Constant Wonder

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.pmsutter.com/shows/askaspaceman

00:00:00 - How and Why We Fear

00:34:48 - How to Die in Space

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 author of “Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America”

00:00:00 - Freed Slave and Confederate Hero Join Forces for Justice

00:31:59 - The Lost Story of an Enslaved Woman Who Sued for Restitution, and Won

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 Center

00:00:00 - The Weird, Wonderful World of Scorpions

00:42:39 - Milking Snakes

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 Grannies” YouTube channel, which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/@pastagrannies

Karl De Smedt, Sourdough Librarian at Puratos Sourdough Library, St. Vith, Belgium

00:00:00 - A Scrumptious Soup

00:25:03 - Pasta Grannies

00:44:38 - The World's First Sourdough Library

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.francescabeauman.com/

Rachelle Bergstein, author of "Brilliance and Fire: A Biography of Diamonds."

Explore her other work on her website: https://www.rachellebergstein.com/

00:00:00 - Advertising for Love: From Personal Ads to Swiping Right

00:34:02 - When Did Diamonds Come to Mean Forever?

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 Prisoners of War Engineered the Most Remarkable Escape in History."

Explore her other work on her website: https://margalitfox.com/

00:00:00 - The Land That Never Was

00:22:22 - How Two POWs Engineered the Most Remarkable Escape in History

Stay in tune with our phenomenal world. Join Marcus Smith for explorations of hidden marvels in nature, forgotten heroes of history, and life stories that both humble and inspire. Constant Wonder is a production of BYUradio.

Stay in tune with our phenomenal world. Join Marcus Smith for explorations of hidden marvels in nature, forgotten heroes of history, and life stories that both humble and inspire. Constant Wonder is a production of BYUradio.