ForaspecialNewYear’streat,wetakeatourthroughthehistoryoftheuniversewiththehelpof…poets.OurguideisMariaPopova,whowritesthepopularblogTheMarginalian(formerlyBrainPickings),andthepoetryisfromherproject,“TheUniverseinVerse”—anannualeventwherepoetsreadpoemsaboutscience,space,andthenaturalworld.

Specialthankstoallofourpoets,musicians,andperformers:MarieHowe,TracyK.Smith,RebeccaElson,JoanAsPoliceWoman,PattiSmith,GautamSrikishan,ZoeKeating,andEmilyDickinson.

EPISODECREDITS:

Reportedby-LuluMillerwithhelpfrom-MariaPopovaProducedby-SindhuGnanasambandanwithmixinghelpfrom-JeremyBloomFact-checkingby-NatalieA.MiddletonandEditedby -PatWalters

FURTHERREADINGANDRESEARCH:Todigdeeperonthisone,werecommendBooks:-TracyKSmith’s“LifeOnMars”(https://zpr.io/weTzGTbZyVDT)-MarieHowe’s“TheKingdomOfOrdinaryTimes”(https://zpr.io/Tj9cWTsQxHG3)-RebeccaElson’s“AResponsiblityToAwe”(https://zpr.io/PLR3KL8SfuPR)-PattiSmith’s“JustKids”(https://zpr.io/zM47P5KqqKZx)Music:-JoanAsPolicewoman (https://joanaspolicewoman.com/)-GautamSrikishan (https://www.floatingfast.com/)-ZoeKeating (https://www.zoekeating.com/)

Internet:-TheMarginalianblogpost (https://zpr.io/abTuDFH9pfwu)aboutVeraRubin-CheckoutphotosofEmilyDickinson’sHerbarium (https://zpr.io/XkgTscKBfem6),abookof424flowersshepickedandpressedandidentifiedwhilestudyingthewildbotanyofMassachusetts.TracyK.Smith,“MyGod,It’sFullofStars”fromSuchColor:NewandSelectedPoems.Copyright©2011byTracyK.Smith.ReadbytheauthorandusedwiththepermissionofThePermissionsCompany,LLConbehalfofGraywolfPress,Minneapolis,Minnesota,www.graywolfpress.org.Funfact:ThisepisodewasinspiredbythefactthatmanyNavyshipsrecordthefirstlogentryoftheNewYearinverse!Toseesomeofthisyear'spoemsandlearnaboutthehistoryofthetradition,checkoutthispostbytheNavalHistoryandHeritageCommand.And,ifyouwanttoreadabitfromLulu'sinterviewwithsailorpoetLt.IanMcConnaughey,subscribetoournewsletter.

OurnewslettercomesouteveryWednesday.Itincludesshortessays,recommendations,anddetailsaboutotherwaystointeractwiththeshow.Signup(https://radiolab.org/newsletter)!

Radiolabissupportedbylistenerslikeyou.SupportRadiolabbybecomingamemberofTheLab(https://members.radiolab.org/)today.

FollowourshowonInstagram,TwitterandFacebook@radiolab,andshareyourthoughtswithusbyemailingradiolab@wnyc.org.

LeadershipsupportforRadiolab’sscienceprogrammingisprovidedbytheGordonandBettyMooreFoundation,ScienceSandbox,aSimonsFoundationInitiative,andtheJohnTempletonFoundation.FoundationalsupportforRadiolabwasprovidedbytheAlfredP.SloanFoundation.