Sadnewsforallofus:producerRachaelCusick—whobroughtussoul-stirringstoriesrethinkinggrief(https://zpr.io/GZ6xEvpzsbHU)andsolitude(https://zpr.io/eT5tAX6JtYra),aswellascolorfulmusingsonairplanefarts(https://zpr.io/CNpgUijZiuZ4)andbellyflops(https://zpr.io/uZrEz27z63CB)andBlueberryEarths(https://zpr.io/EzxgtdTRGVzz)—isleavingtheshow.Sowethoughtitperfecttimingtositdownwithherandrevisitanotherbrainchildofhers,TheCataclysmSentence,acollectionofadviceforTheEnd.

Toexplain:onedayin1961,thefamousphysicistRichardFeynmansteppedinfrontofaCaltechlecturehallandposedthisquestiontoagroupofundergraduatestudents:“If,insomecataclysm,allofscientificknowledgeweretobedestroyed,andonlyonesentencewaspassedontothenextgenerationofcreatures,whatstatementwouldcontainthemostinformationinthefewestwords?”Now,Feynmanhadananswertohisownquestion—agoodone.ButhisquestiongottheentireteamatRadiolabwondering,whatdidhissentenceleaveout?SoweposedFeynman’scataclysmquestiontosomeofourfavoritewriters,artists,historians,futurists—allkindsofgreatthinkers.Weaskedthem“What’stheonesentenceyouwouldwanttopassontothenextgenerationthatwouldcontainthemostinformationinthefewestwords?”Whatcamebackwasanexplosivecollageofwhatitmeanstobealiverighthereandnow,andwhatwewanttosaybeforewego.

Featuring:

RichardFeynman,physicist-ThePleasureofFindingThingsOut(https://zpr.io/5KngTGibPVDw)

CaitlinDoughty,mortician-WillMyCatEatMyEyeballs(https://zpr.io/Wn4bQgHzDRDB)

EsperanzaSpalding,musician-12LittleSpells(https://zpr.io/KMjYrkwrz9dy) 

CordJefferson,writer-Watchmen(https://zpr.io/ruqKDQGy5Rv8) 

MerrillGarbus,musician-ICanFeelYouCreepIntoMyPrivateLife(https://zpr.io/HmrqFX8RKuFq)

JennyOdell,writer-HowtodoNothing(https://zpr.io/JrUHu8dviFqc)

MariaPopova,writer-Brainpickings(https://zpr.io/vsHXphrqbHiN)

AlisonGopnik,developmentalpsychologist-TheGardenerandtheCarpenter(https://zpr.io/ewtJpUYxpYqh)

RebeccaSugar,animator-StevenUniverse(https://zpr.io/KTtSrdsBtXB7)

NicholsonBaker,writer-Substitute(https://zpr.io/QAh2d7J9QJf2)

JamesGleick,writer-TimeTravel(https://zpr.io/9CWX9q3KmZj8)

LadyPink,artist-toomanyamazingworkstopickjustone(https://zpr.io/FkJh6edDBgRL)

JennyHollwell,writer-EverythingLovely,Effortless,Safe(https://zpr.io/MjP5UJb3mMYP)

JaronLanier,futurist-TenArgumentsforDeletingYourSocialMediaAccountsRightNow(https://zpr.io/bxWiHLhPyuEK)

MissyMazzoli,composer-ProvingUp(https://zpr.io/hTwGcHGk93Ty)

 

SpecialThanksto:

EllaFrancesSanders,andherbook,"EatingtheSun"(https://zpr.io/KSX6DruwRaYL),forinspiringthiswholeepisode.

CaltechforlettingususeoriginalaudioofTheFeynmanLecturesonPhysics.Theentiretyofthelecturesareavailabletoreadforfreeonlineatwww.feynmanlectures.caltech.edu.AllthemusicianswhohelpedmakethePrimordialChord,including:

SiavashKamkar(https://zpr.io/2ZT46XsMRdhg),fromIran 

KooshaPashangpour(https://zpr.io/etWDXuCctrzE),fromIran

CurtisMacDonald(https://zpr.io/HQ8uskA44BUh),fromCanada

MeadeBernard(https://zpr.io/gbxDPPzHFvme),fromUS

BarnabyRea(https://zpr.io/9ULsQh5iGUPa),fromUK

LiavKerbel(https://zpr.io/BA4DBwMhwZDU),fromBelgium

SamCrittenden(https://zpr.io/EtQZmAk2XrCQ),fromUS

SaskiaLankhoorn(https://zpr.io/YiH6QWJreR7p),fromNetherlands

BryanHarris(https://zpr.io/HMiyy2TGcuwE),fromUS

AmeliaWatkins(https://zpr.io/6pWEw3y754me),fromCanada

ClaireJames(https://zpr.io/HFpHTUwkQ2ss),fromUS

IlarioMorciano(https://zpr.io/zXvM7cvnLHW6),fromItaly

MatthiasKowalczyk,fromGermany(https://zpr.io/ANkRQMp6NtHR)

SolmazBadri(https://zpr.io/MQ5VAaKieuyN),fromIranAllthewonderfulpeopleweinterviewedforsentencesbutweren’tabletofitinthisepisode,including:DanielAbrahm,JuliaAlvarez,AimeeBender,SandraCisneros,StanleyChen,LewisDartnell,AnnDruyan,RoseEveleth,TyFrank,JuliaGalef,RossGay,GaryGreen,CesarHarada,DoloresHuerta,RobinHunicke,BrittanyKamai,PriyaKrishna,KenLiu,CarmenMariaMachado,JamesMartin,JudithMatloff,RyanMcMahon,HasanMinhaj,LorrieMoore,PriyaNatarajan,LarryOwens,SunniPatterson,AmyPearl,AlisonRoman,DomeeShi,WillShortz,SamStein,SohaibSultan,KaraSwisher,JillTarter,OliveWatkins,ReggieWatts,DeborahWaxman,AlexWellerstein,CavehZahedi.EPISODECREDITS

Reportedby-RachaelCusick(https://www.rachaelcusick.com/)OurnewslettercomesouteveryWednesday.Itincludesshortessays,recommendations,anddetailsaboutotherwaystointeractwiththeshow.Signup(https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!

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LeadershipsupportforRadiolab’sscienceprogrammingisprovidedbytheGordonandBettyMooreFoundation,ScienceSandbox,aSimonsFoundationInitiative,andtheJohnTempletonFoundation.FoundationalsupportforRadiolabwasprovidedbytheAlfredP.SloanFoundation.