We'd also like to thank NPR New York bureau engineer Manoli Weatherall(ph) for making all that happen.

NPR: Folk-Soul Singer Amos Lee in Concert

With my engineer, Manoli Wetherell, and help from my NPR colleague Robert Smith, we decided to see where you would have to go on this planet to be able to dig a whole straight through to China.

NPR: Dig a Hole to China? Try a Sandwich Instead

The explanation for why there's a difference in lengths requires us to take a radio trip around the sun (virtually, of course, in my radio piece, with sound effects that come entirely from my mouth plus a little boost from my engineer Manoli Wetherell).

NPR: Not All Seasons Are Created Equal