Audacious with Chion Wolf

The poet, Atticus, wrote, “Have you ever smelled a smell and it instantly brings you back to a happy moment from your childhood? I always loved that. I hope that's what death is. Just sitting on a cloud, smelling old smells.” That’s the inspiration for today’s episode, featuring 18 people talking about the smells that bring them back to childhood. In addition to the guests below, you’ll hear the v...

Tired of the same old sports? Well, listen to our show about weird sports! Including extreme ironing, where people press their clothes at the top of volcanoes, in caves, even while hanging upside down in trees! And there's cheese rolling, where people chase a cheese wheel which is barrelling down a steep hill. And then there's the oh, so British sport of shin kicking! This is a centuries-old wrest...

Puns: some hate ‘em, some like 'em, and some are so passionate about being punny, so committed to quips, so delighted by double entendre, that they compete in events like the Punderdome. The Punderdome is a monthly wordplay competition in New York where newbies go round after round, coming up with puns on a surprise theme, alongside some of the best punsters in the world. Join Chion and Deputy dir...

In the movies, cyborgs often don't have a soul or a conscience. But in real life, some people become cyborgs in order to enhance the human experience and to be more connected with nature. Like Neil Harbisson. He was born colorblind, but now, thanks to an antenna implanted into the base of his skull, he can hear colors! And choreographer, Moon Ribas, had implants embedded in her feet that vibrated...

When Jenn Carson was nine years old, her mother sat her down and told her that her father had been arrested for hurting people. The world would later find out that Michael Bear Carson and his second wife, Suzan Carson, were serial killers. Hear how Jenn went from a traumatized little girl to a mental health advocate and crisis counselor, advocating against her father’s parole. GUEST:  Dr. Jenn Car...

In 2006, dog trainer Toby Dorr, , made international headlines when she snuck John Manard, who was incarcerated for life, out of prison in a dog crate. They were on the run for 12 days, until it all came to a crashing halt. In this second installment of our "Why'd You Do It?" series, find out what went into all the choices Toby made, before, during, and long after the great escape. Listen to the f...

Many of us would think that feelings of arousal would always be welcome! And maybe we would even want more of it. But for our guests on this episode, persistent genital arousal disorder has made life very difficult. One woman copes with more than 100 orgasms a day, another searches for peace as her body is stimulated by emotions of all kinds, and another has undergone surgeries and treatments to f...

If you told comedian Zarna Garg five years ago that she would have her own Amazon comedy special, she might look at you funny. So to speak. She immigrated to the United States at 16 years old to leave a difficult family situation. Then, she became a lawyer and a stay-at-home mom. But in her mid-40s, she began exploring the comedy world, which has been rewarding her greatly ever since. On this epis...

"Never again." That was the vow the international community took after the Holocaust, pledging to never repeat the kind of actions that led to the death of over 6 million Jewish people. Unfortunately, the horrors of genocide have been seen again - in Armenia, in Rwanda, and now, in China. On this episode of Audacious, meet a woman who was assaulted and forcibly sterilized while in a concentration...

As part of NautiWeek, you’ll meet two people who broke world records while underwater on this episode of Audacious. Budimir Šobat won a world record for holding his breath underwater for almost 25 minutes! What advice on breathing does he have for the rest of us? Then, we connect with Dr. Joe Dituri, first as he was living in a hotel 30 feet below sea level for 100 days… And then after he resurfac...

When you know you’re months, maybe weeks away from your own death, what do you most want people to know? As the first in a series of conversations with people near the end of their lives, we get to know David Meyers. He was a physician who was diagnosed with glioblastoma in 2018. He died on July 2nd, 2023. Hear his reflections on life, love, and what really matters. An extended version of this con...

When you imagine an umpire, a chess arbiter, or a boxing referee… Do you picture women? Today, you'll hear stories from three women in the sports world who are thriving in those particular positions of power. GUESTS:  Kristi Howard:  11-year veteran softball umpire in Mississippi. After getting punched in the face by an angry parent, she is advocating for laws to classify assaults against umpires...

Imagine you found out when you were a teen that your father was not your biological father. That is what happened to both of our guests on this episode of Audacious. One woman, Eve, then found out that her biological father was not the sperm donor her parents chose, but their fertility doctor. This is called “fertility fraud“. It is only illegal in 12 states (not including Connecticut), and not at...

When you think of the word, "Psychopath", what do you picture? A serial killer? A dictator? A cut-throat CEO? Your ex? Sure, a few of those folks may be psychopaths. But many people with this mental health condition would argue that the usual stereotypes are way off. They are incapable of feeling empathy or developing any attachments, but that doesn't mean they are compelled to cause harm. Today,...

Hey there! This is the VERY much extended conversation that Chion had with the writer Athena Walker . She's got over 40,000 followers on Quora , where she talks about what it's like being a clinically diagnosed psychopath. Please do check out the original episode posted just before this one, which also includes our conversation with Dr. James H Fallon. He's a neuroscientist studying psychopathic k...

When Shannon Litchfield’s 11 year-old son, Cameron, was losing weight and feeling sick, she took him to the emergency room. The x-ray they saw showed magnets, screws, and yarn in his stomach. We’ll explore the eating disorder known as Pica, where people are drawn to eating objects. A researcher talks about her findings after completing a research study with 600 parents of young children, and meet...

Do pathological liars always believe the stories they tell? What does it take for them to see the patterns behind their lies? And what does honesty sound like from someone who has spent most of their lives making things up? Two people talk about what it’s like to learn to tell the truth, and a researcher on deception shares how you can most effectively spot a lie. Special thanks to Ellen Barry for...

Almost 1000 people have won Nobel Prizes. But only 300 have won IG Nobel Prizes! That’s the award honoring achievements that first make people laugh, and then make them think. In this episode, meet the creator of the prize, and three people who’ve won it! GUESTS:  Marc Abrahams :  Founder of the Ig Nobel Prize Ceremony in 1991, celebrating achievements that “make you laugh and then think”. He is a...

What makes a man who grew up in the American south suddenly sound like he has a British accent? Hear from Kenley Byrd, who’s had this accent since he had a mini-stroke thirteen years ago. He is one of fewer than 100 known people in history to have Foreign Accent Syndrome. And find out what we know - and what we don’t know - about this extremely rare condition. GUESTS:  Professor Jack Ryalls: Profe...

Imagine if everything you heard - a door clicking shut, a passing car, dishes being put away, even your own voice - was excruciatingly loud. Hear how one man copes with hyperacusis. And a flute player talks about how she managed her hyperhidrosis - or extreme sweating - when she was playing Carnegie Hall and in everyday life. Listen to the extended conversation with David Vance with closed caption...

When you imagine an emotional support animal, what comes to mind? A dog? Well how about a pigeon? A sugar glider? Or an emotional support pig? Meet people who’ve paired up with these animals to make their lives - and mental health conditions - better. GUESTS:  Cynthia Zhou : Miu was her emotional support pigeon from 2016 to 2021. She is an advocate for  Palomacy Pigeon and Dove Adoptions  based ou...

Nietzsche once said, “It is what one takes into solitude that grows there, the beast within included.” This episode features three people who experienced solitude: by choice and not. There’s a winter caretaker at Yellowstone, a runner-up from the History Channel show, Alone, and you'll hear from a Connecticut man who spent almost 30 years in solitary confinement. GUESTS:  Callie Russell :  Contest...

When people imagine becoming parents, they don’t often envision their child being born with a condition that requires lifetime care. Hear reflections and wisdom from “forever parents” whose children have autism with anxiety and OCD; a disorder that caused 100 seizures a day; and Down Syndrome. GUESTS:  Carrie Carriello :  Mother of five children, including 18 year-old Jack, who has Autism, OCD, an...

Hey, kids! Did you know there are grown ups who are just as obsessed with Disney as you? There's an adult out there who has full-sleeve tattoos of Disney characters, another who’s spent tens of thousands of dollars on merch, and one guy even set a world record for visiting Disneyland for almost 3,000 days in a row! Those are just some of the Disney adults you’ll meet on today’s show. GUESTS:  Eric...

Ah, Craigslist’s Missed Connections. Where else can you find that attractive guy you saw at that concert? Or the lady in the laundromat who held your gaze? Or reconnect with your long lost hairstylist?   Hear those stories, plus what a researcher learned from studying over 10,000 posts. And what does it sound like when two Tony-nominated songwriters take Missed Connection posts and turn them into...