Last week, we talked with psychologist Lisa Miller about the science of spirituality. Today, we explore what those ideas can look like in everyday life. Miller explains why moments of connection, spiritual practices, and even periods of suffering can sometimes open the door to deeper meaning and growth. And on Your Questions Answered, behavioral scientist Dave Evans returns to respond to your comments on designing a meaningful life.
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Back in the 1950s, facing the threat of nuclear annihilation, federal officials sat down and pondered what American life would actually look like after an atomic attack. They faced a slew of practical questions like: Who would count the dead and where would they build the refugee camps? But they faced a more spiritual question as well. If Washington DC were hit, every object in the the National Archives would be eviscerated in a moment. Terrified by this reality, they set out to save some of America’s most precious stuff. Today, we look back at the items our Cold War era planners sought to save and we ask the question: what objects would we preserve now?
We first released this episode back in 2020, but with our big fourth of July – 250 years! – just around the corner, we thought it was a strange but profound reflection on what this whole America thing that we’re celebrating… actually is.
Special thanks to Luke Manon, Ben Irving, Bill Pretzer, Jason Spier, and Garrett Graff for all his reporting that made this episode possible.
LATERAL CUTS -The Cataclysm Sentence (https://radiolab.org/podcast/cataclysm-sentence)
EPISODE CREDITS:
Reported by - Simon Adler
with help from - Tad Davis
Produced by - Simon Adler
Original music and sound design contributed by - SIMON ADLER
and Edited by - Pat Walters
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Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Simons Foundation and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Dartmouth president Sian Beilock, a psychologist by training, made her name studying why people choke. Now she’s applying those insights to one of the most scrutinized jobs in America. No pressure!
SOURCES:
Sian Beilock, president of Dartmouth College.
RESOURCES:
"Growing share of Americans say the U.S. higher education system is headed in the wrong direction," by Kim Parker (Pew Research Center, 2025).
"Standardized Test Scores and Academic Performance at Ivy-Plus Colleges," by John N. Friedman, Bruce Sacerdote, Douglas O. Staiger, and Michele Tine (NBER, 2025).
"Americans’ Trust in One Another," by Laura Silver, Scott Keeter, Stephanie Kramer, Jordan Lippert, Sofia Hernandez Ramones, Alan Cooperman, Chris Baronavski, and Bill Webster (Pew Research Center, 2025).
Choke: What the Secrets of the Brain Reveal About Getting It Right When You Have To, by Sian Beilock (2011)
EXTRAS:
"Why Does Vanderbilt Keep Winning?" by Freakonomics Radio (2026).
"'A Low Moment in Higher Education,'" by Freakonomics Radio (2024).
"'If We’re All in It for Ourselves, Who Are We?'" by Freakonomics Radio (2024).
"Why We Choke Under Pressure (and How Not To)," by Freakonomics Radio (2018).
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Food, safety, and strong relationships are essential to our survival. Psychologist Lisa Miller says our brains also crave something else: transcendence. She suggests that spirituality is a universal human capacity, and that feeling connected to something larger than ourselves may be essential to a fulfilling life.
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This is the abbreviated version of Checkup's call-in on your home renovation horror stories. Prime Minister Mark Carney finds himself in a position so many homeowners have been before -- the start of a major renovation. We hear from experts in architecture and home renovation about what you need to know to avoid problems with your own fixer-upper.
No Prime Minister has been able to live at 24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa since 2015, because of neglect and disrepair. Now Prime Minister Mark Carney is in a position so many homeowners have been in - he's looking for a pitch and he's not sure how much it will cost. We hear from experts in architecture and home renovation about what you need to know to avoid problems with your own fixer-upper.
As Canada, the U.S. and Mexico prepare to review the CUSMA deal, experts on both sides of the border take stock of where Canada-U.S. relations stand ahead of negotiations. We hear from economists, politicians, and Canadians about how Trump's tariffs are affecting their daily decisions.
This ICYMI episode takes you back to 1991. Canada had just entered a free trade deal with the United States. But the American and Mexican governments had their sights set on something bigger -- A North American free trade deal. But Canadians weren't completely sold. Checkup asked: "Is North American free trade a risk worth taking?" Here's what some callers told host Dale Goldhawk.
