Around 7.000 languages are spoken worldwide. But about every two weeks, one of them disappears along with the last person who speaks it.

Linguist Dr. Mary Walworth dedicates her work to languages that are often on the verge of disappearing. She specializes in Oceanic languages, and for her research, she regularly travels to remote islands in the Pacific, where only a few people still speak languages that may soon disappear. There, she documents languages to preserve them, collects stories, and uses them to trace how people have moved across the ocean.

She was recently featured in the National Geographic series “Pole to Pole,” where Will Smith accompanies her in her work on various Pacific islands.

In this episode, she gives us insight into her fieldwork: How do you document a language? What can words reveal about migration, exchange, and the history of entire regions? And what is lost when a language disappears?

We talk about fieldwork in remote places, about language as a foundation of identity and community – and about how her work has changed since her daughter began accompanying her in the field.

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Al Mennie is one of the best big-wave surfers of all time — but it wasn't the giant waves that had the biggest impact on him. When the world shut down in 2020, the Northern Irish surfer began swimming alone at night in the freezing Atlantic, and discovered something profound: darkness can be a gift. In his book "Night Swimming" (for our German listeners: "Schwimmen im Mondlicht"), he shares how the sea, the night, and the moon showed him the way through grief, fear, and inner turmoil. We met him at his home beach in Northern Ireland. A conversation about finding light in the darkest places.

https://www.almennie.me/

swimthroughdarkness.com

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What happens when you consciously leave behind the fast pace of life and devote ten years to wonder? Patrick Bringley once worked at The New Yorker, one of the world's most prestigious magazines. But after his brother Tom died of cancer at a young age, he left his career behind and became a museum guard at the legendary Metropolitan Museum of Art.

In his international bestseller “All the Beauty in the World,” Patrick recounts how he found solace amid the artworks of the MET—and rediscovered himself in the silence, beauty, and sheer humanity of this special place. In this episode, he talks about:

• his journey from everyday office life in a skyscraper to life in the halls of one of the world's largest art museums
• the deep connection between grief, happiness, and art
• his favorite works at the MET—and why Peter Bruegel's “The Harvest” in particular radiates an existential calm
• the diversity and humanity behind the scenes: stories of his colleagues from all over the world
• the magic of slowness, observation – and art that doesn't lecture, but touches

A moving conversation about loss, hope, courage, beauty – and how art can enrich all our lives.

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