Choose to be Curious

Research tells us that by leaning into externally-focused curiosity – “what do I notice that the world needs?” – and internally-focused curiosity – “How might I be able to contribute?” – we can find meaning and a sense of purpose in our lives. We can find what lights us up. Estee Levine did just that. She got curious about where her passions might fill some of the gaps in her community and she set...

I’m taking a little break in December. Call it some curiosity R&R — curiosity respite & re-airs. I’ll get a production break, and my radio audiences will continue to enjoy uninterrupted listening, thanks to Pacifica Radio Network, with four great C2BC Classic re-airs. We'll be back with a great lineup starting January 1st. Of course, I don’t want you to miss out, so here’s a peek at what my radio...

"Slow down to the speed of wonder." ~ John Muir Laws This is an episode about nature journaling, but Jack would be the first to say: it isn't about the journal, it's about the journey. He's developed interdisciplinary programs that combine art with science and train us to observe the world with rigor and joy -- strengthening our capacity to be intentionally curious. John Muir Laws: https://johnmui...

I couldn't fit everything in this week, so here is what Jack Laws and I drew from the Big Jar of Wannabe Analogies. #analogy Episode webpage: https://lynnborton.com/2025/11/27/curiosity-nature-journaling-with-john-muir-laws/

Enough with the polite, front parlor pablum of the past -- and onward toward rich discussion, mindful discourse, self-disclosure, and – dare I say it? – curiosity! Wanting to do something about the epidemic of loneliness among her peers, Ashley Kirsner set out to find a way to help people build their conversational and self-revelatory muscles. Enter Skip the Small Talk. Skip the Small Talk: https:...

“Creativitry," writes legendary playwright Stan Lai in the preface to his new book of that name, "Doesn’t exist as a word. Just as all creative things do not exist -- until they do. "Rhymes with Artistry, and Chemistry, and Sorcery. "The know-how, practice and mastery of creativity." The overlap, undercurrents and  interplay of creativity and curiosity come up a lot here, which only heightened my...

How might understanding the experiences of disability help us be more curious about our own and others' minds and bodies? And, most importantly, how might any of that help us be kinder and more patient with ourselves and each other? I’m profoundly grateful to legal scholar and disability media-maker Qudsiya Naqui for proposing today’s topic. Qudsiya Naqui: https://law.udc.edu/qudsiya-naqui/ Theme...

Brian Fretwell's work grows out of a rich mix of neuroscience, anthropology, leadership and what you might call self-interested curiosity. Rather than obsessing about where we fell short and consoling ourselves we will learn from our mistakes, he encourages us to learn from our successes instead. The secret, he says, is connection. Brian Fretwell & Finding Good: https://www.findinggood.com Theme m...

What if there were a mechanism – a format – that kept novelty high, provided some assurance that the information being imparted was important (at least to someone), and that might tap into things we know perhaps a bit about?  Wouldn’t that seem like a pretty great curiosity vehicle? I give you PechaKucha! PechaKucha Night Knoxville: https://www.pechakucha.com/communities/knoxville Theme music by S...

I've been thinking about being more curious about what accessibility around curiosity really means and entails. I was delighted to sit down with accessibility advocate and Birdablity executive director, Cat Fribley to explore the curiosity lessons to be learned from the organization -- and from Birdability Week, a week full of events dedicated to making birding accessible and inclusive for everyon...

“Kiku” is a Japanese word for listen. It is comprised of smaller characters that together, as my guest Haru Yamada puts it, “generate the secret alchemy of listening: an ear 耳 on the left and fourteen 十四 hearts 心 on the right …conjuring a person listening with the energy of fourteen hearts.” Think for a moment what it means to listen with the energy of fourteen hearts… Haru Yamada is a self-de...

Sam Furness says nothing gives him greater joy than being an architect of spaces and moments where people really feel they can express themselves creatively.  In that spirit, he founded Creative Quests, a worldwide community and creative playground for people fueled by curiosity. Sam Furness/Creative Quests: https://www.creativequests.world Theme music by Sean Balick; “Valantis” by Cauldron, via B...

We all have a curiosity origin story. What’s yours? CEO, author and marketing exec Tyler Chisholm’s happens to involve a pool cue. Enriched by his experience in strategic growth-oriented marketing and as host of not one but two podcasts, Tyler polishes that first little nugget into robust guidance for leaders everywhere in his new book Curious as Hell, We focused on the wonderfulness of rapport, s...

Mónica Quesada Cordero and her colleagues at el Colectivo 506 have learned a lot in their five years of bringing solutions journalism to Costa Rica. These are curiosity lessons for journalism, and for life itself. el Colectivo 506: https://elcolectivo506.com/?lang=en Theme music by Sean Balick; “A Burst of Light" by Delray, via Blue Dot Sessions.

"We think there's a little more of a selective process going on with curiosity." ~ Mary Whatley No surprise: curiosity changes over the lifespan. Yes surprise: not in the way you might imagine. There are some advantages to aging... Mary Whatley, PhD, studies motivated memory, aging and curiosity. She joins me to explore trait versus state curiosity; her recent research on increasing state curiosit...

Creativity strategist Natalie Nixon has a fresh take on productivity and our ideas about time. She makes the case for leaning into joyful movement, deep thinking and the pause of a "strategic speed bump" to tap into -- and cultivate -- our creativity and curiosity. Natalie Nixon: https://www.figure8thinking.com Theme music by Sean Balick; “Mind Body Mind” by Bodytonic, via Blue Dot Sessions.

Dating coach Tim Molnar blends social science and statistical scholarship with both personal experience and practical suggestions in hopes of transforming how people approach modern dating.  How can curiosity help in our dating lives? Tim has thoughts! We explore research's origins in "me-search"; getting curious about what is -- or isn't -- actually working; second dates and old-school advantages...

This was a wide-ranging and exciting conversation about neuroscientist Matthias Gruber's ongoing efforts to understand curiosity's role in learning and memory. There's a lot here. You may have to listen more than once -- I know I did! Matthias Gruber: https://profiles.cardiff.ac.uk/staff/gruberm Theme music by Sean Balick; “A Little Powder” by Nursery, via Blue Dot Sessions.

Lisa Kristine is a humanitarian photographer and fine artist. She uses her photography to expose deeply human stories and make pictures that tap our curiosity about the people and lives she has documented. "Curiosity calls us to be present." ~ Lisa Kristine Lisa Kristine: https://lisakristine.com Theme music by Sean Balick; “Sand Reverie” by Desert Orchard, via Blue Dot Sessions.

Lean into the language of smell with me: we sniff things out, we follow a scent. We’re nosey! Is this not curiosity, enacted? Embodied!? So what do we know about our sense of smell, and might studying it offer insights into the way our brains explore, learn and remember? Venkatesh Murthy: https://vnmurthylab.org Theme music by Sean Balick; “A Palace of Cedars” by Pine Barrens, via Blue Dot Session...

Much as I champion curiosity, sometimes it can take us down bad paths. Thank goodness there are excellent resources that help us lean into our curiosity, recognize misinformation -- and stop it in its tracks. RumorGuard is an initiative of the News Literacy Project to do just that. It fact-checks viral rumors and offers concrete tips to help us build our news literacy chops. News Literacy Project:...

How does a ghost writer get to the juiciest heart of their subject? Laura Zigman is the author of six novels and has ghostwritten and/or collaborated on multiple memoirs and non-fiction books. We have fun talking about writing with someone -- not about them -- and getting their voice right; the line between curiosity and nosiness; compassion, empathy, trust and asking questions with kindness; resp...

Mikel Herrington is a veteran of both AmeriCorps and the Peace Corps. We explore curiosity as the underpinning that brings people into civil service, reciprocal curiosity across cultural and experiential divides, humility, humor, how service allows room for listening, and why someone might carry a pecan for years... Theme music by Sean Balick; "Home, Home at Last" by Warmbody, via Blue Dot Session...

For 15 years, Professor Shawkat Toorawa has offered "three things worth knowing" from literature, music and general knowledge, no strings attached. Each week during the academic year, "Dr. T" delivers a curiosity booster shot for anyone who wants to partake. It's his gesture toward true liberal arts and an ever-expanding appreciation of the rich and diverse world around us. A delightful discussion...

What happens to intellectual freedom when libraries come under attack? What happens to curiosity? Librarian and director of the Department of Libraries in Arlington, VA, Diane Kresh joins me to explore the long and storied history of bad-ass librarians, book bans and book sanctuaries, the "curiosity paradox" of such bans, what makes libraries a center for community, and how curiosity is like an in...