
Radiolab: Post No Evil [audio] - bythe4mile
https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/post-no-evil
======
coupdejarnac
I don't think any discussion of Radiolab is complete without mentioning their
episode about "Yellow Rain". I was pretty shocked at how the episode went.

[https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/239549-yellow-
rain](https://www.wnycstudios.org/story/239549-yellow-rain)

The episode contained significant distortions and omissions, all in the
purported pursuit of truth.

[https://hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2012/10/10/deliberate-
distor...](https://hyphenmagazine.com/blog/2012/10/10/deliberate-distortions-
radiolab-and-hmong-story)

This story made plain their lack of integrity. Since then, I've treated
Radiolab for what it is- mildly interesting infotainment with unethical people
at the helm.

~~~
boomboomsubban
In a search for the truth, eyewitness accounts should basically be ignored.
Memory is terrible, and even his memory at the time seems to lack a true
smoking gun. As of now, hearing a podcast dismiss an eyewitness account is a
welcome change from the "true crime" reliance on them.

Besides that, it seems that both sides had a different expectation on what the
topic was going to be. It's understandable that Mr. Yang felt hurt afterwards,
and it also makes sense that the interviewers would get frustrated in that
situation. A good solution would have been to find a platform for Mr. Yang's
story after the miscommunication was realized, but the event seems to have
went ugly fast.

~~~
wowDude
Cool. I'm going to disregard any memory of having read this comment, or any of
the ideas it attempts to present as facts. My memory is terrible, and if I did
remember it, that would likely disprove everything you just said.

You helped me realize that I should only believe what I tell myself is true,
rather than what I might mistakenly remember.

Good thing I won't remember writing this. It would be weird remembering a
moment when I was right, but having to disregard it as wrong, because I tell
myself I'm wrong, plainly, and in the face of my own memories.

------
owaty
I understand that the point of view that "kill all men" is not hate speech
exists, and it's ok to interview someone who holds that view.

But when the hosts themselves started talking about how it's not hate speech
like it's a very reasonable view to hold, I was a bit shocked. I never enjoyed
radiolab or listened to much of it before, but I used to think it was a legit
show with respectable hosts, even if I didn't like the format.

Would they also say "kill all Americans" is not hate speech because Americans
are not "historically oppressed"? Sure, it's safer to talk about Japanese in
China on the American radio.

(I haven't listened to the whole episode yet, in case they address it later.)

~~~
bachbach
It's not just you. I'm reminded of antisemitism in the conspiratorial way the
descriptor is being used and how the Reality Distortion Field extends that
that White Males/Jews are the cause of every problem.

The fact is that many media people are racists and these people and their
fellow travelers don't like it being pointed out that they are being
hypocrites. Some of them think being white males themselves is an exemption
from criticism - except there are so many historical examples of self hating
peoples who supported the people attacking them that it would make your head
spin. I remember Scott Alexander, usually a level headed person as you could
hope to find - unsettled by what he was reading about the Jewish refugees who
ended up in England during WWII - many of whom were praising Adolf with full
awareness of what was happening. There's not much to stop self hate going from
signalling to malignant.

If you look around you won't notice many people speaking out against it,
that's because it's mainstreamed, it is the we've always been at war with
Eurasia. These people are very confident and very stupid.

The moderation mechanism on websites such as this feeds back into this echo
chamber too, because I'm aware that every thing I say will be under exacting
scrutiny but I'll regularly see violations of the rules I'd never get away
with. Rule violations have to be extraordinary to reach a moderators's inbox
if they are in the general spirit of the group believes.

------
27182818284
Don't dismiss this episode. I thought it would be kind of trite and boring,
but they bring up some really good "What if?" issues that Facebook has to deal
with. It also brings up other issues like pay to those filtering and (albeit
only a small amount) the stress of workers who have to wade through all the
nasty reports.

~~~
themtutty
I want so badly to like Radiolab, but honestly I feel like it's produced by
ADHD'ers, for ADHD'ers.

Hell, I feel like it _gives me_ ADHD just listening.

~~~
subcosmos
Doesn't this imply it's best for people who aren't ADHD?

Wait, what are we talking about?

~~~
oliveshell
As somebody who has ADHD quite severely, I have never once in my life got
distracted in the middle of a conversation. That’s not how it works, and I’m
so goddamn sick of people making jokes like this about it.

Everybody with ADHD is slightly different, but for me it’s more of a
disconnect between future rewards and present internal motivation. It’s not an
issue when I’m talking to somebody – – that shit is all in the present and I
thrive in the moment.

What I _can’t_ do well at all is make my brain feel like a task is important,
rewarding and worth doing if that reward will come far in the future.

~~~
subcosmos
I'm a lifelong sufferer myself, and so I like to jest.... forgive me

What you say makes sense and matches the neurology. I find that maintaining my
dopamine levels can be a challenge, and on the extreme end, definitely
associated with fatigue severe enough to lose track in the middle of a
conversation.

Problems with the reward system and executive function are definitely part of
the spectrum though! I identify with the symptoms you describe.

Today I'm on wellbutrin for the first time, and Im finding it more effective
than amphetamines, despite perhaps an increase in social awkwardness. YMMV

------
spectaclepiece
Disappointed to see the discussion here revolve around the podcast production
style when the core topic of determining a world wide consensus for what is or
isn’t considered ok to publish is such an impossible and simultaneously
interesting problem.

------
abjabule
Although the content is audio, I'd like to point out that this page is quite
badly designed, particularly that _giant fixed-position header_.

[https://i.imgur.com/H0VSndS.png](https://i.imgur.com/H0VSndS.png)

------
mattl
Radiolab is incredibly hard to listen to with all the random noises and things
they sprinkle into each episode. Contrast this with This American Life and its
a world of difference.

~~~
nothrabannosir
Impossible to listen to. I can’t stand it. Their series on the Supreme Court,
More Perfect, is slightly better and just manageable. But I couldn’t finish
one episode of their flagship show.

I’m relieved to hear I’m not the only one, to be honest. I thought I was going
mad. Or worse: old.

~~~
hossbeast
I would recommend listening to the catalogue in reverse order. I agree with
the broad criticisms in this thread, and I no longer listen. But for the first
4 or 5 years they produced a lot of fascinating shows. Probably around Jan
2017 it takes a nosedive.

