The Big Ponder

Goethe-Institut
  • 4.9 (22)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED BIWEEKLY

This transatlantic podcast explores abstract concepts and phenomena through personal radio essays. Every other week, one of our producers transforms a broad topic into a captivating story told from a US-German perspective.

  1. 09/01/2022

    Ball Bearings

    Ball bearings — these mechanisms are all around us, inside our wheels and motors. Hidden away, we rarely see them, and most people don’t even know what they are. In this episode, Scott Carrier reveals the overlooked role this engineering marvel has played in human history.

    28 min

  2. 08/18/2022

    The Typewriter

    In search of inefficiency in an overly efficient digital world, Jakob Lewis entered the ‘typosphere,’ an online community of typewriter enthusiasts. Several typewriters and a letter to Tom Hanks later, Jakob is a convert to the analog life.

    28 min

  3. 08/04/2022

    Beer

    Long ago, German immigrants brought their brewing traditions to the United States. More recently, brewers from the U.S. have begun bringing American-style craft beer to Germany. Sally McGrane and Axel Scheele look at two breweries on opposite sides of the pond.

    29 min

  4. 07/21/2022

    Traffic

    Most city dwellers view traffic as an unavoidable downside of urban life. But according to Susanne Papawassiliu, freeway standstills have their benefits. In this episode, Susanne speaks with traffic experts, city planners, and professional drivers in Los Angeles and Berlin about congestion on the roads.

    29 min

  5. 07/06/2022

    The Farm

    Ira Karp lives on a farm in northern Vermont, surrounded by music, puppets, and a family of incredible storytellers. Over his brief lifetime, he has become a ‘story keeper’ himself, collecting epic tales from his everyday life that he recounts with relish.

    28 min

  6. 06/22/2022

    Grief

    Grief is all around us these days. But what exactly is it? And why is it? During a time of global trauma and loss, Jocelyn Robinson seeks to better understand this basic human emotion through the voices and stories of the grieving.

    28 min

  7. 06/08/2022

    Cartoons

    Have you ever heard of the cartoonist Oliver Harrington? Probably not, but the artist played an instrumental role in German-American history. From the Harlem Renaissance to the division of Berlin during the Cold War — he was there for it all, capturing the world around him in his masterful comic strips.

    29 min

  8. 05/26/2022

    Street Names

    Why is a Nazi resistance fighter famous in Brazil yet unheard of in Germany? How did an African American musician become a hero in East Germany? Dina Elsayed finds the answers to these questions and more while uncovering the stories behind Berlin’s unusual street names.

    30 min
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4.9
out of 5
22 Ratings

About

This transatlantic podcast explores abstract concepts and phenomena through personal radio essays. Every other week, one of our producers transforms a broad topic into a captivating story told from a US-German perspective.

Information

  • Creator
    Goethe-Institut
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2022
  • Episodes
    96
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    ℗ & © 2020ff. Goethe-Institut
  • Show Website
    The Big Ponder