From the edges of blackholes and ripples of gravitational waves to distant exoplanets and the birth of the universe, astrophysicists are unraveling the mysteries of the cosmos at an unprecedented rate. While these discoveries are made possible in part by new technology, like the James Webb Telescope and the LIGO Lab, they are driven by a spirit of inquiry that is old as humankind.

In this ten-part podcast series we are exploring that spirit of inquiry, which spans tens of thousands of years, was cultivated by civilizations around the globe, and has been shaped by ways of thinking that may seem at first “unscientific,” but which have led to great leaps in our understanding of the cosmos.

This podcast series is produce by Chris Hoff & Sam Harnett from The World According to Sound as a part of the “Ways of Knowing” series.