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This episode was recorded on February 15th, 2026 at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV. The lineup includes Solas, Tim O’Brien & Jan Fabricius, Amanda Cook Band, Clymer & Kurtz, Darrin Hacquard. https://bit.ly/41NZrP8

This week, in an episode we first aired in 2022, we flip the Disney story of life on its head thanks to a barrel of seawater, a 1970s era computer, and underwater geysers. It’s the chaos of life. Latif, Lulu, and our Senior Producer Matt Kielty were all sitting on their own little stories until they got thrown into the studio, and had their cherished beliefs about the shape of life put on a collision course. From an accidental study of sea creatures, to the ambitions of Stephen J Gould, to an undercooked theory that captured the world’s imagination, we undo the seeming order of the living world and try to make some music out of the wreckage. (Bonus: Learn how Francis Crick really thought life got started on this planet). EPISODE CREDITS:  Reported by – Latif Nasser, Matt Kielty, Heather Radke, Lulu Miller and Candice Wang Produced by – Matt Kielty and Simon Adler with help from – Arianne Wack Original music and sound design contributed by – Matt Kilety, Simon Adler, Alan Goffinski, and Jeremy Bloom EPISODE CITATIONS: Articles –  Chaos in a long-term experiment with a plankton community (https://zpr.io/j6sYXKfDzPCG), by Benincà, E., Huisman, J., Heerkloss, R. et al. Nature  Chaos theory discloses triggers and drivers of plankton dynamics in stable environment (https://zpr.io/qHKENA3SJ8ML), by Telesh IV, Schubert H, Joehnk KD, Heerkloss R, Schumann R, Feike M, Schoor A, Skarlato SO. Sci Rep. Books – Full House (https://zpr.io/pMQZfyPcRzD4), by Stephen Jay Gould Extinction: Bad Genes or Bad Luck? (https://zpr.io/pPVNugUKWpi4), by David M. Raup Rereading the Fossil Record: The Growth of Paleobiology as an Evolutionary Discipline (https://zpr.io/YBjJxuXjydPN), by David Sepkoski The Vital Question: Energy, Evolution, and the Origins of Complex Life (https://zpr.io/LzfueEqUWNHb), by Nick LaneLife Itself: Its Origin and Nature (https://zpr.io/KPZf57eEVMBX), by Francis Crick 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.

Hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot explore the history of Chicago’s Bloodshot Records, an iconic, insurgent country music label. They talk with co-founder Rob Miller about the music and the business of running an independent label. They’ll also share some of their favorite songs from the vast catalog. Join our Facebook Group: https://bit.ly/3sivr9TBecome a member on Patreon: https://bit.ly/3slWZvcSign up for our newsletter: https://bit.ly/3eEvRnGMake a donation via PayPal: https://bit.ly/3dmt9lUSend us a Voice Memo: Desktop: bit.ly/2RyD5Ah  Mobile: sayhi.chat/soundops Featured Songs:Robbie Fulks, "Every Kind Of Music But Country," Country Love Songs, Bloodshot, 1996The Beatles, "With A Little Help From My Friends," Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Parlophone, 1967The Bottle Rockets, "Every Kinda Everything," For A Life of Sin: Insurgent Chicago Country, Bloodshot, 1994Jason & the Scorchers, "Lost Highway," Lost & Found, EMI, 1985Hank Williams, "Lost Highway," Lost Highway (Single), MGM, 1949Scott H. Biram, "Blood Sweat and Murder," For a Decade of Sin: 11 Years of Bloodshot Records, Bloodshot, 2005Handsome Family, "Tower of Song," Too Late to Pray: Defiant Chicago Roots, Bloodshot, 2019Justin Townes Earle, "Far Away in Another Town," The Good Life, Bloodshot, 2008Alejandro Escovedo, "Castanets," A Man Under the Influence, Bloodshot, 2001Lydia Loveless, "Bad Way to Go," Indestructable Machine, Bloodshot, 2011Neko Case, "Deep Red Bells," Blacklisted, Bloodshot, 2002Neil Young, "Rockin' in the Free World," Freedom, Reprise, 1989See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Sun sprays Earth with a constant shower of charged particles – the solar wind. But the shower sometimes becomes a storm – a barrage that can damage satellites, overload power grids, and cause other mischief. Predicting such storms can save a lot of grief. But better predictions require a better understanding of the Sun, Earth’s magnetic field, and how they interact. A mission scheduled for launch as early as this week should help. SMILE is a joint project of Europe and China. The craft will orbit up to 75,000 miles from Earth. From that high perch, it’ll be able to see Earth’s magnetopause – the zone where the solar wind rams into Earth’s magnetic field. It will monitor that zone for up to 40 hours at a time – far longer than any glimpses we’ve had before. Earth’s magnetic field deflects most of the particles in the solar wind. But some of them get through. They create the auroras – the colorful northern and southern lights. Powerful storms on the Sun blast out huge amounts of particles. They can overwhelm the magnetic field, creating intense bouts of “space weather.” Among other effects, that causes especially intense auroras, which can appear in regions where they’re seldom seen. SMILE will watch the auroras to see how they change with the level of solar activity. SMILE’s observations will tell us a lot more about how Earth and the Sun get along – improving our ability to protect ourselves from solar storms. Script by Damond Benningfield

It's a new music explosion! We highlight the latest releases from Manu Chao, Darumas, Migrant Motel, Orquesta Akokán, Monsieur Perine, Hunters of the Alps, The Warning, Julieta Rada & Juan Campodonico, Diamante Electrico, Sara Valenzuela, Spanish Harlem Orchestra and more.

What happens when a new guy comes on the scene and changes the way everyone relates to each other? Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Ira talks with Sarah Koenig about the first and only time a movie star came to her family's house when she was a kid. It didn't go well, for the celebrity or for her. The star was Robert Redford. He arrived and immediately stole all the attention her parents usually lavished on her, their youngest. Worse, they were nervous and strange around him, not themselves at all. Young Sarah was not pleased. Robert Redford paid the price. (6 minutes)Act One: Davy Rothbart's mother is funny, rational, and by most measures, pretty normal. Except that she spends every day in the company of an ancient Buddhist monk named Aaron, who no one else can see. Davy talks to his brothers, father, and eventually his mom, and asks the question they've somehow never managed to discuss: do any of them actually believe he's real? (26 minutes)Act Two: Congressman Jesse Jackson, Jr. had always lived in the shadow of his father's name. But just before his primary, an aide delivered strange news: a second Jesse Jackson had appeared on the same ballot — a retired truck driver with no political experience. Ira reports on whether it was a coincidence or mischief orchestrated by the Congressman's rivals. (9 minutes)Act Three: Jonathan Goldstein and Heather O'Neill tell the true story of a man trying to wedge himself into an idyllic family of two. For the first few years, Heather's daughter Arizona was not very fond of Jonathan. He ranked nineteenth on her list of favorite people, behind the neighbor's dog and the plumber. (15 minutes)Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.orgThis American Life privacy policy.Learn more about sponsor message choices.