meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The Daily Article

The popularity of Brussels sprouts and the advent of “the pill”: A secular argument for biblical living

The Daily Article

The Denison Forum

Christianity, News, Daily News, Religion & Spirituality

4.9576 Ratings

🗓️ 11 May 2023

⏱️ 8 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Have you noticed that Brussels sprouts are more popular than ever? I used to hate them; now I order them in restaurants whenever I can. 

Here’s what happened: in 1998, a Dutch scientist named Hans van Doorn identified sinigrin and progoitrin as chemicals that made the vegetable taste bitter. Dutch seed companies then bred these chemicals out. By the 2010s, Brussels sprouts didn’t taste bitter and became popular with culinary celebrities and then with the general public. 

Now consider a second scientific discovery that changed the world in surprising ways: last Tuesday saw the sixty-third anniversary of “the pill.” How has it changed American society in dramatic and fundamental ways? A secular argument for biblical living. 

Author: Jim Denison, PhD

Narrator: Chris Elkins

Subscribe: http://www.denisonforum.org/subscribe

Read The Daily Article: 

https://www.denisonforum.org/daily-article/the-popularity-of-brussels-sprouts-and-the-advent-of-the-pill-a-secular-argument-for-biblical-living/ 

 

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Welcome to the Thursday, May the 11th, 2023 edition of the Daily Article Podcast.

0:08.0

Today's podcast is written by Dr. Jim Denison and narrated by Chris Elkins of the Denison Forum.

0:14.0

Have you noticed that Brussels sprouts are more popular than ever?

0:18.0

I used to hate them. Now I order them in restaurants whenever I can. Here's what happened.

0:23.2

In 1998, a Dutch scientist named Hans van Dorn identified Senegrin and progoitrin as chemicals that made

0:31.7

the vegetable taste bitter. Dutch seed companies then bred these chemicals out. Brussels sprouts didn't taste bitter and became

0:38.7

popular with culinary celebrities and then with the general public. Now consider a second

0:44.2

scientific discovery that changed the world in surprising ways. Last Tuesday saw the 63rd anniversary

0:51.4

of The Pill. In a vid 10, the world's first commercially produced birth control pill

0:57.6

was approved by the Food and Drug Administration on May 9, 1960. As one analyst noted, it soon

1:04.3

gave birth to an economic revolution. The pill allowed women to delay marriage and motherhood

1:10.1

with less fear of an unexpected pregnancy.

1:12.6

As a result, they began entering professions such as medicine, law, and business in unprecedented numbers.

1:19.3

When feminism emerged as a movement, laws against sex discrimination were enacted.

1:24.0

In addition, the drafting of young men to fight in Vietnam forced employers to recruit more women.

1:29.3

All this to say, the birth control pill changed American society in dramatic and fundamental ways.

1:36.3

While we can applaud the induction of women into the workplace, the pill had other consequences.

1:41.3

By decoupling sex from marriage, it empowered the sexual revolution

1:45.7

that began in the 1960s and continues today. Dutch seed companies did not improve the taste

1:51.9

of Brussels sprouts merely for culinary reasons. They wanted to sell more seeds and thus make more

1:57.9

money. Similarly, the pharmaceutical company that developed Inovid 10 did not sit

2:03.1

out to change society. It was founded by Gideon Daniel Cyril in 1888 to make money. Nutrisweet is another

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from The Denison Forum, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of The Denison Forum and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.