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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