Brandon Hendrickson on Wonder, Storytelling, and the Forgotten Tools of Learning (Ep. 005)

Brandon Hendrickson is the creator of Science is Weird, a homeschooling program that aims to restore wonder and depth to science education. Blending the insights of philosopher Kieran Egan with his own experiences as a curriculum architect, classroom teacher, and autodidact, Brandon brings a rare clarity to debates about what learning is, and what it could be.In this wide-ranging conversation, Brandon joins Thomas to explore why curiosity is not enough, what most people get wrong about progressive and classical education, and how stories, songs, riddles, and emotion shape cognition. They discuss why the trivium isn’t built for children, how literacy rewires the brain, and what’s missing in the way we teach science, history, and language.The conversation also touches on Brandon’s experiences teaching from his apartment, his evolving view of homeschooling, his critiques of Montessori and Sayers, and his ambitious effort to build a new, Egan-inspired curriculum that reconnects students with the “shiny” richness of reality. Read an enhanced transcript or the TL;DL summary at Eduaide.Ai. Recorded 25 March 2025