This American Life
Each week we choose a theme. Then anything can happen. This American Life is true stories that unfold like little movies for radio. Personal stories with funny moments, big feelings, and surprising plot twists. Newsy stories that try to capture what it’s like to be alive right now. It’s the most popular weekly podcast in the world, and winner of the first ever Pulitzer Prize for a radio show or podcast. Hosted by Ira Glass and produced in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago.
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Recent Episodes
646: The Secret of My Death
Sep 14, 2026Cryptic messages on a cell phone and a teeter-totter at a construction site: these are clues people found, trying to make sense of a death. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for ou...
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This American Life presents three stories about people trying to understand deaths through limited evidence and emotional detective work. The episode explores how we piece together meaning from what's left behind - texts, memories, and eulogies - when someone dies, and how those fragments often reveal unexpected truths about both the deceased and those left grieving.
- The Brick That Almost Was: A Childhood Near-Death Experience
- Dear Dealer: A Sister's Letter to Her Sister's Killer
449: Middle School
Sep 07, 2026As the new school year begins, we have stories today from all over the country about people lurching their way through their middle school years – the years when you're figuring out so, so much. We go...
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This episode of This American Life explores the unique challenges, social dynamics, and developmental changes that define the middle school years. Through stories from across the country, the show examines why these years are so formative yet difficult, featuring perspectives from students navigating friendship drama, making new connections at dances, coping with major life transitions, and teachers finding creative ways to help struggling kids.
- Understanding the Middle School Experience
- The Developmental Science of Middle School
896: I Know What You Need
Aug 31, 2026Moments when it seems obvious what to do for someone else, so of course you jump in and try to help — and what happens after that. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premiu...
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This episode explores the complex dynamics of helping others when you think you know what they need. It begins with a heartwarming story about a generous family who helps a waitress confronting customers who walked out on their check. The show then shifts to more complicated scenarios: adult children using AI girlfriends and technology to manage their father in memory care, chatbots desperately trying to escape an automated loop, and school nurses successfully containing a measles outbreak through empathetic communication rather than confrontation.
- The Generous Strangers Who Helped a Waitress Get Justice
- Managing a Parent with Dementia Through Technology and Deception
206: Somewhere in the Arabian Sea
Aug 24, 2026The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has been in the news over an extra-long deployment that's taking a toll on its crew. Back in 2002, we explored life aboard another aircraft carrier, the USS Jo...
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This American Life episode from early 2002 documents life aboard the USS John C. Stennis aircraft carrier during the early stages of the war in Afghanistan. Producers Ira Glass, Alex Bloomberg, and Wendy Dorr spent time with the 5,000+ crew members, most of whom never see combat but work grueling 12-hour shifts doing everything from filling vending machines to launching fighter jets. The episode captures the unique culture of living on a floating city at war - the monotony, danger, camaraderie, and surprising mundanity of military life at sea.
- The Everyday Reality of War: Support Jobs and Daily Life
- Joining Up: Jessica Phillips' Journey from Barnes & Noble to Boot Camp
895: Label Maker!
Aug 17, 2026Labels are powerful. They can distill you down to a single word. They can get stuck on you without your permission. And sometimes, when they get taken away, they can upend your entire life. On this ep...
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This episode explores how labels shape our lives and identities, from immigration status to medical diagnoses to how we remember loved ones. The show features three stories: a Haitian nursing assistant facing the end of her temporary work permit, a comedian's decade-long quest for an autism diagnosis, and a writer reflecting on how to describe his late wife beyond what made her different.
- Introduction: The Power of Not Labeling
- Temporary Protected Status: Marie's Last Days at Work
443: Amusement Park
Aug 10, 2026We head to some of the happiest places on earth: amusement parks! Ira Glass takes us behind the scenes at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City, where the young staff – coached by a funny, fun-loving boss just...
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This American Life takes listeners on a delightful journey through amusement parks across America, from behind-the-scenes operations to personal stories of summer jobs, romance, and misadventure. The episode showcases the unique culture of amusement parks through the eyes of dedicated employees, nostalgic visitors, and the colorful characters who make these places come alive. From an incredibly passionate games manager to carnival workers and human paintball targets, the show reveals the surprisingly complex world that exists behind the cotton candy and roller coasters.
- Cole Lindbergh: The Amusement Park Lifer
- The Sweet 16 Tournament and Competition Day
894: I Couldn't Help but Notice
Aug 02, 2026People dealing with new, glaring, massive changes happening right where they live. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription. Prologue: Rick Cole, a city coun...
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This episode features stories of people who witness disturbing changes around them and refuse to stay silent. In Act One, a city council member in Pasadena confronts a military exercise conducted without proper public notice. Act Two follows a birth emergency in rural Maine after a hospital closes its labor and delivery unit, requiring heroic efforts from medical staff. Act Three presents a Russian filmmaker documenting the rollout of propaganda in his school after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, showing what it's like to watch authoritarianism take hold in real time.
- Military Exercises in Pasadena Without Warning
- Emergency Birth After Hospital Closure in Rural Maine
893: Testosterone
Jul 26, 2026Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered everyone over 30 in the military to have their testosterone tested. That inspired us to rerun this classic episode where everyone at This American Life teste...
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This American Life reruns a 2002 episode about testosterone after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth ordered military personnel over 30 to test their testosterone levels. The episode explores how testosterone affects personality, behavior, and identity through personal stories, workplace testing among staff members, and interviews with people who've experienced dramatic changes in testosterone levels. The show examines whether hormones determine who we are or if we have more agency than we think.
- Why This Show Matters: A Teenager's Encounter with Feminist Literature
- Living Without Testosterone: Total Loss of Desire
892: Trapped on a Bus
Jul 19, 2026People on journeys they did not intend! Or agree to! Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription. Prologue: A woman on a nighttime bus ride wakes up to discover...
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This episode explores situations where people find themselves trapped in circumstances beyond their control, from a rogue bus driver to international espionage, mental health struggles, Cuba's energy crisis, and an infamous tree-felling crime. Each story examines how people respond when normal rules and expectations completely break down.
- The Rogue Bus Driver
- Living with Bipolar Disorder and the Spy Next Door
891: The Test Case
Jul 12, 2026Some people in this country think Antifa is a dangerous domestic terror organization. Some think that’s a complete myth. This week we go to the federal trial where, for the first time, the government...
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This episode covers the first-of-its-kind terrorism trial of alleged Antifa members following a July 4th, 2024 protest at a Texas ICE detention center. Nine defendants faced material support to terrorism charges after a police officer was shot during a protest involving fireworks and demonstrators in black clothing. The trial became a test case for the Trump administration's claims that Antifa is an organized domestic terror group, though what was actually proven in court differs significantly from the government's broader narrative.
- The Incident at Prairieland Detention Center
- The Government's Antifa Narrative
890: Maximal Americanness
Jul 05, 2026On this country's 250th birthday, we bring you stories about the most American people, places, objects, and social norms that make this country what it is. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners t...
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128: Four Corners
Jun 28, 2026We try to tell the story of life in America through portraits of life on four different corners, in four different states across the nation. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for o...
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A rerun from 1999 examining American life through stories centered around four different street corners across the nation, exploring themes of history, love, community, and identity. The episode weaves together intimate narratives that reveal what it means to be American, from the economic origins of Chicago to personal relationships, cemetery friendships, and the immigrant experience.
- Chicago's Corner: The History of America at Michigan and Wacker
- Louisville's Corner: The Geography of Unspoken Love
889: There’s Something About Hail Mary
Jun 21, 2026We spend an hour in the last two minutes of the fourth quarter, behind and desperate, with people trying any damn thing they can think of. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our...
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This episode explores desperate situations where people resort to extreme measures—from experimental medical treatments to last-minute legal appeals to messages thrown over prison walls. The three stories examine what happens when conventional options fail and people must attempt seemingly impossible Hail Mary passes, including a woman's dangerous quest to cure mysterious symptoms, death row lawyers racing against an execution deadline, and immigration detainees using bottles to communicate with the outside world.
- Ora's Medical Mystery and Dangerous Treatment
- Introduction to The Last 12 Weeks: A Death Row Case
354: Mistakes Were Made
Jun 14, 2026It’s the late 1960s, and a California TV repairman named Bob sees an opportunity to help people cheat death with the new science of cryonics. But freezing dead people isn’t easy. And apologizing for t...
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This rerun episode explores the concept of non-apologies and mistakes through two main stories. The first act tells the troubling tale of Bob Nelson, a TV repairman who became president of the Cryonics Society of California in the 1960s despite having no scientific training. What began as an optimistic mission to freeze people at death for future revival descended into a disaster of failed equipment, secret decisions, and bodies stored in inadequate conditions. The second act features variations on William Carlos Williams' famous poem 'This Is Just to Say,' exploring the art of apologizing without actually being sorry.
- The Rise of Cryonics and Bob Nelson
- The Compromises Begin: Marie Sweet and Helen Klein
888: Not Today, Hades!
Jun 07, 2026Regular people trapped inside Greek myths. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription. Prologue: When a mysterious, ripped-open package arrives on Pablo's door...
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This episode explores three modern-day parallels to Greek myths: Pablo Manriquez's Icarus-like attempt to become the Capitol's official portrait painter, Jeremiah Schofield's role as guardian of the government's 'Death Master File' facing pressure from DOGE, and writer Daniel Alarcon's humbling encounter with soccer deity Lionel Messi. Each story examines what happens when ordinary people challenge established systems or meet their heroes.
- Pablo's Journey to Become the Capitol's Portrait Artist
- The Dream of Official Recognition in the Capitol
137: The Book That Changed Your Life
May 31, 2026We want to believe our lives can be changed by the ideas contained in a book. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription. Prologue: When Alexa was seven, she s...
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This episode explores how books have transformed people's lives in profound and unexpected ways. From a playwright who found her calling through her grandfather's annotated copy of Moss Hart's autobiography, to a construction worker who built the largest Lewis and Clark book collection in America, to a writer who moved to the prairie inspired by Laura Ingalls Wilder's stories, these tales reveal the deep connections readers form with books—not just as texts, but as catalysts for life-changing decisions and lifelong passions.
- Following Moss Hart: From Grandfather's Margins to Broadway
- A Dirty Book in the Woods: The Sedaris Family Corruption
676: Here’s Looking at You, Kid
May 24, 2026Adults telling kids who they are, and kids wondering — are they right? Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription. Prologue: Host Ira talks with comedian Gary ...
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This American Life explores the profound impact adults have on shaping children's identities, featuring two compelling stories: Gary Goleman's transformation from a timid, artistic kid into a reluctant football player through the influence of charismatic coaches, and Nicole Klumper's decades-long struggle to understand the truth about childhood abuse allegations when experts offer conflicting interpretations of her own memories.
- The Jetsons Transform Gary: From Artist to Football Player
- The Rocky Montage: Gary's Physical Transformation
887: Two Is One, One Is None!
May 17, 2026One family faces the Trump administration’s ban on trans people serving in the military, and responds with a surprising secret weapon. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our pre...
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This episode follows two intertwined stories about planning for life-changing moments. The main story tracks Garrett, a trans Navy lieutenant commander, and her wife Chrissy as they navigate Trump's military ban on trans service members through meticulous planning and spreadsheets. The second story is a science fiction tale about two lifelong friends facing God's decree that all humans must transform into animals, exploring how they navigate the choice between staying together and following their individual desires.
- The Ban Arrives and Planning Begins
- Extreme Contingency Planning
318: With Great Power
May 10, 2026People who end up with far more power than they bargained for, and everything that comes with it. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription. Prologue: Ira tel...
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This episode of This American Life explores stories of ordinary people grappling with extraordinary power and the weighty responsibility that comes with it. From missionaries who feel accountable for every soul they could save, to a woman whose knowledge could free an innocent man from prison, to neighbors engaged in psychological warfare, each story examines the burden of having power over others' lives and the difficult choices that follow.
- The Missionaries' Burden: Living Like Schindler's List
- The Woman Who Knew Too Much: Carla's 26-Year Secret
886: Blackout
May 03, 2026Since the war began in Iran, we've heard very little from people inside the country — and there's a reason for that. The entire country has been under an internet blackout. We worked with reporters Ro...
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This episode documents life inside Iran during a 63-day internet blackout imposed by Iranian authorities during the U.S.-Israel war with Iran. Through voice memos smuggled out of the country, Iranians describe their daily lives navigating both military attacks and extreme digital isolation, revealing how the blackout affects everything from basic communication to access to information, while also exposing deep political divisions within Iranian society.
- The Blackout Begins: When War Cuts Off Connection
- Dual Reality: Living Through War and Digital Isolation