Radiolab is a Peabody-award-winning show about curiosity. Where sound illuminates ideas, and the boundaries blur between science, philosophy, and the human experience.

Radiolab Mixtape, continuing a special 4 part series featuring the impact of the cassette tape

Radiolab Mixtape 2 The Wandering Soul: an exploration of the Vietnam War and the ghosts it left behind haunting survivors today.

As the Vietnam war dragged on, the US military began desperately searching for any vulnerability in their North Vietnamese enemy. In 1964, they found it. It was an old Vietnamese folktale involving a ghost, eternal damnation and fear - a tailor made weaponizable myth. And so, armed with tape recorders and microphones, the military set out to win the war by bringing this ghost story to life.

The story of these efforts and their ghosts still haunt people today.

Radiolab Mixtape is reported, produced, scored and sound designed by Simon Adler.

This episode was produced by Annie McEwen, with original music by Annie. Original reporting was contributed by Trung Dung Vo and Nguyễn Vân Hà.

From WNYC. First broadcast on public radio in the USA in 2021. Show less