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.

A pair of ancient but faint constellations flows across the southern evening sky at this time of year. The two of them share a common story, which also involves a third constellation. Corvus and Crater have been around for more than two millennia. Their story, in fact, comes from ancient Greece. According to the myth, the god Apollo sent Corvus, the crow, to fill a cup – known as a crater – with water from a nearby spring. On the way, the crow saw a tree filled with unripe figs. Instead of fetching the water and coming straight back, he waited for the figs to ripen. When they did, he gorged on them. Corvus knew that Apollo wouldn’t be happy with him. So he filled the cup with water, then grabbed a water snake in his talons. He brought both back to Apollo, and blamed the snake for blocking his way. But Apollo wasn’t fooled. Instead, he was angry and vengeful. He cast crow, cup, and snake into the heavens, forming three constellations. As extra punishment, he decreed that the crow would suffer from thirst – with the water-filled cup forever just out of reach. The constellations are in the southeast at nightfall now. Corvus contains four moderately bright stars that outline the shape of a sail. Crater, to the upper right, looks like a goblet – but you need really dark skies to see it. Both of them sit on the back of poor Hydra, the water snake – an innocent victim of the wrath of the gods. 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. 

The casino game everyone thinks they can beat.  Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Host Ira Glass and producer Robyn Semien get a blackjack lesson from Andy Bloch, who played for the MIT blackjack team. He teaches them the basics of card-counting, the technique that gives players an advantage against the house — enough of an advantage that most casinos will ask you to leave if they catch you doing it. (9 minutes)Act One: Jack Hitt tells the story of the Christian card-counting team featured in the documentary Holy Rollers, and why they see no contradiction in being devout Christians who spend their days in casinos. (18 minutes)Act 2: Ira and Robyn go to the casino to try out their newfound card-counting skills. (5 minutes)Act Two: Producer Sarah Koenig tells the story of a woman who sued the casino where she lost her inheritance, saying that it was to blame, not her. (25 minutes)Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.orgThis American Life privacy policy.Learn more about sponsor message choices.