AI and IVF, Cousin marriage, Sugarcane documentary, 'Masculine energy'

Woman's Hour

BBC

Society & Culture, Health & Fitness, Personal Journals

4.2 • 2.9K Ratings

🗓️ 17 January 2025

⏱️ 58 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Can AI improve the success rates of women undergoing fertility treatment? Anita Rani discusses the impact of AI on IVF with Dr Cristina Hickman, an embryologist, co-founder of Avenues, and Chair of the Global AI Fertility Society, and Dr Ali Abbara, a Clinician Scientist at Imperial College London, and Consultant in Reproductive Endocrinology at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust.

The second reading is due today of a private members bill that seeks to ban first-cousin marriage. It’s particularly prevalent among Pakistani and Muslim communities. But what would this mean for women? And how would genetic testing to enforce the ban work? Anita speaks to CEO of Karma Nirvana Natasha Rattu and Emeritus Professor of Health Research at Bradford University Neil Small.

The award-winning documentary Sugarcane follows an investigation into the Canadian Indian residential school system, and the attempts of survivors and their descendants to try to understand what happened in them. Emily Kassie is the film's producer and co-director and joins Anita on Woman's Hour.

Mark Zuckerberg says companies need to embrace more “masculine energy”. The Meta boss told a podcast that instead of trying to get away from it, corporate culture should celebrate the positive side of things like “aggression”. But what even is ‘masculine energy’? And do we really need more of it? Anita talks to Josh Smith, contributing editor of Glamour magazine, and Becky Hewitt, Chief Executive of culture change company Kin&Co.

Presenter: Anita Rani Producer: Laura Northedge

Transcript

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0:00.0	Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to quickly tell you about some others.
0:05.2	My name's Andy Martin and I'm the editor of a team of podcast producers at the BBC in Northern Ireland.
0:11.3	It's a job I really love because we get to tell the stories that really matter to people here,
0:16.3	but which also resonate and apply to listeners around the world.
0:19.6	And because the team is such a diverse
0:21.2	range of skills and strengths, we have trained journalists, people who love digging through
0:26.0	archives, we've got drama and even comedy experts. We really can do those stories justice. So if
0:31.8	you like this podcast, head to BBC Sounds where you'll find plenty more fascinating stories
0:37.1	from all around the UK. BBC Sounds where you'll find plenty more fascinating stories from all around the UK.
0:40.3	BBC Sounds, music, radio podcasts.
0:44.1	Hello, I'm Anita Rani and welcome to Woman's Hour from BBC Radio 4.
0:48.8	Good morning and welcome to Woman's Hour. Can AI help people get pregnant? Today we'll be talking about whether and how AI can improve IVF success rates. Also, Mark Zuckerberg, the billionaire founder of Facebook, said this.
1:05.2	Masculine energy, I think, is good. And obviously, you know, society has plenty of that, but, but I think corporate culture was
1:12.3	really, like, trying to get away from it. And I do think that there's just something, it's like,
1:19.1	I don't know, these, all these forms of energy are good. And I think having a culture that, like,
1:24.8	celebrates the aggression a bit more has its own merits that are really positive.
1:30.4	So this morning we're going to be discussing masculinity in the workplace, whatever that may be.
1:36.4	What do you think it is? And how does it compare to feminine energy? Is there even such a thing?
1:41.5	And what energy do you bring to your workplace? Do you predominantly work in a male or female environment? Do you think there's even a difference? And how has your energy helped or hindered you? Get in touch in the usual way. The text number is 84844. You can email me via our website. You can also WhatsApp the program on 0300-100-444.
2:04.5	And if you'd like to follow us on social media, it's at BBC Woman's Hour.
2:08.9	Also, later in the program, I'll be joined by the director of a powerful and important documentary
2:14.3	that explores the harrowing story of historical systemic abuse in Catholic-run schools in Canada,
	...

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