This episode, a tale of a wonder drug that will make you wonder about way more than just drugs.  
Doctor-reporter Avir Mitra follows the epic and fantastical journey of a molecule dug out of a distant patch of dirt that would go on to make billions of dollars, prolong millions of lives, and teach us something fundamental we didn’t know about ourselves. Along the way, he meets a geriatric mouse named Ike, an immigrant dad who’s a little bit cool sometimes, a prophetic dream that prompts a thousand-mile journey, an ice cream container that may or may not be an accessory to international drug smuggling, and - most important of all - an obscure protein that’s calling the shots in every one of your cells RIGHT NOW.
This episode was reported by Avir Mitra and was produced by Sarah Qari, Pat Walters, Suzie Lechtenberg, with help from Carin Leong and Rachael Cusick.
Special thanks to Richard Miller, Stuart Schreiber, Joanne Van Tilburg, and Bethany Halford.
Support Radiolab by becoming a member today at Radiolab.org/donate.  **This episode was taped prior to the news that David Sabatini was fired from The Howard Hughes Medical Institute and prior to his resignation from the Whitehead Institute. More information about Sabatini’s alleged misconduct and the investigation into his behavior can be found here.

This episode, a tale of a wonder drug that will make you wonder about way more than just drugs.  
Doctor-reporter Avir Mitra follows the epic and fantastical journey of a molecule dug out of a distant patch of dirt that would go on to make billions of dollars, prolong millions of lives, and teach us something fundamental we didn’t know about ourselves. Along the way, he meets a geriatric mouse named Ike, an immigrant dad who’s a little bit cool sometimes, a prophetic dream that prompts a thousand-mile journey, an ice cream container that may or may not be an accessory to international drug smuggling, and - most important of all - an obscure protein that’s calling the shots in every one of your cells RIGHT NOW.
This episode was reported by Avir Mitra and was produced by Sarah Qari, Pat Walters, Suzie Lechtenberg, with help from Carin Leong and Rachael Cusick.
Special thanks to Richard Miller, Stuart Schreiber, Joanne Van Tilburg, and Bethany Halford.
Support Radiolab by becoming a member today at <a href="https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=radiolab-redirect&amp;utm_campaign=pledge&amp;utm_content=show-notes" target="_blank" title="Pledge">Radiolab.org/donate</a>.  **This episode was taped prior to the news that David Sabatini was fired from The Howard Hughes Medical Institute and prior to his resignation from the Whitehead Institute. More information about Sabatini’s alleged misconduct and the investigation into his behavior can be found <a href="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/08/hhmi-fires-prominent-biologist-sexual-harassment" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2021/08/hhmi-fires-prominent-biologist-sexual-harassment">here</a>.

Radiolab

The Dirty Drug and the Ice Cream Tub

I finally listened to this episode and as it turns out, the main person is my friend’s uncle. Agreed it was a great episode with some rollercoastering.

Since its inception, the perennial thorn in Facebook’s side has been content moderation. That is, deciding what you and I are allowed to post on the site and what we’re not. Missteps by Facebook in this area have fueled everything from a genocide in Myanmar to viral disinformation surrounding politics and the coronavirus. However, just this past year, conceding their failings, Facebook shifted its approach. They erected an independent body of twenty jurors that will make the final call on many of Facebook’s thorniest decisions. This body has been called: Facebook’s Supreme Court.
So today, in collaboration with the New Yorker magazine and the New Yorker Radio Hour, we explore how this body came to be, what power it really has and how the consequences of its decisions will be nothing short of life or death.
This episode was reported and produced by Simon Adler.
To hear more about the court's origin, their rulings so far, and their upcoming docket, check out David Remnick and reporter Kate Klonick’s conversation in the New Yorker Radio Hour podcast feed.
Support Radiolab by becoming a member today at Radiolab.org/donate.

Since its inception, the perennial thorn in Facebook’s side has been content moderation. That is, deciding what you and I are allowed to post on the site and what we’re not. Missteps by Facebook in this area have fueled everything from a genocide in Myanmar to viral disinformation surrounding politics and the coronavirus. However, just this past year, conceding their failings, Facebook shifted its approach. They erected an independent body of twenty jurors that will make the final call on many of Facebook’s thorniest decisions. This body has been called: Facebook’s Supreme Court.
So today, in collaboration with the New Yorker magazine and the New Yorker Radio Hour, we explore how this body came to be, what power it really has and how the consequences of its decisions will be nothing short of life or death.
This episode was reported and produced by Simon Adler.
To hear more about the court's origin, their rulings so far, and their upcoming docket, check out David Remnick and reporter Kate Klonick’s conversation in the New Yorker Radio Hour podcast <a href="https://smarturl.it/newyorkerradiohour/spotify">feed</a>.
Support Radiolab by becoming a member today at <a href="https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab-it/onestep/?utm_source=wnyc&amp;utm_medium=radiolab-redirect&amp;utm_campaign=pledge&amp;utm_content=show-notes" target="_blank" title="Pledge">Radiolab.org/donate</a>.

Facebook's Supreme Court

Great introduction to Facebook’s new ‘Supreme Court,’ a multi-national collection of humans tasked with defining and refining the guiding principles of Facebook’s content policy. 

We all think we know the story of pregnancy. Sperm meets egg, followed by nine months of nurturing, nesting, and quiet incubation. But this story isn’t the nursery rhyme we think it is. In a way, it’s a struggle, almost like a tiny war. And right on the front lines of that battle is another major player on the stage of pregnancy that not a single person on the planet would be here without. An entirely new organ: the placenta.
In this episode we take you on a journey through the 270-day life of this weird, squishy, gelatinous orb, and discover that it is so much more than an organ. It’s a foreign invader. A piece of meat. A friend and parent. And it’s perhaps the most essential piece in the survival of our kind.
This episode was reported by Heather Radke and Becca Bressler, and produced by Becca Bressler and Pat Walters, with help from Matt Kielty and Maria Paz Gutierrez. Additional reporting by Molly Webster.
Special thanks to Diana Bianchi, Julia Katz, Sam Behjati, Celia Bardwell-Jones, Mathilde Cohen, Hannah Ingraham, Pip Lipkin, and Molly Fassler.
 
Support Radiolab by becoming a member today at Radiolab.org/donate.  
 
For cool new research on the placenta:
Check out Harvey’s latest paper published with Julia Katz.
Sam Behjati's latest paper on the placenta as a "genetic dumping ground".

We all think we know the story of pregnancy. Sperm meets egg, followed by nine months of nurturing, nesting, and quiet incubation. But this story isn’t the nursery rhyme we think it is. In a way, it’s a struggle, almost like a tiny war. And right on the front lines of that battle is another major player on the stage of pregnancy that not a single person on the planet would be here without. An entirely new organ: the placenta.
In this episode we take you on a journey through the 270-day life of this weird, squishy, gelatinous orb, and discover that it is so much more than an organ. It’s a foreign invader. A piece of meat. A friend and parent. And it’s perhaps the most essential piece in the survival of our kind.
This episode was reported by Heather Radke and Becca Bressler, and produced by Becca Bressler and Pat Walters, with help from Matt Kielty and Maria Paz Gutierrez. Additional reporting by Molly Webster.
Special thanks to Diana Bianchi, Julia Katz, Sam Behjati, Celia Bardwell-Jones, Mathilde Cohen, Hannah Ingraham, Pip Lipkin, and Molly Fassler.
 
Support Radiolab by becoming a member today at <a href="https://pledge3.wnyc.org/donate/radiolab/onestep/">Radiolab.org/donate</a>.  
 
For cool new research on the placenta:
Check out Harvey’s latest <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0143400421001284">paper</a> published with Julia Katz.
Sam Behjati's latest<a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/03/210310122521.htm"> paper</a> on the placenta as a "genetic dumping ground".

Everybody’s Got One

I've recently started working with a client in the women's health/fertility space, and I can honestly say that i did not realize how powerful and fascinating the female body is through pregnancy. Never really thought about it. The placenta especially is just so interesting. 

A major development in the case of Guantanamo detainee Abdul Latif Nasser.
To listen to our series about him, go to theotherlatif.org.

A major development in the case of Guantanamo detainee Abdul Latif Nasser.
To listen to our series about him, go to <a href="http://theotherlatif.org">theotherlatif.org</a>.

Breaking News about The Other Latif

You know the drill — all it takes is one sperm, one egg, and blammo — you’ve got yourself a baby. Right? Well, in this 2015 episode, conception takes on a new form — it’s the sperm and the egg, plus: two wombs, four countries, and money. Lots of money. 
This is the story of an Israeli couple, two men, 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 considered bans on surrogacy, this episode looked at a relationship that manages to feel deeply affecting and deeply uncomfortable 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! (https://zpr.io/rX3DazcJiUUG) 
Israel Story's five English-language seasons were produced in partnership with Tablet Magazine (https://zpr.io/HxYET7psAbPh) and we highly recommend you listen to all of their work at (https://zpr.io/HD3LSqq25LEx) 
This 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 (https://zpr.io/KxN7etFiqWHL); Doron Mamet, Dr Nayana Patel, and Vicki Ferrara; with translation help from Aya Keefe, Karthik Ravindra, Turna Ray, Tom Wasserman, Pradeep Thapa, and Adhikaar (https://zpr.io/MDyadskgwZtH), an organization in Ridgewood, Queens advocating for the Nepali-speaking community. 
Audio Extra:
Tal and Air 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.

EPISODE CREDITS: Reported by - Molly Websterwith help from - Maya Kosover, Yochai Maital, Bhrikuti Rai

You know the drill — all it takes is one sperm, one egg, and blammo — you’ve got yourself a baby. Right? Well, in this 2015 episode, conception takes on a new form — it’s the sperm and the egg, plus: two wombs, four countries, and money. Lots of money. 
This is the story of an Israeli couple, two men, 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 considered bans on surrogacy, this episode looked at a relationship that manages to feel deeply affecting and deeply uncomfortable 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. <a href="https://israelstory.org/en/episodes/">Go check ‘em out! (</a><a href="https://zpr.io/rX3DazcJiUUG">https://zpr.io/rX3DazcJiUUG</a>)<a href="https://israelstory.org/en/episodes/"> </a>
Israel Story's five English-language seasons were produced in partnership with <a href="http://www.tabletmag.com/">Tablet Magazine</a> (<a href="https://zpr.io/HxYET7psAbPh">https://zpr.io/HxYET7psAbPh</a>) and we highly recommend you <a href="http://www.tabletmag.com/tag/israel-story">listen to all of their work at</a> (<a href="https://zpr.io/HD3LSqq25LEx">https://zpr.io/HD3LSqq25LEx</a>) 
This 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 <a href="http://internationalreportingproject.org/">International Reporting Project</a> (<a href="https://zpr.io/KxN7etFiqWHL">https://zpr.io/KxN7etFiqWHL</a>); Doron Mamet, Dr Nayana Patel, and Vicki Ferrara; with translation help from Aya Keefe, Karthik Ravindra, Turna Ray, Tom Wasserman, Pradeep Thapa, and <a href="http://www.adhikaar.org/">Adhikaar</a> (<a href="https://zpr.io/MDyadskgwZtH">https://zpr.io/MDyadskgwZtH</a>), an organization in Ridgewood, Queens advocating for the Nepali-speaking community. 
Audio Extra:
Tal and Air 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.

EPISODE CREDITS: Reported by - Molly Websterwith help from - Maya Kosover, Yochai Maital, Bhrikuti Rai

Birthstory

In the weeks following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a young doctor in Germany sees that abortion pills are urgently needed in Ukraine. And she wants to help. But getting the drugs into the country means going through Poland, which has some of the strictest abortion laws in Europe. So, she gets creative. What unfolds is a high-stakes, covert-operation run by a group of strangers. With everyone deciding: who to trust? In collaboration with NPR’s Rough Translation, we find out what happened. Part 1 of 2 episodes.Special thanks to Wojciech Oleksiak, Katy Lee, Maria Hlazunova, Valeria Fokina, Sara Furxhi, Noel King, Robert Krulwich and Sana Krasikov, and our homies over at Rough Translation. Thanks also to Micah Loewinger and Laura Griffin. Illustrations came from Oksana Drachkovska. 
And thank you to the many sources and experts we interviewed who asked to remain anonymous.
Episode Credits:Reported by - Katz LasloProduced by - Daniel Girma and Tessa PaoliMixer - Gilly Moonwith mixing help from - Jeremy BloomFact-checking by - Marisa Robertson-Textorand Edited by - Brenna Farrell
CITATIONS:
Videos

Watch Deutsche Welle’s Abortion in Europe documentary (https://zpr.io/YHctj4bZQwHM).

Podcasts

Listen to Eleanor MacDowell’s A Sense of Quietness (https://zpr.io/eHhcHusxrhfE) on the BBC.
Listen to NPR’s Joanna Kakissis’s story This Secretive Network Helps Ukranian Refugees Find Abortions in Poland (https://zpr.io/LsQw9V6ByfFg).
Our reporter, Katz Laszlo, reports on European current affairs and reproductive health, and produces for The Europeans (https://zpr.io/sHAvrvqU2m8t) podcast, which features stories across the continent, including in Ukraine. 
Our collaborators, NPR’s Rough Translation (https://zpr.io/9UpCwb2Smjzw)

Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org.

Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

In the weeks following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, a young doctor in Germany sees that abortion pills are urgently needed in Ukraine. And she wants to help. But getting the drugs into the country means going through Poland, which has some of the strictest abortion laws in Europe. So, she gets creative. What unfolds is a high-stakes, covert-operation run by a group of strangers. With everyone deciding: who to trust? In collaboration with NPR’s Rough Translation, we find out what happened. Part 1 of 2 episodes.Special thanks to Wojciech Oleksiak, Katy Lee, Maria Hlazunova, Valeria Fokina, Sara Furxhi, Noel King, Robert Krulwich and Sana Krasikov, and our homies over at Rough Translation. Thanks also to Micah Loewinger and Laura Griffin. Illustrations came from Oksana Drachkovska. 
And thank you to the many sources and experts we interviewed who asked to remain anonymous.
Episode Credits:Reported by - Katz LasloProduced by - Daniel Girma and Tessa PaoliMixer - Gilly Moonwith mixing help from - Jeremy BloomFact-checking by - Marisa Robertson-Textorand Edited by - Brenna Farrell
CITATIONS:
Videos
<ul>
Watch Deutsche Welle’s <a href="https://www.dw.com/en/abortion-in-europe-scorned-concealed-prohibited/video-61694073">Abortion in Europe documentary</a> (https://zpr.io/YHctj4bZQwHM).
</ul>
Podcasts
<ul>
Listen to Eleanor MacDowell’s <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00019nh">A Sense of Quietness</a> (https://zpr.io/eHhcHusxrhfE) on the BBC.
Listen to NPR’s Joanna Kakissis’s story <a href="https://www.npr.org/2022/06/01/1101473557/ukrainian-refugees-abortions-europe-poland-warsaw">This Secretive Network Helps Ukranian Refugees Find Abortions in Poland</a> (https://zpr.io/LsQw9V6ByfFg).
Our reporter, Katz Laszlo, reports on European current affairs and reproductive health, and produces for <a href="https://europeanspodcast.com/about-us">The Europeans</a> (https://zpr.io/sHAvrvqU2m8t) podcast, which features stories across the continent, including in Ukraine. 
Our collaborators, NPR’s <a href="https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510324/rough-translation">Rough Translation</a> (https://zpr.io/9UpCwb2Smjzw)
</ul>
Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. <a href="https://radiolab.org/newsletter">Sign up</a> (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of <a href="http://members.radiolab.org">The Lab</a> (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.Follow our show on <a href="http://instagram.com/radiolab">Instagram</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/radiolab">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://facebook.com/radiolab">Facebook</a> @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing <a href="mailto:radiolab@wnyc.org">radiolab@wnyc.org</a>.

Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Ukraine: Under the Counter

A good game — whether it's a pro football playoff, or a family showdown on the kitchen table — can make you feel, at least for a little while, like your whole life hangs in the balance. This hour of Radiolab, Jad and Robert wonder why we get so invested in something so trivial. What is it about games that make them feel so pivotal?
We hear how a recurring dream about football turned into a real-life lesson for Stephen Dubner, we watch a chessboard turn into a playground where by-the-book moves give way to totally unpredictable possibilities, and we talk to Dan Engber, a one time senior editor at Slate, now at The Atlantic, and a bunch of scientists about why betting on a longshot is so much fun. And finally, we talk to Malcolm Gladwell about why he loves the overdog.
CITATIONS:
Videos - 
The Immaculate Reception (https://zpr.io/izhV3Sm88SWF) by Franco Harris on December 23, 1972. Harris was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ fullback at the time.
Books - 
Stephen J. Dubner’s book, Confessions of a Hero Worshipper (https://zpr.io/iQUwfF8vGArj)
Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!
Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.
Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org

Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

A good game — whether it's a pro football playoff, or a family showdown on the kitchen table — can make you feel, at least for a little while, like your whole life hangs in the balance. This hour of Radiolab, Jad and Robert wonder why we get so invested in something so trivial. What is it about games that make them feel so pivotal?
We hear how a recurring dream about football turned into a real-life lesson for Stephen Dubner, we watch a chessboard turn into a playground where by-the-book moves give way to totally unpredictable possibilities, and we talk to Dan Engber, a one time senior editor at Slate, now at The Atlantic, and a bunch of scientists about why betting on a longshot is so much fun. And finally, we talk to Malcolm Gladwell about why he loves the overdog.
CITATIONS:
Videos - 
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dHIXFKrrUhA">The Immaculate Reception</a> (<a class="in-cell-link" href="https://zpr.io/izhV3Sm88SWF" target="_blank">https://zpr.io/izhV3Sm88SWF</a>) by Franco Harris on December 23, 1972. Harris was the Pittsburgh Steelers’ fullback at the time.
Books - 
Stephen J. Dubner’s book, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/192940.Confessions_of_a_Hero_Worshiper">Confessions of a Hero Worshipper</a> (<a class="in-cell-link" href="https://zpr.io/iQUwfF8vGArj" target="_blank">https://zpr.io/iQUwfF8vGArj</a>)
Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. <a href="https://radiolab.org/newsletter">Sign up</a> (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!
Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of <a href="http://members.radiolab.org">The Lab</a> (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.
Follow our show on <a href="http://instagram.com/radiolab">Instagram</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/radiolab">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://facebook.com/radiolab">Facebook</a> @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing <a href="mailto:radiolab@wnyc.org">radiolab@wnyc.org</a>

Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Games

For a special New Year’s treat, we take a tour through the history of the universe with the help of… poets. Our guide is Maria Popova, who writes the popular blog The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings), and the poetry is from her project, “The Universe in Verse” — an annual event where poets read poems about science, space, and the natural world.
Special thanks to all of our poets, musicians, and performers: Marie Howe, Tracy K. Smith, Rebecca Elson, Joan as Policewoman, Patti Smith, Gautam Srikishan, Zoe Keating, and Emily Dickinson.
EPISODE CREDITS:
Reported by - Lulu Millerwith help from - Maria PopovaProduced by - Sindhu Gnanasambandanwith mixing help from - Jeremy BloomFact-checking by - Natalie A. Middletonand Edited by  - Pat Walters
FURTHER READING AND RESEARCH:To dig deeper on this one, we recommendBooks: - Tracy K Smith’s “Life On Mars” (https://zpr.io/weTzGTbZyVDT)- Marie Howe’s “The Kingdom Of Ordinary Times” (https://zpr.io/Tj9cWTsQxHG3)- Rebecca Elson’s “A Responsiblity To Awe” (https://zpr.io/PLR3KL8SfuPR)- Patti Smith’s “Just Kids” (https://zpr.io/zM47P5KqqKZx)Music:- Joan As Policewoman (https://joanaspolicewoman.com/)- Gautam Srikishan (https://www.floatingfast.com/)- Zoe Keating (https://www.zoekeating.com/)
Internet:- The Marginalian blog post (https://zpr.io/abTuDFH9pfwu) about Vera Rubin- Check out photos of Emily Dickinson’s Herbarium (https://zpr.io/XkgTscKBfem6), a book of 424 flowers she picked and pressed and identified while studying the wild botany of Massachusetts.Tracy K. Smith, “My God, It’s Full of Stars” from Such Color: New and Selected Poems. Copyright © 2011 by Tracy K. Smith. Read by the author and used with the permission of The Permissions Company, LLC on behalf of Graywolf Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota, www.graywolfpress.org.
Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!
Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.
Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org.

Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

For a special New Year’s treat, we take a tour through the history of the universe with the help of… poets. Our guide is Maria Popova, who writes the popular blog The Marginalian (formerly Brain Pickings), and the poetry is from her project, “The Universe in Verse” — an annual event where poets read poems about science, space, and the natural world.
Special thanks to all of our poets, musicians, and performers: Marie Howe, Tracy K. Smith, Rebecca Elson, Joan as Policewoman, Patti Smith, Gautam Srikishan, Zoe Keating, and Emily Dickinson.
EPISODE CREDITS:
Reported by - Lulu Millerwith help from - Maria PopovaProduced by - Sindhu Gnanasambandanwith mixing help from - Jeremy BloomFact-checking by - Natalie A. Middletonand Edited by  - Pat Walters
FURTHER READING AND RESEARCH:To dig deeper on this one, we recommendBooks: - Tracy K Smith’s “<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9639765-life-on-mars">Life On Mars</a>” (<a class="in-cell-link" href="https://zpr.io/weTzGTbZyVDT" target="_blank">https://zpr.io/weTzGTbZyVDT</a>)- Marie Howe’s “<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1054593.The_Kingdom_of_Ordinary_Time">The Kingdom Of Ordinary Times</a>” (<a class="in-cell-link" href="https://zpr.io/Tj9cWTsQxHG3" target="_blank">https://zpr.io/Tj9cWTsQxHG3</a>)- Rebecca Elson’s “<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/1912586.A_Responsibility_to_Awe">A Responsiblity To Awe” (</a><a class="in-cell-link" href="https://zpr.io/PLR3KL8SfuPR" target="_blank">https://zpr.io/PLR3KL8SfuPR</a>)- Patti Smith’s “<a href="https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/341879.Just_Kids?from_search=true&amp;from_srp=true&amp;qid=2Jb4h4SSWL&amp;rank=1">Just Kids</a>” (<a class="in-cell-link" href="https://zpr.io/zM47P5KqqKZx" target="_blank">https://zpr.io/zM47P5KqqKZx</a>)Music:- <a href="https://joanaspolicewoman.com/">Joan As Policewoman (https://joanaspolicewoman.com/)</a>- <a href="https://www.floatingfast.com/">Gautam Srikishan (https://www.floatingfast.com/)</a>- <a href="https://www.zoekeating.com/">Zoe Keating (https://www.zoekeating.com/)</a>
Internet:- <a href="https://www.themarginalian.org/2022/02/24/dark-matter/">The Marginalian blog post</a> (<a class="in-cell-link" href="https://zpr.io/abTuDFH9pfwu" target="_blank">https://zpr.io/abTuDFH9pfwu</a>) about Vera Rubin- Check out photos of Emily Dickinson’s <a href="https://www.themarginalian.org/2017/05/23/emily-dickinson-herbarium/">Herbarium</a> (<a class="in-cell-link" href="https://zpr.io/XkgTscKBfem6" target="_blank">https://zpr.io/XkgTscKBfem6</a>), a book of 424 flowers she picked and pressed and identified while studying the wild botany of Massachusetts.Tracy K. Smith, “My God, It’s Full of Stars” from Such Color: New and Selected Poems. Copyright © 2011 by Tracy K. Smith. Read by the author and used with the permission of The Permissions Company, LLC on behalf of Graywolf Press, Minneapolis, Minnesota, <a href="https://protect-us.mimecast.com/s/WjXzCgJGwxHYAx2nHZcZqA?domain=graywolfpress.org">www.graywolfpress.org</a>.
Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. <a href="https://radiolab.org/newsletter">Sign up</a> (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!
Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of <a href="http://members.radiolab.org">The Lab</a> (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.
Follow our show on <a href="http://instagram.com/radiolab">Instagram</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/radiolab">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://facebook.com/radiolab">Facebook</a> @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing <a href="mailto:radiolab@wnyc.org">radiolab@wnyc.org</a>.

Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Universe In Verse

This episode —first released in 2009 and then again in 2015, with an update — asks, what is “normal”? Maybe it exists, maybe not. We examine peace-loving baboons with Stanford neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky, talk to Stu Rasmussen, whose preferred pronouns were he/him (https://zpr.io/nUdsZawNmhwt), and his neighbors in Silverton, Oregon about how a town chooses its community over outsider opinions. And lastly, we speak with an evolutionary anthropologist, Duke University’s own Brian Hare, and an evolutionary biologist Tecumseh Fitch, then at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, now at the University of Vienna, Austria, about foxes who love to snuggle.And what we find is that normal — maybe the only normal — is change.
EPISODE CREDITS Reported by - Aaron CohenProduced by - Soren Wheelerwith help from - Annie McEwenCITATIONSArticles -Stu Rassmussen’s NYT Obituary (https://zpr.io/nUdsZawNmhwt).
Theater - Andrew Russel’s “Stu for Silverton” (https://zpr.io/Jn5JP276pwhj) the play based on Stu Rasmussen’s life. 
 
Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!
Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org

Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

This episode —first released in 2009 and then again in 2015, with an update — asks, what is “normal”? Maybe it exists, maybe not. We examine peace-loving baboons with Stanford neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky, talk to Stu Rasmussen, whose preferred pronouns were he/him (https://zpr.io/nUdsZawNmhwt), and his neighbors in Silverton, Oregon about how a town chooses its community over outsider opinions. And lastly, we speak with an evolutionary anthropologist, Duke University’s own Brian Hare, and an evolutionary biologist Tecumseh Fitch, then at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, now at the University of Vienna, Austria, about foxes who love to snuggle.And what we find is that normal — maybe the only normal — is change.
EPISODE CREDITS Reported by - Aaron CohenProduced by - Soren Wheelerwith help from - Annie McEwenCITATIONSArticles -<a href="https://zpr.io/nUdsZawNmhwt">Stu Rassmussen’s NYT Obituary</a> (https://zpr.io/nUdsZawNmhwt).
Theater - <a href="https://www.intiman.org/plays-events/stu-for-silverton-a-new-musical/">Andrew Russel’s “Stu for Silverton”</a> (<a class="in-cell-link" href="https://zpr.io/Jn5JP276pwhj" target="_blank">https://zpr.io/Jn5JP276pwhj</a>) the play based on Stu Rasmussen’s life. 
 
Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. <a href="https://radiolab.org/newsletter">Sign up</a> (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!
Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of <a href="http://members.radiolab.org">The Lab</a> (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.Follow our show on <a href="http://instagram.com/radiolab">Instagram</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/radiolab">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://facebook.com/radiolab">Facebook</a> @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing <a href="mailto:radiolab@wnyc.org">radiolab@wnyc.org</a>

Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

New Normal

Come fly with me, let’s fly away.Once I get you up thereWhere the air is rarefiedWe'll just glideStarry eyedInto the abyssDevoid of any sort of blissYou might even hearThe shouts of fear just because we’re together (oh so close together)
In a metal tubeEating schlocky, gruely foodJust please hold it in, there’s enough din, I don’t need to smell what you ateCome on, fly with me, let's fly, let's flyPack up your bags and let's get out of here (come on let's fly away)
Special thanks to Natalie Compton, Julia Longoria, Mike Arnot, and everyone at Gate Gourmet.EPISODE CREDITS: 
Reported by - Matt Kielty, Simon Adler and Rachael CusickProduced by - Matt Kielty, Simon Adler and Rachael CusickWith Production help from - Sindhu GnanasambandanOriginal music and sound design contributed by - Jeremy Bloomand mixing help from - Arianne WackFact-checking by - Natalie A. MiddletonEdited by  - Pat Walters
CITATIONS: 
Videos
Lou Boyer, the animal-flying pilot from our episode, has a great plane-forward Instagram account (https://www.instagram.com/loub747/). As well as a whole YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@loub747/videos) dedicated to snakes and planes. (Luckily, not both at the same time.)
Books
Richard Foss's Food in the Air and Space: The Surprising History of Food and Drink in the Skies (https://zpr.io/KZyTPJkSENVq)CHECK OUT:The Death, Sex and Money series Estrangement (https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/deathsexmoney/projects/estrangement)Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!
Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.
Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org.

Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Come fly with me, let’s fly away.Once I get you up thereWhere the air is rarefiedWe'll just glideStarry eyedInto the abyssDevoid of any sort of blissYou might even hearThe shouts of fear just because we’re together (oh so close together)
In a metal tubeEating schlocky, gruely foodJust please hold it in, there’s enough din, I don’t need to smell what you ateCome on, fly with me, let's fly, let's flyPack up your bags and let's get out of here (come on let's fly away)
Special thanks to Natalie Compton, Julia Longoria, Mike Arnot, and everyone at Gate Gourmet.EPISODE CREDITS: 
Reported by - Matt Kielty, Simon Adler and Rachael CusickProduced by - Matt Kielty, Simon Adler and Rachael CusickWith Production help from - Sindhu GnanasambandanOriginal music and sound design contributed by - Jeremy Bloomand mixing help from - Arianne WackFact-checking by - Natalie A. MiddletonEdited by  - Pat Walters
CITATIONS: 
Videos
Lou Boyer, the animal-flying pilot from our episode, has a <a href="https://www.instagram.com/loub747/">great plane-forward Instagram account</a> (https://www.instagram.com/loub747/). As well as <a href="http://www.wnycstudios.org/a%20whole%20YouTube%20channel">a whole YouTube channel</a> (https://www.youtube.com/@loub747/videos) dedicated to snakes and planes. (Luckily, not both at the same time.)
Books
Richard Foss's <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/22620309-food-in-the-air-and-space">Food in the Air and Space: The Surprising History of Food and Drink in the Skies</a> (<a class="in-cell-link" href="https://zpr.io/KZyTPJkSENVq" target="_blank">https://zpr.io/KZyTPJkSENVq</a>)CHECK OUT:The Death, Sex and Money series <a href="https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/deathsexmoney/projects/estrangement">Estrangement</a> (https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/deathsexmoney/projects/estrangement)Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!
Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.
Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org.

Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

The Flight Before Christmas

This episode, first aired in 2017, has Reporter Tracie Hunte and Editor Soren Wheeler exploring a hidden power in the U.S. Court System that is either the cornerstone of our democracy or a trapdoor to anarchy.
Should a juror be able to ignore the law? From a Quaker prayer meeting in the streets of London to riots in the streets of Los Angeles, we trace the history of a quiet act of rebellion and struggle with how much power “We the People” should really have.Special thanks to Darryl K. Brown, professor of law at the University of Virginia, Andrew Leipold, professor of law at the University of Illinois, at Urbana-Champaign, Nancy King, professor of law at Vanderbilt University, Buzz Scherr law professor at University of New Hampshire, Eric Verlo and attorneys David Lane, Mark Sisto, David Kallman and Paul Grant. Episode Credits:Reported by Tracie HunteProduced by Matt Kielty
Citations:Media: You can hear the whole On the Media series, The Divided Dial, and many of their other great work by following this link(https://zpr.io/hbkfxQDKdHz8). 
Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!
Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.
Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org

Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

This episode, first aired in 2017, has Reporter Tracie Hunte and Editor Soren Wheeler exploring a hidden power in the U.S. Court System that is either the cornerstone of our democracy or a trapdoor to anarchy.
Should a juror be able to ignore the law? From a Quaker prayer meeting in the streets of London to riots in the streets of Los Angeles, we trace the history of a quiet act of rebellion and struggle with how much power “We the People” should really have.Special thanks to Darryl K. Brown, professor of law at the University of Virginia, Andrew Leipold, professor of law at the University of Illinois, at Urbana-Champaign, Nancy King, professor of law at Vanderbilt University, Buzz Scherr law professor at University of New Hampshire, Eric Verlo and attorneys David Lane, Mark Sisto, David Kallman and Paul Grant. Episode Credits:Reported by Tracie HunteProduced by Matt Kielty
Citations:Media: You can hear the whole On the Media series, The Divided Dial, and many of their other great work by following this <a href="">link</a>(https://zpr.io/hbkfxQDKdHz8). 
Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. <a href="https://radiolab.org/newsletter">Sign up</a> (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!
Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of <a href="http://members.radiolab.org">The Lab</a> (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.
Follow our show on <a href="http://instagram.com/radiolab">Instagram</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/radiolab">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://facebook.com/radiolab">Facebook</a> @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing <a href="mailto:radiolab@wnyc.org">radiolab@wnyc.org</a>

<a href="mailto:radiolab@wnyc.org"></a>Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Null and Void

After graduating from high school, without a clear plan for what to do next, Laura Andrews started asking herself a lot of questions. A spiral of big philosophical thoughts that led her to sit down and write to us with a question that was … oddly mathematical.  What is the most average size thing, if you take into account everything in the universe. So, along with mathematician Steven Strogatz, we decided to see if we could sit down and, in a friendly throw down of guesstimates and quick calculations, rough out an answer. 
Special thanks to all the listeners who sent in their responses to this question.
Episode Credits:Reported by - Soren Wheeler and Alex NeasonProduced by - Annie McEwenwith mixing help from - Arianne WackFact-checking by - Natalie A. Middletonand Edited by  - Alex Neason
Citations:
BooksYou can find links to many books by Steven Strogatz here: https://www.stevenstrogatz.com/all-books
MediaAnd the podcast he does for Qauntum Magazine, the Joy of Why, here: https://www.quantamagazine.org/tag/the-joy-of-why/
Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org.

 
Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

After graduating from high school, without a clear plan for what to do next, Laura Andrews started asking herself a lot of questions. A spiral of big philosophical thoughts that led her to sit down and write to us with a question that was … oddly mathematical.  What is the most average size thing, if you take into account everything in the universe. So, along with mathematician Steven Strogatz, we decided to see if we could sit down and, in a friendly throw down of guesstimates and quick calculations, rough out an answer. 
Special thanks to all the listeners who sent in their responses to this question.
Episode Credits:Reported by - Soren Wheeler and Alex NeasonProduced by - Annie McEwenwith mixing help from - Arianne WackFact-checking by - Natalie A. Middletonand Edited by  - Alex Neason
Citations:
BooksYou can find links to many books by Steven Strogatz here: <a href="https://www.stevenstrogatz.com/all-books">https://www.stevenstrogatz.com/all-books</a>
MediaAnd the podcast he does for Qauntum Magazine, the Joy of Why, here: <a href="https://www.quantamagazine.org/tag/the-joy-of-why/">https://www.quantamagazine.org/tag/the-joy-of-why/</a>
Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. <a href="https://radiolab.org/newsletter">Sign up</a> (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of <a href="http://members.radiolab.org">The Lab</a> (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.Follow our show on <a href="http://instagram.com/radiolab">Instagram</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/radiolab">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://facebook.com/radiolab">Facebook</a> @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing <a href="mailto:radiolab@wnyc.org">radiolab@wnyc.org</a>.

 
Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

The Middle of Everything Ever

A global pandemic. Thousands dying. A passive government. An afflicted group fueled by grief and anger. In this episode, first aired in 2020, Reporter Tracie Hunte wanted to understand this moment of pain and confusion. As she looked back three decades, she found a complicated answer to a simple question: when nothing seems to work, how do you make change?
Special thanks to Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Episode Credits:
Reported by Tracie HuntProduced by Matt Kielty
Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!
Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.
Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org

 
Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

A global pandemic. Thousands dying. A passive government. An afflicted group fueled by grief and anger. In this episode, first aired in 2020, Reporter Tracie Hunte wanted to understand this moment of pain and confusion. As she looked back three decades, she found a complicated answer to a simple question: when nothing seems to work, how do you make change?
Special thanks to Dr. Anthony Fauci.
Episode Credits:
Reported by Tracie HuntProduced by Matt Kielty
Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. <a href="https://radiolab.org/newsletter">Sign up</a> (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!
Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of <a href="http://members.radiolab.org">The Lab</a> (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.
Follow our show on <a href="http://instagram.com/radiolab">Instagram</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/radiolab">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://facebook.com/radiolab">Facebook</a> @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing <a href="mailto:radiolab@wnyc.org">radiolab@wnyc.org</a>

 
Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

The Ashes on the Lawn

When U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren was asked at the end of his career, “What was the most important case of your tenure?”, there were a lot of answers he could have given. He had presided over some of the most important decisions in the court’s history — cases that dealt with segregation in schools, the right to an attorney, the right to remain silent, just to name a few. But his answer was a surprise: he said “Baker v. Carr,” a 1962 redistricting case. 
On this 2016 episode, part of our series More Perfect, we talk about why this case was so important. Important enough that it pushed one Supreme Court justice to a nervous breakdown, brought a boiling feud to a head, gave another justice a stroke, and changed the course of the Supreme Court — and the nation — forever.This episode is the one of the few times you can hear the voice of our Executive Producer Suzie Lechtenberg. After years of leading the team, Suzie will leave WNYC to start her new adventure. Suzie: re-publishing this episode is our way of saying thank you for all you’ve done — for the show and for each of us. Team Radiolab wishes you nothing but success and so much happiness in the next stage of your career.
Episode Credits:Reported by Suzie LechtenbergProduced by Suzie Lechtenberg
Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!
Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org.

Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

When U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice Earl Warren was asked at the end of his career, “What was the most important case of your tenure?”, there were a lot of answers he could have given. He had presided over some of the most important decisions in the court’s history — cases that dealt with segregation in schools, the right to an attorney, the right to remain silent, just to name a few. But his answer was a surprise: he said “Baker v. Carr,” a 1962 redistricting case. 
On this 2016 episode, part of our series More Perfect, we talk about why this case was so important. Important enough that it pushed one Supreme Court justice to a nervous breakdown, brought a boiling feud to a head, gave another justice a stroke, and changed the course of the Supreme Court — and the nation — forever.This episode is the one of the few times you can hear the voice of our Executive Producer Suzie Lechtenberg. After years of leading the team, Suzie will leave WNYC to start her new adventure. Suzie: re-publishing this episode is our way of saying thank you for all you’ve done — for the show and for each of us. Team Radiolab wishes you nothing but success and so much happiness in the next stage of your career.
Episode Credits:Reported by Suzie LechtenbergProduced by Suzie Lechtenberg
Our newsletter comes out every Wednesday. It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. <a href="https://radiolab.org/newsletter">Sign up</a> (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!
Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of <a href="http://members.radiolab.org">The Lab</a> (https://members.radiolab.org/) today.Follow our show on <a href="http://instagram.com/radiolab">Instagram</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/radiolab">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://facebook.com/radiolab">Facebook</a> @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing <a href="mailto:radiolab@wnyc.org">radiolab@wnyc.org</a>.

Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

More Perfect: The Political Thicket

Another public radio program that is also available for free as a podcast, *Radiolab* has been running since 2002. It focuses on topics in the philosophy and science realms but in an accessible and light-hearted way perfect for the podcast format. If you think you’re not into science, podcast hosts Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich may just be able to convince you otherwise. Each hour-long episode is innovative, stylized, and engaging, full of music and sound effects to hold the interest of even the most attention-challenged listeners.

Radiolab is on a curiosity bender. We ask deep questions and use investigative journalism to get the answers. A given episode might whirl you through science, legal history, and into the home of someone halfway across the world. The show is known for innovative sound design, smashing information into music. It is hosted by Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser.

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