Kimberly explores the surprising science of sun exposure with Rowan Jacobsen, challenging common fears about sunlight and revealing its profound health benefits. Learn how to balance sun safety with the need for natural light to improve health, mood, and longevity.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Sunlight and Health

02:52 The Historical Perspective on Sunlight

06:00 Understanding Skin Cancer and Sun Exposure

08:50 The Benefits of Sunlight Beyond Skin Cancer

12:02 Sensible Sun Exposure and Aging

14:56 Circadian Rhythms and Sunlight

17:56 Alternatives to Natural Sunlight

20:58 Vitamin D and Its Importance

24:41 The Vitamin D Dilemma

29:59 Sunlight and Fertility

33:40 In Defense of Sunlight

38:53 The Impact of Light on Children

43:44 Sunscreen Insights

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Rowen Jacobsen Resources:

Book: In Defense of Sunlight: The Surprising Science of Sun Exposure (June 16th, 2026) (Simon & Shuster)

Website: rowanjacobsen.com

Social: @unrealrowanjacobsen

Email: rowanjacobsen@gmail.com

Bio:

Rowan Jacobsen writes about science and nature and the less-explored corners of the world for Harper’s, Outside, The Atlantic, Scientific American, Smithsonian, The New York Times, The Washington Post, MIT Technology Review, Businessweek, and others, and his work has been anthologized in The Best American Science & Nature Writing and other collections. He has received awards from the James Beard Foundation, the Society of American Travel Writers, and the Overseas Press Club. He is the author of nine books, including A Geography of Oysters, Fruitless Fall, and Truffle Hound, which have been named to Best Book of the Year lists by the Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Boston Globe, NPR, and Publishers Weekly. He has performed with Pop-Up Magazine, lectured at Harvard and Yale, and appeared on CBS, NBC, and NPR. He has been an Alicia Patterson Foundation Fellow, writing about endangered diversity on the borderlands between India, Myanmar, and China; a Knight Science Journalism Fellow at MIT, focusing on the environmental and evolutionary impact of synthetic biology; and a Nova Media Fellow, researching the science of sun exposure. His new book, In Defense of Sunlight: The Surprising Science of Sun Exposure, will be published by Scribner on the Summer Solstice, 2026.

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