Terrestrials

The Shadow Creature: Rats Who Save Human Lives

Rats have a bad reputation They’ve been called evil, terrifying and wicked The lowliest and most abominable of creatures Songbud Alan felt the same way until he heard of one rat from Tanzania named Magawa We meet Pendo, Magawa’s human friend and trainer, who wanted to train Magawa for a battlefield of sorts A battle to save human lives You see, some countries have explosive landmines placed there during war When the war is over, the landmines remain, meaning people continue to live in danger, afraid they might step on one Pendo hoped to train Magawa to use his rat superpowers to sniff out the dangerous landmines and rescue these communities Special thanks to everyone at APOPO , especially Pendo Masgu, Said Mshana and Lily Shalom Thanks also to Kathleen Corradi, Cedric Simmons of ALA Environmental Services, and Olivia Bensimon and Jake Offenhartz of the Street Leather zine for inspiring the Rat Story Hotline Biggest thanks to Alana and Jen, board members of foster rescue organization Helping All Little Things , for helping us record with nine rats in our studio

Build-A-Dragon (Replay)

On February 17, in places like China, Malaysia, Korea and Chinatowns across the globe, dragons will rise in the form of massive puppets Today we bring you a special Terrestrials episode on dragons to understand what they have to do with the New Year, what the dragon myth means, and explore the tiny chance that dragons could have ever been real First, we meet Mr. Lu Dajie, one of China's most renowned dragon dancers, who tells us about the significance of dragons in China Then producer bud Ana and song bud Alan ask whether there’s any chance that dragons were ever real And if not, could we make a dragon out of the things already evolved on Earth? Were there any reptiles as large as and shaped like dragons? Any large reptiles that flew? Any that spat fire? The answers may surprise you

The Bullseye: Treasure Hunt to Recursive Islands

Have you ever seen an island on a lake? On an island? On another island? Josh Calder has Working in a dusty room of a library, he first saw one on a map, and has been fascinated with these “recursive islands” ever since Song bud Alan Goffinski takes us on a wild journey into these secret bullseyes hiding all over planet Earth We learn from ecologist Elba Montes why recursive islands breed species found nowhere else on Earth, and thus are hotbeds of evolution Check out Josh Calder’s website for more island information and trivia

An Ocean in Space

NASA just sent a spacecraft to Europa, one of Jupiter's moons, and on the side of that spacecraft, they included a poem Not just any poem — a poem by U.S Poet Laureate Ada Limón A poem that’s supposed to represent all of humanity to the universe Host Lulu Miller opens up the floor to kids from all over the country to ask Limón and NASA scientist Cynthia Phillips questions about the mission, outer space, poetry and what a space slushie might taste like Listen to find out the answers to all their burning questions Read Ada Limón’s poem, “In Praise of Mystery,” here Read about and follow the Europa Clipper mission here

The Sea Troll: An Everlasting Shark?

The Greenland shark is ugly Its eyes look cloudy and dead Its snout and fins are stubby Its meat is poisonous And that may be part of why most people have overlooked these sharks for so long But there was a rumor circulating among Greenland villagers that this deepsea dweller could survive for centuries Scientist John Steffensen went on a hunt to see if this was true and discovered that the Greenland shark can live for more than 500 years, making it the longest living vertebrate on the planet Biologist Steve Austad explains how the shark avoids death for so long and discovers that its secret to longevity comes at a cost It seems that to live a longer life, it opts out of some of the best stuff life has to offer: adventure, friends and companionship

The Crystal Ball: Giant Honeybees Who Predict the Future

The honeybee The ever-important pollinator for our plants is disappearing Some call it the silence of the bees, others call it colony collapse disorder Dr. Sammy Ramsey, our official bug correspondent, wondered, could it be due to parasites? And if so, how do we catch all of them? This question takes Dr. Sammy to the heart of a jungle in Bangladesh to look for overlooked honeybees impervious to parasites The only problem? He can't find them With help from a local guide named Babulall, he learns how the most overlooked bees could possibly save all the honey bees in the world Plus, they have some killer dance moves Big special thanks this episode to Babulall Munda and Rubaiyat Mansur Mowgli, both of whom, by the way, will be credited on any scientific papers that come out of the work they did with Dr. Sammy in Bangladesh

The Snowball: Extreme Squirrels in the Arctic (Replay)

Middle schooler, Aanya, has an up-close encounter with a squirrel in the school yard, which leads her to an obsession with one of North America's most common critters She tells host Lulu Miller all about the overlooked superpowers of squirrels, including one squirrel who lives way up in the Arctic, where the weather gets so cold the squirrels who live there drop their body temperatures down below freezing and somehow, miraculously, survive Host Lulu travels to Alaska to meet one of these squirrels as it sleeps, and Lulu talks with biologists Dr. Kelly Drew and Dr. Brian Barnes about why this humble squirrel holds potential for treating Alzheimers, brain injury, and even helping astronauts hibernate on the long journey to Mars Check out the making of this episode here ! Video by Amy Pearl This episode features a song with a cameo from Chicago-based musician Tasha Check out our songs page for 'On The Other Side (ft Tasha)' and more new singles every week Special thanks to Aanya and her mom Roli for bringing us this story, and to Amy Loeffler, Clara Goulet, Loi Goulet, Ellie Bell and Ferris Jabr, the writer who first made the “pop-squirrel" joke We came across it in a wonderful article he wrote in Scientific American Also, check out this Wired article by Brendan I Koerner for more on arctic ground squirrels

Special Announcement

The Terrestrials team is delighted to announce we’re coming back to the Radiolab for Kids feed! We’ve been traveling the globe in search of the strangeness right here on Earth And we’ll be sharing a whole new batch of stories – and songs – in September In the meantime: -catch up on past episodes ! -bop your head to songbud Alan’s songs ! -check out our brand new teaching resources ! Support for Terrestrials is provided by the Simons Foundation, the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, and the Kalliopeia Foundation

The Stumpisode: The Wild World of Tree Stumps!

As dead as they seem, tree stumps are hubs of life and relationships From stumps to snags, deadwood provides habitat for rodents, falcons, insects, and even humans! Stumps hold together the forest floor, give hunting perches to birds of prey in flatlands, prevent erosion and the encroachment of invasive species, usher in sunlight, provide nutrients, can be wells of renewable fuel, and hold onto stories human beings might have forgotten Without these ghosts of trees past, nothing would be the same Scottish author, artist and lover of tree stumps, Dr. Amanda Thomson , leads host Lulu Miller on a “tour de stumps,” a journey across space and time to learn about some of the most magical stumps on the planet We learn how these overlooked dead things actually sustain the living For more, check out: Bob Dolgan’s documentary about Tyler Funk and “ The Magic Stump .” Amanda Thomson’s book “ Belonging: Natural histories of place, identity and home .” Terrestrials was created by Lulu Miller with WNYC Studios This episode was produced by Ana González, Mira Burt-Wintonick, Alan Goffinski, Joe Plourde and Lulu Miller, with help from Tanya Chawla, Sarah Sandback and Valentina Powers Fact checking by Natalie Middleton Transcription by Caleb Codding Our advisors are Ana Luz Porzecanski, Andy J Pizza, Anil Lewis, Dominique Shabazz, Liza Demby, Princess Daazhraii Johnson and Tara Welty Learn more about storytellers, listen to music, and dig deeper into the stories you hear on Terrestrials with activities you can do at home or in the classroom on our website, Terrestrialspodcast.org Badger us on social media: @radiolab and #TerrestrialsPodcast or by emailing us at terrestrials@wnyc.org

The Hybrid: A Miracle Mule

In the game of life, every species is like an action figure You got your dogs and your dung beetles, your bald eagles and your blueberries And for a long time scientists believed it was pretty much impossible for those action figures to mix and make a new kind of action figure that was able to have its own babies (dog beetles? Baldberries? But, today we tell the story of a four-legged beast in Kentucky whose existence is upending scientific beliefs If you want a big fat SPOILER, here it is: the creature in question is a mule! After almost 20 years of living her life as a hybrid (a mix between a horse and a donkey), believed to be incapable of having babies, Peanut the mule shocked the world by doing the impossible Peanut’s owners, Teresa and Jerry Smothers, tell us the story of her life Evolutionary biologist Dr. Molly Schumer explains how scientists’ understanding of hybrids has changed dramatically over the course of Peanut’s lifetime And no mule episode would be complete without a cowboy-hatted mule packer leading us deep into the rocky trails of the American West on muleback to explain why mules are the best of both worlds of their parents Learn about the storytellers, listen to music, and dig deeper into the stories you hear on Terrestrials with activities you can do at home or in the classroom on our website, Terrestrialspodcast.org Watch a hybrid gameshow and find even MORE original Terrestrials fun on our Youtube Badger us on Social Media: @radiolab and #TerrestrialsPodcast Support for Terrestrials is provided by Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations More from Terrestrials The Shovels: Dig Deeper For each episode of Terrestrials, we provide a selection of activity sheets, drawing prompts, musical lessons, and more We call them “shovels” because we hope they will help you (and your friends, family, students, neighbors, etc) dig more deeply into the world! You can do them at home, in the classroom, outside, or in the privacy of your own mind We hope you enjoy! If you want to share what you’ve made, ask an adult share it on social media using #TerrestrialsPodcast and make sure to tag @Radiolab Draw - Get creative with a special listen from our friends from DrawTogether Do - We've put a bunch of concrete - and even kinda fun - things we can all do to help protect the nonhuman life on this planet IN BINGO form ! This week’s storytellers are Jerry and Teresa Smothers, Dr. Molly Schumer and mule packer James Reeves Want to keep learning? Check out these resources to learn about the sure-footed, stubborn hybrid helper that is the MULE: Watch a TV news report about Peanut and Miracle Ligers and Zonkeys and Narlugas, Oh my ! Read an article about hybrids in nature and whether being a hybrid helps or hurts your genetic success.Learn the story of the first narluga (narwhal and beluga) spotting Learn more about James Reeves, Mule Packer to the stars! Or, rather, to the mountains.Follow Mule Packer James Reeves’ instagram , full of videos of him and mules! Is breeding hybrids (like Ligers) unethical ?Did you know mules are STILL used in the military ? Check out Susan Orlean’s wonderful article about that.A video about the myth of Pegasus vs. The Chimera “Mules and More” Magazine Detailed list of reports of fertile mules over history Terrestrials is a production of WNYC Studios, created by Lulu Miller This episode is produced by Ana González, Alan Goffinski and Lulu Miller Original Music by Alan Goffinski Help from Suzie Lechtenberg, Sarah Sandbach, Natalia Ramirez, and Sarita Bhatt Fact-check by Natalie Meade Sound design by Phoebe Wang with additional engineering by Joe Plourde and Andrew Dunn Our storytellers this week are Jerry and Teresa Smothers, Dr. Molly Schumer, and mulepacker James Reeves Special thanks to the punks at the Music Resource Center in Charlottesville, Virginia: Riles, Susie, Jack, Tate, Tiny, Cheyenne, Zina, Bray, Jordan and Orion Our advisors are Theanne Griffith, Aliyah Elijah, Dominique Shabazz, Liza Steinberg-Demby, and Tara Welty Terrestrials is supported in part by Science Sandbox, an initiative of the Simons Foundation Have questions for us, badgers? Badger us away ! Your parent/guardian should write to us along with you, so we know you have their permission, and for maybe even having your ideas mentioned on the show Email terrestrials@wnyc.org HEY GROWN-UPS!

The Water Walker: One Surfer’s Epic Escape

The ocean can be a scary place: the waves are so strong, the water so deep But surfer and illustrator AJ Dungo tells the story of an earthling who figured out how to walk on water and literally defy the rules of gravity If you want a big SPOILER, here it is: It’s only human for the season, the grandfather of modern-day surfing, Duke Kahanamoku Duke’s great grandniece, Heather Kina’u Paoa tells us about what Duke’s life was really like We learn about the physics of surfing, and how surfing is an escape, not just on a spiritual level, but a physical one too Finally, we learn how Duke’s story of learning to conquer the waves while remaining true to his Hawaiian heritage inspired AJ to get through one of the hardest times of his life TW: this episode deals with the loss of a loved one and grief Learn about the storytellers, listen to music, and dig deeper into the stories you hear on Terrestrials with activities you can do at home or in the classroom on our website, Terrestrialspodcast.org Watch a music video for “It Comes in Waves” and find even MORE original Terrestrials fun on our Youtube Badger us on Social Media: @radiolab and #TerrestrialsPodcast Support for Terrestrials is provided by Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations More from Terrestrials The Shovels: Dig Deeper For each episode of Terrestrials, we provide a selection of activity sheets, drawing prompts, musical lessons, and more We call them “shovels” because we hope they will help you (and your friends, family, students, neighbors, etc) dig more deeply into the world! You can do them at home, in the classroom, outside, or in the privacy of your own mind We hope you enjoy! If you want to share what you’ve made, ask an adult share it on social media using #TerrestrialsPodcast and make sure to tag @Radiolab Draw - Got the big feelings? Drawing can help This week's drawing prompt from Wendy Mac at the DrawTogether podcast is a three part series called Emotional Doodles all about how to translate feelings into art (and, in turn, maybe even help you move through the hard feelings) Play 🎶 - Learn how to play the chords to the song “ IT COMES IN WAVES ” Do - Get crafty with a fun activity sheet ! This week’s storytellers are AJ Dungo and Heather Kina’u Paoa Want to keep learning? Check out these resources to learn about the gravity-defying history-maker, Duke Kahanamoku: Check out Makani Tabura's Culturised podcast (about Hawaiian culture and history!)Check out AJ Dungo’s comic book (aka graphic novel), In Waves Watch the new documentary about Duke, Waterman Resources on Grief: Guide to Helping Children Cope with Grief from the Child Mind Institute is a resource available for families navigating the loss of a loved one When a Loved One Dies: How to Help Your Child (for Parents) - Nemours KidsHealth I Cannot Heal My Children’s Grief, but I Can Help Them Name It “Do Animals Experience Grief?” from Smithsonian Magazine A Guide for Grown-Ups Helping Children Through the Toughest Times from Sesame Street in Communities If you or someone you know is considering suicide, self-harm, or harm to others, please get help The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 988 If you’re outside the U.S., you can visit findahelpline.com to find resources for your country Terrestrials is a production of WNYC Studios, created by Lulu Miller This episode is produced by Ana González, Alan Goffinski and Lulu Miller Original Music by Alan Goffinski Help from Suzie Lechtenberg, Sarah Sandbach, Natalia Ramirez, and Sarita Bhatt Fact-check by Natalie Meade Sound design by Mira Burt-Wintonick with additional engineering by Joe Plourde Our storytellers this week are AJ Dungo and Heather Kina’u Paoa Transcription by Russell Gragg Our advisors are Theanne Griffith, Aliyah Elijah, Dominique Shabazz, John Green, Liza Steinberg-Demby, and Tara Welty Terrestrials is supported in part by Science Sandbox, an initiative of the Simons Foundation Have questions for us, badgers? Badger us away ! Your parent/guardian should write to us along with you, so we know you have their permission, and for maybe even having your ideas mentioned on the show Email terrestrials@wnyc.org HEY GROWN-UPS!

The Unimaginable: How Gravitational Waves (Literally) Rocked Our World

Over a billion lightyears ago, in the darkness of outer space, a collision of black holes sent out a fleet of invisible waves that were headed right toward planet Earth The waves were so powerful they could ripple spacetime but most people on Earth didn't believe the waves were real SPOILER ALERT: The waves are called gravitational waves and…they are real! Astrophysicist Dr. Wanda Díaz Merced tells the story of what happened when they hit Earth in 2015 and how scientists came to learn to use senses beyond eyesight to detect the waves We also learn from Dr. Stavros Katsanevas about the building of a giant gravitational wave catcher called “The Interferometer.” This episode also explores how to persist in the face of doubt as we learn Wanda's tale of going blind and learning how to listen to the stars Learn about the storytellers, listen to music, and dig deeper into the stories you hear on Terrestrials with activities you can do at home or in the classroom on our website, Terrestrialspodcast.org Watch the interferometer come to life, disco style, and find even MORE original Terrestrials fun on our Youtube Badger us on Social Media: @radiolab and #TerrestrialsPodcast Support for Terrestrials is provided by Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations More from Terrestrials The Shovels: Dig Deeper For each episode of Terrestrials, we provide a selection of activity sheets, drawing prompts, musical lessons, and more We call them “shovels” because we hope they will help you (and your friends, family, students, neighbors, etc) dig more deeply into the world! You can do them at home, in the classroom, outside, or in the privacy of your own mind We hope you enjoy!If you want to share what you’ve made, ask an adult share it on social media using #TerrestrialsPodcast and make sure to tag @Radiolab Draw - Use your ears to draw! In this very special drawing prompt, Wendy Mac and the DrawTogether team pull in an actual rockstar to play you various favorite sounds to draw It's a feast for the mind, ears, and hands Grab a pencil, pen, crayon, marker, anything, and check it out here ! Play 🎶 - Learn how to play the chords to the song “ UNIMAGINABLE ” Do - Get crafty with a fun activity sheet ! This week’s storyteller is Dr. Wanda Díaz Merced Want to keep learning? Check out these resources to learn about the time-bending power that is the gravitational wave: Get to Wanda a little better; watch her TED talk !Take a tour of the world’s first interferometer! (Free monthly tours in person in Richland, WA)Train yourself to use sound for signal detection in astronomy Learn more about asteroseismology with the wonderful Hank Green!Spooked by the idea of the infinite universe? Listen to John Green’s “ Against Nihilism ” (probably best for 13 and up)! Terrestrials is a production of WNYC Studios, created by Lulu Miller This episode is produced by Ana González, Alan Goffinski and Lulu Miller Original Music by Alan Goffinski Help from Suzie Lechtenberg, Sarah Sandbach, Natalia Ramirez, and Sarita Bhatt Fact-check by Natalie Meade Sound design by Phoebe Wang with additional engineering by Joe Plourde Our storytellers this week are Dr. Wanda Díaz Merced and Dr. Stavros Katsanevas Transcription by Caleb Codding Our advisors are Theanne Griffith, Aliyah Elijah, Dominique Shabazz, John Green, Liza Steinberg-Demby, Alice Wong, and Tara Welty Terrestrials is supported in part by Science Sandbox, an initiative of the Simons Foundation Have questions for us, badgers? Badger us away ! Your parent/guardian should write to us along with you, so we know you have their permission, and for maybe even having your ideas mentioned on the show Email terrestrials@wnyc.org HEY GROWN-UPS!

The Trio: A Bald Eagle Love Story

High above the banks of the Mississippi river, a nest holds the secret life of one of America’s most patriotic creatures Their story puzzles scientists, reinforces indigenous wisdom, and wows audiences, all thanks to a park ranger named Ed, and a well-placed webcam If you want to spoil the mystery, here ya go: it’s a bald eagle Actually, it’s three bald eagles A mama bird and daddies make a home together for over a decade and give new meaning to our national symbol Learn about the storytellers, listen to music, and dig deeper into the stories you hear on Terrestrials with activities you can do at home or in the classroom on our website, Terrestrialspodcast.org Watch “I Wanna Hear the Eagle” and find even MORE original Terrestrials fun on our Youtube And badger us on Social Media: @radiolab and #TerrestrialsPodcast Support for Terrestrials is provided by Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations More from Terrestrials The Shovels: Dig Deeper For each episode of Terrestrials, we provide a selection of activity sheets, drawing prompts, musical lessons, and more We call them “shovels” because we hope they will help you (and your friends, family, students, neighbors, etc) dig more deeply into the world! You can do them at home, in the classroom, outside, or in the privacy of your own mind We hope you enjoy! If you want to share what you’ve made, ask an adult share it on social media using #TerrestrialsPodcast and make sure to tag @Radiolab Draw - Journey up into the clouds like an eagle with a special drawing prompt made by artist Wendy Mac and the DrawTogether team that will get you thinking about the weather (both inside and out) Play 🎶 - Learn how to play the chords to the song “ I WANT TO HEAR THE EAGLE .” Do - Get crafty with a fun activity sheet ! This week’s storytellers are Ed Britton and Nataanii Means Want to keep learning? Check out these resources to learn about the complex lives of the bald eagle: Check out The Trio Bald Eagle Nest Cam yourself! An interview with Nataanii Means in Native Maxx MagazineThe funny history of how the bald eagle became America’s national symbol An article called “ Dirty Birds ” about what it’s actually like to live with America’s national symbol Did you know it’s illegal to keep a bald eagle feather? Learn more in this AWESOME short video about the National Eagle Repository Terrestrials is a production of WNYC Studios, created by Lulu Miller This episode is produced by Ana González, Alan Goffinski and Lulu Miller Original Music by Alan Goffinski Help from Suzie Lechtenberg, Sarah Sandbach, Natalia Ramirez, and Sarita Bhatt Fact-check by Diane Kelley Sound design by Mira Burt-Wintonick with additional engineering by Joe Plourde Our storytellers this week are Ed Britton and Nataanii Means Transcription by Caleb Codding Our advisors are Theanne Griffith, Aliyah Elijah, Dominique Shabazz, Liza Steinberg-Demby, and Tara Welty Terrestrials is supported in part by Science Sandbox, an initiative of the Simons Foundation Have questions for us, badgers? Badger us away ! Your parent/guardian should write to us along with you, so we know you have their permission, and for maybe even having your ideas mentioned on the show Email terrestrials@wnyc.org HEY GROWN-UPS!

The Guardian: Tsetse Fly Defenders

A singing entomologist, Dr. Sammy Ramsey, and a biologist with a knack for inventing things, Dr. Paul Mireji, tell us about one of the most fearsome animals on our planet If you want a SPOILER of what it is, read on: It sucks our blood, spreads diseases; it's the tsetse fly Both Sammy and Paul were afraid of this creature, but share the story of what can be gained by looking close at what scares you In the case of the tsetse fly, we learn that these creatures give live birth, produce milk, protect entire ecosystems, and just might hold the solutions to some of our planet’s biggest problems Learn about the storytellers, listen to music, and dig deeper into the stories you hear on Terrestrials with activities you can do at home or in the classroom on our website, Terrestrialspodcast.org Watch Lulu and Dr. Sammy drink roach milk (!!!!!) and find even MORE original Terrestrials fun on our Youtube Badger us on Social Media: @radiolab and #TerrestrialsPodcast Terrestrials is a production of WNYC Studios, created by Lulu Miller This episode is produced by Ana González, Alan Goffinski and Lulu Miller Original Music by Alan Goffinski Help from Suzie Lechtenberg, Sarah Sandbach, Natalia Ramirez, and Sarita Bhatt Fact-check by Diane Kelley Sound design by Mira Burt-Wintonick with additional engineering by Joe Plourde Our storytellers this week are Dr. Sammy Ramsey and Dr. Paul Mireji Transcription by Caleb Codding Special Thanks to Phoebe Wang for the filming and production of " Lulu Tries Roach Milk ." Our advisors are Theanne Griffith, Aliyah Elijah, Dominique Shabazz, John Green, Liza Steinberg-Demby, and Tara Welty Terrestrials is supported in part by Science Sandbox, an initiative of the Simons Foundation

The Mastermind: An Octopus Heist

A color-changing creature many people assumed to be brainless outsmarts his human captors SPOILER: The creature is an octopus! Author Sy Montgomery tells the story of one octopus named Inky who makes us question who we consider intelligent (and kissable) in the animal kingdom Learn about the storytellers, listen to music, and dig deeper into the stories you hear on Terrestrials with activities you can do at home or in the classroom on our website, Terrestrialspodcast.org Find MORE original Terrestrials fun on Youtube And badger us on Social Media: @radiolab and #TerrestrialsPodcast Terrestrials is a production of WNYC Studios, created by Lulu Miller This episode is produced by Ana González, Alan Goffinski and Lulu Miller Original Music by Alan Goffinski Help from Suzie Lechtenberg, Sarah Sandbach, Natalia Ramirez, and Sarita Bhatt Fact-check by Diane Kelley Sound design by Mira Burt-Wintonick with additional engineering by Joe Plourde Our storyteller this week is Sy Montgomery Transcription by Caleb Codding Our advisors are Theanne Griffith, Aliyah Elijah, Dominique Shabazz, John Green, Liza Steinberg-Demby, Tara Welty, and Alice Wong Terrestrials is supported in part by Science Sandbox, an initiative of the Simons Foundation

The Present: A Gift from our Furry Friends

To celebrate New Year’s Day, there are all kinds of traditions Some people eat black eyed peas for good luck, some list out resolutions But here at Terrestrials, we are taking a cue from the wisdom of pets, who are so, so, so good at sleeping After a short preamble from Lulu, we’ll turn the microphone over to listeners’ furry friends snoring and snoozing in various positions, places, and locations The piece will be largely wordless, with some narration from listeners describing their pets, and sound designed as a sort of meditation to rest

The Slowpoke: How Sloths Grow Invisibility

Sloths are the slowest mammals on Earth How can a creature that moves so slowly survive in a world that moves so fast? Zoologist Lucy Cooke helps us rethink everything we know about sloths and their slowness We follow a sloth named Nacho from a rainforest to a nightclub, trek deep into mangrove swamps to find a rare pygmy sloth and uncover the secret that allows sloths to evade even the deadliest predators Hint: it has to do with a special kind of invisibility For more, check out Lucy’s A Little Book of Sloth and her sloth calendar ! Terrestrials was created by Lulu Miller with WNYC This episode was reported and produced by Alan Goffinski, with sound design by Mira Burt-Wintonick Sarah Sandbach is our Executive Producer Our team also includes Ana González, Tanya Chawla and Joe Plourde Factchecking by Natalie Middleton Our advisors for this show were Liza Demby, Ana Luz Porzecanski, Nicole Depalma and Carly Ciarrocchi Special thanks to José Pablo Guzmán García , Dr. Sammy Ramsey and Lucy Cooke In more exciting news, we just created the first ever Terrestrials Jigsaw Puzzle ! It’s a scene of all the creatures we’ve featured on Terrestrials so far, made by artist Arthur Jones It can be yours for the simple price of supporting Terrestrials by joining our brand new Explorers Club! You get all types of perks like extra Alan songs, ad-free listening and this puzzle for the month of December! Visit TerrestrialsPodcast.org/donate Thank you for all your support Support for Terrestrials is provided by the Simons Foundation, the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, and the John Templeton Foundation A reminder that Terrestrials also makes original music! You can find ‘Gotta Slow It Down’ and all other music from the show here

The Horseshoe Crab's Secret

We’re back with an episode from the Radiolab archive. Horseshoe crabs have been around for a long time. They outlived the dinosaurs, survived all mass extinctions and witnessed the sprouting of the Earth’s first trees. The secret to their longevity? Their baby blue blood. Which has been saving both their lives and ours. Lulu and Radiolab co-host, Latif Nasser, head to one of these bleeding facilities to learn how horseshoe crab blood became indispensable for modern medicine. And how this vampirish relationship humans have with the crabs might also be crucial to keeping them alive. Terrestrials will be back in September 2025 with all new episodes airing every other week! SIgn up for our newsletter here and

Crabtacular! A deep dive into the Hudson River

Today, we splash into the Hudson River Park with our Songbud to meet all kinds of crabs With Siddartha and Carrie from the Hudson River Park, Alan puts on waterproof rubber overalls, gets his hands dirty in the river and dives into the secret lives of Hudson crabs Plus, CRAB WEEK is going on right now in New York City! It’s an annual shell-ebration that highlights the crabs of the Hudson River Scuttle by for crabtastic activities throughout the park all week long! You’ll have the opportunity to try your hand at some crabby crafts, learn crabtivating facts and get your claws on a copy of our limited-edition Crab Week poster Check out their entire shell-dule And join us on August 6th + 7th in Little Island for our full-day takeover of the park Join us at 10am for Wilderness Wonderland featuring scavenger hunts, live music, and more – including our friends from the Hudson River Park who will be on site with live critters! At 5pm, we will be performing a LIVE podcast taping all about PIZZA! The show’s free There will be pizza Join if you’re in NYC (or make this the reason you visit) Check out all of our other performances here

More Terrestrials Coming Soon!

Terrestrials returns Thursday, April 17th with a brand-new season! This spring, we’re diving into the wonderfully weird Get ready to meet some of the fiercest, strangest creatures on Earth—from Hawaiian jungle goblins to New York City’s elusive sewer beasts to nine-foot-tall misunderstood snow monsters When we take a closer look at the creatures we usually fear, we often discover a little magic, wonder, even friendship! Join host Lulu Miller and Songbud Alan Goffinski for our wildest season yet—a nature walk packed with jaw-dropping stories, unforgettable guests, and original music Listen with your family, or just by yourself Either way, you're in for an adventure New episodes drop every Thursday starting April 17th—keep your eyes on the feed!

Vanished Moon!

The moon has disappeared Ok, just kidding Happy April Fool’s Day But what if the moon actually vanished? After songbud Alan saw a movie about stealing the moon, he wondered what would actually happen if the moon disappeared He found the perfect person to talk to – Mika McKinnon who has a masters in disasters We learn about eerie silences, ocean stench, hurricanes, and ecosystems in total flux Also a whole new season of Terrestrials is coming out soon! New stories, new songs and new wild beasts Watch out for it on April 17th Radiolab was created by Jad Abumrad and is edited by Soren Wheeler Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser are our co-hosts Dylan Keefe is our director of sound design Our staff includes: Simon Adler, Jeremy Bloom, Becca Bressler, W Harry Fortuna, David Gebel, Maria Paz Gutiérrez, Sindhu Gnanasambandan, Matt Kielty, Annie McEwen, Alex Neason, Valentina Powers, Sarah Qari, Sarah Sandbach, Arianne Wack, Pat Walters and Molly Webster Our fact-checkers are Diane Kelly, Emily Krieger and Natalie Middleton Production help from Tanya Chawla Sound mixing by Joe Plourde

Gettin' Crabby

If someone calls you crabby, it’s not a compliment – they’re calling you grumpy, grouchy or snappy But let’s reconsider this stain on the humble crab’s reputation Look closely at a crab’s gnarled shell and you’ll see an incredible creature Today, we bring you two very different crab stories The first comes from former Radiolab producer Rachael Cusick about a woman who replicated the ocean to breed hermit crabs Next, how crabs may hold a secret to surviving the chaos of the universe Radiolab was created by Jad Abumrad and is edited by Soren Wheeler Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser are our co-hosts Dylan Keefe is our director of sound design Our staff includes: Simon Adler, Jeremy Bloom, Becca Bressler, W Harry Fortuna, David Gebel, Maria Paz Gutiérrez, Sindhu Gnanasambandan, Matt Kielty, Annie McEwen, Alex Neason, Valentina Powers, Sarah Qari, Sarah Sandbach, Arianne Wack, Pat Walters and Molly Webster Our fact-checkers are Diane Kelly, Emily Krieger and Natalie Middleton Production help from Tanya Chawla Sound mixing by Joe Plourde

Luck of the Lobster

St. Patricks day is coming up People worldwide will wear leprechaun hats and celebrate the luck of the Irish But what about the luck of lobsters? Today we have a story about the biggest, luckiest lobster we have ever heard of — Nick As lobsters age, they keep growing bigger and bigger They don’t wear out or get sick like most other creatures do The most common way they die is through accidents One day a woman named Bonnie went to her nearby grocery store and saw behemoth Nick cramped in a small lobster tank She asked the guy behind the seafood counter why Nick was there After some back and forth with upper management, the store manager made her a deal She could have Nick if she could get him back to Maine This is the story of Nick’s escape from the grocery store to the ocean, in first class For more on lobsters, read Trevor Corson’s The Secret life of Lobsters Radiolab was created by Jad Abumrad and is edited by Soren Wheeler Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser are our co-hosts Dylan Keefe is our director of sound design Our staff includes: Simon Adler, Jeremy Bloom, Becca Bressler, W Harry Fortuna, David Gebel, Maria Paz Gutiérrez, Sindhu Gnanasambandan, Matt Kielty, Annie McEwen, Alex Neason, Valentina Powers, Sarah Qari, Sarah Sandbach, Arianne Wack, Pat Walters and Molly Webster Our fact-checkers are Diane Kelly, Emily Krieger and Natalie Middleton Production help from Tanya Chawla Sound mixing by Joe Plourde

The Big Cat and the Little Boy

When wildlife conservationist Alan Rabinowitz was a boy, he had a stutter Strangely, his stutter vanished when he spoke to animals One day, when his father took him to the Bronx Zoo, Alan saw a majestic jaguar and made a promise to it He spent the rest of his life fulfilling that promise Read Alan Rabinowitz’s picture book: “ A Boy and a Jaguar .” Radiolab was created by Jad Abumrad and is edited by Soren Wheeler Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser are our co-hosts Dylan Keefe is our director of sound design Our staff includes: Simon Adler, Jeremy Bloom, Becca Bressler, W Harry Fortuna, David Gebel, Maria Paz Gutiérrez, Sindhu Gnanasambandan, Matt Kielty, Annie McEwen, Alex Neason, Valentina Powers, Sarah Qari, Sarah Sandbach, Arianne Wack, Pat Walters and Molly Webster Our fact-checkers are Diane Kelly, Emily Krieger and Natalie Middleton Production help from Tanya Chawla Sound mixing by Joe Plourde

It's Raining Cats and Cats

Next week is Valentine’s Day, but instead of talking about falling in love, we’re going to talk about falling cats and barrels First, writer David Quammen tells us about a strange observation: cats are falling out of buildings in New York City When a cat falls from less than five stories or more than nine stories, it usually survives But when it falls from between five and nine stories, it suffers serious injury Physics has the answer Then we meet Annie Taylor, the first person who went over Niagara falls in a barrel For more, check out Garret Soden’s “ Falling: How Our Greatest Fear Became Our Greatest Thrill .” Radiolab was created by Jad Abumrad and is edited by Soren Wheeler Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser are our co-hosts Dylan Keefe is our director of sound design Our staff includes: Simon Adler, Jeremy Bloom, Becca Bressler, W Harry Fortuna, David Gebel, Maria Paz Gutiérrez, Sindhu Gnanasambandan, Matt Kielty, Annie McEwen, Alex Neason, Valentina Powers, Sarah Qari, Sarah Sandbach, Arianne Wack, Pat Walters and Molly Webster Our fact-checkers are Diane Kelly, Emily Krieger and Natalie Middleton Production help from Tanya Chawla Sound mixing by Joe Plourde

Stars from the Big Fib

Today we bring you an episode from our friends over at The Big Fib In the era of fake news, kids need to learn to be able to tell what’s true from what’s false And what better way to do that than a game show that puts kids in the driver’s seat, adults in the hot seat, and a sound-effects robot strapped to the roof? Each week, a kid interviews one fake and one real expert on a particular topic and they have to figure out who’s the true expert and who’s a liar In this episode, they interview two star experts on exoplanets, star nurseries, how stars turn into supernovas, shooting stars, white dwarf stars, telescopes, and much more Can you figure out who’s lying about stars? For more shows, visit GZMshows.com To hear all episodes of The Big Fib ad-free subscribe now

Hole-y Cow

For centuries, the stomach was a black box to humans We didn’t understand the mystery of what happened to food after it went inside us That is, until the early 1800s, when Dr. William Beaumont found a boy, Alexis St. Martin, with a hole in his stomach Writer Mary Roach brings us that story She first sticks her hand inside the stomach of a live cow and then tells us how Beaumont conducted experiments on St. Martin to understand how the stomach breaks down food This strange relationship between doctor and patient changed the way we understand digestion Also, we have a brand new Terrestrials coming up just in advance of the Lunar New Year We will be diving into the history and science of one of the animals associated with the festival Check back in two weeks to hear that story For more on guts, read: Mary Roach, “ Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal ” Fred Kaufman, “ A Short History of the American Stomach ” Radiolab was created by Jad Abumrad and is edited by Soren Wheeler Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser are our co-hosts Dylan Keefe is our director of sound design Our staff includes: Simon Adler, Jeremy Bloom, Becca Bressler, W Harry Fortuna, David Gebel, Maria Paz Gutiérrez, Sindhu Gnanasambandan, Matt Kielty, Annie McEwen, Alex Neason, Valentina Powers, Sarah Qari, Sarah Sandbach, Arianne Wack, Pat Walters and Molly Webster Our fact-checkers are Diane Kelly, Emily Krieger and Natalie Middleton Production help from Tanya Chawla Sound mixing by Joe Plourde

Volcanoes on the Moon

The year’s best celestial event was, without a doubt, April’s solar eclipse The moon went in front of the sun to cast a 115 mile wide shadow on Earth A swathe of North America was showered in sudden darkness In honor of the eclipse, the Radiolab team made a show about the star of the show: the moon We think we know the moon — we know that humanity visited it, that it’s a shiny white rotating rock in the sky But what else really? In today’s episode, the team tells us about the moon’s formation, moon dust, moon-quakes, moon volcanoes, how the moon causes the tides on the Earth, and what the temperature up there is like Turns out, we’ve barely scratched the surface For more, check out Rebecca Boyle’s book, ‘ Our Moon: How the Earth’s Celestial Companion Transformed the Planet, Guided Evolution and Made Us Who We Are ’ Radiolab was created by Jad Abumrad and is edited by Soren Wheeler Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser are our co-hosts Dylan Keefe is our director of sound design Our staff includes: Simon Adler, Jeremy Bloom, Becca Bressler, W Harry Fortuna, David Gebel, Maria Paz Gutiérrez, Sindhu Gnanasambandan, Matt Kielty, Annie McEwen, Alex Neason, Valentina Powers, Sarah Qari, Sarah Sandbach, Arianne Wack, Pat Walters and Molly Webster Our fact-checkers are Diane Kelly, Emily Krieger and Natalie Middleton Production help from Tanya Chawla Sound mixing by Joe Plourde

Milky Seas From Atlas Obscura

Today we bring you an episode from our friends over at Atlas Obscura It's about something that for centuries people thought was a tall tale, something sailors would occasionally spot out in the waves like mermaids or the Loch Ness monster, but most people on the land didn't think was real Until one day, when a satellite in the sky was able to solve the case Host Dylan Thuras tells us the story of a satellite scientist and a ship captain in search of gigantic swaths of bioluminescence that radiate up from the surface of the sea over thousands of square miles For more, check out the Atlas Obscura podcast It’s an audio guide to the world’s wondrous, awe-inspiring, strange places In under 15 minutes, it’ll take you to an incredible site, and along the way you’ll meet some fascinating people and hear their stories Listen Monday through Thursday to explore a new wonder

The Littlest Black Hole

In less than 10 days, the world will witness the winter solstice, or the shortest day of the year Half of the Earth will be tilted the farthest away from the sun, and we will plunge into the dark So today we thought we’d play another story about the dark One of the darkest places in the universe actually: a black hole But not just any black hole, a really tiny black hole, the size of an atom We start the story on a calm morning in Siberia All of a sudden, a large ball of fire appears in the sky A forest was flattened, roofs were blown off houses, windows were shattered, fish were thrown from streams This was the “Tunguska event.” But what happened? What hit Earth? It’s still up for debate Radiolab producer Annie McEwen explores the possibility that it might have been a tiny black hole Then Senior Correspondent Molly Webster asks what happens to the stuff that falls into a black hole, and tells us about how finding an answer culminated into her writing a children’s book called “ Little Black Hole !” Special thanks to Matt Caplan, a physicist at Illinois State University who worked on a team whose recent paper taught us what the impact crater left behind by a primordial black hole would actually look like We also want to thank Priyamvada Natarajan and Brian Greene Articles: Read more about the Tunguska impact event! Check out the paper which considers the shape of the crater a primordial black hole would make, should it hit earth: “Crater Morphology of Primordial Black Hole Impacts” Curious to learn more about black holes possibly being dark matter? You can in the paper , “Exploring the high-redshift PBH- ΛCDM Universe: early black hole seeding, the first stars and cosmic radiation backgrounds” Books: Get your glow on – check out Senior Correspondent Molly Webster’s new kids book, a fictional tale about a lonely “ Little Black Hole .” Radiolab was created by Jad Abumrad and is edited by Soren Wheeler Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser are our co-hosts Dylan Keefe is our director of sound design Our staff includes: Simon Adler, Jeremy Bloom, Becca Bressler, W Harry Fortuna, David Gebel, Maria Paz Gutiérrez, Sindhu Gnanasambandan, Matt Kielty, Annie McEwen, Alex Neason, Valentina Powers, Sarah Qari, Sarah Sandbach, Arianne Wack, Pat Walters and Molly Webster Our fact-checkers are Diane Kelly, Emily Krieger and Natalie Middleton Production help from Tanya Chawla Sound mixing by Joe Plourde

Zoozve

Radiolab co-host Latif Nasser was putting his child to sleep one day when he noticed a poster of the solar system on the wall It showed that Venus had a moon called Zoozve When he looked it up, the internet told him that Venus did not have a moon And searching “Zoozve” gave him a bunch of Czech results about zoos This moment sets Latif off on a curiosity odyssey What is the mystery behind this moon? Turns out, it’s both a moon and not a moon And we get to name one And now that you know all about quasi-moons, we have some fun news! Radiolab, along with the official governing bodies of space, want YOU to pick your favorite name for one of Earth’s newly discovered quasi-moons Go to radiolab.org/quasi-moon to vote for the finalists The winner will be chosen soon, so go help name a MOON! Special Thanks to Larry Wasserman and everyone else at the Lowell Observatory, Rich Kremer and Marcelo Gleiser of Dartmouth College, and Benjamin Sharkey at the University of Maryland Thanks to the IAU and their Working Group for Small Bodies Nomenclature, as well as to the Bamboo Forest class of kindergarteners and first graders Articles: Check out the paper by Seppo Mikkola and Paul Wiegert (whose voices are in the episode), along with colleagues Kimmo Innanen and Ramon Brasser describing this new type of object here ( https://zpr.io/Ci4B3sGWZ3xi ) The Official Rules and Guidelines for Naming Non-Cometary Small Solar-System Bodies from the IAU Working Group on Small Body Nomenclature can be found here ( https://zpr.io/kuBJYQAiCy7s ) All the specs on our strange friend can be found here ( https://zpr.io/Tzg2sHhAp2kb ) Check out Liz Landau’s work at NASA's Curious Universe podcast https://zpr.io/QRbgZbMU2gWW ) as well as lizlandau.com Videos: Fascinating little animation of a horseshoe orbit ( https://zpr.io/A9y6qHhzZtpA ), a tadpole orbit ( https://zpr.io/4qBDbgumhLf2 ), and a quasi-moon orbit ( https://zpr.io/xtLhwQFGZ4Eh ) Posters: If you’d like to buy (or even just look at) Alex Foster’s Solar System poster (featuring Zoozve of course), check it out here ( https://zpr.io/dcqVEgHP43SJ ) Radiolab was created by Jad Abumrad and is edited by Soren Wheeler Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser are our co-hosts Dylan Keefe is our director of sound design Our staff includes: Simon Adler, Jeremy Bloom, Becca Bressler, W Harry Fortuna, David Gebel, Maria Paz Gutiérrez, Sindhu Gnanasambandan, Matt Kielty, Annie McEwen, Alex Neason, Valentina Powers, Sarah Qari, Sarah Sandbach, Arianne Wack, Pat Walters and Molly Webster Our fact-checkers are Diane Kelly, Emily Krieger and Natalie Middleton Production help from Tanya Chawla Sound mixing by Joe Plourde

A Feast for Baboons

We start this story off with a question Are human beings innately violent? Then we head to East Africa with Stanford neuroscientist Robert Sapolsky , who spent his summers studying wild baboons there Baboons are a textbook example of a hierarchical, male-dominated, and aggressive society But one day, Sapolsky noticed that a troop of baboons became unexpectedly gentle They deviated from the usual aggressiveness so characteristic of them and groomed each other The key question was how do these guys unlearn their entire childhood culture of aggression, something supposedly built-in? Sapolsky tells us that tale — a moment he describes as one of the best science moments of his life For more: Read Robert Sapolsky’s account of his 21 years studying baboons in Kenya Radiolab was created by Jad Abumrad and is edited by Soren Wheeler Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser are our co-hosts Dylan Keefe is our director of sound design Our staff includes: Simon Adler, Jeremy Bloom, Becca Bressler, W Harry Fortuna, David Gebel, Maria Paz Gutiérrez, Sindhu Gnanasambandan, Matt Kielty, Annie McEwen, Alex Neason, Valentina Powers, Sarah Qari, Sarah Sandbach, Arianne Wack, Pat Walters and Molly Webster Our fact-checkers are Diane Kelly, Emily Krieger and Natalie Middleton Production help from Tanya Chawla Sound mixing by Joe Plourde

Whale of a Rescue

We start off in a cathedral full of animals – hermit crabs, parrots, hamsters, dogs, cats and bunnies – being blessed We then wonder, do the animals feel grace? What do we really know about what goes on inside an animal’s mind? Do they also experience gratitude, despair or anger? How much emotionality do humans and animals share? And can we measure it? We get the story of a rescued whale that may have found a way to say thanks to its rescuers And then we speak to behavioral scientist Clive Wynne , and head of the Dog Cognition Lab at Barnard, Alexandra Horowitz , to decipher the whale’s behavior Guests in the episode include: Mick Menago, Tim Young, James Moskito, Holly Drewyard, Clive Wynne and Alexandra Horowitz For more: Read “ Inside of a Dog ” by Alexandra Horowitz Radiolab was created by Jad Abumrad and is edited by Soren Wheeler Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser are our co-hosts Dylan Keefe is our director of sound design Our staff includes: Simon Adler, Jeremy Bloom, Becca Bressler, W Harry Fortuna, David Gebel, Maria Paz Gutiérrez, Sindhu Gnanasambandan, Matt Kielty, Annie McEwen, Alex Neason, Valentina Powers, Sarah Qari, Sarah Sandbach, Arianne Wack, Pat Walters and Molly Webster Our fact-checkers are Diane Kelly, Emily Krieger and Natalie Middleton Production help from Tanya Chawla Sound mixing by Joe Plourde

New Episodes of Terrestrials Coming in September!

Terrestrials is Radiolab's spin-off nature show for families and for people of all ages that explores the strangeness that exists right here on Earth Each episode feels like a fairytale that is 100% true Host Lulu Miller (co-host of Radiolab) leads you on a nature walk to encounter incredible creatures, wild storytellers, and original songs from "The Songbud" Alan Goffinski That's right! We sing on this show; don't worry, good voices not required Listen in with your whole family Or all alone This season, we are tackling the overlooked – the treasures, secrets, and wildness waiting right underneath our noses From tree stumps, to lichen, to humble squirrels that fade into the background so easily When you look close at the creatures we usually ignore, you’ll find all kinds of secrets hidden inside Terrestrials welcomes entomologist Dr. Sammy Ramsey as the show’s official “Bug Correspondent.” The show’s “Songbud,” composer Alan Goffinski, returns with new songs featuring guest performances from Laura Jane Grace , Tasha , Timbre and Mike Kinsella of American Football Over the course of the season, Lulu Miller talks to poets, painters, NASA scientists, Indigenous bee hunters, 11-year old skaters, arctic biologists, and “The Badgers” — a panel of kids who badger experts with their pressing questions The seven-episode season begins on Sept 19 in the Radiolab for Kids podcast feed Episodes come out every Thursday

Wild Talk

Think about the sounds you hear on a daily basis Air conditioners whirring, keyboards clicking, cars honking, mosquitos buzzing, dishes clanking Now picture yourself in a jungle What do you hear? How do you make sense of it? Today on Radiolab for Kids, we eavesdrop on the world of animals We bring you a story of two humans decoding animal sounds in nature Science journalist Ari Daniel Shapiro tells us about Klaus Zuberbuhler and his time in the Tai forest of Africa, where he worked to uncover what a Diana monkey is trying to say We then head to a prairie, where Con Slobodchikoff dives into the world of prairie dogs chirps Both researchers decipher the “words” these animals are using to communicate to figure out what they talk about See more: Klaus Zuberbulher and his work in the Tai Forest of West Africa Con Slobodchikoff and his work on prairie dogs Radiolab was created by Jad Abumrad and is edited by Soren Wheeler Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser are our co-hosts Dylan Keefe is our director of sound design Our staff includes: Simon Adler, Jeremy Bloom, Becca Bressler, W Harry Fortuna, David Gebel, Maria Paz Gutiérrez, Sindhu Gnanasambandan, Matt Kielty, Annie McEwen, Alex Neason, Valentina Powers, Sarah Qari, Sarah Sandbach, Arianne Wack, Pat Walters, and Molly Webster Our fact-checkers are Diane Kelly, Emily Krieger, and Natalie Middleton Production help from Tanya Chawla Sound mixing by Joe Plourde

Why Do I Love the Fly That’s Eating My Brain?

Today’s episode asks how scientists see the world We bring you two stories — one about a math guy and a bug guy First, how the math guy, or one of our country's greatest mathematicians, Steven Strogatz, first became enchanted with math as a kid Then, a story about a human developing a soft corner (literally) for a fly that lived in his scalp — the botfly Evolutionary biologist Jerry Coyne went on a research trip to Costa Rica and returned home with a botfly feeding on his flesh His friend Sarah Rogerson was a little less charmed, and they both were surprised by the creature that ultimately emerged from his head Read more: Jerry Coyne, Why Evolution Is True This episode was produced by Amanda Aronczyk and Jad Abumrad Radiolab was created by Jad Abumrad and is edited by Soren Wheeler Lulu Miller and Latif Nasser are our co-hosts Dylan Keefe is our director of sound design Our staff includes: Simon Adler, Jeremy Bloom, Becca Bressler, W Harry Fortuna, David Gebel, Maria Paz Gutiérrez, Sindhu Gnanasambandan, Matt Kielty, Annie McEwen, Alex Neason, Valentina Powers, Sarah Qari, Sarah Sandbach, Arianne Wack, Pat Walters, and Molly Webster Our fact-checkers are Diane Kelly, Emily Krieger, and Natalie Middleton Production help from Tanya Chawla Sound mixing by Joe Plourde

Human vs Horse

The summer olympics are in full swing Humans are racing against other humans from all across the globe But you know the one race they don’t have? The one where a human competes against a horse Radiolab for Kids is back with one of our favorite Radiolab animal episodes of all time where we head to that race in the desert of Arizona Turns out it has everything to do with what gives us humans… our humanity Also our butts In this episode, Reporter Heather Radke and Producer Matt Kielty talk to researchers who followed the butt from our ancient beginnings through millions of years of evolution, all the way to today, out to a valley in Arizona, where our butts are put to the ultimate test Check out Heather's book Butts - A Backstory Special thanks to Michelle Legro

The Gorilla in the Room

Radiolab for kids is back! Is there such a thing as a good cage? Happy gorillas, deft landscape architects and neurologists show us that there just might be We go back to the late 1970s to relive the moment when zoos began to change—literally the moment that the modern zoo was born, as embodied by a few tentative steps of a gorilla named Kiki That story, told by zoo director David Hancocks, architect Grant Jones, and gorilla keeper Violet Sunde Also check out: Marina Belozerskaya's book The Medici Giraffe Radiolab is produced by Jad Abumrad Ellen Horne, senior producer Lulu Miller assistant producer Production executive Dean Cappello, Production support by Sarah Pellegrini, Bret Baier, Scott Goldberg, Alaska Keyville, Sam Leviander, Avir Mitra, Ryan Scamole and Jacob Weinberg Also, very special thanks to Tamar Llewellyn, and Amy Bush's class at Northstar Academy for their musical contributions

Terrestrials: A New Kids Show from Radiolab

Radiolab for Kids and WNYC Studios present Terrestrials, a six-episode miniseries hosted by Lulu Miller (co-host of Radiolab ) Each episode introduces you to a creature or earthly phenomenon that will defy your expectations of how nature is supposed to work Along the way, you'll encounter a chorus of experts, including scientists, surfers, hip hop artists and…a "Song Bud" named Alan Goffinski who creates original songs for every episode New episodes drop Thursdays starting September 22, 2022 Listen with everyone you know Or all alone Learn about the storytellers, listen to music, and dig deeper into the stories you hear on Terrestrials with activities you can do at home or in the classroom on our website, Terrestrialspodcast.org And badger us on Social Media: @radiolab and #TerrestrialsPodcast Terrestrials is a production of WNYC Studios, created by Lulu Miller This episode is produced by Ana González, Alan Goffinski and Lulu Miller Original Music by Alan Goffinski Help from Suzie Lechtenberg, Sarah Sandbach, Natalia Ramirez, and Sarita Bhatt Sound design by Mira Burt-Wintonick and Phoebe Wang with additional engineering by Andrew Dunn Transcriptions by Caleb Codding Our advisors are Theanne Griffith, Aliyah Elijah, Dominique Shabazz , John Green, Liza Steinberg-Demby, Tara Welty, and Alice Wong Terrestrials is supported in part by Science Sandbox, an initiative of the Simons Foundation Have questions for us, badgers? Badger us away ! Your parent/guardian should write to us along with you, so we know you have their permission, and for maybe even having your ideas mentioned on the show Email terrestrials@wnyc.org HEY GROWN-UPS!