We all need a good fantasy world to retreat to sometimes – whether it's Hogwarts or Middle Earth, Westeros or Wakanda. But magical thinking can be dangerous too. And escapism isn't always innocent. So where do you draw the line between fantasy and reality?

Original Air Date: September 17, 2022

Guests: 

<a href="https://www.ttbook.org/people/sarah-rachul" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sarah Rachul</a> — <a href="https://www.ttbook.org/people/marianne-eloise" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Marianne Eloise</a> — <a href="https://www.ttbook.org/people/kurt-andersen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kurt Andersen</a> — <a href="https://www.ttbook.org/people/neil-gaiman" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Neil Gaiman</a>

Interviews In This Hour: 

<a href="https://www.ttbook.org/interview/why-not-escape-fantasy-tale-disney-adults" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Why not escape into fantasy? A tale of Disney adults</a> — <a href="https://www.ttbook.org/interview/magical-thinkers-dreamers-and-hucksters-americas-fantasyland" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The magical thinkers, the dreamers, and the hucksters of America's fantasyland</a> — <a href="https://www.ttbook.org/interview/neil-gaiman-where-dreams-and-nightmares-come" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Neil Gaiman on where dreams — and nightmares — come from</a>

Never want to miss an episode? <a href="https://link.chtbl.com/TTBOOK" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe to the podcast.</a>

Want to hear more from us, including extended interviews and favorites from the archive? <a href="https://ttbook.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=3cb4c021b28e511db7dc0b1ca&id=64562fd7d9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe to our newsletter.</a>

We all need a good fantasy world to retreat to sometimes – whether it's Hogwarts or Middle Earth, Westeros or Wakanda. But magical thinking can be dangerous too. And escapism isn't always innocent. So where do you draw the line between fantasy and reality? Original Air Date: September 17, 2022 Guests: Sarah Rachul — Marianne Eloise — Kurt Andersen — Neil Gaiman Interviews In This Hour: Why not escape into fantasy? A tale of Disney adults — The magical thinkers, the dreamers, and the hucksters of America's fantasyland — Neil Gaiman on where dreams — and nightmares — come from Never want to miss an episode? Subscribe to the podcast. Want to hear more from us, including extended interviews and favorites from the archive? Subscribe to our newsletter.

We all need a good fantasy world to retreat to sometimes – whether it's Hogwarts or Middle Earth, Westeros or Wakanda. But magical thinking can be dangerous too. And escapism isn't always innocent. So where do you draw the line between fantasy and reality?

Original Air Date:&nbsp;September 17, 2022

Guests:&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.ttbook.org/people/sarah-rachul" rel="noopener noreferrer">Sarah Rachul</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ttbook.org/people/marianne-eloise" rel="noopener noreferrer">Marianne Eloise</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ttbook.org/people/kurt-andersen" rel="noopener noreferrer">Kurt Andersen</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ttbook.org/people/neil-gaiman" rel="noopener noreferrer">Neil Gaiman</a>

Interviews In This Hour:&nbsp;

<a href="https://www.ttbook.org/interview/why-not-escape-fantasy-tale-disney-adults" rel="noopener noreferrer">Why not escape into fantasy? A tale of Disney adults</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ttbook.org/interview/magical-thinkers-dreamers-and-hucksters-americas-fantasyland" rel="noopener noreferrer">The magical thinkers, the dreamers, and the hucksters of America's fantasyland</a>&nbsp;—&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ttbook.org/interview/neil-gaiman-where-dreams-and-nightmares-come" rel="noopener noreferrer">Neil Gaiman on where dreams — and nightmares — come from</a>

Never want to miss an episode?&nbsp;<a href="https://link.chtbl.com/TTBOOK" rel="noopener noreferrer">Subscribe to the podcast.</a>

Want to hear more from us, including extended interviews and favorites from the archive?&nbsp;<a href="https://ttbook.us11.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=3cb4c021b28e511db7dc0b1ca&amp;id=64562fd7d9" rel="noopener noreferrer">Subscribe to our newsletter.</a>

Losing Yourself in Fantasy

Wonder Cabinet is an independent podcast from Anne Strainchamps and Steve Paulson, Peabody Award-winning creators of public radio's To The Best Of Our Knowledge. For 35 years, that show brought long-form conversations to 200+ stations nationwide; its interviews are <a href="https://americanarchive.org/special_collections/ttbook">now archived in the Library of Congress</a>. Episodes feature intimate, long-form conversations with scientists, philosophers, writers, and artists who are re-imagining our relationship with the planet. Some study black holes or quantum entanglement; others map mycelial networks or count ancient tree rings. And some explore dream worlds, myths, and fairy tales to revive ways of knowing that challenge what we think we understand about the nature of reality. The name references Enlightenment-era cabinets of curiosities—private collections of shells, fossils, astronomical instruments, and saints' relics that existed at a moment when the scientific revolution was still in conversation with older ways of knowing the world. Today, another shift is taking place, as mechanistic models give way to more holistic, relational understandings of life on a sentient planet. Wonder Cabinet lives at that threshold. About the hostsAnne Strainchamps and Steve Paulson co-founded To The Best Of Our Knowledge. Steve hosts Luminous, a podcast about the science and philosophy of psychedelics, and is the author of <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/atoms-and-eden-9780199743162?cc=us&amp;lang=en&amp;">Atoms and Eden</a>. Learn more at <a href="http://wondercabinetproductions.com">wondercabinetproductions.com</a>.

Society & Culture

Philosophy

Wonder Cabinet is an independent podcast from Anne Strainchamps and Steve Paulson, Peabody Award-winning creators of public radio's To The Best Of Our Knowledge. For 35 years, that show brought long-form conversations to 200+ stations nationwide; its interviews are now archived in the Library of Congress. Episodes feature intimate, long-form conversations with scientists, philosophers, writers, and artists who are re-imagining our relationship with the planet. Some study black holes or quantum entanglement; others map mycelial networks or count ancient tree rings. And some explore dream worlds, myths, and fairy tales to revive ways of knowing that challenge what we think we understand about the nature of reality. The name references Enlightenment-era cabinets of curiosities—private collections of shells, fossils, astronomical instruments, and saints' relics that existed at a moment when the scientific revolution was still in conversation with older ways of knowing the world. Today, another shift is taking place, as mechanistic models give way to more holistic, relational understandings of life on a sentient planet. Wonder Cabinet lives at that threshold. About the hosts Anne Strainchamps and Steve Paulson co-founded To The Best Of Our Knowledge. Steve hosts Luminous, a podcast about the science and philosophy of psychedelics, and is the author of Atoms and Eden. Learn more at wondercabinetproductions.com.

Wonder Cabinet is an independent podcast from Anne Strainchamps and Steve Paulson, Peabody Award-winning creators of public radio's To The Best Of Our Knowledge. For 35 years, that show brought long-form conversations to 200+ stations nationwide; its interviews are <a href="https://americanarchive.org/special_collections/ttbook" rel="noopener noreferrer">now archived in the Library of Congress</a>. Episodes feature intimate, long-form conversations with scientists, philosophers, writers, and artists who are re-imagining our relationship with the planet. Some study black holes or quantum entanglement; others map mycelial networks or count ancient tree rings. And some explore dream worlds, myths, and fairy tales to revive ways of knowing that challenge what we think we understand about the nature of reality. The name references Enlightenment-era cabinets of curiosities—private collections of shells, fossils, astronomical instruments, and saints' relics that existed at a moment when the scientific revolution was still in conversation with older ways of knowing the world. Today, another shift is taking place, as mechanistic models give way to more holistic, relational understandings of life on a sentient planet. Wonder Cabinet lives at that threshold. About the hostsAnne Strainchamps and Steve Paulson co-founded To The Best Of Our Knowledge. Steve hosts Luminous, a podcast about the science and philosophy of psychedelics, and is the author of <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/atoms-and-eden-9780199743162?cc=us&amp;lang=en&amp;" rel="noopener noreferrer">Atoms and Eden</a>. Learn more at <a href="http://wondercabinetproductions.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">wondercabinetproductions.com</a>.

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Losing Yourself in Fantasy

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