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After we released our show about Stochasticity, we received a lot of comments about the idea humans can be just as predictable as coins. In that show, Jonah Lehrer was telling us about a study on the 82-83 76ers, and he was saying that even when a basketball player is supposedly hot – really on a streak – he is no more likely to make his next shot that any other time. Basketball players are slaves to their averages. Well, it turns out this isn’t the whole story.

In fact, right before we released the show, Jad got a call from Steve Strogatz, a mathematician from Cornell University.

After talking to Steve, we turn to neuroscientist Paul Glimcher, as he and Gregory Warner explore whether the little choices we make every day are predictable or not.

Steve Strogatz’s new book, “The Calculus of Friendship”
Photo credit: Flickr/ICMA

Radiolab is doing something new in our podcasts. Starting with this podcast, we will be releasing our hour-long episodes on a regular, rhythmic schedule. Between each episode, you will get two podcasts that follow some detour or left turn, explore music we love, take you to live events, and generally try to shake up your universe.

This hour, Radiolab examines Stochasticity, which is just a wonderfully slippery and smarty-pants word for randomness. How big a role does randomness play in our lives? Do we live in a world of magic and meaning or … is it all just chance and happenstance? To tackle this question, we look at the role chance and randomness play in sports, lottery tickets, and even the cells in our own body. Along the way, we talk to a woman suddenly consumed by a frenzied gambling addiction, two friends whose meeting seems purely providential, and some very noisy bacteria.

photo credit: flickr/Etherhill

We have a special bonus this week to accompany our Stochasticity episode. We asked our friends, Higher Mammals to produce a song and video for our Stochasticity show. We hope you find it completely Random!

Higher Mammals features Josh Kurz and Shane Winter, with additional vocals from Jason Major, Kendra May, and Wendy Roderweiss.

Photo credit: Flickr/Ramen Junkie

This week on the podcast we take a look at four unconventional ways to stay alive. We talk to geneticist George Church, who originally appeared in our So Called Life Show, biologist Bernd Heinrich, neuroscientist David Eagleman, and finally, we visit a CPR class.

You can also check out Bernd Heinrich’s most recent book, “Summer World“

On May 6th, at WNYC’s new Jerome L. Greene Performance Space, we opened up an age old can of worms. Jad and Robert faced off over which medium is superior — television or radio. This American Life’s Ira Glass was the referee. There were stunning jabs, wicked uppercuts, and even the occasional low blow.

In TV’s corner, Robert “The Krusher” Krulwich hit hard with stunning video images, but audio-savant Jad “Boom Boom” Abumrad pounded his opponent with the power of sound. The bout went five hard rounds and had to go to the cards for a decision. Tears were shed, and after a short intermission Jad and Robert sat down with Ira to discuss the challenges of working in both TV and Radio.

Sometimes on the podcast we like to talk about musicians and the music they make. This podcast we want to introduce you to Juana Molina. Last season we used some of her of music in the breaks for the Sperm show. We received an outpouring of email asking about her music, so this podcast is for those curious listeners who wrote in and for those who haven’t heard about her … until now.

Juana Molina’s official site
photo credit Flickr/malu teodoro

OK. Maybe you’re in your desk chair. You’re in your office. You’re in New York, or Detroit, or Timbuktu. You’re on planet Earth.

But where are you, really?

Radio Lab tries to find out where you are. This hour: stories of people whose brains and bodies have lost each other. We ask how does your brain keep track of your body? We’ll examine the bond between brain and body and look at what happens when it breaks. We begin with a century-old mystery: why do many amputees still feel their missing limbs? We speak with a neuroscientist who solved the problem with a magician’s trick: an optical illusion. We continue with the story of a butcher who suddenly lost his entire sense of touch. And we hear from pilots who lose consciousness and suffer out-of-body experiences while flying fighter jets.

photo credit Flickr/montwerx

Here at Radiolab we explore big ideas and ask big questions to see how the world works. To do that, we often talk to scientists who are trying to answer those questions by doing experiments and gathering data. But there are some questions that don’t give in to experiments and data. And with Easter and Passover around the corner, we decided to take on one of those questions, not through science, but through a story.

Photo credit: Flickr/Dan Larsen

Can you make your own universe? We usually think of the universe as “everything that exists,” so how could you make another one? Well, physicists have been speculating about the existence of multiple universes for some time now. And for Robert, the obvious next question was: “Can we make one?” So he invited physicist Brian Greene to his kitchen to speculate about just that. And it turns out, it’s not such a far-fetched idea. There are scientists right now trying to figure out whether it’s possible and what it would take. According to Brian, it would require a tiny black hole, a dash of reverse-gravity, and a lot of luck. But the laws of physics don’t rule it out.

Photo credit: Flickr/charmaine

How are your New Year’s resolutions holding out? This might at least help you feel better about them. Psychologist Walter Mischel explains how one little test involving a marshmallow might tell you a frightening amount about what kind of person you are. And Radio Lab favorite Jonah Lehrer helps us make sense of the results. This one’s all about our will power (or lack thereof).

Check out ABC’s reenactment of the marshmallow experiment