449: Middle School
As the new school year begins, we have stories from all over the country about people lurching their way through their middle school years –...
Radio and PodcastLive Radio & Podcasts
Society & Culture
This American Life
This American Life is a weekly public radio show, heard by 2.2 million people on more than 500 stations. Another 2.5 million people download the weekly podcast. It is hosted by Ira Glass, pr...
Episodes
20 of 33 episodes
896: I Know What You Need
Moments 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 thi...
206: Somewhere in the Arabian Sea
The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln has been in the news thanks to an extra-long deployment that's taken a toll on its crew. What's lif...
895: Label Maker!
Labels are powerful. They can distill you down to a single word. They can get stuck on you without your permission. And sometimes, when they...
443: Amusement Park
We 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, wher...
894: I Couldn't Help but Notice
People dealing with new, glaring, massive changes happening right where they live. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for ou...
893: Testosterone
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered everyone over 30 in the military to have their testosterone tested. That inspired us to rerun thi...
892: Trapped on a Bus
People on journeys they did not intend — or agree to. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription. Prolo...
891: The Test Case
Some people in this country think Antifa is a dangerous domestic terror organization. Some think that’s a complete myth. This week, we go to...
890: Maximal Americanness
On this country's 250th birthday, we bring you stories about the most American people, places, objects, and social norms that make this coun...
128: Four Corners
We try to tell the story of life in America through portraits of life on four different corners, in four different states across the nation....
889: There’s Something About Hail Mary
We 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. V...
354: Mistakes Were Made
It’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...
888: Not Today, Hades!
Regular people trapped inside Greek myths. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription. Prologue: When a...
887: Two Is One, One Is None!
One family faces the Trump administration’s ban on trans people serving in the military, and responds with a surprising secret weapon. Visit...
886: Blackout
Since 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...
Ira (Reluctantly) Gives a Graduation Speech
Ira always hated commencement speeches. Then he felt like he had to give this one. thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners
466: Blackjack
The casino game everyone thinks they can beat. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription. Prologue: Ho...
393: Infidelity
Stories of cheating, cheaters, and the cheated. Visit thisamericanlife.org/lifepartners to sign up for our premium subscription. Prologue: I...
885: Bless This Mess
At a time when the U.S. government is trying to make American history tidier, we try to learn from the mess. Including the untold, messy sto...