Constant Wonder

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... more

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The podcast currently has 2,328 episodes available.

Best of Constant Wonder

The most played episodes among Podcast App listeners.

Number 1: Arguing With the Wind: A Spiritual Journey in Wilderness
As a teenager, Walt McLaughlin told his parents he'd been talking to God in the woods, and he ended up in a psychiatric ward on Thorazine. Years later a philosophy degree had done nothing to assuage his existential anxiety, so he hitchhiked west — and eventually flew alone into Alaska's Endicott River Wilderness with a .44, no radio, and two-and-a-half-weeks worth of food. On this episode of Constant Wonder, the writer and erstwhile hiking guide tells host Marcus Smith how a death wish that had shadowed him since adolescence finally broke — on a rain-soaked escarpment, with a raven croaking at him from a branch — and how he came to accept that the world is harsh yet beautiful. Walt McLaughlin lives in northern Vermont, close to the New England woods and wilds he loves. There he's proprietor of the small indie press Wood Thrush Books, online at woodthrushbooks.com. This episode includes a first-person account of depression and a suicide attempt. Guest: Walt McLaughlin, publisher and author, “Cultivating the Wildness Within”; “Arguing with the Wind: A Journey into the Alaskan Wilderness”; and “Confronting the Unknowable: Essays on God, Nature and Being Human”
September 02, 202659min
Number 2: Family Secrets: Nazi Grandfather Actually Aided French Villagers
Karl Gönner was a Nazi, and his family didn't ask a lot of questions about that time in his life. In this episode of Constant Wonder, Gönner's grandson Burkhard Bilger speaks with co-host Tennery Taylor about his search for the full story of his grandfather's past. After growing up with only a vague understanding of his grandfather's dark history, Bilger decided to search for the full truth behind his heritage. He discovered that during his grandfather's time occupying a French village, Gönner saved dozens of lives from Nazi oppression, while simultaneously leading the Hitler Youth Program. This family's history is more inspiring than they'd ever suspected. Guest: Burkhard Bilger, author of "Fatherland: A Memoir of War, Conscience, and Family Secrets" and staff writer at "The New Yorker" Originally aired on August 8, 2023 Chapters: (0:00) Meet Nazi Karl Gönner through his grandson Burkhard Bilger (9:40) Karl Gönner as a teacher (14:20) A Nazi in occupied France (23:08) Discovering the "reasonable" Nazi (31:14) Gönner's daughter and her struggle with his history (38:10) The End of WWII (48:12) Serendipitous inspiration in classified archives
September 09, 202655min
Number 3: Floral Revolutionaries: Plants as Planet-Makers
Flowers, believe it or not, are nature's greatest revolutionaries. In this episode of Constant Wonder, biologist David George Haskell and host Marcus Smith discuss how flowers turned enemies into allies and used ultra-precise adaptations to survive an intensely competitive natural world. By exploring the floral connections that draw him closer to his mother and great-great-grandfather, David also examines how flowers have changed in just a few short decades. He makes the case for following a single bloom's growth and decay over the course of several months, and describes the benefits of keeping a floral diary—an easy way for anyone to become more attentive to the subtle turning of the seasons. Guest: David George Haskell, author of "How Flowers Made Our World: The Story of Nature's Revolutionaries" Chapters: (0:00) Meet David George Haskell (7:21) Searching for orchids with his mother (13:52) Glimpses of himself in his great-great-grandfather (21:56) Why are flowers revolutionaries? (31:05) Balancing cooperation and conflict (34:59) Tracking a magnolia bloom (44:42) David's floral diary
August 19, 202656min
Number 4: Protecting Humans, Protecting Wildlife
What if protecting humans is the key to protecting wildlife? In this episode, Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka tells host Marcus Smith how people living near African nature preserves can unknowingly pass illnesses to nearby mountain gorillas—and how she's working with local communities to shield these endangered animals from disease and habitat loss. As Uganda's first wildlife veterinarian, Kalema-Zikusoka pioneered the use of "One Health" in gorilla conservation—an approach that treats human, animal, and environmental health as interconnected, rather than separate concerns. By investing in the health and economic security of nearby communities, she keeps gorillas healthy too. The payoff is a thriving gorilla tourism industry that benefits the entire country. Guest: Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka, founder and CEO of Conservation Through Public Health and author of "Walking with Gorillas: The Journey of an African Wildlife Vet" Chapters: (0:00) Meet Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka (8:28) A Lonely Childhood (17:29) To Become a Wildlife Vet (22:46) Bwindi Impenetrable Forest (32:44) What is One Health? (46:27) How to End Poaching Photo credit: Jo-Anne McArthur / #unboundproject / We Animals Media Originally aired May 24, 2023 Note: Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka's mother, Canon Hon . Rhoda Kalema, passed away in 2025.
August 26, 202657min
Number 5: 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 (0:00) Meet Dino Martins (8:34) A Childhood Full of Creatures (25:10) A High-School Dropout? (30:45) The “Ick” Factor (33:43) Coexistence & Control (44:34 Spirituality in Spiders (49:14) Parasitic Paradoxes
July 15, 20261h 1min