A New, Extra-Long Season Of Radiolab!

For the past couple of years, our friends at Radiolab, Jad Abumrad and Robert Krulwich of WNYC, have released new episodes in small batches. I say "small" because five episodes never quite seemed like enough Radiolab for me (and many VPR listeners have contacted us to share similar feelings). Jad and Robert explore science, mathematics, the natural world and the human mind like no other radio journalists.

This spring and summer, however, they're trying something new. Radiolab has produced 10—that's right, 10!—new episodes. Through July, we'll enjoy these new episodes of Radiolab, plus 3 encore episodes, each Saturday at 4 as part of The VPR Saturday Special.


For this new season, Radiolab will tackle a variety of compelling subjects. Episodes include "Patient Zero," which looks for the one person who holds the key to the beginning of an important story or movement; "The Bad Show," in which a man tracks down a dangerous serial killer to ask him why he kills; and "When Brains Attack!" which features stories of people whose brains have turned against them.


This week, we'll kick off the new season of Radiolab with "Talking To Machines," an examination of the ways in which we interact with and depend on machines and technology. If you've ever had a conversation with a "Furby," you'll love this one!


Learn more about Radiolab, and join us every Saturday at 4 through July!

—Peter

Radiolab Returns: Season 9

The wildly popular program Radiolab returns to VPR this weekend with a brand new season.

We start off on the right foot with a GOOD show, in fact, it is “THE Good Show”. Jad and Robert tackle altruism, kindness, selflessness, and generosity. Radiolab asks the questions: if natural selection boils down to survival of the fittest, why would one creature stick its neck out to help another? Is altruism an aberration, or just an elaborate guise for sneaky self-interest? Do we really live in a selfish, dog-eat-dog world? Or has evolution carved out a hidden code that rewards genuine cooperation? Experts and everyday folk tell their tales.

Join VPR for 5 weeks of Radiolab from WNYC beginning tomorrow afternoon at 4. Next week, Jad and Robert steer their way through a series of stories about getting lost, and ask how our brains, and our hearts, help us get home. In “Help!” Radiolab looks for ways to gain the upper hand over those forces inside us - from unhealthy urges, to creative insights – and explores stories of unlikely (and surprisingly simple) answers to seemingly unsolvable problems in “Soul Patch” . In the last episode of this season, Radiolab will set out in search of order and balance in the world around us.

Tune in Saturdays at 4 for brand new episodes of Radiolab.