Sophus launches the podcast with a deep-dive into the human mind, this engine of chaos and expanse of possibility we all carry around inside us. The episode begins with a reminder—taken from, of all places, the British tax collection agency—to marvel at the clouds and allow ourselves to be stunned by volcanoes. And it ends with a walk through the woods of southern Italy, in the company of a dog and three Paleolithic teenagers.

Hosted and written by Sophus Helle

Sound editing by Simone Nystrup-Larsen

Edited by Andreas Lindinger Saxild

Find out more at sophushelle.com/monkeymind

Monkey Mind

Combining wit and wisdom, silliness and seriousness, the podcast Monkey Mind by Sophus Helle takes the audience on a weekly jaunt through the jungle of the mind. Each episode throws a new and unusual light on the issues of everyday life—trees, typos, taxes, and much more besides—making the audience look again at a world they thought they knew. It tells stories that are designed to make the listener chuckle, then reflect, drawn from both the host’s own life and from the deep well of history.

Sophus Helle is a writer, translator, and cultural historian. He is an expert in the Babylonian epic Gilgamesh and the ancient poet Enheduana.