Episode
Should You Fear the Sun? & Is There Anything to Astrology?
- Podcast
- Something You Should Know
- Published
- Jun 15, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 2978
- Processing state
not_requested
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Summary
Most parents think the key to getting kids to eat healthy food is explaining why it's healthy. Unfortunately, research suggests that strategy can backfire spectacularly. In fact, telling children a food is "good for you" may be one of the fastest ways to make them reject it. Fortunately, there is a much better approach. https://www.chicagobooth.edu/review/kids-can-have-their-cake-and-their-broccoli-too For years we've been told that sunlight is something to avoid. Stay indoors. Cover up. Wear sunscreen. And while excessive sun exposure certainly carries risks, some researchers are asking whether the conversation has become too one-sided. Could avoiding the sun come with health consequences of its own? Are we getting enough sunlight to support healthy bodies and minds? And what does the evidence actually say about sunscreen, vitamin D, skin cancer, and the benefits of spending time outdoors? Journalist Rowan Jacobsen set out to investigate these questions and found answers that surprised him. He joins me to discuss the science behind our relationship with the sun and why the story may be far more nuanced than most people realize. Rowan is author of In Defense of Sunlight: The Surprising Science of Sun Exposure (https://amzn.to/4o5QD1n). Astrology has survived for thousands of years. Millions of people know their zodiac sign, read horoscopes, and occasionally wonder whether there might be something to it. Yet astrology occupies a strange place in modern culture—widely followed, frequently mocked, and rarely examined carefully. So where did astrology come from? Why are humans so drawn to it? Why do horoscope descriptions often feel uncannily accurate? And when scientists have put astrology to the test, what have they found? Award-winning science journalist Carlos Orsi tak…