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This episode was recorded on June 7th, 2026 at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV. The lineup includes John R. Miller, Amy Speace, Bill Kirchen, Floyd Mercantile, and Michaela Anne. https://bit.ly/4dBFMIv

When you think about grass, what do you think of? Pool parties? Suburbs? Allergies? What about: human history? It turns out, unassuming grass, which exists on every continent, has an epic story to tell. One of transforming the planet, and … us. From what we eat, to how our body might be shaped and the ways we perceive the world. Senior Correspondent Molly Webster speaks to biologist and writer David George Haskell in this tiny ode to Grass.This episode was inspired by “Grass Fed”, a Radiolab outdoor theatre performance at Little Island in New York City. “Grass Fed” featured biologist and writer David George Haskell; Foley artist Steven Wendt; and dance company, Pilobolus. Special thanks to all the artists, and to Little Island, Sarah Sandbach, Natalia Ramirez, and Soren Wheeler.EPISODE CREDITS: Hosted by – Molly WebsterReported by – Molly Websterwith help from – Jo Strogatz and Anisa VietzeProduced by – Sarah Qariwith help from – Jo Strogatz, Molly Webster Original vocals from – Jo Strogatzwith mixing from – Jeremy S. BloomFact-checking by – Nora Belblidiaand Edited by  – Pat Walters EPISODE CITATIONS:Articles – The Other Almanac 2026 (https://www.otheralmanac.com/), by David George Haskell a print-only magazine contains an essay All Hail Grass, Maker of Humans! by David George Haskell all about grass’s role in human history. Books – How Flowers Made Our World” (https://zpr.io/r4ybZJea8WV9) by David George Haskell which has a chapter all about grass in it (it’s a flowering plant, if you didn’t know!) 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.

In 2026, Phoebe Bridgers is one of the biggest artists in the world. This week, hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot revisit their 2018 interview and live performance with Phoebe, which includes never-before-aired content. They discuss her debut album, songwriting prowess and impact on music. They’ll also review the debut album from Westside Cowboy.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:Phoebe Bridgers, "Lost Boys," Lost Weekend, Dead Oceans, 2026The Beatles, "With a Little Help from My Friends," Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Parlophone, 1967Westside Cowboy, "Kick Stones (The Boys)," It Goes On, Island, 2026Westside Cowboy, "Pin Up Boys," It Goes On, Island, 2026Westside Cowboy, "Coyote," It Goes On, Island, 2026Westside Cowboy, "Paperchains," It Goes On, Island, 2026Westside Cowboy, "Worried Age," It Goes On, Island, 2026Phoebe Bridgers, "Scott Street (Live on Sound Opinions)," Stranger in the Alps, Dead Oceans, 2017Phoebe Bridgers, "Funeral," Stranger in the Alps, Dead Oceans, 2017Phoebe Bridgers, "Chelsea," Stranger in the Alps, Dead Oceans, 2017Phoebe Bridgers, "Steamroller," Killer, Pax Americana, 2015Phoebe Bridgers, "Killer (Live on Sound Opinions)," Stranger in the Alps, Dead Oceans, 2017Phoebe Bridgers, "Demi Moore," Stranger in the Alps, Dead Oceans, 2017Phoebe Bridgers, "Killer," Stranger in the Alps, Dead Oceans, 2017Phoebe Bridgers, "Smoke Signals (Live on Sound Opinions)," Stranger in the Alps, Dead Oceans, 2017Angelo Badalamenti, "Twin Peaks Theme (Instrumental)," Soundtrack from Twin Peaks, Warner Bros., 1990Neil Young, "The Needle and the Damage Done," Harvest, Reprise, 1972Radiohead, "Fake Plastic Trees," The Bends, EMI, 1995Phoebe Bridgers, "You Missed My Heart," Stranger in the Alps, Dead Oceans, 2017Phoebe Bridgers, "Motion Sickness (Live on Sound Opinions)," Stranger in the Alps, Dead Oceans, 2017The Beatles, "A Day in the Life," Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Parlophone, 1967See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Neptune has lost its vibrancy. The planet itself hasn’t changed – only our perception of it – the result of a bit of creative license exercised 37 years ago. Neptune is the Sun’s fourth-largest planet – four times the diameter of Earth. But it’s also the most-distant major planet – 30 times farther from the Sun than Earth is. Our only close look at Neptune came in August 1989, when Voyager 2 flew just 3,000 miles above its cloudtops. It transmitted hundreds of pictures of the planet. They revealed white bands of clouds racing through Neptune’s atmosphere, and a massive storm – the Great Dark Spot. In most of the pictures, Neptune has a deep cerulean palette. But a couple of years ago, a team reprocessed the images. The original project team had enhanced the planet’s color and contrast. That revealed details in the atmosphere that otherwise wouldn’t show up. But it also concealed Neptune’s true appearance: a pale blue-green. So Neptune isn’t as vibrant as it seemed – but it’s still an amazing world far from the Sun. Neptune is closest to Earth today for the entire year. It shines at its brightest, and it’s in the sky all night. You still need help to see it. But its location is easy to spot. As night falls, it’s about half way between the full Moon – the Harvest Moon – and the planet Saturn, which looks like a bright star to the lower left of the Moon. 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.

Nikole Hannah-Jones made an argument 10 years ago in The New York Times Magazine that became famous. She wrote about choosing a public school for her daughter, Najya, in one of the most racially and economically segregated school systems in the country: New York City. Nikole chose a regular public school, one that most wealthy and middle-class parents wouldn’t consider, and she challenged other parents to do the same.  She revisits that argument, and that choice, in a series of conversations with producer Chana Joffe-Walt and with her daughter, Najya, who’s now 16 and has her own very different views.  Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.(00:00:00) Prologue: Chana talks with Nikole about what they both remember from being young parents just starting to think about schools for their children. (9 minutes)(00:10:44) Act One: Nikole talks with Chana about Najya’s elementary school and the problems her family navigated there. (15 minutes)(00:25:00) Act Two: Chana talks with Najya about her memories of elementary and middle school and how she felt about her mom’s choices. (9 minutes)(00:31:45) Act Three: Nikole and Najya talk about what changed when Najya pushed back against her mom’s choices for elementary and middle school and got to choose her own high school. (10 minutes)(00:42:16) Act Four: Nikole and Najya talk with each other about the different choices they made and the questions they still have for each other. (9 minutes)(00:51:13) Act Five: Nikole fact-checks her memory against her old emails with Najya’s elementary school and has a painful revelation. (7 minutes)Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org / This American Life privacy policy. / Learn more about sponsor message choices.