Wonder

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Mark Lombardi, a conceptual artist on the cusp of international success, had everything to live for. So why was the 48-year-old found hanged and deemed suicidal? Was his death the ultimate conceptual art, an afterlife laugh at those who doubted his brilliance? He did, after all, carry business cards eerily portending "death defying acts of art and conspiracy." 

Or was he ultimately overwhelmed by the subject of his work: the financial networks connecting some of the most powerful and corrupt people on earth? 

His intricate drawings traced hot money, from Cold War funding to the heroin trade. But his most dogged scrutiny fell on the Bank of Credit and Commerce International, a global money laundry bankrolling fraudsters, smugglers, and CIA operations abroad. Since his death, Lombardi's masterwork on the rogue bank has been held at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Could it be responsible for his demise? The answer can only be found within Lombardi himself.

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Today on Wonder, we’re traveling to the magical island of Socotra, almost 100 km off the Horn of Africa. The island is a sanctuary for nearly 700 species that exist nowhere else in the world. Here, rain is so scarce that plants like the poisonous pink desert rose and the spiral-leafed cucumber tree fiercely guard their precious water. It’s easy to forget, surrounded by emerald sea water on Socotra’s beaches. Close your eyes and let us guide you to hidden wonders within this tiny archipelago. Put on your headphones, close your eyes, and take five minutes to yourself — to breathe, learn, and wonder. 

This is Wonder, a weekly five-minute audio experience designed to transport you far away from the chaos of everyday life. Wonder is a Brazen production. To find out more visit brazen.fm/wonder.

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Today on Wonder, we visit the Indonesian island of Java to discover a mesmerizing phenomenon: the blue-fire volcano. During the day, pale plumes of gas billow from the crater and fissures in the rock. But it’s at night that this volcano really comes alive. As the sun sets, it prepares to wow onlookers with a show of colors. Indigo-blue flames dance and leap from its craters, casting shadows across the turquoise lake below. In this week’s episode, we’re traveling to the volcano’s edge to witness this vision in blue. It’s time to put on your headphones, close your eyes, and take five minutes to yourself—to breathe, learn, and wonder.

This is Wonder, a weekly five-minute audio experience designed to transport you far away from the chaos of everyday life. Wonder is a Brazen production. To find out more visit brazen.fm/wonder.

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Today on Wonder, we get close to Uluru, a majestic sandstone formation in the Australian outback. Uluru is like a sleeping giant lying across the red desert. Sometimes Uluru seems to glow from within, its rust-coloured surface becoming fiery orange. Other times it appears pink or purple, a spectacle that alters with the changing light. For the Anangu people, who have lived at its base for thousands of years, Uluru is a sacred place. Feel the wind and the sand as you let yourself be transported here. Put on your headphones, close your eyes, and take five minutes to yourself — to breathe, learn, and wonder. 

This is Wonder, a weekly five-minute audio experience designed to transport you far away from the chaos of everyday life. Wonder is a Brazen production. To find out more visit brazen.fm/wonder.

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Today on Wonder, we’re going in search of a creature that lives in the long tree-lined canals of Lake Xochimilco that stretch out of Mexico city. The always-smiling axolotl, a brown or pink amphibian with feathery gills, played a starring role in one of the Aztecs creation myths —perhaps thanks to its remarkable ability to regenerate. In fact, these delicate-looking salamanders are the peter-pan of the animal kingdom, never transforming beyond their juvenile state. Now, it's time for a moment of serenity on the shores of Lake Xochimilco. Put on your headphones, close your eyes, and take five minutes to yourself — to breathe, learn, and wonder. 

This is Wonder, a weekly five-minute audio experience designed to transport you far away from the chaos of everyday life. Wonder is a Brazen production. To find out more visit brazen.fm/wonder.

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Today on Wonder, we’re in the depths of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, USA. It’s amongst these river canyons and rocky crags that you’ll encounter one of the world’s most remarkable organisms: the slime mould. The slime mould doesn’t belong to the animal kingdom, nor the worlds of plants or fungi. These oddly-coloured, oddly-shaped organisms move without feet, and think without brains. Join us as we venture out amongst the soft mosses and damp bark to discover this remarkable natural phenomena. Put on your headphones, close your eyes, and take five minutes to yourself — to breathe, learn, and wonder. 

This is Wonder, a weekly five-minute audio experience designed to transport you far away from the chaos of everyday life. Wonder is a Brazen production. To find out more visit brazen.fm/wonder.

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Today on Wonder, we’re in the Dry Valleys of Antarctica. Whipped by harsh winds, this rocky desert stretches as far as the eye can see. It’s here that you’ll encounter an enormous ruby-red cascade of water: the Blood Falls. Against the pristine expanse of ice, these crimson waters are an alien sight. The Blood Falls have remained a mystery for centuries, continuing to flow from the glacier even as temperatures drop below freezing. Join us, and let the wind carry you close to this otherworldly vision in one of the most remote corners of our planet. Put on your headphones, close your eyes, and take five minutes to yourself — to breathe, learn, and wonder. 

This is Wonder, a weekly five-minute audio experience designed to transport you far away from the chaos of everyday life. Wonder is a Brazen production. To find out more visit brazen.fm/wonder.

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Today on Wonder, we’re traveling to the vast freshwater plains of Uganda to meet one of its most impressive and solitary inhabitants: the Shoebill stork. Just before dawn, when the air is heavy with the scent of dewy plantlife, this huge creature moves nimbly through papyrus wetlands. It appears prehistoric, a dinosaur transported to the present day. With a muscular body and steely grey feathers, the stork is the king of the swamp. So join us, and spend five minutes in the freshwater plains of Uganda, where the quiet is interrupted only by chirping crickets and the splash of the Shoebill stork’s search for food. Put on your headphones, close your eyes, and take five minutes to yourself — to breathe, learn, and wonder.

This is Wonder, a weekly five-minute audio experience designed to transport you far away from the chaos of everyday life. Wonder is a Brazen production. To find out more visit brazen.fm/wonder.

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Today on Wonder, we’re traveling to a lush rainforest to catch a glimpse of one of the world's most enchanting phenomena: moonbows. There are only a handful of places on Earth where the conditions are just right for these delicate visions to appear, and this spot, on the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe, is one of them. On clear nights when the moon is at its brightest, these nocturnal rainbows – moonbows – can appear in the spray of the majestic Victoria Falls. Many cultures around the world believe they are signs of good fortune from the celestial realm. Now, it's time for a moment of serenity. Leave the everyday stresses behind to travel over the dense rainforest, with only the moon for company. Put on your headphones, close your eyes, and take five minutes to yourself — to breathe, learn, and wonder. 

This is Wonder, a weekly five-minute audio experience designed to transport you far away from the chaos of everyday life. Wonder is a Brazen production. To find out more visit brazen.fm/wonder.

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Today on Wonder we’re traveling across a glittering glacial lake in Patagonia to one of the most remote places on Earth: the Marble Caves. Formed more than 6,000 years ago, this cave complex is unlike any other. Peaks and swirls on the rock face resemble colourful strings of candy, their colors a game of reflection between the light, water and marble. On this journey, you’ll be joined only by the howl of the wind through the cave vaults and across the lake’s brilliant blue surface, transporting you to a kaleidoscopic show of colours that emerges just above the waterline. It’s time to put on your headphones, close your eyes, and take five minutes to yourself — to breathe, learn, and wonder. 

This is Wonder, a weekly five-minute audio experience designed to transport you far away from the chaos of everyday life. Wonder is a Brazen production. To find out more visit brazen.fm/wonder.

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Today on Wonder, we’re traveling hundreds of meters below the ocean's surface to visit one of its most unusual residents: the vampire squid. Neither a vampire nor a squid, this curious creature looks unlike any other on Earth. With eight reddish arms connected to a webbed cloak, the vampire squid strikes a strangely elegant figure in the deepest depths of tropical oceans. In this episode, you’ll be immersed in serene waters as deep as 900 meters below the surface, your path ahead lit only by bioluminescence. It’s time to put on your headphones, close your eyes, and take five minutes to yourself — to breathe, learn, and wonder. 

This is Wonder, a weekly five-minute audio experience designed to transport you far away from the chaos of everyday life. Wonder is a Brazen production. To find out more visit brazen.fm/wonder.

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From Brazen, this is Wonder, a new weekly podcast launching Monday 20 May.

For five minutes each week, give yourself a chance to hit pause. Wonder is a five-minute audio experience designed to transport you far away from the chaos of life. With each episode, you’ll discover a new element of the natural world, from extraordinary creatures to otherworldly places and phenomena. You’ll discover something about yourself, too, through five minutes of mindfulness and escape from the everyday. So put your headphones on, close your eyes, and let us lead you through a rich, serene soundscape, giving you a chance to breathe – and wonder. 

Wonder, coming 20 May, from Brazen. Learn more at brazen.fm/wonder.

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