Radiolab

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A two-time Peabody Award-winner, Radiolab is an investigation told through sounds and stories, and centered around one big idea. In the Radiolab world, information sounds like music and science and culture collide. Hosted by Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich, the show is designed for listeners who demand skepticism, but appreciate wonder.
WNYC Studios is a listener-supported producer of other leading podcasts including On the Media, Snap Judgment, Death, Sex & Money, Nancy and Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin.
© WNYC Studios

209 Episodes

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Back in 2008 Facebook began writing a document. It was a constitution of sorts, laying out what could and what couldn’t be posted on the site. Back then, the rules were simple, outlawing nudity and gore. Today, they’re anything but. How do you define hate speech? Where’s the line between a joke and an attack? How much butt is too much butt? Facebook has answered these questions. And from these answers they’ve written a rulebook that all 2.2 billion of us are expected to follow. Today, we explore that rulebook. We dive into its details and untangle its logic. All the while wondering what does this mean for the future of free speech?This episode was reported by Simon Adler with help from Tracie Hunte and was produced by Simon Adler with help from Bethel Habte.Special thanks to Sarah Roberts, Jeffrey Rosen, Carolyn Glanville, Ruchika Budhraja, Brian Dogan, Ellen Silver, James Mitchell, Guy Rosen, and our voice actor Michael Churnus.Support Radiolab today at Radiolab.org/donate.

Post No Evil

2018-08-1701:11:0733

With all of the black-and-white moralizing in our world today, we decided to bring back an old show about the little bit of bad that's in all of us...and the little bit of really, really bad that's in some of us. Cruelty, violence, badness... in this episode we begin with a chilling statistic: 91% of men, and 84% of women, have fantasized about killing someone. We take a look at one particular fantasy lurking behind these numbers, and wonder what this shadow world might tell us about ourselves and our neighbors. Then, we reconsider what Stanley Milgram's famous experiment really revealed about human nature (it's both better and worse than we thought). Next, we meet a man who scrambles our notions of good and evil: chemist Fritz Haber, who won a Nobel Prize in 1918...around the same time officials in the US were calling him a war criminal. And we end with the story of a man who chased one of the most prolific serial killers in US history, then got a chance to ask him the question that had haunted him for years: why?This episode was produced with help from Carter Hodge.Support Radiolab today at Radiolab.org/donate.

The Bad Show

2018-07-2801:09:1556

If there’s one thing Gonads taught us, it’s just how complicated human reproduction is. All the things we thought we knew about biology and sex determination are up for debate in a way that feels both daunting and full of potential. At the same time, we're at a moment where we’re wrestling with how to approach conversations around sex, consent, and boundaries, at a time that may be more divisive than ever. So host Molly Webster thought: what if we took on sex ed, and tried to tackle questions from listeners, youth, reddit (oh boy), and staff.But instead of approaching these questions the way your high school health teacher might’ve (or government teacher, who knows), Molly invited a cast of storytellers, educators, artists, and comedians to grapple with sex ed in unexpected and thoughtful ways. To help us think about how we can change the conversation. In this episode, an edited down version of a Gonads Live show, Molly's team takes a crack at responding to the intimate questions you asked when you were younger but probably never got a straight answer to. Featuring:How Do You Talk About Condoms Without Condom Demonstrations? Sanford Johnson. Wanna see how to put on a sock?What Are Periods? Sindha Agha and Gul Agha. Check out Sindha's photography here.Is Anything Off-Limits? Ericka Hart, Dalia Mahgoub, and Jonathan Zimmerman Why Do We Do This Anyway? And Other Queries from Fifth Graders Jo Firestone"Sex Ed" is an edited* recording of a live event hosted by Radiolab at the Skirball Center in New York City on May 16, 2018. Radiolab Team Gonads is Molly Webster, Pat Walters, and Rachael Cusick, with Jad Abumrad. Live music, including the sex ed questions, and the Gonads theme song, were written, performed, and produced by Majel Connery and Alex Overington. One more thing! Over the past few months, Radiolab has been collecting sex ed book suggestions from listeners and staff, about the books that helped them understand the birds and the bees.Check out the full Gonads Presents: Sex Ed Bookshelf here! For now, a few of our favorites:Share book reviews and ratings with Radiolab, and even join a book club on Goodreads. *Our live show featured the following additional questions and answerers:How do you talk to your partner in bed without sound like an asshold or a slut? Upright Citizens Brigade, featuring Lou Gonzales, Molly Thomas, and Alexandra DicksonWhat Happens to All the Condom Bananas? Rachael CusickWith live event production help from Melissa LaCasse and Alicia Allen; engineering by Ed Haber and George Wellington; and balloons by Candy Brigham from Candy Twisted Balloons Special. Special thanks to Larry Siegel, Upright Citizens Brigade, and Emily Rothman and the Start Strong Initiative at the Boston Public Health Commission. Radiolab is supported in part by Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation initiative dedicated to engaging everyone with the process of science. And the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, enhancing public understanding of science and technology in the modern world. More information about Sloan at www.sloan.org.Support Radiolab today at Radiolab.org/donate.

Sex Ed

2018-07-2700:50:3825

When Dana Zzyym applied for their first passport back in 2014, they were handed a pretty straightforward application. Name, place of birth, photo ID -- the usual. But one question on the application stopped Dana in their tracks: male or female? Dana, technically, wasn’t either.In this episode, we follow the story of Dana Zzyym, Navy veteran and activist, which starts long before they scribble the word "intersex” on their passport application. Along the way, we see what happens when our inner biological realities bump into the outside world, and the power of words to shape us.This episode is a companion piece to Gonads, Episode 4, Dutee."Dana" was reported by Molly Webster, and co-produced with Jad Abumrad. It had production help from Rachael Cusick, and editing by Pat Walters. Wordplay categories were written, performed, and produced by Majel Connery and Alex Overington. Special thanks to Paula Stone Williams, Gerry Callahan, Lambda Legal, Kathy Tu, Matt Collette, Arianne Wack, Carter Hodge, and Liza Yeager.Radiolab is supported in part by Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation initiative dedicated to engaging everyone with the process of science. And the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, enhancing public understanding of science and technology in the modern world. More information about Sloan at www.sloan.org.Support Radiolab today at Radiolab.org/donate.

Dana

2018-07-2200:30:1123

In 2014, India’s Dutee Chand was a rising female track and field star, crushing national records. But then, that summer, something unexpected happened: she failed a gender test. And was banned from the sport. Before she knew it, Dutee was thrown into the middle of a controversy that started long before her, and continues on today: how to separate males and females in sport.This story is a companion piece to Gonads, Episode 5, Dana. "Dutee" was reported by Molly Webster, with co-reporting and translation by Sarah Qari. It was produced by Pat Walters, with production help from Jad Abumrad and Rachael Cusick. The Gonads theme was written, performed, and produced by Majel Connery and Alex Overington.Special thanks to Geertje Mak, Maayan Sudai, Andrea Dunaif, Bhrikuti Rai, Joe Osmundson, and Payoshni Mitra. Plus, former Olympic runner Madeleine Pape, who is currently studying regulations around female, transgender, and intersex individuals in sport.Radiolab is supported in part by Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation initiative dedicated to engaging everyone with the process of science. And the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, enhancing public understanding of science and technology in the modern world. More information about Sloan at www.sloan.org.Support Radiolab today at Radiolab.org/donate.

Dutee

2018-07-2200:37:5719

A lot of us understand biological sex with a pretty fateful underpinning: if you’re born with XX chromosomes, you’re female; if you’re born with XY chromosomes, you’re male. But it turns out, our relationship to the opposite sex is more complicated than we think.This episode was reported by Molly Webster, and produced by Matt Kielty. With scoring, original composition and mixing by Matt Kielty and Alex Overington. Additional production by Rachael Cusick, and editing by Pat Walters. The “Ballad of Daniel Webster” and “Gonads” was written, performed and produced by Majel Connery and Alex Overington.Special thanks to Erica Todd, Andrew Sinclair, Robin Lovell-Badge, and Sarah S. Richardson. Plus, a big thank you to the musicians who gave us permission to use their work in this episode—composer Erik Friedlander, for "Frail as a Breeze, Part II," and musician Sam Prekop, whose work "A Geometric," from his album The Republic, is out on Thrill Jockey.Radiolab is supported in part by Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation initiative dedicated to engaging everyone with the process of science. And the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, enhancing public understanding of science and technology in the modern world. More information about Sloan at www.sloan.org.

X & Y

2018-06-3000:41:2760

At 28 years old, Annie Dauer was living a full life. She had a job she loved as a highschool PE teacher, a big family who lived nearby, and a serious boyfriend. Then, cancer struck. Annie would come to find out she had Stage 4 non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. It was so aggressive, there was a real chance she might die. Her oncologists wanted her to start treatment immediately. Like, end-of-the-week immediately. But before Annie started treatment, she walked out of the doctor’s office and crossed the street to see a fertility doctor doing an experimental procedure that sounded like science fiction: ovary freezing.Further ReadingA medical case report on Annie’s frozen ovariesWhat’s primordial germ cells got to do with it?This episode was reported by Molly Webster, and produced by Pat Walters. With original music and scoring by Dylan Keefe and Alex Overington. The Gonads theme was written, performed, and produced by Majel Connery and Alex Overington. Additional production by Rachael Cusick, and editing by Jad Abumrad.Radiolab is supported in part by Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation initiative dedicated to engaging everyone with the process of science. And the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, enhancing public understanding of science and technology in the modern world. More information about Sloan at www.sloan.org.Support Radiolab today at Radiolab.org/donate.

Fronads

2018-06-2300:39:2537

The Primordial Journey

At two weeks old, the human embryo has only just begun its months-long journey to become a baby. The embryo is tiny, still invisible to the naked eye. But inside it, an epic struggle plays out, as a nomadic band of cells marches toward a mysterious destiny, with the future of humanity resting on their microscopic shoulders.This episode was reported by Molly Webster, and produced by Jad Abumrad. With scoring and original composition by Alex Overington and Dylan Keefe. Additional production by Rachael Cusick, and editing by Pat Walters. The “Ballad of the Fish” and “Gonads” was composed and sung by Majel Connery, and produced by Alex Overington.Special thanks to Ruth Lehmann and Dagmar Wilhelm.Radiolab is supported in part by Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation initiative dedicated to engaging everyone with the process of science. And the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, enhancing public understanding of science and technology in the modern world. More information about Sloan at www.sloan.org.Support Radiolab today at Radiolab.org/donate.

The Primordial Journey

2018-06-1500:33:3447

We originally posted this episode in 2015, and it inspired producer Molly Webster to take a deep dive into the wild and mysterious world of human reproduction. Starting next week, she’ll be taking over the Radiolab podcast feed for a month to present a series of mind-bending stories that make us rethink the ways we make more of us.You know the drill - all it takes is one sperm, one egg, and blammo - you got yourself a baby. Right? Well, in this episode, conception takes on a new form - it’s the sperm and the egg, plus: two wombs, four countries, and money. Lots of money. At first, this is the story of an Israeli couple, two guys, who go to another continent to get themselves a baby - three, in fact - by hiring surrogates to carry the children for them. As we follow them on their journey, an earth shaking revelation shifts our focus from them, to the surrogate mothers. Unfolding in real time, as countries around the world consider bans on surrogacy, this episode looks at a relationship that manages to feel deeply affecting, and deeply uncomfortable, all at the same time. Birthstory is a collaboration with the brilliant radio show and podcast Israel Story, created to tell stories for, and about, Israel. Go check ‘em out! Israel Story's five English-language seasons were produced in partnership with Tablet Magazine and we highly recommend you listen to all of their work at http://www.tabletmag.com/tag/israel-storyThis episode was produced and reported by Molly Webster. Special thanks go to: Israel Story, and their producers Maya Kosover, and Yochai Maital; reporters Nilanjana Bhowmick in India and Bhrikuti Rai in Nepal plus the International Reporting Project; Doron Mamet, Dr Nayana Patel, and Vicki Ferrara; with translation help from Aya Keefe, Karthik Ravindra, Turna Ray, Tom Wasserman, Pradeep Thapa, and Adhikaar, an organization in Ridgewood, Queens advocating for the Nepali-speaking community. Support Radiolab today at Radiolab.org/donate.Audio Extra:Tal and Amir had a chance to meet each surrogate once - just after the deliveries, after all the paperwork was sorted out, and before any one left Nepal. As Amir says, they wanted to say "a big thank you." These meetings between intended parents, surrogate, and new babies are a traditional part of the surrogacy process in India and Nepal, and we heard reports from the surrogates that they also look forward to them. These moments do not stigmatize, reveal the identity of, or endanger the surrogates. Tal and Amir provided the audio for this web extra.

Birthstory

2018-06-0801:02:2247

When reporter Brenna Farrell was a new mom, her son gave her and her husband a scare -- prompting them to call Poison Control. For Brenna, the experience was so odd, and oddly comforting, that she decided to dive into the birth story of this invisible network of poison experts, and try to understand the evolving relationship we humans have with our poisonous planet. As we learn about how poison control has changed over the years, we end up wondering what a place devoted to data and human connection can tell us about ourselves in this cultural moment of anxiety and information-overload.Call the national Poison Help Hotline at 1-800-222-1222 or text POISON to 797979 to save the number in your phone.This episode was reported by Brenna Farrell and was produced by Annie McEwen.Special thanks to Wendy Blair Stephan, Whitney Pennington, Richard Dart, Marian Moser Jones, and Nathalie Wheaton. Thanks also to Lewis Goldfrank, Robert Hoffman, Steven Marcus, Toby Litovitz, James O'Donnell, and Joseph Botticelli. Support Radiolab today at Radiolab.org/donate. Further Reading: The Poisoner's Handbook, by Deborah BlumThe Poison Squad, by Deborah BlumIllinois Poison Center’s latest “A Day in the Life of a Poison Center” postYou can find out more about the country’s 55 poison centers at the American Association of Poison Control Centers, including a snapshot of the latest available from the National Poison Data System (2106): "Poison Politics: A Contentious History of Consumer Protection Against Dangerous Household Chemicals in the United States," by Marian Moser Jones: 2011 article from The Annals of Emergency Medicine: "The Secret Life of America's Poison Centers," Richard Dart A 1954 article from Edward Press -- one of the key figures in creating a formalized poison control system in Chicago in the early 1950s, Press and Gdalman are credited with starting the first poison control center in the US in 1953 in Chicago: "A Poisoning Control Program" Edward Press and Robert B Mellins

Poison Control

2018-06-0100:38:2244

Comments (169)

Quinn

Ok, and now you guys please explain me the differences between a guy's nipple and a woman's nipple. Sooo ridiculous.

Aug 17th

Reply

Timothy Oblivion Tears

Quinn one is delicious and one is not :D

Aug 19th

Reply

kacyhansen@hotmail.com

what's with all the re-released episodes?

Aug 14th

Reply

Michelle Minnich

Jo Firestone is a fantastic sex expert!

Aug 12th

Reply

Andrea Will

LMAO. just watched HER (w/ Scarlett Johansson) last night on Netflix... it was actually kind of thought-provoking. Now I stumbled upon this podcast episode BY ACCIDENT! it's scary to think where we are heading. very interesting insights & examples used. 💘 you guys @Radiolab !! Great combo of psychology & sociology w/science.

Aug 12th

Reply

[BLANK] -sama

xD. be a king or a street sweeper , everybody dances with a grim reaper.

Aug 9th

Reply

Randall King

I've always wondered about these guys and how they do what they do. Like bookworm super hero's curing panic attacks and helping save lives.

Aug 2nd

Reply

Ben Davis

This was an amazing series! I'd totally subscribe to a spinoff series.

Aug 2nd

Reply

Hwang Tony

switching audio every 5 second from individual to the next...... why ...

Jul 30th

Reply

minombre esnada

ironic that a jew gassed people in world war one and got gassed in world war two.

Jul 29th

Reply

A

Best dad ever!

Jul 27th

Reply

Amber Johnson

drugs don't "hijack." if people had good friends to hang out with, they wouldn't need substances to activate those parts of the brain aritificially. the problem lies in past trauma and isolation.

Jul 24th

Reply

Amber Johnson

ayyyy, Shaker! Northeast Ohio crewwwww

Jul 24th

Reply

Nameless Narrator

You have very interesting topics and ideas, but I wish it was just a conversation between people: raw, unedited, no sound effects, no narration etc.

Jul 23rd

Reply

Patricia Rogue Reeve Haggard

did Dana have surgery to help with the pain? did it work?

Jul 23rd

Reply

Amber Johnson

if you think the women are being exploited, the answer isn't to take away their choice, it's to make it so they can't get ripped off when they make that choice.

Jul 20th

Reply

Benjamin Jordan

Get rid of that Molly chick she is ruining this classic show. Please don't become a political propaganda podcast like all the others. We just want Jad and Robert to tell us science stuff with cool sound effects. Please do something on CRISPR or quantum entanglement idk anything but political issues! And don't hate on white men wtf! What has this show become? This is not CNN or Fox... Its radiolab, the award winning science podcast! #firemollypleaseforgodssakeshesruiningradiolab

Jul 12th

Reply

Darryl Schneider

top pod cast

Jul 12th

Reply

D Robertson

it's all a conspiracy!!! lol jk

Jul 5th

Reply

Nicholas Rosas

lol Amber's comment made me lol

Jul 4th

Reply

Amber Boas

Very, very odd and bigoted exchange in this episode. You're better than this, Radiolab. Sister 3: Who is Daniel Webster? Sister 1: He's a boring white dude! Molly: Well of course he is. We knew that part. Sister 2: He served as senator for Massachusetts, and was the under secretary of states under three presidents. Sister 3: Well someone Googled fast! Molly: *laughs* Sister 2: I think he was just a regular, like old white lawyer dude. Sister 1: Yeah, they're all racist. Or sexist, or ageist, or... just douchebags. All: *laughter* Molly: Great. Sister 2: That was funny. Molly: Maggie got her giggles in, it's all been worth it.

Jul 2nd

Reply

V F

Amber Boas I'm glad someone said something, that was a very trashy, generalized thing to say about someone you don't know.

Jul 23rd

Reply

Elle McFarlane

Amber Boas I agree. I thought it was completely unnecessary and in poor taste.

Jul 9th

Reply

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