State of the Human

After an accident left Becca with a skull fracture and concussion, she turned to an unlikely form of play to pick up the pieces. Interview with: Becca Taylor Producers: Arun Chhetri, Nardos Demilew, Gracielly Abreu, and Carolyn Stein Narration: Nardos Demilew

After years of discipline and structure, Adesuwa takes a day off from productivity to remember how to have fun. Producer: Adesuwa Agbonile Host: Jacob Matlof

As a pediatric neuro-oncologist, Dr. Paul Fisher works with children fighting brain cancer. In this episode, he shares how invisible skills like empathy and human connection are central to his medical practice. Producer: Alex Strong

Viva Donohoe always saw her grandmother as the archetype of a sophisticated woman, modeled in the spirit of iconic country singer Patsy Cline. But an investigation into Cline’s life leads Viva to discover hidden truths about her grandmother and the woman she modeled herself after. Story By: Viva Donohoe Producers: Viva Donahoe, Eva Sanez, Ana De Almeida Amaral Music: Internet Archive

In today’s episode, Sarah Lewis reads “Willies on West 79th,” a strangely moving tale about love, body dysmorphia, and why a rat ballet company might be the most honest place in New York. Producers Arun Chhetri Sarah Lewis Alex Strong Story by: Sarah Lewis Music by: Blue Dot Sessions

In today’s episode, Wallace Stegner Fellow Zach Williams reads his surreal story “Mousetraps,” where a simple errand spirals into a disorienting interrogation of masculinity, guilt, and moral performance. Producers Arun Chhetri Zach Williams Isabelle Edgar Story by: Zach Williams Music by: Blue Dot Sessions

As an added bonus to our Invisibility series, we’re including conversations with the creators who made them to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the craft of audio storytelling. In this episode, Alex Strong talks with Langston Buddenhagen, the creator of New Flowers, the first story in our Invisibility series.

Langston Buddenhagen takes us to Ethiopia's capital city of Addis Ababa in order to explore how neighborhoods change and what that change means. In the process, Langston explores how his mixed racial identity dovetails into these same issues, and how is own hometown - Oakland, California - is changing too.

We all know what it's like to sense something unspoken in a conversation—the hesitation, the sharpness, the softness. It's not the words, but how they're said. This episode, we explore the invisible language of emotional prosody—the tone, rhythm, and subtle cues in our voices that reveal how we feel, often without us realizing it.

Alana Esposito and Alex Strong to discuss the process behind how A Foot in Both Worlds came to be. Producers: Alana Esposito, Alex Strong

Paul Calvo has always been ambitious, but he hasn't always been on the right side of the tracks. This is his story. Producer: Alex Strong. Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Sounds by Free Sounds.

Paul Calvo has always been ambitious, but he hasn't always been on the right side of the tracks. This is his story. Producer: Alex Strong. Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Sounds by Free Sounds.

A group of Stanford alumni recall their time in undergrad climbing buildings on campus – and the way it permanently altered their lives. Producer: Alana Esposito Music from Blue Dot Sessions

When a group of students stumbles upon a mysterious plaque hidden beneath an oak tree, a late-night discovery turns into a real-time detective story. Their search for answers uncovers a decades-old secret, and a story that’s both forgotten and unforgettable. Producers Arun Chhetri: Host, producer, sound design With Will Briger & Henry Segal --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Guests Gloria Gatlin: Stanford Alumni and Wife of Thane Plambeck. Gloria was the first person to respond to our email and put us on the right track. Christopher Wright: Key conspirator of the Wright K. Sexton Memorial Park. Chris runs a nonprofit organization called EarlyFamilyMath.com. https://www.earlyfamilymath.org/ Harlan Sexton: Key conspirator and placer of the Wright K. Sexton Memorial Park. References 99% Invisible, Always Read the Plaque https://99percentinvisible.org/article/always-read-plaque-mapping-10000-global-markers-memorials/ Music Temperance by <a href="https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/236965">Blue Dot Sessions</a> Sunday Lights by <a href="https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/224308">Blue Dot Sessions</a> Delicates by <a href="https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/315806">Blue Dot Sessions</a> La Naranja Borriana by <a href="https://app.sessions.blue/browse/track/315809">Blue Dot Sessions</a> Underground River - opening version: https://open.spotify.com/track/0tcYwM7XS8TFVXJTSEtAnZ?si=2a722c801c7048a9 Fedora Shadow: https://open.spotify.com/track/21DCkITafCkCY5Jhg4UoL0?si=4247e1ae23a945d5 I was only temporary: https://open.spotify.com/track/4XAilWzhZM0uyR4vtERfHi?si=9b66f4dc7fda4280 Nothing Burns Like the Cold: https://open.spotify.com/track/6G0KITyDe4EQREYyuVQmOn?si=61c253d1f8844efe Private Investigator: https://open.spotify.com/track/7zHhpvu59OKXDG51LsXLTq?si=e88ac5ca10bb4af3 Night on the Docks: https://open.spotify.com/track/0obm7Lz78514LAWNm3hpOd?si=9251d9ccfeb24835 Swing on Her Shoes Movement II: https://open.spotify.com/track/41WpQ6DMoSIn8SpNyAE1xq?si=78f02c1335b245ed Midna’s Theme: https://open.spotify.com/track/0PQLT15vJCcGdNpnSqcmj1?si=310819f23ec44d48 China Town Suite: https://open.spotify.com/track/0cUfeQ0khjHHqQmUI5cVHr?si=f17eb431ea25426e Gumshoe Blues: https://open.spotify.com/track/6A7pxkpK5rCvFVDs855z4Q?si=66e586f7d11e4213 Mister Kiss Kiss Bang Bang - Remastered: https://open.spotify.com/track/72IhFCBLDSHmcW64vN2FTH?si=9c2a027ebd3e4e77 Turning Pages: https://open.spotify.com/track/0ZjdWu99IncSGTqskVN3Hw?si=12237ce49e2c406f Quai De Seine: https://open.spotify.com/track/45OgwuM747T76J3LUgINOn?si=f598b6f9a83c4719

What would you do for the sake of a story? In this live story, recorded at the 2024 Senior Story Slam, Alina Wilson shares the story that spawned this series on Nakedness for State of the Human.

Growing up with Indian immigrant parents in a Wyoming college town, Aru was used to the tension of what her parents expected her to be and the person she was actually becoming. In this story, recorded at First Person Story in April of 2024, Aru takes the risk of emotional nakedness with her mom–even though it may leave her feeling exposed. www.firstpersonstory.org www.storytelling.stanford.edu

Being naked–or seeing others naked–can evoke a firestorm of emotions . . . everything from freedom to vulnerability to sensuality to shame. In three stories pulled from the Storytelling Project archives (created in 2012) we explore the glory and grit of stripping down.

Destiny Cunningham learned shame early. The comments that teachers, church leaders, and other kids made about her body led her to wear clothes like armor, hiding herself from others so she wouldn't be noticed. Years later, Destiny and her friends decide to visit a nudist retreat in the hopes that she'll learn how to become naked without feeling exposed.

“Back to the Garden” tells the story of an organic farming couple, Jose and Rich, who are committed to sustaining the environment . . . and who don't believe in climate change. This episode explores how that dissonance might be possible, the power of language, and whether or not the term "climate change" will help save the planet. Produced by Anna McNulty, Shameeka Wilson, and Laura Joyce Davis.

Max Du is so obsessed with whales that his childhood friends call him Orca Boy. But when a SeaWorld trainer named Dawn is killed by an orca and there's public backlash against SeaWorld, his love for whales turns to shame. Years later he meets a whale trainer named Lyndsey, who was Dawn’s best friend. As Max and Lyndsey learn together the complicated dance of grief, loss, and healing, they find in their friendship a way to reclaim a part of themselves they thought was lost. This story was produced by Max Du and Carolyn Stein with support from Laura Joyce Davis and the Stanford Storytelling Project. Max Du is a computer science Ph.D. student and Knight-Hennessy Scholar at Stanford University. By night, he is a writer interested in immigrant experiences and the human-animal relationship. In addition to working on pieces for the Storytelling Project, he is currently doing fieldwork for a non-fiction book that features the oral histories of whale & dolphin trainers. When he’s not wrangling robots or making friends with whale trainers, Max also enjoys improvising on the piano and listening to Jimmy Buffet.

In this story about connection outside the bounds of physical space, time, and life experience, an unlikely friendship buds during uncertain times. Producer: Anastasia Sotiropoulos Featuring: Adamu Chan, Michelle Chang, and Anastasia Sotiropoulos Referenced research: “State can be held liable for San Quentin COVID deaths, court rules,” https://www.sfchronicle.com/politics/article/covid-liability-prisons-18404372.php “Another San Quentin Inmate Dies From COVID-19 Complications, CDCR Says,” https://youtu.be/3Tp--1L-5Gg?si=TAkNg0O9ZRkmOKhu “Court Orders Immediate Release Or Transfer 1,700 San Quentin Prison Inmates Over Virus Outbreak,” https://youtu.be/UX-h-QkTPSs?si=hQXeIxFTv9MIptjO Music by Blue Dot Sessions, tracks listed below: The Gran Dias, Highway 430, KeoKeo, For We Shall Know Speed, Scarlett Overpass, Valantis Vespers, Trenton Channel, Shepman, Hermes Gray, Pulse, JR Nara, Footsteps on Alden, A Little Powder, Gothrd

Carolyn Stein grew up with music like Avril Lavigne and The Marianas Trench – classic, trashy pop punk. But she never considered herself much of a punk rocker, until she took a little trip to the East Bay to a tiny venue called 924 Gilman Street. But soon after Carolyn discovers this venue, she learns that it may be at risk of closing. What will be lost if this venue closes? Welcome to Paradise was produced by Carolyn Stein, Ana De Almeida Amaral, and Max Du, with support from Laura Joyce Davis and the Stanford Storytelling Project.

Whether you have a tattoo or not, we are all familiar with the stigmas that are commonly held against tattoos. Where does this aversion come from? What do these taboos say about history? What do they say about us? In this story, Keoni Rodriguez shares how his tattoos helped him reclaim his indigenous Hawaiian heritage, connect with his ancestors, and begin to heal a history of colonialism and erasure. Tattoos and Taboos was produced by Ana De Almeida Amaral, Natasha Charfauros, Mikayla An-Yee Chen, & Chloe Gabrielle Mendoza, with support from Laura Joyce Davis and the Stanford Storytelling Project. A special thank you to Keoni Rodriguez for sharing his story with us.

Alina Wilson and Alex Strong sit down with Kaitlyn Auth and Charlie Darracott for a story craft conversation about the story behind creating Keep Stanford Wrestling.

In the spring of 2020, Stanford University made the decision to cut 11 of their varsity teams due to financial issues and lack of success. This episode follows the men’s wrestling team and their coaches in the months following the decision to cut their team as they navigate the challenges of fighting for their spot back.

As an added bonus to our Reclaiming series, we’re including conversations with the creators who made them to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the craft of audio storytelling. In this episode, Alex Strong talks with Aru Nair, the creator of Journey Through Generations, the second story in our Reclaiming series.

In this episode, the 2nd in our Reclaiming What's Been Lost series, Aru Nair goes on a journey to India to understand how oral tradition preserves cultures. But when a surprise trip to her father's home town shows her a side if him she's never seen, she emerges with a new understanding of how the stories we tell shape the people we become.

Little Tokyo is a small neighborhood in Downtown Los Angeles. Since 1905, it has been home to generations of Japanese Americans. Today, gentrification is threatening to destroy everything these families have built. This episode tells the story of one community's struggle for survival and the ways in which historical development has both fractured and solidified its people. For some, home is a bed one sleeps in. For us, home is Little Tokyo.

Eating is one of life’s great pleasures, but what about the pleasures that come with sharing your food with others? In this episode, we’re looking at how the act of feeding can bring people together. We’ll hear the tale of an unlikely pet, a meditation on cannibalism, and a story about children on a rooftop garden in San Francisco.

What do we gain from gathering? In this episode, we’re thinking about how coming together can change us. We’ll hear about a citizen-led clean-up movement in India, a Bay Area artist who forms an unlikely friendship with a church in Colorado, and a student who experiences the power of connection at a living museum on Stanford campus. Producers: Isabella Tilley, Tanvi Dutta Gupta, Regina Ta, Adesuwa Agbonile, Aparna Verma, Victoria Yuan, Patricia Wei, Hannah Scott, Jenny March Featuring stories produced by Tanvi Dutta Gupta, Regina Ta, and Adesuwa Agbonile. The stories feature the work of the Experience Sankofa Project (Venus Morris, Mizan Alkebulan-Abakah, Sizwe Andrews-Abakah), the artwork of Stanford professor Enrique Chagoya, and the grassroots-organized Ugly Indian Movement in Bangalore, India. Also featured in these stories are the voices of Frank Omowale Satterwhite, Jeanette Smith-Laws, Dereca Blackmon, and Persis Drell. “Le Songe d’Halcohii” - Sunhiilow - From There to Here “Awakenings” - Ketsa “Clouds at the Gap” - Blue Dot Sessions - Zander “Throughput” - Blue Dot Sessions - Holyoke “Louver” - Blue Dot Sessions - Holyoke “Willow Belle” - Blue Dot Sessions - Little Rock “Soothe” - Blue Dot Sessions - Bodytonic “Songe d’Automne” - Latché Swing

This episode investigates the act of preserving, a decision made in the present, regarding the past, looking towards the future. What can we learn from what we choose to preserve? What does preserving reveal about our values? Producers: Cat Fergesen, Karen Ge, Regina Kong, Liv Jenks, Andy Lee, Lola McAllister, Carolyn Stein, Allie Wollner, and Grace Zhang Music: Traveler by Alexander Nakarada http://oroclick.com/Celtic-music/3_Traveler.php Teals Descending Upon the Level Sand, Lo Ka Ping: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Lo_Ka_Ping/Lost_Sounds_of_the_Tao/lokapingtealsmp3 Mountain Breeze, Purple Planet https://www.purple-planet.com/mountain-breeze

We visit five places on campus where future doctors are learning how to practice medicine. We’re going to real classrooms: anatomy lab and wet lab, lecture halls, we visit a Stanford Free Clinic, bike across campus to the mausoleum, and head down the road to Webb Ranch. We’re asking: How are students learning to practice medicine, thoughtfully? Producers: Victoria Yuan, Aparna Verma, JJ Kapur, Sarah Griffin, Esha Dhawan, Linda Liu, Christy Hartman, and Gaby Li

What ideas exist behind material objects? In this episode, we’re going to look at stuff—things we can see or hear or touch—to try to understand the intangible, like memory, history, and bias. Producers: Adesuwa Agbonile, Jett Hayward, Yue Li, Jenny March, Isabella Tilley, Melina Walling, Val Gamao

In this episode, we’re going to think about death. All things must come to an end, but that does not mean death is all ending. We ask -- what can death teach us about life? Featuring special reflections on death at the beginning and end of the show by Lazarre and Simone Elias, aged 6 and 9. Producers: Aparna Verma, Isabella Tilley, Will Shan, Lena Lee, Regina Kong, Alessandra Wollner Show Music: Téki (with Les Gauchers Orchestra), Lee Maddeford, Instrumentals kate bush, johnny_ripper, epilogue.

In this episode, we search for myths in the modern world. We ask-- where are monsters hiding, and who created them? What do the myths we circulate say about ourselves? Producers: Claudia Heymach, Morgan Canaan, Sophie McNulty, Ben Schwartz, Jett Hayward, Michaela Elias, Christy Hartman, Jake Warga, Jenny March Music:

Stories about being alone, wanting to be alone, or feeling alone. What is that place we go to to protect ourselves? How and why achieve seclusion? Producers: Yue Li, Sofia Sanchez-Luege, Jett Hayward, Stephanie Niu, Sienna White and Adesuwa Agbonile. http://storytelling.stanford.edu

Description: In this episode we ride the radio waves. We listen closely, digging deep in the static to hear stories of people following radio waves, of bouncing radio waves, but mainly stories of people listening to the voices. Producers: Cathy Wong ,Cameron Tenner, Victoria Yuan, Yue Li, Neel Thaker, Christopher LeBoa, Jackson Roach

We name people, places, and things out of necessity, but the labels we choose take on the weight of history, culture, and identity. In this episode, we talk about the names we use, and why they matter.

Sometimes you have to keep your head down to stay alive. This is a show about playing the cello in the darkest hour, and returning to the site of the fire, and keeping your head down to stay alive. This is a show about what happens when the sun goes down, and when you get lost in the mall, and when you pick up the phone because you have nowhere left to turn. This is a show about the terrible and the beautiful. This is a show about survival. Producers: Jett Hayward, Bella Lazzareschi, Elisabeth Dee, Stephanie Niu, Cathy Wong, Dylan Cunningham, Hannah Nguyen, Jackson Roach, Melina Walling, Alec Glassford, Christy Hartman, Jake Warga, Sam Greenspan, and Jonah Willinghanz.

What can we know about the future? And where do we look? We plan ahead by speculating. We can’t imagine not imagining the next hour, the next day, the next email. In this show we look at the nature of guessing, of predicting, and what that can tell us about the future. And the past. Host: Yue Li Producers: Chris Leboa, Cameron Tenner, Yue Li, Claudia Heymach, Noelle Chow, Sam Kargilis, Risa Cromer, Sam Greenspan Featuring: Corrie Dekkar, Julie Parsonnet, Julie Fogarty, Jeff Lindner, Jim Blackburn, Mark Beauregard, Kyla Schuller Story 1: Miner Threat Meet the last Bitcoin miners of Stanford. Producer: Sam Kargilis Music (from Free Music Archive): Curves, Jhhhzzr Story 2: Vanquishing Vaccines During the 2017-2018 flu season over 60 million Americans were infected with influenza and an estimated 50,000 died. Why has there been so much sickness when a vaccine does exist? Producer Chris LeBoa investigates the process and guesswork that goes into creating the flu shot each year and what is being done to take guesswork out of future vaccines. Producer: Chris LeBoa Featuring: Corrie Dekkar, Julie Parsonnet, Julie Fogarty Story 3: The Coming Storm In the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, Houstonians Yue and Claudia wonder how future storms can be predicted. And if they can be predicted, whose responsibility is it to protect Houston? Producers: Yue Li, Claudia Heymach, Noelle Chow Featuring: Jeff Lindner, Jim Blackburn Music (from freesound.org): vision- ambient gamelan by that jeff carter, Ambient Drone Solfeggio by Headphaze, Cosmos by pointpark cinema, cyclone hurricane hugo by solostud Story 4: My Dear Melville Herman Melville’s “great American novel,” Moby Dick, has fascinated, entertained, bored, and horrified audiences for the past 150 years, but … is Moby Dick gay? Was Herman Melville caught up in a same-sex-love affair? Producer Cameron Tenner searches for answers and learns about exploring queerness in the past. Producer: Cameron Tenner Featuring: Mark Beauregard, Kyla Schuller Music: Cylinder Five by Chris Zabriskie, Gentle Chase by Podington Bear, Skeptic by Podington Bear, Vanagon by Podington Bear, Little Black Cloud by Podington Bear, Waltz for an Imaginary Piano by Johnny Ripper, Lonesome by Podington Bear, Lucky Stars by Podington Bear, In My Head by Podington Bear, Sensitive by Podington Bear, Whaling Song by Paul Clayton

How do we take care of the past after it turns to ash? We visit with families digging through the rubble of their homes in Sonoma after the fires as they sift for memories. This episode asks how we care for people, and what to do if there's no obvious path to healing. Along the way, we meet a midwife, some worms, and a daughter caring for her mother and herself. Host: Claudia Heymach Producers: Claudia Heymach, Crystal Escolero, Emma Heath, Bella Lazzareschi, Helvia Taina, Sarah Jiang, Eileen Williams Featuring: Roshni Thachil, Ronnie Falcoa, Claire Mollard, Josh Weil Show music: "The Flight of the Lulu" by Possimiste Story 1: Midwife Crisis We don’t always think of caretaking in a professional terms, but for a homebirth midwife, the emotional and physical wellbeing of others is the whole job. Producer: Emma Heath Featuring: Ronnie Falcoa Story 2: From the Ashes We went to Sonoma County after the fires to help residents dig through the rubble of their homes. Along the way, we asked about what they took with them, what they wanted to take, and what they’re looking for now. Producers: Crystal Escolero, Helvia Taina, and Claudia Heymach Featuring: Claire Mollard and Josh Weil Story 3: Depression 1, 2, 3 Living with mental illness means living with the mysterious and mundane. Caretakers of loved ones with depression, anxiety or psychosis must come to grips with both sides, and resist the tug of their own demons in the process. This is an ongoing story about a mom, her daughter and the everyday work of love. Producers: Sarah Jiang and Eileen Williams Music: “Undersea Garden” and “Love Sprouts” by Podington Bear, "Tennessee Waltz" by Patti Page Show Image courtesy of Jake Warga

We hear a lot about immigrants. In this episode, we hear from immigrants – not as statistics, but as individual human beings crossing borders. Oscar gets deported and tries to return home. Maddie comes to terms with her family relationships. And Nisrin enters the U.S. from Sudan after the first travel ban takes effect. In this episode, stories of crossing. This is part one of a two part series. Host: Noelle Chow Producers:​​ ​Carissa​ ​Cirelli,​ ​Noelle​ ​Chow,​ ​Jett​ ​Hayward,​ ​An-Li​ ​Herring,​ ​Julia​ ​Ingram,​ ​Louis​ ​Lafair,​ ​Rosie LaPuma,​ ​Yue​ ​Li,​ ​Jenny​ ​March,​ ​Kate​ ​Nelson,​ ​Jackson​ ​Roach,​ ​Helvia​ ​Taina,​ ​Melina​ ​Walling,​ ​Jake​ ​Warga, Eileen​ ​Williams,​ ​Cathy​ ​Wong Show​ ​Music:​​ ​​johnny_ripper (Links to this show's music and sound sources can be found at https://storytelling.stanford.edu) Story 1: Oscar Oscar gets deported. He’s determined to come back, no matter what. Producers: Kate Nelson, Carissa Cirelli, and Jackson Roach Featuring: Oscar Music: "Delican't" by Podington Bear, "Door knock" by [email protected] Story 2: Maddie Maddie searches for the formula to be an American. Producers: Kate Nelson, Carissa Cirelli, and Jackson Roach Featuring: Madeleine Han Music: "Fater Lee" and "James p . funk 2" by Black Ant, "No sudden movements" by Rui, "i'm not here" by johnny_ripper, "dan1 " by junior85 Story 3: Nisrin On January 27, 2017, the first travel ban takes effect. And then Nisrin lands at JFK. Producers: Helvia Taina, An-Li Herring, Eileen Williams, and Rosie La Puma Featuring: Nisrin Elamin Abdelrahman Music: "80's Interlude" by Fanas; "Theme 4," "Sleep," "Intermission," "In a Dream," and "data" by johnny_ripper

Immigrating is a conversation that happens across borders, generations, and versions of oneself. Grace and Justin talk across political differences. Unknown workers who forged the Transcontinental Railroad receive a new voice. Solmaz writes poetry to orient herself in the world. And Frankie and Francisco reflect on growing up in a new place. This is part two of a two-part series. Host: Cathy Wong Producers:​​ ​Carissa​ ​Cirelli,​ ​Noelle​ ​Chow,​ ​Jett​ ​Hayward,​ ​An-Li​ ​Herring,​ ​Julia​ ​Ingram,​ ​Louis​ ​Lafair,​ ​Rosie LaPuma,​ ​Yue​ ​Li,​ ​Jenny​ ​March,​ ​Kate​ ​Nelson,​ ​Jackson​ ​Roach,​ ​Helvia​ ​Taina,​ ​Melina​ ​Walling,​ ​Jake​ ​Warga, Eileen​ ​Williams,​ ​Cathy​ ​Wong Show​ ​Music:​​ ​​johnny_ripper (Links to this show's music and sound sources can be found at https://storytelling.stanford.edu) Story 4: Grace and Justin Grace and Justin send each other letters. Producers: Cathy Wong and Kate Nelson Featuring: Justin Hsuan and Grace Music: "When in the West," "Sage the Hunter," and "Drone Pine" by Blue Dot Sessions Story 5: Chinese Railroad Workers Producer:​ ​​Yue​ ​Li Featuring:​​ ​Hilton​ ​Obenzinger,​ ​Barre​ ​Fong,​ ​and Gordon​ ​Chang Music: "Everything Ends Here" by Johnny Ripper; "More Weather," "Waterbourne," and "The Summit" by Blue Dot Sessions Story 6: Solmaz Solmaz Sharif wants to have the conversation we’re avoiding. Producers: Jackson Roach and Jett Hayward Featuring: Solmaz Sharif Music: "c" and "m" by Gallery Six, "Krankenwagen im Stau" by rui, "Upward" and "It Moves Like A 500 Year Old Process" by junior85 Story 7: Frankie and Francisco After immigrating from Mexico, Francisco Preciado Sr. gets a job as a groundskeeper at Stanford University. When his son, Francisco Preciado Jr., applies to Stanford, they learn together what it means to carry on a family legacy in a new country. Producers: Louis Lafair and Melina Walling Featuring: Francisco Preciado Sr. and Francisco Preciado Jr. Music: "An opener" by Bitbasic, "motion (johnny_ripper remix)" by noah, "Selbstheilend" by rui, "Pomp and Circumstance" by Edward Elgar and Miguel Flores

Sometimes, marching steadily through the steps of life—we crash right into something entirely unexpected. In one instant, the entire world changes, without even a word of warning. When a crash comes, that collision can destroy everything. But it can wake us up to what we truly need; we must decide what to raze and what to rebuild. How do humans move forward before the smoke is cleared? What happens after the crash? Host: Eileen Williams Producers: Eileen Williams, Claudia Heymach, Jackson Roach, Megan Calfas, Alex Cheng, Noelle Li Syn Chow, Jake Warga Featuring: Eddie Mazon, Michael Peskin, Miles Traer, Dr. David Radler, Dan Klein, Dehan Glanz Show music: "Darger's strawberry" by Exteenager, "opening credits" by Johnny Ripper (Links to this show's music and sound sources can be found at storytelling.stanford.edu) Story 1: SLACing off Dr. Michael Peskin works in the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, home of the world’s longest linear accelerator. At SLAC, researchers crash X rays and particles, and a huge variety of things together, but not for destruction or for fun-- but for learning. Producer: Claudia Heymach Featuring: Michael Peskin Music: Original viola by Rosie LaPuma Story 2: Myth and Science Miles accidentally crashed the Stanford server, but as an earth scientist there’s a lot more at risk. Myth and science have been separated in the real world, but in fantasy and fiction they dance together to tell stories. Producer: Eileen Williams Featuring: Miles Traer Music: Soundtrack to “Game of Thrones” Story 3: Crash Cart Dr. David Radler is a senior resident in the department of emergency medicine at Stanford University. He tells us about one particularly memorable crash, and what it taught him. Producer: Eileen Williams Featuring: Dr. David Radler Music: Kai Engel Story 4: Car Crash In an instant, everything can change. When Dan and Danno got in a car crash in their sophomore year at Stanford, everything did. Now they’re both back at Stanford as professors and recount the event that shook and shaped their lives (and even inspired a Lifetime Movie). Their perspective is one you might not expect in light of the tragedy that unhinged their world. Dan says today, “That’s a great approach to life—to assume that there’s something lucky to every unlucky thing that happens.” Producers: Megan Calfas and Alex Cheng Featuring: Dan Klein and Dehan Glanz Music and sound: Kai Engel, David Szesztay, Podington Bear, De la Soul, The Clientele, "A Mother's Fight for Justice"

Ants navigate to and from food using pheromone trails; the stronger the pheromone trail, the more ants following it, like some kind of highway map. Humans use similar mapping strategies as we navigate through life, but how do we know that the paths we’re on will lead us to where we want to be? Today’s show is about navigating, with four stories and a poem about various ways that humans are moving through the world, with unique answers to these questions: How do we navigate through life without any instructions, or with instructions that might be wrong? How do we know which way to go to get whatever we’re going for? And how do we decide when to stop moving? Host: Connie Xiao Producers: Will Rogers, Alec Glassford, Rosie La Puma, Yue Li, Cathy Wong, Virginia Drummond, Katie Wolfteich, Aparna Verma, Jenny Han, An-Li Herring, and Connie Xiao Featuring: Chris Leboa, Deborah Gordon, Julie Sweetkind-Singer, Glen McLaughlin, Saptarshi Majumdar, Jennifer Johnson, and Louis Lafair Show Music: Noelle Li Syn Chow, Melina Walling, Sarah Jiang, Gillicuddy, Doctor Turtle, Podington Bear, Polyrhythmics (Links to this show's music and sound sources can be found at storytelling.stanford.edu) Image via Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/chrisinplymouth/3601032456 Story 1: California as an Island When the Spanish explorers set out to discover the Americas, they came to find wealth and a new start. In this story, we hear about how the Spanish explorers navigated through these unfamiliar territory and how a myth turned into a reality that passed around for centuries. Producers: Yue Li, Virginia Drummond Featuring: Glen McLaughlin, Julie Sweetkind-Singer Special thanks: G. Salim Mohammed, of the David Rumsey Map Center at Stanford Music and sound: Original music by Latifah Hamzah, "Rain Stops to Play" by Ketsa, "mutanterrante remix" by toiletrolltube, additional sounds from freesound.org Story 2: In Transit “Once you decide something, you kinda have to destroy everything else right? Your other options? You gotta let em go.” We spend an entire day at the Oakland Greyhound station and ask people where they are going. Mark Mendoza chases a cameraman. Cathy Wong learns when not to own a skeleton key. Hollie Kool talks to a Japanese pizza lover. Mimes are involved. Producer: Cathy Wong, Hollie Kool, and Mark Mendoza Featuring: Cathy Wong, Hollie Kool, and Mark Mendoza Music: "Night Owl" by Broke For Free, "Freak Mode" by Fleslit, "Dollar Theatre" by Jalen Warshawsky, "Unknown Variables" by Jalen Warshawsky, "El Fuego" by Polyrhythmics, "Cold Feet" and "I'll Miss You" and "Looking For That Moment When Time Stands Still" by Will Bangs Story 3: It's not a Sap Story Live the life of a savage adventurer. It’s a motto that Saptarshi Majumdar lives by as he travels across the globe, whether it’s from one continent to another or one coast to another. Sap’s journeys are wild and crazy, and the stories that he picks up even crazier. Why not sit back and enjoy the ride? Producers: Aparna Verma and Jenny Han Featuring: Saptarshi Majumdar and Aparna Verma Music: "Hex (Instrumental)" by Forget the Whale, "We'll Get Ourselves in TV-News" by Break the Bans Story 4: A Speck in the Ocean When she was 25, Jennifer Johnson sailed out of a Japanese harbor on a 27-foot boat with sights set on Hawaii. Sit in the cockpit with her as she charts her way through storms, fish colonies, and nearly capsized boats with only her partner for company, and re-experience the newness and stillness of land. “Adventure? Oh, I don’t know, adventure has too many positive connotations to say it was an adventure.” Producers: Katie Wolfteich Featuring: Jennifer Johnson Music: Weaves of K Story 5: If There Were a Manual "May I please have a manual for life?" Louis Lafair reads an original poem. Producer: Alec Glassford Featuring: Louis Lafair

Breath and spirit have been closely related in human thought—for millennia. In a lot of human languages, we use the same word to mean both things. Yet it’s easy to take breathing for granted, in spite of the fact it is maybe the most common human experience. In this episode, we’re going to think about every inhale and every exhale, and speak to people who have to think about breathing in a lot of interesting ways: a biathlete, a beatboxer, a dancer. We’ll dive deep underwater to a dark and dangerous cave in the Bahamas, travel to China to think about collective breathing, and reflect on the role artificial breathing plays in the perception of what constitutes life and what constitutes death. Host: Jackson Roach Producers: Kate Nelson, Carissa Cirelli, Jenny March, Jake Warga, Jackson Roach, Melina Walling, Katie Lan, Jett Hayward, Claudia Heymach, Netta Wang, Jonah Willihnganz Featuring: Brad Ross, Joanne Reid, Tom Johnson, Jace Casey, Janice Ross, Andrew Todhunter, Paul Fisher Show Music: johnny_ripper, Breakmaster Cylinder (Links to this show's music and sound sources can be found at storytelling.stanford.edu) Image via Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/michaellawton/15618435499/ Intro Story: Beat Breathing Brad Ross shares how he learned how to harness the rhythm behind the rhythm—the rhythm of the breath—and what he’s discovered from “using [his] lungs to make art.” Producers: Kate Nelson, Carissa Cirelli, Jenny March, Jake Warga Featuring: Brad Ross Music: Brad’s sick beats Story 1: Shot Breathe Shot Breathe Shot Breathe After much trial and tribulation and many failed shots, Joanne Reid, biathlete of the U.S national team, learned that it’s all about the breath. Producers: Kate Nelson, Carissa Cirelli, Jenny March, Jake Warga Featuring: Joanne Reid Music and Sound: "Epiphany" by Podington Bear, “Women 15 km Individual Race 2017 Biathlon IBU World Championships in Hochfilzen HD” by HQ Sport Story 2: Running out of Breath This is a recorded performance about breath, exhaustion, and struggle, written by a choreographer named Tom Johnson in the 1970s. Writer: Tom Johnson Producers: Jackson Roach and Jenny March Featuring: Jace Casey, Janice Ross Story 3: Stargate Andrew Todhunter, a writer for National Geographic, explores the underwater cave of Stargate in the Bahamas. Producers: Jackson Roach, Melina Walling Featuring: Andrew Todhunter Music and sound: "Oceans Between Us" by Maritime, "Falling" by Kamikaze Deadboy, "waiting (in the wet alley" by lost-radio, "Moon Morning" by Aymeric de Tapol, "A Million Worlds" by Andrew Odd, additional sound effects from Freesound.org and Archive.org Story 4: Breathing to Resist What if breathing could be used as a collective tool of resistance? Citizens in China show us just how they used qi gong, a healing form of breathing to empower themselves during an era of uncertainty. Writers: Katie Lan and Jenny March Producers: Katie Lan, Jenny March, Jake Warga, and Jackson Roach Featuring: Nancy Chen Story 5: Still Breathing Doctor Paul Fisher reflects on the role that breathing plays in the perception what constitutes life and death. Producers: Jett Hayward, Kate Nelson, and Jenny March Featuring: Paul Fisher Music: "Stay" by Igor Khabarov, "Three kites circling" by Axletree, "Dead Waters" by Rest You Sleeping Giant, "Harbor" by Kai Engel, "Stanford Doctor to Examine Jahi McMath" by KRON 4, "Hospital Ventilator Sound Effect | Sfx |HD" by n Beats Sound Effects

In this episode, we explore inheritances’ many forms and unexpected outcomes. “You’ll hear the forgotten tales of hand-me down clothing, stories of family exploits that keep ancestors alive, how your genetic inheritance can define you...for better and for worse, and how even our values can get passed down from one generation to the next.” Host: Rosie La Puma Producers: Rosie La Puma, Luke Soon-Shiong, Hadley Reid, Jake Warga, Claudia Heymach, Christy Hartman, Annina Hanlon, Benjamin Philip Suliteanu, Jonah Willihnganz, Ethan Chua Featuring: Rosie La Puma, Deborah Wicks-La Puma, Deanna Wicks, Luke Soon-Shiong, Brooke McEver, Claudia Heymach, Marisa Heymach, Sierra Freeman, Matthew Porteus, Devon Cajuste, Amalia Saladrigas, McGregor Joyner, Emma Rothenberg Show Music: Proliferate by Podington Bear Image courtesy of Rosie La Puma Intro Story: Alice She’s over a century old, but still the size of a toddler. Meet Alice, the inherited family member that has been handed down for five generations of daughters. Producer: Rosie La Puma Featuring: Rosie La Puma, Deborah Wicks-La Puma, and Deanna Wicks Music: Proliferate by Podington Bear Story 1: The Stories We Wear An MFA art project reveals the hidden stories of inherited clothing. Producers: Luke Soon-Shiong with help from Hadley Reid and Jake Warga Featuring: Luke Soon-Shiong, Brooke McEver Music: Bensound.com Story 2: Abuelita A college student hears her late great-grandmother’s voice for the first time. Producer: Claudia Heymach Featuring: Claudia Heymach, Marisa Heymach, Rosie La Puma Music and Sound: Afterglow by Podington Bear, gunfight sound effect from Freesound (links at storytelling.stanford.edu) Story 3: We're All Okay Two siblings, one gene and a question that lasts a lifetime. Writer: Sierra Freeman Producers: Claudia Heymach, Christy Hartman, and Rosie La Puma Featuring: Sierra Freeman Music: Jackson Roach on mandolin Story 4: CRISPR-Cas9 Editing out the diseases in our genes. Producers: Claudia Heymach with help from Annina Hanlon and Rosie La Puma Featuring: Claudia Heymach and Matthew Porteus Music: Dark Waters by Podington Bear Story 5: Father to Son Stanford Football Receiver Devon Cajuste reflects on the family values passed from father to son. Producer: Rosie La Puma Featuring: Devon Cajuste Story 6: Call Me by My Old Familiar Name Three undergrads explore how loss of their fathers turned into inheritance. Producer: Benjamin Philip Suliteanu Featuring: Amalia Saladrigas, McGregor Joyner, Emma Rothenberg Music: Original scoring by McGregor Joyner

As a society, we still maintain many ancient traditions and practices relating to the care of our dead. We invest tremendous resources and energy in maintaining cemeteries and sacred ground for the bodies of our beloved. In the face of death, we dig and scrape through dirt, mixing our emotions in with the earth. We create a grave--a hallowed space carved out for sadness and pain, but also for warmth and joy. We lay down what we carry from the person we’ve lost--the good and the bad. It doesn’t matter what we bury--a body, a feeling, or an object--we expect it to stay buried. We put it aside, and bid it farewell. And yet, when so much has changed, why do we still rely on this physical process? How can digging a hole--metaphorically or literally--help us to make sense of our loss? And what happens when things go awry? We may not like to admit it, but sometimes the grave is not a final resting place. In today’s episode, we’ll be investigating why we bury--and what happens when our attempts fail. Host: Eileen Williams Producers: Eileen Williams with help from Noelle Li Syn Chow, Kate Nelson, Yue Li, Jackson Roach, Nicole Bennett-Fite, Cathy Wong, Katie Lan, Reade Levinson, Christy Hartman, Jake Warga, Jenny March, Jonah Willihnganz Featuring: Naveen Kassamali, Xochitl Raine Rhodes Longstaff, Janet Voight, Barbad Golshiri, Magellan Pfluke, and the staff of Pet’s Rest Cemetery. Thanks also to Sofi Filipa, Charlie Gibson, Ben Cady, Ivy Sanders Schneider, Jackie Langelier, Kim McElwee, Marlon Antunez, Skye Mooney, Tudi Roche, Chris Gerben, Caroline Spears, Stephen Aman, Adnan Khan, Jim Yount, Milan Mosse Phil C’de Baca, Teresa Hernandez, Carlos Yuen, Ganbat Namjilsangarav, Christine Murphy, Tsogbadrakh Banzragch, Tuya Banzragch, and Keith Bildstein Show Music: Podington Bear Image via Wikimedia Commons: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Copps_Hill_Burying_Ground_Headstones_Leaning.jpg Intro Story: Unburying Producers: Noelle Chow and Kate Nelson Featuring: Magellan Pfluke Special thanks: Xochitl Raine Rhodes Longstaff Music: Response Data, Standing Like a Tree - Part II, Doomflaffsonoria (Whale Mix by Eisenlager) Story 1: Vanishing Remains Producer: Reade Levinson Featuring: Ganbat Namjilsangarav, Christine Murphy, Tsogbadrakh and Tuya Banzragch, and Dr. Keith Bildstein Special Thanks: Christy Hartman, Jake Warga, and Generation Anthropocene Music: All ambient recorded by Reade Levinson, sound effects downloaded from FreeSound. Story 2: Pet Cemetery Producers: Yue Li, with help from Jackson Roach Featuring: Lackie Langelier, Ben Cady, Skye Mooney, Sofi Filipa, Milan Mosse (voice over for Ben Cady), Phil C’de Baca, Teresa Hernandez, Carlos Yuen Music: Alex Finch Seeking Clarity Pt. II, Ketsa Far From Home, Ketsa Clear and Present, Podington Bear Lonesome, Podington Bear Pink Gradient Story 3: The Cryonicist's Wager Producers: Nicole Bennett-Fite, Jake Warga, and Eileen Williams Featuring: Jim Yount, Acting President of the American Cryonics Society Music: Karma Ron (https://www.freesound.org/people/Karma-Ron/sounds/240624/) Story 4: Anger Box Producers: Cathy Wong, Jenny March, Jake Warga Featuring: Naveen Kassamali, Adnan Khan Music: Thread of Clouds - Blue Dot Sessions, Migration (http://freemusicarchive.org/music/Blue_Dot_Sessions/Migration/Thread_of_Clouds) Story 5: Unburying Iran Producers: Katie Lan, recorded with the help of Jackson Roach Featuring: Barbad Golshiri Music: Dropped Ticket by Podington Bear, Isolate by Moby Story 6: Through the Deep Producer: Kate Nelson Featuring: Dr. Janet Voight Music: Chris Zabriskie (We Were Never Meant to Live Here, Remember Trees?, The Oceans Continue to Rise), Podington Bear Story 7: Time Capsule Producers: Yue Li and Reade Levinson Featuring: Leslie Winnick and voices of Stanford's class of 2016 Music: Trellis , Golden Era, Dryness (by Podington Bear) Listen to the individual stories here: https://soundcloud.com/stateofthehuman/sets/burying

The mind’s ability to envision more than what is physically present in the world is an astounding fact of life. We’re always imagining, thinking, and living in our heads. Our thoughts and our imaginations shape how we see the world, they shape our words and our actions. This is nothing new. We’ve been doing this for all our lives. as far as we can remember. But that’s why we take a closer look and ask the question: how do our imagined lives shape our reality? What happens day to day at the frontier between the worlds we imagine and the worlds we inhabit. Host: Justine Beed Producers: Justine Beed and Natacha Ruck with help from Louis Lafair, Amabel Stokes, Alec Glassford, Tamu Adumer, Joshua Hoyt, Austin Meyer, Claire Schoen, Christy Hartman, Will Rogers, Albert Gehami, Jonah Willihnganz, and Jake Warga Featuring: John Rick, Tamu Adumer, Louis Lafair, Terry Root, Louie Psihoyos, WonGi Jung, Austin Meyer, Amabel Stokes, Alec Glassford, Max Whitmeyer, Nina Donaldson, Maria Doerr, Liam Bhajan, Jeffrey Abidor, Emma Fisher, Natacha Ruck, and Jackson Roach Music and Sounds: See storytelling.stanford.edu for full list of music and sounds used in this episode Image via Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/kainkalju/5894855297 Story 1: Birth of Imagination Description: What happened the first time humans used imagination to shape the world? Producers: Tamu Adumer and Natacha Ruck Featuring: Professor John Rick Image via Wikimedia: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bifa…o_(Madrid).png Story 2: One Quinoa Burger At A Time Description: Can imagination help one student tackle one of the biggest problems of our time? Producer: Louis Lafair Featuring: Terry Root and Louie Psihoyos Music: "T-Shirt Weather," "Little Dipper," "Pure Swell," "Funk," and "Boop" by Podington Bear Photo via the Stanford Review: stanfordreview.org/article/is-stan…conserve-water/ Story 3: My Imaginary Girlfriend Description: How hard can it be to break up with an imaginary girlfriend? Producer: WonGi Jung with help from Justine Beed Featuring: WonGi Jung Image via StoryNight Story 4: Double Banded Dream Description: In this story, we venture into the land of dreams and investigate how imagination can endanger reality. Producers: Austin Meyer and Joshua Hoyt Featuring: Austin Meyer Music: "Nothing Lasts" by Alexandre Desplat and "Gnossienne No. 2: Avec étonnement" and “Gynopédie No. 1”by Erik Satie Image via Wikimedia: commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wedding_rings.jpg Story 5: The Periphery Description: In this story we dive deep into the head of a coffee shop vigilante and listen to her thoughts as she tries to save the day. Producers: Amabel Stokes, Justine Beed Writer: Amabel Stokes Featuring: Amabel Stokes, Alec Glassford, Max Whitmeyer, Nina Donaldson, Maria Doerr, Justine Beed, Liam Bhajan, Jeffrey Abidor, Emma Fisher, and Jackson Roach Music and Sounds: See storytelling.stanford.edu for full list of music and sounds used in this piece Image via Unsplash: unsplash.com/photos/k_RYBedEvDw