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Show overview

Humankind on Public Radio has been publishing since 2015, and across the 11 years since has built a catalogue of 89 episodes. That works out to roughly 40 hours of audio in total. Releases follow a roughly quarterly cadence.

Episodes typically run twenty to thirty-five minutes — most land between 29 min and 30 min — and the run-time is fairly consistent across the catalogue. None of the episodes are flagged explicit by the publisher. It is catalogued as a EN-US-language Society & Culture show.

The show is actively publishing — the most recent episode landed 5 days ago, with 27 episodes already out so far this year. The busiest year was 2026, with 27 episodes published. Published by David Freudberg.

Episodes
89
Running
2015–2026 · 11y
Median length
30 min
Cadence
Quarterly-ish

From the publisher

Weekly podcast from public radio’s award-winning program Humankind

Latest Episodes

View all 89 episodes

Home Cooking

Jun 25, 202629 min

Income Inequality

Jun 18, 202629 min

Generous Giving

Jun 11, 202629 min

Journey of the Deaf-Blind

Jun 4, 202629 min

Culture of Distraction

May 28, 202629 min

Aging in Community, Pt4

May 21, 202625 min

Ahead of His Time, Charles Sumner, Pt2

May 18, 202627 min

Aging in Community, Pt3

May 14, 202628 min

Ahead of His Time: The Story of Charles Sumner, Pt1

May 11, 202626 min

Mattie Stepanek’s Heartsong

May 7, 202629 min

First Responders

Apr 30, 202635 min

Streetworkers

Apr 23, 202629 min

Mothers Out Front

Apr 16, 202629 min

The Placebo Effect

Apr 9, 202629 min

Words of War and Peace

Author Cynthia Wachtell describes contrasting views of war in American literature, including the Civil War reflections of Walt Whitman and the fervent anti-war beliefs expressed by Mark Twain in several works. To see additional resources and our other programs, please visit humanmedia.org . Humankind specials are heard on NPR and PRX member-stations, in association with GBH Boston.

Apr 2, 202629 min

Hospice Doc Joel Bauman

In this documentary we enter a rich dialogue with Joel Bauman, a remarkably gifted physician, trained in care for the elderly. He describes the special needs of palliative care for hospice patients, who have shifted from seeking a cure (which may no longer be realistic) to relief of symptoms and distress, as life draws to a close. To see additional resources and our other programs, please visit humanmedia.org . Humankind specials are heard on NPR and PRX member-stations, in association with GBH Boston.

Mar 26, 202629 min

Barely Getting By, Pt2

In a country as wealthy as the United States, “working poor” should be a contradiction in terms. But tens of millions of Americans fall into that category, affecting a growing population of children. To see additional resources and our other programs, please visit humanmedia.org . Humankind specials are heard on NPR and PRX member-stations, in association with GBH Boston.

Mar 19, 202629 min

Books to Prisoners

The Prisoners Literature Project, an all-volunteer service based in Berkeley, California, packages and ships books to people who are incarcerated, as a humanitarian gesture and one that helps inmates prepare for re-entry into society. To see additional resources and our other programs, please visit humanmedia.org . Humankind specials are heard on NPR and PRX member-stations, in association with GBH Boston.

Mar 12, 202629 min

Answering the Need, Pt2

Years into an uneven economic recovery throughout the United States, more and more Americans will be relying on the good will of their neighbors. When and how to help people in poverty is an ancient ethical question. But in most cases, there remains a wall between the poor and everyone else. This documentary examines why people decide to offer their time and money to answer the need. To see additional resources and our other programs, please visit humanmedia.org . Humankind specials are heard on NPR and PRX member-stations, in association with GBH Boston.

Mar 5, 2026

Answering the Need, Pt1

With the tightening economy, increased middle class anxiety, home foreclosures and lengthening lines at soup kitchens throughout the United States, more and more and more Americans will be relying on the good will of their neighbors. This documentary examines why people decide to offer their time and money to answer the need. To see additional resources and our other programs, please visit humanmedia.org . Humankind specials are heard on NPR and PRX member-stations, in association with GBH Boston.

Feb 26, 2026
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