9 Minutes of Wonder
Betsy Hedberg
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Christmas traditions you may or may not have heard of — and happy holidays to you!
Christmas is not the same everywhere, and isn't that a good thing? Every December when I was a young girl, the phone company set up a special phone number that we could call to hear Santa speaking…
(Reposting in honor of this week's lights) The northern lights: how can we not be amazed by lights jumping around in the sky?
Wow, pink and purple skies! I hope you've had a chance to see it this week, or at least sometime in the past or future. Let's talk about these magnificent lights. A few resources: What causes the…
Magnificent sun, where have you gone? Fall is a good time to reflect on the wonders of our favorite star.
What's something you often yearn for but then sometimes wish would leave you alone? That could be the sun. But our friendly closest star is much more than that bright circle in the sky we mainly…
Forks: never to be taken for granted!
You probably use a fork every day, yet you never think much about this multi-pronged utensil, do you? That may change after you hear this, and you might find yourself getting curious about other…
What's not to love about butterflies?
Butterflies are incredible in so many ways! Their beauty alone is good enough reason to admire them, but there's so much more. Reacquaint yourself with their magic. Butterflies: masters of…
Songbirds can make you happier! Peek behind the scenes of how and why they sing, and hear a few singing today.
Almost everyone loves hearing birds sing! Even if you rarely pay attention to the birds singing around you, you'd miss them if they stopped and might even feel more depressed. So start listening for…
Fireflies are magical! Spend a few moments marveling at this lovely bioluminescent beetle.
One of my favorite childhood summertime memories is watching fireflies in the evenings. After many firefly-free years, I got to see them again last weekend. Discover why they're so cool and how they…
See pigeons in a whole new way — they're smart, gentle, and full of stories
Do you know any pigeon-haters, or pigeon-phobes? Pigeons are actually such interesting birds, and they mean us no harm at all. Bring some wonder into your next city or suburban outing, and maybe…
What were the odds? The beauty (and sometimes peril) of chance encounters.
What chance encounters have shaped your life? Don't you look back on them with a sense of wonder — what were the odds?! I'll talk about this phenomenon and also put in a good word for its social…
Libraries inspire wonder! Here are three reasons why, in nine minutes...
Even with the internet's endless magic, libraries remain fascinating and important places. Come to the library with me in this episode, where I'll share three reasons I love libraries and think…
Wonder is its own form of resistance
If you haven't heard it from me enough, I'll say it again: cultivating wonder is good for us all! I'm going to share some things you might try today or this week if you're seeking more wonder, awe,…
The birds are migrating again as they've done for eons — look up and around, and listen!
Few natural phenomena are as magical and mysterious as bird migrations. I wish I had more than nine minutes, but I'll give you just a taste of why migrating birds are so cool. "Marshland Elegy" by…
Ice is nature's exquisite abstract art (but it doesn't belong in winter drinks!)
How much attention do you pay to ice? Maybe you're sick and tired of all the ice around you this time of year, but what about taking a closer look — even if it's just in your freezer? Ice is a menace…
Quiet, please! Let's talk about quiet...with a bonus section where I will actually be quiet
The world is so noisy! Even if we live in relatively quiet places, we are bombarded by noise thanks to all the pinging and dinging on our phones, the din of terrible news, demands from annoying…
Can music make you "float above the Earth in a starry dome"?
If you need to be uplifted, how about listening to some beautiful music and learning why it's awe-inspiring? Awe scientist Dacher Keltner lists music as one of the “eight wonders of life," and…
Deep time: it's almost unfathomable, but let's try anyway!
What comes to mind when you think about the upcoming year? What about the "upcoming" 10 million years? Big difference, obviously, not just in the amount of time but also in how we envision these time…
It's winter solstice in the northern hemisphere — enjoy the dark turning to light!
The winter solstice is special from various perspectives. Even if you don't get into the spiritual magic of the day, you can still be impressed at what our planet's tilt makes happen as we go around…
Poinsettias: notice them in a new way (you might as well since they're everywhere!)
It's National Poinsettia Day in the US! Make it a good one by learning more about these ubiquitous "flowers." Or listen after the fact to prepare for next year. A few resources: Poinsettias at…
Awe and wonder are good for us! Here's why I'm doing this...
Why am I doing this podcast anyway? Peek behind the curtain of my motivations in this short episode. Hint: because it's fun, and because awe and wonder are good for us and for society. Dacher…
The enormous solar furnace of Uzbekistan: be blown away by the engineering, and brave the creepy staircase to the top!
I can hardly begin to describe how cool this place was, in an industrial sort of way. I'll tell you about it here, but please visit the link to see what the place looks like. This is a fantastic…
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9 Minutes of Wonder has published 38 episodes since April 2024, covering topics in Education, Nature.
9 Minutes of Wonder is currently declining with new episodes monthly. Average episode length is 8m.
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