Programs

This episode was recorded on March 1st, 2026 at the Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium in Athens, Ohio. The lineup includes The Steel Wheels, Sam Weber, Peter Holsapple, Lily Talmers, Rylee Bapst Band. https://bit.ly/4dXq37H

For much of history, tree canopies were pretty much completely ignored by science. It was as if researchers said collectively, "It's just going to be empty up there, and we've got our hands full studying the trees down here! So why bother?" But then around the mid-1980s, a few ecologists around the world got curious and started making their way up into the treetops using any means necessary (ropes, cranes, hot air dirigibles) to document all they could find. It didn't take long for them to realize not only was the forest canopy not empty, it was absolutely filled to the brim with life. You've heard of treehouses? How about tree gardens?!  This week, we bring you a story we first released in 2022. We journey up into the sky and discover forests above the forest. We learn about the secret powers of these sky gardens from ecologist Korena Mafune, and we follow Nalini Nadkarni as she makes a ground-breaking discovery that changes how we understand what trees are capable of.  P.S. This episode is a layer cake of arboreal surprises (including the reappearance of a certain retired host.  LATERAL CUTS:From Tree to Shining Tree (https://zpr.io/4cHtDdYTuNxT): The episode that started this journey, where we look down instead of up. EPISODE CREDITS:  Reported by – Annie McEwen Produced by – Annie McEwen EPISODE CITATIONS: Videos – Inside the Fight to Save an Ancient Forest (and the Secrets it Holds) (https://zpr.io/XKipP2z4NFiM), by Michael Werner, Joe Hanson, and the PBS Overview team. We first learned about the magical world of the canopy from this beautiful video. It features Korena Mafune’s research up in the treetops, as well as the people who have dedicated their lives to saving what’s left of the old growth forests. We highly recommend checking it out!  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. Hi Radiolab listeners, we want to hear from you! Take this podcast survey and let us know how you feel about the show. It only takes about 20 minutes and your feedback will help us make our podcast better! There are no wrong answers, we want your honest takes. You can help out by taking the survey here (www.radiolab.org/survey).

This week, hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot are joined by Ratboys lead singer and songwriter Julia Steiner. The Chicago band's sixth album, "Singin' To An Empty Chair," is one of the most acclaimed releases of 2026 so far. The hosts also review the new album from Chicago rockers, Friko.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:Ratboys, "Anywhere," Singin' To An Empty Chair, New West, 2026The Beatles, "With A Little Help From My Friends," Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Parlophone, 1967Friko, "Seven Degrees," Something Worth Waiting For, ATO, 2026Friko, "Guess," Something Worth Waiting For, ATO, 2026Friko, "Alice," Something Worth Waiting For, ATO, 2026Friko, "Choo Choo," Something Worth Waiting For, ATO, 2026Ratboys, "Folk Song For Jazz," AOID, Topshelf, 2015Rat Boy, "My Name Is Rat Boy," Internationally Unknown, Parlophone, 2019Ratboys, "Elvis Is In The Freezer," GN, Topshelf, 2017Ratboys, "Just Want You To Know The Truth," Singin' To An Empty Chair, New West, 2026Ratboys, "Making Noises for the Ones You Love," The Window, Topshelf, 2023Ratboys, "Burn It Down," Singin' To An Empty Chair, New West, 2026Ratboys, "At Peace In The Hundred Acre Wood," Singin' To An Empty Chair, New West, 2026Ratboys, "Light Night Mountains All That," Singin' To An Empty Chair, New West, 2026Lou Reed, "Vicious," Transformer, RCA, 1972See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Jupiter’s big moon Europa is one of the most likely bodies in the solar system to host life. The moon has a global ocean that holds more water than all of Earth’s oceans combined. The ocean might have sources of energy and chemical compounds that are needed to support microscopic life. But getting to that ocean won’t be easy. It’s covered by a crust of ice. And a recent study says the ice is pretty thick. The Juno spacecraft scanned part of Europa with an instrument that can probe conditions below the surface. It found that the average thickness of the ice is about 18 miles. That’s thicker than suggested by some earlier studies. Juno found many cracks in the ice. But they don’t penetrate anywhere close to the water. So there doesn’t appear to be a good way to get through the ice to study the ocean. That also could be a problem for any organisms in the ocean. Jupiter’s radiation zaps material on the surface, transforming it into possible nutrients. Without any holes or thin spots in the ice, there’s no direct way to flush the nutrients into the water. But another study found that large concentrations of nutrients could make blocks of ice denser than the surrounding ice. Over time, the heavier blocks could sink all the way through the ice – perhaps helping to sustain any life in Europa’s hidden ocean. Jupiter is high in the west at nightfall, and looks like a brilliant star. The twins of Gemini stand above it. Script by Damond Benningfield

We're joined for a special Uruguay episode co-hosted by Juan Campodonico, the artist and producer at the forefront of fusing electronic and rock music with traditional Uruguayan genres like tango and murga. Featured artists include Bajofondo, El Cuarteto de Nos, Campo and Peyote Asesino. 

Stories of cheating, cheaters, and the cheated. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Ira talks with Jessica Pressler about a phenomenon she noticed in the wedding notices in The New York Times. Couples were cheerfully telling—as part of their "meet cute" stories—how their relationships began with one of them cheating on a spouse or long-time partner. (4 minutes)Act One: From England, Ruby Wright has a story of an affair where—even years after it ended—it wasn't much discussed. (14 minutes)Act Two: Ira reviews some infidelity stats from his mother's book on the subject, Not Just Friends. And author James Braly tells a story of temptation live onstage at The Moth. (15 minutes)Act Three: Dani Shapiro on the confusing mess things can be during an affair. The story is from her memoir, Slow Motion. (16 minutes)Act Four: Etgar Keret describes the moment in the immediate aftermath of an affair. Actor Matt Malloy reads. (4 minutes)Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.orgThis American Life privacy policy.Learn more about sponsor message choices.