Rebecca Stott says the idea of 'going down a rabbit hole' is often characterised as a bad thing - here, she makes the case for what's to be gained.
"These days we invariably use the phrase 'down the rabbit hole' to describe a negative experience...where people get lost, then become overwhelmed, ensnare themselves in conspiracy theories and can't get back out," she says.
"But I don't believe rabbit holes are bad in themselves. If we avoid them altogether we lose the chance to experience their joy and excitement."
She recalls her own experience of discovery - and tells the story of how Charles Darwin once spent eight years distracted by barnacles.
Producer: Sheila Cook Sound: Peter Bosher Production coordinator: Liam Morrey Editor: Richard Fenton-Smith
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The Creep of the On-Screen Narrative
The Rhetoric of the Climate Crisis
A Study in Improbability
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In the Dingle Peninsula
Trolls Running Riot
Verrucas Optional
Red Tape
The Boring Twenties
The Culture War
Anti-Zionism and the Death of Tragedy
The Arts in Our Hearts
The Past is Never Dead
Eavesdropping
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Invisible Women
Living with Group Difference
The Age of Infantilism
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