Signal Hill: Caterpillar Roadshow

109 snips

Apr 11, 2025

Guest

Martha Weiss

Guest

Annie Rosenthal

Annie Rosenthal, a passionate reporter and daughter of entomologist Martha Weiss, explores the fascinating correspondence between her mother and a young Japanese scientist named Joe. They discuss the remarkable journey of caterpillars and their transformation into butterflies, inviting listeners into a shared love for science. A captivating story unfolds about the bonds formed through letters, curiosity, and the cultural significance of insects in Japan. This exploration emphasizes how passion for science can bridge generations and spark unexpected adventures.

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ANECDOTE

A Budding Scientist

Eight-year-old Joe Nagai wrote to entomologist Martha Weiss, expressing his desire to replicate her moth memory experiment.
Joe's letter, containing handwritten notes, data figures, and photos of his butterflies, stood out from other fan mail.

ANECDOTE

An Unlikely Correspondence

Martha, amused and intrigued, found Joe's letter the "most fun" she'd ever received.
Joe's earnestness and detailed figures impressed both Martha and her husband, Josh.

ANECDOTE

Science Outreach

Martha, passionate about engaging children in science, brought insects to her daughters' classrooms and birthday parties.
She and her colleagues hosted a "Caterpillar Roadshow" showcasing caterpillars to students.

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A couple years ago, an entomologist named Martha Weiss got a letter from a little boy in Japan saying he wanted to replicate a famous study of hers. We covered that original study on Radiolab more than a decade ago in an episode called Goo and You – check it out here – and in addition to revealing some fascinating secrets of insect life, it also raises big questions about memory, permanence and transformation. The letter Martha received about building on this study set in motion a series of spectacular events that advance her original science and show how science works when a 12-year-old boy is the one doing it. Martha’s daughter, reporter Annie Rosenthal, captured all of it and turned it into a beautiful audio story called “Caterpillar Roadshow.” It was originally published in a brand new independent audio magazine called Signal Hill, which happens to have been created in part by two former Radiolab interns (Liza Yeager and Jackson Roach, both of whom worked on this piece), and we loved it, so we’re presenting an excerpt for you here.

Special thanks to Annie Rosenthal, Liza Yeager, Jackson Roach, Leo Wong, Omar Etman, the whole team at Signal Hill, Carlos Morales, John Lill, Marfa Public Radio and Emma Garschagen.

EPISODE CREDITS:
Reported by - Annie Rosenthal
Produced by - Annie Rosenthal
with help from - Leo Wong and Omar Etman
Sound design contributed by - Liza Yeager and Jackson Roach
Fact-checking by - Alan Dean
and Edited by - Liza Yeager and Jackson Roach

EPISODE CITATIONS:

Audio -
Listen to the original Radiolab episode, Goo and You, here (https://zpr.io/qh9xqpkXzk7j).

Or the Signal Hill podcast here (https://zpr.io/CDfwyK7Zkrva).

Guests -
And if you want to learn more about Martha Weiss, and her work, head over here (https://zpr.io/aBw2YsqWB6NZ).

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Leadership support for Radiolab’s science programming is provided by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Science Sandbox, a Simons Foundation Initiative, and the John Templeton Foundation. Foundational support for Radiolab was provided by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.