Constant Wonder

The Wild World of India's "Bear Man"

The "Bear Man of India" is best known for his work rescuing sloth bears from inhumane conditions, but Kartick Satyanarayan knew he wanted to help animals from a young age. It all began with full-moon nights spent 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 Originally aired May 29, 2024

A Cheerful Mortician's Perspective on Love and Life

A small-town mortician savors life. Find out why "the internet's favorite mortician" encourages people not to skip out on funerals. And why he also advises listeners not to worry about "being an inconvenience" in either life or death. Guest: Victor M. Sweeney, author of "Now Departing: A Small-Town Mortician on Death, Life, and the Moments in Between" https://www.instagram.com/victor.m.sweeney/?hl=en https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4ktLen9cVM

Diving Into History, She Found a Powerful Sense of Belonging

Tara Roberts comes to find joy in learning about her ancestors—even though history once seemed too traumatic to face. Guest: Tara Roberts, author of "Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home, and Belonging"

Secrets of the Stones: Megaliths Reveal Our Connection to the Past

Fiona Robertson has had a lifelong fascination with the ancient standing stones that dot the British Isles. As her own life filled with storms, these megaliths became examples of endurance, able to survive millenniums of weathering. Join us as we follow Fiona through the stone lands to explore how these mysterious sites connect us to the past, redefine our present, and give us hope for the future. Fiona Robertson is a writer, editor and megalith enthusiast who takes her family across the British Isles in search of standing stones. She is passionate about archaeology, history and folklore. Visit her online to learn more about her work: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stone_lands/?hl=en

Audio Expeditions: Travel Back in Time and Across the Globe

Anne Fadiman has an infectious curiosity. In this episode. she'll introduce us to ice-bound explorers who turn to theater, art, and journalism to stave off boredom and madness. Then we travel across the globe to a matchless night beneath Halley's Comet. We'll also meet a indomitable young student who lived by the motto "Yes to everything!" Guest: Anne Fadiman, author of "Frog and Other Essays" and "The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down" https://us.macmillan.com/author/annefadiman