In Greek mythology, Prometheus stole fire from the gods to give it to humans, and suffered an eternity of punishment for doing so.

This hour, we revisit that myth, and talk about why it resonates so much today.

Plus, a look at the Alien prequel Prometheus.

GUESTS:

• Annie Dorsen: Theater director; her most recent production was Prometheus Firebringer
• Adrienne Mayor: Research scholar in the Classics Department and the History of Science Program at Stanford University and the author of Gods and Robots: Myths, Machines and Ancient Dreams of Technology, among other books
• Dom Nero: Writer, video editor, and co-host of the Eye of the Duck podcast
• A.O. Scott: Critic at large for The New York Times Book Review and the author of Better Living Through Criticism

SONGS:

• “Road to Hell (Live)” by the Original Cast of Hadestown
• “We Didn’t Start the Fire” by Billy Joel
• “Oppenheimer” by Old 97s
• “Prometheus” by SickTanicK
• “A Planet” by Marc Streitenfeld

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Colin McEnroe, Jonathan McNicol, and Cat Pastor contributed to this show.

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