Wonder Cabinet

Welcome to the creepy, freaky world of weird fiction - from H.P. Lovecraft to emerging star Jeff Vandermeer - where there's a very thin line between the real and the surreal.  Also, the modern master of mythic fiction, Neil Gaiman. Southern Reach Trilogy - Jeff Vandermeer; Ursula Le Guin on Science Fiction; H.P. Lovecraft's Sound - Dean Lockwood; "The Ocean at the End of the Lane" - Neil Gaiman; Dangerous Idea: Critical Thinking; On Our Minds: Lawrence Krauss on the Big Questions.

In the wake of a number of high profile shootings over the past year, people are talking about policing, racism, and injustice. But there's one issue we don't really talk all that much about: fear. Overcoming Racism; The Poetry of Race; Growing Up Black in America; Race and Crime; What Are You Afraid Of?; On Our Minds: Policing the Police.

Planning a winter getaway? Here's some inspiration to adventure... Old Roads to Rome; Sonic Sidebar: Aboard Niagara; The Road to Tantra - Asra Nomani; The Art of Travel - Alain de Botton; BookMark: Karen Russell on "A High Wind in Jamaica"; On Our Minds: The New High Line.

Our planet is facing a mass extinction crisis. By the end of the century, we could lose up to half of all living species. But people are working hard to save endangered species and habitats, and a few scientists are even trying to bring lost species - like passenger pigeons and woolly mammoths - back to life. How To Clone a Mammoth - Beth Shapiro; Are You Ready for the Next Mass Extinction?; Recording America's Rarest Bird; From the Sabertooth to the Grizzly; BookMark - E.O. Wilson's The Meaning of Human Existence; On Our Minds: Hip Hop, Free Speech and Violence in France [Playlist].

You know the earth is round, the sky is up, and your dog loves you. But HOW do you know those things? This week, how we form opinions – the psychology and brain chemistry behind our beliefs. You & Your Brain - Julian Keenan; Sonic Sidebar: The Political Divide; Irrational Beliefs - Will Storr; Charting Religious Traditions - Karen Armstrong; BookMark: Alfred Kubin's "The Other Side"; On Our Minds: Philip Pullman.

This episode explores the artist and new ways to think about the creative process Steal Like an Artist - Austin Kleon; Powers of Two - Joshua Wolf Shenk; Myopia - Mark Mothersbaugh [Slideshow]; BookMark: Charles Duhigg on "The Children"; On Our Minds: The Great Migration.

Want to improve your mood? Just dance. This hour we’re talking with people who’ve found an easy way to keep themselves happy, to build friendships, and make art. We’re checking in with neuroscientists too, to hear just what happens in our brains when we’re dancing. Also, how dancing together has been part of religious life for centuries.  Dancing Away Anxiety; The Dancing Brain; Dancing Together; Sonic Sidebar: Tango; Sally Gross - Finding Her Own Dance; Deep Tracks: Charles R. Cross; On Our Minds: Picturing Migration.

Smart phones and digital distribution have made it easier to get into the radio game. After the success of Serial, it seems like everyone’s talking about podcasts. But what does it take to make a hit show? And what do a host of new, independent programs mean for good ol’ radio? Alex Blumberg on Our Podcast Future; What About Public Radio?; It's a Gabfest - Emily Bazelon; Sounds, Original at WFMU; BookMark: Samuel Scheffler on "The Children of Men"; On Our Minds: Keeping Speech Free.

Are Americans afraid of black men? That's one of the issues at the heart of the national debate over the deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, and Tamir Rice. This hour, we take a closer look at negative stereotypes about African American men, how those biases affect our justice system, and what we might be able to do about it. Addressing Bias; Condemning Blackness; What Do You Fear?; Not Calling the Police; Reforming the LAPD; Dangerous Idea: Love Your Enemy; On Our Minds: Hip Hop Prophets.

Television used to be formulaic. Today, it’s the best gig around. We examine the explosion of high quality TV, from The Sopranos and The Wire to Mad Men, and talk with the creator of HBO’s True Detective. TV Revolution - Alan Sepinwall; True Detective - Nic Pizzolatto; "Husbands" - Brad Bell & Jane Espenson; Dangerous Idea: A Different Draft?; On Our Minds: Iraq War Poetry.