan Hungary’s New Leader Reveals Viktor Orbán Was Paying CPAC  Here's why American conservatives are heading to Hungary for a big conference At CPAC, Hungary’s Orban decries LGBTQ+ rights, migration  What one country's experiment says about attempts to boost birth rates  Farewell To Hungary, And To Europe FOLLOW THE SHOW: Website: illconceivedpodcast.com Bluesky: ‪@illconceivedpodcast.com Tumblr: @illconceivedpod FOLLOW JOSH: Website: joshboerman.com Bluesky: @bosh.worstpossible.world Other podcast: The Worst of All Possible Worlds Stream: Traditional Scrench FOLLOW JUNE: Bluesky: @junlper.beer Other podcast: Kill The Computer Writing: June's Substack ILL CONCEIVED THEME SONG BY: Caleb (Linktree / Bluesky)

    Viktor Orbán

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A podcast about natalism. Hosted by Josh Boerman (The Worst of All Possible Worlds, Traditional Scrench) and June Sternbach (Kill The Computer, The Onion).

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