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Radiolab

Birthstory

Radiolab

WNYC Studios

History, Science, Documentary, Natural Sciences, Society & Culture

4.6 • 44.5K Ratings

🗓️ 8 June 2018

⏱️ 60 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

We originally posted this episode in 2015, and it inspired producer Molly Webster to take a deep dive into the wild and mysterious world of human reproduction. Starting next week, she’ll be taking over the Radiolab podcast feed for a month to present a series of mind-bending stories that make us rethink the ways we make more of us. You know the drill - all it takes is one sperm, one egg, and blammo - you got yourself a baby. Right? Well, in this episode, conception takes on a new form - it’s the sperm and the egg, plus: two wombs, four countries, and money. Lots of money.  At first, this is the story of an Israeli couple, two guys, who go to another continent to get themselves a baby - three, in fact - by hiring surrogates to carry the children for them. As we follow them on their journey, an earth shaking revelation shifts our focus from them, to the surrogate mothers. Unfolding in real time, as countries around the world consider bans on surrogacy, this episode looks at a relationship that manages to feel deeply affecting, and deeply uncomfortable, all at the same time.  Birthstory is a collaboration with the brilliant radio show and podcast Israel Story, created to tell stories for, and about, Israel. Go check ‘em out!  Israel Story's five English-language seasons were produced in partnership with Tablet Magazine and we highly recommend you listen to all of their work at  http://www.tabletmag.com/tag/israel-story This episode was produced and reported by Molly Webster. Special thanks go to: Israel Story, and their producers Maya Kosover, and Yochai Maital; reporters Nilanjana Bhowmick in India and Bhrikuti Rai in Nepal plus the International Reporting Project; Doron Mamet, Dr Nayana Patel, and Vicki Ferrara; with translation help from Aya Keefe, Karthik Ravindra, Turna Ray, Tom Wasserman, Pradeep Thapa, and Adhikaar, an organization in Ridgewood, Queens advocating for the Nepali-speaking community.  Support Radiolab today at Radiolab.org/donate.

Transcript

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0:00.0

So,

0:04.0

next week, we're going to launch a new mini-series here on Radio Lab from Molly Webster.

0:10.0

Molly is somebody who, if you listen to the show for a while, like you know her voice, you know her vibe.

0:16.0

She's been reporting mostly science stories here at Radio Lab for about five years.

0:20.0

She's begun to host the show on

0:23.3

occasion. And next week, she's going to start up a month-long series about the seemingly

0:30.4

ordinary, but in truth utterly bizarre and magical and deeply weird and ethically fraught business of humans making more of themselves.

0:40.4

Now, this is a beat that evolved over time for her.

0:44.3

And I thought, as a prelude to Mali Town, let's play one of the big foundational stories that got

0:52.2

her and all of us thinking about this whole world.

0:54.9

I'm not sure that we've ever spent so much time and energy and money, frankly, reporting a

0:59.6

story as the one you're about to hear. Those of you who have heard this, check back in with

1:03.8

us in a week for those of you who haven't. I think this is actually one of the best things we've

1:08.0

ever made. In any case, here it is, and next week,

1:12.0

it's on. Wait, you're listening. Okay. All right. Okay. All right. You're listening to Radio Lab.

1:22.9

Radio Lab. From W. N. Y. C. See? Hey, I'm Chad. I'm Rod. I'm Robert Crilwich. Webb's. Oh, my, let's talk? Yeah, do it. Oh, I'm Molly Webster. Yeah. You just graduated. Join the party, Molly. Join the party. And today we have a, I don't know, we have a birth story.

1:45.3

We're calling this birth story because that's what it is.

1:48.9

We're going to tell you about babies who are very recently born and who one day will turn to their parents and say to them,

1:55.4

tell me how I got here.

1:56.9

Like, what's my story?

1:59.4

What's my story?

2:03.0

And the parents in this case will say, well,

...

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