Radiolab – “Detective Stories” (REBROADCAST)
Original Air Date: July 11, 2011
Hosts: Jad Abumrad & Robert Krulwich
Episode Summary by [Your Assistant]

Episode Overview

This episode of Radiolab, “Detective Stories,” explores the process of uncovering the past through unexpected clues found in unlikely places – from an enormous trash dump in Egypt to a bundle of lost letters, and even in the bloodlines traced through modern DNA. With their signature curiosity and story-driven approach, the hosts weave together three distinct investigative “detective stories” that highlight the surprising ways history is reconstructed from scattered fragments.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Past in the Trash: The Oxyrhynchus Papyri

[01:28 – 18:29]

• Setting the Scene: Jad and Robert begin on Staten Island’s Fresh Kills landfill, likening landfills to time capsules full of hidden stories and history ([03:41]).
• Time Capsule in Egypt: Story shifts to 1898 Oxyrhynchus, Egypt, where Oxford archaeologists Grenfell and Hunt discovered ancient rubbish mounds—ten centuries’ worth of trash containing Greek papyri ([04:33]).
• Historic Discoveries:
  • Lost Sayings of Jesus: Among the first papyri unearthed was a list of sayings attributed to Jesus not found in the canonical Bible. The tone is described as “almost Eastern” ([06:08], “Heaven is here. The kingdom of the Father is spread out upon the earth. It’s all around us and men do not see it…”) ([06:47]).
  • Monumental Archive: Over 700 boxes remain in Oxford, holding half a million fragments. Progress has only reached about 1% ([09:12], [11:44]).
  • Techniques: Scholars painstakingly piece together fragments, sometimes matching mere shreds (described as “a conglomeration of corn flakes”) ([10:08]).
• Most Notable Papyri (“Ancient Garbage Greatest Hits”):
  • #3 – The Number of the Beast ([12:22 – 14:26]): Earliest known manuscript of the notorious “666” passage—except the papyrus reads “616,” challenging a centuries-old biblical detail.
    • Quote: “Chi, Yoda, Sigma don’t say 666…they say 616.” – Dirk Obink ([13:39])
    • Scholars now note this variant in new editions of the New Testament.
  • #2 – A New Version of the Trojan War ([14:45 – 16:44]): Using infrared cameras, scholars read an alternative account by the poet Archilochus, in which Greek heroes ran away—“Running away is a good thing.” Contradictory, messy histories emerge from the fragments.
    • Quote: “One doesn’t have to call it weakness and cowardice…there does exist a proper time for flight.” – Dirk Obink ([16:12])
  • #1 – Ancient Bestsellers ([17:34 – 18:29]): Among the papyri are multiple copies of a “filthy satire,” suggesting broad appeal for racy literature in antiquity.

2. The Mystery of Ella Chase: A Life Rediscovered

[19:48 – 41:10]

• Personal Storytelling: Laura Starcheski recounts her childhood fascination with abandoned places and artifacts ([20:07]).
• The Letters on the Road: In 1994, Eric Gordon finds hundreds of old letters scattered beside Highway 101 in California after a goat standing on a cow causes his companion to pull over ([22:15 – 23:14]).
  • More than “300 letters all written to one woman”—Ella Chase ([24:50]).
• Unfolding a Life: Ella emerges as a matriarchal figure, with dozens of GI’s from WWII addressing her as “mom,” despite not being related ([25:32]).
  • Quote (W. Murphy to Ella, 1941): “Well, Mom, I hope you don’t mind me calling you this...I hope I can be seeing you again.” ([25:45])
• Obsession & Investigation: Eric constructs a curriculum around the letters, tasking students to imagine “ghost biographies” of Ella ([28:08]).
  • Quote: “I feel like a guardian of this person’s moment on earth.” – Eric ([28:54])
• Radio-Detective Work: Laura travels to California with genealogist Marina Cole to trace Ella’s family:
  • Attempts to contact descendants fail ([29:51]).
  • Search at Ella’s former home and with neighbors yields scant results ([31:24]).
  • Obituary research reveals family rifts and a mysterious, unclaimed husband ([32:19 – 34:18]).
  • Emotional impact: “She probably needed them [the soldiers] as much as they needed her.” ([35:08])
• Resolution: Upon returning, Laura discovers the real reason for the letters’ presence: Ella’s grandson Bob, while transporting family effects, had the box of letters blow out of his truck ([37:56, 39:01]).
  • Quote: “I think I can help fill in the pieces to the puzzle because [the letters] probably came out of my truck.” – Bob, Ella’s grandson ([37:56])
  • Eric and Bob exchange letters and photos, sharing the family legacy.

3. Detective Story in DNA: Genghis Khan’s Hidden Heirs

[42:51 – 57:37]

• Introduction to Genetic Sleuthing: The segment begins by explaining how the Y chromosome’s stability enables the tracking of male genetic lines ([43:36]).
• Scientific Journey:
  • Geneticists, including Spencer Wells and Tatiana Zerjal, collect blood samples throughout Central Asia ([45:24 – 46:55]).
  • Shock discovery: Millions of men share a peculiar mutation on the Y chromosome, indicating a single male ancestor about 1,000 years ago ([47:30 – 48:40]).
  • Map analysis reveals the lineage matches the Mongol Empire’s spread ([49:18]).
  • Realization: “I think I found Genghis Khan.” – Tatiana ([49:49])
• Historical and Cultural Resonance:
  • Genghis Khan’s conquests involved both the killing of rival male lines and prolific reproduction ([50:39 – 51:55]).
  • Quote: “If you kill a man, you kill, in a sense, a chromosomal lineage.” – Tatiana Zerjal ([50:39])
  • Professor Morris Rossabi confirms legend: "Yes, that’s true…save the pretty ones for the boss." ([51:42])
  • The science suggests Genghis Khan may be the most “biologically successful man in world history.” ([52:18])
• Pop DNA Craze: DNA testing companies market the discovery, restaurants run “Genghis Khan ancestor” contests ([53:27 – 53:54]).
  • Quote: “If I came up positive, am I really Genghis Khan’s descendant?” – Jad ([54:08])
  • Scientists respond: Only finding and testing Genghis’s remains would give absolute proof ([54:22]).
• The Hunt for Genghis’s Body:
  • Maury Kravitz leads expeditions seeking Genghis’s tomb, but no conclusive find ([55:15 – 56:54]).
  • Focus may shift to Kubla Khan’s grave for DNA matching ([57:15]).
• Conclusion: Jad reflects on how history is hidden everywhere: “The blood coursing through your veins tells you, I have a story for you. Same with a little bit of garbage...there are clues to the past everywhere.” ([58:30 – 58:46])

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “I know years ago…an archaeological garbage man…came up with a hot dog that was 10 years old and it was still a hot dog.” – Jad Abumrad ([02:05])
• “This is one big time capsule…waiting, patiently, until someone comes to look for it. And someone always does.” – Jad Abumrad ([03:43])
• “We’re talking about the reconstruction of works…the work on which is beyond the scale of a single human lifetime.” – Dirk Obink ([09:12])
• “Does that mean all the Bibles are wrong?” – Robert Krulwich; “Or maybe.” – Jad Abumrad ([13:48])
• “There are clues about the past everywhere. And if it’s a knock on your door and you decide to open the door and take a look—who knows what you will find and who knows where you will go.” – Robert Krulwich ([58:30])

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Start & Introduction to Time Capsules: [01:28 – 04:33]
• Discovery of Ancient Trash in Egypt: [04:33 – 18:29]
• The Letters of Ella Chase: [19:48 – 41:10]
  • Goat-on-cow story & the initial find of letters: [22:15 – 24:50]
  • Investigation & resolution with the family: [29:51 – 39:42]
• Genghis Khan DNA Mystery: [42:51 – 57:37]

Tone and Style

The episode blends wonder, humor, and poignancy as the hosts and guests marvel at the way random fragments, whether literal trash or old genetic markers, can upend what we thought we knew about the past. The stories validate both scholarly rigor and serendipitous discovery, presenting the past as messy, contradictory, and always open to reinterpretation.

For a full experience and all supporting materials, visit radiolab.org.