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Radiolab

Funky Hand Jive

Radiolab

WNYC Studios

Science, Natural Sciences, History, Society & Culture, Documentary

4.643.5K Ratings

🗓️ 10 November 2023

⏱️ 28 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Back when Robert was kid, he had a chance encounter with then President John F. Kennedy. The interaction began with a hello and ended with a handshake. And like many of us who have touched greatness, 14 year old Robert was left wondering if maybe some of Kennedy would stay with him. Back in 2017, when this episode first aired, Robert found himself still pondering that encounter and question. And so with the help of what was brand new science back then, and a helping hand from Neil Degrasse Tyson, he set out to satisfy this curiosity once and for all.EPISODE CREDITS:Produced by - Simon Adlerwith help from - Only Human: Amanda Aronczyk, Kenny Malone, Jillian Weinberger and Elaine Chen.

EPISODE CITATIONS:

Videos:

The Handshake Experiment (https://zpr.io/buzgQeJJLqvY)Books: Neil deGrasse Tyson's newest book is called "Astrophysics for People in A Hurry." (https://zpr.io/idRcrMu3Kj8c) Ed Yong, “I Contain Multitudes.” (https://zpr.io/ff5imFP3kA6s)

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Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Happy Friday, this is Lulu. We have hit you with some harder stuff the last couple weeks.

0:06.2

So we thought we'd just lighten things up with a lower stakes thing, a lighter thing.

0:11.6

A classic Krollwich episode.

0:15.4

Today, Robert Krollwich is gonna do the thing he does,

0:18.7

which is take a very small question,

0:21.1

run it through the scientific process, and come out with something that, you know, changes

0:26.6

how you see yourself in relation to the world.

0:29.5

So enjoy.

0:30.5

Funky hand jive.

0:31.5

Wait, you're let's say. All right. Enjoy. Radio, W Nyce,

0:44.0

P, Y, S, P, Y,

0:46.0

Rewind.

0:50.0

Can I just tell you a story?

0:51.0

I don't have a choice, do I? You don't have a choice, do I?

0:53.2

You don't have a choice.

0:55.2

This takes me back to when I was 14.

0:58.5

Jack Kennedy, John if Kennedy was the president,

1:01.0

and he's very glamorous.

1:03.0

I mean he was on television, he was fun to watch.

1:05.9

And he would go to mass in my neighborhood in New York.

1:08.9

When he comes to New York, he'd go to a particular church all the time and just out of enthusiasm some of my friends and I would go and stand there and watch him just walk up the steps.

1:17.5

You can see the president of the United States and his wife.

...

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