We step outside the boundaries of Western medicine to explore those questions!

If you look around for Mother's Day gifts, you'll probably see stuff like bubble baths, spa days, yoga classes — a whole slew of things aimed at promoting "self-care" for tireless (but actually exhausted) moms. But for a lot of overwhelmed mothers, self-care becomes just another box to tick — another item on an endless to-do list that never gets finished. The demands of modern motherhood can be overwhelming: Moms are expected to do it all and do it perfectly — even if that means compromising their own well-being. On this episode, we talk about the challenges of motherhood, and how moms can find the space and time to take care of themselves. We talk with a perinatal psychiatrist about the contradictory demands of motherhood, and why bubble baths aren't the answer; hear about an initiative to help mothers dealing with postpartum depression; and learn about the unexpected ways that motherhood changes the brain.

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Have you ever wanted to figure out when you're the most focused? Or how your moods change throughout the day? How "fit" your brain is, or whether your insomnia is really as bad as you think? Neurotech devices promise to deliver insights. These are cutting-edge gadgets that pick up on the electrochemical signals inside of our brains, and are connected to algorithms that analyze and interpret that data. Brain technology offers all kinds of exciting possibilities — from treating conditions like epilepsy or depression, to simply maximizing our brain health. But medical ethicists are already raising the alarm about potential dangers — for example, how are employers using this tech to monitor their employees? What happens when their brain metrics don't meet standards? On this episode, we dive into some of these thorny questions with leading scholars and researchers in the field of neurotechnology.

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Rejection, or even the thought of it, can strike fear into our hearts, and leave a bad taste in our mouths. It often leads to a mix of sadness, shame, anxiety, and anger — along with nagging questions. What's wrong with me? Why did this person not like me? Why didn't I win this award? Why didn't I get the job? But it doesn't have to be that way, and there's a lot we can learn from not making the cut. On this episode, we explore the experience of rejection — what it feels like, how it functions, and the lessons we can draw from it. We'll hear from a fear and anxiety researcher about the evolutionary roots of anxiety — and why asking someone out on a date can feel like a life-or-death situation. Then we'll explore a common experience among people with ADHD, known as rejection sensitive dysphoria (RSD), and hear how one future physician dealt with the worst rejection of her life.

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We all know that exercise is good for us — for both our bodies and our minds — but motivating yourself to hit the gym, take a run, or even go for a walk sometimes feels like the hardest thing in the world. There are constant rebuttals that arise in our minds: We're too busy. We're too tired. We need a break — we'll start next week. At the same time, we're bombarded by messages from people who are all about fitness — influencers with seemingly perfect bodies and a healthy glow, who convince us that we too can get into shape. It's a habit that many of us try to cultivate — yet often seem to hit a wall. On this episode, we look at the science of fitness, the evolution of cultural messages surrounding exercise, and how we can overcome inertia to start fitting it into our lives. We'll hear about how exercise affects our mood and overall health, different approaches to getting in shape, the real-life struggle of becoming an Instagram fitness influencer, and one couch potato's reluctant journey to getting active.

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We hear about the big picture of climate change almost every day — the threats it poses, the effects on our world and lives, the fight to stop it. Across the world, armies of researchers are contributing pieces to that big picture narrative every day. They often travel long distances and brave the elements to collect information, one small data point at a time. How do Antarctic penguins fare when warming temperatures bring changing conditions to a part of the continent? How do we really know what Earth's climate was like in the past, and how it compares to today? What's it like to spend months living on an old oil drilling ship, in search of tiny ancient fossils? On this episode, we go behind the headlines to spend time with scientists on the front lines of climate research. We'll hear how they're collecting data, what they're learning, and what keeps them motivated. We hear about climate change almost every day — the threats it poses, the fight to stop it. On this episode, we spend time with scientists on the front lines of climate research.

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On April 3, 1973, an engineer named Martin Cooper stood nervously along a busy midtown Manhattan street, about to make a phone call. It was a call that would change life as we know it: The first cell phone call ever. The phone Cooper used that day — a prototype — was a bulky, 2-pound monster that looked a bit like a shoe with an antenna sticking out of the top. In the half-a-century since, this technology has changed more about the way we communicate and connect than Cooper could've ever imagined. On this episode, we mark the 50th anniversary of the first cell call with an exploration of the past, present, and future of mobile communications. We hear about Cooper's work on this world-altering invention, one community's fight against the 5G revolution, and why satellite phones are making a comeback in a big way.

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