Best Jad Abumrad Podcasts (2024)

51
Up in Smoke 27:23

4d ago27:23

27:23

Two scenes. In the first, a doctor gets a call — the hospital she works at is having an outbreak of unknown origin, in the middle of the worst wildfire season on record. In the second, an ecologist stands in a forest, watching it burn. Through very different circumstances, they both find themselves asking the same question: is there something in th…

1
Sleep 56:02

11d ago56:02

56:02

We had a question back in 2007, about a thing every creature on the planet does--from giant humpback whales to teeny fruit flies. Why do we all sleep? What does it do for us, and what happens when we go without? We take a peek at iguanas sleeping with one eye open, get in bed with a pair of sleep-deprived new parents, and eavesdrop on the uneasy dr…

1
Terrestrials: The Trio 34:23

18d ago34:23

34:23

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 th…

1
THE ARTISTIC JOURNEY: From Self-Doubt to Confidence. Robert Carlyle inspires songwriter Milo Gore 1:33:15

20d ago1:33:15

1:33:15

In an extraordinary dialogue between rising music talent Milo Gore and acclaimed actor Robert Carlyle, Episode 151 of Podsongs unveils the raw essence of the creative process, navigating through the highs and lows that define the artistic journey. Hosted by Jack Stafford, this episode takes listeners on an introspective dive into the minds of two p…

1
Lose Lose 31:32

25d ago31:32

31:32

To celebrate the imminent start of the Summer Olympic Games in Paris, France we have an episode originally reported in 2016. No matter what sport you play, the object of the game is to win. And that’s hard enough to do. But we found a match where four top athletes had to do the opposite in one of the most high profile matches of their careers. Than…

1
How to Save a Life 47:52

1M ago47:52

47:52

We get it… the world feels too bleak and too big for you to make a difference. But there is one thing - one simple tangible thing - you can do to make all the difference in the world to someone, possibly even a loved one, at arguably the worst moment of their life. Statistics show that 1 out of every 5 people on earth will die of heart failure. Car…

1
Happy Birthday, Good Dr. Sacks 23:58

1M ago23:58

23:58

First aired back in 2013, we originally released this episode to celebrate the 80th birthday of one of our favorite human beings, Oliver Sacks. To celebrate, his good friend, and our former co-host Rober Krulwich, asks the good doctor to look back, and explain how thousands of worms and a motorbike accident led to a brilliant writing career. We hav…

1
The Alford Plea 53:49

2M ago53:49

53:49

In 1995, a tragic fire in Pittsburgh set off a decades-long investigation that sent Greg Brown Jr. to prison. But, after a series of remarkable twists, Brown found himself contemplating a path to freedom that involved a paradoxical plea deal—one that peels back the curtain on the criminal justice system and reveals it doesn’t work the way we think …

1
Birdie in the Cage 44:18

2M ago44:18

44:18

People have been doing the square dance since before the Declaration of Independence. But does that mean it should be THE American folk dance? That question took us on a journey from Appalachian front porches, to dance classes across our nation, to the halls of Congress, and finally a Kansas City convention center. And along the way, we uncovered a…

1
Aphantasia 34:43

2M ago34:43

34:43

Close your eyes and imagine a red apple. What do you see? Turns out there’s a whole spectrum of answers to that question and Producer Sindhu Gnanasambandan is on one far end. In this episode, she explores what it means to see – and not see – in your mind. Special thanks to Kim Nederveen Pieterse, Nathan Peereboom, Lizzie Peabody, Kristin Lin, Jo Ei…

1
WHALES, BREATH AND BEING: James Nestor inspires Lowland Hum to create a song about Freediving 1:45:36

2M ago1:45:36

1:45:36

Podsongs is the unique podcast where musicians interview inspirational people as inspiration for a new song. This episode, with writer James Nestor and the musical duo Lowland Hum, covers an expansive range of topics including the significant roles of breathing in enhancing both physical and mental health as advocated by Nestor, the creative and tr…

1
Argentine Invasion 21:54

2M ago21:54

21:54

From a suburban sidewalk in southern California, Jad and Robert witness the carnage of a gruesome turf war. Though the tiny warriors doing battle clock in at just a fraction of an inch, they have evolved a surprising, successful, and rather unsettling strategy of ironclad loyalty, absolute intolerance, and brutal violence. David Holway, an ecologis…

1
Mixtapes to the Moon 37:38

3M ago37:38

37:38

They promised to change you. They ended up changing all of us. On July 20, 1969 humanity watched as Neil Armstrong stepped foot on the moon. It was the dazzling culmination of a decade of teamwork, a collective global experience unlike anything before or since, a singular moment in which every human being was invited to feel part of something large…

1
Lucy 57:24

3M ago57:24

57:24

Chimps. Bonobos. Humans. We're all great apes, but that doesn’t mean we’re one happy family. This episode, a mashup of content stretching all the way back to 2010, asks the question, is cross-species co-habitation an utterly stupid idea? Or might it be our one last hope as more and more humans fill up the planet? A chimp named Lucy teaches us the u…

1
FROM CONVERSATION TO COMPOSITION: Steve Erickson and musician Aidan Baker on Art and Experimentation 1:29:28

3M ago1:29:28

1:29:28

In the 149th episode of Podsongs, we're honoured to feature the legendary writer Steve Erickson and Canadian musician Aidan Baker, part of the ambient/experimental music duo Nadja. They delve into the origins of Baker's musical journey, the essence of creating music across different genres, and the collaborative dynamics within Nadja. Erickson and …

1
Selected Shorts 48:26

3M ago48:26

48:26

A selection of short flights of fact and fancy performed live on stage. Usually we tell true stories at this show, but earlier this spring we were invited to guest host a live show called Selected Shorts, a New York City institution that presents short fiction performed on stage by great actors (you’ll often find Tony, Emmy and Oscars winners on th…

1
Memory and Forgetting 57:38

4M ago57:38

57:38

Remembering is a tricky, unstable business. This hour: a look behind the curtain of how memories are made...and forgotten. The act of recalling in our minds something that happened in the past is an unstable and profoundly unreliable process--it’s easy come, easy go as we learn how true memories can be obliterated, and false ones added. Then, Olive…

1
Small Potatoes 59:09

4M ago59:09

59:09

An ode to the small, the banal, the overlooked things that make up the fabric of our lives. Most of our stories are about the big stuff: Important or dramatic events, big ideas that transform the world around us or inspire conflict and struggle and change. But most of our lives, day by day or hour by hour, are made up of … not that stuff. Most of o…

1
BETWEEN THE NOTES: The Art of Storytelling with Music and Podcasts w/ Jad Abumrad & Brandon Kinder 1:44:27

4M ago1:44:27

1:44:27

In a compelling exploration of art and creativity, this interview brings together insights from conversations with Jad Abumrad, co-founder of Radiolab, and musician Brandon Kinder. It traverses Abumrad and Kinder's personal creative journeys, highlighting their transitions in the music industry, from band dynamics to solo projects, and the impact o…

1
The Distance of the Moon 40:47

4M ago40:47

40:47

In an episode we last featured on our Radiolab for Kids Feed back in 2020, and in honor of its blocking out the Sun for a bit of us for a bit last week, in this episode, we’re gonna talk more about the moon. According to one theory, (psst listen to The Moon Itself if you want to know more) the moon formed when a Mars-sized chunk of rock collided wi…

1
The Moon Itself 49:13

4M ago49:13

49:13

There’s a total solar eclipse coming. On Monday, April 8, for a large swath of North America, the sun will disappear, in the middle of the day. Everywhere you look, people are talking about it. What will it feel like when the sun goes away? What will the blocked-out sun look like? But all this talk of the sun got us thinking: wait, what about the m…

1
Short Cuts: Drawn Onward 13:33

4M ago13:33

13:33

As a treat for the first palindrome date of the calendar year 2024, 4/2/24, (for those who use U.S. formatting of dates anyway), we are releasing a special audio palindrome. A piece that plays the same forward and backward. It’s called “Drawn Onward” and it comes from the producers Alan Goffinski and Sarita Bhatt. It originally aired on the wonderf…

1
Finding Emilie 38:35

5M ago38:35

38:35

This is a segment we first aired back in 2011. In it, we hear a story of a very different kind of lost and found. Alan Lundgard, a college art student, fell in love with a fellow art student, Emilie Gossiaux. Nine months after Alan and Emilie made it official, Emilie's mom, Susan Gossiaux, received a terrible phone call from Alan. Together, Susan a…

1
PURE POETRY: Naomi Shihab Nye & Peter Mulvey discuss the most perfect artform 1:43:24

5M ago1:43:24

1:43:24

In an engaging dialogue, musician Peter Mulvey is inspired to create a new song after talking with poet Naomi Shehab Nye and exploring the profound impact of art, poetry, and music on human connection. They reflect on their personal experiences, discussing the role of these artistic forms in creating and strengthening bonds between individuals. Hig…

1
Throughline: Dare to Dissent 41:02

5M ago41:02

41:02

On today’s show, we’re excited to share an episode from our friends at the podcast Throughline. Sometimes, the most dangerous and powerful thing a person can do is to stand up not against their enemies, but against their friends. As the United States heads into what will likely be another bitter and divided election year, there will be more and mor…

1
Staph Retreat 31:03

5M ago31:03

31:03

What happens when you combine an axe-wielding microbiologist and a disease-obsessed historian? A strange brew that's hard to resist, even for a modern day microbe. In the war on devilish microbes, our weapons are starting to fail us. The antibiotics we once wielded like miraculous flaming swords seem more like lukewarm butter knives. But today we f…

1
Hold On 47:35

5M ago47:35

47:35

Two years ago, the United States did something amazing. In response to the mental health crisis the federal government launched 988 - a nationwide, easy to remember phone number that anyone can call anytime and talk to a counselor. It was 911 but for mental health and they hoped that it would save lives. However, if you call 988 today the first thi…

1
G: The World's Smartest Animal 50:20

6M ago50:20

50:20

This episode begins with a rant. This rant, in particular, comes from Dan Engber - a science writer who loves animals but despises animal intelligence research. Dan told us that so much of the way we study animals involves tests that we think show a human is smart ... not the animals we intend to study. Dan’s rant got us thinking: What is the smart…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Jad Abumrad Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide