So much of life is organized by cycles: seasons, biological rhythms and even our ideas of consciousness. Radiolab looks at some of the surprising ways that loops steer our lives -- and asks what happens when we disturb them.

The Economy -- This second episode of this year's Panetta Institute Lecture Series focuses on the economy. Panelists include Robert Reich, former secretary of labor and professor of public policy at UC Berkeley; and Alan Simpson, former U.S. senator and co-chair of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. The moderator is Ron Insana, senior analyst for CNBC and MSNBC and a financial industry expert.

The Economy -- This second episode of this year's Panetta Institute Lecture Series focuses on the economy. Panelists include Robert Reich, former secretary of labor and professor of public policy at UC Berkeley; and Alan Simpson, former U.S. senator and co-chair of the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform. The moderator is Ron Insana, senior analyst for CNBC and MSNBC and a financial industry expert.

A good game -- whether it's a pro football playoff or a family showdown on the kitchen table -- can make you feel, at least for a little while, like your whole life hangs in the balance. Co-hosts Jad and Robert wonder why we get so invested in something so trivial. What is it about games that make them feel so pivotal?

A good game -- whether it's a pro football playoff or a family showdown on the kitchen table -- can make you feel, at least for a little while, like your whole life hangs in the balance. Co-hosts Jad and Robert wonder why we get so invested in something so trivial. What is it about games that make them feel so pivotal?

The Vietnam War and related political upheavals caused devastation throughout Southeast Asia. Vietnamese, Cambodian and Laotian families often had no choice but to seek a new life in America. Vietnamese left on crowded boats, braving pirates. In refugee camps, they met with Mien and Hmong from Laos who had helped the CIA during the war and feared for their lives. Cambodians either fled the Khmer Rouge regime or left after it ended. These immigrants had to negotiate a new country with little notice. Hosted by Margaret Cho, this program won the George Foster Peabody Award in 2007.