Constant Wonder

Enjoy an audio advent calendar with a short episode every day from December 1 through Christmas. Each episode invites thoughtful reflection on the season, inspired by nature’s miraculous phenomena (from a turtle hibernating through the cold of winter to an ermine that teaches a writer forgiveness) as well as music and art traditionally connected with the biblical story of the Nativity. Advent is a series from the Constant Wonder podcast, produced by BYUradio.

In 1938, two botanists from Michigan challenge the raging Colorado River in pursuit of cactus, the first known women to run the river through the Grand Canyon. An entertaining but little-known tale of resilience and beauty at the edge of the impossible. Episode originally aired September 9, 2023.

Guest: Melissa Sevigny, author of "Brave the Wild River: The Untold Story of Two Women Who Mapped the Botany of the Grand Canyon." Thanks to Lew Steiger for allowing us to use his recordings of Lois Jotter's recollections. Kyle Remand, Ryan Clark, Brian Tanner, Eric Glissmeyer, Audrey Hughes, Kristi Lindstrom, Becca Hurley, and Barry Squires voiced the various roles.

A story of human triumph: A young child is rescued from life on the streets, fostered, and mentored. He chases a dream to play classical music, and now as a mentor himself, he encourages others to dream big. With humility and humor, Richard Antoine White shares his unique journey. A favorite episode reprise, originally posted October 12, 2022.

Guest: Richard Antoine White, author of "I'm Possible: A Story of Survival, a Tuba, and the Small Miracle of a Big Dream"; principal tubist for the Santa Fe Symphony and the New Mexico Philharmonic; Associate Professor of Tuba/Euphonium at the University of New Mexico

A widowed mother's secrets haunted her young boys' lives. When Philip Yancey discovered the truth about his father's death at age 23, he had to reframe his entire understanding of his family's past. Eventually, he would overcome skepticism and cynicism to embrace a career as an inspirational writer and journalist, in which he has won the hearts of millions.

Guest: Philip Yancey, author of "Where the Light Fell: A Memoir" and "What’s So Amazing About Grace?"

Can one local map offer a lifetime of adventure? Alastair Humphreys embarks on a quest to discover the hidden marvels of his London neighborhood. As a National Geographic explorer, he has rowed across the Atlantic, biked around the world, and run a marathon in the Sahara—but he still loves to find the ordinary, wondrous things right under our noses.

Guest: Alastair Humphreys, National Geographic Explorer and author, "Local: A Search for Nearby Nature and Wildness"

Unexpected wonder from Arctic encounters with beluga whales, wolves, grizzlies, and polar bears. Adventurer Jonathan Waterman shares four decades of experience on the ice, and he explores the emerging beauty of a warming ecosphere.

Guest: Jonathan Waterman, author of "Into the Thaw: Witnessing Wonder Amid the Arctic Climate Crisis"

A story of passion, persistence, and a barely plausible sea creature. Experts insisted that seahorses couldn't live in cold water off the coasts of Devonshire, England or Long Beach, California. Then two scuba divers proved them wrong.

Guests:

Neil Garrick-Maidment, Founder of The Seahorse Trust

Roger Hansen, scuba instructor and retired high school teacher

This astronaut never took the stunning view from the Space Station for granted, even after 100 days in space. Life lessons for earthlings: behave like a crewmate, not a passenger, on this planet. That's the message Nicole Stott has been sharing ever since her return. And she gives particular insight into the healing effects of art and space on sick and traumatized children.

Guest: Nicole Stott, retired NASA astronaut; author of "Back to Earth: What Life in Space Taught Me About Our Home Planet?And Our Mission to Protect It"; Founding Director of the Space for Art Foundation

When Scottish peregrine falcon chicks were stolen, George Smith used DNA to reveal the smugglers' crimes and return the birds to grateful peregrine parents. Also in this episode, we meet a California peregrine matriarch named Annie, whose engaged parenting approach has met with unusual success.

Guests:

Lynne Schofield and Sean Peterson, visiting biology professors at St. Olaf's College and ornithologists with Cal Falcons

George Smith, Peregrine Coordinator for the Scottish Raptor Study Group

Bright hope for cystic fibrosis and progeria patients. Francis Collins gives a wide-ranging interview: the sequencing of the human genome; life-changing treatments for genetic diseases; how he astonished himself when he began to question his atheism; wrestling with the way his team at the NIH handled the Covid pandemic. All part of his journey on the "Road to Wisdom."

Guest: Francis Collins, former Director of the National Institutes of Health; founder of BioLogos; author of "The Road to Wisdom: On Truth, Science, Faith, and Trust"