One of our listeners returns to his homeland of Puerto Rico each year for the celebration of the Epiphany.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

We've developed lots of ways to cover our ears, but not so many ways to cover our noses.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The nomadic Sami herdsmen of Scandinavia have preserved their oral history in a unique form of story-song called a "yoik."  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

An indigenous style of singing created by nomadic reindeer herdsman is kept alive in contemporary Scandinavia.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In an ecosystem polluted by toxins like mercury, do mother turtles pass these substances on to their young?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Human beings are apparently hardwired to remember things that surprise us. how does this translate to cultures where people typically aren't encouraged to deviate from the normal way of doing things?  See acast.com/privacy for privac...

Is there a better way to improve service without monitoring calls and filling out surveys?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Some of our most enduring Christmas traditions may date back to the days before that holiday even existed.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Working together to build 20 foot pyres of wood and wire, a family near New Orleans celebrates Christmas eve.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Las Posadas, celebrated in Mexico and in many Hispanic communities, commemorates Mary and Joseph's search for lodging in Bethlehem.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Believe it or not, there was a time when the singing of Christmas carols could land you in jail.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the early 1800's, letting off steam at the annual Jonkonnu celebrations may have been a social safety valve.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A widely celebrated event during the 1800's inspired historians and local residents of eastern North Carolina to reconstruct its spectacle.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Revelers of the Jonkonnu masquerade sing and dance through neighborhoods, visiting homes where their pageantry might be favored with a gift of money.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In North Carolina, the festival of Jonkonnu is celebrated with influences from West Africa, England, and the Caribbean.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

There's one sure way to make a memorable impression.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

If you want to design effective packaging, you'd better know how it will stand up to being transported in planes, trains and trucks.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Lindsborg, Kansas, folks still mark this time of year with traditions their ancestors brought from Sweden.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the world of package design, you have to think not only of the package itself, but what it's going to be resting upon.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Packages that were previouly made out of plastic, are now being made out of bioplastics.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why would anyone want to cut the toenails of a snapping turtle?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Snapping turtles are teaching us invaluable lessons about the effects of toxins on the environment.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Microorganisms are part of the "recipe" for making rain, and rain not only cleans the atmosphere of microbes and airborne particles, it serves as a prime mover in stimulating microbial growth.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy ...

Why would bacteria evolve the ability to freeze cloud water at higher than normal temperatures?  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Most scientists refrain from eating anything in their labs, and for good reason. But when it comes to flavor science, tasting chemicals is madatory.  See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.