Stuff To Blow Your Mind

Replaceable You, with Mary Roach

Sep 4, 2025
Join bestselling author Mary Roach, known for her humorous takes on science, as she dives into her latest book, exploring human anatomy through wit and insight. She discusses the ethical implications of body modification like elective amputation, and the fascinating roles of microbes in our health. Roach also delves into the history of plastic surgery, revealing bizarre techniques from the past. With adventurous anecdotes and reflections on life’s messiness, she ignites curiosity about the human experience and medical innovations.
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INSIGHT

Technology Isn't Always Better Than Biology

  • Humans assume new technical replacements are inherently better than biological originals.
  • Mary Roach shows history and modern cases where replacements often underperform or disappoint.
ANECDOTE

Elective Amputation Sparks The Book

  • A reader introduced Mary to the idea of elective amputation and her struggle finding surgeons to remove a 'healthy' but dysfunctional foot.
  • That letter sparked Roach's curiosity about whether body parts can be swapped like car parts.
ANECDOTE

Finger Used For Phallus Reconstruction

  • Roach followed a tip about a surgeon who reconstructed a penis using a patient's middle finger and traveled to former Soviet Georgia to report it.
  • That surgical story became a cementing chapter early in the book.
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