Advertise on podcast: Brave New Us

What happens when technology designed to save premature babies begins to make pregnancy itself seem optional? In this episode, Samantha Stephenson revisits her 2024 essay Artificial Wombs, Artificial Love and explores what has changed in artificial-womb technology—and what we risk losing if machines begin to replace the maternal womb. From maternal touch and fetal development to surrogacy, genetic selection, and the virtue of parental sacrifice, she asks whether technological progress can ever fully substitute for the embodied reality of pregnancy. In This Episode What artificial-womb technology can actually do—and where the research is headed Why the maternal womb cannot simply be reduced to a mechanical environment Maternal touch, fetal development, and the ethics of experimentation Artificial wombs, surrogacy, and the growing desire to eliminate pregnancy What we lose when we replace the sacrifices of parenthood with technological convenience Connect with Samantha 🌿 Newsletter: Choosing Human 🎙️ Podcast: Brave New Us 📚 Books: Reclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad The Bellbind Letters Grow Where You're Planted Thank you for listening.

It can hardly be a coincidence, I think, that on the day I have selected to launch a new(ish) cadence and project for Choosing Human, Netflix is releasing its new adaptation of Steinbeck’s East of Eden. When I heard they were making an updated version starring Florence Pugh, I was cautiously optimistic. When I realized the release date was today, the day I planned to share with you the origin story for the title of this newsletter, I was downright tickled. Connect with Samantha 🌿 Newsletter: Choosing Human 🎙️ Podcast: Brave New Us 📚 Books: Reclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad The Bellbind Letters Grow Where You're Planted Thank you for listening.

Recorded live at the Rocky Mountain Catholic Home Educators Conference (June 20, 2026) Our homes are not just places where we live—they are places where souls are formed. In this keynote from the 2026 Rocky Mountain Catholic Home Educators Conference, Samantha Stephenson invites parents to see their vocation with fresh eyes. In a culture saturated with anxiety, distraction, algorithms, and competing voices, mothers and fathers are called to become guardians of their homes—carefully discerning what enters their family's imagination, habits, and hearts. Drawing from Scripture, Catholic tradition, and practical wisdom for everyday family life, Samantha explores how we can cultivate homes rooted in truth, beauty, goodness, and peace. Rather than reacting to every cultural trend or technological advance, Christian families are called to become intentional communities that form children capable of recognizing the voice of the Good Shepherd. Whether you're homeschooling, raising young children, or simply longing for a more peaceful home, this talk offers encouragement and practical tools for reclaiming your family's attention, imagination, and mission. In this episode: Why parents are the primary formators of their children's hearts and minds How modern media and technology compete for our attention Learning to recognize the difference between God's voice and the voices of fear, consumerism, and distraction Building a home centered on truth, beauty, and goodness Creating habits that foster peace instead of anxiety Practical ways to cultivate silence, prayer, and wonder in family life Why the culture of your home matters more than the culture around you If this episode encouraged you, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with another parent who could use a little encouragement. Connect with Samantha 🌿 Newsletter: Choosing Human 🎙️ Podcast: Brave New Us 📚 Books: Reclaiming Motherhood from a Culture Gone Mad The Bellbind Letters Grow Where You're Planted Thank you for listening.

Artificial intelligence is changing how we search for information, write, create, learn, and even pray. But what happens when AI enters the life of the Church? In this episode of Brave New Us, Samantha Stephenson sits down with Tim, creator of Chatechism, one of the most ambitious Catholic AI projects to date. Together they explore not only what AI can do for Catholics, but also where it should—and shouldn't—go. Rather than offering easy answers, this conversation wrestles honestly with some of the biggest questions facing the Church in the age of artificial intelligence: Can an AI ever be trusted with spiritual guidance? What responsibilities do Catholic developers have toward truth, ecology, and the common good? Should AI help write homilies or daily reflections? And what might faithful innovation actually look like? Whether you're excited about AI, deeply skeptical, or somewhere in between, this episode offers a thoughtful Catholic framework for engaging one of the defining technologies of our time. In this episode: Why Catholics shouldn't simply fear artificial intelligence—or embrace it uncritically. How large language models actually work, and why hallucinations remain one of their biggest limitations. Why Chatechism was created and the vision behind building a distinctly Catholic AI. What makes a trustworthy Catholic AI different from a generic chatbot trained on religious content. The ethical responsibilities of Catholic AI developers, including concerns about bias, reliability, environmental costs, and cooperation with morally problematic technology companies. How one Catholic family is navigating AI with children of every age—from toddlers to adults. The risks AI poses to education, creativity, and authentic human formation. Whether AI-generated spiritual reflections and homilies enrich the Church—or risk displacing the unique work of the Holy Spirit through human authors, pastors, and communities. Why Catholics need to help shape the future of artificial intelligence instead of watching from the sidelines. Tim's answer to the Brave New Us closing question: Who best embodies what it means to be truly human? Resources Mentioned Chatechism Download the app Use promo code BRAVENEWUS for a month of full features for FREE For more, check out Samantha’s article “Can AI Be Redeemed?” Connect with Samantha If you enjoy thoughtful conversations about biotechnology, artificial intelligence, faith, and what it means to remain deeply human in an age of rapid technological change, subscribe to Brave New Us wherever you listen to podcasts. You can also find Samantha's writing at Choosing Human, where she explores bioethics, motherhood, technology, and Christian anthropology.

What if the answer isn’t escaping modern life, but learning to inhabit it differently? In this season finale, Samantha reflects on her own attraction to the homestead ideal — and why she ultimately reconsidered what it means to live sustainably, faithfully, and attentively in the place God has already given her. This episode marks the beginning of a summer pause for Brave New Us and an invitation to continue the conversation through gardening, stewardship, and cultivation on YouTube. In this episode: The appeal and limits of the homestead dream Stewardship versus escape Gardening as an embodied spiritual practice An invitation to grow where you’re planted Summer Update:Brave New Us will return after a seasonal break. In the meantime, join Samantha on YouTube for garden stories, practical growing, and reflections on embodiment, limits, and care for creation. Buy the book: Grow Where You’re Planted: Reclaming Eden in Your Own Backyard YouTube

Medical breakthroughs often arrive faster than our moral vocabulary can keep up. Samantha speaks with Andrew Kubick of the National Catholic Bioethics Center about uterine transplantation — from its therapeutic promise for women experiencing infertility to the profound ethical questions raised as reproductive technology expands toward increasingly experimental possibilities. When medicine gains the power not only to heal but to redesign reproduction, how should we think about human dignity, motherhood, and the meaning of the body itself? In this episode: The science and ethics of uterine transplants Therapeutic medicine vs. technological expansion Bioethics and Catholic moral reasoning The cultural implications of redefining reproduction Buy the book: Transplanting the Womb Subscribe to the newsletter!

What if health begins not with control, but with trust? Samantha speaks with a Catholic nutritionist about holistic health, women’s metabolism, and the growing desire to step out of cycles of restriction and anxiety surrounding food and wellness. Together they explore how Christian anthropology offers a different starting point for health: the body as created good, meaningful, and worthy of care rather than suspicion. In this episode: Holistic health and the limits of modern wellness culture Women’s health, metabolism, and stress Faith and nutrition Learning to cooperate with the body instead of fighting it Buy the Book: Made Good Subscribe to the newsletter!

Modern culture is often described as disembodied — detached from physical reality and increasingly virtual. But is that diagnosis accurate? In this episode, Samantha responds to arguments about “disembodiment,” proposing instead that modern life has produced a cluster of bodily effects: heightened anxiety about health, constant self-monitoring, and confusion about what the body means or how it should be understood. Rather than abandoning the body, we may be struggling to interpret it. In this episode: A response to Helen Roy’s argument on disembodiment Why modern people are hyper-focused on their bodies rather than detached from them Technology, medicine, and the loss of bodily intelligibility How diagnosing the problem shapes the path toward healing Subscribe to the newsletter!

Infertility is often treated as a medical problem waiting for a solution. But for many women, the deeper questions begin after diagnosis. Samantha speaks with Leigh Snead, author of Infertile but Fruitful, about the emotional, spiritual, and relational realities of infertility — and the challenge of understanding the meaning of spiritual motherhood when life unfolds differently than expected. Together they explore how faith reframes suffering, vocation, and hope without reducing them to easy answers. In this episode: The lived experience of infertility beyond clinical language Marriage, identity, and waiting Christian understandings of fruitfulness Finding meaning when life diverges from long-held expectations Buy the book: Infertile But Fruitful Subscribe to the newsletter!

Language does more than describe reality. Over time, it teaches us how to see it. In this episode of Brave New Us, Samantha shares a reading and reflection connected to her spiritual fiction project, The Bellbind Letters, exploring how cultural change often begins not with laws or technologies, but with shifts in vocabulary — especially around the body, femininity, and identity. What happens when familiar words slowly take on new meanings? And how does language shape the way a society understands what it means to be human? This episode opens a larger season-long conversation about embodiment, fertility, health, and the search for a more grounded way of living in a technological age. In this episode: How language quietly reshapes culture Why debates about the body are often linguistic before they are political Fiction as a tool for cultural and moral imagination Setting the stage for conversations on infertility, health, and embodied life Buy the book: The Bellbind Letters Subscribe to the newsletter!

In a culture that normalizes medical means for non-medical problems, where do we draw the line in the pursuit of beauty? In This Episode We explore the ethics of cosmetic procedures—from “baby Botox” and fillers to plastic surgery—and what they communicate about our bodies, our worth, and our deepest desires. Through the story of “Katie” and reflections from Theology of the Body, we ask: Does altering a healthy body help us love ourselves…or teach us to reject the gift we’ve been given? Is cosmetic “enhancement” actually making women more confident, or more insecure? How do we distinguish healing therapies from enhancements driven by cultural pressure? What does aging reveal about love, humility, and what lasts forever? Mentioned & Linked in This Episode Essay: Reject and Inject: The Ethics of Cosmetic Procedures Concepts from Theology of the Body (St. John Paul II) Reflections inspired by the life of Servant of God Chiara Corbella Petrillo Cultural trends: “Sephora kids,” filters, and beauty consumerism Resources from Samantha Brave New Us podcast back catalog Essays on biotechnology, beauty culture, and being human at choosinghuman.org Subscribe to the newsletter For essays, link roundups, and book updates. Grow Where You’re Planted — preorder bonuses include a downloadable list of favorite non-toxic products Join the Conversation Have thoughts on this episode or beauty culture? Join the discussion at choosinghuman.org. If this episode resonated with you, consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts—it helps others find the show.

Is assisted suicide compassionate—or is it a cultural failure to respond humanely to suffering? In this episode of Brave New Us, host Samantha Stephenson speaks with author and bioethics speaker Stephanie Gray Connors about physician-assisted suicide, euthanasia, and end-of-life ethics in the age of medical and technological power. Drawing on her book On Assisted Suicide (Word on Fire’s Dignity series), Stephanie examines how language like “death with dignity” and “medical aid in dying” reshapes our moral imagination—and why dignity is not something we lose when we suffer. From Canada’s rapidly expanding MAiD program to suicide pods in Europe and growing pressure on doctors and patients alike, this conversation explores what happens when a culture begins to treat death as a solution. We discuss suffering, autonomy, coercion, meaning, and the profound human need for relationship at the end of life. If you’re wrestling with questions about assisted suicide, euthanasia, medical ethics, or how to speak compassionately about death and dignity, this episode offers clarity without abstraction—and hope without denial. In this episode, we explore: Assisted suicide vs. natural death: what’s the ethical difference? Why “death with dignity” is a misleading phrase Canada’s MAiD program and rising assisted-death rates How normalization creates pressure on the elderly, disabled, and poor The illusion of control at the end of life Viktor Frankl, meaning, and despair in the face of suffering What compassionate, life-affirming end-of-life care really looks like About the guest Stephanie Gray Connors is an author and international speaker on bioethics, abortion, assisted suicide, and human dignity. She is the author of On Assisted Suicide in the Word on Fire Dignity Series and has debated and presented on life issues across North America. Originally from Canada and now living in the United States, she brings firsthand insight into the ethical and cultural consequences of legalized assisted suicide. Mentioned in this episode On Assisted Suicide — Stephanie Gray Connors Suicide Pods Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD) in Canada The Atlantic on assisted suicide and physician pressure Mother euthanizes 12-year-old daughter Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning Nick Vujicic and The Butterfly Circus Mattie Stepanick Loveunleasheslife.com Leave a Review + Share the ShowRate and review Brave New Us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Share this episode with a friend, patient group, or doctor Keep the conversation going at choosinghuman.org

Why are women developing chronic illness at younger ages—and why are they so often dismissed when they seek answers? In this episode of Brave New Us, bioethicist and chronic illness patient Samantha Stephenson explores why women are disproportionately affected by autoimmune disease, migraines, infertility, depression, and other chronic conditions. Drawing from ethics, medicine, and lived experience, she examines the role of environmental toxins, hormonal contraception, abortion, and inequities in medical research—and asks how women can pursue real healing without ignoring the spiritual meaning of suffering. In This Episode Why women are getting sicker at younger ages Chronic illness, autoimmune disease, and women’s health Endocrine-disrupting chemicals in beauty, cleaning, and food products The “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) loophole Hormonal birth control as a band-aid—not a cure Side effects of hormonal contraceptives, including brain changes Restorative reproductive medicine and NaProTechnology Abortion and women’s physical and psychological health Why women are underrepresented in medical research The ethics of studying women’s bodies Finding meaning, faith, and intimacy with Christ through suffering Essays & Articles Samantha’s Essay (discussed in this episode) “Why Are Women So Sick?” — Claire the Catholic Feminist Abortion Is the Real Assault on Women— Crisis Magazine Women Deserve Better Than Abortion — Word on Fire Books & Films Your Brain on Birth Control— Sarah E. Hill Offer It Up: Discovering the Power and Purpose of Redemptive Suffering— Megan Hjelmstad (Blessed Is She) Hush(documentary) Women’s Health & Fertility Natural Cycles App TempDrop Other Mentions Alex Clark American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists on the menstrual cycle as the “fifth vital sign” Momosophy Substack (Elizabeth Kulze) Resources from Samantha Details on Samantha’s chronic illness journey Grow Where You’re Planted — including a downloadable list of favorite non-toxic products available with preorder Join the Conversation Have thoughts on this episode or personal experience with chronic illness? Subscribe to the newsletter to comment and to receive essays, link roundups, and book updates. If this episode resonated, consider leaving a review on Apple Podcasts—it helps others find the show.

Why are highly educated, ambitious women choosing large families in an age of falling birthrates, frozen eggs, and fertility tech? In this episode, Dr. Catherine Pakaluk joins Brave New Us to unpack her groundbreaking book Hannah’s Children: The Women Who Defied the Birth Dearth. We explore: What drives women to embrace motherhood as a vocation—not a fallback How the fertility crisis and biotech age shape our cultural assumptions about children, work, and worth Why choosing family is the most radical—and future-focused—choice a woman can make today About the guest: Dr. Catherine Pakaluk is a professor of social research and economic thought at the Catholic University of America and a mother of eight. Mentioned in the Episode Get Hannah’s Children A Catholic Guide to Infertility with John DiCamillo Leave a Review + Share the ShowRate and review Brave New Us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Share this episode with a friend, patient group, or doctor Keep the conversation going at bravenewus.substack.com Grab a copy of Samantha’s book Reclaiming Motherhood—a theology of the body for motherhood in the age of reproductive technologies.

Stacy Trasancos, author of IVF Is Not the Way, joins Samantha to unpack the hidden costs and ethical challenges of IVF and fertility technology. Drawing on her science background and faith, Stacy reveals why IVF often falls short—and why natural fertility awareness and restorative reproductive medicine offer hope that’s overlooked by mainstream medicine. We explore how the fertility industry profits from desperation, the ethical dilemmas of embryo freezing and manipulation, and how couples can reclaim control of their fertility through informed, compassionate alternatives. Links mentioned in the episode: IVF Is Not the Way by Stacy Trasancos Leave a Review + Share the ShowRate and review Brave New Us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Share this episode with a friend, patient group, or doctor Keep the conversation going at bravenewus.substack.com Leave a Review + Share the Show If this conversation opened your eyes to what stem cell therapy can do, please: Rate and review Brave New Us on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Share this episode with a friend, patient group, or doctor Keep the conversation going at bravenewus.substack.com! Grab a copy of Samantha’s book Reclaiming Motherhood, a theology of the body for motherhood in an age of reproductive technologies.