LATIF NASSER: Ahhhhh...

LULU MILLER: Okay... 

LATIF: Okay, well, I know I know what we're here to talk about, but because it's like a jubilant day, but let's—let me—let me feign. Let me pretend here. Lulu, what are what are we doing here in the studio? What are we here to talk about?

LULU: That was great theater. Okay, well, yes, yeah, I am here to come out of the closet as a children's entertainer. For the—Yeah, for the past year, I've been working with a small and wonderful team on a radio series for kids. And it's called Terrestrials, and it is about the strangeness waiting right here on Earth.

LATIF: I've already heard it. I mean, it's great. It's so great. It's like... 

LULU: He's contractually obligated to say that. 

LATIF: A jewel of a delight! It's, it's, it's just yeah, it's so fun. What was the— was there a kind of a, you know, a grain of sand around what you built this pearl of a series?

LULU: I mean, so it's partly a kind of boring story, I became a mom. Now I have two little boys, and I became interested in how kids minds worked. I hadn't. I'm the youngest of my whole extended family, I didn't really babysit growing up. So I didn't really know kids until I had them. And they always kind of intimidated me. But now that I spent a lot of time with them, like their minds are so psychedelic. And there's just this space of openness and curiosity and humor. And so that's I think that's part of it, that becoming a mom and being interested in kids' journey. But I think in a way I'm making this for my past self, who was a little bit of a sad kid as I hit that 8,9,10 area where I just I was haunted by the sense that there is no magic on Earth. And honestly, this series is a is an attempt to use science and close looking to say like, "Yeah, okay, maybe there's not magic dragons up there in the sky, but..."

LATIF: But, but there are Komodo dragons, here on Earth.

LULU: But there are Komodo dragons, here on Earth. Exactly! Like it might not be up in the sky, but—but it might be right here on Earth. And not only might we see beautiful things, but we might see things that cha—even break some of the rules we thought applied to all life. And that's the spot that I'm passionate about.

LATIF: Does that mean it's just for kids and the sort of half begrudging parents that are sitting with them?

LULU: Um, well, no, I mean, you might have the bar of getting over the fact that you have to go subscribe to the Radiolab for kids feed. But I think if you're just an adult, and like if you need if there's a day where you need 20 minutes of your life to hang out with your very nerdy friends who want to take you outside and show you something and pointing at it, and like sing a little kind of review and cheer you up a little we are waiting there. We would love if you join us.

LATIF: And it is—it does—it sort of grabbed you by the years and it's like look human the way you live in the world, it's not the only way, and that's like—to me that's—kids are are especially receptive to that because they're just getting used to these sensory inputs, I guess. But—but I think that's to me, that's an important lesson for all of us. 

LULU: Yeah. Yeah. 

LATIF: It really is. It's—it's a—it's a work of art. I'm really, I'm really impressed. So impressed. I just can't wait for the world to hear it. Just go listen. Go listen, if you're a kid or wherever a kid or if you live on planet Earth, either of those things.

LULU: Okay, I think now we just play it right? We just let them listen to—to the pilot? 

LATIF: Oh, yeah. And this is this is and this this genuinely was the pilot. This is the first one you made a long time ago. 

LULU: Yeah. 

LATIF: So here we go. The first episode of the series Terrestrials from Lulu Miller and Radiolab: The Mastermind. Enjoy!

[RADIOLAB INTRO]

Lulu Miller: Three. Two. [Whispering.] One.

Sy Montgomery: Imagine you are a liquid creature.

(A thumping dance beat plays. If it were playing through your speakers, you could feel it vibrate! Then, as if to join the party, a bucket of bubbles float past.)

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