Funky Hand Jive

Radiolab

WNYC Studios

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

4.6 • 44.5K Ratings

🗓️ 26 April 2017

⏱️ 28 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ 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. Now, 50 years later, Robert still finds himself pondering that encounter and question. And so with the help of brand new science and Neil Degrasse Tyson, he sets out to satisfy this curiosity once and for all. Produced by Simon Adler with help from Only Human: Amanda Aronczyk, Kenny Malone, Jillian Weinberger and Elaine Chen. Neil deGrasse Tyson's newest book is called "Astrophysics for People in A Hurry." Radiolab needs your help! Please visit wnyc.podcastingsurvey.com and tell us a little about you and the podcasts you love in a 5-minute, anonymous survey. We really appreciate your help - knowing more about you helps us make more of the shows you enjoy. Thank you from all of us at Radiolab! *** As of Wednesday, May 3rd, 2017 we've run out of kits. Thanks so much to uBiome for generously donating over 13,000 free kits, and thanks to everyone for participating. *** FAQ: Who is uBiome? uBiome is a California-based biotech company started in 2012 that sequences the DNA of the microbes that live on and in you. Do I have to pay for my results? No, as long as you use the code for Radiolab/Only Human listeners, the sequencing results are free! uBiome otherwise charges $89 to have a skin sample analyzed. Am I going to find out if I’m sick? This uBiome information isn’t for diagnosing any health condition. How long will it take to get my results? It can take from 3-6 weeks from when uBiome receives your sample to sequence, process and compile the material. So please send those samples back to the uBiome labs soon, so we can report back to you about the Radiolab/Only Human group. What is uBiome going to do with my microbiome info? uBiome scientists are going to share aggregate level analysis with Radiolab and Only Human so we can give general results about our group’s skin microbiome. Aside from that, what uBiome does with your results generally depends on whether you choose to be included in research or share your information. uBiome is HIPAA-compliant, and their practices are reviewed by an independent committee for ethical research (an IRB). For more information, see uBiome’s summary of its privacy practices (just 6 pages in regular-sized font). Will I be able to get my raw data? Yes! Once your results are in, you’ll be able to download it as a CSV, JSON or FASTQ file. Will they take my DNA and clone me? If by “me”, you mean the human you, then no, uBiome isn’t going to clone, let alone even sequence human DNA. More questions? Email onlyhuman@wnyc.org. Support Radiolab by becoming a member today at Radiolab.org/donate.

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Wait, you're listening.
0:03.1	Okay.
0:04.4	All right.
0:05.5	Okay.
0:07.0	All right.
0:08.5	You're listening to Radio Lab.
0:11.4	Radio Lab.
0:11.9	From W. N. Y.
0:13.9	C.
0:14.8	See?
0:15.1	Yeah.
0:18.8	Can I just tell you a story?
0:20.7	I don't have a choice, do I?
0:22.5	You don't really have a choice.
0:23.8	What's the story?
0:24.5	This takes me back to when I was 14, Jack Kennedy, John F. Kennedy was the president,
0:30.3	and he's very glamorous.
0:32.3	I mean, he really, he was on television, he was fun to watch.
0:35.2	And he would go to Mass in my neighborhood in New York. 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. You can see the president of the United States and his wife. You did this multiple times? Many times. Yes, because we were big fans. And then one day we went to do that, and I can't remember whether he zipped by or zipped in, but anyway, we missed it. And my friend John said, damn, but he was a New York kid, so he thought that would be interesting. He knew the place where President Kennedy was staying, which was a famous hotel on Madison Avenue. And he came up with this crazy plan that he was going to ask for his aunt when we walk in the lobby so the Secret Service wouldn't have to worry about us. So we go to the hotel. He does the thing. We're in the lobby. And then crazily the elevator door opens and there is President Kennedy steps out of the elevator with Jackie. Wow.
1:47.6	She's immediately grabbed by these reporters, and they're asking her something, and he's got nothing to do. So he's a politician. He glances around, and I am standing behind the potted plant, staring at him. And so he steps towards the bush, and he reaches over the bush. He goes, hello, young man, or something like that. And I couldn't speak because there was so much phlegm coming flooding into my throat that I thought I might drown standing up.
1:47.0	But... is over the bush and goes, hello, young man, or something like that. And I couldn't speak because there was so much phlegm coming, flooding into my throat that I thought I might drown standing up. But they took his hand and I shook it. And then he released and he went off to do
1:55.4	something else and I was just staring at my hand. Later that day, I said to my sister, I shook President Kennedy's hand, and I guess I'm not
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from WNYC Studios, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of WNYC Studios and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.