Radiolab The Bad Show
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May 8, 2026 
Jeff Jensen, a reporter who covered the Green River murders, and Tom Jensen, the lead detective who questioned Gary Ridgway, recount hunting and interrogating a prolific killer. Alex Haslam, a psychology professor, revisits Milgram’s obedience studies and shows how context reshapes results. They probe ordinary dark impulses, scientific ethics, chemical warfare, and what it means to seek a motive for evil.
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Most People Admit Homicidal Fantasies
- David Buss's survey across ~5,000 people found 91% of men and 84% of women admitted fantasizing about killing someone.
- Many respondents provided vivid, anatomically specific fantasies, with ~75–80% elaborating method, target, and context.
Milgram Shows Context Shapes Obedience
- Milgram's shock experiments are famous for 65% obedience in the baseline, but that's only one variant among many he ran.
- Variations (proximity, authority, peers) changed obedience dramatically, revealing context over simple 'orders' theory.
Small Changes Dramatically Alter Obedience Rates
- Specific Milgram manipulations shifted obedience: seeing the learner, holding the learner's hand, or dissenting peers reduced compliance from 65% to as low as 10% or 0%.
- The scripted fourth prod, an outright order, produced universal refusal in replications.