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Wonder Cabinet is an independent podcast from Anne Strainchamps and Steve Paulson, Peabody Award-winning creators of public radio's To The Best Of Our Knowledge. For 35 years, that show brought long-form conversations to 200+ stations nationwide; its interviews are now archived in the Library of Congress.Themes and summary (AI-generated based on podcaster-provided show and episode descriptions):
➤ Big-idea interviews • wonder and meaning-making • nature and ecology (plants, birds, whales, darkness) • time, infinity, cosmology • psychology, mindfulness, retreats, grief • technology, AI, privacy • culture, history, spirituality, art, poetry • climate change, disaster resilienceThis podcast is a long-running public radio show built around immersive conversations that use curiosity as a way into large questions about how to live, what to value, and how to stay connected to the world. Across the episodes, the host and producers draw on interviews with scientists, historians, philosophers, writers, artists, and activists, often weaving multiple segments into a single hour that blends reporting, reflection, and sound-rich storytelling.
A recurring thread is how people make meaning in the face of uncertainty, overload, and loss. The show returns to practices and experiences that can reshape attention—silence, retreat, meditation, dreams, crying, and even the choice to let go—alongside explorations of grief, mortality, and the ways communities mourn after collective trauma. Related episodes consider therapy and healing, including the emerging role of psychedelics in end-of-life anxiety and mental health, and broader questions about whether well-being can be cultivated at scale.
Nature and the nonhuman world are another major focus. Listeners hear about animal minds and relationships with other species (including dogs, whales, and birds), as well as scientific debates about plant intelligence and the interdependence of life. Climate change and ecological disruption appear both as scientific and cultural problems, with attention to how we tell climate stories, how we live with “permacrisis,” and how people seek joy and intimacy with nature amid extinction anxiety.
The show also examines how modern life is shaped by systems and narratives: the power of clock time versus deeper rhythms of “deep time,” the influence of maps on how we understand a changing planet, and the social costs of personal branding. Other episodes look at trust and public knowledge—privacy and data after death, journalism in polarized media environments, and disputes over history, sovereignty, and national identity. Art, music, poetry, food, and even word games appear as lenses for understanding memory, culture, and shared experience, including how creative work bears witness to hardship and how traditions travel through migration and diaspora.
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Coming Soon! Wonder Cabinet!2025-Nov-05 1 minute |