Only Human

Starting with the 1925 Scopes Trial to climate change, we look at how even well-established science can remain controversial.  

Another Round co-host Tracy Clayton enlisted Only Human to help her with an experiment, to find her roots.

When North Carolina passed HB2 last year — a controversial law also known as the "bathroom bill" — it seemed to many that the rights of transgender people in that state were under threat. Now that th…

If you’ve ever worried about catching a cold from a co-worker who came into work when he (or she) should’ve taken a sick day, then this episode is for you.

A granddaughter sets out to find the roots of her grandmother’s obsession with Vicks Vaporub. The little blue jar ends up changing their relationship.  

When Mathilda Crisp was three years-old, she got sick. She stopped sleeping through the night, but during the day, she would fall asleep without warning — during a swim lesson, for example, or straig…

Jennifer Jako spent a lifetime trying to explain a single mistake she made. In this episode, we tell the story of that mistake and how it ultimately took a secret experiment buried deep inside one of…

Who knew counting a crowd would be so… political? If the election felt contentious, the inauguration seemed to make the country even more divided, between "us" and "them." After many gathered on the …

The 2016 election has certainly felt stressful. But what is the Trump-Clinton saga actually doing to us, physically? It turns out there’s a way to measure this. Researchers at the University of Nebra…

We have this idea of what therapy is supposed to look like. There’s a couch. An objective therapist sitting across the room scribbling notes. But of course it’s not that simple. In this episode, six …

Earlier this year, North Carolina passed HB2, the so-called "bathroom bill." But the state is also home to one of the few clinics for transgender kids in the South. This week, we spend some time in t…

Is laughter really the best medicine? This week, Mary Harris and Studio 360’s Kurt Andersen try to find out. We go to laughter yoga in New York, an improv class for doctors and nurses in Chicago, and…

Poet Max Ritvo is back on our show this week, for what he’s calling his “farewell tour".The 25-year-old has spent years living with terminal cancer and says he’s now at the end of his road. But in ty…

When Rose was growing up, she knew something wasn't quite right about how she heard the world. But every time she got a hearing test at the audiologist's office, she aced them. It took her years to f…

Marc Edwards uncovered the dangerous lead in Flint’s water last year. Like a lot of other people crusading for change, he discovered the struggle isn’t just about getting the science right. It’s also…

For some people, there is no “getting over” being sick. There’s just an occasional break from the pain. Three people tell Only Human what it’s like when life hands you a vacation from disease and the…

As the Supreme Court nears its decision on a landmark abortion case, we revisit a favorite episode. Dr. Willie Parker, a devout Christian, refused to perform abortions in his early career. Then he he…

In part three of our mental health series we meet Rachel Star Withers, a fearless woman with schizophrenia who offers a rare snapshot of mental illness on YouTube. Follow along on Facebook at Only Hu…