As a geneticist, your episode on cousin marriage is HIGHLY irresponsible and minimizes the SERIOUS health risks (for untold generations after) for children born of cousin marriages. Please educate yourself on the new and old research this this woman conveniently ignored. You are not racist for understanding that cousin marriage is a thing of the past and should be kept there. Shame on you.

Where is season two? This should be a weekly thing? I had high hopes for this show. Please fix this!

I’ve enjoyed listening to each episode! Though I noticed that there hasn’t been any recent updates and I’m kinda bummed. Hoping that you can keep it up!

The quality of this podcast is hands the best I’ve heard. All the little sounds and transitions really make this show enjoyable to listen while not being too long. Awesome to be informed of stuff too!

I really like this podcast. I love easily digestible but thought provoking content, and that is exactly what this is. Mona is so entertaining, and I especially love the appearances from your mom. Keep it coming!

What goes into a decision to move? Data - and your heart. Should I move home is sad - and real. Beautifully told!

Scientifically it is a terrible thing to do. Look at the history. Look at the genetics. I can’t believe this is a discussion point. Wow. That is sickening. I don’t need to listen to this.

The host constantly reminds us that she is a data journalist, but then makes huge assumptions without supplying data to justify her opinion. The program on cousin marriage was the last straw for me. At the end of the program the host claims that bias against cousin marriage is because of racism. In particular, racism against Muslims. You would think a data journalist would provide data, but no. The host provided no data proving the racism allegations or even showing that Muslims have a greater tendency to get married to their cousins than non-Muslims or that anyone outside of the Muslim community is even aware of this tendency.

This podcast is a great combination of interesting topics, backed up by data, wrapped inside lyrical storytelling. Each episode is a journey that transports the listeners through Mona’s situation, until you arrive at the end, realizing all of the facts and perspectives you’ve collected along the way. I am excited to keep listening!

Been a huge fan of Mona’s data visualization for many years, really excited she has a podcast. Very interesting and unique podcast. Hope there is a season 2 coming!!

I’ve only recently started listening to this podcast, and while the topics are interesting, the host seems to take on a particularly biased opinion in every episode, and doesn’t expand to why everyone thinks the way they do. For example, in the cousin marriage episode, she chalked up people against cousin marriage to racism. In my viewpoint, most of my friends and family are against cousin marriage due to power dynamics and the abuse of what comes from many incestual relationships, but she only justifies it with biological statistics that qualify it as safe. There’s more than just biology involved in situations like this, for example, I wouldn’t think it’s okay for a boss to date a low level employee because of the power dynamic and the abuse of power that can be filtered into relationships like that. She’s obviously passionate about her opinion and I think it’s great to present a side of this that I’ve never heard about, however being against cousin marriage is absolutely not the same as eugenics or interracial marriage, and to present such a strong position supported by only Facebook comments shows that the host doesn’t fully research and expand in her topics, which is why I’ll be unsubscribing. If the host ends up creating episodes with better research and facts in her future episodes, I would be willing to give it another chance.

It really doesn't take a genius to understand why people should opt to be vaccinated when faced with the possibility of loosing their livelihood. What a warp sense of interpretation that is to say that the law is working ( implying that it can change the way ppl think about unnecessary vaccination). The case of mandated vaccine is pure coercion by leaving the individuals no freedom of healthcare choice by threatening them to remove their source of income. You can spin that one whichever way you want. The majority of people who are getting vaccinated to not loose their job are doing it against their will. If that's not dictatorial i dont know what you call it.

So fun. So interesting and about really unique but critical topics. Love it.

a great concept and interesting topics! a good listen:) thanks

Mona is a warm, relatable host. I love the questions she chooses to dive into and appreciate the thoroughness of her research. My current podcast obsession!

Loved the first two episodes. The dentist one seemed to make dentists the villain when- why aren’t insurance companies covering necessary procedures? Additionally, just like plastic surgeons fix people after accidents and provide cosmetic surgery for people without any actual need, dentistry is also a cosmetic profession. You can do both and still work in the healthcare field, so this argument was largely lost on me. I was pre-med in university and it’s taught that medicine overall is a practice, not a science. Maybe that’s what needs to be appropriately realigned in the eyes of the public.

I was listening to your podcast regarding “friends” when a “missing” friend with whom I had not connected with for years called! I thought it kismet! Like all good friendship that were somehow placed on the back burner of life we immediately picked up where we ended reigniting a truly lost friendship… Of course, I forwarded this podcast to her…. Also, I find your mum’s comments direct, helpful and informative from her lifelong perspective. Thank you for this timely podcast! Best, Dr. Lisa Scott-Lee

I’ve loved and learned so much from her data stories for years and was so psyched to learn about this new podcast. Every bit as great as you’d expect. Can’t wait to hear more!

this podcast is so thorough … appreciate it!

I listened to both episodes this week and love them so much. compelling deep dives into topics I didn’t even know there was data about. Mona's conversations with her mom are so sweet and funny and warm. I particularly loved the episode about friendship. It feels SO relevant and I basically repeated the entire thing to my husband afterwards. I’ve enjoyed Mona’s data illustrations for years and it’s so fun to see how her talents transfer to audio. Brilliant.

Love Mona and love this show! Making data something people who find it alienating can relate to

Not only is the podcast insightful, but it’s fun! After the first couple of eps, I feel like I left with nuggets of wisdom and a ton of convo starters - which I desperately needed in today’s COVID-19 world where conversations have never felt more awkward and distanced (amirite?). And honestly I’m just in love with Mona’s voice, who wouldn’t be?

Have been a fan of Mona’s for years! She’s amazing! I love finally getting a direct pipeline to her mind! More please!!

I LOVED the first 2 episodes. As for Mona’s mum, she is one very wise woman. Especially love the “breakup” episode where Mum busts open the fallacy of Eli Finkel’s poorly derived conclusions from his poorly designed study that included…just 26 couples. Can’t wait for more episodes!

Funny, insightful and I loved hearing from Mona’s mom!

I listened to the first two episodes of the podcast and I wasn’t disappointed at all. Like everything she does, Mona was at her most excellent. If she keeps the current tempo, she’ll attract a great audience with her unique perspectives on very topical and sensitive issues

The trailer was great, and I feel like Mona Chalabi is someone whose offerings I can be fairly certain are going to be insightful, fascinating, and outside the inertia of groupthink that so many podcasts fall prey to. I can’t wait to hear the full episodes!