• Ep. 1: 55 Years of Breast Implants
    Oct 26 2017

    Breasts have been bared, flaunted, measured, inflated, suckled, pierced, tassled -- and in every way fetishized by our society. Host and science journalist Florence Williams (prize-winning author of BREASTS: A Natural and Unnatural History) delves deeper into the mysteries of the human breast with funny and enlightening reporting. She tackles the big questions of why they evolved in the first place, how jet fuel ended up in breast milk, why they are arriving earlier and bigger in teen-aged girls, man boobs, and how breast cancer in men can help female breast cancer patients. In this episode, we journey to Texas and meet Timmie Jean Lindsey, the first woman to get silicone implants…in 1962. Why did she agree to do it back then? And now that she's in her mid-80s, is it time to get rid of them?

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    31 mins
  • Ep. 2: Knocking on Evolution's Door
    Oct 26 2017

    [Contains explicit content] Every mammal has mammary glands, but only humans have permanent, rounded, full-on breasts. Why? What are breasts really for, anyway? The answers matter, because they influence how we see each other and see ourselves. In this episode, Florence Williams climbs the largest breasts in the world (they’re in England) and talks to Oxford’s Desmond Morris, author of the classic book, The Naked Ape.

    Breasts have been bared, flaunted, measured, inflated, suckled, pierced, tassled — and in every way fetishized by our society. Host and science journalist Florence Williams (prize-winning author of BREASTS: A Natural and Unnatural History) delves deeper into the mysteries of the human breast with funny and enlightening reporting. She tackles the big questions of why they evolved in the first place, how jet fuel ended up in breast milk, why they are arriving earlier and bigger in teen-aged girls, man boobs, and how breast cancer in men can help female breast cancer patients.

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    27 mins
  • Ep. 3: Busting the Bust Myth
    Oct 26 2017

    In modern-day America, we’re constantly bombarded with images of perfectly round, big, pneumatic knockers. Where did this ideal come from, and is it really everyone’s favorite boob type? Florence Williams administers the “Swami test” to find out which breast size most men prefer, and tries to get to the bottom of some of our most cherished and misguided myths.

    Breasts have been bared, flaunted, measured, inflated, suckled, pierced, tassled — and in every way fetishized by our society. Host and science journalist Florence Williams (prize-winning author of BREASTS: A Natural and Unnatural History) delves deeper into the mysteries of the human breast with funny and enlightening reporting. She tackles the big questions of why they evolved in the first place, how jet fuel ended up in breast milk, why they are arriving earlier and bigger in teen-aged girls, man boobs, and how breast cancer in men can help female breast cancer patients.

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    20 mins
  • Ep. 4: What Men Can Teach Us About Breast Cancer
    Oct 26 2017

    [Contains explicit content] Mike Partain was born on a storied Marine Corps base in North Carolina. Thirty-nine years later, he was diagnosed with breast cancer. Then he started finding old neighbors who had been diagnosed, too. Thanks to these rare male outliers, scientists are learning more about what causes one of the deadliest women's diseases in the world.

    Breasts have been bared, flaunted, measured, inflated, suckled, pierced, tassled — and in every way fetishized by our society. Host and science journalist Florence Williams (prize-winning author of BREASTS: A Natural and Unnatural History) delves deeper into the mysteries of the human breast with funny and enlightening reporting. She tackles the big questions of why they evolved in the first place, how jet fuel ended up in breast milk, why they are arriving earlier and bigger in teen-aged girls, man boobs, and how breast cancer in men can help female breast cancer patients.

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    26 mins
  • Ep. 5: Bugs and Breastmilk
    Oct 26 2017

    [Contains explicit content] It can save babies’ lives and supply rarified fatty acids, antibodies and proteins. But breastmilk also contains tons of mysterious sugars not digestible by babies. So what are they for? And what can the answer teach us about the future of health and medicine, even for adults?

    Breasts have been bared, flaunted, measured, inflated, suckled, pierced, tassled — and in every way fetishized by our society. Host and science journalist Florence Williams (prize-winning author of BREASTS: A Natural and Unnatural History) delves deeper into the mysteries of the human breast with funny and enlightening reporting. She tackles the big questions of why they evolved in the first place, how jet fuel ended up in breast milk, why they are arriving earlier and bigger in teen-aged girls, man boobs, and how breast cancer in men can help female breast cancer patients.

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    29 mins
  • Ep. 6: What's in Chelsea Handler's Boobs?
    Oct 26 2017

    In this episode, we talk to Chelsea Handler about her relationship with her large and well-publicized rack, and find out what chemicals she has coursing through her bloodstream that might endanger her (and everyone’s) prized organs.

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    19 mins
  • Ep. 7: Puberty: The New Normal
    Oct 26 2017
    Retailers are now selling bras with princess characters on them. Girls are reaching puberty earlier than ever before. In this episode, we talk to some families and experts at the center of the quest to understand how modern life is changing breasts, and what it means for our future.
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    21 mins
  • Ep. 8: The Future of Breasts
    Oct 26 2017
    Even though we still live in a big-boob bubble, many women are voluntarily reducing their breast size. Others are happily deciding to “go flat” after cancer, while transgender parents are coaxing milk out of transformed breasts. Are we entering a post-boob universe, one in which women are taking more control over what their breasts look like? Can women ever really take back their breasts?
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    29 mins