Programs

This episode was recorded on March 8th, 2026 at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV. The lineup includes Cyril Neville, Deke Dickerson & Los Straitjackets, Sons of Town Hall, Amanda Pascali. https://bit.ly/3OyzFLX

This episode makes three earnest, possibly foolhardy, attempts to put a price on the priceless. We figure out the dollar value for an accidental death, another day of life, and the work of bats and bees as we try to keep our careful calculations from falling apart in the face of the realities of life, and love, and loss.  In this story you’ll hear references to some of the issues that were on our minds when it first came out in 2014: wars in the middle east, drug costs and health care practices. Even as the exact shapes of these issues have evolved over the past dozen years, we feel the underlying questions are relevant and timeless: What is life worth? What about the earth? EPISODE CREDITS:  Reported by – Molly Webster, Simon Adler, Tim Howard, and Matt Kielty with help from – Shahib Al-Masawa  Produced by – Matt Kielty, Tim Howard Fact-checking by – Michelle Soraka EPISODE CITATIONS: Books –  Memoir of A Debulked Woman (https://zpr.io/WJz2Ybvq3HmT) by Susan Gubar Being Mortal (https://zpr.io/8J47trRcbjKh) by Atul Gawande Sign up for our newsletter!! It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Signup (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.

This week, hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot dig into Willie Nelson’s vast catalog of 150+ albums. Along with author Geoffrey Himes, they highlight the “five essential” albums people should hear. They also review the latest album from Kacey Musgraves.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:Willie Nelson, "Stardust," Stardust, Columbia, 1978The Beatles, "With A Little Help From My Friends," Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Parlophone, 1967Kacey Musgraves, "Dry Spell," Middle of Nowhere, Lost Highway, 2026Kacey Musgraves, "Middle of Nowhere," Middle of Nowhere, Lost Highway, 2026Kacey Musgraves, "Horses and Divorces (featuring Miranda Lambert)," Middle of Nowhere, Lost Highway, 2026Kacey Musgraves, "Uncertain, TX (featuring Willie Nelson)," Middle of Nowhere, Lost Highway, 2026Willie Nelson, "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," Red Headed Stranger, Columbia, 1975Willie Nelson, "Phases and Stages (Theme) / Washing the Dishes," Phases and Stages, Atlantic, 1974Willie Nelson, "Bloody Mary Morning," Phases and Stages, Atlantic, 1974Willie Nelson, "Help Me Make It Through the Night," Sings Kristofferson, Columbia, 1979Willie Nelson, "Georgia On My Mind," Stardust, Columbia, 1978Willie Nelson, "I Guess I've Come to Live Here in Your Eyes," Spirit, Island, 1996Willie Nelson, "On the Road Again (Live)," Live! At The US Festival (June 4, 1983), Shout! Factory, 1983Willie Nelson, "Last Man Standing," Last Man Standing, Legacy, 2018Willie Nelson, "Always on My Mind," Always on My Mind, Columbia, 1982Gary Stewart, "She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinkin' Doubles)," Out of Hand, RCA Victor, 1975See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

A space telescope is scheduled for a rescue. If the plan works, a small spacecraft will boost it to a higher orbit. That would allow the telescope to keep watching the skies for years. Neil Gehrels Swift Observatory was launched in late 2004. It watches the universe at a wide range of wavelengths, from visible light to gamma rays – the most powerful form of energy. Its original mission was to study gamma-ray bursts – the explosive deaths of massive stars. They’re among the most violent events in the universe, and among the “swiftest” – they fade in as little as a few seconds. So the telescope has to pivot swiftly when a new burst occurs – hence its name. Swift’s original altitude was 375 miles. But the Sun has been especially active in recent years. It’s heated Earth’s atmosphere, causing it to expand. That’s dragged the telescope to less than 250 miles. There’s a good chance it could fall from orbit by the end of the year. The rescue mission is scheduled for launch within a few weeks. Swift wasn’t designed to be serviced in orbit, so it’ll take some delicate maneuvering to not harm its delicate equipment. The rescue ship will spend a couple of weeks flying around the observatory, giving controllers time to plot the capture. Once latched on, the craft will boost the telescope back to its original altitude – allowing it to keep watching some of the most powerful events in the universe. 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. 

One family faces the Trump administration’s ban on trans people serving in the military, and responds with a surprising secret weapon. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Geirid and Chrissy are extreme planners. But about a year ago, they were confronted with a situation that even they had no idea how to plan for. (4 minutes)Act One: Geirid and Chrissy make an “in case of emergency, break glass” spreadsheet and get some big news. (14 minutes)Act Two: Geirid and Chrissy have less than a month to make a life-changing decision. The government gives them two options, and they try to find a third. (21 minutes)Act Three: A short story from Rachel Khong: Two people have a very consequential choice to make, given to them by God. (15 minutes)Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.orgThis American Life privacy policy.Learn more about sponsor message choices.