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Constant Wonder: Daily Summaries Delivered
by BYUradio
Stay in tune with our phenomenal world. Join us for explorations of science, art, history, and more. We're on a quest to find awe and wonder in all nature—human or wild, vast or small. Encounters that move us beyond words. Hosted by Marcus Smith, Constant Wonder is a production of BYUradio.
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- Today51 min
Shark Lover: Advocating for "Scary" Creatures
Snakes. Scorpions. Sharks. From a young age, Rachel Graham has always been interested in marginalized, "scary" animals. In this episode of Constant Wonder, she and host Marcus Smith discuss how she embarked on her quest to change people’s mindsets about sharks—fascinating and threatened creatures that regularly fill her with awe. From being surrounded by a real-life sharknado to swimming alongside curious whale sharks, Rachel has had many peaceful, once-in-a-lifetime encounters with these megafauna. As part of her work with the non-profit conservation organization MarAlliance, she partners with local fishermen and coastal communities to protect vulnerable marine wildlife. Guest: Rachel Graham, Founder and Executive Director of MarAlliance Chapters: A real-life sharknado Mr. Facey the whale shark The dangers of overfishing Childhood nature adventures Caring for hammerheads How old can sharks get? Originally aired November 9, 2022
- 1 weeks ago54 min
Fiddling with the Heart: Gaelynn Lea's Fearless Sound
Gaelynn Lea plays the violin like a cello — a technique she discovered almost by accident, one that would eventually carry her from a small-town orchestra to NPR's Tiny Desk Concert and, later, to composing the original music for Broadway's revival of Macbeth, starring Daniel Craig and Ruth Negga. In this episode of Constant Wonder, she talks with Marcus Smith about her unconventional technique, the unexpected opportunities it opened up, and how her songwriting continues to evolve. Gaelynn Lea was born into a family of artists, with musical parents and an early start in youth theater. But everything changed in elementary school, when an orchestra teacher encouraged her to try holding the violin like a cello — a small discovery that would shape the rest of her career. Guest: Gaelynn Lea is a violinist, songwriter, composer, disability advocate, and author of "It Wasn't Meant to Be Perfect: A Memoir." Photo credits to Mike Madison
- 2 weeks ago1h 0m
The Wondrous, History-Shaping World of Parasites and Predators
Dino Martins is an entomologist who finds beauty in every bug. In this episode of Constant Wonder, he tells host Marcus Smith about his passion for parasites and how a lifetime of studying creepy-crawlies draws on both scientific and spiritual knowledge. Dino Martins grew up in Kenya, surrounded by wildlife and the insects that feed on them. Seeing parasitic wasps colonize caterpillars taught him the value of paying close attention, and he can enthrall even a skeptic with the marvels of the tsetse fly. He winningly argues that parasites and other predators are full of wonder and worthy of our fascination. Guest: Dino Martins, entomologist, evolutionary biologist, and author of “Hidden Creatures: Luscious Leeches, Bashful Botflies, and the Wondrous, History-Shaping World of Parasites” Visit our Substack for a look at Dino Martins’ art! https://bit.ly/4eZekFN Meet Dino Martins (_:__) A Childhood Full of Creatures (_:__) Watching Wildlife (_:__) High-School Dropout? (_:__) The “Ick” Factor (_:__) Coexistence & Control (_:__) Spirituality in Spiders (_:__) Parasitic Paradoxes
- 3 weeks ago44 min
Roctogenarians: Late-in-Life Comebacks and Triumphs
Late-in-life debuts, comebacks, and triumphs. In this episode, "Roctogenarians" author Mo Rocca shares with Constant Wonder host Marcus Smith awe-inspiring stories of people who made major career pivots late in life. Yasmeen Lari was a famous Pakistani architect celebrated for her work in steel, cement, and glass. In her 60s, after a massive earthquake hit her country, she began to work with locals, building humble homes of adobe, mud, and bamboo. Painter Henri Matisse, debilitated by stomach cancer in his 70s, hung up his brushes and took up scissors to continue making art. And Disney illustrator Tyrus Wong waited until he was 90 years old to receive full credit for the revolutionary work he'd done on "Bambi." Never say it's too late to succeed! Guest: Mo Rocca, correspondent for "CBS News Sunday Morning," author of "Roctogenarians: Late in Life Debuts, Comebacks, and Triumphs," and host of the "Mobituaries" podcast Chapters: What Makes a "Roctogenarian"? A Revolutionary Disney Animator Origin of Mo Rocca's Obsession with Roctogenarians An Artist's Self-Reinvention Paper Plant Specimens From Modern to Humble Architecture
- 4 weeks ago48 min
Bulldogs, Pianos, And Praise: How To Be Swept Away
Amy Leach is an essayist and musician with a penchant for improvisation. In this episode of Constant Wonder, she and host Marcus Smith share a worldview: one filled with awe and praise for everything from puppies to porcupines. With roots in the Seventh-Day Adventist Church, Amy has found a more expansive view of God and the sacred. Amy Leach is the kind of person who believes in finding what you're not necessarily looking for, be it on a walk outside or around your local Walmart. Since she was young, she's nursed a passionate love for music, but prefers to improvise over following a score. She tells stories of being transfixed by birds and bears and ibexes while looking for words to describe the indescribable. But most importantly, she finds divinity in nearly everything, even pickles. Guest: Amy Leach, essayist and author. Her latest book is “The Salt of the Universe: Praise, Songs, and Improvisations.”
- Jun 24, 202659 min
The World Is Singing: Hank Lentfer's Life in Sound
What does it mean to truly listen: not just hear, but attend to the world with exquisite care? In this episode of Constant Wonder, host Marcus Smith sits down with Hank Lentfer, a sound recordist and acoustic ecologist who has spent decades capturing the natural world's most breathtaking voices from his home base in Gustavus, Alaska, gateway to Glacier Bay National Park. Lentfer shares unforgettable recordings — a humpback whale trumpeting over a mirror-calm sea, barnacles whispering as a shadow passes over them, ancient air bubbles escaping from icebergs — and the stories behind each one. But this episode is about far more than wildlife audio, along the way, he reflects on hunting as a spiritual practice, the amnesia of supermarkets, the never-ending dawn chorus that circles the globe, and caring for a mother with dementia whose ears still light up at a Hank Williams song. Lentfer's memoir "Faith of Cranes" is the throughline, and finding the sounds and stories that remind us we are not separate from the world is his life's work and the beating heart of this conversation. Guest: Hank Lentfer, author of "Faith of Cranes: Finding Hope and Family in Alaska"
- Jun 17, 20261h 6m
The Night Flyer Liberates Her People
Harriet Tubman was sustained by vivid dreams and fierce spiritual faith as she risked everything—again and again—to guide enslaved people to freedom. In this episode of Constant Wonder, Harvard historian Tiya Miles explains to co-host Tennery Taylor how Tubman's intense spirituality and her connection to the natural world empowered her and shaped her into a compelling leader. As a child, Tubman worked in swamps and timber yards, enduring grueling labor that also prepared her to flee to the North in 1849. But her own freedom was only the beginning: for the rest of her life, she dedicated herself to helping her family and friends escape slavery as well. Guest: Tiya Miles, author of "Night Flyer: Harriet Tubman and the Faith Dreams of a Free People" Chapters: [Will create these once the episode has been finalized.]
- Jun 10, 202645 min
Peregrine Falcons: Amazing Parents & Fastest Birds in the World
George Smith is a maintenance worker by day, but his true passion lies in tracking and monitoring peregrine falcons. In this episode, he tells host Marcus Smith about his adventures in rock climbing and checking in on his birds. George has developed methods to trap them in order to collect DNA and give them tracking microchips. This methodology has helped him to catch poachers, bring them to justice, and release the falcons back to the wild. Lynn Schofield and Sean Peterson are scientists who discovered a peregrine falcon nest on the bell tower at the University of California Berkeley. The nest is presided over by a matriarch affectionately called “Queen Annie” and her mate. Schofield and Peterson founded Cal Falcons, a livestream of the nest that brought Annie worldwide fame. Guests: George Smith, Peregrine Coordinator for the Scottish Raptor Study Group https://www.scottishraptorstudygroup.org/ Lynn Schofield and Sean Peterson, biologist and ecologist with Cal Falcons https://calfalcons.berkeley.edu/ Meet George Smith To Trap a Peregrine Falcon Poaching & Repatriation George’s Nest Checks Meet Lynne Schofield and Sean Peterson Cal Falcons on the Campanile Queen Annie Originally aired on September 25, 2024
About Constant Wonder
Stay in tune with our phenomenal world. Join us for explorations of science, art, history, and more. We're on a quest to find awe and wonder in all nature—human or wild, vast or small. Encounters that move us beyond words. Hosted by Marcus Smith, Constant Wonder is a production of BYUradio.
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