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This episode was recorded on February 22nd, 2026 at the Joan C. Edwards PAC in Charleston, WV. The lineup includes Stephen Kellogg, Emily Scott Robinson, Joe Troop & The Truth Machine, Kindred Valley, Corduroy Brown. https://bit.ly/4mHj455

In an episode first aired back in 2025 on our sister show, Terrestrials, we take you on a musical journey all about beavers. Few mammals have a bigger positive impact on the planet than the beaver. With its bright orange buck teeth, the creature is an expert engineer that brings life wherever it waddles and even fights fires. Our story begins in the Bronx river, once known as the  “open sewer” of New York City. After some humans decide to clean it up, we meet one of the river’s residents – José the beaver. We learn about the US government parachuting beavers out of planes into the mountains. And finally head to California where we discover how one beaver family saved acres of land from burning.  Special thanks to author Ben Goldfarb, Christian Murphy from the Bronx River Alliance and Dr. Emily Fairfax.  Terrestrials was created by Lulu Miller with WNYC Studios. This episode was produced by Ana González and sound-designed by Mira Burt-Wintonick. Our team includes Alan Goffinski, Joe Plourde and Tanya Chawla. Fact checking was by Diane Kelly.  Our advisors for this show were Ana Luz Porzecanski, Nicole Depalma, Liza Demby and Tovah Barocas. EPISODE CITATIONS: Books –  Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter (https://zpr.io/4QLuhrSMfurk), by Ben Goldfarb Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America (https://zpr.io/3BbaViJK8Hk3), by Leila Philip’s Videos –  Watch the US government drop beavers out of planes (https://zpr.io/y2JJPwwyr3Bp).  Watch Leave It to Beavers (https://zpr.io/JVGZYmNCTy6h), a documentary about beavers restoring rivers and wetlands. Articles –  How reintroducing beavers can enhance ecological health (https://zpr.io/KNxz3MtKL9sV), by Madison Pobis, Stanford Report. Beaver Dams Help Wildfire-Ravaged Ecosystems Recover Long after Flames Subside (https://zpr.io/kAnjEUPvPUeJ), by Isobel Sandcomb, Scientific American  HEY GROWN-UPS! Love the show? Leave us a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating and review on your podcast app—it helps curious listeners find us! We want to hear from you! Share your thoughts about Terrestrials with us.Subscribe to our weekly newsletter for bite-sized essays, activities, and ways to connect with the show.Follow us on YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok for behind-the-scenes extras and more.Listen to original music from Terrestrials on Spotify, Apple Music, or our music page. Got a badgering question for the team? Email us at terrestrialspodcast@wnyc.org or submit a voice memo with your name, age, and your question using this form! Terrestrials is made possible in part by listeners like you. Support the show by joining Radiolab’s membership program, The Lab—and we’ll send you a special thank-you gift from our team!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).

The prolific and singular rapper Billy Woods has spent decades carving out his own lane in hip-hop. This week, hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot chat with Billy Woods about his career, discography, and the process driving his music. The hosts also review new albums from Robyn and Courtney Barnett.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:Billy Woods, "Misery (feat. Kenny Segal)," Golliwog, Backwoodz Studioz, 2025The Beatles, "With A Little Help From My Friends," Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Parlophone, 1967Robyn, "Sexistential," Sexistential, Konichiwa and Young, 2026Robyn, "Sucker For Love," Sexistential, Konichiwa and Young, 2026Robyn, "Really Real," Sexistential, Konichiwa and Young, 2026Robyn, "Blow My Mind," Sexistential, Konichiwa and Young, 2026Courtney Barnett, "Mantis," Creature of Habit, Mom + Pop, 2026Courtney Barnett, "Another Beautiful Day," Creature of Habit, Mom + Pop, 2026Courtney Barnett, "Great Advice," Creature of Habit, Mom + Pop, 2026Courtney Barnett, "One Thing At A Time," Creature of Habit, Mom + Pop, 2026Armand Hammer & The Alchemist, "Glue Traps (Feat. Quelle Chris)," Mercy, Backwoodz Studioz, 2025Billy Woods, "Corinthians Corinthians (feat. Despot & EL-P)," Golliwog, Backwoodz Studioz, 2025Billy Woods, "The Things They Carried," Camouflage, Backwoodz Studioz, 2003Billy Woods & Messiah Musik, "Pollo Rico," Church, Backwoodz Studioz, 2022Billy Woods, "Make No Mistake (feat. Messiah Musik)," Golliwog, Backwoodz Studioz, 2025Billy Woods & Messiah Musik, "Paraquat," Church, Backwoodz Studioz, 2022Billy Woods, "No Hard Feelings," Aethiopes, Backwoodz Studioz, 2022Billy Woods, "Asylum," Aethiopes, Backwoodz Studioz, 2022Billy Woods & Kenny Segal, "Spongebob," Hiding Places, Backwoodz Studioz, 2020Ratboys, "What's Right?," Singin' To An Empty Chair, New West Records, 2026See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Every time that two or more planets congregate in the night sky, fear mongers crank up the volume on their predictions of doom. They say the combined gravity of the planets will cause everything from earthquakes and storms to boils and hangnails. Don’t listen to them. All of the planets are so small or so far away that their short-term effects on Earth are negligible. Jupiter, the largest and heaviest planet in the solar system, is only one-tenth of one percent as massive as the Sun. And, on average, it’s about five times farther. When combined, those numbers tell us that Jupiter’s gravitational tug on Earth is just one-25,000th as strong as the Sun’s. The pull of the other planets is even weaker. So even if you lined up all of the planets in the same direction from Earth, their combined pull would be insignificant. That’s not the case on longer terms, though. The gravity of Jupiter and Venus change the shape of Earth’s orbit and the planet’s tilt on its axis. Mars may play a role as well. That influence creates cycles of warmer and colder climate. But the cycles play out over tens of thousands of years or longer – not over days, weeks, or even centuries. Planetary alignments are common. In fact, there’s one right now. Mars, Saturn, and Mercury are close together in the dawn twilight. But they’re so low in the sky that they’re tough to see. We’ll have more about their alignment tomorrow. 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.

At a time when the U.S. government is trying to make American history tidier, we try to learn from the mess. Including the untold, messy story of Paul and Essie Robeson. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: Guest Host Emanuele Berry talks to Nichole Hill about the Black movie characters Nichole was curious about as a child. (7 minutes)Act One: A giant of the Harlem Renaissance, Paul Robeson was the most famous American of his day. Until he wasn’t. Nichole Hill tells the messy, complicated story of Paul and his wife, Essie Robeson. (38 minutes)Act Two: In 1865, a formerly enslaved man named Jourdan Anderson received a letter from his former enslaver, asking Jourdan to return to the plantation and work. Actor Laurence Fishburne reads Jourdan’s response. Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.orgThis American Life privacy policy.Learn more about sponsor message choices.