Programs

This episode was recorded on May 17th, 2026 at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV. The lineup includes Paul Thorn, Ray Benson, Sunny Sweeney, Andy Friedman. https://bit.ly/4afWiMG⁠

The world lost a legend recently, and we wanted in some small way to pay tribute to the great Dolly Parton. So we’re playing you an episode from a series we had a small part in back in 2017, Dolly Parton’s America.  The series kicked off with a simple question: How did the queen of the boob joke become a feminist icon? Helen Morales, author of “Pilgrimage to Dollywood,” gave us a stern directive – look at the lyrics! So we dive into Dolly’s discography, starting with the early period of what Dolly calls “sad ass songs” to find remarkably prescient words of female pain, slut-shaming, domestic violence, and women being locked away in asylums by cheating husbands. We explore how Dolly took the centuries-old tradition of the Appalachian “murder ballad”—an oral tradition of men singing songs about brutally killing women—and flipped the script, singing from the woman’s point of view. And as her career progresses, the songs expand beyond the pain to tell tales of leaving abuse behind. How can such pro-woman lyrics come from someone who despises the word feminism? Best to let Dolly tell you herself. EPISODE CREDITS:  Reported by – Jad Abumrad and Shima Oliaee Produced by – Jad Abumrad with help from – W. Harry Fortuna Original music from – Alex Overington Sound design contributed by – Alex Overington and Edited by  – Suzie Lechtenberg Signup for our newsletter!! 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 Simons Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After Australian singer-songwriter Courtney Barnett released her 2015 album Sometimes I Sit and Think and Sometimes I Just Sit, she quickly became a top tier indie rock act. All of her skills were on display when Courtney Barnett joined hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot for an interview and intimate solo performance in front of an audience. Plus, the hosts review the new album from Phoebe Bridgers and Twisted Teens.Join our Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3sivr9TBecome a member on Patreon: https://bit.ly/3slWZvcSign up for our newsletter: https://bit.ly/4frcVZoMake a donation via PayPal: https://bit.ly/3dmt9lUSend us a Voice Memo: Desktop: bit.ly/2RyD5Ah  Mobile: sayhi.chat/soundops Featured Songs:Courtney Barnett, "Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go to the Party," Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, Marathon Artists, 2015The Beatles, "With a Little Help from My Friends," Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Parlophone, 1967Phoebe Bridgers, "Lost Boys," Lost Weekend, Dead Oceans, 2026Phoebe Bridgers, "Bobby," Lost Weekend, Dead Oceans, 2026Phoebe Bridgers, "Never Going Back!," Lost Weekend, Dead Oceans, 2026Phoebe Bridgers, "The Outside," Lost Weekend, Dead Oceans, 2026Phoebe Bridgers, "The Governor's Waltz," Lost Weekend, Dead Oceans, 2026Twisted Teens, "Why Did You Miss It?," Florida Water Blues, Going Underground, 2026Twisted Teens, "Florida Water Blues," Florida Water Blues, Going Underground, 2026Twisted Teens, "Javelina," Florida Water Blues, Going Underground, 2026Twisted Teens, "Riding," Florida Water Blues, Going Underground, 2026Twisted Teens, "Guided Thunder," Florida Water Blues, Going Underground, 2026Courtney Barnett, "Pedestrian at Best," Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, Marathon Artists, 2015Nirvana, "Heart-Shaped Box," In Utero, DGC, 1993Courtney Barnett, "An Illustration of Loneliness (Sleepless in New York)," Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, Marathon Artists, 2015Courtney Barnett, "Elevator Operator (Live on Sound Opinions)," Sometime I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, Marathon Artists, 2015Courtney Barnett, "Small Poppies," Sometime I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, Marathon Artists, 2015Courtney Barnett, "Aqua Profunda!," Sometime I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, Marathon Artists, 2015Courtney Barnett, "Depreston," Sometime I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, Marathon Artists, 2015The Go-Betweens, "Streets of Your Town," 16 Lovers Lane, Mushroom, 1988Courtney Barnett, "Depreston (Live on Sound Opinions)," Sometime I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, Marathon Artists, 2015Courtney Barnett, "Kim's Caravan," Sometime I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, Marathon Artists, 2015Courtney Barnett, "Dead Fox (Live on Sound Opinions)," Sometime I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, Marathon Artists, 2015Courtney Barnett, "Nobody Really Cares If You Don't Go to the Party (Live on Sound Opinions)," Sometime I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, Marathon Artists, 2015Courtney Barnett, "Boxing Day Blues," Sometime I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, Marathon Artists, 2015Hole, "Miss World," Live Through This, DGC, 1994See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you look carefully at pictures of Saturn, you’ll probably notice something odd about the planet – it looks mashed down, like a beachball that a child is sitting on. The planet is more than 7,000 miles wider through the equator than the poles – only a bit less than the total diameter of Earth. That makes it the “flattest” planet in the solar system. Saturn is the Sun’s second-largest planet, after Jupiter – more than nine times the size of Earth. But it’s much less dense than any other planet. It’s a big ball of hydrogen and helium – the two lightest elements – wrapped around a messy core of rock and metal. Despite its size, Saturn spins in a hurry – its day is less than half as long as a day on Earth. That high-speed rotation pushes material outward at the equator – giving Saturn that “squashed” appearance. That shape affects the planet’s gravity. Saturn’s poles are much closer to the center of the planet than the equator is. And anything at the equator is being pushed outward by the high-speed rotation. The combination means that you’d weigh about a third more at the poles than at the equator – perhaps making you feel more squashed on this giant but squashed planet. Look for Saturn close to the lower right of the Moon as they climb into good view, in mid-evening. It looks like a bright golden star. Tomorrow: famous women on the planet Venus. Script by Damond Benningfield

It's an episode dedicated exclusively to Panamanian music of all genres, from dancehall reggae and salsa, to rock and jazz. Featured artists include Ruben Blades, Los Rabanes, El General, Danilo Perez, The Exciters and more.

Moments when it seems obvious what to do for someone else, so of course you jump in and try to help — and what happens after that.  Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.(00:00:00) Prologue: Devon Taylor tells host Ira Glass about a time she confronted people who stole $100 from her. (12 minutes)(00:12:01) Act One: We get to an age when we find ourselves taking care of our parents, whether they want us to or not. Writer Kristen Roupenian wrote this piece of fiction based on something real that happened to a family she knows. (20 minutes)(00:33:37) Act Two: Two chatbots, stuck in a loop, each trying to help the other. Will they ever break free? (20 minutes)(00:55:48) Act Three: In Utah, some communities have been fighting measles outbreaks for 14 months. These are some of the longest-running outbreaks in the country. But one of our producers, Miki Meek, heard about how school nurses in a town called Vernal helped end its outbreak in just six weeks. Miki finds out how they did it. (9 minutes)Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org / This American Life privacy policy. / Learn more about sponsor message choices.