World Model · podcast knowledge graph

Life in a Barrel

2026-04-03 · 55 min · episode 687 · 16 entities

episode page audio

Asserted relationships

  • → discusses Society & Culture concept
    0.40
    evidence rules-v4
    Feed category: Society & Culture
  • → discusses Science concept
    0.40
    evidence rules-v4
    Feed category: Science
  • → discusses History concept
    0.40
    evidence rules-v4
    Feed category: History
  • → discusses Documentary concept
    0.40
    evidence rules-v4
    Feed category: Documentary
  • → hosted by WNYC Studios company
    0.40
    evidence rules-v4
    Feed author/publisher: WNYC Studios
  • → discusses Natural Sciences concept
    0.40
    evidence rules-v4
    Feed category: Natural Sciences
  • → references YBjJxuXjydPN website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v4
    Link in episode "Life in a Barrel": https://zpr.io/YBjJxuXjydPN
  • → references LzfueEqUWNHb website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v4
    Link in episode "Life in a Barrel": https://zpr.io/LzfueEqUWNHb

Entities found in this episode

concepts 10

  • mentioned Society & Culture concept
    0.50
    evidence rules-v4
    Feed category: Society & Culture
  • mentioned Science concept
    0.50
    evidence rules-v4
    Feed category: Science
  • mentioned History concept
    0.50
    evidence rules-v4
    Feed category: History
  • mentioned Documentary concept
    0.50
    evidence rules-v4
    Feed category: Documentary
  • mentioned Natural Sciences concept
    0.50
    evidence rules-v4
    Feed category: Natural Sciences
  • discusses Society & Culture concept
    0.40
    evidence rules-v4
    Feed category: Society & Culture
  • discusses Science concept
    0.40
    evidence rules-v4
    Feed category: Science
  • discusses History concept
    0.40
    evidence rules-v4
    Feed category: History
  • discusses Documentary concept
    0.40
    evidence rules-v4
    Feed category: Documentary
  • discusses Natural Sciences concept
    0.40
    evidence rules-v4
    Feed category: Natural Sciences

websites 4

  • mentioned YBjJxuXjydPN website
    0.45
    evidence rules-v4
    Link in episode "Life in a Barrel": https://zpr.io/YBjJxuXjydPN
  • mentioned LzfueEqUWNHb website
    0.45
    evidence rules-v4
    Link in episode "Life in a Barrel": https://zpr.io/LzfueEqUWNHb
  • references YBjJxuXjydPN website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v4
    Link in episode "Life in a Barrel": https://zpr.io/YBjJxuXjydPN
  • references LzfueEqUWNHb website
    0.38
    evidence rules-v4
    Link in episode "Life in a Barrel": https://zpr.io/LzfueEqUWNHb

companys 2

  • mentioned WNYC Studios company
    0.70
    evidence rules-v4
    Feed author/publisher: WNYC Studios
  • hosted by WNYC Studios company
    0.40
    evidence rules-v4
    Feed author/publisher: WNYC Studios
Episode description as stored
This week, in an episode we first aired in 2022, we flip the Disney story of life on its head thanks to a barrel of seawater, a 1970s era computer, and underwater geysers. It’s the chaos of life. Latif, Lulu, and our Senior Producer Matt Kielty were all sitting on their own little stories until they got thrown into the studio, and had their cherished beliefs about the shape of life put on a collision course. From an accidental study of sea creatures, to the ambitions of Stephen J Gould, to an undercooked theory that captured the world’s imagination, we undo the seeming order of the living world and try to make some music out of the wreckage. (Bonus: Learn how Francis Crick really thought life got started on this planet). EPISODE CREDITS:  Reported by - Latif Nasser, Matt Kielty, Heather Radke, Lulu Miller and Candice Wang Produced by - Matt Kielty and Simon Adler with help from - Arianne Wack Original music and sound design contributed by - Matt Kilety, Simon Adler, Alan Goffinski, and Jeremy Bloom EPISODE CITATIONS: Articles -  Chaos in a long-term experiment with a plankton community ( https://zpr.io/j6sYXKfDzPCG ), by Benincà, E., Huisman, J., Heerkloss, R. et al. Nature  Chaos theory discloses triggers and drivers of plankton dynamics in stable environment ( https://zpr.io/qHKENA3SJ8ML ), by Telesh IV, Schubert H, Joehnk KD, Heerkloss R, Schumann R, Feike M, Schoor A, Skarlato SO. Sci Rep. Books - Full House ( https://zpr.io/pMQZfyPcRzD4 ), by Stephen Jay Gould Extinction: Bad Genes or Bad Luck? ( https://zpr.io/pPVNugUKWpi4 ), by David M. Raup Rereading the Fossil Record: The Growth of Paleobiology as an Evolutionary Discipline ( https://zpr.io/YBjJxuXjydPN ), by David Sepkoski The Vital Question: Energy, Evolution, and the Origins of Complex Life ( https://zpr.io/LzfueEqUWNHb ), by Nick Lane Life Itself: Its Origin and Nature ( https://zpr.io/KPZf57eEVMBX ), by Francis Crick Signup for our newsletter!! It includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up (https://radiolab.org/newsletter)! Radiolab is supported by listeners like you. Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab (https://members.radiolab.org/) today. Follow our show on Instagram , Twitter and Facebook @radiolab, and share your thoughts with us by emailing radiolab@wnyc.org . 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.