Wonder Cabinet

Do chimpanzees have spiritual experiences? A remarkable discovery in West Africa suggests they might. Do Chimpanzees Have Spiritual Experiences?; How “Big Gods” Transformed Human History; An Evolutionary Biologist Searches for God; What Bliss Looks Like In Your Brain.

Is there an inherent conflict between science and religion? Jeff Schloss doesn’t think so. He’s a biologist who studies the evolutionary origins of religion. He’s also an observant Christian.

The Mississippi River is an American icon. It's a body of water that’s been shaped as much by cultural processes as by environmental ones. From the state lines it draws to its role in literature and the arts, it’s a river that flows deep in the American psyche. This episode is about the boundaries and horizons of the Mississippi — its deep geologic past, its history as a route to freedom, and its meaning today.  A Hawk and a Warbler; When The Mississippi Met the Atlantic; Life on Mark Twain's Mississippi; The Music and Meaning of Sounding 'Mark Twain'; Boundary and Horizon: The Mississippi River in African-American History.

In this hour, we explore what the superpower of not giving a f--- might allow you to do. Breaking Out of The "Feedback Loop from Hell"; Menefreghismo; Resisting the Self-Improvement Craze; The Impossibility of Actually ‘Having It All’.

Richard Blanco’s poem begins the day after the November election, as he struggles to make sense of a new political mood.

Looking for wildness, inside and out. Kids Go Wild; How To Reclaim Your Sense of Wonder; The Adventure Gap: Diversity In Outdoor Recreation; "More Hawk Than Human": Helen Macdonald Battles Grief With a Goshawk; BookMark: Werner Herzog on "The Peregrine"; The Dead Lands - Ben Percy's Post-Apocalyptic Wilderness Thriller.

Amidst economic devastation, producer Charles Monroe-Kane asks what it takes to survive in the Rust Belt.

A near-accident has poet Laura Kasischke marveling at the fearlessness of young adults and also worrying about their future.

A near-accident has poet Laura Kasischke marveling at the fearlessness of young adults and also worrying about their future. 

More than 38 million Americans knit or crochet. Not because they need another scarf or afghan, but because they like the way knitting feels. Handwork turns out be a powerful antidote for digital overload. This hour explores the therapeutic value of drawing, knitting and other handcrafts.  And, this year's most coveted gift for writers, English majors and luddites? The manual typewriter. Can Knitting Improve Your Health?; How Hands Have Shaped Humanity; Lynda Barry's Radio Drawing Lessons; The Magical Mechanical Typewriter; The Typewriter Poet.