Week of Wonder

WBUR's On Point brings you a 'Week of Wonder': A curation of shows from the past year reveling in the wonder of the world we live in.

Over the course of the week, we explore what captivates our mind, illuminates our humanity and both delights and confounds us, from erupting volcanoes to the calm of quiet.

Episode 1. The marvelous and misunderstood world of sharks

Sharks are full of secrets, despite being some of the oldest creatures on the planet. Marine biologist Jasmin Graham has spent a decade studying them — and trying to bring more women of color like her into the field. Hear it on July 14.

Episode 2. ‘Vivaldi smells like breakfast sausage’

Smell can trigger memories, influence emotions, and alert us to what might make us sick. And new research is giving us insight into how that happens. Hear it on July 15.

Episode 3. The truth about your period

For many women who menstruate, dealing with period blood is an inconvenience. But it turns out that blood may unlock health secrets way beyond the female reproductive system. Hear it on July 16.

Episode 4. Volcanologist Tamsin Mather on her 'adventures in volcanoland'

On Point’s Week of Wonder takes us inside erupting mountains of fire. Volcanologist Tamsin Mather has visited more volcanoes than most people will ever have in their lifetimes and says they tell us something about the world and ourselves. Hear it on July 17.

Episode 5. Can we save the quietest places in the world?

On Point’s Week of Wonder wraps up with a celebration of silence. The world’s quietest places are disappearing – drowned out by human-made noise. The push to preserve our quiet places. Hear it on July 18.

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Meghna Chakrabarti is the award-winning host and editor of On Point. Based in Boston, she is on the air Monday through Friday.

The Alliance for Women in Media has honored On Point with three Gracie Awards. In 2023 'An invisible epidemic,' a program about survivors of domestic violence, won in the Investigative Feature category, while 'Behind the decades-long fight to close the boyfriend loophole' won in the Public Affairs category.

In 2022, On Point's episode "A Look Back at 1992 Los Angeles And America Since Rodney King" won a national Gracie Award for Best News Documentary. The Alliance for Women in Media also gave Meghna an honorable mention for best nationally syndicated non-commercial correspondent/host.

On Point's episode on Los Angeles since Rodney King also won a 2022 regional Edward R. Murrow award for best news documentary. In 2021, On Point won a National Edward R. Murrow award for best news documentary for "What the President Knew." The show examined presidential decision-making before 9/11 and the COVID pandemic. In 2023, On Point's series Smarter health was given a first-place award by the Association of Health Care Journalists.

Chakrabarti is the former host of Radio Boston, WBUR’s acclaimed weekday local show. She's the former host of Modern Love: The Podcast, a collaboration of WBUR and The New York Times (2016-2020) and was the primary fill-in host for Here & Now, NPR and WBUR's midday show. She reported on New England transportation and energy issues for WBUR’s news department.