The Feminine Genus Podcast: Recent Episodes
Kathryn Brewer
Meet Marygrace and Kathryn, two Catholic women in science discussing faith, science, and how they meet in real life!
Cover art by Brandon Ocampo (@CaptainVatican on Twitter)
This episode details the re-introduction of the Feminine Genus podcast after a long hiatus. You can expect new episodes on the first of each month!
Email: femininegenus@gmail.com
Twitter: @femininegenus
Link to Kathryn's articles with FemCatholic: https://www.femcatholic.com/people/kathryn-brewer
In this episode, Kathryn chats with Meghan Adams, an environmental engineer, about Laudato Si, communicating with family members about science, and more. Originally recorded in April of 2023.
Email:femininegenus@gmail.com
Twitter: @femininegenus
This time, Kathryn interviews Dr. Myma Albayda, rheumatologist and clinical researcher at Johns Hopkins, about how faith and science intersect in her life. Enjoy!
Send your questions about science, grad school, and more tofemininegenus@gmail.com
Remember to rate and review us on your listening service of choice, and share the podcast with your friends! The best way people find out about us is through you. :)
You can also connect with us on our socials:
Twitter: @FeminineGenus
Instagram: @thefemininegenuspodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.ph
This time on the pod, Kathryn interviews Dr. Dani Seckfort, who runs the site Catechist Scientist. Tune in for talk about the intersection of faith and science, the importance of keeping an inquisitive mind, and cool simulations of DNA binding proteins.
You can find Dani at:
Twitter: @istsquaredWebsite: http://www.catechistscientist.com/
Send your questions about science, grad school, and more tofemininegenus@gmail.com
Remember to rate and review us on your listening service of choice, and share the podcast with your friends! The best way people find out about us is through you. :)
You can also connect with us on our socials:
Twitter: @FeminineGenus
Instagram: @thefemininegenuspodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.ph
This time on the pod, Kathryn interviews Dr. Chelsi Creech, a palliative care psychologist, on how faith and science intersect in her daily life. You can find Chelsi @Chelsiac92 on Twitter.
Send your questions about science, grad school, and more to femininegenus@gmail.com
Remember to rate and review us on your listening service of choice, and share the podcast with your friends! The best way people find out about us is through you. :)
You can also connect with us on our socials:
Twitter: @FeminineGenus
Instagram: @thefemininegenuspodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.ph
Kathryn announces a format swap for the Feminine Genus podcast while Marygrace is on maternity leave (keep her and her husband in your prayers!).
Send your questions about science, grad school, and more to femininegenus@gmail.com
Remember to rate and review us on your listening service of choice, and share the podcast with your friends! The best way people find out about us is through you. :)
You can also connect with us on our socials:
Twitter: @FeminineGenus
Instagram: @thefemininegenuspodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.ph
Merry Christmas, listeners! This week on the pod, Kathryn and Marygrace talk about the compounding factors that have resulted in over 48,000 students and post docs going on strike in the University of California system, including NIH stipend caps, inflation and high cost-of-living, and the changing line between graduate school as an education and as a job.
To learn more about the UC strike, you can visit their website here: https://www.ucstrike.org/
Send your questions about science, grad school, and more to femininegenus@gmail.com
Remember to rate and review us on your listening service of choice, and share the podcast with your friends! The best way people find out about us is through you. :)
You can also connect with us on our socials:
Twitter: @FeminineGenus
Instagram: @thefemininegenuspodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.ph
It's Pastry Week! Marygrace and Kathryn discuss the science behind your favorite laminated bakes, including why baking in space may make your croissants even better. Grab your aprons and your space helmets! It's gonna be a fun ride.
We have an email! Send your questions about science, grad school, and more to femininegenus@gmail.com
Remember to rate and review us on your listening service of choice, and share the podcast with your friends! The best way people find out about us is through you. :)
You can also connect with us on our socials:
Twitter: @FeminineGenus
Instagram: @thefemininegenuspodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.ph
This week on the pod, Marygrace and Kathryn give an overview of the complex genetics of human disease and how precision medicine aims to apply that knowledge in medical treatment.
We have an email! Send your questions about science, grad school, and more to femininegenus@gmail.com
Remember to rate and review us on your listening service of choice, and share the podcast with your friends! The best way people find out about us is through you. :)
You can also connect with us on our socials:
Twitter: @FeminineGenus
Instagram: @thefemininegenuspodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.ph
No topic this week y'all! Instead, Marygrace and Kathryn talk about wedding planning, the Enneagram, and whether a pregnancy is 9 months or 40 weeks. Plot twist: it's both!
We have an email! Send your questions about science, grad school, and more to femininegenus@gmail.com
Remember to rate and review us on your listening service of choice, and share the podcast with your friends! The best way people find out about us is through you. :)
You can also connect with us on our socials:
Twitter: @FeminineGenus
Instagram: @thefemininegenuspodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.ph
This week on the pod, Kathryn and Marygrace brew up a discussion on the science of coffee - or at least, how coffee gets from the plant to the bag. They discuss the processes involved in making great coffee, and how every step plays a role in a coffee's flavor. So pour a cup of your favorite bean juice (that isn't actually a bean) and enjoy!
We have an email! Send your questions about science, grad school, and more to femininegenus@gmail.com
Remember to rate and review us on your listening service of choice, and share the podcast with your friends! The best way people find out about us is through you. :)
You can also connect with us on our socials:
Twitter: @FeminineGenus
Instagram: @thefemininegenuspodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.ph
Resources:
- Compounds involved in aroma and flavor: https://www.coffeeandhealth.org/coffee-and-the-senses/aroma-and-flavour-composition-of-coffee
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Coffee roasting and grinding: https://www.coffeeandhealth.org/coffee-and-caffeine/roasting-grinding
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Trade coffee blog: https://www.drinktrade.com/blog/t/coffee%20101
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James Hoffman YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMb0O2CdPBNi-QqPk5T3gsQ/playlists
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Maillard reaction: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/agricultural-and-biological-sciences/maillard-reaction
Kathryn's Pour over Method:
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Boil a kettle of water with desired amount (or more) needed for brewing
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Using a kitchen scale, measure out the desired mass of coffee grounds (I'm lazy and generally use pre-ground coffee, but if grinding your own, aim for medium-fine)
-- the amount of coffee should be 6-7.5% of the desired volume of coffee. If using a paper filter, use 6%. If using a metal filter (which is what I use), use 7.5%. This means that if you wanted to brew 100mL of coffee, you would include 6g (or 7.5g, respectively) of coffee beans in the filter.
-Once your water is boiling and ready to go, add water in the following method:
-- divide the volume of water to be added by 5
-- every 30 seconds, add 1/5 the volume of water (the total volume of water should be added by 2 minutes and 30 seconds). After each addition of water, gently swirl the pour over to release any coffee grounds stuck to the side and level out the coffee bean bed.
-- you can add the water however you like, but be careful not to overly disturb the bed of coffee.
- After all the water has been added, simply wait for the water to stop dripping. Pour into your favorite mug and enjoy!
Note: pay attention to how the coffee tastes immediately after it's done vs. after 10-15 minutes, when it's had time to cool. Do you notice a difference? ;)
This week on the pod, Kathryn and Marygrace discuss a paper correlating COVID spikes to... candle reviews! They point out the places where this scientist did great science, and contrast it to other correlations that are scientifically problematic. Now you can feel confident analyzing the data in your own life!
We have an email! Send your questions about science, grad school, and more to femininegenus@gmail.com
Remember to rate and review us on your listening service of choice, and share the podcast with your friends! The best way people find out about us is through you. :)
You can also connect with us on our socials:
Twitter: @FeminineGenus
Instagram: @thefemininegenuspodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.ph
Resources:
Yankee candle/COVID paper: https://ojs.aaai.org/index.php/ICWSM/article/view/19388/19160
Bad correlation examples: http://www.tylervigen.com/spurious-correlations
This week on the pod, Kathryn and Marygrace discuss the issues that abound with the NIH's new data sharing and management requirements. This is definitely a an "inside baseball" episode, y'all. Better buckle up!
We have an email! Send your questions about science, grad school, and more to femininegenus@gmail.com
Remember to rate and review us on your listening service of choice, and share the podcast with your friends! The best way people find out about us is through you. :)
You can also connect with us on our socials:
Twitter: @FeminineGenus
Instagram: @thefemininegenuspodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.ph
This week on the show, the girls discuss Marygrace's new baby and the steps involved in actually obtaining a PhD.
New! Send your questions to femininegenus@gmail.com
Remember to rate and review us on your listening service of choice, and share the podcast with your friends! The best way people find out about us is through you. :)
You can also connect with us on our socials:
Twitter: @FeminineGenus
Instagram: @thefemininegenuspodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.ph
This week on the show, the podcasting duo cover Kathryn's recent engagement, letting go of perfectionism, and learning to be okay with living a simple life.
Goats quiz: https://crackthequiz.com/how-many-goats-am-i-worth/
Veggie Tales worship album: https://open.spotify.com/album/0J3GdE5LHslZ0MqeuUokEJ?si=c0ujONmtRvyd8va8udBrFA
Other Side of the Radio: https://open.spotify.com/track/6Alu0EpZA9F564hmuK14JN?si=725bbc5ccd7149f4
- Note: I did confirm after this recording that it was indeed in the Jonah DVD bonus material. Funny what our brains remember!
Remember to rate and review us on your listening service of choice, and share the podcast with your friends! The best way people find out about us is through you. :)
You can also connect with us on our socials:
Twitter: @FeminineGenus
Instagram: @thefemininegenuspodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.ph
What's the difference between bread and cake? How does gluten free bread even work? And WHO is our amazing listener from Nigeria? Find the answer to all these questions and more on this week's episode!
To find Nonyelum:
Writing portfolio: https://nonyelumwrites.wixsite.com/nonyelumxhealth
Medium page: https://medium.com/@_nonyelum_
Bread Science book: https://www.amazon.com/Bread-Science-Chemistry-Craft-Making/dp/097780688X/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1JX8R1Q78KUYA&keywords=science+of+bread&qid=1663549556&sprefix=science+of+bread%2Caps%2C113&sr=8-1
Remember to rate and review us on your listening service of choice, and share the podcast with your friends! The best way people find out about us is through you. :)
You can also connect with us on our socials:
Twitter: @FeminineGenus
Instagram: @thefemininegenuspodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.ph
This week on the pod, Kathryn and Marygrace discuss the death of the Queen, the movie merits of Sandra Bullock, and what having a PhD means, diving into the problems surrounding distrust of scientific experts and the ways graduate school does (and does not) prepare you for a scientific career.
Remember to rate and review us on your listening service of choice, and share the podcast with your friends! The best way people find out about us is through you. :)
You can also connect with us on our socials:
Twitter: @FeminineGenus
Instagram: @thefemininegenuspodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.ph
This week on the pod, Kathryn and Marygrace argue about the merits of the Netflix adaptation of Persuasion, burnout in grad school, and the importance of human community and openness to grace to get through the difficulties of our lives. A very human episode, everyone. We hope you enjoy.
Also PSA: Kathryn's (my) audio is a little lower quality this week. Still understandable, but admittedly not my best work. Hopefully it won't affect your listening experience!
Remember to rate and review us on your listening service of choice, and let us know your feedback! You can also connect with us on our socials:
Twitter: @FeminineGenus
Instagram: @thefemininegenuspodcast
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100085152660433
This week on the show, the podcasting duo discusses Kathryn's recent article in FemCatholic about research underfunding for polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a disease which impacts as many as 21% of women. They discuss the biology of PCOS, the glorious mystery of the thymus, and how our culture's contraceptive mentality contributes to the underdevelopment of women's health research. Lots of spicy thoughts in this one guys, enjoy!
Resources mentioned:
- Kathryn's article in FemCatholic - https://www.femcatholic.com/post/pcos-affects-21-percent-of-women-so-why-dont-we-know-more-about-it
- The Catholic Church and contraception - Emily Frase, @totalwhine on Instagram or https://totalwhine.com/
- Fertility Awareness Methods - https://fabmbase.org/
This week on the show, Marygrace and Kathryn get into the weeds of scientific publishing, discussing how the inherent biases and barriers present in the publishing process can cause problems for communicating findings and advancing scientific pursuits. We hope you enjoy!
This week on the podcast, Marygrace and Kathryn put on their philosopher hats to ask the question: What is science? They discuss what science is for, how science is done, and what limitations it has.
Oh, and a country album by Larry the Cucumber may also make an appearance. Enjoy!
Links:
VeggieTales country album on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3pkezOpe465FinHMCSdvzq?si=K2pNMWKwS420BC21eNwvlg
To learn more about buffers: https://sciencing.com/convert-pka-ka-7627285.html
Welcome to Feminine Genus podcast! In this first episode, Marygrace and Kathryn introduce themselves and their journeys, both in becoming scientists and in embracing the Catholic faith, and end with a brief discussion about what other topics will be coming up on the show. Enjoy!