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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.

This week, hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot will do an overview of Neil Young’s six decade-long career in just 12 songs.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:Neil Young, "Old Man," Harvest, Reprise, 1972The Beatles, "With A Little Help From My Friends," Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Parlophone, 1967Neil Young and Crazy Horse, "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)," Rust Never Sleeps, Reprise, 1979Neil Young, "Sugar Mountain (Demo for Elektra Records, 1965)," Decade, Warner Bros., 1977Buffalo Springfield, "Expecting to Fly," Buffalo Springfield Again, Atco, 1967Neil Young with Crazy Horse, "Cinnamon Girl," Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere, Reprise, 1969Neil Young, "On the Beach," On the Beach, Reprise, 1974Neil Young, "Campaigner," Decade, Warner Bros., 1977Neil Young and Crazy Horse, "Like a Hurricane," American Stars 'n Bars, Reprise and Warner Bros., 1977Neil Young, "Mr. Soul," Trans, Geffen, 1983Neil Young, "Rockin' in the Free World (Live on Saturday Night Live, 1989)," Freedom, Geffen, 1989Neil Young and Crazy Horse, "F_!#In' Up," Ragged Glory, Reprise, 1990Neil Young, "Walk With Me," Le Noise, Reprise, 2010Neil Young, "Devil's Sidewalk," Greendale, Warner Bros., 2003Neil Young, "After the Gold Rush (Live at Massey Hall, 2011)," After the Gold Rush, Reprise, 1970Billy Woods, "Misery (feat. Kenny Segal)," Golliwog, Backwoodz, 2025See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Iodine is special. It’s the heaviest element that’s commonly needed by living organisms. In humans, it’s used by the thyroid to produce growth-regulating hormones. It’s found in seafood and other products. The element itself is created in some of the most violent events in the universe. In fact, so were almost all of the heaviest elements – anything more substantial than iron. The elements are forged in the rapid neutron-capture process. “Seed” elements are slammed by huge amounts of neutrons – the bits of an atomic nucleus with no electric charge. That builds heavier elements, including gold, silver, uranium – and iodine. Lighter elements are forged in the hearts of stars. More-massive stars create heavier elements. But they can’t make anything heavier than iron. The element-making process shuts down, and the star explodes. The blast can produce huge numbers of neutrons, which are sent flying at high speed. They ram into the debris, creating heavier elements. But not all exploding stars produce the right conditions to make heavier elements – especially the heaviest of all. Those elements can be formed when two ultra-dense stellar corpses ram together. The merger splatters the region with neutrons. They can forge enough heavy elements to make many planets as massive as Earth. Iodine probably is made by both types of events, which sprinkle this life-giving element throughout the cosmos. 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.