State of the Human

Dying (full episode)

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.

Mythologizing (full episode)

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:

Solitude (full episode)

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

Broadcasting (full episode)

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

Naming (full episode)

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.

Survival (full episode)

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.

Speculation (full episode)

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

Caretaking (full episode)

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

​Immigrating: Crossings (full episode, part 1 of theme)

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 taylorsyoung@gmail.com
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: Conversations (full episode, part 2 of theme)

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