Constant Wonder

Larry Doby, Sr., became the second Black player in the MLB, and his home run during the '48 World Series turned the series around for the Indians. Behind him stood the team's free-thinking owner, Bill Veeck, who wanted to upend the sport, opening his doors to Negro league players and bringing a carnival atmosphere into the stands. Baseball would never be the same again. Guests: Larry Doby, Jr., son of Larry Doby, Sr.; union stage hand, Local One IATSE, New York City Luke Epplin, author of "Our Team: The Epic Story of Four Men and the World Series That Changed Baseball" Explore more of Luke's writing at his website: https://lukeepplin.com/

We examine why flavor is our "most neglected sense" and we meet a restaurant owner who, in the spirit of the fictional "Babette's Feast," is spreading the message that "Food Is Love."

When a two-year-old baby orca lost her mother, rescuers in Washington State and Canada rallied to get her home to her grandmother and extended family. Nothing was easy about this rescue, but the results exceeded expectations. Now living a normal life with her clan, Springer is the mother of two with a third on the way. Here is an intimate tale told by people who were there. Guest: Donna Sandstrom, author of "Orca Rescue," founder of "The Whale Trail," a series of sites to watch whales from shore, and and has previously been a task force member of the Southern Resident Orca Recovery. Visit Donna online to learn more about her book: https://www.donnasandstrom.com/ To get updates on Springer and learn more about Orcas, visit the Springer File on the Orca Observatory's website: https://www.orcaconservancy.org/blog/springer-file

With a hint of magic and the lure of buried wisdom, Ancient Egypt has, like a mysterious and powerful magnet, for millennia pulled on the collective imagination of the West. But almost as gripping as the story of Egypt itself is the story of Egyptomania, the tale of how that fascination took hold, the bold adventurers who unearthed antiquities, the clashing empires that fought over these ancient prizes, and a pair of brilliant linguists who cracked the ancient code of the hieroglyphs. Guest: Edward Dolnick, chief science writer at the Boston Globe, and author of "The Writing of the Gods: The Race to Decode the Rosetta Stone," "The Clockwork Universe," and "Dinosaurs at the Dinner Party." Find out more about Edward's work at his website: https://edwarddolnick.net/

Mollusks cultivate underwater gardens, cuttlefish become invisible, and tiny fish run spas for predators. Meanwhile, some ingenious humans work to protect the underwater world that most of us rarely see. Photograph from UNDERWATER WILD by Craig Foster and Ross Frylinck. Copyright © 2018, 2021 by Quivertree Publications. Reprinted by permission of Mariner Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers LLC. All rights reserved. Learn more about Craig Foster and the Save Our Seas initiative: https://saveourseas.com/project-leader/craig-foster/ Find Sy Montgomery online: Author page: https://symontgomery.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sytheauthor/?hl=en Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SyTheAuthor/ Explore Helen Scales' work: https://helenscales.com/

When a comet crashes into Jupiter, the first to see it are amateurs at the Vatican Observatory in Rome, who can't restrain themselves from shouting and dancing. Far to the north, an aurora hunter backs into a freezing river in Iceland and barely notices his frigid feet. His eyes are on the skies. Miracles, mindfulness, and celestial wonder. Guest: Brother Guy J. Consolmagno, S.J., Director of the Vatican Observatory, "The Pope's Astronomer," and author of "Turn Left at Orion: Hundreds of Night Sky Objects to See in a Home Telescope—and How to Find Them" Guest: Tom Kerss, F.R.A.S., aurora-hunter, veteran of the Royal Observatory, founder of Stargazing London, and author of "The Northern Lights: The Definitive Guide to Auroras" Learn more about the Vatican Observatory: https://www.vaticanobservatory.va/en/ Curious about Tom's other work? Visit his website to discover more about the night sky: https://tomkerss.com/#books

A cancer survivor dispels the myths and stigmas of cancer survivorship. Nancy Frates, co-creator of the ALS ice bucket challenge, explains how the movement took off. Guests: Judith Pearson, founder of A 2nd Act and author of "From Shadows to Life: A Biography of the Cancer Survivorship Movement." Explore more of Judith's work on her website: https://judithlpearson.com/ Nancy Frates, ALS advocate

Why the mishaps of the 1904 Olympic Marathon almost led to the event being banned in all future Olympic Games. Also, how world's fairs have changed the world. Guests: Jody Sowell, Managing Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Missouri Historical Society Charles Pappas, senior writer at Exhibitor Magazine and author of “Flying Cars, Zombie Dogs, and Robot Overlords: How World's Fairs and Trade Expos Changed the World” See more of Charles' World Expo work here: https://www.charlespappas.world/about

Trees conspire with each other to thwart seed predators. David Allen Sibley tries to answer essential birder questions: “What do birds do?” and “Why?” Guests: David Allen Sibley, artist, birder, and author of Sibley Field Guides and “What It’s Like to Be a Bird: From Flying to Nesting, Eating to Singing—What Birds Are Doing, and Why” Take a look at David's bird guides on his website: https://www.sibleyguides.com/ Bryant Olsen, conservation ecologist at Tracy Aviary

Henry Ford and Thomas Edison dreamed of more than Model-Ts and lightbulbs. Guests: Thomas Hager, author of "Electric City: The Lost History of Ford and Edison’s American Utopia" Jeff Speck, city planner and author of "Walkable City" and "Walkable City Rules" Follow Jeff's work on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeffspeckfaicp/?hl=en

How Hawaiian cowboys stunned Wyoming. Guests: David Wolman, co-author of "Aloha Rodeo: Three Hawaiian Cowboys, the World's Greatest Rodeo, and a Hidden History of the American West." Explore more of his writing here: https://www.david-wolman.com/ Julie Checkoway, author of "The Three-Year Swim Club: The Untold Story of Maui’s Sugar Ditch Kids and Their Quest for Olympic Glory" Read more of her work on her website: https://juliecheckoway.com/bio/

The benefits and hazards of fear. And, how to die in space. Guests: Daniel Blumstein, author of "The Nature of Fear: Survival Lessons from the Wild" Paul Sutter, author of “How to Die in Space: A Journey through Dangerous Astrophysical Phenomena”; astrophysicist at Stony Brook University and The Flatiron Institute; and host of “Ask a Spaceman!” podcast, which you can listen to here: https://www.pmsutter.com/shows/askaspaceman

How a formerly enslaved man in Kentucky worked with a former Confederate hero to win damages from a lynch mob, and how a formerly enslaved woman sued her former master, and won. Guests: Ben Montgomery, author of "A Shot in the Moonlight: How a Freed Slave and a Confederate Soldier Fought for Justice in the Jim Crow South" W. Caleb McDaniel, Associate Professor of History at Rice University and author of “Sweet Taste of Liberty: A True Story of Slavery and Restitution in America”

Scorpions hear through their feet, navigate by the stars, and cannibalize each other. And, milking deadly snakes to make lifesaving anti-venom. Guests: Lauren Esposito, Assistant Curator and Schlinger Chair of Arachnology at the California Academy of Sciences and the founder of 500 Queer Scientists Carl Barden, owner and director of Medtoxin Venom Laboratories and director of The Reptile Discovery Center

The secrets to making excellent pho at home; cooking with Italian grannies; and an introduction to the world's only sourdough library. Guests: Andrea Nguyen, cooking teacher, editor, consultant, and author of "Vietnamese Food Any Day: Simple Recipes for True, Fresh Flavors" and "The Pho Cookbook: Easy to Adventurous Recipes for Vietnam's Favorite Soup and Noodles" Vicky Bennison, creator of “Pasta Grannies” YouTube channel, which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/@pastagrannies Karl De Smedt, Sourdough Librarian at Puratos Sourdough Library, St. Vith, Belgium

A delightful history of using personal ads to find love. And, when did diamonds become a girl's best friend? Guests: Francesca Beauman, historian, bookseller, and author of "Matrimony, Inc.: From Personal Ads to Swiping Right, a Story of America Looking for Love," and "Shapely Ankle Preferr'd: A History of the Lonely Hearts Ad" Read more of Francesca's writing on her website: https://www.francescabeauman.com/ Rachelle Bergstein, author of "Brilliance and Fire: A Biography of Diamonds." Explore her other work on her website: https://www.rachellebergstein.com/

Pigments in every color that you can imagine. Guests: Narayan Khandekar, Director of the Center for the Technical Study of Modern Art and Curator of the Forbes Pigment Collection at Harvard Ben Jensen, Chief Technical Officer, Surrey NanoSystems

The abyss of the deep sea is anything but lifeless! Guests: Nicole Xu, PhD candidate, Bioengineering, Stanford University Helen Scales, author of "The Brilliant Abyss: Exploring the Majestic Hidden Life of the Deep Ocean, and the Looming Threat That Imperils It." Explore Helen's other work: https://helenscales.com/

For two POWs in WWI, a con was the only way to secure their freedom. And, Gregor MacGregor fooled hundreds into believing in a nonexistent promised land. Guests: Maria Konnikova, journalist and author of "The Confidence Game: Why We Fall For It . . . Every Time." Discover more of her writing on her website: https://www.mariakonnikova.com/ Margalit Fox, author of "The Confidence Men: How Two Prisoners of War Engineered the Most Remarkable Escape in History." Explore her other work on her website: https://margalitfox.com/

Whitman's poetry sheds light on human connections and national identity. Maps help us view history differently. Guests: Jennifer Crandall, documentary filmmaker, and creator of film "Whitman, Alabama" Susan Schulten, historian at the University of Denver

From "chili queens" to the founder of Taco Bell to the invention of Doritos, how America embraced Mexican food. Guests: Gustavo Arellano, author of "Taco USA: How Mexican Food Conquered America" Paul W. Bosland, Professor of Horticulture and Director of Chile Pepper Institute, New Mexico State University

Monuments and mummies alike provide insights to the distribution of power in ancient Egypt. Guests: Kara Cooney, Professor of Egyptian Art and Architecture at UCLA and author of "The Good Kings: Absolute Power in Ancient Egypt and the Modern World." Learn more about her work on her website: https://karacooney.squarespace.com/ Jamie Fraser, Curator for the Ancient Levant and Anatolia at the British Museum in London

The Santa Claus Association was supposed to help kids, but its founder was no saint. And, the myths behind the man Johnny Appleseed. Guests: Howard Means, journalist and author of "Johnny Appleseed: The Man, the Myth, the American Story" Explore Howard's other writing on his website: https://howardmeans.com/ Alex Palmer, author of "The Santa Claus Man: The Rise and Fall of a Jazz Age Con Man and the Invention of Christmas in New York." Discover more of Alex's work on his website: https://www.alexpalmerwrites.com/books

Climate change, ice instruments, and lab-designed snowflakes. Guests: David Robinson, geographer at Rutger's University, New Jersey State's climatologist, and member of Protect Our Winters (POW), a climate change organization that can be found here: https://protectourwinters.org/about-pow/ Kenneth G Libbrecht, Professor of Physics at Caltech Tim Linhart, ice sculptor and founder of Ice Music. See some of his work here: https://cellomuseum.org/tim-linharts-ice-cellos-extreme-icemanship/

Christmas wouldn't be the same without Dickens. And, the railroads changed Christmas forever. Guests: Lucinda Hawksley, art historian, public speaker broadcaster, and great-great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens. Learn more about Lucinda's writing at her website: https://www.lucindahawksley.com/ Ainissa Ramirez, P.h.D and award-winning scientist. She has written for Forbes, The Atlantic, and the American Scientific, and is the author of "The Alchemy of Us." Visit her website to learn about her other writing: https://www.ainissaramirez.com/books

Danielle Reed explores the wide genetic differences in taste buds, and a related topic, why COVID-19 causes some people to lose their sense of taste and smell. And, musician Annie Dickinson sees music in color. Guests: Danielle Reed, Chief Science Officer at Monell Chemical Senses Center. Annie Dickinson, singer and director of A&R @ Nettwerk Music Group.

Federal law enforcement was weak at the beginning of the 20th century. Guest: Willard M. Oliver, Professor of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston State University, author of "The Birth of the FBI: Teddy Roosevelt, the Secret Service, and the Fight Over America's Premier Law Enforcement Agency."

Advances in cardiac surgery were pioneered by fearless heart surgeons, and some unsung heroes who assisted them. Guest: Thomas Morris, historian award winning author of "A Matter of the Heart" and "The Mystery of the Exploding Teeth." Visit Thomas Morris online to learn more about his work: https://www.thomas-morris.uk/the-matter-of-the-heart/

Jim Thorpe was known as the greatest athlete in the world. Guest: Robert. W. Wheeler, author of "Jim Thorpe: World's Greatest Athlete." Still curious? Visit the Jim Thorpe Foundation's website to learn more about his legacy: https://www.jimthorpememorialfoundation.org/

Preserving traditional and ancient arts.

The wonders of these smart, social creatures. Guest: Sy Montgomery, naturalist and author of over thirty books, including "The True and Lucky Life of a Turtle" and "The Soul of an Octopus." Find her online: Author page: https://symontgomery.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sytheauthor... Facebook: / sytheauthor

Join host Marcus Smith for conversations that invite you to discover, explore, and reengage with the wonders of the world around you. Find new episodes that will be available each week starting February 9th, 2022.