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Comment from Kaleena
Date: November 18, 2008, 2:49 am

Yay!!! Radio Lab is back!!

This episode reminded me of the book, Stumbling on Happiness. He explains how having too many choices can make us unhappy.

Comment from Jeff
Date: November 18, 2008, 4:36 am

Whoot, wonderful episode, BUT I’m fairly sure Jad called us all the proverbial “bitches” directly after the intro. Will some else please acknowledge this? I think its great that we on such a basis, I mean, that’s what I call my friends in such situations. What exactly spurred that choice? Thoughts? anyone? anyone?

Comment from rebecca
Date: November 18, 2008, 11:03 am

I am dying to know how to ‘prime’ myself. Please, let us know.

Comment from Kenny
Date: November 18, 2008, 11:55 am

Am I crazy? Or did I just hear Jad call the entire audience bitches in the very beginning of the episode. Around 4:40 of the podcast, Jad says “Stay with us…..bitches”. Isn’t that kind of weird?

Comment from bp
Date: November 18, 2008, 11:59 am

has this been uploaded to the podcast? my iTunes doesn’t seem to detect it.

Comment from bp
Date: November 18, 2008, 12:00 pm

hah! as soon as I write that, it updates.

Comment from Jose E. Rodriguez
Date: November 18, 2008, 12:45 pm

I just heard a big advocacy on the second part of the show for “emotion.”
I love RadioLab, but I have to disagree on them with this one.
As an example they use the “emotionally catatonic” businessman who was unable to make choices because he had a damaged lobe during an operation which sort of turned off his emotional center.
There are a couple of problems with Robert’s conclusion that emotion is essential to function:
1. The man achieved that state due to trauma, so he can hardly be considered a “stand in” for a normal entirely rational being.
2. The decisions that plague him are full of emotionally charged imaginary scenarios, like “will the blue pen stand out too much,” “will I run out of ink.” So maybe you could argue his emotion center has been rewired, or screwed up somehow.
3. Our society is already hard wired to be emotionally ruled. That is how a consumer society works. So to say we need more emotional behavior, or even a little of it, is like saying we need to “work on our smoking,” or like saying that “drinking is essential in our lives.” The truth is that people are already WAY too emotional. This can be seen by all the drastic decisions we are manipulated into taking by politicians: like the war, the bailout, etc.

Comment from Luis Giron
Date: November 18, 2008, 2:17 pm

Hooraayyyyy! I’ve been waiting for so long

Comment from Peter Vlasveld
Date: November 18, 2008, 2:42 pm

good start to the fifth season. keep it up!

Comment from Ryan Shevlin
Date: November 18, 2008, 2:46 pm

Hooray for the Berkeley Bowl! I live right behind it. No Zazz apples right now, but they have Jazz. Just don’t sample the fruit or you could end up banned for life.

Comment from Richard Card
Date: November 18, 2008, 3:09 pm

I opened my itunes today, AND there was a new Radio Lab… thank you for season 5

Comment from Bryan
Date: November 18, 2008, 3:18 pm

love it.

Comment from Eric Allam
Date: November 18, 2008, 4:06 pm

Jose E. Rodriguez, I am going to have to respectfully disagree with your assertion that emotion is counterproductive. As the episode show its really this tug-o-war between the new “rational” brain and the old “emotional” brain. I do agree that maybe they could have used a better example to show what someone with a pure “rational” brain would be like. It reminds me of I, Robot (movie version, caution spoilers ahead), in which the entirely “rational” robot chose to save Will Smith’s character instead of the little girl because it had rationally calculated his chances of survival to be higher than the girls. Because of this very inhuman action by the robot, Spooner ends up hating the robots because they are poor decision makers. Any human would have chose the little girl without thinking, and this, to most humans, would have been considered the correct choice.

Comment from Jes Sanders
Date: November 18, 2008, 4:10 pm

Pardon me, but around the 2:40 minute mark, at the end of the introduction, did Jad actually say, Stay with us . . . bitches.” Did I hear that right? What’s that all about?

Comment from Erika Barber
Date: November 18, 2008, 4:41 pm

Yes, I believe, you are correct. I came here to check and see if I needed to have my head, and er, ears checked. Also, notice…Apples and Pears vs. Apples and Oranges in the Oliver Sacks segment?

Comment from Wayne
Date: November 18, 2008, 4:52 pm

I thought I was the only one that felt the way they describe at the beginning with the college students being paralyzed with so many choices. I went through the same thing and it basically killed my college career. I felt like there was so much to do or to be or to try or to become. Hey this philosophy class is cool maybe I should major in that, but hey I also like this art program over here, but I might want to learn to play an instrument over there, or hey writing is fun, or on and on and on. That same sense of missing out on all of these other things because you pick just one or two.

Personally, I have a hard time dealing with a lot of modernity for this same reason. Just too much, way too fast. You cant keep up and will never be able to. They touched on this in the Time episode with the artist that lives completely in the 19th century.

I don’t know. Anyone else?

Comment from Joe
Date: November 18, 2008, 6:18 pm

Did anyone else get depressed thinking about how easily the “rational” part of our brains get fatigued? That, and the whole “priming” thing. Altogether very depressing. I wonder just what the actual limits are in those areas. I feel like they barely scratched the surface in this show.

Comment from Evan
Date: November 18, 2008, 10:00 pm

Really great episode. I loved Malcolm Gladwell’s part. A lot of what he said was said and explored was also in his book, Blink. Great book. Great episode too. And I find it hilarious that Jad totally called us bitches

Comment from One Of Jad’s Bitches
Date: November 18, 2008, 10:04 pm

Ha! I love it. And yes, I was suprised, but hey, I guess if the shoe fits… I’ve listened to the whole show twice already.

Comment from Nina
Date: November 18, 2008, 10:10 pm

I was thrilled to see a new episode in my iTunes, but I was somewhat disappointed by Choice.

I felt that it:
-featured fewer scientists and more pop science writers
-didn’t let me into complex, surprising science that I hadn’t intersected in other media channels (though the gambling story was fascinating!)
-featured only male guests. This drives me nuts.
-had less of elegance and more gimmicks in the audio effects

I’m still hoping to love the rest of the season, as I have all the content to date. This one won’t be an episode I choose to listen to again.

Comment from Joseph K
Date: November 18, 2008, 10:43 pm

Hah! ‘Bitches.’ Totally missed that. Had to check it again.

Lovely to have you guys back. As usual the fact that there’s only an hour frustrates the hell out of me because my anticipation for the next segment is higher every time one wraps up!

Comment from Jonathan
Date: November 18, 2008, 10:51 pm

Oh my god he DID say bitches! I heard it before, I could have sworn he said bitches and decided he must have said “if you choose”. But I just listened again and he DEFINITELY says “bitches.”

Wow.

Comment from Jacob Poulsen
Date: November 18, 2008, 11:59 pm

Loved the bitches!

Comment from Sam
Date: November 19, 2008, 12:05 am

Hooray New Radiolab! I share this show with everyone I know.

BUT I have 2 comments on this one.

1.It was a good example of burning your logic out with the apple choices, but it was completely by chance on both accounts and therefore the outcome was also random. On another day you might have made the right choice of apple. I think it might have been inferred that thinking it out too much will lead ultimately to a poor choice.

2. YOU CANT LEAVE US WITH A CLIFF HANGER “Conscience Will is an Illusion”

Right, Next Episode you do has to be on the Illusion of Conscience Will. The Book you mentioned at the end…Chapter 1 “Illusion” will give you plenty of Material to work with.

Thanks SO much!

Comment from Anna
Date: November 19, 2008, 1:55 am

I just started listening to Choice while addressing college applications. Oh, is it eery.

Comment from D
Date: November 19, 2008, 8:03 am

I nearly choked to death from laughing at the ‘bitches’ bit. More unexpected profanity please.

Great episode - as good as ever.

Would love to find out more about how people make/don’t make their choices after leaving college - that was the hardest part of my life.

Comment from Yas
Date: November 19, 2008, 11:50 am

I loved this episode. I found it both fascinating and disturbing, which is what good radio has the power to do.

I definitely wanted to hear more about the idea that conscious will is an illusion, and I’m excited to read more into it. It brings up a lot of questions. What if free will doesn’t exist? How much control do we even have? We must live with the assumption that we do have free will, but if we don’t, would it be possible for us to comprehend that? Would knowing the truth (of our lack of free will) be worth the horrible, helpless, meaningless feeling that accompanies that realization? And after listening to an episode like this one, how does one shake that feeling?

Thanks for the thought provoking episode… bitches!

Comment from Elizabeth GM
Date: November 19, 2008, 12:42 pm

I loved the show, though I’ve heard a lot of this material about choice in other contexts. The segment with Oliver Sacks was wonderfully funny. (I defy anyone not to laugh out loud when Robert Krulwich and Oliver Sacks are laughing simultaneously in your ear. Or when you try to imagine Sacks barfing up kidneys.)

But “stay with us, bitches”? That neither rang true nor did I think it was cool.

Comment from Clearlyhere
Date: November 19, 2008, 12:45 pm

Choices?

People can CHOOSE to be Gay, Straight, Bi? Wrong at 2:34

Really? I believe the angst of those decisions is whether hide it from everyone else or to be Out of the Closet. People in the past were wracked with guilt and pain from their sexual orientation. It isn’t a choice no matter what the religous institution say.

Comment from David G
Date: November 19, 2008, 3:48 pm

Oh.My.God. I just fell in love with Jad for calling us bitches! I will listen to him say that phrase no less than 30 more times.

I love you bitch!

Comment from Connor Walsh
Date: November 19, 2008, 4:04 pm

Re the sexuality bit, I took it to be referring to available (implied easily available) choices of lifestyle.

Comment from Jessica
Date: November 19, 2008, 4:15 pm

Yow, we’re all Jad’s bitches! That made me do an aural double-take. I’m so glad your show is back and the new season is underway. The Changes episode was, as usual, compelling and interesting, but it also reminded me of some salient points for my line of work (human factors). Thanks for producing such a fantastic show and I can’t wait for next week!

Comment from Jessica
Date: November 19, 2008, 4:15 pm

Er. Choices, not changes. Duh.

Comment from Radu
Date: November 19, 2008, 6:10 pm

Eh, I don’t know about you, but I only listened to it once, noticed how amazingly fast my brain picked up this ‘fluke’ in the recording, and moved on. I stand corrected, I am nobody’s bitch. Have some dignity, will’ya?
Looking forward to future shows, all fantastic work.

Comment from Anonymous
Date: November 19, 2008, 6:16 pm

Oh man, I gotta disagree with some parts of this show. First of all, when the test subject chooses the cake, why is that presented as an emotional decision, of the ID overruling the rational, self-preserving superego? That’s one possible explanation, but to me it seems more likely that the when the brain in working harder (remembering seven digits), the need for energy increases, and simple sugars provide the quickest route to that. Obviously this is just a hypothesis, but it’s backed by the data just as strongly as the interpretation given in the podcast(unless the researchers did other work that isn’t presented here).

As for the apple choice….well, how is size, price, and skin color related to quality in fruits? It’s not, really (not across species anyway), so Jad was using entirely the wrong metrics to make his choice.

So while this episode is interesting so far, it’s not even close to being scientific.

Comment from Melisa
Date: November 19, 2008, 6:40 pm

Loved the show! Exquisitely made, as always. Had to whip out a paper and pencil and draw little charts with my own summary of what was discussed. That dense, and that delicious.
Left me thinking, ok, why did Jad call us bitches, I kinda liked it, and who the hell is at my drivers seat? Brings a different perspective to awakening the conscious mind. Is there one? Lets ask the observer. Thank you guys!

Comment from Jordan
Date: November 19, 2008, 6:45 pm

In regards to the sexuality choice comments. I don’t think they were saying that sexuality was a choice, rather that nowadays it is more acceptable to have a lifestyle other than heterosexuality. Perhaps their wording was wrong, but I doubt RadioLab meant to say it was a choice.

Otherwise, FASCINATING episode. I put this one on CD and gave it to one of my professors. Love it!

Comment from Jerry
Date: November 19, 2008, 7:22 pm

I love this show so much. If that makes me one of their ‘bitches’, so be it. haha

That had to be an accident, but I love it either way.

Comment from Dan
Date: November 20, 2008, 12:57 am

Great idea. I hate choice. Even my friends will tell you I hate Subway. I’ll end up screaming to the sub-maker: “The picture looks good. JUST GIVE ME WHAT’S IN THE PICTURE!” ’cause they always ask EXACTLY what you want on it. I end up ordering after my friends and having what they have.

It’s not quite on the level of “Elliot” though.

cheers.

Comment from Brock
Date: November 20, 2008, 11:17 am

@ Jeff -The “bitches” comment I think may have been Jad acknowledging a young listener demographic? perhaps? maybe?

This program is always full of welcome surprises.

Comment from jgl
Date: November 20, 2008, 6:29 pm

Welcome back, bitches. The season is off to a great start.

It occurred to me that possibly the thing with the coffee was a subliminal suggestion involving the guy’s name, JOE. As in CUP OF JOE, which never suggests an iced coffee but a piping hot cup.

Also it made me think of the drug dealing mom from the cable show WEEDS. You always see her drinking an iced latté out of a clear plastic cup, and somehow this seems a perfect prop to enhance her characterization as a MILF–which makes me wonder if JOE paired up with iced coffee introduced some low-level gender panic in the subjects.

Anyway keep edifying and entertaining, bitches.

Comment from Jo
Date: November 20, 2008, 8:05 pm

Maybe Jad would like one of the “Science: it works, bitches” t-shirts from xkcd (if he hasn’t already got one that is) http://store.xkcd.com/

I love the cartoons - http://xkcd.com/242/

Am going to enjoy the new podcast (yay!) at the weekend :)))

Comment from Sargun Dhillon
Date: November 20, 2008, 9:01 pm

Man, that was awesome, bitches.

I love what they’ve done with the audio. I’m looking forward to a new season of Radiolab.

Comment from Matt Slaven
Date: November 21, 2008, 4:22 pm

Good anecdotes, and production guys. I noticed the tamed down “WNYC” that was discussed this summer, too. I think you made a good compromise of keeping yourself and your listeners happy. It made me smile.

I personally thought the ‘bitches’ bit was funny, but I hope that part is edited out when its distributed to the NPR stations. I’m a big believer in getting the information and ideas you guys gather into as many minds as possible, and think adding ‘bitches’ only turns people away. I might be wrong though, so I guess the radio stations will let you know what feedback and listener ratings were after that moment..

And Wayne, you are not alone (as the show already proves). I have begun thinking this past year that the reason Americans choose to be distracted by so much entertainment is precisely because we are “the land of opportunity” - Too much opportunity - and it drives us mad thinking about what we should do, so we choose not to think about it. But then that disengages us from our surroundings and our selves, which is a disaster for everyone.

Comment from Shaun Oen
Date: November 21, 2008, 5:36 pm

I love this episode but, as others have lamented before, the disinteresting stuff was front loaded and the truly great things were at the end but not truly completed. It was a marvelous hint to be sure yet with no pay off I feel almost cheated. Blue balled bitch, as it were.

Jad, I love the bitches comment and when my girlfriend and I heard that when we were listening we had to stop the podcast until the laughter died down. Can we make a request for a continuation of the train of thought that we left off on at the end of Choices and explore the free will versus programing?

Comment from feinberg
Date: November 21, 2008, 6:38 pm

this is great. paradox of choice in america. being scared to make a decision is being scared to live.

i’m not personally overloaded with choices. i’m definitely over influenced. To many people to many voices…

Comment from daniel w
Date: November 22, 2008, 12:32 am

I’m pretty sure that you guys are missing the scope of this show. I figure with FCC hearings on profanity in the news lately, Radiolab is planting a seed. They are probably “priming” their audience for an upcoming episode on profanity or maybe the weight of words. I hope at least.

keep up the thought provoking shows.
love,
daniel

Comment from zac
Date: November 22, 2008, 1:14 am

I have found that when i rent two movies i never watch them. If i rent one movie i usually watch it that night or the next day. Now i know why.

Comment from tyger
Date: November 22, 2008, 4:30 pm

Apple-Pears (Li) are delicious!

Comment from michael
Date: November 23, 2008, 7:07 am

to both hosts: i love your show, am proselytizing in my native vienna, austria and already created a small circle of addtional fans of radio lab.

as to two little language excursions in your choice show:

au revoir does indeed NOT mean good-bye, but literally “to seeing (you) again” - same as in “arrivederci”: a rivedere ci: to seeing each other gain,

or in “Auf Wiedersehen” - same story: wieder sehen - to see again.

an, speaking (of) german: i liked your allusion to “Sturm und Drang”, literally “Tempest and Urge”. you will score even better if next time you pronounce it “Shtoorm” - true german!

again, i think it is the best science series i’ve ever heard on the radio, and i listen to a lot of them.
congrats!

Comment from Margaret
Date: November 23, 2008, 7:56 pm

From The Morning News:

Question 8: Although I laughed and found it very amusing… what’s up with you calling us bitches? Do feel your older listeners understood the joke or a little hope for riling them up?

Yeah, we wondered whether to include that or not. That happened late one night in the studio, after Krull and I had been bickering about something. We threw it in just for kicks. No offense intended! Bitches was meant lovingly.

Comment from jennifer
Date: November 23, 2008, 9:38 pm

Oh, my God! I had this conversation about too much choice with my best friend in high school a number of times once we got to college, and people started pressuring us to decide what our major was going to be, and what we wanted to be when we grew up. Nice to know there is scientific proof!

Comment from Zach
Date: November 24, 2008, 1:50 am

I literally laughed out loud when Chocolate Cake and Fruit Salad started arguing. Radiolab never disappoints in the sound department.

Comment from Eric Hanson
Date: November 24, 2008, 12:16 pm

I found a lot of comfort researching my book. Not just focusing on the work, but learning about the mistakes, missed chances, bad choices and subsequent reprieves of famous people in history. Doing something colossal and regretting it five minutes later. Stuff happens regardless. The most poignant moment in A Book of Ages is Albert Camus dying in a car accident with a train ticket in his pocket. Luckiest? Theodore Dreiser deciding tickets on the Titanic were too expensive. Still, Dreiser never wrote another great novel.

Comment from Lindsey
Date: November 24, 2008, 4:56 pm

This episode was great. I am always amazed how everything goes back to the emotional YOU and the rational YOU. (who isn’t bipolar!)

With regards to 7 + or - 2 the emotional and rational brain; this point made so much sense, it is no wonder that those who are stressed out with many things to do or on their mind may in fact be overweight due to the emotional attachment to food and the inability to deal with the underlying issues.
Similarly, the particular idea that gut feeling is an more like an average of all feelings - was an amazing concept.

BRAVO Radio Lab.

And I knew Bitches was said lovingly, besides Robert and Jad can do no wrong.

Comment from Jenn
Date: November 24, 2008, 5:40 pm

Hah! I just got online to leave a comment asking if Jad actually says, “Stay with us… bitches,” only to find that it’s been thoroughly discussed.

Comment from Terina
Date: November 25, 2008, 6:53 pm

I’ve been listening to the podcast for a couple years now, just went to the show in Chicago…fantastic… but I had to write to tell you how thrilled I was by Choice. My biggest pet peeve with people is that they can’t make decisions anymore. I’m always pushing my teenage nieces and nephew to make choices but they seem paralyzed by the pressure. I always ask, “what are you so afraid of?” and they can never answer. I worry if they can’t make these small decisions now, how will they ever survive in adulthood. Your show was enlightening, and I hope they choose to listen when I forward them the podcast. Great work!

Comment from Doug
Date: November 27, 2008, 2:55 am

Very interesting show. I conjure up the most fantastical thoughts and theories of reality and existence when I’m high on Marijuana. Coincidentally, I always choose the cake when I’m in that state. Perhaps there is a relation… And no, I’m not currently partaking.

Comment from Paul
Date: November 27, 2008, 8:16 am

Bitches, nice intro. Good to have you guys back. Great stuff, can’t wait for the next one.

FYI Jad, that apple you described, it’s actually a pear and it will taste much better when served cold. You should give it another go.

Comment from Mike House
Date: November 28, 2008, 12:42 am

Is it a mistake that this entire season is available as audio streams on the RLab website before they air? Is this just a special Thanksgiving gift to us fans? Seriously, everyone go check out the individual episode pages for Season 5, they’re all there!

Comment from Renshin Bunce
Date: November 28, 2008, 12:56 am

Very disappointed by the “stay with us, bitches.” I feel like you handed me a cold cup of coffee, right at the start of a fresh season.

Comment from Marc Naimark
Date: November 29, 2008, 7:18 am

“Rognons” are animal kidneys, the kinds that one eats. “Reins” are human kidneys, the kind that one doesn’t east. Unless one is a cannibal.

Comment from Marc Naimark
Date: November 29, 2008, 7:32 am

Michael is right about “au revoir”. “Adieu” is a definitive farewell. But in practice, “au revoir” is a pretty strong good-bye. You really wouldn’t use it to go to a break. I would translate “Let’s go to a break” as “et si on faisait une pause?”.

Comment from Marc Naimark
Date: November 29, 2008, 7:44 am

Heehee… Robert said “Dr Spock” instead of “Mr Spock”.

Comment from Stefan
Date: November 29, 2008, 3:32 pm

I agree with Anonymous above (Nov 19th) about the alternate explanation of the chocolate/fruit choice. In addition to the mental stimulant and energy benefits of cake, there may be an emotional component that goes as follows: “I’m working really hard here; if I have to interrupt my task to stop and pick a snack, I’ll at least reward myself.”

I think the idea of the brain at war with itself between emotion and rationality is simplistic and limited in its explanatory power. The emotions are informed by the prefrontal cortex, just as the prefrontal cortex is negotiating with emotional needs and impulses.

Comment from Janice in GA
Date: November 29, 2008, 7:57 pm

Y’all need a Twitter feed.

Just sayin’….

I love this show.

Comment from mary
Date: November 30, 2008, 12:33 am

I second the twitter suggestion!!

awesome show, as always! and the stay with us comment was a total LOL moment!

Comment from kai
Date: December 1, 2008, 3:35 am

i happen to think korean apple pears are delicious, and superior to all other apples.

Comment from Phil
Date: December 1, 2008, 5:16 pm

As usual superb radio and quite informative. There was, however, one teeny tiny issue. I am not a huge Star Trek fan. In fact I am just like most people who are familiar with the series–just passing time watching TV. During your section on “What if we had just a rational brain as opposed to not having emotions like a Vulcan would we be better off?” The problem is that you kept invoking Mr. Spock. As far as I can recall Mr. Spoke had a human Mother and did have emotions which he kept in check with his rational Vulcan self except there were times when he lost that ability and “succumbed.” So my point is Mr. Spock is not a good example. Mr. Spock is bi-species.

Comment from Rayna Hikman
Date: December 2, 2008, 10:11 pm

yes. jad called us bitches.
i was listening to the podcast on the train home and had to listen back, i didn’t believe it. i think it’s weird too. i mean, i get it, but i didn’t think they would use that term. i guess they are our friends. close friends.
i love it when robert says, “it has a surprise” when they discover the pear/apple anus. like he’s excited. i have renewed wonder when i hear that kind of delight.
thank you

Comment from dan
Date: December 2, 2008, 11:26 pm

I enjoy this podcast because the producers have amazing resources. They do a good job of putting everything together for laymen like myself. And I enjoy the experimentation with audio…But ‘bitches’? That was cynical and unnecessary. What are you, Jad, ODB? It would be one thing if you put that comment in context. (Were you priming us? Was this an example of a bad choice? Will you be surprising us in a future episode about the significance of your Comedy Central moment?) It would be one thing to do that on your own podcast, but you have some amazing people who work on this program, and there should be a line of decorum. This is the kind of thing that breaks morale and ruins reputations. It’s not clever or edgy, it’s just asinine. Now that I’ve written this, I’m going to listen and probably enjoy the rest of your programs.

Comment from alexandre van de sande
Date: December 3, 2008, 11:30 am

coming here to praise radiolab a bit since the episode 2 wasn’t that well received.

A radiolab with steven johnson AND malcom gladwell! good god!

I am the only one that think there is a constant “free will is an illusion” that runs on radiolab? I beg to disagree and I think I have chaos theory on my side.

Maybe radiolab should go medieval “free will” debate’s asses, but with a science approach. Newtoninan determinism vs chaos theory. Uncertainity principle vs Multiple universes. etc.

Comment from t
Date: December 4, 2008, 12:59 am

Oh Jad, you are breaking my heart. “Bitches” as a term of endearment for us? Gender biased insults are still demeaning to women and disrespectful to everyone. I can understand it slipped out in a moment of stress in the studio and it was meant to be funny and ironic, but it didn’t fit with the tone of the rest of the otherwise brilliant pod cast.

Comment from Tai
Date: December 4, 2008, 10:26 pm

This explains why my husband takes 6 years to order food and always ends up eating my choice. He never accepted the fact that I could go to a clothing store and in 5 minutes decide an outfit I like. ” why don’t you look around?” he always asks. “I like what I like” was always my answer and now its a legitamite one to him! Great story!
p.s. I love Berkeley bowl!

Comment from Jole
Date: December 5, 2008, 3:22 pm

Poor choice of terminology for the female sector Bucco!!!

Comment from Jole
Date: December 5, 2008, 3:33 pm

OK..Try this one.. A Bitch is a female dog…

Comment from Sharron
Date: December 5, 2008, 6:13 pm

Loved “Choices”. I haven’t laughed so hard in a long time…it reminded me of how great “talk” radio is. I grew up listening to the radio in the 50’s and still prefer it to TV. Everyone is having so much fun on RadioLab that it is contagious!!! Keep up the great work!

Comment from Paul Hilfinger
Date: December 6, 2008, 6:42 pm

I have to agree with previous doubts about the arguments against “purely rational” behavior. Where a decision is necessary within some period of time, it is irrational to let a search for logical perfection prevent that decision. Chess-playing programs, for example, don’t routinely run out their clocks trying to find the perfect move, because they are programmed rationally to take into account that a time limit is part of the rules. When time considerations require a decision, they will take the best they’ve found so far.

Comment from stanley dorn
Date: December 8, 2008, 4:46 pm

The topic is interesting but I had to turn it off because Jad and maybe particularly Robert are microscopically controlling in how they let the listener have the experience (and now Mike Peska is doing the same thing. The effect for me is that they are as impressed by their own thought processes they are in the story itself. Perhaps this is unintentional but I feel like saying “Just tell me, already!” Sorry but its like trying to getaway from a self-involved person who has buttonholed you at a party.

Comment from Rachel
Date: December 8, 2008, 11:18 pm

As an architect I deal with an innordinate amount of choice in my daily life. If you have a hard time at the grocery store, you wouldn’t imagine the amount of choice available in building construction and design. So - I have two comments:
1) To counteract my work related choices, I simplify my life choices - I LOVE grocery stores like Lidle and Fresh and Easy. I modify my palate to match their options and live wonderfully.
2) Three is the perfect number.Clients, Bosses, and even Employees. Give them three choices and only three choices. They are thrilled while you look thoughtful yet organized - it’s a win win situation.

Comment from Dan J.
Date: December 10, 2008, 10:31 pm

The show closes up with the idea that we are not in charge of all of our individual choices. Run with that idea for a moment. This mean that individual choices are ruled by society. Which makes sense. Earlier in the show one researcher describes US societal preference of Whites over Blacks. Still it isn’t all that interesting, so run the idea out further. Society is an organism that makes choices. I will suppose that while each individual choice I make may be ruled by society, I get to guide the overall thrust of the ensemble of my decisions. My mind interacts with the Mind of Society, charting my course either with the current or against the current depending on the bent of my tiller.

So far only mildly interesting. But think about the vast tracts of text that look at how each of us must reform ourselves to bring about a satisfactory world. Bibles, Korans, Bagivad Ghita, Buhhidist texts that set out rules which best govern the individual to create a just society. Easy to write because each individual writer knows his or her person best.

I would wish for a text that explains the rules of the society itself. What would the text look like that explains how the societal origanism must be origanized? How must that Society think? What should drive its decisions?

Is it possible to write a Bible class text on this topic?

Comment from TJH
Date: December 12, 2008, 1:25 pm

The ‘bitches’ thing is stupid. Either you want to be taken seriously or you want to pander to ‘youngsters’ by using whatever jive talk you think is hip.
I would strive to be taken seriously. Your audience is smart enough, act like it.

Comment from Dominick
Date: December 14, 2008, 3:32 am

This was so, so, so amazing. Love the show, guys.

Comment from Rachael
Date: December 15, 2008, 1:56 am

Huh. While I’m not offended by the “bitches” comment, it just doesn’t seem to fit. The show is just smarter than that. I mean, WTF, right? I’m disappointed to find out it was just an impulsive gag rather than a plant for a future show…

Regardless, Radio Lab is still my favorite NPR show, hands down. Thanks guys for the incredible work that you do.

Comment from clark
Date: December 16, 2008, 11:11 am

Great show! Makes me think of a recent podcast (I think NeuroPod?) that mentioned the brain shows activity up to 7 seconds prior to consciously making a decision/choice -
(covered in Wired: http://www.wired.com/science/discoveries/news/2008/04/mind_decision) and (http://www.mindhacks.com/blog/2008/04/neuroweapons_war_cr.html)

Welcome, back, RL hoes!

Comment from jeff
Date: December 17, 2008, 7:38 pm

I was surprised at the insinuation at the opening of the show that one has a choice about sexual preference.

Comment from Scott
Date: December 29, 2008, 4:04 pm

I love every episode. I was curious about the “JOE” experiment. They never mentioned the temperature outside on the day/s of the experiment. Presumably it was cold outside. I wonder if on a hot day, a cold cup would have a similar effect? Maybe this seems like a small point, but I don’t think so. I tend to get annoyed when told, basically, that I don’t have free will… Thoughts?

Comment from Renshin Bunce
Date: January 5, 2009, 3:10 pm

Does Jad read this stuff? I also looked at the post-show feedback and saw nothing there. I’d really like to get a response to the comments on his calling his listeners “bitches.” The negative feeling it left in me has remained as I listen to subsequent RadioLab podcasts. It’s very disappointing.

Comment from pat grady
Date: February 14, 2009, 8:23 pm

this show is wonderful.

my radio affiliate is airing RadioLab while the host of fresh air in on vacation. hearing 1 episode on the way home from work, i made sure when i got home to hop on the computer and subscribe to their podcasts.

i just listened to “the obama effect” podcast and i learned that the “bitches” thing in “choice” was a problem. regretfully, i haven’t bothered to read any of the posts above me. i’m quite through with trolling message boards and forums, but this envokes a very personal feeling i have concerning this issue.

it was funny. i quite literally laughed out loud when that segment ended. i happen to identify with a culture that quite frequently uses vulgarities as terms of endearment toward those you care about. it’s strange, but the evolution of language is a strange thing sometimes.

people have every right to be angry. but i would like to point out something that this show covered in the “choice” episode.

at the 47 minute mark of the episode, there is a man speaking of focus groups.
at the end of his thought he states, “the only reason these shows make it on the air is that somebody at some point said, ‘you know what, ignore that stuff. i like it.’”

at some point you have to recognize that what you’re doing is a form of art, and you are free to exercise artistic liberty in producing the show.

it matters less if what you did was right compared to having the right to do it. you do have that right, and sometimes “just ignor[ing] that stuff” is the right to do.

;-Pat

Comment from Karl
Date: April 6, 2009, 3:34 pm

I’ve been catching up on RadioLab podcasts this month and heard the “bitches” line last week. After hearing the apology today and finding the controversy in the comments here I have to support Jad, at least partially.

While I was a little shocked to hear the word (and backed up the track to be sure), it was not that I was offended, merely surprised at this atypical vocabulary for the context. We have a *choice* of whether we are going to obey the statement “Stay with us …”, but we aren’t *really* going to stop listening. We are slaves to our desire to listen to quality programs such as this, hence we are Jad & Robert’s bitches in the current slang use of the term. Perhaps that’s deeper than the thought that actually went into it at the time, but many decisions are influenced by the subconscious, aren’t they?

Comment from jkeegan
Date: April 10, 2009, 12:55 am

this forum somewhat goes in different directions itself, in a good way of course. one road is the best choice and the other road is the worst.

Comment from TCM
Date: May 31, 2009, 10:16 pm

Just take the road less traveled