Sometimes, marching steadily through the steps of life—we crash right into something entirely unexpected. In one instant, the entire world changes, without even a word of warning. When a crash comes, that collision can destroy everything. But it can wake us up to what we truly need; we must decide what to raze and what to rebuild. How do humans move forward before the smoke is cleared? What happens after the crash?

Host: Eileen Williams

Producers: Eileen Williams, Claudia Heymach, Jackson Roach, Megan Calfas, Alex Cheng, Noelle Li Syn Chow, Jake Warga

Featuring: Eddie Mazon, Michael Peskin, Miles Traer, Dr. David Radler, Dan Klein, Dehan Glanz

Show music: "Darger's strawberry" by Exteenager, "opening credits" by Johnny Ripper

(Links to this show's music and sound sources can be found at storytelling.stanford.edu)

Story 1: SLACing off

Dr. Michael Peskin works in the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, home of the world’s longest linear accelerator. At SLAC, researchers crash X rays and particles, and a huge variety of things together, but not for destruction or for fun-- but for learning.

Producer: Claudia Heymach

Featuring: Michael Peskin

Music: Original viola by Rosie LaPuma

Story 2: Myth and Science

Miles accidentally crashed the Stanford server, but as an earth scientist there’s a lot more at risk. Myth and science have been separated in the real world, but in fantasy and fiction they dance together to tell stories.

Producer: Eileen Williams

Featuring: Miles Traer

Music: Soundtrack to “Game of Thrones”

Story 3: Crash Cart

Dr. David Radler is a senior resident in the department of emergency medicine at Stanford University. He tells us about one particularly memorable crash, and what it taught him.

Producer: Eileen Williams

Featuring: Dr. David Radler

Music: Kai Engel

Story 4: Car Crash

In an instant, everything can change. When Dan and Danno got in a car crash in their sophomore year at Stanford, everything did. Now they’re both back at Stanford as professors and recount the event that shook and shaped their lives (and even inspired a Lifetime Movie). Their perspective is one you might not expect in light of the tragedy that unhinged their world. Dan says today, “That’s a great approach to life—to assume that there’s something lucky to every unlucky thing that happens.”

Producers: Megan Calfas and Alex Cheng

Featuring: Dan Klein and Dehan Glanz

Music and sound: Kai Engel, David Szesztay, Podington Bear, De la Soul, The Clientele, "A Mother's Fight for Justice"