Throughline

By: NPR
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  • Summary

  • Throughline is a time machine. Each episode, we travel beyond the headlines to answer the question, "How did we get here?" We use sound and stories to bring history to life and put you into the middle of it. From ancient civilizations to forgotten figures, we take you directly to the moments that shaped our world. Throughline is hosted by Peabody Award-winning journalists Rund Abdelfatah and Ramtin Arablouei.

    Subscribe to Throughline+. You'll be supporting the history-reframing, perspective-shifting, time-warping stories you can't get enough of - and you'll unlock access bonus episodes and sponsor-free listening. Learn more at plus.npr.org/throughline
    Copyright 2019-2021 NPR - For Personal Use Only
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Social Sciences World
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Episodes
  • We the People: The Right to Remain Silent

    We the People: The Right to Remain Silent
    Mar 27 2025
    The Fifth Amendment. You have the right to remain silent when you're being questioned in police custody, thanks to the Fifth's protection against self-incrimination. But most people end up talking to police anyway. Why? Today on Throughline's We the People: the Fifth Amendment, the right to remain silent, and how hard it can be to use it.

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    49 mins
  • Sesame Street

    Sesame Street
    Mar 20 2025
    Big Bird, politics, and the ABCs: how a television show made to represent New York City neighborhoods like Harlem and the Bronx became beloved by families around a divided country. This episode originally ran in 2022 as "Getting to Sesame Street."

    To access bonus episodes and listen to Throughline sponsor-free, subscribe to Throughline+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org/throughline.

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    49 mins
  • Winter is Coming

    Winter is Coming
    Mar 13 2025
    Dinosaurs, Carl Sagan, and nuclear war. There was a moment in the not-so-distant past when we learned what drove the dinosaurs extinct — and that discovery, made during the Cold War, may have helped save humans from the same fate. In this episode, we'll take a journey from prehistoric times to the nuclear age and explore how humans contend with fears of the end.

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    51 mins

What listeners say about Throughline

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Powerful Podcast

Intro to a new author and her contribution to Afro Futurism. This has been an eye opening experience. I am an fan from now on.

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Excellent history lesson

Excellent history lesson behind current state of Palestine and Israel. emotionally charged at times, but full of facts and history.

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don't know Jimmy? here is why you should care!

almost brought me to tears, distilling Jimmy's Legacy. I have read at least eight of James's works, from the first book I read, I wondered why this was not required reading as the greatest American author. James Baldwin is America's greatest writer. this podcast Play It's like a trailer for why this is true.

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Unexpectedly Interesting

Never heard about any of this history regarding Chinese immigrants to the USA. Fascinating and so sad, esp. given the state of our country on immigration nowadays. We seem to be going backwards. Both narrator and granddaughter were wonderful.

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Not good for misophonia/sensory issues

The content of this podcast is really interesting and thought-provoking, and it's very well produced. However, as someone with misophonia I was not able to listen to more than a few minutes before I had to shut the episode off because of the sound effects. I was attempting to listen to the episode about dreams, and it was filled with all these little whispering noises and sounds shifting from one side to the other. I imagine many people would consider this ASMR and enjoy it but for me they make my skin crawl. It's involuntary, I can't prevent it or stop it. Unfortunately, of all the sounds I've heard in my headphones, the ones in this episode provoked the strongest physiological response from my body and I was not able to make it more than a few minutes in. Too bad, because I was really interested! I'll try another episode sometime but right now I need something more sensory friendly.

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My favorite!

This has been my favorite episode! I can’t stop thinking about it. I felt horror and disgust, i laughed and then I cried. Highly recommend!I

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In depth reporting and connecting history to current events

Give this a listen.


It's worth your time.


See title for reasoning.


A thoughtful podcast.

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