After the enormous success of her translation of Homer’s The Odyssey, Emily Wilson spent another five years translating The Iliad. The book was released this fall, again to tremendous acclaim. Wilson is the College for Women Class of 1963 Term Professor in the Humanities and Professor of Classical Studies. She is the recipient of two prestigious fellowships, the MacArthur “Genius Grant” and the Guggenheim, and was chosen to judge the Booker Prize competition. She’s been invited to speak across the United States and Europe. Wilson’s translations are notable because they are in straightforward, common English, but she also uses a poetic meter to echo that of the originals. To do so, she read both the ancient Greek version and her translation aloud repeatedly as she worked. For this episode, we asked Professor Wilson to select and read a few passages from The Iliad in Homer’s original Greek and then from her English translation, after first sharing her thoughts about why she chose the passages she did. *** Produced, Narrated, and Edited by Alex Schein Theme music by Nicholas Escobar, C'18 Additional music by Michael Levy: "Ode to Athena" and "Umbra Morris" (ancientlyre.com) and Blue Dot Sessions: "Cloudbank" Podcast Logo by Hemani Kapoor Check out our feature article on Emily Wilson in the Fall/Winter issue of OMNIA Magazine: bit.ly/3SGMVh6

This July, global temperatures soared to the warmest ever recorded. Ocean surface temperatures hit record highs. Extreme weather-related events are becoming ever more common, seen this spring and summer with the wildfires in Canada and Hawaii, flooding in Vermont, and a tropical storm in Los Angeles dumping almost three inches of rain in one day. Renowned climate scientist Michael Mann, Presidential Distinguished Professor of Earth and Environmental Science and the Director of Penn’s Center for Science, Sustainability, and the Media, has been following the changing climate for decades, starting with his doctoral work, which focused largely on natural climate variability. In the ’90s, he and colleagues published the now iconic hockey-stick curve, an estimate of how temperatures varied in the past using natural sources like tree rings, corals, and ice cores. His new book, Our Fragile Moment: How Lessons from Earth’s Past Can Help Us Survive the Climate Crisis, publishes at the end of September. OMNIA spoke with him about this summer’s weather events, how we can move forward in this climate reality, and why he still believes there’s still time for action. *** Produced, Narrated, and Edited by Alex Schein Theme music by Nicholas Escobar, C'18 Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions Podcast Logo by Hemani Kapoor Visit our editorial magazine, Omnia, for more content from Penn Arts & Sciences faculty, students, and alumni: omnia.sas.upenn.edu

The 2022 midterm elections took place on Tuesday, November 8th in the United States, and are still being decided in many parts of the country. Historically, the president’s party loses in the midterms. And yet this year, Democrats – the party of President Joe Biden – maintained their control of the Senate and may only lose their majority in the House of Representatives by a slim margin. So what happened? In this episode, we speak with political science professor, Daniel Hopkins, about why this year’s midterms were so different than the historical trend and what the next two years might look like in American political life. Guest: Daniel Hopkins, Professor of Political Science *** Produced, Narrated, and Edited by Alex Schein Theme music by Nicholas Escobar, C'18 Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions Illustration by Nick Matej Podcast Logo by Hemani Kapoor Visit our editorial magazine, Omnia, for more content from Penn Arts & Sciences faculty, students, and alumni: omnia.sas.upenn.edu

The pandemic has had a pronounced impact on mental health. Participating in activities that benefit well-being is crucial, but Katherine Cotter and James Pawelski, experts in the field of positive psychology, say being conscious of these benefits, and optimizing participation, is the end goal. In this final episode of the season, we speak with both researchers from the Positive Psychology Center about how art museum visitation and museum program participation impact flourishing-related outcomes. Guests: James O. Pawelski, Professor of Practice and Director of Education, Positive Psychology Center and Director of the Humanities and Human Flourishing Project Katherine Cotter, Postdoctoral Fellow, Positive Psychology Center *** Produced by Blake Cole Narrated by Alex Schein Edited by Alex Schein and Brooke Sietinsons Interview by Blake Cole Theme music by Nicholas Escobar, C'18 Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions Illustration and logo by Marina Muun In These Times is a production of Penn Arts & Sciences. Visit our series website to learn more and listen to the first three seasons of In These Times: web.sas.upenn.edu/in-these-times Visit our editorial magazine, Omnia, for more content from Penn Arts & Sciences faculty, students, and alumni: omnia.sas.upenn.edu

Music is undeniably one of oldest and most essential art forms. The power of song and dance has been the pulse of social movements throughout the world and a source of collective and individual healing during difficult times for millennia. In this episode we speak with ethnomusicologist Carol Muller about the power of song and dance during the apartheid era in South Africa, and Nicholas Escobar, C'18, about his process composing music for the screen, and our very own OMNIA podcast. *** Produced, Edited, and Narrated by Alex Schein Interviews by Alex Schein Theme music by Nicholas Escobar, C'18 Additional music by Nicholas Escobar; Randy Newman, "You've Got a Friend in Me" (from Toy Story 4); Thomas Newman, "May" (from The Shawshank Redemption); Dollar Brand aka Abdullah Ibrahim, "Whoza Mtwana" and "Mannenberg Revisited"; Miriam Makeba, "Soweto Blues"; Duke Ellington, "I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good)"; Sathima Bea Benjamin, "Lush Life" and "Solitude"; The O'Jays, "I Love Music" (Mike Maurro Mix). Illustration and logo by Marina Muun In These Times is a production of Penn Arts & Sciences. Visit our series website to learn more and listen to the first three seasons of In These Times: web.sas.upenn.edu/in-these-times Visit our editorial magazine, Omnia, for more content from Penn Arts & Sciences faculty, students, and alumni: omnia.sas.upenn.edu

For as long as humans have had voices, trauma has been told and processed through stories, poetry, and music. In this episode, we speak with author Lorene Cary, Senior Lecturer in English, and poet Fatemeh Shams, Assistant Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations, on the ability of words to move people, create a community, and help us to heal. Guests: Lorene Cary, Senior Lecturer, Department of English Fatemeh Shams, Assistant Professor of Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations *** Produced by Susan Ahlborn Narrated by Alex Schein Edited by Alex Schein and Brooke Sietinsons Interviews by Jane Carol and Alex Schein Theme music by Nicholas Escobar, C'18 Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions and MG & Ma’tthue Raheem for “Vote that Jawn” rap Illustration and logo by Marina Muun In These Times is a production of Penn Arts & Sciences. Visit our series website to learn more and listen to the first three seasons of In These Times: web.sas.upenn.edu/in-these-times Visit our editorial magazine, Omnia, for more content from Penn Arts & Sciences faculty, students, and alumni: omnia.sas.upenn.edu

The legacy of trauma resulting from more than 200 years of slavery in North America, and colonialism abroad, has yet to be fully comprehended. In this episode, Breanna Moore discusses her engagement with fellow student collaborators to recreate the history of Penn’s connections to slavery, which began with a memory book and a journey through her own family’s history. And Deborah Thomas explains how the many mediums of art, including film, dance, and photography, have helped her promote healing within communities marked by trauma in Jamaica and beyond. This episode includes excerpts from Four Days in May: Kingston 2010 featuring Jacqueline Gordon, Shawn Bowen, and Aaliyah Levy. The documentary film was directed and produced by Deanne M. Bell, Junior “Gabu” Wedderburn, and Deborah A. Thomas. Guests: Breanna Moore, C’15 and Ph.D. candidate, Department of History Deborah Thomas, R. Jean Brownlee Professor of Anthropology and Director of the Center for Experimental Ethnography *** Produced by Blake Cole Narrated by Alex Schein Edited by Alex Schein, Loraine Terrell, and Brooke Sietinsons Interviews by Blake Cole and Loraine Terrell Theme music by Nicholas Escobar, C'18 Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions Illustration and logo by Marina Muun In These Times is a production of Penn Arts & Sciences. Visit our series website to learn more and listen to the first three seasons of In These Times: web.sas.upenn.edu/in-these-times Visit our editorial magazine, Omnia, for more content from Penn Arts & Sciences faculty, students, and alumni: omnia.sas.upenn.edu

In coping with the stresses of recent times, many people are finding respite in connecting with nature. Writers extolling the virtues of wellness travel, ecotherapy, and going for a long walk are just one spin on a long tradition of reflections on how to find health, happiness, and wisdom through nature in any of its manifestations, from herbs and flowers, to animals and crystals. In this episode, Rebecca Bushnell, a noted Shakespeare expert and scholar of early modern literature, discusses nature writing from the past, along with thoughts on why we garden and what we talk about when we talk about nature. Guest: Rebecca Bushnell, School of Arts and Sciences Board of Advisors Emerita Professor of English *** Produced by Loraine Terrell Narrated by Alex Schein Edited by Alex Schein and Loraine Terrell Interview by Loraine Terrell Theme music by Nicholas Escobar, C'18 Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions Illustration and logo by Marina Muun In These Times is a production of Penn Arts & Sciences. Visit our series website to learn more and listen to the first three seasons of In These Times: web.sas.upenn.edu/in-these-times Visit our editorial magazine, Omnia, for more content from Penn Arts & Sciences faculty, students, and alumni: omnia.sas.upenn.edu

In 1346, bubonic plague began to spread through northern Africa and Eurasia. In seven years, it had become the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, killing between 75 and 200 million people. In this episode, we hear from a specialist in medieval literature about the bubonic plague and how artists like Boccaccio and Chaucer documented the horror of the Black Death but also the joy found in art and creation. Guest: David Wallace, Judith Rodin Professor of English *** Produced by Susan Ahlborn Narrated by Alex Schein Edited by Alex Schein and Brooke Sietinsons Interview by Susan Ahlborn Theme music by Nicholas Escobar, C'18 Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions and Francesco Landino's "Ecco la primavera" performed by Hortus Musicus Illustration and logo by Marina Muun In These Times is a production of Penn Arts & Sciences. Visit our series website to learn more and listen to the first three seasons of In These Times: web.sas.upenn.edu/in-these-times Visit our editorial magazine, Omnia, for more content from Penn Arts & Sciences faculty, students, and alumni: omnia.sas.upenn.edu

In Mary Shelley’s novel, The Last Man, the protagonist—one of the few survivors of a plague—searches for meaning in a world of loss, concluding that, “there is but one solution to the intricate riddle of life; to improve ourselves, and contribute to the happiness of others.” In 2022, as COVID-19 lingers on, the climate threat looms larger, and war returns to Europe, there seems to be no answer to when this era, defined by loss, will end. And many of us are finding that making sense of “the intricate riddle of life,” and extracting meaning out of adversity, is one of the things that art does best. In this season of In These Times, we talk to scholars, musicians and poets, and other members of creative communities, to explore the link between making art and making meaning, and how creativity shines a light on the way out of adversity, past and present. In this episode, Aaron Levy, a lecturer in English and Art History, talks about how the arts and humanities can serve as tools for life. Then, Dr. Levy is joined by Dr. Lindsay Hoy, a physician at the Perelman School of Medicine, to discuss a project that uses art to bring healing to the medical community. Guests: Aaron Levy, Senior Lecturer, English and History of Art Director of the Penn Medicine Listening Lab, Co-Director of Rx/Museum, Inaugural Director of the Health Ecologies Lab and the Social Justice and Arts Integration Initiative in the School of Social Policy & Practice Lyndsay Hoy, Assistant Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology and Critical Care, Perelman School of Medicine and Co-Director of Rx/Museum *** Produced by Loraine Terrell Narrated by Alex Schein Edited by Alex Schein Interviews by Loraine Terrell Theme music by Nicholas Escobar, C'18 Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions Illustration and logo by Marina Muun In These Times is a production of Penn Arts & Sciences. Visit our series website to learn more and listen to the first three seasons of In These Times: web.sas.upenn.edu/in-these-times Visit our editorial magazine, Omnia, for more content from Penn Arts & Sciences faculty, students, and alumni: omnia.sas.upenn.edu

This is an episode about big things. Big like the ocean, which, thanks to its size, absorbs about 30% of all CO2 emissions. Big like the scale of our Earth’s 4.6 billion history, and big like our responsibility to future generations. Can an understanding of and appreciation for the size of our world and the scope of its history, from the beginning of time to dinosaurs to humans, help us take action against climate change and engage in acts of care for the future of our planet and its inhabitants? An oceanographer, a geophysicist, and a historian weigh in. Guests: Irina Marinov, Associate Professor of Earth and Environmental Science Jane E. Dmochowski, Senior Lecturer, Earth and Environmental Science Jared Famer, Walter H. Annenberg Professor of History *** Produced by Lauren Rebecca Thacker Narrated by Alex Schein Edited by Alex Schein, Brooke Sietisons, Evan Smith Interviews by Lauren Rebecca Thacker Theme music by Nicholas Escobar, C'18 Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions Illustration and logo by Dan Lee In These Times is a production of Penn Arts & Sciences. Visit our series website to learn more and listen to the first two seasons of In These Times. Visit our editorial magazine, Omnia, for more content from Penn Arts & Sciences faculty, students, and alumni.

This episode addresses early concerns in the public sphere, the media, and even the scientific community, surrounding high-energy particle collision experiments at particle accelerators like the Large Hadron Collider. These concerns culminated in lawsuits accusing researchers of conducting experiments that could cause the creation of mini black holes or even spell the end of the world. We speak with a physicist who works on such projects about the realities of safety. Guest: Evelyn Thomson, Professor of Physics and Astronomy *** Produced by Blake Cole Narrated by Alex Schein Edited by Alex Schein and Brooke Sietisons Interview by Blake Cole Theme music by Nicholas Escobar, C'18 Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions Illustration and logo by Dan Lee In These Times is a production of Penn Arts & Sciences. Visit our series website to learn more and listen to the first two seasons of In These Times. Visit our editorial magazine, Omnia, for more content from Penn Arts & Sciences faculty, students, and alumni.

The phrase “better things for better living through chemistry” began life in 1935 as a DuPont advertising slogan–an enthusiastic expression of optimism about science, and its potential to solve virtually any human problem. It’s clear that without chemistry, the world would be a very different place. So why, out of all the sciences, is chemistry so little understood, and so often held in low regard by the public? In this episode, a chemist explains chemistry's public relations problem, and why we need to put our faith in chemistry now, maybe more than ever. Guests: Eric J. Schelter, Professor of Chemistry Madeleine M. Joullié, Professor of Chemistry (Emeritus) Daniel J. Mindiola, Brush Family Professor of Chemistry and Graduate Chair *** Produced by Loraine Terrell Narrated by Alex Schein Edited by Alex Schein and Loraine Terrell Interviews by Loraine Terrell Theme music by Nicholas Escobar, C'18 Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions Illustration and logo by Dan Lee In These Times is a production of Penn Arts & Sciences. Visit our series website to learn more and listen to the first two seasons of In These Times. Visit our editorial magazine, Omnia, for more content from Penn Arts & Sciences faculty, students, and alumni.

New medications, treatments, and implants that affect our brains have helped thousands overcome ADD, ended seizures, and even show promise for restoring memory lost to brain trauma. But these enhancements have implications for individuals and society. How far can we go? Who gets the enhancements? In this episode, we'll hear from a psychology professor about what’s being done and what we can learn from science fiction. Guest: Martha J. Farah, Walter H. Annenberg Professor in the Natural Sciences in the Department of Psychology and Director of the Center for Neuroscience and Society *** Produced by Susan Ahlborn Narrated by Alex Schein Edited by Alex Schein and Brooke Sietinsons Interviews by Susan Ahlborn Theme music by Nicholas Escobar, C'18 Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions Illustration and logo by Dan Lee In These Times is a production of Penn Arts & Sciences. Visit our series website to learn more and listen to the first two seasons of In These Times. Visit our editorial magazine, Omnia, for more content from Penn Arts & Sciences faculty, students, and alumni.

If you were writing a book about the history of science denial, the chapter on Darwin would have to be one of the longest. But why? You can argue that we see evolution all the time – it is, after all, why we’re worrying today about the emergence of new variants of COVID-19. Does it boil down to a divide between religion and science that just can’t be bridged? And what’s at risk when what science tells us about evolution is rejected? In this episode, we'll hear from a philosopher of science and an evolutionary biologist on what it is about Darwinian evolution that has made it a poster child for science denial, and why it’s important to understand the facts. Guests: Paul Sniegowski, Stephen A. Levin Family Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences and Professor of Biology Michael Weisberg, Bess W. Heyman President's Distinguished Professor and Chair of Philosophy *** Produced by Loraine Terrell Narrated by Alex Schein Edited by Alex Schein and Loraine Terrell Interviews by Loraine Terrell Theme music by Nicholas Escobar, C'18 Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions Illustration and logo by Dan Lee In These Times is a production of Penn Arts & Sciences. Visit our series website to learn more and listen to the first two seasons of In These Times. Visit our editorial magazine, Omnia, for more content from Penn Arts & Sciences faculty, students, and alumni.

This episode is about the science of how people talk. We'll get into some of the nitty gritty science, like prosody and intonational variation, but we're really interested in why people resist changes to language. Why did France try to ban "le weekend," and why do some people, like, get so, like, upset when people use the word "like"? An expert in sociolinguistics talks about what our speech says about who we are, and why resistance to change has nothing to do with being right or wrong. Guest: Nicole Holliday, Assistant Professor of Linguistics *** Produced by Lauren Rebecca Thacker Narrated by Alex Schein Edited by Alex Schein and Brooke Sietinsons Interview by Lauren Rebecca Thacker Theme music by Nicholas Escobar, C'18 Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions Illustration and logo by Dan Lee In These Times is a production of Penn Arts & Sciences. Visit our series website to learn more and listen to the first two seasons of In These Times. Visit our editorial magazine, Omnia, for more content from Penn Arts & Sciences faculty, students, and alumni.

On this season of the Omnia podcast, we talk to scientists and other scholars about scientific ideas that cause big reactions. We’ll look at stories of science getting knocked around, and standing back up again, in a world full of polarization, politics, misrepresentation, and simple misunderstanding. Welcome to In These Times: Fear and Loathing and Science. One of the more unexpected side effects of COVID-19 has been the rise of a new strain of resistance to scientific information. But science denial didn’t start with COVID-19. Rejection of scientific evidence is part of the history of science itself. How did the search for understanding and truth find itself in the cross-hairs of U.S. politics? Guests: Mark Trodden, Fay R. and Eugene L. Langberg Professor of Physics, Co-Director of the Center for Particle Cosmology, and Chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy Donovan Schaefer, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies *** Produced by Loraine Terrell Narrated by Alex Schein Edited by Alex Schein and Loraine Terrell Interviews Loraine Terrell Theme music by Nicholas Escobar, C'18 Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions Illustration and logo by Dan Lee In These Times is a production of Penn Arts & Sciences. Visit our series website to learn more and listen to the first two seasons of In These Times. Visit our editorial magazine, Omnia, for more content from Penn Arts & Sciences faculty, students, and alumni.

In Episode 1: Facts vs. Feelings, Mark Trodden commented that most of what we would call modern cosmology is a very recent vintage, including many discoveries from just the past few decades. In this bonus segment, Professor Trodden discusses what this recent research has to say about the Big Bang, gravitational waves, and the expanding universe. Mark Trodden is the Fay R. and Eugene L. Langberg Professor of Physics, Co-Director of the Center for Particle Cosmology, and Chair of the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Pennsylvania. *** Produced by Loraine Terrell Narrated by Alex Schein Edited by Alex Schein Interview Loraine Terrell Theme music by Nicholas Escobar, C'18 Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions Illustration and logo by Dan Lee In These Times is a production of Penn Arts & Sciences. Visit our series website to learn more and listen to the first two seasons of In These Times. Visit our editorial magazine, Omnia, for more content from Penn Arts & Sciences faculty, students, and alumni.

In our final episode, we're continuing the conversation about how institutions can perpetuate racial inequalities and the work that remains. We talk to a graduate student whose family has been touched by Penn and slavery across generations, a philosopher who weighs the past and future when it comes to the case for reparations, and a political scientist whose focus on community and repair is not new, but particularly urgent. Guests: Breanna Moore, C'15 and doctoral student in history Daniel Wodak, Assistant Professor of Philosophy Tulia Falleti, Class of 1965 Endowed Term Professor of Political Science and Director of the Center for Latin American and Latinx Studies *** Produced by Lauren Rebecca Thacker Narrated by Alex Schein Edited by Alex Schein and Brooke Sietinsons Interviews by Lauren Rebecca Thacker, Susan Ahlborn, and Loraine Terrell Theme music by Nicholas Escobar, C'18 Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions Illustration by Adriana Bellet Logo by Drew Nealis In These Times is a production of Penn Arts & Sciences. Visit our series website to learn more and listen to the first season of In These Times. To hear the full 1.5 Minute Climate Lectures mentioned in this episode visit the series website. Visit our editorial magazine, Omnia, for more content from Penn Arts & Sciences faculty, students, and alumni. Follow Penn Arts & Sciences on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.

This season, we’ve spoken to experts about how institutions have perpetuated racial hierarchies. Higher education is no exception. In our final two episodes, we’re talking to students and faculty about the work that comes next. This episode features an undergraduate student whose research with the Penn and Slavery Project reveals truths about the relationship between higher education and the perpetuation of scientific racism and a graduate student whose work on bioethics and philosophy of race can offer insights on health disparities and how we might address them. Guests: Carson Eckhard, C'21 Ian Peebles, Ph.D. candidate in philosophy *** Produced by Lauren Rebecca Thacker Narrated by Alex Schein Edited by Alex Schein Interviews by Lauren Rebecca Thacker and Jane Carroll Theme music by Nicholas Escobar, C'18 Additional music by Blue Dot Sessions Illustration by Adriana Bellet Logo by Drew Nealis In These Times is a production of Penn Arts & Sciences. Visit our series website to learn more and listen to the first season of In These Times. To hear the full 1.5 Minute Climate Lectures mentioned in this episode visit the series website. Visit our editorial magazine, Omnia, for more content from Penn Arts & Sciences faculty, students, and alumni. Follow Penn Arts & Sciences on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.