Since the earliest humans gazed up at the sky, eclipses have been a common occurrence. But only in recent centuries have we come to understood the science behind them. Prior to that, eclipses were regarded as everything from Viking sky wolves to Korean fire-dogs, to African versions of a celestial reconciliation.
Yet despite our modern understanding, interest and obsession in eclipses remains as high as ever. This hour we trace our evolving appreciation for these spectacular events and find out what we can expect from the upcoming, August 21 solar eclipse.
This show is the 11th part of a new experiment: Radio for the Deaf. Watch a simulcast of signers from Source Interpreting interpreting our radio broadcast in American Sign Language on Facebook Live.
Also, ACB Radio, a project of The American Council for the Blind, will be streaming live coverage of the eclipse, featuring a professional audio describer describing the eclipse for the visually impaired. Details can be found here.
Guests:
- John Dvorak - Geophysicist, astronomer, and author of Mask of the Sun: The Science, History and Forgotten Lore of Eclipses
- Ryan Hanrahan - Meteorologist at NBC Connecticut
- Wade Caves - San Francisco based astrological consultant, speaker and educator
- Jessica Leber - Staff editor and writer for Fast Company and former business reporter for MIT’s Technology Review
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Colin McEnroe and Chion Wolf contributed to this show.
