We use cookies and other tracking technologies to enhance your browsing experience. If you continue to use our site, you agree to the use of such cookies. For more info, see our privacy policy.
Skip to main content

Hi. We love you. Be our Life Partner.

Support the show to get ad-free listening, bonus content, and our new Greatest Hits Archive.

Learn more
This American Life Partners logo
00:00
00:00
  • Transcript
  • Share
This American Life
  • Life Partners
  • How to Listen
  • Episodes
  • Recommended
  • About
    • Overview
    • Staff
    • Announcements
    • Fellowships
    • Jobs
    • Music
    • Make Radio
    • On The Road
    • FAQ
    • Submissions
    • Merch
    • Contact Us
    • Our Other Shows
  • Merch
  • Follow Us
  • Life Partners
450
November 11, 2011

So Crazy It Just Might Work

A few years ago a cancer researcher named Jonathan Brody gave a speech at his alma mater saying that people in his field really needed to think outside the box to find a cure. Afterward he was approached by his old orchestra teacher, who had something way out of the box—a theory that he could kill cancer cells with electromagnetic waves. And other stories.

  • Download
    Control-click (or right-click) Tap and hold to download
  • Subscribe on Spotify Subscribe in Apple Podcasts Subscribe
  • Transcript
Image of the Rife-Bare device's plasma light courtesy of Gabriel Rhodes.

Prologue

Host Ira Glass talks with science writer Paul Hoffman about a mathematician named Frank Nelson Cole, who demonstrated a groundbreaking idea at a conference in 1903. Paul explains that in addition to their celebrated breakthroughs, many of the greatest thinkers in history have entertained some very crazy ideas. Paul is the author of many books including The Man Who Loved Only Numbers, and is director of the Liberty Science Center in New Jersey. (7 minutes)

By

Ira Glass
Act One

Mr. Holland's Opus

One day a successful cancer researcher named Jonathan Brody gave a talk at his alma mater, about how people in his field need to think outside the box if they're going to find a cure. Afterward Jonathan's old music teacher Anthony Holland shared an idea that was way out of the box: Killing cancer cells with electromagnetic waves. Gabriel Rhodes tells what happened next. Gabriel is also working on a documentary film version of this story, called The Cure. (35 minutes)

Correction: Ira writes—In an edit of Gabriel Rhodes's story, I mistakenly asked him to insert erroneous information about sound waves and electromagnetic waves, and then acted so completely confident about it—misremembering a science show I worked on years ago—that nobody in the editing process bothered to fact check it. The people in the story were using electromagnetic waves, not sound waves, for their experiment. This was very much my mistake and not Gabe's, and I regret telling him to insert a mistake into his otherwise carefully researched and fact checked story. Thanks to the many listeners who wrote to point out the error. We've gone back and fixed this, so the versions aired in 2012 and posted here on the website have the correction.

By

Gabriel Rhodes
Act Two

Benny Takes a Jet

Ira Glass speaks with a guy named Benny, who came up with a crazy idea for how to deal with a crush. And in its own way, this crazy idea worked. (13 1/2 minutes)

Song:

“I'm Putting All My Eggs in One Basket” by Bob Wills and his Texas Playboys

Related

If you enjoyed this episode, you may like these
138: The Real Thing
Aug. 27, 1999

Act Four: Real Love

There's The Real Thing when it comes to your idea of what job you want, what house you want, what person you want to fall in love with.
63: One Thing
May 9, 1997

Act One: Life Without Leanne

A story by Larry Doyle.
391: More Is Less
Oct. 9, 2009

Act Two: Every Cat Scan Has Nine Lives

Or is the problem the patients? Producer Lisa Pollak reports.

Staff Recommendations

View all
640
Mar. 2, 2018

Five Women

A different kind of #MeToo story, about several women who worked for the same man.

550
Mar. 13, 2015

Three Miles

What happens when of a group of public school students in the Bronx goes to visit an elite private school three miles away.

This American Life

This American Life is produced in collaboration with WBEZ Chicago and delivered to stations by PRX The Public Radio Exchange.

  • How to Listen
  • Episodes
  • Recommended
  • About
    • Overview
    • Staff
    • Announcements
    • Fellowships
    • Jobs
    • Music
    • Make Radio
    • On The Road
    • FAQ
    • Submissions
    • Merch
    • Contact Us
    • Our Other Shows
  • Merch
  • Contact
  • Life Partners
  • Serial
  • S-Town
© 1995 - 2025 This American Life Privacy Policy | Terms of Use

Share

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email

Subscribe

  • on Spotify
  • in Apple Podcasts

Share

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Email