Constant Wonder BYUradio

Amidst the annus horribilis that was 2020, New York-based writer John Oakes sought to exorcise some of his own inner noise and "automaticity" by doing a week-long liquid only fast. He liked it so well that he and his wife, Carin Kuoni, began fasting twice a year. And he liked that so well, that he wrote a book about it. In this episode of Constant Wonder he and Carin explain the how and why of these biannual fasts.

When Christian Wiman and Danielle Chapman met and courted, life seemed charmed and the horizon calm. But within a year of their marriage, Christian was diagnosed with a rare, incurable blood cancer, and their life veered in directions unforeseen. Now, over twenty years later, Christian and Danielle and their two teenage daughters are thriving; Christian is cancer free after the latest round of therapy. He has been the beneficiary of multiple timely medical breakthroughs. Along the way, they have experienced intense joy amidst great pain and developed a quiet, shared Christian faith.

Guests:
Christian Wiman, professor at Yale Divinity School and the Yale Institute of Sacred Music; editor; poet; author of "Zero at the Bone: Fifty Entries Against Despair"
Danielle Chapman, poet, essayist, and lecturer in English at Yale University

Health, physical health, wellness, spirituality, audio documentary, connectedness, transcendence, mental health, treatment, healing, physician, doctor, recovery, diagnosis, survival, health discoveries, miracle of life, hope, redemption, tragedy, limits of medicine, spiritual growth, emotional healing, triumph, saving lives, courage, personal stories, human interest, human interest stories, resilience, human resilience, artist, art lovers, personal expression, artistic expression, inspiration, artistic inspiration, creativity, storytelling through art, imagination, beauty, transcendence, spirituality, connectedness, wonder, curator, personal connection, connectedness, memories, illustration, interview, creative process, community, creators, art world, joy in art, devotion to craft, wonder in art, spiritual art, overcoming doubt, overcoming fear

He's known as the "Bear Man of India" for his work rescuing sloth bears from inhumane conditions "dancing" on the streets. His obsession with helping animals began early in his life, when he'd spend full-moon nights high in a jungle tree watching a procession of wild animals visit a nearby watering hole. In the intervening 30 years, he's braved the "timber mafia" and even gunshots in a tireless crusade to protect wildlife.

Guest: Kartick Satyanarayan, Co-founder and CEO of Wildlife SOS

Wildlife, wilderness, natural wonders, environment, biodiversity, conservation, beauty in nature, sustainability, stewardship, environmental stewardship, environmental sustainability, the natural world, ecosystems, land ethic, wonder, wonder in nature, awe, awe in nature, humility, audio documentary, exploration, discovery, beautiful, beauty, spirituality, nature lovers, nature walk, animal stories, animal rescue, noticing nature, connectedness, transcendence, solitude, new life, hidden worlds, adventure, storyteller, story

This week we bring you a very special feed drop. Our host, Marcus Smith, appears as a guest on the podcast "The[ART]ology: Finding God in the Movies." In this episode, Marcus describes how the Constant Wonder podcast came to be. And he shares his favorite movies, from "Babette's Feast" to "Marcel the Shell with Shoes On."

"The[ART]ology" podcast puts the art back into theology by finding God in the movies. Host Vincent Nel delves into the mysteries that movies reveal about ourselves and God. Featuring guests, deep dives, and thoughtful discussions, each episode centers around a theme and explores movies from an artistic and theological perspective.

After Tod O'Donnell suffers a traumatic brain injury, his filmmaker son, Tim, documents his recovery and his advocacy for others. The family embraces "Tod 2.0," a more fearless, more open version of his former self. Listen to Tod's accounts of life today, what he calls "a new frontier."

Guests:
Tod O'Donnell, subject of the documentaries "The House We Lived In" and "No Quit"

Tim O'Donnell, documentary filmmaker and co-founder of Pixela Films

Original music, "The Field," by James Call

Health, physical health, wellness, spirituality, audio documentary, connectedness, transcendence, mental health, treatment, healing, physician, doctor, recovery, diagnosis, survival, health discoveries, miracle of life, hope, redemption, tragedy, limits of medicine, spiritual growth, emotional healing, triumph, saving lives, courage, personal stories, audio documentary, human interest, human interest stories, resilience, human resilience

Explore the hidden world of nematodes. These tiny—less than one millimeter long—organisms are everywhere in the soil, some as plant parasites, others as pest predators. With 57 billion nematodes in the soil for each human standing on it, turns out their importance in genetic research and biomedicine is immense.

Join us as we delve into this fascinating field and tap into the excitement and humor of nematologists on the cutting edge of discovery.

Guests:
Byron Adams, biology professor at Brigham Young University
Adler Dillman, nematology professor at UC Riverside
Michael Werner, microbiology professor at the University of Utah

Songs from "The Plant Parasitic Nematode Songbook" were written by Kathy Merrifield and sung by Brian Tanner, Becca Hurley, and Sam Payne

Wildlife, wilderness, natural wonders, environment, biodiversity, conservation, beauty in nature, sustainability, stewardship, environmental stewardship, environmental sustainability, the natural world, ecosystems, land ethic, wonder, wonder in nature, awe, awe in nature, humility, audio documentary, exploration, discovery, beautiful, beauty, spirituality, nature lovers, nature walk, animal stories, animal rescue, noticing nature, connectedness, transcendence, solitude, new life, hidden worlds, adventure, climate change.