In this episode, first aired in 2011, we talk about the meaning of a good game — whether it's a pro football playoff, or a family showdown on the kitchen table. And how some games can make you feel, at least for a little while, like your whole life hangs in the balance. This hour of Radiolab, Jad and Robert wonder why we get so invested in something so trivi ... Show More
Mar 13
Return of the Flesh-Eaters
If a species is horrible enough, do we have the right to kill it forever? Seventy years ago, a nightmare parasite feasted on the live flesh of warm-blooded creatures in North America: the screwworm. That is, until a young scientist named Edward F. Knipling discovered a crucial sc ... Show More
42m 29s
Aug 2022
Best of: A Life-Changing Philosophy of Games
<p>Today, we’re re-airing one of my favorite episodes of all time. It was originally recorded in February of 2022, but I've been unable to stop thinking about it ever since.</p><p>When we play Monopoly or basketball, we know we are playing a game. The stakes are low. The rules ar ... Show More
1h 12m
Mar 2023
Anaximander: the Ancient World’s Most Radical Scientific Thinker
Carlo Rovelli is one of the world’s best-known scientists. A theoretical physicist, his books have sold over two million copies around the world. He recently came to Intelligence Squared to talk about his favourite scientist, the little-known Greek philosopher Anaximander, whose ... Show More
58m 28s
Feb 2022
Merging supermassive black holes, and communicating science in the age of social media
On this week’s show: What we can learn from two supermassive black holes that appear to be on a collision course with each other, and the brave new online world in which social media dominates and gatekeeps public access to scientific information First up, Staff Writer Daniel Cle ... Show More
29m 51s
Jun 2022
The Joy of Science, with Jim Al-Khalili
Professor Jim Al-Khalili is the physicist who makes science look easy. He’s the author of several books, the latest of which is The Joy of Science, which offers eight core scientific principles that can be applied to everyday life. As a broadcaster Jim is perhaps best known as th ... Show More
41m 55s
Feb 2022
Roll On: Rest, Reflection & Responsibility
After a seasonal sabbatical, ‘Roll On’ is back. And it’s time to hash out a bit of drama.After a two-month respite, Roll On returns with a discussion on ‘Moneyball-esque’ advances in sports science, the role of podcasting in the culture wars, the importance of taking a profession ... Show More
2h 8m
Jan 2022
A scientist's case for "woo-woo"
Sean Illing talks with David Hamilton, a scientist and former research chemist turned author, about his new book Why Woo-Woo Works, in which he offers a scientifically-grounded defense of alternative practices like meditation, crystals, and the law of attraction. They discuss the ... Show More
58m 34s