State of the Human
State of the Human, a podcast of the Stanford Storytelling Project, shares stories that deepen our understanding of single, common human experiences—belonging, giving, lying, forgiveness—all drawn from the experiences and research of the Stanford community.
Episodes
On a school trip re-enacting the past, Coco tries to find themselves in the magic beyond who they are supposed to be.
In this episode, Author Lydia Conklin reads "Pioneer" a short story from Rainbow Rainbow, their collection of stories about queer, gender-nonconforming, and trans characters.
Produced by Alana Esposito
After an accident left Becca with a skull fracture and concussion, she turned to an unlikely form of play to pick up the pieces.
Interview with: Becca Taylor
Producers: Arun Chhetri, Nardos Demilew, Gracielly Abreu, and Carolyn Stein
Narration: Nardos Demilew
After years of discipline and structure, Adesuwa takes a day off from productivity to remember how to have fun.
Producer: Adesuwa Agbonile
Host: Jacob Matlof
As a pediatric neuro-oncologist, Dr. Paul Fisher works with children fighting brain cancer. In this episode, he shares how invisible skills like empathy and human connection are central to his medical practice.
Producer: Alex Strong
Viva Donohoe always saw her grandmother as the archetype of a sophisticated woman, modeled in the spirit of iconic country singer Patsy Cline. But an investigation into Cline’s life leads Viva to discover hidden truths about her grandmother and the woman she modeled herself after.
Story By: Viva Donohoe
Producers: Viva Donahoe, Eva Sanez, Ana De Almeida Amaral
Music: Internet ...
In today’s episode, Sarah Lewis reads “Willies on West 79th,” a strangely moving tale about love, body dysmorphia, and why a rat ballet company might be the most honest place in New York.
Producers
Arun Chhetri
Sarah Lewis
Alex Strong
Story by: Sarah Lewis
Music by: Blue Dot Sessions
In today’s episode, Wallace Stegner Fellow Zach Williams reads his surreal story “Mousetraps,” where a simple errand spirals into a disorienting interrogation of masculinity, guilt, and moral performance.
Producers
Arun Chhetri
Zach Williams
Isabelle Edgar
Story by: Zach Williams
Music by: Blue Dot Sessions
As an added bonus to our Invisibility series, we’re including conversations with the creators who made them to give you a behind-the-scenes look at the craft of audio storytelling. In this episode, Alex Strong talks with Langston Buddenhagen, the creator of New Flowers, the first story in our Invisibility series.
Langston Buddenhagen takes us to Ethiopia's capital city of Addis Ababa in order to explore how neighborhoods change and what that change means. In the process, Langston explores how his mixed racial identity dovetails into these same issues, and how is own hometown - Oakland, California - is changing too.
We all know what it's like to sense something unspoken in a conversation—the hesitation, the sharpness, the softness. It's not the words, but how they're said. This episode, we explore the invisible language of emotional prosody—the tone, rhythm, and subtle cues in our voices that reveal how we feel, often without us realizing it.
Alana Esposito and Alex Strong to discuss the process behind how A Foot in Both Worlds came to be.
Producers: Alana Esposito, Alex Strong
Paul Calvo has always been ambitious, but he hasn't always been on the right side of the tracks. This is his story.
Producer: Alex Strong.
Music by Blue Dot Sessions.
Sounds by Free Sounds.
Paul Calvo has always been ambitious, but he hasn't always been on the right side of the tracks. This is his story.
Producer: Alex Strong.
Music by Blue Dot Sessions.
Sounds by Free Sounds.
A group of Stanford alumni recall their time in undergrad climbing buildings on campus – and the way it permanently altered their lives.
Producer: Alana Esposito Music from Blue Dot Sessions
When a group of students stumbles upon a mysterious plaque hidden beneath an oak tree, a late-night discovery turns into a real-time detective story. Their search for answers uncovers a decades-old secret, and a story that’s both forgotten and unforgettable.
Producers Arun Chhetri: Host, producer, sound design With Will Briger & Henry Segal ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------...
Growing up with Indian immigrant parents in a Wyoming college town, Aru was used to the tension of what her parents expected her to be and the person she was actually becoming. In this story, recorded at First Person Story in April of 2024, Aru takes the risk of emotional nakedness with her mom–even though it may leave her feeling exposed. www.firstpersonstory.org www.storytelling.stanford.edu
Popular Podcasts
Hey Jonas! The official Jonas Brothers podcast. Hosted by Kevin, Joe, and Nick Jonas. It’s the Jonas Brothers you know... musicians, actors, and well, yes, brothers. Now, they’re sharing another side of themselves in the playful, intimate, and irreverent way only they can. Spend time with the Jonas Brothers here and stay a little bit longer for deep conversations like never before.
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by Audiochuck Media Company.
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy, Jess Hilarious, And Charlamagne Tha God!
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
The official podcast of comedian Joe Rogan.