Particles & Secretions

Summary

Armstrong & Getty On Demand: "Particles & Secretions" – Detailed Summary

Release Date: May 5, 2025
Hosted by: Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty | iHeartPodcasts

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1. Introduction

The episode titled "Particles & Secretions" embarks on a multifaceted discussion ranging from celebrity antics to critical societal issues such as declining birth rates and environmental concerns. Anchored by hosts Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty, the conversation seamlessly blends humor with insightful commentary on contemporary events.

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2. Belichick Law and Age-Gap Dating

Timestamp: [00:58] – [01:21]

The episode kicks off with a humorous take on the "Belichick Law," a satirical notion that aims to normalize significant age disparities in romantic relationships. Jack Armstrong quips, "Sir, this order will make it socially acceptable for a man in his 70s to date a 24-year-old" ([00:58]). The hosts lightheartedly debate the societal implications, reflecting on the complexities of public perceptions when high-profile figures, like Belichick, engage in such relationships.

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3. Warren Buffett’s Retirement and Views on Production vs. Consumption

Timestamp: [02:13] – [10:14]

A significant portion of the discussion centers around Warren Buffett's decision to step down at the age of 93. Jack Armstrong shares his admiration for Buffett's conservative lifestyle and long-term planning, stating, "He’s from my part of the country, the oracle of Omaha. I just always liked his lives in a little house in a small town" ([02:13]).

They delve into Buffett's controversial statements on taxation, specifically criticizing his remark, "My secretary pays lower taxes than I do," which Armstrong deems "misleading and stupid" ([10:55]). The hosts explore the dichotomy between Buffett's immense production and consumption capabilities, emphasizing Buffett’s role as a net producer who has systematically contributed more to society than he consumes.

Jack further elaborates on the essence of human activity, stating, "Fundamentally, there are two things humans do. We produce and we consume" ([04:11]). The conversation evolves to discuss the balance between these activities and the societal expectations placed on individuals, especially those with significant wealth and influence.

Joe Getty adds, "He is simultaneously right and overstating his case... there are plenty of people who 100% answered to that description and then said, 'That's enough producing,'" highlighting exceptions to Buffett's generalization ([07:27]).

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4. Trump’s $1,000 Incentive for Illegal Immigrants

Timestamp: [11:35] – [13:36]

Shifting to political satire, Jack Armstrong announces a fictional policy where "Trump has just announced he'll give $1,000 to any illegal who voluntarily leaves the country" ([11:35]). The hosts dissect the absurdity of such a policy, debating its feasibility and potential effectiveness in managing illegal immigration. They mock the practicality of funding and executing this initiative, ultimately dismissing it as "too wacky" to be a serious proposition ([13:24]).

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5. European Blackouts and Overreliance on Green Energy

Timestamp: [15:05] – [18:27]

Joe Getty introduces a critical analysis of recent massive blackouts in Europe, attributing them to Europe's overdependence on green energy sources. He references Emmett Penny's article in the Free Press, explaining how the integration of wind and solar power lacks the necessary inertia to maintain grid stability. Joe states, "The power grid is like a giant game of T. Keeping the lights on involves making sure the rope between supply and demand remains taut" ([16:34]).

Jack Armstrong concurs, expressing surprise at the unresolved nature of the blackout causes, indicating a lack of comprehensive media coverage once the initial story dissipated ([18:12]). The hosts underscore the vulnerabilities introduced by transitioning to unpredictable energy sources, emphasizing the need for a balanced energy mix to ensure reliability.

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6. Egg Freezing and Declining Birth Rates

Timestamp: [19:00] – [31:55]

One of the episode's central themes is the surge in egg freezing among American women, juxtaposed with declining birth rates. The hosts discuss advances in reproductive technology, likening egg freezing to the revolutionary impact of the pill in the 1960s. Jack Armstrong remarks, "It's as revolutionary as the pill was in the '60s" ([19:24]).

Joe Getty shares perspectives from women interviewed about their decision to freeze eggs, highlighting the desire to "enjoy these times with my partner a bit more instead of rushing to have kids" ([19:53]). The conversation delves into societal pressures and personal choices impacting family planning, with statistics underscoring the alarming decline in birth rates:

• United States: 1.66 children per woman
• Japan: 1.3 children per woman
• South Korea: 0.87 children per woman
• Canada: 1.47 children per woman

Jack questions the motivations behind these trends, dismissing the notion that individuals simply wish to delay parenthood for personal freedoms. Instead, they consider broader societal shifts and economic factors contributing to these low birth rates.

Joe emphasizes the biological implications, noting that "older eggs... are not quite as effective" ([24:59]), and discusses the challenges of balancing career aspirations with family planning. The hosts reflect on their personal experiences with parenthood, underscoring the diverse motivations and consequences of delayed childbearing.

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7. Discovery of Microplastics in Human Ovaries and Impacts on Fertility

Timestamp: [35:12] – [38:32]

Transitioning to environmental health concerns, Joe Getty presents a study revealing the presence of microplastics in human ovaries. He states, "Scientists have discovered microplastics in the follicular fluid of human ovaries" ([35:12]). The discussion highlights the study's findings, where plastic particles were identified in 14 out of 18 samples from patients undergoing fertility treatments. This discovery raises alarms about the pervasive nature of plastic pollution and its potential interference with reproductive processes.

Jack Armstrong speculates on sources of microplastics, questioning the primary contributors and pondering solutions: "Where are we getting most of the microplastics? That... because so many of us drink out of the plastic water bottles?" ([37:07]). Joe counters, emphasizing the ubiquitous presence of plastic in modern life, not limited to bottled water, but pervasive in packaging and everyday products.

The hosts contemplate the broader implications of such pollution, with Joe asserting, "It's not a huge study, obviously, but it's peer-reviewed. And the research marks a major step forward in understanding how deep plastic pollution runs—not just in the environment, but in our bodies" ([35:12]). They discuss the potential long-term effects on human health and fertility, advocating for increased awareness and action to mitigate plastic pollution.

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8. Brief Mentions and Lighthearted Commentary

Timestamp: Various

Interspersed throughout the episode are lighter segments where Armstrong and Getty share anecdotes and humorous observations:

• Caitlin Clark's Half-Court Shot: Jack humorously critiques a highlight from Caitlin Clark, referring to her shot as "hot dog" and questioning the sportsmanship involved ([33:50] – [34:20]).

• Personal Reflections on Parenthood: The hosts share personal stories about their parenting choices, balancing humor with genuine insights into the challenges and joys of raising children later in life.

• Advertisements: While ads for services like Dutch and Simplisafe are present, the hosts often interject humorous comments, maintaining the episode's engaging and conversational tone.

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9. Conclusion

The "Particles & Secretions" episode adeptly navigates a spectrum of topics, from satirical takes on societal norms to serious discussions on environmental health and demographic shifts. Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty blend humor with critical analysis, offering listeners both entertainment and thoughtful commentary on pressing contemporary issues.

Notable Quotes:

• Jack Armstrong ([02:13]): "He’s from my part of the country, the oracle of Omaha. I just always liked his lives in a little house in a small town."
• Joe Getty ([35:12]): "Scientists have discovered microplastics in the follicular fluid of human ovaries."
• Jack Armstrong ([19:24]): "It's as revolutionary as the pill was in the '60s."
• Joe Getty ([04:11]): "Fundamentally, there are two things humans do. We produce and we consume."

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Key Takeaways:

• Societal Norms and Relationships: The portrayal of significant age-gap relationships through the lens of celebrity culture.
• Economic and Ethical Discourse: Warren Buffett's retirement sparks discussions on wealth distribution and societal contributions.
• Immigration Policies: Satirical critique of unconventional policy proposals.
• Energy Dependence: Overreliance on green energy sources poses risks to infrastructure stability.
• Demographic Shifts: Declining birth rates influenced by advancements in reproductive technology and changing societal priorities.
• Environmental Health: Microplastic pollution's potential adverse effects on human fertility highlight urgent environmental and health concerns.

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the essence of the "Particles & Secretions" episode, providing an insightful overview for those who have yet to listen. The hosts’ ability to intertwine humor with critical analysis ensures a compelling and informative listening experience.

Transcript

[Unknown Host]

You're listening to an iHeart podcast. Time is precious and so are our pets. So time with our pets is extra precious. That's why we started Dutch. Dutch provides 24,7 access to licensed vets with unlimited virtual visits and follow ups for up to five pets. You can message a vet at any time and schedule a video visit the same day. Our vets can even prescribe medication for many ailments and shipping is always free. With Dutch, you'll get more time with your pets and year round peace of mind when it comes comes to their vet care.

[Joe Getty]

Broadcasting live from the Abraham Lincoln radio Studio at the George Washington Broadcast Center, Jack Armstrong and Joe Getty. Armstrong and Getty. And now here's Armstrong and Getty.

[Jack Armstrong]

Sir, this order will make it socially acceptable for a man in his 70s to date a 24 year old.

[Joe Getty]

That's right.

[Jack Armstrong]

We're calling it the Belichick Law. We're gonna make girlfriends young again. Okay. Old men can now date far younger women.

[Joe Getty]

We like that.

[Jack Armstrong]

It's hot.

[Joe Getty]

But in reverse, it's quite disgusting.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right?

[Joe Getty]

Very Dateline.

[Jack Armstrong]

You know, that's funny, that's from Saturday Night Live, the whole Belichick thing. He cannot be digging that. It's getting more attention than his book. His book has kind of been obscured by the whole. Oh, wait, you're dating one of the former cheerleaders you met on a plane to a game. Oh, okay.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. His whole Persona is grumpy and proud. So being the object of ridicule is probably not great. It doesn't sit real comfortably.

[Jack Armstrong]

Or he's in love and having the time of his life and he doesn't care. Which might be his attitude.

[Joe Getty]

Right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Which kind of fits in a little bit with this.

[Joe Getty]

So hold on, hold on. I'll stand by everybody. Coughing fit. We have a coughing fit.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, we do. I'm a couple of days away from a full month being sick like this, which is crazy. Hold on, I think I can do it.

[Joe Getty]

You know, we gotta be like a music radio show that runs like groovy music in the background to make it feel like there's forward momentum. That's why they do that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. It's hard to imagine listening to this radio program.

[Joe Getty]

Well, you know, I could jump in every time you have to cough, but I don't necessarily have anything to say. Because you're mid sentence.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right. And I've got something planned. So. My entire adult life, Warren Buffett has been one of the richest people in the world. He's an investor, and he's from my Part of the country, the oracle of Omaha. I'm from Kansas and so I just always liked his lives in a little house in a small town. Very basic sort of Midwest guy vibe. I've always liked his kind of conservative view, like personally conservative view of, you know, long term planning and not conspicuous consumption and all that sort of vibe. He also said some just freaking horrible things that have been just completely out of line that have disrupted our political conversation. His, his B.S. my secretary pays lower taxes than I do and doesn't write that's not right is one of the most misleading and stupid conversations we've had in America. So you've got that also. But anyway, he finally stepped down over the weekend, age 93, I think he.

[Joe Getty]

Is at the end of the year, isn't he?

[Jack Armstrong]

Or something.

[Joe Getty]

He announced his succession, he announced over.

[Jack Armstrong]

The weekend and he's handing it off to some guy from Iowa that I constantly heard the guy still lives in Des Moines. Like it's just so shocking that this guy who's also really rich would stay there. As I was talking about last week, I personally know people who would rather kill themselves than live in New York. But everybody who lives in New York thinks the only reason we don't live in New York is because we haven't figured out how to get there. It's just, I find that so frustrating.

[Joe Getty]

We spend all day longing to live in Manhattan, just dreaming of it every day.

[Jack Armstrong]

We all the rest of us think in LA is the same way in a bunch of different places, but that people around the country every day get up and think, I guess I'll go to work even though I don't live in New York or la, I guess there's still some reason to get up. All right, fine, whatever. Anyway, so Warren Buffett, Warren Buffett's speech on the way out the door. I thought it was pretty interesting and will spark conversations. I'm sure he said, why doesn't that old rich guy just retire already? He must not have a purpose in life outside of money, like a lot of people. I used to think that way, but it's wrong. Fundamentally, there are two things humans do. We produce and we consume. That's it. Most of us throughout our lives produce and consume roughly in parity with each other. We make money and over time, even if invest some of it and don't spend it immediately after earning it, we expend it. All the work we do, the economic value we create is offset by the house in which we live, the food we eat, the medical costs of keeping Us alive, the vacations we take, and all the myriad other things we consume each day. And over the course of the years, some of us consume more than we produce. This requires some type of external subsidy, be it a trust fund, charitable support, or government benefits. I like the way he puts government benefits. Last, like that's not the first thing that's.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, no, it happens in rare cases. The government supports people. Yes, yes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Back to his text. A small number of us produce more than we consume and an even smaller number produce vastly more than they could ever hope of consuming. These people have many different roles and titles. If you respect these people and appreciate their contributions to our society, which, by the way, I hope you do, because these are the people that make it possible for you to eat food. You didn't have to grow yourself living in a house. You didn't have to build yourself and utilize countless technological innovations. You didn't have to invent yourself.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. When are they going to pay their fair share? That's what I want to know.

[Jack Armstrong]

You probably call them builders, creators or inventors, founders, entrepreneurs, business leaders, titans of industry, pillars of community. That's if you respect them, he said. If you don't like them, you probably have other terms. Plutocrats, bourgeoisie, kulaks, parasites, vultures, hoarders of wealth.

[Joe Getty]

Is this 1919 Russia we're talking about?

[Jack Armstrong]

It's kind of interesting that he's got this point of view that I agree with while at the same time perpetuating that fraud tax statement that he put out there, isn't it?

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, that is odd.

[Jack Armstrong]

I mean, he has to know better. He's a financial genius. Anyway, back to what he said, going back to the old rich person at the start of this. That guy, whether you respect him or not, attained his position in society by virtue. Having been a net producer, he's produced more than he's consumed. His outputs total more than the sum of his inputs. Put simply, he's planted and harvested more than he's eaten. People who produce like that over the course of their lives don't do so because they want to one day start consuming more. Men and women who spend each day as net producers don't just switch it off one day and become a net consumer. Vacations, rounds of golf, restaurant outings, and movie showings simply aren't satisfying to someone whose mind, not to mention whose heart, whose animating spirit, is wired for producing. It simply doesn't work that way. You might not understand it. You might not understand these people. And that's fine for much of my Life. I didn't either. But don't question what drives them just because it's not what drives you, because these are the men and women who built our society, explored new worlds, invented the wondrous technologies we use every day, and created the works of art and literature we get to enjoy. And they're the ones who will keep building, keep creating, and keep making it possible for future generations to enjoy these things even greater.

[Joe Getty]

He is simultaneously right and overstating his case, in my opinion. I completely get his point, and it's eloquently put, and I appreciate it. At the same time, I've known plenty. I know right now, plenty of people who 100% answered to that description and then said, you know what? That's enough producing. And now I am going to play golf and go out to dinner and go to shows. Oh. And, you know, support charities, and, you know, I will. I will repurpose my life. I suppose you could argue they're still producing in a way, but I think it's a fairly extreme case, or rare case that takes it damn near to the foot of the grave, like Warren Buffett will. I'm not criticizing. I'm just saying you're out there.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's sort of his point, though, that it is a small number who are so animated by that. That's all they want to do.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

Clear to the end.

[Joe Getty]

Right, right. It sounded like to me he was being a bit more broad, that if you have that spirit, you never lose it and you work until you have one foot in the grave. And I'm just. I'm not sure that's true, but I don't know.

[Jack Armstrong]

I. I'm closer to him than. I'm not. I just can't imagine enjoying at all. Traveling, eating. I don't golf, but whatever. I just can't even imagine enjoying that at all. It sounds awful to me.

[Joe Getty]

Well, that's. Is why you're a titan of industry.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. So what? That's the interesting thing. What if you are not built to do those sorts of things, but you don't produce much? I produce, you know, I half produce. 4 hours of frivolous talk every day.

[Joe Getty]

Headaches. Headaches occasionally. Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't know where that leaves you.

[Joe Getty]

Interesting question. Yeah, well, to each other in their own, you know, degree. Whatever.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. I thought that was really interesting. I liked him standing up for that crowd, you know, and stop calling us plutocrats and all that other stuff.

[Joe Getty]

Well, right.

[Jack Armstrong]

Because we just want to produce as opposed to take.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think he could have been Harder on the people that only want to take. There's a big crowd out there that is the exact opposite. 100 every. It's a continuum, obviously, from the produce to the day you die to the never produce a thing. But there's a lot of people perfectly happy with not producing a thing. I think it makes you miserable, probably a drug addict, and you die early. But there's a lot of people willing to do that.

[Joe Getty]

Well, yeah, the actuarial tables would suggest that you're right. Yes. On the other hand, many folks, even you, have asked, how much money do you need? Why do you keep working? Why do you keep doing this? Why do you keep, you know, whatever that person does to acquire more and more wealth?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. As he said, that's a reasonable question.

[Joe Getty]

That's the answer.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. As he said, he asked that question his whole life. As I get closer to the end, you know, I'm sick, I might be dead by the end of the week. As I get closer to the end, I understand where he's coming from more than I did even two years ago, I think. And I don't know why, but it's interesting that he didn't get it much of his. I mean, he's really old. It's not like he's, you know, just turned 65 and is retiring. He's pushing a hundred.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah. Thought provoking.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I'd say so. Elon's probably going to be one of those people. Elon's never going to say, well, that's enough of that.

[Joe Getty]

No, no. I agree completely. My no is a yes. By yes, I mean no, vice versa. I've lost track. Yeah, okay. Interesting. Indeed.

[Jack Armstrong]

I wish you could have taken back that stupid, stupid thing about your secretary paying lower taxes than you because it's stupid and you know, it's stupid.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. There are situations where you can borrow against enormous but unrealized gains. And that quote, unquote, income is tax free. Yes, I'm familiar with that part of the tax code. But yeah, it's just again, It's a myth. One, the top 1% pay, whatever it is, 47% of the income tax in America anyway. Much more to come, including the tragic birth rate situation among humankind.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, we've got some breaking news I wanted to mention.

[Joe Getty]

Oh, okay.

[Jack Armstrong]

Trump has just announced he'll give $1,000 to any illegal who voluntarily leaves the country.

[Joe Getty]

What?

[Jack Armstrong]

You heard me.

[Joe Getty]

He is in full.

[Jack Armstrong]

Not a complicated sense running a game.

[Joe Getty]

Show, you know, mode, right now. I'll bet it works.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't Know if he's. I don't know where that money would come from and I don't know what the mechanism would be for doing it or any of that stuff.

[Joe Getty]

I am so mystified. This, where does this one rank in let's reopen Alcatraz as a maximum security prison? Or is that above or below it in the what are we doing here scale?

[Jack Armstrong]

I bet it would work. I'll bet a bunch of people, I bet you could get a couple million people to voluntarily leave if they're going to get a thousand bucks thinking short term and, or thinking I'm going to have to leave at some point anyway, so I might as well get the thousand dollars and then with our new border control, you can't get back in.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, the whole hot Kristi gnome with her, her ads that are running now all the time that let's say if you report yourself and leave, you can come back at some point legally, but if we find you and you haven't self reported, you're booted out for the rest of your life. If people are hearing that and thinking, wow, I wonder if they're serious and you'll give me a grand just to disappear. You know, my uncle rehire me back in Guadalajara or whatever. I don't, I, I don't know. But a grand, I mean that's if you're making, well, for instance, 52 grand a year. That's, that's a week's wages. You're gonna leave the land of milk and honey for a week's wages.

[Jack Armstrong]

What if you think you're gonna get booted out at some point anyway?

[Joe Getty]

Stuck in Alcatraz. Probably right. It'll be our new illegal immigrant camp. All right, this is just too wacky.

[Jack Armstrong]

All right, fine. You didn't like it?

[Joe Getty]

Too wacky.

[Jack Armstrong]

I'm just passing along the news of the day. More on the ways to ear Armstrong and Getty.

[Unknown Host]

Time is precious and so are our pets. So time with our pets is extra precious. That's why we started Dutch. Dutch provides 24,7 access to licensed vets with unlimited virtual visits and follow ups for up to five pets. You can message a vet at any time and schedule a video visit the same day. Our vets can even prescribe medication for many ailments and shipping is always free. With Dutch, you'll get more time with your pets and year round peace of mind when it comes to their vet care.

[Jack Armstrong]

Care. It's as revolutionary as the pill was in the 60s freezing eggs. So now you can have motherhood whenever you Want it not during your fun years when you're running around and don't want to have kids. You can put it off to when you're much, much older. According to 60 Minutes last night. We'll discuss that. Probably an hour four. Man, that's an interesting story.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I was thinking about this. If, if. Forget that we're human beings. If we were deer. This is, this is your headline for deer. One would be leader. One buck would be leader of the deer herd has criticized the other would be leader for having antlers too big. Also, young bucks are now having fun scratching themselves against trees. In another news, the herd is dying out. I mean, shouldn't that be the lead story? Our herd is dying out. We're just importing deer from other forests to distract us from that fact. So stay tuned for that.

[Jack Armstrong]

Some of them have MS.13 tattooed on their hooves.

[Joe Getty]

That was Photoshopped. So it is so funny if you are a savvy consumer of the news to watch the gyrations. A lot of the lefty media, which is virtually everybody with the obvious exceptions, the, the gymnastics they go through if they come across something that makes them uncomfortable and they'd prefer not to report it, whether it's the raging anti Semitism on college campuses or what have you, this is a perfect example. Did you hear about the giant blackouts in Europe last week? France and Portugal in particularly, in particular, in particularly massive swaths of Europe had like day long blackouts. No electric power, no flights, no trains, no medical care. People milling around looking at each other. What are we supposed to do now? And there's a big mystery as to what was causing it. And this was covered extensively on your mainstream media. Cyber attack, Chinese something or other, the damn Ruskis, who knows. But then as soon as it became clear what actually had happened, we've moved on to other things. Nothing to see.

[Jack Armstrong]

Oh, I have a guess I didn't follow this story.

[Joe Getty]

Go ahead, guess away. I'll bet it's a good one.

[Jack Armstrong]

Green energy didn't fill the role it's supposed to.

[Joe Getty]

Hundred percent over reliance on utterly unreliable green energy. And I came across a piece that was very, very good by Emmett Penny in the Free Press that described this. I'll just touch on a little bit because we don't have much time, but simply put, the power grid is like a giant game of T. On one side there's demand, on the other there's supply. Keeping the lights on involves making sure the rope between supply and demand remains taught. This tautness is called inertia. In the energy grid business, healthy inertia means healthy grid frequency, which In Europe means 50 Hz. None of this means anything to any of us, and we'll forget it as soon as we've heard it. But in the version of events initially attributed to this other thing, something along one of the power lines disrupted the even flow of power between generations. Generators on the grid which messed with the frequency, which likely tripped off more wind and solar, which slackened the rope, which probably caused the blackouts. They are way, way over reliant on unpredictable, unsustainable sources of energy. The sources that made up 80% of the mix just before the blackout can't supply the requisite inertia the grid needs. So when these, you know, atmospheric oscillations they call them, took place, the Spanish grid was already in a precarious squ spot because it's the dearth of dispatchable power made it much more vulnerable to the sort of disturbances you're going to have in the real world. It makes it rigid, inflexible and undependable in the modern world.

[Jack Armstrong]

I've been my whole life.

[Joe Getty]

Well, what are you going to do?

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah. Yeah. So that's why that story went away.

[Joe Getty]

Yep. Interesting to see your folks keep moving.

[Jack Armstrong]

How many pencils do you need to live in America? That question and others on the way.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Gettysburg.

[Unknown Host]

Time is precious and so are our pets. So time with our pets is extra precious. That's why we started Dutch. Dutch provides 24,7 access to licensed vets with unlimited virtual visits and follow ups for up to five pets. You can message a vet at any time and schedule a video visit the same day. Our vets can even prescribe medication for many ailments and shipping is always free. With Dutch, you'll get more time with your pets and year round peace of mind when it comes to their vet care.

[Jack Armstrong]

Let's get some eggs. Let's go.

[Joe Getty]

Let's get some eggs. More and more American women are freezing their eggs to preserve their fertility. Those are the eggs. Could egg freezing offer what previous generations only dreamed of, the chance to put the biological clock on ice?

[Jack Armstrong]

There definitely is that tik tock clock.

[Joe Getty]

And I'm not ready quite yet.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think that egg freezing is as.

[Unknown Host]

Revolutionary as the pill was in 1960s and 70s.

[Joe Getty]

It's as revolutionary as the pill.

[Jack Armstrong]

Joe's favorite thing that 60 Minutes does and does better than anybody else. Restate what they just said because Your audience is 85 years old and you're afraid they missed it. But the story about Freezing eggs and freeing you up to have kids whenever you want. As a woman, I don't think previous generations necessarily were dreaming of this in the way you just stated, but let's hear a couple more and then we'll discuss. Here we go.

[Joe Getty]

We spoke to a group of women about their decision to freeze their eggs. Why is it a good idea? I 100% know that I really would love to have children. Yasmin Higbee is 29, works in consulting and has a serious boyfriend. I'll be able to enjoy these times with my partner a bit more instead of rushing to have kids, because there.

[Jack Armstrong]

Definitely is that TikTok clock that started.

[Joe Getty]

And I'm not ready quite yet. It's an insurance.

[Jack Armstrong]

I know that, you know, I'm going to be an older mother. This whole thing hurts my heart. One more and then we'll. We'll get into it. The next one there, Michael. Oh, you don't have any other next one. Okay. The next one was going to get into it about enjoying life instead of rushing into having kids. Rushing into having kids before you're 45.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, that's. Yeah, that's what she was talking about. The one we skipped is no difference in the health of it. Babies.

[Jack Armstrong]

Okay. Okay, gotcha.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Yeah. I don't. I don't know. I'm always uncomfortable with this, judging other people's lifestyles. Oh, no, I love that. It's like, I do that all day long. No, it's a couple of things. Number one, you know, people make these decisions for all sorts of complicated reasons, and it's very, very personal. And second, my wife and I, full disclosure, had our children, by today's standards, young. I was 27 when I became a dad for the first time. Which people say, wow. You know, not very long ago, they'd have said, wow, why'd you wait so long? Now it's, wow, you're just a kid. And Judy was just a little older than me, but. And I don't want to be guy who argues my life choices over yours reflexively. On the other hand, and I could list several examples where especially in the 20th century, which was the era of almost the cult of scientific development, in that we didn't only marvel at it and benefit from it, we became convinced that if science could do it, science should do it.

[Jack Armstrong]

Right.

[Joe Getty]

I think that was the kind of the dawn of people really thinking that. And the infamous unforgivable. So moronic it makes me want to assault somebody thought in the 20th century that we have designed this factory Manufactured infant formula that is far superior to a mother's milk. You're feeding your baby your milk, your mother's milk. You're a bad parent and a monster. Feed it these chemicals from our plant instead, which is monstrous in its ignorance and belligerence. But generations of kids and moms got that message.

[Jack Armstrong]

My only quibble with the 60 Minutes piece was they didn't present really any of the possible other side in the way that I think it could have been to great. At great length, for instance, and I have no leg to stand on in this conversation. I didn't have kids Till I was 45 years old because I'm a guy and I can choose to do whatever I want. So.

[Joe Getty]

Well, I appreciate your full disclosure, but at the same time, I have made a number of life choices that I am not going to defend at all. In fact, I would like to tell you why. They're stupid ideas. You know what I mean? Or, or, or I was in that position. If I had it all to do over again, I'd do it differently. That doesn't make you a hypocrite or.

[Jack Armstrong]

I wish I'd had kids younger for all kinds of different reasons. It will eliminate the whole grandparent relationship thing to a great extent when everybody starts having kids. If everybody starts having kids at a much later age, because it just does. Your grandparents are in a much different phase of their life if they're around at all and all that sort of stuff. I mean, it's a. I mean, there's lots of downsides, or even if you don't call them downsides, changes. And not all changes are positive, as you say all the time.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah. I would just say there are a number of biological. And that's a very broad category, number of biological reasons why you are better off having children when you are younger. Some of those have been made less significance by. Significant. By medical science, which is wonderful. I mean, for instance, one of the reasons you want to have your kids, ladies, when you were young and very strong and resilient, is because frequently it went kind of sideways. And maternal mortality was a serious problem for human beings and any animal, I suppose, but particularly human beings, because we're born with these enormous brains and very large heads, which can make the birthing process. I don't need to tell this to folk. Ladies have given birth. It can make it very difficult. As I've said more than once, my first kid, Kate, would have probably died in childbirth, taking Judy with her. But no, it was the 20th century, so thank God everybody Survived. So and so some of the reasons you want to have your kids this.

[Jack Armstrong]

Is because of the Getty head.

[Joe Getty]

Oh yeah. I mean our heads among you know, normal folks who have enormous heads, we refer to as pinheads. We have college, we have, we have heads rather like college mascots. Anyway, I have to wear my order my cowboy hats from mascot stores Giant. Well, but anyway, but some of the realities of giving birth to children, raising children cannot be changed by, you know, science. And there are more and more studies that show that older eggs, older, you know, sperm, whatever, are not quite as effective or more prone to various, you know, problems, which is why they're freezing the eggs, I guess.

[Jack Armstrong]

But so I do feel a little bit, I know this is your thing which we'll talk about next is we're on the Titanic talking about how great the new ships are going to be in 10 years as we get head straight toward the iceberg. And we are doing that in terms of the whole having babies thing. We'll talk, we'll explain what that means right after this. From Simply Safe. If you don't leave your house every day looking at the simply safe sign in your yard like I do, then I don't know what kind of peace of mind you have. Like I drive away knowing my house is protected while I'm at work today with the cameras and the sensors and everything else and the active guard protection. And it's about a dollar a day so you can afford it.

[Joe Getty]

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[Jack Armstrong]

The no long term contract is because they believe in the product.

[Joe Getty]

Yep. Visit simplisafe.comarmstrong to claim 50% off a new system with a professional monitoring plan. Get your first month free that simply safe.com Armstrong there's safe like simply safe.

[Jack Armstrong]

So last week we had the New York Times story about designer babies and being able to choose taller or blue eyes or various things and the horrors that could go with that, boys or girls. Now you got the whole freezing eggs. The good news, if you're worried about that, I guess is people ain't going to have babies, period, or aren't currently. And there's no reason to think that's going to turn around anytime soon.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, we talked about this more than once. You probably heard about it from other folks as well. But our birth rates in the developed world are. They range from oh my Lord to great God were already dead. In the United states, we're at 1.66. The conventional wisdom being each mother needs to have 2.1 children on average. I was just reading a genetic study that said it's really closer to 2.7 children to avoid families dying out on a genetic ongoing basis. But that gets a little complicated and statistically. But anyway, it's more than two children on average per mom just to keep the population exactly the same. And we're at 1.66 or so in America and Japan is at 1.3. And South Korea, the poster child for not having kids is where is that? 0.87.

[Jack Armstrong]

Whoa.

[Joe Getty]

Great. Whoa. Canada's 1.47. It's less than America, your 51st state, only because it'll be empty soon. So, yeah, the birth rates are crazy.

[Jack Armstrong]

And I say this every time. I do not believe it's because, you know, like the clips we just played from 60 minutes. I've just got so many things I want to do now. Well, it wasn't that long ago the things people wanted to do was have a kid.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Desperately.

[Jack Armstrong]

They weren't. I guess I'll have the kid. I'm going to have to put off travel and all these other things I want to do or social pressure.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. My mom keeps bugging me, so we probably ought to go ahead and get pregnant.

[Jack Armstrong]

The thing you wanted to do more than anything in the world was have a kid.

[Joe Getty]

Kid.

[Jack Armstrong]

And it wasn't just because TikTok wasn't around. So, you know, whatever's driving that. I don't know.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. Yeah. And again, I. I want to tread with light foot on this stuff because people can make their own decisions. I'm going to cast dispersions if you can preserve your eggs and they're still in great shape and some of the problems with older eggs and older sperm are not present. I suppose that's fine. I just. I will tell you, as a young parent, it's worked out fantastically. It's been great. Yeah, we're. We're pretty poor. I mean, we were, you know, famously. I would occasionally go out for a beer with friends and as I've said through the years, I had the budget for one 99 cent draft, one. That was it. And if nobody wanted to buy me a beer, I went home afterward and it's, it was fine.

[Jack Armstrong]

I actually remember those days.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, you know, I didn't dig it at the time, but it's fine. And again, you make the choices that work for you. Don't send your indignant email saying, well, it's fine and good for you to say, but this is my reality. That's fine that I'm not talking about you, but I have, God willing, a good long few decades that my grown kids are my friends and I get to see them live their life and someday I hope to have grandkids. You know, we have our own family circumstances, but it. With our individual kids. But there are wonderful, wonderful advantages to it. I had tons of energy. I was working, you know, obscene hours early in our career and I was coaching my kids teams and, and wrestling with them and running around playing, catching the yard or. It was great in a lot of ways, but you know, teach their own. So just. And the only reason I bring that up is not to say it's better and you're a dope if you don't.

[Jack Armstrong]

There's a right way and a wrong way.

[Joe Getty]

I appreciate your rigidity. It's, it's just to say if, if you've been listening to those messages that, oh, you gotta wait until you can afford, you know, designer baby clothes.

[Jack Armstrong]

That's the dumbest.

[Joe Getty]

That's not true.

[Jack Armstrong]

That is the absolute dumbest reason. Yeah. I had a neighbor used to say, just throw it out there because this was his idea because he had kids older before I had ever had kids. He'd always say, I wouldn't trade your 50s for my 20s. That was his big saying. And he had such a good time in his 20s, he glad he didn't ruin it by having kids. So I don't know if he still feels that way. It's possible he feels different now that he's older and.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, I don't know.

[Jack Armstrong]

I don't know.

[Joe Getty]

I don't know. I hope he's happy. I don't, whatever.

[Jack Armstrong]

I think just to throw in my two cents on that, having kids older. I don't think I enjoyed all the free time I had when I was younger the way you would if you raised your kids already. I just thought that was life. No, I was on vacation the entire time and didn't know it.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, that's funny.

[Jack Armstrong]

I was retired basically and didn't even know it. So it was a lot of wasted time.

[Joe Getty]

It Would have been funny if you'd said, you know, as a guy with full time job, yeah, I'm semi retired because all I do is work and then I screw around.

[Jack Armstrong]

All I see people at the airport traveling without kids. And I don't care what your business trip is or whatever, you're on vacation if you're not traveling with kids.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, yeah. So I wanted to get to this. It's a somewhat different topic, but it is. Why don't I just go ahead and mention it then we'll take a break. You know my joke about we've got all these health problems as Homo sapiens. And in my joke is one scientist said, well, they're eating completely different things than they've ever eaten before as a species. The other scientist said, nah, that's not it. I mean, what the. How silly and knee jerk would that be? Well, here's another one. Scientists have made an alarming discovery inside human ovaries. Ladies, you know what you got a bunch of in your ovaries? Microplastics. Oh, yeah. New study shows what scientists have feared for a long time, the effect of microplastics on human fertility. Stay with us, okay?

[Jack Armstrong]

And then you're gonna go on about seed oil. I know how you are, so stay right here.

[Joe Getty]

No, I'm not. I don't care about seed oil. Armstrong and Getty.

[Unknown Host]

Time is precious and so are our pets. So time with our pets is extra precious. That's why we started Dutch. Dutch provides 24,7 access to licensed vets with unlimited virtual visits and follow ups for up to five pets. You can message a vet at any time and schedule a video visit the same day. Our vets can even prescribe medication for many ailments and shipping is always free. With Dutch, you'll get more time with your pet and year round peace of mind when it comes to their vet care.

[Jack Armstrong]

Clark.

[Joe Getty]

Wow.

[Jack Armstrong]

From beyond the logo and a little point afterward, that was Caitlin Clark yesterday. So she returned to University of Iowa court for this exhibition game to play where she became famous and took a shot from just inside the half court line and nailed it. And everybody went berserko to her inner defense for taking that shot. They were up 55 at the time, so wow. Game was fairly solidly put away.

[Joe Getty]

Dominant performance. Yeah, yeah. She was showboating hot dog. And I don't appreciate that. So I don't know what to do with this information. Recent study shows evidence what scientists have feared for a long time, the effects of microplastics on human fertility and jack And I have a personal interest, not. Not just a professional and like broad human interest, in what seems to be a real increase in the number of kids with various developmental problems, from autism to mental health issues to whatever. I mean, it's just undeniable. I was doing a little mental, just kind of census of the people close to me, whether personal life or actual family and the rest of it. And the number of kids with autism or similar issues is notable.

[Jack Armstrong]

It sure is.

[Joe Getty]

Just say that. For the first time, scientists have discovered microplastics in the follicular fluid of human ovaries. According to a new peer reviewed study, this fluid plays a crucial role in nourishing and developing a woman's eggs. And researchers have alarmingly found plastic particles in 14 out of 18 samples collected from patients undergoing fertility treatment. It's not a huge study, obviously, but it's peer reviewed. And the research marks a major step forward in understanding how deep plastic pollution runs not just in the environment, but in our bodies. And then they go into some of the function of this fluid and the way ovaries do what they do. But the presence of microplastics in this fluid raises the possibility that these tiny particles are interfering with essential reproductive processes.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, I can imagine.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah, well. And these people have been looking at virtually every fluid human beings produce and secrete. They have found microplastics in us and fun animals.

[Jack Armstrong]

Yeah, fun work if you can get it. I want to analyze all your secretions, any liquid that comes out of you, I don't care where on the body. I'm going to take a good look or hard look at it.

[Joe Getty]

I've made a career of it. It's more interesting than you'd think. You. But animal studies have suggested that the plastics may dis ovarian function and reduce the ability to conceive. This does not speak to child developmental stuff. So that connection I made in my mind is there's no suggestion of that in this study, but something is going on in reproduction and. Or, you know, there's absolutely microplastics in breast milk. So are we getting approved over and over again?

[Jack Armstrong]

Where are we getting most of the microplastics? That. Is it because so many of us drink out of the plastic water bottles?

[Joe Getty]

Oh, no, because plastic is everywhere. I know it is, but everywhere all the time. And it gets thrown away and broken up and dissolves and.

[Jack Armstrong]

But I don't know if there's that much more plastic in my life than there was 40 years ago. Other than the water bottles.

[Joe Getty]

Yes. Yeah. Oh, yeah. Yeah, there's plastic in everything in a way that, you know, 40 years ago. Well, certainly like 50 years ago. You remember the famous line from the Graduate? One word, Benjamin. Plastics. The omnipresence of. I wish I had some stats in front of me, but yeah, plastic has gone from a rarity to everywhere, all the time in everything. Go buy, buy a hundred bucks worth of groceries and take a look at how much plastic packaging there is. For instance, that was absolutely not the case generation two generations ago. And it breaks down whether by sunlight, by, by water, by being crushed up or whatever. And it's not, it's not like, I mean, the water bottles might play a role, but it's like microscopic little tiny bits of it that you breathe in. You never have any idea.

[Jack Armstrong]

Wouldn't it be something if it turns out that's one of the worst things mankind ever did, was invent plastic?

[Joe Getty]

Wouldn't shock me.

[Jack Armstrong]

It wouldn't shock me either. Well, that'd be a revolution to try to get rid of plastic in the world.

[Joe Getty]

Yeah. And we're not some sort of environmental nut job show here. We're just trying to understand what is.

[Jack Armstrong]

If you miss a segment or an hour, we do lots of them. Get the podcast Armstrong and Getty on Demand.

[Joe Getty]

Armstrong and Getty.

[Unknown Host]

Time is precious and so are our pets. So time with our pets is extra precious. That's why we started Dutch. Dutch provides 24,7 access to licensed vets with unlimited virtual visits and follow ups for up to five pets. You can message a vet at any time and schedule a video visit the same day. Our vets can even prescribe medication for many ailments and shipping is always free. With Dutch, you'll get more time with your pets and year round peace of mind when it comes to their vet care.

[Joe Getty]

You're listening to an iHeart podcast.