Programs

This episode was recorded on May 17th, 2026 at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV. The lineup includes Paul Thorn, Ray Benson, Sunny Sweeney, Andy Friedman. https://bit.ly/4afWiMG⁠

The greatest mysteries have a shadowy figure at the center—someone who sets things in motion and holds the key to how the story unfolds. In epidemiology, this central character is known as Patient Zero—the case at the heart of an outbreak. This hour, Radiolab digs up an episode we first produced in 2011 and hunts for Patient Zeroes from all over the map. We start with the story of perhaps the most iconic Patient Zero of all time: Typhoid Mary. Then, we dive into a molecular detective story to pinpoint the beginning of the AIDS, and we re-imagine the moment the virus that caused the global pandemic sprang to life. After that, we're left wondering if you can trace the spread of an idea the way you can trace the spread of a disease. In the end, we find ourselves faced with a choice between competing claims about the origin of the high five.  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. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hazy guitars, buried vocals and walls of distortion– the shoegaze sound may have peaked in the '90s, but it never really went away. This week, hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot highlight some of the genre's pioneers along with more recent favorites. The hosts also hear picks from the production staff.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:Lowtide, "Elizabeth Tower," Southern Mind, Rice Is Nice, Opposite Number, 2018The Beatles, "With a Little Help from My Friends," Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Parlophone, 1967My Bloody Valentine, "Only Shallow," Loveless, Creation, 1991Slowdive, "Slowdive," Slowdive (EP), Creation, 1990Ride, "Dreams Burn Down," Nowhere, Sire, 1990Lush, "De-Luxe," Gala, 4AD, 1990Spiritualized, "Shine a Light," Lazer Guided Melodies, RCA, 1992Catherine Wheel, "Black Metallic," Ferment, Fontana, 1992Starflyer 59, "Do You Ever Feel That Way," Gold, Tooth and Nail, 1995Los Mundos, "Explosión Sónica," Máquinas En Movimiento, Las Dunas, 2024Soft Science, "Undone," Maps, Test Pattern, 2018Winter, "Hide-A-Lullaby," Adult Romantix, Winspear, 2025This Will Destroy You, "Little Smoke," Tunnel Blanket, Monotreme, 2011Deafheaven, "Sunbather," Sunbather, Deathwish, 2013Slow Crush, "Cherry," Thirst, Pure Noise, 2025Pink Frost, "Striking Violet," Gargoyle Days, Notes and Bolts, 2012Courtney Barnett, "Pedestrian at Best," Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, Marathon Artists, 2015See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The space around our solar system is cloudy. Astronomers have mapped 15 individual clouds within a few hundred light-years. The clouds are moving in different directions, and they have different mixtures of ingredients. Some of those ingredients were forged by exploding stars. Over the past few years, scientists have used one of those ingredients to trace the solar system’s path through the Local Interstellar Cloud. It’s about 30 light-years across, and we’re close to its edge – perhaps in the transition zone with the next cloud. The scientists have looked at a radioactive form of iron that’s produced when a massive star explodes as a supernova. The explosion scatters the atoms, creating clouds of debris – including iron-rich dust grains. As Earth flies through a cloud, it sweeps up some of the dust, which falls to the surface. The scientists have found the iron in sediments on the bottom of the ocean, and in fresh snow in Antarctica. And recently, they found it in layers of ice deposited 40,000 to 80,000 years ago, also in the Antarctic. Those samples fell to Earth before the others did. And they have lower amounts of the radioactive iron. That could mean that Earth was just entering the Local Cloud during that period. The amount of iron went up as we passed deeper into the cloud. Now, the amount is going down again – perhaps heralding the solar system’s exit from the Local Cloud. Script by Damond Benningfield

It's a special rarities episode featuring deep cuts and unreleased gems. Featured artists include Julieta Venegas, Beastie Boys, Ana Tijoux, Kinky, Juana Molina, Mexican Institute of Sound and more.

Labels are powerful. They can distill you down to a single word. They can get stuck on you without your permission. And sometimes, when they get taken away, they can upend your entire life. On this episode: labels and the havoc they wreak. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.(00:00:00) Prologue: Sara and Ethan have been dating for 10 months. They see each other at least once a week, text pretty much every day, and have been there for each other through hard times. But they refuse to have the “what are we?” conversation. So what gives? Guest host Tobin Low looks into it. (5 minutes)(00:05:14) Act One: Last week, when Temporary Protected Status, also known as TPS, was cut off for Haitian immigrants, some 300,000 people had their lives upended. Marie, a Certified Nursing Assistant in Boston, was one of them. Producer Chana Joffe-Walt spent time last week with Marie as she tried to figure out exactly when her very last day on the job would be. (21 minutes)(00:27:57) Act Two: Comedian Janet McNamara was walking off stage 15 years ago when the club owner asked, “Hey, have you ever been tested for autism?” No one had ever asked her this before, so Janet decided to look into it. (17 minutes)(00:44:01) Act Three: When you get down to it, labels are just our way of pointing out what we think is remarkable about other people. That’s Alfred Jung Lee’s argument. He’s been thinking a lot about how we describe each other, especially as he tries to describe his wife, who passed away from cancer. (10 minutes)Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org / This American Life privacy policy. / Learn more about sponsor message choices.