Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
From the Radiolab podcast: How to (maybe) get over your fear of roaches (again, maybe)
A couple summers ago, Radiolab reporter Alex Neason got out of the shower and almost stepped on her worst nightmare: an American cockroach. It was flipped onto its back, struggling, and for a split second, Alex swears she felt the spiny tickle of its legs on the underside of her bare foot. And, like every other time she has come into contact with a roach, this sent her into a debilitating spiral of fear, anger, and disgust.
This week, Alex tries to understand what might be behind her fear, in the hopes she can overcome it. And in doing so, Alex learns more about these so-called pests than she could have ever wanted to.
Special thanks to Jessica Ware, Timothy Marzullo, Alexandra Bell and Changlu Wang
EPISODE CREDITS:
Reported by Alex Neason
Produced by Jessica Yung and Annie McEwen
with mixing help from Jeremy Bloom
Fact-checking by Sophie Samiee
and edited by Pat Walters
EPISODE CITATIONS:
Articles -
American Cockroaches, Racism, and the Ecology of the Slave Ship (zpr.io/UNKsMz7ZaLvb) by Lindsay Garcia, Arcadia
Books:
Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains (zpr.io/6E5wJBM4Kvcv) by Bethany Brookshire
The Cockroach Papers (zpr.io/CvKePYxEMEAW) by Richard Schweid
Cockroach (zpr.io/UuEAjmfqKccQ) by Marion Copeland
🎧 Subscribe to Radiolab wherever you listen to podcasts: lnk.to/radiolab!youtube
🔎 Subscribe to Radiolab on YouTube: bit.ly/3I9KI53
🖋 Subscribe to Radiolab’s Newsletter: radiolab.org/newsletter
🌱 Check out Radiolab's Starter Kit Playlist: bit.ly/3sX8f4P
👍 Like this video ✏️ and leave us a comment!
Follow Radiolab:
Instagram — instagram.com/radiolab
X — https://x.com/Radiolab
Facebook — facebook.com/Radiolab
Threads — threads.net/@radiolab
TikTok — tiktok.com/@radiolab
Our newsletter includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up here: radiolab.org/newsletter
Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab today: radiolab.org/the-lab
Photo illustration by Ali Bey
Video by W. Harry Fortuna
From the Radiolab podcast: How to (maybe) get over your fear of roaches (again, maybe)
A couple summers ago, Radiolab reporter Alex Neason got out of the shower and almost stepped on her worst nightmare: an American cockroach. It was flipped onto its back, struggling, and for a split second, Alex swears she felt the spiny tickle of its legs on the underside of her bare foot. And, like every other time she has come into contact with a roach, this sent her into a debilitating spiral of fear, anger, and disgust.
This week, Alex tries to understand what might be behind her fear, in the hopes she can overcome it. And in doing so, Alex learns more about these so-called pests than she could have ever wanted to.
Special thanks to Jessica Ware, Timothy Marzullo, Alexandra Bell and Changlu Wang
EPISODE CREDITS:
Reported by Alex Neason
Produced by Jessica Yung and Annie McEwen
with mixing help from Jeremy Bloom
Fact-checking by Sophie Samiee
and edited by Pat Walters
EPISODE CITATIONS:
Articles -
American Cockroaches, Racism, and the Ecology of the Slave Ship (zpr.io/UNKsMz7ZaLvb) by Lindsay Garcia, Arcadia
Books:
Pests: How Humans Create Animal Villains (zpr.io/6E5wJBM4Kvcv) by Bethany Brookshire
The Cockroach Papers (zpr.io/CvKePYxEMEAW) by Richard Schweid
Cockroach (zpr.io/UuEAjmfqKccQ) by Marion Copeland
🎧 Subscribe to Radiolab wherever you listen to podcasts: lnk.to/radiolab!youtube
🔎 Subscribe to Radiolab on YouTube: bit.ly/3I9KI53
🖋 Subscribe to Radiolab’s Newsletter: radiolab.org/newsletter
🌱 Check out Radiolab's Starter Kit Playlist: bit.ly/3sX8f4P
👍 Like this video ✏️ and leave us a comment!
Follow Radiolab:
Instagram — instagram.com/radiolab
X — https://x.com/Radiolab
Facebook — facebook.com/Radiolab
Threads — threads.net/@radiolab
TikTok — tiktok.com/@radiolab
Our newsletter includes short essays, recommendations, and details about other ways to interact with the show. Sign up here: radiolab.org/newsletter
Support Radiolab by becoming a member of The Lab today: radiolab.org/the-lab
Photo illustration by Ali Bey
Video by W. Harry Fortuna
