Invisibilia

Unseeable forces control human behavior and shape our ideas, beliefs, and assumptions. Invisibilia—Latin for invisible things—fuses narrative storytelling with science that will make you see your own life differently.

Rank #1: Emotions.
A thief knocks down your door and you are flooded with fear. Your baby smiles up at you and you are filled with love. It feels like this is how emotions work: something happens, and we instinctively respond. How could it be any other way? Well, the latest research in psychology and neuroscience shows that's not in fact how emotions work. We offer you a truly mind-blowing alternative explanation for how an emotion gets made. And we do it through a bizarre lawsuit, in which a child dies in a car accident, and the child's parents get sued by the man driving the other car.

Rank #2: The End of Empathy.
Invisibilia is a show that runs on empathy. We believe in it. But are we right? In this episode, we'll let you decide. We tell the same story twice in order to examine the questions: who deserves our empathy? And is there a wrong way to empathize? If you or somebody you know might need help, the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24/7 at 1-800-273-8255 or at suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

The Moth

Since its launch in 1997, The Moth has presented thousands of true stories, told live and without notes, to standing-room-only crowds worldwide. Moth storytellers stand alone, under a spotlight, with only a microphone and a roomful of strangers. The storyteller and the audience embark on a high-wire act of shared experience which is both terrifying and exhilarating. Since 2008, The Moth podcast has featured many of our favorite stories told live on Moth stages around the country. For information on all of our programs and live events, visit themoth.org.

Rank #1: The Moth Radio Hour: Out of Step, Out of Place.
In this hour, stories of outsiders, being at odds, and discomfort. A man feels more at home with machines than people, a young girl encounters a teacher who doesn't understand her, and a man becomes an unwilling participant on his father's hunting trip. This hour is hosted by The Moth's Senior Director Jenifer Hixson.The Moth Radio Houris produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media. Storytellers: John Elder Robison, Renee Watson, Jon Bennett

Rank #2: The Moth Radio Hour: A Bust, a Candy Bar, and Chad Everett.
A man reluctantly inherits a 40 pound statue, a child feels responsible for her father’s troubles, and a documentary filmmaker gets obsessed with someone else’s dream. This hour is hosted by The Moth's Senior Director Jenifer Hixson.The Moth Radio Houris produced by The Moth and Jay Allison of Atlantic Public Media. Storytellers: Jay Martel, Alexandra Rosas, Arthur Bradford

Snap Judgment

Mixes real stories with killer beats to produce cinematic, and dramatic radio. Hosted by Glynn Washington.

Rank #1: Campfire Tales IV - Primal .
BOO! Get the NEW Spooked Podcast now at SpookedPodcast.org.  Border Bogeyman Rocky Elmore used to work down by the border during long pitch-black nights in the desert. It was so dark you never knew who or what was out there. Rocky’s previous story with Snap Judgment was The Phantom Border Patrol Agent. For more stories of natural and supernatural happenings on the border, be sure to check out Rocky’s book, Out On Foot: Nightly Patrols and Ghostly Tales of A U.S. Border Patrol Agent and his website, RockyElmore.com Tooki Man Trekking in Indonesia, Ian and Stuart wander off the beaten path.  There, a broken man tells them he knows the way to magic . . . The Trail of Polaroids After arriving home from work, Douglas Leach saw a Polaroid lying on his front step. He picked it up. He shouldn't have. . . Past Life Detective Detective Bob Snow could never have imagined that the toughest case of his entire career, would be an investigation into his own past....life.  Check out Bob Snow’s books here.  Season 8 Episode 19

Rank #2: Head Games .
The human mind can play tricks on you... A father of five and devout Mormon is dragged into a world that upends everything he knows to be true. And a young man comes to terms with his mother’s profound mental illness. STORIES "Tracy: My Ride-or-Die" When Adult ISH host Nyge Turner turned 17, he became the caretaker for his ride-or-die: Tracy. His mom. This story was produced by YR Media's Adult ISH podcast (Mom ISH episode). Adult ISH is a culture, advice, and storytelling show about #adulting, that is produced entirely by folks who are "almost adults." It’s distributed by PRX’s Radiotopia. Be sure to subscribe and listen here! "A Short Stay In Hell" A father of five and devout Mormon is dragged into a world that upends everything he knows to be true. This story comes to us from Believable, a new podcast from Narratively about how our stories define who we are. Each episode dives into a personal, eye-opening story where narratives conflict and different perspectives about the truth collide.

Fresh Air

Fresh Air from WHYY, the Peabody Award-winning weekday magazine of contemporary arts and issues, is one of public radio's most popular programs. Hosted by Terry Gross, the show features intimate conversations with today's biggest luminaries.

Rank #1: 'Boys & Sex'.
Peggy Orenstein's new book, 'Boys & Sex,' is based on extensive interviews with more than 100 college and college-bound boys between the ages of 16 and 22. "When I was doing ['Girls & Sex'] the kind of core issue with girls was that they were being cut off from their bodies and not understanding their bodies' response and their needs and their limits and their desires," she says. "With boys, it felt like they were being cut off from their hearts." Orenstein talks about hookup culture, homophobia, and the effects of internet porn.Also, TV critic David Bianculli reviews 'Zoey's Extraordinary Playlist' on NBC.

Rank #2: The 'Fixers' That Created President Trump.
Reporters Joe Palazzolo and Michael Rothfeld won a Pulitzer for their investigation of Trump's 2016 hush money payments to Karen McDougal and porn star Stormy Daniels. Their new book is 'The Fixers: The Bottom-feeders, Crooked Lawyers, Gossipmongers, and Porn Stars Who Created the 45th President.'Also, book critic Maureen Corrigan reviews 'American Dirt,' Jeanine Cummins' literary thriller about the treacherous journey a migrant mother takes with her son.

Pop Culture Happy Hour

Pop Culture Happy Hour is a fun and freewheeling chat about the latest movies, television, books, and music.

Rank #1: Avengers: Infinity War and What's Making Us Happy.
The Avengers try to keep a space-tyrant from performing cosmic genocide. The film doubles down on character interactions both familiar and unfamiliar. Guest: Code Switch co-host Gene Demby.

Rank #2: Us.
Us is Jordan Peele's follow up to his 2017 film Get Out. The film stars Lupita Nyong'o as a mother whose whole family is confronted by their own doppelgängers.

Ask Me Another

Packed with trivia, comedy and celebrity guests, Ask Me Another is like an amusement park for your brain. Host Ophira Eisenberg and musician Jonathan Coulton take brilliant contestants on a roller coaster that'll make you laugh and scream (out the answers)—and barely anyone throws up in a trash can.

Rank #1: Mike Rowe And NASA Scientists: Dirty Jobs In Spaaace!.
Ask Me Another travels to Orlando! We talk to Mike Rowe from Dirty Jobs about his own surprising career path. Plus, NASA scientists Gioia Massa and Melissa Jones dissect science in Hollywood films.

Rank #2: Gillian Jacobs And Kate Micucci: Your Brain Is Not Enough.
Gillian Jacobs and Kate Micucci, stars of Mike Birbiglia's film Don't Think Twice, join Ophira Eisenberg to talk songwriting, scary improv moments, and Scooby-Doo monsters. This episode originally aired on August 5, 2016.

Wait Wait... Don't Tell Me!

NPR's weekly current events quiz. Have a laugh and test your news knowledge while figuring out what's real and what we've made up.

Rank #1: Jennifer Lee.
Jennifer Lee, head of Walt Disney Animation Studios, joins us along with panelists Mo Rocca, Roxanne Roberts, and Adam Burke.

Rank #2: Elaine Welteroth.
Elaine Welteroth, journalist, joins us along with panelists Paula Poundstone, Roxanne Roberts, and Joel Kim Booster.

Hidden Brain

Shankar Vedantam uses science and storytelling to reveal the unconscious patterns that drive human behavior, shape our choices and direct our relationships.

Rank #1: When Did Marriage Become So Hard?.
Marriage is hard — and there are signs it's becoming even harder. This week on Hidden Brain, we examine how long-term relationships have changed over time, and whether we might be able to improve marriage by asking less of it.

Rank #2: Episode 60: Fortress America.
Barely a week after assuming office, President Donald Trump set off a worldwide firestorm when he decided to temporarily ban entry to migrants from seven Muslim-majority countries and refugees from all over the world. In response, many people are looking to the past, to see what history can teach us. But this process can fraught with psychological peril. On today's Hidden Brain, we revisit a specific incident from World War II – the American decision to refuse entry to Jewish refugees aboard the SS St. Louis – and explore how it speaks to the current mood in the United States.

Modern Love

Modern Love features top actors performing true stories of love, loss, and redemption. It has included performances by Kate Winslet, Uma Thurman, Angela Bassett, Jake Gyllenhaal, Sterling K. Brown, and more. A collaboration between WBUR and The New York Times.

Rank #1: R We D8ting? | With Krysten Ritter.
What happens to relationships when they play out entirely over text? Krysten Ritter ("Jessica Jones") reads Sandra Barron's essay, about the miscommunications that can come with text message flirtation. Modern Love is brought to you by COUPLES THERAPY, a new Showtime docu-series following four couples during their weekly sessions with a world-class therapist. It’s a raw and intimate peek into the hidden world of other people’s relationships. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJbWAWnWuio

Rank #2: Part I: You May Want to Marry My Husband.
Debra Winger reads the late Amy Krouse Rosenthal's essay about her fairytale love story, which was cut short by cancer. This is an encore presentation. Modern Love is brought to you by COUPLES THERAPY, a new Showtime docu-series following four couples during their weekly sessions with a world-class therapist. It’s a raw and intimate peek into the hidden world of other people’s relationships. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FJbWAWnWuio

Death, Sex & Money

Death, Sex & Money is a podcast about the big questions and hard choices that are often left out of polite conversation. Host Anna Sale talks to celebrities you've heard of—and to regular people you haven't—about the Big Stuff: relationships, money, family, work and making it all count while we're here. WNYC Studios is a listener-supported producer of other leading podcasts including Radiolab, Snap Judgment, On the Media, Nancy, Death-Sex & Money, Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin and many others.© WNYC Studios

Rank #1: Cheating Happens .
There's the cliche: someone cheats, crockery is thrown, lawyers are called. But your stories about cheating were much more varied, with some unpredictable conclusions.  If you like this episode, check out this week's episode of the Aria Code podcast, from our friends at WQXR. It's all about "Dove sono," the aria about infidelity from The Marriage of Figaro, and includes a conversation with sex advice columnist Dan Savage.  Don't miss our weekly newsletter! Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter and we'll send you weekly audio picks, behind the scenes updates and letters from our listener inbox.  Follow the show on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter @deathsexmoney. Got a story to share? Email us any time at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org.

Rank #2: Let's Talk About Porn Again .
We're revisiting our most-listened to episode ever, about porn. Your stories about secret hard drives, fantasy plot lines, illegal downloads, titillating Tumblr feeds, and giving porn up completely. We're sharing this episode as part of our month-long series called Our Sex (Mis)Educations. Find the entire series here. Sign up for our newsletter! Every Wednesday we send out podcast listening recommendations, fascinating letters from our inbox and updates about the show. We also let our subscribers know about upcoming live events and ways you can contribute your stories to Death, Sex & Money. Sign up at deathsexmoney.org/newsletter. Want to tell us something? Email us any time at deathsexmoney@wnyc.org.

Embedded

Host Kelly McEvers takes a story from the news and goes deep. Whether that means digging into the Trump administration's past, the stories behind police shootings caught on video, or visiting a town ravaged by the opioid epidemic, Embedded takes you where the news is happening.

Rank #1: Mitch Part 1: 'Win This Thing'.
Mitch McConnell has been described as "opaque," "drab," and even "dull." He is one of the least popular - and most polarizing - politicians in the country. So how did he win eight consecutive elections? And what does it tell us about how he operates?

Rank #2: Trump Stories: The Apprentice.
Omarosa Manigault Newman has a new book. What about those tapes? We re-visit an episode from our "Trump Stories" season.

Rough Translation

How are the things we're talking about being talked about somewhere else in the world? Gregory Warner tells stories that follow familiar conversations into unfamiliar territory. At a time when the world seems small but it's as hard as ever to escape our echo chambers, Rough Translation takes you places.

Rank #1: Brazil In Black And White.
Two radically different ways of seeing race come into sudden conflict in Brazil, provoking a national conversation about who is Black? And who is not Black enough?

Rank #2: The Congo We Listen To.
It made headlines worldwide: Hundreds of women raped in one Congolese village. But when one researcher arrives in town, something feels off. (Note: This episode contains descriptions of violence.)

Code Switch

Ever find yourself in a conversation about race and identity where you just get...stuck? Code Switch can help. We're all journalists of color, and this isn't just the work we do. It's the lives we lead. Sometimes, we'll make you laugh. Other times, you'll get uncomfortable. But we'll always be unflinchingly honest and empathetic. Come mix it up with us.

Rank #1: Political Prisoners?.
In "Prison City" Wisconsin, white elected officials are representing voting districts made up mostly of prisoners. Those prisoners are disproportionately black and brown. Oh, and they can't actually vote.

Rank #2: The Original Blexit.
How is it that the party of Lincoln became anathema to black voters? It's a messy story, exemplified in the doomed friendship between Richard Nixon and his fellow Republican, Jackie Robinson.

Note to Self

Is your phone watching you? Can texting make you smarter? Are your kids real? Note to Self explores these and other essential quandaries facing anyone trying to preserve their humanity in the digital age. WNYC Studios is a listener-supported producer of other leading podcasts, including Radiolab, Death, Sex & Money, Snap Judgment, Here’s the Thing with Alec Baldwin, Nancy and many others.© WNYC Studios

Rank #1: Taking the Lead Episode 1: The Pain Point .
This Mother's Day, a surprise. To celebrate working moms, we're re-releasing all four episodes of our award-winning series, Taking the Lead. The story of two Brooklyn women and their tech idea to help harried working mothers - like themselves.  Start here, with Episode 1: The Pain Point. And happy Mother's Day, ladies. You rock. 

Rank #2: Is the Opioid Epidemic a Tech Problem? .
We visit the Dark Web, where you can get heroin, fentanyl and oxycontin shipped right to your door. This week, the link between online drug markets and America’s opioid crisis. ------- For the next several weeks you'll hear the “Best of” Note to Self in your podcast feed. Our favorite episodes. Manoush will be working on some other projects, but she’ll be back before you know it with some changes and surprises. Keep in touch with her on Twitter, Instagram, and on her website.

This American Life

This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, produced in collaboration with Chicago Public Media, delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange, and has won all of the major broadcasting awards.

Rank #1: 690: Too Close to Home.
For the holidays, stories of families finally addressing the thorny thing they’ve never really talked about.

Rank #2: 684: Burn It Down.
Stories of people who decide the only way forward — for real change — is to burn everything to the ground.