By Audrey Werth/tr news editor

Invisibilia, a new radio show and podcast produced by NPR, launched its first episode in January. Invisibilia quickly became, and has remained, the No. 1 podcast on iTunes.
Co-hosts Alix Spiegel and Lulu Miller discuss the unseen factors that influence everyday life. They skillfully bridge together personal narrative and scientific research to explore complex ideas.

An advantage of telling these stories in a podcast is that a lot becomes possible with sound production.

The first episode of the series, “The Secret History of Thoughts,” explores multiple psychological theories on thoughts through the experience of one man trying to rid his mind of the violent thoughts that torment him.

After watching a violent movie with his wife, a man they refer to as S, starts having thoughts of killing his wife run through his mind almost constantly. While S discusses these thoughts, another softer voice begins saying, “Kill your wife,” over and over. This makes it feel like listeners can actually hear the thoughts going around in their minds.

What is so exciting about this show is the way it grabs on to complex ideas, grounds them with specific examples and then brings ideas back around to see the larger picture again.

Listeners to this show will learn obscure facts, explore ideas they may have never fathomed and gain a sense of how these invisible forces are at work in their lives.

The lively, curious nature of Spiegel and Miller inspires others’ curiosity and a desire to dig deeper.

The show balances a healthy amount of humor and conversational tone with the science behind their stories to keep listeners engaged and entertained.

Of all the ways people could spend their time, it would be hard to go wrong listening to an episode of Invisibilia. Each podcast has the potential to teach listeners something about themselves while simultaneously connecting them with the larger world.

The stories are at once informative and educational while remaining inspirational and entertaining.