Radiolab: "The Universe Knows My Name"

Date: January 11, 2011
Hosts: Jad Abumrad, Robert Krulwich
Featured Guests: Paul Auster (novelist), Mike Barrier (animation historian), Lulu Miller (producer)
Main Theme: Fate, coincidence, and the idea that the universe is both the architect and antagonist of our stories.

Episode Overview

In "The Universe Knows My Name," Radiolab explores the unexpectedly personal intersection between fate, coincidence, and the feeling that the universe is aware of (and perhaps meddling in) our lives. Through author Paul Auster's real-life stories and literary works and an investigation into the philosophical nature of the Wile E. Coyote and Roadrunner cartoons, the episode teases out why humans are so drawn to patterns and the idea of cosmic notice—whether flattering or cruel.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Paul Auster and “Rhyming Events” (01:27–04:41)

• Introduction to Paul Auster

  • Paul Auster is described as a prolific novelist, particularly intrigued by life's coincidences, which he calls “rhyming events.”
  • Auster: "Rhyming events... For example, the girlfriend I had when I was very young... had a piano in her apartment. And the F above middle C was broken... We went out to Maine... found another piano in an old lodge. The same key was broken." (01:56–02:46)
  • Robert and Jad react with mild disbelief and curiosity at the odds of such coincidences.

• Another Rhyming Event: The War Story

  • Auster recounts a friend’s story: a father hides from Nazis in Paris, twenty years later his son accidentally rents the exact same room.
  • Jad: “Wait a second…so you're saying... the same exact room. Yes. Where his dad... and this really happened?” (04:18)

• Interpretations of Fate

  • The hosts discuss whether these events are meaningful, suggest pre-written scripts, or are mere chance.
  • Jad: “Or maybe like the script has already been written somehow.” (04:55)
  • Auster: “Exactly right. But, you know, it's interesting. You see people... who attract bad luck.” (04:58)

The Philosophy of Wile E. Coyote (06:06–10:23)

• Introduction to Mike Barrier and the Roadrunner Cartoons

  • Animation historian Mike Barrier is brought in to discuss the success of Roadrunner cartoons and their resonance with audiences.

• Why the Coyote Feels So Human

  • The cartoon's unique appeal comes from Coyote’s relentless but doomed pursuit, set up by a universe that seems to take things personally.
  • Barrier: “He's an extraordinarily human animal.” (08:13)
  • The universe, not the Roadrunner, is Coyote’s real opponent.
  • Lulu Miller: “The roadrunner isn't his real opponent at all. It's the universe, right?” (09:28)
  • Barrier: “Oh, yeah... the universe is his opponent. Absolutely.” (09:33)
  • Jad: “The very laws of physics are against us.” (09:37)

• The Existential Dilemma

  • Coyote’s predicament—crushed by cartoon logic and cosmic indifference—mirrors the human feeling of “why me?”
  • Paradoxically, being picked on by the universe can feel “flattering.”
  • Barrier: “It's kind of flattering in a way.” (10:01)

• Debate: Cosmic Notice vs. Indifference

  • Jad: “What's more flattering: to live in a world that actively screws you... or one that just doesn't care about you?” (10:23)

  • Robert: “No, totally ignored by the universe? That's the worst.” (10:44)

  • Robert shares personal experience of being chewed out by a boss but feeling “noticed” (11:01–11:26).

Fate, Defiance, and Narrative (11:35–14:44)

• Wile E. Coyote as Symbol

  • Robert admires Coyote's resilience: “He has no evidence at all that anything good will ever happen to him, and yet he wakes up every day with hope.” (11:35)

• Are Some People Born to Lose?

  • Auster: “Some people really are what we call losers... it's fascinating to try to understand why.” (11:53)

• Do We Get to See the Script?

  • The hosts propose that strange coincidences feel like peeks at a pre-written script or fate.
  • Jad: “When those moments come along... you feel like you're getting a peek at the script.” (12:24)

Paul Auster’s “City of Glass” Coincidence Story (12:37–16:28)

• Origin Story of a Novel

  • Auster recounts the real-life wrong-number phone calls that inspired his novel City of Glass.
  • After two wrong numbers for the "Pinkerton Agency," Auster wonders, “What if I'd played along?” That “what if?” becomes the jumping-off point for fiction.
  • Auster reading: “...wheels started turning in my head... an entire world of possibilities opened up to me. When I sat down to write City of Glass a year later, the wrong number had been transformed into the crucial event of the book." (13:37–14:44)

• Life Mirrors Art

  • Years later, a stranger calls Auster’s new number and asks for “Mr. Quinn” (the name of the novel’s protagonist).
  • Auster: “I suddenly grew scared... I'm sorry... there's no Mr. Quinn here. You've dialed the wrong number. This really happened." (15:33–16:25)
  • Robert: “At the moment when he said Quinn, you could have said, well, this is Mr. Quinn, you could have said that.” (16:29)
  • Auster: “I was shaken, I have to say. I was not in full possession of myself.” (16:36)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Paul Auster (on rhyming events):

  "That, to me, is a rhyming event." (02:46)

• Mike Barrier (on facing the universe):

  "The universe is his opponent. Absolutely." (09:33)

• Jad Abumrad (on cosmic preference):

  "What's more flattering to live in a world that actively screws you at every turn or one that just doesn't care about you? Like a Nietzschean void?" (10:23)

• Robert Krulwich (on being noticed):

  "Instead of being sad and upset inside my head, like Wile E. Coyote himself, I thought, wow, he knows my name. He watched my story." (11:17)

• Paul Auster (on art and coincidence):

  "It is possible for stories to go on writing themselves without an author." (14:53)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• [01:27–02:46] — Paul Auster introduces "rhyming events" with personal anecdote
• [02:59–04:41] — The war story and discussions of fate
• [06:06–10:23] — Mike Barrier explains Roadrunner cartoons and cosmic opposition
• [10:37–11:53] — Hosts debate whether it's better to be ignored or antagonized by the universe
• [12:37–14:44] — Auster tells of wrong-number call that inspired City of Glass
• [15:30–16:28] — Auster gets a real-life call for his fictional character, blurring reality and fiction

Tone & Final Reflections

The episode balances philosophical musing with playful banter, blending storytelling, pop culture analysis, and questions of destiny. It invites listeners to consider: Are we subject to random chance, or is there meaning in the coincidences and misfortunes that befall us? Is the universe indifferent, or is it keeping a mischievous eye on us?

Robert Krulwich sums it up:
"I like Wile E. Coyote because I admire the guy. He has no evidence at all that anything good will ever happen to him, and yet he wakes up every day with hope." (11:35)

Paul Auster closes:
"It's inexplicable, but interesting because of that." (16:47)