#05 - Aria Babu | A million artificial wombs

Aria Babu is a researcher who has turned her attention to falling birth rates and pronatalism, offering fresh perspectives on how technological innovations like artificial wombs might address demographic challenges facing developed nations. She is @Aria_Babu on X.

Aria discusses:

- Why falling birth rates threaten many developed nations (especially South Korea at 0.7 TFR) and how this creates demographic challenges with an aging population and diminishing workforce,

- Cultural and economic factors behind declining birth rates, including intensive parenting norms, high childcare costs, changing gender roles, and the delay in family formation,

- Potential solutions including artificial wombs (which could bypass pregnancy complications and help various groups have children), policy changes to support families, and shifts in cultural attitudes toward parenthood,

Listen on Apple Podcasts or Spotify. Read the transcript.

Timestamps

(00:00:00) - Introduction

(00:01:23) - Pronatalism Debate

(00:04:28) - Global Birth Rates

(00:09:31) - Cultural Influences

(00:17:12) - Causes of Decline

(00:32:04) - Solutions Discussion

(00:53:21) - Artificial Wombs

(01:06:29) - Future Speculations

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