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Radiolab
By WNYC Studios
View the Episode Archive » Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes | RSS. #smartbinge Radiolab podcasts
View the Episode Archive » Subscribe to the podcast via iTunes | RSS. #smartbinge Radiolab podcasts
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The Third. A TED Talk.
Jad gives a [TED] (https://www.ted.com/talks/jad_abumrad_how_dolly_parton_led_me_to_an_epiphany) talk about his life as a journalist and how Radiolab has evolved over the years.
Here's how TED described it:
How do you end a story? Host of Radiolab Jad Abumrad tells how his search for an answer led him home to the mountains of Tennessee, where he met an unexpected teacher: Dolly Parton.
Jad Nicholas Abumrad is a Lebanese-American radio host, composer and producer. He is the founder of the syndicated public radio program [Radiolab] (http://radiolab.org/) , which is broadcast on over 600 radio stations nationwide and is downloaded more than 120 million times a year as a podcast. He also created [More Perfect] (https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolabmoreperfect) , a podcast that tells the stories behind the Supreme Court's most famous decisions. And most recently, [Dolly Parton's America] (https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/dolly-partons-america) , a nine-episode podcast exploring the life and times of the iconic country music star. Abumrad has received three Peabody Awards and was named a MacArthur Fellow in 2011.
25 Jun 2020
18 MINS
18:06
25 Jun 2020
Post No Evil Redux
Today we revisit our story on Facebook and its rulebook, looking at what’s changed in the past two years and exploring how these rules will impact the 2020 Presidential Election.
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, Mike Masnick, and our voice actor Michael Chernus.
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
19 Jun 2020
1 HR 10 MINS
1:10:58
19 Jun 2020
The Liberation of RNA
In June of 2019, Brandon Ogbunu got on stage and told a story for The Story Collider, a podcast and live storytelling show. Starting when he was a senior in college being shook down by a couple cops, Brandon tells us about navigating his ups and downs of a career in science, his startling connection to scientific racism, and his battle against biology's central dogma.
Brandon’s story was recorded by The Story Collider as part of the 2019 Evolution Meeting in Providence, Rhode Island. You can find the full episode and learn more about The Story Collider [here] (https://www.storycollider.org/stories/2019/12/3/justice-stories-about-righteous-determination) .
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
13 Jun 2020
27 MINS
27:04
13 Jun 2020
Graham
If former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin’s case for the death of George Floyd goes to trial, there will be this one, controversial legal principle looming over the proceedings: The reasonable officer.
In this episode, we explore the origin of the reasonable officer standard, with the case that sent two Charlotte lawyers on a quest for true objectivity, and changed the face of policing in the US.
This episode was produced by Matt Kielty with help from Kelly Prime and Annie McEwen.
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
07 Jun 2020
59 MINS
59:40
07 Jun 2020
Nina
Producer Tracie Hunte stumbled into a duet between Nina Simone and the sounds of protest outside her apartment. Then she discovered a performance by Nina on April 7, 1968 - three days after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Tracie talks about what Nina’s music, born during another time when our country was facing questions that seemed to have no answer, meant then and why it still resonates today.
Listen to Nina's brother, Samuel Waymon, talk about that April 7th concert [here.] (https://www.npr.org/2008/04/06/89418339/why-remembering-nina-simones-tribute-to-the-rev-martin-luther-king-jr)
06 Jun 2020
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06 Jun 2020
Dispatch 6: Strange Times
Covid has disrupted the most basic routines of our days and nights. But in the middle of a conversation about how to fight the virus, we find a place impervious to the stalled plans and frenetic demands of the outside world. It’s a very different kind of front line, where urgent work means moving slow, and time is marked out in tiny pre-planned steps. Then, on a walk through the woods, we consider how the tempo of our lives affects our minds and discover how the beats of biology shape our bodies.
This episode was produced with help from Molly Webster and Tracie Hunte.
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
29 May 2020
33 MINS
33:31
29 May 2020
Speedy Beet
There are few musical moments more well-worn than the first four notes of Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. But in this short, we find out that Beethoven might have made a last-ditch effort to keep his music from ever feeling familiar, to keep pushing his listeners to a kind of psychological limit.
Big thanks to the folks at [Brooklyn Philharmonic] (http://www.alanpierson.com/) : Conductor Alan Pierson, Deborah Buck and Suzy Perelman on violin, Arash Amini on cello, and Ah Ling Neu on viola.
And check out [The First Four Notes] (https://www.symphonystore.com/the-first-four-notes-guerrieri.html) , Matthew Guerrieri's book on Beethoven's Fifth.
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
22 May 2020
24 MINS
24:05
22 May 2020
Octomom
In 2007, Bruce Robison’s robot submarine stumbled across an octopus settling in to brood her eggs. It seemed like a small moment. But as he went back to visit her, month after month, what began as a simple act of motherhood became a heroic feat that has never been equaled by any known species on Earth.
This episode was reported and produced by Annie McEwen.
Special thanks to Kim Fulton-Bennett and Rob Sherlock at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute. And thanks to the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra for the use of their piece, “Concerto for Bassoon & Chamber Orchestra: II. Beautiful.”
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
If you need more ocean in your life, check out the incredible Monterey Bay Aquarium live cams (especially the jellies!): [www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams] (https://www.montereybayaquarium.org/animals/live-cams)
Here’s a pic of Octomom sitting on her eggs, Nov. 1, 2007.
![image] (https://media.wnyc.org/i/800/449/c/80/2020/05/GraneledoneT1146_09_02_52_23.png)
(© 2007 MBARI)
15 May 2020
33 MINS
33:00
15 May 2020
Why Fish Don't Exist
Our old friend Lulu Miller — former Radiolab producer, co-creator of Invisibilia — has been obsessed by the chaos that rules the universe since long before it showed up as a global pandemic, and a few weeks ago, she published a book about it. It’s called Why Fish Don’t Exist. It’s part scientific adventure story, part philosophical manifesto, part chest-ripped-open memoir. Jad called her up to talk about how an obscure 19th century ichthyologist with a checkered past helped her find meaning in the world, and what she means when she says fish aren’t real.
You can buy Lulu's book Why Fish Don’t Exist [here] (https://bookshop.org/books/why-fish-don-t-exist-a-story-of-loss-love-and-the-hidden-order-of-life/9781501160271) .
This episode was produced by Pat Walters.
Special thanks to [Pan•American] (https://panamerican.bandcamp.com/music) .
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
13 May 2020
27 MINS
27:55
13 May 2020
David and Dominique
David Gebel and Dominique Crisden have a couple of things in common: they both live in New York, they’re both gay, and they’re both HIV-positive. But David is in his 60s, and has been living with the disease since moving to New York in the ‘80s. Dominique, on the other hand, is only in his early 30s. From our friends at WNYC's “Nancy”, this episode features a very special conversation between David and Dominique about the similarities and differences in their experiences living with HIV.
Special thanks to Krishna Stone at [Gay Men's Health Crisis] (http://www.gmhc.org/) , an HIV/AIDS prevention, care, and advocacy organization in New York.
This episode was produced by Tobin Low, Kathy Tu and Matt Collette. Music in this episode by [Jeremy Bloom] (https://www.jeremyb.com/) and [Alex Overington] (https://www.overington.info/) . Theme by Alexander Overington.
Note: A version of this episode first ran on May 7, 2017.
Support our work. Become a Nancy member today at [Nancypodcast.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/nancy-it/onestep/?utm_source=wnyc&utm_medium=nancy-redirect&utm_campaign=pledge&utm_content=show-notes) .
08 May 2020
29 MINS
29:55
08 May 2020
Dispatch 5: Don't Stop Believin'
Covid-19 has put emergency room doctors on the frontlines treating an illness that is still perplexing and unknown. Jad tracks one ER doctor in NYC as the doctor puzzles through clues, doing research of his own, trying desperately to save patients' lives.
This episode was produced by Jad Abumrad and Suzie Lechtenberg.
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
06 May 2020
33 MINS
33:38
06 May 2020
Atomic Artifacts
Back in the 1950s, facing the threat of nuclear annihilation, federal officials sat down and pondered what American life would actually look like after an atomic attack. They faced a slew of practical questions like: Who would count the dead and where would they build the refugee camps? But they faced a more spiritual question as well. If Washington DC were hit, every object in the the National Archives would be eviscerated in a moment. Terrified by this reality, they set out to save some of America’s most precious stuff.
Today, we look back at the items our Cold War era planners sought to save and we ask the question: In the year 2020, what objects would we preserve now?
This episode was reported and produced by Simon Adler with editing from Pat Walters and reporting assistance from Tad Davis.
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
24 Apr 2020
41 MINS
41:42
24 Apr 2020
The Cataclysm Sentence
One day in 1961, the famous physicist Richard Feynman stepped in front of a Caltech lecture hall and posed this question to a group of undergraduate students: “If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and only one sentence was passed on to the next generation of creatures, what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words?” Now, Feynman had an answer to his own question - a good one. But his question got the entire team at Radiolab wondering, what did his sentence leave out? So we posed Feynman’s cataclysm question to some of our favorite writers, artists, historians, futurists - all kinds of great thinkers. We asked them, “What’s the one sentence you would want to pass on to the next generation that would contain the most information in the fewest words?” What came back was an explosive collage of what it means to be alive right here and now, and what we want to say before we go.
Featuring:
Richard Feynman, physicist ( [The Pleasure of Finding Things Out] (https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780465023950) )
Caitlin Doughty, mortician ( [Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs] (https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780393652703) )
Esperanza Spalding, musician ( [12 Little Spells] (http://esperanzaspalding.limitedrun.com/) )
Cord Jefferson, writer ( [Watchmen] (https://www.hbo.com/watchmen) )
Merrill Garbus, musician ( [I Can Feel You Creep Into My Private Life] (https://tune-yards.com/#album) )
Jenny Odell, writer ( [How to do Nothing] (https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781612197494) )
Maria Popova, writer ( [Brainpickings] (https://www.brainpickings.org/) )
Alison Gopnik, developmental psychologist ( [The Gardener and the Carpenter] (https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781250132253) )
Rebecca Sugar, animator ( [Steven Universe] (https://www.cartoonnetwork.com/video/steven-universe/index.html) )
Nicholson Baker, writer ( [Substitute] (https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780399160998) )
James Gleick, writer ( [Time Travel] (https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780307908797) )
Lady Pink, artist ( [too many amazing works to pick just one] (http://www.ladypinknyc.com/) )
Jenny Hollwell, writer ( [Everything Lovely, Effortless, Safe] (https://www.indiebound.org/book/9780805091199) )
Jaron Lanier, futurist ( [Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now] (https://www.indiebound.org/book/9781250239082) )
Missy Mazzoli, composer ( [Proving Up] (http://www.missymazzoli.com/opera) )
This episode was produced by Matt Kielty and Rachael Cusick, with help from Jeremy Bloom, Zakiya Gibbons, and the entire Radiolab staff.
Special Thanks to:
Ella Frances Sanders, and her book, ["Eating the Sun"] (https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/567035/eating-the-sun-by-ella-frances-sanders/) , for inspiring this whole episode.
Caltech for letting us use original audio of The Feynman Lectures on Physics. The entirety of the lectures are available to read for free online at [www.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu] (https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/6f_iCmZnD2SoJp0CB8FL-?domain=feynmanlectures.caltech.edu) .
All the musicians who helped make the Primordial Chord, including:
[Siavash Kamkar] (https://www.instagram.com/siavash_kamkar/?hl=en) , from Iran
[Koosha Pashangpour] (https://soundcloud.com/kooshkar) , from Iran
[Curtis MacDonald] (https://www.curtismacdonald.com/) , from Canada
[Meade Bernard] (https://twitter.com/meadebernard) , from US
[Barnaby Rea] (https://www.barnabyrea.com/) , from UK
[Liav Kerbel] (https://twitter.com/liavkerbel) , from Belgium
[Sam Crittenden] (https://twitter.com/tallsamtrombone) , from US
[Saskia Lankhoorn] (https://www.saskialankhoorn.com/) , from Netherlands
[Bryan Harris] (https://twitter.com/BryanEHarris) , from US
[Amelia Watkins] (http://www.wnyc.org/ameliawatkins.com) , from Canada
[Claire James] (https://twitter.com/Claire_NoelleJ) , from US
[Ilario Morciano] (http://www.larsenale.com/?p=83) , from Italy
[Matthias Kowalczyk] (https://www.facebook.com/public/Matthias-Kowalczyk) , from Germany
[Solmaz Badri] (https://soundcloud.com/solmaz-badri) , from Iran
All the wonderful people we interviewed for sentences but weren’t able to fit in this episode, including: Daniel Abrahm, Julia Alvarez, Aimee Bender, Sandra Cisneros, Stanley Chen, Lewis Dartnell, Ann Druyan, Rose Eveleth, Ty Frank, Julia Galef, Ross Gay, Gary Green, Cesar Harada, Dolores Huerta, Robin Hunicke, Brittany Kamai, Priya Krishna, Ken Liu, Carmen Maria Machado, James Martin, Judith Matloff, Ryan McMahon, Hasan Minhaj, Lorrie Moore, Priya Natarajan, Larry Owens, Sunni Patterson, Amy Pearl, Alison Roman, Domee Shi, Will Shortz, Sam Stein, Sohaib Sultan, Kara Swisher, Jill Tarter, Olive Watkins, Reggie Watts, Deborah Waxman, Alex Wellerstein, Caveh Zahedi.
18 Apr 2020
1 HR 06 MINS
1:06:00
18 Apr 2020
Dispatch 4: Six Feet
Since the onset of the pandemic, we exist in a constant state of calculation, trying to define our own personal bubble. We’ve all been given a simple rule: maintain six feet of distance between yourself and others. But why six? Producer Sarah Qari uncovers the answer, and talks to some scientists who now say six might not be the right number after all.
This episode was reported and produced by Sarah Qari and Pat Walters.
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
11 Apr 2020
19 MINS
19:06
11 Apr 2020
Space
One of the most consistent questions we get at the show is from parents who want to know which episodes are kid-friendly and which aren’t. So today, we're releasing a separate [feed] (https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/radiolab-kids) , Radiolab for Kids. To kick it off, we're rerunning an all-time favorite episode: Space.
In the 60’s, space exploration was an American obsession. This hour, we chart the path from romance to increasing cynicism.
We begin with Ann Druyan, widow of Carl Sagan, with a story about the Voyager expedition, true love, and a golden record that travels through space. And astrophysicist Neil de Grasse Tyson explains the Coepernican Principle, and just how insignificant we are.
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
06 Apr 2020
58 MINS
58:44
06 Apr 2020
Dispatch 3: Shared Immunity
More than a million people have caught Covid-19, and tens of thousands have died. But thousands more have survived and recovered. A week or so ago (aka, what feels like ten years in corona time) producer Molly Webster learned that many of those survivors possess a kind of superpower: antibodies trained to fight the virus. Not only that, they might be able to pass this power on to the people who are sick with corona, and still in the fight. Today we have the story of an experimental treatment that’s popping up all over the country: convalescent plasma transfusion, a century-old procedure that some say may become one of our best weapons against this devastating, new disease.
If you have recovered from Covid-19 and want to donate plasma, national and local donation registries are gearing up to collect blood.
To sign up with the American Red Cross, a national organization that works in local communities, head [here] (http://redcrossblood.org) .
To find out more about the The National COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Project, which we spoke about in our episode, including information on clinical trials or plasma donation projects in your community, go [here] (https://ccpp19.org/index.html) .
And if you are in the greater New York City area, and want to donate convalescent plasma, head over to the New York Blood Center [to sign up] (https://nybloodcenter.org/donate-blood/covid-19-and-blood-donation-copy/) . Or, register with specific NYC hospitals [here] (https://nybloodcenter.org/news/articles/new-york-blood-center-collect-first-blood-plasma-donations-recovered-covid-19-patients-treat-severe-cases/) .
If you are sick with Covid-19, and are interested in participating in a clinical trial, or are looking for a plasma donor match, check in with your local hospital, university, or blood center for more; you can also find more information on trials at [The National COVID-19 Convalescent Plasma Project] (https://www.trialsitenews.com/the-national-covid-19-convalescent-plasma-project/) .
And lastly, Tatiana Prowell’s tweet that tipped us off is [ here] (https://twitter.com/tmprowell/status/1242995804786302984?s=21) .
This episode was reported by Molly Webster and produced by Pat Walters. Special thanks to Drs. Evan Bloch and Tim Byun, as well as the Albert Einstein College of Medicine.
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
03 Apr 2020
38 MINS
38:13
03 Apr 2020
Dispatch 2: Every Day is Ignaz Semmelweis Day
It began with a tweet: “EVERY DAY IS IGNAZ SEMMELWEIS DAY.” Carl Zimmer — tweet author, acclaimed science writer and friend of the show — tells the story of a mysterious, deadly illness that struck 19th century Vienna, and the ill-fated hero who uncovered its cure … and gave us our best weapon (so far) against the current global pandemic.
This episode was reported and produced with help from Bethel Habte and Latif Nasser.
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
01 Apr 2020
34 MINS
34:06
01 Apr 2020
Dispatch 1: Numbers
In a recent Radiolab group huddle, with coronavirus unraveling around us, the team found themselves grappling with all the numbers connected to COVID-19. Our new found 6 foot bubbles of personal space. Three percent mortality rate (or 1, or 2, or 4). 7,000 cases (now, much much more). So in the wake of that meeting, we reflect on the onslaught of numbers - what they reveal, and what they hide.
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
27 Mar 2020
32 MINS
32:30
27 Mar 2020
The Other Latif: Episode 6
The Other Latif
Radiolab’s Latif Nasser always believed his name was unique, singular, completely his own. Until one day when he makes a bizarre and shocking discovery. He shares his name with another man: Abdul Latif Nasser, detainee 244 at Guantanamo Bay. The U.S. government paints a terrifying picture of The Other Latif as Al-Qaeda’s top explosives expert, and one of the most important advisors to Osama bin Laden. Nasser’s lawyer claims that he was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and that he was never even in Al-Qaeda. This clash leads Radiolab’s Latif into a years-long investigation, picking apart evidence, attempting to separate fact from fiction, and trying to uncover what this man actually did or didn’t do. Along the way, Radiolab’s Latif reflects on American values and his own religious past, and wonders how his namesake, a fellow nerdy, suburban Muslim kid, may have gone down such a strikingly different path.
Episode 6: Washington, D.C.
Despite being cleared for transfer back to his family in Morocco in 2016, Abdul Latif Nasser remains stuck at Guantanamo Bay. Why? Latif talks to some of the civil servants actually responsible for Abdul Latif’s transfer and they tell him a dramatic story of what went on behind the scenes at some of the highest levels of government. It’s a surprisingly riveting story of paperwork, where what’s at stake is not only the fate of one man, but also the soul of America.
This episode was produced by Sarah Qari, Annie McEwen, Suzie Lechtenberg, and Latif Nasser, and reported by Sarah Qari and Latif Nasser. Fact checking by Diane Kelly and Margot Williams. Editing by Jad Abumrad and Soren Wheeler. Original music by Jad Abumrad, Dylan Keefe, Alex Overington, and Amino Belyamani.
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
17 Mar 2020
50 MINS
50:46
17 Mar 2020
The Other Latif: Episode 5
The Other Latif
Radiolab’s Latif Nasser always believed his name was unique, singular, completely his own. Until one day when he makes a bizarre and shocking discovery. He shares his name with another man: Abdul Latif Nasser, detainee 244 at Guantanamo Bay. The U.S. government paints a terrifying picture of The Other Latif as Al-Qaeda’s top explosives expert, and one of the most important advisors to Osama bin Laden. Nasser’s lawyer claims that he was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and that he was never even in Al-Qaeda. This clash leads Radiolab’s Latif into a years-long investigation, picking apart evidence, attempting to separate fact from fiction, and trying to uncover what this man actually did or didn’t do. Along the way, Radiolab’s Latif reflects on American values and his own religious past, and wonders how his namesake, a fellow nerdy, suburban Muslim kid, may have gone down such a strikingly different path.
Episode 5: Cuba-ish
Latif heads to Guantanamo Bay to try to speak to his namesake. Before he gets there, he attempts to answer a seemingly simple question: why Cuba? Why in the world did the United States pick this sleepy military base in the Caribbean to house “the worst of the worst”? He tours the “legal equivalent of outer space,” and against all odds, manages to see his doppelgänger… maybe.
This episode was produced by Bethel Habte and Simon Adler, with Sarah Qari, Suzie Lechtenberg, and Latif Nasser. Help from W. Harry Fortuna and Neel Dhanesha. Fact checking by Diane Kelly and Margot Williams. Editing by Jad Abumrad and Soren Wheeler. Original music by Jad Abumrad, Simon Adler, Alex Overington, and Amino Belyamani.
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
06 Mar 2020
57 MINS
57:21
06 Mar 2020
The Other Latif: Bonus Episode!
The Other Latif
Radiolab’s Latif Nasser always believed his name was unique, singular, completely his own. Until one day when he makes a bizarre and shocking discovery. He shares his name with another man: Abdul Latif Nasser, detainee 244 at Guantanamo Bay. The U.S. government paints a terrifying picture of The Other Latif as Al-Qaeda’s top explosives expert, and one of the most important advisors to Osama bin Laden. Nasser’s lawyer claims that he was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and that he was never even in Al-Qaeda. This clash leads Radiolab’s Latif into a years-long investigation, picking apart evidence, attempting to separate fact from fiction, and trying to uncover what this man actually did or didn’t do. Along the way, Radiolab’s Latif reflects on American values and his own religious past, and wonders how his namesake, a fellow nerdy, suburban Muslim kid, may have gone down such a strikingly different path.
BONUS EPISODE
Since we released the first episode of The Other Latif, we’ve been contacted by many new sources. Which is great! But it also means we need a little extra time to cobble together Episodes 5 and 6. So while we wait, Jad and Latif chat about Abdul Latif’s response to the series, a character who fell out of episode 4, and a tiny moment in Latif’s youth that helped put him on the path he’s on now.
This episode was produced by Suzie Lechtenberg and Latif Nasser. Editing by Jad Abumrad and Soren Wheeler. With help from Sarah Qari.
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
03 Mar 2020
20 MINS
20:04
03 Mar 2020
The Other Latif: Episode 4
The Other Latif
Radiolab’s Latif Nasser always believed his name was unique, singular, completely his own. Until one day when he makes a bizarre and shocking discovery. He shares his name with another man: Abdul Latif Nasser, detainee 244 at Guantanamo Bay. The U.S. government paints a terrifying picture of The Other Latif as Al-Qaeda’s top explosives expert, and one of the most important advisors to Osama bin Laden. Nasser’s lawyer claims that he was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and that he was never even in Al-Qaeda. This clash leads Radiolab’s Latif into a years-long investigation, picking apart evidence, attempting to separate fact from fiction, and trying to uncover what this man actually did or didn’t do. Along the way, Radiolab’s Latif reflects on American values and his own religious past, and wonders how his namesake, a fellow nerdy, suburban Muslim kid, may have gone down such a strikingly different path.
Episode 4: Afghanistan
Latif investigates the mystery around Abdul Latif’s classified time in Afghanistan. He traces the government’s story through scrappy training camps, bombed out Buddhas, and McDonald’s apple pies to the very center of the Battle of Tora Bora. Could Abdul Latif have helped the most sought-after and hated terrorist in modern history, Osama bin Laden, escape? The episode ends with a bombshell jailhouse interview with Abdul Latif, the most reliable evidence yet of what was going on in this man’s mind in the months after 9/11.
This episode was produced by Annie McEwen, Sarah Qari, Suzie Lechtenberg, and Latif Nasser. Fact checking by Diane Kelly and Margot Williams. Editing by Jad Abumrad and Soren Wheeler. With help from Neel Dhanesha, Kelly Prime, and Audrey Quinn. Original music by Jad Abumrad, Alex Overington, Annie McEwen, and Amino Belyamani.
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
25 Feb 2020
1 HR 01 MINS
1:01:59
25 Feb 2020
The Other Latif: Episode 3
The Other Latif
Radiolab’s Latif Nasser always believed his name was unique, singular, completely his own. Until one day when he makes a bizarre and shocking discovery. He shares his name with another man: Abdul Latif Nasser, detainee 244 at Guantanamo Bay. The U.S. government paints a terrifying picture of The Other Latif as Al-Qaeda’s top explosives expert, and one of the most important advisors to Osama bin Laden. Nasser’s lawyer claims that he was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and that he was never even in Al-Qaeda. This clash leads Radiolab’s Latif into a years-long investigation, picking apart evidence, attempting to separate fact from fiction, and trying to uncover what this man actually did or didn’t do. Along the way, Radiolab’s Latif reflects on American values and his own religious past, and wonders how his namesake, a fellow nerdy, suburban Muslim kid, may have gone down such a strikingly different path.
Episode 3: Sudan
Latif turns his focus to Sudan, where his namesake spent time working on a sunflower farm. What could be suspicious about that? Latif scrutinizes the evidence to try to discover whether - as Abdul Latif’s lawyer insists - it was just an innocent clerical job, or - as the government alleges - it was where he decided to become an extremist fighter.
This episode was produced by Suzie Lechtenberg, Sarah Qari, and Latif Nasser. With help from Niza Nondo and Maaki Monem. Fact checking by Diane Kelly and Margot Williams. Editing by Jad Abumrad and Soren Wheeler. Original music by Jad Abumrad, Alex Overington, Jeremy Bloom, and Amino Belyamani.
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
18 Feb 2020
36 MINS
36:54
18 Feb 2020
The Other Latif: Episode 2
The Other Latif
Radiolab’s Latif Nasser always believed his name was unique, singular, completely his own. Until one day when he makes a bizarre and shocking discovery. He shares his name with another man: Abdul Latif Nasser, detainee 244 at Guantanamo Bay. The U.S. government paints a terrifying picture of The Other Latif as Al-Qaeda’s top explosives expert, and one of the most important advisors to Osama bin Laden. Nasser’s lawyer claims that he was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and that he was never even in Al-Qaeda. This clash leads Radiolab’s Latif into a years-long investigation, picking apart evidence, attempting to separate fact from fiction, and trying to uncover what this man actually did or didn’t do. Along the way, Radiolab’s Latif reflects on American values and his own religious past, and wonders how his namesake, a fellow nerdy, suburban Muslim kid, may have gone down such a strikingly different path.
Episode 2: Morocco
Latif travels to Abdul Latif’s hometown of Casablanca, Morocco, to try and find out: was he radicalized? And if so, how? Latif begins by visiting the man’s family, but the family’s reaction to him gets complicated as Latif digs for the truth. He finds out surprising information on a political group Abdul Latif joined in his youth, his alleged onramp to extremism. Tensions escalate when Latif realizes he’s being tailed.
Read more about Abdul Latif Nasser at the New York Times’ [Guantanamo Docket.] (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/guantanamo/detainees/244-abdul-latif-nasir)
This episode was produced by Sarah Qari, Suzie Lechtenberg, and Latif Nasser. With help from Tarik El Barakah and Amira Karaoud. Fact checking by Diane Kelly and Margot Williams. Editing by Jad Abumrad and Soren Wheeler. Original music by Jad Abumrad, Alex Overington, and Amino Belyamani.
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
11 Feb 2020
46 MINS
46:00
11 Feb 2020
The Other Latif: Episode 1
The Other Latif
Radiolab’s Latif Nasser always believed his name was unique, singular, completely his own. Until one day when he makes a bizarre and shocking discovery. He shares his name with another man: Abdul Latif Nasser, detainee 244 at Guantanamo Bay. The U.S. government paints a terrifying picture of The Other Latif as Al-Qaeda’s top explosives expert, and one of the most important advisors to Osama bin Laden. Nasser’s lawyer claims that he was at the wrong place at the wrong time, and that he was never even in Al-Qaeda. This clash leads Radiolab’s Latif into a years-long investigation, picking apart evidence, attempting to separate fact from fiction, and trying to uncover what this man actually did or didn’t do. Along the way, Radiolab’s Latif reflects on American values and his own religious past, and wonders how his namesake, a fellow nerdy, suburban Muslim kid, may have gone down such a strikingly different path.
Episode 1: My Namesake
We hear the evidence against Abdul Latif Nasser -- at least the evidence that has been leaked or declassified -- and we meet Shelby Sullivan-Bennis, his attorney, who contests more or less every government claim against him. Sullivan-Bennis walks us through the excruciating process that came close to releasing Abdul Latif Nasser in the waning days of the Obama administration, but fell apart at the last minute. He is now technically a free man -- he was cleared for transfer home in 2016 -- yet he remains stuck at Guantanamo Bay, thanks in part to a Presidential Tweet.
![image] (https://media.wnyc.org/i/428/428/l/80/2020/02/ALN.png)
A photo of Abdul Latif Nasser
Read more about Abdul Latif Nasser at the New York Times’ [Guantanamo Docket.] (https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/projects/guantanamo/detainees/244-abdul-latif-nasir)
This episode was produced by Annie McEwen, Latif Nasser, Sarah Qari, and Suzie Lechtenberg. Fact checking by Diane Kelly and Margot Williams. Editing by Jad Abumrad and Soren Wheeler. Original music by Jad Abumrad, Alex Overington, Annie McEwen, and Amino Belyamani.
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
04 Feb 2020
41 MINS
41:46
04 Feb 2020
The Bobbys
On the occasion of his retirement as cohost of Radiolab, Robert sat down with Jad to reflect on his long and storied career in radio and television, and their work together over the past decade and a half. And we pay tribute to Robert, inspired by a peculiar tradition of his.
This episode was produced by Matt Kielty. Sound design & mix by Jeremy Bloom.
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
31 Jan 2020
48 MINS
48:09
31 Jan 2020
Body Count
Right now, at this very moment, all across the planet, there are 7.6 billion human beings eating, breathing, sleeping, brushing their teeth, walking their dogs, drinking coffee, walking down the street or running onto the subway or hopping in their car, maybe reading a summary of a podcast they’re about to hit play on … and the number is only going up. Everyday 386,000 babies are born (16,000 an hour). We’re adding a billion new people every 12 years.
So here’s a question you’ve probably never thought about: Are there more people alive right now than have ever lived on the planet in history? Do the living outnumber the dead? Robert got obsessed with this odd question, and in this episode we bring you the answer. Or, well, answers.
This episode was reported by Robert Krulwich and produced by Annie McEwen and Pat Walters, with help from Neel Dhanesha. Fact-checking by Michelle Harris. Music and mixing by Jeremy Bloom. Special thanks to Jeffrey Dobereiner.
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
24 Jan 2020
45 MINS
45:53
24 Jan 2020
60 Words
This hour we pull apart one sentence, written in the hours after September 11th, 2001, that has led to the longest war in U.S. history. We examine how just 60 words of legal language have blurred the line between war and peace.
Last weekend President Trump authorized a strike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani in Iraq. The news had us thinking about an episode we produced in 2014. We pulled apart one sentence, written in the hours after September 11th, 2001, that has led to the longest war in U.S. history. We examine how just 60 words of legal language have blurred the line between war and peace.
In the hours after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, a lawyer sat down in front of a computer and started writing a legal justification for taking action against those responsible. The language that he drafted and that President George W. Bush signed into law - called the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) - has at its heart one single sentence, 60 words long. Over the last decade, those 60 words have become the legal foundation for the "war on terror."
In this collaboration with BuzzFeed, reporter Gregory Johnsen tells us the story of how this has come to be one of the most important, confusing, troubling sentences of the last two decades. We go into the meetings that took place in the chaotic days just after 9/11, speak with Congresswoman Barbara Lee and former Congressman Ron Dellums about the vote on the AUMF. We hear from former White House and State Department lawyers John Bellinger & Harold Koh. We learn how this legal language unleashed Guantanamo, Navy Seal raids and drone strikes. And we speak with journalist Daniel Klaidman, legal expert Benjamin Wittes and Virginia Senator Tim Kaine about how these words came to be interpreted, and what they mean for the future of war and peace.
Finally, we check back in with Wittes, to see how the AUMF has trickled into the 2020s.
Produced by Matt Kielty and Kelsey Padgett with original music by Dylan Keefe.
Watch Congresswomen Barbara Lee's speech [here] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mvnLtMKzX6Y) .
07 Jan 2020
1 HR 04 MINS
1:04:59
07 Jan 2020
Man Against Horse
This is a story about your butt. It’s a story about how you got your butt, why you have your butt, and how your butt might be one of the most important and essential things for you being you, for being human.
Today, reporters Heather Radke and Matt Kielty talk to two researchers who followed the butt from our ancient beginnings, through millions of years of evolution, and all the way to today, out to a valley in Arizona, where our butts are put to the ultimate test.
This episode was reported by Heather Radke and Matt Kielty and was produced by Matt Kielty, Rachael Cusick and Simon Adler. Sound design and mixing by Jeremy Bloom. Fact-checking by Dorie Chevlen.
Special thanks to Michelle Legro.
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
28 Dec 2019
58 MINS
58:44
28 Dec 2019
There and Back Again
Here's a simple question: When an animal disappears in the winter, where does it go? Oddly enough, this question completely stumped European scientists for thousands of years. And even today, the more we learn about the comings and goings of the animals, the deeper the mystery seems to get. We visit a Bavarian farm with an 11 year old, follow warblers and wildebeests around the world, and get a totally new kind of view of the pulsing flow of animals across the globe.
This episode was reported by Robert Krulwich and Jackson Roach and produced by Pat Walters, Matt Kielty, and Jackson Roach. Mix & original music by Jeremy Bloom.
Special thanks to Allison Shaw, David Barrie, Auriel Fournier, and Moritz Matschke.
Support Radiolab today at [Radiolab.org/donate] (https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=notes&utm_campaign=membership&utm_content=radiolab) .
And check out:
[The Truth about Animals] (https://www.amazon.com/Truth-About-Animals-Lovelorn-Wildlife/dp/0465094643) by Lucy Cooke
[No Way Home: The Decline of the Great Animal Migrations] (https://www.amazon.com/No-Way-Home-Decline-Migrations/dp/1559639857/ref=sr_1_7?crid=2TDT0UHCEU45P&keywords=no+way+home&qid=1576670927&s=books&sprefix=no+way+home%2Cstripbooks%2C146&sr=1-7) by David Wilcove
The migration [video] (https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=nUKh0fr1Od8) Jad and Robert watch in this episode!
18 Dec 2019
44 MINS
44:58
18 Dec 2019