there seems to be an issue with the download. I am only getting the first miniute of the podcast.

Thanks,

At the end of this episode, Jad gives advice to an 8yo boy in his Radiolab-ified way. A few months after this aired, Helicopter Boy's uncle gave similar advice -- in the form of a song. (This uncle, Jason Greene, writes and performs children's music.) The song is on their just-released album; it's called "I Can Fly."

http://johnnyjason.bandcamp.com/track/i-can-fly

Jad, I thought you'd love that. From a blog post to a Radiolab episode to a song on an album: an event presented 3 ways!

Best, the Helicopter Boy's mom

In this program, the mother wrote to you that RadioLab had "saved" her son's life. I thought I'd tell you that RadioLab has kind of "saved' my life, too! Like alot of people in this economy, I have to drive 3 hours each day to work, turning my life into a harsh expanse of concrete and cars. No more time for soul-nourishing things- playing the fiddle with my boyfriend, kayaking under the stars, tai chi or meditation. I'm locked into a life of driving and working. But RadioLab has freed my mind, my imagination. I'm learning and growing again in other ways, by listening to podcasts as I drive. My boyfriend has started to listen too...so even though we don't get to see eachother much now, when we do, we have so much radiolab to talk about! Thanks for "saving" my life and my relationship!

I promise, one day when I'm stinking rich, I will donate so much to your efforts!

Neat story, but it should've been condensed to about half of it's length...

Beautiful story... I love that little boy. Cheers and thank you for all the amazing, addictive shows you create on Radiolab!!

Correction, Thomas Edison and his employees at Menlo Park experimented an estimated 10,000 times with different types of filaments in order to create a long lasting electric Light Bulb and not for BATTERIES. Your production staff should have been able to correct such a glaring error made by Jad.

I will consider supporting your show in any case, as you all do such wonderful entertaining and educational work. Thank you.

Thanks so much Mattias! I've been scouring the internet for that song since the first day they released the short.

brilliant. i've listened to radiolab for years, and that story got me to sign on & post & donate. you guys are brilliant; thanks.

If I jump out of a tree, can Robert and Jad make a cool techno lecture for me, too? So jealous of Blake right now. :)

i loved this short! i've spent the last couple of years working with elementary school kids (as environmental educator and substitute teacher) and one of my favorite things to do is to tell stories to groups. i love radiolab's storytelling!

with that said, i didn't feel that the re-mixed lecture totally got the point across that if the worst consequence is bad enough, you shouldn't do that particular experiment - you need to modify the experiment so the bad consequence is less bad, acceptably bad, or maybe just not do it at all. it's kind of said in adult language with the "mitigating" the bad things that may happen, but i don't think it's explicitly said in kid-friendly language.

thank you for what you do - moving us and keeping us still and sometimes both at the same time!

It is my belief that if the stifled, draconian educational system (at least the NYC public schools) started to incorporate new technologies (that means we need more creative (such as listening to pod casts)teachers and administration) in teaching our children, we would produce much smarter, creative thinkers! We all need to incoporate and embrace these technologies!

I have donated to Radio Lab and I also tell anyone I can get my hands on to LISTEN to the pod casts.

I know what song is playing at the end!

Its: Max Richter - Horizon Variations

A wonderful song! The album is called: "The Blue Notebooks".

Beyond money, spreading Radiolab to other people and seeing it take hold in their hearts and minds is among the more deeply satisfying forms of support I've had the pleasure to experience. In adults it reopens that childlike wonder that Blake exhibits, and lets us share in your mission to spread this open approach to thought.

Blake is great! Thanks to Blake's mom Jennifer and to Radio Lab for telling this little story.

Thanks Grinch, I mean 'spiggig.' You don't have 'kids' do you? Were you ever a 'kid' or were you grown in a pod? Geesh, give it a rest, some studies and tons of corellary evidence certainly show that memories are more strongly laid down during times of stress but I hardly think it's neccessary for you to come and pee in our pool, especially with your annonymous tag...how 'bout a real name? As a parent, I simply enjoyed and related to the presentation. Yeah, it's a science show but it's also much more than that. Bah humbug to you too!

I'm curious if you know how Blake responded to the radiolabified lecture resonated with him? Maybe you could give us an update during the next podcast or short.

So, 2 things. What is the official word on the end music? And what do I do, now that I have caught up to the current radiolab? I have been burning up two or three of these every day, and now I am starting to "jones" a little, any suggestions?

Could you send that "think things through" recording to Wall Street? Any maybe Congress while you're at it? Much obliged,
JVD

I've had to stop listening to Radio Lab while at work for a similar reason! When listening I almost never work——I just end up staring out the window contemplating all the fabulous things being discussed. It's just about the only time I sit still, too.

Another ear desiring to know from whom the music at the end of the broadcast comes. A delightful short!

I just came to find out the song at the end as well. Ha! One more person is very curious.

I would also love to know! I think the one at the end and the one at 11:33 are two different pieces, Matt. Has anyone figured out what the ending song is?

The Music that starts up at 11:33 in the podcast is Filming by John Zorn from "Film Works, Vol. 10: In the Mirror of Maya Deren"

Just came to ask the same question Leah D did? Anyone have any info on the piano music at the end? Thanks and cheers!

Who is playing the BEAUTIFUL piano music at the end of this short?

Wonderful story. I think there were two things that could have been touched on more.

The first being that Radio Lab wonderfully appeals to the Visual-thinkers among us, despite being confined to our ears. They do such a great job that, while I listen to the stories, I can see in my mind the ideas being presented. This sticks in my mind better because I feel like I've seen it, and more lectures & presentations should incorporate visual props (or audio props that are vivid enough to work as visual props) to get their point across so that it sticks in the mind better.

The second is that I know I've read somewhere that children relate better to the past than the future; they are much better at remembering what happened last time than predicting what will happen in the future. So instead of saying "what do you think will happen if you jump out of the tree?" you have to ask "what happened last time, when you jumped off the fence?" first, in order to help the child make better predictions.

The first part of your "lecture" remix was very DJ Dangermouse-like. Maybe you will have a music service someday as a sideline...?

The boy is exactly like my 9 year old who struggles in some social setting, is very inventive, loves Radiolab (and This American Life) and remembers segments verbatim.

Not only is it about the importance of supporting public radio, but in about 15 minutes it manages to be about:

the emotional power of storytelling,
the inquisitiveness of the innocent, wild-eyed of youth,
the value of oft-ignored parental advice,
the pervasiveness of memory,
the worth of scientific rigor, analysis, patience, and perseverance,
the beautiful harmony of curiosity and foresight,
and parasitic wasps.

I am going to donate now.

I think it's possible that the kid remembered so much of the podcast about parasites because he was in pain at the time. My evidence:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC202317/