Radiolab – "It's Not Us, It's You"
Date: December 16, 2016
Hosts: Robert Krulwich, Minouche Zamorodi (guest hosting for Jad Abumrad)
Theme:
A celebration of the unique, reciprocal bond between Radiolab and its listeners, revisiting memorable listener stories and exploring the power of community, giving, and the ripple effects of storytelling.
Episode Overview
This special episode turns the tables: the creators of Radiolab and some of their most notable fans meet, swap perspectives, and reflect on the ways the show and its listeners influence one another. Threaded through these encounters are meditations on giving—of time, voice, memory, and even life itself. The mood is warm, sincere, and often intimate, with the hosts and guests sharing candid moments and deeper truths.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
The Listener-Maker Boundary Blurs (00:00–03:25)
- Introduction by Robert Krulwich and Minouche Zamorodi: They frame the episode as an exchange between the show's makers and fans, highlighting Radiolab's reliance on community support.
- Robert Krulwich: “So in the next bit of time, what we’re gonna do is we’re gonna pal up. We’ve invited some of the people who normally listen to come on the show, and people who normally make the show come and listen, and we’re mixing it up a little bit. It’s a strange menagerie of humans, and we wanna just go to the zoo of us.” (01:19)
Spotlight: The Underwriting All-Star – Terry Babcock Loomis (03:26–10:00)
- Arianne Wack (producer) calls Terry Babcock Loomis, a devoted listener whose voice is featured in hundreds of Radiolab underwriting messages.
- Terry’s Background: Former White House economist, married to an Army officer, moves frequently.
- Quote: “There is no reason why I should have gotten mixed up with an army guy, [but I] fell madly in love.” (06:27)
- On participating: Terry sees her frequent readings as an accessible way to support public radio.
- Quote: “I think about for people who are busy or...can't write a big check, even just a little tiny, what would be the equivalent of your coffee—I think people feel like that’s not enough, but those coffees add up.” (08:40)
- Takeaway: The smallest acts of giving, repeated by many, create real impact.
Listener Stories: Connecting Through the Airwaves
Mayank Mishra – Finding Belonging, Grieving, and Science (11:25–21:47)
- Who: Former civil rights lawyer in India, now an ecology grad student at Princeton.
- Radiolab as Lifeline: Mayank shares how listening to Radiolab, particularly the "Afterlife" episode, helped him process the grief of losing his father and grandfather.
- Notable passage: Mayank recalls the idea that groups (like friendships or platoons) "die" when dispersed, mirroring human death. (14:07–16:03)
- On Science and Curiosity: “No one becomes a scientist because they read a really credible scientific paper. They become scientists because they’re inspired by this world around them, and they’re just really curious about what’s going on. And you inspired me to be more curious...sometimes just looking for questions is really enjoyable. It’s a lot of fun.” (19:55–21:01)
- Emotional Highlight: Hearing the Radiolab intro feels like “stepping home from the cold.” (18:44)
The Unexpected Wisdom of Amy Pearl (23:05–28:51)
- Who: Amy Pearl, a fan-favorite guest from the "Alpha Gal" episode.
- Fan Response: Listeners loved Amy’s honesty about her red meat allergy and life in New York.
- Urban Philosophy: Amy describes how the city both challenges and rewards kindness.
- Quote: “You have every opportunity to make someone else’s day better, which you could just be like, I’m a superhero. If something happens, I’m going to rush over there. And something might happen any second because I’m in the city.” (25:51)
- Finding Beauty: She recounts a moment of wonder seeing a pile of “pretty” oak leaves, turning even mundanities into narratives.
- Memorable Line: “It smells good and it’s pretty. I mean, it’s probably covered in dog piss. But I didn’t get that close and I thought it was really beautiful.” (27:00)
Football, Family, and CTE – The Bartels’ Dilemma (30:13–44:38)
- Who: Monet Bartel, daughter of NFL player Mel Farr, and her son Parker (“the Tank”).
- Family Legacy: Football is woven into the Bartel family, but CTE casts a shadow. Monet’s father and other family members suffered symptoms.
- Double Bind: Monet wants to protect her son but also values what football brought her family.
- On her son Parker’s shifting interests: "I don’t really care about that [football] either. I really want to do synchronized swimming." (33:45)
- Personal Loss: Monet recounts her father’s sudden death and confirmation of CTE after examining his brain posthumously.
- “We knew my father suffered from CTE...but you don’t really, you know, you don’t think about it. And then getting the results back...I’m like, God, you know?” (37:03)
- Historical Reality: Football was one of the few ways for a smart Black man from the segregated South to succeed.
- “Being smart and black wasn't enough...wouldn't have gotten him to dinners at the White House.” (39:57)
- Current Solutions: Monet encourages awareness; her son is now a school mascot, a safer but still celebrated role.
Giving Life: The Ripple Effect of Sarah Gray’s Donation Story (47:01–55:51)
- Who: Sarah Gray, whose infant son Thomas died at six days old and became an organ and tissue donor for research.
- Impact: Her quest to understand what became of her son’s donated tissues brought comfort and purpose to her grief.
- On explaining to her surviving son: “He knows that he had a brother who was a twin who had a very, very, very bad boo boo on his head, and that’s why he died. And we just explain, you know, sometimes kids die.” (49:50)
- Continued Generosity: Sarah now donates placenta and breast milk, and attempts to personally thank other donors.
- She calls herself a "donation weirdo," finding meaning in connecting both ways. (52:14)
- Real Impact: A listener, inspired by Sarah’s episode, was able to donate her own child’s tissues for research, echoing Thomas’s legacy.
- “...their daughter was able to donate eight different tissues to eight different studies. And in fact, the retinas went to the same lab and the same researcher that received my son’s retinas.” (55:06)
- Metaphor of Agency:
- “I had this feeling that I’m not the boat, I’m the ocean. Like, the decisions that I make are changing other people as opposed to just I’m a boat getting slapped with waves all the time. It has made me feel...powerful.” (56:04–57:06)
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
- On Listeners’ Unusual Depth:
- Robert Krulwich: “When you meet them, they don’t come and say, yo, I really...whatever that thing you do. They don’t do that. They have, like, very specific sort of either compliments or arguments, but they’re listeners, meaning they’ve listened.” (10:13)
- Mayank Mishra’s Reflection:
- “You inspired me to be more curious...to recognize that we don’t have answers. And sometimes just looking for questions is really enjoyable.” (19:55)
- Amy Pearl’s New York Survival Guide:
- “Everything is so hard in the city...But if you want to do good, you can.” (24:54–25:51)
- Sarah Gray’s Empowering Grief:
- “I’m not the boat, I’m the ocean.” (56:04)
Timestamps for Key Segments
| Segment | Topic | Timestamps | |---------|-------|------------| | 01:00–03:25 | Episode Framing: Gathering listeners and makers | | | 03:26–10:00 | Terry Babcock Loomis: Underwriting All-Star | | | 11:25–21:47 | Mayank Mishra: Grief, Science, and Curiosity | | | 23:05–28:51 | Amy Pearl: Life Wisdom from a Listener | | | 30:13–44:38 | Monet & Parker Bartel: Family, Football, and CTE | | | 47:01–55:51 | Sarah Gray: Donation, Legacy, and Agency | |
Tone and Style
The episode is conversational, intimate, and often emotionally resonant. The hosts and their guests express gratitude, curiosity, and vulnerability, frequently pausing to savor insights or to acknowledge difficulty and growth. Though the structure is episodic—jumping among listeners and stories—the through-line is always connection and the significance of even small acts of generosity or communication.
Conclusion
"It's Not Us, It's You" turns Radiolab's lens back on itself and its community. Through conversations with beloved listeners and follow-ups to past stories, the episode explores the texture of giving—whether it’s a voice, an idea, a moment of kindness, or the ultimate gift of tissue and memory. The boundaries between creators and audience are blurred, celebrating the reciprocity that guides Radiolab and the powerful, sometimes unexpected, consequences of simply reaching out.
For those moved to act, the episode repeatedly invites contributions to keep such storytelling alive—echoing the episode’s core message: the real magic of Radiolab is in its living, giving ecosystem of listeners and makers, together.