Programs

This episode was recorded on March 22nd, 2026 at the Culture Center Theater in Charleston, WV. The lineup includes Patrick Watson, John Gorka, Anna Tivel, Shelby Means, and Liza Lo. https://bit.ly/4vsZEnH

One morning, Oliver Sipple went out for a walk. A couple hours later, to his own surprise, he saved the life of the President of the United States. In a story we reported back in 2017, we explain how in the days that followed, Sipple’s split-second act of heroism turned into a rationale for making his personal life into political opportunity. What happens next makes us wonder what a moment, or a movement, or a whole society can demand of one person. And how much is too much?  Through newly unearthed archival tape, we hear Sipple himself grapple with some of the most vexing topics of his day and ours – privacy, identity, the freedom of the press – not to mention the bonds of family and friendship.  Special thanks to Jerry Pritikin, Michael Yamashita, Stan Smith, Duffy Jennings; Ann Dolan, Megan Filly and Ginale Harris at the Superior Court of San Francisco; Leah Gracik, Karyn Hunt, Jesse Hamlin, The San Francisco Bay Area Television Archive, Mike Amico, Jennifer Vanasco and Joey Plaster.EPISODE CREDITS: Reported by – Reported by Latif Nasser and Tracie Hunte Produced by – Produced by Matt Kielty, Annie McEwen, Latif Nasser and Tracie Hunte. 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.

This week, hosts Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot are digging into the Sound Opinions archives to share some rare tracks recorded in live sessions for past episodes. They'll share songs by Sleater Kinney, Courtney Barnett, Drive-By Truckers and more. The hosts will also review the new album from JPEGMAFIA.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:Courtney Barnett, "Scott Says (Live on Sound Opinions)," Sometimes I Sit and Think, and Sometimes I Just Sit, Mom + Pop Music, 2015JPEGMAFIA, "babygirl," Experimental Rap, AWAL, 2026JPEGMAFIA, "The Ghost of Emmett Till," Experimental Rap, AWAL, 2026Mudhoney, "1995 (Live on Sound Opinions)," My Brother the Cow, Reprise, 1995Hüsker Dü, "Diane," Metal Circus, SST, 1983Zola Jesus, "Hunger (Live on Sound Opinions)," Taiga, Mute, 2014Sleater-Kinney, "Get Up (Live on Sound Opinions)," The Hot Rock, Kill Rock Stars, 1999Torres, "Ferris Wheel (Live on Sound Opinions)," Sprinter, Partisan, 2015Hüsker Dü, "Pink Turns to Blue," Zen Arcade, SST, 1984Drive-By Truckers, "What It Means (Live on Sound Opinions)," American Band, ATO, 2016Against Me!, "True Trans Soul Rebel (Live on Sound Opinions)," Transgender Dysphoria Blues, Total Treble, 2014Diana Ross, "I'm Coming Out," Diana, Motown, 1980See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The night sky can sometimes look like a tie-dyed T-shirt flapping on a clothesline. Ribbons and swirls of bright color ripple through the sky. They can change appearance in seconds – blown by the solar wind. The colorful display is an aurora – the northern and southern lights. An aurora flares to life as charged particles from the Sun run into Earth at high speed. Earth’s magnetic field funnels the particles toward the magnetic poles. When particles hit atoms and molecules high above the surface, they knock atoms out of their usual configuration. When they return to normal, the atoms emit light. The color of an aurora depends on what the charged particles hit, and where they hit it. Most auroras are green. They switch on when particles hit oxygen molecules at altitudes of about 60 to 200 miles. Red auroras are fed by oxygen that’s even higher. The lower fringes of a display can appear pink or dark red – the result of collisions with nitrogen at lower altitudes. Collisions with hydrogen and oxygen create blue and purple auroras. But they’re not very common, and they’re hard for the eye to take in. They’re easier to see in photographs. Most of the time, the northern lights stay close to the magnetic pole. When the Sun spews out more particles, though, they can spread outward, shining in regions where they’re seldom seen. And the colors can get more intense – dramatically “tie-dying” the night sky. Script by Damond Benningfield

This week is an exploration of Blues music, Latino style.  Featured artists include Santana, Los Lonely Boys, Diamante Electrico, Bunbury, Andres Calamaro and many more.

We want to believe our lives can be changed by the ideas contained in a book. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.Prologue: When Alexa was seven, she started going through her grandfather's books. Her grandfather was a playwright and teacher, and through the books—and especially through his notes in the margins—she entered the world of 1930's American theater. And she found a book that changed her life: writer Moss Hart's autobiography Act One. (5 minutes)Act One: More of Alexa Junge and how Moss Hart's autobiography changed her life. She followed his path, learned specific lessons, and had a vision of him that was absolutely clear—until she met his widow. (10 minutes)Act Two: A book that changed a family's life—temporarily, and not for the better. David Sedaris on what happened when he found a dirty book in the woods and passed it along to his sisters. (9 minutes)Act Three: Reporter Jeremy Goldstein tells the story of a man who had many books change his life, even though he'd never read them. (14 minutes)Act Four: Writer Meghan Daum travels to De Smet, South Dakota—where Laura Ingalls Wilder lived and set most of her Little House books. What surprises her is how much it matches what she'd imagined. The people there seem to be genuinely living by the values Laura wrote about. (15 minutes)Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.orgThis American Life privacy policy.Learn more about sponsor message choices.