Episode Archives

Filter episodes by the year they originally aired.
skin

Skin is the living tissue that simultaneously protects us from the world, and lets us feel it. In this episode, the politics, biology, and inner life of your skin.Read more

Original Air Date:

April 18, 2020

tree among warnings

Why do people turn to poetry during troubled times? We saw it after 9/11 and we're seeing it now. When the world seems broken, poetry is often the one kind of language that helps.Read more

Original Air Date:

April 04, 2020

Stethoscope

This week's show comes to you from our kitchens and homes. We’re thinking about the heroic doctors and nurses on the front lines of the pandemic.Read more

Original Air Date:

March 28, 2020

Traveling the world by book

From Africa to England, to a kamikaze cockpit, and to realms of fantasy. Books aren’t just books. They’re passports.Read more

Original Air Date:

March 14, 2020

Women awake in bed

Every night, millions of us turn out the lights hoping and praying for a good night’s sleep. And every night, millions of us lie awake in the dark.Read more

Original Air Date:

March 07, 2020

Are there new ways to treat depression, anxiety and bipolar disorder? We explore some unconventional treatments for mental illness, including exercise, psychedelics and even horror films.Read more

Original Air Date:

February 15, 2020

eyes

Exchanging glances with the natural world happens more often than you’d think. It can be so profound, there’s a name for it: eye-to-eye epiphany.Read more

Original Air Date:

February 08, 2020

War

What drives us toward armed conflict? And what does it take for peace activists to face down tyrants and military leaders?Read more

Original Air Date:

January 11, 2020

Clocks

Clocks and calendars chop time into increments. It’s efficient, and it helps us get to meetings on time. But what does time feel like when you stop counting it?Read more

Original Air Date:

January 04, 2020

a moose

What can we learn from the natural world — from animals, from the water — about surviving and even celebrating the cold?Read more

Original Air Date:

December 21, 2019

The bright Addis Ababa skyline

Africans are moving into cities in unprecedented numbers. Lagos, Nigeria, is on track to have 100 million people. So how and why do cities thrive?Read more

Original Air Date:

December 14, 2019

The game of life

The board games we play tell us so much more about ourselves than we think — our history, our politics and our inner psychology.Read more

Original Air Date:

November 30, 2019

Books up close

Is there a book you can’t forget? A book that left a mark on you? We celebrate books and reading with an eclectic cast of writers from around the country.Read more

Original Air Date:

November 16, 2019

underground cave

Scientists and explorers have found a whole new world under our feet. It's an exciting place, and it's changing what we know about the planet and ourselves.Read more

Original Air Date:

November 02, 2019

ghosts

What if experiencing dread — the horror of it all — is good for you?Read more

Original Air Date:

October 26, 2019

happy pleasure

What if the most unselfish thing you could do was to pursue pleasure and joy? We make the case for the transformative power of joy, pleasure and delight.Read more

Original Air Date:

October 12, 2019

blurry man at podium

The line between free speech and hate speech isn't always clear. When does sensitivity become censorship?Read more

Original Air Date:

September 28, 2019

seeds on the horizon

As monocropping and agribusiness continue to dominate modern farming, we speak to farmers, botanists and indigenous people about how they are reclaiming our seeds.Read more

Original Air Date:

September 14, 2019

man and woman singing

Millions of people are caring for someone with severe memory loss, trying to find ways to connect. One of the best ways anyone has found is music.Read more

Original Air Date:

August 17, 2019

Boxers

What makes someone want to walk into a ring and hit someone? Choose to take a punch? Why men — and women — fight. And why so many of us like to watch.Read more

Original Air Date:

August 10, 2019

woman with bullhorn

Your voice is unique. It's how your friends and family know you. But how comfortable are you with your voice? And how freely do you use it?Read more

Original Air Date:

July 27, 2019

woman on beach

Summer reading lists are full of so-called "beach books." But if you’ve got enough time to lounge by a pool or swing in a hammock, why not tackle something more substantial?Read more

Original Air Date:

July 13, 2019

https://unsplash.com/@doanstopexploring

We're always online but still have an innate need to meet in person. How can we make gatherings, from dinner parties to work meetings, more meaningful?Read more

Original Air Date:

June 22, 2019

Mushroom wonder

We owe our past and future existence on Earth to fungi. Some can heal you, some can kill you, and some can change you forever.Read more

Original Air Date:

June 08, 2019

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