Rephonic
Artwork for playing god?
Bioethics
In Vitro Gametogenesis
Dialysis
Seattle Artificial Kidney Center
Kidney Disease
Medical Innovation
Resource Allocation
Socioeconomic Factors
Kidney Donation
Deep Brain Stimulation
Liver Transplants
Organ Transplants
Uterus Transplant
Depression
Reproductive Technologies
Medical Aid In Dying (maid)
Alcoholism
Ethics Of Organ Donation
Infertility
Fanconi Anemia

Life and death dilemmas. New medical technologies. Controversial treatments. In playing god? we hear from the patients whose lives were transformed—and sometimes saved—by medical innovations and the bioethicists who help guide complex decisions. Ventilators can keep critically ill people alive, but when is it acceptable to turn the machines off? Organ transplants save lives, but when demand outpac... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes14Founded3 years ago
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SciencePhilosophySociety & Culture

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Artwork for playing god?

Latest Episodes

Humanity is actively working towards a mission to Mars. When astronauts like Bernard Harris leave Earth, they accept risk as part of the mission. But a journey to Mars would push that risk into entirely new territory—where help is unreachable, uncert... more

When journalist Esmé Deprez receives a text from her father, Ron Deprez, asking for help to die, she enters one of the most ethically fraught spaces in modern medicine: Medical Aid in Dying (MAiD). This episode explores what it means to assist a love... more

Life and death decisions. Difficult tradeoffs. “playing god?” explores ethical dilemmas in health and medicine through the first-person stories of people who have lived them. Brought to you by the Dracopoulos-Bloomberg iDeas Lab at the Johns Hopkins ... more

YouTube

Back in the 1960s, a committee of seven Seattle residents met regularly to decide which patients with chronic kidney disease were “worthy” of life-saving dialysis.  Whoever wasn’t selected by the committee would likely die within months. An exposé of... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Ronald David Deprez
Father who chose MAiD path
ALS patient
Episode: I Need You To Help Me Die
Esmé Deprez
Daughter and narrator
None specified
Episode: I Need You To Help Me Die
Rick Mizelle
Medical historian at the University of Houston
University of Houston
Episode: Prequel: The God Squad
Kate Butler
Clinical nephrologist based in Seattle
Episode: Prequel: The God Squad
Holly Fernandez Lynch
A professor of medical ethics and law at the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
Episode: Miracle Drugs, Million Dollar Price Tags
Tom Crawford
Pediatric neurologist at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Episode: Miracle Drugs, Million Dollar Price Tags
Brandy Ellis
Received deep brain stimulation for treatment-resistant depression
Episode: An Off Switch For Depression?
Patricio Riva Posse
Researcher conducting studies on deep brain stimulation
Emory University
Episode: An Off Switch For Depression?
Karen Rommelfanger
Neuroscientist and ethics scholar
Institute of Neuroethics
Episode: An Off Switch For Depression?

Host

Lauren Arora Hutchinson
Director of the iDeas Lab at the Johns Hopkins Berman Institute of Bioethics.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 164 ratings
  • Good

    Podcast Addict
    5
    kokella
    a year ago
  • For a podcast that covers the most contentious topics in medicine, this is surprisingly dry. Difficult issues are raised and then sort of backed away from. The best part of each episode is the beginning, which features a patient talking about their experience with the issue. Once the episode switches to ethicists and doctors, it gets much less interesting. My conclusion after listening to the first six episodes is that as long as the innovation can help one patient directly, probably nobody is g... more

    Podchaser
    3
    Sarah B
    2 years ago
  • Thought Provoking

    Very thought provoking. Looking forward to season 2. Excellent can’t wait until Season 2!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Hot tub exercise
    Canada2 years ago
  • Fantastic podcast

    Need more like this. As a physician, I find it refreshing to revisit these concepts and give into the ethical aspect of making very difficulty decisions.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Karim Mtl CA
    Canada2 years ago
  • Fantastic

    An informative and mind blowing podcast. I hope for another season soon!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jyyydddd
    Canada2 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Some users have noted minor inaccuracies in certain episodes but still regard the overall quality as high.
Educators value the series for its usefulness in teaching bioethics and medical ethics across various educational levels.
Listeners appreciate the engaging and informative nature of discussions, often finding them enlightening and accessible. Many highlight the show's ability to blend personal stories with critical ethical dilemmas in healthcare.
The host is praised for their ability to articulate complex issues with clarity and warmth, making heavy topics easier to understand for a wide audience.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#91
United States/Science
Apple Podcasts
#181
Canada/Science
Apple Podcasts
#81
Austria/Science
Apple Podcasts
#109
Argentina/Science
Apple Podcasts
#202
Sweden/Science
Apple Podcasts
#209
Japan/Science

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

I Need You To Help Me Die
Q: When you're terminally ill, should you be able to choose how you die?
The guest and experts discuss autonomy, the safeguards, and the ethical complexities of MAiD, emphasizing that each case depends on medical prognosis, mental capacity, and the availability of a supportive legal framework.
A Womb of One’s Own?
Q: What types of ethical questions were you and other researchers considering back then?
In the beginning, the ethics was very much focused on whether this procedure was doable and worth it, compared to other options like surrogacy and adoption.
A Womb of One’s Own?
Q: Could you tell me what your favorite part of specializing in this area is?
Now, my favorite part is that we now actually can sit down with patients that either lost their uterus or are born without a uterus, and we can actually tell them that there are options for them.
Miracle Drugs, Million Dollar Price Tags
Q: How do drug approval and pricing relate from an ethical standpoint?
There is a debate about whether the FDA should also consider pricing when approving drugs, leading to ethical implications about access and the value of life-saving medications.
Miracle Drugs, Million Dollar Price Tags
Q: How do drug companies determine the pricing for medications like Spinraza?
Pricing is heavily influenced by both research and development costs and market conditions, rather than strictly R&D costs alone.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About playing god?

What is playing god? about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Exploring the intersection of medical ethics and emerging technologies, this content presents stories from patients whose lives have been dramatically altered—sometimes saved—by innovative medical treatments. Each episode tackles pressing ethical questions around complicated medical decisions, such as the allocation of limited resources like organ transplants, the introduction of advanced reproductive technologies, and the moral implications of life support systems. The program is distinguished by its focus on personal narratives accompanied by expert insights, making high-stakes topics accessible and engaging for a broad audience interested in the multifaceted impact of healthcare advancements on society.

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Which podcasts are similar to playing god??

These podcasts share a similar audience with playing god?:

1. The Nocturnists
2. Last Day
3. This American Life
4. Proxy with Yowei Shaw
5. Criminal

How many episodes of playing god? are there?

playing god? launched 3 years ago and published 14 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on playing god??

Recent guests on playing god? include:

1. Ronald David Deprez
2. Esmé Deprez
3. Rick Mizelle
4. Kate Butler
5. Holly Fernandez Lynch
6. Tom Crawford
7. Brandy Ellis
8. Patricio Riva Posse

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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