Podcast

This American Life

This American Life

Each week we choose a theme. Then anything can happen. This American Life is true stories that unfold like little movies for radio. Personal stories with funny moments, big feelings, and surprising plot twists. Newsy stories that try to capture what it’s like to be alive right now. It’s the most popular weekly podcast in the world, and winner of the first ever Pulitzer Prize for a radio show or podcast. Hosted by Ira Glass and produced in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago.

323 Hacker News mentions · 10 episodes

Episodes recommended on Hacker News

Why Hacker News recommends it

• A This American Life segment on Riverdance dancers and their lottery-ticket experiment is worth hearing; act two is the one.

  HN thread · timr · 0 points ↗

• "The Giant Pool of Money" episode offers a good background on the crisis.

  HN thread · wallflower · 0 points ↗

• Two days ago listened to this podcast from This American Life on NPR; the interviews with corporate treasurers and banking folk are convincing. You should make an hour and listen to it.

  HN thread · blakeweb · 0 points ↗

• The third act, "Disturbing the Peace Train," might be worth a listen for someone who gets irked by off-topic posts.

  HN thread · davi · 0 points ↗

• A well-explained overview that demystified the current crisis; worth setting aside an hour to listen.

  HN thread · voberoi · 0 points ↗

• For any This American Life fans here, there's a great episode about these guys.

  HN thread · martin · 0 points ↗

• There is a great This American Life episode about Running After Antelope which references the Tarahumara.

  HN thread · mhb · 0 points ↗

• The This American Life episode on Van Halen was pretty good, though it has not much more than the Snopes page.

  HN thread · pchristensen · 0 points ↗

• Act two of this This American Life episode is a single person's account, which the commenter offers as a good source on the topic.

  HN thread · mattm · 0 points ↗

• A This American Life segment this week covers the same topic, made with ProPublica. It was an interesting listen.

  HN thread · pasbesoin · 0 points ↗

• Interesting take from This American Life on the effects of the Office of Thrift Supervision's efforts to market themselves to businesses as a regulator.

  HN thread · mschwar99 · 0 points ↗

• It has some great details on why their corporate culture is so messed up, and why they're so incapable of fixing their problems.

  HN thread · aaronbrethorst · 0 points ↗

• Go listen to the This American Life pieces about Magnetar and the financial collapse; they are enjoyable and give good snapshots of the same ideas.

  HN thread · eavc · 0 points ↗

• Great segment on the Rubber Room, where NYC teachers under investigation get stuck for years; pretty incredible.

  HN thread · ryanwaggoner · 0 points ↗

• A full-hour This American Life episode on NUMMI's unique history that goes by fast and is worth hearing.

  HN thread · mortenjorck · 0 points ↗

• I heartily second the recommendation that everybody listen to it. The NUMMI episode is worth hearing.

  HN thread · david_adams · 0 points ↗

• Finds SUPER interesting stories, tells them awesomely, and from time to time you might pop out a tear or two. Very pro.

  HN thread · danspodcast · 0 points ↗

• The This American Life series on the financial crisis was incredibly well done, better reporting than any other news agency out there.

  HN thread · augustflanagan · 0 points ↗

• This American Life did an episode featuring his story. Check it out.

  HN thread · akozlik · 0 points ↗

• Great episode of This American Life on the right to remain silent, relevant to dealing with police.

  HN thread · guns · 0 points ↗

• A great This American Life episode, "This Party Sucks," explains why conservatives are winning the media game.

  HN thread · dotBen · 0 points ↗

• Definitely worth a listen: the episode tells a story about a man who cracked the Press Your Luck board pattern, plus Elevator Pitch contest coverage.

  HN thread · Gimpson · 0 points ↗

• A beautiful This American Life episode, very relevant to this community, especially Act II on perseverance, failure, and drive.

  HN thread · yan · 0 points ↗

• The "Enforcers" segment about a 419 baiting feat is incredibly amusing and a little sad.

  HN thread · dkarl · 0 points ↗

• You should listen to the This American Life broadcast on this topic.

  HN thread · eli · 0 points ↗

• If you enjoyed this, highly recommend the following This American Life podcasts on the same topic: "Bad Bank" and "The Giant Pool of Money".

  HN thread · bakhlawa · 0 points ↗

• There's an excellent This American Life programme that addresses these kinds of issues in post-earthquake Haiti

  HN thread · leot · 0 points ↗

• Listening to just two episodes instantly got me hooked and turned this podcast into an essential weekly habit.

  HN thread · thirdsun · 0 points ↗

• Listen to this past weekend's This American Life episode, which ends by linking Lodsys to Oasis Research, a front company for the patent troll Intellectual Ventures.

  HN thread · yellowbkpk · 0 points ↗

• Listen to the This American Life story; it covers a piece of software patent lawyers use to find equivalent patents.

  HN thread · semiquaver · 0 points ↗

• Praises This American Life's 2009 coverage of the issue as done with aplomb, linking the Fine Print episode.

  HN thread · quinndupont · 0 points ↗

• Software patents are a joke, just listen to this now famous 'This American Life' piece.

  HN thread · yanw · 0 points ↗

• This is a fantastic episode: it's a piece against patent trolls, not patents.

  HN thread · billmcneale · 0 points ↗

• Recommends the This American Life episode on the invention of money as a source on the history of finance.

  HN thread · nikcub · 0 points ↗

• An incredibly insightful episode on early cryonic institutions.

  HN thread · nyellin · 0 points ↗

• A great This American Life episode about a 16-year-old whose late mother left notes to be opened on set days, disrupting grief.

  HN thread · Zimahl · 0 points ↗

• A fantastic podcast that the commenter wishes released more often, and they think it is actually better than This American Life.

  HN thread · shioyama · 0 points ↗

• I love this podcast and recommend the episodes "Audacity" and "Homerun".

  HN thread · igorgue · 0 points ↗

• There is a This American Life episode on this FBI strategy; both stories involved inert weapons.

  HN thread · VMG · 0 points ↗

• There was a good story a while back on This American Life that talked about this subject.

  HN thread · jballanc · 0 points ↗

• Audio at 34:30 tells how a factory's new plant lost its hot dog quality until a worker's winding walk was found to be the missing ingredient.

  HN thread · rhplus · 0 points ↗

• Really likes This American Life; not tech-related, but sometimes very inspiring about how people do things.

  HN thread · flpmor · 0 points ↗

• The show really has to be listened to, not just read as a transcript; it's worth getting the podcast and listening while you drive.

  HN thread · alphakappa · 0 points ↗

• See the This American Life episode on NUMMI for a poignant illustration of that.

  HN thread · wpietri · 0 points ↗

• Calls the Foxconn episode a fascinating listen that opened their eyes a bit.

  HN thread · pedoh · 0 points ↗

• Everyone who wants to understand how corrupt the US patent system is should listen to the "When Patents Attack" episode.

  HN thread · rtperson · 0 points ↗

• Also great is the "This American Life" story NUMMI

  HN thread · wpietri · 0 points ↗

• With very few exceptions, everything from This American Life is worth listening to.

  HN thread · MartinCron · 0 points ↗

• Listened this morning and was impressed by how they approached it, especially the reporter saying his job is to report facts and let listeners decide.

  HN thread · rit · 0 points ↗

• The Retraction episode does a good job of illustrating this line of reasoning, especially its second act.

  HN thread · uncoder0 · 0 points ↗

• Listen to part 3 of This American Life's Daisey retraction: labor cost is a small share of profit, and supply chains matter more.

  HN thread · scott_s · 0 points ↗

• Check out this This American Life story about how doctor oversupply in an area resulted in unneeded medical procedures being performed.

  HN thread · wtn · 0 points ↗

• Strongly recommends the This American Life episode NUMMI, which describes GM's worst plant becoming a Toyota joint venture with the same people now working hard.

  HN thread · wpietri · 0 points ↗

• A man self-treats allergies and autoimmune problems with hookworms; the real story is his trek across Africa to collect them. Act 3.

  HN thread · kernelPanicked · 0 points ↗

• Check out This American Life's episode on scambaiters, which leaves you unsure what to think about the whole mess.

  HN thread · michaelbuckbee · 0 points ↗

• Here's This American Life telling the story (very, very entertaining)

  HN thread · bryanjclark · 0 points ↗

• Commenter calls This American Life's show on patents "wonderful" and links to the "When Patents Attack" episode.

  HN thread · crazyduckling · 0 points ↗

• Episode on patent trolls (Intellectual Ventures) explains the East Texas venue choice: faster trials than clogged federal courts.

  HN thread · fr0sty · 0 points ↗

• If you haven't already, you should listen to "When patents attack" from This American Life.

  HN thread · devcpp · 0 points ↗

• Calls the linked This American Life episode "a very good related episode."

  HN thread · pav3l · 0 points ↗

• Required listening: a cop who wore a wire to record evidence against his corrupt bosses.

  HN thread · msg · 0 points ↗

• This American Life had a good episode about it.

  HN thread · andreasvc · 0 points ↗

• NPR / This American Life did a great piece on Patent Trolls "When Patents Attack" (in case you missed it)

  HN thread · NatW · 0 points ↗

• See Act 2 of This American Life episode 414 on how the NYPD turned on the cop who outed them.

  HN thread · redstripe · 0 points ↗

• I found this episode of This American Life a pretty thought provoking discussion on the same subject, and definitely worth a listen.

  HN thread · minikomi · 0 points ↗

• Shares a specific old This American Life episode, "Running After Antelope," as a related listen on persistence hunting.

  HN thread · ddunkin · 0 points ↗

• Good This American Life episode interviewing England; interesting to hear what she says about the before, during, and after.

  HN thread · thisone · 0 points ↗

• An excellent episode on teacher autonomy and standards; it is well worth a listen.

  HN thread · Wilduck · 0 points ↗

• This American Life's remarkable report on a Chicago high school where 29 current and former students were shot in a year.

  HN thread · necubi · 0 points ↗

• The 2008 This American Life story on pranksters who sent a Nigerian scam artist on a 1,400-mile wild goose chase into Chad is a great listen.

  HN thread · bluep · 1 points ↗

• Listen to Act II of This American Life "Play the Part"

  HN thread · dasil003 · 0 points ↗

• Revisits patent trolls and Nathan Myhrvold's Intellectual Ventures; the commenter found it fascinating and terrifying.

  HN thread · ryandvm · 0 points ↗

• The Complete Guide to Everything is actually really humbling to listen to (in an odd way)

  HN thread · fananta · 0 points ↗

• There's a great This American Life episode on the same kind of subject called "The Convert".

  HN thread · oacgnol · 0 points ↗

• Two excellent This American Life episodes about patents, one of the commenter's favorite podcasts.

  HN thread · natejenkins · 0 points ↗

• The follow-up is stunning and I highly recommend it; the new material starts halfway in.

  HN thread · gruseom · 0 points ↗

• This American Life did a show earlier this year about this specific troll.

  HN thread · signed0 · 0 points ↗

• This American Life did a great episode on loopholes last year

  HN thread · ukoki · 0 points ↗

• Listened to some of it today; had no idea how easy it was to get into dangerous territory. Interesting presentation.

  HN thread · asveikau · 0 points ↗

• It's fun to listen to. It may not tell the whole story, but it at least paints a decent picture.

  HN thread · kyrra · 0 points ↗

• If you like This American Life, their episode NUMMI gives a very useful take on the cultural issue.

  HN thread · wpietri · 0 points ↗

• There is an incredible story of this nature on This American Life, very hard for parents to listen to but very beautiful.

  HN thread · marquis · 0 points ↗

• This American Life had a two part series with a good general examination of the system.

  HN thread · acdha · 0 points ↗

• Fascinating episode on how it took the FDA 32 years to enforce Tylenol warning labels.

  HN thread · SyneRyder · 0 points ↗

• They did a great job on this topic, exposing how Marshall, TX became known for corrupt-seeming patent suit outcomes.

  HN thread · marquis · 0 points ↗

• there's a really good episode of This American Life on acetaminophen poisoning and the labeling standards set by the FDA.

  HN thread · hdevalence · 0 points ↗

• This American Life recently did an episode on how even a few tablets over the recommended dose can cause serious harm in some people.

  HN thread · scott_s · 0 points ↗

• Episode on false confessions; the story of a suspect who confessed just to end the interrogation is painful and worth hearing.

  HN thread · ErsatzVerkehr · 0 points ↗

• Both stories are incredible to listen to, the teenage boy's story especially; it shows the practice the video explains.

  HN thread · danso · 0 points ↗

• A 2002 This American Life episode on a prison Hamlet performance. The commenter calls it compelling radio and highly recommends it.

  HN thread · ajtulloch · 0 points ↗

• Single storyline with the actors dealing with conflict live on air; the pace and chronology make it riveting.

  HN thread · hoprocker · 0 points ↗

• Two great shows about patent trolls, including Intellectual Ventures; they make clear how bad the US patent system is.

  HN thread · reuven · 0 points ↗

• Recommends a This American Life episode as a nice overview of how the Chinese legal system differs from Western systems.

  HN thread · brodo · 0 points ↗

• A great This American Life story about the people who spotted Madoff's claims were too good to be true.

  HN thread · MartinCron · 0 points ↗

• Episode shows the human impact of hyperlocal property taxes setting school quality; a particularly strong episode.

  HN thread · brownbat · 0 points ↗

• A great story on car dealerships: dealers must hit monthly numbers or lose bonuses, so they sell cars at a loss.

  HN thread · bwilliams18 · 0 points ↗

• SUPER fascinating look at the industry, with a lot of insider information

  HN thread · sharkweek · 0 points ↗

• The "129 cars" episode was one of the best episodes of This American Life.

  HN thread · _sy_ · 0 points ↗

• This American Life did a fascinating episode on this issue.

  HN thread · ceejayoz · 0 points ↗

• There was also a great bit on last week's This American Life on anonymous gossiping on the Internet.

  HN thread · yan · 0 points ↗

• I can't recommend that episode of TAL enough, it's very relevant to anonymous online forums.

  HN thread · pswilson14 · 0 points ↗

• It was a very informative episode, and did a great job highlighting the financial difficulties faced by car dealerships.

  HN thread · apayan · 0 points ↗

• For a truly amazing look into how false confessions occur, act one of this This American Life episode is a must-listen.

  HN thread · nkoren · 0 points ↗

• Mike and his mom get caught up in a fight that lots of kids have with their parents, except they go through it in slow motion, over years.

  HN thread · anshukla · 0 points ↗

• I listen to lots of podcasts, including This American Life, The Moth, and 99% Invisible, among others.

  HN thread · sjs382 · 0 points ↗

• Try this one: When Patents Attack, about Patent Trolls to get hooked.

  HN thread · crisnoble · 0 points ↗

• This American Life - pretty standard but always good.

  HN thread · mostlybadfly · 0 points ↗

• The TAL journalist offers a more personal perspective of what ASMR is like. It's well worth a listen.

  HN thread · sciguy77 · 0 points ↗

• You might like this story from This American Life. I was listening while driving, was totally mesmerized.

  HN thread · silverlake · 0 points ↗

• There was an episode of This American Life dedicated to the story, and it was eye opening.

  HN thread · __david__ · 0 points ↗

• This American Life has an interesting story on ASMR, in episode 491, "Tribes."

  HN thread · anishkothari · 0 points ↗

• Check out the "When Patents Attack" series from This American Life for how IV outsources its patent trolling to shell companies.

  HN thread · kqr2 · 0 points ↗

• A fantastic piece on acetaminophen, how easy it is to overdose on it, and why it's still thought of as so safe.

  HN thread · loomio · 0 points ↗

• Everyone, please listen to this This American Life segment, the best public radio segment I have ever heard.

  HN thread · dankohn1 · 0 points ↗

• This American Life did a whole podcast on the end-of-month car sales thing. It was quite fascinating and really does exist.

  HN thread · 27182818284 · 0 points ↗

• Fantastic podcast on Alex Blumberg's personal experience starting a startup; a very interesting listen.

  HN thread · jpn · 0 points ↗

• Worth hearing for the tones of voice: the Fed regulators' "breathtaking wussiness" is much of the point.

  HN thread · scott_s · 0 points ↗

• This American Life recently did an interesting item on the birth of the artisanal toast - well worth a listen.

  HN thread · snori74 · 0 points ↗

• This American Life recently did an interesting item on the birth of the artisanal toast, well worth a listen.

  HN thread · snori74 · 0 points ↗

• Listen to the This American Life episode, it's great in this regard.

  HN thread · 20141008 · 0 points ↗

• You must listen to this before your pitch, a producer recording his own startup's investor meetings, awkward moments included.

  HN thread · l33tbro · 0 points ↗

• It's a great story in itself and I recommend it to anybody who wants to learn more about the game.

  HN thread · memonkey · 0 points ↗

• A great podcast about the manufacturing plant, going from one of the worst in America to producing the best cars.

  HN thread · apayan · 0 points ↗

• This American Life, the show that created (I think more or less), Serial, is a great show.

  HN thread · adriand · 0 points ↗

• I loved the original episode Serial was born out of: a doctor in North Carolina who takes over a convicted murderer's practice.

  HN thread · mrcwinn · 0 points ↗

• This American Life had a great segment introducing this, linked as episode 491 Act 2.

  HN thread · NatW · 0 points ↗

• This American Life did a great segment explaining why the M&Ms were a legit safety concern, not just a prima-donna move.

  HN thread · batguano · 0 points ↗

• If you enjoyed this, worth checking out This American Life episode: 129 Cars.

  HN thread · mericsson · 0 points ↗

• For anyone interested in this topic, This American Life recently did a great hour long radio show on how dealerships work.

  HN thread · berberous · 0 points ↗

• Yes I know it sounds incredible but listen to the episode.

  HN thread · greggman · 0 points ↗

• Really enjoyed this episode and most of This American Life; its point about blind people clicking to navigate got them thinking.

  HN thread · niix · 0 points ↗

• Lindy West talks with a troll who mocked her late father; they have a remarkably civil conversation. Highly worth listening to.

  HN thread · shalmanese · 0 points ↗

• This American Life did an episode recently on Daniel Kish, one of the most famous echolocation practitioners.

  HN thread · iamthepieman · 0 points ↗

• This American Life has an excellent exposé on this topic, from 2013.

  HN thread · marquis · 0 points ↗

• This American Life had a good episode on some of the cultural problems that this system has led to.

  HN thread · skwirl · 0 points ↗

• Act Three of "A Little Bit of Knowledge" is worth hearing for the quack who tried to disprove Einstein and Newton.

  HN thread · cbd1984 · 0 points ↗

• He also has an awesome story about his parents on This American Life, even though he and they are Welsh.

  HN thread · zimbu668 · 0 points ↗

• I also highly recommend the This American Life two-part podcast on patent trolls.

  HN thread · berberous · 0 points ↗

• Reminds me of this great ep of Invisibilia/TAL, linked as a related listen.

  HN thread · mehrzad · 0 points ↗

• This American Life had a great interview with kids explaining why they joined gangs to stay safe.

  HN thread · acdha · 0 points ↗

• The prologue of episode 458, "Play the Part," offers good testimony from an editor on how footage gets manipulated.

  HN thread · brownbat · 0 points ↗

• This American Life had a great segment about this, targeting "vocal fry" in particular.

  HN thread · skj · 0 points ↗

• You might find this episode interesting: similar story of a refugee attributing his good fortune to chance.

  HN thread · pitt1980 · 0 points ↗

• Reminded the commenter of Judy Budnitz's short story "Guilt," read in Act Four of episode 256.

  HN thread · zachrose · 0 points ↗

• There was an episode of This American Life about car dealerships that everyone here should really listen to.

  HN thread · sorbits · 0 points ↗

• There's a This American Life episode from a few years ago about the whole thing. Really worth the listen.

  HN thread · seltzered · 0 points ↗

• Explores in detail how workplace injury benefits shape incentives; the commenter says listening confirmed their own conclusion.

  HN thread · klenwell · 0 points ↗

• There is actually a pretty cool This American Life episode about it

  HN thread · morganwatch · 0 points ↗

• Listen to the This American Life episode about NUMMI; this approach was endemic to GM assembly and its supply chain for ages.

  HN thread · dbrower · 0 points ↗

• There is a great two-part story from This American Life about this type of thing; it's a problem much bigger than Newark.

  HN thread · johnbenwoo · 0 points ↗

• For more on segregation and the effect it has on school performance, see these two episodes of This American Life.

  HN thread · thisjustinm · 0 points ↗

• Recent This American Life episode explains that removing segregation is apparently the best way to raise poor Black children's scores.

  HN thread · omurphyevans · 0 points ↗

• This American Life did an excellent story that discusses this, covering unaccredited schools and desegregation across the St. Louis region.

  HN thread · nmrm2 · 0 points ↗

• Great episode on modern segregation and the failure of desegregation attempts; it features a shocking town hall that shows the worst of people's racial prejudices.

  HN thread · shas3 · 0 points ↗

• NPR's This American Life has a good episode which includes Michael Larson's story as one of its angles: Million Dollar Idea

  HN thread · mitchtbaum · 0 points ↗

• A fantastic This American Life that follows a bunch of employees in a car dealership for a month. It's fascinating and sad.

  HN thread · amha · 0 points ↗

• An excellent episode of This American Life, "The Arms Trader", shows how messed up the law can be over the pond.

  HN thread · smcl · 0 points ↗

• This American Life had a good show about a DV winner from Somalia.

  HN thread · hackerboos · 0 points ↗

• Radio shows like This American Life are the best way to pass the time.

  HN thread · soylentcola · 0 points ↗

• Recommended for those who don't want to read the whole book: the NUMMI episode tells the story of a Toyota-GM plant, with powerful worker-level stories.

  HN thread · wpietri · 0 points ↗

• Recommends the This American Life episode "Three Miles" for hearing how poor kids lack the same access to education.

  HN thread · joshkpeterson · 0 points ↗

• Episode 365 of This American Life, The Giant Pool of Money is a good place to start for more context of the hate.

  HN thread · steveax · 0 points ↗

• An excellent episode about patent trolls, covering East Texas and why it's so lucrative for filing suits.

  HN thread · gobakhan · 0 points ↗

• For those who found this story interesting, I'd recommend listening to the associated This American Life episode, which gives insight into the internal experience of someone suffering delusions.

  HN thread · Anthony-G · 0 points ↗

• Brings to mind "Modern Jackass" magazine from one of my favorite This American Life episodes.

  HN thread · klenwell · 0 points ↗

• Recommends the episode on money in politics, noting how much time senators spend raising money.

  HN thread · studentrob · 0 points ↗

• Listen to Mindy West's story on This American Life about confronting one of her worst trolls.

  HN thread · apozem · 0 points ↗

• Reparations or not, this ep of This American Life gave me a new perspective on related issues.

  HN thread · greggman · 0 points ↗

• Best I have seen or heard on the effects of drugs on relationships.

  HN thread · baldfat · 0 points ↗

• An excellent segment about a man who cured his own severe allergies by giving himself hookworms.

  HN thread · smt88 · 0 points ↗

• Act 2 of this episode follows the awkwardness of two dads trying to form a friendship in Austin, a story that sparked the commenter's reflection on male friendship.

  HN thread · yitchelle · 0 points ↗

• There's a pretty good podcast from This American Life on the subject, on how politicians gauge public opinion, with Barney Frank's view that voters beat campaign money.

  HN thread · studentrob · 0 points ↗

• There is a great podcast episode by This American Life about NUMMI, the Toyota and GM joint venture. Very well worth the listen.

  HN thread · manigandham · 0 points ↗

• There was a This American Life about it, linking episode 363, "Enforcers," about scammers being tricked into bizarre, risky situations.

  HN thread · knodi123 · 0 points ↗

• A good program on this is This American Life's "House Rules" episode, on housing discrimination that persists even with anti-discrimination laws in place.

  HN thread · wkimeria · 0 points ↗

• Vocal fry isn't gender specific; Ira Glass has it, and this episode discusses the gender bias.

  HN thread · weisser · 0 points ↗

• That is an excellent story. It was told on This American Life.

  HN thread · mateo411 · 0 points ↗

• I found this segment from the This American Life radio program enlightening.

  HN thread · scott_s · 0 points ↗

• If you're interested, This American Life just did two whole episodes from a Greek refugee camp.

  HN thread · benbreen · 0 points ↗

• That experience was covered engagingly in This American Life's episode NUMMI.

  HN thread · wpietri · 0 points ↗

• Recommends act one of episode 556: two people captured by Kim Jong-Il to make movies, easy life but no joy if you can't leave.

  HN thread · navls · 0 points ↗

• A great eye-opening journalistic investigation of the issue, showing a de facto guaranteed basic income pilot.

  HN thread · klenwell · 0 points ↗

• Check out the This American Life episode about a guy who recorded corruption in the NYPD.

  HN thread · RankingMember · 0 points ↗

• Highly recommend listening to the episode; TLDR is massive NIMBY and some pretty ugly stuff.

  HN thread · vvanders · 0 points ↗

• Listen to The Problem We All Live With; it addresses this directly and concludes integration works.

  HN thread · josho · 0 points ↗

• Recommends the This American Life episode on the subject as a similar take to the commenter's own view on the Rolling Stone story.

  HN thread · throwaway43322 · 0 points ↗

• Here's a fascinating This American Life episode from during the election on roughly the same topic.

  HN thread · ZeroGravitas · 0 points ↗

• This American Life did a good report on this a few years back, linking episode 490, "Trends With Benefits."

  HN thread · a-zA-Z · 0 points ↗

• The most moving and informed coverage of the US education system I've heard has all been through This American Life, with four hours of content on local property-tax school funding.

  HN thread · brownbat · 0 points ↗

• Recommends the This American Life segment "Grime Scene," about a guy who built a business cleaning up after crime scenes.

  HN thread · krishicks · 0 points ↗

• I would recommend giving it a listen if you want something to listen to for the next hour.

  HN thread · novia · 0 points ↗

• A recent This American Life episode, "Something Only I Can See," tells how a woman self-diagnosed her condition after doctors dismissed her.

  HN thread · criddell · 0 points ↗

• You should check out the This American Life episode about Diplomacy, in which an actual diplomat is recruited to advise the players.

  HN thread · hprotagonist · 0 points ↗

• Here's the 6 part NPR series Unfit For Work from 2013 with an accompanying This American Life broadcast

  HN thread · celias · 0 points ↗

• Recommends three This American Life episodes on school integration and poverty as a human-scale case to consider.

  HN thread · frgtpsswrdlame · 0 points ↗

• There was a fantastic piece that toed this line on This American Life not too long ago.

  HN thread · mwerd · 0 points ↗

• It arguably exemplifies precisely what you're saying, except in a much more literal fashion.

  HN thread · wahern · 0 points ↗

• A beautiful piece of radio journalism about a phone booth in the middle of nowhere in Japan where people go to talk to deceased loved ones.

  HN thread · eagletusk · 0 points ↗

• There's a This American Life episode about what is now Tesla's plant that covers how culture and values, not just knowledge, had to be transferred.

  HN thread · wpietri · 0 points ↗

• This American Life has a great piece on his story both before and after Press Your Luck.

  HN thread · stevewillows · 0 points ↗

• I'd recommend listening to the This American Life episode where they interview the two airmen involved.

  HN thread · andykee · 0 points ↗

• This American Life did an excellent episode on this in 2015 that reflected my experience teaching in the public schools in Washington DC.

  HN thread · dwater · 0 points ↗

• This American Life had a good episode about the study you're talking about being discredited.

  HN thread · EvanAnderson · 0 points ↗

• Well worth a listen: an episode that shows the polygraph is far more fallible than pop culture suggests.

  HN thread · dgritsko · 0 points ↗

• For those interested in how a different philosophy can lead to a deep competitive advantage, check out the NUMMI episode.

  HN thread · wpietri · 0 points ↗

• This American Life had a nice segment about this phone, one of the stories on episode 597.

  HN thread · mmorearty · 0 points ↗

• This American Life did a really fantastic story about it, with a followup podcast.

  HN thread · NotSammyHagar · 0 points ↗

• If you want to see how changing management and management philosophy can turn a place around, there's a This American Life episode on NUMMI with extensive worker interviews.

  HN thread · wpietri · 0 points ↗

• Their favourite episode of This American Life, and perhaps their favourite podcast episode ever.

  HN thread · chongli · 0 points ↗

• Worth a listen: a 3-minute segment on a hot dog plant that couldn't replicate its taste after relocating.

  HN thread · SyneRyder · 0 points ↗

• Strongly recommends This American Life's episode on NUMMI, the GM-Toyota plant, for the story of how American car companies failed to learn Toyota's approach.

  HN thread · wpietri · 0 points ↗

• The retraction episode, correcting an earlier story where the individual had made up many details, was better than the original.

  HN thread · bamboo_7 · 0 points ↗

• There's a great episode of This American Life from 2008 with a behind-the-scenes look at how the staff comes up with headlines.

  HN thread · scottmf · 0 points ↗

• This American Life had a great podcast about the NUMMI plant that covers this in great depth. Pretty fascinating stuff.

  HN thread · vvanders · 0 points ↗

• Recommends the recent This American Life episode "The Feather Heist" about a kid who stole rare bird specimens from a museum for fly-fishing feathers.

  HN thread · dudus · 0 points ↗

• A great podcast entitled 'Words You Can't Say' that might be a good primer for you.

  HN thread · Chazprime · 0 points ↗

• Episode about a former polygraph operator who discovered how flawed the tests are and has crusaded against them since. Worth an hour.

  HN thread · jwally · 0 points ↗

• Was an avid listener of This American Life, but fell out of the habit when its iOS app went unmaintained; the Podcast app has greatly increased how much they listen.

  HN thread · danso · 0 points ↗

• A great This American Life episode about a billionaire conservative family, the Deasons, who backed Trump despite doubts about his criminal reform stance.

  HN thread · danso · 0 points ↗

• Fantastic episode on the NUMMI plant, highly recommend it.

  HN thread · vvanders · 0 points ↗

• Years of listening to This American Life taught them how other people live, and one episode about kids who lost parents young helped them connect with their partner.

  HN thread · mywittyname · 0 points ↗

• Great This American Life episode on an elderly Chinese woman whose terminal cancer diagnosis was kept from her.

  HN thread · sriacha · 0 points ↗

• Each episode is a real, one-shot couples therapy session; the therapist makes couples and listeners pay careful attention.

  HN thread · filoeleven · 0 points ↗

• The first segment about the Satanic Prayer Hotline is really amusing, and Act One about a talk-back radio preacher who toured with Slayer is also worth a listen.

  HN thread · SyneRyder · 0 points ↗

• An excellent episode where someone looks into one of the origins of this idea, and it takes some interesting turns.

  HN thread · fenwick67 · 0 points ↗

• A very in-depth broadcast about the many issues involved in the East Ramapo school district dispute. Well worth a listen.

  HN thread · Balgair · 0 points ↗

• Calls This American Life the pinnacle of storytelling and urges listening to its classic episodes before calling it TED-like.

  HN thread · jordanpg · 0 points ↗

• Listen to the episode linked elsewhere to get the context; the guy who broke his promise meant it when he said it.

  HN thread · quadrangle · 0 points ↗

• This American Life camped out for 24 hours at a Chicago diner and recorded the people there. The episode is a gem.

  HN thread · devchix · 0 points ↗

• Frank Langfitt explains why GM didn't learn the lessons until it was too late.

  HN thread · atulatul · 0 points ↗

• This episode of This American Life makes a pretty compelling argument about redistricting and redistributing students and teachers across schools in suburban areas.

  HN thread · robmccoll · 0 points ↗

• There is an interesting and somewhat depressing This American Life episode related to this, on low-income students and college completion.

  HN thread · Aunche · 0 points ↗

• The excellent This American Life episode Running After Antelope: Scott Carrier's twelve-year quest to catch an antelope by foot.

  HN thread · mhb · 0 points ↗

• The testosterone episode of This American Life is exceptionally good and worth a listen, especially the interview with an f2m trans man on HRT.

  HN thread · newnewpdro · 0 points ↗

• Listen to the second act of this 2006 This American Life episode for an interview with the Jennifer of Jennicam.

  HN thread · laurieg · 0 points ↗

• I think this is my favorite con story ever. If you listen, make sure you listen through to the end.

  HN thread · klenwell · 0 points ↗

• This American Life had an episode on this phenomenon as well, with a 2013 follow-up.

  HN thread · nothrabannosir · 0 points ↗

• A favorite This American Life story about a young daughter's list of questions, "hilarious and a tear jerker"; the climax and conclusion are in Act One.

  HN thread · gen220 · 0 points ↗

• There was a good This American Life episode about the NUMMI plant.

  HN thread · ForHackernews · 0 points ↗

• Highly recommends the episode; it explains where people go when small-town linchpin factories close and how disability programs grew.

  HN thread · owenversteeg · 0 points ↗

• Tough Room shows how writers' jokes are read aloud and judged by coworkers in a room, not by email. It's worth a listen.

  HN thread · hatmatrix · 0 points ↗

• A great episode on the dealership phenomenon: a month inside a Long Island Jeep dealership chasing a 129-car sales goal.

  HN thread · Cactus2018 · 0 points ↗

• Lots of great radio programs. This American Life, Art Bell, Hearts of Space. Introduced me to artists I didn't know.

  HN thread · kitteh · 0 points ↗

• Recommends the This American Life episode about a man who sees an indescribable colour, as an example of imagery that plain description ruins.

  HN thread · frereubu · 0 points ↗

• It's a really great story, about bird feathers making their way into fishing flies.

  HN thread · jpkotyla · 0 points ↗

• Excellent, Iggy Pop-narrated This American Life episode on Burroughs, the source for a detail about sleeping with several guns.

  HN thread · nondeveloper · 0 points ↗

• Strongly recommends listening to This American Life's episode on the origins of this myth; it's a good one.

  HN thread · radicalbyte · 0 points ↗

• Another great perspective is This American Life's episode on the NUMMI plant, coming full circle from Deming back to GM.

  HN thread · vvanders · 0 points ↗

• An enlightening episode dives into who gets to keep their medical license and how they may continue practicing after grievous ethical violations.

  HN thread · tomlagier · 0 points ↗

• I remember it being a pretty remarkable episode, and kind of heartbreaking. More insightful and constructive than the usual tone of moral outrage.

  HN thread · stickfigure · 0 points ↗

• A good This American Life episode on how fear of undocumented immigrants tore apart two towns, one of which has none.

  HN thread · mattm · 0 points ↗

• This American Life ran an episode on a Long Island dealership struggling to fill the OEM quota of sales for the month. It's greatly entertaining.

  HN thread · everling · 0 points ↗

• Episode "One Last Thing Before I Go" has a segment called Really Long Distance about this phone booth, worth hearing.

  HN thread · celias · 0 points ↗

• Nonfiction narrative shows like This American Life are worth hearing for entertaining, absorbing storytelling.

  HN thread · dredmorbius · 0 points ↗

• Recommends this episode for hearing more about the current debate over the SATs and schools choosing not to use them.

  HN thread · boucher · 0 points ↗

• This American Life did an episode on the subject that's worth a listen.

  HN thread · pengaru · 0 points ↗

• The This American Life episode is absolutely worth listening to, or just read the transcript.

  HN thread · BeetleB · 0 points ↗

• There's a This American Life episode in which several teenage girls explain the complex etiquette of Instagram.

  HN thread · jetrink · 0 points ↗

• It's a really well told story - much better than the podcast normally has.

  HN thread · bradlys · 0 points ↗

• This american life episode about wild turkeys. Worth a listen - funny and terrifying!

  HN thread · boringg · 0 points ↗

• Episode 404, act 3 is a beautiful story about a man who treats his pollen allergies by intentionally infecting himself with hookworms.

  HN thread · chihuahua · 0 points ↗

• There's a really good This American Life episode about people like this called Petty Tyrant.

  HN thread · user3939382 · 0 points ↗

• Licensing boards do a poor job maintaining quality; you can do bad things as a doctor and keep your license.

  HN thread · BeetleB · 0 points ↗

• This american life is great if an episode lines up with your interests.

  HN thread · BossingAround · 0 points ↗

• Recent This American Life episode on deadlines, linked as "I Work Better on Deadline."

  HN thread · awb · 0 points ↗

• This is my favourite ever episode of This American Life, about NUMMI, the shop floor level and individually fraternal miracle created by workers at Toyota and GM.

  HN thread · retconn · 0 points ↗

• An excellent This American Life episode on the NUMMI experiment and why it failed to change GM.

  HN thread · swottler · 0 points ↗

• As firsthand recorded source material for the above, see This American Life episode 767, act 2.

  HN thread · ethbr0 · 0 points ↗

• Good segment regardless of what you think, and the first half was one of the better reports of ChatGPT I've heard.

  HN thread · swid · 0 points ↗

• Links to This American Life episode 102, "Road Trip," with Act One, "Busman's Holiday," about Dishwasher Pete, who travels washing dishes and publishing his zine.

  HN thread · js2 · 0 points ↗

• Recommends the NUMMI episode: Toyota turned GM's worst plant into one of the best with the same workers, and GM's management refused to learn from it.

  HN thread · wpietri · 0 points ↗

• This American Life has an interesting episode on rats; Act One, "Fifty First Rats," showcases their inventiveness and awareness.

  HN thread · latexr · 0 points ↗

• It's a great performance, and the commenter links directly to the act two segment.

  HN thread · jevogel · 0 points ↗

• This American Life's "The Feather Heist": a flute player breaks into a British museum and steals a million dollars' worth of dead birds.

  HN thread · jrmg · 0 points ↗

• Episode 809, "The Call," touched the commenter deeply: an hour of radio they'll never forget.

  HN thread · js2 · 0 points ↗

• Listened last night; it was very affecting, and the show still turns out terrific stuff.

  HN thread · bcantrill · 0 points ↗

• This American Life episode 806 challenges the premise of this book, so it is worth hearing as a counterpoint.

  HN thread · mhalle · 0 points ↗

• A former addict kicked heroin through ibogaine and made it his mission to help others do the same. Great listen.

  HN thread · hyggetrold · 0 points ↗

• Episode 750, part 3, has a story about the guy who opened Prince's vault after his death, which the commenter enjoyed.

  HN thread · hurtuvac78 · 0 points ↗

• Frankly insane episode: the ending is remarkable, since people who know Alex's story is false still believe him on everything else.

  HN thread · pityJuke · 0 points ↗

• Relevant This American Life episode on whether you can guess when someone immigrated from their English accent, with a test of Jiayang Fan's special skill.

  HN thread · js2 · 0 points ↗

• There's a This American Life episode about the NUMMI joint venture factory that made these vehicles.

  HN thread · beart · 0 points ↗

• This American Life also covered this in Ep. 412, act 4: "Million Dollar Idea".

  HN thread · jpalawaga · 0 points ↗

• Act 2 of this episode reframes depression as toska; swap the word and you may see things differently.

  HN thread · iamEAP · 0 points ↗

• If you like Scott Carrier's unusual, captivating delivery, check out the episode dedicated to his stories, "The Friendly Man."

  HN thread · mtlynch · 0 points ↗

• Check out Act One of TAL episode 803; it seems to show an LLM can identify an SVG as a Mickey Mouse Head Silhouette.

  HN thread · rel_ic · 0 points ↗

• A great episode that discusses whether LLMs are just parrots; pretty enjoyable for general audiences, with experts interviewed.

  HN thread · wyldfire · 0 points ↗

• The last episode of This American Life really nails it to the wall.

  HN thread · mullingitover · 0 points ↗

• An episode of This American Life shows this beautifully: a vaudeville act booked on Ed Sullivan the day The Beatles debuted.

  HN thread · geophile · 0 points ↗

• This American Life also did a good narration of this in Act 2 of episode 803.

  HN thread · probablyworks · 0 points ↗

• This American Life had a good 2013 episode on the tricky dosing of acetaminophen.

  HN thread · aeturnum · 0 points ↗

• An excellent This American Life episode on rats; the first act is about a guy who keeps rats as pets, and it's a sweet story.

  HN thread · magpi3 · 0 points ↗

• An excellent This American Life episode about a GM factory copying Toyota's production method; still worth a listen and explains the Andon cord well.

  HN thread · tdeck · 0 points ↗