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Did you know that genomic sequencing can now screen newborns for hundreds of rare conditions right at birth? That looking too closely at our DNA might actually cause more anxiety than answers? And is there such a thing as knowing too much about your health before you've even taken your first steps?

Professor Ainsley Newson (University of Sydney) joins the podcast to discuss the complex ethics of genomic newborn screening programs. Ainsley shares some delightful anecdotes about her first impression of Sinead, and unpacks how looking at a baby's DNA differs from traditional biochemical tests, what it means to balance the "value of knowing" against screening-related harm, and why we need to prioritise solidarity over high-tech hype.

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Did you know that over 80% of people who give birth experience an injury? That anywhere between 30 and 50% of people who give birth find it traumatic? And that up to 15% of people experience PTSD from giving birth?

Professor Angela Ballantyne (University of Otago) talks about what birth trauma means, who is at the highest risk for experiencing it, and why so few people talk about it despite how common it is (spoiler: it's only partially because blokes don't get it).

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Could a blob of cells in a petri dish one day think? Feel? Have rights? In this episode, Professor Insoo Hyun (Harvard Medical School, one of the world's leading experts on the ethics of stem cell and organoid research, joins Sinead and James to discuss what organoids are, why scientists are so excited about them, and why bioethicists are watching very closely. Insoo explains who has rights over donated cells that end up being brain models, whether organoids can have moral status, and what happens when an organoid has no donor at all — or many donors at once. Would you want a copy of your brain in a jar?

Remember people, be savvy!