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

It was the early '80s, the height of the Cold War, when something strange began happening off the coast of Sweden. The navy reported a mysterious sound deep below the surface of the ocean. Again, and again, and again they would hear it near their secret military bases, in their harbors, and up and down the Swedish coastline. After thorough analysis the navy was certain. The sound was an invasion into their waters, an act of war, the opening salvos of a possible nuclear annihilation. Or was it? Today, Annie McEwen pulls us down into a deep-sea mystery, one of international intrigue that asks you to consider the possibility that maybe, just maybe, your deepest beliefs could be as solid as…air. Special thanks to Ben Wilson, Ola Tunander, Hans Gordon, Andreas Timmelstad, Klaus Helmersen, and Meg Bolz. LATERAL CUTS – Atomic Artifacts (https://radiolab.org/podcast/atomic-artifacts) Neither Confirm Nor Deny (https://radiolab.org/podcast/confirm-nor-deny) EPISODE CREDITS: Reported by – Annie McEwin with help from – Magnus Ormstadt Produced by – Annie McEwin, Matt Kielty, Sarah Qari Original music and sound design contributed by – Jeremy Bloom 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 talk with author Erin Osmon about her new book on "heartland rock." She argues that artists like John Mellencamp and Tom Petty filled stadiums in the 1980s, but also pushed back against the politics of the Reagan era. The hosts also pay tribute to Irish troubadour Glen Hansard.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:Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, "I Won't Back Down," Full Moon Fever, MCA, 1989The Beatles, "With a Little Help from My Friends," Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, Parlophone, 1967The Frames, "Fitzcarraldo," Fitzcarraldo, ZTT, 1995The Swell Season, "Falling Slowly (Live On Sound Opinions)," Swell Season, Overcoat, 2006Bruce Springsteen, "Born In The U.S.A.," Born In The U.S.A., Columbia, 1984John Cougar Mellencamp, "Pink Houses," Uh-Huh, Riva, 1983Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band, "Like A Rock," Like A Rock, Capitol, 1986Neil Young, "Keep On Rockin' In The Free World (Live on SNL)," Freedom, Reprise, 1989Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, "Don't Come Around Here No More," Southern Accents, MCA, 1985Bonnie Raitt, "Nick Of Time," Nick Of Time, Capitol, 1989Stephen Wilson Jr., "Gary," (Single), Big Loud, 2026Don Henley, "The Boys of Summer," Building the Perfect Beast, Geffen, 1984John Cougar Mellencamp, "Rain on the Scarecrow," Scarecrow, Riva, 1986Buddy Guy, "Baby Please Don't Leave Me," Sweet Tea, Silvertone, 2001See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

The Dog Star is just beginning to emerge from the Sun’s glare in the dawn sky. By tradition, that means we’re just getting into the Dog Days of summer. Sirius is the brightest star in the night sky. It’s climbing into view in the morning glow of the brightest star in all the sky – the Sun. Sirius is quite low in the east-southeast shortly before sunrise. It’s best seen from the southern tier of states, although it’ll pull into better view from the northern states over the coming days and weeks. Sirius is also the leading light of the constellation Canis Major, the big dog, so it’s known as the Dog Star. And that’s where we get the name for this part of summer – the Dog Days. Sirius makes its closest approach to the Sun during summer, disappearing for a few weeks in the Sun’s glare. In ancient times, it returned to view in the morning by early July – just as the weather was reaching its hottest. At the time, it seemed logical to associate the bright star with the sweltering weather. So the people of ancient Greece and Rome named that stifling time of year in the star’s honor. Thanks to an effect known as precession, the stars shift position with respect to the Sun over the centuries. So Sirius now returns to view a few weeks later than it did thousands of years ago. So the heat is already in full force at northern latitudes – the Dog Days of summer. 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.

People dealing with new, glaring, massive changes happening right where they live. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription.(00:00:00) Prologue: Rick Cole, a city councilmember in Pasadena, CA, talks to Ira about how he responded to a surprise nighttime military exercise in his neighborhood this June – complete with helicopters, gunfire, and flash bangs. (5 minutes)(00:05:30) Act One: A doctor trained as a midwife tells the eye-popping story of how she and others came together to save a baby during a birth that suddenly went wrong, in a part of rural Maine where the local labor and delivery unit had closed less than a month before. (26 minutes)(00:34:56) Act Two: Producer Valerie Kipnis never felt inside the jokes and stories her family would tell about growing up in the Soviet Union, until she saw this year's Oscar-winning documentary, Mr. Nobody Against Putin. The film follows the changes unfolding in one school as Russia rolled out a nationwide propaganda push after its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Valerie interviewed the young teacher at the center of the documentary and learned things that never made it into the film. (21 minutes)Transcripts are available at thisamericanlife.org / This American Life privacy policy. / Learn more about sponsor message choices.