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 greatest mysteries have a shadowy figure at the center—someone who sets things in motion and holds the key to how the story unfolds. In epidemiology, this central character is known as Patient Zero—the case at the heart of an outbreak. This hour, Radiolab digs up an episode we first produced in 2011 and hunts for Patient Zeroes from all over the map. We start with the story of perhaps the most iconic Patient Zero of all time: Typhoid Mary. Then, we dive into a molecular detective story to pinpoint the beginning of the AIDS, and we re-imagine the moment the virus that caused the global pandemic sprang to life. After that, we're left wondering if you can trace the spread of an idea the way you can trace the spread of a disease. In the end, we find ourselves faced with a choice between competing claims about the origin of the high five.  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.

A season comes to an end today. It has nothing to do with falling leaves, changing weather, or even big-time sports. Instead, it’s a season of eclipses. It didn’t last long – it started on August 12th, with a total solar eclipse, and it ends tonight, with a partial lunar eclipse. The Moon will be almost completely immersed in Earth’s long shadow, so it’ll turn dark. And at least part of the eclipse will be visible across almost all of North America. An eclipse season is governed by the way in which the Sun and Moon align. Most months, the geometry isn’t right – the Moon and Sun don’t line up the right way, so there are no eclipses at all. But every 173 days, they come into the proper alignment. That produces a solar eclipse at new Moon, and a lunar eclipse at full Moon. They can come in either order, a fortnight apart. And a season lasts for about five weeks – a few days longer than the Moon’s cycle of phases. So if there’s an eclipse near the start of the season, it produces three eclipses. This time, the solar eclipse came a few days after the season began, so we’re limited to two eclipses – including tonight’s. The Moon first dips into Earth’s dark inner shadow at 9:34 p.m. Central Time. The eclipse peaks at 11:13, when the shadow covers 96 percent of the lunar disk. It ends an hour and a half later. 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.

The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has been in the news thanks to an extra-long deployment that's taken a toll on its crew. What's life on an aircraft carrier at war really like? Back in 2002, we spent a few days on the USS John C. Stennis, which was sending bombing missions into Afghanistan. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.(00:00:00) Prologue: Alex Blumberg talks with sailor Crevon Scott, who stocks vending machines on the Stennis.(00:04:52) Act One: Aboard the USS Stennis, Ira Glass and Wendy Dorr talk with sailors about life on board. Off duty, people play video games, work out, or practice in one of the ship's many garage bands. Ira and Wendy also talk with sailors about how rumors travel on the ship — conversations that get back to the top brass, who give the producers heat for chasing salacious stories. Ira interviews the captain, James McDonell, and learns the ship is facing a fresh water shortage.(00:32:30) Act Two: As pilots head to their planes for a mission, they explain how hard it is to land on an aircraft carrier. Wendy talks with sailors Cynthia and David, waiting for the 8PM movie to start, and she and Alex talk with sailors in the mess hall.Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org / This American Life privacy policy. / Learn more about sponsor message choices.