08/11/2023

In ‘The Pod Generation,’ Pregnancy Goes High-Tech

11:47 minutes

a black man and a white woman sit by a white egg shaped capsule. behind them is a logo for a horse with a wing
Emilia Clarke (left) and Chiwetel Ejiofor (right) star in “The Pod Generation.” Credit: Vertical & Roadside Attractions

an orange background, with faded images with a science-fiction theme such as zombies and astronauts, and the words "science goes to the movies"

In the new movie The Pod Generation, a wife named Rachel, played by Emilia Clarke, and her husband Alvy, played by Chiwetel Ejiofor, want to start a family. In the movie’s near future, you don’t have to have a baby by getting pregnant, or using IVF, or going through a surrogate.

If you’re lucky, you can get a reservation at The Womb Center, where you can grow your baby inside a convenient, high-tech, egg-shaped pod. Pressured by her friends and her work’s HR department, Rachel decides to give The Womb Center a shot.

But Alvy, a professor of botany and lover of the natural world, is not thrilled to find out Rachel wants a pod baby. Despite this, they forge ahead and learn how this new technology will not only change society, but their relationship. 

Science Friday producer and Universe of Art host D. Peterschmidt sat down with the film’s writer and director, Sophie Barthes, to talk about what inspired her to make the movie, and what may be lost in the thoughtless pursuit of technology.

Watch the trailer for the film below.


Segment Guests

Sophie Barthes

Sophie Barthes is the writer and director of the film Pod Generation, and is based in Brooklyn, NY

Segment Transcript

The transcript of this segment is being processed. It will be available within one week after the show airs.

Meet the Producer

About D. Peterschmidt

D. Peterschmidt is a producer, host of the podcast Universe of Art, and composes music for Science Friday’s podcasts. Their D&D character is a clumsy bard named Chip Chap Chopman.

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