Jenny Kleeman

Neil Hopper, a prominent vascular surgeon in Cornwall, lost both lower legs after deliberately freezing his feet because of an amputation fetish, then made fraudulent insurance claims and possessed extreme pornography. He was sentenced to 32 months in prison and later struck off the medical register after a tribunal found an extremely high level of seriousness and risk and little meaningful insight into his conduct. Former patients and relatives fear his private interests may have affected his clinical work, citing unusually painful or prolonged procedures and lasting injuries, although neither the Royal Cornwall Hospitals NHS Trust nor Ramsay Health Care UK found evidence of risk or harm in their reviews. Patients’ lawyer Mike Bird argues that the trust’s review of 30 cases was superficial and lacked independence, prompting calls for a wider inquiry into Hopper’s operations, records and conduct.

Avtar Singh spent decades trying to discover what happened to his birth mother, Savinder Kaur Nagi, after being separated from her as a child in India and sent to Canada. In May 2025, he used ChatGPT to search for a woman matching the limited details he knew, and the chatbot surfaced an article written by Nicci Dhamu about Savinder. The connection led to an email, a phone call and the realization that Nicci was Avtar's half-sister. The siblings then met in London and introduced Avtar to other maternal relatives. Their reunion brought joy but came too late for Savinder, who had died months earlier. Both siblings accept the relationship without DNA testing, while Avtar remains wary of technology companies' handling of personal data despite ChatGPT's role in reconnecting the family.

Lawyer Mark Lanier challenges Meta and Google in a landmark Los Angeles case alleging that Instagram and YouTube were intentionally engineered to be addictive and harmful to youth mental health. The podcast follows Lanier’s strategy, blending AI jury modelling with theatrical courtroom methods, and discusses Mark Zuckerberg’s rare appearance on the stand as the companies face efforts to hold them accountable for their platforms’ impact.

A landmark lawsuit led by attorney Mark Lanier resulted in Meta and Google being held liable for designing addictive social media products that harmed a young woman, Kaley, who developed mental health issues after early exposure to YouTube and Instagram. Internal documents revealed deliberate use of addictive design strategies, dark patterns, and insufficient protections for minors. The $6 million verdict opens the path for thousands of similar cases that could force major changes to social media business models. Lanier’s broader history of litigation against powerful corporations and his belief in pursuing morally driven cases underpin his approach, while tech companies continue to face mounting political and legal pressure globally over child safety and product design practices.

Journalist Jenny Kleeman investigates biotech entrepreneur Cathy Tie, known as “Biotech Barbie,” and her push to use Crispr gene editing to enable parents to alter embryos, exploring the ambitions behind her reproductive technology venture and the questions surrounding her claims.

Cathy Tie’s effort to use Crispr technology to allow parents to genetically edit embryos is explored, highlighting her ambitions, public image and the concerns surrounding her approach as investigators uncover complexities behind her vision for reshaping human reproduction.

Cathy Tie seeks to advance human embryo gene editing by promoting regulated, transparent research intended to eliminate severe heritable diseases. Her efforts unfold amid rising private investment, expanding Chinese biotech ambitions, and lingering controversy surrounding her ties to He Jiankui. While arguing that germline editing is inevitable and necessary, she faces ethical concerns about safety, eugenics, enhancement, and inequality. Scientific, regulatory, and public scrutiny continue to shape whether such procedures will move from prohibition toward clinical acceptance.

DNA tests taken in adulthood revealed that twins Lavinia and Michelle Osbourne, born to the same mother, have different fathers due to the rare phenomenon of heteropaternal superfecundation. The discovery reshaped their understanding of their identities and family history, uncovering long‑hidden trauma and leading each to locate her biological father. Michelle’s search confirmed her father as a man struggling with addiction, while Lavinia found a supportive, welcoming paternal family. Their shared past of instability and their mother’s unresolved distress framed the emotional impact of these revelations. Despite tensions arising from the discovery, both sisters gained new familial connections and reaffirmed their enduring bond.

A British tourist with a valid visa was detained by US immigration authorities for six weeks after being turned back from the Canadian border, highlighting aggressive detention practices under the Trump administration. Her account describes harsh conditions, lack of legal recourse, pressure to accept self-deportation, and financial and emotional fallout. Similar detentions of international visitors have increased amid expanded quotas and ICE incentives, contributing to declining tourism and rising concern ahead of major events such as the 2026 World Cup.

A massive data breach at Finnish psychotherapy provider Vastaamo exposed the sensitive therapy records of 33,000 people, leading to extortion attempts, public leaks, and severe emotional trauma for victims. Investigators traced the hack to Aleksanteri Kivimäki through digital evidence, financial trails and server links, culminating in his conviction for aggravated invasion of privacy and attempted extortion. Victims described profound violations of trust, while Vastaamo’s leadership faced criticism for grossly inadequate security. A second suspect has since been charged, and concerns persist over the long-term circulation of leaked records and the fragility of privacy in an increasingly digital world.

A former UK prison officer, Cherrie-Ann Austin-Saddington, describes how a coercive and illicit relationship with convicted rapist Bradley Trengrove led to her criminal conviction and the end of her career. Her experiences reveal systemic failures in prison staffing, training and oversight, as well as vulnerabilities that allowed manipulative inmates to exploit staff. The case highlights growing concerns about sexual boundary violations in prisons and the pressures faced by under-supported officers. Austin-Saddington, now paralysed following a spinal stroke, reflects on her vulnerability, the manipulation she endured, and the consequences that affected her family, career and life, while Trengrove received an extended sentence for his role in the misconduct.

A journalist reflects on years of compulsive overwork during traumatic periods, questioning whether her reliance on work constitutes addiction. Personal experiences of loss, illness and anxiety are contrasted with interviews from Workaholics Anonymous members and insights from an academic who distinguishes workaholism from true work addiction. While some individuals describe work as a harmful compulsion, others frame it as a fulfilling passion. The narrative concludes with an acceptance that work served as a coping mechanism rather than a destructive addiction, alongside a desire to maintain its positive aspects without tipping into harm.

A young woman, Naina Mishra, experienced escalating untreated psychosis while living between New York and London, severing ties with her family and most friends as her condition worsened. Her mother, Vandana Luthra, made extensive efforts to track her down despite legal and privacy barriers that prevented intervention. After months of erratic behaviour, isolation and paranoid delusions, Naina briefly reached out for help before being taken to Hong Kong, where she died by suicide days later. Her story highlights widespread gaps in recognising psychosis, the limitations of privacy laws in mental‑health crises and the lack of support for families trying to help vulnerable young adults.

An investigation recounts how a California fertility clinic stole eggs and embryos from patients in the 1980s and 1990s, resulting in at least 15 births. Reporter Jenny Kleeman follows the case of Renée Ballou, whose eggs were taken without her knowledge, and Carole LieberWilkins, who unknowingly gave birth using those stolen eggs. Despite the trauma of the scandal, the women formed a close and unexpected friendship, highlighting resilience and trust amid a major medical ethics breach.

Mike Mew promotes mewing, a posture-based technique claiming to reshape the face, gaining massive online traction among young people and incel communities while being rejected by mainstream orthodontics. His rise coincided with disciplinary action that resulted in loss of his dental licence over claims of unnecessary and harmful treatment of children and unsubstantiated assertions about facial growth. Mew portrays himself as a persecuted outsider challenging orthodontic orthodoxy, linking facial form to health, longevity and attractiveness, despite limited scientific evidence. As legal and financial pressures mount, he increasingly relies on online content and a paid app while seeking public participation in crowdsourced facial-growth research.

Two women formed an unexpected bond after learning that a fertility specialist had used one woman’s eggs without consent to create a child carried and raised by the other. The scandal at UC Irvine involved large‑scale egg and embryo theft by Rogue doctors Ricardo Asch and José Balmaceda, resulting in numerous nonconsensual births. Renée Ballou and Carole LieberWilkins, who were both victims in different ways, gradually built trust and exchanged information, photographs and eventually conversations with the child, Daniel. As Daniel reached adulthood, he remained indifferent until his wife encouraged him to reconnect, leading to their first meeting decades later. Their families now maintain a tentative but growing relationship, reflecting the emotional fallout of the scandal and the long‑term importance of transparency in donor conception.

A British tourist attempting to leave the United States was detained by immigration authorities, classified as an illegal worker, and held for 19 days in an ICE detention center despite having the means to return home. Her confinement, marked by harsh conditions and bureaucratic delays, occurred amid a surge in immigration arrests under the Trump administration. Media attention eventually led to her release, though she was banned from the US for 10 years. Her experience highlights escalating border enforcement, the vulnerability of foreign travelers, and growing concerns about politically driven detention practices.

A DNA test confirms that the son Joan raised was not biologically hers, validating her decades-old suspicion that her newborn was switched at birth in a West Midlands hospital in 1951. Her daughter Sue leads an exhaustive search using DNA databases, birth records, and professional tracing services, while facing high costs and limited cooperation from potential matches. With Joan now in her mid-90s, the family urgently seeks closure, hoping to identify her biological son despite fading time and uncertain responses from those involved.

Noland Arbaugh, paralysed after a spinal injury, received a Neuralink brain implant enabling him to control digital devices using his thoughts, allowing him to play games, communicate and participate online. The podcast examines the risks, benefits and wider ambitions behind Elon Musk’s efforts to advance brain‑computer interfaces and explores the potential societal consequences of merging human cognition with technology.

A paralyzed man, Noland Arbaugh, becomes the first human to receive Neuralink’s brain implant, enabling him to control digital devices through neural signals. The technology gives him new independence but also brings setbacks, including serious technical failures as most electrode threads detached from his brain tissue. Engineers restored partial functionality through software adjustments. The story examines Musk’s ambitions for brain–computer interfaces, potential therapeutic uses, the lack of public research transparency, ethical concerns such as privacy and manipulation, and the possibility of future inequality between implant users and non-users. Arbaugh values the life-changing capabilities but recognizes the risks as he continues his role in Neuralink’s ongoing trial.

A new form of digital avatar therapy allows clinicians and patients to create and interact with avatars representing auditory hallucinations, enabling individuals with psychosis to challenge distressing voices. Claire, who had struggled with psychosis for decades, experienced a major breakthrough during the trial and found her hallucinated voice disappeared after several weeks of sessions.

Jeff Goldblum reflects on aging, identity and becoming a late-in-life father, while Malcolm and Simone Collins outline their pronatalist ideology, supported by Elon Musk, which promotes having larger families to address population concerns.