9 Minutes of Wonder

Christmas is not the same everywhere, and isn't that a good thing? Every December when I was a young girl, the phone company set up a special phone number that we could call to hear Santa speaking from various countries. He'd tell us about Christmas traditions in those places and of course wish us a Merry Christmas. I'd then get out my globe and imagine what it might be like to celebrate Christmas around the world. This episode is from me, not Santa, but it's my way of saying happy holidays to you by sharing a few Christmastime traditions from various countries. See also: The Caganer nativity tale: a pooping figure in Catalan Christmas culture Japan's bizarre Christmas tradition: eating KFC (here's why) Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

Wow, pink and purple skies! I hope you've had a chance to see it this week, or at least sometime in the past or future. Let's talk about these magnificent lights. A few resources: What causes the northern lights? Northern lights: what they are and how to see them 10 awesome aurora facts (from the Australian government) Fire in the sky: the southern lights in Indigenous oral traditions Hubble captures vivid auroras in Jupiter's atmosphere (NASA) Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

What's something you often yearn for but then sometimes wish would leave you alone? That could be the sun. But our friendly closest star is much more than that bright circle in the sky we mainly think about when it's not visible and we're cold. It's one of the few things that are absolutely vital to life on Earth. So let's focus on the sun, without looking directly at it, of course. A few resources: Sun (Wikipedia) Sun vs. atomic bomb (YouTube) 6 ancient sites aligned with the solstice and the equinox The Light Eaters book by Zoë Schlanger Here Comes the Sun: A Last Chance for the Climate and a Fresh Chance for Civilization by Bill McKibben Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

You probably use a fork every day, yet you never think much about this multi-pronged utensil, do you? That may change after you hear this, and you might find yourself getting curious about other everyday things in your home as well. Why not? Everything has interesting stories, and connecting to things like forks helps us feel more connected to this complex and seemingly disjointed world. A few resources: How the simple fork almost tore apart the fabric of society (National Geographic) A history of Western eating utensils, from the scandalous fork to the incredible spork (Smithsonian) The rise of the fork (Slate) Origins of the common fork (Leite's Culinaria) Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

Butterflies are incredible in so many ways! Their beauty alone is good enough reason to admire them, but there's so much more. Reacquaint yourself with their magic. Butterflies: masters of disguise Migration and overwintering (monarchs) What happens inside a chrysalis? (sorry, I can only find this on one Facebook) Monarch butterfly metamorphosis time-lapse (YouTube) Monarch butterfly life cycle (YouTube) Butterfly Conservation (UK-based butterfly and moth charity) Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0 Cover image of butterfly from Pixabay (artist: Trek_Jason https://pixabay.com/photos/butterfly-wings-insect-eye-plant-7949342)

Almost everyone loves hearing birds sing! Even if you rarely pay attention to the birds singing around you, you'd miss them if they stopped and might even feel more depressed. So start listening for the birds in your area, and listen here to learn some of the wonders of how and why they sing. A few resources: What is a songbird, exactly? 5 fascinating facts about birdsong The development of birdsong Which birds are the best mimics? Listening to birds sing really does soothe your brain. Here's why. American robin sound effect from Pixabay Crow sound clip from BBC Sound Effects, recordists: Nigel Tucker and David Tombs, 22 April 1988 Brown thrasher sound clip from Wikipedia (Creative Commons license) Blackbird sound clip from BBC Sound Effects, recordist: Eric Simms, 1 May 1961 Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

One of my favorite childhood summertime memories is watching fireflies in the evenings. After many firefly-free years, I got to see them again last weekend. Discover why they're so cool and how they do what they do. A few resources for your enjoyment: Fireflies: how and why they light up Insider Science: what's behind the firefly's glow? (YouTube) Watch: fireflies glowing in sync to attract mates (YouTube) Stunning fossil trapped in amber reveals previously unknown species that lived during the time of dinosaurs (CNN) Let it glow: fireflies illuminating Japanese woodlands — in pictures (The Guardian) Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

Do you know any pigeon-haters, or pigeon-phobes? Pigeons are actually such interesting birds, and they mean us no harm at all. Bring some wonder into your next city or suburban outing, and maybe you'll see pigeons in a new light. (Not my best-quality audio, I'm afraid, but this will have to do because I've already recorded it twice!) A few resources: Are pigeons as smart as primates? You can count on it. The human relationship with pigeons: forgotten war heroes Humans domesticated pigeons, then abandoned them. Is it time for a reappraisal? Pigeon audio clip: BBC Sound Effects Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

What chance encounters have shaped your life? Don't you look back on them with a sense of wonder — what were the odds?! I'll talk about this phenomenon and also put in a good word for its social cousin, small talk with strangers, even if you're an introvert like me. Chance encounters (CNN) Small talk doesn't need to be meaningless: the benefits of talking to strangers Planned happenstance and your career Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

Even with the internet's endless magic, libraries remain fascinating and important places. Come to the library with me in this episode, where I'll share three reasons I love libraries and think everyone else should too! A few resources: World Book Day Joanina Library Great Library of Alexandria: New and improved The world's most extraordinary libraries 'A cultural masterpiece': the world's best new public libraries — in pictures Public libraries are not just about books. At their heart, they are about social equity. (The Guardian) Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

If you haven't heard it from me enough, I'll say it again: cultivating wonder is good for us all! I'm going to share some things you might try today or this week if you're seeking more wonder, awe, and joy. Why now? While I always hope this podcast is uplifting, I can't produce it in a vacuum as if I feel all is well in the world. And since I don't feel that way now (and you may not either), I've recorded this episode about how cultivating wonder can be its own form of resistance to the troubling things happening in the world. The resources I mention: Heather Cox Richardson on why joy is a form of resistance (YouTube, Red Wine and Blue) Explore.org (There's also my favorite kitten shelter, KitKat Playroom) Netflix: Unknown Cave of Bones Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

Few natural phenomena are as magical and mysterious as bird migrations. I wish I had more than nine minutes, but I'll give you just a taste of why migrating birds are so cool. "Marshland Elegy" by Aldo Leopold (PDF from A Sand County Almanac, 1949) These 5 birds are all winners in the migrations Olympics (National Audubon Society) Bird migration is one of nature's great wonders. Here's how they do it. (National Geographic) Fabulous flights: 13 amazing facts about bird migration (BBC) How migrating birds use quantum effects to navigate (Scientific American) Audubon's Rowe Sanctuary's crane cam (livestream) Sandhill crane sound clip from the National Park Service: https://www.nps.gov/subjects/sound/sounds-sandhill-crane.htm Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

How much attention do you pay to ice? Maybe you're sick and tired of all the ice around you this time of year, but what about taking a closer look — even if it's just in your freezer? Ice is a menace on the road or sidewalk and can damage our beloved trees, but have you ever considered ice as an art form? Listen to find out more about this simple form of water that we usually either take for granted or curse. (Bonus topic: why do Americans use so much ice in their drinks?) A huge thank you to Tuula Ahde, who contributed some lovely audio descriptions of her spectacular ice photographs, as well as the feature photo. Tuula Ahde photographer (website) Tuula Ahde Instagram The bizarre but true story of America's obsession with ice cubes Ice Music Festival (Norway) Ice sound clip from https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.co.uk/search?q=NHU05100199, recordist Stephen de Vere, Antarctica 1992 Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

The world is so noisy! Even if we live in relatively quiet places, we are bombarded by noise thanks to all the pinging and dinging on our phones, the din of terrible news, demands from annoying coworkers...the list can seem endless. So let's focus on the more quiet side of life — quiet places we can visit or imagine. If quiet creeps you out, not to worry — this episode only lasts 9 minutes, and I talk through most it! A few resources: Lonely Planet: The Joy of Quiet Places In the Earth's quietest room, you can hear yourself blink (Smithsonian) Finding Minnesota: Orfield Laboratories (YouTube) One square inch: a sanctuary for silence at Olympic National Park The history of Postman's Park Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

If you need to be uplifted, how about listening to some beautiful music and learning why it's awe-inspiring? Awe scientist Dacher Keltner lists music as one of the “eight wonders of life," and there's no question that music is an essential and universal part of being human. So spend nine minutes here, and then spend some more time with your favorite music today. See also: Beethoven Ode to Joy flash mob (YouTube) Tchaikovsky Research, Symphony No. 4 Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0 Musopen, Mozart Symphony No. 40 in G minor

What comes to mind when you think about the upcoming year? What about the "upcoming" 10 million years? Big difference, obviously, not just in the amount of time but also in how we envision these time spans. In this episode, I share a few fun metaphors for deep time — ways of visualizing (and maybe understanding) the unimaginable. For more info: Carl Sagan — Cosmos — cosmic calendar Earth's entire history (visualized on a football field) A glass of whiskey could help you get your head around deep time Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

The winter solstice is special from various perspectives. Even if you don't get into the spiritual magic of the day, you can still be impressed at what our planet's tilt makes happen as we go around the sun. And you can watch the livestream of this special day from Stonehenge (link below). Happy solstice! (And happy summer solstice to my southern-hemisphere friends!) Some links: Winter solstice at Mission San Juan Bautista (source of the audio clip) A trip to San Juan Bautista on the winter solstice (video) California Frontier Project (to learn more about the Spanish missions and other parts of California history) Winter solstice and Stonehenge (English Heritage) 'A time to reflect': crowds celebrate winter solstice at Stonehenge (The Guardian) Live from Stonehenge winter solstice (livestream) Burning the clocks 2024 Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

It's National Poinsettia Day in the US! Make it a good one by learning more about these ubiquitous "flowers." Or listen after the fact to prepare for next year. A few resources: Poinsettias at Christmas 8 fun facts to know about poinsettias How to keep a poinsettia alive Cuetlaxochitl: a cultural history of the poinsettia The checkered history of the poinsettia’s namesake and the flower’s origins get new attention The complicated history of the poinsettia Joel Roberts Poinsett: Namesake of the poinsettia, enslaver, secret agent and perpetrator of the 'Trail of Tears' Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

Why am I doing this podcast anyway? Peek behind the curtain of my motivations in this short episode. Hint: because it's fun, and because awe and wonder are good for us and for society. Dacher Keltner's website, with info about his book Awe: The Transformative Power of Everyday Wonder Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

I can hardly begin to describe how cool this place was, in an industrial sort of way. I'll tell you about it here, but please visit the link to see what the place looks like. This is a fantastic engineering marvel, although in a way it's so simple — harnessing the sun to heat things up. By the way, I mention 3000 degrees, and that's Celsius. In degrees Fahrenheit it would be 5432 degrees. Burnt by the sun: Uzbekistan's spectacular solar furnace Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

Samarkand is a city of gorgeous tiled architecture, but in a way the most interesting site is the observatory of Ulugh Beg. You can only see the remaining sextant now, although a small bit of the observatory building has been reconstructed to help visitors imagine its earlier splendor. The astronomical discoveries made here are awe-inspiring enough, but the architecture must have been dazzling even to people who had no idea what the building was for. Have a look at the photos on these sites to bring the place to life: Observatory of Ulugh Beg, Samarkand (the first picture shows what the huge sextant looks like today; scroll down to see a very partial reconstruction and the model of how it may have looked when it was in use) The clever prince Ulugh Beg built — and used — an ingenious observatory in the 15th century (Astronomy Magazine online) Registan Square (see some photos of Samarkand's old buildings and read about the old city's central square) Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

Visiting new places inspires wonder by giving us fresh perspectives on daily life (among other reasons). Join me for a few minutes in Tashkent and learn some things that may surprise you about this city that you probably don’t know much about. Uzbekistan’s secret underground - in pictures Uzbekistan Travel Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

I wrote my fourth-grade animal report about sea otters — so you know I love them! I hope you'll love them too after learning about their magnificent fur (which almost led to their extinction) and their inspiring comeback, as well as some other reasons they're important and interesting. After listening, search "sea otter photos and videos," or use some of the links below, to see how cute they are. Oregon Encyclopedia: Sea Otter 12 facts about sea otters for Sea Otter Awareness Week (US Dept. of the Interior) Sea otters crack open oysters and clams (YouTube video, Oregon Zoo) The "extinct" sea otter swims back to life (Life Magazine, 20 June 1938 — click on page 30) Lost and Found Nature: Searching for the southern sea otter History of sea otters (Sea Otter Foundation & Trust) Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0 Baby sea otter clip from https://sound-effects.bbcrewind.co.uk/search?q=sea%20otter, recordist(s): Mimi DeGruy

Even mundane things in your kitchen can inspire wonder — or at least be interesting — if you pay attention. If you've never wondered about the history of ketchup, or why it's called ketchup, or what ketchup was like in the olden days, now's your chance to wonder. Edit: I made a mistake when I talked about the "mystery" EZ Squirt ketchup. It apparently didn't have all those colors together. Rather, the mystery was which color you would get. That does make more sense! A few resources: 11 ketchup facts that go well with everything (Mental Floss) The fascinating medicinal origins of ketchup (Tasting Table) A bottle to beckon with (Heinz ad) Woman is shocked when she compares ingredients in American ketchup vs. Canadian ketchup (Yahoo! Life) Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

A horror show in August! Not all awe-inspiring phenomena are uplifting — this one surely isn't, but it does inspire a sense of wonder in what nature can do. Learn about some historical and more recent swarms. (I don't mention this in the show, but the word "awful" originally meant "arousing or inspiring awe." I think both meanings fit this topic well.) A few resources: On the Banks of Plum Creek (Laura Ingalls Wilder) The Locust Plague of 1915 Photograph Album (Library of Congress) Looking Back at the Days of the Locust (New York Times) Everything But the Fenceposts: The Great Plains Grasshopper Plague of 1874–1877 (Thomas C. Cox) Adding to Economic Woes, Locusts Devastate Crops from South to Central Asia Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

Here's more on the awe-inspiring Olympics, including two additional sports and the exciting conclusion of my personal badminton story. Ancient Olympic pentathlon (Wikipedia) Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

Have you been watching the Paris Summer Olympics? There's no question the athletes inspire awe and wonder — especially in those of us who are not particularly coordinated! In this Part 1 of 2, I talk about the Olympics in general and a couple sports I find particularly amazing, plus share a story or two of my own athletic mishaps. Meet the nations that have never won an Olympic medal (and two that just did) (New York Times) What makes an elite badminton player? Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

We all love inspiring stories about overcoming challenges. Here's one about Wyatt, a beautiful and very happy little orange kitten with many medical challenges. (edit: at one point I say "mother kitten" — but you know I meant "mother cat"!) Kitkat Playroom website Kitkat Playroom YouTube channel, including livestream Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

What better way to pass time while waiting for the dentist than spinning the Google Earth globe and seeing where you land? In this first spin-the-globe episode, I've landed on Samar Island in the Philippines. Let's see where we end up from there... Philippine flying lemur (colugo) Philippine eagle (a critically endangered species) How did all these arches form? Erosion and weathering — Arches National Park Fairy Bridge (Xianren Bridge) Natural arch found on the Moon Water and ices on the Moon Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

The 17-year cicadas emerged once again this year in northern Illinois (while a 13-year brood emerged to the south), and I traveled to see and hear them. "Ick, insects?" I know, they are pretty big, with buzzing wings and large red eyes. But why not spend nine minutes hearing about them anyway — and see if you can sense some of the wonder in this regular, but infrequent, natural phenomenon. Illinois Cicada Watch (Facebook group) Insectophilia (insects in Japanese culture, with the Haiku I read) Illinois cicada info Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

Here's my take on why the ruins of ancient Rome are so awe-inspiring. Then think about ancient (or at least relatively old) sites near your home — is a road trip in order? A couple videos on the topic: The Ancient City of Rome (travel video) Virtual Rome: What Did Ancient Rome Look Like? Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

Peanuts are not really nuts, but they're much more interesting than you might think. Even if you don't eat them, you can appreciate how far they've spread in the world and how they've even inspired some gross banana-flavored candies! A few of my sources: Peanuts and power in the Andes Where are the peanuts? (the David Williams quote) A brief history of peanut butter (Smithsonian) Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

Wow, pink and purple skies! I hope you've had a chance to see it this weekend, or at least sometime in the past or future. Let's talk about these magnificent lights. A few resources: What causes the northern lights? Northern lights: what they are and how to see them 10 awesome aurora facts (from the Australian government) Fire in the sky: the southern lights in Indigenous oral traditions Hubble captures vivid auroras in Jupiter's atmosphere (NASA) Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

Did you see the recent total solar eclipse? Eclipses are really incredible! Find out why in this episode. A few notes: In the episode I mention Horatio Cushman. I should have read more about him before speaking, but you can read about him here if you like. He was not Choctaw, but he lived in the same area and wrote a major history of the Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Natchez, published in 1899. The Archilochus quote comes from this page. I found the audio clip of the eclipse here (really a video): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2017_Total_Solar_Eclipse_with_Audience_Reaction.webm#filelinks. This is the license that allows me to use it: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/deed.en Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

We take seeds for granted, yet they're all around us and are obviously essential to life. We'll discuss seeds and visit the Global Seed Vault on Svalbard (where you can take your own virtual tour). A few resources of interest: Who controls the world's food supply? Inside the Doomsday Vault (the Time Magazine article I quote) Global Seed Vault Global Seed Vault Virtual Tour Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk) www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

These islands are so far removed from most of our lives — and I find them fascinating. Find out why in this nine-minute trip north of the Arctic Circle. Notes: See today's weather forecast for Jan Mayen. Here's a site about Jan Mayen, with the Lord Dufferin quote. And here's another page about Jan Mayen. Learn about the Global Seed Vault. Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk): www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

Deep water is awe-inspiring, in a spooky sort of way. Join me to explore some wonders of the depths. Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk): www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0

This podcast promotes a state of wonder about this captivating world and its inhabitants. We explore real-life examples of how things we often take for granted — or never even think about at all — are actually fascinating if we pay attention to them. Each episode is around nine minutes or less, but I hope these few minutes will affect how you experience the other minutes and hours of your day. A sense of wonder and awe is good for us, as we already intuitively know and as science is increasingly demonstrating — so please join me! Music: Jens East — Daybreak (ft. Henk): www.soundcloud.com/jenseast Licence: Creative Commons Attribution V4.0