Wonder Science

They're flying saucers or glowing balls of light. Some people say they have seen UFOs in the sky. Are the legends true?

Next to a continent or in the middle of the ocean, all islands are surrounded by water. These landforms can be rock, sand, or even coral. Listen to Islands to learn about life on these isolated places.

There is a major revolution sweeping astronomy as amateur astronomers, linked by the Internet, make important discoveries that are the envy of the professionals. In Seeing in the Dark, Timothy Ferris invites us all to become stargazers, capturing the exquisite experience when ancient starlight strikes the eye and incites the mind.

Can you find your way out of any maze, even blindfolded? You can, if you know this one simple secret.

It all started with a question: What's it like to be old? Then came the letters. What began as a singular response to Sophy's cousin asking about aging, soon blossomed into a full year of unmailed reflections, wonderment, and curiosities on a full life truly lived...

On an ordinary day, at an air show like that in any small town across the country, a plane crashes into a crowd of spectators, killing and injuring dozens. But when the dust clears, a thirteen-year-old girl named Ava is found huddled beneath a pocket of rubble with her best friend, Wash. He is injured and bleeding, and when Ava places her hands over him, his wounds miraculously disappear. Ava has a unique gift: she can heal others of their physical ailments.

Frankenstein's Monster was dreamt up over 200 years ago, and the story still haunts people today. Learn more about how this creepy monster was made in a science lab.

Stories of shapeshifters have been around for thousands of years. Learn about the tales of these monsters from many different cultures.

When a young apprentice stumbles upon the Carnival of Wonders, they discover a world where magic is real and every performer holds a secret. From illusionists who bend reality to acrobats who defy gravity, the carnival is full of astonishing enchantments. But when a hidden challenge arises, the apprentice and their newfound friends must prove their skills, unravel magical riddles, and face mystical trials to earn a place among the legendary performers.

Exploring the initial stages of psychedelic study in Europe and America, Thomas Hatsis offers a full history of the psychedelic-fueled revolution in healing and consciousness expansion that blossomed in the 1950s - the first “golden age” of psychedelic research. Revealing LSD as a “wonder child” rather than Albert Hofmann’s infamous “problem child”, the author focuses on the extensive studies with LSD that took place in the ’50s.

In the summer of 2012, Steve Jenkins was contacted by an old friend about adopting a micropiglet. Though he knew his partner, Derek, wouldn't be enthusiastic, he agreed to take the adorable little pig anyway, thinking he could care for her himself. Little did he know, that decision would change his and Derek's lives forever. It turned out there was nothing "micro" about Esther, and Steve and Derek had actually signed on to raise a full-size commercial pig. Within three years tiny Esther grew to a whopping 600 pounds.

For the truly well-rounded "intellectual," nothing fascinates so much as the subversive, the contrarian, the suppressed, and the bizarre. Richard Zacks has unloosed his admittedly strange mind and astonishing research abilities upon the entire spectrum of human knowledge, ferreting out endlessly fascinating facts, and stories guaranteed to make you laugh, gasp in wonder, and occasionally shudder at the depths of human depravity. The result of his labors is this quasi-encyclopedia that provides alternative takes on art, business, crime, science, medicine, sex (lots of that), and many other facets of human experience.

She will become a legend, but first she is Diana, Princess of the Amazons. And her fight is just beginning.... Diana is desperate to prove herself to her warrior sisters. But when the opportunity comes, she throws away her chance at glory and breaks Amazon law to save a mere mortal, Alia Keralis. With this single heroic act, Diana may have just doomed the world.

A collection of 15 beloved Chinese myths, legends, and folktales that are rich in tradition and culture. Each story transports the listener back to ancient times and is filled with excitement, adventure, magic, and laughter.

Tony Prosdocimi lives in the bustling Metropolis of San Ventura – a city gripped in fear, a city under siege by the hooded supervillain, The Cowl. When Tony develops super-powers and acts to take down The Cowl, however, he finds that the local superhero team Seven Wonders aren’t as grateful as he assumed they’d be….

Ogres have towered over us in popular fairy tales for years. Have you ever wondered what ogres smell like? Do you know where ogres live? Stomp through the chapters of this book to find out the truth about ogres.

Fish that look like cartoons. Lizards that squirt blood from their eyes. These are not your ordinary creatures. Get ready to learn about some of the world’s strangest animals.

Are you worried that your child's low self-esteem will prevent her from pursuing friendships and opportunities to shine? You’re not alone. Almost every parent hopes their kid grows up to be confident in who they are and content in their own skin.

Weaving together memoir and cutting-edge science, Mothership is not just a queer coming-of-age story. It's a deeply researched account of how coral reefs and a psychedelic tea called ayahuasca helped Greg heal from complex PTSD—a disorder of trust, which makes the very act of bonding with someone else panic-inducing. From the tide pools in Florida where he grew up, to Indonesia's Raja Ampat archipelago and the Amazon rainforest, this is his search for wholeness when talk therapy and pharmaceuticals did little to help.

In this captivating, insightful book, acclaimed physicists Alan Lightman and Martin Rees illuminate the life and work of numerous scientists in order to demystify the scientific process and show that scientists are concerned citizens, just like the rest of us.