Constant Wonder

A cancer survivor dispels the myths and stigmas of cancer survivorship. Nancy Frates, co-creator of the ALS ice bucket challenge, explains how the movement took off. Guests: Judith Pearson, founder of A 2nd Act and author of "From Shadows to Life: A Biography of the Cancer Survivorship Movement." Explore more of Judith's work on her website: https://judithlpearson.com/ Nancy Frates, ALS advocate 0...

Why the mishaps of the 1904 Olympic Marathon almost led to the event being banned in all future Olympic Games. Also, how world's fairs have changed the world. Guests: Jody Sowell, Managing Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Missouri Historical Society Charles Pappas, senior writer at Exhibitor Magazine and author of “Flying Cars, Zombie Dogs, and Robot Overlords: How World's Fairs and Trade...

Trees conspire with each other to thwart seed predators. David Allen Sibley tries to answer essential birder questions: “What do birds do?” and “Why?” Guests: David Allen Sibley, artist, birder, and author of Sibley Field Guides and “What It’s Like to Be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing—What Birds Are Doing, and Why” Take a look at David's bird guides on his website: https://www.s...

Henry Ford and Thomas Edison dreamed of more than Model-Ts and lightbulbs. Guests: Thomas Hager, author of "Electric City: The Lost History of Ford and Edison’s American Utopia" Jeff Speck, city planner and author of "Walkable City" and "Walkable City Rules" Follow Jeff's work on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffspeckfaicp/?hl=en 00:00:00 - Henry Ford’s Forgotten Utopia 00:38:01 - Walkable...

How Hawaiian cowboys stunned Wyoming. Guests: David Wolman, co-author of "Aloha Rodeo: Three Hawaiian Cowboys, the World's Greatest Rodeo, and a Hidden History of the American West." Explore more of his writing here: https://www.david-wolman.com/ Julie Checkoway, author of "The Three-Year Swim Club: The Untold Story of Maui’s Sugar Ditch Kids and Their Quest for Olympic Glory" Read more of her wor...

The benefits and hazards of fear. And, how to die in space. Guests: Daniel Blumstein, author of "The Nature of Fear: Survival Lessons from the Wild" Paul Sutter, author of “How to Die in Space: A Journey through Dangerous Astrophysical Phenomena”; astrophysicist at Stony Brook University and The Flatiron Institute; and host of “Ask a Spaceman!” podcast, which you can listen to here: https://www.pm...

How a formerly enslaved man in Kentucky worked with a former Confederate hero to win damages from a lynch mob, and how a formerly enslaved woman sued her former master, and won. Guests: Ben Montgomery, author of "A Shot in the Moonlight: How a Freed Slave and a Confederate Soldier Fought for Justice in the Jim Crow South" W. Caleb McDaniel, Associate Professor of History at Rice University and aut...

Scorpions hear through their feet, navigate by the stars, and cannibalize each other. And, milking deadly snakes to make lifesaving anti-venom. Guests: Lauren Esposito, Assistant Curator and Schlinger Chair of Arachnology at the California Academy of Sciences and the founder of 500 Queer Scientists Carl Barden, owner and director of Medtoxin Venom Laboratories and director of The Reptile Discovery...

The secrets to making excellent pho at home; cooking with Italian grannies; and an introduction to the world's only sourdough library. Guests: Andrea Nguyen, cooking teacher, editor, consultant, and author of "Vietnamese Food Any Day: Simple Recipes for True, Fresh Flavors" and "The Pho Cookbook: Easy to Adventurous Recipes for Vietnam's Favorite Soup and Noodles" Vicky Bennison, creator of “Pasta...

A delightful history of using personal ads to find love. And, when did diamonds become a girl's best friend? Guests: Francesca Beauman, historian, bookseller, and author of "Matrimony, Inc.: From Personal Ads to Swiping Right, a Story of America Looking for Love," and "Shapely Ankle Preferr'd: A History of the Lonely Hearts Ad" Read more of Francesca's writing on her website: https://www.francesca...

Pigments in every color that you can imagine. Guests: Narayan Khandekar, Director of the Center for the Technical Study of Modern Art and Curator of the Forbes Pigment Collection at Harvard Ben Jensen, Chief Technical Officer, Surrey NanoSystems 00:00:00 - Rare Pigments 00:36:00 - Vantablack Is the Darkest Material Ever Created

The abyss of the deep sea is anything but lifeless! Guests: Nicole Xu, PhD candidate, Bioengineering, Stanford University Helen Scales, author of "The Brilliant Abyss: Exploring the Majestic Hidden Life of the Deep Ocean, and the Looming Threat That Imperils It." Explore Helen's other work: https://helenscales.com/ 00:00:00 - Jellyfish Explorers 00:24:07 - The Brilliant Abyss

For two POWs in WWI, a con was the only way to secure their freedom. And, Gregor MacGregor fooled hundreds into believing in a nonexistent promised land. Guests: Maria Konnikova, journalist and author of "The Confidence Game: Why We Fall For It . . . Every Time." Discover more of her writing on her website: https://www.mariakonnikova.com/ Margalit Fox, author of "The Confidence Men: How Two Prison...

Whitman's poetry sheds light on human connections and national identity. Maps help us view history differently. Guests: Jennifer Crandall, documentary filmmaker, and creator of film "Whitman, Alabama" Susan Schulten, historian at the University of Denver 00:00:00 - Whitman, Alabama 00:24:42 - Maps in American History

From "chili queens" to the founder of Taco Bell to the invention of Doritos, how America embraced Mexican food. Guests: Gustavo Arellano, author of "Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America" Paul W. Bosland, Professor of Horticulture and Director of Chile Pepper Institute, New Mexico State University 00:00:00 - How Mexican Food Conquered America 00:28:57 - Why Do You Enjoy Food That Sets Your...

Monuments and mummies alike provide insights to the distribution of power in ancient Egypt. Guests: Kara Cooney, Professor of Egyptian Art and Architecture at UCLA and author of "The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World." Learn more about her work on her website: https://karacooney.squarespace.com/ Jamie Fraser, Curator for the Ancient Levant and Anatolia at the British...

The Santa Claus Association was supposed to help kids, but its founder was no saint. And, the myths behind the man Johnny Appleseed. Guests: Howard Means, journalist and author of "Johnny Appleseed: The Man, the Myth, the American Story" Explore Howard's other writing on his website: https://howardmeans.com/ Alex Palmer, author of "The Santa Claus Man: The Rise and Fall of a Jazz Age Con Man and t...

Climate change, ice instruments, and lab-designed snowflakes. Guests: David Robinson, geographer at Rutger's University, New Jersey State's climatologist, and member of Protect Our Winters (POW), a climate change organization that can be found here: https://protectourwinters.org/about-pow/ Kenneth G Libbrecht, Professor of Physics at Caltech Tim Linhart, ice sculptor and founder of Ice Music. See...

Christmas wouldn't be the same without Dickens. And, the railroads changed Christmas forever. Guests: Lucinda Hawksley, art historian, public speaker broadcaster, and great-great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens. Learn more about Lucinda's writing at her website: https://www.lucindahawksley.com/ Ainissa Ramirez, P.h. D and award-winning scientist. She has written for Forbes, The Atlantic, and the...

Danielle Reed explores the wide genetic differences in taste buds, and a related topic, why COVID-19 causes some people to lose their sense of taste and smell. And, musician Annie Dickinson sees music in color. Guests: Danielle Reed, Chief Science Officer at Monell Chemical Senses Center. Annie Dickinson, singer and director of A&R @ Nettwerk Music Group. 00:00:00 - Tasteblind 00:34:15 - Seeing Mu...

Federal law enforcement was weak at the beginning of the 20th century. Guest: Willard M. Oliver, Professor of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University, author of "The Birth of the FBI: Teddy Roosevelt, the Secret Service, and the Fight Over America's Premier Law Enforcement Agency." 00:00:00 - The Origin of the FBI 00:40:33 - The Pinkertons

Advances in cardiac surgery were pioneered by fearless heart surgeons, and some unsung heroes who assisted them. Guest: Thomas Morris, historian award winning author of "A Matter of the Heart" and "The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth." Visit Thomas Morris online to learn more about his work: https://www.thomas-morris.uk/the-matter-of-the-heart/ 00:00:00 - The History of the Heart through Milestone...

Jim Thorpe was known as the greatest athlete in the world. Guest: Robert. W. Wheeler, author of "Jim Thorpe: World's Greatest Athlete." Still curious? Visit the Jim Thorpe Foundation's website to learn more about his legacy: https://www.jimthorpememorialfoundation.org/ 00:00:00 - Jim Thorpe 00:41:45 - Jim Thorpe, PA

Preserving traditional and ancient arts. 00:00:00 - Preserving Ancient Japanese Boatbuilding 00:00:00 - The Big World of Miniature Trees

The wonders of these smart, social creatures. Guest: Sy Montgomery, naturalist and author of over thirty books, including "The True and Lucky Life of a Turtle" and "The Soul of an Octopus." Find her online: Author page: https://symontgomery.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sytheauthor... Facebook: / sytheauthor 00:00:00 - The Soul of an Octopus