logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2025
50m 59s

The Elixir of Life

Wnyc Studios
About this episode
Doctor and special correspondent, Avir Mitra takes Lulu on an epic journey live on stage at a little basement club called Caveat, here in New York. Starting with an ingredient in breastmilk that babies can’t digest, a global hunt that takes us from Bangladesh to the Mennonite communities here in the US, we discover an ancient symbiotic relationship that migh ... Show More
Up next
Jan 2022
Worst. Year. Ever.
What was the worst year to be alive on planet Earth?   We make the case for 536 AD, which set off a cascade of catastrophes that is almost too horrible to imagine. A supervolcano. The disappearance of shadows. A failure of bread. Plague rats. Using evidence painstakingly gathered ... Show More
24m 41s
Dec 2021
Flop Off
This past year was a flop. From questionable blockbuster reboots to supply chain shenanigans to worst of all, omnipresent COVID variants. But, in a last ditch effort to flip the flop, we at Radiolab have dredged up the most mortifying, most cringeworthy, most gravity-defying flop ... Show More
1h 15m
Dec 2021
Vanishing Words
When Alana Casanova-Burgess set out to make a podcast series about Puerto Rico, she struggled with what to call it. Until one word came to mind, a word that captures a certain essence of life in Puerto Rico, but eludes easy translation into English. We talk to Alana about her ser ... Show More
24m 6s
Recommended Episodes
Feb 2025
Exploring the Hidden Life in the Air around Us with Carl Zimmer
Scientists now agree that COVID spreads via airborne transmission. But during the early days of the disease, public health officials suggested that it mainly did so via close contact. The subsequent back-and-forth over how COVID spread brought science journalist Carl Zimmer into ... Show More
16m 47s
Sep 26
The Dead Composer Whose ‘Brain’ Still Makes Music
In a hauntingly innovative exhibit, brain cells grown from the late composer Alvin Lucier’s blood generate sound. Set in a museum in Perth, Australia, the installation blurs the line between art and neuroscience. Host Rachel Feltman and associate editor Allison Parshall explore t ... Show More
25m 25s
Sep 16
Igniting curiosity with Sean The Science Kid
At just 10 years old, Sean The Science Kid is our youngest guest ever. Sean is an internet educator with a voracious appetite for learning and a contagious passion for sharing his knowledge. In this episode, Adam chats with Sean and his mother Eunice about the origins of Sean’s c ... Show More
34m 3s
Nov 2021
Part Two: How To Stretch Time
NOTE: this episode contains discussion around death which some people may find difficult. In Part Two we learn how to stretch time! We journey back to the beginning of life on earth, and forward into the far, far future, we learn from Brian Eno himself about why he invented ambie ... Show More
1h 5m
Sep 2
A fossil, a hat and a T-Rex
Catherine gets an invigorating lesson on the corner of Bedford Square, in London’s Bloomsbury.---Named 'Podcast of the Year' by Radio Times and picked as 'Best Podcasts of the Year 2023' by the Financial Times, Observer, Pod Bible and The Week. ---The conversations that follow ar ... Show More
9m 25s
Aug 2024
Bonus: Fun Fact or Fake Factoid?! A Chemistry and Trivia Showdown
<p>In this bonus game edition of 'Chemistry For Your Life', host Melissa, co-host Jam, and guest Claire embark on an entertaining journey of debunking or verifying popular 'fun facts' submitted by their listeners. The game, titled 'Fun Fact or Fake Factoid', involves dissecting q ... Show More
28m 6s
Jun 2022
TikTok's Influence On Music, Sibling Rivalry & The Amazing ParaMatildas
Keeping up with the daily news cycle can be hard, especially if you have little ones who need your constant attention, so we’ve created a new show to get you and your family up to speed, weekly. In this episode, we chat to two music and entertainment gurus to find out how singer- ... Show More
16m 54s
Oct 3
What Jane Goodall’s Life Teaches About Courage, Curiosity, and Care
<p>Jane Goodall transformed how we see the natural world and our place in it. In this tribute episode, Guy Kawasaki revisits their past conversations filled with humor, courage, and wisdom. Jane reflects on her early journey to Africa, the groundbreaking discoveries with chimpanz ... Show More
1h 16m
Apr 2025
The Indus Civilisation (Radio Edit)
Greg Jenner is joined by guests Dr Danika Parikh and comedian Ahir Shah in the Bronze Age to explore the ancient Indus civilisation. They take a close look at the terracotta, toilets and even the unicorns of this vast civilisation which was in existence some 2,000 years before Po ... Show More
28m 33s
Nov 2024
A coach, a rescue and a life change
Catherine visits the villages of Barley and Barkway where she learns about history and hears about sudden life changes.Catherine Carr stops strangers to ask them “Where Are You Going?” and uncovers unexpected stories about people’s lives.---Named 'Podcast of the Year' by Radio Ti ... Show More
13m 42s