549
February 27, 2015

Amateur Hour

People put in positions they’re completely unqualified to handle, but who try to make it work anyway. Including one story of a tough group of soldiers who attempt to save lives through the power of show tunes.

AJ Dungo

Prologue

When Miles and Katie are burglarized by a few teenaged criminals, Katie decides to use her rookie sleuthing skills to take them down. (8 minutes)

Act One

Theater of War

Fort Bragg Army base was suffering a number of unnecessary deaths — so they decided to attempt to save soldiers’ lives through the art of musical theater. Jack Hitt investigates, and tells the story of how this strange phenomenon began. (20 minutes)

Jack is the author of several books, including Bunch of Amateurs. He's also the co-host of Uncivil from Gimlet Media. 

Act Two

What to Expect When You're Expecting a Robot

Some schools make kids take care of eggs in order to teach them about the responsibilities of rearing a child. But at Glen Ridge High, kids are asked to take care of robotic babies. Hilary Frank follows around two teenage “moms" to see how realistic the experience is. (17 minutes)

Hillary is the creator of the parenting podcast The Longest Shortest Time. And the author of several books, including Weird Parenting Wins.

Act Three

Commander In Brief

Stephanie Foo tells us the story of amateurs who for one night get thrown into a very, very big job — perhaps the biggest: President of the United States of America. (8 1/2 minutes)