Programs

This episode was recorded on April 13th, 2025 at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV. The lineup includes The War & Treaty, Johnnyswim, and Olivia Ellen Lloyd.  https://bit.ly/4jTLFku

Have you heard On the Media’s Peabody-winning series The Divided Dial? It’s awesome and you should, and now you will. In this episode they tell the story of shortwave radio: the way-less-listened to but way-farther-reaching cousin of AM and FM radio. The medium was once heralded as a utopian, international, and instantaneous mass communication tool — a sort of internet-before-the-internet. But, like the internet, many people quickly saw the power of this new technology and found ways to harness it. State leaders turned it into a propaganda machine, weaponizing the airwaves to try and shape politics around the world. And as shortwave continued to evolve, like the internet, it became fragmented, easily accessible, and right-wing extremists, conspiracy theorists and cult leaders found homes on the different shortwave frequencies. And even today – again, like the internet – people with money are looking to buy up this mass-communication tool in the hopes of … making more money. This is episode one from the second season of The Divided Dial a limited series from On The Media. Listen on Spotify (https://zpr.io/hKCcFEGTLb5a)Listen on Apple Podcasts (https://zpr.io/tQ86YmEmiivR)Listen on the WNYC App (iTunes, Android)Listen to the full Divided Dial series (https://www.onthemedia.org/dial)Follow On The Media on Instagram @onthemedia The Divided Dial was supported in part by a grant from the Fund for Investigative Journalism. On the Media is supported by listeners like you. Support OTM by donating today (https://pledge.wnyc.org/support/otm). Follow our show on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @onthemedia, and share your thoughts with us by emailing onthemedia@wnyc.org.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.

In this bonus episode, Greg shares a pair of songs by guitarist Mick Ralphs who helped define two legendary bands, Bad Company and Mott the Hoople. Ralphs died on June 23, 2025, at age 81, and his playing remains the standard in serving the song—whether through raw power or subtle restraint.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/soundopsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

If you throw a rock into a still pond, waves ripple outward. They jiggle the leaves and bugs on the surface, shaking things up a bit. And the same thing happens in the stars. In fact, a giant region of the sky is still feeling some “ripples” today. The Scorpius-Centaurus O-B Association contains many stars of classes O and B – the hottest and brightest stars in the galaxy. It spans hundreds of light-years, and contains thousands of stars. And more stars are being born there today. The association began as a massive cloud of gas and dust. About 20 million years ago, it produced a big “wave” of starbirth. Many of the newborn stars quickly exploded as supernovas. That outburst was the “stone” in the pond. Strong winds and shockwaves from the stars rippled outward. That triggered the birth of more stars in the surrounding cloud. The rate of starbirth peaked about 15 million years ago. But the ripples didn’t stop. They created a smaller outburst about 10 million years ago, and another about five million years ago. Most of the stars in the region are no bigger than the Sun. But a few are big, heavy, and bright – monster stars born from the ripples in a galactic pond. Many of these monsters are in Scorpius, which is low in the south at nightfall, to the right of the Moon. It’s marked by the scorpion’s bright “heart,” the star Antares – the most prominent member of the Scorpius-Centaurus Association. Script by Damond Benningfield

It's a spotlight on COLOMBIA, the music powerhouse nation that has brought us a wealth of rock, salsa, hip-hop, vallenato and other music genres. Featured artists include Carlos Vives, Diamante Electrico, Bomba Estereo, Elsa y Elmar, Aterciopelados, Fruko y Sus Tesos, Karol G, Monareta, Juan Pablo Vega and many more!

Summer is a time when change seems more possible than ever. But is that really how it happens? Can people actually reinvent themselves in the warmer months? This week, we present stories — and some comedy — about people and their summer selves. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Host Ira Glass reflects on his feelings about going to the beach. (3 minutes)Act One: Producer Dana Chivvis explores the case of a 66-year-old working lifeguard who is suing New York State for age discrimination after refusing to wear a Speedo on the job. (16 minutes)Act Two: A troupe of comedians tells personal stories about summer experiences and improvises scenes based on them. (23 minutes)Act Three: Producer Neil Drumming tells the story of his dad and his family’s timeshare in Orlando, Florida. (14 minutes)Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.orgThis American Life privacy policy.Learn more about sponsor message choices.