Detective Stories
This episode appears to contain dynamically inserted ads. Transcript timestamps may be approximate.
Forensics, archeology, genealogy, and genetics are devoted to figuring out what really happened. In this hour of Radiolab, digging up the past leads to some very unexpected finds.
Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
(swooshing) RadioLab is supported by AT&T. We all love to connect via video, a text, or a group chat that never stops. And right now, AT&T has a deal that will keep the connection going. You can get the new iPhone 18 Pro for $0 with eligible trade-in. It has the Ultimate Pro camera system and a big leap in battery life. So you can turn this deal into a long lasting connection. Learn how you can trade in your phone for the new iPhone 18 Pro at AT&T. Connecting changes everything. Required trade-in of $230 or more and eligible plan, terms, and restrictions apply, subject to change, visit an AT&T store for details. - Do you want to get out? - Is this us? - Yeah, this is okay. - This is RadioLab, I'm Jad Eivomrod. Since our program today deals with stumbling upon the past in unlikely places, 'cause I thought we'd begin this part of the show. Well, not at a place we'd normally visit. So, I feel like we're standing on top of a mountain, but how high up are we? - Right here, I believe we're about 180. - This, by the way, is Chief Dennis Diggins. - I'm an assistant chief in the New York City Department of Sanitation. - And when he says 180, he means feet. - About 180 feet high. - Wow. - So that's about 18 stories, correct? - 18 stories up into the Staten Island sky. That's where we're standing. - Where we're standing on a hill. - Basically like a big dirt hill. - And in a glance, you'd never know that this hill was made from anything other than dirt. - What did this used to be? - Unless, of course, you dug about a few feet down. - This is all garbage underneath us. Up until March of 2001, we were taking in all of New York City's garbage. - All the burrows were coming here. - All the burrows were coming here. - So we were probably taking in on average 11,000 tons a day. - 11,000 tons a day.
Transcription truncated.
Forensics, archeology, genealogy, and genetics are devoted to figuring out what really happened. In this hour of Radiolab, digging up the past leads to some very unexpected finds.