One Scientist's Search For Microbial Life In Extreme Places
Karen Lloyd is no stranger to life in the extremes: she has encountered super-resilient microbial life near volcanoes, on the ocean floor, and deep in the crust of the Earth. Some of these microbes can survive extreme temperatures, "breathe" minerals like gold, or even live for thousands of years. In this episode of Constant Wonder, learn about how extraordinary life on Earth can be.
Guest: Karen G. Lloyd, Wrigley Chair in Environmental Studies, Professor of Earth Sciences, and Professor of Marine and Environmental Biology at the University of Southern California; author of "Intraterrestrials: Discovering the Strangest Life on Earth"
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Shared Solitude: The Eye-Opening Epiphanies Of A Children's Writer
Though his life looked calm from the outside, Douglas Wood's undiagnosed ADHD and dyslexia dragged him down—until he received a personal letter from the famed wilderness writer Sig Olson. Olson's encouragement set him on a path to become a wilderness guide and a noted children's author.
Guest: Douglas Wood, author of over 40 books, retired wilderness canoe guide, and most recently the author of "A Wild Path," a collection of essays for adults
Originally aired March 13, 2024
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The Unique Connection Between Musician and Instrument
When she was growing up, Dr. Kate Kennedy dreamed of becoming a professional cellist. After a devastating injury at music school, this dream was cut short. However, in recent years, Kennedy has reclaimed her identity as a cellist. She set out across Europe to investigate how cellists connect to their instruments. On her journey, she learned about the story of Pál Hermann—a composer and cello virtuoso who was killed in the Holocaust. After learning about his story, Kate was determined to find his long-lost cello to restore this precious instrument—the soul of Pál Hermann—to his daughter, Corrie, now in her mid-90s.
Guest: Dr. Kate Kennedy, writer, cellist and broadcaster, and author of Cello: A Journey Through Silence to Sound
Audio of Sam Lucas playing Pál Hermann's Cello Concerto at Wigmore Hall used with permission from Kate Kennedy - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3I18yVuCEY&t=2s
Audio of Kate Kennedy performing Bach's Cello Suite No. 2 in D minor used with permission from the Kaunas Ninth Fort Museum and Kate Kennedy
Audio of Deirdre Bencsik playing the "bee cello" used with permission from Professor Martin Bencsik and the Bee Cello Project
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The "Cutting Edge" of Tradition: Black Folk Art Reimagined
Everyday people overcome seemingly insurmountable hurdles to produce fine art. Due to decades of historical isolation, the quilters of Gee's Bend, Alabama developed a radical, abstract approach to quilting. We meet two quilters from the small town who have quilts on display in some of the finest museums in the country. We also meet a contemporary furniture maker whose work is a living history of Black craft.
Guests:
Robell Awake, chairmaker, teacher, and author of "A Short History of Black Craft in Ten Objects" https://www.robellawake.com
Essie Bendolph Pettway, quilter from Gee’s Bend, Alabama. Her work is in the permanent collections of the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Alabama, and the Studio Museum in Harlem, New York https://www.soulsgrowndeep.org/artist/essie-bendolph-pettway
Louisiana P. Bendolph, quilter from Gee's Bend, Alabama. Her quilts are in the permanent collections of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Clark Atlanta University Art Museum, The High Museum of Art, The Dallas Museum of Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art https://www.soulsgrowndeep.org/artist/louisiana-p-bendolph
Gee's Bend Quiltmakers: https://www.soulsgrowndeep.org/gees-bend-quiltmakers
Illustration of Harriet Powers courtesy of Johnalynn Holland, illustrator of "A Short History of Black Craft in Ten Objects" https://johnalynnholland.com/
Photo of "Conjure Memory - Things Fall Apart" courtesy of Robell Awake
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Glimmers of Awe: The Fascinating World of Fireflies
Facing the loss of her Elkmont cabin in the Great Smoky Mountains—a family treasure for five generations—Lynn Faust began to pay more attention to the fireflies there, the "light show," as the family called it, where thousands of fireflies would light up in unison. When she read that synchronous fireflies did not exist in North America, she knew that scientists were wrong. The creatures were right in her own yard! Realizing just how little was known about these enchanting insects, she set out to observe them, becoming a self-taught firefly expert and unveiling the mysteries of nature's tiny lanterns.
Guest: Lynn Faust, author of "Fireflies, Glow-worms, and Lightning Bugs: Identification and Natural History of the Fireflies of the Eastern and Central United States and Canada"
Photo credit: SmokyMountains.com
Originally aired April 3, 2024
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 move us beyond words. Hosted by Marcus Smith, Constant Wonder is a production of BYUradio.
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